Would you please tell me when PM is going to contact me and whether or not he thinks about me as I do him? - Louise, Bexley Graham says ... I see PM contacting you on Saturday, but I don't feel he treats you as well as you treat him, but I feel you will
George Clark, an acclaimed journalist who rubbed shoulders with Sir Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher has died, leaving a controversial and humourous legacy of work. Reporter SARA NELSON looks back on the Chislehurst resident's career. BORN in
The Greenwich and Lewisham Young People's Theatre (GLYPT) continues to empower youngsters through drama and dance. Reporter SAMANTHA PAYNE speaks to artistic director Jeremy James about the group's latest skateboarding project at Horn Park Primary School
The race to become Lewisham's next directly-elected mayor is hotting up. Over the coming weeks News Shopper will be grilling the major candidates on important issues. GLENN EBREY starts by asking the mayoral hopefuls what they intend to do about crime
HATCHING chicks have answered an age-old question for primary school children. Pupils at Downe School, High Elms Road, Downe, have spent the past three weeks fascinated by the eggs kept in an incubator in their classroom. The chicks have now started
Click on www.penfoldsvauxhall.co.uk to view over 100 "Network Q" and Vauxhall approved used cars 24hrs a day. Penfolds Vauxhall is also the only dealership in London with 6 fully accredited mobility executives on site meaning any mobility customers
A BARTENDER has shaken off tough competition to prove he can mix a mean Manhattan and pour the perfect pina colada. Pete Marshall, who made his first cocktail seven years ago, fought off competition from 1,700 other hopefuls from Europe and America to
THIEVES have taken computers in a break-in at the Kentish Times offices. The building, in Station Road, Sidcup, is currently being refurbished. Burglars got in at the rear of the building overnight on March 6. They took 10 Dell desktop base units, three
NEIGHBOURS of a sports ground on the Sidcup bypass are furious at news of a planning application to create an off-road buggy track there. The application for the Flamingo Park Sports Club includes a pit lane, a viewing pavilion and a moveable marshal
CAMPAIGNERS against the Thames Gateway Bridge believe Bexley Council may now be close to withdrawing its support for the project. The day after the council unanimously rejected Transport for London (TfL) proposals to drastically reduce the number of
FED-UP residents who went to war on underage drinkers say they are winning their battle. Members of the Mottingham Residents' Association feared their village was becoming a haven for teenage boozers, terming it the "drink capital of south London".
BLIND DATE: The Beech Tree pub in London Road, Bromley, raised £1,000 for the Old Ronnie McKeith Ward at Guys Hospital, through a Blind Date competition. The money, along with £2,000 raised at Christmas with an X-Factor competition, will be donated to
POLICE seized £250,000 worth of cannabis in a drugs swoop. Officers from Bromley police raided an address in Belvoir Close, Mottingham, on March 8 and recovered about 1,000 cannabis plants. Heating, lighting, ventilation and watering equipment was
PUPILS studying tourism in developing countries have put on an exhibition of their work. Orpington College students undertaking the BTEC National Diploma in travel and tourism have set up galleries focusing on the location, climate, attractions and accomodation
A SECONDARY school was paid a flying visit by the air ambulance to collect a donation. Year 9 students from Thomas Tallis School, Kidbrooke Park Road, Greenwich, got the chance to look inside one of the service's helicopters when it landed on the front
THE area christened "Crapford" by one unimpressed News Shopper reader is set for a £5,200 makeover. The money, from the council's Catford Town Centre Improvement Grant, will be used to put up new safety barriers along Catford Broadway. Some of the cash
SCHOOLCHILDREN now have a new playground thanks to their artistic abilities. Pupils from St Joseph's RC Primary School, Crossfield Street, Deptford, won an art competition organised by Lewisham Shopping Centre. Their prize was to receive play equipment
FIVE thousand residents could have their water cut off if major works are carried out to repair a leak in a road. For the past five weeks, people have complained to Thames Water about the water leak at the corner of Downham Way and Shroffold Road. And
