The Mayor’s record in office has worse delivery than Royal Mail

Posted on March 28, 2026 by insidecroydon

With Tory Jason Perry’s election pledges dropping on residents’ doormats this week and Labour candidate Rowenna Davis publishing her manifesto, the claims and promises of the two front-runners for Croydon Mayor are examined here by ANDREW FISHER

While incumbent Mayor Jason Perry hasn’t (yet) issued a manifesto, his election leaflet sets out what he considers the six key bits of his record, under the title “Lots done. Lots more to do.”

Top of the Mayor’s list is “fixing the finances”, which will be news to both Croydon residents and the government Commissioners alike. This year, the council requested £119million of Exceptional Financial Support, up from £110 million last year, and up from £50m in 2023-2024.

He’s fucked the finances, not fixed them!

And that’s despite hiking our Council Tax by 33% since 2023.

Next up on Perry’s list is “Croydon Town Centre”, about which Perry says, “Businesses are opening… slowly but surely, the town centre is coming back”. The new shops in the Allders building are certainly open, but five times as many shops closed in the Whitgift Centre in 2025 than Westfield opened on North End. Continue reading →

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Andrew Fisher, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Croydon parks, Fly tipping, Mayor Jason Perry, Rowenna Davis | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The election night in 1966 when I saw David Winnick win

Posted on March 28, 2026 by insidecroydon

DAVID WHITE pays tribute to the former Croydon Labour MP, David Winnick, who has died, aged 92

Veteran MP: David Winnick was elected in Croydon in 1966 and served another constituency for 38 years

David Winnick, who has died this week, aged 92, served as a Croydon Labour MP in the 1960s.

The very first election count I attended was at Croydon Town Hall on the occasion of the 1966 General Election. I met David Winnick there for the first time. He was the Labour candidate for Croydon South, basically the constituency which was later called Croydon Central.

The constituency had been represented by Sir Richard Thompson, a Tory businessman and baronet. Thompson was standing for re-election. On the first count Thompson was declared to be the winner by a slender margin of 100 votes or so. Winnick and his agent, Syed Shah, asked for a recount.

Shah owned a newsagents on Croydon High Street and had already established a reputation as an efficient Labour organiser. On the second count, Shah spotted a bundle of 100 votes for Winnick which had mistakenly been put in the pile for Thompson.

So the eventual outcome was a win for Winnick by 81 votes and a Labour gain in Harold Wilson’s landslide victory. Conservatives Bernard Wetherill (Croydon North East) and Fred Harris (Croydon North West) were the other Croydon MPs elected that day, almost exactly 60 years ago. Continue reading →

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‘Modern-Day Art’ Exhibition at Croydon Art Space, to Apr 30

Posted on March 28, 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

Continue reading →

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Reform’s candidate for Mayor bottles it ahead of Farage visit

Posted on March 27, 2026 by insidecroydon

ELECTION EXCLUSIVE: Less than 48 hours before he was due to be unveiled at the Fairfield Halls as his party’s pick to head their campaign in Croydon, Dan Milner-Tebbutt resigned. Political editor WALTER CRONXITE reveals his replacement, another Conservative defector to the party of grifters 

Just hours after this website published its report about Daniel Tebbutt switching roles at Croydon Reform, standing down as chair of the local party in order to take on a “new role”, than Dan Milner-Tebbutt (as he is now known following his recent marriage) announced on social media that he was resigning as the party’s candidate for Croydon Mayor.

Campaign in disarray: Nigel Farage’s party is on to its fourth mayoral candidate in barely a year

Reform’s grifter-in-chief Nigel Farage is expected in Croydon tomorrow, for a “walkabout” at Central Parade in New Addington from 3pm, before a £5-a-ticket “rally” at the council-owned arts centre, the Fairfield Halls.

There, Farage is to launch his party’s London local election campaign, and was also expected to reveal the identity of their Croydon mayoral candidate.

But with the party’s ratings in the polls slipping, and problems in finding people to stand as local election candidates, tomorrow Farage will arrive in a borough where Reform is in a state of disarray, its social media presence having been erased completely and around 10 of their selected council election candidates having quit, in addition to Milner-Tebbutt.

