IAIN Dowie demanded a positive reaction to the defeat against Brighton and against a below-par side Burnley side he got it. The Palace players earned a degree of redemption with a comfortable victory and a professional performance. Goals from Clinton
BECKENHAM Town Football Club are enjoying some well-earned cup fever. The Becks host Crystal Palace on November 1 at Eden Park Avenue in the Surrey Senior Cup. But boss Gavin Rose is not getting too carried away as his team have a league match against
WHEN it comes to middle-aged sporting dominance look no further than squash supremo Mandy Akin. Last week the 43-year-old retained her over-40s British Squash Open Championship title beating all comers at the National Squash Centre in Manchester. She
CRYSTAL Palace chairman Simon Jordan has denied a Football Association charge of improper conduct and has requested a personal hearing. The charge relates to a newspaper article in which Jordan criticised referee Bryan Curson's display in Palace's 3-
BROMLEY'S FA Cup dream is over for another year. In a passionate encounter against Nationwide Conference side Aldershot, Bromley never recovered from conceding a goal inside 30 seconds and dropped out of the cup at the final qualifying stage. But they
AN ARTIST and qualified botanist is inviting people to join a botanical illustration course which starts next week. Students are taught to explore a range of styles and will also learn about botany. All the plants and drawing materials are provided.
Beckenham 29 v 27 Maidstone Powergen London Two South IT WAS a league debut to remember for Pat Wright and James Cleverly as Beckenham beat Maidstone by the smallest of margins. Stand-off Wright hit two penalties and two conversions one from his
VCD Athletic 1 v 2 Lordswood Kentish Observer Kent League VCD boss Martin Ford described his side's home defeat to Lordswood as "our worst result of the season so far". His team's six match unbeaten run came to an abrupt end on Saturday against a
Lewisham - For players in Bromley borough call 0906 739 0327 - For Bexley, Dartford and Gravesham boroughs, call 0906 739 0329 - For Lewisham & Greenwich boroughs, 0906 739 0331 - Calls are charged at £1 a minute but listings are free. - These
B'heath 20 v 23 Stourbridge Rugby Union National Division Two STOURBRIDGE headed back to the West Midlands with four points after Blackheath threw away a win in the third minute of injury time. Blackheath lock Will Thorpe said: "We had it and lost
GREENWICH Theatre is working with the Natural Theatre Company to tell the timeless tale of Aladdin for this year's family pantomime. After one glimpse of the beautiful Princess So-shy, Aladdin finds himself falling head over heels in love, but the law
FAMILY FUN: A half-term workshop will be offering fun for all the family. Visitors to the Burrage Centre, Burrage Grove, Woolwich, can make masks, learn how to draw cartoons and improve their circus skills, among other activities. The workshop takes place
FLYTIPPERS are to be hit hard by new Government plans to make them pay for their crimes. Recent data shows flytipping is costing councils across London nearly £1m a month to clear up. Now authorities and the Environment Agency have the power to recover
POOL users are being given a second chance to speak out on the future of their swimming baths. More than 150 people attended the first Forest Hill Pools consultation meeting at the beginning of the month. Tomorrow evening Lewisham Mayor Steve Bullock
COMMUNITY groups have the chance to benefit from a major cash boost. The London Development Agency (LDA) has launched a new funding scheme which will see £40m given to grassroots organisations. The LDA Opportunities Fund particularly aims to help groups
A PILOT scheme to stop residents putting their rubbish out before collection day is to be launched. Residents in Penge town centre area will be fined £70 for putting their rubbish bins on public highways. The fine will be reduced to £35 if payment
THE COUNCIL has launched a crackdown on dirty floors in workplaces. The Health and Safety Executive's Watch Your Step campaign aims to highlight potentially life-threatening risks from untidy and dirty floors. Many of the more than 8,000 workplaces
Millwall 0 v 2 Southampton Coca-Cola Championship MILWALL are on the verge of setting a new record but it is not one they will want to see in the famous Guinness book. The defeat at home to Southampton equalled a Lions' record of nine home league
THIS festive season sees Dartford's Orchard theatre staging the classic pantomime Aladdin. sponsored by News Shopper, the show stars funnyman Brian Conley as Aladdin, veteran panto dame Brian Godfrey as Widow Twankey and ventriloquist Dawson Chance
LIONS supporters who have already purchased away travel through the Millwall travel office for the matches at Plymouth Argyle, October 30, and Burnley, November 1, have been asked to contact Billy Neil in the travel office on 020 7740 0502. YOUNG
A TOUCH of 1920s splendour is returning to a village thanks to the efforts of devoted residents. The corrugated iron cricket pavilion will be the centrepiece of Chelsfield village fetes once restoration work is completed. A team of six villagers spend
