Questions over how Perry is spending £4m Surrey Street fund

Posted on November 14, 2026 by insidecroydon

The carefully stage-managed royal visit to the ancient street market had King Charles meeting various hangers-on, while stallholders were denied a chance to raise their growing concerns

Protest silenced: the Met arrested market trader Jose Joseph on Surrey Street yesterday

It was not all sweetness and light on Surrey Street for the royal visit yesterday, as one of the street market’s longest-standing stallholders found himself hauled away by the police for the heinous crime of… holding a bunch of flowers to give to King Charles.

Jose Joseph, who was an independent candidate in the mayoral election earlier this year after a brief dabble with the racists of Reform Ltd, also wanted to protest at the misuse of £4.4million earmarked money for improvements to the market to try to revive its traders’ flagging businesses. Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Community associations, Crime, Croydon Council, Fairfield, Jose Joseph, Knife crime, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, Surrey Street | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Let’s toast Horn for bringing the Edinburgh Cringe to Croydon

Posted on November 14, 2026 by insidecroydon

Calculated comedy: comedian Ollie Horn (right) homed in on Inside Croydon’s reviewer and his two-slices-a-day habit

THEATRE FESTIVAL: As this year’s Croydonites Festival enters its final few days, KEN TOWL returns to The Front Room for one of its highlight shows

It’s not about toast. It was never about toast, though comic Ollie Horn would tell you otherwise.

The Front Room was packed out last night by what turned out to be an international crowd ready to ‘fess up to their toasted bread habits as a vehicle for Horn to show off his comedy chops. Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Comedy, Croydonites Festival, Ken Towl, The Front Room, Theatre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Hallelujah! Croydon choir performing Handel at Fairfield Halls

Posted on November 14, 2026 by insidecroydon

By PETER GILLMAN

On song: the Croydon Philharmonic Choir performs the Messiah at the Fairfield Halls next month

Andrew Moore’s first performance as the music director of the Croydon Philharmonic Choir will be none other than Handel’s Messiah, one of the greatest – and most testing – pieces of the entire choral canon.

Moore took over as music director at the CPC in September. He will be conducting the Messiah at the Fairfield Halls on Saturday December 19 at 2.30pm, guiding the 70-strong choir and the orchestra of the renowned London Mozart Players, together with some distinguished soloists and guests from the Bromley Youth Music Trust Adult Choir. Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Male Voice Choir, Croydon Philharmonic Choir, Fairfield Halls, Music | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ayckbourn’s Neighbourhood Watch, Cryer Arts, Nov 24-27

Posted on November 14, 2026 by insidecroydon

C O M M U N I T Y
A D V E R T I S E M E N T

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How Mayor turned £17m Minster Green into Minster Brown

Posted on November 13, 2026 by insidecroydon

Inside Croydon’s arboriculture correspondent DOUGLAS FIRBANK JR tries to see the wood for the struggling trees in the latest council lash-up

Spotlight: the official switching on of Croydon Minster’s new floodlighting is on Sunday evening

At a special choral evensong service at Croydon Minster this Sunday, the long-awaited landscaping improvements to Minster Green will be opened officially.

The service takes place at 5.30pm – almost an hour after dusk.

The timing will allow the Minster’s new floodlights to be shown off to best effect.

But the evening darkness will also help to disguise the sorry state of some of the planting that has taken place around Minster Green, following a publicly funded “Liveable Neighbourhoods” scheme which was originally allocated more than £17million of public money.

It’s a case of better late than never, as plans for the transformation of Croydon Old Town were formulated more than seven years ago by the previous Labour-run council, which won a £9.5million chunk of cash from the Greater London Authority. The council was supposed to provide £7.7million in match-funding from its “Growth Zone” fund.

But what has been delivered by Croydon’s Mr Toad-like motoring fan, Mayor Jason Perry, is markedly different in certain important aspects.

Perry will be on hand on Sunday evening to declare it all a great success. His success.

