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42-680: LGC Group , formerly the Laboratory of the Government Chemist , is an international life sciences measurement and tools company. It provides the role and duties of the UK Government Chemist, a statutory adviser to the government. LGC also hosts the UK's National Measurement Laboratory (NML) for chemical and bio-measurement, which performs measurements for diagnostics, advanced therapeutics , safety and security, among others. The Government Chemist

84-504: A consortium led by private equity companies Cinven and Astorg . Employee numbers have risen from 270 in 1996 to about 4,350 in 2021, as the company has grown organically and through multiple acquisitions. Acquisitions since 1996 include: Outsourced analytical services for BNG and Sentinel Performance Solutions 51°25′25″N 0°20′32″W  /  51.42361°N 0.34222°W  / 51.42361; -0.34222 Life sciences This list of life sciences comprises

126-478: A local board was established and an urban district council in 1895. In 1864 a group of Christians left the Anglican Church of St. Mary's (upset at its high church tendencies) and formed their own independent and Reformed, Protestant-style, congregation at Christ Church . Their original church building stood on what is now Church Road. The Victorians attempted to build a large church, St. Alban's , based on

168-441: A specific type of organism. For example, zoology is the study of animals, while botany is the study of plants. Other life sciences focus on aspects common to all or many life forms, such as anatomy and genetics . Some focus on the micro-scale (e.g. molecular biology , biochemistry ) other on larger scales (e.g. cytology , immunology , ethology , pharmacy, ecology). Another major branch of life sciences involves understanding

210-558: Is a suspension bridge over the lowest non-tidal lock on the Thames, Teddington Lock . The district's commercial focus – containing shops, offices and other facilities – is along the A313 , which is named (from west to east): Hampton Road , Broad Street and High Street . Broad Street contains a mixture of chain shops, cafes and supermarkets, alongside independent businesses, while the High Street

252-545: Is a person appointed with statutory duties prescribed in seven acts of Parliament, supported by the Laboratory of the Government Chemist. In addition, this person is an advisor to the government on relevant matters. As of 2018, both these functions are funded by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy , but LGC is a private company, and the Government Chemist is an employee of LGC. As of August 2023, this position

294-590: Is composed of nearly all local and independent businesses and restaurants from Teddington and South West London. There are two clusters of offices on this route; on the edge of Bushy Park the National Physical Laboratory , National Measurement Office and LGC form a scientific centre. Around Teddington station and the town centre are a number of offices in industries such as direct marketing and IT , which include Tearfund and BMT Limited . Several riverside businesses and houses were redeveloped in

336-415: Is held by Dr Julian Braybrook. In 1842, the Department of Excise set up a laboratory in its Broad Street headquarters to check tobacco for adulteration , i.e. the addition of other substances to increase profits and evade duty, (the amount of tobacco sold was much greater than imported). One employee, George Phillips, used a microscope and chemical tests, most of which he had developed himself. The work of

378-564: Is on the electrified Kingston Loop Line close to the junction of the Shepperton Branch Line . Trains run to London Waterloo in two directions around a circular loop: one way via Kingston upon Thames and Wimbledon every 15 minutes, the other via Richmond and Putney every 30 minutes. Trains also run to Shepperton every 30 minutes. Currently paused, the Crossrail 2 project was planned to run through Teddington Station. Upgrading

420-578: The Duke of Clarence lived there with his mistress Dorothy Jordan before he became King William IV, and later with his Queen Consort, Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen . The buildings were later used for the National Physical Laboratory . In subsequent centuries, Teddington enjoyed a prosperous life due to the proximity of royalty, and by 1800 had grown significantly. But the " Little Ice Age " had made farming much less profitable and residents were forced to find other work. This change resulted in great economic change in

462-632: The Abbey of Westminster . By the 14th century Teddington had a population of 100–200; most of the land was owned by the Abbot of Westminster and the remainder was rented by tenants who had to work the fields a certain number of days a year. The Hampton Court gardens were laid out in 1500 in preparation for the planned rebuilding of a 14th-century manor to form Hampton Court Palace in 1521. They were to serve as hunting grounds for Cardinal Wolsey and later Henry VIII and his family. In 1540 some common land of Teddington

