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BBC News •

Radio 1's Big Weekend will bring success for Luton, locals told

Luton Borough Council estimates the festival, headlined by Coldplay, Raye and Chase & Status, could bring £4m to the town's economy. About 100,000 tickets have been sold for the spectacle, which will be held at Stockwood Park in the town on 24-26 May. Gerard McCleave, the authority's corporate director for inclusive economy, was at the meeting at the Stockwood Discovery Centre. He praised the preparation work by the BBC and his own council.

"We will continue to work with with residents right up
South West Londoner •

Domestic abuse survivor voices loss of confidence in Metropolitan Police

A domestic abuse survivor from West London has said she does not trust the police to handle crimes of violence against women and girls.

This comes after new data revealed low rates of women’s confidence in the police to deal with violence against women and girls.

Amja was a victim of domestic abuse and coercive control and is now the founder of Amja Unabashedly, an artistic project which aims to empower people out of domestic abuse and other trauma.

She said: “I have a lived experience of the
BBC News •

Buckinghamshire funeral directors start choir to reduce loneliness

CPJ Field began weekly singing sessions at the Church of the Holy Spirit in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, as part of an ongoing 'Never Alone' campaign.

The choir meets in the daytime which Maria Butler, who started the choir, said has been an important aspect.

She added: "The people we attract don't want to come out in the evenings, they are lonely, they do feel isolated and this is the perfect venue for it."

Ms Butler, community champion for CPJ Field, said there "aren't any other choirs in th
BBC News •

Watford volunteers restore banks of 'dirty' River Colne

Volunteers and staff entered the river to make changes that will improve the landscape for wildlife and visitors.

Watford Borough Council is hoping the project will enhance the area by the time work is scheduled for completion on 15 March.

On the project's website a statement said: "There is a perception that the River Colne in Watford is in many parts dirty, inaccessible, unkempt and of low wildlife value.

"However, there are some places and sites which illustrate how a healthy River Colne c
South West Londoner •

WATCH: How are Thames communities tackling plastic pollution?

At least 200 tons of waste is removed from the River Thames each year, much of which is plastic pollution and microplastic.

A study in 2020 revealed that the Thames has some of the highest recorded levels of microplastics for any river in the world.

Scientists have estimated that, in some places, 94,000 microplastics per second flow down the river.

Although the full impact to human health is unknown, microplastics can cause damage to human cells and have been detected in human blood and lungs
BBC News •

Chicksands: US airman sad over UK base closure

A former US airman has said he is sad about the closure of the UK military base where he found lifelong love.

The airman said he had never been to England before and other than films knew very little about the country.

"The only thing I knew about England was from watching old films... Fog with trench coats on," he recalled.

The then 19-year-old lived on the base for about two and a half years working as an air policeman.

"It was very basic, you had a bed, a footlocker, a standing locker and
South West Londoner •

The rise of women's rugby

That’s what the coach said to the tag rugby team one frosty Sunday morning at training.

My sister and I were the only two girls on the team and, from that moment, the rugby ball was flung at us from all angles whether we liked it or not.

I scored my first try that day. I hadn’t touched the ball weeks before that and without that added incentive, the promise of double points, I doubt I would have that day either.

I like to think girl’s rugby has come a long way in the last 15 years. It would m
South West Londoner •

Unlocking understanding: Neurodivergence in prisons

Official figures estimate that around 25% of adults in prison have either diagnosed or undiagnosed Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

However, many of those that specialise with the issue of neurodivergence in the Prison System believe that, if the curtain was pulled back and it was looked at in closer detail, that figure would be considerably higher.

According to Revolving Doors, an organisation that champions long-term solutions for justice reform, it is estimated that around h
South West Londoner •

The rise of women's rugby

That’s what the coach said to the tag rugby team one frosty Sunday morning at training.

My sister and I were the only two girls on the team and, from that moment, the rugby ball was flung at us from all angles whether we liked it or not.

I scored my first try that day. I hadn’t touched the ball weeks before that and without that added incentive, the promise of double points, I doubt I would have that day either.

I like to think girl’s rugby has come a long way in the last 15 years. It would m
South West Londoner •

Is social media making us less social?

Social media has become an unavoidable component of contemporary life.

In a world where some of the most successful entrepreneurs are social media influencers and everything from professional networking to finding the love of your life now has a home in the vast metaverse of social media, having an online persona seems to be becoming more and more integral by the day.

But just how social is social media? Is this modern society that relies so heavily on technology actually losing the ability to
South West Londoner •

A Christmas Carol, Old Vic review: Eccleston's Scrooge has the miser's touch

A review of Jack Thorne’s A Christmas Carol at the Old Vic: 5 stars *****

This year’s rendition of A Christmas Carol at the Old Vic was brimming with enough Christmas spirit to flood the whole theatre with joy, merriment and seasonal cheer.

Jack Thorne’s adaptation of this classic tale of redemption, compassion and festive humour is truly authentic to the timeless Victorian story.

Dickens himself would have looked down upon the stage with a smile on his face at this spellbinding portrayal of
South West Londoner •

Nutcracker at the Tuff Nutt Jazz Club: Setting off Christmas with a bang!

It was an absolute pleasure to be entertained by The McOnie Company’s wonderful jazz adaptation of the all-time Christmas classic the Nutcracker.

This unique and contemporary twist on Tchaikovsky’s festive ballet was joyous, sparkling and enough to put anyone in the Christmas spirit.

Olivier award-winning director and choreographer Drew McOnie is the mastermind behind this modern sensation which explores an array of societal themes including toxic masculinity, self-acceptance and the celebrati
The Times •

Will humans visit Mars? Tim Peake says they will by end of 2030s

Tim Peake, Britain’s longest-serving astronaut, has declared that there are no insurmountable obstacles to landing humans on Mars, predicting that people will set foot on the red planet by the end of the 2030s.

Peake, who retired from active duty earlier this year and still acts as an ambassador for human spaceflight, said that public space agencies or even billionaire-owned private firms just needed to “get on and do it” to launch a mission to Mars.

Speaking at the launch of his Channel 5 pro
The Times •

William and Kate pay tribute on anniversary of Queen’s death

Charles and Camilla, the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke of Sussex remembered the late Queen at churches grand and humble to mark the anniversary of her death.

While the King and William attended services with family members, Harry paid tribute alone on an unannounced visit to St George’s Chapel, Windsor, where she was laid to rest. The duke is visiting Britain from California to go to a charity gala but is not thought to have met his father or brother.

The Prince and Princess of Wal
The Times •

Horizon: relief for science as UK rejoins £81bn EU programme

Britain is to rejoin the European Union’s science programme after two years of absence post-Brexit in a long-awaited move that will be seen as a boost for research and relations with Brussels.

Rishi Sunak is expected to confirm Britain’s associate membership of the Horizon scheme on Thursday after months of financial talks, saying that science and research were “critical to a brighter economic future”.

The prime minister declared a great day for science and Britain’s status as a “science and t
The Times •

Rwanda deportation ‘better than returning home’ for asylum seekers

An Afghan man who arrived in the UK in a small boat said that he would not mind being sent to Rwanda as “at least I could build a life for myself there”.

Momin Qauymi, 21, a car mechanic from Jalalabad, is living in Napier Barracks in Folkestone, Kent, after paying £1,300 to people smugglers to cross the Channel in a dinghy last year.

Qauymi said he came to the UK because the Taliban were harassing and discriminating against his family and he was unable to get an education. He travelled throug
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