Stunning new council housing in Greenwich

New Council housing we just did for people in Greenwich pic.twitter.com/KuhJx3MDBy

— Peter barber (@PpeterPeter) October 10, 2020

Fire at the Lexi Cinema

28 September 2020: Bad news, northwest London's own Lexi Cinema is closed due to a fire that happened overnight in the foyer.

We are devastated to announce that in the early hours of this morning there was a fire in the foyer of the cinema, the cause of which is still being investigated.

We will be closed for the foreseeable future.

Full statement below ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/dW34JdLrqA

— TheLexiCinema (@TheLexiCinema) September 28, 2020

The Blitz, 80 years on: Bombing of South Hallsville School

How wartime ‘ripple’ led to 600 deaths in east London school is revealed by BBC investigators https://t.co/O3I1ngmMFa

— Spitalfields Life (@thegentleauthor) September 24, 2020

 "The little-known tragedy of a wartime bomb that never exploded—yet had a “ripple affect” causing 600 deaths in an east London school—is being uncovered by BBC investigators." (East London Advertiser)

Families were sheltering in the school building after being evacuated from their homes due to an unexploded bomb on the first day of the London blitz. But the school took a direct hit the following day causing far more casualties than were announced at the time.

London figs

All these figs were grown this year in a south-facing walled corner in Harrow. The biggest ones were picked in July but the recent Indian summer spell has produced another crop. They bleed a white latex-like sap when plucked.

This plump one today, September 24

Picked on September 20

September 18

September 16

September 12

Some from July 19th

Split fig on a sideplate, July 19

View from the bridge

View

Context

Short Story of the Month, September 2020

We dedicate the last of our 2020 lockdown series, and our last ever publication, to all those who have lost their lives and those bereaved in the Covid-19 pandemic. Follow the guidelines and stay well till all this is over. See you on the other side. (Ed.)

The Willesden Herald Short Story of the Month

September 2020: As Long As It Takes by Susan Haigh

“For Mireille, grief seems like an impossible dream.”

Sue Haigh  is a writer and Creative Writing tutor. She lives in North East Fife when she isn’t living in her cave house in France. Her work has been published in a number of journals and anthologies, including Northwords Now, New Writing Dundee, Mslexia, The Scottish Arts Trust anthology, Cadenza, Sunpenny Anthology, Dundee University Review of the Arts, The Short review and a number of academic journals.

As Long as it Takes was originally published in the Scottish Arts Trust Story Awards anthology (Scottish Arts Trust, 2019)

Storm Ellen tree damage

Update 29 August

After another storm, "Storm Francis," there's another tree down near Atrium Point. It looks like a Wild Service tree - not quite sure, corrections invited.

Another tree down, leaning precariously onto a fence beside
Whitton Avenue West near the junction with Greenford Road

When they go over, they just seem to break from the roots.

An old sycamore (?) tree has been split and had a large part broken off on the green in front of Atrium Point apartment blocks, Greenford Road, North Greenford. 

The fallen split trunk

Another view

Update 29 August: broken part removed, area taped off