Transport for London responds to KX road safety concerns by making it worse

Posted on February 20, 2012 by Sophie Talbot

Bikes Alive, the recently-formed network of cyclists who are taking non-violent direct action, returns to the lethal road junction outside Kings Cross station at 6.30pm on Monday evening, 20 February … as Transport for London (TfL) starts work to change the junction for the worse. Cyclists and pedestrians will enforce another one-hour go-slow at the junction outside Kings Cross station.

Work to re-align some kerb lines and remove a traffic island will increase the flow of motor vehicles through a key part of the junction, introducing new dangers for cyclists. (For more detailed information on this, see the discussions on these two web pages:
kingscrossenvironment.com/TFL fails to meet own standards/
and kingscrossenvironment.com/TFL improvements make things worse

Bikes Alive – which works with other vulnerable, non-motorised road users – is pledged to continue to take action until the balance of power on London’s roads is changed. Current policies of Transport for London (TfL) prioritise the speed and volume of motor traffic over all else.

Councillors from both boroughs which cover Kings Cross (Camden and Islington), as well as local cycling campaigns and community groups, have been calling for safety improvements at Kings Cross for years. The London Assembly has repeatedly called on mayor Boris Johnson – who is in charge of TfL – to act. But all to no avail. 

Posted in Road Safety in Kings Cross | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Join the party on Monday!

Posted on February 17, 2012 by Sophie Talbot

The regular ‘go-slow’ events organised by Bikes Alive in King’s Cross have a light hearted party atmosphere. Join in this Monday at 6.30pm for one hour to add your voice to the call for safe roads in KX.

Whether you are a pedestrian, cyclist or motorist you are welcome. Safe roads designed for all road users is the aim here.

Posted in Road Safety in Kings Cross | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

KXCommunity map update

Posted on February 17, 2012 by Sophie Talbot

The latest update to the community map produced using Google by King’s Cross Community Projects includes green spaces. There is so little green space here, and most of what there is is tiny. The community map is a work in continual progress, please contact Sophie at KCCP if you have information to add, correct or remove any of the entries.

Posted in Community groups, Noticeboard | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

KX in the 1930s, 40s & 50s

Posted on February 16, 2012 by Sophie Talbot

A 613 bus to Holborn turns into Gray's Inn Rd from the front of KX Station

Born in Acton Street, Shamus has put together the most beguiling set of photos of KX back in the 30s, 40s and 50s. He describes each in amazing detail. It’s strange to see buses going up Balfe Street, trolley buses on KX Bridge Road, bubble cars next to old style taxis, cobblestones outside the station and no gyratory!!!

Bravington’s jewellers on Pentonville Road is there, now all that’s left of them are the brass letters in the ground at Regent’s Quarter. The block of flats where I live is there, it was a massive stationery manufacturing company. T. G. Lynes is where Interpost is now on the very south end of The Cally, not in its more recent position just north of what was the Malt and Hops and is now Be@One KX.

The clothes people are wearing when walking up the Gray’s Inn Road are rather stylish, and it must have been marvellous going to the Century Cinema in the golden age of film – it’s now the Camden Town Hall eggbox extension.

KX coach station on Crestfield Street, gas street lights in front of the old gasometers near Goodsway, the real Euston Station with it’s fantastic archway and so much more is superbly documented in a Flickr account we cannot recommend highly enough. Thankyou Shamus, thankyou so very much.

Posted in Architecture, Arts and Entertainment, Kings Cross local history, Transport | 2 Comments

London Olympics-funded cycle and pedestrian improvements large new FOI release #cyclesafe

Posted on February 15, 2012 by William Perrin

ImageThe Olympic Delivery authority have released a treasure trove of documents about the improvement to pedestrian and cycle schemes.  The 60-odd documents can be found online here and were released in response to my FOI request using What Do They Know.  I haven’t had time to plough through them all yet but wanted to publish the documents to feed the London networks of people who campaign for better cycle and pedestrian facilities.  If anyone finds anything interesting in there please add a comment or track back to this post.  I’ll plough through them too.  Some of the cost numbers are eye-watering.

I used a simple FOI technique here – TfL is the main subject of my interest, but I knew that FOI-ing them would lead to a slow response, if at all.  When making an FOI request it’s always worth identifying other bodies than your main target who are correspondents with the target body.  And then FOI them instead.  I first used this technique to achieve a little transparency around Network Rail who aren’t subject to FOI by putting a request to DfT for their correspondence with NR. In this case the ODA was involved in the Kings Cross improvements (as the TfL leaflet boasted) so I asked them.  The ODA sent me a CD of documents, which i uploaded to GoogleDocs.

Posted in Road Safety in Kings Cross | Leave a comment

Dayglo a play about pharmacogenetics and genetic testing – free tickets to Y-touring Kings Cross dress rehearsal

Posted on February 14, 2012 by William Perrin

Fascinating chance to see a dress rehearsal of some modern theatre tackling the issues around pharmacogenetics and genetic testing.  Neal at Y Touring says:

‘We have spaces available for a dress rehearsal showing of our play Dayglo on Thursday 16 Feb – Dayglo goes on nationwide tour next week. We have about 5-10 seats available. The performance will start at 2 and is at OneKX, Cromer Street. It should last around 1hr 40mins (a 1hr performance and 40mins debate afterwards). To book a space please contact Adele Geddes at Y Touring – a.geddes@ytouring.org.uk For more info please click here. ‘

>>

A young woman is forced to make choices in a world of uncertainty. Stella is desperate to explore what choices are open to her mother Evelyn, who is battling breast cancer – she is eager to fan the flames of hope and have a mother restored to her but the odds are precariously stacked against them.