Yet instead of delivering Minster Green, there are worrying signs that Perry’s council has in fact handed over Minster Brown. Continue reading →

Posted in Andrew Pelling, Church and religions, Croydon Council, Croydon Minster, Croydon parks, Cycling, Environment, Mayor Jason Perry, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

King Charles joins Surrey Street’s 750th anniversary party

Posted on November 13, 2026 by insidecroydon

Royal charter: it was Charles’s 20-times grandfather who gave permission for a market in Croydon

PHOTOGRAPHY for Inside Croydon by NADIA AZIZUDDIN

King Charles was in Surrey Street this lunchtime, joining celebrations to mark the historic street market’s 750th anniversary.

The first royal charter for a market in Croydon was granted in 1276 to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Robert Kilwardby, by King Edward I. Charles III is the 20th great-grandson of King Edward I. Continue reading →

Posted in Activities, Business, History, Nadia Azizuddin, Surrey Street | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Microsoft’s global outage even impacts Croydon bin collections

Posted on November 13, 2026 by insidecroydon

Digitally paralysed: Microsoft’s global outage overnight impacted the police, pharmacies and GPs, Cheltenham racecourse… and even Croydon Council

Jason Perry’s “digital first” council bumbled into further troubles today, as staff working in Fisher’s Folly and around the borough found themselves struggling to perform even the simplest of online functions related to council services due to the global Microsoft outage.

Croydon residents wanting to report something as arcane as another missed bin collection by rubbish contractors Veolia, having logged the complaint via the council’s CrapApp, were unable to complete their report because Croydon Council’s “automated” system requires a confirmation that was included in an email that few would be able to access… Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Croydon Council, Mayor Jason Perry | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Big Winter Glow Up at Croydon Arena, Sat Nov 14 from 2pm

Posted on November 13, 2026 by insidecroydon

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

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‘If a bear attacked me, no one would ask me what I was wearing’

Posted on November 12, 2026 by insidecroydon

KEN TOWL on the topical, and brilliantly performed, Man or Bear, staged last night at The Front Room as part of The Croydonites Festival

Earlier this week, celebrity rapist Russell Brand was sentenced to 10 years and six months for his attacks on women.

“I was quite shocked,” said Katie Hurley, the co-writer, with Sarah Hehir, of Man or Bear, “but in a positive way because I genuinely hadn’t expected that outcome.

“So often, people in positions of power, particularly celebrities, seem to get away with these things. I was surprised, but pleased to see that the power of celebrity hadn’t outweighed the power of justice. That felt like quite a positive change.” Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Comedy, Croydonites Festival, Ken Towl, The Front Room, Theatre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sage’s stuffing: Palace finally confirm French coach’s sacking

Posted on November 12, 2026 by insidecroydon

Looking for the exit: Pierre Sage is on his way out at Crystal Palace just 150 days since his appointment as manager was announced

It was as if Crystal Palace were trying to avoid being the first Premier League club to sack their manager this season.

So after Manchester United this morning finally ended Michael Carrick’s time in charge at Old Trafford, a couple of hours later news came from Selhurst Park that Pierre Sage’s time was up, too.

Just 129 days since he started in the job in July on a three-year contract, Sage leaves Palace after 17 games in all competitions, and with the club bottom of the Prem table with seven points from 10 games. Continue reading →

Posted in Crystal Palace FC, Football, Pierre Sage, Sport, Steve Parish | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Croydon teens hit high notes and England cricket call-ups

Posted on November 12, 2026 by insidecroydon

In the classroom, in the concert hall or on the cricket pitch, Croydon’s leading private schools continue to produce outstanding scholars, pianists and sportspeople.

Good shot: Marley Simpson, at 17, is getting a taste of the England cricket set-up

This week, Trinity School, in Shirley Park, announced that Joshua Lai, 16, had won this year’s Steinway Scholarship.

While over at Whitgift School in South Croydon, Sixth Former Marley Simpson, 17, was named in the England under-19s squad for their upcoming training camp in Sri Lanka.

