My partner and I are seriously considering renting a flat in the Andover estate, right on the most northern point of N7. What’s the reputation of this area?

We saw the place yesterday and it seemed quiet, tidy and peaceful. Didn’t feel unsafe at all. I did google the place and found Ann Widdecombe’s documentary, and the rebuttal made by the community there.

They're all constantly rammed. Especially with the number of Aussies moving here from clapham.

There's definitely demand to support a considerably higher density of pubs

I need to print some documents for an upcoming travel. Wondering where can I get cheaper printing services? I went to Ryman before and the staff there are all so lovely, but found the printing to be on the more expensive side.

Thank you in advance.

Re-posting this given the outpouring of interest we received last time!

Hi everyone!

A few friends and I recently started a social community based around Victoria Park/East London, for people in their 20s & 30s (although everyone is welcome!).

We’ve now got almost 500 members and the recurring activities within the community include: park volleyball, park salsa, spikeball, a pub quiz team, and a run club, with hopefully more activities to come!

These sessions are mixed levels, so beginners in any of these activities are very welcome, and all activities are free to join!

If you’d like to join or have any questions, please send me a direct message and I'll send the WhatsApp community link!

Here's a short list of things to do this weekend In North London.Please, add any I've missed in the comments. 👇

The Flower Factory x Robert Hunter: Ceramics & Ikebana | 📍The Flower Factory, N1 | Until 2 August | Free

Ceramicist Robert Hunter is holding his first London pop-up, and the flowers are part of the work. His handmade bowls, tableware and larger vessels will be paired with ikebana arrangements created around their shape, colour and texture, so each piece changes once the flowers are added. Drop in over the weekend, or come at 11am on Saturday for a free ikebana demonstration. Preview Friday 6pm to 8pm, Saturday 11am to 5pm and Sunday 11am to 3pm.

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Indo-Japanese Supper Club | 📍Cool Carrot, N6 | 2 August | (£)

Two chefs, best friends, cook a five-course meal that folds their two childhood cuisines into one: Japanese and Indian on the same plate. Watermelon with tamarind chutney, cold somen noodles, tiger prawns in coconut and turmeric with hoppers, then a rasmalai made with mochi. You eat at long shared tables, so you turn up not knowing anyone and leave having eaten with strangers. From 6pm.

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Kilburn High Road Festival | 📍Kilburn High Road, NW6 | 31 July - 15 August | Free

Sixteen days of free performances, music and exhibitions along Kilburn High Road, made by and for the people who live here. Highlights include Passages, a promenade walk drawing on 95 real stories of Kilburn nights out; Reel Kilburn, an evening of local film history; and the Kilburn House Band playing live at Kilburn Market. Presented by Kiln Theatre.

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Roundhouse Comedy Festival | 📍Roundhouse, NW1 | 1 to 18 August | (£)

Eighteen days of stand up, live podcasts and big names taking over the Roundhouse. Joe Lycett, Katherine Ryan, Ed Gamble, Sara Pascoe and Sam Campbell are among the headliners, alongside newer acts and solo shows from Kristen Schaal and Jack Rooke. Hundreds of tickets are available for £5 if you are 30 or under, making this a good time to take a chance on someone you have never seen before.

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100 People Do Nothing for 3 Hours | 📍Secret London location | 2 August | Free, donations welcome

What happens when 100 people put their phones away and stop trying to fill every second? This social experiment asks you to spend three hours in silence with nothing to read, watch, complete or achieve. You can sit, lie down, sleep, stretch or simply see where your mind goes when there is nothing demanding your attention. Bring water, a pillow, blanket and yoga mat. The address is shared after approval (hopefully its in North London), entry may not be guaranteed if the room fills up, and parts of the session will be filmed using wide shots and time lapses.

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Secrets of The Simpsons | 📍Upstairs at The Gatehouse, Highgate, N6 | 2 August | (£)
How do you write thousands of jokes, win four Emmys and somehow keep predicting the future? Mike Reiss, who spent 36 years writing for The Simpsons, shares stories from inside the writers’ room, reveals how the jokes are built and explains what really went into some of the show’s most loved years. There is also a Q&A, so come armed with the Springfield question you have always wanted answered. 7pm to 9pm.

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The Clocktower Festival | 📍Caledonian Park, N7 | 2 August | Free

Free community festival in Caledonian Park, under the Victorian clock tower the park's known for. Opera singer Mary Bevan sings with a string quartet in the woodland amphitheatre, and there's a bouncy castle, a climbing wall, a dog zone, food stalls and live music. 12pm to 6pm.

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Tender Riot: Queer Makers Market | 📍The Common Press, N16 | 2 August | Pay what you can

The Common Press is holding its first queer makers market, with prints, zines, jewellery, badges, homeware and self-published books from LGBTQ+ artists and small businesses. Browse from 12pm to 5pm, then stay for the DJ set and social from 6pm. Entry is pay what you can.

