Archive

  • Croydon's Christmas Clubbing Crisis

    Christmas is a time of celebration. To have fun and laugh with friends and family. But as the university students travel home and friends reunite, the clubs in Croydon are hit with a mad rush of excitement, and things can and did go wrong.

  • Trees come up trumps

    Christmas is now rapidly taking hold of our dwindling focus, our sluggish brains and our grumbling stomachs because the fairy lights are twinkling, the tinsel is shimmering and the Christmas trees have begun their synchronised ascension in homes and businesses

  • Good Will To All Bus Drivers

    When the weather outside is frightful, and the fire is so delightful, if you’re out and about, it’s the little things in life that can really brighten up your day. Over the years, I personally have heard more people than I can count, moan about the horrific

  • Drinking the New Year Away

    Worrying numbers of adolescents have been submitted to hospitals in Kingston due to New Year’s Eve binge drinking. The nature of the event has meant that many teenagers flock to parties and parks in order to celebrate with their friends. However, with

  • Karen Blixon Carol Concert

    Recently, my family and I travelled to Nairobi, Kenya to visit our family, as we have done for the past several years. We stay in an area called Karen, named after the cousin of the famous Karen Blixen, who wrote "Out of Africa". The house of Karen

  • A Resolution to Keep

    At the beginning of January everybody makes personal resolutions to aim to follow throughout the coming year but few people’s resolutions will affect the community. So what can we do to make Richmond Borough a better place? Here are my ten suggestions

  • January Blues

    By Community Correspondent Alice Dean After the excitement of the new year, students return to school, adults return to work, and most people slip back into their everyday routine. Im not sure if anyone else feels this way, but I always get

  • The King and Claremont- time to get fitted

    Even with the festive holidays edging closer, the Drama Department at Claremont Fan Court School in Esher has its power pack charged and working full time. In the last two weeks, rehearsals have been running until well into the evening. As February

  • Religious Persecution on our Doorstep

    In 1974, the Pakistani constitution declared a minority Islamic sect (Ahmadi’s) ‘Non-Muslims,’ and under it’s General’s ordinance in 1984, made it a criminal offence for the same community to identify themselves as Muslims and to practice Islam

  • ROMANS RELICS REVEALED

    In August 2008, an almost intact Roman site was discovered just half a metre below the ground’s surface in Syon Park. The findings were ample – over 11,000 artefacts were excavated, along with the remains of an extremely important Roman road linking

  • Cooking with Unusual Ingredients

    In our fast-food instant gratification culture, it is too easy for many teenagers to fill up instantly on cheap, fatty food stuffs. Obesity levels are still rising and sometimes the healthier, fresher alternatives available for similarly low prices

  • Tiffin Boys School Gains Academy Status

    Since the change in government, schools now have the ability to change into an academy. This means that they do not have to be linked to the local authority to make decisions, and are instead linked directly to the government. Tiffin Boys School in

  • Visiting the Old Bailey

    For a unique day out consider a visit to The Old Bailey London, probably the most famous criminal court in the world. It is centuries old and hears some of the most important cases from all over England and Wales. Via the Public Gallery you are able to

  • The Forge

    When I think of Weybridge as an area, of the history behind its name, of the sights and sounds of everyday life, the Forge just off the local high street would certainly spring to mind as a historic keepsake that was still in business to the very last

  • A Panto Tradition

    Pantomime has clearly changed over the years, from a mixture of opera and ballet in Roman times to the 1800’s where productions of Aladdin, Cinderella and Puss in Boots were and still are being performed at Christmas and New Year. Back in

  • A jungle in the christmas sales?

    Christmas was a time for celebration and family festivities. This season is also known for retail paradise- The sales. As a former shopaholic I admit proudly that I did do my share of shopping this year and the bargains were so good that I perhaps

  • Town centre road closure due to end

    The lane closures which have plagued Wandsworth High Street in recent days could be gone tomorrow, according to Thames Water. The busy stretch of the A3, heading westbound by Garratt Lane, was thrown into chaos on Tuesday when a water pipe

  • Quarm will help Sutton win ugly

    Sutton United boss Paul Doswell reckons capturing Woking midfielder Francis Quarm is about making sure his side can win ugly. The Ryman Premier Division winner arrived on-loan for the rest of the season ahead of Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Tooting & Mitcham

  • School snowed off as snow sweeps across Surrey

    Snow that has hit much of the rest of the country finally reached London and the South East on the 2nd December, and it has had a huge impact on Kingston and Surrey. Almost all schools in Kingston were shut, as snow continued to fall in sub-zero temperatures

