• October

A proposed 23-storey tower near the A3 Tolworth roundabout inspired a Lord of the Rings themed front page for the Surrey Comet.

The building formed part of Tesco’s redrawn plans for empty land by Charrington Bowl. Kingston and Surbiton MP Edward Davey said he was “extremely disappointed” by the plans, which included 800 new homes.

 

A reformed prisoner turned community leader found herself back behind bars after nearly killing two people in a drink-drive accident.

Annys Darkwa, 53, was twice over the limit and speeding when she crashed into a man and a woman at a pelican crossing. Darkwa was jailed for nearly four years for the crime.

 

Plans for a complete overhaul of Kingston town centre were revealed in the middle of October. The re-development in Eden Quarter proposed up to 1,200 new homes and a new “flag-ship” department store.

Council leader Kevin Davis said: “It’s about enhancing the town and making what’s become a pretty shabby part of town something we can be proud of.”

Your Local Guardian:

The Comet's front page report of the proposed Eden Quarter development, from October 17, 2014

  • November

A teenager who was assaulted by men dressed as pink fairies in a homophobic Halloween attack bravely faced up to bullies in November.

Robbie Kingsford, 21, was inspired by the community response to what happened and encouraged other gay young people to “keep their chin up” and “stay strong” after the attack in Surbiton.

Your Local Guardian:

Robbie Kingsford spoke out after being attacked by two men in Surbiton in November

Your Local Guardian:

Rachel Rabin, known as Raign, divided opinion on the X Factor 

Rachel Rabin, known as Raign, the X Factor singer dubbed a “nightmare” by Cheryl Fernandez-Versini spoke out about all the messages of support she received after the show.

Cheryl described herself as “allergic” to the former Tolworth Girls’ pupil on national television sparking an outpouring of support from the borough.

A Christian tour operator took part in a not-so-Christian act by cancelling an elderly couple’s Mediterranean cruise and then stalling on the refunds.

Just 10 days before the ship was due to set sail, New Malden based LivingSun Holidays cancelled. Diana and Gospatric Home who had been due to go on the cruise described the cancellation as “a crazy saga”.

  • December

Another regeneration scheme was the talk of New Malden at the beginning of December.

The plans to knock down the parade of shops, including the historic cinema by the station and replace them with high-tech modular flats were met with hostility when they were showcased during an exhibition at the Malden Centre.

Your Local Guardian:

The plans to regenerate a parade of New Malden shops came as a surprise to many in December

Teenager Mohammed Barre was named and sentenced to 17 years behind bars for the fatal stabbing of Jamil Palmer. Barre was described as a “troubled and turbulent young man” by the judge after the six-week trial. The jury reached their verdict in less than 24 hours and four other teenagers were found not guilty of murder. 

A former market trader had an embarrassing Christmas moment when his Santa suit trousers fell down while he was entertaining kids at St Andrews Church playgroup.

Fergus Kent had lost weight after cutting out the mince pies and his five-year-old suit trousers were a little too slack, much to the amusement of the parents and children in the crowd.

Your Local Guardian:

Fergus Kent promised to belt up next year following his costume gaffe