Getting up close and personal on a Monday morning is a recurring nightmare for many London commuters. But though our public transport system makes a sardine can look roomy, it’s a necessary evil for the millions of Londoners who use it every day.

For many Hackney residents, however, getting around on public transport is even more difficult.

A distinct lack of underground train stations, together with the closure of overground services from Gospel Oak to Stratford until June, means many rely on a network of buses to take them around or out of the borough. But what are the alternatives, and are they really that much better?

There’s only one way to find out: a race across Hackney.

In the green corner: Trevor Parsons, co-ordinator of the London Cycling Campaign in Hackney. He says cycling is by far the best way to get around, and he’s confident he’ll cross the finish line first.

“Unless it’s the middle of the night or on a motorway, a bicycle will always beat a car, especially in Hackney, where you can cut through areas the council has closed off to cars,” says Parsons.

In the blue corner: Jennifer Lipman, Hackney Post reporter, and our Stig for the day. “In a car, you have your own space and comforts, and if you have a sat nav it’s easy to get around. There’s not much
traffic today, so I fancy my chances,” she says.

Finally, in the red corner: me. I’ve been taking public transport for years, and though bus services in Hackney are pretty good, levels of traffic in some parts of the borough are not. So it will be interesting to see what the day has in store.

We set out from the Kings Mead estate in Homerton on a Tuesday afternoon. The rain gods are threatening to dish up a storm, and the schadenfreude in me secretly wants Trevor to get soaked. But it’s not going to happen and, through the slight drizzle, the race begins.

With the entrance to Hackney Community College in the south of the borough as our goal, Transport for London tells me I’m 5km, 31 minutes and one bus away from reaching my destination.

But true to Sod’s law, I reach the end of the road to see the 242 bus whizz past – minus me, and nine minutes on, I’m still waiting at the bus stop.

Meanwhile, under the hypnosis of TomTom, Jennifer is already well ahead on Lower Clapton Road, and heads towards Dalston Lane.

Even at this stage Hackney’s very own Lance Armstrong is putting us both to shame. At the nine minute mark, he’s already nipped through several estates and is cutting across London Fields towards Queensbridge Road.

At last I step onto the bus. It darts through the roads and for a moment I think I have a chance. Then we hit Mare Street.

“This bus is being held here to regulate the service,” the monotone recording blares.

“Breathe,” I think to myself, not realising my lips have followed suit. The woman in front turns around. “Bad day?” her look suggests. “Don’t you know it”, I think.

After a brief wait on Dalston Lane, Jennifer sprints down Kingsland Road until the college is in her sights, while Trevor is long past Broadway Market, cutting through Nuttall Street, onto Hoxton Street. After 15 minutes on the road, the pair are neck and neck.

But parking is the car’s Achilles’ heel, and though she makes it to the college after just 16 minutes, Jennifer soon realises there’s nowhere to park. Frantically circling the area, she finally finds a space on Hoxton Street, and after a brief walk she turns the corner to see Trevor standing in front of the college holding up his stopwatch. “18 minutes should we say?”

Against a time of 27 minutes including parking time for Jennifer, he’s won by a mile.

I finally arrive at 1.23pm, 53 minutes after we set off. Trevor’s even had time to pop home to grab a jumper before coming back to greet me. “Nice to see you,” he says, beaming.

But though Trevor glows in his victory, he also realises the dangers of cycling on the road. The death of Shivon Watson at the Victoria Park roundabout this month highlights just how vulnerable cyclists are,
and Trevor is keen to emphasise safety.

“As we’ve proved today, I beat the car and the bus easily. You don’t have to push every time to be fast.

“If you remember one thing when you’re riding on the roads, never go down the left hand side of a lorry or large vehicle. It’s not worth it.”

Jennifer, though gracious in defeat, still says she wouldn’t swap her car for a bike. “While I appreciate the benefits of cycling,” she says, “I’ll be sticking with my car for now, even if it takes longer. Cycling’s just not my thing.”

As for me? While I’m not surprised I came last, I didn’t realise it would take so long. As we part ways on the transport we arrived in, I’m left seriously thinking of getting on my bike…literally.

For more information on Transport for London’s Cycling scheme, visit www.tfl.gov.uk/cycling

Watch a video of the race

With a lack of underground train services in the borough, The Hackney Post pits cyclist Trevor Parsons against driver Jennifer Lipman and public transport user Szu Ping Chan in a race to see which mode of transport is fastest for getting around.

