Buzz Bingo Cricklewood is set to make history this Mother’s Day with the return of its legendary Colossus Bingo event This highly anticipated evening will feature a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title attempt for the largest single bingo prize with a potential payout at a minimum of £105,000 Buzz Bingo Cricklewood has held the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title since 2014 when a carwash owner walked away with the largest cash prize of £100,000 from a single bingo game at one venue With a total prize money on the night exceeding £250,000 including a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title attempt for a final full house prize exceeding £100,000 this event is bound to create lasting memories The event will feature not only the monumental world record attempt but also three substantial £25,000 full house prizes throughout the night ensuring numerous opportunities for attendees to win big a vibrant carnival atmosphere will permeate the venue the event will no doubt delight bingo guests by creating an unforgettable Mother’s Day experience and will kick off from 5:00 PM ● Timing: Doors will open at 4:00 PM with the main session beginning at 7:30 PM and the event concluding at 10:00 PM ● GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title attempt: 9:00 PM ● Booking: Tickets are only available on the night (please come early to avoid disappointment) expressed his excitement: “The entire Buzz Team at Cricklewood is thrilled to bring back the Colossus Bingo event and take on the challenge of breaking a world record this Mother’s Day we’re eager to welcome both seasoned players and newcomers for an unforgettable night filled with excitement and the opportunity to win a truly extraordinary prize.” This extraordinary event gives families the opportunity to share in the excitement and create lasting memories together this Mother’s Day Ziser submits planning for a 826-bedroom purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) scheme in Brent Ziser London has submitted planning for a 826-bedroom purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) scheme in Brent the scheme would involve the redevelopment of the Matalan site on Cricklewood Broadway consent was given for the construction of 238 residential flats but was designed ‘before several regulatory changes’ – such as a secondary fire escape for buildings over 18m – prompting Ziser to propose the new scheme The plot would consist of two tower blocks ranging from three to nine storeys The designs for the development show that 662 of the allocated bed spaces would be en-suite and contained within 82 clusters accessible studios – designed for people with disabilities – and companion rooms where a student with a disability can have a room-mate or companion to assist them with daily living needs The developers claim the scheme will enable students to ‘move away from residential accommodation and towards purpose-built student accommodation’ The site is around a ten-minute walk from Cricklewood station putting it within a 40-minute travel time from the main SOAS University of London hub in Russell Square “The proposal has evolved […] it has been carefully designed to ensure it makes a positive contribution to the street scene and at the same time providing good quality accommodation for students has been considered thus ensuring amenity has not been detrimentally impacted.” It is with sad news we announce the death of Fr John Patrick Buckley peacefully yesterday 25 January 2025 soon after the Rosary with prayed with him by friends in their home Ireland on 14 January 1950 and ordained on 11 June 1977 Condolences are extended to Fr John’s family and friends and to the parishioners of Cricklewood and other parishes where he ministered Fr John’s mortal remains will be received at St Agnes Cricklewood at 7pm by Fr Pat Madden of the Diocese of Portsmouth on Wednesday 19 February Fr John’s Funeral Mass will be in the same church at 12noon on Thursday 20 February with the Cardinal presiding and the homily given by Fr Pat Madden Burial will follow at Hendon Cemetery.  Yesterday’s Communion Antiphon for the Feast of the Conversion of St Paul the Apostle has words Fr John could have written: ‘I live by faith in the Son of God,  We pray for the repose of Fr John’s soul: whom you have called from this world to yourself Let him pass in safety through the gates of death and live for ever with all your saints in the light you promised to Abraham and to all his descendants in faith and on that great day of resurrection and reward raise him up with all your saints Pardon his sins and give him eternal life in your kingdom and the souls of all the faithful departed ‘Being a priest is about being available and of service to people in times of need and in times of celebration’ said Fr John Buckley in an interview with Irish Country Music Radio eighteen months ago He was a priest who cared deeply for people especially those who faced difficulties in their lives and those who were on the margins of the Church and wider society Essentially a shy and modest man and priest Fr John endeared himself to people with his firm but gentle approach and his dry and self-effacing humour Ireland – ‘the hub of mid-Cork’ as he described it Born on 14 January 1950 he was the eldest of four children born to Daniel and Mary (formerly Kelleher) Buckley John was educated locally until he went to University College Cork where he studied Dairy Science from 1968-71 after which he took employment at a creamery He described himself as being at a crossroads in his life and wanting to do something purposeful He heard and responded to God’s call to priesthood and applied for acceptance at the seminary to train for what he described as 'a commendable way of spending his life' As a seminarian at St Patrick’s College in Carlow John was described in the Rector’s report at the conclusion of his first year as 'A quiet student who has not yet revealed himself fully Many priests of the Diocese and parishioners who knew Fr John from the parishes where he served would agree that he was indeed pleasant and also a private person with always more to be known about him he revealed his love for traditional Irish music Country and Western music and also wider musical interests including folk He also mentioned his love of Gaelic football played as a boy growing up but his playing was thwarted by an injury sustained to his right knee when he was fourteen years of age In April 1972 the President of the seminary in Carlow wrote to the Westminster vocations director 'I am glad that John Buckley has applied for adoption by the Diocese of Westminster He impresses me as a solid young man with considerable potential…a quiet disposition a pleasant manner and mixes easily with his companions”' Fr John Buckley’s potential was realized as he served the parishioners entrusted to his care the year before being ordained to the priesthood John spent time in Lincoln’s Inn Fields He also spent some time-based at Allen Hall while attending courses at Heythrop College to supplement studies completed in Carlow Following his ordination to the priesthood by Bishop John Ahern in Ballinagree Cork on 11 June 1977 he was appointed for service as Assistant Priest at Hanwell where he remained until 1979 Assistant Priest until 1985 when he was appointed to Bayswater to assist Fr Michael Hollings He was then appointed Parish Priest at Harrow Road He then went to Tottenham where he remained until 2016 when he took up his next he was an effective part-time