A COUNCILLOR who defected from Labour to the Lib Dems is indirectly bankrolling his former party's election campaign. Whitefoot ward councillor Carl Kisicki is still making his monthly financial contribution to the Lib Dems four months after he left
A PORTRAIT in oils of the founder of the Horniman Museum has gone on display to mark the 100th anniversary of his death. The picture of Frederick Horniman by Arthur Haddon was unveiled by his great-granddaughter Harriet Horniman at the museum in London
PHOTOGRAPH: On the front page of last week's Lewisham News Shopper we published a photograph of members of the Sydenham Society, incorrectly stating they were residents unhappy with the proposed development of the area. The society fully supports the
RESIDENTS are set to be given a greater say in the running of mental health services in their borough. The South London and Maudsley (Slam) NHS Trust, which is responsible for mental health services in Lewisham, has applied for foundation status. If
A UNIVERSITY student encouraged more than 60 people to limber up to raise money for a cancer charity. Carly Metcalfe, of Vancouver Road, Forest Hill, organised a sponsored aerobics session at Lewisham Hospital in aid of its Colorectal Cancer Awareness
A HOSPICE shop is celebrating 10 years of service to the community. As part of the Greenwich and Bexley Cottage Hospice shop's anniversary, it underwent a week of redecoration before being reopened on March 2. The revamping of the shop in Greenwich
CREATIVE children and professional artists have teamed up to transform a community garden. The garden at the Triangle Community Centre, Armitage Road, Greenwich, has been revamped thanks to £700 of donations. Children from the area helped plant bulbs
A GRIEVING son is taking legal advice to try and stay at the family home now his father has died. In last week's News Shopper we reported how Broomleigh Housing Association told Tom Jubb, 43, he might not be able to stay in his house in Kingsdown Way
A TAXI driver who exposed himself to a female passenger has escaped jail. David Brookes, aged 47, was given a 12-month driving ban, ordered to pay £1,399 costs and given two-and-a-half years' community service at Croydon Crown Court on March 10. Brookes
HUNDREDS of residents have said "no" to plans to build extra housing into their street. More than 200 residents in Madeira Avenue, Shortlands, are standing firm against plans to demolish two houses and build seven four-storey town houses to house 28
POLICE have turned to News Shopper's Shop A Yob campaign in an attempt to track down bus vandals. Officers working on Operation Bustag a scheme run by the Met Police and Transport for London aimed at clamping down on bus yobs believe News Shopper readers
COUNCIL tax is set to rise once again. What on earth is Gravesham Council doing with our money? In recent times it has sold the land where the new temple is being built for say £6m, as a conservative estimate. The land in Parrock Street is being developed
IN REGARD to the article about the A2 in Gravesend (News Shopper, February 22) this, like all roads, is safe. It is the idiots that use them who are the problem. Those who are late for work are the worst. Until these people are educated in the correct
CATCH DOLE CHEATS: I see the police are making great efforts to apprehend those involved in the £53m robbery which took place in Tonbridge. This is to be applauded. However, it does seem ironic this amount of money is just a fraction of the millions
I READ with interest the article on February 22 by Laura-Jane Filotrani, where she expressed concern about the move away from pastoral care in schools. I completely agree learning cannot take place if there are underlying social and pastoral issues which
BIGGIN HILL Waitrose, Main Road. 10am to 1pm. BROMLEY Boots, The Glades. 11am to 5pm. ORPINGTON Sainsbury's, Locksbottom, Farnborough. 10am to 4pm. PENGE Boots, 5 Colman House, Penge. Noon to 5pm.
BLACKHEATH, CHARLTON & GREENWICH Sainsbury's, Horn Link Lane, Greenwich. 11am to 5pm. Totty Pharmacy, 44 Charlton Church Lane, Charlton. 6pm to 7pm. ELTHAM, KIDBROOKE, MOTTINGHAM & NEW ELTHAM Boots, 96-104 Eltham High Street, Eltham. 10am to 4pm. Dickinson's
GRAVESEND & NORTHFLEET Williams Chemist, 120 Vale Road, Northfleet. 11am to noon and 6pm to 7pm. SWANLEY National Co-operative Chemist, 25 Swanley Centre. 11am to noon. DARTFORD & GREENHITHE Asda, Station Road, Greenhithe. 10am to 4pm. Boots, South
YOUNGSTERS left devastated by the death of their beloved mentor are promising to behave themselves to honour his memory. Last year teenagers in Grove Park were stunned by the death of George Burchett, who had become their "voice" in the community.