Which will win? Watch the race to find out:

Following last week’s meeting on the future of the Crown Estate, Damien Gayle headed to its offices in central London to talk to those protesting against the privatisation of their homes.

Leyton Orient captain Stephen Purches

Orient captain Stephen Purches says his team must “hold their nerve” in their away match against Brentford in the London derby on Saturday.

Both teams are hovering perilously close to the League One relegation zone, with Brentford in 16^th place on 43 points and Orient one place below on 41 points.

“At this point in the season all the games are crunch matches,” Purches said. “From now until the end of the season it’s about who can hold their nerve and reach the target.

“Relegation’s going to be in the back of your mind but you don’t want to be involved in that. It’s there and we’re not far away from it but at the moment we’re in a situation where we’re not in it. The quicker you get the points, the better you feel and that’s our aim – we want to get up as high as we can in the table.”

The pressure will be intensified on Saturday by the two teams’ local rivalry, something Purches tried to play down, saying “three points are three points”.

However, he was quick to add that London derbies are always special.

“There will definitely be a good atmosphere,” he said. “I’m looking forward to taking part in that.

“Three points makes people’s weekends. It’s a big thing for the club and the fans.”

The O’s skipper is only 50 per cent sure that he will be fit enough to play at the weekend as he is still recovering from the calf injury he sustained against Walsall last week.

“I’ve done some running and jogging, hopefully I’ll be able to take part in training later in the week. I’ll keep my fingers crossed; it’s a game I want to play in,” he said.

The London side sorely missed Purches last weekend in their 2-0 defeat to Huddersfield, with manager Geraint Williams lambasting the defence as “a shambles”. Purches said the side needed to improve.

“We need to impose ourselves a little bit more on the game. Huddersfield imposed their game on us; we found it difficult to get out of our half. We need to get the ball out wide like we have been doing and get balls and crosses in the box.”

Purches also hailed the news that French striker Jonathan Tehoue had committed his long-term future to the club.

“He’s come on and made an impact. He’s proved his loyalty to the club. He’s a big presence; hopefully he will be able to get a couple more goals before the end of the season.”

A computer generated image of the Olympic Stadium. Credit - Getty Images

Plans for a multi-faith centre on the 2012 Olympic site have been shelved, after faith leaders said it was impossible for leaders to work together.

The decision was announced last week at a public meeting reporting on the Olympic development, at Hackney Wick Community Centre.

Emma Wheelhouse from the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) said that plans for a shared prayer space on the Hackney Wick 2012 site had been discarded, after focus groups and a faith forum representing all communities slated the idea.

The OPLC, which is responsible for the long-term planning of the Olympic Park and its facilities after the Games, had tested the idea with the 2012 Three Faith Forum of 12 religious leaders and with “bespoke faith focus groups”.

Faith leaders warned the Legacy Company that their worship programmes would come into conflict. All three major faiths would want use of the prayer space at similar times, especially evenings, Wheelhouse said.

Moreover the community leaders said that to share back-of-house space offering other faith-related services such as circumcision and mikvah – a Jewish ritual bath – would be “impossible”.

“We really liked the idea and were genuinely surprised that people felt this way,” said Wheelhouse.

The Legacy Company is tasked with establishing a lasting footprint for the capital.

Earlier this month they chose a group of young people from all five host boroughs to be involved in the long term planning and urban design of their area.

Over the next five months, the twenty-two 13- to 21-year-olds will visit the Olympic site, work with planners and meet key 2012 figures. The Youth Panel will also make school visits.

Shaneice Bailey, 14, from Cardinal Pole RC School in Hackney said:

“I joined the Legacy Youth Panel to develop my confidence and share young people’s views with others and to have our say.

“I am interested in sports and the Olympics and want to find out more about what is happening first hand.”

Gulistan Subasi

Police detectives are hunting the killer of a 26-year-old Turkish woman, who was blasted with a shotgun on a doorstep in Clapton on Monday night.

The killer fired the weapon into the young woman’s chest as she opened the door to her mother’s house in an alley off Kingsmead Way.

He left Gulistan Subasi dying in the alleyway as he fled into the night.

One resident, who lives in a house opposite the alley, told The Hackney Post: “There was just a bang – just one big bang – then screaming, really bad screaming, and shouting and talking in their language.”

