Archive for July, 2009
31 July, 2009 at 1:30 pm
· Filed under Campaigns ·Tagged Democratic Unionists, ID cards, NO2ID
Does anyone still support ID cards? Alan Johnson has managed to unite even more parties against the scheme. The Democratic Unionists are objecting to the pilot version because it doesn’t include the Union Jack.
Liberal Democrats have always opposed ID cards and in recent years the Conservatives have joined us. So have many Labour rebels.
Earlier this month opposition MPs united to table a parliamentary debate calling for the ID card scheme to be scrapped. The issue has divided Islington Labour party. Islington North MP Jeremy Corbyn voted with the Liberal Democrats to oppose ID cards; but Labour loyalist Emily Thornberry lined up with the Government whips and voted in favour.
Last week’s Islington Tribune carried my latest letter on ID cards, and a shorter version appears in this week’s Islington Gazette.
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26 July, 2009 at 6:08 pm
· Filed under Local history ·Tagged Clerkenwell, Diamond Geezer, river Fleet
The Fleet river is one of London’s lost rivers, running from springs at Hampstead and Highgate into the Thames at Blackfriars Bridge.
On the way, it flows through the ‘Ken Ditch’ that apparently gives Kentish Town its name, and of course, past Fleet Street. Between the two, it runs through Battlebridge at Kings Cross, and onto Clerkenwell by Farringdon. So although not flowing under Fleet Street itself, it does link the past and present site of the Guardian….
What was for years the filthy Fleet Ditch was culverted in the 19th century and became the Fleet sewer.
It didn’t always stay out of sight. Basements in Clerkenwell regularly flooded. The engineers digging out the route of the Metropolitan line faced the Fleet erupting more than once, covering the neighbourhood with filth and disrupting the rail works.
With the Fleet now safely underground, it risks being forgotten, although you can apparently hear it underground at Ray Street and at Charterhouse Street.
Earlier this year there were reports that the Environment Agency might open up some of our lost rivers. Similar projects have already seen bits of the river Wandle, for example, restored, although I fear the Fleet may be a bit too built up to create much of a wildlife habitat.
In the meantime, this week there’s a great piece in the FT about a walk (well, more of a pub crawl!) along the route of the Fleet. And you can trace it on the map courtesy of the ever wonderful Diamond Geezer.
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23 July, 2009 at 8:26 am
· Filed under Campaigns, Going green, Neighbourhood ·Tagged air quality, Boris Johnson, freight, Islington Green, lorries, low emission zone, Mike Tuffrey, Tesco, transport
Lorry deliveries can be a sore point in London.
Our Victorian streets can’t cope with the size of many lorries, their weight shakes our homes, and their diesel fumes pollute our air.
At the weekend, I was at Islington Green with colleagues observing the Tesco lorries in action. The Tesco there is only a ‘Metro’ but it gets a full size artic to restock it. There is no separate delivery entrance so the artic parks in the buslane outside, pushing buses (including 2 bendy bus routes) into the already busy Essex Road, just where it narrows past the Green for the junction with Upper Street.
It’s a nightmare. Tesco are supposed to stick to certain delivery hours but as far as I can tell blithely ignore them. They leave their delivery cages all over the public pavement. They block the road and allegedly write off parking fines as an operational expense; they generally seem to be pretty uncaring about the impact on the community that provides their customers. Perhaps we should boycott Tesco until they are more considerate?
There are lots of things retailers can do to reduce the impact of deliveries on the area, and save themselves money too. Sourcing goods more locally is greener; so is reducing packaging. And those measures in turn would reduce distance of travel and size of lorries.
Sticking to agreed delivery ‘windows’ co-ordinated with other stores; sharing deliveries where possible; and using environmentally-friendly vehicles would also help. Encouraged by a low emission zone!
Meanwhile here’s a good idea, highlighted by Mike Tuffrey at the GLA.
He’s asked Mayor Boris to look at developing a small ‘London Lorry’, as proposed by the London Forum of Civic and Amenity Societies, to allow goods to be delivered to high street around London on smaller and more environmentally-friendly vehicles. Mike suggests thiis concept could be extended to the ubiquitous ‘white van’, be powered by electricity, and potentially achieve iconic status on London’s streets!
Better an icon than an eyesore.
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20 July, 2009 at 1:24 pm
· Filed under Campaigns ·Tagged Islington, NO2ID
The local NO2ID group has our next street stall on Sunday 25 July, from 12 noon, near Angel tube. Come along and say hello!
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18 July, 2009 at 2:30 pm
· Filed under Consumer, Neighbourhood ·Tagged Islington, jobs, supermarkets
An intriguing job ad seen online:
Trainee Retail Store Manager – Food
Location:North East London – (Kentish Town, Hackney, Holloway, Caledonian Road, Dalston,, Chapel Market, Leytonstone, Walthamstow)
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The Company
Our client is a rapidly expanding food retailer which is looking to open in excess of 70 stores this year to add to their existing portfolio of over 600+ stores across the UK. Already growing faster than any other food retailer, our client is now looking to fuel this expansion with highly motivated Trainee Retail Store Managers that are keen to get ahead.
Fastest growing food retailer? Sounds like Aldi. But 600+ stores? Maybe not.
Sainsburys are planning to expand nationally, but already have several Islington stores, including the biggie at the Angel. I can’t see them opening one on Chapel Market as well.
Or could it be ASDA?
Whoever it is, they certainly want great things from their staff:
Our client is looking for dynamic and highly driven individuals to become the Store Managers of the future. You will need to be a real people person and have a style of management which gets results through the coaching and motivating of their staff. Ideally coming from a fast paced retail management role you will need to have a real thirst for knowledge and the hunger to become a first class Retail Manager
In return for all your hard work and dedication not only will you receive first class training but a healthy salary whilst training of £23,100 increasing massively on successful completion of the course.
If you feel you have what it takes to become a Store Manager for a market leading UK retailer, please do not hesitate to apply.
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16 July, 2009 at 6:14 pm
· Filed under Neighbourhood ·Tagged Caledonian Road, crime
… but this latest incident does not seem to be the kind of youth street crime that caused so much distress last year.
It appears to be a stabbing incident inside a flat, involving an older man. Still disturbing, still tragic – but not in itself evidence that our streets are less safe.
I will update with any more news as I get it.
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15 July, 2009 at 12:46 pm
· Filed under Campaigns, Consumer, Going green ·Tagged charities, Environmental Investigation Agency, Islington
We’re used to having Greenpeace in Islington, but it seems they are not alone.
I didn’t know, but among the bars, gift shops and estate agents of Upper Street, is a radical charity working undercover around the world: the Environmental Investigation Agency.
They track issues like illegal logging and wildlife slaughter as well as environmental abuse closer to home: for example, the wasteful use of old refrigeration kit in our supermarkets.
And as Ed Davey (formerly of the Islington Gazette) reports, the EIA are now offering the chance for three supporters to join them in their investigative work: the competition is running until the end of September.
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14 July, 2009 at 12:21 pm
· Filed under Consumer ·Tagged Caroline Pidgeon, London Underground, public transport, travel, tube
My colleague Caroline Pidgeon, who chairs the GLA Transport Committee, wants to know your views on how overcrowding and line closures affect your tube journeys.
As the Committee’s brief asks, What impact do overcrowding and line closures have on passenger journeys, and on other modes of transport? How satisfactory are the alternative travel arrangements on offer when lines or stations are closed on weekends so upgrade works can take place?
It’s a live issue. Next weekend, for example, half the tube lines have some scheduled closures, and that’s without any unscheduled problems.
To share your views email tubeuser@london.gov.uk.
There’s even an online survey.
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