Off Her Trolley

A customer in Waitrose waits in the 'baskets only' queue with a shopping trolley (containing only a few items). There is a baby in the trolley seat:

Waitrose Partner: This is for baskets only, I'm afraid.

Customer: Yes, I know. I'm only buying a few items but I can't use a basket because I've got my little girl with me. I can't carry both - she needs to go in the seat.

Waitrose Partner: I appreciate that, but this is for baskets only.

Customer: So, what do you suggest I do, put the baby in the basket as well??

Waitrose Partner: [Blank look] Erm...

Customer: I tell you what, how about I put these items in the basket and then put the basket in the trolley, would that be OK?

Waitrose Partner: [panicked look] Erm, yes...

The customer picks up an empty basket, puts her shopping items into the basket, puts the basket in the trolley, approaches the checkout and is duly served.

Burglary Suspects Detained

Those of you kept awake (or woken up) by the police helicopter hovering over Worcester Park just before midnight last night can take some comfort in the news that two people have been arrested on suspicion of burglary.

The Metropolitan Police Air Support Unit was called in to assist local borough officers and dog units who were searching local gardens in the hunt for the burglary suspects.

The suspects are understood to have been detained in a garden in Hampton Road having attempted to break into a shop on Central Road.

Steampunk comes to Worcester Park

If you have heard of 'Steampunk' before then you can skip this first paragraph. If, like me, you have never heard of it (and assumed it was the name of a band) then let me enlighten you. Steampunk, is a movement based loosely around science fiction of the Victorian period started by authors of the time such as Jules Verne and one-time Worcester Park resident HG Wells. The style may be seen in such movies as “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen”, “The Three Musketeers” and the new Sherlock Holmes movies.

The 'Surrey Steampunk Convivial', a single day event celebrating “Steampunk”, is coming to Worcester Park and surrounding areas on Saturday 25th February.

The Steampunk style of dress is adopted by many, with corsets, top hats, waistcoats and goggles. The day starts at The Worcester Park Tavern at 10:00am from where the group will take a gentle stroll up and down The Avenue in Worcester Park, where HG Wells lived in when he wrote “The Time Machine.”.

The walk will be hosted by local history enthusiast Clive Popkin (described as poet and descendant of Vlad the Impaler). Following this will be a chance to eat, drink and chat at the HG Wells pub, on Cheam Common Road.

Afternoon events will take place at The Royal Oak in the faraway land of New Malden, with a mini-market full of handmade steampunk items for sale, with a shadow puppet workshop, tea-duelling (a traditional steampunk sport), and snail racing (snails permitting).

An evening of original music will follow at The Royal Oak, including steampunk artists Tom Slatter and 'Moth' who are based in Worcester Park - with eclectic all girl band Smiling Knife and Dick Philpot, with black and white projections by Prof. Kit Krakenspine, and Djing from The Inimitable Sarah Kingham (don't pretend you haven't heard of them all).

All are welcome – Victorian or Steampunk dressing up is not obligatory, but is highly encouraged. Tickets for the whole event are £5 available online. www.harpsfest.com or you can find out more at the event's Facebook page.

I don't know about you, but I am feeling very out of touch. And ever so slightly  scared.

UPDATED: Fire in North Cheam

London Fire Brigade has tackled a large fire in garages behind Evans Autos on London Road, North Cheam. 

Six fire engines and around 30 firefighters from New Malden, Wimbledon, Surbiton, Mitcham and Norbury fire stations were called to the blaze which affected nine garages behind the Evans Autos car dealership.

Fears that gas cylinders may have been involved in the fire led to around 60 residents living in nearby flats being evacuated from their homes as a precaution.

One person is believed to have been taken to St Helier hospital after being injured in the blaze.

The fire was brought under control at 17.15.

Clothed Down, Opening Up

My sources tell me that the lease on the former 'Zeus Clothing' shop unit has been acquired by Worcester Park-based loft conversion and building company 'Kingston South Limited'.