ON THE CATWALK: Orpington Friends of Cancer Research UK is holding a fashion show at Broke Hill Golf Club, Sevenoaks Road, Halstead, on Friday. Doors open at 7.30pm and the show starts at 8pm. Clothes are by Celeste Boutique and tickets, which cost £8
THE best sidecar riders in the country will be at Canana Heights International Motocross course for the Sidcup Motor cycle Club sidecar-only trials. Riders and passengers have to negotiate eight of the very toughest sections in the morning and then have
CONTROVERSIAL plans to knock down a school and build houses have been rejected. But residents who opposed the 229 unit development at the Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication, Chislehurst, cannot breathe easy yet. School chiefs could now
A BOXING legend has presented a school with the keys to its new minibus. Sir Henry Cooper gave the £32,000 minibus to Rectory Paddock School, Main Road, St Paul's Cray, on behalf of children's charity the Variety Club. The 17-seater minibus is a replacement
YOUNGSTERS cooked apples, made scarecrows and listened to stories with their family and friends. The event at Squirrels Pre-School, West Wickham, last Friday was held in support of the national charity Campaign for Family Learning. The group wants learning
THE new medical director for Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust has chosen four key areas as priorities. Eye specialist David Trew (pictured) says he will be developing relationships with GPs as well as improving the way the trust is governed. He also believes
Portsmouth 1 v 2 Charlton Ath. Barclays Premiership AFTER winning their first five games on the road this season Charlton had what looked on paper to be an easy jaunt to the coast to face Portsmouth, writes Steve Boniface. Pompey have failed to win
Captain Mainwaring's well-meaning but incompetent Dad's Army platoon would not have fared well against a Nazi invasion. But the real Home Guard was a very different affair, as reporter ROBERT FISK finds out ... WHILE German bombers pounded London the
CHARITIES came together to celebrate World Mental Health Day with a disco and fundraising stalls. Mental health charities covering Dartford, Gravesend and Swanley joined forces to host a disco at Viewpoint Community Centre, Cervia Way, Gravesend. More
A 34-YEAR-OLD man has been remanded in custody for shoplifting, just a day after he appeared in the same court for breaching his bail conditions. Geoffrey Thomas Hayward, of London Road, Greenhithe, pleaded guilty to stealing 12 cans of Fosters lager
Rothwell Town 3 v 0 Dartford Southern League Division One East DARTS faced a difficult trip to Rothwell's sloping pitch and they came undone to the tune of three. Tony Burman rested Ryan Briggs and Dave Martin with Craig Maguire and Ryan Hayes taking
A GROUP of teenagers have been getting their hands dirty improving the look of their community. The 10 youngsters from Swanley Technology College, St Mary's Road, were selected to take part in a new environmental project called Motivate. They have
DANCERS can rock around the clock at a charity dance to raise money for cancer patients. Dorothy and Mike Palmer, of Brimstone Hill, Meopham, are staging a rock and roll night to raise money for Darent Valley Hospital's cancer fund. The pair began hosting
Kettering Town 3 v 0 Fleet FA Cup 4th Round Qualifying IT WAS a dire day for Liam Daish as his team tumbled out of the FA Cup and ended the day with nine men. For Kettering Town the win was a fine send off for manager Kevin Wilson who is soon to
NINE-YEAR-OLD Connor Rickman may look diminutive but he packs a punch and kick which could floor most of his peers. For the youngster from Beech Road, Dartford, is the new England National Thai Kickboxing Champion in the 33 kilos category. In a bout
YOUNGSTERS in Bexley Council's care were guests at a disco and buffet at a four-star hotel. They were at the Marriott Hotel, Bexleyheath Broadway, for this year's Looked After Children's Awards. Organised by the council, the awards recognise the efforts
HEAVY lorries cause upset and misery for many residents but are an essential part of economic life. Now a new partnership has been set up to try and bring both sides together. Its aim will be to give a voice on key issues in the area to businesses where
ALTHOUGH the present is impressive enough, with Charlton having made their best-ever start to a top-flight campaign, the past 100 years is the focus of the club's brand new official centenary DVD. The epic three-hour presentation charts the fascinating
Dorchester 1 v 2 Welling Utd FA Cup 4th Round Qualifying WELLING United face League One high-flyers Huddersfield Town in the 1st Round Proper of the FA Cup. The mouth-watering tie is the Wings reward for coming from behind to beat Dorchester Town
THERE was a chance to sample a range of delights at the fifth annual Bexley home brewing festival. Nearly 20 different homemade beers and wines were available for tasting at this year's event which was held in Freemantle Hall, Bexley Village High Street
CURBISHLEY has revealed Matt Holland is determined to stay at The Valley and force his way back into the Charlton side following reports linking the midfielder with a loan move after making just one Premiership appearance for the Addicks this season.
