Kingston Council to sell 600-space town centre car park for housing
#34: 150 firefighters tackle fire at Kingston’s old Gala Bingo Hall, Surbiton declared idyllic suburb, local heroes recognised at Kingston Mayor’s Community Awards, Kingston University helps Jamie Oliver launch dyslexia awareness campaign, UK slips down happiness league table, Mother’s Day in Kingston, Red Nose Day, Lindt to open a ‘chocolate heaven’, how to eat well in midlife, join Keep Britain Tidy for the Great British Clean, comedy with Jake Lambert and Paul McCaffrey, free board games at Rose Theatre, Teddington Lock Bridge restoration complete, World Poetry Day, switch off for Earth Hour, and more.
START WITH A SMILE: Stuff to cheer us up
World Poetry Day: Friday 21 March is World Poetry Day. So, here are forty-five of Britain’s best-loved poems courtesy of Penguin. Topping the chart is ‘If’ by Rudyard Kipling who features more than once in the list.
LOCAL STORIES: Stuff you need to know
Kingston Council to sell 600-space town centre car park for housing: The massive 600-space car park near Kingston town centre and adjacent to the now demolished Kingfisher Leisure Centre is to be sold to help tackle the borough's housing crisis, reports MyLondon. Put up for sale in August 2024, Kingston Council has now chosen a bidder, who has not been named, to redevelop Cattle Market Car Park. The council’s Corporate and Resources Committee is to discuss and agree terms with the chosen bidder with a view to entering into an agreement in April.
150 firefighters tackle fire at Kingston’s old Regal Cinema / Gala Bingo Hall: Twenty-five fire engines and around 150 firefighters tackled a fire at the disused Gala Bingo Hall on Richmond Road in Kingston on Sunday 16 March. The building has laid empty for over a decade having changed owners more than once in that period. Despite security patrols and CCTV, neighbours have cited constant intrusions by young people. While there have been approved planning permissions in place in the past and numerous occasions where scaffolding was erected around the building to indicate start of construction work, no work has actually taken place and the building has remained in a state of disrepair for many years. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Brigade and the Metropolitan Police Service.
Unilever accused of ousting Ben and Jerry’s chief over activism: Ben and Jerry’s has accused parent company Unilever of removing its chief executive over the firm’s political activism, reports CityAM. Unilever, a British multinational consumer packaged goods company, whose UK & Ireland headquarters are located here in Kingston, bought the luxury ice cream brand in 2000. Ben and Jerry’s, which is vocal on social issues, has accused Unilever of interfering with its political stance. The relationship between the two has been particularly strained over the Israel-Palestine conflict. Ben and Jerry’s sued Unilever in 2022 after the company blocked its attempt to stop selling goods in the West Bank. The consumer giant’s new ‘Unilever Campus’, currently under construction on Eden Street, is due to be completed in 2025 and will be home to around 2000 employees.
Local heroes recognised at Kingston Mayor’s Community Awards: The Mayor’s Community Awards ceremony, held on Monday 17 March, honoured outstanding individuals who devote their time to supporting communities across the borough. Among these superstars are Daniel and Ruth Sinclair, dedicated Foster Carers who have opened their hearts and home to vulnerable children facing trauma, neglect, and abuse. Ann Hutchinson, a champion for young people. John Routledge, a volunteer with Momentum Children’s Charity. Shraddha Ballal, Director of Namaste Kingston, who has shown exceptional dedication to fostering inclusivity, community engagement, and cultural enrichment. Full list of local heroes is available here.
Surbiton declared idyllic suburb that manages to blend the best of both worlds: Surbiton may technically be part of London's Royal Borough of Kingston, but the suburb maintains a distinct Surrey village vibe, reports MyLondon. Offering the tranquillity of leafy residential streets with the convenience of easy access to central London, it’s been described by The Telegraph as "neither London nor Surrey, neither ultra-middle class nor confusedly 'gritty'".
Kingston University helps TV chef Jamie Oliver launch new dyslexia awareness campaign in Houses of Parliament: We Need To Talk About Dyslexia, a new campaign to raise awareness of dyslexia and call for better support for dyslexic learners in schools has been launched by TV chef and broadcaster Jamie Oliver at the Houses of Parliament, with the support of Kingston University and the Driver Youth Trust. It calls on the government to make vital changes to education for children with the condition. As part of his campaign, Jamie Oliver has produced a Channel 4 documentary about his experience as a dyslexic learner and his desire to change the education system. The programme was created with the help of initial research by Kingston University and its partnership with the Driver Youth Trust.
Kingston Hospital seeks resident feedback on developing its Quality Priorities: Kingston and Richmond NHS Foundation Trust is asking residents to help develop its Quality Priorities for 2025/26. With the aim of improving patient experience, safety and clinical effectiveness for service users, the trust has proposed prevention of harm, embedding continuous improvement in daily work and tackling waste as its three Quality Priorities. Residents can share their thoughts and feedback here by Friday 28 March 2025.
LOCAL DEMOCRACY: Stuff that affects your neighbourhood
Have your say on how Kingston Council plans finances from 2025 to 2028: On 27 February 2025, Kingston Council approved a budget of £190.62m for 2025-26 and outlined how that money would be spent. The focus now shifts to budgetary plans for the next three years. As residents, we have the opportunity to share our thoughts on how our money should be spent. You can have your say here – closing date is 31 December 2025.
COMMUNITY, CULTURE & EVENTS: Stuff to do, experience and enjoy
World Happiness Report 2025 reveals UK slipping down league table: While it may have been International Day of Happiness yesterday, 20 March, World Happiness Report 2025 reveals UK sliding down the league table of happiest nations as Finland tops list for eighth successive year. In fact, UK has slipped 10 places since 2019. The report assess a range of factors including freedom, generosity, healthy life expectancy, helping strangers, social support, volunteering and GDP per capita. While Scandinavian countries have always dominated the top of the table, this year Costa Rica and Mexico have joined the top 10.
Mother’s Day in Kingston, Sunday 30 March: Here’s your guide to a perfect Mother’s Day in Kingston courtesy of Kingston First. Whether it’s a riverside walk followed by brunch at one of Kingston’s charming riverside cafes, artisan chocolates or cupcakes, a slow drink or Mother’s Day dining experience, you’ll find plenty of options to spoil your mum. And if you fancy some pre-Mother’s Day relaxation, try Sip & Paint at Bentall Centre on Thursday 27 March.
Red Nose Day is back: The annual campaign to raise funds for Comic Relief turns 40 this year. So, today, 21 March, take on a challenge, host a bake sale, buy a Red Nose and join the nation for a night of laughs. Here’s how you can get involved.
How to eat well in midlife: Hormonal shifts, a changing metabolism and natural muscle loss make nutrition more important than ever in midlife. But with plethora of conflicting advice, knowing where to start can be overwhelming. To cut through the noise, SheerLuxe asked three nutritionists to share their advice on how to eat well in your fifties and beyond.
Join Keep Britain Tidy for the Great British Clean: Keep Britain Tidy’s Great British Spring Clean and Great Big School Clean 2025 will take place from 21 March to 6 April, and you can pledge to pick up a bag of litter or more. With Kingston Council also pledging its support for the campaign, they’ll be happy to loan you litter pickers and bags if you plan to organise a litter pick in your area – more information and the council’s contact details are available here.
Comedy with Jake Lambert and Paul McCaffrey in Kingston and Josh Pugh in New Malden: Enjoy double the laughs with a double headliner show featuring Jake Lambert and Paul McCaffrey. Tickets for Monday 24 March show at The Fighting Cocks in Kingston are available here. And if you’d like another helping of comedy to kick start your week, join Josh Pugh at The Royal Oak in New Malden on Tuesday 25 March.
