When 2021 came to an end, Southwark and the rest of the UK breathed a collective sigh of relief. Although Covid-19 had threatened to disrupt Christmas, there was a sense that the worst was behind us. We looked forward to a year of relative calm and stability.
Instead, it’s been twelve months of seismic change. The longest reigning monarch in British history passed away, war landed in Europe and the UK spiralled into the worst economic turmoil in living memory. That’s not even mentioning our three prime ministers and the unprecedented waves of industrial action.
Southwark Review of the Year: We look back at the people taken from us in 2022
As a central London borough, Southwark is never far from the epicentre of political and socio-economic earthquakes. Some places might feel detached from the crises we see in the news. But here in Southwark, they were brought sharply into focus.
When the Queen died, Southwark grabbed international attention. Thousands of people from all over the world passed through Southwark Park on their way to see Her Majesty lying-in-state. Our very own Henrietta Onyema charmed the nation with her considerate decision to let them use her toilet.
When Russia invaded Ukraine, the Russian Millwall Supporters’ Club called for peace between the two countries, and a Ukrainian woman in Peckham organised free English language lessons for her compatriots who fled to Southwark. Then there was Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital, which shipped over vital medical supplies to assist the war effort.
Southwark Review of the Year: How we covered Her Majesty’s passing
Sadly, rising inflation and the government’s economic belt-tightening were also writ large in Southwark’s food banks and residents’ bank accounts. We’ve told personal stories of unimaginable hardship. Things got so bad that a council scheme invited people into libraries and galleries because they couldn’t warm their own homes. Issues like closing schools are a symptom of funding shortfalls and the housing crisis.
Even the victories, like stopping the bus cuts, are somewhat empty when you consider that the idea should never have been touted in the first place.
For all the suffering the pandemic induced, it did at least dispel the myth that there is no community in modern London. Southwark communities, from Bermondsey to Dulwich, from Peckham to Elephant and Castle, have shown solidarity time and time again.
Given recent history, we should probably expect a 2023 of peaks, troughs, surprises and shocks. But when they come, Southwark will know what to do.
READ MORE – REVIEWS OF THE YEAR 2022 – below:
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The Weirdest News Stories
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Killings in 2022
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The Most Shocking Stories
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The Funniest Headlines
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How we covered Her Majesty’s passing
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We look back at the people taken from us in 2022
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How locals responded to the cost-of-living crisis
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How we stood with Ukraine
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Labour tightened its hold in the local elections
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Southwark Soapbox hit the screen
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Squabbles over MP Harriet Harman’s succession
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Neil Coyle’s suspension from the Labour Party
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Mass strike action
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Winning the war against the bus cuts
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Primary schools faced closure and the battle to stay afloat continues