NO CONTROL: What is it about footballers? Despite all their fame and money they always seem to be getting into trouble with women claiming rape or assaults. Of course a small percentage of these can be put down to unscrupulous types trying to make money
IN RETURN for the occasional use of my garden a fox keeps leaving me little presents. To date it has left a plastic football, various rubber toys, several tennis balls, one trainer (well chewed), two gardening gloves (not a pair unfortunately), a toy
THE ART of children's favourite illustrator Beatrix Potter is on show at the Dulwich Picture Gallery. The exhibition aims to display Potter's work in all its variety, with pictures showing her grounding in natural history and knowledge of wildlife. Alongside
BATSMAN Rob Key has been named as Kent captain for next year. He said: "I am thrilled to have been asked to captain Kent and I look forward to giving it my best shot." Spinner Min Patel has taken the post as Key's deputy. Chairman of cricket at the
I FEEL I have to respond to the article Call For Cull After Rabbit Is Attacked (News Shopper, October 5). John Bryant's comments about the wisdom of allowing pet rabbits the freedom of the garden is complete nonsense. Anybody in his office with any
REGARDING the incident at the Labour Party conference (Still No Apology From Thuggish Stewards, News Shopper, October 5). One has to feel sorry for the stewards. They are damned if they take action and damned if they don't. At last year's Labour Party
DESPITE only being two-years-old in its present format, the Danson Youth Amateur Boxing Club already has a waiting list of 60 wannabe fighters. The club, based at the Danson Youth Centre, Brampton Road, Bexleyheath, currently has 16 boxers fighting regularly
ST MICHAEL'S ward in Welling has a lot going for it, but as recent letters have shown we are blighted by low-level anti-social behaviour, especially around Hadlow Road and Wrotham Road. Along with my ward colleagues, I have attended meeting after meeting
WITH regard to Drivers Face Parking Restrictions (News Shopper, October 12). Of all the towns which make up the borough of Bexley, Erith alone has none of the usual parking problems. Thanks to the generosity of Morrisons, its huge car park is available
IT WOULD appear Welling Methodist Church Council has come to an agreement with T-Mobile for the construction of a mobile phone mast and base station on their premises in Bellegrove Road. Bexley Council has decreed this as permitted development' and
RECENTLY I needed to call 999 for an ambulance. The paramedic arrived within a few minutes and calmly, courteously and efficiently did his basic examinations. Shortly afterwards the ambulance arrived and two very cheerful and helpful men liaised with
THERE has always been something which captures me about A Clockwork Orange. Both the novel and the film's ability to enrapture and disgust is fascinating. So I was looking forward to seeing the theatrical version, also written by Anthony Burgess. The
Bexley, Gravesham and Dartford - For players in Bromley borough call 0906 739 0327 - For Bexley, Dartford and Gravesham boroughs, call 0906 739 0329 - For Lewisham & Greenwich boroughs, 0906 739 0331 - Calls are charged at £1 a minute but listings
Grays Athletic 2 v 0 Cray Wanderers FA Cup 4th Round Qualifying CRAY'S battling performance earned deserved praise from Nationwide Conference leaders Grays Athletic in this FA Cup, David and Goliath clash. Grays, despite being three divisions higher
Drink 3/5 Decor 2/5 Food N/A Price 3/5 Atmosphere 2/5 Staff 4/5 A FEW years ago, I visited the Porcupine pub in Mottingham village and genuinely feared for my life. I popped in for a swift Sunday lunchtime pint and was met with hostile glares from staff
A TOP comedian is appearing at the Broadway Theatre. Lewisham-born Danny Slim' Gray is returning to home ground to perform his first one-man show on November 5. He has performed all around the world including in Jamaica on the Annual Red Stripe Comedy
THE name of Bobby Vee and his familiar songs evoke a poignant chapter in rock'n'roll history. Bobby's stage debut on February 3, 1959, has gone down in music lore as the day the music died. The young singer stepped onto the stage in Moorhead, Minnesota