THE family of a four-year-old boy killed in a horrific car crash have paid tribute to their "little ray of sunshine". John Pacey died when he was flung from his mother's car as it crashed into another vehicle in Hillview, Woolwich. Now his loved ones
A FAMILY are demanding more answers from Darent Valley Hospital about the circumstances leading up to their 81-year-old relative's death. An inquest heard how less than a month before Jean Foxwell died, she was found on the floor by nurses while being
A HUSBAND wants to trace a Good Samaritan who nursed his wife after her scalp was ripped open when she was thrown forward on a bus. Barbara Botten, 77, was travelling on the 96 bus to her home in Milford Close, Abbey Wood, following a morning of shoe
EDUCATION chiefs are being criticised by parents who claim their policies are "hypocritical". Last week the High Court overturned a ruling by Bromley magistrates which saw a parent who took her children out of school for holidays found not guilty. The
NORDIC WALK: Councillors at Kent County Council tried Nordic Walking as part of a project looking into obesity. Mark Fittock and Alan Chell, who are examining obesity in the county, tested the exercise at Cascades Leisure Centre, Thong Lane, Gravesend
A BARTENDER has shaken off stiff competition to prove he can mix a mean Manhattan and pour the perfect Pina Colada. Pete Marshall, who made his first cocktail seven years ago, fought off competition from 1,700 other hopefuls from Europe and America to
ANGRY neighbours will refuse to pay fines after "money-grabbing" parking regulations were introduced on a private estate. Residents of Bridge View, Watermans Way and surrounding streets in Ingress Park, Greenhithe, were outraged when estate developer
A 25-YEAR-OLD thrill seeker was discovered dead in marshland after jumping from an electricity pylon. The Berkshire man was found by police in Greenhithe Marshes, off Manor Way, Swanscombe, at 12.40am on March 12. The man, who was with two friends,
A MECHANIC who shot himself suffered from seizures and was depressed about being separated from his daughter, an inquest heard. Stephen Bell, 33, was found dead in his flat in Park Road, Dartford, on October 24, last year. Gravesend Coroner's Court
A SCHOOL football team has a new matching kit thanks to the fundraising efforts of parents. The team at Our Lady's Roman Catholic Primary School, King Edward Avenue, Dartford, used to play in normal sports clothes. The school did not have the resources
BOROUGH bosses say they are pleased police officials have acknowledged officer levels are "disgraceful" in north Kent. Kent police are committed to putting more bobbies and Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) on the beat in Dartford and Gravesend
THE first session of an informal group to enable parents and carers of disabled youngsters to get together takes place tomorrow in Thamesmead. The sessions have been organised by Bexley SNAP, (Special Needs Access to Provision) a parent-led support group
A HIGH-profile police operation has been clamping down on rogue motorists in Thamesmead. People living in the area have been voicing concerns about motorists acting illegally so police mounted a five-day clampdown. A total of 57 drivers had their cars
THE real world of the forensic scientist has been revealed to 10 Bexley pupils. The students, from Cleeve Park, Blackfen School for Girls, Westwood College and Trinity School, were taking part in crime scene workshops organised by Bexley's Education
A BEXLEY MP has added his voice to the chorus of opposition to plans to expand commercial flights at Biggin Hill airport. Derek Conway's constituency includes Sidcup, which is in the flightpath for the Bromley Council-owned airport. Biggin Hill Airport
MORE than 80 pupils will show off their dancing skills during a dance extravaganza. The students, from Coopers Technology College, Hawkwood Lane, Chislehurst, will take part in the event, to showcase a range of skills. PE teacher Rachel Goodman said
AN APPLICATION to install a mobile phone mast on the grounds of a sports club has been refused. Bromley Council's planning sub-committee turned down the application for a 22m telecommunications mast and additional ancillary equipment at Beckenham Rugby
FIVE thousand residents could have their water cut off if major works are carried out to repair a leak in a road. For the past five weeks, people have complained to Thames Water about the water leak at the corner of Downham Way and Shroffold Road. And
