On the 12th November Brent hosted a press launch of the Brent Borough of Cultures 2020 at the Kiln Cinema. We were not invited! A lot of selfies and 2 major announcements that affect Kilburn; Zadie Smith is writing a play to be performed end of 2020 at the Kiln Theatre and the Kilburn Street Party as been named as ‘The Kilburn High’. We were shocked at the choice of title for the Kilburn Street Party and ran a poll that clearly shows that most of you do not like it as it implies possible ‘substances’ use! We have asked the Brent 2020 team to change the title to somehing more appropriate! On a good point, they have listened to us and changed their description of the Kiburn High Road and have mentioned the Music Mile. However they felt the need to introduce a ‘Kilburnus’ character…They are recruiting a street party production manager. Look at the job description to see that the production budget is between £150000 and £200000.
Kilburn does not have the oldest W H Smith Shop, but Kilburn has a strong link with the W H Smith family that lived in ‘Kilburn House’, that once also housed a famous King’s mistress.
Christmas has come early in Kilburn!
Ellie’s Cafe, at 316 Kilburn High Road, is being refurbished and will reopen under new management as ‘Mes Cafe‘.
Oval Eyes celebrated their first birthday in Kilburn.
The old ‘Day Lewis Pharmacy’ unit at 265 Kilburn High Road will become a mobile phone shop.
What’s happening at 92 Kingsgate Road? We were promised an Italian Restaurant, looks like it will be a Trukish Restaurant but the advertised website MEZE-NW6.co.uk redirects to an American Sushi place.
Very sad to see that the Kilburn Confectionery at Kilburn Station has closed down this week. This was a community hub with such lovely 2 brothers. Our local photographer will take pictures and we will try to organise for you to sign them as a thank you to these individuals who were really part of our community.
Support local small businesses. Jumanji Pets in Birchington Road need your custom! Piccolo have new Jazz and Blues evenings on Saturdays.
Do buy your Christmas tree from Mill Lane Garden Centre. This is a charity that does a lot of good!
Looking to spread some Christmas cheer? Sidings community centre are raising money to take kids (from Kilburn & West Hampstead) on a Christmas trip to Winter Wonderland.
Do you have baby/toddler items you no longer need? Please donate them to the Kingsgate community centre as part of their Christmas appeal on the 27th Nov from 9.30am till 1pm
Tesco continue to park illegally at the top of Kiburn High Road. Each time they promise something will be done, but they continue. They are not good neighbours and thus please spread the word to boycott the Tesco Express store at 405 Kilburn High Road, until they respect our neighbourhood.
The local police continued to help keep us safe this fortnight as seen here, here, here , here, here and here. And if you want to get them busier and live on the Camden side why not answer their survey?
The street chainsaw seller was back selling Gasoline generators this time!
Veolia seem to have given up on maintaining the Camden side of Kilburn High Road. They failed to collect rubbish more than once a day on several occasions this fortnight and have closed fly tips reports without actually removing the fly tips. Did you know West End Lane gets 4 rubbish collections a day, and Kilburn High Road only 2? We have written to the Council but have had no answer….
Who will you vote for in the Parliamentary Elections? The Ham&High hustings are fully booked but your candidates will be quizzed on Community Safety at the WHAT public meeting on 27th November in the West Hampstead Synagogue.
As seen in this video, the older gentlemen of Kilburn have a great time in Abbey Community Centre.
Brondesbury Medical Centre can now register patients of no fixed abode. Great initiative!
Brent Council have declared a climate emergency but are still planning to tarmac the pavements of a whole road in Mapesbury and have cut healthy mature trees in Paddington Cemetery. They will be discussing their Climate Emergency plans at full council meeting tomorrow. Worth watching!
Unfortunately the promised September 2019 consultation on Kilburn High Road improvements will not happen until at least 13th December 2019 and the scheme is likely to reinstate bus lanes at the expense of pavement widening.
We have had confirmation that Brent Council are selling our limited pavement space to JC Decaux. 3 of those (out of the 10 contracted for the whole of Brent) will impede your movements soon on Kilburn High Road overcrowded pavements while the current one is beeing used to promote a Quintain’s business in place of a ‘Public Interest Message’.
Most of you got it wrong! Kilburn High Road had 7 Cinemas in its history if one does not count this fake Cinema featuring in this 1957 movie, ‘The smallest show on earth‘. Want to know about more NW6 film locations? That’s for you.
and finally, because Kilburn is Kilburn, some are inspired to write a poem.
What’s happening this fortnight
26 Nov A playwright and Guardian journalist will be discussing what it means to care in 21st Century Britain at Kiln theatre. Free
26th November 7.30pm Comedy at the North London Tavern
27th Nov from 9.30am till 1pm donate baby and toddler items at Kingsgate community centre
27th November WHAT public meeting on Community Safety, open to all.
29th November ‘Comedy Night’ at the North London Tavern
29th November 1pm-2.15pm Stroke Freedom support group meeting at the Sidings Community Centre
1st December ‘The David Sinclair Four‘ at the Fiddler
2nd December 7pm Election Hustings at UCS Hampstead school in the hall.
4th December ‘The 4ofus’ at the Fiddler
7th December Bright Nights at the Priory Tavern
7th December Salusbury School Christmas Fair
7th December 5.30 to 8pm Christmas Lights switch on on Fortune Green
8th December ‘Headcage’ at the Fiddler
What’s happening a bit later
10th December ‘Comedy Night’ at the North London Tavern
10th and 11th December ‘Mundy’ at the Fiddler
From 10th December ‘Snowflake’ at the Kiln Theatre
14th December history walk by Alan, covering the Southern Camden Kilburn side
18th December‘Eleanna’ at the Fiddler
22nd January 7-9pm Safer Neighbourhood Panel (SNP) Proposed Kilburn Ward panel meeting
If you have news, an event, some local history or just a favourite corner of Kilburn you’d like to share please email us news@lifeinkilburn.com or tweet to @lifeinkilburn.