Not being a statistician, I cannot actually produce the figures to back up my headline but from what I read and hear from ordinary people, it seems to be the case that we no longer believe a darn thing the politicians tell us. I don’t know
TONY Blair's daughter has visited a school to present it with a £500 equipment voucher. Charlton School in Charlton Park Road welcomed Kathryn Blair through its gates on March 5 to receive the voucher from the 20-year-old as part of national MOVE day
HOLMESDALE fought back from three goals down to earn a point against Tunbridge Wells. The first meeting back in November ended 1-0 with the three points going to The Wells at The Culverden Stadium. Last night Holmesdale got back in a
Lewisham Arthouse celebrates International Women’s Week with an exhibition every year. Curator Alison Day tells Kerry Ann Eustice why. Last year it was illustrations and drawings (an 8ft girl reaching for the stars, being the stand-out piece
A CHARITY which cares for people with terminal illnesses across north Kent is holding a coffee morning to raise money. Ellenor Lions Hospice, which provides residential care, will welcome people to the event at its base in Coldharbour Road, Northfleet
DETECTIVES investigating the murder of Sunny Eze in Plumstead are trying to trace two people who called the emergency services. Mr Eze was stabbed several times during an attack at a flat in Vyvyan House, Campbell Close, at around 7pm on March
AN AWARD-WINNING writer has visited a school to celebrate World Book Day. Sherry Ashworth, author of fiction novels Paralysed and Blinded by the Light, spoke to children at Blackheath High School in Vanbrugh Park, Blackheath on March 5. The 2003 winner
GREENWICH Girls narrowly failed to win the London Youth Games’ Cricket Cup and be crowned champions of London at Lord’s. The team performed very well on the day and beat Ealing and Merton on the way to the final, but they weren’t able to overcome a
A SERIES of road safety events are being held in north Kent to educate young drivers. Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) have organised a number of events which will show young drivers the consequences of being involved in a serious accident. This
PEOPLE in Bexley can now get their first glimpse of how Bexleyheath Broadway could look after the redevelopment of the civic offices site. A public exhibition of the design proposals, drawn up by developers bidding for the contract, are now
Surveillance – Jennifer Lynch’s twisty take on the horror thriller genre – kept Robert Fisk guessing. Sixteen years after Jennifer Lynch made her directorial debut, she is back with a film which is easier to digest but as unsettling to watch
A JOINT initiative aimed at preventing young people from being killed on the UK’s first high speed railway has been launched. The scheme has been launched by Network Rail, the British Transport Police (BTP) and High Speed 1, the UK’s first
GEOFF Billingsley is a member of the new Charlton Athletic Fans' Forum, which meets regularly with the club’s hierarchy to raise supporters’ concerns about life at The Valley. The Woolwich-based Addick will be regularly reporting for News Shopper on
I spoke during a House of Commons debate yesterday to raise my and constituents’ concerns about rising unemployment. Official statistics show that unemployment rose by 66% in Bexleyheath and Crayford, and by 55% across the London Borough of
Fairies and family secrets prove to be a fine combination, says Elizabeth de Jager of Michelle Harrison’s award-winning novel The Thirteen Treasures. While visiting her grandmother's house, an old photograph leads Tanya to an unsolved mystery. Some
Michael Jackson has added 40 extra shows to his string of dates at The O2, Greenwich. Pre-sale tickets – which went on sale yesterday at 7am – have already sold out, prompting the star to add these extra shows. The 50-date residency
ALTHOUGH it was third time lucky for getting the game between Basingstoke Town and Welling United played, it is doubtful too many of the 213 paying customers felt fortunate to have been there after witnessing a dour goalless draw. Scoring opportunities
PHIL Parkinson had plenty of praise for his Charlton side on Tuesday evening after watching the Championship strugglers bounce back from two home defeats by snatching a hard-earned point at Reading. The Addicks boss saw an early lead through Nicky
A MUM says her 11-year-old daughter was “hysterical” after being offered a place at her first choice secondary school and then having it withdrawn hours later. Due to an administrative error, 11 other children suffered the same disappointment as Samantha
FOUR fire engines and around 20 firefighters tackled a bungalow fire in Chislehurst last night. The roof of the house in Coates Hill Road was badly damaged and no-one was hurt. Firefighters were called shortly after 7pm and had the fire
NICKY Bailey claims Charlton’s brave performance at Reading last night proves the Addicks remain determined to do whatever they can to overcome seemingly insurmountable relegation odds. The midfielder, 24, has been utilised at virtually every position
IT HAS been revealed that a crime scene in Bickley was damaged by fire on Monday afternoon (March 11). Gerry Edwards, 59, was stabbed to death in his flat in Page Heath Villas, Bickley, last Tuesday (March 3). His partner, 56-year-old
DARTFORD and Gravesham NHS Trust has been rated as one of the best healthcare organisations in the UK. The trust has been included in the top 100 healthcare employers after an independent survey was carried out by Ipsos MORI on behalf of the Health
SINCE February courts have been able to sentence north Kent offenders with alcohol problems to a rehabilitation programme. Reporter MICHAEL PURTON found out how the service will work. COURTS have been sentencing offenders with drug problems to
As Andrew Motion prepares to stand down as Poet Laureate, he talks to Elizabeth McMahon about spending 10 years in the role, his new book, The Cinder Path and his renewed passion for writing. Traditionally, the Poet Laureate has been the official
A cerebral palsy sufferer is determined to make the most of her life and prove medical experts wrong. DAVID MILLS finds out more. TANYA Backhouse wants to show the world that despite being disabled and unable to speak, she can do what she likes
RESIDENTS are being reminded that the way they pay their Council Tax will change next month. People who do not use direct debit to pay the tax should receive new payment cards to replace their payment books over the coming weeks. The card will show
Jazz poetry is alive and well in Brockley. To prove it, Tony Kirwood reviews Jazz Circus's promising - albeit hit and miss - debut record. I clicked Jazz Circus’s new CD What Jazz Can Do (For Your Life) into my player with a slight feeling
To celebrate Mother’s Day this year, Specsavers in Beckenham, Penge and West Wickham are giving six readers the chance to win designer glasses. The prize includes a pair of designer frames up to the value of £125, with single vision Pentax lenses
POLICE cordoned off part of Foots Cray Meadows in North Cray this morning after a group of dog walkers spotted what appeared to be human remains in the River Cray. Trained officers from Met Police's marine support unit at Tower Bridge were
THE chief executive of Bromley's hospital trust has been chosen to head a powerful new health organisation in south-east London. Dr Chris Streather was appointed as the interim chief executive at Bromley Hospitals’ NHS Trust in December but
THE road in which a man was murdered and his partner stabbed was reopened last night. Former trade unionist Gerald Edwards, 59, was killed and his partner Chris Bevan, 56, suffered multiple stab wounds in their home in Page Heath Villas, Bickley
Early morning, and it’s breakfast time. You sit down with your bowl of cornflakes and turn on the television, and it’s the news. What is the headline today, you ask yourself? Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have adopted yet another orphan. A pop group that
A 43-YEAR-OLD man has pleaded guilty to cultivating cannabis following a raid at his home in Greenhithe. Thong Dinh Vuong pleaded guilty to the charge at Dartford Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (March 5) after officers had seized 512 mature
THE Churchill in Bromley has a special Mother's Day offer for News Shopper readers. Don't clown around - take your mum to The Churchill on Mother's Day to see the Chinese State Circus, electrifying entertainment for the whole family. For £25, not only
SCARVES, Indian shawls, and other handmade crafts from around the world were on offer at a Fairtrade market. Hundreds of ethical shoppers browsed the stalls set up in the Eltham Centre, Archery Road, Eltham, on March 7. The market was
A GAS leak in Eltham causing problems for traffic is not serious. A Southern Gas Networks spokesman says one lane of Eltham Road is closed eastbound between Hamlea Close and Ravens Way to allow a team to repair the leak. However, no
COUNCIL tenants could see their rent rises cut after the Government pledged extra money. Greenwich residents had previously been told their rents would rise by an average of £4.58 per week in the 2009/10 financial year. But following
A HAPLESS criminal smashed a digger through a fence in a plan to pay off his debts, a court heard. Claudio Devito and two others took the digger from a builder's yard in Dacres Road, Forest Hill, at around 12.45am on March 7. The trio
A BUDDING engineer watched laser technology in Portsmouth manufacture her A Level project - without ever leaving her school in Bickley. Helen Salama, a pupil at Bromley High School in Blackbrook Lane, is studying A Level product design, mathematics,
POLICE seized a motorbike for the second time in five days after its 17-year-old driver failed to display L-plates. The Orpington teen, who has a provisional driving licence, had only just collected his silver Gillera Runner 49cc motorbike
BUSINESSES can learn how to bid for work at the London 2012 Olympic Games at an event next week. The free event will take place at Charlton Athletic Football Club, in Floyd Road, Charlton, next Tuesday (March 17) from 6pm. The aim of
A PRIMARY school will welcome delegates from the Caribbean island of Tobago as part of a new education programme. The Sounds Like Tobago initiative is funded by the Tobago government and will see members of the Tobago House of Assembly visit
MAYOR of London Boris Johnson is considering adopting a public electric car hire scheme in London. The project would allow car users to pick up a Government-owned car from one location in the capital and drop it off in another. The cars
TO CELEBRATE science week, youngsters can visit the former home of Charles Darwin to learn more about the revolutionary scientist and his work. Down House in Luxted Road, Downe, will open on Saturday and Sunday (March 14 and 15) so children
THE parents of murdered Harry Potter actor Rob Knox say they plan to open a centre in their son’s name. The Rob Knox Centre would be “something to keep young kids off the street” says his mother Sally, and provide theatre apprenticeships in
