Ho ho ho for Balham homeless charity

DONS CUP FEVER 26 YEARS ON FROM WEMBLEY JOY
Excitement builds for visit of Premier League Liverpool
@sw_Londoner
www.swlondoner.co.uk
Edition 4, December 2014
MARATHON TASK FOR RUNNER ROB
Richmond fundraiser pounding his way to 200k
Tragic kid buried with
pen pal Kate’s letter
page 19
Naomi raises Ebola
funds with new shop
Train station
assaults on
the increase
EXCLUSIVE
By Joey Millar
COMMUTERS are more likely to
be attacked while waiting for a
train at Wimbledon than Brixton.
The startling figures obtained
by SouthWest Londoner revealed
that nine more incidents of assault
were recorded at the SW19 rail
hub between October 1 2013 and
November 1 2014.
In total 26 attacks were recorded in Wimbledon compared to
just 17 in Brixton.
Combined with data from eight
other south west London stations,
a total of 158 assaults took place
over the same period – a staggering rate of three attacks per week.
Clapham Junction is by far the
most dangerous station, with 70
assaults recorded.
This statistic however is somewhat tempered by the fact that the
station is one of the busiest in
Europe in terms of the number of
trains that pass through.
At the other end of the scale
Sloane Square had no attacks
recorded during all but one of the
months studied. Fulham Broadway also fared well despite
regular large crowds converging
on the station on Chelsea match
days.
Just three assaults were recorded despite the sometimes rowdy
game day atmosphere.
A British Transport Police
spokesperson said that although
there was disparity between different stations the statistics had to
be looked at in context.
He said: “Comparing stations
with each other is not always easy
but, for example, you are more
likely to change trains atWimbledon mainline than Sloane Square
underground station.
“There will be more people on
the platform and the station at
Wimbledon rather than just passing through on trains.”
South West London also
revealed that six of the assaults
recorded across south west
London were racially-motivated,
while another six were of a sexual
nature. Five of the assaults were
on police constables.
The BTP spokesperson said
officers are constantly working to
reduce incidents of assaults, and
that crime at stations is down for
the tenth year in a row.
He said:“Our officers regularly
patrol stations, to reassure the
public and staff alike,and act as a
deterrent.”
The force also regularly runs
operations to target offenders,
and have partnered with licensed
premises in stations to help
reduce alcohol-related attacks.
page 16
page 18
Having a Ball in
Wandsworth
page 3
Ho ho ho for Balham
homeless charity
Page 15
Merton heroes set to be recognised for Christmas good deeds
By Rosie Hopegood
MERTON’S unsung heroes are set
to be rewarded with a good deed
in a project designed to spread
Christmas good will to those who
need it most.
The 12 Deeds of Christmas celebrates vulnerable residents or
overlooked champions of the borough, with one a day announced
in the lead up to Christmas.
The project is organised by
Circle Housing and Keepmoat.
“Things are really tight for
some people at the moment, and
there’s plenty of people out there
who could do a little bit of a lift,”
said Michelle Mundy, resident
involvement manager at Circle
Housing Merton Priory. “We’re
trying to put a bit of community
spirit back in the area.”
Merton residents were asked
to nominate those who they felt
had done something worthwhile
or needed a boost at this time of
year. Nominators were asked to
suggest an appropriate good
deed, with suggestions such as
the donation of a turkey or tree,or
support and help for a project.
Mike Edwards, Managing
Director of Keepmoat Property
Services, said:“Our team will be
donating festive prizes and volunteering their own time to bring
some extra much-needed Christmas cheer.”
Nominations have come in for
family members,teachers,carers
and charity workers.
December 2014
wwww.swlondoner.co.uk
2 NEWS
WHAT’S
INSIDE
page 5
Richmond
GREAT British Bake Off 2014
star Martha Collison attended
a cake sale in Fulham to help
raise money for a boy with
life-shortening muscle condition.
Six-year-old Sammy de
Laszlo was diagnosed with
Duchenne muscular dystrophy two years ago and, since
then, his parents are on a mission to raise awareness
regarding his condition.
The Bake Off quarter-finalist joined their cause and
stood by Sammy’s side at
Bake a Difference at All Saints
Primary School.
Martha said:“I felt quite
touched to be asked to come.
He seems like quite a happy
little boy.
“The whole community
really cares about him and are
doing everything they can to
support him and raise money
to help him.”
The 17-year-old is the
youngest competitor ever on
GBBO but still managed to
impress and made it all the
way to the quarter-finals.
She said the BBC One programme was a fantastic
experience and, even though
it was quite stressful at times,
she found it to be a once-in-a-
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Borough News Editors
Hayley Richardson, Leonie Chao Fong,
Rosie Hopegood, Tom Roddy, Georgina Campbell,
Josh Murray
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Published by News Associates Ltd
Christmas cheer for
lonely pensioners
page 17
Bake Off star Martha
helps poorly Sammy
By Konstantinos Lianos
CONTACT DETAILS
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page 8
Jobs slashed at Kew
Gardens
Campaigner mum raises
Fire Station hot issue
FLASHBACK: It’s four
years since snow came
to Kew Gardens at
Christmas but job
threats are now the
worry for employees at
the Royal Botanic
Gardens - see page 10
Author Jacqueline Wilson
on local charity drive
TV appearance lands
charity £46,000
Snowman first edition
sells for £12,000
Kensington
Kingston
Lambeth
Merton
lifetime experience. She was
invited to Fulham by the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign
where she opened the event
and judged a bake off alongside the young Chelsea fan.
She added:“There are so
many people who have come
to help raise money for a good
cause and I think it’s really
nice to see the whole community come together.”
Martha stressed the fact
there is no cure for Sammy’s
condition and urged the
public to join his parents’
efforts in raising awareness
and money for research.
Sammy is one of just 2,500
children and adults in the UK
with this rare disorder that
causes muscles to weaken and
waste throughout time.
The condition can ultimately lead to increasingly severe
disability.
His dad, Oliver de Laszlo,
43, said:“The day he was diagnosed was etched in my mind
– we were devastated.
“Yes, you might see Sammy
now and he’s fine – he can
walk, he can jump he can do
things most of the kids can do.
“But, over time, about the
age of nine or 12, there’s a
harsh reality he could well be
in a wheel chair and then the
life expectancy is around 30.”
The 43-year-old added that
the family’s main goal was to
raise awareness.
His mum,Tricia de Laszlo,
45, stressed it is important to
fund medical research.
Bake a Difference took
eight months and a shoestring budget to organise and
the family are extremely
grateful for everyone that
helped.
Mr de Laszlo
thought the support was
phenomenal.
He said:“Just
seeing Martha
with the kids,
whom adore her
makes these events
that extra bit special and
worthwhile
“I really can’t thank everyone enough who has worked
hard behind the scenes.
“We’re really very touched
and privileged that they supported this campaign.”
The event was a huge success as the family raised £640,
including £400 more from
Tinies Childcare, who held
their own cake sale that day.
STAR BAKER: Bake
Off quarter-finalist
Martha Collison, 17,
was the celebrity
judge at a charity
cake sale in Fulham
Kingston ready to make a
profit from Dons Cup tie
By Charlotte Long
BUSINESSES and services in Kingston
are planning well ahead of time for
the intriguing FA Cup third round tie
between AFCWimbledon and Liverpool.
The draw brings back memories
of the unexpectedWimbledon victory against the Reds in the 1988
heated final.
Jerry Irving,Chief Executive of
Kingston Chamber of Commerce,is
excited about the opportunities the
game will bring the area.
He said: “Presumably,there will be
a number of Liverpool fans and
others coming into Kingston that
wouldn’t normally come and I think
that’s good because it gives Kingston
the opportunity to show how fantastic
it is.
“It gives local shops and others the
opportunity to sell a bit more and,of
course,it’s the FA Cup which is
always a great occasion.”
Pubs around Kingston are preparing for the sudden influx of fans
attending the game,scheduled for
January 3-4.
Steve Lamb,manager of The Grove,
said of the approaching game:“I
think it’s great for Kingston’s hospitality industry,as long as everyone
behaves themselves and doesn’t
smash the place up.”
Security firms are also gearing up
for the Kingsmeadow game.
Nick Elliott,business manager at
Hauk Security,said:“With an increase
in football trade comes an increase in
risk.
“We come from an industry and a
background where we’ve been dealing with this sort of stuff for years,so
for us it’s a fairly run-of-the-mill
event.”
Ticket selling arrangements are
yet to be announced for a game that
AFCWimbledon have described as a
‘dream-FA cup tie’.
The stadium holds 4,720 and transport services are pencilling in plans
to cater for the additional numbers.
A British Transport Police
spokesman said:“We are still in the
process of finalising our plans for all FA
Cup third round ties.
“However,we are well versed at
dealing with large numbers of fans
travelling across the country each
weekend.We have tried and trusted
methods to ensure all fans – and other
commuters – can get to their destinations safe.”
Loyal supporter Anthony Ruschil,
supervisor at The Canbury Arms,is
proud to see the club reach this stage.
“It will do a lot for the atmosphere of
Kingston,”he said.”If there were any
football club to rise from the ashes it
was to be AFCWimbledon.”
December 2014
www.swlondoner.co.uk
Toilet bar flush with success
By Josie Griffiths
CLAPHAM’S ‘WC’ bar is celebrating its first festive
season by opening a Christmas tree pop-up shop.
Londoners are invited to
purchase a tree while enjoying a hot buttered rum,
mulled wine or mulled cider
on the terrace,tucked around
the corner from Clapham
Common station.
WC, a former tube toilet
whose name now stands for
Wine and Charcuterie,is running the pop up shop until
FESTIVE: Have a drink and buy a tree in Clapham toilet December 14.
Owners Andy Bell,40,and
Jayke Mangion,34,are donating part of the proceeds to
the NSPCC.
The original Victorian
toilet, built in the late 1800s,
was completely transformed
before its opening on July 11
this year.
The owners have kept the
original urinals for decoration, transformed toilet
cubicles into booths and still
use the mosaic tiled floor.
Mr Mangion said: “It still
has that very Victorian feel.
It’s very cosy. It’s very intimate. It’s really popular.”
The owners wanted to
celebrate their first Christmas in a unique way and
promote their upcoming
charity event.
Mr Mangion said:“There
are still a lot of people who
do not know we exist.
“We have an outside area,
so we can utilise this for
different things.
“It is a part of trying to
have that Christmas vibe. To
make it an experience.”
The event promises to be a
big affair, with many of the
bar’s suppliers helping the
charity cause.
There will be stalls selling
discounted products such as
cheese, wine and charcuterie. There will also be live
entertainment, with pianist
Erin Mortimer performing
Christmas favourites.
The disused toilet was far
from its current state when
Mr Ball and Mr Mangion
bought it.
Mr Mangion said: “It was
awful,it was a right off.”
The pair purchased the
bar after seeing an advertisement, but the toilet did
not have a license or planning permission.
WEST END MAGIC:
Michael Ball singing
Phantom of the Opera
in a music therapy
session at the RNH
Hospital
He’s on the Ball! West End
star sings carols for charity
By Josie Griffiths
WEST END star Michael Ball has
attracted fans from abroad to see
him perform in the Putney RHN
Christmas carol concert tomorrow.
Ball is the headline act in the
Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability (RHN) event, which is taking
place at Holy Trinity Church in
Beaumont Road from 7pm.
The sold-out concert,for which
tickets were sold at £15-a-head,
has raised awareness as well as
funds for the RHN charity.
Fundraising manager Anna
Wall-Budden said: “We have got
people coming from overseas.
Michael is really helping us to
spread the word.”
Following a successful event at
St Mary's Church last year, the
hospital hopes to raise £10,000 for
music therapy treatment.
“
It is an honour to be
asked to sing at the RHN’s
Christmas carol concert
and to have been invited
to experience this wonderful hospital first hand.
- Michael Ball
”
The Putney High School (PHS)
junior choir are also singing, with
50 girls aged 9-11 taking part.
Director of Music Wendy
Archibald said they were keen to
support the RHN hospital
‘because it does such fantastic
work.’
She added: "The girls are very
excited.They love singing carols."
Miss Wall-Budden said the
seven or eight patients who are
attending the event with their
carers are looking forward to it.
“It’s fantastic,” she said. “The
excitement of seeing celebrities,I
think it will really boost their festive cheer.”
Miss Wall-Budden added they
have an annual internal carol concert for the hospital’s 225 patients,
many of whom are not able to
attend the public event.
She said: “We are exposed to
Christmas wherever we go. Our
patients will only see what they
see in hospital.”
The PHS choir have sung at the
hospital's internal concert in the
past but in recent years the concert has clashed with their own
Christmas carol concert.
Mrs Archibald said this is why it
was so nice to be able to take part
in this year’s concert.
Ball became involved with the
RHN through his wife Cathy, who
has been a volunteer there for
several years.
“We are her local charity and
she wants to support us," said
Miss Wall-Budden. “She’s very
active in what she does here.”
Ball visited the RHN hospital on
November 26 and sat in on a
music therapy session.
He said at the time: “It is an
honour to be asked to sing at the
RHN’s Christmas carol concert,
and to have been invited to this
wonderful hospital to experience
first hand the impact it makes on
people’s lives.”
NEWS 3
Balham
boy wins
prize for
Christmas
design
By Jessica Badger
A NINE-YEAR-OLD Balham
boy has been crowned king
of the Christmas cards after
winning Sadiq Khan’s
annual competition.
Dylan Braganza Fitzpatrick from Ravenstone
Primary School in Balham
won theTooting MP’s
annual Christmas Card
Competition with his Santa
design.
Mr Khan said:“My
Christmas card competition is one of the highlights
of my year and it is always a
delight to see so many children take part.
“I would like to say a big
thank you to everyone who
entered – you made the
judges’task very difficult!
“The designs which were
shortlisted to appear on the
card are all fantastic, and
Dylan’s design on the front
really stands out.”
His Christmas card will
be sent out to more than
6,000 families, businesses,
politicians and celebrities
across the world.
Card design winner
Dylan said that he was
shocked to find out his
design had won.
He said:“In assembly
when Sadiq Khan
announced the winner of
his Christmas card competition 2014 I was astonished
when he called out my
name.
“Everyone was cheering
and clapping, then Sadiq
Khan shook my hand, it
was amazing!”
Every year Mr Khan
invites primary school children from all across his
constituency to design pictures for the front of his
Christmas card.
This year he received
hundreds of admissions
from children in Earlsfield,
Tooting, Furzedown,
Wandsworth Common and
Balham.
The designs were judged
by four representatives
from within the local community; Reverend Steve
Rouse, Balham Baptist
Church, Chief Supt Richard
Smith, fromWandsworth
Police, Gill Perkins from
the charityWandsworth
Oasis, and Furzedown
councillor, Leonie Cooper.
The MP announced the
winner in assembly at
Ravenstone Primary School
and presented Dylan with a
framed certificate, as well
as a small gift and the invitation for a tour of the
Houses of Parliament for
his whole family.
www.swlondoner.co.uk
December 2014
4 MERTON
Council
approves
£32m cuts
to essential
services
Edited by Rosie Hopegood
GAME, SET AND
MATCH: Whiley has had
a hugely successful year
PICTURE: Ian Byers
By Rosie Hopegood
A CABINET meeting held by
Merton Council has voted in
favour of life-changing budget
cuts which will have far-reaching effects in the borough,
warns council leader Stephen
Alambritis.
Speaking to SW Londoner,
Cllr Alambritis confirmed that
the controversial new business
plan will go ahead after it was
approved by the cabinet on
Monday night.
The council needs to cut
£32million from its annual
budget by 2019,with youth
centres and adult education
areas likely to be hit hardest.
Cllr Alambritis said:“Sadly
and regretfully,all the cuts proposed in the run up to next
year’s budget were agreed by
the cabinet.”
“We’re doing what 32 other
London boroughs are having
to do and that is to make huge
cuts – it’s going to be a long
slog and for the long haul,”he
added.
The new plan will take effect
over the 2016-19 period,and
comes after the council has
already been forced to make
cuts of £70million in the last
few years.
The rollback will be made to
services which are still struggling to come to terms with the
last round of cutbacks.
