Davis’s big launch might have been good, if only I could hear it

Posted on September 22, 2025 by insidecroydon

All together now: Rowenna Davis and the Labour candidates for next year’s local elections. Or, at least, some of them – no candidates for New Addington or most of the south of the borough were announced

POLITICAL SKETCH: Ever been invited to a party when you’ve been expected to pay for your food? Or a launch event which is set up so you can neither see nor hear clearly the speakers on stage? KEN TOWL has, after attending Rowenna Davis’s Croydon mayoral campaign launch on Saturday

Labour pains: there was barely any mention of the Labour party  in Saturday’s event signage

Benji has a lot to answer for.

It was Benji, we were told, who “made the magic happen”, in that he was in charge of the technology at the official launch of Rowenna Davis’s campaign to win the Croydon mayorality.

When the launch started on the first floor of what used to be the Grants department store, the lights went down and we were told by a very excited backlit silhouette that we would experience “inspiring speeches and moving videos… and most of all, Rowenna Davis”.

There was a cheer and a whoop and some applause. The silhouette continued, “And we have food. Big thanks to Tokia Square.” There was another cheer and another whoop and more applause. We were then informed that “the party” had negotiated a whopping 10% discount on the food, which we were expected to pay for. These days, when the Labour Party invites you to a party, it turns out that you pay for your own food. Continue reading →

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Chris Clark, Chris Philp MP, Croydon East, Croydon South, Croydon West, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Fairfield, Ken Towl, Natasha Irons, Rowenna Davis, Sarah Jones MP, South Croydon, South Norwood, Steve Reed MP, Streatham and Croydon North, Tamar Barrett (was Nwafor), Thornton Heath | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Discarded cigarette blamed for fire that destroyed Kenley home

Posted on September 22, 2025 by insidecroydon

The fire brigade is blaming the careless discarding of a cigarette for a fire that ripped through a bungalow on Welcomes Road, a private road in Kenley.

The London Fire Brigade’s control officers took the first call to the fire just before 4pm on Saturday afternoon and sent six fire engines and around 40 firefighters from Croydon, Wallington, Norbury, Addington and Purley fire stations to the scene.

The fire was under control by 6.10pm.

By then, most of the roof was damaged by fire, along with part of the ground floor.

Three people left the building before the Brigade arrived. There were no reports of any injuries. Continue reading →

Posted in Kenley, London Fire Brigade | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

After the delays, we reveal traders set for Allders kiosks

Posted on September 22, 2025 by insidecroydon

EXCLUSIVE: Months late, and with only six of the seven units allocated, Westfield is finally about to find a use for part of the town centre’s former department store. By STEVEN DOWNES 

Slow motion: Westfield will be opening just two of their Allders kiosks this week. The others? Who knows?

More than a year after being granted planning permission for seven kiosks in a “meanwhile use” of the ground floor of the Allders building on North End, Westfield today notified their few remaining tenants of the Whitgift Centre that new stores will be opening this Friday.

Just not all of them. Not yet, anyway…

And just as with so much that Westfield has offered since they arrived in Croydon more than a decade ago, it looks like too little, too late, and with yet more broken promises.

But they have given it a new name: “Allders Parade”, as if it is some out-of-the-way, provincial parade of shops, which would usually perhaps include a bookies, a newsagents and a “hair salon”, rather than the once proud focus of town centre trade. Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Allders, Business, Croydon Council, Mayor Jason Perry, Planning, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Bishop condemns march for ‘co-opting and corrupting’ crosses

Posted on September 22, 2025 by insidecroydon

The Bishop of Croydon and the founder of Oasis, the foundation which runs a multi-academy trust of schools, including several in Croydon, were among almost 40 senior church and charity figures to sign a letter which condemned the “co-opting and corrupting” of Christian symbols at last week’s far-right march in London.

Calling out the far-right: Bishop of Croydon Rosemarie Mallett

Some in the crowd at the march on September 13 carried wooden crosses and images of Christ on flags.

The “Unite the Kingdom” march was organised by serial criminal Stephen Yaxley-Lennon. The protest drew an estimated 100,000 – so despite untrue claims to the contrary, it was barely one-tenth of the size of the peaceful protests on the streets of London that were against the illegal war in Iraq more than 20 years ago.