Sidcup 7 v 12 Jersey London Two South East League SIDCUP are bottom of the London Two South East League after a heartbreaking defeat by Jersey at Crescent Farm. Both teams needed the points but the Channel Island outfit took the win and left Sidcup
ANOTHER musician may soon be joining the starry ranks of Shopperland success stories. Sally Garozzo was born and raised in Blackfen, where her name may be familiar to residents; her parents have run Garozzo Motorcycles for more than 30 years. Sally
The weird and wonderful inhabitants of Royston Vasey are back in town, live on stage. But this time in a pantomime; The League of Gentlemen are Behind You. Oh no they're not. Oh yes they are. Oh no ...The comedy quartet of writer Jeremy Dyson and Mark
ELTHAM-BASED kids' rugby league team the London Buckaroos have made history by hosting their first ever home games. The youngsters invited the Croydon Hurricanes to Footscray RC, Footscray Road, Eltham, for a day's rugby and promptly lost all five games
SIX golfers from Shooters Hill Golf Club have putted their way to victory in their own competition for the first time in 20 years. Alfie Plant and George Parker, both 13, Kevin O'Connell, 16, Liam Lawler and Jack Bado, both 17, and 18-year-old Jack Osbourne
TURBO-CHARGED truck racing is returning to Brands Hatch after an absence of 11 years as part of the biggest motorsport event on the national calendar quite literally. On November 5 and November 6 the British Truck Racing Association's (BTRA) Superprix
A CD of original songs and music is taking off for a group of youngsters. Five hundred copies of the 12-track album Frienz have been made by the members of Well-in-Teens, a youth club at the Wellspring Pentecostal Church, New Road, Welling. With cash
IT WAS a time to remember the sunnier days of mid-summer as people gathered to celebrate the winners of this year's Bexley in Bloom competition. The awards evening was held at Hurstmere School, Hurst Road, Sidcup, and hosted by Bexley's mayor, Councillor
RESIDENTS, children and organisations are being urged to turn out on the street this Friday. Thamesmead's Community Safety Action Zone has organised a clean-up day and is keen for everyone to get involved. Just turn up in Abbey Way from 11am and you
A SUB-POSTMASTER has been convicted of groping a teenage schoolgirl in his newsagent's shop Steven Vanner, aged 44, had denied assaulting the girl in the family-owned A.V. Shiers shop in Halfway Street, Sidcup, in October last year. The 15-year-old,
THERE was a time when staying in after school was a punishment but not now. Sometimes it is difficult to get the children at one primary school's after-school club to go home. Normandy Primary School's after-school club in Fairford Avenue, Barnehurst
AN ILLEGAL street trader who sold fast food from his van has been given a maximum £1,000 fine by Bexley magistrates. Residents and businesses in the area of Oaklands Road, Bexleyheath complained about the activities of Taylan Aktas, aged 42, from Belvedere
A GROUP of youngsters have taken their campaign for a BMX bike track to the top. Ride Bikes 4 Life are the first people in the borough to put a deputation before Bexley Council's cabinet. Based mainly at Welling Youth Centre, Lovel Avenue, the teenagers
MILLIONS of pounds are on their way to update schools. There will be £11m to modernise four primary schools and £23m to rebuild one secondary as a pathfinder school. Back in July, Bexley Council bid for a share of the Government's Targeted Capital Fund
IT WAS a chance for anyone enthusiastic about art to get involved. The historic Great Hall in the Tudor house of Hall Place, Bourne Road, Bexley, was crowded with adults and children anxious to take part in the Big Draw event organised by Bexley Heritage
RESIDENTS could be fined for parking across their own driveways under new regulations coming into force on November 1. Driveways accessed by a dropped kerb which allow people to drive across the pavement to reach properties will come under new enforcement
MANY children suffer from nerves when they face the prospect of leaving primary school. At one Bexley secondary school they have been working with their new pupils for months, helping to make them more familiar with Erith School, Avenue Road, Erith.
