Green wall – this might happen!

Posted on September 19, 2007 by Sophie Talbot

Green_panel The picture is just one way of greening a wall (just here to look pretty, not to suggest this is what we’ll end up with!). Thanks to everyone who’s contacted me about the project – please get in touch if you haven’t already… So far I’ve met with a local community gardening organisation and a specialist gardening voluntary organisation, both of whom have been supportive. I hope to be talking to a specialist volunteering organisation soon as well… A website for the project will go live later this week; might as well get as much info out there as I can to try and get as many people involved so that it transforms from an interesting idea into some real greenery in King’s Cross… contact me at greenwall@cookie.org.uk Click on the Green Wall Project category on the right of this screen for more information.

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Preparing to feed the birds and not the squirrels this winter…..

Posted on September 16, 2007 by William Perrin

Great_tit The last days of summer are here and I have been renewing my bird feeders in Bingfield Park.  Readers will know of my battle with the squirrel menace – the tree rats eat all the food and/or destroy the feeders by chewing through the suspension cable. Squirrels and possibly humans have destroyed four feeders so far.   After experimentation I have settled on a new approach after hitting Robert Dyas in the sale.

  • two squirrel proof bird feeders – one for nuts, one for seed.  These both work now I have got the hang of locating them properly suspended on long wires away from uprights the squirrels can jump from.  They have been resilient to all this summer’s weather.
  • six-ball fat ball feeder with a plastic coated metal frame
  • terracotta suspended bird drinker/bath on  a hanging basket set of chains
  • two suspended bird feeding tables that I load up with a budgie seed mix – this allows birds that don’t cling onto upright feeders to feed.

All of the above are suspended from the trees using 7 strand stainless steel wire rope.  I had previously experimented with garden wire, telephone wire and three core electric mains cable but the squirrels or friction destroyed them.  The squirrels knawed a third of the way through the three core mains cable.  The extremely strong but thin wire rope is hard to find but I got some very cheaply at the excellent Arthur Beale, the ships chandler on Shaftesbury Avenue (they have been there 110 years and are unfailingly helpful) – they also sell you the fittings such as teardrop eyes and screw down clamps for a few pence.  I give the wire a coating of PTFE or silicon lubricant – which is inert and shouldn’t harm the squirrels but makes the wire rope very slippery indeed.

I have hopefully hung them high enough that no one can nick them.  Let’s see what the winter brings.

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I Think You’ll Want One of These Books!

Posted on September 14, 2007 by Stephan Schulte

Book_photo_2 This news just in from our neighbour Diana S.

A new book of photographs of King’s Cross, Railway Lands: Catching St Pancras and King’s Cross, has just been published.

Railway Lands records the unique industrial architecture of King’s Cross and St Pancras, some of which has now gone, some which will go soon, and some, like St Pancras station, which is getting a new lease of life.

Local photographer, Angela Inglis, has lived in Somers Town for more than twenty years and is a stalwart of several community organisations which have been campaigning for a better development in King’s Cross. With a passionate commitment to the area and its heritage, Angela has created an amazing visual record of a fast-changing neighbourhood. You can find publication details of Railway Lands Download railway_lands_publication_details.pdf or you can obtain a copy of the book from local bookshops, including Housmans at 5 Caledonian Road.

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Revised Planning Application P070753 – York Way/Wharfdale Road

Posted on September 13, 2007 by Stephan Schulte

Wharfdale_rd_and_york_way Local residents have just received notification of a revised planning application for the site known as 62-68 York Way (corner of York Way and Wharfdale Roads).  This is the current home of The American Car Wash, Capitol Rent-a-Car, and the empty lot.  The developer has resubmitted plans for a building with some cosmetic modifications over the last plan – but one which I feel is still much too large in it’s mass and height (six storeys).  To get an idea take a look at these simulated pictures which have been submitted as part of the application – Download w33simulated_photographs.pdf.

As many of you know, this site has been the subject of a number of previous planning applications – all of which have led to nothing being built.  In fact, currently there is an approved application for a five storey office building that has been in place since 2002.  It is now set to expire in Nov and it appears that the developer is simply putting in a new plan to ensure some control over the site as he waits for it to increase in value.

Many of us would like to see a building on this site, however we want a building that is consistent with the surrounding landscape.  Local residents were unsuccessful with King’s Place – partly because the developer offered some substantial benefits to the local community – concert facilities, outreach programmes and a prestigious tenant from day one – The Guardian Media Group.  This developer offers nothing to the local community and expects to be allowed to "milk" the site for all its worth.

I do not believe the local community should roll-over quite that easily.  If this building is permitted it must be scaled down to match those of the surrounding Conservation Area.  It should be lower and like my own building, York Central provide substantial set-backs to reduce the mass.

To see all the plans you can go to Islington’s Online Planning site – https://www.islington.gov.uk/Environment/Planning/Online/ and search for Application P070753.  If you want more information on what you can do to influence this development, please email me at – campaign@yorkcentral.co.uk

In the past the local community has had considerable success in efforts to control development and get things changed.  This is another opportunity to use your voice to improve your neighbourhood.

