December 2009 Archives

A young North Paddington student has scooped top prize in a public speaking competition.

Dina El-Deeb, 15, of Paddington Academy, in Marylands Road, won the Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea regional final of Jack Petchey's Speak Out! Challenge.

A man is recovering in hospital after he was shot in Bayswater last night.

A 27-year-old white man was found with a gunshot wound in Elms Mews, at around 8pm on Tuesday (Dec 29).

Sleigh bells rang and snow was glistening as a Bayswater estate was transformed into a winter wonderland.

A synthetic ice rink was put up behind Newbury House on the Hallfield Estate, in Bishop's Bridge Road, bringing young and old together for some festive fun yesterday.

Friends and family who watched as skaters made their way round the ice were treated to hot chocolate and warm waffles with maple syrup.

The event was organised by Westminster Council's housing arm CityWest Homes.

Toys brought smiles to the faces of dozens of children who are spending the festive period at a Paddington hospital.

Westminster mayor Cllr Duncan Sandys and his wife Mary Brown Sandys set up a toy drive, encouraging council employees and councillors to donate brand new toys to children at St Mary's Hospital, in Praed Street.

Young and old enjoyed afternoon tea and gifts thanks to a clever idea from Bayswater pupils.

Pupils from Hallfield Junior School, in Bishop's Bridge Road, arranged a festive celebration with the Bayswater estate office run by Westminster Council's housing arm CityWest Homes.

A modern twist on the traditional nativity scene can be spotted at a Bayswater church.

Mary is represented by a blue light, Joseph is shown as an orange light and a red and purple jewelled baby Jesus lies on a traditional bed of straw, in the abstract scene on display at St John's Church Hyde Park, in Hyde Park Crescent.

The piece was created by light artist Nicky Carter and installation artist Tony Heywood.

Police officers are holding two chats about safety issues in Bayswater.

The Queensway town centre team will be available at Costa coffee shop, on the ground floor of Whiteleys shopping centre, Queensway, on January 6 and 13.

The surgery sessions run from 3pm to 5pm, and anyone is welcome to drop-in to meet the team.

Motorists visiting Westminster on Boxing Day will be charged to park in council bays.

Westminster Council is instead offering free parking on Monday, December 28 - the country's official bank holiday.

A flat fire in St John's Wood which killed two children is now being treated as non-suspicious by police.

Shortly before 3am on Thursday, December 17, police were informed of a fire at a four-storey block of flats in Cunningham Place.

A brother and sister who died in a flat fire in St John's Wood yesterday morning have been named.

Five-year-old Farah Rashid was pronounced dead at the scene of a flat fire in Cunningham Place.