Archive

  • Dev backs mate Curbs

    Hampton & Richmond boss and West Ham legend Alan Devonshire jokingly ruled himself out of the Upton Park hotseat before the appointment of former Hammers team-mate Alan Curbishley. FA Cup winner Devonshire, who made 345 appearances in 14 seasons for

  • Care conundrum is a good problem for Harlequins

    Head coach Andy Friend believes the position scrum-half Danny Care finds himself in is a conundrum that leaves NEC Harlequins the envy of the Guinness Premiership. The return to fitness of Steve So'oialo and form of Andy Gomarsall has presented the Stoop

  • The Fonz wows 'em at Wimbledon

    Peter Pan at Wimbledon Theatre is proving a smash hit adrenaline rush with youngsters and adults alike. It's packed with stunning special effects, comedy, colourful all-new sets - and The Fonz Henry Winkler. They dressed him up as a pirate and gave

  • Ball is in charity’s Court

    Pupils from schools across the borough were joined by Crystal Palace footballer Leon Cort last week, raising £1,314 for Marie Curie Cancer Care. Children from schools including Croham Hurst, Trinity, Stafford and Cumnor House were in the Whitgift Shopping

  • Sally Anne suspect denies murder

    A 35-year-old chef has pleaded not guilty to the murder of model Sally Anne Bowman. Mark Dixie, who has been in custody since his arrest in June, appeared via video link at the Old Bailey this morning. Dixie, who is understood to have worked in a number

  • Taking steps to tackle London’s

    Bernadette Minafra has made a new life for herself in Swansea. With a husband, three children and another baby on the way the 35-year-old is living in a bigger house which is costing less to run. Her new life comes courtesy of Croydon Council's Fresh

  • So near and yet so far T-Mobile

    Ok, ok I know I said I'd do self service is no service this week but I've had another experience I want to share with you as it beautifully illustrates the difference good customer service can have on customer retention. I have spent the last week trying

  • Ice Skating at Kew Gardens

    There's something inherently romantic about skating. Surely, it's no coincidence that Torvill and Dean won Olympic Gold on Valentine's Day. And think of Love Story, the greatest weepy of them all. Love might mean never having to say you're sorry, but

  • Billy: Hands off our hot-shot

    Tooting & Mitcham boss Billy Smith has vowed to keep hold of star striker Paul Vines as a host of clubs sniff round the hotshot forward. Vines grabbed the winner in Tooting's narrow 3-2 victory over bottom side Corinthian Casuals on Saturday - taking

  • Anderson: No excuses – we were awful

    AFC Wimbledon boss Dave Anderson says the weekend's woeful 3-0 Ryman Premier League defeat away to Billericay Town is one of the lowest points he has had to endure at the club. The Dons were also less than convincing in their 4-2 Surrey Senior Cup victory

  • Wayne stays on the attack

    Dulwich Hamlet boss Wayne Burnett refuses to curb his attacking management style despite his side securing their second clean sheet on the bounce on Saturday. The Ryman Division One South high flyers consolidated their place at the top of the table with

  • Brutal beating could be the end of Brixton Bomber

    Brixton Bomber Danny Williams look set to hang up his gloves for good after losing his grudge match with bitter rival Audley Harrison at the ExCel Centre, London Docklands, on Saturday. Beaten and battered in three brutal rounds, a very sad but dejected

  • Joyful Joe breaks his scoring record

    Former England captain Joe Johnston broke his scoring record for a season by notching four goals in Streatham Redskins' 7-4 victory at Basingstoke Buffalo last weekend. Redskins legend Johnston, 26, first played for the club at the tender age of 13

  • Hazel eyes top-half finish

    Sutton United boss Ian Hazel has conceded a top 10 finish is the best his side can hope for, despite watching his team rack up their third four-goal haul of the season on Saturday. Livewire striker Warren McBean celebrated signing a contract for United

  • Garland forced to axe duo as Robins struggle

    Carshalton Athletic manager Dave Garland has revealed he will be forced to axe another two players as part of the club's financial cutbacks. The Robins suffered a humiliating 3-1 defeat at home to second-bottom club Hendon in the Ryman Premier League

  • Swans’ play off hopes fading fast

    Staines Town's chances of a play-off spot in the Ryman Premier Division are fast diminishing after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Leyton on Saturday. This Saturday's home game against Heybridge has been postponed due to the FA Trophy and, unless Town

  • Park police must persevere

    I was disgusted to hear the proposal by Sutton council to axe the Parks Police Service. Who in their right mind is willing to make a decision like this? The Met Police want us to feel safer in our borough and I assume that means in our parks and open

  • Stevens vows to end slump

    Leatherhead captain Dave Stevens has admitted to being frustrated with his recent form but vows to get back on the goalscoring track. Stevens has notched just two league goals since the agonising FA Cup defeat to Torquay United last month, corresponding

  • Private railways are poor value

    There are a several things that one can associate with the season of goodwill and the dawn of a new year: Christmas trees, the exchanging of presents, the Queen's speech, the NYE party and the inflation busting rail fare increase. Commuters using trains

  • Grateful Royal Marsden

    I am writing to thank The Royal Marsden Hospital's remarkable volunteers, who have so generously given their time, talent and energy to us over the past year. We held a volunteers thank you party in Sutton on Wednesday, December 6, as a small token of

  • Supermarkets’ role in decline of apples

    In response to I M Ball's letter (November 23). I'm afraid that sadly I am correct about the role of supermarkets in reducing variety and failing to support British growers. It's an important issue since it affects the future of UK agriculture, and rather

  • Bulletproof foxes in JCBs

    Recent anti-fox letters to the Guardian have been most informative. We are told that foxes can climb 8ft fences, dig underneath 5ft deep foundations and kill, not to eat, but purely for pleasure. I shall be keeping an eager eye open to see this magnificent

  • Stroke unit huge help

    I would like to thank all the staff of the Stroke Unit at St Helier's Hospital for their professional and dedicated care of my father - their ever-watchful and reassuring presence has helped us all enormously. The unit is a credit to the hospital.

  • Banstead apply to rejoin Ryman League

    Banstead Athletic have applied for a return to the Ryman League Division One next season eight months after taking voluntary relegation. Seven other clubs in the Combined Counties Premier Division - including league leaders Chipstead - have also taken

  • Keeping councillors fully stocked with best biscuits

    How ungrateful of Councillor Geiringer to state that the tea, coffee and biscuits provided at council tax payers' expense are not of the standard to which he is accustomed. Having pocketed £9,306 in allowances during the past financial year, surely he

  • Waste and profligacy haunt everywhere in our borough

    Once again, as reported in the Sutton Guardian (Lowest grant will mean cuts, December 7), we are being treated to the annual softening-up' exercise by Lib-Dem controlled Sutton Council in readiness for yet another massive hike in council tax next April

  • Treatments need to be tested thoroughly first

    We are writing in response to the article published on November 9 entitled Why wait years to sort out your pain?' to advise readers that the article provides misleading information for those with the diagnosis of frozen shoulder and may lead them to

  • Go crazy for ancient Go

    There is a poignant scene at the start of the Oscar-winning biopic A Beautiful Mind when the troubled mathematician John Nash is seen sitting in a Princeton courtyard. Hunched over a playing board apparently dotted with black and white pebbles, his brow

  • Government must make some new priorities

    Councillor Leighton is to be congratulated on her establishment of a flood support group for Spelthorne. Spelthorne is the epicentre of the flood risk area in this part of the Thames Valley. We also have tight- fisted and thick-headed bureaucrats to

  • Stop school closure

    Parents want support from their councillors to prevent the proposed closure of Christ the King School, which should become a primary feeder school for oversubscribed Spelthorne Catholic schools. Christ the King RC Infants School is one of the best in

  • Police stations are not what they used to be

    I remember when if I needed to speak to a policeman, there was always a duty sergeant available. Recently, I had to ask a police officer to sign a document for an Open University grant. At first, the person on duty had refused to ask a policeman, but

  • Light of Life

    Jesus Christ is born this day The light of the world, the truth and the way. For unto us is born a king And he will be our everything. Wonderful shall be His name And He will set hearts aflame The everlasting Father, the mighty God Emmanuel

  • Organisational ineptitude bodes ill for town centre

    When I saw there were to be some Christmas lights in Croydon town centre this year, for the first time in a number of years I actually started to feel a degree of optimism about Croydon's future (Christmas lights come down as South End runs out of sockets

  • Royal Marsden is grateful for help

    I would like to thank the people of Croydon for their tremendous generosity and unstinting support of the Royal Marsden Hospital. Last weekend we held a collection and stall in the Whitgift Centre. This raised a staggering £4,086 for the hospital, for

