Friday, March 29News For London

Specials

“Would you like a coffee in a lavatory? Yes, please!”

“Would you like a coffee in a lavatory? Yes, please!”

Culture, Specials
A Victorian lavatory abandoned after the Second World War has been renovated into a café. It is  located  near Oxford Street amidst some frilly restaurants .  By Deeksha Sharma   Subeditor Mutave Mutemi  In a junction of fancy restaurants, on the street down by the BBC 's Broadcasting House, The Attendant cafe is located.  It is called so  because the counter of the attendant has been retained from where food is served. Having a latte in lav may sound gross, but in reality the coffee is refreshing with some freshly whipped cream, if that’s how  you like it. After the Second World War, many public toilets were left  abandoned. But with the encouragement of officials, these were sold off to businesses and were opened up as cafes and warehouses. Under an iron shed are the stairs

Festival Volunteers: Unsung Heroes Bring Colour to Chinese New Year

Culture, International, News, Specials
Meet the backbones of Chinese New Year Celebrations, without whom the festival would not be possible. By Qiwei Wang, subeditor Tara Mearsheimer.   They come from all walks of life and they decide to celebrate the New Year Festival in a unique way— by becoming part of it. From providing information to the visitors, to supporting the operations at backstage, more than a hundred volunteers joined the big army of people celebrating the Chinese New Year. It’s not just their bright-colored uniforms that distinguish them from the crowds that gathered at Trafalgar Square. It’s also their passion to contribute and eagerness to help.     In order to make the festival go smoothly, these volunteers had to make a sacrifice. They arrived before anyone else at the