January A number of Richmond residents receive honours from the Queen for their services to the country. Included in the awards is nursery head Brenda Swaddle, who gets an OBE for her 12 years of dedicated service to education. The borough's World Cup winning heroes, Lawrence Dallaglio and Joe Worsley bag MBEs while Jason Leonard gets an OBE. MBEs are awarded to Teddington resident John Janzen for services to the community, Valerie Montero for her work at the homelessness directorate and Tom Bailey for his work at the Royal Botanic Gardens.

A female adventurer from Barnes, Rosie Stancer, 43, completes a 700 mile trek to the South Pole, the third woman to accomplish the mission. "It's been a huge challenge, I'm exhausted but elated," she said.

Football star Juan Sebastian Veron is robbed in his Barnes home by a burglar armed with a machete. The robber, Wayne Harley, 35, a builder from Wandsworth who escapes with £50,000 of jewellery, is arrested by police after crashing his van and is later jailed for life for the crime.

One of Richmond's most famous landmarks, the Royal Star and Garter Home announces that it is to close, after 90 years. The charity say the building is no longer suitable for its needs and will be replaced by smaller homes.

Richmond MP Jenny Tonge is hit by controversy after saying she would consider becoming a suicide bomber. She pledges to work for her constituents for her remaining time in office after she is sacked from the Lib Dem front bench.

February Breastfeeding mums are banned from a Teddington pub, The Park, causing uproar. The manager said the practice was causing offence to some people who were eating, and there were incidents of them bringing in their own teabags. The issue rages on the RTT letter pages for weeks.

Richmond traders say have they suffered catastrophic losses' after a water main collapses, closing George Street for nine days, meaning shoppers stay away. They add they are planning to seek compensation from Thames Water.

A Whitton teenager, Scott Aldis, is killed a few hundred yards from his home when the car he was driving crashes into a tree and splits in two. Two of his friends are also killed. His devastated mum describes him as happy go lucky.' Protesters block the path in North Road, Kew, to prevent O2 from putting up a phone mast. Resident Steve Copas said: "There are people here 24 hours, we are being vigilant. The phone company are here watching us watching them in the rain." It is finally decided that all phone masts proposed for the area will be housed in the Campanile structure in Kew Gardens.

The body of a strangled woman is found in a suitcase on the riverbed in Barnes. Adeeba Ahmed had been working as a check in assistant at Heathrow airport and had been on her way to a hairdressers in Hounslow when she apparently vanished.

Her husband is later charged with murder.

March Squatter Ian Simpson loses his battle to stay in a £1million Barnes house, where he cared for the former owner, Lady Follet's, cats, which he said was her wish. But the Cats Protection League, who inherited the house decide that the cats would be rehomed and Mr Simpson has to move on.

Neighbours of the historic former home of artist JMW Turner in Twickenham, oppose a planning application for the land behind it, saying it is out of keeping with the area and even gain support from Prince Charles. Proposals for a four storey building are later withdrawn.

Landlords in Richmond's town centres are up in arms after the centres are highlighted as areas where alcohol-fuelled crime and violence are spiralling out of control. They hold an emergency meeting to stamp on the image.

Forty rowers are rescued from the Thames in Barnes after weather causes chaos at the Vesta International Veteran's Head of the River race. Crashing waves overwhelm many of the crews, one boat splits in half and five sink, luckily Chiswick lifeboat is on hand to help with the rescue.

West Middlesex Hospital launches a pilot scheme to help heart attack patients, which was set to benefit borough residents.

The 24-hour primary angioplasty service aims to reduce mortality rates for heart attack victims by speeding up access to life-saving treatment.

April Campaigners fighting to protect Twickenham's Crane Valley have cause to celebrate when a government inspector rejects Richmond upon Thames Council's plans to develop on green sites. Plan to remove protective status on various sites in the borough are rejected following a public inquiry.

A Teddington woman who was blinded by a firework is the inspiration for a new campaign to ban giant fireworks. Lavinia Dale becomes the figurehead of a campaign run in the Richmond and Twickenham Times series, supported by Kingston MP Edward Davey.

Pupils at Grey Court School in Ham say they fear their grades will suffer after the school was placed on special measures, following a problematic Ofsted report. They say the status has damaged morale and they fear what the effect would be. A new head, Rachel Jones later takes the helm at the school in September.

World famous ballet school, the Rambert School of Dance launch a bid for a new home on the site where they have twirled for 20 years. Their current building is to be redeveloped as part of the transformation at the former Brunel site. They hope to relocate onto Cliften Lodge.

An ironic month for England rugby star Jason Leonard, who has a train named after him in the week he is banned from driving for two years. The sports star was more than three times over the limit when he was stopped by police near his home in St Margarets.

The Port of London Authority take the decision to close Richmond Lock footbridge at night, after describing it as a magnet for vandalism and all sorts of undesirable types.' The move is met with dismay from residents of St Margarets who call the bridge a lifeline' for local people.

