Welcome to The Driver – Special Offer for Local Residents has been extended

Posted on August 4, 2009 by Stephan Schulte

After a complete make-over from inside to outside and top to bottom The Driver has now re-opened at the intersection of Wharfdale and Caledonian Roads as a Brassarie and Bar.

Exterior
To celebrate the opening, the owner Billy Reilly and has staff are welcoming local residents and business guests with an exclusive special offer – 20% OFF YOUR FINAL DINING BILL (LUNCH OR DINNER).

The offer was origninally due to end at the end of July, however due to an error by this author, it was posted late and the offer had expired.  The management of The Driver has now graciously agreed to extend the offer until the end of August.  This offer is for groups of up to four people.  Just download a copy of the discount voucher here: Download Voucher, print it out and present it to waiter.

You can also take a look at their menu here:

 Download Sample menu

For reservations, just call (020) 7278-8827  For more information about private hire, please call (020) 7284-0513 or email them at info@driverlondon.co.uk or see their new website: www.driverlondon.co.uk for more information.

 

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Posted in Food and Drink | 4 Comments

Free Kings Cross venue for bands etc – Cross Kings has space

Posted on July 31, 2009 by William Perrin

Cross kings The Cross Kings team have transformed the awful old Backpacker into a good local pub with a music scene.  They have had some gaps in the band schedule recently and are now offering space with no hire fee and even a sound engineer.  In our recessionary times it seemed worth a plug:

Cross Kings text begins:

'Right then right then, here we go again, we've had some more holes appear in the calender and we'd love to plug them ! so if you can do anything with any of the following dates please get in touch IMMEDIATELY !

Please email me straight back… or phone Lis on the number below at the weekend… no hire fee, we'll even consider throwing in the sound engineer for nothing !

the available dates are :

Weds 5th Aug (Jester)
Thurs 6th Aug (Main)

SAT 8th Aug (both floors)

Weds 12th Aug (both floors)
Thurs 13th Aug (Jester)

Tues 25th Aug (Main)
Weds 26th Aug (Main)
Thurs 27th Aug (both floors)

FRI 28th Aug (Jester)

SAT 29th Aug (Jester)

Both rooms have a full PA and full DJ set-up.

Spoon

Bookings Manager
The Cross Kings
126 York Way
London
N1 0AX

0207 278 8318

http://www.thecrosskings.co.uk
http://www.myspace.com/thecrosskings'

Posted in Arts and Entertainment | Leave a comment

London ‘needs two million trees’

Posted on July 30, 2009 by Sophie Talbot
King's Cross leads the way, thanks to local activists particularly John Ashwell, aiding London's need to become low carbon. But more needs to be done and that more is more trees, greenwalls and greenspace. This from the BBC's website today:

An extra two million trees should be planted in London to combat rising temperatures over future decades, the mayor's environment plan has suggested.

Projections suggest average summer temperatures could be 3.9C higher in London by 2080.
However increasing tree numbers by 2025, as well as creating more green space and roofs, may help to thwart these projections, the report added.

Isabel Dedring, London mayor Boris Johnson's environment advisor, said: "People really struggle to see how an old, Victorian built-up city like London can really be a low carbon city, which if you look at the targets, it needs to be.

"There are lots of things we can do collectively offsetting those rises, and we have to start doing that now."

She said that trees in London's streets improved air quality.

Mr Johnson promised to fund 10,000 extra trees in his election campaign and so far 1,500 have been planted.

Temperatures in London are affected by the "urban heat island effect", where buildings absorb and release heat.

To counter this, the report has called for more roofs and walls to be covered with vegetation.

Local heroes like Lisa Tang, the driving force behind many local environmental projects including green flag winning Thornhill Bridge Community Gardens beside the Regent's Canal on the Cally Road, are helping to save our city from potential disaster. Private gardens including those all along The Cally and tucked away behind Northdown Street and on the Battlebridge Basin are vital in the capital's struggle to overcome the man-made catastrophe that is global warming. Camley Street Natural Park remains a lifeline not only for urban wildlife, but also for every local Londoner and commuter. 

King's Cross Community Projects, a small fledgling charity, is currently fundraising to create a vertical landscape on the King's Cross Gyratory, donations can be made online. The charity has raised £52k and needs at least a further £30k+ before works can start so every penny counts.