Lai’s scholarship will see him study with a leading professor at the Royal College of Music and perform alongside professional musicians in Europe.

He won the award from an entry of 21 young pianists at his school, which has operated a partnership with piano manufacturer Steinway since 2012.

Trinity School has 25 Steinway pianos, including two concert grands, as well as a dedicated suite for piano teaching and practice. Continue reading →

Posted in Cricket, Education, Jamie Smith, Jason Roy, Music, Rory Burns, Schools, Trinity School, Whitgift School | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Corbyn makes return to Ruskin House for Your Party meeting

Posted on November 12, 2026 by insidecroydon

Jeremy Corbyn, described (fondly) by one of his closest parliamentary friends as “crap” and “not the best”, will be speaking at a special meeting of the Croydon branch of Your Party at Ruskin House tomorrow night, Friday November 13.

“Tickets for the meeting are almost sold out,” according to the organisers. “Corbyn is a big draw.” Continue reading →

Posted in Activities, Ruskin House | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Join us for iC’s The Faces of the Minster tour, Tue Nov 24

Posted on November 11, 2026 by insidecroydon

Croydon Minster has a rich history going back more than 1,000 years.

Minster marvels: David Morgan will be leading our latest history tour on Nov 24

And later this month, Inside Croydon readers can enjoy a guided tour – The Faces of the Minster – led by the Minster’s archivist.

This is a rare opportunity to gain an real insight into the building which has been at the centre of the town’s history since the Domesday Book – and possibly even before.

David Morgan is the Minster’s official archivist, as well as the resident historian at Inside Croydon, who has been delighting our readers with the many finely researched and detailed chronicles about the town, its people and the lives they have led in and around what used to be called the Parish Church.

It was David’s work on the very beginnings of the church in Croydon that discovered that the town is probably at least 150 years older than anyone had previously thought, with its foundations going back to around 810 and the Anglo-Saxons.

This tour will focus on the faces of people and other creatures which stare at you from the stonework of the building or from their memorials. Continue reading →

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Six years on, Brick by Brick approaching its final reckoning

Posted on November 11, 2026 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Companies House filings today mark the latest stage in winding up the council’s failed housing developer. But clearing the paperwork does not mean recovering the money. By STEVEN DOWNES

Someone in Fisher’s Folly must have a very dark sense of humour. Or they are a sadist.

Just after two o’clock today, a flurry of notifications appeared on the Companies House website showing Brick by Brick’s “satisfaction of charges”. It represented the multi-million-pound wreckage of the council’s failed housing developer finally being cleared from the official register.

Today, November 11, also just happens to be the sixth anniversary of Croydon Council issuing a Section 114 notice, the admission it could no longer balance its books – in large part because Brick by Brick had failed to make its debt repayments. Continue reading →

Posted in Brick by Brick, Business, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Housing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

MP Irons backs latest calls to unblock the ‘Selhurst Bottleneck’

Posted on November 11, 2026 by insidecroydon

Millionaire’s ‘think tank’ proposes £1 levy on flights leaving Gatwick and ‘capturing the rise in local land values’ to help pay for long-overdue upgrade to junction to the north of East Croydon Station

A report from a right-of-centre “think tank” calls on the government to revive plans to untangle the “Croydon bottleneck” – the junction at Selhurst that is notorious for holding up trains from London to the south coast. And it proposes

The Good Growth Foundation’s A Gateway to Gatwick – and Beyond argues that the expansion of the airport will only win local support if the benefits reach the communities along the line, starting with Croydon.

The report has a foreword from Natasha Irons, the Labour MP for Croydon East.

CARS – the Croydon Area Remodelling Scheme – was developed by Network Rail to expand East Croydon from six to eight platforms and replace the flat junctions built in the 19th Century with grade-separated ones.

CARS was paused in 2022 for lack of money. Its full cost was previously estimated at around £2.9billion. Continue reading →

Posted in Commuting, Croydon Area Remodelling Scheme, East Croydon, Norwood Junction, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

The Box of Delights, Coulsdon Community Centre, Dec 12-20

Posted on November 11, 2026 by insidecroydon

C O M M U N I T Y
A D V E R T I S E M E N T

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King’s Town Hall gambit has Labour teamed up with Tories

Posted on November 10, 2026 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Orders from Labour Party’s Central Command and local enmities look to consign our borough’s residents to years of more party political pantomime that shores up the position of bungling Mayor Jason Perry. By WALTER CRONXITE, Political Editor

Labour has directed the party’s local councillors in town halls around the country to not work with the Green Party.

The injunction, from the party of Mandelson, Starmer and McSweeney, is unlikely to have much of an effect in Croydon, where Labour already loathes the Greens.

Labour has 30 of Croydon’s 70 councillors, the Greens eight – enough, if they were to work together, to ensure a majority vote at full council meetings between now and 2030, when the next elections are due to take place.

But in Croydon, the key detail is that we have a Conservative Mayor, directly elected. In May, Tory Jason Perry was re-elected by a paltry majority of just 1,113 votes from Labour’s Rowenna Davis. Green Party candidate Peter Underwood was third, with 19,404 votes… Continue reading →

Posted in Adam Kellett, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Croydon Greens, Mayor Jason Perry, Ria Patel, Rowenna Davis, Stuart King | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Network Rail to close Redhill Station for works over Christmas

Posted on November 10, 2026 by insidecroydon

Track works: one mile of track near Redhill Station will be replaced over two weeks at Christmas time. More works are scheduled in Sussex in February

No trains from Coulsdon South over Christmas and New Year, as Network Rail replaces one mile of track

Anyone wanting to travel by train south of Croydon, Purley or Coulsdon, whether to the south coast or via Redhill Station, can expect several weeks of disruption and bus replacement services, spread over the course of three months, beginning at the station in Surrey for two weeks over Christmas and the New Year.

There will then be further engineering works affecting Southern, Thameslink and Gatwick Express passengers travelling between Three Bridges and Brighton over the February half-term.

The Redhill Station closure, which impacts all journeys from Coulsdon South, rated little more than a footnote in a Network Rail announcement this morning, but the plans are liable to affect tens of thousands of commuters, as well as those hoping to make Christmas shopping trips or visit relatives over the festive period. Continue reading →

Posted in Commuting, Coulsdon, East Croydon, Purley, Redhill, Surrey, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ridgway Primary helps dial up the memories for Sanderstead

Posted on November 10, 2026 by insidecroydon

Sanderstead’s right on time – with a centenary sundial which was formally installed by The Gruffy on Friday.

Dialling in: the SRA’s centenary sundial has now been set in place

The sundial, and a time capsule buried beneath it, are the latest, and last, formal pieces of commemoration of the centenary of the Sanderstead Residents’ Association, which was founded in 1926.

Earlier in the year, SRA did much work to clean up the Gruffy pond, as well as installing a new duck house.

The sundial ceremony was conducted on Friday. Since when, there has been little sunshine to put the careful alignment of the sundial by SRA committee members to the test.

Pupils at Ridgway Primary School provided letters, artwork, Sanderstead postcards and a selection of other items relating to 2026 to place in thee canister, in which they explained for the children of 2126 what they like like about living in Sanderstead. Continue reading →

Posted in Community associations, Croydon parks, Sanderstead, Sanderstead Residents Association, Schools, Veolia | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

All kicking off for NHS London’s Big Week for flu vaccinations

Posted on November 10, 2026 by insidecroydon

Londoners can get their flu jab at a shopping centre, a place of worship or even at a football match as the NHS kicks off its Big Week of Vaccinations to protect the capital before winter takes hold.

All aboard: NHS London’s jab bus is on a tour of south-east London

The latest bout of flu is already sweeping through the capital’s communities, leaving older and vulnerable Londoners at risk of what can be a very debilitating illness. Flu is not “just a bad cold”, but a serious respiratory infection caused by viruses that can lead to pneumonia, respiratory failure and hospitalisation. The very young, older people, pregnant women and those with long-term medical conditions are at particular risk.

Mobile vaccination buses are touring London, and same-day, walk-in jabs are available at around 1,700 sites. It is always worthwhile checking ahead, though: the pharmacy at one store in the Whitgift Centre in Croydon had run out of stock of the vaccination at the weekend.

There are 2.1million vaccination slots available through the NHS App or by calling 119. Continue reading →

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Toxic air pollution warning is issued across foggy London

Posted on November 10, 2026 by insidecroydon

Foggy day in Croydon: Lloyd Park has been blanketed in thick fog each morning since the weekend

Croydon is under a toxic fog warning today, as high levels of air pollution have built up after days of light winds.

A high alert for air pollution was issued across London following advice from forecasters at Imperial College. Vulnerable residents are being urged to take particular care.

Separately, the Met Office has issued a “yellow” fog alert for large parts of England and Wales, with visibility expected to fall below 100metres in some areas overnight. Fog was dense enough last night to cause flight cancellations from Heathrow and City airports. Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Health, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

This Sceptred Isle, Croydon Bach Choir concert, Sat Dec 5

Posted on November 10, 2026 by insidecroydon

C O M M U N I T Y
A D V E R T I S E M E N T

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Hundreds attend New Addington service for ‘forgotten tragedy’

Posted on November 9, 2026 by insidecroydon

Solemn service: an estimated 500 people gathered on Central Parade for this morning’s ceremony to mark the 10th anniversary of the Croydon tram crash

The civic service in New Addington this morning to mark the 10th anniversary of the Croydon tram disaster was impeccably observed, attended by an estimated 500 people.

Always remembered: the memorial on Central Parade for those killed in the tram crash

As well as some speeches and prayers, there was a two-minute silence.

Civic Mayor Mohammed Islam led proceedings. Natasha Irons, the MP for the area, as well as all four New Addington councillors and several other figures from the Town Hall, were present.

Representatives from the emergency services were also present, including some who attended the devastating scenes not far from the Sandilands tram stop early on the morning of November 9, 2016.

London Fire Commissioner Jonathan Smith was in New Addington this morning. “On the 10th anniversary of this tragic incident, my thoughts, and those of everyone at London Fire Brigade, are with those who lost loved ones, those who survived, and those who continue to feel the impact of this terrible incident.

“I’d also like to pay tribute to those firefighters and emergency service workers who responded on the day. We have not forgotten the dedication and professionalism shown by all those who worked tirelessly at the scene. Continue reading →

Posted in New Addington North, New Addington South, Sandilands derailment, South Norwood, Tramlink, Wayne Lawlor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Dog rescued from house fire caused by celebration candle

Posted on November 9, 2026 by insidecroydon

With more Diwali celebrations expected this evening, the London Fire Brigade has issued another warning about the misuse of fireworks and fire safety in and around people’s homes, after dealing with more than 3,000 emergency call-outs in the last four nights.

The call-outs include firefighters using breathing equipment when rescuing a dog from a burning house in Croydon last night, where the fire is thought to have started from a ceremonial candle.

Four fire engines from Woodside, Addington and Beckenham fire stations, and around 25 firefighters, tackled the house fire on Parkfields in Shirley. The Brigade was called out at 6.47pm and had the fire under control within an hour. There are no reported injuries.

Part of the first floor of the end-of-terrace house and part of the front of a neighbouring property were damaged by the fire. Continue reading →

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Great British Bake Off producers seek entrants from Croydon

Posted on November 9, 2026 by insidecroydon

Applications for the next series of The Great British Bake Off are now open, and the producers are seeking applications from the great bakers of Croydon for their 2027 series.

What they call “the search for the next generation of bakers” is looking for the kind of people who make their own bread when the supermarket is two minutes away.

Or those who turn up to birthdays with a cake that’s taller than the birthday boy.

Or who shudder at the thought of a shop-bought shortcrust.

“If that sounds like you, we’d like a word,” says Love Productions. Continue reading →

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