Reform Ltd in Croydon is now on to its fourth mayoral candidate in little more than a year, although the latest one does appear to have a pulse. Continue reading →

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Ben Flook, Dan Milner-Tebbutt | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

‘Decency’ hustings as no one missed the missing candidate

Posted on March 27, 2026 by insidecroydon

‘Like a sauna at a David Lloyd fitness centre’: but at least the mayoral candidates kept their clothes on for last night’s Croydon Business Association hustings

ELECTION SKETCH: In a cramped ‘hub’ in Broad Green, the first full hustings of the 2026 Croydon Mayor campaign took place last night. KEN TOWL was there, so you didn’t need to be (and you couldn’t have squeezed in, anyway)

The reception area of the Croydon Smile hub is taller than it is long. The building, dark wood and glass on the outside, pointing up at the sky like a black wedge of cheese, looks like an architectural metaphor for aspiration. The Croydon Business Association chose it for their mayoral hustings.

Inside, it has the look of a sauna at a David Lloyd fitness club, all exposed pine, with five people seated in a row being grilled. Fortunately, they kept their clothes on.

These are some of the people with an aspiration of their own, to be executive Mayor of Croydon for four years starting on May 8. There might have been six, but we don’t find out why there is not until the end… Continue reading →

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Community associations, Croydon Business Association, Ken Towl, Mayor Jason Perry, Michael Pusey, Peter Underwood, Richard Howard, Rowenna Davis, Ruskin House | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

At 78, Palace hero Roy becomes Bristol City caretaker boss

Posted on March 27, 2026 by insidecroydon

Back in the spotlight: Roy Hodgson has come out of retirement

At 78, Roy Hodgson, the holder of the Freedom of the Borough of Croydon, is about to embark on his 21st managerial job.

The former England manager and twice boss at his hometown club Crystal Palace, has today been announced as head coach of Championship side Bristol City for the remainder of the season.

Hodgson was in charge at Ashton Gate once before – 44 years ago.

This time, he has been placed in charge with the club 16th in the league table, seemingly safe from threat of relegation with seven games to go, but without a win in six matches.

Hodgson takes over following the sacking as manager of Gerhard Struber. Continue reading →

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Coulsdon’s Bell promises ding-dong contest in Gladiators final

Posted on March 27, 2026 by insidecroydon

A 23-year-old rugby player from Coulsdon is in tomorrow night’s final of Gladiators.

Coulsdon champion: Emily Bell is in tomorrow’s Gladiators final

Emily Bell says that her background in contact sport – as well as playing for rugby league side London Broncos, she took up judo when at Cambridge University – has helped her cope with the physical strength and speed tests posed by the professional Gladiators as she has batled her way into the final.

That, and the support of her mum and her community in Croydon.

Gladiators is the long-running show where members of the public are pitted against each other over a series of races and challenges, with powerhouse professional guards, the Gladiators, standing in their way, often armed with pugil sticks…

Bell, who works as a marketing intern at Morgan Stanley, told the BBC ahead of the final, “It’s just been so fun to rep the flag of south London, of Croydon.”

A big party is planned for tomorrow night, to watch the action as it goes out on the prime-time show hosted by Bradley Walsh and his son Barney Walsh. Continue reading →

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Game of musical chairs for Reform as Tebbutt takes ‘new role’

Posted on March 26, 2026 by insidecroydon

Just five days before their party leader is expected at the Fairfield Halls for a rally to be attended by “thousands” (in a Concert Hall with a capacity of fewer than 1,800), and Reform Ltd in Croydon has changed their local chair for the third time in barely nine months.

An email was sent to members of Croydon Reform on Monday evening, March 23, from Dan Tebbutt, announcing that the “branch committee of Reform UK Croydon” had re-appointed Nik Stewert as chairman, replacing Tebbutt.

Thrusting politician: Dan Tebbutt has stood down as Reform Ltd Croydon’s chair

Tebbutt had been chair only since November 19 last year. Before that, Stewert had been chair for less than six months.

No reason was given for this game of musical chairs, which comes with the local elections just a few weeks away and, as yet, not a single Reform council candidate confirmed in Croydon.

Nigel Farage, the millionaire grifter who fronts Reform Ltd, is expected to announce the party’s Croydon Mayor candidate on Saturday night.

