This week 10, 20, 30 years ago

10 Years Ago

The race was on to find buildings for four new “free schools” after they were given Government approval.

Seven schools in South London were given the go-ahead to open the following year despite more than half not yet having a home.

The schools had just 13 months to prepare for their first intake of pupils. One of the schools that had been approved would be the country’s first English-German bilingual school.

Some are backed by established educational trusts but others will be set up by groups of parents and teachers. London regional secretary for the National Union of Teachers, Tim Harrison, said there was a risk the free schools would cause problems for existing schools.

Celebrities and local heroes got ready to carry the Olympic torch through every South London borough.

Ex-world heavyweight boxing champ Lennox Lewis, round the world yachtsman Sir Robin Knox Johnston, athlete Marlon Devonish and former tennis aces Tim Henman and Sue Barker took part in the South London legs of the Olympic torch relay which begans in Greenwich.

Doreen Lawrence will carry the torch in Deptford in recognition of her campaign to bring the killers of her son Stephen to justice. Capital FM radio presenters Dave Berry and Lisa Snowden will have the honour in Merton for their charity work.

The event showcased communities and landmarks – from The Globe Theatre to Windrush Square in Brixton – to a global audience.

A newly transformed park opened to the public after a £8million facelift.

The new-look Burgess Park, on the borders of Peckham, Walworth and Camberwell, is hosted a family activities day organised by Southwark council to mark the occasion. Sections of the park have been closed during the work, which started in April last year.

Thousands of new plants were put in, although there was controversy over the felling of some trees.

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20 Years Ago

The South London Press announced the launch of its campaign to see Jade Goody win Channel 4’s Big Brother.

The Jade Aid campaign was to help the 21-year-old from Bermondsey to win the reality show contest and bag the £70,000 prize money given to the winner.

The dental nurse had made it through to the final round of voting to go through to the last night head to head contest. The Bermondsey branch of betting shop William Hill backed Jade by giving the South London Press a free £50 bet, and if it won, the winnings would be donated to her favourite charity.

A supermarket giant announced plans to build an Olympic standard ice rink into plans to create a new town centre hub.

The supermarket chain owned the ‘Hub’ site in Streatham High Road and it had been feared that the historic ice rink would be torn down, leaving South London without a top-level rink to foster local talent. But in the face of public pressure Tesco withdrew its planning application and said it would include the rink.

Some of a borough’s popular festivals were saved from the chop amid fears that they would fall foul of moves to correct its overspend.

Theatre in the Park, Pensioners’ Day and the Blackheath fireworks display were under threat after Lewisham council spent £3.6million more than its budget would allow.

The council predicted it would overspend on health and social care by £4million. This led to the council’s education and cultural department proposing to make £85,000 in savings by axing the events. The plan was vetoed by councillors.

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30 Years Ago

Play centres, adult education and student grants were to bear the brunt of £2.5million worth of cuts.

School meals, travel benefits, repairs and maintenance to school buildings were also in the firing line as Southwark council bean-counters tackled its budget overspend.

A freeze in recruitment in the education wing was announced for all posts except teachers.

The council blamed the crisis in its education funding on an increased reliance by schools on supply staff being drafted in.

A bid by an shipping group to take over South London train services would mean a steep increase in fares, campaigners said. It would also spell the end of Government funding for a programme of modernisation that was underway according to the group Transport 2000 who opposed the privatisation of British Rail.

The group came out in opposition to the bid by Waterloo-based Sea Containers Group, following Government’s decision that running the nation’s train services would be put out to tender. Sea Containers’ boss James Sherwood wanted to buy a slice of the South Central and South West divisions of Network SouthEast.

These served all British Rail stations in South London.

A Labour-run council announced plans to scrap school banding in secondary schools.

Southwark council’s education committee voted to drop the banding tests that children took in their final year of primary school which determined what stream they went into when they went to secondary school.

The system was set to be replaced by an “open door” system, which meant secondary school places would be allocated according to parents’ choice, rather than ability.

 

Pictured: Jade Goody leaving Channel 4’s Big Brother House. Credit: PA