This week 10, 20, 30 years ago

10 Years ago

Campaigners staged a parade through the streets after their victory against a Government decision to downgrade Lewisham Hospital.

The celebration was led out by a specially decorated dustcart, symbolising Lewisham council’s support.

Health Secretary at the time, Jeremy Hunt’s plans to close the hospital’s A&E and high-risk maternity services had been halted by the high court earlier that year.

But the government was fighting for the decision to be overturned so it could press ahead with the plans designed to save a cash strapped neighbouring health trust.

Residents welcomed a pledge to drop plans for taller buildings in one area of South London.

Lambeth council confirmed it would not include provisions for four to six-storey buildings in West Norwood and Tulse Hill in its forthcoming Lambeth Local Plan.

Fears were raised that the plan would set a precedent for developers building tall buildings in the two areas.

A school was given permission to build new premises on the set of TV comedy Bad Education.

The headmaster of Catholic state secondary Saint John Bosco College said he was “delighted” at the news, but would surely hope the Battersea school’s fortunes did not follow those of fictional Abbey Grove featuring “world’s worst teacher” Alfie Wickers.

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20 Years Ago

More than 6,000 South Londoners were left without water after a mains pipe ruptured.

Businesses ground to a halt and hospitals had to switch to emergency reserves after the pipe burst in four places.

Residents in Peckham, East Dulwich and Camberwell were forced to queue to collect water from 17 emergency plastic tanks set up in the street.

The pipe ruptured beneath Linden Grove, Nunhead and had engineers baffled for days before it was fixed.

A caped vigilante began touring the streets freeing clamped cars with an angle grinder.

Angle-Grinder Man, as he was dubbed, offered his services for free to any stricken motorist. Thought to be an office worker by day, the caped crusader cruised the streets at night dressed as a superhero. And he refused to take any cash from grateful motorists.

He operated in Kent during the weekday evenings, turning his attention to clamped cars in South London at the weekend.

A protestor pushed a peanut seven miles to 10 Downing Street using only his nose.

Sick on living on peanuts, student Mark McGowan made his point about the abolition of student grants with the stunt pushing the nut from Goldsmiths College to the Prime Minister’s home.

When he arrived he was told the PM Tony Blair was in a meeting and could not be disturbed.

Mark had graduated from the college with a BA in Fine Art.

And planned to start an MA in history later that year.

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30 Years Ago

More than 360 people joined the dole queue in Streatham and Tooting in just one month making it one of London’s hardest hit areas.

It meant the number of people claiming benefits swelled to more than 15,000 – or one in five people of working age in the area.

It was the highest rate of unemployment ever recorded in the area and stood at nearly twice the national rate.

Pressure from shoppers forced a council to keep public toilets open at the weekend.

Two petitions from shoppers prompted Lambeth council to flush out plans to close the two toilets in Streatham.

The public lavatories in Leigham Court Road and Station Approach would be monitored to find out whether it was viable to keep both open.

More than 250 people signed the two petitions to keep the loos open.

Trade union bosses claimed a partial success against a town hall.

Crisis talks were held between Lambeth council and Unison bosses about job guarantees and working conditions.

The union had accused the council of deliberately putting 2,500 jobs at risk.

The row began after workers voiced fears that the council would miss a Government deadline for it to hand over details of three accounts.

The Government then threatened to close services at the council, meaning the workers’ jobs would be at risk.

But following top-level talks the union bosses said they were satisfied that the jobs would not be lost.

 

Picture: Pixabay/balouriarajesh