The London Buzz – 17th January 2025

Today’s London news round-up:

A bar inside the Houses of Parliament which found itself at the centre of drink spiking allegations last week has announced it’s set to close its doors from Monday. LBC

An amateur baker from north west London says the sudden online popularity of his cakes has prompted celebrities to start requesting their own faces in sponge and icing. BBC News

A “significant number” of Camden’s private landlords who need to license their rental properties are dodging their obligations, according to a council report published this month. Fitzrovia News

A south London soup kitchen will be homeless within days, as it struggles to find a new location — and claims the local council isn’t pulling its finger out. Londonist

A man has been arrested after a police pursuit resulted in a crash with scaffolding in East Ham. Newham Recorder

Sir Sadiq Khan is to be investigated by the City Hall watchdog over whether he “exercised an appropriate level of caution” before accepting £3,000 of free tickets to a Taylor Swift concert. Standard

Fox gets stuck in Twickenham football goal netting Times Series

The former chairman of Northampton Town FC, a Bushey property developer, and two other men have appeared in court charged with fraud in connection with a £10m stadium redevelopment loan. Watford Observer

An Islington man who has been missing since the beginning of December has been found dead. Islington Gazette

Aldi is set to open nine new stores in London in 2025 as part of a previously announced £650m investment in UK expansion this year. The Grocer

A group who lured a transgender woman to a roller disco in north west London before stabbing her have been sentenced for a total of almost 18 years in youth detention Hello Rayo

A milestone has been reached in a £70 million scheme to keep east London’s Victorian Northern Outfall sewer flowing for the next 120 years. Newham Recorder

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And from ianVisits:

A massive 178-tonne transformer rolls through South London on Sunday

A woven tube roundel to celebrate the new Weaver Overground line

Closures warning on the London Overground’s Mildmay line

Curtain rises on NEON – Battersea’s new immersive experience centre

How London’s excavated soil helped create a thriving wildlife haven in Essex

Large donation towards a new QEII garden in Regents Park

London’s weekly railway news

Some things to do in London on Saturday:

Isle of Dogs River Clean Up – Free

Help to clean up the riverside foreshore along the Isle of Dogs.

Free entry to Hampton Court Palace gardens – Free

The world-famous gardens of Hampton Court Palace include 60 acres of spectacular formal gardens and 750 acres (304 hectares) of parkland, all set within a loop of the River Thames.

Wassail Day at the Village Orchard Dulwich – Free

London Wildlife Trust welcomes the local community to awaken the apple trees to ensure a good harvest of fruit in autumn in a traditional Wassailing event.

Some things to do in London on Sunday:

Free entry to Hampton Court Palace gardens – Free

The world-famous gardens of Hampton Court Palace include 60 acres of spectacular formal gardens and 750 acres (304 hectares) of parkland, all set within a loop of the River Thames.

Creekside Low Tide Walk – £15

A chance to walk along the Deptford Creek while it is at low tide.


This news roundup is delivered at 5pm daily via Substack – sign up for free here.