He will do so against a backdrop of the local party in some turmoil. Continue reading →

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Dan Milner-Tebbutt | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Selsdon Park Hotel’s new owners hope to re-open by June 2027

Posted on March 26, 2026 by insidecroydon

Back in business: the Selsdon Park Hotel has its third owners in four years, after it was sold to a subsidiary of the BH Group by administrators

EXCLUSIVE By STEVEN DOWNES

A £1billion property business has bought what was once known as the Selsdon Park Hotel, and is looking to re-open in 12- to 14-months’ time after a multi-million-pound refurb (yes, another one).

The £200 per night Birch Selsdon, with its two bars, three restaurants and 200 acres of North Downs parkland, was forced into administration in November 2023. It had only opened for business less than six months earlier.

In 2022, what had been a somewhat tired and run-down hotel, sports centre and golf club changed hands to be given a £15million makeover and re-styled as a modern, up-market country club charging members £150 per month.

According to the official administrators, the Birch hotel in Selsdon was “subject to approximately £29million of bank debt”. Continue reading →

Posted in BH Group, Birch (Selsdon), Business, Selsdon Park Hotel | Tagged , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Waterstones’ primaries enjoy poetry, mysteries and recycling

Posted on March 26, 2026 by insidecroydon

Captive audience: for two weeks, Waterstones was full of enraptured children as mostly local authors read from their books

Thousands of children from two dozen local schools got a World Book Day token and an inspiring lesson from an author or illustrator to mark World Book Day at the Whitgift Centre’s biggest book shop

More than 3,500 pupils from Croydon primary and SEN schools took part in special World Book Day events, staged at Waterstone’s book store in the Whitgift Centre earlier this month.

Each session was hosted by local authors who provided enthralling and inspiring classes.

And almost 4,000 children have also used special World Book Day tokens at Waterstones Croydon to get a World Book Day book of their own.

Among the children’s book authors and illustrators attending, Wendy Warren swirled and twirled Reception and Year 1 classes through all the ballet positions Rita Bear attempted in her story The Bear who wanted to Dance. Continue reading →

Posted in Activities, Art, Business, Education, Poetry, Schools, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

43 days to go and desperation is appearing in election leaflets

Posted on March 25, 2026 by insidecroydon

Giving Croydon the finger: Nigel Farage’s grifters’ bandwagon rolls into the Fairfield Halls on Saturday – which is very bad news for Tory Mayor Jason Perry and his Conservative colleagues

After all the calamities inflicted on Croydon by Tory Mayor Jason Perry, from his 33% Council Tax hikes to his unlawful LTN fines, has Labour fallen into their old trap of over-promising before under-delivering?
WALTER CRONXITE, Political Editor, sifts through the latest polling figures

It’s very bad news for Croydon Conservatives that Nigel Farage is to headline a rally for Reform UK Ltd in Croydon on Saturday.

It is typical of the Tory Mayor’s failed and bungled administration that the Fairfield Halls, a council-owned venue, has accepted the booking from Farage’s very well-funded party of grifters, so potentially undermining Jason Perry’s re-election campaign.

The publicity for the event must be worth many Tory-to-Reform vote switches that Perry and Croydon Conservatives just cannot afford. Continue reading →

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Addiscombe East, Chris Clark, Claire Bonham, Council Tax, Croydon Greens, Croydon South, Croydon West, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Esther Sutton, Fairfield, Jeet Bains, London-wide issues, New Addington, New Addington North, Old Coulsdon, Paul Scott, Ria Patel, Richard Howard, Shirley North, Shirley South, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Surrey’s September title heartbreak has been a real motivator

Posted on March 25, 2026 by insidecroydon

Ashes victim: England’s winter tour to Australia was a disaster, but only Surrey batsman Ollie Pope appears to have suffered any consequence

HOOK’S SHOT: The wickets have been rolled, the stumps varnished and bats oiled with linseed. From his seat in The Oval Long Room, MARCUS HOOK, pictured right, looks ahead to the cricket season

Good Friday sees the start of the domestic cricket season. For Surrey it will mark the first step on the path to reclaiming the County Championship. The pain of missing out on a fourth successive title is such that anything other than top billing in 2026 simply isn’t an option.

It all came down to last September’s clash with Nottinghamshire at the Oval. With little to choose between the two contenders, fans were treated to a pulsating four-day contest. Notts held on to win by 20 runs, following it up by routing Warwickshire a week later to end Surrey’s three-year domination.

Matt Fisher, the former England seamer, made his move from Yorkshire to SE11 a year ago. He took 11 wickets in that crunch match against Notts, but now says: “I would have handed all those wickets back for us to win.” Continue reading →

Posted in Cricket, Gareth Batty, Jamie Smith, Marcus Hook, Rory Burns, Sport, Surrey CCC | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Hear Scottish Detective’s crime scene secrets at the Cryer

Posted on March 25, 2026 by insidecroydon

‘This is not fiction. It’s real cases, real victims and real consequences’

Crime fighters: Cheryl Fergus Ferrll and David Swindle will be at the Cryer Arts Centre on May 10

David Swindle, one of the country’s best-known true crime detective figures, will be sharing his insights and memories of a lifetime’s work hunting down criminals when his show, Murder: A Search for The Truth, comes to the Cryer Arts Centre in Carshalton on May 10.

Co-hosting the event will be south London journalist, and Inside Croydon podcast regular, Cheryl Fergus-Ferrell.

Nearly 170,000 people attended Swindle’s show during a nationwide tour last year, but this is the first chance that people from Croydon and Sutton have had to see and hear him on their patch to discuss his approach to cold cases, forensics and legal issues.

“The Scottish Detective” has more than three decades of experience in policing. His work on the case of serial killer and sex offender, Peter Tobin, who was sentenced to a full-life term in prison, and the creation of Operation Anagram changed the way serial killers and cold cases are investigated in Britain. Continue reading →

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Mayor Perry failed to stop Farage rally in council-owned venue

Posted on March 24, 2026 by insidecroydon

Reform UK could win eight or nine council seats in May’s local elections in Croydon, mostly from the Tories. And they could scupper the Conservative Mayor’s re-election bid. But gormless Jason Perry won’t cancel Nigel Farage’s booking at the Fairfield Halls.
EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES

Cheers: Disingenuous grifter Nigel Farage has played Jason Perry for a fool

Jason Perry, Croydon’s failed Tory Mayor, has damaged his re-election chances even more – by allowing Nigel Farage to stage a Reform UK Ltd rally virtually on the Town Hall’s doorstep in a council-owned venue this Saturday.

Farage and his limited company will be rolling up at the Fairfield Halls, where the grifter-in-chief is expected to announce Reform’s candidate for Croydon Mayor – a very poorly disguised secret, although Inside Croydon can reveal that this time the Reform HQ-approved candidate does at least have a pulse.

At the rally ahead of May 7’s local council elections, racist Farage and his loyal supporters will explain how “we will secure our borders”, which is not a local council responsibility, “cut the cost of living”, again something else mostly outside the powers of your average Town Hall, “bring down energy bills”, ditto, and “stop council waste”, which is something that the bozos on the Farage ticket who have taken charge at 12 other councils in the past 12 months have shown themselves incapable or ill-equipped to do.

And, of course, none of the Reform-controlled councils have managed to cut Council Tax, as was promised before they were elected. Continue reading →

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Mayor Jason Perry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Commissioners: council lacks focus and robust delivery plans

Posted on March 24, 2026 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Government releases report critical of the lack of progress and slow pace of improvements in finances under Tory Mayor Jason Perry. By WALTER CRONXITE, Political Editor

Six weeks out from the local elections, the government has published a damning report from its Commissioners at Croydon Council which is hugely critical of failed Mayor Jason Perry and council bosses Katherine Kerswell and her successor as chief executive, Eliane Jackson.

The council’s plans to end its repeated deficit budgets are “at risk due to a lack of focus, prioritisation and robust, agreed delivery plans”, the report says. This is after almost six years of Section 114 notices, Reports In The Public Interest from external auditors, and oversight from the Commissioners’ predecessors, the “improvement” panel.

Unimpressed: Commissioner Ged Curran’s report won’t help Mayor Jason Perry

The latest report, written by lead Commissioner Ged Curran, states that the council’s reliance on interim managers and a high level of “churn” among staff is also undermining any continuity in efforts to fix the problems.

The Commissioners’ report states that the council’s budget for 2026-2027, which was only passed last month with the latest, 5% Council Tax increase, will need to be updated in May after further work by the council’s new finance director, Conrad Hall.

That revised budget seems likely to include more spending cuts and further reduction in Council Tax support for the borough’s poorest and most vulnerable. Continue reading →

Posted in Abi Brown, Adult Social Care, Children's Services, Commissioners, Conrad Hall, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Debbie Warren, Elaine Jackson, Ged Curran, Jackie Belton, Jenny Rowlands, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Stabilisation Plan | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Whatever could they mean? Commissioners call for ‘honesty’

Posted on March 24, 2026 by insidecroydon

Honesty monitor: Croydon’s new £166,000 pa assistant CEO Jenny Rowland

In what is overall a highly critical report from the government-appointed Commissioners after six months working closely with the council run by successive chief execs Katherine Kerswell (until she left in October with a £50,000 pay-off) and Elaine Jackson, and with failed Mayor Jason Perry chipping his tuppence-worth, they make a most intriguing observation.

Paragraph 20 of the eight-page report states:

“Finally, successful delivery of the Transformation Plan will depend on a clear, consistent and honest organisational narrative aligned to Croydon’s values and communications plan.

Continue reading →

Posted in Abi Brown, Adult Social Care, Children's Services, Commissioners, Conrad Hall, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Debbie Warren, Elaine Jackson, Ged Curran, Jackie Belton, Jenny Rowlands, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Stabilisation Plan | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Whitgift crowned national schools rugby champions once again

Posted on March 24, 2026 by insidecroydon

Champions: Whitgift’s under-15s rugby team and sports staff celebrate an outstanding 2025-2026 season

Whitgift School has once again won the national schools’ rugby cup.

The under-15s squad triumphed 32-26 last week in a hard-fought final at Ealing against defending champions Northampton School for Boys in the Continental Tyres Schools Cup. Continue reading →

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Loyal reader Ben Clarke wins Bluebell in Lavenderland prize

Posted on March 24, 2026 by insidecroydon

Inside Croydon subscriber Ben Clarke is the lucky winner of a free family ticket to visit the Bluebell in Lavenderland experience at its Epsom site.

Ben has been a loyal patron for this website since 2024, not only supporting our independent journalism, but also able to access our premium content podcasts, listening in to The Andrew Fisher Interviews, benefit from priority bookings and discounts, and able to enter our frequent prize competitions, such as this one with the prize provided by Mayfield Lavender. Continue reading →

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South Croydon primary part of £45m national nursery scheme

Posted on March 24, 2026 by insidecroydon

Regina Coeli, the Catholic primary on Pampisford Road in South Croydon, is among 34 new or expanded schools in London to receive funding to provide extra nursery provision from September.

Early years: nursery school pupils are welcomed on their first day at the recently expanded Regina Coeli

Inside Croydon reported in January how Regina Coeli had been ranked as Croydon’s top primary school, and had opened a nursery class for children aged from three to four years as the government has provided additional funding for early years provision, marking what the school says is “an exciting new chapter”.

The government reckons that the roll-out of additional childcare provision could save families up to £8,000 per year.

London’s 34 schools – which also include Abbey Primary School in Sutton and Bromley’s Harris Primary Academy Orpington – are among 331 across the country backed by a share of £45million, “helping deliver thousands of new childcare places in areas where access has been hardest”, the government says. Continue reading →

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The art of the deal: what is Perry hiding over Veolia contract?

Posted on March 23, 2026 by insidecroydon

Cheeky truckers: the rules banning pavement parking don’t seem to apply to Veolia. But then, there’s many rules that don’t seem to apply to Croydon’s rubbish contractors

CROYDON COMMENTARY: In 2023, Croydon’s Mayor cancelled the borough’s contract with rubbish contractors Veolia because of “significant and ongoing concerns” over performance. In 2025, the council handed a new £40m deal to Veolia. A year on, the Town Hall has refused to release details of the services Veolia is supposed to deliver.
TONY HOOKER, of the voluntary organisation Litter Free Norbury, pictured, wants to know why

Nearly a year after Croydon’s new waste collection contract came into force, the council has still not published the agreement.