Posted in Community Health and Welfare, Current Affairs, Green Wall Project, King's Cross People, Wildlife and Nature | Leave a comment

Wharfdale Road not 20mph

Posted on July 28, 2009 by Stephan Schulte

Speed_sign The following was submitted by local resident Andrew Long regarding a current Council Consultation about speed limits in the area.

As this was of special interest to the folks who live along Wharfdale Road, I felt it would be worth posting it here.

Please add your comments below as I'm sure our Councillors will be interested in what local people have to say as compared to just "ticking" the boxes of the questionnaire.

Islington Council is proposing to reduce the speed limit in the west Islington area, which includes many of the streets around King's Cross.  They are seeking public feedback through a questionnaire recently distributed to residents as well as through an online survey (link below).  They have also deployed a team to travel door to door asking residents for their opinion.
 
It should be noted several roads are not included in the 20mph zone including Wharfdale Road and Caledonian Road as an aim of this proposal is to drive more traffic on to these roads which will result in an even more unpleasant roading system for cyclists, pedestrians and residents.  The questions posed by Islington in their questionnaire does not reflect this and does not give an option for the speed on all roads to be reduced.  This has been typical of recent Islington questionnaires with simple yes/no responses (see /2009/04/do-you-or-do-you-not-want-more-tall-buildings-in-the-borough.html)
 
Local resident John Ashwell has identified a number of options to making these busy roads safer – pinch points in the road to force the traffic to slow down, a proper hard edge to cycle lanes instead just painted areas that have all but worn away, and cameras to capture speeding drivers. 
 
If you would like a blanket 20mph zone throughout the area, please make note of this when you respond to the survey.
http://www.islington.gov.uk/Council/CouncilNews/Consultation/feedbackfinder2/consultations/2009/boroughwest_20mph2.asp
 
Best regards,
Andrew

Please comment below…

Posted in Travel | 7 Comments

The Jim Geddes Collection – 24 Caledonian Road N1 9DU

Posted on July 23, 2009 by Stephan Schulte

Jim-Geddes Jim Geddes (1932-2009) local King's Cross resident left an extraordinary body of sculpture, ceramics, paintings, drawings and textiles in the house he lived in for some 30 years – 24 Caledonian Road.

As a tribute to Jim, the "Friends of Jim Geddes" would like to offer a tour of the house by appointment.  The tour takes approximately 30mins and is limited to two people at a time.

To arrange and appointment to view the collection just text – 07751 083 829 beginning the text with JG.  Alternatively, email robert.h.stuckey@googlemail.com.

Selections of Jim’s art can be viewed at www.facebook.com (search for James W Geddes) and at www.myspace.com/jimgeddesartwork.

The tour is free of charge however visitors may wish to make a small donation towards the maintenance of the collection. Please note that theTours are at the visitor's own risk.

Posted in King's Cross People | Leave a comment

Quarterly Kings Cross Development Newsletter

Posted on July 13, 2009 by Stephan Schulte

Untitled Local residents who haven't seen a copy of this newletter from Argent about developments in the Railway Lands Site can download it here – Download Newsletter – Summer 2009

If you would like to be added to Argent's mailing list to receive it directly, please contact , Rhys Prichard, Assistant Development Manager at Argent at (020) 7837-4226.

Posted in Kings Cross N1C, railwayslands | Leave a comment

New Licensing Application at 32 Caledonian Road – Simmons Dining Rooms

Posted on July 10, 2009 by Stephan Schulte

SimmonsA company named Simmons London Ltd has recently refurbished the previously vacant Simmons Dining Roomsat 32 Caledonian Road (across from Tesco) and has now applied for a Premise License requesting operating hours as outlined in the chart below.

While most of the operating hours in the application look reasonable, local residents should note the late hours requested Thursday through Saturday nights.

The lower end of Caledonian Road is becoming a bit over populated with places to drink and late night activities are bound to affect the amenity of nearby residents.

Book1

If you have concerns about any aspects of the application you can make your Representations to the Licensing Team by emailing them at: licensing@islington.gov.uk.  For further information and guidance, click – Making a Representation.  Your comments must be received by 27 July.