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504-652: The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames . Historically an ancient parish in the county of Middlesex and situated close to the border with Surrey , the district became part of Greater London in 1965. In 2021, The Sunday Times named Teddington as the best place to live in London , and in 2023, the wider borough was ranked first in Rightmove 's Happy at Home index, making it the "happiest place to live in Great Britain";

546-630: The National Physical Laboratory (NPL), the national measurement standards laboratory for the United Kingdom, and the largest applied physics organisation in the UK, started in Bushy House (primarily working in industry and metrology and where the first accurate atomic clock was built) and the Teddington Carnegie Library was built in 1906. Electricity was also now supplied to Teddington, allowing for more development. Until this point,

588-679: The Notre Dame de Paris ; however, funds ran out and only the nave of what was to be the "Cathedral of the Thames Valley" was completed. In 1993 the temporary wall was replaced with a permanent one as part of a refurbishment that converted St Alban's Church into the Landmark Arts Centre , a venue for concerts and exhibitions. A new cemetery, Teddington Cemetery , opened at Shacklegate Lane in 1879. Several schools were built in Teddington in

630-604: The Royal Society of Chemistry and 3i put together a bid in 1995, which was accepted, taking the form of a management buyout . It became LGC Ltd in February 1996. Since privatisation, LGC has changed ownership and significantly expanded its activities. Valued at £3 million when privatised, it was sold for £80 million in 2003 to LGV, part of Legal & General , who sold it in 2010 to Bridgepoint Capital for £257 million, who in turn sold it in 2015 to KKR . In 2020, KKR sold LGC to

672-523: The Teddington Lifeboat Station , one of four Thames lifeboat stations, below the lock on the Teddington side. The station became operational in January 2002 and is the only volunteer station on the river. The place-name ‘Teddington’ is first attested in a Saxon charter of 969, where it appears as ‘Tudintún’ (’The Crawford Collection of Early Charters’, Oxford, 1895). It appears as ‘Tudincgatun’ in

714-433: The branches of science that involve the scientific study of life – such as microorganisms , plants, and animals including human beings . This science is one of the two major branches of natural science , the other being physical science , which is concerned with non-living matter. Biology is the overall natural science that studies life, with the other life sciences as its sub-disciplines. Some life sciences focus on

756-429: The mind  – neuroscience . Life sciences discoveries are helpful in improving the quality and standard of life and have applications in health, agriculture, medicine, and the pharmaceutical and food science industries. For example, it has provided information on certain diseases which has overall aided in the understanding of human health. Teddington Teddington is an affluent suburb of London in

798-577: The " bouncing bomb ", was developed. During the war General Dwight D. Eisenhower planned the D-Day landings at his Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force ( SHAEF ) at Camp Griffiss in Bushy Park . The " towpath murders " took place across the river in 1953. On 1 June, Barbara Songhurst was discovered floating in the River Thames, having been stabbed four times. Her friend Christine Reed, then missing,

840-571: The 19th century. The first major event was the construction of Teddington Lock in 1811 with its weir across the river. This was the first (and now the biggest) of five locks built at the time by the City of London Corporation . In 1889 Teddington Lock Footbridge , consisting of a suspension bridge section and a girder bridge section, was completed, linking Teddington to Ham (then in Surrey , now in London). It

882-700: The Government Laboratory became an independent government department, the Department of the Government Chemist. The Principal, Dr James Dobbie , was the first to be given the new title of Government Chemist. The analysis of tobacco remained a substantial part of the work, being greatly increased during World War I because of supplies to troops. Demand increased with interwar legislation, and the Laboratory had to do considerable original research to develop new and better analysis methods. The number of routine samples between 1920 and 1939 went from 199,388 to 430,314. It