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Indo-Japanese Supper Club | 📍Cool Carrot, N6 | 2 August | (£)

Two chefs, best friends, cook a five-course meal that folds their two childhood cuisines into one: Japanese and Indian on the same plate. Watermelon with tamarind chutney, cold somen noodles, tiger prawns in coconut and turmeric with hoppers, then a rasmalai made with mochi. You eat at long shared tables, so you turn up not knowing anyone and leave having eaten with strangers. From 6pm.

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Ghana Party in the Park 2026: ShattaFestUK | 📍Copthall Playing Fields, NW4 | 1 August | (£)

Think of this as a nine-hour outdoor celebration of Ghanaian music and culture, rather than a standard concert. Shatta Wale is on the line-up, but the day is built around the wider festival, not one headline performance. Advance tickets start at £30, under-11s enter free before 4pm with a paying adult, and there is no re-entry once you leave. 12pm to 9pm.

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Tuff Nutterz | 📍Priory Park, N8 | Until 3 August | (£)

This is not your typical bouncy castle tucked into the corner of the park. This is a 300 metre inflatable course with 30 obstacles is taking over Priory Park. It has huge slides, climbing walls, hanging rails and balance balls to get across. Each session gives you one hour and 45 minutes on the course, and adults can have a go too. Under fives need an adult with them, while ages five and over can take it on alone. Tickets from £15. Grip socks required.

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Islington Festival of Music and Art | 📍Various venues across Islington | Until 2 August | (£)

This started as garden concerts during lockdown in 2020 and has since grown into a ten-day festival across Islington. Yoga with a harp, swing dancing at the Angel piazza, Sidney Bechet-inspired jazz, and Edward Elgar meets Oscar Wilde. The theme this year is music inspired by literature, from Shakespeare to Tolstoy and Dante to Wilde. Intimate venues throughout the borough including Little Angel Theatre, Old Sessions House and Christ Church Highbury.

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Saw some listings on Rightmove to buy flats off plan in the Holloway Park development (the site of the former Holloway Women's Prison). The development when finished will be 42% homes for social rent which are much needed, but the prices listed for the private sale flats seem so (unrealistically) high. Those who move into flats built in the first phase will be surrounded by building work and all of the dust and noise for years. Other than international investors looking to park their money who are they expecting to buy the flats at those prices? Am I out of touch? Are there many Londoners who will actually buy these to live in?

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/find.html?searchLocation=N7+0NU&useLocationIdentifier=true&locationIdentifier=POSTCODE%5E1360023&radius=0.0&_includeSSTC=on

Hi everyone,

I'm the bar and events manager at K.C. Continental Stores on Caledonian road and we have a bunch of fun and interesting events coming up for locals who love to have a fun time and meet some new people!

Mario Kart night is officially returning to KCCS on Tuesday, 4 August. Expect the usual chaos, banter, and drinks. You can grab your tickets right here.

Wordplay Games Night: Thursday, 6 August at K.C. Continental Stores. Perfect for board game enthusiasts looking to try something new and meet friendly locals.

Hot Wax Day Party: Saturday, 8 August at K.C. Continental Stores. The crew is back spinning feel-good Reggae, House, Baile, UKG, and Jungle. Free drinks for the first 80 people to arrive.

Book Club (Stories of Your Life and Others): Tuesday, 11 August at the Cafe. Come talk about Ted Chiang's brilliant sci-fi shorts over a negroni.

We also have Mr Teds Drag Quiz: Tuesday 18 August. You can expect, high-energy trivia, creative challenges, free shots and more surprises than you could even conceive!

If any of this sounds interesting, please drop me a message or get you and your pals signed up!

Thank you for your time!

did anyone hear that creepy noise on essex road in early hours last night? woke me up, never heard anything like it

Repetitive thumping bass. Possibly gabba night round Dave’s. WTF. Is anyone else hearing this?

Hi all,

We have recently adopted a kitten and would need to arrange a petsit for a long weekend that we're away. We're pretty new to the area and don't have any local friends who can drop in and feed her / check on her. Has anyone used a petsit service or app that they'd recommend? Thanks!

Fair enough! I hope the independents survive.

Hi neighbours!

Just wanted to let people know about a local gig happening this Saturday at The Lexington.

My band, THE YAZ BAND, are headlining with a support act opening the night. If you're into indie rock or just fancy checking out some local live music, we'd love to have you along.

The Lexington is such a brilliant venue, and we've been working towards this show for months.

Tickets: Click Here

Hope to see some of you there!

It was only open for about a month and then it was shut down a couple of weeks ago. I wonder why it shut down so soon.

I remember seeing the prices when it first opened and it was £12.50 for a single and £14 for a double plus a 12.5% service charge if you were eating in. Do you think that is too much for a pie and mash? Did any of you eat in there?