Cllr Alambritis said:“The
coalition government has gone
too far in its anxiety to reduce
the deficit.
“They’ve gone about it in
the wrong way and the cuts
will be too fast and too deep.”
Social care is likely to be
slashed by £5million,with care
packages reduced to a minimum.
An online campaign to save
Merton Adult Education has
garnered much support,with
more than 1,200 supporters
signing a petition.
“So many residents eyes
[have been] opened by current goings on at
@Merton_Council No wonder
large % of population choose
not to vote,”tweeted campaigners from Save Merton
Adult Education.
Cllr Alambritis was keen to
point out that key services
such as refuse collection,
libraries and day centres will
be protected from the cuts,
and a new leisure centre will
be built using money that has
already been put aside.
“It's about making tough
choices but also about being a
council that has a future,”he
said.
The changes will not be
finalised until January,when
the business plan will be put
before a scrutiny committee.
Four-time grand slam winner
swinging for change in 2015
By Lila Randall
on point - I’m learning how to
control my nerves and mind on
court.
“You set your goals and work
your ass off.”
The 22-year-old is also hoping
to win away from the court as she
searches for a new charity to
work with.
She is currently in talks with
her manager to decide what she
can bring to the charity table.
She said:“There is always an
THE FIRST Brit to win all four
Grand Slams announced her
tennis goals as the UN has proposd to use technology to help
people with disabilities integrate
into work and community.
JordanneWhiley has won
almost everything there is to win
in professional tennis this year –
including able-bodied matches.
She conquered the Aegon
Player of theYear,Black Country
Disabled Sports Person of the
Year and was shortlisted for Sky
Sports Sportswoman of theYear.
After winning all four major
doubles titles with partnerYui
Kamiji,Whiley has now set her
sights on the Australian Opens in
January.
She is currently ranked fifth on
the singles circuit but hopes to
break into the top four early on in
the games.
Whiley said:“Now I’m just
making sure everything is really WINNER: Whiley at the US Open
adaptation you can put on something and it’s your life and your
dream.
“You just need the confidence
to go out and get it.”
On December 3 the UN held
the annual International Day of
Persons with Disabilities
conference.
This year the theme was using
technology to help individuals
with a disability get into work
and into their community.
MALAWI: Whiley visits Cure kids
When asked about the UN’s
proposalWhiley said she thought
the biggest issue facing people
with disabilities is a lack of
awareness within society.
In light of this she is an ambassador of three children charities,
Cure,The Lady Taverners and
Kallikids.
Cure operates on disabled
children and has 10 hospitals
across the developing world.
In 2012Whiley became an
ambassador and visited the
charity’s hospitals in Malawi in
2013.
During her visit she helped to
set up tennis lessons for children
who,due to their disability,do not
attend school.
Whiley also acknowledged
that children with disabilities in
the developing world are seen as
a burden and many families
become outcast from society.
After having the necessary
treatment they can be accepted
into a community once again.
A spokesperson from Cure
said:“Her victory is testament
that anything is possible no
matter what the circumstances.
“We hope it will bring hope
and determination to our Cure
kids across the globe.”
The tennis pro,who will be in
training during the Christmas
period,is in the process of
tweaking her game for the New
Year.
She has a message to give disabled children hoping to
emulate her success.
Whiley added:“I want to give a
lot to others to show them they
can achieve their goals.
“You can’t change the way you
were born so you have to adapt
and remember that you have
potential.”
“If you have a goal,you can
achieve it.”
Whiley will head to Australia
on January 9 in her task to claim
the first major title of the calendar year.
BREAKING BLUES ‘SMALL’ SUCCESS
HOME-GROWN blues singer-songwriter Millie Manders will be
spending quality time with family in
ColliersWood after a successful year.
The London College of Music student, whose style has been heavily
influenced by the likes of No Doubt,
The King Blues and Aretha Franklin,
has high aspirations for the coming
12 months, both domestically and
abroad.
But Millie has her priorities in line
for the Christmas period as she looks
to recharge her batteries before a
busy 2015.
“Visiting my family is high on my
priority list because I simply don’t
see them enough,”she said.
The young singer recently
appeared at the SouthWest London
Film Festival inTooting and revealed
she is working on a charity single
with event organiser Laurentiu
Huianu.
She said:“It’s great to bounce with
people in different genres and backgrounds to broaden the sound I
have.”
Her meteoric rise has landed her a
gig supporting icon Jamie Jazz from
The King Blues atThe Bleach Blood
Christmas Show on December 16.
“I am beyond excited.I was at
their first gig atThe Finsbury so to be
sharing a stage with them is mind
blowing,”she said.
MERTON’S small businesses continue to prosper after the success of
Small Business Saturday.
Last month the borough scooped
the prize for best all-round small
business-friendly borough.
Council leader Stephen Alambritis
stressed the importance of unifying
local independent companies.
“We work hard to support small
businesses in Merton and we really
want to set our town centres buzzing
with activity on this and on other days
leading up to Christmas,”said Cllr
Alambritis.
The councillor was speaking at
Coffee in theWood in ColliersWood,
which was one of the five businesses
he attended on the day.
“What we don’t want is for the
place to be a dormitory, with people
just living here but working in Central London,”he added.
David Fletcher, founder ofWimbletech, an office space provider
based inWimbledon, credited local
authorities for their support.
Mr Fletcher said:“We could not
have achieved anything without the
commitment, flexible and continued
innovative support from all the relevant departments.”
Small Business Saturday is an
American concept marking the first
Saturday followingThanksgiving on
the busiest shopping day of the year.
www.swlondoner.co.uk
December 2014
Charity walking on air after
Briggs’ book raises £12k
MERTON 5
By Jake Polden
A REVISED first edition of Raymond Briggs’The Snowman was
sold for £12,000 in an auction
organised by Quentin Blake’s
charity House of Illustration.
Sold at London Sotheby’s on
December 8,Raymond adapted
his first edition by signing it and
noting his thoughts and memories to the previously wordless
illustrations.
Featured alongside the iconic
image of the snowman taking
flight are the words: Fast running
seems to turn into flying quite naturally.
Snowmen are made of snow
which floats down from the sky,so
going up there again seems natural. My own house and garden,
much simplified and idealised..
The money from the sale will
go to House of Illustration,a charity that organises exhibitions,
events and talks.
Dr Phillip Errington, the director of Sotheby’s Books &
Manuscripts,said:“There was a
lot of interest in the piece and frenetic bidding for it.
“Obviously such a classic
book with the extra annotations
made it very special.We are
delighted it sold for £12,000.”
Born inWimbledon in 1934,
Raymond Briggs was educated at
Rutlish School in Merton before
going on to study atWimbledon
School of Art between 1949 and
1953.
SOLD: The Snowman
soars to success at
charity auction
Credit: London Sotheby’s
He produced Father Christmas,
Father Christmas Goes on Holiday
and Fungus the Bogeyman in
comic format,winning his
second Kate Greenaway Medal
for the former.
But it was his book The Snowman that brought Raymond
international acclaim.
Raymond said:“Many people
have said that this book is a parable about death.
That was not my intention,but
my parents both died in 1971 and
my wife,Jean,died in 1973.The
book was published in 1978.”
While pondering his original
illustrations,Raymond wrote:
“Blue and white striped pyjamas;
pre-historic I’m told.
For me,pyjamas have to be
blue and white stripes otherwise
they are not pyjamas.”
He added:“Dressing gown!
Pre-historic again?Youngsters
now wear ONESIES,whatever
they are.”
Raymond also retrospectively
considered the final image of his
snowman:
“I’ve only recently noticed,
after 30- odd years,that the
melted snowman almost makes a
face – the three lumps of coal
resemble eyes and a nose.I wish
it wasn’t there,”he wrote.
The first edition was sold
alongside the adapted works of
38 other coveted illustrators,
such as Quentin Blake.
LGBT community made to
feel ‘invisible’ by authorities
By Sophie Mogridge
INVISIBLE: The LGBT community still feels marginalised
Photo: Samuel Kirby
THE LONDON LGBT Advisory
Group are claiming Merton
Police are making the lesbian,
gay,bisexual and transgender
community‘invisible’by
allegedly failing to employ an
LGBT liaison officer.
After the reported rise in
homophobic crimes in London,
Boris Johnson stated that it was
mandatory for the police to
ensure there is a designated
LGBT officer in every borough.
He hoped it would encourage victims of homophobic
crimes to come forward.
The LGBT Advisory Group,
however,has offered statistics to
suggest that Merton is at odds
with this trend,with the number
of reported offences remaining
consistently low.
So far in 2014,there has been
a total of only 13 homophobic
crimes in Merton,with a maximum of only four a month,a far
cry from higher offence reports
in surrounding boroughs.
Bob Hodgson,a member of
the LGBT advisory board,said:
“In Merton,the number of
reports is always low so whereas Westminster had 24
incidents last month,Merton
only had two.”
Mr Hodgson continued to
state that Merton Police force’s
lack of LGBT support was to
blame for the borough’s
deceptively low figures.
He said:“The low numbers
suggest that people aren’t confident enough to confide in
Merton Police and that the
police force has not published
that they are LGBT friendly.
“Merton should have a designated LGBT liaison officer
and if the reports are so low,the
police should be doing something to ensure that the LGBT
community isn’t invisible to
them.”
Much like many other members of the LGBT community,
James McGowan,22,has experienced a substantial level of
verbal and physical homophobic
abuse,and is pushing for substantial reform.
He said:“People think things
are great for the LGBT community and yes,progress has been
made,but there is so much further to go.”
He continued that it was
impossible to get through a week
without some kind of negative
reaction to his sexuality.
He said:“I’ve been humiliated
in public before.I was about to
cross the road once when a car
drove past and a man shouted
'f*ggot' from an open window.”
He added that while it might
seem silly to have a separate
LGBT officer,without equality,it
is a necessary step.
He added:“People,regardless
of sexuality,need those in authority to listen and take their issues
seriously.”
SW Londoner contacted
Merton Police force but they
failed to identify the borough’s
LGBT liaison officer or to provide
a response to the claim.
AFC fans
furious over
club’s plans
to sell roles
By Kirsty Shanks
AFCWIMBLEDON fans are
fighting against the club's
proposals to sell off associate
director positions.
As associate director,the
buyer would be invited to
formal football club board
meetings as well as to the
boardroom at games.
Their petition,which
launched on December 5,
had 100 signatures within 24
hours,a group of fans called
on the Trust Board to halt consideration of the proposal
immediately.
The fans say they believe
that selling off privileged
access and the right to speak
in board meetings would represent a fundamental
challenge to the concept of
Trust control by supporters.
Gail Moss,from London,
commented:“Flogging off
the family silver – the ethos
and control that we as fans
have built up through passion, pain and sheer hard
work.No thank you.”
A spokesperson from AFC
Wimbledon said it is a topic
that will be discussed at the
Dons Trust Annual General
Meeting and that it will be a
matter for membership to
decide.
Soul, coffee
and cake at
new mental
health café
By Kirsty Shanks
A NEW mental health cafe is
launching in Pollards Hill on
December 15 in the latest
venture from MertonVoluntary Service Council (MVSC).
The Avanti Club will be
held on Monday evenings at
the New Horizon Community
Centre.
MVSC said the café is
designed to connect people
experiencing mental health
difficulties with each other
for peer support.
SarahWheeler,the creative director of The Dragon
Café and the first mental
health café in the UK,said she
was delighted to welcome
the new initiative.
She said:“Isolation is the
enemy of mental well-being,
social connection is its friend.
“The support and friendship that café-style spaces
can provide really helps
people to stay mentally well.”
For further details contact
[email protected].
For details about The
Dragon Café,visit:
www.dragoncafe.co.uk
December 2014
6 KENSINGTON & CHELSEA
www.swlondoner.co.uk
Edited by Hayley Richardson
Straight couple bid
for civil partnership
By Matt Cooper
DEVOTED: Rebecca Steinfeld and Charles Keidan believe civil partnerships should be open to all
‘Snow’ man
should miss
pop up treat
IT MAY not be a white Christmas
this year, but a pop-up cinema
company is creating its own
winter wonderland in Notting
Hill.
For the third year running,
Pop Up Screens is taking over
the Grade II-listed 20th Century
Theatre inWestbourne Grove
for two weeks from December
12.
Armed with popcorn and
mulled wine, guests enter the
cinema through a magical
wardrobe into their very own
snow-filled Narnia.
Owner Dave Leydon, 32,
said:"It’s wonderful seeing the
disbelief on people’s faces as
you ask them to walk through a
wardrobe to enter the cinema
and then watch as a burley
bloke instantly reverts to a
nine year old and starts throwing
snow at his friends.
"I say it a lot, but Christmas
is genuinely the most special
thing we do."
Festive films on the bill
include Love Actually, Miracle
on 34th Street and Bad Santa.
Having enjoyed a successful
summer of pop-up screenings in
Ravescourt Park in Hammersmith and Bishops Park in
Fulham, Mr Leydon is highly
recommending booking early.
Thereareuptothreescreenings
daily with tickets priced at £10
for children and £20 for adults.
To book visit www.popupscreens.co.uk
A NOTTING Hill couple launched a
legal challenge and petition this
month against the ban on members
of the opposite sex entering into a
civil partnership.
Rebecca Steinfeld,33,and Charles
Keidan, 38, tried to hold their civil
partnership ceremony in October at
Chelsea Town Hall registry office,but
were told it could not be provided.
Earlier this month lawyers for the
couple responded by serving notice
of their intention to launch a judicial
review on Kensington and Chelsea
Borough Council.
Speaking on online petition site
Change.org the couple said: “When
we sought to give notice of intention to
form a civil partnership at Chelsea
Old Town Hall on October 1,we were
refused by the registrars and told to
leave the premises.
“The reason for this humiliating
experience is The Civil Partnership
Act 2004, which stipulates that only
same-sex couples can enter into civil
partnerships.”
The parents to be first met at a
London School of Economics lecture in
2010 and got engaged last year.
They are believed to be the first UK
couple to take the issue to the courts
and they feel they have the backing
of the public.
The couple said:“We know there is
a clear public mandate for opening
civil partnerships to all.
“
Being civil partners would
give us greater legal rights
and responsibilities without
the social expectations,
pressures and traditions that
surround marriage.
”
“The UK government’s consultation
in 2012 found that more than 78,000
people were in support of the extension of civil partnerships to
opposite-sex couples – 61% of
respondents.
“We want it to change, so we are
calling on the Equalities Minister to
open up civil partnerships to all,
regardless of sexual orientation.”
The couple decided to formalise
their commitment to each other last
year while celebrating their third
anniversary in the Pyrenees.
They wanted to express it in a way
which would reflect their values and
not include the ‘baggage’ they feel
marriage brings.
They said: “We see ourselves as
partners,so a civil partnership union
would capture the essence of our
relationship.
“We wished to be part of a modern
social institution that formalises a
relationship of equals and includes
previously marginalised groups.
“Being civil partners would give us
greater responsibilities and legal
rights without the social expectations,
pressures and outdated traditions that
surround marriage.”
There is strong opposition to lifting
the ban. Despite backing same sex
marriages last year, David Cameron
opposes civil partnership unions for
heterosexual couples, believing the
idea weakens marriage.
Residents rejoice
as ‘iceberg home’
movement thaws
By Sam Meadows &
Hayley Richardson
MANSION owners in Kensington
and Chelsea were dealt another
blow last week as the borough
became the first in the UK to impose
building restrictions on basements.
The borough council's strict new
guidelines were rubberstamped by
planning inspector David Vickery
on December 1 and will bring an
end to so-called 'iceberg homes'
with mega-basements.
Kensington & Chelsea MP Sir
Malcolm Rifkind said it had been
very difficult to find a solution but
was pleased that one had been
found.
He said: “We’ve been working
very closely with the council and
residents’associations on this.
“It’s the single biggest issue that
my constituents have raised in the
last 18 months.”
Council leader Nicholas PagetBrown described it as a ‘major
victory’ for the council and the
Royal Borough.
Basement planning applications
in Kensington and Chelsea are up
1,000% from 2001, with multiple-
storey basement applications up
500% since 2008.
Cllr Coleridge said the policy
took two years to draft and is an
attempt to strike the right balance
between addressing the concerns of
residents and the genuine need for
people to expand their homes.