  • Descriptions of shooting suspects held back by detectives

    Detectives investigating the shooting of a man in a quiet road in Hook a month ago said he was deliberately picked out for the attack. The 56-year-old man, who has not been officially identified, was shot once in the torso in Elmcroft Drive

  • Danes go crazy for Croydon Athletic

    Since Fodboldselskabet A/S took over Croydon Athletic last month, the Danes have gone Rams crazy. More than 400 scarves and 300 t-shirts have been sold in Denmark - more merchandise than the club has sold in the last decade - while the heads

  • British Sea Power return to Kingston

    Expect the unexpected when British Sea Power take to the New Slang stage next Thursday. The six-piece indie-rock band have a bit of a reputation for making their shows something to remember. In the past they have managed to incorporate a demonstration

  • Kingston Shoppers Saved or Spent

    During the last three weeks, Kingston’s Bentall centre drew an average footfall of 84,930 shoppers, highest since 2008 as consumers raced against time to beat 4th January’s increase in Value Added Tax(VAT) from 17.5% to 20%. Recent study

  • Samaritans to hold recruitment and training day

    Weybridge Samaritans are holding a recruitment day on February 5 with full training given to those interested. The group is looking for people over 18 who are willing to listen without passing judgement or offering advice. Nadia Danhash

  • Tackling the tin tabernacles

    When most artists tour their new album you normally find them trawling the trendy central London venues, but not Trevor Moss and Hannah-Lou. Instead of Camden's Barfly or Roundhouse, the husband and wife folk duo will be unveiling songs from their

  • Man left with broken arm after New Year's assault

    A man sustained a broken arm after an assault on New Year’s Eve. The 28-year-old from Kingswood, had been celebrating at the Tattenham Corner pub in Epsom before he was attacked just after 2am. A witness reported seeing up to four men

  • Amateur dramatics pantos take centre stage

    As the star-studded pantos at the big theatres come to an end, it's the turn of the smaller companies and amateur dramatics clubs. Here's our pick of the best offerings this week if you haven't quite had your fill of boos and he's behind yous.

  • Rose announces As You Like It cast

    Georgina Rich is to play Rosalind in Rose Theatre's production of As You Like It, which begins next month. She has previously had Shakespearean roles as Portia in the Royal Shakespeare Company's Merchant of Venice and Viola in English Touring Theatre

  • Time for Palace to turn over a new leaf

    With the embarrassing 3-0 loss to fierce rivals Millwall ultimately confirming George Burley’s delayed departure from Crystal Palace, it seems to be deja-vu at Selhurst Park. It was only a couple of months later in the campaign last season that Palace

  • Quins pair Wallace and Chisholm re-sign

    Harlequins youngsters Ross Chisholm and Luke Wallace will be upgraded to the senior squad from next season after signing first team contracts keeping them at the Stoop until June 2013. The pair - products of the Quins EPDG system - have made

  • Gardner set to extend Palace stay

    Anthony Gardner's loan at Crystal Palace has been extended until the end of the season, according to his parent club Hull. The central defender has made nine appearances for the Eagles since joining at the end of August, scoring once in the win at Norwich

  • Planning Applications for January 2011

    Planning Application Number: D2010/63454 Address: 2 APELDOORN DRIVE, Wallington, Surrey, SM6 9LG Description: Erection of a two storey side extension and a single storey side extension involving conversion of garage into habitable space. Decision

  • Blood Donation Session

    If you are generally healthy and aged 17 to 65 do something amazing - give blood. Register and book through the National Call Centre - 0300 123 23 23. Session times are 9.30am-noon & 2-4pm When:10 Jan 2011 09:30 - 16:00 One day only Where:

  • Blood Donation Session

    If you are generally healthy and aged 17 to 65 do something amazing - give blood. Register and book through the National Call Centre - 0300 123 23 23. Session times are 2pm-4.30pm and 5.30pm-8pm When:18 Jan 2011 14:00 - 20:00 One day only

  • Beddington Park Walk

    Every Friday an hour's walk around Beddington Park or Waddon Ponds every Friday morning at 10am. Meet by St Marys Church, Church Road, Wallington. Getting there: Buses 407 from Sutton, 463 from Mitcham. On the last Friday of the month there is a

  • Croydon Ramblers Walk

    Three-four mile linear walk from The Plough, Beddington, to see the landscaping of the new nature reserve north of Beddington Park. Coffee stop at Beddington church (£1.50). End at Beddington Lane tram stop. Meet at the Plough pub at 10.15 (

