This week 10, 20, 30 years ago

10 years ago

More than a hundred young dancers from across South London were set to take to the stage this weekend to raise cash in memory of a talented schoolgirl killed in a road accident.

Children from the South London Dance Studios staged their Charity Presentation of Class Work at the Michael Croft Theatre at Alleyn’s School in Townley Road, Dulwich.

The event raised cash for the Charlotte Leatherbarrow Foundation, which provides grants to talented young performers in arts and entertainment.

The foundation was launched by Charlotte’s family following her death.

The 12-year-old was hit by a bus at the junction of Herne Hill and Gubyon Avenue as she made her way to a class at the Herne Hill dance studios in March last year.

All-conquering singing sensation Adele returned to the South London scene of her first live performance in a trip down memory lane.

The then 23-year-old had just swept the board at the Grammys and had sold more than three million albums in the UK the year before – and it all began in Brixton.

The Tottenham-born chart-topper spent most of her teenage years living in West Norwood.

And it was while there, in 2006, that she took her first steps towards stardom at Jamm in Brixton Road.

She returned this month to film a documentary about her rise to fame and met its owner Jonathan Allen.

He said: “We had a chat and she was telling me how the venue had changed. She asked for a bottle of water but I had to refuse her because I didn’t have the keys to the fridges – that’ll be my claim to fame, telling Adele ‘No’ to a bottle of water!”

20 years ago

Millwall scored a home victory over Division One rivals Watford at The Den, climbing to their best league position in six years.

Steve Claridge stroked home a first-half penalty for his 14th goal of the season to seal the 1-0 win which lifted the Lions to second in the table behind Manchester City.

Millwall boss Mark McGhee thought the Lions were deserved winners, although he said his side had a nervous second half against the team managed by Gianluca Vialli.

The Scot said: “I suspect the players have all been studying the table and it dawned on them where we would be.”

A model railway club faced coming to the end of the line – because its 20 members didn’t have anywhere to set up their tracks.

The Southwark club had been going for 16 years, but was running out of steam after struggling to find a new venue.

The group were having to move out of Crawford Primary School in Crawford Road, Camberwell, because the room was needed for extra teaching.

Model railway club member Ray Blanchard said: “Despite already having to move home three times in our relatively short life, we would like to stay in Southwark.”

30 years ago

Lovejoy star Ian McShane proved he was no dope at entertaining kids when he dropped into King’s College Hospital’s children’s ward.

The TV star, accompanied by Snow White and dwarf Dopey, entertained patients at the hospital as part of Gold Heart Day, organised by the Variety Club charity.

Little gold hearts had been on sale at stores all over the country to raise cash as part of the £3million appeal to improve facilities at children’s hospitals.

The club had already raised £500,000 to build a four-bed intensive care unit for children at King’s in Denmark Hill.

A problem estate was to become the first in the capital to be handed over to tenant control.

Tenants on the North Peckham Estate in Sumner Road, Peckham, were to set up their own estate management board.

The management board would give them day-to-day control of the estate and a £75,000 grant was being provided to set up a steering group.

The management board was to have 12 elected tenants’ representatives, four council nominees and four co-optees – possibly councillors.

At A Newspaper Society awards dinner, the South London Press was crowned Britain’s fastest growing weekly newspaper.

Sales of the Tuesday edition had soared by what the Newspaper Society described as “a phenomenal” 10 per cent in the previous year.

Managing director Simon Edgley said: “It proves that week in, week out, we are giving the people of South London what they want.

“The recession has hit the newspaper industry very hard, and against that background, winning an award like this reflects credit on every member of staff.”

Compiled by alexandra@slpmedia.co.uk

 

Main Pic: Adele returns to South London to the scene of her first live performance ten years ago this week.