Apparently, the Spring Park Residents’ Association is, according to its own constitution, “a non-party political, non-sectarian organisation, which was founded in 1932 to represent the views of its members to the local authority and other organisations on matters of public concern”.

Those are our italics. To represent the views of its members to the local authority.

The Spring Park Residents’ Association operates in a neighbourhood of Shirley ward, at the borough’s eastern edge, in the Croydon Central parliamentary constituency, and serves around 2,800 households.

On Wednesday this week, the “non-party political” residents’ association is staging its annual meeting. The AGM is usually held in June or July. The 2014 AGM will have as its guest speaker the Conservative MP for the Whitgift Foundation, Gavin Barwell.

Barwell’s chosen text for the good people of Spring Park is “2014: A great year for Croydon”.

The “non-party political” Spring Park Residents’ Association will also be staging a “Q&A with locally elected representatives”. Shirley ward’s councillors include florid-faced Mike Fisher, the leader of the Conservatives on Croydon Council.

Just eight days later, on May 22, Fisher  and these “locally elected representatives” will have to face re-election for their seats at the Town Hall. Presumably, the subject of the forthcoming local elections might come up at the “non-party political” Spring Park Residents’ Association meeting.

The “non-party political” Spring Park Residents’ Association has not invited candidates from any other political party to address their members this Wednesday. Presumably because, rather than being non-party political, the Spring Park Residents’ Association believes that Shirley is in fact a one-party state.

Inside Croydon’s recent coverage of the local elections:

• Threat of UKIP forces Tories to press the panic button
• WEST THORNTON: Tories forget to include entire ward in election ad
• These are the councillors who voted to build on a public park
• Questions mount over political influence at council
• What Barwell fails to tell you and the myths of Council Tax
• Council allowances and local politicians’ secret consensus
• The list of candidates for the May 22 local elections

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  Coming to Croydon

  • Thornton Heath local election hustings, May 14
  • Norwood Society Talk: West Norwood – a place of change, May 15
  • David Lean Cinema: The Invisible Woman, May 15
  • Broad Green local election hustings, May 15
  • Coulsdon West local election hustings, May 16
  • Mrs McMoon and Signor Baffo at Stanley Halls, May 17
  • Croydon RFC charity memorial day, May 17
  • Warehouse International Palywriting Festival, May 17-18
  • Riverside Animal Centre Open Day, May 18
  • Coulsdon East local election hustings, May 19
  • St Giles’ primary school open morning, May 21
  • David Lean Cinema: The Rocket, May 22
  • Greek Myths: stories and mask-making, May 27
  • Howard Marks: Scholar, Smuggler, Prisoner, Scribe, May 29
  • David Lean Cinema: Dallas Buyers Club, May 29
  • Tales from Ancient Greece, Upper Norwood Library, May 29
  • Upper Norwood Library Book Club, May 31
  • Stitch Pitch quilting workshop, Upper Norwood Library, June 2
  • Croydon Tech City “summit”, June 6
  • Lakes Playground Action Group fun day, June 14
  • Elm Tree Cottage garden open day, June 15
  • Norwood Society Talk: The Concrete Church, June 19
  • Classic Car Show at Purley Rotary Fields, June 22
  • Crystal Palace Overground Festival, June 26-29
  • South Norwood Allotments open day, June 28
  • Elm Tree Cottage garden open day, Aug 10
  • Norwood Society Talk: War Memorials, Sep 18
  • Norwood Society Talk: From Fire Station to Theatre, Oct 16
  • Norwood Society Talk: Lambeth’s Archives, Nov 20

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  Inside Croydon: Croydon’s only independent news source, based in the heart of the borough: 72,342 average monthly page views (Jan-Mar 2014)

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