The Revd Percy Gray, vicar of St Crispin’s Church in Southwark Park Road for four decades, has died at the age of 86.

A prominent local Tory activist, he was president of the Bermondsey & Old Southwark Conservative Association.

In his latter years he stood for election as Conservative candidate in Riverside Ward in 2006 and in Rotherhithe Ward in 2010.

Ordained in 1956, he was inducted as vicar of St Crispin’s Bermondsey on the day the rebuilt post-war church was dedicated in 1959. When he retired in 1999 the church was closed and the building is now a nursery.

In the early 1960s he was locked in a bitter dispute with the left-leaning Bishop of Southwark Mervyn Stockwood who refused to visit St Crispin’s parish. The row was reported by newspapers as far afield as Sydney, Australia.

Known as the ‘parachuting parson’, Mr Gray took an active part in the life of the Territorial Army unit to which he was chaplain.

In 1971 he jumped from London Bridge – then under reconstruction – to demonstrate a new shock-absorber safety line made by a factory to which he also served as chaplain. In 1985 he ran the London Marathon.

As part of the Campaign to Restore Capital Punishment he lobbied MPs at Westminster in 1970 to bring back hanging. His unscheduled clash with Methodist minister Lord Soper was broadcast to the nation on ITN’s News at Ten.

In 1990 his role as a governor of Bacon’s College resulted in High Court action by the Inner London Education Authority and Southwark Council in a bid to prevent the school becoming a city technology college (CTC).

A supporter of Sunday trading, Mr Gray received cheers for his speech at the Conservative Party conference in Brighton in 1992.

In the 1994 New Year’s Honours list he received the MBE for political and public service.

In retirement he enrolled as a student at Southwark College to pick up new IT skills.

It wasn’t until 2012 that he stepped down as the local organiser of the Royal British Legion’s poppy appeal in Bermondsey and Rotherhithe.

Congratulations to Fr Mark Nicholls, rector of St Mary’s Church in Rotherhithe, who has been named as an honorary canon of the Cathedral of St John the Baptist in Mutare, Manicaland, Zimbabwe.

Fr Mark worked in Zimbabwe for a number of years, and Manicaland’s bishop Julius Makoni has visited Rotherhithe several times.

Bishop Makoni is a former banker who was ordained priest at Southwark Cathedral in 2009 before returning to Zimbabwe.

The Diocese of Southwark has strong links with the Anglican Church in Zimbabwe, and Rotherhithe falls within the Woolwich Episcopal Area which has a particular link with the Diocese of Manicaland.

Surrey Docks Farm and the organisers of the Rotherhithe Festival were among those honoured at this year’s Southwark Civic Awards.

The awards were presented last Saturday at Southwark Cathedral.

Cllr Sunil Chopra, the new Mayor of Southwark, said: “The civic awards are a chance to honour the incredible work being done every day across the borough by people who ask for no compensation, reward or recognition.

“I would like to congratulate all this year’s recipients and thank them again for their tireless service to our communities.”

Surrey Docks Farm received the lifetime achievement award.

The honorary liberty of the old metropolitan borough of Bermondsey was bestowed on the Rotherhithe Festival Group in recognition of its longstanding commitment to bringing people together at the annual event on King George’s Field.

Eddie Langdown, group scout leader of the 16th Bermondsey Scout Group based at the Manor Methodist Church, was also granted the honorary liberty of the old metropolitan borough of Bermondsey.

The same honour was granted to Bill Hickson, treasurer of the Links Community Centre.

Ben Manning, a resident of the Barnards House sheltered housing scheme, received a letter of commendation in recognition of his gardening activities and other support for his neighbours.

At last night’s council assembly Cllr Bill Williams was named chairman of Bermondsey & Rotherhithe Community Council.

Cllr Williams is one of the new Labour councillors elected last month in Rotherhithe ward.

The community council’s next meeting is on Monday 21 July.

Meetings of the community council are for residents of Riverside, Grange, South Bermondsey, Rotherhithe and Surrey Docks ward, as well as the northern half of Livesey ward.

Labour leader of Southwark Council Peter John and London Assembly member Val Shawcross this week met BT Openreach in what they described as a “positive and productive meeting” to discuss bringing superfast broadband to Rotherhithe.

At the meeting Peter John and Val Shawcross restated the need for an improved broadband service in the Rotherhithe peninsula.

According to Southwark Labour, BT is “actively reviewing the business case” for bringing super fast broadband to Rotherhithe.

“We promised to bring superfast broadband to Rotherhithe during the local election campaign and we remain determined to do this,” said Cllr Peter John.

“After a positive and productive meeting with BT I am confident that we will be able to progress this issue andensure that residents in Rotherhithe have access to superfast broadband.”

Val Shawcross, London Assembly member for Southwark and Lambeth, added: “I have been campaigning on this issue for many months now and the amount of correspondence I have had from frustrated Rotherhithe residents demonstrates the demand for better internet services in the area.

“Rotherhithe suffers unacceptably slow broadband speeds compared to the rest of London. The fact the council are backing the campaign to solve this problem has encouraged BT to take our concerns more seriously.

“I urge all Rotherhithe residents to complete an Openreach ‘expression of interest’ form online to make sure BT are fully convinced of this demand.”

Last week local campaigners published their own proposal for a new community-owned social enterprise to bring high-speed broadband to the area.

Have a look at this extraordinary home with accommodation for live-in staff.