‘Chinese’ magician who died on stage, shot by his own gun

Posted on August 30, 2026 by insidecroydon

CROYDON CHRONICLES: Theatres in the town attracted some of the world’s biggest Vaudeville stars in the early 20th Century, including the mysterious Chung Ling Soo. DAVID MORGAN discovered more from the archives

Many great entertainers have trodden the boards in Croydon, especially when the music halls were at the height of their popularity.

Magicians and illusionists have always held an intrigue with the public and back in October 1911, the manager of the Croydon Empire, Eustace Jay, was proud to announce that one of the very best in the business was to appear in his theatre.

Chung Ling Soo was to bring the mysteries of the Orient to Croydon.

Master of mystery: a Chung Ling Soo show poster, typical of his time touring England

Soo never spoke during his act. Dressed in Chinese robes and with heavy stage make-up, he looked every inch the Chinese character his biography claimed him to be: the son of a Scottish missionary and a Cantonese woman.

The Croydon audiences would be wowed by his act.

An octagonal cabinet with glass sides was hauled into the air and spun rapidly around. As the cabinet slowed down, Soo’s assistant, Suee Seen, materialised inside it.

Then, a cauldron was suspended from a tripod and Soo filled it with water. Continue reading →

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Misanthrope, Odyssey and Obsession at David Lean Cinema

Posted on August 30, 2026 by insidecroydon

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Friends of Grangewood Park Picnic in the Park, Sun Sep 20

Posted on August 30, 2026 by insidecroydon

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Cleverly quits Tory shadow cabinet to run for London Mayor

Posted on August 29, 2026 by insidecroydon

WALTER CRONXITE, Political Editor, on the south Londoner who wants to take on Labour at City Hall

James Cleverly has resigned from Kemi Badenoch’s shadow cabinet in order to seek selection as the Conservative Party’s candidate for London Mayor in 2028.

Labour’s Sadiq Khan, now Lord Khan of Tooting, has been Mayor of London since 2016. It is not yet know whether Mayor Khan will seek an unprecedented fourth term in two years.

Born to run: James Cleverly has resigned from the shadow cabinet

Since the Greater London Authority was founded in 2000, the Tories have only held the capital’s mayoralty for eight years, through Boris Johnson between 2008 and 2016.

Polling conducted this month placed the Tories in third place in London, with Labour on a commanding (by recent standards) 33%, with Reform Ltd on 20%, the Conservatives on 18%, the Greens on 14% and LibDems 10%. Continue reading →

Posted in 2028 London elections, James Cleverly, Laila Cunningham, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

BID’s latest town centre stunt brought to you by… Filthy Luker!

Posted on August 29, 2026 by insidecroydon

Not entirely unexpected: this weekend’s public art trail, ‘Unexpected Croydon’, which resembles the previous public art trail of large inflatables

Our culture correspondent, GRAYDON PERRY (no relation), considers the ‘anarchy’ behind the latest art-washing efforts by the money men at the Business ‘Improvement’ District

Please ensure that you are seated before reading this article. Inside Croydon does not want responsibility for anyone falling over out of sheer, unmitigated excitement at what we are about to reveal.

Not that anyone should be surprised at all, of course.

But Croydon BID, the business “improvement” district which has made no substantive improvements to the town centre since it was established almost 20 years ago, a period of noticeable decline in the town centre, has been splashing the cash again on a pretty feeble attempt to drum up some interest in the area.