hospital chaplain giving priority to patients in their need and the needs of their families He was also very involved with the Travelling Community with whom he had a special ministry of outreach and inclusion especially during the eighteen years when he was in Tottenham and since coming to Cricklewood Fr John retained his interest in various types of music while acknowledging a lack of ability in singing and dancing His interest in sport in general and Gaelic football in particular endured In a letter to his parishioners soon after Christmas 2016 Fr John wrote '…There is always a certain amount of political and economic uncertainty about filling our emptiness and absorbing our attention Remember there was never a golden age and life now is much better Our clothing is better with more in our pockets Let’s continue to embrace modern life and endeavour to make it better through our love We may feel that as individuals we cannot do very much but pooling all our efforts collectively can represent a mighty force to move things forward.' Fr John’s words reveal a person of hope In addition to music and sport Fr John loved to read books He accumulated a large collection of books covering a broad range of subjects including religion A few months ago Fr John had become unwell he made known to a close circle of people that He knew the care needed and he reluctantly stood down as Parish Priest at Cricklewood in a letter of resignation to Cardinal Vincent dated 11 November 2024 listening to music and watching television praying as he prepared to meet face to face the God whom he knew He wrote a final message for his parishioners at Cricklewood included in the parish newsletter on 19 January '…I’m so grateful for all your prayers and messages of support expressed in so many ways you remain in my thoughts and that I’m carrying you and your sentiments with me as I proceed along my journey…The Cardinal has been so good to me and we have spoken on a number of occasions He was very keen to know if I was happy with the package of care that I’m presently receiving He was also keen to express his thanks to those exercising a ministry of care to me…Despite advanced weakness I remain fortified in faith I thank you once again for your same support.' Fr John died peacefully on 25 January just after the rosary had been prayed at his bedside DB Cargo UK looking to set new standards of sustainability with carbon-neutral rail freight operation DB Cargo UK have created what they believe to be the UK’s first net-zero rail freight terminal the busy rail terminal is used to transport aggregates and waste construction materials in and out of the capital significantly reducing congestion on London’s already crowded road network While each of DB’s trains already carries the equivalent of up to 129 HGVs and emits 76% less carbon dioxide emissions the company says it is the incorporation of a wide range of other environmental features and initiatives that has slashed the Cricklewood site’s carbon footprint Construction of one of Europe’s largest green acoustic barriers to minimize the impact of noise and dust on nearby homes 18m high barrier is planted with approximately 3,520m2 of native green foliage which has become a haven for birdlife (a flock of bright green ring-necked parakeets are regular visitors to the barrier) is installed with its own irrigation system and provides a natural carbon sink for the site Nine species of native trees have also been planted and unused areas of land have been rewilded with the site providing an urban habitat for wildlife and a home to wild bees Water used on site is recycled and reused through a surface water capture system The site procures 100% REGO-verified renewable energy Switching from the use of white diesel to hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) to fuel DB’s on-site machinery and plant has reduced the site’s Scope 1 emissions by 98 tonnes of CO2e per year The three plant machines consumed almost 55,000 litres of white diesel in 2024 The HVO biofuel emits 98% less CO2e per litre than mineral diesel with a new Volvo L180H wheel loader recently delivered and a new Liebherr LH40C loading machine on order The new Volvo wheel loader can do the work of the two ageing loading shovels used previously This will reduce DB’s plant machinery fuel consumption to approximately 41,000 litres drive-through wheel wash which has reduced water consumption through more efficient filtering and re-use of water The new system is also more energy efficient and provides improved filtration Installation of new electric vehicle charging points for all staff and visitors DB avoided 40 tonnes of embedded carbon through a circular economy reuse project whereby modular office facilities were relocated from their site at Barking said the company was now in the process of having the site’s environmental performance officially accredited as carbon neutral on the basis that it will set a new standard for the sector ‘For years we have talked about the environmental benefits of transporting freight by rail rather than road however we can make an even bigger contribution towards helping the UK meet its carbon reduction targets by the way we operate our sites,’ she said we’ve tried to incorporate as much mitigation as we possibly can into our operations which not only has an environmental benefit but also a significant social value too in terms of improving the quality of life for those residents who live nearby ‘Throughout the development of Cricklewood we have consulted closely with the council’s planning department to not only minimize the risk of any disturbance caused by our operations ‘Cricklewood is now the jewel in our crown and will form the blueprint for the future development of our terminals across England jobs events and articles direct to your inbox Subscribe Here Agg-Net is the ‘go-to’ website for key decision makers within the aggregates and recycling industries market reports and industry features provide an independent and informed voice for the industry Agg-Net is the official digital partner for Hillhead providing unrivalled coverage of our June event 7 Regent StreetNottinghamNG1 5BSUnited KingdomTel: +44 (0)115 941 1315 A Matalan store in North London could be turned into hundreds of new student bed spaces with plans put forward for two tower blocks ranging from three to nine storeys The site had been earmarked for 238 flats but developers have brought forward a completely new scheme citing updates to building regulations as reason for the change – including requirements for a secondary fire staircase following the Grenfell tragedy Developers Ziser London have submitted revised plans for the redevelopment of the Matalan site on Cricklewood Broadway in Brent consent was given for the construction of 238 residential flats but was designed ‘before several regulatory changes’ – such as a secondary fire escape for buildings over 18m – prompting Ziser to propose the new scheme The latest proposal is for the demolition of Matalan to provide 826 student bed spaces Block A would range from five to nine storeys whilst Block B would range from three to seven storeys Plans show space on the ground floor of both buildings for commercial use These private halls tend to be made up of mostly en-suite rooms with students having their own shower and toilet which are contained within ‘cluster flats’ This is where there are a number of rooms within one flat – a cluster – that all share a kitchen and lounge Other rooms may be entirely self-contained studios where the accommodation