March 31, 1989

Plans for a multi-million pound sports complex, office blocks and a large hotel and conference centre in Tolworth received the cold shoulder from residents.

Tolworth South residents’ association joined with Chessington and Hook residents to oppose Guildhall Properties plans for the King George’s playing fields.

Guildhall Properties hoped its proposals would be welcomed.

A spokesman said: “We want to help create a major sports complex at Tolworth – and do it in a way that improves facilities for local people.”

But an industrial element to the plans was a sticking point, as well as the potential for “enormous” traffic problems in the area if they received the go-ahead.

June Hockley, secretary of Tolworth South residents’ association, said: “We are against this proposal. This is a recreation are and should not be used for industrial development.”

King George’s playing field in Jubilee Way, set in Metropolitan Open Land, has een earmarked as an area for major recreational development in the borough’s draft local plan.

The developers wanted to build an extensive leisure complex on the site including a 5,000-capacity stadium catering for national and local events, plus a sports centre, hall, football pitch, bowls area and an adventure playground.

There would also have been an extensive car park and road alterations including a roundabout on the Kingston Road, to ease congestion.

The spokesman added: “The scheme will also be a major boost to employment with up to 200 jobs being created y a light industrial development.

“We want to hear from community groups to see if the scheme can be improved. This is an opportunity for the royal borough to get a development to be proud of and we will only have one chance to get it right.”

March 23, 1989

Jubilant residents won an initial battle with green belt developers in Malden Rushett.

The fight concerned the Prince’s Coverts, 1,500 acres of ancient woodland.

Developers The Players Club had planned to build a golf and tennis academy there, but were rebuffed by the Crown Estate, which owned the land.

March 25, 1964

The parent-staff association at Tiffin Girls’ School said goodbye to headmistress E M Orford at a party in the school hall.

More than 350 parents and friends attended.

Miss Orford was leaving for a teaching post in Nyasaland, and was presented with a camera and a cheque by association vice-chairman G Spencer.

March 31, 2004

A joint appeal by Kingston University and the Iris Murdoch Society to purchase the later author’s working library of 1,000 books and notebooks was successful.

The literary coup mean the archives would stay put in Britain despite interest from American institutions since they were put on the market for £150,000.

LAST WEEK’S WHERE AND WHEN  Actress Jerry Hall joins dignitaries at a Kingston Theatre Trust charity auction which raised £50,000.