Archive

It was one of the most difficult things I have ever done, but quite frankly it was one of the best. This year I was fortunate enough to be cast as Alice in Waldegrave Schools production of Alice in Wonderland. It was a mammoth production with professional

Study leave is a period of time leave granted to a student prior to an examination, for the purpose of preparing for their examinations. This is what happens every year for year 11’s. But does everyone just use it as an excuse to have an early holiday

Steampunk is a movement of people in a sort of group defined by there inescapable individuality and personal expression. Steampunk is a movement based loosely around science fiction of the Victorian period as seen in films such as the League of Gentlemen

29th February 2012- one of the few leaps year and a day for romance and proposals, the day I finished early and was aiming to attend a meeting. A fatal stabbing cut short this day and proved to show enormous disruptions. At around 13:20 I made my

When you think of The Tiffin School, the first thought which most probably enters your mind is the academic side and the way in which the pupils all strive to fulfill their potential. However, during one particular night, pupils are provided with the

It has been well publicised that the libraries of Surrey are under threat. It has been proposed that the libraries will have to be run by volunteers, resulting in the loss of multiple jobs across the county. Threatened libraries include Ewell Court, Byfleet

In recent years, exam results have been falling and obesity has been on the rise, yet we continue to scratch our heads about why. The Guardian investigates the reasons behind it all. In the last decade, both primary and secondary schools alike have

Riddlesdown Collegiate is a secondary school packed full with talented students, some simply intelligent and others brimming with creativity. However a running tradition in the performing arts side of the school is the yearly performance of a musical;

The Championships, Wimbledon. It’s arguably the most prestigious place on the planet when it comes to showcasing world class tennis at its most competitive level. When we think of Wimbledon, the thought of A-list tennis players, the taste of strawberry

A month ago, sixth formers were preparing to take their unit 1 exams for their AS levels. After all the stress, hard work and revision that was put in, the time is nearly here for them to find out if all had paid off. Next Thursday, students will open

In light of the London riots last year, the metropolitan police are considering introducing more armed police on the streets to prevent a similar event happening again. However, is this really ensuring our safety, or is it encouraging and legitimising

I thought I would dedicate this month’s article to a local youth theatre group which I am part of. I am a member of the Rose Plus youth group which meet every weekend at The Rose Theatre in Kingston. This group is one of the best things that I have

I had spent a long time awaiting the recent half term break, partly for the rest, but also because I was going on holiday to a place I had held an interest in for a long time, Iceland. After having finally been there, I can highly recommend it to anyone

Patients of the Vineyard Hill Road Surgery have been very concerned as the surgery announced it may be forced to close. This possible closure is connected to the government’s planned funding changes. There was a public meeting on Monday 27th of February

As I’m sure many of you were too, I have been watching My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding for the past few weeks. Many of you know that it is very popular because it is so entertaining – mainly because it is shocking. The show regularly includes young girls dressed

In recent weeks a new health bill has been passing through our Houses of parliament, offering reforms that aim to modernise our NHS, but with the UK in the midst of economic depression, not all are in favor. Could these modifications cause more of a headache

The sun has made its spring debut. The shops have suddenly bloomed with floaty florals. People have finally been able to strip off their ample layers of knitwear and feel the breeze on their faces without fear of frostbite. Yes, spring has truly sprung

On 24th February 2012, I was lucky enough to attend “Eastern Extravaganza” at Tiffin School – an event for charity that celebrated the very best of Asian talent across Kingston. With acts ranging from comedy sketches to Bollywood style dances, the evening

In every leap year, February has 29 days instead of 28. Adding an extra day to the calendar every four years makes up for the fact that a period of 365 days is shorter than a solar year by 5 hours, 48 minutes,and 46 seconds, to be precise. No year divisible

The weather. We all make small talk about it and we all moan about it. A lot! But this month there was even more moaning than usual; the weather was extreme. At the start of the month we experienced sub zero temperatures, the country awoke to a blissful