has its own en-suite The designs for this development show that 662 of the allocated bed spaces would be en-suite and contained within 82 clusters accessible studios – designed for people with disabilities – and companion rooms The developers claim the scheme will enable students to ‘move away from residential accommodation and towards purpose-built student accommodation’ In 2023, there were 738 homes occupied by students in Brent, which developers suggest demonstrates ‘a greater demand’ for this type of accommodation in the borough. The site is around a 10-minute walk from Cricklewood station, putting it within a 40-minute travel time from the main SOAS University of London hub in Russell Square Ziser London has indicated that it would like to buy the Wickes site opposite for further development and highlight that a key objective of this proposal is to make sure it ‘does not compromise the ability of that site coming forward’ A statement by the developers notes: “The proposal has evolved […] and seeks to maximise the use of this brownfield It has been carefully designed to ensure it makes a positive contribution to the street scene and at the same time providing good quality accommodation for students has been considered thus ensuring amenity has not been detrimentally impacted.” There has been one objection against the application so far with concerns raised about the loss of a ‘very important service as a low cost clothing outlet’ and suggestions that the site should be kept as retail until the West London Orbital can enable people to more easily travel to other shopping centres The objector adds: “The nature of the housing isn’t appropriate and the stress the extra people will put on transit to Middlesex sites in Hendon will push the travel options to breaking point as the local buses are maxed-out and the A5 does not offer any meaningful transit at rush hour north-south due to traffic “The site should be better developed into additional retail especially as we now have Brent Cross Town and Cricklewood schemes coming on stream and services and retail kept locally are critical for families with children.” Brent Council will decide on the plan in due course Harrow Online is a company registered in England and Wales When the Hope Café opened its doors in 2021, the team at St Gabriel’s in Cricklewood weren’t quite sure what to expect they recognised that there was a need for mid-week community but what exactly that should look like was unclear they built their ministry around two key principles: Hope Café strives to be “accessible and open to all.” Resultantly it has had “a real impact on a number of different people for different reasons,” reflects Revd James Yeates – thinking not only of the café guests so too has the Sunday congregation – calling St Gabriel’s to deepen it’s understanding of inclusion in order to widen its welcome the Hope Café will be in its fourth year and church leaders considering a similar ministry can be encouraged by St Gabriel’s experiences The starting point for the café’s success was simply creating a warm and welcoming space and opening the doors: “If you’re willing to do that God will provide the opportunities for you to grow.” If you would like to learn more about the Hope Café, please see the church’s website, or you can contact Revd James Yeates, incumbent at St Gabriel’s, here If you would like to learn more about Christians Against Poverty, you can contact Emma Liberman, Debt Centre Manager at St Gabriel’s, here As always, please also feel free to contact the Compassionate Communities team with any feedback or questions ©2024 Diocese Of London | Manage Consent | Website It is the sixth artwork in the enigmatic artist’s animal-themed collection News | London Crowds booed as a new Banksy artwork of a stretching cat on an empty distressed advertising billboard was removed in north-west London hours after it was revealed The elusive street artist confirmed he was behind the piece - a silhouette of a black cat with an upturned tail stretching out its body - by posting a photo on Instagram on Saturday men who said they were hired from a “contracting company” turned up in Cricklewood to take the hoarding down for safety reasons said they were going to pull the boarding down on Monday and replace it but the removal had been brought forward to Saturday in case someone “rips it down and leaves it unsafe” The owner of the billboard has told police he will donate it to an art gallery an officer at the scene told the PA news agency Police taped off the path in front of the hoarding as about 50 people gathered to take pictures Locals have spoken of their dismay at seeing the artwork removed You can’t even enjoy it for the whole day before someone wanted to take it down “You would wait for a lifetime for a Banksy to come into our neighbourhood who travelled from Kensington to see the artwork described the removal of the billboard as “madness” watched as three contractors stood within the police cordon The artwork is the sixth to be unveiled by the Bristol-based artist this week in London in what appears to be a new animal-themed collection Ireland’s Simon Harris pays tribute to resilience of Ukrainian people Kilburn shooting victim named as neighbours pay tribute to'sunshine of the community' Police arrest 18 people after Greenpeace activists block Unilever's City HQ Meet the triathlete breaking new ground for Deaf athletes The cat design is the second piece this week to be removed after a painting of a wolf howling on a satellite dish was taken off the roof of a shop in Peckham A group of partially masked men were pictured climbing up a ladder and grabbing the dish before carrying it away “I was walking down around 1pm and saw three guys nicking it,” passerby Tom Kellow said There was one guy on the roof and the other two were watching the ladder “They saw me filming and it got a bit tetchy One gave me a kick in the side and another tried to throw my phone on the roof Luckily it hit a tree and came back down again “It’s a great shame we can’t have nice things and it’s a shame it couldn’t have lasted more than an hour.” A statement from the Metropolitan Police said: “We were called to reports of a stolen satellite dish containing artwork at 1.52pm on Thursday August 8 in Rye Lane A spokesman for Banksy said the artist is neither connected to nor endorses the theft of the wolf design and that they have “no knowledge as to the dish’s current whereabouts” The first piece of graffiti in Banksy’s new animal-themed series is near Kew Bridge in south-west London and shows a goat with rocks falling down below it On Tuesday the artist added silhouettes of two elephants with their trunks stretched towards each other on the side of a building near Chelsea This was followed by three monkeys looking as though they were swinging underneath a bridge over Brick Lane, near a vintage clothing shop in the popular east London market street, not far from Shoreditch High Street. On Friday he revealed his fifth design, an artwork which features pelicans pinching fish from a London chip shop sign VE Day 2025 fashion: best looks from the day, Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte, Lady Victoria Starmer VE Day 2025 fashion: Princess of Wales to Lady Victoria Starmer Prince Louis steals the show at VE Day parade as he keeps dad William looking sharp and mimics brother George Prince Louis steals show with sweet antics at VE parade Ukraine 'launches stunning Kursk offensive' in major blow for Putin ahead of Victory Day celebrations Ukraine 'launches