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Category Archives: Ken Towl
#DigitalDebate: Inside story from Croydon’s first e-hustings
Our hustings correspondent, KEN TOWL, has seen plenty of pre-election meetings before, but never one quite like this, as Inside Croydon brings the candidate debate into the 21st Century Charmingly chaired by Cheryl Fergus-Ferrell, this was like no other hustings … Continue reading
Posted in #DigitalDebate, 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Ben Flook, Croydon Greens, Inside Croydon, Ken Towl, Mayor Jason Perry, Michael Pusey, Peter Underwood, Richard Howard, Rowenna Davis, Under The Flyover
Tagged #DigitalDebate, Cllr Rowenna Davis, Conservative, Coulsdon, Council Tax, Councillor Rowenna Davis, Croydon, Croydon Council, Green Party, Ken Towl, Labour, Liberal Democrats, London, London Borough of Croydon, Major Richard Howard, Mayor, Mayor Jason Perry, Peter Underwood, Richard Howard, Rowenna Davis, Tony Newman, Tory, Waddon
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‘Decency’ hustings as no one missed the missing candidate
ELECTION SKETCH: In a cramped ‘hub’ in Broad Green, the first full hustings of the 2026 Croydon Mayor campaign took place last night. KEN TOWL was there, so you didn’t need to be (and you couldn’t have squeezed in, anyway) … Continue reading
Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Community associations, Croydon Business Association, Ken Towl, Mayor Jason Perry, Michael Pusey, Peter Underwood, Richard Howard, Rowenna Davis, Ruskin House
Tagged 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon mayoral election, 2026 local elections, Ben Flook, Cllr Rowenna Davis, Conservative, Councillor Rowenna Davis, Croydon, Croydon Council, Dan Tebbutt, Green Party, Ken Towl, Labour, Liberal Democrats, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Peter Underwood, Richard Howard, Rowenna Davis, Taking The Iniative Party, Tory, TTIP
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Bruising drama that delivers a punch against the patriarchy
KEN TOWL goes 12 rounds with the latest must-see play to be staged at the Coulsdon Community Centre. Photos by STEVE NORTH Director Anya Destiney has not made things easy for herself. The Sweet Science of Bruising makes big demands. … Continue reading
Take a step back in time for the start of the election campaign
KEN TOWL was at last night’s Ruskin House election debate, so that you didn’t need to be The great red-green face-off at Ruskin House last night answered some burning questions, such as who will Your Party support? And, what will … Continue reading
Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Ken Towl, Peter Underwood, Rowenna Davis, Ruskin House
Tagged 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon mayoral election, 2026 local elections, Cedar Hall, Cllr Rowenna Davis, Councillor Rowenna Davis, Croydon, Croydon Council, Derek Hatton, Green Party, Ken Towl, Labour, Liverpool, London Borough of Croydon, Militant Tendency, Peter Underwood, Rowenna Davis, Ruskin House
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Standing ovation for Ukrainian cast of Carmen at Fairfield Halls
There were knife fights in central Croydon on Friday, but no teenagers were involved. KEN TOWL reviews Ellen Kent’s passionate production of Bizet’s Carmen by Opera International Kyiv at the Fairfield Halls Four years after Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Fairfield Halls, Ken Towl, Music
Tagged Bizet, Carmen, Fairfield Halls, Ken Towl, Music, opera, Opera International Kyiv, Ukraine, Ukraine invasion
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Dara Ó Briain is a BIG act. Fairfield Halls needs more like him
It was a big night at the Fairfield Halls on Saturday, with Dara Ó Briain, one of the biggest stand-up acts around, performing in front of a full house. KEN TOWL fills in the venue’s audience feedback form The minute … Continue reading
The Sweet Science will be landing a blow for women’s cause
KEN TOWL got a behind-the-scenes preview of the next production from Coulsdon’s acclaimed theatre group, which he says will be a real knock-out In December, when I went to the Coulsdon Community Centre, I saw a great performance of My … Continue reading
Croydon becomes winter wonderland as forecast snow arrives
PHOTOSTORY: Locals woke up this morning to a dusting of light snow, turning parts of the borough into picture postcard scenes. ALAN ROBSON, on Farthing Down, and KEN TOWL, in the Addington Hills, were out and about bright and early … Continue reading
PANTO WARS! Which is the Beauty? And which is the Beast?