Rt Rev Dr Rosemarie Mallett, Bishop of Croydon, and Oasis charity founder Steve Chalke were joined by former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams and more than three dozen senior church figures as signatories to a letter which stated: “We are deeply concerned about the co-opting of Christian symbols, particularly the cross, during Saturday’s ‘Unite the Kingdom’ rally. Continue reading →

Posted in Bishop of Croydon, Church and religions, Crime, Live Facial Recognition cameras, Policing, Rosemarie Mallett | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

10th annual Croydonites Festival of Theatre, Oct 8-Nov 1

Posted on September 22, 2025 by insidecroydon

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

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How Croydon’s second rink skated past Edwardian Nimbyism

Posted on September 21, 2025 by insidecroydon

SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT: Following ‘Rinkomania’ 30 years earlier, Croydon got a second roller skating rink early in the 20th Century which thrived despite public opposition from residents living close to East Croydon Station. DAVID MORGAN on the brief history of a popular venue

Letter of complaint: locals were not happy with the noise from the new skating rink

After the closure in 1881 of the first Croydon roller skating rink, marking the end of Victorian Croydon’s “Rinkomania”, the town had to wait until 1909 for another to open. This one was at the junction of Cherry Orchard Road and Addiscombe Road, so not far from where that symbol of modern Croydon, the 50p-bit building, stands today.

In June 1909, an announcement was placed in the Daily Express to say that 5,000 preference shares in the Croydon Skating Rink Ltd were to be offered to the public at 25 shillings each (£1.25 in modern money – worth about £190 today).

The total capital of the company was £100,000, with half in preference shares and the other half in ordinary shares.

Nimbyism existed in Croydon even in the Edwardian period. People wrote letters to the local newspapers to complain about the noise and the location of the rink. In December 1909, someone living next to the rink penned a letter stating that “some of the residents have taken exception to the playing of the band at frequent intervals during the afternoon and evening skating sessions”. Continue reading →

Posted in Addiscombe West, David Morgan, East Croydon, History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Thank you for the music: now you can sing Abba’s songs

Posted on September 21, 2025 by insidecroydon

Super troupers: the Croydon Bach Choir is giving you the chance to sing some of the most famous pop songs of all time

Are you ready to Take A Chance on a unique musical experience?

You can join the renowned Croydon Bach Choir for a day of singing Abba’s greatest hits next month. This special event will take place on Saturday, October 4 from 11am to 5pm at St Matthew’s Church, Chichester Road, Croydon CR0 5NQ, and will be led by guest music director Tom Chapman and accompanist Duncan White. Continue reading →

Posted in Activities, Croydon Bach Choir, Music, Park Hill and Whitgift, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Your cat deserves a gut life with Scrumbles. Try it today!

Posted on September 21, 2025 by insidecroydon

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

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Haunted House Extreme! Brown and Green Café, Oct 18

Posted on September 21, 2025 by insidecroydon

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

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Posted in Activities, Advertisement, Advertisement features, Business, Croydon parks, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Crystal Palace Park, Crystal Palace Park Trust | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

‘Let us be free from this hellhole’: Fold tenants issue demands

Posted on September 20, 2025 by insidecroydon

EXCLUSIVE: Residents in one of Croydon’s tallest buildings are becoming increasingly angry and militant over their treatment by their multi-billion-pound landlords. By STEVEN DOWNES

Time to quit: residents in The 35-storey The Fold, close to Croydon Town Hall,  have laid out their compensation conditions to owners L&G

The owners of The Fold, the 35-storey residential tower in Queen’s Gardens, have been given a deadline of Tuesday to respond to tenants’ demands, which include full repayment of all rents and guaranteed safe rehousing.

Residents’ lives have been blighted by damp, mould and leaks almost since the building opened just three years ago

Inside Croydon reported last week how the block’s managers, Urbanbubble, had ordered all their remaining tenants in the 251-flat tower to vacate their homes in six months, to allow for a complete refit of the building.

