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Monthly Archives: May 2012
Croydon Council and a numbers game that doesn’t add up
At its most northerly point, Croydon’s boundaries converge with three other boroughs: inner London Lambeth and Southwark, and Bromley. People in this part of south London probably share many of the same concerns and outlooks, and they will all look … Continue reading
Would Jubilee’ve it? MP Ottaway throws a party for party funds
Forget all the other open days, picnics and windmills this Jubilee weekend. The real hot ticket for Croydon society is the local Tory party’s summer garden party. And the best thing about it? It is not even being held in … Continue reading
Posted in Activities, Addiscombe West, Croydon South, Outside Croydon, Richard Ottaway MP
Tagged Conservative, Croydon, Croydon South, David Cameron, London, Ottaway, Richard Ottaway, Tory
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Jubilee choral festival at Fairfield Halls nears sell-out
This Saturday’s Diamond Jubilee Concert, with a 400-strong massed male voice choir, at the Fairfield Halls is nearly sold out. Only a few tickets in the gallery – at £10 each – remain for what promises to be a tub-thumping … Continue reading
Posted in Activities, Addiscombe West, Fairfield Halls, Music
Tagged Choir, Croydon, Fairfield Halls, London, Remembrance Day, Royal Albert Hall
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£20 million: Croydon’s planned spend on consultants this year
Croydon Council is to spend £20 million this year on interim staff and consultants – therefore repeating the massive outlay of Council Tax-payers’ cash to highly paid short-term hires and outside companies in 2011. Inside Croydon has obtained a council … Continue reading
Civica pulls out of libraries bid because of risk to its “brand”
And then there were four. Civica, one of the five companies bidding for the Croydon and Wandsworth privatised libraries contract, has pulled out of the process citing “potential risk to the Civica brand of taking on a contract which is … Continue reading
Making Croydon bike safe will help rebuild community spirit
Croydon’s cyclists will be watching London’s bicycling mayor with interest over the next four years, to see whether Boris Johnson does more than merely pay lip-service to the wearers of bicycle clips than he did in his first term. Despite … Continue reading
Council to spend £1m to furnish its new headquarters
Croydon Council is spending nearly £1 million on furniture for its new headquarters, Inside Croydon has discovered. According to an official document passed to Inside Croydon, our council has budgeted to spend £900,000 on furniture for the PSDH – or … Continue reading
South End residents and businesses look to oust Tesco
The first meeting of a new residents group for people living and working in and around the South End area of South Croydon made a strong case against allowing Tesco to open another Express store, using the Whitgift Foundation-owned Swan … Continue reading
Posted in Activities, Business, Church and religions, Croydon Council, Fairfield, Housing, Local media, Parking, Planning, Property, Pubs, Restaurants, South Croydon, Vidhi Mohan, Waddon, Waste incinerator, Whitgift Foundation
Tagged Croydon, Croydon Council, Grant Shapps, London, London Borough of Croydon, South Croydon, White Label, Whitgift Foundation
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Folk festival sets the tune for a Jubilee dance
The Maclennan Scottish Group is hosting its 31st International Folk Dance and Music Festival during the Jubilee Bank Holiday weekend (June 1-4) at Langley Park School for Boys in Beckenham. The timetable has been adjusted to allow all participants (and … Continue reading
Croydon’s Jedward is looking for “Bright Ideas”. Any ideas
Croydon’s deputy chief executive, Jedward lookalike Nathan Elvery, is looking for bright ideas. Or at least he was. Inside Croydon has obtained an email Elvery sent last October to the staff in his Corporate Resources and Customer Services department. Seems … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Nathan Elvery
Tagged Croydon, Jedward, London Borough of Croydon
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Trinity boy Chuter relishes his latest Twickenham showdown
It’s crunch time at Twickenham later today, with the climax of the English domestic rugby season as Leicester take on Harlequins in the Premiership final, with two sons of Croydon expected to play key parts. Quins and England captain Chris … Continue reading
Float with the butterflies on Shabden Park’s farm walk
There’s lots of fluffy, endearing baby animals and wildlife to be seen, and also some first-class food to be had, at Shabden Park Farm’s regular farmer’s market just outside Chipstead tomorrow, Saturday, May 26. The market, just off the main … Continue reading
Posted in Activities, Education, Environment, Gardening, Health, Outside Croydon, Walker Dunelm, Walks, Wildlife
Tagged Croydon, Farmers' market, London Borough of Croydon, Redhill
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Pollard agrees to extend consultation at Question Time event
The deputy leader of the Conservative group that controls Croydon Council has given an undertaking that the consultation period for the Upper Norwood Joint Library will be extended. Councillor Tim Pollard told residents at Tuesday evening’s council Question Time staged … Continue reading
Posted in Addiscombe West, Clare Hilley, Croydon 8/8, Croydon Council, Croydon South, Leisure services, Libraries, Sara Bashford, Simon Hoar, Tim Pollard, Tony Harris, URV, Waddon, Waste incinerator
Tagged Conservative, Croydon, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, London, London Borough of Croydon, Question Time, Viridor, Waddon
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Farm offers advice for those wanting touch of the Good Life
The last time that Britain was in a long-term economic depression, the top sit-com on TV was The Good Life, with the story of Tom and Barbara Good (geddit?) and how they turned their suburban back garden into a mini-farm … Continue reading
Posted in Activities, Education, Environment, Gardening, Outside Croydon, Walks, Wildlife
Tagged Back Garden, Chicken, Farmers' market, Richard Briers, Rural Living, Saturday
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Green Dragon breathes some life into local cultural scene
Last weekend it was free beer (yes, in a pub!), as they helped to launch the New Addington-based Cronx Brewery to the world, plus free entry to a Rhythm ‘n Blues and Soul Club. This Sunday, the impressive Green Dragon … Continue reading
Posted in Activities, Art, Cinema, Comedy, David Lean Cinema Campaign, Music, Pubs, Rugby Union
Tagged Croydon, David Lean, David Lean Cinema Campaign, Green Dragon, High Street, New Addington, Oscar, Surrey Street Market
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Mr Smith’s FOI: Croydon Council’s oxymorons and obfuscation
Each Freedom of Information request dealt with by Croydon Council costs around £250 to process. That’s almost £100 more than the national average cost for handling FOIs, according to recently published research. This despite Croydon’s claims to have “efficiency in … Continue reading
Croydon Council and the cuts: playing a numbers game
There is a myth perpetuated by Croydon Council, especially since May 2010 to justify its dogmatic policies of cutting staff, services and grants, be they weekly rubbish collections, timely road repairs, street lights, the summer music festival and Mela, David … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Business, Croydon 8/8, Croydon Council, David Lean Cinema Campaign, Fairfield Halls, Jon Rouse, Libraries, Nathan Elvery, Sara Bashford, Theatre, URV, Warehouse Theatre
Tagged Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, David Lean Cinema, Fairfield Halls, London Borough of Croydon, Taberner House, Warehouse Theatre
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Tesco Town: South End community to meet this Friday
The first meeting of the South End Community Forum takes place this Friday, May 25, when sure to be close to the top of the agenda is the dire threat to local businesses of the decision of the Whitgift Foundation, … Continue reading
