The first female Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy left her audience feeling inspired, after her incredible poetry reading to local residents and school students as part of the Wimbledon Bookfest on Wednesday6th October. Duffy, once a resident of Wimbledon Common
Three wins does not a turnaround make, is the message Kingstonian boss Alan Dowson has sent out to his in-form men. Ks beat Cray Wanderers 4-2 at Kingsmeadow on Saturday to make it a hat-trick of wins against top five opposition, since a humiliating
Great Britain international Richard Alexander isn’t scared of much, but he is worried about picking up an injury that could wreck his Olympic dream. Surbiton team-mate Matt Daly missed nearly two years of international action with knee and hamstring
A traffic diversion lasting over twelve weeks has tried the patience of many West Wimbledon residents. The gas works took twice as long as expected resulting in severe delays on Coombe Lane SW20, the predominant road between Coombe and Raynes Park.
A 15-year-old girl has been charged with the murder of Julie Sheriff. The girl was initially charged with grevious bodily harm. But 16-year-old Miss Sheriff died on September 21 after four months in a coma and the youth has now been
A primary school has submitted plans to build a new ‘state-of-the-art’ outdoor play area. Priory Preparatory School, in Banstead, has revealed plans to introduce a ball court, astro turf, climbing frame, new classroom facilities and a re-development
Parks and open spaces across Surrey are set to receive the royal seal of approval to mark the Queen’s diamond Jubilee in 2012. Epsom and Ewell Council is taking part in the Queen Elizabeth II Fields Challenge, a national initiative led by the Duke
Police are appealing for witnesses a week after a man was gunned down in Clapham High Street. The 33-year-old was shot a number of times whilst sitting in a car in Cato Road, off Clapham High Street last Wednesday. Emergency services
A frail old man who covered for a killer by lying to the police has avoided jail after a judge decided he was too ill for prison. Vehicle hire supervisor Abbas Khan, 61, protected customer Terrell Thuesday, who had mown down a delivery driver
A prolific pickpocket who preyed on bus passengers, including an 87-year-old, has been jailed for two years. Richard Dolphy used the “coin-drop” method, dropping a coin to distract the victim before stealing from them. The 56-year-old
The number of pedestrians and motorcyclists killed or seriously injured after accidents on Merton roads has halved, new figures show – although the figure for car crash victims has risen. The Government statistics show that from 2009 to 2010
A former builder who offered to donate a mobility scooter to a reader-in-need has chosen someone to receive it. John Boyne, from Ridge Road, Sutton, handed the £1300 scooter to Jean Woods at her home in Morden earlier this month. Mr
There will be an extra reason to cheer at Selhurst Park on Tuesday as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers cheerleading squad perform. Looking to bring it on USA style, the girls from across the pond are on Croydon soil as part of their warm up before
Croydon Commitment has made the wish of Oasis Shirley Park Centre staff come true by giving the centre's garden a make-over. Volunteers from John Laing PLC, a long-standing volunteer provider for Croydon Commitment events, cleared the overgrown
The borough's back gardens are set to become more welcoming to wildlife after the award of a £45,000 grant. Workshops are being set up to help Sutton residents create and maintain gardens rich with wildlife. The money, from the Heritage
Tadworth AC’s Pat Wright has qualified for a place among the elite runners at next year’s London Marathon. The 26-year-old secured his spot thanks to a superb race in the Run Liverpool marathon on Sunday. He finishing fourth out of 5,200 runners in
Banstead Athletic’s fortunes appear to be on the rise despite slipping to second bottom of the Combined Counties Premier League. Graeme Banyard’s team, who were mauled 11-0 by Windsor earlier this month, narrowly lost out to fellow strugglers Cove 2-
Thousands of people took a trip back in time to explore the history of gypsy culture on Saturday. Fortune-tellers, Romany singers and horse-drawn carriages were just some of the attractions at Norwood Park. Andrea Perry, from Friends
Paul Vines always knew he would get back on the Carshalton Athletic scoresheet - because his mum told him he would. The former Kingstonian striker struck the winner on Saturday as the Robins eased the pressure on manager Paul Dipre with a 1-0 win over
Bradley Ellis will assess his options for next year after the final rounds of the Dunlop Radical UK Cup this weekend. The Croydon racer heads to Snetterton out of contention for the championship, with him and Supreme Racing driving partner Andy Cummings
Wandsworth fencer Mary Cohen has admitted some tough love could be just the tonic after being dropped from the Great Britain team for this week's World Championships. The 25-year-old didn't make the women's épée squad for the team event in Sicily with
Frank Crowther's son has described how he came to forgive his dad for killing his mum. Tony Crowther, 55, hugged and comforted his frail father in the dock at the Old Bailey, after he was sentenced for killing his mother. In an exclusive
Greg Andrews expects Leatherhead to start showing their true form now they finally have a Ryman Premier League win under their belts. The Tanners beat East Thurrock United 2-1 on Tuesday, thanks to a first-half double from Andrews, to claim their first
Herne Hill Harriers' men got their cross country season off to a superb start with their most emphatic win yet in the Surrey League on Saturday. Harriers low score of 99 points for 10 scoring runners has only been beaten on one occasion in the history
Hercules Wimbledon Athletic Club's senior women made a stunning start to their Max Sports Surrey Ladies League programme by taking the team honours in the opening match at Lightwater Country Park, Bagshot. The victory represented a remarkable turn round
The handicap of being both deaf and blind has not prevented a charity worker winning a national award as employee of the year. Mother of two Emma Boswell has Usher Syndrome, a rare genetic condition that has seen her lose first her hearing