Free board games at Rose Theatre: Enjoy a free day of board games at the Rose Theatre on Saturday 6 April. Whether you're a family looking for something different to do on a Saturday with the kids or a group of friends out to try some party games, you’ll have a choice of over 150 board and card games to pick from. No need to book – just drop in at the Rose Café anytime from 11am to 4pm.
Kingston School of Art presents Calico: Woven Metamorphosis: The Kingston School of Art’s Fashion Promotion and Communication 3rd-year students present Calico: Woven Metamorphosis, an immersive exhibition that explores the historical and cultural significance of calico fabric. Originating in Calicut, India, in the 11th century, Calico is an all-cotton fabric woven in plain, or tabby, weave and printed with simple designs in one or more colours. The free exhibition takes place from Tuesday 15 April to Friday 18 April at the Town House, Penrhyn Rd, Kingston University.
Work on Teddington Lock Bridge restoration complete: Around nine months and at a cost of £6.7m (to Richmond Council), the restoration work that saw extensive repairs to the suspension footbridge and the lockcut iron truss footbridge is now complete. Located near Ham / Kingston border, the footbridges are a key river crossing for thousands of pedestrians and cyclists every day including those crossing from / to North Kingston. According to Richmond Council there are ‘more than 5,000 pedestrian and 2,000 cycle movements over the bridge on a typical weekday’.
SPORTS DAY: Stuff about enjoying your local teams
Chelsea Women FC: Chelsea started well with their first of four consecutive fixtures against Manchester City Women on Saturday 15 March when Sonia Bompastor’s Blues claimed their first trophy of the season with a 2-1 win in the Women's League Cup final. It all looked promising when the two met again on Wednesday in Manchester for the first leg of UEFA Women's Champions League fixture. But a masterclass from City’s substitute Vivianne Miedema ended Chelsea’s 28-game undefeated run under Bompastor. While the 2-0 defeat will be painful for the Blues, it is only half time with the second leg of the fixture to come on Thursday 27 March. But before that Chelsea need to rebuild their confidence as they travel back up to Manchester this Sunday 23 March for their WSL fixture against City, their third consecutive game against the same and, no doubt now more confident, opponent.
Kingstonian FC: 0-1 loss to Met Police last Saturday meant just two wins from eight for the Ks and with the league title well and truly out of sight, remaining within the playoff zone has suddenly become a massive challenge. While Chertsey’s withdrawal from the Surrey Senior Cup competition provided a walkover win on Monday, back in the league, a midweek 3-1 win against Guernsey provided a much needed boost. Despite that, Hartley Wintney, a team just outside the playoff zone is now only nine points behind second-place Ks. There is plenty of jeopardy as the Ks host fifth-place Hanworth Villa this Saturday 22 March.
LONDON CALLING: Stuff to do, experience and enjoy in the big smoke
Lindt to open a ‘chocolate heaven’ just in time for Mother’s Day: Lindt is taking the traditional pick & mix to a whole new level with the opening of its ‘chocolate heaven’ megastore in Piccadilly Circus, one of the world’s busiest retail locations. As well as UK’s largest Lindor Truffle Pick & Mix, the new store will include a Lindt Chocolate bar, where chocolate lovers can enjoy barista-style freshly crafted drinks, including hot chocolate and coffees, plus milkshakes and ice cream. The doors open on 21 March, just in time for Mother’s Day on 30 March.
WHAT ELSE? Stuff we couldn’t quite fit anywhere else but still like
Earth Hour returns to raise awareness about climate change and take action to protect the planet: The world’s largest grassroots environmental movement, WWF’s Earth Hour returns for its 19th edition on 22 March in support and celebration of our planet. Known for its “lights off” moment when landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and Sydney Opera House and homes across the world switch off, Earth Hour invites supporters to symbolically switch off and 'Give an hour for Earth’, spending 60 minutes doing something – anything – positive for our planet. Learn more and take part in Earth Hour here.
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There appears to be zero connection between more housing and resolving the housing crisis. Though it gives Private Eye something to write about, I guess.