stunning Kursk offensive' in blow for Putin Pregnant Jesy Nelson reveals plans for future in message from her hospital bed after surgery Pregnant Jesy Nelson reveals plans for future in message from hospital David Beckham extends olive branch to son Brooklyn amid 'family feud' A beaten docket is a losing ticket, often associated with horse racing – a feature of this area in the late 19th century. Attracting thousands of race-goers, Kingsbury Races were held five times a year, on land leased by William Perkins Warner, proprietor of the nearby Old Welsh Harp. It is served by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway from St Pancras, Cricklewood Station being on that Company’s main line. St Peter’s ecclesiastical district, formed in 1892 from All Saints’ parish, Child’s Hill, is wholly in the civil parish of Hendon, and in the rural deanery and archdeaconry of Hampstead and diocese of London. The Church Hall and Institute is in Cricklewood lane. The vicarage, in Anson road, was erected in 1911 at a cost of £2,500, on a site given by All Souls College, Oxford. There is a Roman Catholic Church, dedicated to St Agnes, in Cricklewood lane. Cricklewood Congregational Chapel, which is in Chichele and Howard roads, was opened in 1902, and is a building of red brick with terracotta facings in the Gothic style: it has 850 sittings. There are also Wesleyan Methodist and Baptist Chapels. The populations of the ecclesiastical parishes in 1921 were: St Peter’s, 3,835, and St Michael’s, 5,106. Heidi Lauth Beasley these spots are all the proof you need that London has some unmissable Chinese restaurants Organising dinner for friends or colleagues is tricky Here’s a selection of the best group-friendly restaurants to have that get-together When you want to dance to cowbells with strangers or eat dim sum while watching an Airbus 318 take off Heidi has been excessively eating cacio e pepe and writing about it since 2018 and accidentally over-sharing since birth 03 Mar 2025 By Already registered? please Log in to continue Try Property Week For Free to finish this article To access this article TRY FOR FREE NOW Don't want full access? REGISTER NOW for limited access and to subscribe to our newsletters Already registered or subscribed? SIGN IN here to continue Property Week’s 2025 Power of Proptech survey, sponsored by Freeths, seeks to explore the robustness of this digital infrastructure and how prepared businesses are to meet the technological challenges facing the property sector. Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. Men say they were hired from contracting company to remove billboard for safety reasons I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Crowds could be heard booing while a new Banksy artwork of a stretching cat on an empty billboard was taken down just hours after it was revealed in north west London. The street artist’s piece was dismantled by three men who said they were hired by a contracting company to take down the billboard for safety reasons on Saturday evening Bansky’s piece of art – which was located in Cricklewood - depicted a dark silhouette of a large cat with an upturned tail stretching out its body The artwork is the sixth to be unveiled in London by the Bristol-based artist this week after he previously revealed a goat Hours after Banksy confirmed the design was his in an Instagram post crowds gathered from across London to see the piece before men arrived He said: “We’ll store that bit (the artwork) in our yard to see if anyone collects it but if not it’ll go in a skip I’ve been told to keep it careful in case he wants it.” A blackboard was first used to cover the majority of the cat on the billboard at the request of the police who wanted to stop people walking in the road in front of traffic An officer at the scene said the owner of the billboard has told police he will donate it to an art gallery Police had taped off the path in front of the artwork as around 50 people gathered to take pictures and watched the artwork being removed A statement from the Metropolitan Police said: “Police were called to Edgware Road 10 August to reports of a large crowd near a Banksy artwork on a billboard told officers they had been authorised to remove the board as it was unsafe “Local authority representatives attended the site confirmed identities and authority to remove the board It comes as a school of swimming fish appeared on a police box in the City of London – with Banksy having just confirmed the aquarium-like design a 71-year-old member of the NorthWestTwo Residents Association said: “If it wasn’t guarded overnight somebody would take it The cat design is the second piece this week to be removed after a painting of a wolf howling on a satellite dish was taken off the roof of a shop in Peckham which led to one of the men throwing his phone on a roof “It’s a great shame we can’t have nice things and it’s a shame it couldn’t have lasted more than an hour,” he said A statement from the Metropolitan Police said: “We were called to reports of a stolen satellite dish containing artwork at 1.52pm on Thursday August 8 in Rye Lane, Peckham. There have been no arrests. Inquiries continue.” A spokesperson for Banksy said the artist is did not endorse the theft of the wolf design and that they have “no knowledge as to the dish’s current whereabouts”. The first piece of graffiti in Banksy’s new animal-themed series, which was announced on Monday, is near Kew Bridge in south-west London and shows a goat with rocks falling down below it, just above where a CCTV camera is pointed. On Tuesday the artist added silhouettes of two elephants with their trunks stretched towards each other on the side of a building near Chelsea, west London. This was followed by three monkeys looking as though they were swinging underneath a bridge over Brick Lane, near a vintage clothing shop in the east London market street, not far from Shoreditch High Street. The fifth design, of pelicans pinching fish from a London chip shop sign in Walthamstow, east London, was revealed on Friday. Showbiz | Celebrity News Sign up to our free weekly newsletter for exclusive competitions I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice Crowds booed as a new Banksy artwork of a stretching cat on an empty, distressed advertising billboard was removed in north-west London hours after it was revealed The piece by the elusive street artist was dismantled by three men who said they were “hired” by a “contracting company” to take down the billboard for safety reasons Located in Cricklewood the artwork depicted a dark silhouette of a large cat with an upturned tail stretching out its body The artwork is the sixth to be unveiled in London by the Bristol-based artist this week crowds gathered from across London to see the piece before men told the PA news agency that they were going to pull the boarding down on Monday and replace it “I’ve been told to keep it careful in case he wants it.” A black board was first used to cover the majority of the cat on the billboard at the request of the police The removal effort was briefly paused by the police as officers checked the contractors were approved to take the piece down before they were allowed to continue on with the work An officer at the scene told PA that the owner of the billboard has told police he will donate it to an art gallery Society fixer banned by charity watchdog over funds meant for King’s Foundation Walthamstow chippie owner 'worried someone would break in after Banksy artwork' Police had taped off the path in front of the artwork as around 50 people gathered to take pictures and later watched the artwork being removed “Local Authority representatives attended the site a member of the NorthWestTwo Residents Association told PA she offered to look after the Banksy for the owners of the billboard once it was taken down A spokesperson for the local Brent Council told PA: “The billboard is privately owned and not council property.” A spokesman for Banksy told the PA news agency that the artist is neither connected to nor endorses the theft of the wolf design and that they have “no knowledge as to the dish’s current whereabouts” This was followed by three monkeys looking as though they were swinging underneath a bridge over Brick Lane near a vintage clothing shop in the popular east London market street of pelicans pinching fish from a London chip shop sign in Walthamstow VE Day 2025 fashion: best looks from the day Exclusive: secretive artist trying to raise a smile with pelicans A big cat by Banksy appeared briefly, ­stretching in the morning sun, on a bare advertising hoarding on Edgware Road in Cricklewood, north-west London removed by contractors who feared it would be ripped down The anonymous artist known as Banksy who confirmed the image was his at lunchtime on Saturday also promised a little more summer fun to come A seventh image may shortly materialise in another surprising location London residents should then keep their eyes peeled The artist’s vision is ­simple: the latest street art has been designed to cheer up the public ­during a period when the news headlines have been bleak and light has often been harder to spot than shade is that the uplifting works cheer ­people with a moment of unexpected ­amusement as well as to ­gently underline the human capacity for ­creative play rather than for destruction and negativity Some recent theorising about the deeper significance of each new image has been way too involved Banksy’s Goat Photograph: Aaron Chown/PAWhen a goat teetering on a ­precipice first appeared on Monday near Kew Bridge some thought it might be a symbol of humanity’s folly Others speculated it might be a ­visual pun on the idea of the goat now standing for “greatest of all time” in popular parlance their trunks reaching out to each other through the bricked-up windows of a house in Chelsea Next came perhaps the most joyous so far when a trio of monkeys was revealed on Wednesday swinging their way across a bridge over Brick Lane in east London Banksy’s two elephants on the side of a house in Chelsea painted on to a large satellite dish on a roof in Peckham was removed by two masked men with a ladder Banksy’s representative said the theft was nothing to do with them adding: “We have no knowledge as to the dish’s current whereabouts.” a pair of hungry pelicans appeared above a Walthamstow fish and chip shop on a corner of Pretoria Avenue The fifth new art mural by the artist Banksy in London Photograph: Anadolu/Getty ImagesOn Saturday just hours after the big cat appeared on an empty wooden billboard in Cricklewood told PA they were planning to pull the billboard down on Monday and had removed it early in case someone “rips it down and leaves it unsafe” He said: “We’ll store that bit [the artwork] in our yard to see if anyone collects it but if not it’ll go in a skip works under cover of night with a small team of helpers two men inside a cherry picker next to Kew Bridge were filmed as a bearded man in a van operated a hydraulic lifting platform Free weekly newsletterYour weekly art world round-up While Banksy’s new menagerie has been springing up the rescue boat the artist funds has been working to help endangered asylum seekers to reach safety patrols migrant routes in the Mediterranean It has picked up at least 85 ­survivors in the past couple of days Banksy announced that he would finance the vessel with the intention of rescuing refugees in difficulty as they fled north Africa A bridge in Brick Lane Photograph: Matthew Chattle/Future Publishing/Getty ImagesIn June an inflatable migrant boat created by Banksy was used to crowdsurf during performances by Bristol indie punk band Idles and rapper Little Simz The Conservative home secretary at the time, James Cleverly, said the artist was “trivialising” small boat ­crossings and “vile”. Banksy responded that the detention of the Louise Michel by Italian authorities at the time was the really “vile and unacceptable” development. like Banksy’s lockdown series the Great British Spraycation of 2020 Banksy’s seaside series also memorably featured chips with an image of a seagull hovering over oversized “chips” in a skip He also created a rat relaxing in a deckchair with a cocktail A howling wolf in Peckham Photograph: Jordan Pettitt/PAAnother image from the lockdown campaign made reference to the ­refugee crisis It showed three children sitting in a rickety boat made of scrap metal Banksy had inscribed: “We’re all in the same boat.” The provenance of that series was confirmed with the release of a three-minute Instagram video clip that revealed the obscured form of the artist travelling in a beaten-up camper van on a holiday tour that took in Lowestoft in Suffolk and Gorleston His final London destinations are yet to emerge This article was amended on 10 August 2024 to correct the name of the road where the pelican mural was painted; it is Pretoria Avenue This is the archive of The Observer up until 21/04/2025 The Observer is now owned and operated by Tortoise Media unaware that a lynx was lurking in their back garden Luxury Notable former residents of a home often garner public interest, and there is a (furry) tale to tell about the one-time occupant of the garden of this house in Cricklewood “If anyone had told us the ‘Beast of Barnet’ was living and roaming around the undergrowth at the end of our long garden we would have thought it was all a joke and never would have believed them,” says Farhana Meerza who has lived at the 13-bedroom house on Hocroft Road for many years “The story of the ‘Beast of Barnet’ spans over a decade and from 1991 onwards there were various sightings and reports of a mysterious panther like creature in the gardens of the Hocroft Estate,” she remembers “My husband and I never took it seriously and we said it was all nonsense until of course we found out our back garden had been its lair We understand one of the residents of the Hocroft Estate had kept the lynx illegally in their house and occasionally it had escaped and then roamed in and around our garden and those of our other neighbours.” In 1998, the north London area was gripped by fear as panic over the Beast of Barnet rose to fever pitch. Residents of suburban Cricklewood were warned to secure their homes and watch out for the Beast of Barnet a big cat that had been spotted prowling around a residential area The Metropolitan Police scanned from the skies with a helicopter equipped with thermal imaging cameras and more officers with loudhailers warned Londoners to lock their doors and windows Attempts to capture the Beast of Barnet would be unsuccessful for three more years a cleaner named Carol Montague working at Meerza’s house on Hocroft Road spotted a huge cat sitting on the garden fence "I thought it was a leopard or something,” Montague told the Telegraph “It was the size of an Alsatian with mottled beige and grey fur with what looked like little black feathers on the top of its ears and very soft looking baby fur on its belly I don't think they believed me at first because they just laughed." But when the police looked through