“When I was a teenager I was running around barefoot, I didn’t have a thought for the future, it was all about the music”
Poly Styrene (Marianne Elliot-Said) of punk band X Ray Spex, who died of breast cancer in April 2011.

‘Dayglo’ by playwright Abi Bown, is a Theatre of Debate resource for schools for Key Stage 4 targeting 14-16 year old students which aims to explore the issues raised by advances in pharmacogenetics and genetic testing. The exciting new science of personalising medical treatments according to our genes.

Each performance will be followed by a live debate, using electronic voting technology, during which students will be encouraged to explore what they think and feel about the issues posed by the play.

‘Dayglo’ has been researched and developed in partnership with The Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC) and the University of Ulster, as a teacher resources are designed to support the achievement of attainment targets outlined in Key Stages 4 in Science, English, Drama, ICT, PSHE and RS.

Posted in Arts and Entertainment | Leave a comment

Needed: Down to Earth average dads plus entourage to make Ruben work!

Posted on February 13, 2012 by Daniel Z. Zylbersztajn-Lewandowski

The Coram Parents Centre, part of the Thomas Coram Trust, has been wondering if there are any more papas and their offspring hiding somewhere, perhaps?

Maybe you are too shy to wage it out into the open with that pink nappy bag?

Don’t worry you are not alone.  The economic crisis has meant that many more dads can be seen doing partial or full child care these days.  And it is more politically correct to be seen to share parental responsibilities with your partner or wife.  So Coram likes to invite you to join the Coram’s father’s group, an under-5 years,  play-and-talk drop-in.  It’s free, it’s special, it’s fun,  running now every Monday between 16.00 and 18.00.  It is a casual drop in so you can come and go when you like.

The group is nothing else but a dad equivalent to the usual mum’s group, just enabling your average dad to meet your other average dad, whilst the little ones have the whole Coram parent centre to party, play with or destroy… (Make Ruben work for his money!  He is the child and play worker who does the tiding up on his own later).  The group allows dads to network, will give mums a two hour break, and above all you can simply feel great about being a dad, without being judged or watched by suspecting mums, waiting for you to drop that milk-bottle.   Come and be part of that local and growing community of happy dads (male carers included) link up, exchange, talk business, football or politics, or discuss cheapest nappies and best children gadgets.  If you are working, well worth to ask for an earlier finish every Monday and allow mum to chill out.

Any dad accompanied by a child is welcome.

Coram Community Campus All Rights Reserved www.coram.org.uk
49 Mecklenburgh Square
London
WC1N 2QA,

Ask for Ruben Flores, Child and Play Worker,  E-Mail ruben@coram.org.uk,

M. 07847 224 290

More Details see below:

Fathers Drop-in Poster 2012

Dad Group at Coram, every Monday 16.00-18.00!!

Posted in Community groups, Noticeboard, Young People | 2 Comments

Free classes for the local community at the Hugh Cubitt Centre

Posted on February 13, 2012 by William Perrin

It’s worth checking out the free classes on offer at the excellent Hugh Cubitt on Collier Street (map) – including a drama class taught by the Young Vic.  There’s a handy little cafe there too.  Also keep an eye on the helpful website Barnsbury Living which has all the up to date info.

Maria Vitale has kindly sent the following:

Beginning Spanish Language Class Mondays for 10 weeks starting February 20th 6-8pm, except April 9th. Spaces are limited and it is highly suggested to book ahead of time.

Art Class Fridays for 10 weeks starting February 17th 10am-12pm plus Saturday February 18th and 25th from 11am to 1pm (above Café Niko). Supplies are also provided free of charge.

Massage Class Thursdays 11:30am-1pm for the next 9 weeks (above Café Niko). Places are limited and are allocated on a first come first served basis.

Drama Class with members of Young Vic Tuesdays 7-9pm in The Old Laundry building on the Priory Green Estate until March 13th

Net Worx Project, beginning computer training Wednesdays 3-5pm

Bingo Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays from 7:30pm in The Old Laundry Building

In addition we will soon be starting a Bangladeshi Women’s Lunch Group and also have a few low-cost activities:

Yoga Thursdays 10-11am £1 per person per class
Dance Exercise Class Tuesdays 9:15-10:15am £1 per person per class

The Hugh Cubitt Centre has a number of free classes that are open to all members of the local community. The Hugh Cubitt Centre is located at 48 Collier St. N1 9QZ, halfway between Kings Cross and Angel Stations. Local buses include the 17, 19, 259, 73, 476, 30, 214, and 205. If you would like additional information about any of the following activities, or to book a place, please call 020 7021 4127. Visit us at http://barnsburyliving.wordpress.com/ for all the up to date information about what’s happening!

Posted in Community Health and Welfare | 1 Comment