Kings Cross – Kate Greenaway School needs governors

Posted on June 26, 2009 by William Perrin

Sandpit Julian Grenier, Head Teacher the Kate Greenaway school has sent in the following appeal for new governors.

'Kate Greenaway Nursery School and Children's Centre is looking to co-opt two community governors, to join its governing body.

The governing body is very welcoming. Meetings have a formal agenda and papers to read in advance, and all meetings are conducted in a friendly and straightforward way. It's a good way to find out more about how services for children are operated and to play a part in making sure they work for local people.

Kate Greenaway is a delightful nursery school just off York Way, in York Way Court, with 65 children from 6 months to rising five years old on roll. The community services programme reaches about 400 local families with children up to 5 years old, offering popular Stay and Plays five days a week, home visiting, health promotion events, family support, and help to parents who want to further their education and training, or want to return to work.

The whole budget is controlled by the governing body, who set the strategic direction of the centre. We are looking for interested local people in the community to join the governing body and help to develop an already successful community resource even further.

If you are interested in this, you would need to be able to commit to attending three full meetings a year (one every term, from 6.30pm to 8.30pm). Childcare and other expenses can be claimed. You will also be available to visit at least once a term, and generally stay in touch and take a close interest in the centre's development. All governors are required to have an enhanced CRB check, which Islington Council undertakes. Islington also runs a programme of governor training.

To find out more about Kate Greenaway see – www.kategreenaway.ik.org

If you are interested in being considered for the governing body, please email the headteacher Julian Grenier julian.grenier@islington.gov.uk

Posted in Young People | Leave a comment

Islington consults on travel

Posted on June 25, 2009 by Sophie Talbot

LBI LB Islington is currently consulting on a section of its core strategy called 'Direction of Travel'. You can read and comment on the strategy online until 3 August.

Posted in Road Safety in Kings Cross, Transport, Travel | Leave a comment

Theatre of Debate

Posted on June 25, 2009 by Sophie Talbot
Ytouring Y Touring Theatre Company pioneered the Theatre of Debate® format. With live performances, podcasts and online resources on ethical, social and moral dilemmas it provokes debate and discussion. Y Touring is based at OneKX on the corner of Cromer Street and Judd Street, just up from Camden Town Hall.


Pandemic
Pandemweb3

Book early, places are limited! 

Swine Flu, Bird Flu, SARS. Global pandemic. Mass panic. Death. The race is on to find a cure, but with stocks of medicine running low who do we save? Including sessions with scientists, a research trip to the Wellcome Collection and a series of lively workshops all exploring the theme of pandemic disease. At the end of the two weeks participants will perform a brand new piece of theatre. 



Evrybrth Download the radio adaptation of ‘Every Breath’ originally a Y Touring Theatre of Debate® production by Judith Johnson. Find out where you stand on the ethical questions arising from the use of animals in medical research. Every Breath has been adapted for DVD. Watch a selection of scenes from the drama along with viewpoints from all sides of the debate raised by the use of animals in medical research.

Projectionist A downloadable Theatre of Debate® audio play by Laura Fitzgerald. ‘The Projectionist’ is a disturbing new play, which explodes the myth that 'if you've done nothing wrong, you've got nothing to hide' in our surveillance society. ‘The Projectionist' explores the lives of three young people growing up in a post September 11th Britain where surveillance takes an increasing large role.

Gf2 A website which features the digital adaptation of 5 original plays, debates and resources previously produced as Theatre of Debate® stage plays by Y Touring. Each play and resource has been transformed into a series of fictionalised news stories with video, audio and text – the end result meaning that you can choose how much information you want to find out at any one time. 
Posted in Arts and Entertainment, Current Affairs, Film, Science, Young People | Leave a comment

New Restaurants on Kings Cross Road transform South of KX as a direction for food

Posted on June 23, 2009 by William Perrin

A Japanese and a Thai restaurant are the new additions at South Kings Cross:

With Konstam (Acton St.) and Acorn House (Acorn St) the two celebrated high street restaurants, the food transformation of Kings Cross South had began about 5 years ago.  Many felt that the location was still too risky and those who dared to open up here preferred the fry up option as a less risky option for restaurants.  But the days of unhygienic and lack of style food outlets must be numbered now, for within one month two new luxurious world cousine landmarks have opened / are opening at Kings Cross.  On the junction to Pentonville Rise a long running café closed and is being replaced with a Japanese sushi bar.  Interesting this bar is only some distance away from one of London's finest former sushi bar's, which run there since the 1980s.  The first impression appears to be young and dynamic, very much like the crowd on this side of the Cross. Further up the road, on the very same spot that was once Konstam 1, and later Berlin Snack, Thai Aubergine has brought a decent well decorated Thai restaurant to us (Corner of Kings Cross / Acton Street). Thai Aubergine at 106 Kings Cross Road has a fantastically rich menu with prices for an average meal between £7 and £15.  The staff are very friendly, using Thai charm and manners to entice the customers that may not be used to such degrees of courtesy around this area.  My test meal was just right, with a spicy great sauce.  I shall be back there as well as hotly await my first sushi at the Japanese later on.IMAG0059  


Traditional Kings Cross Non Posh Still Available:

Paolina Café, another Thai at 181 Kings Cross Road, set in an old wooden breakfast café now has competition it must take serious, even though it has served Kings Cross well for many years, it may be time for an upgrade.
For those who like it less stylish and prefer a pub based or take away style atmosphere Thai food is also available at the Queens Head Pub at 66 Acton Street (the cooks from the closed Grays Inn Rd Thai café have moved in here) or Me Kong Chinese Take Away at 168 Kings Cross Road.  Further there is a Turkish Kebab restaurant on the corner of Kings Cross Road / Acton Street and between Swinton Street and Britannia Walk one also finds a chicken fry up and a fish and chips restaurant. 