With AFC Wimbledon acclimatising to Football League life like a duck to water, Terry Brown could well be the happiest manager on the planet. The Dons could move top of League Two on Saturday with victory over Crewe Alexandra, if both Southend and Crawley
Plans for a new waste facility in Mitcham were approved by Boris Johnson last night. Despite Merton Council rejecting a previous scheme for the new plant in Benedict Wharf in October 2010, a new and modified plan was approved by the London
A senior surgeon from Epsom, Sutton and St Helier hospitals has returned from a three-week trip to Africa aimed at improving hernia operations. Consultant general surgeon, Mr Paul Thomas, travelled to Malawi with registrar Ms Caris Grimes where
The sons of Lambeth’s deputy mayor have appeared in court charged with an attack on a man which left him hospitalised. Scott Richards and Rion Peters, the sons of Councillor Judith Best, are alleged to have attacked Neil Potter, 41, of Fullsbrook
A motorcyclist collided with a baby in a pushchair in Streatham yesterday afternoon. The incident took place shortly after 12.40pm on Streatham Common North, at the junction with Valley Road. Police asked the motorcyclist to stop but
Faulty traffic lights are causing traffic chaos in North Cheam. Traffic lights at the busy junction of Cheam Common Road, Malden Road, and London Road have not been working during rush hour this morning. It has been reported the problem
A man has been ordered to stay away from a former girlfriend he bombarded “day and night” with phone calls, texts and emails. James Smith was given a restraining order by Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, after admitting he harassed
An Esher hospice is urging people to ditch Richard Desmond’s new Health Lottery in favour of their own charity draws. Princess Alice Hospice launched a new scratchcard this week to accompany its long-standing lottery. Punters can win
A new fingerprint scanner at an exclusive Weybridge bar has been met with suspicion by some customers. The technology at Noir Bar is the first in Elmbridge and is in addition to Clubscan, which scans and stores ID on entry to alert licensees
Entrepreneurs are hoping to be crowned the top dogs in business at an upcoming awards ceremony. The Lambeth Business Awards 2012 will honour the most successful contributors to business in the borough across 12 categories, including best young
Mrs H. Stanley, Compton Road, Wimbledon I refer to the very sad case your newspaper reported of small pets being rescued from dreadful circumstances in a house in Cheshire Close, Mitcham. Why was it that “the RSPCA was unable to help”? I
A Coulsdon family is giving up four walls for four wheels as they plan to move into a double decker bus. Arthur Sharp and Lisa Luke have decided to leave their council home in Coulsdon and live on a bus they are specially renovating.
A woman who has lived in the same house without either hot water or an inside toilet for the past 98 years has just celebrated her 100th birthday. Dorothy Heritage's privately owned home in Bertal Road, Tooting, still has an outside toilet
A retired science teacher who repeatedly sent insulting letters to a vicar has been found guilty of harassment. Iain Burgess, 74, claimed Reverend Graham Singh drove away middle-class parishioners from St John the Baptist Church, in Church
Are you aged 14 to 18? Do you want to tell the world what matters to you - and pick up a cash prize for doing it? The Wimbledon Guardian wants to hear about an issue close to your heart in our new Your Voice competition. We need passionate
A teenage rapper was lost for words when he scooped a top award for his music and youth work. David O’Connell, 19, who raps under the name Phobea, walked up the red carpet at the Royal Albert Hall to receive the Spirit of London award on Monday
Artists and designers opened the doors of their studios for visitors to enjoy their work. FusionArts, in Eden Street, Kingston, welcomed visitors come through the doors for the open day on Saturday, October 8. The 32 studios, which are
Surrey Comet reporters put body and soul into the campaign to restore a vandalised war memorial in time for the annual commemoration of our war dead. The 90-year-old oak monument at St John the Baptist church in Old Malden was felled on Monday
Burglars tricked their way to stealing a safe from an elderly couple, only to find it contained two old bus passes. A husband and wife, both aged 81, were at home in Roche Walk, Carshalton, on Wednesday, October 11, at about 2pm when they answered
A scout and guide band can buy new instruments after a generous boost by Claygate Parish Council. The £500 grant to 1st Claygate Scout and Guide Band will help them expand, and comes as they celebrate their 10th anniversary. Band leader
A dance teacher wants to get children with emotional behaviour difficulties and special educational needs in Croydon dancing their problems away. Jessica Elliott, 24, who runs two companies, Dance after School and J's Dance Factory, launched
A father has opened up for the first time about how much he misses the “much-loved” little boy he lost to a tragic incident in a Tolworth playground. Five-year-old Samuel Orola died after falling off a climbing frame at Tolworth Infant School
Young people with Down’s syndrome can enjoy free karate lessons to help increase concentration and co-ordination. Abel Karate launched the Elmbridge Inclusive Sport Project on September 29 and the karate class has proved popular with Paul Abel
Paralympic Festival 2012 Confirmed Following the great success of the festival in June, with attendance of around 600 people, we are holding the Paralympic Festival again on Wednesday 20 June 2012 at Sutton Arena Leisure Centre. The aim of the event
Carshalton College is inviting prospective learners and the general public to visit their Partnership Event with Orchard Hill providing information on helpful local organisations supporting Life & Work Skills Courses at the College and at Orchard Hill
Sutton Arts Council is to host a special exhibition at the Europa Gallery, Sutton Central Library from Monday 24 – Saturday 29 October 2011. The event will include work by Art Aloud (an art group for adults who have recovered or are recovering from mental