May Misery for communities as three more post offices are marked for closure. The branches in Ham, Kingston and Barnes follow the announcement of plans to close five in Hampton, Twickenham and Whitton. The plans are met with condemnation from local politicians.

Amid a fanfare of trumpets, three of Richmond's World Cup winning team are made Freemen of Richmond upon Thames. Lawrence Dallaglio and Joe Worsley of Wasps join Jason Leonard of Harlequins at Twickenham Stadium for the ceremony.

Parents in St Margarets are left up in arms after being refused places at their nearest primary school. Some living as close as 200 yards from Orleans Infants School are instead offered places as schools as far away as Heathfield and Hampton Wick.

A £3,000 debt owed by a Teddington couple who care for their disabled son is written off after their battle is taken up in Parliament by Twickenham MP Vincent Cable. The department of work and pensions were demanding the money after the family were overpaid the money, which they spent on care. Dr Cable said: "Their self sacrifice is remarkable, they have been treated shabbily, this case makes you want to weep."

Prince Charles visits the borough twice in two weeks. He puts his best foot forward in a visit to the Royal Ballet School in Richmond Park, then the following week gets his hands dirty and speaks to a tree when he plants the final lime tree in a line as he visits Hampton Court Palace.

June New borough commander Chief Superintendent Ian Edwards makes his mark and vows that persistent trouble makers will be banned from the borough by making greater use of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders. The first is slapped on a 14-year old who is banned from Richmond town centre and by the end of the year a number of troublemakers are placed under its controls.

Twickenham MP Vincent Cable ties the knot with New Forest farmer Rachel Wenban-Smith in a ceremony at Richmond Register Office. In time honoured style the couple then received a blessing at the House of Commons.

The dismembered remains of Korean-born Tae Hui Dalton are found in the freezer of her Kingston home. An international hunt is launched for her husband Paul Dalton, who is later charged with her killing.

A protest group of elderly residents challenge councillors over a scheme to build flats on the land behind their home. The developer's plan was later turned down.

A delighted Cllr Tony Arbour announces that Twickenham baths are to be demolished. The derelict building is to be flattened and replaced with a open space and children's play park in the short term scheme. By December the skyline of Twickenham has changed forever.

July A 73-year old garage owner, Tony Martin, dies after fire rips through his car workshop and garage in Teddington. More than 100 people are evacuated from their homes after it is discovered that there are potentially explosive cylinders in the building.

Richmond upon Thames Council serve a compulsory purchase order on a listed building in Richmond in a bid to stop it from rotting away. The Environment Trust for Richmond upon Thames will restore JH Broad, an 18th century printer's shop in King Street.

Orleans House Gallery celebrates after bagging a £1million lottery windfall to transform part of the site into an education centre. The cash will be used to convert the Coach House and stables to home its burgeoning education programme.

Strawberry Hill House features on the BBC Restoration programme, in a bid to win viewers' votes in the competition to bag £3million cash for repair. The 18th century Gothic house built by Horace Warpole loses out in the competition, but its friends group are pleased that its profile has been raised.

Some Richmond residents are relieved after the government announce that the Crossrail transport scheme will not link to the town. Many residents of Townshend Terrace and St Mary's Grove had faced months of uncertainty while they waited to hear whether their homes would be knocked down to make way for the link.

Congratulations are in the air as Sir Cliff Richard leads the topping out' ceremony at the Shooting Star Hospice. The ceremony marked the conclusion of construction at the site and the hospice is due to welcome its first children early next year. The charity's founder Kate Turner retires in August.

August Thousands of fish are killed after one million tonnes of sewage are released into the Thames following storms, depriving the water of oxygen and also raising health fears for river users. The dead fish could be seen in the river following the incident, caused by an antiquated drainage systems and calls are made to build a new tunnel to relieve the problem.

The borough's pubs vow to battle binge drinking by adopting a pioneering new code of conduct. The 600 licensees pledge to work closely with the council and police and stop aggressive discounting of drinks.

Cllr Jean Matthews dies following a hip operation aged 71. Tributes are paid to Cllr Matthews who was responsible for social services, with council leader Tony Arbour describing her loss as a blow to the entire borough'.

PC Phil Ure stops three different people from committing suicide in seven days, in what he later describes as a rewarding but unusual week'. In one incident the Richmond officer is put in danger when he goes to the rescue of a woman next to live railway lines.

French student Amlie Delagrange is killed as she takes a short cut across Twickenham Green on her way home from a night out in the town. The 22-year old had been working at the Maison Blanc patisserie in Richmond and hundreds of floral tributes were placed on the green in her memory. It is feared that the killer, who struck her on the head, had been trawling the area for victims. Police hand out safety advice and shriek alarms but call for calm in the community amid fears that a serial attacker is on the loose.

September Putney resident Denis Finnegan, dies after being stabbed in Richmond Park. Mr Finnegan who had been cycling, was found by Sheen Gate and the park is shut for over 24 hours. A 41-year old man is arrested in connection with the incident.

A Twickenham woman camps outside her former home surrounded by all of her belongings after she is evicted. Despite being found a new property by Richmond upon Thames Council she refuses to move. Residents become concerned for her health as her vigil continues.

Richmond police's use of dispersal zones from where they can move on troublemakers, which have been in action over the summer, could be challenged in court by two 14-year olds. Civil rights charity Liberty believe the powers infringe people's human rights.

A campaign for a Catholic secondary school is launched by Richmond upon Thames Council. Richmond is the only borough without one, despite over 200 pupils attending Catholic primary schools.

Six-year old Ben Johnson is heralded a hero after tackling a burning sofa at his nan's house. The pupil of Carlisle Infants School didn't lose his head when the blaze broke out, calmly asking his nan Lynne O'Regan for water.

Police admit that the killer of Amlie Delagrange may be a serial attacker who has struck at least six times. Five weeks into the investigation police officially link the murder of Amelie with that of Marsha McDonnell the previous February and four other attacks, because of their similarity in victim's profiles and method.

October Delays in a final decision on whether to permanently close Robin Hood Gate in Richmond Park are met with dismay by Richmond council. They say they believe the experiment had failed and the gate should be reopened as soon as possible.

A commodities broker from Richmond is jailed after killing two people while drink driving. Simon Oakley, 32, is sentenced to four years in custody after admitting causing death by careless driving while over the limit on the Staines Road West the previous year.

Steps are taken to protect the Crane Valley area of Twickenham from overdevelopment, as four large schemes loom on the horizon. Richmond upon Thames Council say they are to launch planning guidelines after the deputy leader describes the schemes as a threat to our town'.

An inquest rules that Richmond MP Jenny Tonge's daughter died from a huge electric shock following faulty electrical work in July. Mary Wherry, 34, died at her Hampton Hill home while she unloaded her dishwasher.

Friends and family of Amlie Delagrange gather in Twickenham for a walk in her memory. The walk culminates at Twickenham Green where a tree is planted alongside a bench in her name, to commemorate her life.

Richmond upon Thames Council mount a legal challenge against night flights in a bid to stop the noisiest flights and calling for what they call flaws' in the consultation paper to be reviewed.

An arthritis charity closes its doors after accusing the council for failing to support it financially. Arthritis Care Richmond upon Thames are critical of a move to charge it £958 a month for using its ambulances. The council say they have always provided them with generous financial support.

November Parents at Christ's School in Richmond say they are devastated' after the new head scraps the streaming policy with no warning. Many say they chose the school because of the policy, with one boy turning down a scholarship to a private school.

Trouble in the borough's pubs has dropped by a quarter since a code of conduct is introduced, but council chiefs hit out at Wetherspoons for refusing to stop aggressively discounting their drinks. Their spokesman said that their drinks were merely cheaper.

A controversial parking scheme is scrapped by the council. They vote unanimously to ditch the system which effectively branded motorists guilty until proven innocent, making them pay the £80 until their claim is resolved. The move is welcomed by Twickenham's MP Vincent Cable who said he receives many complaints regarding unfair fines.

Milkman David Ayton dies after being hit by a police van which was answering a call for assistance in Sheen in the early hours of the morning. The Independent Police Complaints Commission launch an investigation into the incident and the officer involved is suspended from driving duties.

Troubled firm Jarvis are criticised because work to improve a Twickenham School has ground to a halt because of their financial difficulties. The work at Trafalgar Infants School, contracted under a Private Finance Initiative had been due to be completed in September, but a number of classrooms and the playground remain out of action.

London Mayor Ken Livingstone puts the brakes on a controversial incinerator project in Slough. He orders further investigation into the scheme which is feared will bring pollution to the borough.

December The borough's primary school pupils are again thrust into the spotlight after test results reveal that they have maintained their position as best in the country. Their success at Key Stage Two makes Richmond the top LEA in the country and two Teddington schools achieve 100 per cent in English, maths and science.

Crime in the borough has increased by 1.1 per cent over the previous six months, compared to a reduction across the Met as a whole, the borough commander reveals. Part of the blame is pinned on displacement of offences from neighbouring boroughs due to extra resources in Wandsworth and Hammersmith.

Three million pounds is pledged to improve secondary school buildings in the borough. Hampton Community College and Grey Court School will be among the first to benefit.

Camels trot through Richmond as part of the borough's Christmas festivities. The racing camels from Warwickshire join a nativity scene and provide a startling sight for some.

One complaint over noise puts the legendary Bull's Head jazz venue in Barnes under threat. The club is served an abatement order following a complaint from a resident in the new neighbouring flats and has until February 15 to get the noise levels under control but its owners Youngs say they cannot afford the money needed to soundproof the building. "This order has been thrust upon us and it is only one woman who has complained,' says landlord Dan Fleming.