This week 10, 20, 30 years ago
10 years ago
A cancer survivor will take two giant leaps of faith when he does a charity skydive and bungee jump.
Dafydd Jones, 28, from Gipsy Hill, was diagnosed with bowel cancer in October, 2009.
He dedicated his time to raising awareness of the illness and fundraising for Beating Bowel Cancer since getting the all-clear the previous year.
He planned a skydive for Bowel Cancer Awareness Month starts and then a bungee jump in May.
He said: “I’ve never done anything like a bungee jump or skydive before.
“But as bowel cancer awareness is an important month, I wanted to go extreme and show people that you can do anything if you put your mind to it.”
Would-be journalists followed up a story from the South London Press as part of a nationwide campaign.
Pupils at Lambeth Academy in Elms Road, Clapham, main picture, have been taking part in BBC News Report, in which 11- to 14-year-olds become reporters for a day.
The academy’s 12 students chose an article from March 15 about plans to turn Clapham Common into a campsite for Royal Wedding watchers.
They worked with Radio 4 news presenter Paddy O’Connell and staff at Lambeth City Learning Centre in Rectory Grove, Clapham.
Student Reuben Williamson said: “Filming involved going on location and getting to know exactly how filming and sound works. I am really proud of our finished product.”
20 years ago
First drawings of a pioneering educational centre to be built in memory of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence were welcomed by his mum Doreen.
The proposed centre in Deptford was the brainchild of the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust, founded by his parents to help young people from ethnic minorities work in architecture.
The trust had been running a bursary scheme for 10 young people a year, but hoped the £11.3million centre would help hundreds of teenagers.
Mrs Lawrence said: “It is now coming up to the eighth anniversary of Stephen’s death and to have something like this is so good.”
Cops were planning to scrap a one-year-old call centre system after fears were raised it was not as efficient as the one it replaced.
Inspector Cragg said: “We used to have three separate centres in Brixton, Streatham and Kennington. Each dealt with all in and outgoing calls.
“It changed at the beginning of the year and a call receipt centre for the whole borough was set up. It has been shown that using this system is not as effective.”
Crystal Palace manager Alan Smith, pictured, was buoyed by the news that central defender Fan Zhiyi and full-back Craig Harrison would be back from injury to the Eagles’ next home game against Crewe Alexandra.
Finish international Aki Riihilahti was also due to make his debut for the Eagles who were just two points above the Division One relegation zone.
Smith said: “We’ve had some difficult games lately, but aside from Bolton all our matches are against teams midway or below us.”
30 years ago
A training centre for the unemployed faced the axe months after being officially opened by a Government minister.
The Microtech Computer Services centre in London Road, Bermondsey, was launched in 1990 by Minister for Inner City Development Colin Moynihan.
But the South Thames Training and Enterprise Council (TEC) said that following a 30 per cent Government cut in funding for training it would be closing the centre.
A spokesman for South Thames TEC said: “There will be minimum disruption for those now on training programmes.”
Planned closure of a popular swimming pool was met with a tidal wave of protests.
Lambeth council’s decision to close Streatham pool, pictured, at the end of May 1991 to save £380,000 provoked complaints from disabled groups and swimming clubs.
Streatham Tory MP Sir William Shelton dived in by launching an appeal for businesses to buy up or take over the running of the pool.
But a council spokeswoman said firms were unlikely to be interested in taking over the pool, which ran at a loss despite big council subsidies.
It was demolished in 2011.
SOME children at a council day nursery were costing poll taxpayers £7,355 a year – £2,500 more than top public school Dulwich College charged day pupils.
Southwark council faced bills of £5,500-£9,000 a year per child to keep kids of 30 council staff in nurseries.
Parents were to be asked from April 1, 1991 to pay £35 a week towards the cost – a total of £1,645 towards the council’s bill.
A council spokesman said: “The day nurseries are a cost intensive service. There’s a high staff-to-pupil ratio and staff must be highly qualified.”
Do you have any memories of stories in the South London Press from the past 10, 20 or 30 years that you would like to see reprinted again?
If so, drop Alexandra Warren a line with details. Email her at alexandra@slpmedia.co.uk
Everyone at the South London Press thanks you for your continued support.
Former Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has encouraged everyone in the country who can afford to do so to buy a newspaper, and told the Downing Street press briefing:
“A FREE COUNTRY NEEDS A FREE PRESS, AND THE NEWSPAPERS OF OUR COUNTRY ARE UNDER SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL PRESSURE”
If you can afford to do so, we would be so grateful if you can make a donation which will allow us to continue to bring stories to you, both in print and online. Or please make cheques payable to “MSI Media Limited” and send by post to South London Press, Unit 112, 160 Bromley Road, Catford, London SE6 2NZ