For residents, this is not a minor administrative delay. It raises serious questions about transparency, accountability and what exactly has been agreed behind closed doors in one of the borough’s most high-profile and controversial public service contracts.

Waste collection affects every household in Croydon and represents a major area of council spending. Yet despite repeated requests, the full contract — including service standards, performance targets and penalties — remains withheld from the public, 12 months since it came into force. Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Community associations, Croydon Council, Croydon parks, Environment, Fly tipping, Litter Free Norbury, London-wide issues, Love Norbury, Mayor Jason Perry, Norbury, Refuse collection, Tony Hooker, Veolia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Bruising drama that delivers a punch against the patriarchy

Posted on March 23, 2026 by insidecroydon

Ring-a-ding: The Sweet Science of Bruising is the latest first-rate production by Theatre Workshop Coulsdon

KEN TOWL goes 12 rounds with the latest must-see play to be staged at the Coulsdon Community Centre. Photos by STEVE NORTH

Director Anya Destiney has not made things easy for herself. The Sweet Science of Bruising makes big demands. This is a fast-moving play with no padding. All of the cast have to bring emotional weight and credibility to their roles. They play types – characters living on the margins of Victorian society for a variety of reasons – but they also personify individuals. And that takes a strong cast.

Fortunately, Theatre Workshop Coulsdon is more blessed with good actors than many amateur troupes. Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Coulsdon, Ken Towl, Theatre, Theatre Workshop Coulsdon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, Courtyard Theatre, Apr 14-18

Posted on March 23, 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

Continue reading →

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Bookings open for Scherzo Strings music courses: Apr and Jul

Posted on March 23, 2026 by insidecroydon

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

Continue reading →

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Vicar of Croydon announces move to Walsingham this summer

Posted on March 22, 2026 by insidecroydon

Canon Andrew Bishop is standing down as the Vicar of Croydon, to take up a position in the Diocese of Norwich.

Walsingham with Pudding Norton: Canon Andrew Bishop will leave Croydon this summer

The Vicar of Croydon is an ancient church position that dates back to Saxon times, closely associated with Croydon Minster and the Archbishops of Canterbury, and which carries much wider responsibilities than that of a parish priest. Today, Canon Bishop has a small team of vicars, curates and church wardens whose responsibilities include Croydon Minster itself, Whitgift School and St George’s Church in Waddon.

Rev Canon Dr Andrew Bishop was appointed to Croydon in June 2018, two years after his predecessor, Colin Boswell, retired. So it might be a while before any successor is named.

Canon Bishop announced his pending departure in an email to parishoners this morning. Continue reading →

Posted in Bishop of Croydon, Canon Andrew Bishop, Canon Colin Boswell, Church and religions, Croydon Minster | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The wartime night that the ‘first lady of jazz’ sang for Croydon

Posted on March 22, 2026 by insidecroydon

The real first lady of jazz: Adelaide Hall performed around the world, including in Croydon

CROYDON CHRONICLES: Adelaide Hall performed at the Cotton Club, sang with Duke Ellington and took to the stage in the Berlin of Sally Bowles. And she was a star of the old Croydon Empire, as DAVID MORGAN explains 

It was a Monday evening in mid-February 1942, during the darkest days of the war. The people gathered in the audience at the Croydon Empire were looking forward to something to brighten up their lives. And they were not to be disappointed.

Three acts were given joint top billing on the poster advertising that week’s programme, two comedians and a singer: Jack Edge, “The Royal Jester”: Joe Young, “Your Favourite Comedian”. And then there was Adelaide Hall, who was billed as “The Crooning Blackbird”.

Whoever drafted that Croydon Empire was selling Hall short.

The Croydon audience that night was to see one of the great singing talents to grace the London stage, the “real first lady of jazz” who would become one of the first black artists to regularly appear on BBC radio, even having her own show, Wrapped in Velvet, before becoming the first black woman singer to appear in the Royal Variety Performance, when it was staged at the Victoria Palace Theatre in 1951.

Adelaide Hall would go on to be listed in the 2018 Evening Standard poll as one of the most influential black women in British history.

Yet her story has too often been overlooked. Continue reading →

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