Week of August 24

Ten years ago Residents of Twickenham's Eel Pie Island were forced from their bridge into a ferry after Richmond Council officers padlocked shut their lifeline to the mainland. The bridge was closed after its designers deemed it too weak even for the weight of the average family.

Richmond Park MP Dr Jenny Tonge has expressed concern at the plight of 13 elderly people who will be forced out of their flats at The Grange, Barnes after its £2 million sale.

Lingerie thieves have struck for the second week in a row in the same Hounslow road. They struck in a garden in Argyle Avenue stealing £90 of bras and knickers and ladies' shirts last Thursday. Days earlier a British Airways stewardess' uniform and underwear were stolen in the same street.

A 16th century brass plaque belonging to a Cranford Church has turned up 20 years after it was stolen. When Martin Sutchfield came across the 16th century brass palimpsest in an antiques market he contacted the Vicar of St Dunstan's Church, Nicholas Wheeler, realising that he had stumbled across the missing plaque. Mr Sutchfield, who lives in Suffolk, has bought the plaque and promised to donate it to the church.

Isleworth Public Hall reopened this week - following an asbestos scare. The 100-year-old hall on South Street was closed amid fears that asbestos had been discovered. But council officers carried out tests and said it was safe. A spokesman for the council told the Times: "There was a warning about asbestos and we took a sample which gave it the all clear. "The booking programme has now reopened." Just a few months ago the jinxed public hall was closed after a water tank burst open.

25 years ago Complain more if you want the local authority to take notice of your problems. That piece of advice has come from an unexpected quarter - the top. Roger Jeffries, Hounslow chief executive said on radio last Friday that the way to make local government more effective is for the public to complain more vigorously.

Sir,It is all fine and bright for the Hounslow Chamber of Commerce to support terminal five. The borough may have had enormous benefit from the airport, but what of the people living in the adjacent areas? I will tell you. Morning, noon and night where I live in Spencer Road, Chiswick we are plagued with the incessant roaring from the engines of low flying aircraft. At times one cannot carry on a conversation, listen to radio or watch television.

The large green litter bins scattered around the streets of Chiswick are presenting some problems. Although our streets are benefiting from being much cleaner the bins are proving to be obstacles for blind people. The bins are not fixed to the pavements and so have a tendency to be moved and a number seem to often make their way into the middle of pavements and in the way of pedestrians.

50 years ago Teddington and Hampton Hill residents are annoyed about cattle. They like the country atmosphere created by the cows that graze in Bushy Park but the cows cause an embarrassing problem to parents whose children return from the park with dirty clothes and cricket players who have to turn out to clean up the pitches at Bushy Park before games can start.

Once again a child has narrowly escaped death from drowning in the River Crane at Twickenham and the demand for safety fencing by the water has been renewed. Ewan Fraser aged nine of 89 Queens Road, Twickenham, fell into the water on Thursday. A man who left without giving his name rescued the boy.

Residents in Barrowgate Road, one of Chiswick's best addresses are to seek an injunction to restrain Mr G W Johns from completing his £100,000 garage at the end of their road. The deeds to their property - it once belonged to the Duke of Devonshire - stipulated they say, that the land should be used for residential purposes and that buildings of an industrial nature cannot be erected on it.

Brentford and Chiswick will have a touch of the Isle of Man TT races introduced to its streets on Sunday, September 8 when the borough council sponsors the first ever motor cycle rally to be held in its quiet suburban roads. But there will be no snarl from megaphone exhausts, no whine from high speed Italian machinery and the only examples from the race winning Norton breed are unlikely to be sedate potterers. Instead there will be the uneven exhaust notes of two stroke engines for scooters and small motorcycles with a leavening of big solo and sidecar outfits will predominate in this rally which the Brentway Motorcycle and Car Club is organising for the council.

100 years ago H Beard & Co hold a large stock of Michelin non-skid tyres. Cheapest house for petrol and oils, Carburine, Pratts, Bowleys, Carless, Shell. Plating, lacquering, enamelling, bronzing. Done on the premises by experienced workman at London prices. Electrical installation by contract or otherwise. Workmen always ready for electrical repairs. 5, 6 7 and 8 Duke Street and 1 The Green, Richmond. Advert.

Ham Flower Show: A happy gathering at the Gordon Hall on Wednesday evening when Lady Sudeley presented the prizes. Mr J W Harker, president, was in the chair, supported by Lady Sudeley, Mrs Harker, Mr J Walker and Mr H Negus, hon treasurer. In 1906 there were 73 prize winners as against 86 this year, which showed that whilst the money distributed was not so great, it had been given to more contestants. It showed too, that they were beginning to have confidence in their abilities and were trying to beat each other.

Result of the friendly societies demonstration: £23 17 5d three farthing for the Brentford Cottage Hospital. The chairman said he desired to thank the committee for the way they had worked and supported him in raising such a sum. The committee was a strong and hardworking one. They received valuable assistance from several gentlemen in the town. That was the first attempt at a demonstration and he thought that they had done creditably. They had done something for the benefit of the people of the town and he hoped that when they next had one the residents would given them their hearty support. They might have their differences as societies but that did not prevent them sinking them and meeting on a common ground.

There is a very full programme for the Isleworth, Spring Grove and St Margarets Skiff Regatta which, for the second time, takes place over the stretch of water between Isleworth Eyot and Richmond Railway Bridge. Included in the events are the single sculls for the Courlander Cup, races open to local firms, the police, firemen and postmen, canoe races, fancy and trick swimming by Mr J W Broadhurst of the Isleworth Gymnasium, a lifesaving display by the members of the Thames Valley Life Saving Society and aquatic sports. Messrs Waite's boathouse will be the headquarters and the Percy House School Band will perform a programme of music near by.