PEOPLE interested in history will be spoilt for choice over the coming weeks. Between now and mid-December public talks will be held which look at contrasting aspects of history. Tomorrow at Danson House, Danson Road, Welling, historical researcher
RAILWAY staff could be set to strike over possible job losses. A trade union is balloting its members on potential action, in response to fears 99 ticket office jobs could be lost at stations across the south east. The jobs are under threat because
A BUS driver in his 60s is recovering after being hit on the head with a lump of paving slab. The man was injured when his bus came under attack from a group of hooded youths in Thamesmead. The six white boys, estimated to be aged only around 13, used
CUP fever came to one Bexley school when pupils got the chance to see and hold the coveted FA Cup. It was a lucky chance for students at Marlborough School, Marlborough Park Avenue, Sidcup. Building contractor Gary Hillman is helping to build the new
NOMINATIONS IN: There are only three weeks left to nominate someone for a £30,000 prize. The Beacon Fellowship Charitable Trust offers prizes to people for their contribution, in cash, time or skills, to charity. Log onto beacon fellowship.org.uk or
STEPHEN Karitzis, aged 21, of Abbey Road, Belvedere, pleaded guilty at Bexley Magistrates' Court on October 14 to possession of prohibited weapons. The weapons, a pepper spray and a stun gun, were discovered by police during a raid on his home on September
THERE were hefty fines for two men involved in a 15-strong brawl which broke out in a crowded pub. Jonathan Ford, aged 35, started the fight in the toilets of the Guy Earl of Warwick pub in Park View Road, Welling, on April 23, the Old Bailey was told
A GROUP of Army cadets who walked from Bexleyheath to London have raised more than £6,000 to help keep London's air ambulance flying. The south east London cadets, aged between 12 and 18, and some of their adult instructors set off from the Territorial
FIVE people caught up in a house fire had their lives saved by a smoke alarm. Four adults and a child escaped a blazing house in Francemary Road, Lewisham, after they were woken up by their alarm. The five escaped to safety before around 20 firefighters
A GROUP of colleagues raised money for charity by throwing themselves off a 170ft building. The team of six volunteers from confectionary firm Country Choice abseiled down the 16-storey Valiant House, Valley Grove, Charlton, on Sunday. The stunt saw
CHILDCARE provision is set to get a boost with the opening of a "high-quality" care centre. The new facility, offering full-time day care for 49 children aged between three months and four-years-old, will be built at the Brookhill Meeting Rooms, Brookhill
ANYONE out among the ghouls and ghosts next Monday night is being reminded not everyone likes Hallowe'en. Trick or treaters are being asked to look for posters in the windows of homes where people would prefer not to answer the door. Bexley's Community
POLICE have turned to News Shopper's award-winning Shop A Yob campaign to trace a man who attacked a teenager. The suspect was riding a mountain bike when he clipped a 15-year-old at a bus stop in Merberry Road, Thamesmead, on September 16 at 3.30pm.
THE council is on the lookout for a hero. Every year Bexley Council runs an award scheme which recognises the contribution ordinary people make to life in the borough. Some have devoted years to voluntary work, some have achieved outstanding success
CHILDREN were entranced as a professional storyteller took them on a journey around the world. Charlie Wilson took his traditional stories from many different cultures and his collection of unusual musical instruments to Colyers Primary School, Colyers
WHILE some boroughs enjoyed their best-ever GCSE results this year, Bexley was one of only three whose results showed little or no improvement. While surrounding boroughs such as Greenwich and Bromley showed a rise in the number of pupils who achieved
ALL ABOARD: The Gravesend Railway Enthusiasts' Society is holding a model railway show at North Kent College, Lower Higham Road, Gravesend. The show will run on November 5 from 10am to 5pm and November 6 from 10am to 4pm. Tickets cost £6 for families,
RESIDENTS are being urged to keep safe and not break the law this coming bonfire night. Sevenoaks District Council has released tips to help children enjoy the festivities. All fireworks must meet the safety standard of BS7114 and instructions must
STREAMING in comprehensive schools would "turn the clock back 30 to 40 years" says a teaching union. And teachers fear Government plans to place pupils into one ability group across all lessons is inflexible. Brian Chadwick, general secretary for the
HUMAN bones have been found by workers clearing branches in a wood. Police were called to Horton Wood, near Fawkham, at 9.30am on October 19 after workers reported the find. Offices say the bones are human and boots and socks were found near them.