It is quite mind boggling to think of the rapid emergence of the mobile phone over the last twenty years. They have developed from the unwieldy, unsightly ‘brick’ which fashioned the early models to the sleek, simple handsets that go way beyond performing

On Sunday 26th February, Richmond Borough hosted an event at The Orange Tree Theatre, as a celebration of young people's writing. There were four age categories: years 3-4, years 5-6, years 7-10 and 11 plus. Winners were announced within each category

It is a crude world we live in today, when the milk arrives at 9am and the dustbin men without fail leave the bin in the middle of the driveway and refuse to accept extra rubbish, despite the extra being their fault for not collecting the previous week

When you think of art galleries, what may first come to mind is boredom: walking eternally around walls with pointless bits of material shoved on them. You may think, ‘why on Earth did art galleries ever exist in the first place?’ If you agree, then think

Just as it seemed that the UK was recovering from the 2008 recession it has now been widely reported that we are heading for a double dip recession. Due to this we have seen many treasured shops sadly being forced to shut down permanently. With Britain

In my local area of Sutton, I have been working with a group called LINK (Local Information Network), LINK work on counselling for young people. Whilst working with this group I have encountered the problem that information is hard to find. In the efforts

Tomorrow, the first of March is World Book Day where children all over the world will be celebrating book reading. World Book Day was set up by UNESCO. As part of the celebration, children all over Britain will receive free book tokens. This is to encourage

In preparation for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, a large number of the residents on my road have come together to plan a day of fun, games and local celebration. Street parties such as this are not only extremely enjoyable, but also successfully unite

Sun shining, birds singing and bright blue sky. This picturesque atmosphere would be a common and welcoming sight in May however, when the daffodils are poking their heads out in February people start to question and even be alarmed by these strange conditions

Do urban foxes really pose that much of a problem to us? I’m arguing that they don’t. I couldn’t help but feel a sense of compassion when, a few days ago, I saw a three-legged fox walking down an alleyway next to a main street – something which sounds

Here I am again. It’s been like this for me now for the past couple of years, every time this part of the year comes around. As March begins, thousands of students will already be gearing up to their crucial exams in May and June. But it is this period

At 12:10am, on Tuesday 28th February 2012, Riot Police accompanied by Bailiffs descended on the grounds of St. Pauls Cathedral, in London. Their mission was to evict the occupy London protesters from their camp. It was fairly peaceful, compared to the

Earlier this month Sutton Council was allocated £50,000 to spend on decorations for this summer’s Olympics. The funding was provided by the Greater London Authority (GLA) solely for the purpose of livening up Sutton’s streets, noticeably the High Street

We live in a bilingual society. Everywhere we go in London one can find someone speaking another language, whether it’s on the phone to family back home, tourists chatting or just local people talking, according to the BBC over 300 languages are spoken

Recently I have been thinking. Thinking about our world, our friends, family, the economy…. And then I had to stop. Where the world keeps spinning and continents are constantly moving, Family and certain friends will always be there. Your friends: you

Young Enterprise is a charity which aims to create links between industry and young people. It has various projects for a range of ages, but its most exciting scheme is the Company Programme. This enables students between 15-19 years old to run their

It’s been three years since the Beacon School in Banstead put on their last major school production of Joseph and his Technicolor Dream-coat, but this year, the students at the school came back with a great deal of spark for their latest production of

Sunday, February 26th seemed like a normal day in Surbiton. Until the clock hit 2.30pm. The Seething Festival is a tradition which dates back many years, and is always a spectacle. But this is no ordinary year. It is of course a leap year, so the Festival

Duke of Edinburgh program is an excellent structure that can benefit you as a person, as well as your C.V and should definitely be considered by all young people borough-wide. However, there is often a slightly negative connotation associated with the

It takes a great amount of theatrical skill and imagination to be able to stage a two-and-a-half thousand year old play and keep it fresh, humorous and engaging. Luckily, the recent production of Lysistrata, written by Aristophanes in 411 BC, at the Ashcroft

“Fasching”, “Fastnacht” or “Fassenet” - It's a festival that has many names and is celebrated in countries all around the world. In some places, including New Orleans, it is called “Mardi Gras”. But in Köln (Cologne) in Germany the party is known as Karneval

