The London Minute ⏰ Thursday 27 June 2024
Commuter chaos as stations close, Wimbledon crash families' anger, Islington pupils' 'NoCado' protest, cargo bike spike + jog with The Hardest Geezer
🌞 Good morning London. Here’s Thursday’s London Minute.
🚇 ‘Commuter chaos’ in yesterday afternoon’s heat was caused by a ‘fire alert’ closing Canary Wharf station and signalling problems at Euston. There were also severe delays on the Central Line, District Line and Overground, delaying thousands of journeys. - Robert Dex, The Standard.
⮑ This morning all lines are reporting ‘good service’ on the TfL status page.
⛔️ TfL says Oxford Circus Tube station may also close at short notice on Friday and Saturday due to industrial action - but it did not give further details of what action this is. - Liz Jackson, BBC London.
🚔 The driver of a 4x4 which ploughed into The Study Prep School in Wimbledon and killed two young girls will not face criminal charges. Claire Freemantle said she suffered an epileptic fit at the wheel. - Amy Clarke, Your Local Guardian.
⮑ The Crown Prosecution Service released this statement saying the driver has now surrendered her driving licence.
⮑ Responding to the decision, the girls’ families released a joint statement saying: “We remain unconvinced that the investigation has been conducted thoroughly.” - Sky News.
🚲 Central London has seen a 42% increase in cargo bike usage, according to new data shared by Walking & Cycling Commissioner Will Norman.
🪚 A Crouch End shopkeeper has been hailed as a ‘hero’ after cutting a toddler's arm free from the chain of a Lime bike with a hacksaw. - Nathalie Raffray, Ham & High.
🚗 Motorists crossing Albert Bridge were been fined a total of £630,000 between January and May. Kensington and Chelsea Council issued 11,766 fines worth £130 for breaking a three-tonne weight restriction. - Adrian Zorzut, Local Democracy Reporter, in The Standard.
🪧 School pupils took to the streets of Islington with ‘NOcado’ signs in protest over plans for a new Ocado depot next to their school. - Noah Vickers, The Standard.
⮑ The online supermarket has been fighting for planning permission since 2019.
🔊 Singer, songwriter and producer Toro Y Moi has announced a surprise performance at Brick Lane next week. He’ll be at Café 1001 on Wednesday 24, ahead of the release of his eighth album, 'Hole Erth' which is out in September. - Tickets via Dice.
😷 A Covid outbreak has closed an 'immersive spaceship experience' in a Vauxhall railway arch. - London SE1 Community Website.
🏥 Formerly outsourced porters and cleaners working at Barts NHS Trust have won a months-long dispute over a lump-sum ‘thank you’ Covid payment they did not receive. - Marco Marcelline, Waltham Forest Echo.
🏗️ More than 160 people have objected to plans for eight homes and a new clubhouse at Fortis Green Tennis Club in Muswell Hill. Campaigners trying to save the 100-year-old tennis club from development have accused the church that owns the land of "cashing in". - Nathalie Raffray, Ham & High.
📌 The London Minute Community Noticeboard
⮑ Get in touch using this form.
📌 “A climate and nature-focused election hustings will be held in the Holborn and St Pancras constituency on Thursday 27 June. It will be chaired by Matthew Gould, CEO of the Zoological Society of London. There are more details in The Fitzrovia News.” - Thanks to a reader for sending this in.
📌 “Join us for a morning fun run with none other than ‘The Hardest Geezer’ himself, Russ Cook! Russ ran the length of Africa. Now you can run 5k with him in a soon-to-be-anounced park. If you work in marketing, you can apply to join us on this link.” - Thanks to subscriber Amy for sharing this.
📮 Something missing? Share your local news and events here.
📈 The most-viewed links from the last newsletter:
⏰ Thank you for reading daily edition number 29. This newsletter remains independent, free, ad-free and proudly subscriber supported. There are 900+ free subscribers, sending more than 3,500+ visits to other local news sources since launch in May. The Minute is written between 5am and 7am every day and wouldn’t exist without paying subscribers. Thank you for supporting local news.