SUSPECT BLAZE: Police are investigating a suspected arson attack on a cricket pavilion. Firefighters were called to the blaze at Chislehurst Cricket Pavilion, Cricket Ground Road, Chislehurst, at about 7am yesterday. At the time of going to press there
A DESPERATE mother has hit out at the education authority after her daughter was refused a place at nine schools. June Mallett has been unable to get her 14-year-old daughter Chloe's name on the school register since moving to West Wickham last December
GIPSIES must get off green belt land, the Deputy Prime Minister has ruled. John Prescott has turned down an appeal against Bromley Council's decision to refuse to let three traveller families site mobile homes and caravans at Waldens Farm, St Mary Cray
AS FREE one-year car insurance offers for older drivers come to an end, one company is advising OAPs to beware of high renewal premiums. Age Concern Insurance Services (ACIS), which specialises in age-friendly motor insurance deals, is urging caution
SHOPPING no longer needs to be a chore for parents, with one mall offering free storytelling sessions to children of all ages. To celebrate International Children's Book Day on April 2, The Glades shopping centre in Bromley will provide three weeks of
JEERS and cries of "shame" filled the air at a meeting where it was decided a day care centre for the elderly is to close. More than 50 residents attended the meeting to hear the fate of Belle Grove day centre in Mickleham Road, Orpington, chaired by
ALCOHOL LICENCE: Trading Standards has asked Bromley Council to review the alcohol licence of Times News, 60 Glebe Way, West Wickham, because shop staff have sold alcohol to minors. The staff sold alcohol to under-age volunteers during operations in
PARENTS were given a taste of school life at an open morning. Blenheim Primary School, Blenheim Road, Orpington, held the event as parents were invited to visit classes and view the school's facilities. Headteacher Alison Whiting also led a forum to
If the 14 men and women on The Apprentice are the most entrepreneurial candidates in Britain we are in trouble. They couldn't organise breakfast for themselves let alone tackle the tasks set by Sir Alan each week. What a bunch of twits. I feel sorry
AN OFF-DUTY policeman accused of being involved in a brawl is facing a retrial. Bromley-based Police Constable Paul Jarrett, 43, was allegedly one of up to 10 football fans fighting on a platform at Victoria station in London. Passengers were forced
A LATE opening session will be held so residents over 60, who work during the day can renew their freedom passes. Paid for by Bromley Council, the pass entitles holders to free travel on buses, rail and trams in the London area, the London Underground
Freedom of speech is always a contentious subject and one which brings out the most vehement arguments. I am provoked to write this piece after reading an article in the Observer regarding a university lecturer in Leeds who has been spouting unpopular
CHILDREN were taught the secrets of poetry, story-telling and writing during a school's literacy week. Year seven and eight pupils at Kelsey Park Sports College, in Manor Way, Beckenham, were visited by three literary talents. Miles Chambers, of Bristol
Do we really a believe a woman married for almost 30 years to a man described as her best friend would be so ignorant of his business affairs as to find herself unwittingly compromised? Not only is Tessa Jowell supposed to have had the relationship
A SELF-CONFESSED practical joker is throwing a funeral party for himself. David Greig decided to hold his own wake after becoming concerned none of his friends would survive to see him off. The 83-year-old former fusilier belongs to several different
SCHOOL children are appealing for help to find their class mascot. The disappearance of Wabbit the toy rabbit has left pupils at Gordon Primary School, Earlshall Road, Eltham, devastated. The cuddly toy went missing on March 5 after being taken shopping
YOUNG drivers are being warned about the risks of driving too fast with a CD-Rom which includes mock crashes and injuries sustained in real high-speed car accidents. The CD-Rom is being distributed to secondary schools and colleges across the borough
A SCHOOL has won a national award for using computers to improve the way it is run. Coopers Technology College, Hawkwood Lane, Chislehurst, used information and communitcations technology (ICT) to improve teaching and management. Senior staff member
Bromley 2 v 2 Billericay Town Westview League Cup semi-final, 1st leg DONAL O'Sullivan is the Irish darling of Hayes Lane after his 95th-minute equaliser sends Bromley to Essex for the second leg with every chance of reaching the League Cup