Posted in Planning, Licensing and Regulation | 5 Comments

Help needed for greening project

Posted on September 13, 2007 by Sophie Talbot

P9130001_2 You may recognise this ugly wall on Wharfdale Road – part of the King’s Cross gyratory. It’s recently been repainted, but even so, will very quickly become filthy on top of being ugly. So… I have an idea I’d love to try, but I need a local community organisation to help me by ‘hosting’ the project.

The idea!
I’d like to work with a local gardening specialist to change this into a ‘green’ wall full of attractive, wildlife friendly and easy to maintain plants that would help lessen the King’s Cross carbon footprint. All it needs is a bit of money and enthusism. I bring the enthusiasm, having spoken to the the freeholder of the wall I”m almost 100% certain I can get permission from them to do it, I’d like to apply to Islington for a small Community Chest grant for the money. They’d have to make the grant to an organisation, hence the need for a host… or, to put it another way, a sponsor who would, of course, be fully and publicly acknowledged… Any ideas, or indeed are there any takers out there? Contact me at greenwall@cookie.org.uk

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Bendy bus debate

Posted on September 12, 2007 by William Perrin

New_routemasterThere is a bit of a debate going on about the future of bendy buses, with the media mainly doing them down.  The urban designers over at the ADG have written a thoughtful article in defence of bendy buses (thanks Chris for flagging).  It includes their redesign of the Routemaster (see photo). There is also an excellent ‘bus spotter’ article at wikipedia here that weighs up the strengths and weaknesses. 

As a cyclist who has cycle commuted for over ten years I have mixed views – when the bendybus came in i hated them – they were unpredictable and sterilised a huge amount of road space.  But as the drivers got better and i got used to them they have simply become another part of the road furniture – predictable and often stately.  The golden rule is not to get inside them – just as for any articulated lorry though no one is proposing banning them from London.  They are nowhere near as bad as skip carrying lorries – the rear overhangs of these swing around extra quick and wide and are made of solid steel, nor dustbinbin lorries where the lorry and attendant crew of three move very unpredictably.  And don’t get me started on white vans.

Roads are about sharing for vehicles and giving way to pedestrians.  I despair of some cyclists who shove themselves into dangerous gaps and target pavements like Amsterdam’ infamous ‘silent death’. 

As a bus passenger bendybuses are far better than Routemasters – more room and much much quicker to get large numbers on and off the bus.  Although standing on the turning plate at the bend still freaks me out a bit.  The 73 route has improved enormously – moving from the 1950s into the modern age.

There will no doubt be views on this one comments welcome……

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Kings Cross ‘a gourmet hot spot’…….

Posted on September 11, 2007 by William Perrin

Snazz_sichuan Locals have been following the welcome increase in decent places to eat in Kings Cross and now it seems that the restaurant critics have got there too.  Jay Rayner in the Observer put the boot into Camino, which has had mixed reviews over in the I Love Kings Cross Facebook group restaurants discussion, though doesn’t need to do much to improve really.  Fay Maschler reveiwed the excellent Pho and Acorn House and Konstam at the Prince Albert are already well known for excellent organic and local produce.  The food at the Cross Kings is surprisingly good at low prices and Royal Thai on the Caledonian Road is superb at the price. Now Charles Campion’s restaurant guide has rounded the best.  In the Evening Standard (London Lite) he said:

"In the decade or so that I have been writing restaurant guides I have never seen a rough area come up so far and so fast. King’s Cross has transformed itself and is on the way to becoming another Islington. I had to rejig the book and add an entire section to accommodate the great new restaurants.

"From being a low-rent district with poor facilities and a shady reputation, the redevelopment of the station has meant a host of new restaurants."

Not sure that this is entirely right nor that we want to be the new Islington but it is good to see the word spreading.  Has anyone tried Snazz Sichuan on Chalton St? Sounds absolutely great.  There is still some way to go before Incredible Edibles is taken over by Rick Stein, but book now, before the hordes arrive  mine’s a saveloy and chips with curry sauce……..

Posted in Food and Drink | 2 Comments

This weekend at the Islington farmers’ market…

Posted on September 7, 2007 by Sophie Talbot
Lfm_2 For those that don’t get emails from the Farmer’s Market, here’s some of what’s in store for us this Sunday, yum yum yum….
Isabella Burino should be at the market this weekend. She creates lovely seasonal dishes with an Italian slant, using ingredients from our farmers. Perfect for a lazy weekend; tomorrow she will have –

Barley Salad with rocket, tomatoes,mushroom and green beans
Chicken Liver Pate
Bolognese Sauce
Panna Cotta and Strawberry Sauce
Broad Bean Dip
Basil Pesto
Aubergine Dip
Butternut squash spinach mushroom soup
Keith Morgan will also be attending, paying his monthly visit with his delicious Norfolk honey, so make sure you catch him, or face a wait of a whole month ’til next time. We’ll also have a range of both wild and farmed mushrooms from William Rooney at Gourmet Mushrooms. Next week, on Sunday the 16th, Lincolnshire Poacher Cheese will be coming to the market. This visit will be instead of their regular monthly slot on the fourth Sunday of each month. They are rescheduling due to an appearance at the British Cheese Awards. Of course, all the favourite weekly producers should be in attendance. Islington Farmer’s Market takes place every Sunday at

William Tyndale School which is just behind Islington Town Hall (follow your nose – lamb burgers will be barbecuing!). For information: London Farmer’s Markets

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