the kitchen window and realised the size of the animal who sent their head lion keeper over to assess the situation "We get numerous calls reporting big cat sightings, and so far all have proved incorrect,” lion keeper Ray Charter told the Guardian “So you can imagine my surprise when I bent down to look under the hedge only to be met by a much more exotic face." a vet from the zoo managed to shoot it with a tranquilliser dart the lynx hopped the fence and ran across a playing field before being cornered in the stairwell of Avenue Court the vet was finally able to sedate the her the fluffy troublemaker was taken to London Zoo and re-homed in their big cat enclosure Thought to be an escaped illegal exotic pet Lara eventually found love after being transferred to the Parc Zoologique du Bois de Coulange and lived out her days until her death in 2009 “[It’s] a really nice ending to the story,” says Meerza Meerza is planning to downsize now her daughters have grown up, and the house on Horcroft Road where it all began is on the market for £8 million with Beauchamp Estates Along with 13 bedrooms (two of which are for staff) the 10,127-square-foot house includes a wealth of amenities that include an indoor swimming pool There’s also a large driveway with two garages behind a carriage gate The large garden — lynx-approved — includes a terrace and a pond The agents stress the property is entirely “now totally beast free” Prince John Zylinski's palatial 'White House' in Ealing hits the market with a £4.2 million price tag Heathfield House: the inside story of Highgate's unsold £32 million mega-mansion RIBA London 2024 winners: see all the best new architect-designed homes in the capital Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon We help you navigate a myriad of possibilities Sign up for our newsletter for the best of the city By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news Sign up for our email to enjoy London without spending a thing (as well as some options when you’re feeling flush) By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions. London three) more new Banksy artworks have popped up in LondonThe street artist is going wild Inveterate street art criminal Banksy has been covering London in a steady stream of animaltastic new artworks over the past week with two more popping up over the weekend and another today (August 12) Saturday (August 10) saw the arrival of cat doing a nice big stretch on a billboard in Cricklewood Sunday (August 11) we got him making a police box in the City look like a fish tank and today we had a rhino mounting an abandoned car in Charlton RECOMMENDED: a ninth London Banksy has appeared at London Zoo.  Londoners have been busy theorising about what his menagerie of animals could possibly mean and the Guardian has confirmed that it means…very little it’s just meant to be a bit of distraction from how horrible the news is A post shared by Banksy (@banksy) Will tomorrow see the arrival of leopard in Liverpool St painting a new animal in a different part of town What if the only thing that can stop him is nuclear armageddon and then your descendants emerge from the underground safety they’ve lived in for centuries to find he’s done a god damn gibbon on the outside of the bunker?  A post shared by Banksy (@banksy) The world’s most famous street artist has left his mark all over the UK. Here’s a map of where you can find all of his surviving pieces in London and another guide to seeing his art across the country A post shared by Banksy (@banksy) Get the latest and greatest from the Big Smoke – from news and reviews to events and trends. Just follow our Time Out London WhatsApp channel Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out London newsletter for the best of the city Thanks for subscribing! Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon! tiktokfacebooktwitteryoutubeAbout us Contact us Mission Statement: to assist the integration of foreign residents living in Spain and this is never more accurate than when you establish yourself as a foreign resident in a new country Being able to quickly familiarise yourself with the culture and customs can help ease the transition during a challenging time This is why Euro Weekly News makes it our mission to provide you with a free news resource in English that covers both regional and national Spanish news – anything that we feel you will benefit from knowing as you integrate into your new community and live your best life in Spain you can forget about translating articles from Spanish into awkward English that probably don’t make much sense Let us be your convenient and essential guide to all things that will likely affect you as a foreign resident living in Spain Banksy´s latest artwork of a cat was removed hours after being unveiled to the sound of booing crowds in Cricklewood At least 50 people gathered in Cricklewood watching the artwork of the cat being dismantled by three men The men stated that they were “hired” by a “contracting company” to take down the billboard for “safety reasons” The artwork portrayed a large black cat stretching out its body on an old Hours after Banksy confirmed that the image was his in an Instagram post crowds gathered from across London to see the Cricklewood cat just as it was beginning to be dismantled by the three men a member of the NorthWestTwo Residents Association told the Press she offered to look after the Banksy for the owners of the billboard once it was taken town Carol Reeman also commented; “This is Cricklewood You can´t even enjoy it for the whole day before someone wanted to take it down.” has been effectively lighting up the days of residents who come across it breathing in the freshness of light-hearted art which at the time of consistently bad news the cat artwork is now the second piece within a week to be removed after just being revealed A painting of a wolf howling on a satellite dish was removed from a roof in Peckham the artwork was similarly dismantled by three men The witness said; “It´s a great shame we can´t have nice things and it´s a shame it couldn´t have lasted more than an hour.” Statement from the Metropolitan Police wrote; “Police were called to Edgware Road August 10 to reports of a large crowd near a Banksy artwork on a billboard told officers they had been authorised to remove the board as it was unsafe.” Subscribe to our Euro Weekly News alerts to get the latest stories into your inbox Sounds like a bunch of killjoys removing something for no good reason Euro Weekly News is the leading English language newspaper in Spain by delivering news with a social conscience we are proud to be the voice for the expat communities who now call Spain home With around half a million print readers a week and over 1.5 million web views per month EWN has the biggest readership of any English language newspaper in Spain The paper prints over 150 news stories a week with many hundreds more on the web – no one else even comes close Our publication has won numerous awards over the last 25 years including Best Free Newspaper of the Year (Premios AEEPP) Company of the Year (Costa del Sol Business Awards) and Collaboration with Foreigners honours (Mijas Town Hall) All of this comes at ZERO cost to our readers All our print and online content always has been and always will be FREE OF CHARGE Download our media pack in either English or Spanish A joint venture between Barnet Council and Argent Related is responsible for the Brent Cross Cricklewood regeneration programme Brent Cross West is a new station developed