Christmas 2025 has Beauty and the Beast as the seasonal pantomime at the Fairfield Halls. And Beauty and the Beast is also on at the Churchill Theatre, just a short bus ride away in Bromley. Oh yes it is! KEN … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Ashcroft Theatre, Bromley Council, Churchill Theatre, Comedy, Fairfield Halls, Ken Towl, Music, Theatre
Tagged Ashcroft Theatre, Beauty and the Beast, Churchill Theatre, Croydon, EastEnders, Ellie Dadd, Fairfield Halls, Hi De Hi!, Ken Towl, pantomime, Royal Variety Performance, Samantha Womack, Su Pollard
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Coombe Lodge open at last, but it doesn’t seem quite finished
EXCLUSIVE: After a three-month closure for a £1m refurbishment, what is it like in the first Wetherspoons pub to open in Croydon for 25 years? KEN TOWL went to find out They reckon that last year, across the country, around … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Ken Towl, Lloyd Park, Property, Pubs, Restaurants, South Croydon
Tagged Beefeater, Brexit, Coombe Lodge, Frank Lloyd, JD Wetherspoons, Lloyd Park, Premier Inn, South Croydon, Wetherspoons, Whitbread
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Strange world evoked by surreal assemblages of NDP Fraser
There was a one-day-only, not-to-be-missed art exhibition in a house on Portland Road. KEN TOWL made sure he didn’t miss it I went to Portland Road the other Saturday, to see what was behind the net curtains. For many years, … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Ken Towl, South Norwood
Tagged Art, Clocktower Gallery, Ken Towl, NDP Fraser, Portland Road, South Norwood, South Norwood Community Kitchen, Surreal
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Intriguing secret societies offer more than conspiracy theories
KEN TOWL delved into the little-known world of local literary societies, the ‘Lits’, where talk is cheap and at least the fruitcakes promise ‘no nuts’ I have discovered a hidden world, a world that exists in the shadows, a world … Continue reading
Posted in Activities, Addiscombe West, Church and religions, Community associations, Croydon Natural History and Scientific Society, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Education, History, Ken Towl, Norwood Society, Purley, Purley Literary Society, Redhill, Sanderstead
Tagged Addiscombe, CNH&SS, Croydon, Croydon Natural History and Scientific Society, East Croydon, Ken Towl, Literary Societies, Margaret Thatcher, Purley, Purley Literary Society, Redhill, Sanderstead, Sanderstead Literary Society, Shaw's Corner Literary Society, St Mildred's Literary Society, The Lit
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Our journey through Beaujolais provided a nouveau experience
KEN TOWL’s unrelenting quest to uncover the best of Croydon culture sees him sent on some very demanding assignments. Thankfully, he managed to survive his latest “Spit or swallow?” I asked, though only to myself. A virgin in the wine-tasting … Continue reading
Visit Croydon Art Space to help brighten grey days of winter
Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat, and the latest Art Space exhibition, People and Landscapes, runs, very conveniently, up to December 18. When I visited recently, I was escorted by curator Paul Hall through the front two rooms … Continue reading
Keeping in the LOOP can get us from Coulsdon to Banstead
WANDLE WANDERER: Crunching through the dried leaves of autumn makes this one of the better times of year to go off on a ramble. But avoiding the worst of the weather is something KEN TOWL discovered is essential Timing was … Continue reading
Posted in Ken Towl, Walks
Tagged Banstead, Coulsdon, Coulsdon South, Ken Towl, London LOOP, London Outer Orbital Path, LOOP, Mayfield Lavender Farm, Oaks Park
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It’s the final countdown as Rowland reflects on our mortality
KEN TOWL considers Plato, kingfishers and Ian McKellen’s balls in an hour-long Croydonites Festival performance which could never over-run James Rowland is dead. Well, sort of. The end was inevitable. The digital clock at the back of the stage counted … Continue reading
Croydonites provides a front-row seat for hard-hitting comedy
The 2025 Croydonites Festival is well underway, and KEN TOWL could not resist the chance to go along to see the sold-old Dick’s Picks (geddit?!) Dick Denham had been tasked with curating a range of comedians for a night of … Continue reading
Ghosts that stalk our streets and the history we learn from them
KEN TOWL sets off to find as many ghost signs as he can According to Historic England, ghost signs are “typically historic hand-painted advertising signs or old shop signs preserved on buildings that have since changed use”. They go on … Continue reading
Posted in Activities, Addiscombe East, Business, History, Ken Towl, Kenley, Post Office
Tagged Addiscombe, Croydon, Croydon High Street, Grants, Grants Department Store, Kenley, Kenley Hotel, MIlletts, Milletts Corner, Purley, Surrey Street
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Delve behind the headlines on Allders, The Fold, Anonyvoter and campaign launches, with our regular subscriber podcast
Our Croydon Insider podcasts are an (almost) regular delve behind the headlines at the stories that matter to you, Inside Croydon’s loyal readers. And in our latest wide-ranging episode – part of what has been described as a “citizens’ revolt … Continue reading
Posted in "Hammersfield", 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Allders, Annabel Smith, Climate Crisis Commission, Croydon Council, Croydon East, Croydon Greens, Croydon Insider, Croydon West, Environment, Garwood Foundation, Housing, Inside Croydon, Ken Towl, Local media, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Neil Bennett, New Addington South, New Addington North, North End Quarter, Peter Underwood, Sarah Jones MP, Under The Flyover, Whitgift Centre, Zack Polanski
Tagged 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon mayoral election, Allders, Annabel Smith, Anonyvoter, Bank closures, BBC London, Connie Duxbury, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon East, Gatwick Airport expansion, Ken Towl, Labour, Liberal Democrats, London, London Borough of Croydon, Neil Bennett, New Addington, Peter Underwood, Podcasts, Post office, Ross White, The Croydon Insider, The Fold, The Green Party, Tommy Robinson, Tory, Unite the Kingdom, Westfield
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Alan Partridge might not cope with his £1 breakfast at Ikea
Hej!, as they say in Sweden, the latest cut-priced customer offer at the large homeware store could keep KEN TOWL returning to Ampere Way all the way until Christmas When a colleague who often takes her kids to eat in … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Ikea, Ken Towl
Tagged Alan Patridge, Ampere Way, £1 breakfast, Ikea, Ken Towl, Purley Way
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