Author Archives: insidecroydon

About insidecroydon

News, views and analysis about the people of Croydon, their lives and political times in the diverse and most-populated borough in London. Based in Croydon and edited by Steven Downes. To contact us, please email inside.croydon@btinternet.com

Eagles fans asked to choose design for aircraft’s club colours

Eagles fans can choose how a commercial passenger jet will look in the club’s colours. SunExpress are “the exclusive airline partner of Crystal Palace”, and they are adding a special Palace-themed aircraft to its fleet. Now they want the club’s … Continue reading

Posted in Activities, Crystal Palace FC, Football, Sport, Transport | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Junkyard Choir and Bewley Brothers, Oval Tavern, Fri Feb 6

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

Whitgift Centre managers accused of lying about bar’s fate

Paris-based Westfield refuse to comment after Post Office forced to abandon planned move, while developers’ February deadline for planning application draws near. By STEVEN DOWNES Westfield have plans to redevelop the Whitgift Centre “earlier” than previously believed. That’s according to … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Business, Fairfield, Post Office, Pubs, Restaurants, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Polanski is running for election, right through Croydon’s streets

The Green Party’s latest Party Political Broadcast, shown across the country on the BBC and ITV, offered a message of hope straight from the streets of Croydon. The Jubilee Bridge underpass, side streets off Church Road and Edridge Road, with … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Croydon Greens, Duppas Hill Park | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

Rail engineering works to cause train delays for third weekend

Transport authorities are warning rail passengers travelling between Croydon, Purley, Gatwick and the south coast that what would usually be a 30-minute journey could take four times as long this weekend. Network Rail is conducting extensive engineering works on the … Continue reading

Posted in East Croydon, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

MP Irons drops a clanger with ULEZ letter to the wrong mayor

DOH! Newbie Labour MP’s staff send an email to Croydon’s Tory Mayor’s office to complain about the Labour Mayor of London’s policy on road charging “I’m frankly astonished,” Jason Perry, the Mayor of Croydon, wrote on every social media platform … Continue reading

Posted in London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, TfL, Transport, ULEZ, ULEZ expansion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Tories forced to amend forgetful Barwell’s dodgy election bio

Inside Croydon will be sending the invoice for our proof-reading services to the incompetents at Croydon Conservatives’ HQ, after they made a late amendment when caught out with an untruth. But how many more lies might be found on the … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Andrew Stranack, Jack Barwell, Mayor Jason Perry, Selsdon Vale and Forestdale | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Reform backs policy that could see children killed on our roads

What is Nigel Farage’s political company of grifters proposing for Croydon? To remove current 20mph speed limits on our streets. Columnist ANDREW FISHER, right, lays out the science and the facts in the face of far-right rhetoric  I’ve lived in … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Andrew Fisher, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Civic service at Town Hall will mark Holocaust Memorial Day

Croydon’s Holocaust Memorial Ceremony is to take place in the Council Chamber at the Town Hall from noon next Tuesday, January 27. And while this is a civic ceremony, Jason Perry, the Conservative Mayor who is up for election, intends … Continue reading

Posted in Church and religions, Croydon Synagogue, Mayor Jason Perry, Richard Chatterjee | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

EA set to allow Viridor to burn more toxic waste at Beddington

Sutton Council is accused of ‘hoisting the white flag’ after latest acidic air emissions, as a multi-billion American-owned business seems set to be allowed to pump even more pollution into the south London atmosphere. EXCLUSIVE By STEVEN DOWNES  Local councillors … Continue reading

Posted in Barry Lewis, Bobby Dean, Broad Green, Business, Environment, Kingston, London-wide issues, Merton, Nick Mattey, Refuse collection, Steve Reed MP, Sutton Council, Tim Foster, Waddon, Waste incinerator | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

The shrine to Croydon’s musical past that is nurturing its future

Over more than half a century, the customers of a London Road guitar shop have included Page, Rossi and Kravitz. As NADIA AZIZUDDIN writes, Croydon’s musical future is to be found in Rockbottom’s basement rehearsal rooms Rockbottom is at the … Continue reading

Posted in Art, Broad Green, Business, Music, Nadia Azizuddin, Rockbottom, West Croydon | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Fran McGillivray Band, The Oval Tavern, free entry, Jan 25

