Monthly Archives: April 2024
‘Scared’ Surrey Street market traders in calls for more police
Home Office funding for extra policing in Croydon town centre finishes at the end of April, and there’s no plans to increase officer presence on Surrey Street. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES The Metropolitan Police will not provide undertakings that they … Continue reading
Sharkey among guests as River Summit comes to the Wandle
Feargal Sharkey, a leader in the national debate about the parlous quality of water in the country’s rivers, lakes and canals, is among the participants at the 2024 UK River Summit which is being held along the banks of the … Continue reading
How businesses profited at expense of the Borough of Culture
BOROUGH OF VULTURES: £1.3m of arts funding provided by the Mayor of London was misused by Croydon’s Tory council to boost local businesses, but delivered a year-long flop, judging by official audience figures. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Croydon’s year as … Continue reading
Cause of Beckenham Road shop blaze ‘deliberate’ says LFB
The emergency services have declared that the cause of a fire at a shop with flats above in Bromley in the early hours of this morning was “believed to be deliberate”. It took four fire engines and around 25 firefighters … Continue reading
Trust to spend thousands on taxis to break ambulance strike
A south London NHS hospital trust is set to spend tens of thousands of pounds on Ubers and other private hire transport as they attempt to break a strike by union members, according to the GMB. Members of the union … Continue reading
Marathon star helps Wallington school go the extra mile
His legs still aching from the ordeal of racing more than 26 miles through the streets of London the day before, Marc Scott turned out at a Wallington primary school yesterday morning, possibly to inspire the next generation of champion … Continue reading
LibDems cancel Sutton selection meeting after ‘complaints’
Campaigning in what ought to be a ‘winnable’ parliamentary seat has been dogged by controversies and challenges, reports BELLE MONT With a General Election getting ever closer, the Liberal Democrats, already in complete disarray over who should be their candidate … Continue reading
Coulsdon’s cast goes out to sea to deliver a complex catch
The latest play being performed this week on stage at the Coulsdon Community Centre is not to be missed, says KEN TOWL The orca is, in many ways, not what it seems. Also known as the killer whale, it is … Continue reading
Artist Nash who captured Croydon church’s great disaster
SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT: A pupil at a school in the town centre went on to become a noted Victorian era illustrator, an artist to the Queen, and responsible for probably the most famous image of the dreadful blaze that almost destroyed … Continue reading
Auckland Rise residents suffer the ‘curse’ of Brick by Brick
Our housing correspondent, BARRATT HOLMES, reports on how some of the warnings about the council house-builders’ ‘affordable’ homes are becoming an costly reality in Crystal Palace Residents in supposedly “affordable” shared ownership homes built in Crystal Palace by the council-owned … Continue reading
Fire-hit cricket club determined to maintain Mitcham’s traditions
Clubs and residents’ groups in Mitcham have been picking up the pieces following the blaze on Friday night that caused terrible damage to the Grade II-listed Burn Bullock pub. As well as its association with a former Surrey cricketer, the … Continue reading
34-year-old appears in court charged with Surrey Street murder
A man has been charged with the murder of Rijkaard Siafa on Surrey Street last week. David Walcott was charged with murder yesterday and was due to appear at Bromley Magistrates’ Court. Walcott, 34, is from Turle Road, Norbury. He … Continue reading
This time we’ve got it right, council says on postal ballot forms
Croydon Council has confirmed that there has been no error in the printing of the postal vote envelopes for the London elections next month. As postal ballot papers began to arrive at voters’ homes in Croydon this week, some questioned … Continue reading
Burn Bullock pub fire: ‘Mitcham’s history was lost tonight’
There are well-placed fears that one of the area’s most historic pubs, the Burn Bullock at Mitcham, has been lost forever after a large fire took hold in the long-abandoned building last night. The site has been targeted for a … Continue reading
Croydon FC 2024-2025 youth trials, Apr 27, May 11 and May 25
Universal Credit webinar, SW London Law Centres, Apr 29
£603,000: the soaring costs of Croydon’s ‘improvement’ panel
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Three years since Tony McArdle and his government-appointed team of troubleshooters were parachuted into the council, there are mounting questions about what they have achieved. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES The Government-appointed chair of Croydon Council’s “improvement and … Continue reading
Lambeth man arrested in connection with Surrey Street murder
Detectives investigating the murder of 22-year-old Rijkaard Siafa in Croydon last Friday have today made a second arrest. A 34-year-old man was arrested in the early hours of this morning at an address in Lambeth on suspicion of murder, and … Continue reading
Ballot opens tomorrow for 2025 London Marathon entries
If you’ve been inspired, or guilt-tripped, over this Sunday’s London Marathon, then maybe you ought to consider applying for the 45th staging of the race, which will take place on Sunday April 27, 2025. The ballot for entries – where … Continue reading
Raman Subba Row: OW who saved Surrey and changed cricket
There will be a strange, sad, empty space on a bench near the boundary of the Old Whitgiftians’ Croham Road cricket ground in South Croydon this summer. It is a spot where Raman Subba Row used to sit in the … Continue reading
This year’s round of covid booster vaccinations available now
The NHS National Booking System for spring covid-19 vaccinations opened this week, with eligible people across London able to book appointments now. The first appointments start on Monday, April 22. People at increased risk from severe illness can get the … Continue reading
Open air Shakespeare is coming to Crystal Palace Park in June
Another outdoor arts experience is coming to Crystal Palace Park this summer, when touring company Shakespeare in the Squares rolls out its stage and backdrop for their 2024 production of All’s Well That Ends Well. Shakespeare in the Squares – … Continue reading
May 2’s election day will show how bad things are for Tories
With two weeks to go, ANDREW FISHER focuses in on your three, or four, votes in Croydon. PLUS: how you can make sure you have proper photo ID for election day Every Croydon voter will have at least three votes … Continue reading