The restrictions,which come into
force on January 21,limit developers
to single-storey extensions and
impose a 35% reduction in the
extent basements can expand
under gardens. It also imposes an
outright ban on basements under
listed buildings.
The council will also require a
construction traffic management
plan to be submitted with any
basement planning application to
ensure minimum disruption.
"It hasn't been easy and
basement developers have
aggressively opposed us every
step of the way," said Cllr Coleridge.
"We are delighted the inspector
agrees that we have got it right
while at the same time praising us
forourextensivepublicconsultation."
Mega basements are the latest in
a string of property issues affecting
Kensington and Chelsea residents.
Sir Malcolm branded the
controversial mansion tax proposed
by the Labour Shadow Chancellor
Ed Balls for homes worth more than
£2m as‘totally ridiculous’.
Last week campaign group Stop
the Mansion Tax organised a public
meeting to find a way to fight the
controversial initiative being
implemented.
Cllr Paget-Brown said: “A lot of
residents bought their houses many
years ago and although their house
may have gone up in value, their
cash and income will not have gone
up as much.”
Reports also suggest that the
Kensington and Chelsea borough
will be worst hit by Chancellor
George Osborne’s changes to
stamp duty that came into force last
week.
While stamp duty will fall on
cheaper properties, those worth
more than £900,000 will see a rise
which will disproportionately hit
homes in the capital.
“I understand why he’s doing it
and I am not firmly against it,” said
Sir Malcolm.“Governments have to
make difficult decisions and we
have to get the balance right.”
SUCCESS: Kensington
and Chelsea MP Sir
Malcolm Rifkind
pleased with solution
Picture: Sir Malcolm Rifkind
KENSINGTON & CHELSEA 7
Charity raise
awareness
of human
trafficking
By Sam Meadows
INSPIRATION:
Cyclechic founder
Caz Nicklin offers
practical fashion
tips and advice for
women cyclists
‘Ain’t all sweat and Lycra’ in
Cyclechic’s bike handbook
By Faye De Silva
AWOMAN on a mission to combat
stereotypes about female cycling
signed copies of her new book in
Notting Hill on Saturday.
CyclistCazNicklinfounderofbike
accessory business Cyclechic,
was at Just E-bikes in Portobello
Road as she promoted The Girl’s
Bicycle Handbook.
Providing practical fashion
advice for cyclists Miss Nicklin,of
Kent, hopes her book will give
women the confidence to take to
two wheels and ride in style.
The chic cyclist said:“We exist
in an age where female cycling is
unrepresented.
“In recent years cycling has
gone through phases of being
regarded as geeky, uncool, too
sporty or unfeminine.
“I want to overturn these
stereotypes by not only showing
women how cycling is fun, but
how it is possible to look and feel
great even after an hour of riding.”
Her launch coincides with a
commitment by the council to
review cycling rules in the
borough, including a possible
20mph speed limit coming into
force.
The mother of one explained
how cycling can cater to all
women, including those with
young children.
Co-owner of Just E-bikes,Clare
Elwes, said: “We specialise in
electric bicycles and so are able to
give support to mothers,especially those on school runs.
“With the motor assistance of
the bikes, women can take their
children to school in an easy and
accessible way, feeling as though
the bike has bionic legs or an
invisible person is pushing it
along.”
During the afternoon people
were given the opportunity to test
ride the electric bikes.
A guest at the signing said:“You
can experience bike riding in so
many different ways,but it is often
associated with Lycra and sweat.
“Biking with elegance is a
much more inspiring idea, one
that many women will relate to.”
Miss Nicklin, who has worked
for the BBC, launched her campaign seven years ago after she
was inspired by cycling to work.
She said:“Many women are put
off cycling because they see it as
something that requires a great
deal of effort.”
As a result Miss Nicklin decided
to create a blog offering advice to
women on how to make cycling a
part of their everyday life.
After a futile search for a stylish
helmet back in 2008,Miss Nicklin
started selling Bern Helmets from
her west London flat.
After receiving a high influx of
orders she decided to launch a
retail business and Cyclechic was
born.
Mum’s pledge to
save fire station
after daughter’s
desperate pleas
By Sam Meadows
A MOTHER inspired by her young
daughter’s love of fire engines is
battling to block the sale of ten
London fire stations, including
Knightsbridge.
Artemis Kassi, 43, began her
campaign at the request of
daughter Maryam following her
‘fire-themed’ birthday party at
Westminster fire station.
She said the children were
climbing on the engines when the
firefighter said they had better
climb on them while they still
could.
“He then explained the station
was due for closure,”she said.
“When we went to leave, my
daughter looked up and said
‘Mummy, promise me you will
save the fire station’. So I
promised to try my best.”
Lawyer Ms Kassi then set up
an online petition which has
attracted more than 11,000
signatures.
Ten stations were closed in
January and last month the
London Fire and Emergency
Planning Authority agreed on
preferred bidders for nine.
They hope to make in excess
of £100m from the sale.
A spokesperson for the
London Fire Brigade said:“The
disposals of the former Belsize,
MORE than 300 victims of
human trafficking were
identified and offered
support by a Kensingtonbased charity over the last
two years.
Rahab worked in partnership with Kensington
and Chelsea Borough
Council and the Met Police,
among others, to raise
awareness of the signs of
trafficking.
The programme, which
came to an end at a final
conference at City Hall on
Monday, resulted in more
than 60criminal investigations, 27 arrests and the
recovery of £100,000.
Council cabinet member
for community safety,
Joanna Gardner, said:“The
scourge of human trafficking
is something we must do
all we can to stop, as it is
going on in our community
and takes many forms,
from slavery to prostitution.”
The project saw traffickers
facing prison sentences
totalling 35 years.
It also provided training
to vulnerable people to
help prevent them being
trafficked again.
Drug clinic
for Chelsea
socialites in
Earls Court
By Hayley Richardson
PICKETING:Daughter Maryam makes her voice heard
Bow, Downham, Kingsland,
Silvertown,Westminster,Woolwich,
Clerkenwell and Southwark fire
stations will now be effected as
soon as possible.”
He said it is likely the lease on
Knightsbridge fire station will be
sold back to the building’s owner,
with any money made from the
sale reinvested in the brigade’s
property estate.
Labour London Assembly
Member John Biggs said response
JOB LOSSES: Firefighters outside a closed station
times have increased in 370 wards
across London since the closures.
“Fires can take hold in seconds,
that’s why any increase in
response times can be so
dangerous,”he said.
“Given the jump in response
times since the fire station
closures, it is very fortunate that
we have not seen an increase in
serious incidents as a result.”
Ms Kassi said: “The mayor
seems to think that fires have a
way of queuing up politely and
waiting their turn.
“We are being led to believe it
is nothing about property value
when it blatantly is.
“Boris Johnson says that in the
name of austerity we must cut this,
but the reality is they will probably
be turned into hotels or luxury
accommodation.”
To sign the petition, visit:
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/peti
tions/save-our-firestations
A LEADING clinic that
helps people suffering at
the hands of so-called‘club
drugs’launched in the
royal borough last month.
The Club Drug Clinic is
the UK’s largest service for
people indulging in club
drugs such as ketamine
and ecstasy.
The clinic, in Earls
Court, is funded by Central
and Northwest London NHS
FoundationTrust in partnership with the London
Friend Antidote service.
Founder Dr Owen
Bowden-Jones said:“These
drugs are often used by
people who don’t fit the
traditional stereotype.
“Our clients tend to be
working professionals in
their 20s and 30s who started
taking drugs socially in
clubs or at university.”
He said the clinic has
seen club drug use
escalate which can cause
serious psychological,
physical and social
problems.
www.swlondoner.co.uk
December 2014
LAMBETH
Edited by Georgina Campbell
Looming
cuts could
take away
lifelines for
vulnerable
By Georgina Campbell
HUNGER, homelessness
and debt could be the reality
for Lambeth residents if a
government plan to abolish
the LocalWelfare Assistant
(LWA) Grant is realised.
From March 2015, the
government wants local
councils to fund essential
schemes, which provide
support to the vulnerable
members in the community.
With an additional 50%
cut in central government
funding, Lambeth Council
would struggle to continue
its Emergency Support
Scheme (ESS), which gives
in-kind support through food
vouchers, furniture and
household repairs, if LWA
grants are stopped.
ESS is a lifeline for those
who have exhausted every
other support system.
Commissioning officer,
Emily Newell, said:“Many
applicants have mental and
physical health conditions
which mean they need the
scheme to live independent
lives in the community, and
avoid going into hospital or
primary care.”
Without the ESS, residents
would be forced to turn to
high-cost alternatives to
cover basic living costs, says
Ms Newell, which would see
them falling into cycles of
debt, borrowing and other
financial difficulties.
Deputy council leader,
Cllr Paul McGlone, called
the decision‘absurd and
short-sighted’, as it would
affect the most vulnerable in
the community, and also
cost taxpayers far more in
the long run.
The LWA grant also helps
the ESS to fund projects
which lowers dependence on
emergency support.
Without the LWA grant,
the people would not be able
to receive debt advice,
develop digital and literary
skills and give access bank
accounts in the future.
There is no alternative
service which can provide
support similar to the ESS if
the Department ofWork and
Pensions decide to end LWA
grants.
Ms Newell said:“The
closing of the scheme will
leave a gap in terms of rapid
and easy-to-access
emergency support for vulnerable low-income
households.”
The government is
expected to announce a final
decision in the following
weeks after meeting with
local councils to discuss the
effects in their community.
A New Beginning:
Charity celebrate after
winning public vote for
funding award
PICTURE: Marcus
Dawes
Young People Matter to ITV
voters after £46k jackpot win
By Verity Stone
disconnected by language,sex
and race barriers will all benefit
from the win.”
Children as young as five
attend the charity’s centre,based
at The Old Laundry on Eastcote
Street,with some attending every
day after school for support and
guidance.
Trayvon Edwards,13,who was
seven when he started going to
YPM,said:“I used to be shy,and
as I came in here I started to
A STOCKWELL charity has won
over £46,000 after appearing on
ITV London to secure public
votes,
for the People’s Millions fund
award.
Youth charity,Young People
Matter (YPM),can now begin
their work on intergenerational
projects,which will benefit
senior residents,local youths as
well as lone parents and isolated
women.
They will purchase new IT
equipment to train unemployed
adults and teenage parents,and
will also set up a weekly lunch
club where the young and old
can come together and learn
valuable skills.
Marcus Dawes,YPM’s Senior
Project Coordinator,described
the win as not only for Lambeth
but for south London as a whole.
He said:“Youths,the elderly,
lone parents,migrants,and those Say Cheese: Thumbs up from ITV
build my confidence.
“It has helped me to do things
instead of staying on the streets.”
In total 114 local community
projects were short-listed to
battle for the public vote,and
YPM’s founder,Kemi Folarin,30,
said their campaign to secure the
win was the biggest they had
ever done.
“It’s like a new beginning for
all of us,”said Ms Folarin.
Their campaign,Stockwell
Matters,was a combined effort
between Stockwell Gardens
West Residents Association
(SGWRA) and Horn of Africa,
who will joinYPM in pursuing
future community projects.
However,Vincent Manning,52,
Chair of SGWRA,noted that not
eveyone was for a youth project
when it was introduced seven
years ago.
Mr Manning said: “Some
people felt that having a youth
project based here would attract
trouble.
“We had public meetings here
where people were calling for
more CCTV,higher fences,
where people talked about
young people as being animals
who needed to be locked up.”
Despite this,YPM has gone on
to win the community’s heart,
with seniors and young people
working together to secure the
win.
Mr Manning said people who
Winners:Victors celebrate windfall once were against the idea have
TOP TEN FOR 999
LAMBETH’S ambulances are in the
top ten of London boroughs for being
on time with 64% meeting the
national target.
Figures released from London
Ambulance Service revealed this
week that slow response times have
left critical patients waiting.
The NHS target waiting time is
eight minutes but figures show that
this target is often missed in many
boroughs.
Jason Killens, Director of Operations for the London Ambulance
Service, said:“There is a shortage of
paramedics in the UK which is
making it difficult for us to recruit.
“To tackle this we have launched a
national and international recruitment campaign and will have 1,000
new frontline staff joining us next
year.”
Last week ambulance crews in
London attended 10,187 category A
patients – a 10 % increase on the year
before and 4.5 % more than the
increase which was expected.
Student, Leo Middleton, 19, fell off
his bike last week and dislocated his
knee and was left waiting for an hour
for the emergency services to arrive.
He said: “It seems the issue is with
lack of funding for the hospitals,
leading to a lack of staff and ambulances. I dread, for instance, the
waiting time on a Friday night."
grown to value whatYPM does.
He said:“If we do not engage
with children and young people,
giving them good role models
and time and attention then we
neglect them,and neglected
young people are more likely to
find the attention they need from
sources we wouldn’t consider
good for them.”
Ms Folarin said that when she
startedYPM,many young people
were dying,and at one time there
were over five youths killed in
the space of a week.
YPM now has more than 100
young people walking through
their doors every week,looking
for guidance and to build their
skills.
Ms Folarin said:“We’re a
family and it’s a place where
people can come and feel at
home.”
The People’s Millions is a joint
partnership between ITV and the
Big Lottery Fund,which gives the
public a chance to vote to give
DEADLY JUNCTION
THE DEATH of a woman has sparked
a petition to improve regulations in
Streatham.
A bus driver was arrested for
allegedly causing death by careless
driving, after the 60-year-old was
declared dead at the scene.
The petition to make the junction of
Ambleside Avenue and Mitcham
Lane safer has been building since its
creation in 2012.
Transport for London, however,
said there would have to be another
fatality before action was taken.
Green Party candidate, Jonathan
Bartley, started the petition.
He said:“It seems obvious to
anyone who knows that junction that
waiting for more people to be hurt
before action is taken is senseless.”
He said in the last ten years there
have been two fatalities, but he knows
of at least seven serious collisions in
the last two years.
The petition calls for a longer
crossing time, increased monitoring
of the junction as well as a re-phasing
of traffic lights.
Mr Bartley blamed the delays for
action on the Mayor of London’s
‘dithering’as it was originally part of
a wider safer junctions programme
and questioned his judgment.
He added:“How many people have
to die and have their families
destroyed before action is taken?”
www.swlondoner.co.uk
December 2014
LAMBETH 9
Unhappy Feet? Penguins
may march to a new home
By Becky Pemberton
A PETITION questioning the
treatment of penguins at Sea Life
London Aquarium has gained
over 97,000 signatures in support
in just one month.
The campaign,launched on
the change.org website,points
out that the Gentoo penguins at
the Southbank venue have no
access to natural light and the
size of their living area results in
a poor quality of life.
The online petition calls for
the centre to provide adequate
care for the penguins,or to have
them moved to a facility more
appropriate.
A Sea Life spokesperson said:
“We have a dedicated team of
keepers here who work tirelessly
to ensure our birds,and indeed
the rest of the animals at the
aquarium,get the best care we
can provide.
“As animal experts nobody
cares more about the welfare of
our penguins than we do.”
The aquarium argued in
response to the petition that the
facility has satisfied the Zoo
Licensing Act 1981 and all the
animals are inspected twice a
month to ensure they are in full
health.
It is essential for a facility to
replicate the climate that the
penguins are used to in the
Antarctic in order to stimulate
their natural moulting and
breeding cycles.
NEWBORN ELSA: First
Gentoo penguin born at the
facility amid treatment fears
PICTURE: Sealife London
The aquarium responded:
“Gentoo penguins cannot cope
with fluctuating temperatures
such as those we experience
here in London so the air and
water temperatures are consistent and changes throughout the
year are gradual.”
They also maintain that the
enclosure,designed by leading
experts at Edinburgh Zoo,vets
and the British Antarctic Survey,
not only meets the worldwide
recommendations for size and
conditions,but also exceeds it.
However a supporter,Izabel
Broad,said:“I'm disgusted by
how some human beings think
that they have the right to take
wild animals out of their natural
habitat and then keep them in
these mediocre conditions and
then profit from it.
“It's absolutely despicable!
These animals are living,breathing, feeling creatures just like we
are and they deserve respect
and appreciation!”