LUCKY residents enjoyed a Hallowe'en-themed fete and raised more than £500 for charity. Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) for Swanscombe and Greenhithe, Lisa Breeze and Lee Edwards-Gee, arranged the event which took place on October 22 at Swanscombe
A TODDLER has cut the ribbon on a new £2m housing development named after her. Holly Sutton was born 10 weeks premature and had Holly Court named after her in recognition of the progress she has made. Holly Court and Wardona Court, in Warwick Place,
A MAN who hid counterfeit money in his kitchen has been sentenced to three years in prison. In July last year officers from the anti-corruption command searched the home of Michael Donald Johnson, in Top Dartford Road, Hextable. They found a secret
A FRAUD squad investigator is urging residents to be vigilant after a six-fold increase in stolen identities. Fraud squad intelligence analyst Steve Booth from Kent Police made the warning after it was revealed the identities of 1,163 Dartford and Gravesham
BE ADVISED: Free advice is offered to residents planning to start or who are running their own businesses. A business adviser will be at Swanley Library, North West Kent Council for Voluntary Service in Dartford and at the New Ash Green Village Association
WALK ON: Members of the Swanley Twinning Association will take a five-mile walk from the Mark Cross Inn, on the A267, five miles south of Tunbridge Wells, on Sunday. Call Roger on 01322 664754. MEET UP: A residents' meeting will be held at Temple Hills
CHILDREN from primary and secondary schools took part in a two-day project to learn about the regeneration of north Kent. Almost 70 youngsters from various schools in the Gravesham area took part in the event, which was held by the Kent Thameside Delivery
SINGERS are needed to learn rhythms and beats for an African concert. More than 150 music lovers are needed to take part in a Mubawula a show which combines traditional music from African townships with British jazz. The performers will have a total
NETBALL players and football teams are seeing the benefits of a £25,000 grant to revamp their sports ground. St Mary's recreation ground, St Mary's Road, Swanley, has already had its six multi-purpose courts resurfaced. The Foundation for Sport and
PATIENTS can see exactly what a hospital has to offer thanks to a new website. The new Darent Valley Hospital site allows visitors to check consultants' credentials. It will also keep them up to date with all the hospital's latest news. The new £5,000
A SIX-YEAR-OLD who bravely dialled 999 when her mother collapsed at the wheel of her car has been presented with an award for her actions. Shelley Towells, of Camden Close, Northfleet, received a Kent Ambulance Trust Community Award as part of its annual
VOLUNTARY organisations have until this Friday to apply for council funding. Dartford Council has £65,000 to distribute and anyone who misses the application deadline of October 28 will have to wait until next year before the grant becomes available
A FAIRGROUND-style organ welcomed visitors to an autumn fair being held in support of a heart charity. The Dartford branch of the British Heart Foundation held its annual autumn fair at Farning- ham Village Hall, High Street, Farningham. People strolled
A GROUP of colleagues raised money for charity by throwing themselves off a 170ft building. The team of six volunteers from confectionery firm Country Choice abseiled down the 16-storey Valiant House, Valley Grove, Charlton, on Sunday. Country Choice
SCHOOLS across the borough are celebrating success as the Government publishes national results for GCSEs and A Levels. The Department for Education and Skills has released statistics for all local education authorities in Britain. In Bromley the percentage
PLANS to revive the borough's leading town centre are being put to the public. Proposals for the future of Bromley town centre will go to public consultation in January, as the council seeks views on improving the economy as well as cultural and leisure
CHORAL TREAT: Bromley Philharmonic Choir is performing a concert of requiems by Faure and Durufle at the United Reformed Church, Freelands Road, Bromley, on November 5 at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £8 (£7 concessions) and are available by calling 020 8460 4898
A COMMUNITY library will not face closure despite being threatened in the latest round of budget cuts. The future of Sydenham Library seemed uncertain when its closure was proposed to save £165,000 from Lewisham Council's budget. But Lewisham Mayor
A CLOSE-KNIT community in the heart of the borough wants to be officially recognised as a village. More than 1,500 traders and residents in the Chatterton Road area off Bromley Common have signed a petition asking Bromley Council to give it village status
THREE men have been jailed after a joint South African and Metropolitan Police operation caught them helping illegal immigrants to enter the UK. Zimbabwe born Harry Peter Wilson, aged 46, and two Sri Lankan born men Arumagan Kanageswaran, aged 54,
SPOOKY BOOGIE: Dance to the sounds of Crys Rothon and the Shallcross Rothon Duo at the Beckenham and Croydon Folk Dance Club's Hallowe'en evening on Friday, from 8pm to 11pm. Admission is £2.50 for members and £3.00 for visitors. Call 020 8777 3336.
