Thanks Ma’am

NO LONGER EXILED TO OBLIVION? 

New year reprieve for London Welsh 

www.swlondoner.co.uk 

December 22nd 2016 

@sw_Londoner 

WHERE NEXT FOR MENTAL HEALTH 

PROVISION AT ST GEORGE’S? 

All eyes on Miss 

England prize 

page 13 

What to do with your Christmas 

leftovers? Feed it to the lions 

page 3 

Thanks Ma’am 

At 90, Queen steps down as patron of 

Battersea Dogs Home and Wimbledon

December 2016 

2 NEWS 

wwww.swlondoner.co.uk 

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e-mail: newsdesk@swlondoner.co.uk 

EDITORIAL 

Lucy Dyer, editor 

Graham Moody, sport editor 

Borough News Editors 

Ed Leahy, George Cairns, Dan Falvey, 

Alasdair Hooper, Andy Gerlis, Marina 

Stephens, Chris Reidy, Luke Bartlett, 

Louisa Chender, Keumars Afifi-Sabet, 

Rob Middleton 

GOT A NEWS STORY? 

contact editorial on 0208 545 1661 

@sw_londoner 

Meet Ramani, 

Chessington’s 

new arrival 

NEW ARRIVALS: 

Chessington 

welcomed three 

new lion cubs this 

December 

By Andy Gerlis 

CHRISTMAS came early for staff at 

Chessington Zoo this year when their 

Asiatic lion Rani gave birth to three 

young cubs. 

The park is running campaigns to 

name the triplets, with the first one, 

Ramani - Sanskrit for ‘lovely’ - chosen 

by listeners of BBC Radio Surrey. 

The second was named Anala, a 

Hindi name meaning ‘fiery’, by users 

on the Chessington World of Adventures 

Facebook page. 

Alongside this, Chessington also 

asked people to donate leftover turkey 

to feed the cubs and reduce wastage. 

They hit their quota within the first 

day. 

Wild Asiatic lions can only be found 

in a purpose built sanctuary at Gir 

National Park in the state of Gujarat, 

India. 

The sanctuary and surrounding 100 

square mile ‘no human activity zone’ 

were set up after farming and well 

drilling pushed them to the brink of 

extinction less than 100 years ago. 

But, thanks to breeding projects like 

Chessington’s, their numbers have 

swelled to more than 500 worldwide. 

The cubs’ father, Kamal, was brought 

in from Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg, 

Canada, as part of a breeding 

programme to boost the population. 

Around 100 Asiatic lions are in these 

programmes and zoos, meaning the 

three cubs represent almost 3% of captive 

Asiatics worldwide and experts 

struggled to contain their delight. 

“We’re extremely excited to welcome 

our new cubs and the positive 

impact this has for the species breeding 

program,” said Chessington’s 

carnivore keeper Michael Zurnamer. 

“We can’t wait for guests to see them - 

they are surely a rare sight here in 

London.” 

The cubs are old enough to be 

weaned on to raw meat, prompting 

Chessington World of Adventures to 

launch a ‘turkey drop’ on December 16. 

Residents were encouraged to 

donate any leftover raw turkey to feed 

the cubs and help reduce wastage. 

Organiser Oli Whiteley said:“Our 

three new lion cubs were just developing 

a taste for meat and what better 

way to reduce Christmas wastage than 

giving leftover turkey to our cubs. 

“The festive season tends to be a 

period of over-indulgence and we 

wanted to make sure no uncooked meat 

goes to waste.” 

The park was inundated with offers 

of turkey and managed to smash its 

quota within just 24 hours. 

The unprecedented response forced 

Chessington to withdraw the promotion 

in order to avoid creating even 

more wastage than they had hoped to 

prevent. 

And you thought you ate a lot of food 

at Christmas! 

Our Christmas 

wish? Save 

our hospital 

DEAR JEREMY: 

Alihan, 7, signs the 

Royal Brompton 

Christmas card to 

Jeremy Hunt 

By Rose Knight 

CHILDREN at Royal Brompton Hospital 

have sent a Christmas card to Jeremy 

Hunt pleading him not to shut down 

cardiac surgery services. 

The card will be delivered toWhitehall 

today and contains the message: 

“Many of us would not be alive if it was 

not for this fantastic hospital. 

“We shouldn’t waste money closing 

down a centre that works really well 

and is one of the best in the country.” 

A hospital spokesperson said they 

were not expecting a response directly 

from the health secretary,but hoped to 

raise awareness for the impact closure 

would have,not only for patients but for 

the hospital’s portfolio of work. 

Following July’s decision to close the 

heart and lung centre as part of the 

NHS’s collaboration plans,the Royal 

Brompton will lose its intensive care 

unit,and in turn their world-renowned 

paediatric respiratory service. 

Dr Duncan Macrae,director of children’s 

services,said: “What is 

genuinely shocking about this proposal 

is the failure of NHS managers to 

acknowledge or understand the 

adverse impact that the proposed 

changes will have on our highly specialised 

services for children with 

severe lung and heart conditions. 

“For instance,our leading children’s 

lung disease service and its world class 

research programme will in my view 

be fatally wounded - how can this NHS 

reorganisation be an improvement,if 

services such as these are destroyed in 

the process?” 

The decision for closure followed a 

recommendation by a Joint Committee 

of Primary Care Trusts (JCPCT),who 

approved a plan to reduce centres 

offering children’s heart surgery in 

London from three to two. 

The remaining London centres will 

be at Evelina Children’s Hospital and 

Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children. 

Staff at the Royal Brompton paediatric 

respiratory service specialise in 

treatment and research for cystic fibrosis, 

lung disease,neuromuscular 

conditions and more. 

Bob Bell,Royal Brompton & Harefield 

NHS Foundation Trust chief executive, 

said:“We have seen respiratory charities 

like the Cystic Fibrosis Trust and 

Asthma UK,independent clinicians 

from around the world,and many anxious 

parents highlighting time and time 

again the damaging effects on specialist 

respiratory care for children if Royal 

Brompton’s paediatric intensive care 

unit is closed.” 

No recommendations have been 

made to repair damage to services. 

Consultation by NHS England will 

begin in the new year.

December 2016 


NEWS 

THE QUEEN AT WIMBLEDON 

3 

STEPPING BACK: 

Despite being patron at 

Wimbledon the Queen 

left 33 years between 

her visits in 2010, when 

she met Andy Murray 

and 1977, who she presented 

Virginia Wade 

with the trophy 

Kate steps up to 

serve as Queen 

leaves SW19 role 

By Dianne Apen-Sadler 

THE Duchess of Cambridge will 

be able to show off her love for 

Wimbledon when she becomes 

its patron, after the Queen steps 

down at the end of her 90th birthday 

year. 

The Queen will resign from 25 

organisations including Battersea 

Dogs and Cats Home and the All 

England LawnTennis and Croquet 

Club after 60 years and 64 years 

respectively. 

Whilst the Queen’s enthusiasm 

for tennis has long been questioned, 

having only attended the 

tournament four times over her 

reign, the Duchess of Cambridge 

will be an ace ambassador having 

been in regular attendance at the 

Royal Box over the past few years. 

“We would like to thank Her 

Majesty for her long and unwavering 

service to The Club and 

The Championships during her 

time as our patron,”said chairman 

of the AELTC andTheWimbledon 

Championships Philip Brook. 

“It was a great honour to welcome 

Her Majesty to Wimbledon 

in 2010 and we remain immensely 

proud of her role in the history of 

The Club and The Championships.” 

The Queen last visitedWimbledon 

six years ago when she had 

the chance to meet Andy Murray, 

Roger Federer and Serena and 

VenusWilliams. 

The Duchess has attended 

Wimbledon for several years now, 

first appearing with Prince 

“ 

We would like to thank 

Her Majesty for her long 

and unwavering service to 

All England Club and The 

Championships. 

- Philip Brook 

Chairman, All England 

Club 

” 

William in the Royal Box in 2011. 

The Duchess and Prince William 

both raised quite the racquet 

cheering on Murray at his victoriousWimbledon 

final against Milos 

Raonic earlier this year, stopping 

afterwards to congratulate Murray 

on his win and to ask after his new 

baby daughter Sophia. 

Although the Queen delayed 

her annual trip to Sandringham 

for Christmas, sparking fears 

about her health, her decision 

should come as no surprise. 

It follows the precedent set by 

Prince Philip,who resigned from a 

number of patronages in 2011 

after his 90th birthday. 

In addition to Wimbledon, the 

Queen will step aside from her 

role at Britain’s most famous dog 

and cat rescue charity, with her 

replacement expected to be 

announced in the new year. 

A possible replacement could 

be the Duchess of Cornwall, who 

visited the famous animal shelter 

this September. Claire Horton, 

Battersea Dogs and Cats Home 

Chief Executive, said: “We feel 

immensely honoured to have had 

The Queen’s patronage for so 

many years. As a life-long dog 

lover, The Queen has a very special 

place in the hearts of all our 

staff and volunteers.” 

Notable alumni from Battersea 

Dogs and Cats Home include 

Larry, Chief Mouser to the Cabinet 

Office, and Palmerston, Chief 

Mouser to the Foreign Office. 

Queen Elizabeth has owned 

more than 30 corgis since her 

accession to the throne in 1952, 

and currently has one corgi, 

Willow, and two dorgis, Vulcan 

and Candy. 

The Queen mourned the death 

of one of the corgis, Holly, who 

appeared with her in her official 

portrait for her 90th birthday earlier 

this year,and it is believed the 

Queen will not be seeking a 

replacement. 

STEPPING UP: The Duchess of Cambridge is taking over as the 

patron of the All England Club at Wimbledon

December 2016 

4 

MERTON 

Christmas 

post office 

strikes 

hitting 300 

branches 

By Chad Greggor 

Edited by Luke Bartlett 


POSTAL worker strikes hit 

up to 300 branches across 

the UK this week after talks 

broke down between the 

Post Office and union. 

The Communication 

Workers Union, based in 

Wimbledon, called for five 

days of strikes from 19 

December running up to 

Christmas Eve. 

The walkout was called 

due to disputes over branch 

closures, pension plans and 

job losses. 

Affected branches in 

south west London include 

Raynes Park, Battersea, 

Balham, Clapham Common 

andWandsworth. 

Small businesses relying 

on the Christmas boost in 

online sales are being the 

most affected. 

Territorial Representative 

for the CWU, Peter Meech, 

said:“A lot of the offices 

have been kept open but it 

has not been our staff who 

are inside them.” 

The Post Office has said it 

will be‘Christmas as usual’ 

in 97% of its network. 

A statement added 

branches were open on 

December 21, 22 and 23, 

with the supply chain planning 

strike action on the 

22nd and 23rd only. 

Publicly-owned crown 

offices have seen a dramatic 

reduction in branches and 

staff due to Post Office cuts, 

in an effort to reduce 

reliance on the Government 

Network Subsidy. 

Employee numbers in 

crown offices dropped by 

30% between 2012 and 2016, 

from under 5,000 to around 

3,500, according to Post 

Office financial statements. 

There has been a total 

employee reduction of 15% 

across Post Office services 

during the same period. 

Mr Meech said:“When I 

joined in 1972 we had more 

than 1,800 crown offices, 

we’re down to 290 now.” 

CWU General Secretary 

DaveWard said the closure 

and franchise programme 

will mean the Post Office 

will cease to exist in 

Britain’s high streets. 

But Kevin Gilliland, Post 

Office Group Network and 

Sales Director, has said they 

have dramatically reduced 

their losses and reliance on 

government subsidy. 

“We are extremely disappointed 

that the CWU prefers 

to call for strike action, 

particularly at such critical 

time of year,”said Mr 

Gilliland. 

SING-A-LONG:Siobhain 

McDonagh singing with 

Labour colleagues 

Credit: Siobhan McDonagh 

Labour’s rage against the 

machine: MPs bid for No. 1 

By Luke Bartlett 

education secretary Angela Rayner have to look after their kids and it He said:“These are companies, 

and Dan Jarvis. 

isn’t right and it shouldn’t be 

they’re not charities, they have to 

LABOUR PARTY members have 

The single was recorded at Alaska happening.” 

make money. 

released a Christmas single in a bid Street Studio, previously host to UK Marks and Spencer,Tesco and 

“We’ve increased the personal tax 

to highlight wage cuts among leading Grime giantWiley and post-punk B&Q are among the many UK companies 

being held up as examples by to say that the government is not 

allowance from £6,000 to £12,000, so 

UK companies. 

legendsThe Cure. 

National Living Rage is sung to the Ms McDonagh said:“It’s just The Labour Party, who ask for them to doing right by people who are struggling 

is completely false.” 

tune of Band Aid hit DoThey Know about fairness it’s not about anything reconsider their decisions at January 

It’s Christmas? with all profits going bigger than that. 

board meetings. 

The video for the single is on Ms 

to the Band Aid CharitableTrust. “These people are good people Conservative MP Kwasi Kwarteng McDonagh’sYoutube page but has 

It brought together volunteers and and they get up and they go to work however jumped to the defence of UK three times as many dislikes as it has 

MPs including Mitcham & Morden everyday and just like all of us they companies when on the Daily Politics likes, and does not look like topping 

MP Siobhain McDonagh, shadow have to pay their mortgage, they show earlier this month. 

the Christmas charts. 

Council head in hot water 

By Harry Farley 

THE LEADER of Merton Council 

is refusing to stand down despite 

being investigated for misusing 

public money and misleading 

residents. 

Labour councillor Stephen 

Alambritis rebuffed calls from 

Wimbledon MP Stephen 

Hammond to step aside while the 

inquiry,launched last week,is 

ongoing. 

Cllr Alambritis said Mr Hammond 

needed to wake up to the 

national crisis in social care and 

branded the official investigation 

politically vexatious. 

The row was sparked by a 

Labour-backed questionnaire 

sent to residents in October 

which urged them to vote against 

raising council tax while the 

council’s official consultation was 

ongoing. 

Headed Urgent:Consultation 

on Council Tax increases,the 

letter included a council-funded 

freepost envelope,even though it 

was a party political message. 

Outraged residents accused 

Cllr Alambritis of jeopardising 

the integrity of the official consultation 

and making a decision 

before residents had their say. 

Complaints described the 

letter as an abuse of power, 

according to the council’s summary, 

and said Cllr Alambritis 

had acted far below what would 

be considered good conduct. 

DEFENDER: Stephen Alambritis 

Mitcham and Morden Labour 

were forced to apologise and 

repay the council £1,380 for the 

taxpayer funded pre-paid 

envelopes. 

But the council’s Standards and 

General Purposes Committee 

launched a formal investigation 

on Tuesday,saying Cllr Alambritis 

cost taxpayers in excess of 

£1,000 despite the refund. 

The committee ruled he had 

diminished public confidence in 

ACCUSER: Stephen Hammond 

the council and caused data 

management issues over the use 

of personal information that 

further undermined confidence 

in the council. 

Monitoring officer Paul Evans, 

who recommended the investigation, 

said although there was 

not a problem with councillors 

expressing views during a consultation, 

Labour had not made it 

clear enough their letter was 

separate to the official 

investigation. 

He said a council freepost 

address should not have been 

used for party correspondence 

and added that it raised 

concerns about data protection 

issues. 

Mr Hammond described it as a 

very serious set of events and 

said the letter was deliberately 

designed to look as though it was 

part of the official consultation’. 

He called on Cllr Alambritis to 

step aside during the investigation 

so residents can be sure that 

it is conducted with the highest 

level of independence. 

But Cllr Alambritis dismissed 

the allegations and suggested 

the Conservatives were diverting 

attention from failures in adult 

social care. 

Cllr Alambritis said:“In this 

season of goodwill I would just 

like to ask Stephen Hammond 

when his Tory friends in government 

are going to wake up to the 

national crisis in social care? 

“They need to properly fund 

care services for older people 

and stop passing the bill to local 

residents.” 

The investigation was 

launched after an extremely 

heated standards committee 

meeting where opposing councillors 

repeatedly clashed over 

the issue. 

Committee chair,Cllr Peter 

McCabe,warned with no investigation 

public perception may be 

that the council is wishing to 

brush this under the carpet.

www.swlondoner.co.uk December 2016 

Merton’s most vulnerable 

in danger of going without 

MERTON 

5 

Wimbledon 

tops poll of 

university 

entrants 

By Charlane Robinson 

By Luke Bartlett 

WIMBLEDON Foodbank are 

expecting a 10% increase on last 

year’s donations, but fear a lack 

of transport could endanger 

operations. 

The foodbank, which opened 

in 2011, has collected more than 

2.4 tonnes so far this year, up 

from just under 2 tonnes in 2015. 

Project coordinator Ms Marshall, 

37, who has worked at the 

bank for three years, said: “We 

get told of clients that are bed 

ridden, especially at the end of 

their life, but they haven’t got 

family and they need food 

parcels and we’ve got their 

nurses coming in to collect 

parcels for them.” 

Operating just one storage 

centre, the bank distributes all 

food in parcels that go to 

individual families. 

But a limited source of transport 

means most clients have to 

collect their food themselves and 

carry it home, something not all 

are able to do. 

Ms Marshall said: “We’ve had 

some amazing feedback from 

people that are saying they’re 

donating a whole trolley of food 

simply because they had relatives 

that recently had to go to the 

foodbank or they had previously 

used the foodbank themselves. 

“The generosity was 

absolutely outstanding. 

“The community is the only 

reason why the foodbank can 

actually operate as it does. They 

really rally together for 

Christmas. I have selection boxes 

coming from old people’s homes. 

I have things coming from 

churches, synagogues and the 

mosque.” 

But the foodbank’s lack of 

transport means that some of 

Merton’s home-bound residents 

GIVING THANKS: Volunteers and children from Jigsaw4u 

are in danger of going without. 

Ms Marshall said: “It’s very 

hard to watch someone that’s just 

had a stroke trying to struggle 

with two bags of food out of the 

centre.” 

As a result more food is at 

danger of being wasted. 

She added: “Last year we got 

38 tonnes of food but we gave out 

By Josh Cheetham 

41 tonnes. The stockpile we had 

is going down a little bit. 

“It would be amazing if we can 

get transport but it’s a really big 

cost. 

“We’re obviously very grateful 

for all that we can do. 

“With other foodbanks and it 

coming to transport, sometimes 

they’ve been lucky where 

corporate companies have 

donated an actual vehicle to 

them. 

“We’d really benefit from 

having transport so we could 

actually deliver, and have the 

insurance covered, because 

whenever we have to ask someone 

for a favour it’s actually 

against their insurance.” 

First ever Local Charities 

Day celebrated in Merton 

CHARITIES across Merton were 

out in force on Friday for the 

UK’s first Local Charities Day. 

The government initiative 

puts small charities and community 

groups in the spotlight 

to raise awareness of their work 

and encourage donations. 

In support of the day, the 

Office of Civil Society has 

pledged £250,000 in match 

funding for donations made 

through online fundraising 

platform Localgiving. 

But in their annual Local 

Charity & Community Group 

Sustainability Report, Localgiving 

said fewer than 50% of local 

charities are confident they will 

still be operating by 2021. 

For 56%, their most pressing 

concern over the next year is 

generating income and achieving 

financial sustainability, 

despite three in four organisations 

reporting an increase in 

demand for their services. 

Mental Health charity 

Avanti Club, one of the Mayor 

of Merton’s charities for 2016, 

was out raising money and 

plans to continue fundraising 

into Christmas. 

The group organises music, 

arts and crafts workshops for 

people of all ages suffering 

from conditions including 

depression, schizophrenia 

and autism. 

“For some people it’s a 

stepping stone into employment 

because they get more 

confidence to approach possible 

employers,” said Avanti 

Group’s volunteering co-ordinator 

Marcella Meloni. 

Mitcham-based Jigsaw4u, a 

charity that provides support 

to young people facing 

bereavement or traumas such 

as domestic abuse, bullying 

and the death of a parent, also 

took advantage of the day 

through online fundraising. 

The group organises 

friendship groups, anger 

DONATIONS WELCOME: 

Wimbledon Foodbank is in 

need of help with transport 

management therapy, group 

outings to the seaside and 

theatre, and one-on-one counselling 

sessions for children at 

home and in schools. 

Jigsaw4u has worked with 

3,900 individuals so far this 

year, according to business 

development manager Michelle 

Mularkey. 

She said: “We’ve been 

around for a long time, so we’re 

very well known in the community 

and we know the issues that 

affect the community and how 

to deal with them.” 

The group’s fundraising campaign 

was focused around 

signing up local businesses to 

Payroll Giving, which allows 

employees to donate part of 

their salaries on a tax-free 

basis. 

Funding will be put towards a 

new project to help children 

who have experienced the 

death of a parent through suicide, 

and towards day trips to 

the theatre and seaside. 

WIMBLEDON has the highest 

rate of 18-year-old university 

entrants in the UK, according 

to a report published by 

UCAS last Thursday. 

In light of students reportedly 

being deterred by the 

raising of university fees and 

the rising popularity of 

apprenticeship schemes – 

the figures suggest otherwise, 

with Wimbledon at the 

forefront. 

UCAS’ End of Cycle 2016 

report showed that Wimbledon 

had a 63% rate of entry 

to higher education by 18- 

year-olds – almost double the 

national UK average of 32%. 

Wimbledon MP Stephen 

Hammond said: “Having the 

highest rate of entry to 

higher education by 18-yearolds 

in Wimbledon, Raynes 

Park, Motspur Park and 

Morden is fantastic news, and 

a fitting recognition of the 

brilliant schools, teachers 

and students we have.” 

“Importantly more young 

people will have the opportunity 

to achieve their dream 

and ambitions, and crucially 

secure the career they want.” 

The numbers for Wimbledon 

continue to show an 

icnrease, with the rate of 18- 

year-olds gaining entry to 

higher education rising by 

13% since 2010. 

Nationally, the number of 

18-year-olds being accepted 

to university rose by almost 

2%, with 238,900 more young 

people landing university 

places than the year before. 

This is the highest acceptance 

rate to date – despite 

the decrease in the population 

of 18-year-olds and the 

appeal of going straight into 

work. 

Moreover, according to a 

report published by Universities 

UK, 22% of 18-year-olds 

from constituencies with the 

lowest higher education participation 

in England have 

applied to university as 

opposed to 12% ten years 

ago. 

Although the amount of 18- 

year-olds offered university 

places varied across the UK, 

with places like Glasgow 

having an average of 16%, 

young people’s chances 

increased by 4% with 33% of 

all 18-year-old applicants 

gaining a place compared to 

last year. 

However, UCAS chief 

executive Mary Curnock 

Cook warned: “Although the 

number of students from disadvantaged 

backgrounds 

entering higher education 

has reached record levels 

again this year, there are 

early signals that the good 

progress made in recent 

years may be slowing down.”

December 2016 

6 

KENSINGTON & CHELSEA 

Edited by Louisa Chender 


‘Ginaissance’ to 

continue in London 

Ged Feltham: owner and founder of The Distillery in Portobello Road 

Live at 

Chelsea 

2017 acts 

announced 

THE line-up for the 2017 Live at 

Chelsea concert series has 

been announced, with Belle 

and Sebastian and composer 

and pianist Ludovico Einaudi 

heading the bill. 