The campaign strikes a
poignant cord following the John
Lewis Christmas Advert,which
featured a penguin called Monty
who melted the hearts of the
viewing public.
The petition is calling for
150,000 supporters to sign
against the conditions of the
aquarium,who welcomed its first
Gentoo penguin chick born at
the facility this year.
Streatham MP champions
small business Saturday
By Sam Dix
ADVOCATE: Mr Umunna champions Small Business Saturday
SHOPPERS celebrated Small
Business Saturday at
Streatham market as Chuka
Umunna MP and Homeland
star, David Harewood,
switched on the Christmas
lights last weekend.
The event, now in its second
year, aims to celebrate small,
independent businesses and
the sector's diversity.
Following the success of the
first Small Business Saturday,
national campaign director,
Michelle Ovens, supported
the event.
She said:"We always said
we wanted this to be the start
of something amazing;a regular event that shines a light on
small businesses throughout
the UK in a way that is hugely
beneficial to both the local and
the national economy."
According to figures given
by Small Business Saturday,
43% of shoppers specifically
went to the market for the
entrepreneurial event.
Attendees last year took to
their local high street and
spent between £1 and £2000
on the day, with independent
shops and small businesses
seeing an average of £33
spent per person, translating
to a total of £468 million
across the UK.
Almost half of those who
visited on December 6 said
they had spent more than
usual, with nearly one in five
saying they had spent at least
50% more than they would
have usually done on an
everyday Saturday.
Tweeting about the event,
RADA trained actor, David
Harewood, promoted the
area where he lives.
“Grab a great pizza, drink
in a couple of great pubs,
walk about in the Rookery,
watch the lights.Christmas
in Streatham.Bang on!
#sarflondon,”he said.
Free events, including an
arts & crafts fair, food tasting
and carol singing took place in
a special edition of the
Streatham market.
The evening ended with the
Christmas lights switch on by
the MP, and Shadow Business
Secretary, Chuka Umunna,
who helped bring Small Business Saturday to the UK
following its success in the US.
“In recent years too often
we’ve seen small firms suffer,
having been hit by soaring
business rates which have
risen by £1,500 on average,
which is why Labour has
pledged to cut, then freeze,
business rates,” he said.
“Labour has put forward a
clear plan to tackle the scandal
of late payment which has got
worse under the coalition,
including by ensuring late
payers automatically pay
interest to their suppliers, and
outlawing bad payment practices such as firms being
asked to pay for the right to be
a supplier.”
‘I’m Lovin’ It’:
McDonald’s
new beds
for parents
By Alice Gavin
AN £11MILLION project to
house families of children’s
hospital patients will open in
2016,following the council’s
approval.
Construction of the 59bedroom Ronald McDonald
House on Lambeth Road will
begin in early spring 2015.
It will replace a former
King’s College London halls
of residence and will be just a
five minute walk from Evelina
London Children’s Hospital
onWestminster Bridge Road.
The House will enable
families to be closer to their
children because the nearest
facility is currently by
London Bridge.
The House will include
communal areas such as
living rooms and kitchens
and will be free of charge to
families,who can stay for as
long as they need.
Each bedroom will also
have a telephone linked
directly to the children’s
ward.
Ronald McDonald House
Charity has already fronted
£8million and the remainder
will come from local support,
fundraising and a donation
from the Guy’s and St
Thomas’Trust.
Ice ice baby:
Sub-zero
Brixton bar
causes fury
By Becky Pemberton
A CONTROVERSIAL ice bar
in Brixton was approved by
the council this week to serve
alcoholic beverages to
guests in December.
Brewing company Coors’
‘Apres-ski’pop-up bar is to
be set up inWindrush Square
on 13–18 December but has
received complaints from
residents.
An objection was lodged
by the Brixton Society,who
feared anti-social behaviour
in the area would increase.
Representative Diana
Linskey said:“Alcohol
loosens people's inhibitions
and also bladders.We have
experienced rivers of urine
on nights out due to the lack
of public toilets in the
square.”
A Lambeth Council
spokesman assured:“We
have been working with the
organisers so that they are
not only providing a fun and
festive attraction in the heart
of Brixton,but ensuring that it
will not negatively impact
residents while it’s in situ.”
www.swlondoner.co.uk
December 2014
10 RICHMOND
Richmond
invests in
quality
education
campus
Edited by Léonie Chao-Fong
By Conor Gaffey
YOUNG PEOPLE will have
access to a state-of-the-art
education and business hub
after Richmond agreed the
biggest land purchase in its
history.
The Richmond Education
and Enterprise Campus
(REEC) is a joint project
between Richmond Council,
Richmond uponThames
College, Harlequins RC,
Haymarket Media Group
and Clarendon School.
The council is purchasing
4.5 acres of land for the
development at the site of
the college on Egerton Road,
Twickenham.
“We are creating a
campus of educational
excellence,”said Councillor
Paul Hodgins, cabinet
member for children’s
services and schools.
“We are strengthening the
schools in Richmond and we
place a very high priority on
schools.”
The purchase was agreed
by the council’s cabinet on
November 5 and work is due
to begin in Autumn 2015.
It will include a brandnew secondary school and
purpose-built facilities for
Clarendon pupils, who have
learning difficulties.
Students will be offered
work experience and
apprenticeship opportunities
with the Aviva Premiership
club, who will also deliver a
sporting programme across
the schools and college.
Haymarket will set up a
new media hub, including
state-of-the-art photographic
studios, and will also be
offering internships for a
lucky few youngsters.
Students will also benefit
from access to a new gym.
Robin Ghurbhurun, principal of Richmond upon
Thames College, said: “The
organisations that have
come together to develop
this proposal are committed
to delivering a new offer to
young people:the highest
quality education with
unparalleled opportunities
for developing skills and
pursuing employment.”
The project will be built
in two phases, with the new
secondary school and
special school to open in
September 2017.
The final completion date
of the redevelopment of the
college is due for late 2018.
A third public consultation
will be held in January next
year ahead of a planning
application to be submitted
in February.
JOB FEARS:
The Palm House at
Kew:
Picture: RBG, Kew
David fears ‘Gray’ future for
nature as Kew slashes jobs
By Iona Napier
London singer-songwriter
David Gray visits the gardens
regularly and spoke out about
the job cuts on his website after
seeing news coverage and was
alerted to the issue by a friend
who works at Kew.
In an exclusive interview with
SW Londoner,he said:“Kew can
put a gloss on the loss of over 120
jobs but I feel that there is a
different story and that the
government should step in.
CELEBRITIES,trade unions and
scientists are on the warpath to
fight dramatic job cuts at Kew,
Richmond’s world-leading
botanical gardens,but may be
too late.
The Royal Botanic Gardens,a
pioneer in conservation and
science,faces a £5million
budget deficit due to rising costs
and reduced funding from the
government and the Kew
Foundation.
An organisation-wide
restructure to encompass 125
redundancies,focused in the
largest departments of corporate
services,public programmes
and science,has already begun.
More than 50 Kew scientists
were last week told they could
lose their jobs,according to a
BBC report.
An RBG spokesperson said:“In
spite of the challenges ahead we
ECO-WARRIOR: David Gray
remain incredibly optimistic.”
“It’s idiotic to be cutting jobs
and demonstrates a total lack of
vision - the ramifications are
profound and,if anything,we
should be creating more jobs.”
He continued:“It’s basically
just chopping off layers of
expertise,it seems ludicrous to
me when you try and square it
with the situation that the earth
and its resources are in.”
Gray said that with the natural
world in crisis it was no time to
DISCOVERY: Nepenthes Zygon
ANTIGUA KNIGHT
ATWICKENHAM knight honoured
for his charitable work in the
Caribbean is calling for greater
awareness of the region.
Sir Anthony Bailey, 44, of Riverdale
Road, was knighted in November in St
John’s, the capital of Antigua.
The ex-journalist, who is married
to Princess Marie-Therese von
Hohenberg of Austria, was celebrated
for his work in supporting schools
and encouraging religious dialogue.
“I am only too aware when
fundraising that sometimes the
needs of the Caribbean peoples are
not fully appreciated and can be
clouded by stereotypical views of
idyllic sandy beaches and blue seas.
“In these paradises, sometimes
just metres away from you, you find
real need.”
He was knighted for his role in the
Constantinian Order of St George, a
Roman Catholic charity, who recently
launched a multi-million pound
initiative to restore Caribbean
schools and community centres.
Sir Anthony moved toTwickenham
with his wife and son, Maximillian,
two years ago, and is a governor at St
Mary’s University.
“This area of London offers its
residents calmness and beauty like
nowhere else,”he said.
Sir Anthony received an OBE in the
2008 Birthday Honours List.
undermine this world leading
facility.
“We need every expert that
Kew has working flat out to
protect the natural world,”he
said.
Sir David Attenborough also
backs the cause.
He said:“Kew has an absolutely crucial role in looking after our
botanical heritage and our
botanical future.
“The important thing to
remember is that it is the premiere
botanical gardens in the world
scientifically.”
In June a petition with 100,000
names was handed in to Downing
Street in protest and Nick Clegg
claimed in September that
funding would be maintained
until April 2015,reversing a £1.5million cut.
There was outrage last week
after Boris Johnson pleaded
ignorance on the cuts and Julie
Flanagan,negotiator at the union
Prospect,claimed he‘must have
had a memory lapse’on the
matter.
She said:“The government’s
short-sighted approach to the
institution’s funding is hypocritical
given that its Heritage Act
requires Kew to carry out its
plant and fungal conservation
work.”
The news comes following
the discovery of a carnivorous
plant previously unknown to
science at Kew in late November.
The cockroach-eating plant
had been growing at Kew for
almost ten years when Dr Martin
Cheek,who has co-discovered
more than 100 species of plants,
realised that it was a brand new
discovery.
The pitcher plant,originally
from the Philippines,was donated
to Kew in 2004 and housed in a
tropical hothouse.
Like the employment situation
at the Gardens,this new addition
to its plant family is under threat.
RICHMOND FIRST
RICHMOND uponThames is the
healthiest borough in the UK,a report
has found.
UK Active revealed that 84% of
Richmond residents take part in
sporting sessions each week, the
highest in the country.
There are more than 200 sports
clubs with an estimated 32,500
members and the borough is one of
the greenest in the capital.
The Prime Minister welcomed the
findings.
He said:“I am delighted that local
authorities are leading the way by
starting to prioritise physical activity
services in their local areas.”
However, findings showed that 29%
of people in England are classed as
physically inactive, meaning that
more than a quarter fail to achieve 30
minutes of moderate to intensive
activities per week.
Councillor Meena Bond, Richmond
Council cabinet member for sport,
said:“It is easy to see why Richmond
has the most active residents – by a
large margin.
“Richmond Council provides
superb sports facilities, with an
annual attendance which exceeds
one million visits.”
The borough will welcome the
RugbyWorld Cup next summer and
has 66 pitches, 58 tennis courts and
four bowling greens.
www.swlondoner.co.uk
December 2014
‘Who’ knew! Rock legend
coming home for solo gig
RICHMOND 11
By Adam Smith
THEWHO guitarist Simon
Townshend will perform his hits
in an intimate gig next month in
Twickenham.
Townshend will play a one-off
gig at the Eel Pie Club,London
Road,Twickenham,just before
he finishes his 2014 tour with the
legendary English rock band.
The guitarist is using the gig to
promote his album Denial,which
was released earlier this year.
Townshend has recently been
jet-setting around the USA with
rock legend Roger Daltrey of The
Who,but says he is excited to be
playing at the popular Twickenham venue.
“I have played there before
about two years ago and it was
great.It was packed out and it is a
nice place.In terms of being a
venue,I felt it was particularly
good,”he said.
“The location is central to
everyone,it isn’t too far out in
Twickenham,so people who live
in west London will be able to
make it down there easier.
“It’s where I am from as well,so
I will get a lot of fans coming
down.”
Denial was released in January
of this year and he was able to
successfully promote it in the
USA while on tour.
The singer is hopeful that his
gig at the Eel Pie Club can help
publicise the album to his British
fanbase.
WHO: Guitarist
Simon Townshend
to peform solo gig
PICTURE: Alan
Barnes
He said:“I am fairly pleased,it
has been pretty slow over here
and better in America because I
went over and toured it.
“Obviously,here in England I
haven’t had a chance to promote
it properly yet.
“This is partly what the Eel Pie
gig is about - to get it launched
and make people aware of it.”
Now in the UK,THEWHO HITS
50! tour is nearing conclusion in
2014 with back-to-back gigs at
the O2 Arena.
Townshend is delighted to be
back playing in his home city.
“It is going to be great,you
know it’s always going to be
good in London,hometown and
all that.
“We’ve got two back-to-back
shows at the O2,so the main
thing for us is pacing ourselves
and especially for Roger Daltrey,
it is a tough show.”
The singer is pleased with the
reviews the band has received
since the beginning of their tour
and he is hopeful that things can
only get better.
It is going to be a very busy
few months for Townshend who
will go on tour,supporting From
The Jam next January,before
starting the second leg of The
Who tour in the USA and performing at Hyde Park in the
summer.
For December 16 gig tickets
visit www.eelpieclub.com
Teddington charity makes
celeb grow the Wright fluff
By Danny Wiser
SELFIE: Wright on track to Decembeard leaderboard success
MEN NATIONWIDE are putting away their shaving foam
in support of Decembeard and
Teddington-based charity
Beating Bowel Cancer.
One celebrity south west
Londoner is taking part.
Self-proclaimed‘Croydon
boy’MatthewWright has been
campaigning for the Bobby
Moore Fund for Cancer
Research since the late 90s.
His father died of bowel
cancer at 52, his grandfather
was diagnosed at 26 and two
members of his family are suffering from the illness.
“Bowel cancer has taken a
terrible toll on my family,”
saidWright.
TheWright Stuff presenter
was approached by Beating
Bowel Cancer after he took
part in I’m a Celebrity…Get
Me Out Of Here, where he
sported a beard for the very
first time.
“I never saw myself in the
jungle because AmyWillerton was always hogging the
mirror,” he said.
“It is a pleasure for me, an
honour really, to get involved
this time around to raise
awareness and hopefully a
few quid.”
Nearly 16,000 people die
each year in the UK of bowel
cancer, which makes it the
nation’s second most fatal
form of cancer.
The Mirror’s former showbiz gossip columnist
believes it is currently an
exciting time for the field of
cancer prevention.
The 49-year-old said:
“Within the charity world,
bowel cancer has a difficult
time by comparison with
things like breast cancer,
because the media loves
boobs and breasts.
“It seems the media is not
keen to talk about bottoms
and what goes up there, with
all the tubing associated.
“I set myself a fantasy
target of £1million and I would
like to actually raise more.
“Realistically, I will be
happy to get £10,000.
“I intend to put my foot down
a little bit harder now there are
actually some face furs to be
seen.”
The charity hopes to raise
£250,000 this year.They
believe this target can be
achieved due to the steady
growth of the initiative over the
past few years.
Wright has raised more
than£2,000 so far and he is
third on the charity’s leaderboard, behind actor and fellow
jungle realityTV show competitor Christopher Biggins.
“Christopher, bless him.He
is an angel because I asked
him to get involved with
Decembeard and he took no
persuading at all,”saidWright.
You can help theTV host get
hold of the top spot by visiting
http://www.justgiving.com/M
atthew-Wright-off-the-telly
Crossrail 2
could push
house prices
off the rails
By Adam Smith
TWICKENHAM house prices
could rocket by £200,000 if
Crossrail 2 goes to the area.
Property prices in south
west London have risen by
87% in the last decade,with
the average house costing
more than half a million
pounds.
For the cost of a poky twobedroom flat in Twickenham,
buyers can get a luxurious
five-bedroom house in towns
like Southport in Merseyside.
If the line cuts through the
area it is thought there would
be a 40% rise by 2020.
Crossrail 2 is the proposed
rail line linking London with
Surrey and Hertfordshire.
The predicted jump is
likely to cause concern
among prospective buyers.
Russell Quirk,of online
estate agents eMoov.co.uk,
said:“The London market is
currently cooling,however
there are still pockets of the
capital and the south east
which represent fantastic
opportunities for property
investment.
