Here’s your chance to help plan for The Cally

Posted on November 1, 2012 by Sophie Talbot

 

It’s been an exciting year on The Cally: dozens of Diamond Jubilee Street Parties in June; a great turn out to The Cally Olympic Torch relay in July; thousands of people at the fantastic Cally Festival in September; and even a new zebra crossing earlier in the year. Now we’ve got the Cally Saturday Market, the festive lights and new short stay free flexible parking to look forward to.  Things are clearly moving on in The Cally.  

The Cally consists of some of most culturally diverse and historic areas of Islington, with a wonderful range of existing buildings, independent shops, cafes, waterways and parks. The Cally Plan aims to build on the strengths of the street, transform perceptions of the area, encourage positive change and stimulate investment.  This is your opportunity to learn more about the Plan; feed in your ideas for improvements and celebrate current strengths that you would like to see supported and retained on the Caledonian Road.

The Cally Plan aims to set out the priorities and opportunities for the area that can be achieved through planning over the next few years and as such could include agreed priorities around the local businesses and shops, local land use, cultural/community/ leisure facilities, open space, transport/highways improvements or housing.

The Plan is important because when it is adopted, planning officers will take its content into account when considering planning applications and making decisions.

Come along to an evening of public debate and conversation about the Cally Plan on Tuesday 20 November 2012, at 7pm until 9pm at Jean Stokes Community Hall, Coatbridge House, Bemerton Estate, N1 ODQ

Follow Team Cally on Twitter
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Posted in Architecture, Community groups, Noticeboard, Planning, Licensing and Regulation | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Winter Wonderland workshops are here

Posted on October 31, 2012 by Sophie Talbot

Thifty Couture, part of the GetMoreSocial group of social enterprises are running a fun series of Christmas craft workshops with Offset Warehouse, the ethical clothing and interiors specialists!

Spend time on a Saturday creating some wonderfully unique, hand-crafted items – perfect presents for special people.  With easy to more advanced designs to choose from, make and decorate lavender bags, herbal hot pillows, cushion covers and Christmas decorations and more.  All materials provided and seasonal refreshments included!

Book your places here – £35 for one adult and up to two children (from 8 Years). Venue: Wynford Estate Community Hall, Risinghill Street off Penton Street.

Posted in Arts and Entertainment, Young People | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Sculpture hanging garden for KX – latest news

Posted on October 28, 2012 by Sophie Talbot

Local charity King’s Cross Community Projects have finalised all the fixtures and fittings to be attched to the sculpture that will soon be home to a stunning hanging garden on the KX gyratory system. This week they’ll be visiting the workshop where the sculpture is currently being built. 

These last few months prior to installation have been very touch and go for the project. There’s a great deal to fit into a short amount of time, but they are getting there. They’ve had to delay again very slightly – it is an ambitious project with various unknowns to be negotiated between now and completion. It’s looking like they’ll get the sculpture up before Christmas using a specialist crane. They’ll then leave planting until the new year.

The project wouldn’t have stood a hope without the expert input freely given by Alan Conisbee and E C Harris. Planting is being done courtesy of Marie Clarke and Mike Jackson of Camden Garden Centre fame.

Don’t forget there’s still time to donate towards the project and get your name on the accompanying protective bollard that will stand in front of the sculpture. The bollard is also designed by artist Neil Ayling and will be a little piece of art in its own right. All donations welcome, just click the donate button on the right of the King’s Cross Community Projects website.

Posted in Architecture, Arts and Entertainment, Community groups, Green Wall Project | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Your chance to own original KX street art – a massive bargain for any art collector or fan

Posted on October 21, 2012 by Sophie Talbot

The Candinsky is a local street artist, I’ve been a fan of his work for a while. He writes:

I studied at Central Saint Martin’s (now based at Granary Square in King’s Cross) and I’m a part-time graffiti artist. These paintings are in my own unique style that I have developed over a number of years. It’s a style I can adapt to whomever I am doing a portrait of and I am able to do more on request. I’m having to sell a special trilogy of work because the office where they are located (near The Egg nightclub on York Way) is up for sale… Each work costs just £50 to make sure they are saved by people that really care about the images.

I used huge pieces of wood to spray paint on for the two larger paintings (the first two below). These are very heavy and would need collecting in a van, otherwise transportation can be arranged at the right price! For the smaller painting ‘Mr Grey’ I used a plastic board to paint on, this is light and can fit in a car or be carried on the tube or bus.

Salad Fingers

The trilogy started with a self portrait, ‘Salad Fingers’.  I was going through a bit of a fat patch in my life and needed trimming down – hence the green dieting.

Come Rain or Shine

‘Come Rain or Shine’ is a painting about me and my girlfriend of 3 years. I feel it can be fitted to any couple who believe they can get through tough times whatever the weather. It’s my favourite piece and I want to share it with someone who has the same feeling we have.

