Epsom Guardian Review of the Year 2013: October to December

October began with a schoolboy batting his way into the record books by becoming the youngest double centurion ever in county cricket, while a cycling-mad couple completed a 18,000 mile trip around the planet.  At 18 years and 21 days Dominic Sibley, a Whitgift pupil, was also the youngest Englishman to achieve the feat after the legendary WC Grace.

John Flower on his travels 

A cycling-mad couple completed a four-year, round the world adventure, raising £25,000 for charity.  John and Pat Flower of Fir Tree Road, Epsom, pedalled 18,000 miles through 30 countries on their epic trip.

A man who led a scout group for 52 years has finally handed over the reins. Geoff Collins, 70, of Downs Road, Epsom, joined 3rd Epsom Scouts aged 8 and took over the helm a decade later at the age of 18 after winning a Queen’s Scout award.

NOVEMBER

Jubilation greeted the decision by local GPs to pull out of the BSBV health review which wanted to downgrade Epsom Hospital. The decision was taken following a secret ballot of all GPs in the Surrey Downs area who overwhelmingly rejected the proposals.

Dedicated campaigners celebrated saying goodbye to the BSBV review 

Banstead MP Crispin Blunt survived a move to stop him from becoming representing the Conservatives in the constituency at the next election. Amid accusations that the move was motivated by homophobia, Mr Blunt turned the tables on senior Tories in the constituency who refused to endorse him, telling them to consider their positions.

A church has come under mounting pressure to display its rolls of honour listing parishioners who died on active service during the two World Wars.  The rolls, one of which was created by an artist who exhibited at the Royal Academy, were deposited in an archive in Woking by the current vicar of St Barnabas in Epsom in the 1990s.

One of the rolls of honour which was once displayed at St Barnabas Church in Epsom

DECEMBER

One of the scenes of the stabbing in Epsom High Street 

The stabbing of a young man in Epsom High Street in broad daylight caused widespread shock. Carlos Ferreira, 24, was stabbed in the chest and both thighs before fleeing to Derby Square where he was treated by paramedics and taken to St George’s Hospital.  A 16-year-old from Thornton Heath was charged with wounding and possession of a kitchen knife in public.

Ewell Court House was significantly damaged by an early morning blaze 

A huge fire broke out at Grade II listed Ewell Court House in the middle of the night. But a team of 50 firefighters managed to save most of the building which is owned by Epsom Council and is home to a large number of organisations.  Within a week the library, nursery, tearoom and NHS offices had reopened.

Dr Abbas Khan died in Syria 

A brave surgeon who had worked at Epsom Hospital’s Elective Orthopaedic Centre was “murdered” by the Assad regime after going to Syria to treat victims of the civil war. Dr Abbas Khan died in a prison cell after being tortured, beaten and starved. His death came just days before the regime had promised to release him.

Leatherhead was hit by flooding during Christmas week 

Heavy winds and rain left a trail of misery across the area in Christmas week. Worst hit was the Leatherhead area where firemen had to rescue people and animals in boats after the River Mole burst its banks. The fire station in Leatherhead and the Randalls Park crematorium were both flooded.  And the roof was again blown off the Duchess’s Stand at Epsom Downs Racecourse, which is just four years old, the second time this has happened in under two years.