November 2011 Archives

Strikes called by public sector workers over reforms to their pensions have caused disruption to Westminster's schools, libraries and a hospital today.

Most schools in the borough were hit by the industrial action, with 28 schools fully closed, 19 schools partially closed and five schools fully open.

NORTH PADDINGTON: Budding young performers will put their dancing shoes on for the annual winter show at Paddington Arts, in Woodfield Road.

Audiences can expect a mixture of dance, steel pan bands, singing, poetry and multimedia at the event, which starts at 7pm on December 8 and 9.

Key workers in Pimlico have demanded assurances that their currently affordable rents will not soar to 'sky high' levels.

Earlier this year, homes on the Millbank Estate and three other estates in London were sold by the Crown Estate to housing organisation Peabody as part of a multi-million pound deal.

Survival rates at a Paddington hospital are high, according to a national independent report.

The 2011 Dr Foster Hospital Guide shows how a third of patients with serious health conditions treated by staff at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust survived compared with the expected number, given the severity of their condition.

WESTMINSTER: Westminster residents who want to trace their family history are invited to events at three libraries in January.

Westminster library services has teamed up with Family History Detectives to provide free access to computers and online resources including www.ancestrylibrary.com.

Actress Barbara Windsor almost got carried away today as she released 100 pink and white balloons at a Paddington hospital.

The former Eastenders star joined staff and patients at St Mary's Hospital, in Praed Street, to mark the end of breast cancer awareness season.

Two former students from City of Westminster College were among 100 young people honoured at a Helena Kennedy Foundation awards ceremony held at the House of Lords recently.

The event recognises students from disadvantaged backgrounds who have progressed onto higher education courses by awarding them a £1,500 bursary to assist with their study and living costs and providing ongoing training, mentoring and guidance.

Most libraries in Westminster are expected to close tomorrow as a result of 24-hour industrial action planned by several public service unions over reforms to their pensions.

The following libraries are expected to close, although the information is subject to change and residents are advised to check before visiting.

Vets at a Victoria animal hospital have helped save the life of a stray kitten who was suffering from a rare heart condition.

At only four months old, Cloudy was found helplessly roaming the streets.

During a routine check, vets discovered a noisy heart murmur, indicating a serious and rare condition which meant he could be on the brink of a sad and early death.

Ten-year-old Anna Al-Abdli is just one of the haematology patients at St Mary's Hospital who will benefit from a generous donation of more than £8,000 from a Paddington hotel.

Anna, from Paddington, is being treated at St Mary's for sickle cell disease, an inherited blood disorder.