This week 10, 20, 30 years ago
10 years ago
The dad of a man killed in a bombing in Egypt welcomed reforms that will see Britons injured in terror attacks abroad receive compensation.
Trevor Lakin, whose 28-year-old son Jeremy was killed in a terror attack in Sharm-el-Sheikh, has long campaigned for the change in the law.
He had been helped by Bermondsey and Old Southwark Lib Dem MP Simon Hughes.
Jeremy, from Walworth, had been on a week-long diving holiday in the Egyptian resort with his girlfriend, Annalie Vickers, 31.
They died when terrorists detonated a bomb at a taxi rank on July 23, 2005.
Fireworks, music and a lantern parade were among the attractions expected to draw thousands of people to Greenwich.
The borough, which has royal connections dating back more than six centuries, became the first area in 80 years to be honoured with Royal Borough status.
But the council said it did not have enough money to pay for all the borough’s road signs to be changed to reflect the status and, because of public sector cuts, roads will only get new signs when they are due to be replaced.
However, signs marking the entry points into the borough were set to be given a royal makeover.
Greenwich council leader Councillor Chris Roberts urged everyone to join in the celebrations.
20 years ago
The wobbly Millennium Bridge appeared to have been cured when 2,000 people took an evening stroll across it.
The group of hand-picked walkers who wandered across the £18.2million bridge were taking part in an experiment to test it for the shakes.
Extra shock absorbers were installed after it started swaying during its opening weekend in June, 2000.
It had been shut since then, but following £5million of extra engineering work, it was hoped the bridge could open by the end of the year.
Among the walkers were town crier Peter Moore, who livened up the stroll with some bell ringing.
The waiting list at a hospital had grown dramatically, prompting fears it could plunge into crisis.
St George’s Hospital in Blackshaw Road, Tooting, was struggling to reduce the number of people waiting excessive periods for operations.
More than 90 people had waited over 65 weeks the month before, when the target had been just 30 people.
John Lister, of London Emergency Health, said: “As far as local people are concerned, it’s a complete disaster.”
But St George’s claimed it was coping and pledged that all patients that had been waiting more than 21 weeks for an outpatient appointment would be seen within the next two months.
Prince Charles was doing a good impression of one of South London’s favourite sons – Del Boy – when he dropped in to visit residents in Herne Hill.
Looking dapper in what appeared to be a cashmere coat, the Prince of Wales was in town to talk to people about community redevelopment.
He examined plans to revamp a nearby open space and met members of the Popular Youth Association, who were involved in the project.
30 years ago
A four-year-old girl who had stopped breathing was saved by an off-duty firefighter, who gave her the kiss of life.
Dionne Kiln was walking with her father John, 52, in Westow Hill, Norwood, when she had an asthma attack.
It was the sight of John running with Dionne in his arms that attracted firefighter Craig Weeden, who had just clocked off from Green Watch at Norbury Fire Station in London Road.
Craig, 28, said: “As a fireman on duty, if you use the kiss of life once a year it would be a lot, especially as we have resuscitation machines.”
After a few breaths from Craig, Dionne was breathing again.
She was taken to hospital and later discharged with a clean bill of health.
Gary Mason admitted he was tempted by a £250,000 offer to fight former world heavyweight champion George Foreman.
The clash would have meant the Wandsworth boxer coming out of retirement and risking further damage to his right eye if the bout had gone ahead.
But in the end Mason discounted the idea of making some money.
He said: “When someone makes you an offer like that you have to consider it. But having said that, it didn’t take me too long to realise it would be the wrong thing to do.”
Mason had retired 10 months earlier after suffering eye damage in a bout he lost against Lennox Lewis.
A filthy school was closed down for a day and the children sent home after the headmaster decided it was too dirty for them to use.
The floors had not been cleaned, the toilets were dirty and the building dusty at Tuke School in Woods Road, Peckham.
The situation at the school, which catered for severely disabled two- to 19-year-olds, highlighted problems with the school cleaning contract.
Councillor Ian Driver, Southwark’s contractor services committee chairman, said: “The latest incident has brought the problem to a head. Cleaning at Tuke falls short of that required for a special school.”
Compiled by alexandra@slpmedia.co.uk
Picture: Wandsworth boxer, Gary Mason