Kingston derives it's name from the King's Stone on which the Kings of Wessex were crowned. It is situated on the River Thames¹ just to the south of Richmond Park
²
and just the other side of Kingston Bridge is the Royal Palace of Hampton Court. It is the very North East tip of Surrey and borders unto what is now Greater London.

The last coronation in Kingston was that of Ethelred II in 979 but the most fomous would have to be Alfred the Great in about 871. Indeed the King's stone³ is still in Kingston in amongst the sprawling Guild Hall complexes.

Kingston-upon-Thames is one of the few Royal Boroughs in England partially because of it's long and loyal connections with the Royal family. It came about from a Royal commission in 1924 on London government that threatened to annex Kingston into the London County Council. The then Mayor, Alderman Finney argued that Kingston could look after its own affairs quite well thank you, without any interference from London and had been doing so since Anglo Saxon days. He worked to raise public awareness and Kingston retained its self governing authority. In 1927 he petitioned King George V to change the
borough's name from 'Kingston upon Thames'to 'The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames'. The King consented and the borough name changed⁴.

One of the strangest Royal stories relating to Kingston and the Royal revolves around Edwy a Great Grandson of Alfred the Great which is reported in the Chronicle of Britain and Ireland as follows.

'The Boy King
provokes anger by abandoning his coronation feast for sexual diversion


'Surrey, 956


'Orgiastic scences have marred the coronation of King Edmund's 15 year old son Edwy - who has suceeded his
childless uncle, Edred, as king of Wessex amid family quarrels. Edgifu, Edwy's mother......'

It goes on to say how he got the crown and then went off to
sleep with some young lass and her mother.

Kingston is also centrally located to the two great royal deer parks of Bushey Park and Richmond Park. So the town of Kingston grew up to help support the hunting lodges and Royal Palaces at Hampton Court and Richmond. The town embelem to this day is three fish for the fish in the river under a crown, as the fish for the royal table where caught at Kingston.

Kingston is still a market town and has a permanent market still open daily on the market square. Modern marketing has also come to Kingston and it is one of the growing shopping areas of London with the Bentall's Centre⁵, a large John Lewis store and various other high street giants on the high street and surrounding shopping areas.

Kingston University
is also now one of the new Universities
, having until the early 1990s only had a Polytechnic. In fact one of the oldest marathons in the world finishes along the banks of the Thames at Kingston and is known as the Kingston and Polytechnic Athletic Club Marathon. The club still meets at the tartan track at Kingsmeadow.

Kingsmeadow is also the home of
Kingstonian
, the FA trophy winners of 1998-9 and retained it in 1999-2000 and currently riding high in the Vauxhall Conference. Kingstonian are trying to emulate local neighbours Wimbledon in trying to reach the heights of the football league and then beyond. However for the time being the K's are celebrating making it into the third round of the FA Cup, for the first time, in the 2000-2001 .campaign.

The most famous MP to have represented Kingston was Norman Lamont⁶ who was Chancellor of the Exchequer at the time of the fear over the European Monetary System. He was forced to resign as Chancellor following the debacle of the day when the government rose interest rates by 5% in one day only for them to be returned to 10% at the end of the day.

The Nightlife

Options a cinema/disco/bar complex just down the road from the train station, student night is Wednesday so get there early before the educated drunks of the borough ⁷. Works⁸ a nightclub with a massive dance space plus plenty of nooks and crannies for those all important liaisons. Bacchus a favourite with many because it has No Dress Code. For bars try the Ram on High Street or the Grey Horse on Richmond Road check the boards outside for live gig info. To round off the night fancy an Indian? Check out Modern India on Coombe Road in the words of fellow researcher Austin Morris "It's been around since the 60's, so it can't be too bad".