Emergency services were called to the house just opposite the high-rise Kingsmead Estate at 8.30pm.
Subasi was pronounced dead at the scene when police and paramedics arrived on Kingsmead Way, only a mile away from the Olympic Stadium.

Police cordoned off the area throughout Tuesday and Wednesday as forensic teams began combing the area for clues.

DCI Jackie Sebire, of Homicide and Serious Crime Command, said: “Ms Subasi was callously shot at close range after answering a knock on the door to her mother’s flat, which is reached via an alleyway off Kingsmead Way.

“As she collapsed on the doorstep, her killer made off from the scene along Kingsmead Way, heading towards Meeson Street.

“The suspect is described as male, approximately 6ft tall, of slim build, wearing a light coloured hooded top (worn with hood up) light coloured trousers, and a rucksack/drawstring bag on his back. His face may have been covered and he may have been wearing gloves.”

A spokesperson from Scotland Yard said police are “keeping an open mind” regarding the reason for the killing, though residents said police had told them that the death resulted from a “domestic argument that got out of hand.”

Police also played down possibilities that the shooting was either gang-linked or an “honour killing”.

The young woman had returned from a holiday to Turkey only two days earlier, and had recently been involved in a “messy divorce”, said one resident who asked not to be named.

The victim lived above the Aysal Food Company, a local Turkish shop.

Another Kingsmead resident, who also preferred to remain anonymous, said: “People have been killed around here year-in, year-out, and it’s been notorious for it.

“It’s actually quite rare now, fortunately,” he added. “What’s interesting is why he had a firearm.”

In the last year there were six homicides throughout Hackney and 167 counts of gun crime, according to police statistics.

The police are yet to make any arrests and are appealing for witnesses. Anyone with information should call the Met Police incident room on 020 8358 0200 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

By Gregor Hunter, Arj Singh and Chris Kay

credit: Damien Gayle

Landlords in Hackney say higher tax on cider will put the squeeze on local pubs like never before.

The rise of ten per cent above inflation means the average pint of cider could cost an extra 10p per pint from midnight on Sunday. Prices of higher-quality scrumpy will rise even more.

Duties on cider have risen much more sharply than on any other type of alcohol. Beers, wines and sprits will only rise by two per cent above inflation.

Many pub-owners have said they will feel the pinch of higher taxes on cider, a favourite during the upcoming summer months.

Chris Naden, manager of the Pembury Tavern in Hackney Central, said he expected the price of quality draft cider to rise by 30p a pint.

Edward Mason, owner of the Duke of Wellington pub in De Beauvoir, said quality cider, currently selling for between £3 and £4 a pint, was “a big part of our business”.

Hitting out against the tax, he said: “It’s certain to have an effect on our sales. We see sales increases from cider in the summer.

“It’s unfortunate in the current trading environment. It seems that pubs are under attack on all sides, particularly in the ongoing recession and with cheap drinks on sale in supermarkets.”

“We run a pub where people come to drink sensibly. We aim to promote a safe drinking environment and it’s a shame the government take a one-size-suits-all approach to punish those who drink cheap cider.”

Garath Kerr, manager and owner of Bar Kick in Shoreditch, said the tax would eat into profits.

“It’s a nightmare really, we’re getting hit from all angles between duty rises and tighter licensing laws.

“At the moment because trade isn’t as strong as it was, we don’t want to be making any price rises and making it a hindrance to come into the bar,” he said.

John Pardoe, the London & City branch manager for the Campaign for Real Ale, agreed with publicans’ concerns.

“It will definitely affect the pubs and clubs that attract the younger drinkers. Magners is massively popular now with young people. It’s going to hit a lot of pubs hard. Cider is a really big pub profit margin for the summer,” he said.

Meg Hillier, MP for Hackney South and Shoreditch, defended the tax hike, saying: “Cider won’t have a massive effect on businesses overall. The aim was to stop young people drinking more.”

However, drinkers have railed against the new scrumpy duties, with a new Facebook group created in opposition to the cider tax hike. LEAVE OUR CIDER ALONE already has 2,879 members, proclaiming “WE CAN’T LET IT HAPPEN!”

The Wurzels also reacted badly to the news, saying they felt “unfairly penalised”.

“We would like to offer our 50 years of experience of cider drinking, and of playing within a cider community, to the government in an advisory capacity,” said front man Pete Budd and accordion player Tom Banner.

Local drinker Sham Kumar, 25, of Stoke Newington said: “Ten per cent on cider?! Is Alistair Darling purposely trying to ruin my summer?!”

Michael Otero, 22, a student drinker in Hoxton Park, said: “Everyone will pay in the summer but it is annoying. Drinking something like Magners is different from the cider which is really too cheap and can get you trashed.”

Geraldine Emile, 23, a student drinking Magners in Hoxton Park, said: “The price increase would put me off, I would look for an alternative.”

Cider has seen a resurgence in popularity in the last decade, seeing a 44 per cent increase in cider consumption nationally between 1998 and 2008.

The average Brit downs 13.7 litres of cider every year.

credit: Rob Hastings

Scores of people with disabilities were treated to a day of free sports activities in Clissold on Sunday to increase awareness of the leisure services available to them.

Clissold Leisure Centre welcomed more than 100 disabled residents through its doors, offering archery, wheelchair basketball and trampolining. There were also arts workshops involving T-shirt painting and headdress making.

The first of the open days was held in 1998, and since 2003 there have been three held every year, each at different leisure centres. Originally open solely to those aged up to 19, they were extended to cover all ages last year.

Kunbi Jones of the City and Hackney Primary Care Trust said the Paralympics coming to Hackney in 2012 had been very useful in helping raise awareness.

“We are lucky to have Paralympians from Hackney willing to give up their time to engage with young people, so they’re aware of what can be achieved and to support them through to professional level training.”

Jones said that swimmer Dervis Konuralp and cyclist Jody Cundy had both been instrumental in boosting disabled participation in sport in the borough.

Claire Ruocco, Greenwich Leisure Limited’s senior community development officer, said: “A lot of it comes down to giving them confidence.

“Coming into a leisure centre for the first time can be quite an intimidating experience, particularly for people with learning difficulties.

“We simply hadn’t had adults with learning difficulties coming into leisure centres, so if it wasn’t for days like this we wouldn’t have seen an increase in participation.”

credit: D-J-C @ Flickr

THE second major power cut in three weeks hit Shoreditch on Tuesday (March 23) causing severe problems for businesses in the area.

Almost 1,100 customers were affected when there was a fault with EDF Energy’s high voltage underground electricity cables at 3.05pm. Though power was restored to most customers within minutes, almost 500 were left without power for over two hours.

Hotels, restaurants, shops and bars in the Rivington Street area all suffered disruption.

Jihane Mamouri, Sales Manager, Crowne Plaza hotel, Shoreditch High Street, said: “Operationally it’s really, really bad. We literally can’t work and then you have to offer complimentary service.”

Mamouri said she would like to be informed about any potential works beforehand.

“We have a back-up system we can use if we know it’s going to happen,” she said, “if it’s unexpected it’s terrible.”

A senior worker at the Rivington Grill, who asked not to be named, said: “We were badly affected by the power cut on March 8. We had to close for the whole day and lost up to £3,000.”

Paul Haggins, general manager of design furniture store SCP said: “We can’t trade properly. It interrupts our trading. We have extension leads stretching from downstairs, but they always become a hazard.”

A spokesperson from EDF said: “We do appreciate how difficult it is for homes and businesses to be without electricity and would like to apologise for the inconvenience caused”.

(Photo: Kenneth John Brown)

A Hackney police officer will appear in court next week accused of breaking a man’s nose after catching him urinating near Hoxton Square.

PC John Caulfield, 30, has been charged with actual bodily harm after allegedly assaulting a 19-year-old French tourist last August, according to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

The IPPC launched an investigation after receiving a complaint from a member of the public who witnessed the incident.

After conducting an investigation, the IPPC submitted a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service in December.

Hoxton’s bars and clubs attract partygoers from across London and beyond, making effective policing challenging.

The incident occurred on a Thursday night, which is usually busy around the Shoreditch area, with many bars and clubs offering cut price promotions.

Mr Caulfield is to appear at City of Westminster Magistrates Court on Tuesday 30 March 2010. He has been suspended from duties pending the outcome of criminal proceedings.

Two other officers, a constable and a sergeant, have been referred to the Metropolitan Police Service’s Directorate of Professional Standards after allegations were made about their conduct at the scene.