Belle and Sebastian will perform 

on June 15 and due to 

popular demand, a second date 

has been added for Ludovico 

Einaudi, who will take to the 

stage on June 17 and 18. 

The concert series, held at 

the Royal Hospital Chelsea, is 

becoming an annual tradition 

with artists such asWetWetWet, 

Simply Red and the Royal Philharmonic 

Orchestra 

performing across the three 

days in June 2016. 

The summer concerts are in 

support of the Chelsea Pensioners 

and the upkeep of the 

grade-I listed building, with a 

percentage of the profits going 

to aid these causes. 

There are also a range of hospitality 

packages available 

including a champagne 

reception and luxury barbecue, 

and Belle and Sebastian’s show 

will feature both seating and 

standing areas. 

Tickets for all three evenings 

are available now. 

For further information and 

to find out how to support the 

Royal Hospital Chelsea 

visit www.chelsea-pensioners.co.uk. 

By Louisa Chender 

By Steven Kemp 

LONDON’S first gin hotel,The Distillery, 

opened on Portobello Road last 

week,reflecting the continued growth 

in popularity of the juniper spirit. 

The UK gin industry is one of the 

fastest growing alcoholic beverage 

sectors,with a succession of new producers 

opening to keep up with the 

rising taste for the drink. 

Ged Feltham, owner of The Distillery, 

said: “There has been a gin 

renaissance in the last five years.” 

Mr Feltham is also the owner of the 

nearby Portobello Star and seven 

other venues in London and Leeds. 

“Gin is London’s spirit,” he said. 

“The history of gin is the history of 

London.” 

The Distillery basement has a 

400litre copper still which will be able 

to produce up to 80,000 bottles of gin 

once running at full capacity. 

As well as blending their awardwinning 

gin, a range of stills will also 

create new and imaginative flavour 

combinations across a range of spirits 

such as avocado and olive oil vodka. 

Portobello Panto 

celebrates its 

25th anniversary 

THE Portobello Panto said goodbye 

to 2016 with splendour, style and 

satire at the Tabernacle this week. 

This year’s 25th anniversary show 

told the story of The Snow Queen 

and her narcissistic entourage’s 

endeavours to drive Portobello 

mad with self-indulgence. 

Talented children and adults 

from the community were brought 

together to follow the latest trends 

through characters like Twittaria, 

Instagran and Facey B,bring a playful 

stance to political issues like 

‘Hard Breakfast’and keep the audience 

singing and smiling by 

ridiculing the town. 

Producer KittyWordsworth said: 

“It’s the most vast community institution 

that has meant so many 

things to so many different people. 

“Your emotional energy goes 

into it.You give everything to it. 

“It’s rewarding in the end if the 

kids are happy,and the audience is 

happy, the adults are happy, and 

everyone’s happy.” 

The Portobello Panto was started 

25 years ago by a group of young 

actors and has now grown into a 

family of volunteers of all ages and 

levels of experience. 

“It’s really fun. We’re a family,” 

said Ava Jones,12,who has been in 

the Panto for seven years. 

It is not just the community who 

get involved. A surprise cameo is 

featured each year and 2016’s audience 

saw Peter Capaldi appear on 

stage as DoctorWho. 

Mick Jones,whose daughter Ava 

is in the show, also contributes to 

the magical music, and the show 

has previously seen support from 

Sienna Miller and James Blunt in its 

audience. 

This year’s production saw the 

return of director Anna Chancellor, 

a quarter of a century after she put 

on the first show,along with several 

other familiar faces, to mark the 

anniversary. 

When former director Roger 

Pomphrey sadly passed away, 

Panto ‘godfather’ and former producer, 

Piers Thompson, called a 

meeting with the elders of the Panto 

in the hope that the younger generation 

would take over production 

roles. 

In the moment of crisis, Kitty 

stepped up as the new producer 

and has since set up her own company. 

“It propels people into their 

careers,” she said. “I realised my 

love for it.” 

Friends and professionals volunteer 

their time and trades to 

produce the special show, from 

building the set and making the 

costumes, to learning the dance 

moves and perfecting the puns. 

Makeup artist Celia Burton said: 

“Everyone wants to be part of it. 

“People want to do it because it’s 

a community project.” 

As well as on stage splendour 

success, the event reached its 

crowdfunding target, raising over 

£5,000 for SolaceWomen’s Aid and 

the Shepherds Bush Families Project 

& Children's Centre. 

The Snow Queen was the tenth 

performance on the Tabernacle’s 

stage, which similarly strives to 

offer a platform for creativity and 

reflect the city’s vibrancy. 

The adaptation from Hans Christian 

Andersen’s classic fairytale for 

‘generations of people who love 

west London’, celebrated the city’s 

excellence, the community’s collaboration 

and a merry Christmas. 

The number of new distilleries producing 

gin in England has risen 

almost 300% since 2010 as the nation 

continues to be enthralled. 

This year has seen record-breaking 

sales of the spirit with over 

£1billion spent on the drink in restaurants, 

pubs and supermarkets,a rise of 

16% from 2015,with over 40m bottles 

sold,outstripping both wine and beer. 

Panto stars: From L-R 

Lady Henrietta Rous, 

Poppy Chancellor and 

Micky Pallant 

PICTURE: Jim Tobias 

The Distillery has gone through a 

multimillion pound refurbishment 

and the main bar,The Resting Room,is 

designed in an elegant English style, 

including a range of spirits in re-coppered 

barrels above the counter, 

served straight to the customer,and a 

menu including Sunday roasts and 

bottomless brunch. 

This multi-faceted operation 

includes the Ginstitute, set in the 

basement,with a gin-making experience, 

a cocktail masterclass and a 

‘Bon Vivants’ guide to cocktails’ as 

well as a gin museum with classic and 

vintage bottles dating back to 1700. 

Portobello Road gin has previously 

moved its primary production from 

the Portobello Star to theThames Distillery; 

however this new venture 

brings some of the gin production 

back in-house. 

The first floor sees a combination 

with another of London’s growing 

trends,with Gintonica,where around 

100 specialty gins are served with a 

Spanish tapas inspired menu. 

Those who care to enjoy their 

evening until the end will be able to 

take advantage of the three boutique 

guest rooms at the top of the venue, 

with a view of the historic Portobello 

Road,with bookings already in from as 

far away as South Africa.

By Amanda Coakley 


KENSINGTON & CHELSEA 7 

IF you think it’s difficult finding the blown-out bulb in a string of Christmas tree lights,spare 

a thought for the staff at the Churchill Arms in Kensington,who have a staggering 21,000 

lights to contend with, writes Ed Martin. 

Located on Kensington Church Street, the pub is known for sporting a covering of 

foliage year-round,but in December the flower baskets are replaced by Christmas trees 

and fairy lights,earning the pub the label of‘Britain’s most festive pub’on social media. 

Adult social care will not be 

the focus of budget proposal 

RESIDENTS of the royal borough 

are facing a rise in council tax for 

the first time in eight years, but 

unlike other councils this is not 

due to increased pressure on 

adult social care. 

The 1.9% increase is just under 

the 2% needed to trigger a local 

referendum and would raise 

£15m in additional revenue – 

£15.64 extra per year for the typical 

band D resident. 

Despite national feeling that 

local authorities and the government 

should spend more on 

social care to ease a growing 

crisis, Kensington and Chelsea 

Council said they would instead 

focus on maintaining services 

and increasing savings. 

A suggested forecast published 

after a cabinet meeting 

on November 24 shows proposed 

cuts of £1.4m to social 

care services,£400,000 less than 

an initial target of £1.8m. 

The majority of savings will 

be made due to central government 

grants to protect front line 

services. 

But the council plans to 

reduce the demand for longterm 

care and support, reduce 

the home meals budget and 

review residential services for 

older people,which could yield 

savings of about £617,000. 

In the last Prime Minister’s 

Questions before the Christmas 

recess, Labour leader Jeremy 

Corbyn criticised government 

plans to allow councils to 

increase council tax by a maximum 

of 3% per year in order to 

fund social care. 

Mr Corbyn, who believes the 

Government has no long-term 

plan, said: “Councils work very 

hard to try to cope with a 40% cut 

in their budgets across the whole 

country and the people who pay 

the price are those who are stuck 

in hospital who should be allowed 

to go home. 

“This is a social care system 

that is deep in crisis, the crisis is 

made in Downing Street by this 

government. 

“Why can’t the prime minister 

listen and recognise this crisis 

forces people to give up work to 

care for loved ones because there 

isn’t a system to do it, it leads 

people into a horrible isolated life 

ALL LIT UP: The 

Churchill Arms in 

Kensington takes 

Christmas decorations to 

a new level 

Lighting up for Christmas 

Landlord Gerry O’Brien,65,started the tradition 32 years ago and this year sees the most 

extravagant display yet,with 90 trees festooning the pub. 

The Churchill Arms was built in 1750 and claims to have been a frequent haunt ofWinston 

Churchill’s grandparents,the seventh Duke of Marlborough and Lady FrancisVane,in 

the 1800s. 

It is one of the few pubs to hold the accolade of being a Chelsea Flower Show winner. 

when they should be cared for by 

all of us through a properly funded 

social care system - get a grip and 

fund it properly please!” 

Cuts by the Conservative led 

council in Kensington and 

Chelsea will no doubt have an 

effect on those dependent on 

social care services. 

According to published figures, 

only four in ten people pay for 

their own residential or nursing 

home care in the borough. 

Should these measures be 

passed at the annual budget 

meeting on March 8 next year,the 

majority of people may see their 

situation change for the worse. 

Council leader Nicholas Paget- 

Brown said of the proposal:“I trust 

that when the residents reflect on 

our twice weekly refuse collections,our 

superb exam results,our 

lovely parks, our high levels of 

street maintenance and much else 

besides,our residents will mostly 

conclude that they get a pretty 

good deal for their council tax, 

even if it is does increase by 

nearly 2%.” 

On his personal blog, Nick 

Notes,he commented:“In times of 

hardship,all councils are tempted 

to reduce those of their services 

that are in some way class-leading. 

“The reason is that one can 

more easily defend a switch from 

the good to the merely okay, one 

can even liken such a switch to 

swapping from Waitrose to the 

perfectly acceptable Sainsbury’s.” 

The council declined to comment 

further. 

Values fall 

but borough 

still priciest 

in country 

By Ed Martin 

HOUSE prices in Kensington 

and Chelsea have dropped 

by 4.9% in the past year,figures 

released by the Office 

for National Statistics (ONS) 

last week show. 

The official figures for the 

year to October show the 

borough experiencing the 

second biggest drop in 

London,beaten only by the 

City itself,which saw a fall of 

8.8%. 

Other inner London boroughs 

such as Hammersmith 

& Fulham,Westminster and 

Camden also saw prices 

going down. 

While outer boroughs such 

as Barking and Dagenham, 

Croydon and Hillingdon, 

among others,have all seen 

double-digit rises,in Barking 

and Dagenham’s case by 

18.2%. 

The report also showed 

that London overall saw 

house prices fall by 1.2% in 

October,which is the biggest 

monthly drop the capital has 

experienced since May 2011. 

A report by property data 

consultancy Hometrack,also 

released last week,identifies 

London as a‘decelerating 

city’,with price growth for 

the city overall down to 7.6% 

in 2016,the lowest level in 

three years - a figure which is 

backed up by the data from 

the ONS,which shows growth 

of 7.7%. 

Hometrack blames the fall 

in prices on Brexit,demand 

pressures and multiple 

policy changes aimed at 

investors. 

Rightmove.co.uk paints a 

gloomier picture still,predicting 

inner London house 

prices will drop by as much 

as 5% in 2017. 

Meanwhile,there is good 

news for renters but bad 

news for landlords as the lettings 

market shows a similar 

trend,with property market 

lender Landbay’s National 

Rent Review,published this 

month,showing a year-todate 

change of -2.3% for 

Kensington and Chelsea - the 

biggest drop in both London 

and England as a whole. 

The trends seen in the 

sales market are reflected in 

the rental sector,with outer 

boroughs such as Bexley, 

Barking & Dagenham and 

Havering seeing increases of 

2.9%,2.8% and 2.3% respectively. 

Anyone hoping to snap up 

a bargain should not reach 

for the cheque book just yet 

though,as the borough 

remains the UK’s most expensive 

place to live,with an 

eye-watering average property 

price of £1.2m and an 

average monthly rental price 

of £3,089.

December 2016 

8 

LAMBETH 

Brixton 

Pound 

launches 

e-payment 

phone app 

By Keumars Afifi-Sabet 

Edited by Keumars Afifi-Sabet 

CAMPAIGNERS: 

Residents fights 

against community 

centre axe 


RESIDENTS using Brixton 

Pound can now benefit from 

an app developed to make 

electronic payments even 

easier. 

Launched on December 

1, local consumers will be 

able to send payments to 

shops and businesses 

through the Brixton Pound 

(B£) app as an alternative to 

using the paper form, and 

paying by text. 

According to its founders, 

approximately 300 businesses 

have signed up with 

the Brixton Pound since its 

launch in 2009, with 200 

accepting electronic payments. 

A spokesperson said 

though they were not able to 

estimate how many times 

the app had been downloaded, 

the feedback so far 

had been positive. 

The app, available on iOS 

and Android, also features a 

full directory of registered 

businesses and organisations 

and feeds live 

information based on a 

user’s location. 

Inspired by a similar 

scheme first launched in 

Bristol, Brixton Pound was 

launched to promote local 

businesses and to ensure 

money circulating within 

the local economy does not 

leave the area. 

With an estimated 

100,000 B£ in circulation, 

the currency has a 1:1 

exchange rate with pound 

sterling, and consumers are 

able to exchange cash at 

various locations including 

the Brixton Pound Café. 

The not-for-profit café, 

which opened this April, 

only accepts payments 

using Brixton Pound, and 

operates a pay-what-youfeel 

pricing structure for 

food and drink sold. 

Electronic payments, 

made by text or using the 

app, incur a 1.5% charge 

which is funnelled into the 

Brixton Fund, a microgrants 

scheme for 

community projects. 

Speaking on plans for 

Brixton Pound’s future, 

communications manager 

Marta Owczarek said:“In 

2017 we want to increase 

the impact of the Brixton 

Fund, our local grant 

scheme for community 

organisations, and keep 

growing B£ pay-what-youfeel 

cafe as a community 

hub.” 

Residents fight against 

community centre closure 

By Andrew Ross 

ANGRY residents are fighting to 

save their Stockwell community 

centre from closure. 

Hyde Housing,the housing 

association which run the Stockwell 

Centre,plans to lease it to 

another group with no guarantee 

that it will stay open or provide 

the same services to residents. 

Activists have set up an online 

petition on change.org and on 

Saturday knocked door-to-door 

gathering signatures. 

One resident,Helen Doherty, 

commented online:“Please, 

please,please don't take our hub. 

It's probably the only place in the 

area I truly feel safe. 

“I wouldn't have been able to 

pick my life up again after years 

of unemployment and a spell of 

homelessness and land a wellpaid 

job if it wasn't for the 

support and encouragement I 

received right there.” 

Stockwell councillor Alex 

HUNDREDS of homeless people are 

receiving refurbished laptops in a bid to 

tackle digital exclusion in London,writes 

Ciara Butterworth. 

Lambeth Council is working with 

social enterprise SocialBox.biz to support 

their Laptops for Homeless support 

initiative. 

The project,which is in collaboration 

with homelessness charity Thames 

Reach,offers registered homeless 

people the chance to rejoin society 

through today’s digital world. 

An estimated two million working PCs 

are scrapped in the UK every year,and 

SocialBox.biz aims to turn these unused 

computers into a valuable resource for 

the local community,particularly among 

Bigham,who has been campaigning 

alongside local 

activists, stressed that the proposed 

closure was not justifiable. 

“It’s the most well used community 

centre I’ve come across, 

there are nearly 50,000 visits a 

year,”he said. 

“It is one of the few community 

centres in Lambeth that is open 

from nine in the morning until 

late at night,it provides a vital 

space and refuge for residents in 

Stockwell and further afield. 

“Whether it is people trying to 

beat addiction to drugs or alcohol, 

children taking part in sports 

lessons,older people improving 

their digital skills,or young 

people getting training to get 

back into work,the centre is one 

of the most well used in south 

London.” 

Mr Bigham added:“Their chief 

executive had a £50,000 pay rise 

last year,while their chairman 

STOCKWELL CENTRE: Residents are fighting to save the hub 

the homeless. 

SocialBox.biz chairman Peter Paduh 

said:“Society is becoming ever more 

dependent on computerised technologies. 

“But thousands of people are still with 

no access to this vital resource and as a 

consequence living in social and digital 

exclusion here in London.” 

The council is offering residents the 

opportunity to help the homeless by providing 

donation bins at Brixton Library, 

Clapham Library and Tate South Library. 

Donated computers are refurbished 

and handed over to homeless individuals 

in accommodation services who are 

graduating from their training programme 

at Thames Reach's 

doubled his salary. 

“They made pre-tax profits of 

£22m and have reserves of 

£300m. 

“They can afford to keep these 

and other community centres 

open.” 

A Hyde Housing spokesperson 

said:“We are now operating 

in a more challenging environment 

than before. 

“The government’s 1% rent 

reduction for social housing 

means that we have to make cost 

savings and have had to review 

all of our services,including 

Hyde Plus and the community 

centres. 

“As a housing provider we 

need to make efficient use of our 

income to ensure we are able to 

prioritise building more homes 

to help address the housing 

crisis.” 

Hyde Housing have commissioned 

two independent reports 

to review their community centres, 

which will take into account 

award-winning Employment Academy. 

Jeremy Swain,chief executive of 

Thames Reach London,said:“These 

computers will give the homeless and 

marginalised people who receive them 

the opportunity to communicate with 

friends and relatives,develop new interests 

and improve access to advice to 

improve their skills and employment 

prospects. 

“Our Employment Academy is helping 

thousands of unemployed and 

economically disadvantaged people in 

the capital and the partnership with 

Socialbox.biz will enable us to help even 

more people.” 

One particular project run through the 

academy is theWork Ready Programme, 

building conditions,competition, 

value for money,resident and 

non-resident usage,income 

potential,operational costs and 

local needs both in the present 

and in the future. 

The housing association also 

ran a public consultation,encouraging 

people to share their 

thoughts and suggest what they 

would like to be considered as 

part of their review. 

Their spokesperson added: 

“We have identified two venues 

with similar facilities within a one 

mile radius of the centre.” 

However,according to Mr 

Bigham,this consultation period 

was not formally sent to councillors. 

The Studley Estate Residents’ 

Association also said that local 

people were not aware of Hyde’s 

plans either. 

Hyde Housing will make their 

final decision for the community 

centre in early January 2017. 

LAPTOPS HELP HOMELESS OFF STREETS 

which helps those using Thames Reach 

services to gain the skills and confidence 

they need to find and maintain employment. 

Rosie Crawley,lead worker for the 

Work Ready Programme at Thames 

Reach,said: “A lack of IT skills is a real 

barrier to finding work,with job applications 

done almost exclusively online. 

“I talked to the founder of SocialBox 

about this and they have very generously 

donated 21 refurbished laptops to the 

Work Ready Programme,which we will 

pass on to our most digitally excluded 

graduates,including those living in 

Thames Reach homeless hostels. 

“Some of them are coming in to collect 

their refurbished laptops next week.”


Clubbers rejoice: Brixton 

nightclub safe for now... 

By Jordan Williams 

A BRIXTON nightclub has been 

saved after the building’s owners 

withdrew their planning application 

to redevelop it into luxury 

flats. 

The 414 nightclub building 

has served the Brixton area for 

some 30 years, functioning as a 

bar/cocktail lounge since 1985. 

Plans were submitted on June 

22, 2015, to partially demolish 

the building on Coldharbour 

Lane and construct residential 

flats and a refurbished store 

front. 

Sean Hathaway, designing out 

crime officer of the Metropolitan 

Police, said in a Lambeth Council 

consultation that, if successful, 

the application would reduce the 

opportunity for crime and make 

the area safer and more secure. 

But the proposal led to uproar 

from the community due to the 

displacement of the 414. 

The planning application received 

664 objections and a petition 

to the council launched by 

Bernadette Connolly through 

Change.org garnered 3,488 signatures. 

Thomas Hayles, from Bristol, 

commented on the petition 

page. 

“I grew up in South London 

and 414 was the first venue I 

went to as a clubber in the late 

1990s and provided a unique 

setting in which to experience 

music you might not hear in 

REPRIEVE: 

Famous Brixton 

nightspot won t 

be axed - for 

now 

some of London's bigger venues,” 

he said. 

“Small venues like this need 

to be protected for their important 

contribution to a city's music 

scene and cultural landscape.” 

It was announced on December 

13 on the council planning 

portal that the owner had withdrawn 

their application. 

Coding error: Lambeth Council were left red-faced after the glitch 

The announcement followed 

news that Fabric nightclub in Islington 

would reopen after its licence 

was revoked due to 

concerns about public safety 

from Islington Council and the 

police. 

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan 

said at the time: “London’s iconic 

clubs are an essential part of our 


cultural landscape.” 

To address the protection and 

growth of London’s night-time 

economy, the mayor appointed 

writer, broadcaster, DJ and performer 

Amy Lamé as night-time 

czar. 

In response to the agreement 

that Fabric would reopen, Mr 

Khan said: “My night czar will be 

working with other businesses, 

local authorities and Londoners 

to maximise the economic and 

social impact of a growing night 

time economy. 

“I’ll also soon be announcing 

a new chair of the Night-time 

Commission to work with Amy 

to help deliver a vision for a 

truly 24-hour city.” 

Glitch fills council tax bill 

with ‘cry-face’ emojis 

LAMBETH Council has been left 

red-faced after a coding error 

led to ‘cry face’ emojis briefly 

appearing on residents’ council 

tax bills. 

The glitch, first noticed on 

December 13 and fixed within 

hours, led to the three sad faces 

appearing beside the ‘Amount 

due and balance breakdown’, 

‘Remaining balance breakdown’ 

and ‘e-notices/Bills issued’ fields 

when the bills were accessed 

using iPhones. 

When met with the emojis, 

residents were briefly left guessing 

as to whether this was a 

mistake, an attempt at humour, or 

part of a wider digitisation strategy. 

A council spokesperson said: 

“This was obviously an error and 

it has now been rectified.” 

They added that the glitch 

was caused due to the way certain 

software interprets the 

coding. 

Lambeth resident Jane 

Merrick joked: “I’d like clap 

emojis to appear when I complete 

my tax return, and the 

monkey with the hands over his 

eyes on my bank statements.” 

Journalist Alice Jones tweeted 

a screenshot of her 

emoji-ridden bill, commenting: 

“Not sure about Lambeth’s use 

of emojis on my council tax 

bill.” 

The council replied: “Thanks 

for telling us and sorry about 

this, they shouldn't be there. 

“We’ve got our web developers 

on the case.” 

It is not the first glitch. Some 

Leicester residents who were 

owed refunds were shocked to 

learn last year that they had been 

over-compensated. 

Officials in October 2015 

admitted a glitch led to 239 residents 

being collectively paid 

£86,000, double the £43,000 they 

were owed. 

Leicester City Council's director 

of finance Alison Greenhill 

said at the time: "We recognised 

this error quickly, which is down 

to a glitch in the computer 

system that issues refunds. 

LAMBETH 

Waterloo 

station to 

close for 

Christmas 

By Andrew Ross 

9 

LONDON commuters will 

face further journey disruption 

this Christmas as 

Waterloo station is set to 

close due to multimillion 

pound upgrades. 

Network Rail is warning 

passengers to plan ahead as 

hundreds of staff will work 

through the Christmas break 

to create new staircases on 

several platforms. 

The project aims to facilitate 

longer 10-car trains, 

which will provide passengers 

with more space. 

Maggie Eddy, the scheme 

project manager for Network 

Rail, said: “Given the sheer 

scale of the work involved, 

we can only complete it when 

there are no passengers 

around. 

“Christmas gives us a 

great opportunity to carry out 

these enabling works while 

causing the minimum amount 

of disruption possible.” 

Waterloo, near to London 

Eye and County Hall, will 

close at 8pm on Christmas 

Eve and open again on the 

morning of December 27. 

An amended service will 

operate until January 3, when 

all lines are expected to 

return to a normal service. 

Brixton 

Prison host 

star-studded 

celebration 


A HOST of celebrities performed 

at Brixton Prison on 

December 14 to commemorate 

ten years of the Prison 

Radio Association (PRA). 

Benedict Cumberbatch, 

Russell Brand, Olivia Coleman 

and Matt Berry joined 

others for a special one-off 

show organised by Letters 

Live, in which artists and 

actors read moving letters 

before an audience of 150 in 

HM Prison Brixton’s historic 

chapel. 

The £250 tickets included 

canapés and a mocktail 

reception, with all money 

raised going towards PRA, 

the award-winning charity 

which runs the National 

Prison Radio. 

Letters Live is a live performance 

alternating 

between different venues to 

celebrate the power of literary 

correspondence. The 

event was hosted in association 

with PORTER at the V&A 

last month to celebrate 

‘Incredible Women of 2016’.

December 2016 

10 

RICHMOND 

Edited by George Cairns 


Duo run entire tube 

network for charity 

RUNNING WILD: Rhino racers Jonathan (left) and Duncan raise funds for South African charity 

Housing for 

refugees in 

Richmond 

SYRIAN refugee families could 

be given a home in Richmond 

next year thanks to the work of a 

kindred group of volunteers. 

Refugees Welcome in Richmond 

(RWIR) is a non-political 

group working to find accommodation 

for refugees, acting 

as a first point of contact 

between private landlords and 

Richmond Council. 

Working within the framework 

of the government’s 

SyrianVulnerable Person Resettlement 

Programme – a set of 

guidelines for local authorities 

to resettle 20,000 Syrian 

refugees by 2020 – the group 

aims to get 10 refugee families 

living in the borough by the end 

of 2017. 

RWIR chair Saz Collett said: 

“News coverage of Aleppo and 

the spike in hate crimes in 

Britain after Brexit is making 

people think you can’t just sit 

there – you’ve got to do something 

about it.” 

Two families were rehoused 

in Richmond last month despite 

the council’s long waiting list 

for social housing. 

The group is reaching out to 

private landlords with self-contained 

rental properties to get 

in touch if they think their property 

might be suitable. 

Rents are paid at Local Housing 

Allowance rates and are 

funded by the government’s 

resettlement programme. 

By Claire Benktander 

By Lilian Maingi 

TWO Twickenham friends have run 

402km around the entire London 

Underground network for charity. 

The 12-month fitness challenge for 

Jonathan Kershaw, 32, and Duncan 

Deane, 29, ended on Saturday at 

CanaryWharf station. 

The pair raised almost £1,000 for 

the rhino charity 12Hours, based in 

their native South Africa. 

Jonathan, a DHL Business analyst, 

said:“This experience has been one of 

the most challenging, yet rewarding 

of my life.” 

Sprinting from Turnham Green to 

Richmond on Duncan’s birthday in 

January was the first leg of the route. 

The gruelling venture was an 

opportunity for the friends to see 

more of London, while at the same 

time raise awareness and funds for 

rhino conservation work. 

But their efforts were nearly hampered 

by a number of injuries. 

The first injury, incurred by 

Jonathan,came less than a month into 

the challenge. 

Miracle on Barnes 

street: Real-life 

advent calendar 

RESIDENTS of a Barnes street have 

entered into the true spirit of Christmas 

by displaying real life advent 

decorations in their windows,offering 

donations to two charities. 

Neighbours in 24 houses on Elm 

Grove Road have created an advent 

window display, with a new one 

revealed each day in December. 

The idea is to benefit the wider 

community, with participating 

houses and their neighbours 

having the option to donate. 

“It’s about building communities, 

and people looking after their 

neighbours,”said event co-ordinator 

Sanchi Murison. 

As a long-standing Elm Grove 

Road resident, she said the idea 

came to her after she saw a similar 

project in Cambridge. 

She said: “There is a friendly 

atmosphere on our road. 

“I like the idea that people look 

out for each other.” 

There are 116 houses on the typical 

London street. 

For the project to work Sanchi 

needed about 20% of her neighbours 

to participate . 

“At first, there were only four or 

five responses, but then gradually 

more people joined in,”she said. 

The festive creations produced 

by Barnes’ innovative residents 

include beautifully delicate angel 

wings on window number three 

(pictured), twinkly fairy nights 

making up number seven, and a 

glittery festive reindeer adorning 

number 20. 

Proceeds will be donated to two 

Richmond charities. 

Home-Start UK (HSU), where 

Sanchi is a trustee, is a leading 

family support charity which helps 

children and families deal with 

various challenges they may face. 

Post-natal depression, isolation, 

physical health problems and 

bereavement are among the issues 

tackled by HSU. 

“HSU is very close to my heart,” 

said Sanchi. 

“If you support children when 

they are still young,it is a preventative 

measure for the future. 

“It strengthens family bonds and 

has a long term benefit.” 

The generous idea will also raise 

money for FiSH,a registered charity 

that provides voluntary help for 

It aims to combat loneliness 

while also providing practical 

support to families and the elderly. 

“FiSH is really struggling with 

funding,”said Sanchi. 

“They do Christmas dinners for 

people who would otherwise be 

alone at Christmas.” 

Sanchi explained that one of her 

neighbours was going to spend 

Christmas alone. 

However, with FiSH’s help, she 

was able to enjoy the company of 

others on the most celebrated day of 

the year. 

Sanchi’s efforts have not gone 

unnoticed and she even received a 

note from a neighbour thanking her 

for the advent window idea. 

“People tend not to even say 

hello to those they live next door to,” 

she said. 

“It’s about trying to engage and 

build the community spirit.” 

The window decorations will 

continue to be revealed one by one 

until December 24. 

All donations raised by the displays 

will then be shared between 

the two charities. 

Traditional advent calendars 

date back to the mid-19th century. 

“There were times where we 

doubted whether or not we could 

complete it on time,”he said. 

Accenture IT consultant Duncan 

added:“Jonathan and I went through 

some tough times over the last few 

months, but we could not forget the 

greater cause for our challenge. 

“Running for rhinos has been such 

an honour and we hope that our 

We went through some tough 

times over the last few 

months, but we could not 

forget the greater cause for 

our challenge. 

Duncan Deane 

fundraiser can make an impact in the 

war against rhino poaching.” 

A rhino is killed every 12 hours in 

South Africa and all rhino species are 

classified critically endangered by 

theWorldWildlife Federation (WWF). 

“Recent successful conservation of 

the southern white rhino shows protection 

of these animals is possible 

and in the interests of ecosystems and 

local communities,” said Mxolisi 

Sibanda,WFF UK East Africa regional 

officer. 

The animals are poached for their 

horns, which are sold on the black 

market for ornamental and medicinal 

purposes,particularly in East Asia. 

12Hours co-founder Greg Patrick 

highlighted the importance of raising 

awareness and funds for rhino conservation. 

He said:“Having had the privilege 

of walking alongside rhinos in my 

career,I understand fully the ecological 

and emotional importance of 

saving these magnificent and 

peaceful creatures.” 

With the challenge now complete, 

the pair will be taking some time off to 

enjoy Christmas with their families. 

Jonathan said the whole experience 

was epic,and Duncan agreed it 

was a life-changing. 

“Not only did we get to see London 

as not many have seen it before, but 

we gained a greater appreciation of 

this city’s diversity,”he said. 

ON THE THIRD DAY OF CHRISTMAS: No. 3’s window display residents of Barnes,M

KEW THE LIGHTS: 

Palm House Pond glimmers 

with laser beams 

Inset: Visitors embrace the 

tunnel of lights 

By Phoebe Southworth 

KEW GARDENS is hosting an illuminated 

trail to put the sparkle 

into the snow this Christmas. 

At least 23,000 visitors are 

expected to flock to the gardens 

on Boxing Day to walk the shimmering 

mile-long route in the 

fourth annual Christmas at Kew 

event, which runs until January 2. 

Crystal-adorned trees dazzle 

onlookers, while more than 60,000 

lights emblazon the night sky this 

festive period. 

“The trail offers something for 

By Tara Lepore 


RICHMOND 11 

Thousands of lights set for 

Christmas festival at Kew 

everyone,” said Adam Farrar, head 

of commercial activities at Kew. 

“From wonderfully romantic 

moments for couples, to mini fairground 

rides for children, and a 

karaoke jukebox where the whole 

family can stop and sing along to a 

number of Christmas classics.” 

The fresh air is punctuated by 

the scent of roasted chestnuts, hot 

chocolate and mulled wine as visitors 

toast marshmallows under 

the stars. 

Multi-coloured reeds, a carpet of 

1,700 flickering lights, a sweetsmelling 

fire garden and colossal 

Mayor pledges to 

save historic view 

threatened by 

E15 skyscraper 

LONDON MAYOR Sadiq Khan has 

pledged to save Richmond Park’s 

protected view of St Paul’s Cathedral 

as the development of a 

Newham skyscraper threatens its 

historic skyline. 

The move comes after conservation 

charity Friends of 

Richmond Park (FORP) launched a 

petition to halt construction of the 

42-storey Manhattan Loft Gardens 

building in Stratford to review its 

impact on protected views of St 

Paul’s from King Henry’s Mound 

in Richmond Park. 

The petition received nearly 

9,000 signatures in less than a 

month, and asks the mayor to 

ensure no current developments 

approved by the planning 

authorities will impede the 300- 

year-old view. 

FORP chairman Ron Crompton 

said: “It’s a tragedy that such 

an iconic protected view should 

be destroyed not just for today, 

but for many years to come.” 

Mr Khan said although he 

wanted to make it easier to build 

homes needed to meet the city’s 

housing crisis, all new 

developments should respect 

London’s heritage. 

The mound’s ‘keyhole’ view of 

St Paul’s is formed by an avenue 

of trees planted shortly after the 

Christmas candles are among the 

attractions waiting to be explored. 

A favourite attraction is the 

luminous tunnel of lights that, 

powered by 63,000 pixels, conjures 

vivid images as Christmas 

tunes play. 

Getting in the singing spirit, the 

Kew Christmas karaoke jukebox 

is the perfect place for visitors to 

form a carol choir. 

While couples kiss under the 

mistletoe, children can ride the 

helter-skelter and carousel or pay 

a visit to Santa and his elves in the 

North Pole village. 

RUINED: The obscured view from the mound 

cathedral’s completion in 1710, 

and is one of 10 strategic views of 

Sir Christopher Wren’s building 

officially protected in 1991. 

The Stratford development was 

approved in 2011 by the Olympic 

Delivery Authority without consulting 

the London View 

Management Framework (LVMF). 

The LVMF rules that relevant 

local authorities must consult English 

Heritage, the Mayor and all 

councils along the sight line if 

“Christmas at Kew showcases 

the gardens in a way that daytime 

visitors have never seen them 

before,” said Mr Farrar. 

Teaming up with the Francebased 

PITAYA creative studio, 

Christmas at Kew will also feature 

light-inspired works of art. 

A sparkling lawn covered in 75 

crystal flowers and a tree swathed 

in the precious stones are along 

the trail courtesy of PITAYA. 

The artists say that light is a versatile 

material that both reveals 

and shapes the forms of objects. 

Palm House Pond will erupt into 

proposed buildings interfere 

directly with the view of St Paul’s. 

But prior public consultations 

for the skyscraper were not held in 

Richmond, as Newham Council is 

not currently involved in the LVMF. 

FORP member Richard Gray 

said the group did not intervene 

earlier as it was unaware of any 

development plans. 

He said: “We’re not against new 

development in London, but what 

we want is to prevent further 

colour for the evening’s spectacular 

finale, as laser beam lights jive 

to Christmas classics. 

With 132 hectares of landscaped 

gardens, Kew is the 

world’s most famous botanical 

garden, attracting more than 1.5 

million visitors each year. 

Listed as a World Heritage Site, 

the gardens have made a significant 

contribution to the study of 

plant diversity and economic 

botany, according to UNESCO. 

Kew’s light display even 

appeared in Monday’s Christmas 

episode of Made in Chelsea. 

SAVE OUR VIEW: FORP opposes the development 

damage to this culturally and historically 

important sight line.” 

FORP is now calling for 

Newham and other east London 

boroughs under redevelopment 

to be added to the LVMF and consult 

areas with protected skyline 

views as part of its planning permission 

process. 

Mr Khan said consideration will 

be given to including more boroughs 

in the list to prevent this 

happening again. 

Richmond 

children knit 

blanket for 

homeless 

By George Cairns 

A BLANKET for homeless 

people knitted by Richmond 

children aims to bring the 

community together this 

Christmas season. 

Parents are helping to knit 

the blanket after each morning 

performance of Extra 

Yarn, which is showing at the 

Orange Tree Theatre, in collaboration 

with knitting 

group The Yarnbirds. 

Rose DeBoer, from the 

group, said: “It was a real-life 

enhancing experience. 

“It just feels like what life 

should be about.” 

The group invited children 

to knit squares for the blanket, 

which would be hung in 

the theatre so they could see 

their work. 

After the project began, 

director Imogen Bond had 

the idea of donating the blanket 

to SPEAR, a charity which 

aims to tackle homelessness. 

She said the idea to donate 

to charity came from the play. 

“The character Annabelle 

knits her community together,” 

she said. 

“It was important to reach 

out to our own community.” 

The play runs until January 

7, and to take part, attend an 

11am performance. 

Phone scam 

poses threat 

to elderly, 

says charity 

By Phoebe Southworth 

A LONDON charity has highlighted 

the danger of older 

people becoming victims of 

frausters amid a HMRC telephone 

scam targeting elderly 

taxpayers in Richmond. 

Answerphone messages 

claiming to be from the UK 

authority are encouraging 

tenants to call a number and 

hand over bank details. 

Sophie Andrews, CEO of 

call service for older people 

The Silver Line, said: “Scammers 

use very convincing 

stories and often target 

people who live alone, have 

savings and valuables, or 

simply just want somebody to 

talk to them. 

“Many older people fit this 

criteria and are often more 

likely to be targeted.” 

Fraud saw losses of 

£399.5million from January to 

June 2016 , according to Financial 

Fraud Action – 25% more 

than in 2015. 

“More often than not if 

people have a bad gut feeling 

about something, it’s usually 

right,” said Ms Andrews.

December 2016 

12 

KINGSTON 

Police 

presence 

at Kingston 

market to 

increase 

Edited by Andrew Gerlis 

HIGH VOLTAGE: The Tesla 

Model S car that will be 

used during the inaugural 

Electric GT series 

(Credit: Electric GT) 


By Andrew Gerlis 

THERE will be an increased 

security presence at 

Kingston Christmas Market 

in the wake of Monday’s 

terror attack in Berlin. 

A statement from the 

council confirmed that extra 

police, KingstonFirst security 

officers and market 

traders will be deployed to 

safeguard visitors to the 

event held in the Ancient 

Market. 

On Monday, a lorry was 

deliberately driven into a 

Christmas market in Berlin, 

killing 12 and injuring 48, 

prompting UK towns to 

increase security at vulnerable 

sites. 

And Kingston Council has 

become the latest to review 

its safety measures as thousands 

of people descend on 

the town centre during the 

festive period. 

In their statement, 

Kingston Council reassured 

shoppers, saying:“Visitors 

to the Christmas market and 

Kingston town centre should 

feel confident that there are 

already robust security 

measures in place. 

“Following the incident in 

Germany on Monday, the 

council, working with 

KingstonFirst, and the local 

Police have reviewed existing 

safety measures.” 

Monday’s events drew 

comparisons with July’s 

attack in Nice, France, 

where 84 people were killed 

when Mohamed Lahouaiej- 

Bouhlel drove a lorry 

through a crowd gathered on 

the seafront. 

Due to the nature of these 

two events, roadblocks and 

increased police presences 

have been set up around 

places that could potentially 

be targets, such as shopping 

centres and large-scale 

public events. 

In Canterbury, police 

armed with machine guns 

and tasers were deployed to 

protect the famous Nativity 

scene depicted outside the 

Cathedral. 

While in London police 

have cordoned off the roads 

surrounding Buckingham 

Palace to protect crowds at 

the Changing of the Guards. 

Kingston Council are 

determined not to disrupt or 

worry shoppers, but accept 

that steps have to be taken in 

the light of recent events. 

“There is an increased 

presence of Police, 

KingstonFirst officers and 

market staff to provide a 

greater assurance to those 

visiting the market," they 

said. 

Ohm my God! New series to 

shock electric racing into life 

By Will Moulton 

THE world’s first zero-emission 

GT series will light up the world 

of electric motorsport next year, 

with Kingston’s own Tom Onslow- 

Cole looking to lead the charge 

from the front. 

The inaugural season of the 

Electric GT Championship will 

consist of 20 drivers from 10 

teams taking part in seven races 

across some of Europe’s most 

prestigious venues,including the 

Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya 

in Spain and infamous German 

circuit the Nürburgring. 

The new series will be the first 

to feature GT cars run entirely by 

electricity,with the Tesla Model S 

P100D being the vehicle each 

driver will put to the test in the 

first season,and could prove pivotal 

in the future development of 

electric cars. 

For 29-year-old Onslow-Cole, 

a prominent figure in GT racing 

across the world over the last two 

A GRAPHIC design student used 

Kingston as his inspiration to turn 

around the fortunes of the market in 

his home town of Darwen. 

Liam Dargan, 21, was thoroughly 

dismayed when he returned to the 

Lancashire town last year for his 

Christmas holidays, only to find the 

three day markets were severely 

lacking in shoppers and the building 

that hosted it was faced with closure. 

He went on a one-man mission to 

re-energise the markets, spending 

his spare time going round all the 

stalls with a camera and talking to 

traders and visitors alike to get their 

views on how the market could 

improve and attract more people. 

years,the chance to be part of a 

series that could provide 

groundbreaking technology was 

too good to miss. 

“When I saw the series was 

taking place and the organisers 

came forward to me with what 

they wanted to put together,it 

was a no-brainer for me,I wanted 

to be involved with it,”the former 

touring car racer said. 

“You see these KERS systems 

and so on throughout sports cars 

GROUNDREAKING: Onslow-Cole 

KINGSPIRATIONAL 

He also set up the website Heart of 

Darwen to publicise his campaign 

and it was this that led to him picking 

a prestigious gold at the Creative 

Conscience awards. 

“It was encouraging to know that I 

was making waves, not just in 

Darwen but with industry experts 

across the country,”the Kingston 

University student said. 

“Being at Kingston University and 

being so close to London, you are 

constantly surrounded by innovative 

design and I have seen how design 

can make things better and have a 

positive social impact, so it’s really 

important to me that this project 

works for Darwen.” 

and in F1 so the technology is 

definitely being developed 

through motorsport. 

“Now the technology with the 

batteries is there I think this 

could work as a GT programme.” 

Although the first of its kind in 

the world of performance cars, 

Electric GT is following in the 

footsteps of Formula E,which was 

set up in 2014. 

This championship is now in its 

third installment and proving 

LIFT OFF: In touring car action 

very popular with both the fans 

and manufacturers alike,with 

Jaguar lining up on the grid 

alongside Audi and Renault 

during the 2016/17 season. 

Despite the clear correlation 

between the two,Onslow-Cole 

wants the Electric GT to become 

recognisable in its own right, 

rather than just being seen as the 

Formula E’s younger sibling. 

“Formula E has had a fantastic 

rise and seems to be doing 

extremely well,really engaging 

with the fans,”he said. 

“I think that’s where you will 

hopefully see similarities - the 

Electric GT organisers really 

want to involve the fans in the 

sport and provide an insight into 

the racing that you do not often 

get on other platforms. 

“However,it’s difficult to pull 

similarities between the two 

series because I’m sure they’re 

going to be very,very different. 

“Certainly the aim is for the 

Electric GT series to be a leading 

championship in GT racing.” 

Despite the championship 

being in its embryonic stages, 

with many details still yet to be 

revealed,several prominent 

drivers have already signed up 

to take part,with former F1 test 

drivers StefanWilson,Dani Close 

and Ricardo Texeira joining 

Onslow-Cole in the rostrum. 

World Touring Car veteran 

Tom Coronel,2008 Le Mans 

winner Jeroen Bleekemolen and 

GP3 race winner Kevin Ceccon 

have also been recruited,while 

three promising young female 

drivers are also set to feature, 

including Britain’s Alice Powell 

andVicky Piria. 

“To be able to get this level of 

involvement from the start is 

really good,”said Onslow-Cole. 

“Some of the names that are 

there on the list are really cool. 

“I think the organisers are 

going about setting up a really 

cool championship for drivers 

and credit where credit’s due.” 

COBHAM CUBS 

SOUTH London’s American football are determined to change that with 

scene received a huge boost this the addition of a second youth team. 

week with the news that Cobham In a statement on their website, 

Cougars are to expand their youth head coach Scott Barlow explained: 

development programme. 

“Due to the rapid rise of local youth 

The Surrey-based American football 

team will enter a second 

in and around the Cobham area, we 

who wish to play American Football 

under-17s team into the 2017 British have made the decision to assess the 

American Football Association feasibility of establishing a second 

National League (BAFANL)Youth team. 

League, starting in April next year. “We felt that if a minimum of 40 

The growing popularity of the sport players players were committed to 

in Britain in recent years is contrasted 

by a dwindling number of youth ing, equipment and coaching support 

playing, we would ensure the financ- 

initiatives aimed at getting many would be put in place to establish a 

young people involved. 

second team.” 

But 2016’s Outer LondonWest Division 

champions and Britball finalists will play and train at ACS 

The two teams, Blue andWhite, 

Cobham.


What I go to Liverpool for: 

Busted fan’s inspiring story 

By Andrew Gerlis 

“FIVE hours queuing is the least 

time I’ve waited.The longest was 

18 hours so this should be easy.” 

For music fans,seeing your 

favourite band live can feel like a 

dream come true. 

Being within touching distance 

of the artist whose songs 

you still loved the 1000th time 

you played them can,for some, 

be life-changing. 

But for one Busted superfan, 

seeing the band live means 

much more than air-guitaring 

along to Year 3000. 

Trapped in an abusive relation 

at the peak of their fame in the 

early 2000s,Emma Lewis now 

lives out the dream that once 

only ever existed on an iPod. 

“I liked them as much back 

then as I do now.I always listened 

to their music when I could but I 

couldn’t physically go and see 

them as I was in that kind of a 

relationship,”said the 35-yearold 

ahead of Busted’s gig at 

Kingston Hippodrome on Thursday, 

December 15. 

“But we broke up and after 

they got back together I went a 

bit OTT,”she added. 

Formed in 2002,Busted are a 

pop-rock trio made up of 

Southend’s James Bourne,Matt 

Willis and Charlie Simpson. 

The band split in 2005 but the 

group sold 100,000 tickets in the 

first hour of announcing their 

2016 comeback gig. 

Ten years is a long time to wait 

to see your favourite band live so 

Emma is making up for lost time. 

“My kids and I have seen 

them loads,”said the mother-offive 

from Essex,now living in 

Lowestoft. 

“I’ve been nine times this year 

and have six booked.The furthest 

I’ve travelled was overnight 

BEAUTY QUEEN: Miss Kingston Upon Thames 2017 (Credit: Anna Fowler) 

to Liverpool.I’m looking at going 

to gigs in Europe next year too.” 

As part of 2016’s Pigs Can Fly 

Tour,one lucky fan was given the 

chance to win aVIP ticket for 

taking the best photos whilst 

wearing,coincidentally,a pig’s 

head mask. 

Not content with just one entry, 

Emma packed her suitcase and 


travelled the length and breadth 

of the UK taking photos of herself 

in the mask at almost 150 different 

locations.Naturally,she won. 

And all of this effort does not 

go unnoticed by the boys. 

“After I won the tickets to their 

gig at Fusion Festival,Matt shouted‘Hello 

Emma’to me,”the 

former bar supervisor said. 

”Every time I meet him he 

knows my name!” 

So after a cold,five-hour 

queue in T-shirts fromWillis’Jerk 

Clothing range,how was the 

Kingston gig? 

“It was amazing - Matt spoke 

to my daughter! But for the tour 

I’m definitely taking sleeping 

bags and a onesie,”Emma said. 

Kingston model in running 

for Miss England crown 

THE Miss England crown 

could come to south London 

next year as a Kingston 

dancer and model has 

reached the 2017 semi-finals. 

Grace Smithen, 25, was one 

of three contestants who came 

through her heat in the regional 

quarter-finals in November 

and will go on to the next 

round in June. 

She earned her place after 

finishing second in the public 

vote as well as raising £280 for 

Beauty with a Purpose, the 

charity that works closely 

with the MissWorld franchise. 

Despite spending the 

majority of the last few years 

studying and working in 

Kingston, Grace hails from 

Biggin Hill and says that the 

support she has received has 

been overwhelming. 

“My Mum and Dad are very 

proud – I made it onto the front 

cover of our newspaper back 

home and it’s framed on the 

wall,”the former Kingston 

University student said. 

“It is a close community 

and I got loads of messages 

from people in the village 

congratulating me, even 

from people I didn’t know, 

which was lovely. 

“My friends have also 

been great and they’re 

always really supportive no 

matter what I do.” 

So far the best contestants 

have progressed through a 

combination of securing 

public votes and raising 

money for charity. 

The competition will turn 

up a notch in the semi-finals 

when their all-round abilities 

will be firmly tested through 

a number of challenges. 

Alongside the more wellknown 

tasks, such as 

walking down a catwalk and 

answering questions from 

the judges, the competitors 

will also have to prove their 

fitness and make a new dress 

out of recyclable materials, 

ON WHAT YOU’RE ON: 

Superfan Emma gets a 

piggy back from Charlie 

Simpson 

among a number of other 

demanding activities. 

But, despite aiming to make 

the final and be crowned Miss 

England 2017, Grace is happy 

to have just made it this far, 

having only entered on a whim 

while she was procrastinating 

one day. 

“I think every girl dreams of 

being on stage, wearing a big 

tiara and a dress,”she said. 

“It’s just one of those things 

that I Googled and now I’m 

very much into. 

“It’s good for me being a 

dancer and a model as you 

want to be out there and have 

your finger in every kind of 

pie. 

“My goal is not to be famous 

though, I just do it for the love 

of it.” 

In the process of fighting for 

the title of Miss England, 

Grace will be contesting for 

the Miss Surrey crown in the 

next round in Leicester. 

Miss England 2016 was Elizabeth 

Grant from Preston. 

KINGSTON 

Kingston uni 

professor 

takes home 

book award 


A KINGSTON UNIVERSITY 

reader was awarded the 2017 

Sunday Times Classical 

Music Book of theYear this 

month. 

Dr Caroline Potter,an 

expert on French music, 

scooped the prize for her 

work Erik Satie,a Parisian 

Composer and hisWorld, 

which was released in time to 

conincide with the150th 

anniversary of his birth. 

Despite being a hugely 

respected figure across the 

musical world,Dr Potter 

admitted she was incredibly 

surprised to take home such 

a prestigous award. 

She said:“Receiving this 

accolade from the Sunday 

Times is a huge honour and 

completely unexpected. 

“I feel very humbled, 

especially when you look at 

the strength of the competition 

and the company the 

book is keeping.” 

Dr Potter first became 

deeply fascinated with Satie 

while researching the relationship 

between music and 

other media formats. 

The classical music expert 

also released a book in 2013 

on this subject in relation to 

Satie’s compositions. 

Want to live 

longer? 

Move to 

Kingston 


13 

RETIREES who live in 

Kingston have a greater life 

expectancy than anyone else 

in the country,according to a 

new study. 

The statistics released by 

by financial advisorsWillis 

TowersWatson show a clear 

north-south divide,with nine 

of the top ten postcodes in 

areas surrounding London. 

Kingston-upon-Thames 

topped the charts,with those 

who retire at 65 expected to 

live until an average of 89.74, 

just ahead of Hemel Hempstead 

and Guildford. 

TheYorkshire town of Harrogate 

is the only northern 

area to feature in the top ten. 

All of the bottom ten areas 

for life expectancy are found 

in the north of England and 

some parts of Scotland. 

The northeast does not 

fare well,with Sunderland 

having the lowest life 

expectancy of 87.5 years – 

2.24 years less than Kingston 

residents. 

Suddenly living in zone 3 is 

a lot more appealing.

December 2016 

14 

WANDSWORTH 

Edited by Ed Leahy 


Trump is Mo joke 

says US comedian 

TRUMPED UP: Comedian Mo Amer found himself sitting next to Eric Trump on a trip to the UK. 

Borough 

bookworms 

come top 

LIBRARIES in Wandsworth issued 

1,432,685 books this year,beating 

every other London borough. 

The statistics come from public 

service accountancy body CIPFA 

for the year 2015/2016. 

Culture spokesman councillor 

Jonathan Cook said: “More than 

1.4m issues is an incredible result 

and the highest in all of London. 

“The most important thing any 

council can do is keep libraries 

open. 

“Sadly many authorities are 

closing branches down but here 

in Wandsworth our network has 

been preserved and we are building 

new, state-of-the-art libraries 

for the next generation.” 

The announcement comes after 

the redecoration and refurnishing 

of many libraries across 

Wandsworth,including Earlsfield 

and Battersea Libraries. 

Representatives from social 

enterprise group Greenwich 

Leisure Limited, who manage the 

libraries, say service improvements 

and branch upgrades have 

been the key to success. 

GLL head of libraries Diana 

Edmonds said:“These new library 

figures are a testament to the difference 

our social enterprise 

model brings to deliver services 

for the community.” 

“Having well-trained library 

staff who are knowledgeable, 

innovative and courteous is key to 

our success and we acknowledge 

the contribution their hard work 

has on achieving these results.” 

By Costas Mourselas 

WANDSWORTH councillors have 

expressed fury at government 

inaction over adult social care this 

week. 

The complaints come in the 

wake of an announcement by 

communities secretary Sajid Javid 

on Thursday, December 15, when 

he declared £900m would be made 

available for adult social care in the 

next two years. 

In the announcement, it was 

revealed that the council tax 

precept could be raised to 3% for 

two years, in addition to £240m 

diverted from the New Homes 

Bonus fund. 

Labour councillor Peter 

Carpenter said:“The additional 1% 

precept will only raise some 

£500,000 in Wandsworth. This will 

not even cover the cost of inflation 

on the social care budget. 

“The fact of the matter is that the 

Conservative’s actions in cutting 

social care budgets since 2010 

show that, despite their 

protestations to the contrary, they 

simply don’t care about our 

vulnerable older people.” 

By Dianne Apen-Sadler 

A COMEDIAN whose selfie with 

Donald Trump’s son became an 

internet hit is performing in 

Wandsworth Town Hall next 

Wednesday. 

Hailing from Texas, Mo Amer 

was embarking on his UK tour, 

when he found himself sat next to 

the US President Elect’s son, Eric 

Trump. 

“I think someone who worked 

for the airline that was a huge Clinton 

supporter was like ‘let’s see 

who’s on the upgrade list… there’s a 

guy called Mohammed… yeah I’m 

gonna put him right next to Eric 

Trump,’”he said. 

Immediately posting a photo of 

the pair together on Instagram,the 

photo quickly gained traction and 

strong reactions from his fans. 

“I looked at him and I was like 

‘look,your father played the media, 

he knew what the buttons were and 

he knew how to push them,and he 

won.’He was like yeah,you’re right 

- he didn’t even bother denying it,” 

‘They don’t care’: 

fury over council 

cuts to social care 

The statement comes after a 

council meeting on December 7, 

when a motion to protect the social 

care budget and guarantee care 

workers the London Living Wage 

was denied. 

Citing an investigation into the 

treatment of an elderly resident, 

deputy opposition leader Candida 

Jones said: “The report found that 

there was poor reporting of 

safeguarding issues, poor recordkeeping, 

poor communication and 

poor handling of complaints. 

“It also found poor coordination 

between Wandsworth and its 

contracted-out services and 

between its own departments, 

which resulted in the council failing 

to respond to complaints for eight 

months, during which time, 

however, invoices were sent to the 

family.” 

She also referenced an audit 

carried out by the council’s 

Overview and Scrutiny Committee, 

saying that of 93 cases examined, 

only 43% were found to meet basic 

standards of care or less and 16% 

did not meet expected standards. 

She added: “I would like to see 

the council affirm its determination 

he said. “It’s really just mind 

boggling.” 

Mo arrived in America at the age 

of nine as a refugee fleeing Kuwait 

during the GulfWar in 1991. 

He said the experience left his 

eyes open and heart open to helping 

and being involved as much as 

possible with various charities, 

including refugee charity Human 

“The last thing you 

want to do when everybody 

hates you in the 

world, is to be a really 

unfunny comedian.” 

Mo Amer 

to ensure the services it provides 

for its elderly residents are of the 

highest quality, and that it does not 

repeat its mistakes in relation to 

children’s services, where serious 

problems were left undetected and 

unaddressed.” 

Councils have had their budgets 

cut by about 40% since 2010 with 

most adult social care services 

restricted to the oldest in society. 

Age UK Wandsworth Chief 

executive Rachel Corry said: “We 

are supportive of the precept as it 

is a step in the right direction and 

will make some difference. 

“However the amount it will raise 

in Wandsworth will fall woefully 

short of what is needed and the 

government will have to consider 

additional measures to plug the 

funding gap to ensure those who 

are frail and in need in our 

communities get the help they 

require.” 

Cabinet member for Adult Care 

and Health Jim Maddan said:“The 

council is totally supportive of 

those who are the most vulnerable 

in our society and those who 

provide hours and hours of care, 

both paid and unpaid.” 

Appeal,with whom he will be completing 

a 25-city comedy tour 

across the UK. 

Mo’s ultimate objective is to 

make people laugh, but it is not 

easy when combatting the current 

climate of hatred towards both 

Muslims and refugees, especially 

after the most recent events in 

Berlin. 

As one part of the comedy 

troupe Allah Made Me Funny,Mo’s 

comedy often tackles these attitudes 

head on. 

He said: “We were just tired of 

other people representing where 

we come from and defining how 

we are and what we are.” 

Performing to sold-out shows in 

venues including the Royal Albert 

Hall and the Hammersmith Apollo, 

the charity tour has already raised 

more than £1million for refugees 

across the world in the Middle East 

and Africa. 

“Maybe we should be open 

about how we treat these people 

and maybe we shouldn’t be helping 

those countries bombing the 

crap out of them and making them 

refugees,”Mo added. 

The Human Appeal CharityTour 

will be performing inWandsworth 

Civic Suite, High Street, on 28 

December at 6pm. Tickets are £5 

and are available through 

www.humanappeal.org.uk 

UNDER PRESSURE: Sajid Javid announced £900m for social care.


WANDSWORTH 15 

ARMED WITH HIS DRAGON: A swimmer prepares to plunge into the icy lido waters (Credit: Gail McLean). INSET: UK Cold Water Swimming Championships leader Margy Sullivan 

World’s cold water warriors 

descend on Tooting Bec 

By Joe Coleman 

ALMOST a thousand swimmers 

are set to descend upon 

Wandsworth in the New Year as 

the UK Cold Water Swimming 

Championships return. 

Tooting Bec Lido will once 

again play host to the Championships 

where record attendance 

figures are expected. 

Participants from as far as 

America and Latvia will travel to 

Tooting and slip into their budgie 

smugglers to take the icy plunge. 

The UK Championships are the 

creation of event leader Margy 

Sullivan who was determined to 

bring competitive cold water 

swimming to the UK after finding 

inspiration from a visit to Finland – 

the spiritual home of cold water 

swimming. 

She said: “In 2005, somebody 

saw a little article in a paper about 

these championships that happened 

in Finland where they cut 

a swimming pool out of the ice 

and held 25 metre races. 

“And we thought that would be 

interesting. 

“So one of our members wrote 

Govia keeping 

popular station 

cafe owner in the 

dark over future 

By Ed Leahy 

A CAFE owner facing eviction 

from his premises by Govia 

Thameslink claims he is struggling 

to sleep following a 

year-long battle to keep his lease. 

Karim Daifi was told in July that 

his lease on Cafe Blanca at 

Wandsworth Common station 

would not be renewed, after failing 

his tendering application. 

Since then Mr Daifi says he has 

heard almost nothing from the rail 

operators and the situation is seriously 

affecting his life. 

He said:“I don’t know what will 

happen tomorrow. I have no time 

for my daughter and family. 

Sometimes I won’t sleep all 

night. 

“It’s been like this for one 

year, and we’re really stressed. 

I’m waiting day by day for 

news.” 

Mr Daifi and his wife Dorota 

started a petition to put pressure 

on GTR to save his cafe from 

eviction, receiving more than 

600 signatures from nearby residents 

who use the cafe 

regularly. 

The petition was delivered at a 

council hearing by Conservative 

councillor Sarah 

McDermott,who has backed the 

Daifis’ fight to remain on their 

premises. 

to them and we got invited to an 

event and on the train back a few of 

our swimming club members sat 

there and thought, ‘We could do 

this at Tooting Bec Lido’.” 

The following year, as part of 

the Tooting Bec Lido centenary 

celebrations, the first ever UK 

Cold Water Swimming Championships 

were held at the lido. 

Such was the success of the 

event, the South London Swimming 

Club (SLSC) were invited to 

hold theWorld ColdWater Swimming 

Championships in 2008 at 

Tooting Bec, the first time the 

WAITING: Cafe Blanca haven’t heard from Govia 

She said:“I have expressed our 

concern to Southern that the 

tender competition did not seem 

equitable and did not take into 

account Dorota’s and Karim’s huge 

support. 

“Should the worst come to the 

worst and they need to look for 

other premises, Wandsworth 

Council can help with advice from 

the Enterprise and Business Deptartment.” 

The Daifis’ story has attracted 

championships have been held 

outside of Finland. 

Although competitive, the day 

is more of a celebration of everyone’s 

bravery for simply getting 

involved. 

And as fiercely as the team 

relays and solo races are competed, 

the best hat competition often 

captures most of the attention. 

Nancy Drew has competed in 

every single UK Championship 

and her entire family are now regulars 

at Tooting Bec Lido. 

She said:“Regulars at the Lido 

have become our extended 

further high profile support with 

shadow sports minister Rosena 

Allin-Khan expressing anger at 

Govia’s decision in October. 

The Tooting MP said:“We’d like 

to come to a solution that suits 

everyone.It’s in Govia’s interest to 

keep it there, they need to show 

they are listening to the public.At 

the moment they’ve shown no 

respect for what the cafe does.” 

One of Cafe Blanca’s regular 

customers SimonWilson said:“It’s 

family.The Championships themselves 

bring together everyone at 

the Lido to create a wonderful 

event of cold water swimming.” 

On the day,there will be entertainment 

for those not competing 

in the races, with stalls offering 

pulled pork, soup and even the 

Budgie Smugglers Arms limited 

edition‘Blue Tit Ale’. 

For anyone wishing to join in 

future cold water swimming 

events, the SLSC offer a yearly 

membership and a winter membership 

option, for those fully 

willing to embrace the chill. 

MP SUPPORT: Dr Allin-Khan backs the cafe 

an absolute scandal what’s being 

done. 

“This is a marvellous place to 

have on Wandsworth Common 

Station.I was horrified when I was 

told they were closing.” 

While Govia are yet to divulge 

who the new tenants are, a 

spokesman said:“While we know 

some passengers may miss Mr 

Daifi, we believe they will welcome 

the improvements our new 

tenant will bring.” 

Gun crime 

up by more 

than 80% in 

Wandsworth 

By Josh Kitto 

CRIME has risen by more than 

1,000 incidents inWandsworth 

in the 12 months up to 

November, according to Met 

Police statistics. 

Wandsworth had 24,518 

reported crimes this year, 

compared to 23,197 in the 12 

months up to November 2015, 

a 5.7% increase. 

This compares to a 3.6% 

rise across all London boroughs, 

up from 732,418 to 

758,989 reported crimes. 

Gun crime in the borough 

has nearly doubled from 38 

incidents to 70 – a massive 

84.2% increase, compared to 

19.6% across the capital. 

Reported rapes in 

Wandsworth rose by 38%, 

from 166 last year to 229 this 

year, despite a 12.8% rise 

across London. 

The south west London borough 

also saw a 25.6% 

increase in hate crimes attributed 

to the Brexit referendum 

aftermath by the Met Police. 

Motor vehicle crimes have 

risen by 32.7% compared to 

7.7% across London. 

Wandsworth did though 

buck the trend with a small 

0.9% decrease in violent 

crimes, compared to a 7.3% 

increase across London. 

Festival to 

go ahead 

despite 

complaints 

By Ed Leahy 

SOUTHWest Four festival is set 

to go ahead as usual after 

Lambeth Council snubbed 

their Wandsworth counterpart’s 

bid to quieten the event. 

The dispute broke out in the 

summer after a six-fold 

increase in complaints from 

residents, which Wandsworth 

alleges was due to a rise in the 

allowed noise threshold. 

The council demanded the 

festival be reduced from three 

to two days and adhere to 

quieter noise limits in 

response to residents who had 

complained about the thumping 

bass on the Bank Holiday 

weekend. 

But in a public hearing, 

Lambeth decided to proceed 

with the festival as normal, 

despite Wandsworth Council 

declaring it as a public 

nuisance. 

One of the documents submitted 

by the festival 

organisers blamed the wind 

direction on the Saturday as a 

major cause of complaints by 

carrying sound far enough to 

increase offsite noise levels.

December 2016 

16 

Council to 

campaign 

against 

funding cut 

for schools 

HAMMERSMITH & FULHAM 

By Rob Middleton 

Edited by Rob Middleton 


THE council is launching a 

campaign against the government’s 

proposed new 

system for calculating 

school funding. 

The initiative, first 

announced by former education 

secretary Nicky 

Morgan, aims to replace the 

current method of funding 

allocation, described by the 

Government as‘unfair, 

untransparent and out of 

date’. 

By creating a national 

funding formula, the Government 

aims to ensure 

parity among schools, so 

that pupils with the same 

needs will receive the same 

funding regardless of location. 

Under the latest proposal, 

H&F would be one of the 10 

worst hit boroughs in the 

country in terms of funding 

cuts, despite London as a 

whole receiving 30 per cent 

above the national average. 

Councillor Sue Fennimore, 

cabinet member for 

social inclusion, said:“The 

tremendous work undertaken 

by teachers, governors, 

parents and carers each and 

every day makes our 

schools thrive and their 

pupils achieve. 

“Any cuts to funding will 

make that work far more difficult.” 

Following Government 

consultation, the reduction 

in funding is estimated to be 

lower than originally expected. 

However Hammersmith 

and Fulham Council remain 

very concerned with the 

impact the proposed cuts 

would have on schools in the 

area. 

“Even though the latest 

figures are better than previous 

cuts planned by 

Government, they are still 

unacceptable,”Ms Fennimore 

added. 

The results of the first consultation 

have done little to 

allay the fears of teachers in 

the area, who are concerned 

that cuts to funding and 

rising costs of schools will 

be severely detrimental to 

the quality of education. 

Sir John Lillie Primary 

School headteacher Sue Hayward 

said:“It’s going to have 

a real impact on staff, on 

support staff in particular. 

“If pupils don’t have 

someone to teach them in 

small groups then their 

progress suffers.” 

The Government 

announced a second round 

of consultations this week, 

with results expected to be 

published in summer 2017. 

WIN AND TONIC:The bar area at 

Fulham FC’s new gin bar 

(Credit: Fulham FC) 

Football’s gintrification starts 

with first dedicated gin bar 

By Matt Garrett 

FOOTBALL’S first dedicated gin 

bar opened at Fulham’S Craven 

Cottage home ground on 

Saturday when they hosted 

Derby County. 

Located on the River Thames, 

Craven Cottage’s The Clubhouse 

offers fans a different pre-match 

experience to the usual pie and 

pint,and enjoyed a successful 

private launch lastWednesday. 

The bar,located in one of the 

executive boxes in the Hammersmith 

End,stocks 10 gins, 

including gins produced in the 

nearby area,such as Sipsmith, 

based in Turnham Green,and 

Dodd’s,located along the river 

next to Battersea Park. 

The club is hoping to cash in 

on the year of the gin,with annual 

sales of the spirit having risen 

16% in the last year and 

breaking the £1bn barrier for the 

first time in the UK. 

The surge in popularity of the 

spirit has led to the creation of 40 

new distilleries in the UK so far 

this year. 

A Fulham FC spokesperson 

said:“The Clubhouse is a unique 

gin bar which provides a hub for 

gin fans to gather,enjoy each 

other’s company and to 

celebrate gin.” 

Created with the support of 

the Gin Foundry,Fulham hopes 

to develop a mixture of drinks 

which complement all seasons 

and regions,as well as develop a 

signature Clubhouse cocktail 

evocative of the history and tradition 

of London’s oldest 

professional football club. 

“The fully trained bar staff can 

offer news and insight into the 

world of gin and offer a unique 

range of cocktails with flavours to 

delight every palate,”the 

spokesperson added. 

FOOTBALL’S FIRST: The drinks went down a treat with the first customers on opening day 

Gavin Shepherd,a former 

season-ticket holder at Craven 

Cottage,believes Fulham is one 

of the only clubs where such a 

scheme could be successful 

because of the demographic of 

the club’s fans. 

The hospitality bar is also 

open to away fans who Mr Shepherd 

believes are treated 

particularly well with they visit 

the Cottage. 

He said:“Craven Cottage is a 

good destination for away fans. 

“They have a whole section to 

themselves and the likes of Newcastle 

can bring up to 6,000 

people with them. 

“The away section also has 

nice seats,with unrestricted 

views as the pillars are towards 

the back of the stand,rather than 

in the middle like they are in the 

Hammersmith End.” 

Travelling fans need not pay a 

premium either as Fulham is one 

of 12 clubs in the Championship 

charging away fans less than £30 

for a ticket. 

The successful launch was followed 

by a solid performance on 

the pitch as Fulham held promotion 

rivals Derby to a 2-2 draw 

thanks to goals from Floyd Ayité 

and Stefan Johansen,bringing 

the Rams’seven-game winstreak 

to an end. 

The next chance to enjoy the 

new gin bar will on January 2, 

when Fulham host Reading. 

TERRY’S NEW APP TREE-MENDOUS 

CHELSEA captain JohnTerry has 

launched the world’s firstVR football 

academy. 

The JT Academy, created in partnership 

with infinite360 and 

Wesserman, aims to provide a 

unique insight into howTerry, who 

has won 78 caps for England, has 

stayed at the pinnacle of the professional 

game for so long and claims to 

revolutionise the football training 

experience. 

Members can partake in one-toone 

training using photorealistic 

CGI and 360 degree cameras. 

Terry said:“I’m incredibly excited 

to announce the launch of the JT 

Academy.Virtual Reality is without 

doubt fast becoming the future and 

the academy gives users the opportunity 

to experience and learn the 

skills required to make it as a professional 

sportsperson, both mentally 

and physically, as well as a behind 

the scenes insight into my own life 

and career experiences.” 

Upon download, members will 

have access to one-to-one training 

sessions withTerry, motivational and 

lifestyle sessions, with new training 

videos to be added every six weeks. 

“The app is the first of its kind and 

this is just the beginning, I will be 

regularly updating the academy with 

new and innovative features,”Terry 

added. 

A CHRISTMAS tree project in Fulham 

is hoping to raise an impressive 

£10,000 for Great Ormond Street Hospital 

this year. 

One FineTree, based in St 

Matthew’s Church inWandsworth 

Bridge Road, is giving £5 to Great 

Ormond Street Hospital for every tree 

sold this Christmas. 

The company traditionally give a 

percentage of all their profits to 

charity – and this year have opted to 

support the work of the worldrenowned 

hospital. 

Founder David Connor, 24, said: 

“We realised how much Great 

Ormond Street are doing with parents 

as well as children. 

“We have always worked for charities 

since we set up.For every stream 

of customers we donate to charity.” 

One FineTree is also hosting a 

Food Bank Collection Point for the 

first time this year, with food distributed 

among homeless organisations 

in the run up to Christmas Eve. 

The company have also partnerned 

with schools in the borough, including 

All Saints Church of England 

Primary School and Newton 

Preparatory School to help with the 

collection. 

One FineTree is open until December 

24 at St Matthew’s Church and 

will taking food bank donations until 

then as well.


THE CHILDREN’S Society have 

commended the London Borough 

of Hammersmith & Fulham 

for being the first borough to 

increase the age of care leavers 

being exempt from paying 

council tax from 21 to 25. 

The council introduced the 

new policy after it was proven 

that young people coming from 

care found it hard to adapt to 

adulthood soon after turning 21, 

resulting in care leavers falling 

behind with paying their council 

tax. 

With an average of 270 care 

leavers under the age of 25 in 

Hammersmith & Fulham alone, 

Children’s Society have recorded 

London to have a total of 10,900 

care leavers in the past year. 

The charity reports prove that 

the majority of care leavers find it 

hard to transition out of care to 

adulthood. 

Sam Royston,Children’s 

Society policy director,said:“To 

expect some of the country’s 

most vulnerable young people to 

start paying council tax just days 

after leaving care is setting them 

up to fail.” 

The charity suggests that previous 

childhood experiences 

such as neglect,abuse or family 

breakdown add to care leavers 

being unequipped as an adult, 

resulting in them getting in debt. 

Mr Royston explained:“We 

know that the life chances and 

outcomes for care leavers are 

significantly worse than for those 

who have not grown up in care. 

“That is why our most vulnerable 

young people must be given 

the special treatment that their 

special status demands. 

“Children’s Society has been 

calling on local authorities to 

exempt those leaving care from 

paying council tax until 25.We 

would urge other councils across 

the capital to follow Hammersmith 

and Fulham’s lead and give 

care leavers a better chance of a 

fair start in life.” 

Hammersmith & Fulham 

Council have also introduced 

other measures to help care 

leavers,which includes 

extending support to leavers to 

the age of 25,enabling them to 

stay with foster carers after 18, 

and securing affordable homes. 


Hammersmith & Fulham cabinet 

member for social inclusion, 

said:“Young people in care often 

had traumatic experiences and 

find it more difficult than most to 

HAMMERSMITH & FULHAM 

Tax break for care leavers 

earns praise from charity 

By Gemma Thomas 

HIGH FIVE: The Children’s 

Society approve of 

Hammersmith & Fulham’s 

council tax move 

adjust to living by themselves. 

Exempting them from council tax 

gives them the breathing space 

they need as they establish their 

new,independent adult lives.” 

This council tax exemption 

comes prior to the announcement 

of council tax increase to 

help with adult social care 

services. 

Suspect 

charged for 

Walham 

gun murder 

By Rob Middleton 

17 

POLICE have charged a man 

with the murder of trainee 

gas engineer Salim Coulter 

in Fulham earlier this month. 

Mr Coulter,24,was shot in 

the head from point-blank 

range in the passenger seat 

of his friend’s car after leaving 

the Jerky Chicken 

restaurant inWalham Grove 

off North End Road,on 

December 5. 

Paramedics pronounced 

Mr Coulter dead at the scene. 

The suspect,29-year old 

Omar Hutson,of no fixed 

address,was arrested on 

Friday before being charged 

with the murder on Saturday, 

appearing atWestminster 

Magistrates’Court later that 

same day. 

He has also been further 

charged with the attempted 

murder of a 25-year-old man 

and with possession of a 

firearm. 

A 27-year old woman was 

also arrested,but has seen 

been released on bail until 

January pending further 

investigations. 

Detectives are continuing 

to appeal to any witnesses to 

the incident or those with 

information to come forward 

and assist their enquiries. 

Call 020 8785 8099,or give 

information anonymously by 

calling Crimestoppers on 

0800 555 111 or visiting their 

website online at 

crimestoppers-uk.org. 

Food bank’s final 

festive help plea 

ASKING FOR MORE: Hammersmith & Fulham food bank founder Daphine Aikens is issuing one final plea for Christmas donations 

By Josiah Mortimer 

UPTO 200 struggling residents 

are expected to seek 

help from Hammersmith & 

Fulham food bank this week in 

the run-up to Christmas. 

The charity is making a 

last-minute push for December 

donations, as they await 

their biggest surge in a financially 

pressing time. 

The food bank has given 

help to 4,500 people between 

January and November – up 

more than 700 compared to 

last year – but resources are 

being stretched further than 

ever as people seek support 

over the festive period. 

Daphine Aikens, founder 

and manager of the food bank, 

said:“Over the last few weeks 

the numbers needing help 

have started to increase. 

“The last 10 days before 

Christmas is going to be very 

busy.” 

Food bank figures are 

pinning the rise in numbers 

on government changes to 

benefits. 

Ms Aikens said:“The 

implementation of the universal 

credit system is also 

having an effect.People are 

having to wait so long for 

their benefits.” 

Hammersmith & Fulham 

Council are backing the push 

for more donations in this 

final week. 


cabinet member for social 

inclusion, said:“We’re working 

with H&F Foodbank and 

other charities towards a day 

when residents no longer 

need foodbanks. 

“Until then, it’s vital that 

we support Hammersmith 

and Fulham food bank. 

“Just small donations can 

make all the difference for 

families struggling this 

winter.” 

Donations can be left at 

libraries across the borough, 

as well asTesco, Sainsbury’s 

andWaitrose stores.

December 2016 

18 

SUTTON 

Edited by Alasdair Hooper 


Queenie em-barks 

on path to stardom 

SANTA PAWS: Queenie Woof Woof getting into the Christmas spirit modelling her festive outfit 

Soccercise 

class free 

for women 

SUTTON United are hoping a 

free football-based taster session 

for mothers and daughters 

can lead to a permanent exercise 

class in the new year. 

The club will be hosting‘Soccercise’ 

for the very first time 

on Thursday December 29 for 

mothers and daughters in the 

Times Square Lounge. 

The session will last 45 minutes 

and will combine a variety 

of fitness exercises with a football 

for first timers or those 

wanting to refamiliarise themselves 

with the game. 

Bobby Childs, the club’s 

business development manager, 

has already received a good 

response from a number of 

people and he believes the club 

can capitalise on the popularity 

of women’s football. 

Mr Childs said: “Our club 

needs to be more inclusive and 

we are looking at getting more 

girls involved at Sutton. 

“Hopefully plenty of mothers 

and daughters will turn up and 

we can tell the young girls 

about football and hopefully 

they’ll be interested in coming 

down and playing for the club. 

“We’re hoping we can get 

high numbers down and then if 

there are women that are interested 

we will try and arrange a 

game for them. 

“It’s just a taster session we 

are putting on but if it is successful 

then we might look at 

putting on regular sessions.” 

By Alasdair Hooper 

By Liam Dotson 

SUTTON’S most famous pooch is continuing 

to grow her celebrity status 

with aTV appearance on Friday night 

as well as being the inspiration for a 

designer fashion line. 

Queenie Woof Woof, a three-yearold 

Chihuahua, will appear on E4 

show Carjacker at 7.30pm as her 

owner Josie Carter has her car 

revamped by her daughter Kelly so 

that it matches her glamorous 

celebrity canine. 

Ms Carter and her daughter own 

the online dog fashion site Licks of 

London and Queenie has become the 

star attraction there. 

Queenie has a Twitter following of 

more than 32,000, including celebrities 

like chat show host Jonathan Ross, 

and Ms Carter knows the dog is 

always going to be centre of attention. 

“It’s all about the dog and she’s a 

name with everybody. I can’t explain 

it,”Ms Carter said. 

“She melts your heart when you 

hold her. She’s absolutely adorable 

and is such a lovely dog to have. 

BGT singing star 

has chart success 

on Christmas list 

FROM fending off stormtroopers to 

solo success, Britain’s Got Talent 

runner-up Wayne Woodward has 

had a surreal 2016. 

The former Kingston College student, 

from Sutton, came second in 

the talent show finishing ahead of 

Star Wars-themed dance troupe 

Boogie Storm.but narrowly behind 

winning magician Richard Jones. 

However, despite the dreamlike 

nature of the year and the current 

promotion of his Christmas single 

Cold Christmas,Woodward insists 

bigger things are still to come 

ahead of the release of a new album 

in early 2017. 

“Next year is going to be the year 

for me once we get Christmas out of 

the way,”saidWoodward. 

“I can’t say too much about it yet 

but we’re expecting big things. 

“I don’t look to replicate anybody, 

but my idols, I would say, are 

Dean Martin, Matt Monro, Nat King 

Cole, Frank Sinatra and Bobby 

Darin, so I try to put my own twist 

on everything I see. 

“For me that’s my favourite type of 

music but now the stuff that we’re 

writing it kind of ties the knot 

between the classics and modern 

music styles. 

“The start of the album ties the 

knot and it then works its way into 

more modern stuff – a little bit like 

AmyWinehouse.” 

Since his success on Britain’s Got 

Talent Woodward has been busy 

writing and he has now joined the 

Christmas single merry-go-round. 

Cold Christmas is a single combining 

the fusion between old and 

new that Woodward is so keen on 

and his fans have not been disappointed 

with his effort. 

“We actually wrote it a couple of 

months ago and we’ve had it waiting 

for Christmas to come around,” 

Woodward said. 

“It’s doing relatively well at the 

moment. N.U.M.B, my previous 

single,has also been doing alright. 

“There’s quite a big rating in 

China.It’s not massive but the sales 

on Amazon in China have been 

bigger than the ones in the UK.” 

Audiences took to the singer’s 

style and his colourful personality 

during his time on Britain’s Got 

Talent and after overcoming his first 

ever epileptic fit moments after 

going through the live semi-final 

show,it’s fair to say he is enjoy life. 

“Loving it – it’s been lovely,”said 

Woodward. 

“We’ve been writing a lot and 

trying to get stuff out, and selling 

some stuff now. 

“People are buying it and I’ve got 

a bit of a following now. 

“We’re just focusing on getting a 

bigger following and hopefully get 

in the charts.” 

Despite the current success 

Woodward does still have one ultimate 

aim that he would love to 

achieve in the long run. 

“Packing out Wembley or Madison 

Square Gardens and fully 

selling out – I would love that.” 

Away from the music Woodward 

is keen to remember his roots back 

home in Sutton. 

Last month he lit up his hometown 

as he was invited to switch on 

their Christmas lights. 

“It was a very big achievement 

for me to be able to do that for my 

town,”he said. 

“Turning the lights on with the 

mayor and the mayoress. It was a 

privilege to do and I’m very thankful 

to be chosen to do that. 

“She’s very entertaining and has an 

adorable little character. We used to 

own three Yorkshire terriers but they 

just didn’t have the same character. 

“We take her to all the dog fairs and 

everyone knows her.She has a fan following 

at these events and when we 

took her to Primrose Hill in her buggy 

a little girl shouted,‘Oh my god mum 

there’s QueenieWoofWoof! I’ve seen 

She melts your heart when 

you hold her. She’s 

absolutely adorable and is 

such a lovely dog to have. 

Josie Carter – Queenie 

Woof Woof’s owner 

her on the internet, she’s famous!’ It’s 

just amazing.” 

Queenie made her first TV appearance 

on Children in Need in 2013 and 

is a natural in front of the camera 

during photoshoots. 

Ms Carter said: “Queenie did a 

photoshoot with a model at Crufts dog 

ON SONG: Sutton singer Wayne 

Woodward ready to climb up the 

charts in 2017 

show last year and she was amazing 

and perfectly on cue. 

“The photographer said the model 

was the difficult one and that he 

would love to work with Queenie all 

day long.” 

As well as being a television star 

and model, Queenie has also been a 

celebrity judge, along with her 

owners,at the Bermondsey Street Festival 

Dog Show,in September. 

Queenie also has fans across the 

pond and receives presents from her 

American followers all the time. 

Ms Carter is hoping for even 

bigger things for her pampered pup 

in 2017 and London-based designer 

Claudio Lugli is bringing out a line of 

shirts featuring pictures of Queenie. 

“The future looks bright for Queenie 

and she has a few things in the 

pipeline. She’s been offered a few 

more TV things,”said Ms Carter. 

“She has a Christmas video out 

which you can find on our Licks of 

LondonYouTube channel. 

“She’s also going to be one of the 

first dogs to have a designer put them 

on his shirts.It’s very exciting.”


SUTTON 19 

OFF THE RAILS: Sutton 

commuters boarding a rare 

Southern arrival 

INSET: Southern Rail logo 

Sutton’s business hopes 

derailed by Southern strike 

By Daniel Blackham 

SUTTON workers are switching 

jobs and moving away from the 

area due to the Southern Rail 

strikes it has been claimed. 

The strikes have caused devastating 

disruption to commuters 

and the dispute between Southern 

Rail and RMT Union shows no 

sign of ending soon. 

Ross Feeney, chief executive of 

Successful Sutton Business 

Improvement District,said:“A lot of 

companies are starting to find that 

employees are thinking of other 

career opportunities that aren’t in 

the southern area. 

“In terms of the damage on 

business, the strikes are having a 

significant impact for a variety of 

different reasons. 

“It’s having an impact on staff, 

the free movement of goods and 

services and the roads are also 

more congested.” 

Successful Sutton has tried to 

force an end to the conflict by 

writing to the London mayor, TFL 

and transport secretary Chris 

Grayling emphasising that a resolution 

is needed soon. 

2015 community 

award winner 

urges people to 

nominate heroes 

By Alasdair Hooper 

A 2015 SUTTON Community 

Award winner is urging people to 

get out and nominate worthy contenders 

for this year’s awards. 

Tracey Collins won the Safer 

Borough Award for outstanding 

service to the borough for keeping 

Sutton safe after she was 

nominated for her selfless commitment 

to road safety in the 

Hackbridge area. 

She campaigned for a safer 

road layout at Hackbridge junction, 

including the introduction of 

zebra crossings, attending many 

council meetings and organising 

supporters in the process. 

“Winning the Safer Borough 

Award gave me a real sense of 

achievement as it came after 18 

months of hard work with the 

community and Sutton councillors 

to make the Hackbridge 

area better and safer for everyone,” 

said Mrs Collins. 

Nominations for the 2016 

awards are open and the awards 

ceremony will take place on 

February 23, when the winners 

will be presented with award 

certificates and high street 

shopping vouchers. 

As with previous years there 

are five categories: the Safer 

Borough Award, Improving 

Lives Award, Community Spirit 

Mr Feeney said: “It’s not good 

enough for Chris to say it’s the 

union’s fault and it’s not good 

enough for the unions to say 

they’re not going to discuss this.” 

He added: “This isn’t simply a 

strike over guards and who opens 

doors – it’s more politically motivated 

in an attempt to bring an 

end to the Southern Rail franchise. 

“I think it’s a disgraceful way to 

behave by the unions,they need to 

get round the negotiating table 

with Southern Rail to resolve this.” 

Mr Feeney stressed it is Sutton’s 

community suffering the most. 

SAFETY FIRST: Tracey Collins receives her award 

Award,Business in the Community 

Award and the Outstanding 

Achievement Award. 

After her own success Mrs 

Collins is keen to get people out to 

vote this time around. 

She said:“I am sure most Sutton 

residents know someone who 

deserves one of the community 

awards,so I would urge everyone 

in the borough to nominate the 

men and women who have been a 

real inspiration to them.” 

“We can’t be in this situation 

where our public services are 

continually held to ransom by 

unions who aren’t able to accept 

that the way we work is changing,” 

he continued. 

“The vast majority of my levy 

payers in Sutton don’t have the 

opportunity to strike so they have 

to get on with working hard.” 

Southern Rail empathised with 

the public. A spokesperson said: 

“We’re sincerely sorry that commuters’ 

work and family lives are 

being punished with this unjustified 

and unprecedented industrial 

Executive head of Sutton Council 

Jessica Crowe, one of the 

judges for the community awards, 

is also keen to emphasise the 

importance of people making the 

effort to nominate. 

She said:“The Sutton Community 

Awards have been running 

for a few years now and they are a 

really great opportunity every 

year to say thank you to all those 

unsung heroes and heroines who 

do loads of work to really help out 

action. 

“The unions must stop the pain 

and suffering blighting passengers 

and commerce.” 

In an RMT statement, general 

secretary Mick Cash defended 

the union’s actions. 

“This dispute was about safety 

from day one and it still is,” he 

said. 

“It is about local rail workers 

fighting for safe rail services for 

their communities. 

“It’s time for Chris Grayling to 

get out of the bunker and drag his 

contractors, GTR, back to the 

CLASS OF 2015: Last year’s proud winners 

others in the community. 

“We will only find out about 

these people who are quietly 

doing great things in their communities 

if you tell us. 

“It’s really important that you 

think about your neighbours who 

help out old folk in your road, the 

church group,the Scouts groups,or 

any community groups that are 

doing really good things. 

“Please nominate someone you 

know who deserves recognition.” 

National 

inspiring 

care award 

for eye team 

By Liam Dotson 

SPECIALISTS at Epsom and St 

Helier hospitals were honoured 

with a national award 

this month for their treatment 

of glaucoma patients. 

The awards were presented 

at a ceremony hosted by 

Paralympian and former 

world record holder in the 

T46 800m Danny Crates at 

the Royal College of Surgeons 

in London. 

The team were named 

winners in the Best Ophthalmology 

team category at the 

Bayer Ophthalmology Honours 

awards in recognition of 

their entry‘Making a Difference 

for Glaucoma Patients: 

A‘Can Do’Approach’. 

“We are absolutely 

delighted to win this award,it 

shows the fantastic team 

spirit and‘can do’attitude we 

have here at Epsom and St 

Helier,”said Anne Linnell, 

consultant ophthalmologist at 

Epsom and St Helier. 

“The aim of our entry was 

to offer patients a more positive 

experience,and the 

results we achieved within 

one year were remarkable. 

“To be recognised by 

others is gratifying because 

it has not been easy and it 

didn’t happen overnight.” 

Lock your 

doors or 

yule risk a 

burglary 

By Rob Guest 

SUTTON Police have issued a 

warning to all residents ahead 

of the Christmas period following 

a number of recent 

burglaries in the area. 

Detective Inspector Chuks 

Gwam has told homeowners 

to keep all possessions safe 

and secure after family jewellery 

was recently stolen 

from a number of homes. 

The festive period is a prosperous 

time for burglars and 

this year is expected to be no 

different with presents underneath 

the tree. 

DI Gwam said:“We already 

have Operation Bumblebee 

which is targeting these type of 

offenders and we are doing 

everything we can to bring 

these people to justice. 

“Please be vigilant and if 

you see people hanging 

around please call the police 

or if you don’t feel comfortable 

talking to the police you 

can call Crimestoppers. 

“Also, please look out for 

your neighbours, especially 

between 3-6pm, as this is 

when homes get broken into.”

December 2016 

20 

CROYDON 

Benefits 

cap could 

increase 

homeless 

in Croydon 

By Arielle Tchiprout 

Edited by Dan Falvey 


CROYDON’S initiatives to 

prevent homelessness will 

be strained in 2017 due to the 

reduction of the benefit cap. 

The cap reduced from 

£26,000 to £23,000 on 

December 19, which will 

affect 159 households in 

addition to the 785 already 

capped. 

This equates to £442 a 

week for a single parent. 

But this is not enough to 

cover the cost of rent, which 

is an average of £300 a week 

in Croydon and rising, 

meaning more families will 

be at risk of becoming 

homeless. 

Croydon Council cabinet 

member Alison Butler said: 

“We have a duty to help 

those most in need, and will 

continue to do so. 

“But because more families 

will be unable to afford 

rent, especially those on 

benefits, there will be some 

people we are unable to help 

and this is likely to be working 

families.” 

The Gateway Service is an 

initiative in Croydon to prevent 

families becoming 

homeless or living in bed 

and breakfasts(B&Bs). 

The scheme also aims to 

help low income households 

become financially stable. 

“It is often single parents 

and children who are most 

affected,”Ms Butler said. 

“No-one wants to see children 

in temporary 

accommodation.” 

The Real Lettings fund, 

which houses low-income 

families, received a £15m 

investment boost last week. 

The fund aims to take 

people out of emergency 

accommodation and, alongside 

charity St Mungo’s, 

provide job support. 

This year, the council prevented 

nearly 2,000 

households from becoming 

homeless and 1,700 residents 

have been helped to 

become financially stable. 

The scheme has also 

saved the council £2.5m that 

would have been spent on 

B&B or temporary accommodation 

since late 2015. 

A 20-year-old mum of two 

was recently secured a two 

bedroom house in South Norwood, 

and was given £3,600 

to cover her deposit and 

advance rent. 

She had become homeless 

in November 2015, having 

no access to a guarantor and 

inadequate funds. 

She said: “It is not just a 

promise of help – you will 

get a result.” 

Whitgift ups security in light 

of Berlin market terror attack 

By Arielle Tchiprout 

THEWhitgift shopping centre in 

Croydon has heightened its 

security measures in response to 

the Berlin truck attack. 

The terrorist strike on a Christmas 

market has led to an 

increase in security and safety 

precautions to protect shoppers 

in London. 

However,UEA International 

Security professor Dr Lee Jarvis 

said that people do not need to 

panic too much about another 

terror attack against Christmas 

shoppers. 

He said:“It’s important to 

remember that terrorists are 

reflective actors and they make 

rational decisions. 

“They do not just strike at 

random. 

“It is unsurprising that terrorists 

go for soft targets like 

shopping centres,where there 

are crowds of vulnerable people 

for the biggest impact. 

THE Crystal Palace anthem has 

made a dramatic late bid for Christmas 

number one after supporters 

joined a campaign with Rangers. 

The Eagles’walk-out song Glad All 

Over soared to the top of the iTunes 

chart this week and is now the bookies’ 

second favourite in the race for 

the festive title. 

Rangers fans adopted the 1963 

classic by Dave Clark Five in tribute 

to cult striker Joe Garner, with the 

chorus lyrics‘I’m feeling…glad all 

over’being replaced by‘We’ve 

got…Joey Garner’. 

A last minute chart bid was 

sparked by #JoeyGarnerChristmas- 

NumberOne trending onTwitter, 

“A lot of the time,terror 

groups don’t just target the 

people who are killed or injured, 

but also the broader audience 

watching. 

“The intension is to cause 

panic and fear.” 

The Berlin lorry driver killed 

12 people and injured at least 48 

others when he drove into 

wooden huts and stands selling 

mulled wine and sausages at a 

crowded Christmas market near 

TERROR: Aftermath of lorry crash 

EAGLES FLY HIGH 

leading Little Mix fans to clash with 

supporters of both football clubs. 

Bookmakers Paddy Power, 

William Hill and Ladbrokes place the 

track as second favourite for the top 

spot with odds slashed as low as 5/1. 

The shock surge has put the song 

above X Factor winner MattTerry, 

Little Mix and LouisTomlinson, but it 

currently trails behind Clean 

Bandit’s single Rockabye. 

Palace embraced the song as their 

anthem in the 1960s, now playing it at 

the start of all home games and when 

one of their players scores. 

The 2016 Official Christmas 

Number 1 will be announced on 

Friday on BBC Radio 1. 

the KaiserWilhelm Memorial 

Church. 

ISIS announced that they were 

responsible for the attack on 

Monday evening. 

Dr Jarvis said:“Ultimately,we 

remember the attacks on places 

like shopping centres because 

they are so rare. 

“It’s very unlikely there would 

be another attack on shoppers. 

“Historically,when soft targets 

have their security measures 

SECURITY: Police out in force 

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING: The Whitgift centre will 

be extra busy this festive season 

stepped up,the threat is deferred 

to other targets.” 

The attack is not the first time 

this year that civilians have been 

killed in soft targets,as opposed 

to hard targets such as airports 

where there are high levels of 

security. 

In July,86 people were killed 

in a similar attack when an Islamic 

extremist drove a lorry into 

crowds celebrating Bastille Day 

in Nice,Southern France. 

A Met Police spokesperson 

said:“The Metropolitan Police 

has detailed plans for protecting 

public events over the Christmas 

and NewYear period. 

“These already recognise that 

the threat level is at‘severe’, 

meaning an attack is highly 

likely,and have considered a 

range of threats,including the 

use of large vehicles. 

“As a matter of routine,as a 

precaution,we review our plans 

after attacks overseas,and we 

are doing so at present following 

the awful incidents in Berlin and 

Ankara last night.” 

The force also said it would be 

bringing forward enhanced 

security measures and road closures 

for the Changing the 

Guard at Buckingham Palace, 

with the ceremony set to take 

place on Thursday and again on 

Christmas Eve. 

The most notorious attack on a 

shopping centre in the UK was in 

1996 when the IRA targeted Manchester 

city centre,injuring 212 

people and causing £700m of 

damage after a lorry was detonated 

close to the Arndale 

shopping centre. 

Although the safety of civilians 

is very important,Dr Jarvis said it 

made sense not to overreact. 

He said:“Although terrorism is 

more dramatic,we continue to 

live our lives without the constant 

fear of traffic accidents,and other 

unforeseen disasters. 

“We of have to accept living 

with a certain level of fear.” 

NO SPEED TALKS? 

‘BIZARRE’and‘ill-spirited’Croydon consultation is not involving those 

Council talks over reducing speed affected. 

limits in residential areas have been He said:“The three-week consultation 

involves more than public 

slammed by the opposition leader. 

Conservative leaderTim Pollard notices on lampposts and an advert in 

has criticised the council for failing the local newspaper. 

to consult residents about plans to “We will be putting a leaflet 

reduce speed limits to 20mph. 

through every door in the area – a big 

Each area affected was supposed to task – and will run the consultation 

be consulted individually. 

over a longer four-week period.” 

However, the council feared that He argued the changes to the 

this would slow down the completion timing of the consultation process 

of the scheme, so talks were halted. was in the best interests of residents. 

Consultations for individual areas He said:“Without this change residents 

who are scheduled for the later 

are due to take place early next year. 

Stuart King, Labour cabinet 

consultations are being expected to 

member for transport and the environment, 

has refuted claims the before they get to have their 

wait at least a further 12 months 

say.”


Bull breed owners urged to 

neuter dogs for Christmas 

By Steven Durham 

BULL BREED dog owners are 

being encouraged to take advantage 

of discounted neutering for 

Croydon residents as only 26 of 

500 available vouchers have 

been redeemed so far. 

Dogs Trust,the UK’s largest 

dog welfare charity,partnered 

with Croydon Council to offer 

bull breed dog owners with a 

Croydon postcode the discount. 

The voucher reduces the cost 

of neutering at participating vets 

throughout December to just £35 

for bull breeds – excluding 

French bulldogs,English bulldogs 

and English bull terriers. 

A Dogs Trust spokesman said: 

“Neutering is the most effective 

way to prevent unwanted litters 

and has a number of health benefits 

including reducing the risk 

of certain cancers.” 

This initiative specifically aims 

to reduce the high numbers of 

bull breed dogs that are being 

found as strays in Croydon. 

Of the estimated 250 stray 

dogs picked up each year in the 

borough,75% are bull breed 

type dogs,reflecting a UK-wide 

overpopulation of the breeds. 

The large number of 

unscrupulous backyard breeders, 

the cost associated with a 

litter of puppies,and the high 

cost of neutering contribute to 

the problem. 

According to Dogs Trust,many 

owners would like to have their 

dog neutered but cannot afford a 

procedure that can cost between 

£200-£500 depending on the size 

of the dog. 

Neutering is a simple operation, 

carried out under general 

anaesthetic,that prevents male 

and female dogs from reproducing 

by removing their 

reproductive organs. 

CHRISTMAS GIFTS: Met Police helped Santa out with party presents 

Neutering may encourage 

calmer,more predicatable 

behaviour making the dog a 

more suitable family pet. 

It can help behavioural issues 

such as aggressive and unwanted 

sexual behaviour,fighting, 

mounting and destruction. 

Neutered dogs are also less 

likely to mark territory or stray. 

By Dan Falvey 

It is hoped that the saving 

being offered will encourage 

owners to go ahead. 

A Croydon Council 

spokesman said:“This campaign 

couldn’t have run without the 

funding and support of the Dogs 

Trust team.” 

To apply to be sent a neutering 

voucher by post,email 

doginfo@croydon.gov.uk and 

include your name,address, 

dog’s name,age,breed and sex. 

Voucher holders pay £35 

directly to the vet and all operations 

must be carried out by 31 

January 2017. 

For more information or to find 

your nearest participating vet 

call 0333 202 1148. 

PC Santas go from ‘ello, 

‘ello, ‘ello to ho ho ho 

HUNDREDS of presents were 

handed out by the Metropolitan 

Police to put smiles on the 

faces of children attending 

Croydon’sYouth Disability 

Project’s Christmas party last 

week. 

Every year the Met Police 

run their ChristmasTree 

initiative, collecting donations 

from individuals and businesses 

to give to children to 

make sure every child has a 

gift to open at Christmas. 

This year the Met Police 

gathered more than 500 presents 

in Croydon and 50 young 

people with disabilities 

received their gifts at Croydon’sYouth 

Disability Project 

Christmas Party held on 

December 13 and 14. 

Santa and his helpful elves, 

police and community support 

officer Dan Fitzgerald 

andWaddon ward officer 

Richard Blunden, handed out 

gifts atWaddon youth centre to 

children aged between one 

and 17 who have a disability, 

autism, or special educational 

needs. 

Speaking about why the 

annual appeal takes place, 

Met Commissioner, Sir 

Bernard Hogan-Howe, said: 

“Christmas is a time for 

giving and who more worthy 

of receiving that generosity 

than children in care who 

can find this season 

difficult.” 

The ChristmasTree initiative 

has been an annual 

appeal since 2012. 

The 2016 project is the 

Met’s biggest ever charity 

event and means that thousands 

of children in care in 

London will receive a gift. 

The appeal was launched 

on November 9 at a Christmas 

tree lighting event 

attended by 2015 X Factor 

winner Fleur East. 

Last year more than 

11,000 presents were 

received by the Met Police 

COMMON STRAY: A Staffordshire Bull Terrier 

while the public donated a 

total of more than £9,000. 

Paul Funnell, Croydon’s 

youth disability lead officer, 

said:“With many parents 

experiencing hardship at this 

time it was great to see their 

faces at the generous gifts 

their children received.” 

The total number of gifts 

collected across London is still 

to be counted but a Met Police 

spokesperson said:“Early 

indications show that it’s the 

best year yet.” 

Councillor Alisa Flemming, 

cabinet member for children, 

young people and learning, 

was also keen to heap praise 

on to the police for the scheme. 

She said:“Our youth disability 

team can’t thank the 

Waddon area Met Police 

enough for choosing them to 

benefit from this year’s ChristmasTree 

project. 

“They’ve told me how the 

officers were so amazing, and 

parents were really impressed 

too.” 

CROYDON 

21 

Croydon 

tram crash 

fund raises 

£90,000 

By Kyle O’Sullivan 

MORE than £90,000 has been 

raised to support injured 

victims and bereaved families 

following last month’s 

Croydon tram crash. 

Generous residents and 

businesses have donated 

£60,000 directly and £32,000 

from a Just Giving page set 

up by Croydon Council and 

supported by London Mayor 

Sadiq Khan. 

The fund closed at midnight 

on December 14 after a 

private memorial service at 

the scene of the accident. 

Registered charity The 

London Community Foundation 

will distribute the funds, 

allowing access to ongoing 

support for those affected. 

Council leader Tony 

Newman said:“The generosity 

and compassion of people 

has been overwhelming. 

“Money only goes some 

way towards helping those 

who are affected by 

tragedies like this. 

“But along with the 

tremendous support offered 

by the local community I 

hope it will offer some comfort 

to those who lives have 

been changed forever 

because of what happened.” 

Schoolboy 

missing for 

30 years 

‘murdered’ 

By Saina Behnejad 

A £20,000 reward has been 

offered to find out what happened 

to a Croydon 

schoolboy who went missing 

30 years ago. 

Kevin Hicks went missing 

aged 16 on March 2 1986 

when he went to buy eggs for 

a school project and disappeared. 

Police now think he was 

groomed and murdered and 

are appealing to the public 

for more information. 

“We can only imagine 

what the intervening years 

must have been like for his 

family,years of worry and 

distress at not knowing what 

happened,”said Detective 

Inspector John McQuade. 

“Sadly,both of his parents 

died without ever discovering 

the truth.” 

His sister Alexandra Hicks, 

45,said:“With Kevin and I 

being only a year and a day 

apart with our birthdays,the 

month of February is a 

constant reminder of not 

knowing where he is or what 

has happened to him.”

December 2016 

22 FEATURES 

SPICE UP YOUR 

MORNING AND 

RAVE YOUR WAY 

INTO THE DAY 

By Louise Gookey 


As the countdown begins 

this year, thousands face 

the festive season alone 

LONDON,6.30am - a time 

most people are snoozing 

their alarm clock or reaching 

for their first cup of coffee. 

Not much would get me out 

of the house at this time,especially 

on a December 

morning when London is covered 

in fog and even the 

warmest of coats cannot keep 

the cold out. 

But after much persuasion 

onWednesday morning I 

found myself doing just that. 

And it turns out I was not 

alone. 

A huge crowd of people, 

who would not look out of 

place at Glastonbury,were 

certainly not struggling from 

the early start and were ready 

to dance. 

Morning Gloryville,a 

movement 

of early 

morning 

raves,have 

taken 

London by 

storm and 

it is easy to 

see why. 

The 

founder, 

Sam Moyo, 

30, 

launched 

the movement 

in 

2013 as a 

way to 

create a 

global 

community 

of 

events that 

empower 

people to 

‘rave your 

way into 

the day!’ 

After being greeted with a 

hug from an over-friendly elf, 

my mood quickly brightened 

as I encountered people 

dressed up as Christmas 

trees,Disney characters,and 

an avocado - my personal 

favourite - real dedication for 

such an early start. 

Music played throughout 

the morning and I would challenge 

anyone not to get 

caught up with the energy in 

the electric atmosphere of the 

room. 

Anyone who needed a 

break from dancing could 

join in with yoga,get their 

face painted,refuel with a 

smoothie or even get a massage, 

all without a drop of 

alcohol in sight. 

Morning Gloryville won 

the Zero Alcohol Award 2016. 

Ms Moyo said:“We are 

really proud the sober movement 

started in London,it 

FRUITY FUN: Av-ing a good time 

allows us to socialise in a different 

way.” 

“We just want to have fun 

without the need to be drunk, 

it leaves you feeling energised 

and positive for the rest 

of the day.” 

The latest rave took place 

at Notting Hill’sWest Bank,but 

a hit of endorphins is available 

in cities across the UK 

and the world,including San 

Francisco,Tokyo and Melbourne. 

“The Gloryville Effect has 

been set up as a way of taking 

positive action when the 

world needs it the most,”Ms 

Moyo added. 

“Especially after the year 

we’ve had,we would like to 

make 2017 the year of radical 

optimism!” 

The idea 

of spreading 

positivity 

came about 

when Ms 

Moyo’s Uncle 

was sick in 

hospital and 

only had the 

news to 

watch on TV. 

“It was all 

very negative,” 

she 

said. 

“We need 

to bring 

some positivity 

into the 

world and 

what better 

way of doing 

this than 

helping 

people connect 

in a 

very basic 

way.” 

This idea developed into 

raves as Ms Moyo and her 

friends loved partying and 

wanted to carry on into the 

morning but could never find 

a place to do this sober. 

It was incredible to see a 

festival environment being 

created without alcohol and 

people still having a great 

time. 

As the sun rose,many 

ravers grabbed a caffeine hit 

before heading off to work, 

and described the morning 

as a better option than heading 

to the gym and a great 

way of breaking up your usual 

exercise routine. 

For a city like London 

where eye contact with 

strangers is avoided at all 

costs,Morning Gloryville will 

have you speaking to more 

people before 10am than 

ever before - and that can 

only be a good thing. 

By Gem Sofianos 

THE sounds of Christmas carols 

and jingling bells ring,while the 

kitchen fills with smells to arouse 

heightened taste buds. 

A festively decorated table 

awaits in anticipation as the 

family gathers in the living room. 

A tree covered in carefullyplaced 

baubles,tinsel and family 

knick-knacks stands proudly 

over presents awaiting their new 

owners. 

For most,Christmas is rarely 

the picture perfect occasion we 

see in adverts and on carefully 

crafted Instagram posts. 

Kiran Aldridge,42,from Richmond 

upon Thames,lost her 

mother Piari,62,to cancer on 

Christmas Eve in 2014. 

“Behind the backdrop of 

Christmas my mother was slowly 

dying,and now when I see an 

advent calendar it’s like seeing 

the countdown to my mother’s 

death,”she said. 

While everyone else was gearing 

up for the big day,Kiran 

found herself trying to get her 

mothers death certificate. 

She said:“It was the most surreal 

experience being wished a 

merry Christmas and seeing 

everyone else happy and spending 

time with their families while 

mine was fractured by the loss of 

my mother.” 

People from all walks of life 

irrespective of background,age 

or gender,will not experience a 

happy Christmas. 

For some it is a day that fills 

them with utter dread. 

A day that involves increased 

pressures,strained conversation, 

fake smiles and a stark reminder 

of loss. 

While people countdown to 

their last day at work,others are 

counting down the minutes until 

a time that compounds their crippling 

loneliness is over. 

Kiran described how she felt 

utterly alone in her sadness and 

like she was the only person 

having an awful Christmas. 

This year marks the second 

anniversary of her mother’s passing, 

bringing back painful 

memories. 

She describes it as a melancholy 

and lonely time of year for 

her and her family. 

She finds comfort knowing that 

she isn’t the only one facing a 

lonely Christmas. 

“Macmillian’s online community 

acts as a lifeline where I can 

connect with others who understand 

how lonely it feels,”she 

said. 

Countless charities have 

released statements to highlight 

the issue. 

Macmillian Cancer Support 

and Age UK report that 400,000 

people living with cancer and 

nearly 1million older people will 

face loneliness this Christmas, 

and Mind found that one in six 

people feel lonelier at Christmas 

time,with it doubling in those 

suffering mental health problems. 

And for some,the pressures of 

the time of year can make them 

reach breaking point. 

This is what happened to 

Caitlin Maggs,24,last December. 

The Londoner said:“I felt as 

though I was trapped in a dark 

well.I find Christmas a particularly 

anxious time. 

“Every year,there is extra 

pressure to be happy,and for me 

it feels the loneliest.” 

She described how she felt the 

media created an image of the 

‘perfect’Christmas that was 

unrealistic and made people feel 

inadequate. 

She‘felt lost and at breaking 

point’and turned to Mind’s info 

line for help. 

The Campaign to End Loneliness 

believe older people 

tended to feel isolated when 

family or loved ones were no 

longer around. 

Jim,87,from Manchester,is 

supported by the charity. 

He said:“Loneliness is like a 

heavy cloud hanging over you, 

when you’re on your own you 

forget how to talk to people and 

having someone to talk to makes 

all the difference in the world.” 

Humans are social animals and 

“ 

I felt utterly 

alone in my 

loneliness 

” 

loneliness can be deadly. 

A campaign spokesperson 

said chronic loneliness was a 

condition which increased the 

likelihood of an early death by 

26%. 

Research published by the 

London School of Economics last 

week explains how scientists 

now believe they have found the 

secret to happiness. 

Report co-author Professor 

Richard Layard said:“The evidence 

shows that the things that 

matter most for our happiness 

and for our misery are our social 

relationships and our mental and 

physical health.” 

FAMILY DINNER: Christmas can be 

a lonely time 

(Credit: Aston Kelmore via Flickr) 

The report describes how 

depression and anxiety caused 

the most distress in people,while 

social relationships increased 

happiness. 

This is especially true of the 

impact of loneliness,which is 

heightened at Christmas. 

The Samaritans received 

200,000 calls for helpover the 

festive period last year,with 

12,000 of these received on 

Christmas day alone. 

In a poll carried out by the 

charity this year,50% of people 

said they hid their feelings at this 

time of year to keep others 

happy,with women in particular 

putting on a brave face. 

Christmas is a time of celebration 

with family and friends,but 

not for everyone. 

It is important to remember 

when sitting down surrounded 

by your loved ones this year that 

it could very easily have been a 

different story. 

We can all make a difference 

to someone this festive season, 

be it a simple conversation with a 

long lost relative or just being 

there for someone,even if they 

are a stranger. 

And hopefully stop someone 

from counting down a lonely 

Christmas this year.

December 2016 

FEATURES 


23 

Is this the rise of 

Emo-Cappella? 

Semi-Toned’sEmotionaljourneyto 

winningBBCTwo’s 

TheChoir 

By Aaron Walawalkar 

A BATTALION of men in burgundy 

blazers stand face-to-face 

with their black-clad,all-female 

arch-rivals.In precise formation, 

they wait anxiously for the command 

to begin. 

Yet as the command is given,it 

is not punches they exchange, 

but rather verses of an unconventional 

war cry - Britney Spears’ 

Hit Me Baby One More Time. 

One of the boys spearheads an 

offensive with an appropriately 

nasal Britney impersonation, 

segueing into carefully choreographed 

dad-dancing. 

The girls parry with flirtatious 

chin-stroking and boisterous 

hand-clapping,culminating in an 

overambitious execution of the 

splits. 

“It was actually one of the 

scariest moments of the competition,” 

confessed 23-year-old 

counter-tenor Ed Jillings. 

After his performance with 

Exeter University a capella 

group Semi-Toned in the qualifying 

round of BBC Two talent 

contest The Choir,Ed believed 

the outcome was far from certain. 

Facing-off against campus 

counterparts Sweet Nothings,he 

said:“We came away thinking 

that they had the edge.Their performance 

had so much attitude 

and creativity in true Pitch Perfect 

style.” 

Overturning the expectations 

of Ed and his aca-accomplices, 

host and choirmaster Gareth 

Malone selected the boys in burgundy 

to progress to the next 

round. 

Semi-Toned are at the fore of 

the booming UK university a cappella 

scene. 

Ed joined the ensemble as a 

fresher in 2011,one year after it 

was established,seeing the 

group develop from a traditional 

barbershop quintet into an 

award-winning twelve man 

strong troupe. 

He cut his chorister teeth at 

Tiffin School in Kingston-On- 

Thames,co-founding The 

Tiffinians barbershop ensemble, 

who continue to perform today. 

Graduating in summer 2015, 

Ed was re-enlisted after several 

of the group’s current line-up 

became unavailable to take part 

in the contest. 

Over the course of the competition, 

the choirmaster pushed 

the group to move beyond their 

repertoire of camp and comedic 

mainstream pop covers and 

embrace emotional honesty. 

The former approach is most 

popular within the UK university 

a cappella scene,with all six of 

the most liked Facebook pages 

presently belonging to all-male 

groups. 

It is typified by Oxford University’s 

Out of the Blue,whose Lady 

Gaga Justin Timberlake mash-up 

performance on Britain’s Got 

Talent has more than four million 

YouTube views. 

Unleashing a klezmer rendition 

of Rich Girl by Gwen Stefani, 

Semi-Toned employed a similar 

formula to become national 

champions of reveredVoice Festival 

UK 2015. 

However,after winning their 

first a cappella battle,Ed was 

tasked with singing lead in a 

cover of Sax by female R&B 

singer Fleur East without 

employing comedic effeminacy. 

“When you’re singing lyrics 

like‘I met a boy last week trynna 

run that game’it’s very easy to do 

what we usually do - rely on 

camp humour,”explained Ed. 

But in progressing through to 

latter stages,he added:“we 

really had to undergo a big transformation. 

“The choirmaster got us to get 

into the mindset of famous performers 

such as KanyeWest and 

Mick Jagger.In terms of having 

both class and energy,I found 

James Brown to be a great 

model.” 

Semi-Toned’s success in the 

grand final hinged on producing 

an emotionally convincing performance 

of the 1996 gospel 

classic Anthem of Praise by 

Richard Smallwood andVision. 

And - after a solid week of 

seven-hours-a-day rehearsal - 

they delivered. 

There is no straightforward 

path for Semi-Toned to convert 

their success into full-time 

careers,as has been achieved by 

the 2015 The Naked Choir winners 

The Sons of Pitches, 

according to Ed. 

He explained:“The group’s 

identity is so strongly tied to the 

university.With all members currently 

studying to complete their 

degrees,they’re still working out 

where best to go from here.” 

But after further reflecting on 

the impact of winning the competition, 

he added:“I think 

Semi-Toned have gained confidence 

to do more serious songs 

going forward. 

BOYS IN BURGUNDY: Semi-Toned joined by host and choirmaster Gareth Malone 

ED JILLINGS: 

Singing Señorita 

in The Choir 

Grand Final 

“Being genuine is difficult to 

focus on because the comedic 

aspect is what people associate 

most with this type of music.They 

think of a bunch of guys imitating 

Shakira.” 

Post The Choir,the path ahead 

for Semi-Toned may not yet be 

clear.But their journey from irony 

to sincerity has blazed a burgundy 

trail for many an a 

cappella act to follow. 

Sounder 

than the 

pound, the 

£Kingston 

By Tom Collins 

IT IS not an unusual sight. 

Walking through most high 

streets in the UK,we are met 

with the same chain stores seen 

in every other high street in 

every other nook and cranny 

across the country. 

Asda,Tesco,Greggs.Whoever 

it is,these big international 

players can afford to get prices 

down and turn profits up. 

Many of these corporations 

out-compete independent 

retailers and so it is unsurprising 

that ever since the rise of 

the corporation,there has been 

an equal amount of vociferous 

opposition. 

One form of opposition is 

‘local currency’. 

Local currencies,sometimes 

known as complementary currency 

or community currency, 

are alternative area specific 

monies that exists alongside 

the pound at a 1-1 exchange 

rate. 

Being area specific,the local 

currency attempts to counteract 

high street monopolies by 

boosting the local economy 

and by making money‘stick’. 

What does this mean? 

Normally if you were to 

spend £1 on the high street 80p 

of this would instantly leave the 

local area and either head to 

London or abroad. 

Making it‘stick’means that 

the local currency you spend 

will for the most part stay in that 

area. 

You may have heard of the 

Brixton Pound and the Bristol 

Pound. 

Drum roll please...Now it’s 

time for the Kingston Pound 

(£K). 

Conceived in 2012 and piloted 

in 2015,the £K has gone 

from strength to strength with 

43 local businesses already 

signed up. 

I went along to Surbiton (just 

south of Kingston) to see how 

the £K is coming along. 

On the whole reactions were 

good. 

Sarah Taylor,owner of Shoes 

at Last,said:“It’s a great way to 

spend money locally and keep 

people shopping local.” 

Next door at the No 97 

restaurant,co-owner Alex 

Johansson said:“At the moment 

most of our customers are from 

Surbiton.We hope the £K will 

bring people over from 

Kingston too.” 

The lads at Jennings Butch- 

SHOP WINDOW: The £K logo 

ers explained how the money 

they earned from the £K went 

straight back into a promotional 

meat demonstration at the 

Museum of Futures. 

This is exactly what the 

organisers and promoters of 

the £K want to hear – money 

going back around. 

As Andrew Connelly,cofounder 

of the initiative,puts it: 

“Normal currency flows in and 

out of our economy like a river 

flowing through a village. 

“Kingston Pound acts like a 

dam creating a 'lake' of money 

that can do a bit more for our 

local area before it leaves.” 

Andrew hopes that the £K 

will help create a more social 

and well-connected community. 

Certainly it felt that way 

when going into £K affiliated 

stores – everyone was up for a 

good old chinwag. 

Were there any problems 

highlighted? 

Currently the main way of 

using and spending the 

Kingston pound is via an app. 

Most users and traders I 

spoke to argued that it would 

be a lot more effective if there 

was physical money in place 

alongside the app. 

They are in fact looking to 

introduce printed money in the 

near future. 

The other issue vocalised 

was that in reality the £K (and 

all other local currencies) 

depend on their users. 

As Adam Lewis,the jovial 

landlord of the Lamb Pub,said: 

“The way politics are going we 

have to look after community 

from within. 

“We’re not getting any support 

from the government and 

hopefully the £K will get more 

people to give a monkeys 

about the local area.” 

If no one is using them,sadly 

they won’t exist.

December 2016 

Small changes 

define inclusion 

By Jenny Desborough 

Speakingthewordsof 

inclusionwillhelpto 

makeourcommunity 

moreaccessibletoall. 

“YOU are standing in a supermarket 

waiting to pay and an 

older person in front of you is 

having problems getting their 

change,holding everything up. 

Rather than you getting aggravated, 

stop and think as they may 

have dementia and it may take 

them more time.” 

At Christmas time it’s easy to 

get caught up with the stress of 

this time of year.There’s so little 

time to get the food,put up the 

decorations and find the perfect 

present for your loved ones.But 

this is how Liz Dallas Ross 

describes the philosophy behind 

dementia-friendly communities: 

taking the time to practise 

patience,even in the most hectic 

of holiday seasons. 

Liz is the FiSH Neighbourhood 

Care befriending manager and 

is working alongside Richmond 

Council to make Barnes Green 

more accessible for those with 

the condition.This is the latest in 

a line of similar projects such as 

Edinburgh Festival’s first ever 

dementia-friendly opera and 

Heathrow plans to become the 

first airport with this at its core. 

From theatres to communities to 

parks,this is becoming a priority 

and,according Health Secretary 

Jeremy Hunt,we could become 

the leading dementia-friendly 

nation in the world by 2020. 

But,despite all of these projects, 

one question is on 

everyone’s lips:what on earth is 

dementia-friendly? Even Google 

was hard pressed in geting to the 

root of whether it is helpful for 

those with the condition. 

In a practical sense,Mitchell 

and Burton’s 2006 research project 

proposed six design 

principles for Dementia Friendly 

Neighbourhoods that are relevant 

to green space providers,as 

cited in Natural England’s 2013 

a growing knowledge of what 

dementia ia and the effects of the 

condition itself.” 

Wigan Borough is taking this 

on,with the new Guardian 

Angels project,a device electronically 

programmed with 

emergency contact details that 

could be scanned by a mobile 

phone.The Alzheimer’s Society 

recently honoured them at their 

Dementia Friendly Awards, 

which celebrates communities 

who have made small changes. 

Emma McNamara accepted the 

award for Best Dementia-friendly 

Town on behalf ofWigan Borough 

and described how their 64 

activities including reminiscence 

sessions,tea parties,swimming 

and yoga groups were giving 

those with dementia an opportunity 

to try new things.People 

could make connections and 

remain active community members 

for longer. 

A project closer to home that 

won Dementia Innovation of the 

Year was the team behind Surrey 

Cricket Club’s specialised cricket 

matches at the Kia Oval. 

Jon Surtees,the club’s communications 

manager said: 

“Scientific research indicates 

that people living with dementia 

are often able to access memories 

by physically coming to the 

place where they have previously 

enjoyed happy times.It was 

our hope that by providing a spereport.These 

are:familiarity;legibility, 

distinctiveness, 

accessibility,comfort and safety. 

In the case of Barnes Green, 

Richmond Council cited a carved 

totem pole and markers,a walking 

and activity leaflet,seating 

and access improvements to the 

pond as the key improvements to 

be made,pinpointing the needs 

of those they consulted.Clearly 

the park’s design have these six 

principles in mind. 

Pippa Kelly,campaigner and 

health commentator believes it’s 

easy for councils to make practical 

changes,such as those to be 

made in Barnes Green. 

She said:“As much as it may 

be a financial issue,there’s also a 

lack of understanding.It’s really 

not that expensive to make things 

easier for those with dementia 

but I bet what they’re doing in 

Richmond isn’t that expensive 

because if you talk to people (as 

it’s really important to talk to do 

when making these adjustments) 

it might be something as simple 

as signage,surfaces and lighting, 

which is hugely important.” 

As for the term itself,Pippa 

said:“At its core,it just means 

being thoughtful,kind,tolerant 

and patient.It’s going that little 

bit further to help somebody as 

they often do just need a little bit 

more time than others. 

“It’s about small acts based on 

Other political upsets in 2016 

Gambian PresidentYahya Jammeh lost a democratic election after 

22 years of dictatorship.He cited‘unexpected abnormalities’for his 

defeat and subsequently annulled the result. 

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key was expected to serve a historic 

fourth term in office but announced he would stand down next 

year before 2017’s General Election.Key has led his country for more 

than eight years said he felt this was‘the right time to go’. 

Philippine President Duterte described Obama as a‘son of a 

whore’after US criticism of extrajudicial killings in the drug war. 

After decades of war with Farc rebels,Colombians rejected a 

peace treaty in a referendum after their President negotiated a deal. 

An Austrian Green candidate defeated neo-fascist in the general 

election.As both mainstream parties faltered,the two unlikely contenders 

fought a re-run after the intitial results were discounted. 

cial environment for them and 

their families that we might be 

able to make a small positive difference 

to their lives.” 

But there is still a growing 

debate around the language surrounding 

the condition and how 

we can better communicate. 

Pippa said:“A lot of the language 

around the dementia is 

very negative and now I realise 

that in order to try and get rid of 

the stigma it’s important to be as 

positive as one can.The term 

itself is sometimes treated with 

scepticism as a term the Prime 

Minister’s Challenge introduced, 

or as tokenistic.But as a nationwide 

awareness-raising‘label’,it 

is extremely helpful as it makes 

people have discussions and 

start using the word,without 

shying away from naming 

dementia itself.” 

The definition,it seems,is 

incredibly simple.It’s about 

making small changes to make 

communities accessible and 

inclusive.And the practical outworkings 

of this philosophy will 

benefit everyone.As Pippa said: 

“Something that’s dementiafriendly 

is going to be accessible 

to us all;for a young mum with a 

toddler who needs more time as 

it’s a way of changing the way we 

think about things.Just think 

“Why does it matter if you’re 

going to be five minutes late?” 

ACCESSIBLE FOR ALL: Richmond lead the way in making south west London parks inclusive 

FEATURES 

By Sam Hawthorn 


24 

Trump and 

Brexit both 

highlight 

our division 

AS we approach the end of the 

year,few could have predicted 

Theresa May to be negotiating 

Brexit as Americans prepare 

themselves for a Donald Trump 

inauguration speech. 

The political upsets of 2016 

left British and American voters 

dazed and in disbelief after the 

astonishing electoral results on 

both sides of the Atlantic. 

With the Brexit vote,a 33- 

year marriage between the UK 

and continental Europe was 

broken.Just five months later, 

the American electorate was 

left stunned when Trump swept 

Democrat Hillary Clinton aside 

after eking out victories in key 

swing states in the most sensational 

American Presidential 

election to date. 

It is clear that,beyond this 

year,Brexit and President 

Trump will shape a generation 

that is divided by politics yet 

united in shock. 

Some argue that societal and 

political divisions in American 

have existed since 2001. 

GeorgeW Bush was elected 

despite receiving half a million 

fewer votes than his opponent. 

The political divisions were, 

therefore,magnified by this 

year’s shocking results,not 

born from them. 

Dr Peter Catterall,Professor 

of History and Politics at the 

University ofWestminster,said: 

“Trump’s win crystallises divisions 

that already exist and it is 

possible to apply that to the UK. 

The Brexit result did not create 

divisions,but made those divisions 

even more visible. 

“It is perhaps the most politically 

divisive year in terms of 

the political landscape,you can 

apply the‘coalition of against’ 

to both Brexit and Trump’s win.” 

The results,a clear message 

to the establishment,had been 

brewing for years and were 

finally verified when disillusioned 

voters had their say. 

Dr Catterall insists that the 

narrative of global politics has 

been altered for the future following 

the small winning 

margins of these victories. 

He said:“The divisions have 

been catalysed since the referendum 

because,so far,the 

political realignment has been 

such that everything that has 

followed has fallen in line with 

the results we have seen.” 

Post-Brexit,little time was 

wasted before the first electoral 

rejection of the 

referendum,as British politics 

exhibited increasing polarisation. 

And no realignment has 

been clearer than the results of 

Richmond Park’s by-election. 

TOP TRUMP: President-elect 

In the heavily Remain southwest 

London constituency, 

political novice Sarah Olney 

overhauled predecessor Zac 

Goldsmith’s 58% majority. 

Olney,a Liberal Democrat 

since 2015, pledged to vote 

against triggering Article 50 in 

a bid to stop Brexit,a promise 

that clearly resonated with her 

constituents in a backlash after 

June’s referendum. 

It is tough to see how polls 

can progress following a turbulent 

year.The unpredictability 

of turnout and the fickle nature 

of voters makes predicting politics 

no easy job. 

British Polling Council 

member Simon Atkinson has 

described the difficulties pollsters 

face in forecasting results 

and how they will continue to 

develop in the future. 

He said:“The polls haven’t 

had a great year,but they aren’t 

quite as bad as some people 

have painted them. 

“In an electoral environment 

that is increasingly‘disruptive’, 

the central issue that the pollsters 

have to grapple with is 

modeling who will actually turn 

out on the day.” 

Although it is clear that political 

divisions are ever present, 

their existence creates yet 

more uncertainty for pollsters 

as we approach a seminal year 

in British and American history. 

The healing of nationwide 

divisions will characterise the 

tenures of May and Trump, 

shaping their legacies.They 

will want to unify their respective 

nations in something more 

positive than shock.

December 2016 

25 FEATURES 

NO END NEAR 

FOR SOUTHERN 

COMMUTERSAS 

STRIKES LOOM 


Where would you go in a 

mental health emergency?: 

A&E may not be the answer 

By Nick Tyrrell 

THERE APPEARS to be no end 

to the chaos experienced by 

Southern Rail commuters as 

the year draws to a close. 

Talks last week between 

the rail operator and striking 

workers ended without 

agreement,and more strikes 

are planned over NewYear. 

But though the situation is 

fluid commuters have no 

doubt of the effect the dispute 

has had on their lives. 

“It’s made my life a 

misery,”says Aimee Fabri,a 

corporate associate who uses 

the train to get to work from 

her home in Reigate. 

Ms Fabri,who moved to the 

Surrey town last year,says she 

spends in excess of £4000 on 

travel annually. 

Since the dispute between 

Southern and two rail unions 

RMT and Aslef has escalated, 

she has found her journey 

regularly takes an hour 

longer than usual. 

“I work very long hours – 

quite frequently I need to rely 

on the last train to get home 

and there are countless times 

it’s been cancelled,”she said. 

Train planner Joe Jameson, 

who commutes from Uckfield, 

finds his train home can be 

delayed by up to 90 minutes – 

longer than his entire journey. 

“Over the past five days 

I’ve been able to use my 

normal route in to work once,” 

he said,adding that he relies 

on others to drive him to a station 

on an unaffected route. 

Particularly disruptive are 

so-called sick note strikes 

when some employees,generally 

conductors,are absent 

from work on sick leave leading 

to sudden cancellations 

as services can’t be run. 

Ms Fabri said:“Quite often 

you can be sitting on a train 

and within five minutes of it 

being due to leave it’s cancelled 

- that has happened to 

me numerous times.” 

The situation has also 

impacted her social life,with 

the disruption leaving her cut 

off from many of her friends. 

An announcement that 

commuters with railcards 

would be able to claim compensation 

should have 

provided some comfort,but 

Ms Fabri said she has no idea 

how to apply for it. 

“I’ve not heard anything 

from them,and the other 

times I’ve requested refunds 

it’s taken up to three months 

to get anything,”she said. 

In a statement,Southern 

said they were preparing further 

information on the 

compensation package . 

But on the whole there is 

little for commuters to take 

heart in as there is no clear 

path to an agreement. 

A Southern Rail spokesman 

said the operator is happy to 

go back to the negotiation 

table with the RMT and Aslef 

in January but reaffirmed its 

commitment to a new system 

whereby its trains would be 

operated only by the driver, 

leading to the elimination of 

many conductor roles. 

The two unions were 

approached by SWLondoner 

but did not provide comment. 

Mr Jameson said:“I think 

most people think it’s time for 

them to come to some kind of 

agreement to end this.” 

Ms Fabri was more direct. 

“How poor will the level of 

service have to become to 

make someone stick their 

claws in and take control?” 

By Rose Knight 

AS part of the NHS,mental 

healthcare in the UK comes without 

a price - a privilege many 

countries don’t have. 

But scrutiny over the quality of 

this care has increased over 

2016,as lack of resources and 

overstretched staff are increasingly 

unable to deal with 

emergency situations at the 

expense of patient welfare. 

St George’s University Hospitals 

NHS Foundation Trust in 

Tooting,south west London,have 

been put on special measures 

following a damning report from 

health watchdog,the Care Quality 

Commission (CQC). 

Francesca,26,from Croydon, 

was admitted to their Accident 

and Emergency department in 

March this year after being transported 

there by a concerned taxi 

driver. 

“I was diagnosed with psychotic 

depression when I was 

seventeen,and entered an 

episode earlier this year which 

led to me ending up in accident 

and emergency,”she said. 

“They decided I needed to be 

in a segregated area,but there 

was nowhere for me to go while I 

waited to be seen,so they took 

me to a small,windowless side 

room with one plastic chair and 

shut the door.” 

Francesca recalled the male 

nurse who dealt with her was 

extremely empathetic,but with 

hundreds of other patients to see 

to,she felt he went over and 

above his role by checking on 

her every 15 minutes over the 

two hour wait period. 

“The recognition of the lack of 

resources is there but nothing is 

being done about it,”Francesca 

said. 

Assessments,treatments and 

support are free on the NHS,with 

those on regular medication 

being charged a flat rate for each 

prescription they require,and 

only if they can afford it. 

In other countries,such as the 

USA,mental health sufferers are 

not so lucky,with many facing 

challenges securing the health 

insurance they require for affordable 

treatment. 

The UK has the potential to be 

a world-leading provider of 

mental health solutions,so why 

are suicide rates in the UK the 

highest they have been,and why 

is London still at the forefront of 

these statistics? 

St George’s University Hospital 

in Tooting is an example of the 

cracks in the system,who 

received a dressing down by a 

Care Quality Commission (CQC) 

report last month following a 

detailed inspection in June. 

The purpose of the CQC is to 

monitor standards of adult social 

care and healthcare nationally to 

ensure they meet the minimum 

standards as set out by law. 

The health watchdog reported 

that certain areas of the teaching 

hospital trust have deteriorated 

significantly,and as a result have 

been put on special measures. 

The report highlighted issues 

around the lack of formal mental 

capacity assessments and decision 

making as required under 

the Mental Capacity Act 2005. 

The hospital also received 

complaints from patients around 

lack of empathy from staff and 

poor communication. 

Their A&E department, 

renowned for being one of the 

busiest in the country,is often the 

first port of call for individuals 

suffering with mental health 

problems,and is a crucial step in 

the process to getting the right 

treatment. 

Each year,hundreds of thousands 

of people end up in A&E as 

a result of a mental health issue. 

The CQC report indicated that 

patients at St George’s were not 

adequately protected under the 

Mental Capacity Act 2005,and no 

evidence of the compulsory twostage 

mental capacity 

assessments being performed 

were shown. 

Children and young people 

with mental health conditions 

were cared for on Frederick 

HewittWard,but an environmental 

risk assessment had not been 

carried out to identify ligature 

“ 

Recognition 

for the lack 

of resources 

is there 

” 

points and other risks to their 

safety,bringing into question the 

credibility of the services provided 

and how they can be 

improved. 

The fact that St George’s University 

Hospital has been placed 

on special measures affirms that 

they are currently falling below 

minimum expectations,and lives 

are being put at risk. 

Francesca was in a position 

where her vision was clouded 

and she was not able to make 

decisions herself.She was reliant 

on professional help and was 

faced with indecision from the 

psychiatrists. 

“They told me they wanted me 

to sign on to at-home-care,as the 

psychiatric ward was not an 

appropriate place for me to be – 

UNDER SCRUTINY: 

Mental health provision 

at St George’s 

Hospital 

they were worried it would make 

me more ill. 

“That is a place everyone with 

a mental health issue should be 

able to rely on to provide the 

care they need,not everyone has 

supportive family members 

around them like I do to orchestrate 

the at-home care.” 

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan,the 

Labour MP for Tooting and a 

former A&E doctor at St 

George’s,has commented on the 

downfalls and described the hospital 

as being‘stripped back to 

the bone’by a lack of government 

investment. 

As a result,the welfare of 

patients in a highly populated, 

high risk area is suffering. 

The CQC have commented on 

their findings,saying:“The 

Department of Health and national 

agencies should work together 

to focus on early intervention, 

and the experiences and views 

of detained patients should be a 

routine part of local Mental 

Health Act monitoring.” 

The CQC are working with St 

George’s to improve standards, 

and have given instruction on 

areas of improvement,which 

must meet national standards.A 

follow-up inspection will be carried 

out in 2017.

December 2016 

26 SPORT 

Samuelson 

eyes Dons 

promotion 

challenge 

By Jackson Cole 

AFC WIMBLEDON chief executive 

Erik Samuelson has said the 

club have their sights set on 

Championship football. 

The Dons chief executive has 

been part of the set up since 

AFC Wimbledon was first founded 

in 2002. 

The Kingston-based side 

started life in the Combined 

Counties League Premier Division 

in the 2002-03 season and 

have gone up six tiers of English 

football since. 

Samuelson said: “I want us to 

be as high as we possibly can. 

We don’t really set targets, but of 

course if there was an opportunity 

to get promotion we would 

snatch that. 

“We want to be in the Championship 

and the sooner that is 

the better. 

“If we’re there before we 

move to the new stadium, brilliant, 

but I don’t want to set that 


Only Dogs and 

Horses: Tails 

wag at Olympia 

ANIMAL WHISPERER: Santi 

Serra and his beloved co-stars 

give the crowd a festive treat 

TAYLOR MADE: Play-off hero Lyle 

Taylor has nine goals this season 

target because that’s not how we 

operate as a club.” 

AFC Wimbledon are set for a 

return to their old home at Plough 

Lane, with plans to build a 20,000- 

seater stadium. 

The plans also include a provision 

for 600 residential units, 

along with retail and commercial 

space and a leisure club. 

“The next thing is to get this 

Section 106 Agreement to be 

finalised and we are hoping to get 

that signed in January,” Samuelson 

said. 

“We expect to start building a 

stadium at the start of 2018.” 

Samuelson was also quick to 

praise the resilience of the club 

over the years. 

He added: “We founded this 

club to get in this kind of position. 

If you don’t have any ambition or 

idealism and energy than you’ll 

never achieve anything. 

“When we were told we didn’t 

have a club anymore, we made a 

new one. When we were told we 

wouldn’t have any success, we did 

and took the club all the way into 

the football league.” 

FAST AND FURIOUS: The young competitors go for glory (Pictures: Kit Houghton) 

FOR MANY,Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas 

without their annual attendance to 

Olympia Horse Show. 

The international event spans over 

seven days in the run up to Christmas and 

welcomes more than 90,000 visitors 

through its doors. 

The show,held in West 

Kensington,plays host to 

a variety of popular and 

inpiring performances. 

Santi Serra’s showpiece, 

which involves 

himself performing and 

dancing with his two dogs 

and two horses,and the 

notorious Shetland Pony 

Grand National are two 

showstopper events that 

dazzle the crowd. 

Serra put on a mesmerising 

display for the 

crowd.The equestrian 

artist showcased an 

extraordinary display of 

choreography with his 

four-legged companions. 

A particular highlightsaw 

Santi and one of his 

dogs climb onto the grey 

horse whilst it was performing tricks 

laying on its back. 

The Spaniard has a unique relationship 

with his horses and dogs.He communicates 

with his animals through his mind 

and body. 

They respond to his instructions with 

incredible obedience and loyalty. 

ALL SMILES: Winner Kinvara 

Garner on board Briar Smokey 

Jo as she accepts first prize 

By Marina Stephens 

Show director,Simon Brooks-Ward said: 

“Olympia,The London International 

Horse Show,is a celebration of equestrianism 

and we work hard to bring a variety 

of displays to the event each year.” 

The Shetland Pony 

Grand National is something 

which every human 

should witness at least 

once in their lifetime. 

This wonderful event 

holds all the excitement of 

the Aintree Grand National 

just on a tiny scale, 

involving smaller riders 

and much smaller horses. 

It must be the biggest 

thrill for these young 

riders,many of whom are 

aspiring jockeys. 

They gallop around the 

arena,tackling miniature 

steeplechase fences to the 

cheers of the crowd – 

despite the little legs of 

the ponies they manage to 

reach quite a pace. 

Many top jockeys made 

an appearance at the event to show their 

support for the younger generation. 

Jump jockey Tom Cannon said:“It 

looked great fun for the kids.Although 

there is no getting away from the fact that 

it’s ultra competitive with jumping,turning 

and racing all in such close proximity.It’s a 

great way for them to learn about racing.”

AUSTRALIA international James 

Horwill has signed a contract 

extension with Harlequins. 

On Tuesday,the 31-year-old 

put pen to paper on a deal that will 

keep him at Twickenham Stoop 

until the summer of 2020. 

The Lock has made 33 appearances 

for Quins,scoring three 

tries after signing from Queensland 

Reds in 2015. 

Harlequins director of rugby 

John Kingston said:“This signing is 

a statement of our intent for the 

coming years. 

“From the moment James 

joined Harlequins 18 months ago, 

he has shown himself to be both a 

world class player and an 

outstanding leader. 

“His infectious enthusiasm and 

drive illustrates exactly why he 

captained Australia on 16 occasions 

and he has proved a shining 

example to the rest of the squad.” 

Harlequins are sixth in the Aviva 

Premiership having won five and 

lost five matches this season. 

Horwill said:“I’ve been very 

lucky that they have opened their 

arms to me and my family from the 

get go.It’s fantastic to be able to 


SPORT 27 

Horwill gets 

new deal at 

Harlequins 

By Jackson Cole 

stay a bit longer and help the 

group achieve some special 

things with Harlequins.” 

Meanwhile,Quins Captain 

Danny Care was joined by fellow 

team mates Sam Twomey,Charlie 

Piper and Ruaridh Jackson at 

Great Ormond Street Hospital’s 

annual Christmas party. 

This came as part of the Harlequins’ 

Big Game initiative which 

has had Great Ormond Street as 

one of the Harlequins Foundation’s 

partners since 2012. 

The Foundation has set a target 

of raising £100,000 for Great 

Ormond Street. 

Big Game 9 will see Harlequins 

clash with eighth-placed Gloucester 

Rugby. 

Care said:“Big Game 9 is a 

huge fixture in our rugby calendar 

and so to support a cause like the 

Great Ormond Street Hospital 

Children’s Charity during the fixture 

is amazing. 

“We are really looking forward 

to playing at Twickenham Stadium 

on December 27th in what will be 

another great day at rugby’s HQ.” 

Tickets start from £11 for children 

and £21 for adults,and can 

be purchased via Quins.co.uk or 

by calling 020 8410 6010. 

Three new 

defenders 

provide 

cover for Ks 

By Rob Godmon 

KINGSTONIAN boss Tommy 

Williams is hoping signing three 

new defenders this week will 

help shore up their backline. 

Jack Lampe and Dan Hicks 

have joined on permanent deals, 

with Josh Jackson joining the 

Kingsmeadow club on loan. 

With Kingstonian suffering a 

number of injuries and suspensions 

in their defence,the new 

players will provide vital cover 

during the busy Christmas 

period with games coming thick 

and fast. 

Lampe,24,has been snaffled 

from Ryman Premier League 

rivals Canvey Island. 

Williams is pleased with the 

signing,with Lampe already 

having put in a solid display 

away to Billericay Town. 

“Jack is a strong commanding 

defender who has had 

IN THE PACK: Great 

British Bake Off winner 

Candice Brown flanked 

by Danny Care (left) and 

Sam Twomey (right) at 

the Great Ormond Street 

annual Christmas party 

ABOVE: James Horwill in 

action for Harlequins 

Pictures:Ash Knotek 

BOSS: Tommy Williams hopes 

signing three new defenders will 

lead to a play-off push 

Conference South experience, 

he’s a very good talker,he’s 

aggressive in both boxes.” 

Jackman has signed on loan 

from Slough Town. 

The vertasile right back was 

described by his manager as a 

consistent performer. 

“He’s very steady,there are no 

airs and graces about him,you 

tell him a job to do and he’ll do 

it.”he said.“He’s very mobile, 

very fit.” 

Hicks has moved up a division 

to sign from Molesey to join 

Kingstonian as defensive cover. 

Kingstonian lie ninth in the 

table with just over half the 

season gone,withWilliams blaming 

the team’s inconsistency for 

not being any higher. 

“We’ve been a little bit stopstart 

with our performances,one 

week we perform very well and 

the following week we put on a 

poor show and take a backward 

step.We are not far off the top five 

points wise,and we want to push 

on to the play-offs but we know it 

will be tough with the resources 

that we’ve got.”

December 2016 

28 SPORT 

Mo Farah 

claims gold 

in our 

SPOTY poll 

By George Dabby 

MO FARAH won a south west 

London poll as the people’s 

choice for the South West Londoner 

2016 Sports Personality of 

the Year. 

The former Teddington resident 

won 60% of the vote with 

GB boxer Joe Joyce claiming 

30% and Olympic hockey champion 

Giselle Ansley 10%. 

The three athletes all reside in 

South West London and contributed 

to Great Britain’s record 

medal haul at the 2016 Rio 

Olympics. 

Ansley became an Olympic 

champion with women’s hockey 

while Joyce won silver in superheavyweight 

boxing, but Farah’s 

two gold medals made his 

achievements stand out. 

The Somalia-born athlete, 

who trains in Portland,USA, 

became only the second man in 

history to defend the Olympic 

5,000 and 10,000 metre titles. 

The only 

way is up 

for 

Richmond 


FIRST WIN: Rob Kirby 

showed nerves of steel to 

kick the winning points for 

Richmond’s first victory of 

the season against London 

Scottish 

CREDIT: Roger Wooldridge 

RECORD BREAKER: Mo won two 

gold medals in Rio 

Joyce, 31, who lives and trains 

in Earlsfield, only began boxing 

nine years ago and reached the 

super-heavyweight final in Rio 

but lost out on a gold medal to a 

split-decision. 

Ansley, who plays club hockey 

for Surbiton, starred in the GB 

women’s hockey team that won 

its first ever Olympic gold in Rio. 

But for the majority of residents, 

Farah’s Olympic 

achievements make him 

arguably Britain’s finest athlete. 

Wimbledon resident Israel 

Bousaid, 31, believes that no one 

is ever likely to achieve Farah’s 

feats again. 

He said:“He achieved the 

impossible and to defend those 

titles took a dedication most of us 

will never understand.” 

Andy Murray won SPOTY for 

the third timeon Sunday and 

many were disappointed Farah, 

who finished fourth, did not make 

the top three in voting. 

Alastair Brownlee said this 

week that it was sad Farah did not 

win and hinted that it may be 

because some people don’t see 

him as being British enough. 

WORTH THE TRIP: A 550 mile-round trip saw Richmond take the points in Penzance 

AFTER losing their first eight fixtures in 

The Green King IPA Championship, you 

could have forgiven Richmond for forgetting 

about rugby and concentrating on 

Christmas. 

But since an impressive 17-16 win over 

London Scottish in November, Richmond 

now have three wins in five including a 

British and Irish Cup win against Nottingham 

in which they fielded a 

second-string side. 

Richmond director of rugby Steve Hill 

said that after losing to Nottingham by 40 

points the previous week, regular names 

on the team sheet should now be on alert. 

He said: “I’ve always been a great 

believer in competition for places. All of 

the guys who weren’t in the squad for Saturday 

were watching the game and could 

see that the others are pushing really 

hard to have their position. They’ll need 

to work hard to keep it.” 

The emergence of reserve players 

stepping up to the plate comes at a vital 

time for Richmond as they look to move 

up the table and away from the relegation 

spot. 

London Welsh going into liquidation 

and losing 20 points sends them bottom 

and could affect who exits the league at 

the end of the season. 

But after the upturn in form for Richmond, 

Hill has hope in his side rescuing 

themselves. 

He said: “Our aim from the beginning 

of the season was to stay in this league. I 

think if you were a betting man after the 

first eight games you would have been 

thinking ‘well is that a realistic expectation?’ 

By Chris Reidy 

“Now we can only control what we can 

do. If we can pick up some more wins and 

more bonus points we can build pressure 

on the teams that are above us. 

“As we get into the last third of the 

season, the teams in mid-table don’t have 

much to play for but we will be fighting 

for our lives every game. That intensity 

and motivation can bring surprise 

results.” 

Hill admitted the step up in division 

had been difficult for his part-time players 

playing against the likes of full-time 

sides like London Irish, but the win in 

Penzance against Cornish Pirates was 

just rewards for their efforts so far this 

season. 

He said: “My guys work 40 and 50 hour 

weeks in their jobs and then they’ve got 

to do two nights a week rugby training, 

two nights a week in the gym and then 

play on Saturday. 

“In Penzance, we left at 10 o’clock on 

Saturday morning, got back at one in the 

morning on Sunday night and the guys 

have to be in front of their screens six 

hours later. 

“It’s very demanding but we’ve got to 

have fun. We party hard when we have 

the opportunity and that hasn’t changed. 

The guys know why they want to play at 

Richmond, it’s an enjoyable place to be.” 

The partying will have to wait until 

after Richmond’s Christmas Eve fixture 

with table-toppers London Irish followed 

by a New Years Eve trip to Doncaster. 

Then it is back to work for the players 

and onto the challenges of 2017.


SPORT 29 

Tooting aim 

for derby 

day victory 

2017 games 

put UK NFL 

fans Brown 

in the dumps 

By Martin Voller 

By Michael Morris 

TOOTING AND MITCHAM are 

expecting a bumper turnout at 

their Boxing Day trip to archrivals 

Carshalton Athletic. 

The Ryman League South side 

are riding high in the league this 

season in second place,in stark 

contrast to their 17th-place finish 

last season. 

Carshalton are fifth after three 

defeats in their last five games 

but both clubs are challenging 

for promotion and this Boxing 

Day derby is expected to be a 

lively encounter. 

Tooting manager Frank 

Wilson is keen to share the credit 

for the turnaround in form from 

last season with the coaching 

team that has been put together, 

including first team coach Paul 

Dale and assistant first team 

coach Ashley Bosah. 

The coaching has included 

implementing technology with 

the use of video analysis introduced 

at the end of last season. 

Wilson said:“The video analysis 

definitely helps.By recording 

our own games and being able 

to watch it back on a video and 

review it sets us up with a nice 

structure in terms of how we train 

and the types of things we look 

to practice in training heading 

into a specific game.” 

The benefits have been clear 

to see with the team recently 

equalling a club record dating 

back to 1956 with nine consecutive 

league wins. 

Wilson picked up the November 

Manager of the Month 

award for the first time by winning 

all seven league games. 

He said:“I credited that award 

to the whole coaching staff 

because we have all been in this 

together and we have worked 

really hard to see the team get to 

where it’s got to at this moment.” 

Wilson admitted that losing 

top scorer Billy Dunn to league 

rivals Greenwich Borough FC 

was a big loss to the team. 

He added:“It was disappointing 

that Billy opted to join 

another team in the division 

knowing we still have a realistic 

chance of winning the league or 

finishing in a play-off place. 

“We did everything to keep 

Billy at the club and we of course 

wanted him to stay but at the 

end of the day he has chosen to 

go on another pathway so we 

have to respect his wishes.” 

Marcel Barrington has resigned 

and will look to make an 

impact against Carshalton on 

Boxing Day. 

Carshalton go into the festive 

period with a positive mindset. 

The Robins’player-manager 

Peter Adiniyi said:“We respect 

Tooting’s league position but we 

don’t fear them and I’m looking 

forward to an interesting game.” 

THE BOSS: Frank Wilson 

won Manager of the Month 

in November and has led 

Tooting to second place in 

the Ryman League South. 

CREDIT: Andy Dovey 

Photography 

TOP SCORERS: Tooting 

and Mitcham lead the 

Ryman League South 

goal-scoring charts with 

70 

BRITISH fans of American 

football have expressed 

their disappointment at the 

quality of teams playing in 

the National Football League 

2017 International Series. 

The four sides competing 

at Twickenham include the 

Cleveland Browns, who have 

not won in more than a year, 

the Minnesota Vikings, Los 

Angeles Rams and Arizona 

Cardinals, who are some of 

the league’s lowest scorers. 

Carolina Panthers fan 

Jamie Manktelow, 21, from 

Essex, attended Detroit 

Lions against Kansas City 

Chiefs at Wembley last year 

but he will not be going to 

any of the 2017 fixtures. 

He said:“I do think UK 

fans are perhaps taken advantage 

of with the poor 

games we’ve been given. 

“The Browns can’t buy a 

win, no wonder they’re coming 

here to see if a change 

of country can get them a 

win.” 

Birmingham-based Panthers 

fan Ryan Walmsley, 24, 

said:“On first glance there 

are some dissapointing fixtures 

there.Vikings and 

Browns doesn’t look like it 

will be at all enthralling, nor 

does the Jaguars and Ravens 

match up at Wembley, but 

the novelty of the matches 

will attract newer fans. 

“There’s possibly a decrease 

in calibre, but I don’t 

think they do it on purpose. 

When you see more teams 

coming here you’d expect 

more big names, but I don’t 

think it will work that way.” 

Seattle Seahawks fan Ross 

Goddard, 28, from Reading, 

expressed a different view 

after attending his first UK 

game this year. 

He said:“The beauty of 

the NFL is a team who is 

poor one season can be absolutely 

amazing the next. 

Just look at the Dallas Cowboys 

this season from last.” 

His sentiments were 

echoed by the head of PR at 

NFL UK, David Tossell, who 

eased UK fans’ concerns. 

“The nature of the NFL is 

that teams' fortunes fluctuate 

greatly from season to season 

which makes it difficult 

to predict one year out what 

the potential records of the 

teams coming over will be,” 

he said. 

“We certainly don't take 

the fans for granted. It is because 

of their support we 

have been able to increase 

from one game to four in 

only a matter of a few years.”

SW 

@sw_Londoner 


December 2016 

Dons chief executive eyes 

League One promotion 

page 26 

Exiles given 

New Year 

lifeline - but 

future still 

uncertain 

NOT GOING ANYWHERE: 

Captain Ben Pienaar insists 

London Welsh are here to stay 

By Adam Theofilatos 

NEW LONDONWELSH chairman 

Gareth Hawkins has 

revealed his anger at the 

finances he inherited at the 

club,but is adamant their future 

remains secure. 

Despite plunging into liquidation 

and losing 15 players in 

the process,Hawkins revealed 

the remaining players have 

signed contracts that will see 

them to the end of the season. 

The club’s liquidation resulted 

in a 20-point penalty that 

leaves them bottom of the 

Green King IPA Championship, 

as well as automatic disqualification 

from the British and Irish 

Cup. 

Hawkins said:“When I 

looked at the books for the 

first time I was quite incredulous. 

“Kelvin Bryon had put £15 million into this 

club and that stayed on the balance sheet.It 

did look like big numbers. 

“It’s been difficult – I had to come in and tell 

players that if they had different opportunities 

a smart move would be to go.Some of them did 

go. 

“There is money to pay the players.They 

have all signed contracts today.It’s an Rugby 

Players’Association standard contract until the 

end of the season. 

“What is quite amazing is the number of 

players who have stayed.They have all committed 

to save LondonWelsh going forward.” 

The Exiles’Premiership dream was left in 

tatters after a winless 2014/15 season which 

resulted in relegation and a return to Old Deer 

Park,but Hawkins admitted the financial 

horrors stem far deeper than that. 

“I would not say the Premiership was the 

root of the problems,but it probably played a 

part.Lots of things played a part but I believe 

we have a plan to take the club forward.If we 

are comfortable in our finances,we can be 

FIGHTING TALK: Gareth Hawkins 

comfortable in our ambitions.We are comfortable 

in the plan we have to take the club 

forward.” 

The club that famously 

fielded sevenWales internationals 

in the victorious 

British Lions tour of 1971,and 

experienced Premiership 

rugby as recently as 2015, 

may now be consigned to 

history. 

However,captain Ben 

Pienaar has denied that the 

club has reached breaking 

point and has sworn they will 

fight for their loyal support. 

He said:“The club has not 

rolled over and we are here 

to show that we have not 

given up. 

“The club are ready to 

fight.We will take on whatever 

comes our way and I 

think we have proven that already by the fact 

we are still here despite everything that has 

happened behind closed doors. 

“It is just amazing that the boys have stayed 

and shown that they are ready and willing to 

fight.” 

The club has relied on the LondonWelsh 

Supporters Group,who raised in excess of 

£60,000 within 10 days to help pay players and 

staff wages. 

Pienaar added:“The club’s finances have 

definitely affected the boys but luckily we have 

such a good supporters club who have put a 

fund together to raise money for the lads and 

the amateurs have helped out as well. 

“The fact they have managed to get the 

money together for us purely off people’s kindness 

and their generosity is fantastic. 

“As long as I can continue to put food on the 

table for my family I won’t worry about the 

future.” 

The Dragons are currently running under a 

temporary licence for the next two games, 

including their Christmas Eve fixture with 

London Scottish. 

Re-Joyce: Joe to 

turn pro next year 

By William Holderness 

BRITISH boxer Joe Joyce feels he 

is now in the perfect place to turn 

professional in 2017. 

Joyce,who won Olympic silver 

in the super-heavyweight class 

in Rio this year,is ready for the 

transition which would see him 

fight some of the biggest hitters 

in world boxing. 

Going into a highly competitive 

heavyweight division is set 

to be a tough task for Joyce but 

one which he is relishing with a 

punchy determination. 

“I think it’s the right time,back 

in 2014 it was too soon and I’m at 

a much better stage now.I’m 

more experienced and I’m ready 

to join the pro ranks,”said Joyce. 

“I want to do a similar thing to 

what I did in the amateurs – be 

the most decorated. 

“I’m the most decorated amateur 

boxer,I’ve won a lot of 

medals and so I’d like to do a 

similar thing in professional 

boxing – British,European,Commonwealth 

and then going for a 

World title.” 

The success that Joyce had in 

amateur boxing brings both a 

reputation and expectation that 

makes him hot property for 

potential promoters. 

PRO-GRESS: Joe Joyce is ready 

Once he sorts out the commercial 

side, he is then hoping for a 

busy 2017 schedule to prove his 

worth in the ring. 

He added:“I’m in the process of 

selecting a promoter.I’m waiting 

until I get all the offers on the table 

and then I can make an informed 

decision but I’ve got ideas. 

“I’ll be looking to box six to eight 

times throughout the year and then 

maybe go for the British title at the 

end of next year or the beginning 

of 2018.” 

Following his last amateur fight in 

Rio,Joyce feels that his experience 

on the Olympic stage gives him an 

advantage when starting his professional 

career. 

His friend and sparring partner 

Anthony Joshua made the same 

change in 2013 and his rise to IBF 

world heavyweight champion is 

one that Joyce knows all too well. 

“It’s a great platform to be boxing 

in the Olympic Games.Very few 

have competed in the Games and 

it’s great for Joshua to be where he 

is following his change to pro,”said 

the 31-year-old. 

“Pro boxing is more entertaining, 

without the head protection you can 

actually see the boxer and not just 

someone with a blue or red head 

guard. 

“I’m a step ahead of the crowd 

and happy that I stayed in the Team 

GB squad and achieved that goal. 

“Even before Joshua’s Olympic 

Games in London I was sparring 

with him and it’s good to train with 

him in Sheffield. 

“When preparing,what better 

sparring can I have and what better 

can he have? 

“I’ve also been training with 

Frazer Clarke and Daniel Dubois 

recently and the set up in Sheffield 

is great for my development.”

Thanks Ma’am

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