Kingston South's offices are currently located in the Fitzroy House office development, so it will be just a sort hop downstairs to move into their new showroom and office on Central Road.

As you will see from their website, Kingston South's corporate colour is distinctly orange so expect a bright future for that particular shop unit when they open in a few weeks' time.

Fighter jets over Worcester Park...

Fear not - the fighter jet that flew over Worcester Park on Saturday evening was one of two Eurofighter Typhoon jets taking part in practice sorties in preparation for their security role during the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The fast fighter jets (normally based at RAF Coningsby but due to be stationed at RAF Northolt during the games) have been flying sorties at 1,000ft over a number of areas of London and Surrey.

Counter Crime

Staff at Lloyds TSB bank in Worcester Park have been praised by police for their actions after a 94-year-old woman told a cashier at the counter that she wanted to withdraw £4,000 cash to pay a man to repair her front garden wall.

The elderly woman, who lives alone, had been visited at her semi-detached home in Caldbeck Avenue on Saturday 7th January by a man offering to do work. She recognised the man as having undertaken some work for her previously and she suggested he repaired the pillar which had come away from the main front wall.

The man returned a few days later and told the victim that the work would cost £4,000. The woman gave the workmen some water to mix cement and then left to withdraw the money from Lloyds TSB on Central Road.

Worried bank staff called Worcester Park Safer Neighbourhoods Team. Officers arrived at the woman’s home address and a man in his 50s was arrested for fraud by misrepresentation.

The man told police that he had not had any direct contact with the elderly resident and that he had been offered the work for £80 ‘cash in hand’ earlier that morning from a man named Paddy. The man denied knowing about any payment of £4,000. The man has been bailed to return to Sutton Police Station.

PC Duncan Harris, of Sutton’s Crime Prevention Unit, advised residents not be persuaded to have work carried out on their homes by doorstep ‘workmen’. “If you receive such an approach and are suspicious don’t let any workmen into your home under any circumstances. Close the door on them and call police immediately on 999,” he said.

Det Con Paul Williams, of Sutton CID, said: “The management and staff at Lloyds TSB are to be congratulated for their vigilance and prompt actions which have saved this woman from losing £4,000 for work which should only cost a fraction of this sum.”

Taking A Pounding?

When Poundland opened its Worcester Park branch in March last year you could almost hear the anguished cries of 'there goes one's neighbourhood' - the fact that it opened in the former home of an upmarket M&S Simply Food store only serving to rub freshly-ground Atlantic sea salt into the wounds of the appalled middle classes.

The store has been beset by disappointing sales figures ever since and the Worcester Park Blog understands that last autumn the retail giant gave the fledgling branch until the New Year to prove that it could pay its way. 

Sources now indicate that after only nine months of trading, the writing could be on the wall for Worcester Park's Poundland. 

Watch this space.

Roofless Tactics

Beware of what would appear to be a roofing scam operating in the Worcester Park area. Blog reader Glen explains: 


"The doorbell rang and a man wearing a sweatshirt with a logo on it asked if he could rest his ladder in our front path tomorrow when he was repairing our neighbour's roof. 


We said this wasn't a problem. He then told us that we had 2 loose tiles and would we like him to replace them while he was up there. He wanted £40 to get the tiles. I told him I had no cash so he said he would come back tomorrow evening and sort out invoices then.


I then went and checked with my neighbour who has not booked any work so it is a complete scam.
We then saw them working their way down Colborne Way."

Office Building Ransacked

Local businesses are being warned to be vigilant after a Worcester Park office building was targeted by thieves last night.

Offices at Fitzroy House (at the junction of Central Road and Lynwood Drive) were ransacked with hundreds of pounds worth of computer equipment amongst the items stolen from a number of small businesses.

The thieves also caused extensive property damage, kicking down doors in the complex before finding a set of keys in one of the offices which they used to let themselves out of the front entrance.