by Network Rail operator and infrastructure manager of the main railway network of Britain to serve the people of Brent Cross and the northern parts of Cricklewood and Dollis Hill areas of North London The project was a part of the Brent Cross West Thameslink programme which also includes the development of a waste transfer station serving Barnet and Camden replacement of a strategic freight facility and construction of supporting infrastructure for drivers and pedestrians The station is the final component of the Thameslink sub-phase of the £4.5bn ($5.64bn) Brent Cross Cricklewood regeneration project which delivers a mixed-use town centre for Barnet The planning approval for the new station development was awarded by Barnet Council’s Planning Committee in May 2020 Most of the work along with a range of safety and technical tests at Brent Cross West station was completed in June 2023 and it was opened in December 2023 The Brent Cross West programme provides connections between Brent Cross Cricklewood and central London and beyond Brent Cross West was built on the Midland Main Line between Hendon and Cricklewood stations The station has direct connections to Brighton It is less than 15 minutes from central London’s Kings Cross St Pancras Station a key transport hub with rail connections to Europe via Eurostar high-speed rail services The project involved the construction of a new four-platform station The station serves as a gateway to Brent Cross Town with trains from central London reaching it within 12 minutes it provides new transport options for people residing in Brent Cross The Brent Cross West station is the first mainline station outside of Central London to be equipped with platform humps The humps provide level boarding points on to the floor height of the trains while enabling step-free access from street level to the platforms The station design creates a modern and functionally optimal station It has up to eight stopping services per peak hour while each of the platforms with 250m of length A covered pedestrian overbridge was also constructed as part of the Brent Cross West programme to provide a new route for pedestrians and cyclists across the Midland Main Line Passengers can board a train at the station to reach Farringdon for Elizabeth Line services (formerly Crossrail) The new eastern entrance to the station received planning consent from Barnet Council in December 2020 The light and airy design of the station entrance includes a roof canopy of glazed panels resting on timber columns Environmental elements of the design included the planting of vines connected to planters on the ground floor by a wire trellis system and the erection of ornamental trees in the entranceway Connecting the new station to Brent Cross Town the eastern entrance building includes parking space for 68 bicycles two lifts and escalators up to the new overbridge at the station The new station and related rail works were funded by a £419m government agreement Barnet Council secured the funding through collaboration with Central Government partners was awarded a contract to construct the Brent Cross West station in December 2019 The company served as the principal contractor for the project VolkerFitzpatrick engaged the services of Adept for the management of the design Adept’s responsibilities included passive fire protection measures was selected by VolkerFitzpatrick to deliver structures for the project was selected to deliver a multidisciplinary design of the station in June 2020 The company’s Rail Stations team collaborated with Chapman Taylor an architecture and master-planning company Global consultancy and construction company Mace was awarded a contract to provide project management services for the new station development in August 2020 Architectural company Studio Egret West developed the design for the new eastern entrance of the station The project was completed in collaboration with shedkm was appointed by the London Borough of Barnet to conduct public consultation for the station project It provided planning advice as part of the Brent Cross Cricklewood scheme to undertake the design of various infrastructure components for the station including the relocation of railway sidings to accommodate the construction of the new station Amey’s scope of work also included the design of three relocatable equipment buildings, a tarmac road, routes for signalling and telecommunications cables and an overhead line equipment switch walkway Other contractors involved in the Brent Cross West station project were Gardiner & Theobald Give your business an edge with our leading industry insights View all newsletters from across the GlobalData Media network a small group of middle-aged men were at work as usual when they found themselves at the centre of a national terror warning In offices sandwiched between a TV repair shop and a hair salon in the north-west London suburb, the men produce an Arabic-language site supporting Egypt's now banned Muslim Brotherhood the prime minister announced a high-level investigation into whether the group – one of the Arab world's most powerful political organisations – was heading towards "violent extremism" in Britain and elsewhere David Cameron said Sir John Jenkins, the British ambassador to Saudi Arabia would examine the Brotherhood's "philosophy and values and alleged connections with extremism and violence" alongside state security chiefs The launch of the inquiry meant the search for evidence of the Brotherhood's British operation was on But those who spoke to the Guardian from the redbrick offices above the Flame Kebab takeaway were flummoxed to find the organisation they supported subject to investigation about possible use of extremist violence especially since it won Egypt's presidential election in 2012 only to be overthrown in a military coup a year later "It's rubbish," said Mohamed Ghamen a 67-year-old British citizen who came to the UK from Egypt He introduced himself as a director of World Media Services which he said was a not-for-profit limited company that publishes the pro-Brotherhood website ikhwanpress.org (translation: Brotherhood Press) "The Muslim Brotherhood announce everywhere they are not using force or violence," Ghamen said. "They are people who have a particular understanding of Islam which is far away from violence They are not violent and they are not militant." He said that of the five people working in the offices "All are affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood through thinking and ideas but we are not part of the organisation." The 86-year-old organisation has been deposed from power in Egypt and outlawed in Egypt and in Saudi Arabia where the governments consider it a terror group the former Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi is on trial in Cairo after last year's military coup Cameron said the government's inquiry aimed to uncover any "path of extremism and violent extremism what its connections are with other groups what its presence is here in the United Kingdom" and to "fully understand the true nature of the organisation that we are dealing with." The website features a picture and statement from Mohammed Badie known as the supreme guide of the Muslim Brotherhood entitled "military judiciary and genocide" is about the sentencing to death of 529 Brotherhood activists in Egypt last week Even though their website is not official – another, IKhwanweb, claims to be the only official English site and is also based in London – this is not the first time the modest premises