It would be nice if the Council would adopt a plan to not allow any activities after midnight for the 1st year of operation for any new establishment. This could ensure new operators demonstrated their level of responsibility to local residents, but to date no such plan has been considered…maybe it's time.

Posted in Planning, Licensing and Regulation | 3 Comments

Competition on Future of King’s Cross Gasholders

Posted on July 10, 2009 by Stephan Schulte

Kings_cross_gasholder_lc090609_ns_1 The Bulletin Board has just recieve this notice from one of our subscribers, Aron Cronin from Keystone Crescent.

It appears to be notice of a competition seeking ideas about the future use of the King's Cross Gasholders.

Does anyone know what it's all about – please use the Comments section at the bottom of this Posting.

Entry Date: 10/07/2009
Reference: S2G09071094802/01
Type of document: Contract Notice
Country:United Kingdom

1. Title: DESIGN COMPETITION SERVICES

2. Awarding Authority: Kings Cross. Web:
 
http://www.e-architect.co.uk/architecture_competitions.htm.

3. Contract type: Service contract

4. Description: Gasholder competition at the specified location.

  • Open design competition launched for listed Victorian gasholder at the specified location.
  • Ambition is to create one of a kind, multi-use public space 
  • King's Cross Central allocates £2.5million for delivery of the successful design
  • Deadline for competition registration 17 July, deadline for design submissions 7 August

An adventure playground, a performance space, a picnic-area or perhaps even a roller-skating rink – any of these could end up being created inside the listed Victorian Gasholder No. 8 at King's Cross Central as a result of a national open design competition launched today.

Intended to be a destination and landmark for King's Cross and an amenity for local communities, the partners delivering King's Cross Central are inviting UK based designers to come up with a use for this unique space. This is the first time a competition of this kind has been run in the UK.

The partners – Argent, London & Continental Railways and DHL Supply Chain – are keen to attract innovative and ambitious ideas and are therefore inviting entries from multi-disciplinary design teams. Concepts beyond traditional architectural and landscape disciplines are being encouraged, including play and culture. An overall construction budget of £2.5million has been allocated to the project.

The four gasholders at King's Cross Central, the Gasholder Triplet and Gasholder No. 8, will be moving off site for refurbishment before being re-erected in permanent locations on the site as the scheme develops. The partners are keen to launch the competition as part of the emerging public space and amenity strategy for King's Cross Central and to provide certainty about the future of the well-recognised heritage structures.

Originally constructed in the 1850s, the distinctive 25m high circular guide frame structure, complete with the original telescopic wrought iron bell and brick tank below ground level, is a Grade II listed structure which currently stands to the south of the Regent's Canal. Disused since 2001, Gasholder No. 8 is to be dismantled from its present location, refurbished and re-erected to the north of the canal and will eventually sit next to the three other gasholders – the Triplet – which will house apartments, a possible top floor restaurant and ground floor retail.

Design teams entering the competition must be led by a practising, registered architect or landscape architect with a UK office. Designers can register their interest in the competition via the King's Cross Central website from 22 June to Friday 17 July. Entries can be submitted until the deadline of Friday 7 August.

Submissions will be judged by a panel including partners of King's Cross Central, and a small number of entries will be invited to develop ideas further in a second stage of the competition. The overall winner is expected to be notified in October 2009.

The programme for the re-erection of Gasholder No. 8 is yet to be confirmed, as it has to be considered as part of the wider King's Cross Central development programme. It is likely that following the completion of the competition, full concept design work with the winning team will commence in 2011. Listed Building Consent and detailed planning consent will be required for the Gasholder No. 8 scheme.

5. CPV Code(s): 22314000, 45112700, 71200000, 71220000, 71420000,

6. NUTS code(s): UKI UKI1 UKI12,

7. Main site or location of works, main place of delivery or main place of performance: Kings Cross central.

8. Reference attributed by awarding authority: Not provided.

9. Estimated value of requirement: Not provided.

10. Deadline for competition registration: 17.7.2009.
11. Address to which they must be sent: Same as 2.

12. Other information: For further information please contact the awarding authority or visit the awarding authority website.

For further information please visit; Web: www.kingscrosscentral.com/competition
TKR-200978-CB-311682

13. Submitted date: 9.7.2009.

Posted in Kings Cross N1C, railwayslands | 2 Comments