With the new year upon us, we at Teddington Nub News decided to look back on five feel-good local news stories from 2021.

1. Park Lane Stables raise £1 million to stay in Teddington

The beloved Teddington stables and RDA centre were threatened with eviction from their home in March last year.

But against all the odds the charity was able to raise an incredible £1.3 million to buy their premises on Park Lane.

This was thanks to their hard work and the support of the local community, including celebrities who backed the stables' cause.

Read the story here

2. Teddington NPL celebrate Alan Turing as he appears on new £50 note

The Teddington laboratory and home of UK measurement is where Alan Turing did some of his most groundbreaking work.

In recognition of this, NPL were one of the first to receive the new £50 note featuring Turing released by the Bank of England last April.

A blog post by the laboratory that day acknowledged the persecution faced by Turing for his identity - and stressed the important role diversity plays in science today.

Read the full story here

3. Woody from Teddington becomes an international celebrity after heartwarming moment with Brentford manager

Woody, son of Teddington Park Lane Stables RDA founder Natalie O'Rourke, is well-known locally as a huge Bees fan.

But last August he became known to football fans across the world after a photo of him embracing Brentford manager Thomas Frank went viral.

Natalie told Nub News how Brentford had embraced Woody after a local club turned him away, and the positive impact his football fandom has on his life.

Read the full story here

4. Teddington school is in top 10% of country for student progress

Teddington school, which looks after its own sixth form and that of Hampton High, celebrated excellent A Level results.

Teachers at the school praised students for what they had achieved during a difficult 18 months, much of it in lockdown.

They also celebrated being in the top 10% of UK schools for student progress for the second year in a row.

Read the full story here

5. Record turn-out for Teddington Lights Up

Teddington Lights Up is always a highly popular event in our town but numbers this year were higher than ever at an estimated 12,000.

More shops, schools and locals than ever took part, with Stanley Road joining the celebrations for the first time and hosting a trader's market.

Even better, the magical night was captured by local filmmakers and turned into a heart-warming Christmas film celebrating our town's community spirit.

Read the full story here