Thomas Clarke lives with young family in Hornchurch, in the London Borough of Havering, where he works as senior content editor for Golf Monthly magazine. Thomas attended King Edward VI Grammar School in Chelmsford and went on to read Film and Television Studies at Brunel University in West London.
When will Havering catch up with other boroughs and councils and start taking recycling seriously?
In nearby Chelmsford the Lib Dem run City Council has implemented some fantastic recycling plans which include having separate bins and sacks for recycling food, plastics, paper, cardboard and non recyclables - they have bins for cans, bottles, and even clothes and small electrical items. Garden waste is even collected at no extra charge!
I was gladdened to hear of the news coming from America on Tuesday night that justice has been done and Derek Chauvin has been convicted of the murder of George Floyd.
The fallout from his brutal crime has been felt across the globe and of course in our own capital.
I hope that the guilty verdicts that he received will be the catalyst for communities to start putting differences aside and to start working together.
London's diversity is its greatest strength. We should all be tackling racism in all of its forms - from prejudice against Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority communities, to Islamophobia and Antisemitism, and to the worrying rise in hate crimes against European citizens.
Havering Council ignoring Rubbish in Rainham Village
With a year-long lockdown, you would expect nature to be able to thrive due to the lack of human contact with nature.
However, for the stream behind Rainham Village, this is not the case. From smashed glass to dumped clothes and shopping trolleys in the water this area is becoming increasingly polluted. Walking around the village you become shocked to see glass and rubbish scattered everywhere including by the village school and recreational field.