Mr Grey

‘Mr Grey’ was inspired by Michael Ende’s Momo, otherwise known for writing the Never-ending Story. He’s a bad guy, works all the time – time is money. This is a reflection of how I could see myself one day if I don’t end up doing what I want to do, which is to express myself and share my creativity to inspire other people to do the same.

If you are interested in any or all of the trilogy contact me at thecandinsky@gmail.com or I’m on Twitter as @Robert_W_Hall

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Help plant 900 daffs on the Bemerton this Saturday 11am

Posted on October 19, 2012 by Sophie Talbot

I the Cally

At the Cally festival 2012 100  ‘I heart the Cally’ bookbags were sold and 100 people gave their reasons for loving the lovely, lovable, Caledonian Road whilst donations were collected for the daffs that will be planted this weekend on the Bemerton. People said they heart the Cally because…

  1. it brings both sides of Islington together!
  2. the Ferodo bridge is awesome
  3. it’s got everything you’d possibly want
  4. I’ve been here 60 years
  5. I live here ! xx
  6. I love the veg shop
  7. there are so many different people from so many countries.
  8. I live here!
  9. everything we need is here (especially the Cally Pool and Café Terrace!)
  10. I live around the corner!
  11. it’s why we live here!
  12. the pet shop
  13. the faces are familiar and interesting
  14. it’s so vibrant and diverse
  15. coz I live here!
  16. the transport links are brilliant
  17. I live here
  18. it’s one of London’s hidden gems. It still retains a community spirit. And I was born here, and have lived here my whole life! 🙂
  19. because we live here!
  20. it’s full of unpretentious life! (lucky to live here)
  21. I moved away and miss it!
  22. I’ve lived here for over 20 years
  23. everyone is friendly and it’s home! I love the Cally xxx
  24. we have two adventure playgrounds – Crumbles Castle and Lumpy Hill
  25. I was born on the Cally
  26. the nice ladies
  27. I love the Bemerton!
  28. the pound shop is so useful!
  29. I live here and I love it
  30. it’s got everything I need
  31. it’s vibrant, friendly, diverse, and my home! x
  32. it’s home to the coolest jumpers
  33. it’s got everything you want in life
  34. Ordinary people, comes in colours, tall and small, turns out to be extraordinary one and all
  1. everything about London is here!
  2. all the shops sell lovely food, even late at night
  3. the people are great
  4. the young people have massive potential
  5. how friendly the shopkeepers are!
  6. it’s real!
  7. it’s an endless source of entertainment
  8. we live here and started our family here (plus it sounds Scottish)
  9. it looks like you are going to get stabbed but everyone is very lovely
  10. it’s friendly
  11. my daughter, Anya, has made us love it!
  12. it is a community!
  13. it’s home!
  14. the diversity of the locals
  15. it’s the real NORF London
  16. it’s a great place to live and it’s steeped in fascinating history
  17. Canal 125
  18. I bought some Lions’ feet here once
  19. the wonderful community
  20. all the people in the world are here sometimes
  21. all the dogs are funny here
  22. the nicest people live here 🙂
  23. IT’S HOME!! 🙂
  24. my boyfriend lives here and I love my boyfriend!
  25. it keeps it real!
  26. child friendly!
  27. I was born here
  28. it’s fab
  29. the diversity
  30. it has a great range of shops and the traders are very helpful. The West Library is excellent and the festival must be held every year until 2050
  31. ordinary often turns out to be extraordinary
  32. the range of shops and friendly people
  33. the people!!!
  34. I live on the street of Cally
  35. everyone is so friendly!
  36. it’s a nice place to shop
  37. it’s a great, great place!
  38. IT FEELS LIKE HOME!
  39. shops not bad but could do with more selection
  40. it has strong historical roots, and my family is from Cally Road!
  41. it surprises me
  42. some brilliant people live here
  43. great diverse people live and work here
  44. the diverse nature of the people. It’s the people who make it special!
  45. there is a great community feeling, lots going on, multicultural, lots of residents joining in to make it better and because it’s my home patch.
  46. all the wonderful people and lots of lovely shops. I also love St Andrew’s church
  47. it’s got a great sense of community
  48. the amazing Italian man!
  49. it’s just our home.
  50. it’s full of so many people, old and young, from all over the world in one place
  51. I’ve just moved here and it’s amazing!
  52. I love the sense of community!
  53. it’s seriously diverse and anything/anyone goes. Be yourself!! Xx
  54. it’s still got a great community and isn’t massively overdeveloped
  55. I live here! It’s home. And it has a lively, friendly and very mixed population.
  56. its diversity and every time you walk down the road you see an interesting face
  57. it’s fantastic fun J
  58. I love the Cally pool
  59. it’s so interesting
  60. it’s so lively
  61. the kebab shop on the corner of Offord road is amazing
  62. the Cally kids doing wheelies on their bikes
  63. the new graffiti – I love the big dog and the parrots
  64. my neighbours are lovely, and different from me!
  65. because you can tell that the people who live here love it (mostly!)
  66. I love the Cally fest!