While paying rents close to £3,000 per month on some flats, tenants have suffered leaks, there have been collapsed ceilings, unhealthy mould on the walls and, in some cases, human effluent rising up into the baths of the supposedly “luxury apartments”.

Residents have also had to endure repeated outages of their water supply, as well as lack of heating, and regular lift breakdowns which have placed some tenants in serious danger.

This week, the London Fire Brigade conducted an urgent safety inspection at the request of residents concerned at poorly fitted fire doors and fire shutters that do not work. Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Croydon Council, Fairfield, Housing, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of London, Property, Queens Gardens, Rowenna Davis, Taberner House, The Fold | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Step into autumn on a guided tour with Coulsdon’s fun guys

Posted on September 20, 2025 by insidecroydon

The City Commons rangers, who help to care for large areas of open space in the south of the borough, are well-respected as fun guys to deal with.

Fungi forays: City Commons guided walks are always popular and book up quickly

And over the next few weeks, they will demonstrate as much with a series of autumnal guided walks looking at the fungi emerging at Coulsdon Common, Riddlesdown and Farthing Down.

Fungi are starting to take centre stage in our woods and grasslands as summer transitions into autumn. Toadstools are pushing up through the soil, fallen logs sprouting bracket fungi, and rings of mushrooms are forming in the grass. Continue reading →

Posted in City Commons, Coulsdon, Croydon parks, Environment, Kenley, Old Coulsdon, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Sanderstead Community Day, Sanderstead Rec, Sat Sep 27

Posted on September 20, 2025 by insidecroydon

S U B S C R I B E R
A D V E R T I S E M E N T

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Posted in Advertisement, Advertisement features, Charity, Community associations, Sanderstead, Sanderstead Residents Association | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Canning and Clyde Residents’ Assoc Charity Quiz, Sat Oct 18

Posted on September 20, 2025 by insidecroydon

S U B S C R I B E R
A D V E R T I S E M E N T

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Live music at the Comrades Club, Coulsdon, Fri Sep 26

Posted on September 20, 2025 by insidecroydon

S U B S C R I B E R
A D V E R T I S E M E N T

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Posted in Advertisement, Advertisement features, Coulsdon, East Coulsdon Residents' Association, Music | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Penalty threat to cars parked in Sanderstead during resurfacing

Posted on September 19, 2025 by insidecroydon

Any cars left parked on Sanderstead Hill on four days next week risk receiving a hefty fine or even having the vehicle towed away.

Roadworks: Conways will have Sanderstead Hill closed off for most of next week

That’s the warning issued to residents ahead of Conways starting resurfacing work on the road on Monday, September 22, on a stretch from Sanderstead Road to the roundabout at Rectory Park and Addington Road.

Resurfacing works are expected to last three days, while gulleys clearance work will take place on Thursday, September 25.

Sanderstead Hill will be closed during the works, as will, at times, all roads leading into Sanderstead Hill. Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Council, Parking, Sanderstead, Sanderstead Residents Association | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Regulator finds ‘serious failings’ in Tandridge’s social housing

Posted on September 19, 2025 by insidecroydon

Some things ‘came as an absolute surprise to me’ says chair of district council’s housing committee, as inspectors found more than 1,000 overdue fire safety fixes and no clear records of stock surveys for almost a decade

Tandridge District Council, across the borough and county boundary in Surrey, has been handed the lowest rating by the housing watchdog after inspectors uncovered “very serious failings” in the way it manages its council homes.

This latest set-back follows Tandridge reporting itself to the Regulator of Social Housing in December 2024 because of failures to conduct regular electricity safety checks in its council homes.

Following a visit from inspectors in July, the Regulator of Social Housing has now given Tandridge a C4 grade – indicating urgent and fundamental change is needed.

Inspectors found more than 1,000 overdue fire safety fixes, nearly 400 homes without an electrical safety check and no clear records of stock surveys since 2016. Continue reading →

Posted in Caterham, Housing, Surrey, Tandridge District Council | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Croydon among 43 areas in £10m NHS neighbourhood scheme

Posted on September 19, 2025 by insidecroydon

Croydon is among 43 areas earmarked for the first neighbourhood health services, in a £10million government scheme.

