October 2010 Archives

From rhubarb to pomegranates, discover more about the impact of food on health and wellbeing with a talk at Chelsea Physic Garden.

Nutritionist and yoga teacher, Carla Dixon-Foxley, will be at the garden on Thursday November 18 for the talk at 10am.

She will also advise on how knowing plants and their properties can contribute to a healthy life.

Tickets to the talk cost £95, and are available by calling 020 7352 5646 or by visiting www.chelseaphysicgarden.co.uk

A burger restaurant in Earl's Court has been fined more than £10,000 after mouse droppings were found in its food.

Adil Catering, a Burger King franchise in Earl's Court Road, appeared at West London Magistrates' Court on Wednesday (27) where they admitted three charges of failing to keep the food premises clean, failing to protect food against contamination, and failing to ensure adequate pest control procedures were in place.

The court imposed a fine of £3,500 per offence, bringing the total fine to £10,500, and also ordered the company to pay the council's costs of £3,281.

A charity football match between police and students has helped raise £4,000 for a brain injury charity.

Officers from Kensington lined up against students from Imperial College, to take part in the match at the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, on Friday October 22.

They met up to raise money for the Wolfson Rehabilitation Centre in Wimbledon - a charity close to the heart of PCSO Mick Stone, whose son James has been helped by the centre while he recovers from brain injuries.

James suffered the damage after a seizure in May, which affected both his speech and movement.

Some of the country's top historians are taking part in the second London History Festival, organised by Kensington and Chelsea Council.

Festival-goers will have the chance to listen to and get involved in discussions about periods from Ancient Rome to the Second World War, during the event which starts on Monday November 15.

It will include historians such as Antony Beevor, author of 'Stalingrad' and 'Berlin,' Tom Holland, author of 'Persian Fire' and Jessie Childs, who wrote 'Henry VIII's Last Victim.'

All of the discussions will be at Kensington Central Library over a two week period.
Entry is £5 or £3 for concessions, and tickets can be bought from any library in Kensington and Chelsea, or by calling 020 7361 3010.

For more information, visit www.londonhistoryfestival.com.

An elderly woman died in hospital after falling and fracturing her hip while trying to get out of bed, an inquest heard.

Kay Lacey, 79, of Penywern Road, Earls Court, underwent surgery at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital following the accident, but suffered post-operative complications.

Westminster Coroner's Court heard on Wednesday (27) that she had suffered a stroke and contracted pneumonia in the weeks before her death on August 5 of this year.

New playground equipment will be installed at Athlone Gardens in the next few weeks as part of the redevelopment of the Wornington Green Estate.

Half of the park in North Kensington will be closed and used by builders to speed up the redevelopment, but the council says it wants to make the remaining space as good as possible.

Its parks team has been asking residents how to make the temporary space as user-friendly as possible while the work goes on.

The existing play equipment in Athlone Gardens will be removed when the work starts, and neighbours wanted it to be replaced so that children still have somewhere to play.

Young people considering becoming an apprentice can find out more at an open on day on November 2.

Kensington Central Library will host the Connexions' Apprenticeship Open Day from 3-6pm.
Apprenticeships are ideal for those who want to enter the world of work but do not want to stop studying, as they provide work experience and training as well as qualifications.

Visitors to the open day will have the chance to speak to professionals and can register for vacancies in youth work, information technology and sport.

For more information call 020 7938 8008.

The organisation which runs affordable housing in Kensington and Chelsea is 'improving' despite a string of allegations by its tenants.

The borough's Tenant Management Organisation has been accused by residents of financial mismanagement and of leaking confidential documents.

Its AGM was abandoned three weeks ago, after disorder erupted in the meeting.

But while the TMO has admitted some of the complaints are accurate, it says that many were made before the current chief executive took over, and that he is improving things.

To celebrate National Colleges Week in November, Kensington and Chelsea College is throwing its doors open for visitors to explore.

An open day, showcasing some of more than 900 courses for students to choose from, is being held at the college's campus in Wornington Road, North Kensington, on Thursday November 11.

Free goody bags will be handed out at the doors from 4-7pm, and free refreshments will also be available to visitors.

Staff will be on hand to give advice about courses, and there will be demonstrations and activities to take part in.

Pupils in Kensington and Chelsea have topped national league tables for exam results this year.

New figures released by the Department for Education this week show that the borough had more pupils achieving top GCSE grades than any other local authority in the country.

Ninety-two per cent of the Royal Borough's teenagers were awarded five or more A* to C grades this summer compared to a national average of 76%.

Sir Merrick Cockell, leader of Kensington and Chelsea Council, said: "We are very proud of our schools and these results show just why.

"I want to thank our teachers for all the effort and dedication that has allowed our children to perform so well in their GCSEs."