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924-478: The Laboratory of the Government Chemist. In 1989 it was changed into an Executive Agency under the Department of Trade and Industry . This gave it the remit to seek outside work (which it already did to a significant extent) and earn income to fully cover costs, while having more management autonomy. It also moved to new premises in Teddington . As part of a general programme of privatisation of public services by

966-478: The character of Teddington and to support local community projects. The education authority for Teddington is Richmond upon Thames London Borough Council . Primary schools in Teddington include Collis Primary School (Fairfax Road), St Mary's & St Peter's Primary School (Church Road), Sacred Heart RC School (St Marks Road) and Stanley Juniors and Infants (Strathmore Road). Secondary schools include Teddington School . St Mary's & St Peter's Primary School

1008-519: The existing lines on the Wimbledon section of the South West London network, TfL projected an increase in service up to 10-12 trains an hour to Central London, from a 2015 average of 6. Teddington is served by London Buses services to other London locations, including Heathrow Airport , Hounslow Central , West Croydon and Castelnau . Routes 33, 281, 285, 481, 681, R68 and Superloop SL7 serve

1050-611: The first permanent settlement in Teddington was probably in Saxon times. Teddington was not mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as it was included under the Hampton entry. Teddington Manor was first owned by Benedictine monks in Staines , and it is believed they built a chapel dedicated to St. Mary on the same site as today's St. Mary's Church. In 971, a charter gave the land in Teddington to

1092-474: The first time a London borough has taken the top spot. Teddington is situated on a long meandering of the Thames between Hampton Wick and Strawberry Hill, Twickenham . Mostly residential, it stretches from the river to Bushy Park with the commercial focus on the A313 road. At Teddington's centre is the High Street and Broad Street, alongside mid-rise urban developments, containing offices and apartments. There

1134-529: The former homes of Thames Television , opened in 1958 on the site of Weir House. The studios were redeveloped in 2016 into luxury housing, though the old lock keepers cottage that predated the studios, known as Weir Cottage, was preserved. Most major rebuilding from bomb damage in World War II was completed by 1960. Chain stores began to open up, including Tesco and Sweatshop in 1971. The Teddington Society, formed in 1973 by local residents, seeks to preserve

1176-535: The government, Michael Heseltine announced that Laboratory of the Government Chemist would become an independent, non-profit company limited by guarantee, or could possibly be bought by a company or institution which could show that it would remain sufficiently independent to fulfil its statutory duties. However, the undertakings required to meet these obligations indefinitely meant that 40 initial expressions of interest produced only three considered suitable to bid, and no actual bids. A consortium of Laboratory employees,

1218-532: The laboratory expanded to check for adulteration in pepper, beer and coffee with additional staff being employed under Phillips, and a new laboratory was opened in Somerset House in 1859, by which time Excise had joined the Inland Revenue . In 1861, it dealt with 11,000 samples. The work also expanded to include foodstuffs and soap, and in 1874 Phillips had 12 permanent staff. The Inland Revenue Laboratory, as it

1260-610: The last quarter of the 20th century as blocks of riverside flats. Starting in 2016 the riverside site of the former Teddington Studios was redeveloped to provide modern apartment blocks and other smaller houses. The lowermost lock on the Thames, Teddington Lock , which is just within Ham 's boundary, is accessible via the Teddington Lock Footbridges . In 2001 the Royal National Lifeboat Institution opened

1302-418: The late 19th century in response to the 1870 Education Act , putting over 2,000 children in schools by 1899, transforming the previously illiterate village. On 26 April 1913 a train was almost destroyed in Teddington after an arson attack by suffragettes . Great change took place around the turn of the 20th century in Teddington. Many new establishments were springing up, including Sims opticians. In 1902

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1344-782: The line "At Tide-end-town, which is Teddington." The poem was written to serve as the introduction to a history of England for schoolchildren, written by C.R.L. Fletcher , published by the Clarendon Press in Oxford in July 1911, and by Doubleday Page in New York in September 1911. There have been isolated findings of flint and bone tools from the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods in Bushy Park , and some unauthenticated evidence of Roman occupation. However,

1386-445: The local and wider community. Its activities include arts classes, concerts and exhibitions. Teddington station is at the centre of the town, and the closest railway station. Additionally, Hampton Wick station is located to the south, Strawberry Hill station to the north, and Fulwell station to the west; all can be reached by London buses from Broad Street. Teddington railway station , served by South Western Railway trains,

1428-600: The only hospital had been the very small cottage hospital , but it could not accommodate the growing population, especially during the First World War. Money was raised over the next decade to build Teddington Memorial Hospital in 1929. By the beginning of the Second World War , by far the greatest source of employment in Teddington was in the NPL. Its main focus in the war was military research and its most famous invention,

1470-626: The ‘Cartularium Saxonicum’ edited by Birch, published in London from 1895-1893. It is listed as ‘Tudinton’ in the Feet of Fines for 1197. The name means “the tūn [town or settlement] of Tud(d)a’s people”. Teddington is at the point of the River Thames where tidal flow ceases owing to it containing the 'final lock'. It has been postulated that the name thus derives from "Tide End Town." Such theory featured in Rudyard Kipling ’s poem, "The River's Tale", which has

1512-528: Was Dr Edward Thorpe , with the title of Principal Chemist, who expanded its activities to include health problems caused by the match and lead-glazing industries. His report of 1907 states that 173,606 analyses and examinations were made on behalf of the departments of Customs & Excise , other departments, and in connection with two acts, the Food and Drugs Act and the Fertilisers and Feeding Stuffs Act . In 1911,

1554-561: Was also asked by the government to look into methods associated with the carriage of dangerous goods, atmospheric pollution, and the possible dangers to health arising from the use of tetraethyllead in motor fuel. World War II produced a peak demand of 560 354 samples. In 1959, the Government Laboratory ceased to be a separate department but instead was brought under the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research . In 1963 it moved to new premises in Cornwall House, Waterloo, London as

1596-472: Was enclosed to form Bushy Park, and also used as hunting grounds. Bushy House was built in 1663. One notable resident was British Prime Minister Lord North , who lived there for over twenty years. A large minority of the parish lay in largely communal open fields, restricted in the Middle Ages to certain villagers. These were inclosed (privatised) in two phases, in 1800 and 1818. Shortly afterwards,

1638-430: Was found dead on 6 June. On 28 June, Alfred Whiteway was arrested for their murder and the sexual assault of three other women that same year. Whiteway was hanged at Wandsworth Prison on 22 November 1953. Whiteway and the girls were all from Teddington. The case was described as "one of Scotland Yard 's most notable triumphs in a century". Teddington Studios , a digital widescreen television studio complex and one of

1680-440: Was funded by local business and public subscription. After the railway was built in 1863, easy travel to Twickenham, Richmond , Kingston and London was possible and Teddington experienced a population boom, rising from 1,183 in 1861 to 6,599 in 1881 and 14,037 in 1901. Many roads and houses were built, continuing into the 20th century, forming the close-knit network of Victorian and Edwardian streets present today. In 1867,

1722-647: Was now known, was appointed a Referee Analyst under the Sale of Food and Drugs Act 1875 ( 38 & 39 Vict. c. 63), i.e. one whose findings were accepted in a court of law. This greatly added to the number of samples being submitted. In 1894, an official Government Laboratory was set up, combining both the Inland Revenue Laboratory and a separate Customs Laboratory which had been set up in 1860, moving to purpose-built premises in Clement's Inn Passage in 1897. The head

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1764-419: Was originally founded by Dorothy Bridgeman (d. 1697), widow of Sir Orlando Bridgeman, who left £40 to buy land in trust for educating poor children. In 1832, the foundation opened a boys' school, Teddington Public School, under the patronage of Queen Adelaide . Its buildings now house the primary school. The Landmark Arts Centre , an independent charity, delivers a wide-ranging arts and education programme for

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