Residents are urged to register their mobile phones after statistics reveal 50 per cent of street crime involves phone thefts. The National Mobile Phone Crime Unit has set up Immobilise, an online database where owners can register their mobiles. Bromley
A CHARITY auction raised thousands of pounds for people with life-threatening illnesses. The 270 lots sold at the 30th Harris HospisCare auction raised more than £7,000. Volunteer auctioneer Tony Collins, 66, of Glentrammon Road, Green Street Green,
FOUR teachers have been rewarded for using information technology in their schools. They were selected from 10 finalists at the Bromley Primary Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Conference, at the Education Development Centre, Church Lane
A £5,000 reward is being offered to try and catch two youths suspected of an arson attack on a train. South Eastern Trains has offered the reward after the fire caused £500,000 damage. It occurred on a train between Charing Cross and Hayes between
PUPILS past and present came together to celebrate half a century of education at their school. St George's Primary School in Bickley celebrated its birthday with a party also attended by past and present staff members and the Bishop of Fulham, the
NEW pupils were invited to a mass to celebrate the opening of their school's new facilities. Bishop Charles Henderson from the Arch-Diocese of Southwark conducted the celebration mass for the Year 7 pupils. He then formally opened the £5m extension
OLD school pals got their walking shoes on to raise money for a friend to buy cancer-fighting drugs. Sue Stennett, 35, from Orpington, and Kelly Sutton, 34, from St Paul's Cray, are class of 1985 pupils from Beaverwood School for Girls, Beaverwood Road
DRAMA pupils took to the stage with a 30-minute version of The Tempest as part of the Shakespeare Schools Festival. A cast of 12 to 16-year-olds from Hextable School's performing arts college in Egerton Avenue, Hextable, brought the Bard to life at the
COMMUNITY projects are due to benefit from more than £30,000 of funding. Kent County Council's (KCC) Dartford local board has met to consider five funding applications for the small community capital projects fund. From its yearly budget of £31,500,
THE latest winner of our Mystery Shopper competition has claimed her prize. Lorraine Taylor, of Bourneville Road, Catford, was pictured at The Glades shopping centre by our undercover snapper on October 7. The 40-year-old will win Glades vouchers worth
THE deadline has passed for a consultation into what people want on a piece of open space. The Forestry Commission has up to £8m to spend on developing Jeskyns Farm, Jeskyns Lane, Cobham, as a new 370-acre space. It has been asking people what they
A SUPERMARKET manager has been given a prestigious award from the RAF Benevolent Fund. Patrick Feenan (right) of Sainsbury's, High Street, Penge, is one of only five people awarded a Certificate of Merit this year. He was given the certificate for his
A GROUP of businesswomen have raised thousands of pounds for charity by commissioning and selling cotton bags made in India. The Gravesend and District Soroptimist Club helped benefit Indian villagers by giving them the contract to produce the 2,000
AMATEUR artists have given buyers a chance to own a piece of their handiwork. Members of the Meopham Art Group displayed their work for sale at the St Andrews Art Centre, Royal Pier Road, Gravesend. There were more than 130 paintings to choose from
RESIDENTS will be able to keep a better check on plans for new buildings thanks to an improved website. For the past three years Sevenoaks District Council's website has allowed users to view up-to-date information of all its planning applications.
THE Guide Dogs for the Blind volunteer of the year joined fellow dog owners and celebrities on the London Eye to celebrate World Sight Day. Paulette Obee, 57, of Mayfield Avenue, Orpington, was accompanied by her guide dog Briar on the trip. She then
PIRATES hit the streets of Greenwich to help raise money for the Cutty Sark. The much-loved London icon still needs £12m to pay for a conservation project or faces closure by 2007. A £13m grant has been pledged by the Heritage Lottery Fund but in total
AFTER an enjoyable night out at the theatre my wife and I made our way back to where we had parked the car. As we walked down the hill we were passed by about nine boys aged no more than 13 who had been drinking. Once safely past us they started hurling
NO EVIDENCE: Having read your article of October 5 regarding Councillor Parker reporting all three Hextable ward councillors to the Standards Board, I am delighted to learn it has not accepted it as a valid complaint and the allegations will not be investigated
IN REGARD to the star letter of October 5, Don't Be Foxed By Killer's Cute Face, a fox would no more attack a child than a domestic dog would. As with domestic dogs it is possible to have a rogue one but normally foxes avoid human beings. There is
WHILE it is all well and good for Richard Bowdery (Read the Bible, News Shopper, October 12) to quote specific verses from the Bible to support his cause, does not the Good Book also teach us to love each other and love thy neighbour despite our differences
NORTH BEXLEY, BARNEHURST, ERITH & THAMESMEAD Lloyds Pharmacy, 7 Nuxley Road, Belvedere. 6pm to 7pm. Safeway, 2 Twin Tumps Way, Thamesmead. 10am to 4pm. 7 Day Chemist, 175a Bellegrove Road, Welling. 9am to 11pm. NCC Chemist, CWS Store, 71-79 High Street
GRAVESEND & NORTHFLEET Regent Pharmacy, 19-20 Windmill Street, Gravesend. 11am to noon. Boots, 9 Kempthorne Street, Gravesend. 6pm to 7pm. SWANLEY Boots, 32 Swanley Centre. 11am to noon. DARTFORD & GREENHITHE Asda Pharmacy, Station Road, Greenhithe
BIGGIN HILL Safeway, Main Road. 11am to 1pm. BROMLEY Boots, The Glades. 11am to 5pm. WEST WICKHAM Safeway, 143-165 High Street, West Wickham. 10am to 2pm. ORPINGTON Sainsbury's, Locksbottom, Farnborough. 10am to 4pm. PENGE Boots, 5 Colman House, Penge
BLACKHEATH, CHARLTON & GREENWICH Sainsbury's, Horn Link Lane, Greenwich. 11am to 5pm. Village Pharmacy, 9 The Village, Charlton. 6pm to 7pm. ELTHAM, KIDBROOKE, MOTTINGHAM & NEW ELTHAM Boots, 96-104 Eltham High Street, Eltham. 10am to 4pm. Dickinson's
POLICE have turned to News Shopper's Shop A Yob campaign to trace a man who attacked a teenager. The suspect was riding a mountain bike when he clipped a 15-year-old at a bus stop in Merberry Road, Thamesmead, on September 16 at 3.30pm. The victim
PUPILS treated their teachers to a variety of exotic dishes as part of Black History Month. Food technology pupils from Plumstead Manor School, Old Mill Road, Greenwich, prepared meals from Africa, India, Jamaica, St Vincent and Vietnam. The food festival
CAMPAIGNERS fighting to save Ladywell Leisure Centre have handed 1,700 letters of objection to the council. The centre in Lewisham High Street is due to be demolished in 2007 to make way for a new secondary school. But centre users have campaigned vigorously
LABOUR'S LOSERS: Do gipsies get a better deal than homeowners under Labour? (Helping Gipsies At Owners' Expense, News Shopper, October 12) This is a bit like asking if the Pope is Catholic. Here's what gipsies are entitled to within a few weeks of occupying
If Councillor Adrian Marshall is as concerned about building on the green belt as his recent letter suggests (Continue Fight For Green Belt, News Shopper, October 5) then he must also be worried about the numbers of immigrants entering Britain annually
Could someone explain to me why, when a crime has been committed which makes the national papers, the perpetrator is said to live in Bromley, south London, but the crime committed against a person in this area is reported as Bromley, Kent? I am just
What Councillor Adrian Marshall seems to conveniently forget (Continue Fight For Green Belt, October 5) is there is an urgent need to provide homes for the residents of the borough. No doubt Cllr Marshall has a nice house and no particular housing problems
I see Bromley Council has come up with a new idea instead of the congestion charge. In order to keep traffic out of the centre of town they are digging up all roads leading in or out. Brilliant. I have just returned from holiday and can't believe how
With all the atrocities happening in the world, I feel peeved I have to moan about this. But like many others in our area, if I don't speak up nothing will be done. After the recent campaign to educate us into fitness, I gave into my conscience after
After an enjoyable night out at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley, my wife and I made our way back down Church Road at 11pm to where we had parked the car. As we walked down the hill we were passed by about nine boys aged no more than 13 who had been
It was sad to hear the news of the death of a great jazz pianist from across the channel Georges Arvanitas, who had been in weak health for some time. He was a man who virtually lived in the jazz clubs of Paris as well as on the very active continental