of World Media Services have attracted attention after a Daily Mail article identified the office as "the centre of operations for Egypt's once-mighty Muslim Brotherhood" far-right activists from a group called Britain First protested on the pavement opposite under the banner "Muslim Brotherhood Not Welcome!" which was opposed by a large group of anti-racism campaigners said it was a demonstration against "sharia Local shopkeepers recalled a standoff between about 20 far-right activists on one side of the street and about 50 anti-racism campaigners an expert in Egyptian politics at the Chatham House thinktank warned Downing Street it may be "looking in the wrong direction" if it believed the Brotherhood was a security threat "Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are putting pressure on any government in the region and internationally that gives any space to the Brotherhood," she said "They feel challenged by the Brotherhood's equation of Islam and democracy and want to squeeze them and make sure the political movement is broken "The Muslim Brotherhood has a commitment to non-violence and their enemies are trying to create some kind of connection the extremist groups in Egypt hate them because they opted for violence and the Brotherhood condemned it." A Foreign Office spokesman denied that the ambassador to Saudi Arabia had been chosen to lead the inquiry because of any pressure from the Saudi kingdom and said Sir John Jenkins was selected because he was "a top arabist" Azzam said the Brotherhood remains mainly an Egyptian organisation with a small number of older exiles in the UK being joined more recently by those escaping the military regime's mass prosecution of members She warned that the UK risked alienating peaceful pro-democratic Brotherhood supporters if it implied they had tendencies towards violent extremism a senior official in the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood said the Downing Street investigation was part of a strategy to "remove the Brotherhood from the political scene" She said of the organisation's supporters in exile in countries such as Britain: "They are people who believe in hard work and who love their countries which runs from Brent Cross through North Cricklewood will be closed for traffic from 6 January until 30 August due to planned improvement works categorised as “Unclassified works” by one.network A Temporary Traffic Regulation Order (TTRO) is required The works are authorised under permit reference YG47509407077-01, granted by Barnet Council. The project is linked to Tilling Road improvements. For more details, visit the one.network website EPR Architects’ contentious 1,049-home masterplan proposal for Cricklewood has been approved by secretary of state Michael Gove Barnet Council narrowly approved plans for 1,049 homes on a 2.83ha site between Cricklewood station and the nearby A5 despite  more than 2,000 letters objecting to the 18 storey-tall scheme for developer Montreaux Michael Gove then called in the scheme for review last August after more than 2,000 people signed a petition asking the communities secretary to reconsider the EPR-designed scheme Issuing a decision on 4 December on behalf of Gove parliamentary under-secretary of state for local government Simon Hoare said the EPR designs ‘would not appear bulky or unattractive’ despite the significance of tall buildings in the area and their place in the surrounding London context of scattered clusters of tall buildings together with their location in a town centre next to a railway station Montreaux submitted EPR’s designs in August 2020 an application involving the demolition of existing buildings – including the four-decades-old B&Q store on the site – and the redevelopment of the site for mixed use That included up to 1,100 residential units and up to 1,200m² of flexible commercial and community floorspace in buildings ranging from three to 25 storeys along with landscaping and transport infrastructure The scale was later revised down to a maximum of 18 storeys and 1,049 homes which councillors narrowly approved at committee London Mayor Sadiq Khan decided in March last year not to interfere EPR said in a statement: 'We are delighted that the Secretary of State has endorsed his Inspector’s recommendation to grant our project 'With 1,049 residential homes and 1,200m2 of flexible commercial and community space we’re confident that the scheme will make a positive contribution to Cricklewood providing 35% affordable homes - which cater to young families and working professionals - publicly accessible green spaces and a designated public square that will act as a much-needed focal point for the town centre.' Tags Tokyo-based architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa of SANAA chatted to the… Skyscraper expert SimpsonHaugh has submitted plans for a 50-storey and a 25-storey… MVRDV and Mecanoo are among five finalists vying to design… Squire & Partners has finally won planning Home » News » FCC Environment begins operations from new Cricklewood Rail Freight Terminal one of the UK’s leading waste and resource management companies has started operating from DB Cargo UK’s new rail freight terminal for construction spoil at Cricklewood The terminal is significant to national carbon reduction objectives helping to reduce the volume of heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) on the country’s roads DB Cargo UK’s site is strategically placed and will allow FCC Environment to serve the North and West London markets both of which have seen an increase in construction projects – most notably HS2 and the redevelopment of Euston Station Sending the spoil on 1,400-1,500-tonne capacity freight trains will remove the need for more than 80 HGVs Operated in partnership between DB Cargo UK and FCC Environment the terminal will receive up to 250kt a year with the potential to increase this to 500kt annually the spoil will be taken by freight train to FCC Environment’s site at Calvert Buckinghamshire and re-used to restore the former quarry there Cricklewood will also stock aggregates on site allowing clients to ‘backload’ when delivering spoil at the facility; further helping to reduce the number of journeys made by HGVs through the Capital The Cricklewood facility is FCC Environment’s third in London with two established terminals at Bow and Barking which serve the East London and City construction markets and between them handle 500-600kt per annum Roland Williams said: “We’re delighted to have opened up our third facility in London allowing us to serve the construction industry in areas of London which are seeing a real increase in activity We have been looking to establish a facility in this location for some time and our partnership with DB Cargo UK has allowed us to do this.” said the new facility at Cricklewood would handle a range of materials for use in the capital’s construction industry “Our new facility at Cricklewood is of strategic importance to London’s construction sector and will remove thousands of HGVs off London’s already congested road network every year “A range of customers will be operating out of the site which has been built with a number of measures to minimise the impact of our operations on the local community.” The FCC Environment Press Office can be contacted on 01302 553454 or info@fccenvironment.co.uk marked for the attention of Press Office Or in writing at:FCC Environment Press Office3 Sidings CourtWhite Rose WayDoncasterDN4 5NU Registered in England and Wales No. 2674166 VAT reg: No. 637 8808 92