Time is running out for a community in South London to have their say. Their aim is simple, to get a cinema back to Crystal Palace. Crystal Palace is a thriving community in South East London. This community is fighting back against the council’s decision to award planning permission to KICC (Kingsway International Christian Centre). The KICC had outbid the cinema group City Screen in the sale of the old Gala Bingo building on Church Road. This was a devasting blow to the community but have not dampered their spirits to keep on fighting.

Crystal Palace Map

“KICC announced that they intend to turn the venue into a place of worship (D1 planning use) despite the fact that the building has a designated D2 planning use for leisure. They will be applying to Bromley council for Change of Use.

The purchase of the Bingo hall by KICC came out of the blue and many of us just turned around and all said we wanted a cinema. People had been lobbying to bring a cinema to Crystal Palace for many years. The ex Gala bingo hall is the perfect venue. It was built as a cinema in 1928 and still retains many original features. We care passionately about retaining its D2 leisure use for the benefit of the whole community.

Crystal Palace Campaign

The local community have made their feelings perfectly clear. They neither want nor need a change of use. Over 4,500 local people have signed a petition to this effect.”

There are a few things YOU can do to help them out. We all like to stand behind a good cause and it feels great to do it as part of the community. Here is a few ways you can help the Picture Palace Campaign. Hurry, time is running out!

• Draft letter to neighbouring councils urging consultation response.
• Join the Facebook group
• Leaflet for distribution
• Local Councillors voice their support for retention of D2 status.
• Poster for notice boards
• Request a planning application consultation letter.
• Sign the online petition
• Who to contact and how to contact them
• Write to them
• Use Twitter to spread the word to get more support

Rember that the Picture Palace Campaign has only got until the 1^st of October!

There is roughly eight million people living in London and a vast majority of them make use of the transport for London network to get around. All these people touch buttons to open doors, hold on to poles inside tube carriages and use handrails in busses. These spots are all potential breeding grounds for the common cold virus . People are generally not very hygienic and it is important to protect yourself otherwise you would get the same cold over and over again throughout the year.

There are a few things you can do to protect yourself without it interfering too much with your life. Most people travelling around London carry some sort of bag with them which means you will have space to store a small bottle of antibaterial handwash. Most stores sell these in pocketsizes which requires no water, basically rubs dry. This is ideal for London and every traveller should have one, heck, everyone should carry one of these at all times.

The reason for the dramatic headline is because it sends a clear message and the NHS uses it on their campaign against the cold virus. It is quite catchy and should be followed where possible. Catch it in a tissue, bin the tissue at the earliest convenience to kill it dead in it’s tracks. Stay safe by following basic hygiene advice.

Earlier this week I was running around like a headless chicken trying to get last minute train tickets from London to Glasgow. Why last minute? Don’t even go there. Anyway I racked my brains and abused Google but I could not get tickets for less than £200 per person. To be paying that amount of money would be insane, so wrote off the trip until someone recommended going by coach. I had travelled across country before on a coach but it was not my most memorable or comfortable trip yet so the thought had no occurred to me.

Scouring around on Google trying to find tickets, I found National Express. They had available seats and good deals too so we decided to take the plunge and get tickets. It was going to be an eight hour bus trip so we opted for the departure time in the middle of the night. At least we would be asleep for most of the journey. Arrived at Victoria Coach Station at around 22:00 and we sat around with what looked like hundreds of other people opting to travel by coach. The coach bus itself was not big but it was going to have to do. They do not sell any refreshments on the coaches, so if you decide to use them, get your own snacks and drinks before the time.

The journey itself felt quick as busses are allowed to do 100mph on the motorways, loved it. All coaches come with safety belts which are required by law. My biggest concern was that I needed to have a toilet facility on the coach and luckily all of them have one. Not the most spacious place but it will do. The coach made two stops where people could grab a quick snack and stretch their legs and we used them each time. They do not allocate a lot of time on these stops, about 15 each, so you have to make it quick.

It was definitely an experience travelling in the middle of the night. I would recommend you give them at least a go before not opting to travel by coach. It would probably save you a small fortune if you want to explore the United Kingdom. A word of advice, if you are planning on travelling at night, take a travel pillow with as some coaches can be quite uncomfortable to sleep in. Oh, grab an Ipod or something with music, it helps. The National Express coaches can really be the cheaper alternative.