Well, the Christmas tree has gone up at Inside Croydon Towers (we hope you like it), the mulled wine’s been put on a low gas and the stockings have been placed over the mantelpiece (more in hope than expectation – Santa’s not in our covid bubble, after all).
Because that’s it from us for a couple of days.
It’s not that we don’t have loads more material to inflict upon our loyal reader. We just realise that you’ll not be bothering to log-on over the turkey and the mince pies.
And in common, I suspect, with many of you, we’re looking forward to saying goodbye to 2020.
A friend messaged me last week to say, “I won’t be celebrating the New Year. I’ll be wishing good riddance to the old one.”
For sure, this will be a Christmas like no other, after a year like no other.
I hope you are all healthy and hunkered down for what could be the cosiest and most homely of Christmases any of us have encountered. The entirely necessary separation from family and friends will be difficult, I am sure. But essential.
For those working in the hospitality and entertainment businesses, it is the sincere hope of all of your neighbours and customers that you will soon be able to open for business again and thrive in a post-covid Croydon. I, for one, am looking forward to the day when I can visit a pub again without having to give them my National Insurance number and inside leg measurement.
As you will have gathered, as far as our coverage of Croydon Council news is concerned, this has been very much a year like no other.
As we approach the last few days of the year, the website’s readership figures continue to soar – approaching 3million page views in 2020, nearly double our record annual traffic figure previously. So far in 2020, 1.3million people have visited the website.
A year like no other: nearly 3million page views of iC in 2020
Much of this readership has been attracted to the website because of our news-breaking coverage of the collapse of the council’s finances, but also our other news stories – including coronavirus and how it has impacted the lives of us all.
Our content has been followed up by the likes of BBC London News – including a couple of stuttering TV appearances – as well as by the Guardian, Vice.com, The Financial Times, among others, and, of course, Private Eye, where Croydon, and Sutton, retain a dark fascination and remain among the rottenest of Rotten Boroughs.
There’s still more to come from iC this side of New Year: I am expecting that Brick by Brick’s annual accounts will be released next week, and intend to give them all the publicity that they deserve.
Likewise, we have another exclusive about the Fairfield Halls, a story which I believe will disappoint many of you, but may surprise no one.
None of this would have been possible without your loyal and continuing generous support of Inside Croydon, for which I offer my deep gratitude. Thank you.
So here’s wishing you a very merry Christmas and a happy and healthy 2021.
Steven Downes
Editor
InsideCroydon.com
Nice tree! Congratulations on the big increase in readership: we certainly need your informative and witty posts more than ever in these dark days.
Have a great Christmas!
Look forward to all your news in 2021…
Steven, thank you for relentlessly investigating and exposing the underbelly of poor administration in our Council. We ratepayers need an investigative resource to hold this, and any council, to account. May you continue to dish us the dirt on this current administration. No disrespect, but I look forward to a time when your terrier instincts are not required and we can all rest knowing and seeing that our Council is doing the best for us.
We residents of Croydon may have need of you for some time……