  • Preserving the blast pens

    Conservation charity BTCV would like volunteers to join them on a trip to Kenley Common next Wednesday, December 20, to help with the preservation of the wartime blast pens. Volunteers will be able to take a breather and watch gliders soaring in the

  • Horsepower clears site

    A group of eco volunteers used horsepower to help restore a popular site. The Coulsdon Coppice volunteers drafted in a Suffolk horse to their site in St David's, Coulsdon, to help pull out timber that had been felled the previous week. The site, which

  • Bright sparks can recycle electricals

    Croydonians are set to become some of the first residents in the country to be able to recycle electrical items. New facilities are to be offered to residents to help minimise the amount of electrical waste people routinely discard. By next April all

  • Money raised

    Pupils at a Croydon school which began life as an orphanage have raised money for children in Kenya. Royal Russell pupils organised a toy sale to raise money for the Jehovah Jireh Orphanage and Magnet High School in Nairobi. The Juniors held a carol

  • New course for the new year

    As it will soon be the new year now is an ideal time to think about making a resolution for 2007. So, if you fancy turning over a new leaf or simply trying something different, studying at Croydon College is an ideal solution. Courses offered by the

  • Pigeon problem

    With reference to don't feed the pigeons' requested by Mr McNally, town centre manager. To stop feeding the pigeons abruptly would cause mass starvation and illnesses among the flock, which is as cruel as shooting them. A controlled gradual reduction

  • ‘Misleading’ article gets cold shoulder

    We are writing in response to the article published on November 9 entitled "Why wait years to sort out your pain?" to advise readers that the article provides misleading information for those with the diagnosis of frozen shoulder and may lead them to

  • Speeding drivers give resident the right hump

    I am writing in response to Mr Fitzgerald's letter about traffic calming in New Malden. I disagree with his view that the humps in Park View be removed because they cause distress to people travelling to hospital in an ambulance. I have lived in Park

  • Don’t deny cyclists their little piece of the park

    I thoroughly agree with Don Graves (Road Splits for Path Users). The perimeter path around Richmond Park is completely unsuitable for use by cyclists and pedestrians; I should know because I am one of the boy racers Mr Graves talks of, albeit 44 years

  • College students learning about their futures

    College students have been getting to grips with science, thanks to a project which aims to give young people an insight into the world of work. More than 300 pupils from John Ruskin College in Selsdon took part in a healthcare day supported by the ESF

  • Primary school puts end to high truancy

    With figures showing London has the worst primary truancy rates in England, one Croydon school has launched a campaign to stop the bunkers. Ejiro Ughwujabo, headteacher at St Mary's RC High School in West Croydon, implemented a hassle' policy last September

  • Splash of pink

    One of the UK's fastest-growing retailers celebrated opening its 100th store last week - in Croydon. The town centre turned pink for a day as a T-Mobile team offered shoppers free parking, carrier bags and for those feeling a little tired, tuk tuk rides

  • Croydong businesses urged to take part in BID funding

    Croydon businesses are being urged to take part in the Business Improvement District (BID) consultation, which is due to start in the new year. The BID fund will be boosted by raising business rates for some businesses by one per cent. From this, it

  • Think up a name for Jacqui’s new venture

    A Sanderstead barber and DJ wants Croydon Guardian readers to help with her latest business venture - by suggesting a name for a salon. Jacqui Marola, 42, has worked in Scruffs and Toffs in Limpsfield Road for a year and also DJs part time at nightspots

  • Pounds from postcards

    Collectors of picture postcards in Croydon could be sitting on a small fortune without realising it, an auction house has revealed. Auctioneers and valuers Warwick and Warwick visited Croydon last Tuesday, December 5, offering collectors free valuations

  • Still hair after 30 happy years

    A Thornton Heath barber is celebrating 30 years at his Beulah Road shop. George Constantinu took over the barbers in 1976 from a former heavyweight boxer who had owned the shop from the 1920s. The business is now very much a family affair as George's

  • Shock north-south health gap

    A startling report released this week revealed the state of the health of Croydon residents and showed a clear divide between some parts of the borough. The report, which was presented to the council on Monday, revealed statistics and trends that will

  • Car firm gets giant logo approved

    Some saw it has a blot on the landscape but Mercedes-Benz has finally won its battle for a giant rotating logo at the company's recently opened centre in Weybridge. After a heated debate at Elmbridge's full council meeting on Wednesday, it voted 31 to