Pressure to become better through highest food standard competition with up to date design and kitchen:

  Some of the old fry ups may very well stay, there is a market here for that too still, but they may be forced to clean their shops better and make them appear far better to not loose in what seems to be a push for the better here in the South (and a long wait it was).  Even the two café's on Kings Cross Rd / Pentonville Rise junction located opposite each other felt the pressure and opportunities.  Both have been seen to bring up new decoration, and chairs and tables to sit out-doors, and one installed a longer serving desk with an extra glass fridge. 

In the end my conclusion is positive.  Why should South Kings Cross not deserve better service, and finally be more welcoming.  The only issue that some residents may be slightly anxious about is to get out priced, hopefully most restaurants understand commitment to local residents, and will offer special deals.With so much new food at hand one is relieved  that Camden Council has just set up a free outdoor gym on Argyle Square, so that locals can work off the excess in calories they may gain.

Picture:  Thai Aubergine

Posted in Food and Drink | Leave a comment

Smithy’s 50% off! That’s an offer that got my attention!

Posted on June 22, 2009 by Stephan Schulte

This offer got my attention so I thought it worthwhile to pass along to other local residents.  Please be sure to mention that you saw it on the King's Cross Community Bulletin Board.

Untitled

 

Posted in Food and Drink | Leave a comment

Kings Cross Local MPs’ expenses

Posted on June 22, 2009 by William Perrin

Paperclip Amidst all the national controversy about MPs expenses it can be hard to work out what is going on locally.  So I thought I would assemble here some links to relevant material and let people make their own minds up.  There is an handy article in the Islington Gazette here where they go through the receipts of Emily Thornberry MP and Jeremy Corbyn MP.  The Tribune  letters page here also has some relevant letters. 

There is a good Guardian article here, one of the best I have seen for a while on what MPs actually get up to where someone shadows Emily Thornberry during the expenses scandal.  If you are the sort that wants to go through the redacted receipts yourself then you can find them here on the Guardian- but be warned it mainly is Banner stationery and very dull.  The handy They Work For You website has a computer generated piece on Emily Thornberry's  voting record on transparency. 

On the others side of the tracks in Camden and Frank Dobson MP's constituency there is a Camden Gazette piece here on his expenses, the redacted forms themselves here, a computer generated voting record here.

It is nice to be able to say that the most exciting thing about our local MPs expenses is a tin of shortbread, apparently given as a gift by a supplier and left on an invoice.

We try not to do party politics on this site, because most people I speak to find it a real turn off.  So if you want to comment on this piece please avoid getting into partisan behaviour, i just won't approve the comments – there are lots of other websites you can go to and express your views about one Party over another or indeed whether there should be a plague on all politicians houses.

Posted in King's Cross People | Leave a comment

Kings Cross – over budget, running late, unfinished today and in 1852

Posted on June 19, 2009 by William Perrin

Kings cross report morning chronicle 1852 It's a railway project over budget, the Chairman is grovelling to shareholders for extra money, it's weeks late, the project is accused of extravagance it has to open without ceremony in an unfinished building.  Sound familiar? Well it's 1852 and the Kings Cross project is in crisis.

In this wonderful report of a shareholders meeting in August 1852 two months before opening the Director is jeered as he refers to reports of extravagance in the construction of the Kings Cross station on the site of the old Smallpox Hospital.  It is hard to compare historic costs, but the station then was projected to cost £250million in modern terms (using share of GDP which is appropriate for a large infrastructure project). 

In today's Kings Cross the Directors passed without demur an astonishingly inept £30 million budget over run for the refurbishment of the Eastern Range offices alone.  At the same time as they said they could not afford a few millions for a community bridge.  It's worth noting that this is Network Rail overspending public money by 100% in creating offices for its own staff.

The British Library has digitised huge quantities of C19th newspapers.  After wrestling with their poor website and paying £10 for the privilege I was able to dig out these cuts from a remarkable collection (copyright remains with them).

The station opened two weeks late, unfinished with a train of parliamentarians and was then illuminated in a giant light show.  Sounds very similar to the opening of St Pancras International (declaration – I was on the special train then with Stephan).

Kings cross opening report

Posted in Kings Cross Station Refurbishment | 1 Comment

Worried about swine flu?

Posted on June 18, 2009 by Stephan Schulte

Choices-logo

The Communiy Bulletin Board received this excellent suggestion from one of our local neighbours from Northdown Street, Sarah S. so we wanted to pass it along for your consideration.

If you check out the NHS Choices and Department of Health websites, one of the recommendations made relates to the need for people to enlist help from their friends, relatives and neighbours if they become sick with swine flu.  So far, medical advice to a person who thinks they have swine flu asks them to contact NHS Direct or their GP.  The person should not leave the house.

It may be that the sick person will have to ask a neighbour to obtain the anti-viral drugs for them from the designated supplier, and to possibly buy food for them during the time they are sick.

Whilst realising that none of us wants to get swine flu and none of us may get swine flu, it would still be a good idea for neighbours to form small support groups in advance of possible sickness and agree to provide help where necessary to those who get flu.

Why not contact your immediate neighbours and friends and ask them if they would be willing to help if swine flu strikes?   That way, should people need help, there is a network in place.   Exchange telephone numbers and email addresses and keep the information to hand.

If people are worried that they could get swine flu from a sick neighbour, then they should be aware that the swine flu outbreak is at its highest World Health Organisation pandemic level now and they could just as easily catch flu from walking out of their front doors and passing complete strangers on the street.

Sarah S.

Posted in Community Health and Welfare | 2 Comments