Change of approach: neighbourhood health schemes aim to reduce hospital admissions and take pressure off A&Es

Lambeth and Southwark and East Surrey are also on the list of areas, under an initiative that sets out to “tackle the nation’s stark and unjust health inequalities”.

The move seeks to shift more health provision through GP surgeries, rather than rely on large hospitals and often their over-stretched A&E departments. Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon CCG, Croydon NHS Trust, Health, Healthwatch Croydon, Mayday Hospital, Purley Hospital, St Helier Hospital | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Climate campaigners focus on East Croydon insurers’ offices

Posted on September 19, 2025 by insidecroydon

Insure our survival: the protest outside insurers’ offices at East Croydon was calling on them to stop enabling ‘toxic industries’, such as fossil fuels, the arms trade and genocide

Commuters on their way to work at East Croydon yesterday morning saw London’s summer of protests arrive on their own doorstep as local activists joined thousands protesting across the globe to disrupt insurance giants AXA, Allianz and AIG.

Plumes pink smoke shrouded the AIG building opposite the station, part of “Insure Our Survival”, a two-week global campaign which in Croydon is backed by Extinction Rebellion. Continue reading →

Posted in AIG, Allianz, Business, East Croydon | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Two teenagers at centre of cyber web charged over TfL attack

Posted on September 18, 2025 by insidecroydon

Two teenagers appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court today charged over the cyber attack which crippled Transport for London’s fares and data systems for months.

Day in court: Thalha Jubair and Owen Flowers appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ today facing a range of charges

Estimates put the cost to Londoners of TfL fixing and dealing with the cyberattack at £30million.

During the course of the investigation, TfL estimated that the bank details of 5,000 passengers had been accessed by the hackers.

As a result of the hack, TfL was forced to suspend the renewals of Oysters and other travel cards for everal months.

Investigators believe the cyberattack in August 2024 was carried out by members of the online criminal collective known as Scattered Spider – the same group whose hack attacks took down Marks and Spencer and the Co-op.

Thalha Jubair, 19, from East London, and Owen Flowers, 18, from Walsall, West Midlands, were arrested at their home addresses on Tuesday by the National Crime Agency and City of London Police. Continue reading →

Posted in Crime, London-wide issues, Policing, TfL, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Council lied about risk assessments for axed lollipop patrols

Posted on September 18, 2025 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: First, they failed to hold a public consultation over the ending of school street patrols. Then, they failed to inform the affected schools. Now, following an investigation by this website, it is confirmed that the council deliberately misled parents, teachers, councillors and the BBC over important safety reports. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES 

Safer crossings: parents reckon more than 2,000 Croydon children’s journeys to school are less safe this term after lollipop patrols were axed by Jason Perry’s council

Mayor Jason Perry’s council lied to the parents and guardians of around 2,000 small children in June when a Town Hall spokesperson was quoted by the BBC saying that risk assessments had been conducted at each of the six schools where their road safety patrols were being axed.

An investigation by Inside Croydon has discovered that no such road safety assessments had been conducted near any of the schools until July this year – nine months after Perry and his cabinet member for roads, Scott Roche, ordered that the lollipop patrols should be axed. Continue reading →

Posted in Children's Services, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Oasis Academy, Ryelands Primary and Nursery, Schools, Scott Roche, Selsdon, Shirley North, Shirley South, Transport, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Here’s the safety reports your council did not want you to see

Posted on September 18, 2025 by insidecroydon

EXCLUSIVE: Here are the six road safety assessment reports that Croydon Council lied about, and then tried to withhold from the public

After breaking the news that Croydon Council was to axe six primary school road safety patrols – “lollipop ladies” and men – an investigation by this website has discovered that no road safety assessments had been conducted on behalf of Croydon Council near any of the schools until July this year – nine months after Mayor Jason Perry ordered that six primary school lollipop patrols should be axed.