“Crossrail locations can
expect significantly elevated
increases in prices in the
coming years compared to
non-Crossrail areas.”
Careers site
helps young
people out
of ‘catch 22’
By Conor Gaffey
YOUNGSTERS looking for
jobs in Richmond can find a
one-stop service on a new
careers website.
Future Hub is being
launched by Achieving for
Children,who administer
children’s services on behalf
of Richmond and Kingston
Councils.
The website,which works
on mobiles and tablets,
advertises local jobs and
provides CV advice.
It is targeting school
leavers without five GCSEs at
A*-C and young people who
have been out of employment
for a long time.
“When they apply for jobs
they have not got the experience,” said Andrew Johnson,
site administrator and 14-19
Officer at Achieving for Children.
“They are in a catch 22 situation.”
The site is being paid for
by the European Social Fund.
Employers interested in
advertising should contact
Mr Johnson via the website.
December 2014
www.swlondoner.co.uk
12 KINGSTON
Edited by Lauren Mason
Jacqueline Wilson
lights up crusade
"Y*OEY-ILLAR
FESTIVE APPEAL: Bestselling children’s author’s plea for more charity fundraising over Christmas
Ambitious
maestro set
for stardom
A KINGSTON University music
student who shot to internet
fame last month is working on
new material.
Niall Fegan, 21, will record a
new video following a retweet
of his ‘Strobe’cover, originally
by the artist Deadmau5.
Niall, who moved to Kingston
from Ireland, was shocked to
discover hisYouTube video had
received more than 60, 000
views in just a few days.
The music technology student said: “My parents and
sister were overwhelmed; they
have always been so supportive
of my music projects.”
Niall initially posted the
video on his Facebook profile.
After a positive response
from friends, the coverage of
his video snowballed and it was
featured on several online publications including DJMag and
Dancing Astronaut.
“Deadmau5 has always been
one of my main influences,”
Niall explained.
“To have someone you have
admired for so long to like a
cover you have done is completely insane.”
The trainee producer plans to
continue his studies alongside
working on his new cover.
He said: “It has given me a
great incentive to get better at
what I do and practise more.
“I want to make better videos
and really pursue a music
career.”
BESTSELLING children’s novelist
Dame JacquelineWilson has issued a
fundraising rallying call for Kingston
residents this Christmas.
The Tracy Beaker author kick-started Kingston Rotary Club’s holiday
campaign as she helped turn on their
‘Ro-tree’on November 27.
The donations drive will run until
early next month,and is set to benefit
a number of charities including
Momentum, a children’s charity that
counts Dame Jacqueline - famous for
her novels that include The Suitcase
Kid and The Illustrated Mum - among
its patrons.
After turning on the tree and signing books for fans she told SouthWest
Londoner:“I am delighted to be here
supporting Momentum and the
Rotary Club. The work they do is so
important.
“The people of Kingston are
extremely generous and I’ll be out
myself rattling a tin cup and raising
funds.”
Dame Jacqueline, who recently
published her 100th book, helped
turn on the Christmas tree’s lights in
front of a crowd of more than 150
people.
She was assisted by the Mayor and
Mayoress of Kingston, Rotary Club
officials and Father Christmas himself.
Speaking to South West Londoner,
the Mayor of Kingston echoed Dame
Jacqueline’s appeal.
“
The people of Kingston
are extremely generous
and I’ll be out rattling a tin
cup!
Dame Jacqueline Wilson –
bestselling author
”
He said:“There are a huge number
of charities in Kingston helping so
many people in and outside of the
borough.
“These volunteers make our area a
better place.”
Rotarian Allen Cobbold was
delighted that Dame Jacqueline was
there to launch the campaign.He said:
“It’s absolutely wonderful to have her.
She’s a big supporter of things that go
on here in Kingston.
“It’s absolutely great to have someone like her around.”
He also emphasised the importance of the Rotary Club in the
Kingston community, especially for
young people and schools.
This is shown by the unorthodox
Christmas tree designed by Kingston
College.
They worked alongside the Rotary
Club and Dawnus Construction to
create the avant-garde design,made
up of three illuminated triangles.
Clare Frost, the 3D design course
leader, said: “What an amazing
opportunity for students to actually
have their design in the centre of
Kingston for all to see.”
Charlie Nunn, a first year student,
said: “It’s great to see my design in
reality,I am proud to be involved in the
whole process.”
Anyone wishing to donate £5 to
Kingston Rotary Club’s holiday campaign should text KROT14 to 70070.
Mental healthcare
investment set to
stamp out stigma
"Y#HARLOTTE,ONG
MENTAL health services in
Kingston are set to receive a substantial investment after the council
pledged their commitment and
support towards the issue.
It is thought that more than 2,000
people in the borough have some
form of mental illness.
Anxiety, depression, self-harming and eating disorders are all
conditions which the council hope to
provide better support for.
Dr
Jonathan
Hildebrand,
Kingston’s Director of Public Health,
said that it had been on the council’s agenda for a long time.
He added: ”We are moving
towards a more focal delivery of
mental health services.
”Kingston already offers a wide
range of services but there is
always work to be done to improve.
”We will continue to work to get
the best possible service for local
people.”
Mental health problems affect
one in six at somepoint in their
lives.
The aim of the scheme is to train
100 people who work with adoles-
cents in first-aid, so they can spot
the subtle signs that someone may
be in distress.”
Dr Hildebrand said: "Mental illness makes up a quarter of the total
burden of ill health in this county,
more than cardiovascular disease
or cancer, yet it is often not made a
priority.We have to push to get rid of
the stigma surrounding it.”
In addition to the extra training,
the council are holding mentalhealth conferences in schools following a successful pilot this year
at Hollyfield School.
The conferences challenge students to become ambassadors for
good mental health and create a
support network for fellow students
in their school.
A Year 12 student from Tolworth
Girls’School,who attended the conference, said the experience
equipped her with essentialadvice
to share with her peers.
She said:”The conference taught
me the negative consequences of
mental health issues on teenagers
and the way it affects their life
socially and physically. It also
allowed me to meet new people
who have different viewpoints,
experiences and an understanding
of these issues – this made the conference even more interesting.”
Joanne Chinnery,chief executive
of MIND in Kingston, said the additional help for mental health
services in Kingston is a step in the
right direction.
She said: ”I think this is fantastic
news and will go a long way in
breaking down stigma for the future
generations.
“What needs to be in place are
the resources and services for those
who will be identified and require
further treatment or support.
“ I have no doubt that the public
health team in Kingston are fully
behind any improved treatment for
those experiencing poor mental
health.”
In November Kingston launched
a public health report highlighting
the need to dispel stigma and discrimination against people with a
mental illness.
Call MIND in Kingston on:
020 8255 3939 for advice,help,support, information and services for
people who suffer from mental
health difficulties.Alternatively,
email [email protected].
HELP: Kingston Council pledge to provide personalised service
December 2014
www.swlondoner.co.uk
KINGSTON 13
Multi-cultural
club to stay
after doubts
over closure
By Lauren Mason
ON YER BIKE:
Mr and Mrs
Claus spread
festive cheer
across Kingston
Kingston gears up for 10k
Santa cycle with bells on
By Shyam Kumar
THE CLAUS came out last Sunday
in Kingston for a‘spoketacular’
10k Santa cycle.
The yuletide ride of 30 Santas
rode between Hampton Court
Bridge and Kingston Bridge.
The event supported Queen
Elizabeth’s Foundation for Disabled People,and aimed to raise
enough money for a special
Bugzi wheelchair.
Bugzis are specially adapted
wheelchairs for under-6s and
come in a range of fun designs.
The festive event,now in its
second year,welcomed families
of all ages and abilities.
The QEF help people with
learning disabilities or brain
injuries caused by accidents to
develop independence.
John Chamberlain,marketing
director for QEF,said:“It’s great
fun! I did it last year with my son.
“The money will help people
whose lives have been turned
upside down by road traffic
accidents or a bad fall.”
He explained specialist
wheelchairs cost up to £3,000.
He added he was disappointed by this year’s turnout,but
blamed bad weather rather than
lack of interest.
Dhruv Patel,keen volunteer
and Kingston businessman,said:
“The weather plays a big part –
you can’t have a Santa cycle in
November.”
Mr Chamberlain opened the
event by handing out awards for
the most festively-decorated bike
and best costume.
Both accolades went to Anne
O’Neil whose bike was decked
out with red and gold tinsel.
Despite having to tackle the
cold weather, Anne wore a sunny
smile as she lined up with the
other fundrasiers at the start of the
course.
The rain persisted throughout
the day but failed to put a dampener on seasonal spirits of the
intrepid army.
Mr Patel manned a raffle tent
with his two young sons and
donated around 125 bottles of
water to the event.
He told SW Londoner that he
regetted being unable to participate himself due to ill health.
Events intern Ella Sykes said:
“The QEF Santa Cycle was yet
again a great success – friends
and supporters came to join us on
a cold and wet morning,but festive
fun was still had by all.
“We couldn’t have done it without everyone that took part!”
Participants had to pay a small
entrance fee and there was minimum sponsorship amount.
They were rewarded for their
sponsorship efforts with festive
food and a complementary Santa
suit - including beard!
‘Roar’ de force:
Young actors seek
Narnia at theatre
Christmas show
By Sam Foster
TWELVE rising stars achieved
their big acting break in Rose
Theatre Kingston's production of
The Lion, The Witch and The
Wardrobe last week.
The adaptation of CS Lewis'
novel opened on December 4
and starred aspiring actors from
RoseYouthTheatre as the Pevensie
children.
The young actors rotate their
roles of the four siblings Peter,
Susan,Edmund and Lucy,so three
actors play each character
throughout a performance.
Will Davies,Jack Hardman,and
Gwithian Evans, who each por-
tray Edmund,said being in such
a big production is a new experience for them.
“It feels pretty amazing on
that stage,”said 15-year-old studentWill.
“It's hard to tell if you are
doing it right but the applause
at the end is just spectacular and reassuring!”
In the play Edmund betrays
his family to the White Witch
after she offers him enchanted
Turkish delight and the chance
to be king.
Jack, 14, said:“He is an interesting character to play because
he's so unsure of whether he is
right or wrong and he switches
MULTI-CULTURAL club
members are breathing a
sigh of relief following fears
they would be ousted from
their community centre of
more than 10 years.
Milaap,a club for older
people from ethnic backgrounds, fell under threat of
closure last month following a
council review of Murray
House.
Kingston Council confirmed on Friday that the
centre is protected until further review in June 2015.
Chairperson of Milaap
Prabha Shetty said:“It feels
better for the moment
because before,there was a
lot of frustration and anxiety.
“Members were starting to
think that they had to find
somewhere else to go.”
The building,which is also
home to 38 elderly residents
and dementia patients,fell
under threat of closure last
month following a council
review.
Prabha added:“I feel
relieved in the sense that
we’ve got a few months
grace.
“I’m very sceptical but at
least it’s going in the right
direction.”
Motion to fly
Palestinian
flag revoked
by students
By Shyam Kumar
KING EDMUND THE JUST: Gwithian Evans performs
about half-way through which is
really exciting.”
Gwithian, 15, said: ”Edmund
wants to be something special.
”He's just caught in the middle
and doesn't know what his place
is.”
Gwithian has acted in a previous adaptation of the novel run by
a different theatre: ”That time I
played a reindeer that pulled the
witch's sled so this is a bit of an
upgrade for me.”
ON THE MOVE: Jack Hardman waits for Aslan
Performing alongside professionals is a unique opportunity for
the young actors.
Jack said: “You learn so much
from watching the adult actors and
get a sense of what a marathon it
becomes putting on a play like
this.”
The iconic treat,Turkish delight,
was used throughout the rehearsal process and divided opinion.
“I really don't like turkish
delight!” said Will, who was
relieved to find that he would not
need to eat the sweet onstage.
Gwithian said: “I love Turkish
delight but I must admit during
the rehearsal process I became a
bit sick of it because I was eating it
so much.
“I'm sorry to ruin the magic but
it was changed to jelly recently so
we can eat it a bit quicker!”
The production was adapted
for the stage by Theresa Heskins
and will run until January 4.
A CONTROVERSIAL motion
passed by Kingston Students’
Union to fly the Palestinian flag
was amended last week.
The university’s online
publication,The River,said the
motion was changed following
backlash from the student
body saying the SU should
acknowledge the suffering of
the people of Israel.
The union’s vice president
student life officer, Naveena
Satter,said:”This motion overlooks a lot of complex issues
that are going on between
Palestine and Israel.”
The amendments replaced
the flag elements of the
motion with a pledge to show
solidarity with Palestine by
raising money and organising
events to spread awareness of
the conflict.
A KU spokesperson said:
“As a publicly-funded organisation, the university has to
remain politically neutral – the
flying of a flag from university
premises might be mistaken
as a statement of the university’s political affiliations.”
www.swlondoner.co.uk
December 2014
14 WANDSWORTH
Edited by Tom Roddy
Boys get
beardy this
December
for cancer
campaign
By Josie Griffiths
WANDSWORTH men are
urged to ditch the razor in
December.
Beating Bowel Cancer’s
‘Decembeard’campaign
raises awareness and funds
to support those suffering
from the second biggest
cancer killer in the UK.
Wandsworth CCG is
asking men to‘be brave,
don’t shave’and join the
facial hair campaign which
has already raised 40% of
their £250,000 target.
Someone is diagnosed
with bowel cancer every 15
minutes in the UK and
around a third of people die
from the disease.
Dr Nicola Jones, chair of
Wandsworth CCG, said:
“The earlier a case of bowel
cancer is detected, the more
effectively it can be treated
and even cured.
“Ensuring people are
aware of the symptoms is
important because some of
them are common and
caused by other conditions.”
The average man spends
140 days shaving over his
lifetime and if never shaved,
the average beard would
grow to 27.5 feet.
Some 46% of Londoners
already have facial hair,
according to aYouGov poll
released last week.
The research also found
that 38% of women are most
attracted to men with
beards.
Mark Flannagan, chief
executive of Beating Bowel
Cancer, said:“We hope that
anyone clean shaven will
ditch their razor and give a
beard a try this December.
“And that anyone with
stubble or a beard already
will extend it, decorate it,
dye it or use it in some way to
promote the campaign and
raise funds.”
Decembeard was born in
2011 after DJ Chris Evans
joked that he would grow a
‘Decembeard’after missing
out on Movember.
This year celebrities
Christopher Biggins and
MatthewWright have raised
thousands of pounds for the
Teddington charity’s‘real
men grow beards’campaign.
So why not join the cause
and get a beard?You never
know, it might grow on you!
Beating Bowel Cancer
support people affected by
bowel cancer.
For more information,
visit www.decembeard.org
CUDDLES: Gizmo
snoozes with his toy reindeer at his foster carer’s
home
Abandoned Battersea Staffie
faces lonesome Christmas
By Tom Roddy
time before he trusted me enough
to come over to me.
“When I took him home he
turned into a completely different
dog. His tail wouldn’t stop
wagging and he was so happy.
"When he’s here [Battersea]
his tail is between his legs and he
shudders.”
“When I leave him in the
mornings I can hear him on the
floor below whining and screaming
because he is so sad.
IT’LL be lonely this Christmas for
a Staffordshire Bull Terrier who is
facing a fifth month at Battersea
Dogs Home if he’s not rehomed.
Gizmo,six-year-old Staffie,has
struggled with kennel life ever
since he was brought to the
centre on July 30.
His owner had left him with a
neighbour and never returned,
and he was put in quarantine for
two weeks with kennel cough.
Gizmoiscurrentlybeingfostered
by rehoming and welfare
assistant Sarah Parkinson,22,
spending his evenings at her
home in Orpington and stressful
days in a Battersea kennel.
Sarah said:“Everything was so
overwhelming when he came to us.
He was sat in bed shuddering
and he didn’t want to interact
with people.
“He just shut down when he
first arrived.I had to sit with him
NEW HOME: Gizmo’s fosterer
in his kennel for a really long
“He is just learning how to be
a dog.Everything is new and
exciting to him,it’s like having a
new-born baby.”
Gizmo wears a Thundershirt
while in his kennel,a jacket
which exerts gentle pressure on
the dog’s torso to alleviate stress.
