News in Kingston

Good morning, and welcome to your weekly What's On in Kingston.

Every Thursday we round up the best things to do in your area at the weekend.

Hampton Court Palace's annual tulip festival is returning next month.

Tickets are now on sale for the festival starting April 12 and running until May 2.

The Friends of Richmond Park have spoken of their determination to help in the clean-up operation of Beverley Brook which has been hit by a disastrous oil spill.

The Brook runs through the Royal park and has been at the centre of a restoration project supported by the charity and its patrons, who include Sir David Attenborough and Clare Balding.

Fred the therapy dog is lifting students' spirits across Richmond upon Thames College (RuTC).

Fred's owner Tina Ball, who is RuTC Attendance, Engagement and Outreach Lead, has been bringing the 12-year-old Westie and Labrador cross into the college to help students, including those suffering from anxiety and depression.

UB40 will be in Kingston this summer for this year's Festival at the Palace.

It was recently announced that on Thursday June 9, the British reggae legends featuring Ali Campbell will kick off the festival.

The Pheasantry Café in Bushy Park has recruited three little owl sculptures to try to scare off the pigeons and other birds.

Regardless of their effectiveness the 'owl-team' has been a significant point of interest for children visiting the café with their families.

An oil spill is threatening the historic Beverley Brook, which flows through Richmond Park and is at the centre of a regeneration project supported by Sir David Attenborough.

Details of the spill, which is thought to have happened upriver on Friday, first emerged when dog workers were warned not to allow their pets into the water over the weekend.

House prices are surging across Richmond at a faster rate than the rest of the country with an average rise of more than £85,000 over the past year.

New figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) put the average house sale price for the entire borough at £775,371 in January, which compares to £689,780 a year ago.

Celebrate with pizza this National Sourdough Bread Day in Kingston.

National Sourdough Bread Day occurs on April 1 and whilst it has become a supermarket staple for Westerners, the origin of sourdough lies in ancient Egypt's agricultural landscape.

In a remarkable coincidence two former pupils of Shene School – now Richmond Park Academy – are both vying for Oscars on Sunday.

Both are experts in film and television found with Simon Hayes up for his work on the recent Bond move, No Time to Die, and Denise Yarde nominated for Belfast.