This week 10, 20, 30 years ago

10 years ago

A teenager who struggled at school because of his learning difficulties won £1,000 to help set up a production company for disabled people.

Jack Townsend, 18, from Bermondsey, has severe dyslexia and dyspraxia.

He was given the money by Turner Broadcasting and Leonard Cheshire Disability charity, in South Lambeth Road, Vauxhall.

Jack said: “I’m severely dyslexic and dyspraxic, and throughout school my teachers assumed I was just being lazy and sidelined me.

“I plan to set up my own production company for disabled, and also non-disabled people.”

Serious incidents in patient care at two hospital sites were revealed.

Documents presented to the board of directors of Guy’s and St Thomas’ Foundation Trust in London Bridge and Waterloo said there had been three “never events” – patient safety incidents that should not occur if available preventative measures have been implemented – and one “near miss” since April.

They included two cases of nasogastric tube “misplacement”.

The tubes are used to feed patients and administer drugs and are inserted through the nose into patients’ stomachs.

One of the never events was described as a case of “retained foreign object post surgery” and another was described as “wrong site surgery”.

The trust report said: “The trust takes never events extremely seriously and has done a considerable amount of work to reduce risk.”

20 years ago

It was more a case of Bach than bark at Battersea Dogs’ Home as staff calmed four-legged residents during Guy Fawkes celebrations.

The dogs’ home was treated to round-the-clock classical sounds from radio station Classic FM to help them get over the loud bangs from fireworks.

A spokesman from the home said: “The noise was especially bad because we’re right next to Battersea Park, where there was a big display.

“So we blacked out the windows and blasted the radio station throughout the building – it worked a treat.”

So as the bangers went off, the nightwatchmen and their canine friends were calmly resting to the sounds of WOOFgang Amadeus Mozart.

Harry Potter mania saw South London box office records about to be smashed.

Odeon Streatham general manager Kene Mkparu had predicted that Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone could become the biggest film ever.

The Streatham High Road cinema was planning to dedicate three screens to JK Rowling’s tale of wizardry.

Mr Mkparu said he was being inundated by schools booking hundreds of places for midweek morning screenings.

Millwall midfielder Tim Cahill’s World Cup dreams were shattered by the news that he was ineligible to play for Australia.

The Lions midfielder, who had just signed a three-year deal with the South London club, was hoping to make the Socceroos squad for Japan and Korea 2002.

Cahill, who was about to turn 22, had appealed to the Oceania Football Confederation, football’s Southern hemisphere governing body, in a bid to clear his eligibility.

But the Australian had turned out for Western Samoa’s under-17s side as a youth player, leading officials to judge him ineligible.

30 years ago

Sacked Steve Harrison was handed a footballing lifeline by Crystal Palace just three days after being booted out of the Den.

The former Millwall man was appointed to the Eagles coaching staff by manager Steve Coppell, who insisted Harrison’s ability would be an asset to the club.

Coppell said: “Steve Harrison is coming to the club as a coach and will be able to help us with the running of our five teams.”

Unstoppable duo Carter USM lived up to their name at a pop awards show after they were involved in a brawl seen by millions of TV viewers.

South London lads Fruitbat and Jim Bob caused mayhem at the Smash Hits Poll Winners’ Party in London’s Docklands Arena, broadcast live on a Sunday on BBC1.

Radio and TV presenter Phillip Schofield took the full force of their revenge after the performance of their latest single, After the Watershed, was faded out.

The pair stormed off stage before Fruitbat reacted to a comment from Schofield by flinging himself at the presenter.

Childhood sweethearts John and Margaret Evans were celebrating 60 years of married bliss.

They had known each other since Margaret, 78, was born.

John, 86, was taken to her christening by his family when he was just eight years old.

When they married, the couple, of Leathwaite Road, Battersea, entered the family dairy business in Ealing, west London.

John and Margaret had two daughters, Elizabeth and Margaret.

Margaret said: “We have our ups and downs but we have been very happy because we are both even-tempered and usually agree to differ.”

Compiled by alexandra@slpmedia.co.uk

Picture: This week 20 years ago, Battersea Dogs & Cats Home played classical music to calm the animals during fireworks celebrations