Staff at Battersea refer to it as
the equivalent of a cuddle.
Staffies face an average of 33
days wait,while a Bichon Frise
waits just 13 days.
Communications officer Ceiri
O’Douglas,34,believes this does
not tell the whole story,as there
have been many dogs like Gizmo
in the past.
She said:“We get a lot of
Staffies come to Battersea and
although the statistics aren’t bad,
a lot of dogs like Gizmo get
hidden in the numbers.
“He’s been in kennels for four
months,which is much longer
than our 29-day average,and far
too long for a sensitive soul like
Gizmo who needs to be around
people.”
In 2013,1,598 of the 4,866
dogs Battersea took in were
Staffordshire Bull Terriers,and in
total,the breed makes up 33% of
the dogs that arrive at their three
centres.
Ceirisaysoneofthemainreasons
Staffies tend to be at Battersea
longer than other dogs is
because of the sheer number.
She said:“If potential owners
THUNDERSHIRT: Calming cuddles are walking through kennels and
see a brindle Staffie,followed by
a brindle Staffie,followed by a
brindle Staffie,and then an
American Bulldog,it’s invariably
the Bulldog that stands out.”
In Gizmo’s case,Ceiri believes
he has been at Battersea for a
particularly long time because of
his specific requirements.
She explained:“Because he is
so nervous,he will need time and
patience to bond with new owners.
“He is going to be best suited
to a household without another
dog,somewhere quite peaceful,
and with an owner who is prepared
to take on his training and build
up his confidence with other
dogs.”
He is ready for rehoming after
passing Battersea’s two-stage
assessment,which tests how he
reacts to being with other people
and animals.
For more information about
Gizmo or any other animals at
Battersea Dogs and Cats Home
call 0843 509 4444.
NURSERY MISERY KNOCKOUT MUMS
A DAY nursery for children in Battersea
has a Food Standards Agency rating of
just one out of five.
The Cheeky Cherubs Day Nursery
on Battersea Park Road was given the
rating,which means‘major improvement
necessary’,on October 16.
The report cites poor structural
compliance,poor management and fair
food hygiene and safety.
Parents pay up to £52 for a full day of
care for babies up to 18 months while a
full day’s School Holiday Care for four to
eight year olds is £30.
A sample menu showed that typical
lunches at the nursery included
shepherd’s pie and carrots, and fish
fingers with potato wedges and peas.
Owner and founder of the nursery
Belinda Asare,29,said that the inspector
who gave the rating was rude and
unprofessional and the low score was
given because of the position of a hand
wash basin.
Ms Asare said:“I strongly believed
that it was very unfair and I felt
threatened by her behaviour in telling
me that I have fewer than 28 days to put
in a wash hand basin or I would be
prosecuted.
“I have now done this,which cost me
over £300 and meant I was late in
paying my staff their wages.”
Wandsworth Council,who carried
out the inspection,declined to comment
on their decision to issue the low score.
CHILDREN’S charity Spurgeons
hosted a women-only boxing session
today.
The free‘Boxfit’event, held at the
Yvonne Carr Centre from 11-2, was
specifically aimed at mothers with
young children.
Organizer Nina Dei said:“Our
Boxfit event is all about empowering
women and building up their selfesteem.”
Ms Dei also held self-confidence
seminar before the kickboxing
session.
“We are giving the opportunity to
mothers to do some fun activities,
and taking some time off from being
‘just’a parent,”Ms Dei said.
The punching session with a
female trainer created a girls-only
environment encouraging women to
‘let go’.
The Spurgeons’activities are
aimed towards creating a tighter knit
between children and their families.
They work predominantly with
families and children aged 5-13, in an
effort to keep them engaged and out
of trouble.
Should dads also want to join in on
a kickboxing session, they will be
able to do so on December 15 at the
Spurgeons’parent boxing session.
For further information contact Ms
Dei on 07891841905 or visit
www.spurgeons.org.
www.swlondoner.co.uk
December 2014
WANDSWORTH 15
Church group bring festive
cheer to homeless families
By Olivia Demetriades
HOMELESS families will be
given special provision under a
campaign led by a church group.
Friends of Nightingale Square,
based at the Balham Community
Church in Endlesham Road,are
aiming to set up a community
laundry,WiFi and children’s play
facilities for homeless families.
Friends of Nightingale Square
Hostel includes residents,
neighbours,faith groups and
members of alliance group
Wandsworth CITIZENS.
Wandsworth CITIZENS is
spearheading the campaign to
understand the need for these
facilities.
They are committed to
welcoming homeless families to
the community and working
together to improve the lives of
the families and children.
A hostel run by the church
group accommodates 92
families,including many single
parents with young children,and
a large proportion of migrant
families.
Pastor Des Figueiredo,of
Balham Community Church,
works closely with the group.
He said:“There is a stark
contrast between the rich and
the poor in the Nightingale
Triangle and we want to raise
awareness on our campaign to
help these homeless families.”
The council is offering
financial support to Friends of
GIVING: Children
are all smiles at
Balham Community
Church as Father
Christmas visits.
Picture:
Potter
Rachel
Nightingale Square but the
amount is yet to be confirmed.
The council temporarily
accommodates the families,and
Friends of Nightingale Square
want to address the many issues
they face.
This temporary housing has
become a concern for the
alliance group as it often lasts up
to two years,withoutWiFi,a play
area for children or an adequate
laundry service.
The council’s cabinet member
for housing,Councillor Paul Ellis,
said:“The Friends of Nightingale
Square have raised this issue
with us and we have come up
with a solution that we believe
will address their concerns.
“We are willing to provide
them with financial backing.
“This would seem to be the
best way forward and supports
the type of social and community
use that the church offers.
“We believe that this is a sensible and realistic solution and we
look forward to supporting the
group in their efforts to provide a
laundry for the homeless families living in Nightingale Square.”
Pastor Figueiredo said:
“Wandsworth CITIZENS are also
hoping that Nightingale Hostel
will be considered for being part
of a pilot scheme that the council
is rolling out,to introduce fibre
optic broadband to various
estates in the borough.”
Prisoners find freedom in
words with poetry classes
By Olivia Demetriades
OPENING UP: Prisoners take solace when writing at HMP Wandsworth
PRISONERS at Wandsworth
Prison are being taught poetry
by an arts and social justice
charity.
As part of its GROUNDation
Poetry Project (GPP), Safe
Ground charity uses writing
workshops to help
Wandsworth prisoners build
positive relationships with
their families and the wider
community.
The poetry written in these
workshops will be performed
by prisoners to an audience of
family members, prison staff
and other guests on March 4
next year.
GROUNDation II:Poetry,
Power, People aims to bring
people on the outside together
with those on the inside.
A spokesperson for Safe
Ground said:“The aim of the
event will be to look at poetry
through the lens of the concept
that is‘home’, expressing the
shared thoughts and feelings.”
The charity is also
working with the Katherine
Low Settlement, and the CreativeWriting departments of
London South Bank University, SouthThames College and
Roehampton University.
One participant at
Wandsworth prison wrote:“I
try I tried and I’m trying
again / For happy things to
flow from my pen / Let us disregard bars and these close
walls / And find the beauty in
snow falls…”
Established spoken word
artists have also participated
in the workshops, which
started in May, with the most
recent event taking place on
December 8.
Jack Pryor, a drama
facilitator who attended the
workshop, said:“I’ve never
really done any spoken word
before and I found it really
engaging.
“ I have always lived in
Wandsworth, it is a very
community-based area.
“It is an interesting idea to
connect different communities
that don’t get connected
normally.”
Earlier this week, the High
Courtruledthatthegovernment's
ban on sending books to prisoners in England andWales is
unlawful.
Under current rules prisoners are prevented from
receiving parcels unless they
have exceptional circumstances, such as a medical
condition.
A further two workshops,
inside and outside of the
prison, will see groups of
participants coming together
to make 300 books.
The publication aims to
extend the life of the project
and make the voices of men in
prison and Wandsworth
communities accessible to a
wider audience.
GPP will also be producing a
poetry book, featuring the
work of participants, due to be
published in summer 2015.
International
designers
wanted to
craft bridge
By Caterina Purini
DESIGNERS around the
world are encouraged to take
part inWandsworth Council’s
new Thames bridge project.
The planned eco-friendly
bridge will connect Nine
Elms on the South Bank to
Pimlico on the North Bank.
The project is expected to
cost around £40million and
will allow almost 20,000
pedestrians and cyclists to
cross the Thames on a daily
basis.
International engineers
and architects will enter the
two-stage competition
judged by a panel of five.
The first stage involves
competitors tackling five
design challenges and the
second will involve
developing their ideas.
The public will be invited
to inspect the proposed
designs from both stages of
the competition in various
exhibits.
Wandsworth Council is
expecting the construction to
possibly start in 2018.
For more information see
www.nepbridgecompetition.
co.uk.
Voyeuristic
detective
back in court
next week
By Will Nott
AWANDSWORTH police
officer will appear in court
next Monday on voyeurism
charges.
Detective Constable
DanielWilliams, 36, was
arrested on November 19
and charged on the same
day on three counts of
voyeurism.
Det ConWilliams is
accused of committing
other acts of gross
misconduct.
He was charged on
October 9 with two counts
of misconduct in public
office, one count of causing
or inciting prostitution for
financial gain and one
count of concealing
criminal property.
The Metropolitan
Police’s Directorate of
Professional Standards
arrested Det ConWilliams
over the charges.
The DPS is responsible
for recording and investigating complaints against
the Met’s police officers.
December 2014
www.swlondoner.co.uk
16 HAMMERSMITH & FULHAM
Theatre on song
with donation drive
By Jenny Drummond
SOMETHING TO SING ABOUT: Innovative scheme allows anyone to contribute
‘Tyresome’
Clarkson is
at it again
JEREMY CLARKSON’S latest Twitter attack on Hammersmith is
generating an angry response
from residents who have branded
him a fool after recent comments.
Clarkson famously referred to
Hammersmith as the ‘bladder of
London’ in a social media spat
with fellow Top Gear presenter
James May in 2013.
Last week the comedy duo
were on their way to a James Blunt
gig at the Eventim Apollo when
Clarkson struck again.
The motor critic posted a picture of a locked-up bicycle wheel
with no bike attached on Fulham
Palace Road.
“This is what’s wrong with
where @MrJamesMay lives.
#hammersmith,”he tweeted.
May quickly leapt to the
defence of his hometown,posting
a close-up picture of Clarkson and
adding a typically witty reply to
bite back at the criticsm.
“And this is what’s wrong with
where you live @JeremyClarkson,”
he replied.
Hammersmith and Fulham
Cyclists chair, John Griffiths, dismissed Clarkson’s criticism of the
area and insisted bike crime is no
worse in Hammersmith than anywhere else.
“I don’t think anyone pays
much attention to him,”he said.
“The picture doesn’t even indicate the bike was stolen, it looks
like someone has just left the lock
because they don’t want to carry it
around all day.”
A HAMMERSMITH theatre is putting
a new spin on fundraising to change
the lives and landscapes of young
people.
The Lyric Hammersmith’s online
‘buy an item’ scheme is helping the
completion of a £16.5million redevelopment, which fell short by just
£500,000.
An array of items can be donated
through the site,from light fittings and
mirrors to supplies of biscuits or highend studio equipment, all ranging
from £5 to £5000.
Head of Development,Lyndel Harrison, believes the project is of vital
importance to the community and to
young people across London.
“Changing landscapes, changing
lives – it’s truly what I think we are
about,”she said.
“That’s what kept us going and we
are very excited about what those
facilities will provide as well.”
The popular scheme works in a
similar way to purchasing a wedding
present from an online gift list.
The website sets out a floor plan of
the new theatre and prospective
donators simply select a room and the
items they wish to purchase.
Of the latest donations, which are
made public on the site, Janet Ellis
supplied four drumsticks, Ruth Rabin
provided a beanbag and Jim Leaviss
made a gift of an assisted hearing
loop system costing £600.
Changing landscapes,
changing lives – it’s truly
what I think we are about
Lyndel Harrison – Head of
Development at the Lyric
Hammersmith
These generous donations are part
of the theatre’s first major facelift in 30
years, with the new extension – the
Reuben Foundation Wing – set to
open in April 2015.
The new addition will offer state-ofthe-art facilities for the theatre’s
comprehensive programmes, giving
young enthusiasts the chance to use
brand new dance and drama studios,
recording and editing suites,a digital
play space and much more.
Ms Harrison is confident the additions will open the Lyric to a wider
audience.
“Young people flourish when they
are here and you can see the change
in them,”she added.
“We see the proof in our work so we
want to see if we can affect a lot more
people.”
Sherice Pitter, a 20-year-old Lyric
Hammersmith apprentice,first started
at the theatre five years ago and is
excited for what the new programmes and development will offer.
“I have been on a journey with the
Lyric and it’s given me a career goal
because I didn’t really know what I
wanted to do,”she said.
“Just being in the building I
really realised what I enjoyed
doing and it’s given me that goal.”
For more information on the
development or if you wish to
donate,visit www.lyric.co.uk
Campbell sets
trend in fashion’s
war against Ebola
By Jenny Drummond
NAOMI CAMPBELL launched a
Fashion For Relief pop-up store at
the Westfield shopping centre in
Shepherds Bush last week to raise
funds to tackle the Ebola crisis.
The temporary store opened for
one week from November 28 until
December 6 and raised tens of
thousands of pounds for the DEC
Ebola Crisis Appeal.
The world’s biggest names in
fashion such as VivienneWestwood,
AlexanderMcQueen,Jenny Packham
and Kate Moss donated items to the
cause.
The store’s launch party also
boasted stellar names, with the
likes of Tinie Tempah, Idris Elba
and X Factor star Rebecca Ferguson
in attendance.
Clothes were sold throughout the
opening night and Campbell
admitted she had Christmas shoppers in mind when she decided on
the launch date.
“It's a great time of year for a
shop like this,”the supermodel told
Vogue magazine.
“People are looking for presents
and looking for dresses to go out.
“What was important to me was
finding a way to see how we could
help.
“This is really a collaboration
between all the designers,all of the
friends I've met over the years.
“I'm so grateful to everyone
who's donated. We're doing this
together.”
Campbell established Fashion
For Relief in 2005 to help victims of
Hurricane Katrina, with the
fundraising drive going on to raise
thousands of pounds for a variety
of causes.
The supermodel has now set her
sights on a new high-profile cause.
According to the latest World
Health Organisation survey Ebola
has killed 4,493 people, with those
figures estimated to rise to 12,000.
In light of these harrowing statistics, Campbell is choosing to focus
her efforts on raising awareness of
one of the world’s deadliest viruses.
Some of the supermodel’s close
friends have praised her constant
fundraising efforts.
Vivienne Gawley from Rokstone
Entertainment said: “It’s huge for
Naomi, she adores Fashion For
Relief.
“She has done a lot of projects in
the past and it’s always relative to
disasters that are occurring at the
time.”
The store was stocked with
Louboutins, Gucci dresses and
Stella McCartney jackets, and
slashed the prices for the general
public to purchase a once-in-alifetime designer piece.
Natalie Monroe, Fashion For
Relief store manager, said: “All of
the designers have been really
generous and every time they do
Fashion For Relief they are donating their things.
“It’s really nice for people to have
something they might not be able to
afford usually and all the proceeds
go to charity.
“We are selling floor-length
gowns for £250 that would usually
retail at between £2000 and £3000.”
Fashion for Relief will take to the
catwalk in both London and New
York during Fashion Week next
February.
She has already set aside the
priceless couture pieces that will
feature on the runway,modelled by
the most famous names in the
industry.
SETTING AN EXAMPLE:
Supermodel Naomi
Campbell raised funds for
the DEC Ebola Crisis with
the help of some fashion
friends.
Picture: Jesse Gross
www.swlondoner.co.uk
December 2014
HAMMERSMITH & FULHAM 17
Creators to
sell products
at innovative
Miracle Hub
By Kezia Joseph
CHRISTMAS
CHEER:
Elderly residents
enjoy the festivities
at last year’s event
Volunteers deck Town Hall
for Christmas celebration
By Joshua Murray
HAMMERSMITH volunteers are
coming together to ensure lonely
elderly people have a memorable
Christmas Day in a unique yuletide celebration.
Up to 300 of the borough’s over
60s are set to join in the festivities
at the town hall.
It will include a full Christmas
dinner,including turkey and trimmings, as part of an event that
Hammersmith and Fulham Council claim to be the only one of its
kind nationwide.
Part of the program will also
include some post-meal dancing
and the elderly guests will receive
a gift to take home.
All help and organisation on the
day is supplied by London’s very
own Christmas elves, with more
than 100 volunteers contributing
to a memorable event last year.
One volunteer,RichardVernon,
is looking forward to assisting at
the event for the sixth time later
this month.
“It’s a really good occasion,”he
told SW Londoner in anticipation
of the event.
“I wouldn’t say I feel like a wonderful person in helping out,
because I find it a very pleasurable
experience.I think that people on
all sides enjoy it.”
Mr Vernon, who was one of the
London 2012 Gamesmakers,
added that the various ages of the
Hammersmith helpers is at the
heart of the event’s success.
“The people love a child bringing them their dinner and some of
the volunteers are now older than
those sat having the food,”he said.
He also believed the council
was flooded with motivated and
excited volunteers eager to play
their part this year.
While some are becoming festive regulars at the town hall, John
Horton, a director at Horton and
Garton estate agents, will take
part for the first time this year.
“We are closed between
Christmas and New Year, and I
wanted to do something completely different, something I had
never done before,” said Mr
Horton.
“I have lived and worked in the
borough for 18 years,so I think it is
good to put something back.”
Councillor Sue Fennimore was
another to show her enthusiasm
ahead of the feel-good occasion,
thanking the host of people providing their backing.
“We rely heavily on the support
of residents and businesses who
donate or volunteer to make this
special event possible and without this, it would not be possible,”
she said.
Gift and cash donations for the
day are still open.
For more information regarding
the event,visit www.lbhf.gov.uk or
call 020 8753 2135.
Hammersmith
entrepreneurs
light the way in
safer cycling bid
By Kezia Joseph
A TRIO of entrepreneurs have
invented the first bicycle indicators from their Hammersmith and
Fulham flat.
WingLights are high visibility
indicators which attach to bicycle
handle bars and, at a tap, emit a
pulsating amber light similar to
car indictor lights.
Inventors Luca Amabuzzi,
Agostini Stilli and Simon Bardrick
realised cyclists rely on insufficient hand signals to indicate
their presence on the roads.
They said: “We believe WingLights will reinforce bike
presence on London roads and
prevent the chance of cyclist
accidents occuring.”
The Hammersmith trio feel
that outdated hand signals can
easily go unnoticed on today’s
roads where turning at busy
junctions can be especially dangerous
without
proper
indication.
Mr Bardrick said: “Our mission is to cure this cycle
blindness, and we think WingLights are a part of the solution.”
The waterproof indicators
snap on and off the end of handlebars and can be easily
carried when attached.
They make sure a cyclist is
clearly visible from the front,
A BRAND new shopping
experience for community
entrepreneurs to kick-start
their business opened in
Shepherds Bush last week.
Petit Miracle Hub is a creative retail space inWest 12
shopping centre which aims
to showcase community
produce and support small
businesses.
As the first of its kind the
hub will allow shoppers to
meet the creators and hear
their story before purchasing
their locally-sourced item.
Founder Elisicia Moore
said:“When you buy an item
from one of our retailers
you’ll get something completely unique.”
The marketplace will be
supporting small start-up
companies and teach business acumen,while allowing
entrepreneurs to showcase
their creations.
There will be workshops
and talks to support local
people to become retailers
where they are encouraged
to learn from each other.
Ms Moore has been
engulfed with applications
and is eager to expand this
community hub across
London.
Glass raised
to creator of
alcohol-free
brewery
By Kostas Lianos
LIGHTS ON: Cyclists can be seen from 10 metres
rear and side from more than ten
metres away regardless of weather conditions.
The flashing amber lights allow
cyclists to indicate earlier and for
longer without comprising their
safety by removing their hands
from the grips.
The team were surprised to
realise they are the first to create a
practical, simple and innovative
solution to an ever-growing problem for cyclists.
NO BLIND SIDE: Indicators attach onto handle bars
WingLights was inspired by
their own experiences of feeling
uncomfortable and unsafe on
London roads.
The team say they have been
overrun with requests for a prototype from motorcyclists who feel
the current options available for
them are not as efficient.
Mr Bardrick said:“We’ve even
received requests from mothers
who want indicators for their
prams when crossing the road.”
The entrepreneurs currently
run Cycl – a start-up company
which aims to create innovative
solutions for cycle safety.
They said:“Our aim is to make
the world’s roads safer for cyclists.
We want to get bikes on equal
terms with cars, lorries and
buses.”
With their prototype available
for pre-sale on Kickstarter the
team look set to take their product across the UK and Europe.
THE FOUNDER of the first
non-alcoholic brewery in the
UK was honoured with a blue
plaque in Fulham last week.
Henry Lowenfeld opened
the popular Kops Brewery in
1890 in a period when drunkenness was a cause of many
diseases.
The event was attended by
the widow of Mr Lowenfeld’s
grandson Sue Wright and his
great granddaughter Dr
Miranda Roberts.
Simon Garrett, operations
director at Barratt London,
said:“Henry was an inspiring
entrepreneur and it is an
honour to commemorate such
a significant figure in Fulham’s
economic history.”
Mr Lowenfeld was an entrepreneur born in 1859 in
Warsaw and died in 1931.
He moved to England in the
early 1880s where he became
the owner of the Apollo in
London.
Mr Lowenfeld introduced
Kops’ Ale, a non alcoholic
beer that gained substantial
popularity back in the day.
www.swlondoner.co.uk
December 2014
18 FEATURES
Edited by Jessica Badger & Helen Le Caplain
MAN’S LUCKY
ESCAPE FROM
NORTH KOREAN
‘HOLOCAUST’
By Konstantinos Lianos
“IN MY NIGHTMARES I’m
back in North Korea.When I
wake up it takes some time to
realise that I am safe.”
These are the words of
defector Joo-il Kim who fled
the army and finally found
sanctuary in New Malden.
His disillusionment began
when he was traumatised by
the stench of a pile of rotting
bodies in front of a station –
bodies of people who had
starved to death.
Joo-il Kim confessed to SW
Londoner that he will never
forget seeing female soldiers
dying from hunger.
“It was very hard to look at
these women dying.Starving
is the worst kind of death.”
Government statistics are
never very accurate but he
told us that
between 1997
and 2000
three million
people died
of starvation.
The final
tragic blow
came when
Joo-il Kim’s
four-year-old
niece died of
malnutrition.
He had
thought about
defecting
many times but whenever he
composed his goodbyes his
parents’worried expressions
always disuaded him.
In 2005 there was no
farewell and Joo-li left without
telling his family.
There is no way to contact
the relatives he left behind
and he doesn’t even know
they are alive or dead.
“It was really hard because
my house is very near the
railway so I could see my
house getting further and
further away from the train.”
He now lives in New
Malden and runs newspaper
Free NK which aims to raise
awareness about North Korea.
Violence,and the fear of
violence,blights daily life in
North Korea through ruthless
government-sanctioned
public executions,torture and
labour camps.
Criminals are subject to
‘guilt by association’which
means the family of an
alleged criminal will also be
punished.
Joo-il described the public
executions he witnessed
during his life in North Korea.
He said:“I felt horror and
fear.It’s the most horrific
thing anyone can ever see
because when they execute a
person they tie him to a pole
with ropes around the head,
the neck,the chest,the knees
and ankles.
“The executioners shoot at
the ropes by starting with the
head so that the body can fall
down.You can see blood
exploding everywhere.It’s
very scary and no one can
really look at it.”
He never visited a labour
camp but said everyone
knows of their existence and
this inspires fear.
He said a family living next
door disappeared one day –
he assumes they were taken
to a camp by secret police.
“In these camps you’re
treated worse than animals.
You lack food and sleep and
families are
separated,”he
said.
“If you die
while working
you don’t get a
funeral,you’re
just buried.It’s
hell.”
Joo-il said it
was hard not
to associate
this harrowing
situation with
the Holocaust.
“The only
difference between the two is
that the Holocaust took place
during wartime whereas the
country is technically in
peace,”he said.
“I think the situation in
North Korea is actually worse
because it’s committed on its
own people so the fatality rate
is higher.”
Joo-li travelled at night to
avoid detection and made his
way to the heavily guarded
Tumen River,reaching China
after a five-hour swim.
“When I was hiding in the
mountains I saw that apples in
the fruit garden were ripe and
even though they were falling
no one took them,”he said.
“It was very different from
North Korea because people
would eat apples before they
were ripe.They’d eat
anything they could get their
hands on.”
Joo-il still has some fond
memories,but remembers
the brainwashing.
“I knew the country not as
the most secluded state but
the best state that other
people envied,”he said.
“After I left,I realised it’s
not the most admired state
but one with the worst conditions in the world.”
Richmond dad undertaking
367 marathons in 365 days
to raise £200,000 forcharity
By Conor Gaffey
RICHMOND Park is synonymous
with bow-legged foals and
majestic stags.
However in recent months the
deer have welcomed a persistent
visitor day in day out.
Decked out in a tartan kilt
picked by schoolchildren,Rob
Young ran his first ever marathon
around the Royal Park on April 14
this year.
Since then he’s not stopped
running.
“Richmond Park is my second
home,or my first home at the
moment,”said Rob.
The 32-year-old is currently
deep into a world record attempt
to run 367 marathons in 365 days.
He’s hoping to raise £200,000
for children’s charities including
NSPCC,Great Ormond Street
Hospital and Dreams Come True.
“This guy is pushing himself
harder than anyone else has
before,”said Ali Parkes,manager
and friend of Rob,who is known
as Marathon Man UK.
“It’s just a bit of running really,”
said Rob with a sheepish grin.
He’s clocked up 241
consecutive marathons in 227
days as of December 3.
Covering a total distance of
6,670 miles – the equivalent of
travelling from London to the
Philippines’capital Manila.
He’s burned almost 1.2 million
calories in around seven months
with more than a thousand
family-sized bags of Doritos
Chilli Heatwave consumed along
the way.
On his heaviest day Rob ran 88
miles in 21 hours across the Lake
District,climbing around 17,500ft
– more than half the height of Mt
Everest.
Ever since watching this year’s
London Marathon,he has been
on a personal and physical
odyssey.
Inspired by the stories of
fellow runners and motivated by
a challenge from partner Joanna,
Rob decided he was going to run
a marathon.
This quickly mushroomed into
an attempt to run the highest
number of consecutive
marathons in a year.
“I don’t see it as a challenge.A
marathon for me is like a 10km
run for a normal person,”said
Rob,who served for more than
five years in the Army’s Royal
Signal Corps.
For the past few months Rob
has set his alarm for 2.30am each
day to clock up 26.2 miles or
more before going in to his 9-5
day job at a motor parts
company.
KEEP ON RUNNING!
Rob Young pounds
the pathways at
Richmond Park
Picture: Chris Winter
He recently gave up his job
and moved in with manager Ali,
who is supporting Rob,Joanna
and son Alexander,2,through his
incredible journey.
Faced with constant awe at the
scale of his challenge,it’s Rob’s
incredible mental strength which
is seeing him through.
“If you have got a good heart
or a good mind,your body will
follow you through,”he said.
“I’ve got a good mind and my
mind tells me that I’m doing
something positive therefore I
don’t see running these
distances as a major challenge.”
Born in Barnsley,Rob had a
disjointed childhood,largely due
to the horrific abuse he suffered
at his father’s hands.
This resulted in Rob running
away from home and entering
the care system,where he
endured years of bullying and
anger problems.
This troubled past serves as
explanation for why Rob is
supporting these charities.
“Any child can think big and if
they believe and work hard
enough,they can slowly change
the world,”said Rob.
“Even if what I’m doing
changes one child’s perspective
on life then I can be happy.
He’s finally put down roots
after spending the past few years
in and around Richmond and has
been delivering motivational
speeches at schools.
In the long term he revealed
his dream is to found his own
charity which will build schools
for children around the world.
you have a
“Ifdream
then
just go for it
”
“For the kids,they do not see a
motivational poster.They see a
real-life hero,”said Ali.
Rob is enduring an enforced
pause due to bone and tendon
injuries and hopes to be back
running by Boxing Day.
He has been designated a
‘person of special scientific interest’ by Dr Courtney Kipps and
his team at the world-leading
Institute of Sport,Exercise and
Health.
“He’s able to do a lot more
than the average person can,
which means we don’t really
know where his limits lie and I
don’t think Rob really knows
either,”said Dr Kipps.
Marathon Man’s social media
pages are dotted with photos of
Rob alongside the great and
good of entertainment and sport
including England rugby captain
Chris Robshaw,JackWhitehall
and Mo Farah.
Despite this rising acclaim,
Rob is keeping his trainer-clad
feet firmly on the ground.
“I’d rather stand there talking
to a bunch of runners than meet
any famous person,”he said.
So what does the future hold
for Richmond’s very own Forrest
Gump?
Rob listed potential future
challenges as becoming the first
marathon-runner in space and
completing an underwater
marathon.
“The message is to tell people
that it’s possible to do it.Nothing
is impossible to do,”said Rob.
“That is what I’d say to other
people – if you have a dream or a
wish then just go for it.”
Any businesses interested in
sponsoring Rob can contact him
through the website.
For more information and to
donate,visit
www.marathonmanuk.com.
www.swlondoner.co.uk
December 2014
Grieving family
launch trust fund
‘He always knew he
was special’:Grieving
parents share young
son’s cancer journey
By Danny Wiser
“I FORGOT to wear a poppy this
year nor did I observe the minute
silence at 11.
“I was too engrossed holding
Fabian’s hand and gazing into his
beautiful face as he lay dying in a
hospital bed.”
This is the tragic admission
Richmond dad Darrell Bate made
when recalling his 12-year-old
son’s last few hours before he
passed away,just four weeks ago
on Remembrance Day.
Fabian Bate was diagnosed
with acute lymphoblastic
leukaemia at just four years old
and underwent gruelling cycles
of treatment.
Darrell,52,along with his wife
Lydia,53,are incredibly proud of
the way their brave son battled
against the disease.
Darrell said:“He obviously
demonstrated a lot of spirit and
positivity in the face of illness – it
made him a very determined
and resilient person.
“He was very forgiving and a
very gentle-natured boy.
“He had his moments when he
would get frustrated with what
was going on,but when he
calmed down he would just be
sorry that he got upset and so he
was a true peacemaker.”
Fabian’s parents documented
his extraordinary journey on the
blog Faith4Fabian so that family
living abroad could be updated
on his progress.
Darrell explained:“One
person’s story can touch people
on the other side of the world
which gave us a lot of comfort –
that’s the power of online
communication.
“It was very nice to sit with
Fabian and look through the site,
he used to really enjoy how
people across the world were
interested in him – it gave him a
little bit more fight.”
The comments started to flood
in after a special encounter with
the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at Sutton’s Royal Marsden
Hospital in September 2011.
The royal couple visited the
hospital to open a children’s unit
and met with some of the
patients,including Fabian.
“It was quite a powerful thing
for us talking to the future king,”
Darrell revealed.
“I had a minor connection with
Kate as she and I both went to
Marlborough College so we had
a bit of a chat about going to the
same school.”
Fabian asked the pair to sign
the visitors’book on his website
and waited anxiously over the
next few days for them to log in
and leave a message.
As the family returned to their
Elmbridge home after another
hospital visit they spotted an
envelope peeking out of the mail
pile sporting a royal seal.
The back of the envelope
featured the personal‘C’
embossing used in correspondence from Catherine.Inside
was a signed letter from the
future queen of England.
Darrell said:“We told him‘do
you realise what this is and how
special you are?’
“The words in it were very
carefully chosen and we used to
repeat some of the phrases
saying‘Kate has you in her
prayers,the future king and
queen are thinking about you’.
“Those sort of things to a child
just give them the idea that‘I am
something different,I am something special here,I have got to
keep my chin up,I have got to
keep going with this’.”
Despite the media attention
Fabian received following the
royal visit his dad revealed that
he never let it go to his head.