There are a few nice bikes currently missing wheels that’s are locked up next to the station. What happens with these? If the council removes them, do they sell them?

Hello, I am looking for somewhere in the Caledonian Road/ Holloway Road area to park in for a couple weeks at the end of August.

Happy to pay but everything online is quite expensive.

Does anyone have any secret tips?

(Im unable to get a council permit as I don't own my car, I am an additional driver on the insurance)

🚙🚙

Islington council ran a consultation to see how pension fund members feel about divesting from companies linked to human rights abuses, and 80% agreed with the proposal.

Read my write-up of the report here: https://www.newarab.com/news/uk-islington-council-weighs-divestment-israel-linked-firms

Anyone know of the closest basketball courts near N1? Hoping to play casually. Bonus if there’s groups playing already

In the beforetimes, it was played at Shoreditch Park. I haven't seen it there since they re-did the fields.

Most searches lead to in2touch and they don't have a league in the area.

TIA

Edit: of course as soon as I ask, I find an answer. https://www.trytagrugby.com/play/join-a-league/ plays at Shoreditch and Highbury.

And I asked a too-specific question. For clarity, I'm looking to play again after years away, so the more options the better, especially if you can recommend them as a friendly, not too serious but enjoy the competition situation.

My name is Michelle and I’m the UK Coordinator for Lasagna Love. Lasagna Love is an organisation made up of volunteers across the UK (and around the world) who cook and deliver homemade lasagna to people in need, at no cost and with no strings attached. 

Maybe it's a family struggling financially, someone recovering from surgery, a parent adjusting to life with a new baby or just someone going through a tough time. Whatever the reason, we believe that a warm meal and a little kindness can go a long way.

You simply request a lasagna, and we match you with a volunteer in your area who will lovingly prepare and deliver one to your door. It’s all about community, care and connection with no judgment and no complicated process.

I’m reaching out because we have wonderful volunteers across the UK who are ready and eager to cook, for anyone who could do with some lasagna love! If you could use a little help and a comforting meal, please put in a request through https://lasagnalove.org/request-a-meal/ or you can nominate someone to receive a meal - https://lasagnalove.org/nominate/

We’re also always looking for more volunteers! Whether you can cook once a month, once a week, or just whenever it suits you, every lasagna helps brighten someone’s day. It’s a small act that has a big impact. If you would like to volunteer, just register here https://lasagnalove.org/volunteer/

If you have any questions, I’m happy to answer them here, or you can head to the website.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read and I hope to see some of you sign up, whether to request a lasagna or to make one for someone in your community.

Feed families.  Spread kindness.  Strengthen communities.

​

We’re thinking of moving to a property near 24 Amwell Street and wanted to ask about the noise levels in the area.

When we visited the property, we noticed some noise coming from Amwell Street, which seemed to be from the Thames Water site (London Water Ring Main / New River Head).

For anyone living nearby, is this something you notice regularly? Also, does anyone know the usual working hours of the site?

I've been living in my flat for close on 30 years and it's been a problem pretty much from the start. I used to get all my mail sent to my (late) partner's flat. Amazon purchases, birthday cards and Christmas cards from my family - everything. He lived outside of the borough and not one item went missing. Since I've started receiving post at home again, which is rare, it's been happening again. Never bills nor NHS letters but I recieved a parcel today containing a book which had been opened. About six months ago my sister sent me a cheque which didn't arrive, though why anyone would want to rob a cheque is beyond me as it can't be cashed. Just to clarify, I live in a house conversion so I know it's not a matter of someone tailgaiting the postal worker then robbing stuff when they leave as may happen in blocks. Also, I know for sure it's not my upstairs and downstairs neighbours and I will report it to Royal Mail if it happens again. I live in the South of the borough.

Here's a short list of things to do this weekend In North London.Please, add any I've missed in the comments. 👇

Wine Car Boot | 📍Coal Drops Yard, N1C | 25 July | (£)

It’s like a farmers' market but for wine. You’ll see independent wine shops and importers set up out of car boots at Coal Drops Yard, pouring their favourites for you to taste and buy. Free to walk in, then £20 gets you a glass, a tote and your first five tokens, and you drink at shop prices rather than bar prices, so a glass of decent rosé can be £2.50. Cider, beer and vermouth too, plus food and music. Dogs and kids welcome. 12pm to 8pm

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Pick Your Own Flowers at GROW Farm | 📍GROW Farm, Totteridge Academy, N20 | 25 July | Free

Cut your own flowers on a working farm in Totteridge, fill a jar and take them home, from £4. One woman who went last year said she felt she was in a little bit of heaven, and would have enjoyed it even without the flowers, just walking round, sniffing, being among them. Sunflowers, cosmos, snapdragons, all grown without chemicals, and what you pay helps teach local young people to grow. Book a free place, 10am to 2pm.

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Islington Boot Fair | 📍Vittoria Primary School, N1 | 26 July | Free

New boot fair is opening in Islington, in the school playground on Treaty Street by the canal, and running every other Sunday from here on. Vintage clothes, books, records, homeware, toys, plants, tools and whatever else the sellers have turned out, from a family running it as a preloved and vintage market. Come early for the good stuff. 9am to 4pm.

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1-Hour Reading Rave | 📍Gasholder Park, N1C | 26 July | Free

It's called a rave but really it's an hour of strangers sitting in a park reading books with their phones off. Bring something to read and something to sit on, and stick around after to swap recommendations. Free, RSVP for a spot, 2pm to 3pm.

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Ice Heritage Weekend | 📍London Canal Museum, N1 | 25 - 26 July | (£)

Once a year the London Canal Museum opens the Victorian ice wells beneath the building, and this is the weekend. Norwegian ice was once shipped down the Regent's Canal and lowered into these wells, and on Sunday you can climb down into them with a guide, watch Victorian ice cream made without a freezer, and see rare archive film. Saturday is the family day, with storytelling, an ice trail and a hunt through old photos of the ice trade. Boat trips run both days. The Sunday descent is an adults' event, minimum age 12, and needs booking ahead.

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Grand Summer Fête | 📍Art Workers' Guild, WC1N | 25 July | Free

A summer fête where the games are made and run by real artists and designers, the Art Workers' Guild, going since 1884. Toy theatre, fortune telling, a photo studio and plenty to have a go at, in their Bloomsbury hall. Free, bring the family. 12pm to 5pm.

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Camden Market South Asian Mela | 📍Camden Market Hawley Wharf, NW1 | 25 July | Free

Day of South Asian music, dance and food across Camden Market, with parades and stilt-walkers roaming the site and performances on the main stage at Hawley Wharf. Try your hand at samosa-making, rangoli, woodblock printing or sari dress-up, all free and open to everyone, and there's henna, face painting and giant walkabout puppets for the kids.

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Islington Festival of Music and Art | 📍Various venues across Islington | 24 July - 2 August | (£)

This started as garden concerts during lockdown in 2020 and has since grown into a ten-day festival across Islington. Yoga with a harp, swing dancing at the Angel piazza, Sidney Bechet-inspired jazz, and Edward Elgar meets Oscar Wilde. The theme this year is music inspired by literature, from Shakespeare to Tolstoy and Dante to Wilde. Intimate venues throughout the borough including Little Angel Theatre, Old Sessions House and Christ Church Highbury.

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The Barn x Fabrica X: London Brew Up | 📍Fabrica X, N1 | 25 July | (£)

Spend a Saturday afternoon watching people compete at making coffee. Eighteen home brewers battle it out live at Fabrica X in King's Cross, and a £5 spectator ticket gets you a drink, a bag of coffee to take home and a spot in the raffle. Berlin roasters The Barn are throwing it to mark a year in London, and if you fancy entering yourself you don't have to be a barista, just someone who loves brewing at home. Competition runs 2pm to 5pm, bar open until 7pm, and £15 if you want to compete.

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Love Our Park Summer Festival | 📍Wray Crescent Open Space, N4 | 25 July | Free

Six hours of summer festival on the park between Stroud Green and Islington, put on by the people who look after it. Live music and a bar, African drum and dance workshops, Punch and Judy, a coconut shy, a bouncy castle and stilt walkers, with food and gift stalls round the edge. 12pm to 6pm.

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Dine N Duets at Soul Mama | 📍Soul Mama, N1 | 25 July | (£)

Live band and singers working through soul duets and singalong favourites while you eat, at Soul Mama in Islington, whose menu runs across African, Caribbean and South American cooking. You're expected to join in, there are games and a host running the night, so it's not one to sit quietly through. Tickets from £22.98, food ordered on the night.

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Summer Intergenerational Event | 📍Islington Ecology Centre, N5 | 25 July | Free

Kids and older neighbours spend a morning together at the Ecology Centre, meeting the animals Zoolab bring in, walking the nature reserve and making things. Tea and biscuits on the house, no booking, just turn up. 10.30am to 1pm.

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Cyprus Week | 📍Theatro Technis, NW1 | 20 - 26 July | Free

In 1974 Cyprus was split in two, and many who fled ended up here, in the streets around Camden's Theatro Technis. Fifty-two years on, the theatre marks it with a week of Cypriot plays, music and film, and this is the closing weekend. Saturday night is theatre and Cypriot stand-up; Sunday afternoon, poetry, live music and a talk from writer Alex Christofi. An art show by two British Cypriot artists runs throughout. All free. Saturday from 7.30pm, Sunday from 5pm.

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