  • St Mary's athletes map out plans for 2011

    Three St Mary’s University students Suzi Boast, Charlotte Purdue and Louise Small – who are part of Dame Kelly Holmes Aviva-sponsored ‘On Camp with Kelly’ mentoring and education initiative - have mapped out their aims for 2011. After a fantastic 2010

  • Marrow completes permanent Palace move

    Alex Marrow completed his permanent move to Crystal Palace this morning for an undisclosed fee. The 20-year-old has been on loan from Premier League side Blackburn Rovers since the start of the season and has impressed with a number of top

  • Bees eyeing automatic promotion

    Brentford striker Gary Alexander took his season's goal tally to eight and roared never mind the play-offs we're after automatic promotion. The 31-year-old former Millwall man hit the winner in Saturday's 2-1 win over Dagenham & Redbridge as

  • Putney church packed for Thames Tunnel meeting

    Hundreds of Putney residents packed into St Mary’s church to raise their concerns to MP Justine Greening over the proposed Thames Tunnel project. With the first public consultation deadline on January 14, Ms Greening held the public meeting

  • O'Shea backs Quins Abu Dhabi switch

    Director of rugby Conor O’Shea insists switching Harlequin’s LV= Cup clash with Wasps to Abu Dhabi will not derail his side’s hopes of lifting the trophy. Wasps confirmed the move this week that will see the clash on January 30 played at a specially

  • Senior policeman on New Year's Honours list

    Surrey’s most senior policeman has been recognised in the New Year’s honours list. Surrey Police Chief Constable Mark Rowley has been awarded the Queen’s Police Medal in the New Year’s Honours list for his significant contribution to policing

  • UPDATE: Two accidents on A3 slow early morning traffic

    Commuters faced traffic delays on the A3 when two accidents in one morning forced lane closures. London Ambulance Service were called out at 7.15am to reports of an accident involving a car at the Tolworth junction, on Thursday, January 6.

  • Skinner tears into rivals

    Mike Skinner warmed up in style for Saturday’s Surrey Championships with victory in last weekend’s Bushy Park 5km parkrun. Skinner clocked 15 minutes, seven seconds to finish ahead of Tooting-based Ben Whitby and Harrow’s Richard Franzeze. Fifth-placed

  • Jenny Jones announces London mayor ambitions

    London Assembly member Jenny Jones has announced she wants to be the Green Party's mayoral candidate in the 2012 elections. Mrs Jones, deputy Mayor of London from May 2003 to June 2004, joined the Green Party in 1988. She said: "London

  • Police divers begin canal hunt for murder weapon

    Police investigating the chilling execution of two people in a suburban home are renewing the four-year hunt for the murder weapon this morning after a tip-off. Specialist dive teams plan to trawl the Regents Canal in Tower Hamlets in an attempt

  • BREAKING NEWS: Cyclist killed in road collision

    A cyclist has been killed after a collision with a van. Police and London Ambulance Service were called at about 6.15am this morning to reports of a van in collision with a bicycle on Sandy Lane South, near the junction with Woodcote Road,

  • Chelsea boss: Back my side

    Chelsea ladies boss Matthew Beard has called on fans to back his side when the Women’s Super League gets underway later this year. The eight-team league, which will be played between April and August, is aiming to build a bigger profile for the game

  • Parents pay tribute to teen who died in New Year's accident

    The devastated parents of a teenager who died after a tragic accident on New Year’s day have paid tribute to their fun-loving son. Michael Male, 19, died in St George’s hospital on January 3 after suffering serious head injuries just around

  • Bournemouth boss Howe set for Palace talks

    Crystal Palace are expected to speak to Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe today over their vacant managerial post. The 33-year-old is understood to have been granted permission to talk to the Eagles by the Cherries' board yesterday and will travel

  • Bones found by workmen

    Human bones have been found on the site of a former car showroom, the Epsom Guardian can exclusively reveal. Workmen unearthed the remains alongside a piece of Roman pottery while digging on the site of Cheam Motors in Cheam Road, Epsom.