Thing is, they’ve tried it before and it didn’t work then. So now Croydon BID is spending their members’ cash to do it all over again. Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Art, Business, Centrale, Croydon BID, Mayor Jason Perry, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Pampisford Road Allotments annual Open Day, Sun Sep 6

Posted on August 29, 2026 by insidecroydon

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Old Coulsdon Camera Club Welcome Evening, Tue Sep 8

Posted on August 29, 2026 by insidecroydon

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Perry’s ‘comedy’ video claims are leaving the joke on Croydon

Posted on August 28, 2026 by insidecroydon

The borough’s Conservative Mayor, rendered impotent by the presence of government Commissioners, has spent much of the summer conducting some personal political campaigning, all paid for by tax-payers, that is often deliberately misleading, that sometimes gaslights residents and, very often, is simply untrue.
ANDREW FISHER provides a fact check

“We’ve been busy,” Jason Perry, Croydon’s executive Mayor, tells his followers on social media in an upbeat and well-produced video to mark what he’s called his first 100 days, but which in fact follows his previous four years of not very much.

Comedy routine: Jason Perry’s video shows he won’t have a future as a stand-up – the joke’s not funny any more

It’s delivered with the patter of an old-school comic.

Trouble is, in Jason Perry’s Music Hall, the joke is on Croydon’s residents.

There’s an eclectic rundown of “achievements”, breathlessly taking in playgrounds, outdoor gyms, parks, fly-tipping, potholes, live facial recognition, investment and regeneration.

It all sounds an impressive programme in just 100 days since his re-election in May. But is it all that it’s cracked up to be? Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Andrew Fisher, BH Group, Business, Commissioners, Council Tax, Crime, Croydon Council, Croydon parks, Fly tipping, Live Facial Recognition cameras, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of London, Planning, Policing, Refuse collection, Sadiq Khan, Selsdon Park Hotel, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Fanatics shock Palace fans with end to Selhurst activities

Posted on August 28, 2026 by insidecroydon

No fans of Uefa: organised protests in the stands became a colourful feature of Palace games, thanks to Holmesdale Fanatics’ activism

Controversial pundit Stan Collymore adds his support, as long-standing fans and youngsters are being forced out of ‘the people’s game’ by corporatist interests of the Premier League and football bodies FIFA and UEFA

Crystal Palace play their first home game of the Premier League season against Manchester City tonight. The atmosphere at Selhurst Park will be different.

The Holmesdale Fanatics, the Selhurst “ultras” who have done so much to shape the atmosphere for home games over the past 20 years, the loud and proud south Londoners who made Wembley “shake” at the 2025 FA Cup final and did it again with noise and tifos at Leipzig in May, have quit.

The Fanatics issued a statement on social media last night in which they said that the Holmesdale Fanatics had “helped write a chapter in the club’s history that many did not believe was possible”.

But they added: “Now is the time for us to recognise we have taken the HF as far as it can go in the current climate. We are therefore choosing to stop all organised activity as the HF inside the stadium.”

The Fanatics were formed out of groups that campaigned for the club’s survival in 2005, and have grown to represent supporters’ views, including opposition to the increasingly corporatist nature of the Premier League and its takeover of “the people’s game”. Continue reading →

Posted in Crystal Palace FC, Football, Holmesdale Fanatics, Jay Crame, Selhurst, Sport, Steve Parish | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

‘There needs to be drastic shift at Palace towards younger fans’

Posted on August 28, 2026 by insidecroydon

Here is the Holmesdale Fanatics’ statement in full:

Group Update: 27 August 2026

“For more than 20 years, the HF has stood on the Holmesdale and travelled across the country and beyond supporting this great football club.

“Born from a desire to create a strong unit that could support Palace, resist the passivity that had captured the stands and fight the Draconian restrictions that had been imposed on football supporters, the group was founded in 2005 by a group of Palace fans who had grown disillusioned with the state of the game.

“Two decades later, and after the club’s most successful period in its history – marked by an FA Cup, our first European trophy and a record run in the top flight – attempts to sanitise the game are stronger than ever.

“In an ever more atomised society, football is one of the last remaining spaces where people can come together and unite over something bigger than themselves. But genuine, lifelong fans are no longer prioritised by their football clubs and young lads were never wanted by the authorities in the first place. Continue reading →

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London Radical Book Fair, Stanley Halls, free entry, Sun Sep 6

Posted on August 28, 2026 by insidecroydon

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Standards Commissioner asked to investigate Philp’s shares

Posted on August 27, 2026 by insidecroydon

INSIDE CROYDON INVESTIGATES: The Conservative MP for Croydon South is the subject of at least two complaints to Parliament’s Standards Commissioner, following a report published by Inside Croydon earlier this month, over what appear to be long-delayed declarations of financial interests

Conservative MP Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, has been reported to the Standards Commissioner at Westminster by at least two of his Croydon South constituents.

Shadow home secretary, shadowy finances: Chris Philp has been an MP since 2015

The locals were concerned by a detailed report published by Inside Croydon earlier this month which showed that their MP has owned 7,267 ordinary shares in Galenic Laboratories Ltd, a company run by his wife, Elizabeth Philp.

Chris Philp held the shares since the company was established, in 2019, including the period in 2022 when he was Chief Secretary to the Treasury. But public records show that Philp registered the shares only relatively recently.

MPs are required to update their register of interests within 28 days.

In one of the complaints submitted to Daniel Greenberg, the Standards Commissioner, and which has been seen by Inside Croydon, a Croydon South constituent writes: “I believe my MP, Chris Philp (Croydon South) has breached Rule 5 of the Code of Conduct by failing to register an interest at the appropriate time. Continue reading →

Posted in Chris Philp MP, Croydon South, Inside Croydon Investigates | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Ted Craig, director of Warehouse Theatre for 25 years, has died

Posted on August 27, 2026 by insidecroydon

Ted Craig – 1940-2026

Ted Craig, for more than 25 years the director of the Warehouse Theatre at East Croydon, has died after a brief illness. He was 86.

Australian-born Craig arrived in Croydon with an impressive CV in cinema, television and in theatre, both in the West End and in New York. Craig was the first artistic director of the resident drama company at the Sydney Opera House.

But in Croydon, Craig will be remembered as a colourful champion of new writing and acting talent at the Warehouse Theatre, a converted oak-beamed Victorian-built cement warehouse close to the railway lines at East Croydon, which swiftly developed a national reputation for innovative and outstanding plays – and a cheeky revival for former radio star Dick Barton.

After opening in 1977, Croydon’s Warehouse Theatre was also home to a Caribbean nightclub and later cabaret including comedy stars such as Lenny Henry, French and Saunders, Rik Mayall, Ben Elton and Julian Clary. The theatre only ever had a maximum of 100 seats. Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Cinema, Comedy, Fairfield Halls, Theatre, Warehouse Theatre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Two houses destroyed by massive blaze at Mitcham Common

Posted on August 27, 2026 by insidecroydon

Destruction: the blaze spread from the common to industrial units, destroying nine of them

A massive fire spread from the tinder-dry grassland of Mitcham Common towards industrial units off Carshalton Road and destroyed two houses, an industrial skip and 30 scrap vehicles, the London Fire Brigade confirmed today.

Nine industrial units were also destroyed.

There were fears that the fire might spread to the Beddington landfill site, which is full of highly combustible gases. But its advance was halted 200 yards short of this potential disaster.

There are no reports of any casualties, though four people were evacuated before the fire brigade arrived and the railway line between Mitcham Junction and Sutton was closed because of the dense smoke, causing chaos Southern and Thameslink services until the end of the day. Continue reading →

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Perry admits he has no idea when work will start on Purley Pool

Posted on August 26, 2026 by insidecroydon

Not waving but drowning: five years since he promised to reopen Purley Pool ‘immediately’, now Jason Perry says he has no idea when it might open

Not for the first time, Croydon’s Mayor is out of his depth when facing the most straightforward of questions, reports PEARL LEE

Five years after promising to reopen Purley Pool “immediately” as part of his original election campaign, and Croydon Mayor Jason Perry has been forced to admit he has no idea when work on the £60million scheme might begin.

“I can’t give you a time right now,” Perry was forced to admit to a resident last night when asked about the long-promised pool. Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Chris Philp MP, Croydon Council, Croydon South, Housing, Mayor Jason Perry, Neil Garratt, Planning, Polaska, Polaska Assets Ltd, Property, Purley, Purley Pool | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

MP Jones’s donations and her connection with Flint lobby firm

Posted on August 26, 2026 by insidecroydon

INSIDE CROYDON INVESTIGATES:
Is there something that the MP for Croydon West might learn from the newbie MP for Croydon East?
In our latest probe into Croydon MPs’ outside interests and earnings, we scour the official declarations

Natasha Irons is Croydon’s newest MP, having been elected for the new constituency of Croydon East at the July 2024 General Election. Maybe that’s why she has the fewest declarations of any of the borough’s four MPs.

Clean slate: Natasha Irons’ only declaration at Westminster is her previous job at Channel 4

It’s all a bit of a blank slate, and nothing like the somewhat involved nexus of outside interests shown by Croydon South’s secretive Chris Philp, as we reported earlier this month. 

Irons was a Labour councillor in Merton before becoming MP. The only thing that she has declared in the official Register of Members’ Financial Interests (maintained by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards), relates to her job at Channel 4 before she became an MP. Unless Irons has “forgotten” to declare other things, her record of no second jobs, no massive shareholdings, no freebies from big business and lobbyists and no donors, dodgy or otherwise, is exactly what you would hope to see from an MP.

Natasha Irons should be applauded for that.

Sadly, the same cannot be said of our other MPs. Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Chris Philp MP, Croydon East, Croydon West, Gatwick Airport, Inside Croydon Investigates, Natasha Irons, Sarah Jones MP | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Bank Holiday brunch ideas that appear effortlessly chic

Posted on August 26, 2026 by insidecroydon

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All lined up: staging your garden party under gazebos adds a touch of style

There’s something about eating outdoors on a weekend morning that makes even the simplest food feel like an occasion. You don’t need a huge garden, a catering team or a Pinterest-perfect set-up to pull off a brunch that your friends will actually talk about afterwards.

What you do need is a bit of planning, a few clever shortcuts and a willingness to keep things relaxed.

From a make-ahead menu to a drinks station your guests can help themselves to, here’s how to put together a backyard brunch that looks put-together without the stress. Continue reading →

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Blues at The Oval: Two-Gun Mathilda, Sun Aug 30, free entry

Posted on August 26, 2026 by insidecroydon

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Posted in Addiscombe West, Advertisement, Advertisement features, Art, Business, Music, The Oval Tavern | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

South Norwood man jailed for life over 2021 fatal shooting

Posted on August 25, 2026 by insidecroydon

Trevin Campbell was today sentenced to a minimum of 30 years in jail after being found guilty of the 2021 murder of Gary Mayhew.

Murderer: Trevin Campbell, sentenced today to 30 years

Campbell was twice arrested for the murder: first in 2021, when he was stopped at Gatwick Airport about to board a flight for Jamaica. After the case was dropped for lack of evidence, a further investigation ultimately led to Campbell’s second arrest last December.

Campbell, 35, of Harrington Road, South Norwood, had been on trial at Croydon Crown Court for two weeks before, on Friday, the jury found him guilty of murder.

According to Scotland Yard, it was 6.13am on October 21, 2021, that police were called to King’s College Hospital, where the victim, Mayhew, had self-presented with gunshot wounds to his legs.

The 32-year-old died in hospital later that day. Continue reading →

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Top restaurant critic Rayner in tribute to Morleys chicken shops

Posted on August 25, 2026 by insidecroydon

Tucking in: restaurant critic Jay Rayner devotes a chapter of his book to Morleys-style fried chicken

Jay Rayner, the country’s top restaurant critic, who each week visits 5-star hotels such as Claridge’s or Michelin-approved restaurants in the great cities of Europe, is publishing a book next week in which he sings the praises of… Morleys takeaway chicken shops.

There are at least 10 branches of Morleys in Croydon, including on South End, on Whitehorse Road and Mitcham Road, in New Addington and in Coulsdon, which all mostly do a steady trade from lunchtime through to the early hours each morning. It means that about 10% of all Morleys outlets are in the borough of Croydon.

Rayner, who now has a weekly column in the Financial Times after more than 20 years at The Observer, is a quite brilliant writer, though his pen is sometimes dipped in acid.

His scathing review of Le Cinq, on Avenue George V in Paris, where meals start from 100 quid, was a hum-dinger: “By far the worst restaurant experience I have endured in my 18 years in this job,” Rayner wrote in 2017.

His amuse-bouche looked “like a Barbie-sized silicone breast implant”.

Le Cinq’s dining room decor was “various shades of taupe, biscuit and fuck you”. Continue reading →

Posted in Albert's Table, Birch (Selsdon), Business, Restaurants | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

‘Crap’ council is caught taping over the cracks of listed building

Posted on August 25, 2026 by insidecroydon

Croydon Council has been accused of failing to protect and preserve one of the town centre’s heritage buildings, the Grade II-listed Segas House, on the corner of Katharine Street and Wellesley Road.

Left to rot: the council has failed to secure the site of the listed Segas House in the town centre

The office building was given listed status in 1992, but this example of art deco design from the middle of the 20th Century has been standing empty for all of the 21st, as it has been shuffled between mega-billion property developers while the local council, its offices just a couple of minutes’ walk away across Queen’s Gardens, has stood by, impotent.

And now, it seems, gormless with it.

Fairfield ward councillor Ria Patel has flagged significant safety issues with the building, where security hoardings supposed to protect its windows from further damage and ingress have been secured in position by council contractors with nothing more than gaffer tape. Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Business, Croydon Council, Croydon School of Art, Fairfield, Mayor Jason Perry, Nestle Tower, Planning, Ria Patel, Segas House, St George's Walk | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Selsdon Community Fair, Old Farleigh Road, Sun Sep 6

Posted on August 25, 2026 by insidecroydon

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A23 Streatham Hill final phase of works due to start next week

Posted on August 24, 2026 by insidecroydon

The major works on the A23 Streatham Hill, north of Croydon, which began 12 months ago, are due to enter their final phase from September 1.

New lanes: the A23 works enter their final phase next week, more than a year since they began

The works have been undertaken by Transport for London in conjunction with Southern Gas Networks, who have been conducting major gas mains repairs on Brixton Hill, just to the north of the junction with the South Circular.

There were 72 collisions on this stretch of A23 in the three years to October 2024, with 75 people injured. “Safety improvements are a key priority,” TfL has said. Continue reading →

Posted in Commuting, Cycling, Lambeth Council, Streatham and Croydon North, TfL, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Banned in Whitgift Centre, werewolf’s on the prowl in Croydon

Posted on August 24, 2026 by insidecroydon

GABRIEL MacARTHUR was on set for a music video shoot with a difference – it didn’t have Taylor Swift in it 

Local attraction: Friday’s music video shoot caused some excitement on the high street

There’s been a werewolf on the prowl on the high street and, in true Croydon fashion, most passers-by seemed more interested in taking a photograph with the beast than running from it.

The werewolf sightings were mostly on North End and on George Street on Friday, as the beast had come to town for the recording of a music video for local alt/funk band Slack Magic.

The Slack Magic werewolf was caught prowling in The Oval Tavern, at Riff RafFs on George Street and at the Never Say Die! tattoo studio. Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Art, Business, Centrale, Gabriel MacArthur, Music, Riff Raffs, The Oval Tavern, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Walk and Talk Riddlesdown, weekly every Sunday from 9am

Posted on August 24, 2026 by insidecroydon

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