This week 10, 20, 30 years ago
10 years ago
A Colombian couple caught with more than £240,000 in cash and a flat full of cocaine-encrusted paraphernalia have been jailed for a total of 27 years.
Jaime Garzan Toro, 39, and Yaqueline Aldana Calderon, 43, were arrested at their home in Brixton after collecting $70,000 from a bureau de change.
Officers discovered cash stashed in a laundry basket, in a cupboard under the stairs and electronic scales, a pump, a press and a food processor covered with traces of cocaine.
Southwark Crown Court heard the pair had been under police surveillance for some time before their arrest.
Garzan Toro, whose address was given as Greenleaf Close, Tulse Hill, was jailed for 15 years after he admitted conspiracy to supply cocaine.
Aldana Calderon, whose address was given as Aytoun Road, Stockwell, was jailed for 12 years after being convicted by a jury of conspiracy to supply cocaine.
A woman who has worked to change her community for the better over the past three decades was recognised with the Star of South London award.
Jennifer Berbeck, from Catford, dedicated her award to staff working for public sector services.
In July, she was made redundant by Lewisham council.
During her 32 years in the council’s housing and antisocial behaviour departments, Jennifer volunteered as a trustee at the Marsha Phoenix Memorial Trust young women’s homeless charity in Brockley.
The 52-year-old’s past has been touched with tragedy – her brother, Anthony, was injured in a house fire in New Cross Road in 1981, which killed 13 young black people.
He died 18 months later.
20 years ago
A store owner feared the impact of controversial bus lane proposals on her family’s long-established business.
Sophie Cartwright ran household equipment shop AJ Farmer in Lordship Lane and the shop had been in her family’s hands for 40 years.
Under the London Bus Initiative, the lane was to be introduced to speed up the number 185 bus journey through East Dulwich.
Mrs Cartwright said she feared the plan would increase traffic and make parking harder.
She said: “I don’t know how much time the bus lanes are supposed to save on a journey between Lewisham and Victoria, but I hope it’s worth the money they are planning to spend.”
A computer failure at a council caused chaos as internet and email facilities were shut down and staff sent home.
Fifteen staff from Southwark’s housing department went home following the computer glitch.
Councillor Nick Stanton, the opposition Lib Dem group leader, said: “I just can’t see how this could happen. We’re meant to be a professionally-run organisation.”
The council said the issue, which affected the authority’s system for five hours, was a “problem with networking” but it had not cost any money.
A group of kind-hearted Lewisham College students and their friends raised more than £2,000 for the family of four children killed in a house fire.
Beverley French and Marisa Robinson arranged the sponsored walk through Lewisham for family and college mates.
They raised money for Paulette Orlebar who lost four of her children in a fire at Deptford Wharf on November 3.
Beverley said: “We got more than £200 on the day to add to the sponsorship money.”
30 years ago
Crushed 9-0 and thumped 3-0 on their previous two visits to Anfield, there was undisguised joy in the Crystal Palace camp after their 2-1 win at Liverpool.
The Eagles did it the hard way, coming back from conceding a goal just seconds before the break, before scoring two second-half efforts past Liverpool’s Bruce Grobbelaar.
First Marco Gabbiadini nipped in to strike for Palace in the 51st minute before Geoff Thomas secured all three points for the South London side with a headed 72nd minute winner.
Liverpool-born Palace manager Steve Coppell said: “I am well pleased. It is a nice feeling to come here and win.”
Cash-starved Lambeth council was in financial chaos and faced having to make £30million of cuts to balance its books.
The council, which already had the country’s highest poll tax, had already slashed £25million from its budget.
But even deeper cuts were on the cards.
Chief executive Herman Ouseley had ordered a temporary freeze on grants to voluntary bodies for the next three months.
The council’s poor financial position was partly due to its low poll tax collection rates.
A crowd was plunged into panic on Bonfire Night when a rocket shot along the ground and into spectators at a council firework display.
The incident at the Brockwell Park display in Herne Hill was being investigated by Lambeth council.
A council spokeswoman said: “We are looking into what went wrong. The rockets are supposed to go upwards. Some of the contents of one rocket went into the crowd and one or two people suffered minor burns.”
Compiled by alexandra@slpmedia.co.uk
Pic: Crystal Palace manager Steve Coppell was ‘well pleased’ to beat Liverpool this week thirty years ago.