  • BREAKING NEWS: Crash causes traffic on A3 at Hook

    Traffic is backed up on the A3 this morning as police work to remove a crashed car from the slow lane. The incident, on the north bound side, happened just before the Hook underpass and a lane was closed. Traffic is stretching back to

  • Eadweard Muybridge: the Photographer that created Film

    This year you can find out about Eadweard Muybridge, the Kingston born photographer, by visiting the exhibition at Kingston Museum and also one at the Tate Britain (until 16th January 2011). These exhibitions explore who Eadweard Muybridge is,

  • Glastonbury Festival emerging talent competition unveiled

    Details of how unsigned bands can get a slot at this year's Glastonbury Festival have been unveiled. The 2011 Emerging Talent Competition (ETC), which offers up-and-coming artists from the UK and Ireland the chance to compete for a

  • Quins' Guest coming out of Easter's shadow

    Harlequins number eight Tom Guest reckons he has hit the form to come out of Nick Easter's shadow on a permanent basis and not just during international programmes. The 26-year-old has largely played second fiddle to the England man as he has

  • Grandfather shopped by wife after child porn discovery

    A grandfather has been handed a suspended sentence after his wife told police he had been downloading child pornography. Michael Speller, formerly of Onslow Gardens, Wallington, was “grassed” on by his wife when she discovered the indecent

  • Charity helping vulnerable faces closure

    A charity providing support and working opportunities to some of Sutton's most vulnerable residents faces closure. The Vine Project (TVP), that runs a number of community projects, including providing refurbished and recycled furniture to low

  • Community leader has MBE stolen in burglary

    Thieves targeted a community leader's home, stealing thousands of pounds raised for charity and treasured possessions including his MBE. Former Sutton mayor Lal Hussain, 73, was at hospital with his wife when burglars broke into at his Wallington

  • Community heroes become TV stars

    A youth scheme set up by two teenagers to tackle knife and gang crime has battled back from the brink of closure to win an advertising campaign after appearing on TV. Andre Hackett and Richard Abiona, founders of the Escape Youth Group, were

  • Councillor defends move to hire unpaid intern

    A Labour councillor has hired an unpaid intern to help her do council work despite her party’s leader having signed a pledge against unpaid internships. Lambeth Councillor Leanne Targett-Parker, from Herne Hill, recently advertised for an unpaid

  • Bouncer sits on brawler during new year festivities

    Police were called to a bar in the early hours of New Year’s Day, following a brawl. The fight between two groups of men in the Aquum Lounge in Esher High Street started at about 1.45am, according to witnesses. One witness told the Elmbridge

  • Consultation begins on council's transport vision

    A proposed new transport plan for the borough could deliver multi-million pound improvements to its travel network, according to town hall bosses. Wandsworth Council is inviting residents to have their say about its transport objectives, targets

  • Motorists urged to stay safe in 2011

    Motorists are being urged to abandon their bad driving habits as a new year’s resolution. Shaving, applying make-up and changing clothes at the wheel were examples of reckless driving uncovered by Surrey County Council and Surrey Police

  • Man arrested over fraud and money laundering offences

    A 31-year-old man was yesterday arrested on suspicion of being an illegal insurance adviser during a raid on a Wandsworth home. Officers from the Metropolitan Police’s (Met) Fraud Squad descended on an address in Wandsworth where they recovered

  • Vicar to mark first anniversary of earthquake

    A vicar who delivered aid immediately in the days after the Haiti earthquake has invited people to join him sleeping in a tent on the first anniversary of the disaster. Rev Paul Hill was in Haiti with his Surbiton-based son Carwyn when the

  • Pub given 100-year-old makeover

    A pub has been given a six figure revamp – to make it look 100 years older. The New Town Pub was given the £100,000 makeover by leaseholder Robin Wheeler and freeholder Youngs Brewery in a bid to start a renaissance of the “traditional London

  • Hospice announces new chief executive

    The Princess Alice Hospice has announced its chief executive Nicholas Ratsey is to step down. Mr Ratsey, who has been chief executive of the hospice in Esher for ten years, is leaving in March to start a full time Environmental Science degree

  • Dangerous dogs seized on estate

    Dangerous dogs have been seized on the Phipps Bridge estate. A spokesman for Cricket Green safer neighbourhood team said three “pit bull-type” animals were confiscated in increased patrols on the estate in the past few months, which also saw

  • ‘Natural leader’ to head council’s education team

    An award-winning special educational needs (Sen) expert has been appointed the new director of children’s services at Croydon Council. Paul Greenhalgh will be taking on the largest school-age population in the country when he steps into his

  • Volunteer visits developing world water project

    A charity volunteer visited the third world to see first hand how his 20 years of fundraising work had made a difference. Jeremy Heath, has raised thousands of pounds for Water Aid, a charity provide safe water, and effective sanitation in

  • More than 1,000 learn life saving skills

    More than 1,200 people learned potentially life-saving skills in 2010 at first aid training courses run by St John Ambulance in Kingston. The charity’s centre on Athelstan Road has helped residents and businesses learn crucial skills to combat