The bags were printed in a living room and sold to raise money for daffodil bulbs to plant in the grounds of the Bemerton Estate. If you live on the Bem and would like to join in planting them, get in touch at BeautifulBem@hotmail.com. Or if you’re a local gardener and want to offer help or plants/cuttings to fill empty flowerbeds, get in touch!

Posted in Community groups, Noticeboard, Wildlife and Nature | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

TfL ‘assisting police with their enquiries’ and hiding behind their lawyers on Kings Cross corporate manslaughter issues

Posted on October 17, 2012 by William Perrin

It’s taken TfL 9 months to decide to hide behind their lawyers in responding to my request for information they hold on corporate manslaughter issues in Kings Cross. But say TfL:

‘the police investigation into the Kings Cross incident you refer to is still ongoing and we continue to assist the police with their enquiries.’

It’s great to see as we have revealed here before that the police aren’t prepared to white wash TfL and are continuing in their work given that the Mayor in in charge of TfL and the Police. The police have taken a year so far to look at the complex issues.

TfL have released a number of documents that mainly record the (quite normal) fluster in the press office as they try to find a line to take. What I find striking in the exchange is it reveals that there is no urgent action contemplated to examine whether there is a problem. the overall tone is:

‘Someone’s dead , they are blaming us, we need a line to take’.

Not:

‘Oh heavens, is there really a problem at Kings Cross, let’s close the junction down, restrict the flow until we are certain that it’s safe.’

It’s precisely this lackadaisical approach that prompted me to call for corporate manslaughter charges.

I had thought that all our local representatives were of one mind on the disastrous performance of TfL in the Kings Cross area (as regular readers will know we strive to be non-partisan here). So I was quite surprised to see the extent of special pleading that Cllr Vincent [ref. amended here – WP] put in on their behalf, revealed in this document TfL released.

It’s probably no coincidence that this request is finally dealt with when Isabel Dedring the official in charge is appearing at a local public meeting on transport issues. But of course it isn’t complete:

TfL is not obliged to supply some of the information held as it is subject to a statutory exemption to the right of access to information, under Section 42(1) of the FOI Act. In this instance Section 42(1) has been applied as the information you have requested is covered by legal professional privilege

This isn’t an absolute opt out, TfL has to make a balanced decision.

The use of this exemption is subject to an assessment of the public interest in relation to the disclosure of the information concerned.

There is huge public interest in TfL’s internal discussions with their legal advisors about whether they have any liability for corporate manslaughter. There is no bigger public interest than understanding how they manage death and safety of life in their transport systems. So far TfL asserts that there is a bigger public interest in them keeping this secret. So I shall appeal this to the Information Commissioner.

Posted in Road Safety in Kings Cross | Leave a comment

Bloomsbury Festival this weekend!

Posted on October 17, 2012 by Sophie Talbot

 

Lots of events coming up for us across Bloomsbury this weekend, including all this at OneKX:

Posted in Arts and Entertainment, Community groups, Noticeboard | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

A word from Locality

Posted on October 16, 2012 by Sophie Talbot

Many thanks to Locality for sending us this article:

Locality is the leading nationwide network of settlements, development trusts, social action centres and community enterprises.

We believe that every community is a place of possibility.

 
We are a national network of over 700 community-led organisations. Together, we form a powerful movement for social change. We support current and aspiring members to promote community enterprise, community asset ownership and social action within their communities.

Our unique approach to helping community enterprises means we give support at each stage of the journey. We have a track record of developing new and existing community enterprises that drive positive social change

Community assets are land and buildings owned or managed by community organisations.  Locality members have a long history of using asset-based development to achieve long term social, economic, and environmental improvements to their local area

Because it’s member-driven, Locality is one of the most effective and influential organisations in the country.

Locality works with hundreds of inspiring organisations who believe, like us, that things can change through social action.

Across our movement there exists a wealth of knowledge, expertise and practical experience in community asset ownership, social action and community enterprise.

For those interested in using the Localism Act we have a wealth of information, resources and case studies on

  • Community Right to Bid
  • Community Assest Transfer
  • Community Right to Build
  • Community Right to Challenge
  • Neighbourhood Planning

For regular news, events, information and updates on the Localism Act and how best to utilize it you can join us on our social networks

Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Or if you have further questions or are interested in applying for a grant, we have a friendly team who are waiting to help you can call give them a call on the general enquiries line 0845 345 4564, Mon-Fri 9.30am – 12.30pm.

Or if you’d like us to call you back just submit your question via the form on our website and someone will call you back.

Posted in Community groups, Current Affairs, How to get things done locally | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment