August 2010 Archives

A Premier League footballer was arrested in High Street Kensington in the early hours of Sunday (29), in connection with a fracas.

Arsenal and England midfielder Jack Wilshere was held after the incident at about 2.45am outside the Amika nightclub, along with three other men, and all four men have since been bailed.

Police and paramedics were called to the nightspot after several men were involved in an incident with two women, and doormen from the nearby Kensington Roof Gardens, rushed over the road to try and help.

A prestigious film festival in West London is airing a record 15 films produced by students from Kensington and Chelsea College.

The Portobello Film Festival, renowned for showcasing new talent, is debuting a series of short films from students, including music videos, documentaries and comedies.

The budding film-makers will be showing their collection on Monday September 13 from 6pm at Westbourne Studios in Acklam Road, North Kensington.

Anyone interested in becoming a foster parent can head to an opening evening in Kensington Town Hall on Thursday September 23.

The talk will give prospective foster carers an understanding of what the role involves, as well as answering any questions they may have.

It starts at 6pm at the hall in Hornton Street, and is free to attend.

46 years of the carnival

20 miles of colourful costumes

40 static sound systems

200 Caribbean food stalls

300 tonnes of rubbish cleaned up by 370 council cleaners - 200 from K&C and 170 from Westminster.

40,000 volunteers

1,000,000 visitors

Trouble marred the close of the Notting Hill Carnival with missiles being thrown at police as night fell on Monday (30).

More than 20 arrests for public order offences were made as revellers clashed with officers close to the end of the carnival route.

And over the course of the three day celebrations, 230 people were arrested - 15 more than last year - including four people who were found with a gun in their car on the edge of the carnival site.

Two revellers were also stabbed, but sustained minor injuries, and were among 549 people treated for injuries - 46 of them taken to hospital.

A topping out ceremony, celebrating completion of part of a new centre, was held by Kensington and Chelsea College on Thursday (26).

The concrete shell of a brand new centre in Chelsea has been completed, part of a £15m project, which includes spacious fashion studios, professional design suites, an exhibition hall and vibrant cafe.

It features a grand staircase, a balcony, and £500,000 has been invested in cutting edge technology such as computers and plasma screens for classrooms.

An eco-friendly building, it will use energy-efficient lighting, have more cycle bays to encourage greener travel, and lifts for disabled students.

Kensington and Chelsea has some of the highest rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the country.

Figures released by the Health Protection Agency last week, show that London boroughs have the highest infection rates in England, and that the Royal Borough has the 11th highest in the capital.

The figures for 2009 show that in Kensington and Chelsea, the average rate of infection with STIs per 100,000 people, was 1,251, nearly double the national average, which was 774.

The four-week police crackdown ahead of the Notting Hill Carnival has seen 101 arrests and the seizure of many weapons and drugs.

As visitors from around the world descend on West London to celebrate carnival, the Metropolitan Police has released the results of Operation Razorback, which launched at the start of August.

It targeted known troublemakers and gangs who were planning to use carnival as a venue for violence and crime, and through several dawn raids based on intelligence from residents, officers have seized £64,000 cash, and large quantities of crack cocaine and cannabis.

A wide range of weapons have also been seized by officers, including hunting knives, samurai swords and a firearm.

For anyone who has ever wanted to know more about the goings on beneath the streets of London, there is a talk being held on September 16.

Antony Clayton, author of Subterranean City, will be presenting an illustrated talk on various aspects of the city's underground including lost rivers, sewers, railways and government bunkers.

The talk is at Kensington Central Library at 6.30pm.

Tickets are free, and can be obtained from any library in the Royal Borough.

A picnic for anyone over the age of 50 is being held in Holland Park on Thursday September 9.

Organised by charity Open Age, the event will include art workshops and line dancing, but all guests must bring their own food to join the picnic.

It starts at 10.30am in the park, and is free to attend.

For more information, call Open Age on 020 8964 1900.