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

Lord Barwell’s son has a second go at getting himself elected

WALTER CRONXITE, Political Editor, sifts through the much-delayed council candidate selections of the local Conservatives, who could lose one-third of their Town Hall seats come the elections in May After an absence of 16 years, there just might be a … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Addiscombe East, Addiscombe West, Andrew Stranack, Jack Barwell, Jeet Bains, Margaret Bird, Mayor Jason Perry, New Addington, New Addington North, Old Coulsdon, Rowenna Davis, Selsdon Vale and Forestdale, Simon Fox, Waddon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Eagles glory, Mozart magic and Ó Briain’s gags at Fairfield Halls

Fairfield Halls, south London’s sleeping giant of the arts, is waking up to the first half of 2026 with “a vibrant programme” of music, theatre, comedy and culture. Highlights include The Real Thing’s 50th anniversary tour, stand-up from Dara Ó … Continue reading

Posted in Art, BH Live, Comedy, Fairfield Halls, London Mozart Players, Music | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Home Bargains finds a new home with store off the Purley Way

Home Bargains is moving home, with the latest among their 600 warehouse-like stores opening on the Purley Way this Saturday, January 24. The family-run business based in Liverpool reckons that they have spent “approximately £1million” on their Croydon store, in … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Purley Way | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

NHS staff at St Helier to start strike action over unpaid back-pay

Healthcare assistants whose jobs were wrongly graded are at ‘breaking point’, as managers at Epsom Hospital, St George’s in Tooting and St Helier refuse to make good their errors NHS staff will be on picket lines outside three major hospitals … Continue reading

Posted in Health, St Helier Hospital | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Friends of Addiscombe Railway Park’s Wassail, Sat Jan 24

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Posted in Advertisement, Advertisement features, Community associations, Friends of Addiscombe Railway Park, Gardening | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Met claims 103 arrests during facial recognition camera trial

Using their new ‘RoboCop’ cameras, police make an arrest in Croydon every 34 minutes, but Live Facial Recognition has been described as ‘stop and search on steroids’, and the tech faces a High Court challenge next week The Metropolitan Police … Continue reading

Posted in Chris Philp MP, Crime, Croydon South, Croydon West, Fairfield, Knife crime, Live Facial Recognition cameras, London-wide issues, Policing, Sarah Jones MP | Leave a comment

Scooter batteries are blamed for blaze in Bromley garden shed

Four fire engines and around 25 fire fighters were called to a fire in a garden shed in Bromley on Saturday, where the “catastrophic failure” of lithium batteries in two mobility scooters has been given as the cause of the … Continue reading

Posted in Bromley Council, London Fire Brigade | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Conservatives confirm Creatura’s departure as Gatland retires

Town Hall reporter KEN LEE on news from Croydon Tories’ HQ that many had been predicting for months, as four councillors are set to stand down Even when they are doing the decent thing and thanking their councillors for their … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, Coulsdon, Coulsdon Town, Croydon Council, Fatima Zaman, Holly Ramsey, Maria Gatland, Mario Creatura, Mayor Jason Perry, Purley, Selsdon Vale and Forestdale, South Croydon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Delays for commuters after rail engineering works over-run

Commuters trying to get to work this morning between East Croydon, Purley and Gatwick Airport were confronted with some delays, diversions and cancellations, as Network Rail’s extensive weekend engineering works over-ran. There would usually be four lines available on the … Continue reading

Posted in East Croydon, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The curious case of the Croydon curate and his woman stalker

CROYDON CHRONICLES: For six years at the end of the 19th Century, church services and the lives of clergymen in Croydon and in Southend were disrupted by the behaviour of one woman. DAVID MORGAN with his latest discovery from the … Continue reading

Posted in Crime, Croydon Minster, David Morgan, History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Age UK coffee mornings, Dunelm, second Thu of each month

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Posted in Advertisement, Advertisement features, Age UK Croydon, Charity | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Get that drain unblocked! Call Drainage & Plumbing today

A D V E R T I S E M E N T Phone 07771 200 075 – services 24/7 Click here to visit Drainage and Plumbing’s website to find out about all their services

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Council seizes 36 homes in crackdown against tenancy fraud

Croydon has seized possession of 36 council-owned homes in a massive crackdown on housing fraud in the borough. The council homes – desperately needed to provide housing for people on the council’s waiting list – were being occupied by people … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Housing, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments