It is our great pleasure and privilege to have the Worshipful the Mayor Clr. Bob Skelly of Southwark Council as our Honorific Chief Guest for the awarding ceremony of 2007 at the Imperial College. Southwark is one of the important borough the Great Britain’s and Her Majesty the Queen. Borough Southwark has links with many eminent educationalists such as   John Harvard, William Penn, and William Shakespeare etc. This historic acquaintance gave us the advantage to invite the Worshipful the Mayor Clr. Bob Skelly of Southwark Council to be Chief Guest to award the credential to our candidates.
London owes its position to the natural features of Southwark's early landscape. As the first crossing place across the River Thames, Roman Southwark grew rapidly, covering up to 45 acres at its peak. During Anglo Saxon times Southwark became the greatest traffic and trading centre in the country. Such was its importance by 1295 that it was the only town outside of the City permitted to send two representatives to Parliament.


By the 17th century, Southwark was the second largest urban area in England. The riverfront became increasingly important as overseas and domestic trade expanded. Landing places near the City were at a premium and new wharves and warehouses were built to accommodate the growing trade. During the industrial revolution, Southwark developed further as a great manufacturing centre. The area witnessed enormous diversification to encompass engineering, glass, leather, paper, gas, brewing, vinegar and even steam powered corn mills.

The most famous of the emigrants to the United States from Southwark is undoubtedly John Harvard, founder of Harvard University. Another famous emigrant was William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania in 1682, who emigrated on 'The Welcome'. John Harvard was born into a prosperous Southwark family in 1607. His father, Robert, owned a butchers shop near Southwark Cathedral and The Queen's Head Inn, Borough High Street. It was one of the many coaching inns in the area, similar to The George Inn. William Shakespeare lived in London at the height of the play house boom at Bankside and he was inevitably drawn towards Southwark. The area was to have a great influence on him and his works. He wrote the majority of his greatest works whilst resident here and they were first performed at The Globe. Southwark is even mentioned in his works. Charles Dickens has a long and deep association with Southwark, both personal and literary, and particularly with the area known as the Borough.

Southwark contains many beautiful examples of pre-20th century architecture. Although many areas were bombed during the Second World War, a number of historically and architecturally significant buildings remain.  This is a magnificent historic building that boasts impressive battlements and fine panelled interiors. The Kingswood House community centre is a hub of activity for the local community, from the over 50s club to the annual Summer Fayre held in the grounds of the house. The late Victorian mansion we see today was built by J.L. Johnstone, the inventor of Bovril, and became known locally as Bovril Castle. There are an estimated 70,000 war memorials throughout the UK in many differing forms; more than 300 of them are in Southwark.
The first London Bridge was built by Romans sometime after AD43 and some of its wooden remains have been uncovered on the north side of the river. During its life the wooden structure was renewed several times, and it was probably to this earliest bridge that the nursery rhyme ‘London Bridge is falling down’ refers. Indeed, at one time, one of these structures was washed away by a flood, and another was torn down by invading Vikings, led by Olaf the Norseman in 1014. Bermondsey is almost certainly one of the oldest parts of Southwark. It is believed that a Benedictine Monastery was based here during Saxon times and evidence has been found of Roman occupation.