The lollipop safety patrols had helped hundreds of small children and their parents to cross often busy roads near each of the six schools – Cypress Infants and Juniors (Upper Norwood and Crystal Palace), Norbury Manor Primary, Orchard Way Primary (Shirley), Monks Orchard (Shirley), Oasis Academy Ryelands (Woodside) and Greenvale Primary (Selsdon). Continue reading →

Posted in Children's Services, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Oasis Academy, Ryelands Primary and Nursery, Schools, Scott Roche, Selsdon, Shirley North, Shirley South, Transport, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Little bit of Bavaria arrives by Croydon’s tram tracks this week

Posted on September 18, 2025 by insidecroydon

There’s to be a little drop of Bavaria in a corner of south London this weekend, when independent craft brewers Anspach and Hobday stage their Oktoberfest beer festival at their Croydon brewery.

Prost!: Oktoberfest comes to south London this weekend

The event will feature three specially brewed German-style lagers poured fresh from the tank, alongside the brewery’s acclaimed London Black – Britain’s best beer of 2025.

Taking place on Saturday, September 20, from 11am until 7pm at Anspach and Hobday’s Croydon Brewery – Unit 11 Valley Point Industrial Estate, Beddington Farm Road, Croydon, CR0 4WP – a short walk from the Ampere Way tram stop.

“Guests are encouraged to don Lederhosen and embrace the festivities,” say the brewers, as they create an authentic Oktoberfest atmosphere complete with accordion music, traditional decorations and hearty German food from BavarianBoy including Bratwurst, Currywurst, Leberkäse, Käsespätzle and fresh Brezels. Continue reading →

Posted in Activities, Anspach and Hobday, Business, Pubs | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

TfL’s answer to dangerous drivers? A London poster campaign

Posted on September 18, 2025 by insidecroydon

Highway Code: the poster campaign highlights five rules of the road which are commonly ignored

Transport for London has started a poster campaign around the capital’s transport network that emphasises the Highway Code and key rules designed to protect people walking, cycling and motorcycling.

It is renewed action as part of Mayor’s Vision Zero strategy to eliminate all deaths and serious injuries from the city’s transport network by 2041.

The poster campaign is backed by RoadPeace, the national charity for road crash victims. Their CEO, Howard Jones, said: “Breaking the rules can break people.

“Our ability to live alongside each other in an increasingly mechanised and fast-moving world, full of distractions and demands, depends upon us accepting rules that benefit us all.

“Dangers can never be eradicated in full, but we know that consensual rules of behaviour, if they are obeyed and respected, enable us to get along with each other, to live our lives side by side, with courtesy, kindness and tolerance for others.

“So let’s play by our rules and stop breaking people.”

Many of the Highway Code’s rules are legal requirements. But a recent survey conducted by TfL showed that there is poor awareness and understanding of the rules. Continue reading →

Posted in Commuting, Cycling, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, TfL, Transport | Tagged , , , , | 19 Comments

Macmillan charity cake sale, Chichester Road, Sep 20

Posted on September 18, 2025 by insidecroydon

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

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Now Labour suspends selections in MP Steve Reed’s backyard

Posted on September 17, 2025 by insidecroydon

It is not just in Croydon where Keir Starmer’s party stands accused of acting unlawfully, as it faces a High Court challenge from a rejected candidate in Lambeth. By WALTER CRONXITE, Political Editor

Fluent in effluent: Steve Reed was shuffled from environment to housing and local government in PM Starmer’s emergency cabinet reshuffle

The Labour Party in Lambeth has been forced to suspend its candidate selections for next May’s council elections after one veteran member issued a High Court legal challenge over the process.

It is just the latest local embarrassment for Steve Reed OBE, the MP for Streatham (and Croydon North, if he can be asked) and a member of Keir Starmer’s crisis-hit cabinet.

The selection suspensions follows a police investigation into Labour’s parliamentary selections in a neighbouring Croydon constituency, a shortage of candidates in Croydon for the 2026 Town Hall elections, and the defection to the Green Party last week of a councillor in Reed’s own Streatham constituency.

Brixton Buzz is reporting this morning that Mark Sheiham, an official in Labour’s Clapham Common branch, claims that the party has acted unlawfully when it rejected his application to be a candidate next May. Continue reading →

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Croydon Council, Croydon Greens, Lambeth Council, Steve Reed MP, Streatham and Croydon North | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments