This week 10, 20, 30 years ago

10 years ago

The South London Press was given a sneak preview of the capital’s only surviving windmill south of the river before it is opened to the public.

The Grade II listed Brixton Windmill was built in 1816 and is located in a small park at the western end of the borough Lambeth council was given a £40,000 Lottery grant for restoration in March last year following a campaign by the Friends of Windmill Gardens.

Friends chairwoman Jean Kerrigan said: “It is so exciting to see the windmill nearly restored and I am really looking forward to the opening when the community can visit and go inside the mill.

“I am so proud of everyone who has made this project such a success.”

Sebastian the squirrel is proving to be an interesting case for staff at Southwark Crown Court.

He appears at the court in English Grounds, off Tooley Street, London Bridge, every day – and would readily plead guilty to the charge of begging.

Sebastian has a particular affinity with security supervisor Giash Uddin, who said: “He even comes inside the building now.

“He walks through the door, collects his nuts and leaves again. He’s very well behaved.”

A housing boss has defended spending almost £3,000 of a council estate’s money on theatre tickets and a swanky dinner during a workers’ jolly.

As officers at Lambeth council began drawing up huge cutbacks in public spending, board members on a Brixton housing estate were buying tickets to see The Lion King in the West End.

Documents seen by the South London Press show the Angell Town Estate Management Board paid two cheques totalling £977.50 to Ticketmaster for tickets to The Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre in Aldwych.

The documents show a further £1,800 was withdrawn in cash, spent on a meal at the Axis restaurant in the five star One Aldwych hotel next door to the theatre.

20 years ago

Chris Powell revealed that a good luck message from Charlton boss Alan Curbishley helped settle his nerves ahead of his England debut.

The Addicks’ 31-year-old left-back from Lambeth put in a dynamic display in the 3-0 win over Spain at Villa Park.

In taking to the field, Powell became the first Charlton player to be capped by his country since Mike Bailey in 1965.

Powell, who was marking Valencia star Gaizka Mendieta, put in an assured display in the first 45 minutes before he came off with a calf strain.

It was a case of many happy re-turns at the London Eye as the popular attraction celebrated its first birthday.

London Mayor Ken Livingstone was joined by a host of celebrities on the South Bank to mark the big day.

Dancer Darcey Bussell and ChildLine founder and TV presenter Esther Ranzten attended for a cake-cutting ceremony.

Mr Livingstone said: “When I first heard a ferris wheel was going to be a symbol of London in the millennium I was totally unconvinced, but I’ve been proved to be terribly wrong.”

South London gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell had vowed to keep up his fight for human rights – despite fearing for his life.

Mr Tatchell, 49, from Elephant & Castle, was spokesman for activist group Outrage!

Days earlier he had been knocked unconscious by bodyguards of Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe outside a hotel in Belgium.

Mr Tatchell was attacked after trying to make a citizen’s arrest on the president for his alleged role in war crimes, and claimed he had subsequently suffered death threats.

He said: “I will never give up fighting for human rights.”

30 years ago

Wandsworth’ British heavyweight boxing champion Gary Mason was in a confident mood when he met opponent Lennox Lewis at a press conference.

The two men were due to clash at Wembley the following night and Mason claimed he was 100 per cent certain of adding Lewis’s European crown to his own British title.

Mason said: “If it goes the distance, I can see Lennox jabbing me early on and maybe trying to land his right hand.

“But in the second half of the fight I’ll come into my own and that’s when I’ll make sure of a win.”

Despite his positivity, Mason lost the fight to Lewis, after being stopped by the referee in the seventh round because of an injury to his eye.

A controversial scheme to redevelop Balham triangle was looking doomed after the purchase of a key site was dropped.

Developers Arundell House Securities had already made an 11th-hour plea to Wandsworth council for a year’s delay to submit its plans for the area.

In the latest blow, the firm pulled out of its attempt to buy a key part of the site which was occupied by Sainsbury’s – causing more delays.

The council had previously granted Arundell outline planning permission in December 1989, for a shopping centre, cinema and car park on the site between Balham High Road, Bedford Hill and Balham Station Road.

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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