In place of our daily event listings, we're compiling the latest coronavirus news, views and resources for Londoners — as well as things you can do, and the ways you can enjoy this great city — without the usual access you have to it.
We also want to flag up all the positive ways that Londoners are finding to deal with the crisis, from good deeds to witty photographs. Please email [email protected] with any contributions.
Ideas to help, and reasons to be cheerful
- Food charity Made in Hackney wants to make free deliveries to the most vulnerable in the community. It needs help. Consider helping with the crowdfunding. "The more money we raise, the more meals we can make and deliver"
- And here's a similar scheme. Dare to Care sends packages to the needy across London. See here on how to donate or volunteer.
- Foodbanks continue to need our support. Tottenham Foodbank has set up a quick and simple way to help. Simply text TOTTENHAM to 70085 to make a £3 donation.
- Want to learn to bake? Bread Ahead's founder and master baker Matthew Jones will be offering free, live tutorials on Instagram every day at 2pm. Whether or not you can find a supermarket stocking flour is another matter.
- Virtual music festival! Defected has announced a 12-hour programme of DJ sets, to be streamed live from the Ministry of Sound, Friday, noon till midnight. Facebook Live or YouTube.
- The National Trust is aiming to keep its gardens and green spaces open.
- Brewdog is making its own hand sanitiser.
Latest London coronavirus news
- City Hall and the City Bridge Trust each announce £1 million of emergency funds to help voluntary and community organisations to carry on.
- The first official word that transport networks will be scaled back (but not stopped).
- Islington foodbank is closing after Monday 23 March.
- Barnet FC makes all non-playing staff redundant.
- Tougher clampdowns may be coming to London soon, as the capital continues to be a coronavirus hotspot. 25 of the 71 reported deaths are in London.
- Church of England won't be holding any services, though weddings and funerals may still go ahead.
- If you've suddenly got time on your hands, consider volunteering for the National Care Force.
- Just about all museums and galleries are now closed until further notice.
- Parkrun has suspended all its events for the forseeable future.
- You won't even be able to rely on your favourite soaps to get through isolation. Eastenders, Coronation Street, Holby City and Doctors have all suspended filming.
And in other news
- The Jubilee line is trialling 4G in the tube tunnels.
- A Stamford Hill man laundered £9 million by selling dodgy therapeutics through his charities.
Tube ponderings with Barry Heck
Our resident tube fancier dishes out daily thoughts on the London Underground.
Hello all. Thanks for reading my column over the past year. It's been a blast. I'm going into isolation for a bit now, so won't be appearing on these pages for a while. However, you can still follow me over on Twitter @HeckTube. See you at the other end of the tunnel.
Fact of the day
In the early 20th century, Leicester Square was the temporary home to 70 polar bears. Actual, real, live polar bears. The poor creatures were part of the Hippodrome's 1909 Christmas show, and were forced to perform twice a day before the paying audience. Read all about it here.