“He knew he was special,he
just didn’t actively seek attention
or go on about it.
“We both knew that he found it
quite special,we kept the letter
in his room.”
Darrell praised the NHS and
the treatment his son received.
He said:“It’s absolutely
remarkable because I do know
the cost of the treatment is very
expensive.
“The cost of chemotherapy for
each cycle can be thousands and
thousands – the quality of hospitals that served us was fantastic.
Darrell explained that Fabian’s
death hit the family hard,especially his three other children.
He said:“They have lived with
this for so long.
FEATURES
19
Budding
artists help
trafficking
victims heal
By Georgina Campbell
COURAGEOUS: Fabian
bravely battled condition
“The actual fact of losing him
is a shock,but it’s not like losing a
sibling in a car accident where
you have no warning – they knew
this was coming for a while.
“It’s very early days,there are
going to be times for where it is
really going to hit us,but at the
moment there is a sense of relief
that all of that pain is over.”
The family have now founded
the cancer trust fund Fabian Bate
Memorial Fund in memory of
their brave son.
To donate to the fund visit:
www.faith4fabian.com/donate
ROYAL VISIT: Prince William meets Fabian and his family at the Royal Marsden Hospital in Surrey
BEAUTY can be found even in
the darkest of places.
Despite having not seen her
beloved children for 13 years
Karen’s smile,though tinged
with sadness,was beautiful.
Tucked inside the Bayswater
shopping centre,amid the high
street staples,vintage fur,and
marketstalls flogging their
wares,Kenyan-born Karen sat
with group of other women,
survivors and artists.
Collectively they make up
The Flower Press,a social
enterprise group determined
to affect change and improve
the lives of victims of human
trafficking.
Karen has been in the UK for
13 years and when she first
arrived she couldn’t speak a
word of English,but with the
support of the group she is
starting to realise her dreams.
She said:“We are real
people,and the way we were
treated can not stop us from
achieving something.
“That is why we start doing
things like this,to support each
other and we are so happy
because the people around us
are helping us so much to
achieve our goals,to achieve
our dreams.”
The Flower Press social
enterprise was established by
Wimbledon College of Arts
student Ella Phillips with the
aim of challenging negative
perceptions of survivors of
human trafficking.
The project finds ways for
artists to collaborate with
survivors,allowing the women
to develop the skills to
eventually help themselves.
Ella learned of the women’s
predicament after speaking to
a colleague at refugee charity
Pan Arts,which said they had a
group of female survivors they
could no longer support.
The group was approaching
its first birthday when the
women expressed an interest
in working with flowers,which
was made possible by National
Lottery funding.
Ella said:“We explored the
range of flowers and how they
can be used symbolically.
“These women can create
something deeply personal –
and there the social enterprise
was born.”
For Karen the flowers go
beyond developing new skills,
they are a reminder of home.
iN BLOOM: Flower art therapy
She said:“When I see a poppy
it reminds me of my father.
“My father went to the
SecondWorldWar,he always
protected me until I was 15.
“After my father passed
away that is when I got myself
in big problems – that’s why I
am here.
“To work with this flower
means so much to my heart.”
Karen continued to smile
while discussing her past,
despite silent tears streaming
down her face.
“To work with a flower,I
realise that a flower can live,
can die.A flower has its own
strength – like me,”she said.
The United Kingdom Human
Trafficking Centre (UKHTC)
estimates that 2,744 people,
including 602 children,were
potential victims of trafficking
for exploitation in 2013,an
increase of 22% on 2012.
Ella and her artists have
given the women a voice,to
speak out more and cry less.
Ella said:“We meet once a
month because we pay for the
women’s travel.
“If we had more money we
would meet every week.”
The Flower Press women are
determined to find happiness
and want to share their
newfound security with other
vulnerable trafficked women.
Their ideas for the project’s
growth show that creativity and
art can begin to heal wounds
that science and medicine
don’t begin to touch.
For more information and to
support the project visit
flowerpress.squarespace.com
www.swlondoner.co.uk
December 2014
20 SPORT
Bright is off to
shine in the
Sevens in
South Africa
By Matt Cooper
LONDON Scottish captain Mark
Bright has been called up to play
for England Sevens this
weekend in South Africa.
The 36-year-old was called up
earlier this week and has joined
the squad for the IRB World
Series tournament in Port
Elizabeth.
Bright, who was born in New
Zealand, will come up against
his country of birth after
England were drawn in Pool D
alongside New Zealand, Samoa
and Japan.
London Scottish director of
rugby Mike Friday said:“Huge
congratulations must go to Mark
who will be making his debut on
the World Series circuit this
weekend in South Africa.
“As a club we are keen to
support the England Sevens
programme as best we can and
I’m sure Mark will equip himself
very well this weekend.”
Wimbledon’s
dream tie
h a s A r d l ey
ex p ec t i n g
SHOUT OUT: Sean Rigg
scored the goal at
Wycombe that set up AFC
Wimbledon’s glamour cup
tie with Liverpool. Credit
Getty Images
SITTING PRETTY: London
Scottish’s Mark Bright
Bright represented England at
the Commonwealth Games this
year and scored 21 tries for
Scottish during last season.
England head coach Simon
Amor, a former London Scottish
head coach, said:“We’re
incredibly grateful to London
Scottish for releasing Mark to us
for the third round of the World
Sevens Series.”
England have made three
changes to their squad for this
weekend’s World Series leg in
Port Elizabeth with Alex Davis
and Sam Stanley also coming in.
The trio replace injured pair
Dan Bibby (dislocated elbow)
and Charlie Hayter (hamstring),
while James Rodwell will
continue to be assessed after
picking up a knock.
Amor added:“Unfortunately
our centrally contracted group
have suffered a number of
injuries but we’re delighted to
bring in someone of Mark’s
proven ability.”
After two events, England are
sixth in the Series table after
finsihing third in Australia and
eighth in Dubai last weekend.
ON HIS WAY TO KINGSMEADOW: Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is set to visit
A TIE of dreams lies in wait for AFC
By Adam Jones
Wimbledon in the FA Cup third round
victory in the league fixture between the
after the Dons drew Premier League
giants Liverpool to evoke memories of the sides in October.
Left-winger Sean Rigg scored the only
famous‘Crazy Gang’in 1988.
goal of a scrappy game early in the
Neal Ardley’s side will host the Reds at
Kingsmeadow on the weekend of January second half to continue the Dons’run in a
competition where their
3 in their first ever third
pedigree is rich.
round contest,which will
The strike was only
also be their first game
Rigg’s fourth of the season
against a top or second
in all competitions but
tier outfit since their
Ardley feels the 26-yearformation in 2002.
old is capable of reaching
Following Sunday’s
double figures this
impressive victory at
campaign.
WycombeWanderers in
Wimbledon play four
the second round,Ardley
more games in December
embraced the sentiment
before the visit of Brendan
of England’s most
Rodgers’side and Ardley
prestigious domestic cup
admitted the congested
trophy by pleading for a
festive period can be a
glamour tie,and the
strange time for
outcome of Monday
footballers.
night’s draw will delight
The Dons’manager
him.
added:“It’s a tough time of
“It’s absolutely huge to
year.Personally as a
have something to look
player I never had a
forward to in January with ALL SMILES: AFC Wimbledon
Neal Ardley is glad to get a
Christmas day off in 16
a tough set of December boss
glamour third round tie
years.
fixtures,”said the 42-year“It’s tough when everybody around you
old.
is having festivities and is off work.We try
“Not only will it bring attention to the
and make the atmosphere we have
club,but it will also bring in some
around the training ground good though.”
finances that the club could do with.”
Wimbledon entertain Mansfield and
The 1-0 win at Adams Park on Sunday
Exeter at Kingsmeadow and also make
afternoon was a relative upset of its own
givenWycombe’s lofty position in League the trips toYork and Portsmouth
throughout the rest of December.
Two and the Chairboys’comfortable
www.swlondoner.co.uk
December 2014
SPORT 21
There’s no
stopping a
Noble man
By Tom Roddy
UPPER Norwood boxer Rakeem
Noble is confident there will be
only one outcome at his first
professional title fight on Saturday.
The 24-year-old,who has a 6-0
record,goes toe-to-toe with Lewis
O’Mara for the vacant British Masters bronze light-welterweight
title atYork Hall in Bethnal Green.
And Noble says there won’t be
any complacency in his
performance,despite his extreme
confidence.
“One thing I can guarantee is
that it will be a Rakeem Noble
win,”the fighter said.
“Whether that is early on or late
on in the fight,I don’t know,but put
your money on Rakeem Noble.
“He is a professional fighter so
I’m not going to take him lightly.
“He is here to win and to take
the title back to Portsmouth,but I
believe I have been offering a
higher level at both amateur and
professional level.”
Stepping up to his first eightround fight,Noble has made a few
changes to his training to help him
adapt.
“Training has been excellent,”
he added.
Billie Jean
King beats
Sir Elton at
Albert Hall
By Jenny Drummond
WIMBLEDON tennis legend
Billie Jean King and pop star Sir
Elton John faced off at the Royal
Albert Hall on Sunday in a
charity tennis event.
The pair captained teams
against each other in the Mylan
World TeamTennis Smash Hits
event to raise money for Elton
John AIDS Foundation.
King,whose side consisted of
Kim Clijsters,Tim Henman,
Sabine Lisicki and Jamie Murray,
beat Sir Elton’s side of Andy
Roddick,John McEnroe,Martina
Hingis and HeatherWatson,to
level the series,which has been
going for 22 years,11-11.
This was the first time the
event was held outside of the
United States,meaning three
British players were in the lineup
in the last night of Statoil Masters
event.
“I haven’t really stopped since
my last fight against Kristian
Dochev on September 6.We have
just kept on going to get ready for
this one.
“In order to deal with the eightrounders,you need to be more
durable and technical.
“I have been looking to
increase the quality of each round
but working more on skill and
combinations.”
There have been question
marks around O’Mara due to his
record of four losses in seven
fights,but Noble said:“I cannot
pick a fighter just for his record;I
believe he is a competitive
fighter.”
Noble,who got into boxing after
going to college and was inspired
by Muhammad Ali,sees this fight
as a key moment in his young
career.
He said:“It means a lot because
it is my first professional title fight
after just a year,and it is excellent
to see the progress I have made.
“Once I get passed this test,I
like to believe I could push on to
the next level.
“This fight is the doorway of
stepping up from being a good
novice to an intermediate pro.”
HARD HITTER: Rakeem
Noble is preparing for his
first professional title
fight at York Hall in
Bethnal Green this
Saturday
Pictures:Prabhoo
Janabalan
WINNER: Billy Jean King’s side beat
Sir Elton John’s at the Royal Albert
Hall on Sunday
King said:“Because we are
here in London for the first time
we will hopefully get a new set of
people to get to know about the
Elton John AIDS Foundation.
“We are just absolutely thrilled
and I just want to thank the
players for their participation.
“It’s wonderful that all the
players have come together for
Elton and me to do this fundraiser
for Smash Hits – it means so much
to both of us.”
The format differed from usual
tennis scoring with each set
played to five games,no advantage at deuce and continued if a
player served a let.
The excitement all got too
much for Sir Elton as he fell off his
chair just prior to the penultimate
set but recovered his
embarrassment in style.
Despite losing the tie,Sir Elton
was delighted to be on home soil
in London.
He said:“We haven’t had any
British players before except
VirginiaWade very early on in
the early days so I really want to
thank them.
“I want to thank all the people
who give their time to this.”
SW
December 2014
@sw_Londoner
www.swlondoner.co.uk
Edition 4, December 2014
Samuelson excited by
Dons’ biggest day
AFC WIMBLEDON chief executive Erik Samuelson
believes the FA Cup third round tie against Liverpool in January has the potential to be one of the
greatest dates in the club’s short history so far.
The Dons will host the Premier League giants in
the first weekend of January at Kingsmeadow in
what will be their first game against top flight
opposition since they formed in 2002.
The fixture also invokes memories of the famous
‘Crazy Gang’victory against the Reds in the 1988
final – a triumph widely regarded as one of the
greatest FA Cup upsets.
Samuelson said:“I am delighted for all sorts of
reasons.
“It is one of the most important milestones in our
development – from finally getting out of the Ryman
By Adam Jones
Premier League to getting the rights to our
stadium.
“To be playing against a Premier League team
for the first time – it has to be up there with them.”
The club’s meteoric rise since its foundation in
2002 has fostered from the current ground-share
with Kingstonian in Kingston-upon-Thames which
secured a temporary home.
Since then the club has been promoted five
times in nine campaigns to reach their current
status in League Two and this season beat arch
rivals MK Dons in the Football League Trophy.
Erikson,however,admitted he wasn’t glued to
his television while the draw was being made.
“The moment I heard the draw we were actually
at a youth team game,”he said.
“We quickly went from the excitement to thinking about how it is all going to work on the day.”
The chairman also moved to suggest the financial benefits of a replay are secondary to the team
getting through to the fourth round.
“It obviously depends a lot on whether we get
the TV rights,but ultimately I want the team to
progress,”added Samuelson.
The Dons’chief executive has fond memories of
the 1988 victory over Kenny Dalglish’s‘Culture
Club’and pinpointed the sportsmanship of the
Liverpool fans on what was a momentous occasion.
He said:“The first thing I remember is that it was
a really hot day.
Boxer Rakeem Noble is
ready for a knockout
page 21
HISTORY REPEATING: Eric
Young, Lawrie Sanchez,
Dave Beasant and Terry
Phelan celebrate Wimbledon’s 1988 FA Cup final win
over Liverpool
Picture Getty Images
“I also remember as we left the stadium a
Liverpool fan offering to buy me a drink.
“They were very magnanimous.I am not sure I
would have been as generous.”
Wimbledon pulled off an upset of sorts in the
previous round by beatingWycombeWanderers,a
team who sit top of the League Two table and 15
places above the Dons.
Neal Ardley’s side were also outplayed by the
Chairboys in the league fixture at Adams Park in
October in a 2-0 defeat.
Sunday,however,proved a different outcome,as
Sean Rigg’s fourth goal of the season was enough to
win a scrappy game and extend the Dons’rich cup
pedigree and set up the dream clash with Brendan
Rodgers’Reds.
It’s crunch time for ambitious Park
By Joshua Murray
SHAUN JUSTICE feels this year could finally be the
year Rosslyn Park win National One and earn
promotion to the IPA Greene King Championship.
Park have finished in the top five for each of the
past three seasons and last season ended just three
points behind winners Doncaster Knights.
This season they are again challenging at the top
and find themselves just a point behind leaders
Ealing Trailfinders, who they play in a crunch clash
this Saturday.
They go into the game having lost just once all
season and boasting the meanest defensive record
in the league, facts that give director of rugby
Justice confidence for the rest of the campaign.
“We had such a fantastic end to the season last
year, and we did all we could,” he told SWLondoner.
“We had no regrets because we couldn’t have
done any more with the resources we had.
“No one likes coming second, but it was a good
second, and that is a good place to move on from.
“There is definitely a steely determination to go
one further this year though.”
Park lost less games than Doncaster last season
but were beaten to the top due to having an inferior
number of bonus points, and it looks as though this
year’s competition will be a similarly tight affair.
Ealing are on top because they have one more
bonus point than Park, while Coventry are in third,
just five points behind Park.
But Justice insists the team’s consistency in the
New Year will be decisive in their promotion hopes,
and not just their performance against their
primary rivals this weekend.
The game at Priory Lane brings together two
clinical teams that can boast a combined 21 try
bonus points this campaign, while the brotherly
back-row battle between Park captain Hugo Ellis
and Ealing flanker Arthur Ellis is an eyebrowraising footnote.
“There are the same amount of points on offer
than for any other match,” he added.
“Obviously it is a very important game, but the
real battle will be about our form in the second half
of the season.
“We are really looking forward to the day. The
club is in a great place at the minute, and there will
be a great atmosphere around the ground.
“Ealing have a squad of full-time professionals,
so in some ways the pressure is off. We go in as
underdogs and can try to take a scalp at home
which is exciting.”
BRO CODE: Rosslyn Park’s Hugo Ellis will face his brother Arthur on Saturday. Picture Dave Whittham