This was 2003

South London Press

From dancing priests to albino squirrels ...

Jan 2 2004

THE year began with heavy snowfalls and by August we had record-breaking temperatures. It was the year we helped save Battersea Zoo and also the year an albino squirrel fell out of a Peckham tree. And it was the year that both Tony Benn and Jimmy White had a crack at the pop charts.

This was 2003

JANUARY

THE new year begins with London's heaviest snowfall for a decade, pictured far right. Snowmen are built, snowballs are thrown and traffic grinds to a halt as the capital is covered in a blanket of snow more akin to Siberia than South London. More than 5cm falls on Tuesday, January 7, transforming the capital into a winter wonderland.

The man dubbed Britain's oldest football hooligan is caged for five years for attacking a police horse during the Millwall riot. Grey-haired Raymond Everest was caught on CCTV after launching a kung fu kick on the animal. The 56-year-old, from Sydenham, becomes the first person to be convicted by a jury of rioting at a football match.

FEBRUARY

The dawn of a new era for the capital is ushered in - in the form of Ken Livingstone's congestion charge. London's roads are eerily quiet on the morning of Monday, February 17, apart from protesters who gather in Kennington and Tower Bridge shouting: "Kenny, Kenny, Kenny - Out, Out, Out!"

The South London Press launches a campaign to help our pensioners safeguard the free travel they call their lifeline. Hundreds put their name to our petition after a report recommends the travel perk should be slashed. The campaign would culminate next month with hundreds of bannerwielding pensioners descending on Westminster and demanding "Keep Travel Free for OAPs".

MARCH

As Britain and the US stand on the verge of war in Iraq, war protest walkouts by thousands of South London schoolkids end with youngsters being arrested and led away in handcuffs. A day of chaos sees students take to the streets demanding peace. Protesters also gather outside Jack Straw's Lambeth home to stage a "die-in".

Brixton's very own black Elvis, Colbert Hamilton, continues to wow audiences across the capital. The 39-year-old pretender to the throne has performed classics such as Heartbreak Hotel and Return to Sender in front of the likes of Madonna and Rod Stewart, and revealed he was once turned away from TV show Stars In Their Eyes after being told all applicants had to be the same race and sex as those they were impersonating.

APRIL

Tot Tommy North is left with horrific injuries after being savaged by a bull terrier. Tommy, just two years old, climbed over a fence into next-door's garden before being mauled by the Staffordshire cross. The Tooting youngster undergoes six hours of surgery after the terrifying attack.

A staggering 7,000 people say NO to the proposed closure of Battersea Zoo after the South London Press launches a campaign to save the popular children's attraction, pictured above right. Among the supporters are Bob Geldof who tells us: "To see it go would be a terrible shame." September sees Wandsworth council eventually buckle under the pressure of our campaign and agree to keep the zoo open.

MAY

Dog owner George Dinham is found dead by his brother, savaged by the prized terrier he adored.

The Wandsworth dad-of-four is found slumped in his front room. Ben, his four-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier, comes to the front door, his fur caked with his master's blood. The dog is destroyed. An inquest later finds it was likely that Mr Dinham had a fit before Ben attacked him.

A rare albino squirrel, dubbed Persil, pictured above, is taken to a wildlife hospital suffering from shock and a bloody nose after falling from a tree in Peckham. The miraculous mite, just 6in long, recovers from her injuries after being hand-fed milk in an incubator.

An 89-year-old is sipping tea with her daughter when a double-decker bus ploughs into her living room. Amazingly, no one is hurt in the Streatham Hill smash.

JUNE

Veteran politician Tony Benn puts his legendary speeches to rap music. The outspoken MP teams up with South London producer Charles Bailey and turns MC in a bid to inspire youngsters to vote.

Two men are sprung from a prison van outside Inner London Crown Court in an armed ambush. Clifford Hobbs and Noel Cunningham, from Rotherhithe, escape from the van when its driver is shot in the leg and a guard pistol-whipped in a planned attack. Six months later, the duo are still on the run.

JULY

Snooker legend Jimmy White follows in Tony Benn's footsteps and swaps the green baize for the pop charts with his new single "Minted". The track features Jimmy's unmistakable South London drawl laid over a hip dance beat.

South London priest Father Neil Horan, pictured above left, stuns the world when he does an Irish jig on a Formula One track, as cars hurtle by at 200mph. Race fans gasp in horror as the drama is played out live on television to a world audience of millions. Father Horan is later released after serving six weeks on remand.

AUGUST

South London literally sizzles in recordbreaking temperatures. Brixton beach is filled to capacity as Met Office thermometers record a high of 35.7C - the hottest temperatures in London since records began.

Desperate asylum-seekers set up a makeshift refugee camp on the streets of Brixton after being refused Government aid. The 28-strong group pitch up at the Refugee Council's premises. Sympathetic locals donate, water, food, blankets and cash.

SEPTEMBER

South Bank residents vent their fury after US illusionist David Blaine begins his bid to survive 44 days in a glass box without food. Locals are furious about noise emanating from the Tower Bridge area - including bangs from a drummer. Noise pollution squads are sent in to investigate. Our mascot, Pressley Bear, pictured below right, made a valiant attempt to contact him.

Thousands of South Londoners are left without water for FOUR days after a mains pipe ruptures. Businesses ground to a halt and hospitals switch to emergency supplies as engineers struggle to stem the flow. Thousands of East Dulwich, Peckham, Nunhead and Camberwell residents have to rely on limited water supplies from 17 plastic tanks in the street.

OCTOBER

Millwall FC and Mark McGhee, pictured above inset right, part company "by mutual consent" in a shock decision. McGhee stepped into the Den in 3September 2000. Fans express surprise at the decision taken so early in the season. The team are 12th in Division 1.

* The South London Press pays tribute to Our Heroes - the ordinary South Londoners who have done something extraordinary to make a difference to people's lives around them. London Mayor Ken Livingstone is among those at City Hall to hand out the prizes in a plush ceremony.

NOVEMBER

* The South London Press reveals that Brixton Tube - a station relied upon by thousands - will shut for THREE WEEKS from December 21, after asbestos was discovered in its roof. Traders are furious and expect pre-Christmas profits to plummet.

* Seventy-one years of dog-racing history come to an end as Catford Stadium is shut down for good with immediate effect. Owners decide to close the famous track because of a drop in attendance figures over recent years.

DECEMBER

* Pop megastar Michael Jackson was due to perform at Elephant & Castle's Coronet, the South London Press exclusively reveals. The show is confirmed just days before a warrant is issued for his arrest in the US. The appearance is scrapped after Jacko is charged with child molestation.

* Tourist attraction the London Dungeon sparks outrage after putting novelty Jack The Ripper condoms on sale. The "Jack The Ripper Intimacy Kit", which includes two condoms, lubricating jelly and two antiseptic towelettes, were available at the museum in Tooley Street. Letters of disgust flood into South London Press offices.

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