This week 10, 20, 30 years ago

10 Years Ago

A town hall spent more than £270,000 to evict one of South London’s oldest squats.

The cost of evicting the occupants of Rushcroft Road, in Brixton on July 15, 2013, was revealed in a Freedom of Information request lodged by housing campaigners. About 100 people had been living in vacant flats within six mansion blocks in the road for decades.

Some had left the flats before bailiffs turned up. Lambeth council were forced to secure a High Court order for the clearance, with three of the blocks sold to private developers for about £5.5million.

The Mayor of Southwark joined runners who hit the road to raise thousands of pounds for two South London charities.

The 28th annual Dulwich 10k race took place in Dulwich park with more than 200 people crossing the finish line. Members of running clubs and lone athletes joined in the fun, to raise money for the Hollington Youth Centre in Camberwell and CoolTan Arts at Walworth.

Mayor of Southwark, Councillor Abdul Mohamed, joined in the fun, completing the race in just over 50 minutes – securing 137th place overall.

Horrid Henry creator Francesca Simon read to 30 Year 6 children from Snowfield primary in Southwark, at the View From The Shard – the viewing gallery of the capital’s tallest building – 68 floors up.

The event was organised by reading charity Booktrust.

The children from the Kirby Grove school listened to Francesca in front of the far-reaching views offered by The Shard, one of the book’s key locations, along with other landmarks in the City.

---

20 Years Ago

Nearly three quarters of South London Press readers who took part in a telephone poll said they would not want to send their children to their local school.

The poll was carried out in the aftermath of Tory MP Oliver Letwin’s comments.

He caused controversy by saying he would rather beg on the street than send his children to his local school in Lambeth.

Seventy-two per cent of readers agreed with him while 28 per cent said they would send their children to the local school.

A community centre was named in memory of a woman who died after dedicating her entire life to helping others.

Friends of Yvonne Carr, the manager of the Patmore Co-operative in Battersea, were determined that her name should live on after she spearheaded the campaign to raise £1million to build the centre for the Patmore and neighbouring Carey and Savona estates.

Campaigners fighting to save 40 churchyard trees from the chop won a reprieve for them.

People in Deptford were worried about plans to cut the plum, cedar and cherry trees as part of the St Paul’s Church restoration.

In the face of public anger, the Archdeacon of Lewisham Christine Hardman agreed to meet with residents and it was decided that while four trees considered to be too close to the church would be removed no other trees would be touched.

---

30 Years Ago

Fears that firefighters would come under attack from youths on Bonfire Night were raised after one was shot in the back with an air gun pellet.

Robin Nash, 33, was hit as he helped colleagues put out a blaze in a fifth-storey storeroom in a block of flats in Inville Road, Walworth.

He was taken to King’s College Hospital and treated for bruising before returning to duty.

On the same evening, firefighters came under a barrage of bricks and stones as they dealt with a rubbish fire in Dog Kennel Hill, Dulwich.

The Prime Minister’s brother was in Peckham to help promote an unusual answer to the country’s unemployment problems.

Terry Major, the brother of John Major, paid a visit to Zippo’s circus, which was running classes for wannabe circus performers.

Mr Major’s father had once been a trapeze artist before running away from the circus to start his own business.

A war of words erupted between a former council worker and the council over whether a pile of wood set to go up in smoke for Bonfire Night was a fire hazard.

Tony Osborn built the pyre ahead of the fireworks celebration in a play area next to his home in Heaton Road, Peckham.

The council told him to remove it but he refused saying he and other adults had supervised the event for the past three or four years for local youngsters.