Shrove day is celebrated every year by many across the world by the making of pancakes. Because of this, Shrove Tuesday is more commonly known as Pancake Day. Pancake Day usually occurs on the last Tuesday before the Christian period of Lent, which is

We all love a bit of romance in the novels, plays and poetry we like to read every now and again, and when we find it, we admire the couples we come across and have our own favourites. I personally have a passion for literature, and over time in school

Now that A-level and GCSE students approach their June exams really fast, I thought it is a good thing to stop for a minute and do something that really passionate them. In my case, reading, writing and photography occupy a vast amount of time from my

Although books and the way we read them haven’t changed a great amount over the past few hundred years, a transformation is now under way. With the recent birth of eBooks (an electronic device that allows consumers to download books in a matter of seconds

Looking for work experience can be easy, unless you’re either getting no replies or simple rejections. As usual, I took my search to the next level of seriousness. People who encourage you tell you to aim high, so I did. The BBC, Sky, ITV, all the major

With only 149 days to go until the Olympic Games Opening Ceremony, across London people are excitedly awaiting the opportunity to watch the world’s greatest athletes compete right on their doorstep. In just 146 days, the streets of Kingston will shine

The Wilson’s RAF section attended the Regional heats of the Air Squadron Trophy on Sunday 26th February at RAF Halton. The competition includes units from all over the UK and tests cadets in a number of disciplines including Drill, Aircraft Recognition

Heard of climate change? Climate change is publicised throughout the world and although there has been much conflict over whether climate change is actually happening, it is thought by most that it is, based on the environmental changes they can visually

After a bout of snow had paid us a well-appreciated yet fleeting weekend visit in early February, South West London had virtually come to terms with the fact that this winter’s work and school schedule would remain unaffected by adverse weather conditions

On Monday 9th February, GCSE Art & Design students received their final exam paper much to their surprise. They were given the theme for this year’s topic, “Ordinary and/or Extraordinary” Despite getting the paper so early, the pupils in have no

We don’t go round calling black people the “n” word do we? Well the latest report into how the NHS care for the elderly has reported that calling an aged person “an old dear” is equally as discriminatory and quite frankly not the sort of attitude expected

In 2011 local teenager Scarlett Young, a student at Strode's college in Egham, became the first ever winner of the 'Kawaii Star' competition. I caught up with her to find out more about why this style and culture appeals to her and is becoming increasingly

This Friday, state schools will be informing students about their decisions bringing an end to the prolonged and exhausting 11+ season. Ten and eleven year olds are having to prematurely deal with the prospect of failure or being 'unsuccessful'-as the

After sweeping the Grammys in early February, winning Best Dance Recording, Dance Album and Remixed Recording, it seems that Sonny Moore, the dubstep deity otherwise known as Skrillex, can do no wrong. I had high expectations for his latest gig at the

As many 2012 university hopefuls, many have already received their university decision whether conditional or unsuccessful, are the courses that many students have chosen, really the subject they wish to dedicate their time, effort, and money into?. It

I am sure am not the only one that find it hard to revise. Have you ever opened your books to revise and found everything distracting? Even the wall seems to be more interesting then the work you are prolonging to do. New figures this week show increasing

On the 11th of February Christ Church West Wimbledon hosted an evening of musical theatre songs courtesy of Charles Miller and Fenton Gray. Charles Miller has composed many musicals including ‘Brenda Bly: Teen Detective’ and more recently ‘When Midnight

Snow frequently seems to be the bane of most people’s lives in the South East, perhaps with the exception of children, who want to miss school to build snowmen, and the makers of grit and toboggans. When that not-so-delightful cold weather is forecast

The introduction of raised tuition fees has been infamously controversial. Not only have they made life harder for those already on lower incomes, but many students now simply cannot afford to go to university. However, something even more morally

Valentine's Day is on the 14th February each year. It is when people get to tell others how much they mean to them through: cards, chocolates and chocolate. It is called St. Valentine's Day as it is named after a priest from Rome called Father Valentine

The Duke of Edinburgh scheme has kicked off in schools all over the UK, with Year 10 pupils focusing on the ‘bronze’ award. D of E is an incredible opportunity and when given the chance, hardly anyone declines. It’s purpose is to ‘provide a balanced

Being born in Surrey it is difficult to get access to many extreme sports like skiing/snowboarding. So how does a local boy from Merstham end up running an exceptionally successful year-round sport Events Company in the French Alps? Well, this is what

Being surrounded by a diverse community with a range of various cultures and religions, teaches us about how different are lifestyles are to one another. Having cultural diversity has brought many new flavours to our lives, but there are still many cultural

1. How long have you been rowing for, Georgie? I’ve been rowing since J13, which was Year 8. 2. You’ve been rowing since 2007? How you keep up such a time-consuming commitment? No idea. You just have to get used to getting up early in the morning

It’s a cold and windy Saturday morning, and I’m one of a group of teens standing shivering outside the Croydon Town Hall. Eventually, the group expands till a good fifty people are seated in one of the lofty chambers inside the Town Hall. All of different

This march, Nigella Lawson hopes that everyone will ‘cook up a storm’ for the Shooting Star’s ‘Eat ‘n’ Greet’ campaign which is hoping to raise a huge £20,000 from cake sales, ‘Come Dine With Me’ nights in and even bathtubs of baked beans. The idea of

Epsom’s annual book fair took place this month from the 16th to the 18th of February. On the Thursday and Friday it was on from 10.00am to 8.00pm and on the Saturday, from 10.00am to 4.00pm. It took place in the Epsom Methodist Church and was a great

The new NHS Bill seems to be frequently broadcasted on television news and websites on a daily event, and this may be due to the critical uprising against the Bill. It had officially passed the House of Commons last year, but is yet to pass the House

A parliamentary debate on Daniel Morgan's murder has claimed he was to sell the story of Met Police corruption to a News of the World journalist with close links to his partner Jonathan Rees. Tom Watson MP led a call for a judicial inquiry

With Valentines’ Day being just two weeks ago, it prompted me to notice how shops commercialize the holidays and have become so obsessed with marketting all their goods to sell, that we become sick of the holiday before it’s even arrived! I remember

On 21st February, a group of lucky Old Palace of John Whitgift School girls in the Polyphonic choir took a day off school to travel up to Salisbury. Here, they sung in the beautiful Salisbury Cathedral for the local townspeople in their monthly evensong

Videogames have a good and bad side, contrary to what some think. On a rainy housebound day they are an excellent way to pass time, you can learn things from them, improve your timing/reflexes and with some even increase your fitness. However they can

On Thursday 16th February Physics A-level students from the schools within Wimbledon were invited to attend the second of their lectures by guest speakers. The first was a lecture on Particle Physics by Professor Jon Butterworth who is a Physics professor

Southfields tube station is located on Wimbledon Park road at the junction with Augustus Road and Replingham Road. Southfields is the most convenient station from which to reach the Wimbledon Tennis Championships. Southfields tube station is very similar

‘The delightful tastes of the House of Spice spark sensation throughout your taste buds’, said a regular visitor to this Indian restaurant. It is said that the astonishing quality of the ‘House’ always stays at a remarkable standard. A local family who

A shocking number of people in the UK cannot read, write and count properly. Statistics from the Public Accounts Committee show that in 2007, 39,000 pupils left school without a GCSE of at least D-G in English and research shows that three in ten children

The two fat ladies statue in front of centre court has recently been removed. This is most probably due to the tennis tournaments yet to come during the Summer; Wimbledon is being renovated in advance of being an Olympics venue. This has caused issues

It’s almost spring kids, and even though it’s still only February, the skies are looking brighter and the air is warmer already. In a few months it’ll be time to pack the suitcase and settle down in an aeroplane seat of questionable comfort-but that won

The coincidence of a fire alarm test and an aerosol being sprayed in a separate shop triggered this afternoon's shopping centre evacuation. The Bentall Centre in Kingston was evacuated at about 4.40pm with hundreds of people spilling out onto

The pressure on teenagers begins as time leading up to exams drifts away. Year 11's all across the country are beginning to feel the increasing pressure and worry for the life changing GCSE examinations this summer. A student from London said, 'It is

Its the term all school children dread, if you're not sitting exams then you are awaiting results, if you're not waiting for results then you are stressing about future exams. Even though it is a very stressful time for all students and teachers, it is

Fashionoholic February, or one could say Fabruary- a month for forward thinking, business and fabulousness. Models, guests, and designers all strutting their stuff, making the famous phrase of ‘every street’s a catwalk’ come alive and twinkle (just think

Behind the tall infrastructures of Canada Square and overlooking the O2 Arena is ‘Play On Sport’, an indoor centre which boasts eight playing courts for a variety of sports, and on the 13th February the venue for Cricket for Change’s ‘Street20’ tournament

As 2012 gets underway, many people are starting to wonder whether London is fully prepared for the imminent Olympic Games. 2011 was a year of contrasts for Londoners. The glory of William and Kate's wedding was followed just three months later by the

The streets of Thames Ditton are once again being plagued by vandals, who with not much else to do, have turned to petty crime. These crimes range from minor burglaries, such as stealing small ornaments from front gardens or rifling through an unlocked

On Friday 24th February ex Richmond Park Academy (at the time known as Shene School) pupil, Kieron Scott-Woodhouse visited the school to give a talk to year 9 and 10 students. The yet to graduate product designer has recently been recognized by the public

Four glamorous and talented young musicians will bring an evening of the highest musical standards to the Epsom Playhouse next month. The Pavao String Quartet was formed by Bryony James, Natalia Gomes, Jenny Sacha and Kerenze Peacock 10 years ago whilst

As the drought continues and the threat of a hosepipe ban looms, ponds are beginning to show the implications of below average rainfall this winter. The Dew Pond in Nonsuch Park is noticeably low and Councillor Mary Burstow, the chair health

Exactly one hundred years ago, Walter Johnson, a leading geologist of the time wrote a wonderful book entitled, Wimbledon Common, its geology,antiquities and natural history. These days his book would be described as a landmark publication

Occupy London protestors took over a lecture theatre at the University of Roehampton on Tuesday to talk to journalism students but unlike their stint outside St.Paul’s Cathedral, this time the protestors had been invited. Martin Eiermann

Hundreds of people are expected to descend on the town hall this evening to protest against cuts to public services. Members of the major trade unions, including UNISON and Unite, will join a rally in Brixton organised by lobby group Lambeth

Six, lucky West London school girls alongside their two teachers embarked on an eye opening journey as exchange students to Kolkata. On Wednesday 8th February the exchange students said their goodbyes and left London city at 13:35 in the afternoon

A man whose house was raided after police smelt a "sickly" smell in his flat while returning a lost passport has been sentenced. Joshua Jenkins, 20, of Worcester Road, Sutton, left his passport in a cafe earlier this month. A do-gooding

Cricket stars Ravi Bopara and Monty Panesar are opening a new takeaway tomorrow. The England cricket team players will be posing for pictures with fans at Sams Chicken, in Tooting High Street. Both have just returned to the UK following

The Springfield Hospital patient who brandished a BB "machine" gun outside Fircroft Primary School yesterday has been sectioned, police have confirmed. Terrified witnesses, including a woman carrying a baby, dialled 999 after the man appeared outside

A motorcyclist was injured following a crash with a van this afternoon in Putney. The motorbike driver has damaged his leg after the accident in Upper Richmond Road, close to the Putney High Street junction, which happened just after 2pm. Upper Richmond

Following a generous, positive response to my request to interview them, I spoke to local indie rock band, The Mandrills before their gig on 14th February. The five piece Indie Rock band with musicians from Thames Ditton and Wimbledon; Oli Duke on lead

When you hear the words “career advice” what do you think? The chance to talk to 7 professionals at the top of their professions? However, for Year 9 students at the Ursuline High School, this was the exact chance they got in February. Each student received

An armed robber mistakenly shot his friend as they tried to steal fake Rolex watches, a court heard. Daniel Tesfay, 26, shot Jonathan Barnes by mistake at an address in Morland Road, Croydon, last August. Mr Tesfay is standing trial

A demonstration is set to be held at the town hall this evening in protest at plans to sell off four acres of playing fields at Putney's Elliott School. Campaigners are calling on residents to support the protest, set for 6.45pm outside the

During an interview broadcast on the BBC on February 22nd, Robert Spooner, the father of Dr Melanie Spooner, who died from anorexia nervosa in 2011, reminded the nation of the horrors of this tragic illness. In the interview, Mr Spooner expressed

In one of the biggest years of sport, the Active Kids campaign has started again, with vouchers for schools being offered to shoppers from 15th February. Sainsbury’s in Wimbledon is one of many stores across the UK who is working in partnership with

Merton Council is accused of building up cash reserves for a pre-election “war chest” at the expense of vital services. Opposition councillors said the Labour-led authority was aiming to add £12m to its earmarked reserves this year, taking

A female gorilla who came off the contraceptive pill on Valentine’s Day last year has had a baby in front of thousands of fans live on the internet. Asili gave birth to the youngster on February 23 at Chessington Zoo while 27,000 fans watched

Valentines day has been around for many years in which loved ones show they care by bombarding them with gifts. But for some it could be a very sad or lonely day. They may not have a husband boyfriend or girlfriend but that doesn’t mean that they

A school boy has been arrested after bus passengers reported seeing a gun. Police were called at about 4pm on Tuesday February 28 to reports of a man on a bus travelling from Purley towards Croydon with a firearm. When the suspect, aged

A mother has appeared in court after another parent was allegedly 'cut to the skull' with a pair of scissors in front of horrified pupils at a primary school. Serafina Elliot, 39, of St Matthew's Road, Brixton Hill, is accused of stabbing Nadine

Alfresco Roast Beef Wraps with Horseradish Dressing . Serves 4. Preparation time: 15 minutes. Cooking time: Warming time only. Ingredients: 375g/12oz cooked, sliced roast beef. 4 large wholemeal tortilla or Mediterranean

Len McCluskey, the leader of Unite, the UK’s largest union that has 1.5million members across the industries, is encouraging strike action from its members during the Olympic Games that will be held in London this summer. McCluskey is adamant that the

With the Olympics 21 weeks away, the slow excitement that has been building since London was announced as the host of the Games, is gathering pace. However, for the ordinary member of the public not competing in the Games, the attachment to this ‘once

A Croydon gym that was forced to close following a fire has reopened today. Firefighters were called to Greens Health and Fitness Centre in the Colonnades, Purley Way, at about midnight on Monday. An electrical fault is believed to have started

Figures dressed in corsets, top hats and goggles raced snails and took part in tea-duelling at the weekend. The first Surrey Steampunk Convivial stomped through Epsom, Sutton and Kingston on Saturday, February 25. The day began with a history walk through

British Transport Police have charged a man with arson following a public appeal. Officers appealed for information after a man set fire to a pile of newspapers on a train between Crystal Palace and Norwood Junction on February 2. The carriage filled

Bullying is an issue which affects many, whether it is verbal; physical or emotional. Most people are affected by this topic. Types of bullying can range from verbal abuse to physical abuse to hiding someone's belongings to cyber bulling. The list is

Thirty days hath September, April, June, and November; All the rest have thirty-one, Except February alone, With twenty-eight days clear, And twenty-nine each leap year. This famous rhyme describes the days of the month and how February is

Anger and disappointment has greeted the news that Waterstones is closing down its store in the Ashley Centre this month, two years after it closed its branch on the high street. It is unclear exactly why it is closing the large and popular store on

Such was the frustration of Chelsea fans at the game against Bolton that when retired winger Jesper Gronkjaer limped round the pitch at half-time to nostalgic applause, the Shed end chorused ‘Bring him on, bring him on, bring him on…’. The

