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Category Archives: Poetry
Waterstones’ primaries enjoy poetry, mysteries and recycling
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 … Continue reading
Posted in Activities, Art, Business, Education, Poetry, Schools, Whitgift Centre
Tagged All Saints Church of England School, Applegarth Academy, Broadmead Primary, Chestnut Park Infants and Chestnut Park School, Courtwood Academy, Croydon, Ecclesbourne Primary, Harris Haling Primary, Heathfield Academy, Howard Primary, Howard Primary School, Park Hill Infants and Junior, Parkhill Infants and Parkhill Junior school, Purley Oaks School, Quest school, Regina Coeli Primary, Robert Fitzroy Academy, St Aiden’s Primary, St Mary's Catholic Junior School, St Peter's Primary School, The Crescent Primary, The Good Shepherd Primary, Tudor Academy, Tunstal Nursery, Waterstones, Waterstones Croydon, Whitehorse Manor, Whitgift Centre, Winterborne Primary, World Book Day
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Great Big Bug Show is bringing minibeasts to South Norwood
Simon Mole and musician Gecko are bringing their new family performance, The Great Big Bug Show, to Stanley Halls in South Norwood for the spring half-term, on Wednesday May 27. Mole is the National Poetry Day Ambassador and acclaimed children’s … Continue reading
Posted in Activities, Art, Music, Poetry, Stanley Halls, Theatre
Tagged Gecko, Half term, Simon Mole, Stanley Arts, Stanley Halls
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Pictures on our streets show we need more art in Croydon
CROYDON COMMENTARY: Pablo Picasso said, ‘Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life’, and PETER UNDERWOOD believes that our borough, and its many outstanding arts organisations, could do with a bit more of the dust being washed … Continue reading
Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Art, Borough of Culture 2023, Croydon Greens, Fairfield Halls, London Mozart Players, National Gallery Art On Your Doorstep, Peter Underwood, Poetry, Queens Gardens, Talawa Theatre Company, Turf Projects
Tagged Art, Art On Your Doorstep, Auguste Rodin, Borough of Culture, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, London Mozart Players, Mayor, National Gallery, National GalleryArt, Pablo Picasso, Peter Underwood, Queens Gardens, Talawa Theatre Company, The BRIT School
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Purley writer Dobbyn named in top dozen of poetry competition
Johnny Dobbyn, one of Inside Croydon’s long-time contributors, has had one of his poems, Kill Switch, highly commended in the 2026 Daily Telegraph poetry competition. Kill Switch was chosen among the best works from a record entry – more than … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Johnny Dobbyn, Poetry
Tagged Daily Telegraph, Daily Telegraph poetry competition, Johnny Dobbyn, Poetry
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Highly commended: Johnny Dobbyn’s poem ‘Kill Switch’
Kill Switch By Johnny Dobbyn Highly commended, Daily Telegraph poetry competition 2026 The red-eyed imp ischemia sat in the corner of her kitchen, squatting in the litter tray, and wondering when to make its presence felt. It saw the Post-it … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Johnny Dobbyn, Poetry
Tagged Daily Telegraph, Daily Telegraph poetry competition, Johnny Dobbyn, Poetry
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BYOB 6th anniversary open mic night, Boxpark, Tue Dec 9
S U B S C R I B E R A D V E R T I S E M E N T
Posted in Advertisement, Advertisement features, Art, Boxpark, Johnny Dobbyn, Poetry
Tagged Boozepark, Boxpark, BYOB, Johnny Dobbyn, Poetry
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‘We have history, we embrace the present, we fly to the future’
During their latest, remarkable victory, this time over champions Liverpool at Selhurst Park on Saturday, Crystal Palace revealed their club poem, put together by local poet Dan Simpson after a year’s work with fans, as part of “A Poem For … Continue reading
Skibabble open mic night at The Front Room, next up: Oct 7
S U B S C R I B E R A D V E R T I S E M E N T
Posted in Activities, Art, Comedy, Music, Poetry, St George's Walk, The Front Room
Tagged Comedy, Music, Poetry, Skibabble, St George's Walk, The Front Room
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Croydon-born children’s author Allan Ahlberg has died
Allan Ahlberg, the children’s author and poet whose writing touched the lives of countless families, died this week. He was 87. Ahlberg was born in Croydon in 1938. Working with his illustrator wife Janet Ahlberg, together they produced a host … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Poetry
Tagged Allan Ahlberg, Croydon, Each Peach Pear Plum, Janet Ahlberg, Jessica Ahlberg, Michael Rosen, Peepo!, Raymond Briggs, Sandwell, The Jolly Postman, Woof!
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Wizz Jones, Croydon’s pioneer of folk music, has died aged 86
He gave lessons to Keith Richards, had Bruce Springsteen cover his songs and was copied by Eric Clapton. His Times obituary described him as a guitarist who ‘should have been superstar’ Wizz Jones, described as one of the seminal musicians … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Croydon Folk Club, Music, Poetry, Thornton Heath
Tagged Addiscombe, Berlin, Bruce Springsteen, Croydon Folk Club, Eric Clapton, folk music, Keith Richards, Leslie Arms, Ralph McTell, Rod Stewart, Sir Philip Game Centre, Streets of London, The Rolling Stones, Thornton Heath, Wizz Jones
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Palace are adding a touch of poetry to their beautiful game
It is sometimes said that football, when it’s played properly, at its fluid best, is like a form of physical poetry. Well now, the National Literacy Trust and Arts Council England have launched A Poem for Your Club to try … Continue reading
Love Cronx EP plays out in the spirit of Beano’s and Cymande
KEN TOWL went along to where much-missed vinyl record store once was, and found more great beats at the heart of Croydon My invitation said, “Join the Beats and Eats team for our Love Cronx EP release party, featuring a … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Ken Towl, Music, Poetry
Tagged Beanos, Beats and Eats, Big Nate, Cymande, Middle Street, The Venue
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Learning Disability Carnival, Croydon North End, July 6
Posted in Activities, Dance, Education, Music, Poetry
Tagged Croydon North End, Learning Disabilities, Learning Disability Carnival, North End
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2,000 primary pupils inspired by star authors at Waterstones
Almost 2,000 pupils from Croydon primary schools have this week come with their classes to Waterstones in the Whitgift Centre to celebrate World Book Day in an impressive and inspiring series of talks and events featuring locally-based authors. The youngsters … Continue reading
Under The Flyover listens in as Billy Bragg goes to The BRIT
Forty years since the release of his Life’s A Riot album, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg visited the world-famous BRIT School in Selhurst last week to talk about his career, answering questions from pupils. In a wonderfully frank, inspiring and insightful Q&A … Continue reading
Britain’s Got Talent auditions come to London next month
The nation’s favourite talent show is coming to south London next month looking for a talented act to take the crown of our 17th series. Britain’s Got Talent is holding open auditions where Londoners are invited to present their unique … Continue reading
Posted in Activities, Comedy, Dance, Music, Poetry, Theatre
Tagged Britain's Got Talent, Kia Oval, Simon Cowell, The Oval
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Taking Liberty with the arts in a way that celebrates us all
KEN TOWL takes hope, and much joy, from last week’s Liberty Festival, where deaf, disabled and neurodivergent artists injected some much-needed culture into the borough. Photos by PAUL FULLER The Liberty Festival, which landed in Croydon last weekend, represented the … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Ashcroft Theatre, Borough of Culture 2023, Comedy, Dance, Fairfield Halls, Ken Towl, Music, Poetry
Tagged Aaron Simmonds, Ashcroft Theatre, Borough of Culture, Croydon, Drunken Chorus, Fairfield Halls, Francesca Martinez, giraffes, Inner Vision Orchestra, Ken Towl, Liberty Festival, Steve Day
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‘We’ll be back!’ as organisers abandon 2023 festival plans
There is to be no Crystal Palace Festival this year, the organisers said in a shock announcement last night in which they expressed the hope that they can secure the necessary funding for a return in 2024. “It’s time to … Continue reading
Trinity pupil named as prize-winner in Young Poets awards
A Trinity School sixth former has been named by the judges among the top 15 in this year’s Foyle Young Poets of the Year competition. Sienna Mehta, from Purley, is 16 years old and is studying English Literature along with … Continue reading
Posted in Poetry, Purley, Schools, Trinity School
Tagged Foyle Young Poets of the Year, Poetry Society, Sienna Mehta, Trinity School
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Crystal Palace Festival is going back to its roots for return
After a three-year wait, the Crystal Palace Festival is back, on September 17 and 18. The Festival marks its return post-covid by going back to its high street roots, with festival hubs popping up all around the high street area … Continue reading
Carshalton’s parks, ponds and pubs offer festival fresh hope
Acts, dates and venues have been released for the first Carshalton Festival, a week of arts and entertainment taking place at venues in and around the parks, ponds and pubs of Carshalton village. The Carshalton Festival runs from Monday, June … Continue reading
Posted in Activities, Art, Church and religions, Cryer Theatre, Dance, Music, Outside Croydon, Poetry, Sutton Council, Theatre
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