If your morning trip to IKEA bought you 80 minutes of rugby watching on Saturday afternoon, you no doubt tuned into BBC One for the thrilling England-Wales match, writes Ben Wallace. On another weekend it may easily have been the best game of the day

Two friends have come up with an innovative approach to a charity walk, tracing the outline of Africa across seven counties. Chris Denson, 37, and James Hanks, 34, are aiming to cover 200m in total living off a limited budget, to raise awareness and

Nearly £500,000 will be paid out for a city trader’s legal costs after he was cleared of conning a global company out of £1.5m. Evgeny Tikhonov, from Watermill Way, Wimbledon, was found not guilty by Croydon Crown Court of charging his employer

Go backstage for an evening of drag queens and glamour but be prepared for murder and chaos. Croydon group Exit Theatre Company have produced the blackest of comedies, taking their audience behind the scenes at a drag club- where back-stabbing is more

Former binman Andy Abraham has certainly done the rounds - from X-Factor to Eurovision, and is now preparing his own stage show telling the history of the Big Band. Launched into the limelight when he finished runner-up in The X-Factor in 2005, Abraham

If Esher are to make a successful bid for Championship survival via the relegation play-offs this season, it will be without skipper David Slemen. The 33-year-old fly half was forced into retirement last week after finally succumbing to the

It is coming to a time where many of us are coming to a difficult decision in our lives and that decision is choosing what subjects to do for A-Level next year. For some people this is a very easy decision as they already know what they want to do with

It may have been 17 years since this band hit it big time, but Blur still have the ability to steal the attention from new talent, as seen at this year’s Brit Awards. Despite having to follow the controversial Adele cut off, Blur still managed to turn

Online registration is now open for children and young people wishing to partake in the Surrey Youth Games 2012. With trials for Elmbridge set to begin in April across the borough, residents or students between the ages of 7 and 16 are encouraged to

With the festivities looming around the corner, many 6th form and college students across the Capital are seemingly otherwise occupied with the January Mocks. Students appear to be growing increasingly overwhelmed by the stress as mock week rapidly draws

Cuddington Croft Primary School has become one of the first local schools to be inspected under the new Ofsted arrangements which came into force at the beginning of January. The school in West Drive Cheam which was ranked 3rd out of 304 Primary Schools

A young man who crashed his motorbike after a 90mph police chase could have his impending prison sentence reduced, after a judge heard how he rescued a baby from a burning tower block. Tommy Mackay, 23, weaved past traffic on the A3 at 90mph on a silver

A pensioner was taken to hospital after he was burnt trying to put out a pan fire in his flat. The 77-year-old's hair and face was singed after he threw water onto the flaming pan to try and dampen the flames. A spokesman for Sutton

Springfield Hospital has confirmed that a man arrested for brandishing a BB "machine" gun outside a school gates this morning is one of its patients. Terrified witnesses, including a woman carrying a baby, dialled 999 after the man appeared outside

An unlicensed mini-cab driver who sexually assaulted two vulnerable women and stole their money faces four years in jail. Amir Bhatti, 33, used his job to sexually assault the female passengers in Kingston and Chelsea in November 2010.

Mystery surrounding the departure of Nick Hulme, chief executive of Croydon Health Services NHS Trust, to move to a neighbouring NHS trust has come under attack by both Conservative and Labour councillors. Mr Hulme resigned on Tuesday February 28, following

The family of an autistic man eaten alive by a rodent in a specialist care home have rubbished its claim that the animal was only a mouse. Jason Ketley, 42, was ‘attacked’ by the animal while at St Ebba’s care centre in Hook Road, Epsom where he has

A consultation event put forward the vision for Cobham Free School with a detailed presentation. More than 100 people attended an open day on Saturday, February 27, where Cobham Free School's trustees and consultant put forward their plans. The school

A multi-million pound disaster was narrowly avoided after a blaze broke out at a multi-storey car park containing some 2,000 high-end vehicles. Firefighters were called to Manheim Auctions Wimbledon, at just before midnight this morning, where

The owner of a cockroach-infested cafe has been fined more than £6,000 following a routine hygiene check. Hassan Derrin, owner of Miss Ellie’s Cafe in Mitcham Road, pleaded guilty to a range of health offences when he appeared at Croydon Magistrates

Firefighters put out a chip pan fire that started this morning in a Sutton flat. Sutton fire station was called at about 12.20am to the first floor flat in Victoria Road. Firefighters needed to break down the flat's front door, after

Daniel Morgan’s murder shattered the family, and his wife and two children have shunned the limelight, while his brother has taken up the cause of campaigning for justice. Five murder investigations have been launched between 1987 and 2011, looking

The family of a private investigator brutally axed to death are furious a report on the reasons for his collapsed murder trial is yet to be published. The murder of Daniel Morgan in 1987, who ran his company Southern Investigations with partner

The woman who shopped the House of Reeves arsonist to police has spoken for the first time of her delight at his guilty plea. The Croydon Council officer, who does not want to be named, spotted Gordon Thompson in Surrey Street Market just five

Funding for a housing scheme offering a financial incentive to free up larger council houses has been approved, with some reservations. The Under Occupation Scheme will offer £4,000 to tenants giving up two or more bedrooms and a payment to tenants giving

It’s a tradition that dates back to the fifth century and will have commitment-a-phobe boyfriends sweating, but today is the day when women rather than men get down on one knee. Leap Day, February 29, is traditionally the one day when women can propose

Fire crews have a tough job but they may not be crowing about their recent efforts to save a bird caught in a kite. A list of call outs for animal rescues, revealed as part of a Freedom of Information (FOI) request by The Streatham Guardian

Residents living near a “degenerative” squat which was last week cleared and boarded up by the authorities have told how they fear it will once again be taken over by troublemakers. Earlier this month, police kicked out 10 people from Ranger

Two billionaire brothers have bought the London Heliport in Battersea for an estimated £25m. David and Simon Reuben purchased Battersea's heliport, the only licensed commercial helipad in the capital, from Andrew Davis, former chief executive of the

Children are well looked after by Merton Council, Government inspectors have found. The authority's efforts to safeguard children and its work with those in care scored a good rating in all categories in a report released on Friday. Ofsted inspectors

This week, from Monday 27th to Friday 2nd March, Wallington County Grammar School (WCGS) is holding their annual Raising and Giving Week- more commonly known as RAG Week. An entire school week devoted to raising money and awareness for charity, RAG Week

The National Health Service (NHS) is a publicly funded healthcare system. It is primarily funded through general taxation as opposed to the privately-funded healthcare systems which operate in places like the USA. The Coalition Government proposed

“The Woman in Black” is a horror-thriller directed by James Watkins and based on Susan Hill’s novel of the same name. The film is about a lawyer, Arthur Kipps, who has lost his wife four years prior to the beginning of the film, as she has died giving

When one wishes to feast their eyes upon the contemporary art form that is installation art, the normal process of fulfilling this craving entails a pilgrimage into the depths of London via public transport and battling through merciless crowds of tourists

On 18th December 2006 the Coulsdon Bypass opened very close to my house. At the time there were many articles giving various viewpoints on how successfully it had achieved its aims but since then it has almost been forgotten which led me to wonder whether

Controversy strikes as London Fashion Week designer Robyn Coles chose to go to extravagant lengths to exhibit her exciting hat collection. The handcrafted selection was modelled on naked models to emphasise the design and to draw attention entirely to

Next month's joint production of the Madness musical, Our House, between Sutton Grammar School and Sutton High School will be a great spectacle. For those uninitiated, Our House is the story of Joe Casey and the two paths that his life could take on the

After 60 years on the throne the Queen is celebrating her Diamond jubilee this year. Her coronation took place on 2 June 1953, and to mark her 60th anniversary in power there is to be an extended weekend holiday between the 2-5th of June. To celebrate

This year is a leap year and so on the 29th February, women will be free to propose without fear of social scorn. Two weeks ago it was Valentine’s Day and many lovesick couples may have enjoyed an evening out, dappled with red roses and chocolates. Spring