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Stormzy’s Glastonbury slogans become rallying call for Labour
Stormzy has thrown his support behind Labour and called on people to register to vote to “end austerity, rebuild our communities and take back the means to change our lives for the better”.
Stormzy gave a career-defining performance at Glastonbury, where he coined three pointed political slogans
Stormzy, recently voted the coolest bloke in Croydon*, made his call in a letter to the Grauniad newspaper signed together with several leading music industry figures including the widely respected Akala, Professor Green, Kano and Charlie Sloth.
Stormzy, the multiple award-winning grime artist from South Norwood, made a similar intervention ahead of the 2017 General Election, which in his home town was seen as significantly undermining the sitting Tory MP, Gavin Barwell, and giving extra impetus to help Labour’s Sarah Jones win in Croydon Central. Continue reading
Sketcher’s images of Croydon landmarks now available online
Roland Nissan’s original art is now available for sale online
An artist who has spent much of the past decade sketching and painting scenes from in and around Croydon has launched an online presence which will make his work more readily accessible to the public.
Roland Nissan lived for nearly 30 years in Croydon before recently moving to East Grinstead. Continue reading
College artists help brighten the bridge over the Brighton line
A run-down, forbidding-looking rail bridge has been brightened up by work from some local college students, CHARLES KING writes
Not the most inviting of vistas: the footbridge over the Brighton mainline at Coulsdon before community groups got involved
The footbridge over the Brighton Line between Coulsdon Town railway station and Coulsdon Woods, which was replaced in 2006 when the Coulsdon Bypass was constructed has been a problem to local residents ever since.
Although it is owned by Network Rail, who say that they have a contract with Transport for London to maintain it, including the lighting, all as part of the bypass maintenance, in turn TfL, say that they have subcontracted this work to Croydon Council, who of course deny it.
So when there has been the need for any repairs it has taken months of wrangling before anything gets done. Continue reading
Wintry Thames towpath walk that’s like entering another world
The long, languid Thames provides some bracing walking at this time of year
WANDLE WANDERER: Croydon’s own river, the Wandle, eventually reaches the Thames itself, which provides a multitude of possible walks.
Here, KEN TOWL sets off for Richmond to see what the towpath has to offer
With friends visiting from Hackney and looking for a walk, I knew I couldn’t compete with their home for cosmopolitan cool, so I suggested a stroll along historic Old Father Thames instead. The eight miles from Richmond to Hampton Court make up a particularly attractive stretch of the river, and Richmond and Hampton Court stations are easy to get to from Croydon. And, it turns out, Hackney. Continue reading
Posted in Ken Towl, Pubs, Walks, Wandle Wanderer, Zac Goldsmith MP
Tagged Ken Towl, Kingston, Richmond, River Thames
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Business leaders launch appeal to show that Croydon Cares
Local businesses, together with Rotary group members, are rallying around to try to help the homeless and rough sleepers in Croydon this winter.
Southern House: barriers have been placed to deter rough sleepers from using what little shelter they could find here
For a second year, an appeal to help the homeless in Croydon is being led by local funeral directors JB Shakespeare.
Shakespeares are asking for the public to make donations of washing items, via the Crisis Skylight Centre in Surrey Street. Shakespeares ran a similar appeal last year, which they say received “a phenomenal response”. Continue reading
Posted in Business, Charity, Croydon Rotary Club
Tagged Chris Dighton, Croydon Rotary Club, JB Shakespeare
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Lloyd’s legacy to Croydon offers a real breath of fresh air
Lloyd Park is enjoyed year-round, every day, from park runs to music festivals, by young and old
DAVID WHITE on one of Croydon’s greatest, greenest assets
For all its faults and challenges, Croydon is a great place to live. One feature which makes it great in my eyes is its parks and green spaces. All 127 of them.
They range from small neighbourhood parks and recreation grounds, to really large areas of open space which act as lungs for our increasingly urbanised environment.
One of the best is Lloyd Park. It’s close to the town centre and accessible by tram, yet if you wander, especially in the eastern part, you have the feeling of being out in the countryside miles from London. Continue reading
Posted in Croydon parks, David White, Environment, Lloyd Park
Tagged David White, Friends of Lloyd Park, Lloyd Park
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Green Party opts against ‘Remain Alliance’ in Croydon Central
There’s no chance of the Green Party’s Croydon candidates running up any gas-guzzling air miles to get around their constituencies ahead of the General Election on December 12, as all three live and work in the areas they are seeking to represent.
Rachel Chance: Green candidate in Croydon North
But unlike elsewhere in London, where the Greens have joined a “Remain Alliance” to thwart Brexit-supporting candidates from winning in some marginal seats, the Greens have decided not to stand aside in Croydon Central. There, Labour Remainer Sarah Jones is being challenged by Brexit-backing Tory Mario Creatura.
In 2015, when the Tories won the seat by just 165 votes, the Greens polled 1,454 and their candidate then, as it will be next month, was Esther Sutton.
Posted in 2019 General Election, Croydon Central, Croydon Friends of the Earth, Croydon Greens, Croydon North, Croydon South, Environment, Esther Sutton, Peter Underwood, Sarah Jones MP, Steve Reed MP
Tagged Conservative, Croydon Central, Croydon North, Croydon South, Esther Sutton, Labour, Peter Underwood, Rachel Chance, Tory
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Brennan and FitzRoy rock up to support Jones’ campaign
Ageing rocker WALTER CRONXITE reports on how one Croydon South election candidate is adding a bit of art to the campaign
No, it’s not WestminsterLife, but MP4: from left Kevin Brennan, Pete Wishart (who was once in Big Country), Ian Cawsey and Greg Knight
Two Labour musicians are coming to support Labour’s Sarah Jones’ re-election campaign on Sunday.
This Croydon version of the Magical Mystery Tour features Kevin Brennan, from the parliamentary rock band MP4, and award-winning recording engineer Olga FitzRoy, Labour’s candidate in Croydon South, whose first job was working in Sir George Martin’s recording studios.
Brennan, the sometime MP for Cardiff West, is the shadow minister for Arts and Heritage. More importantly, he is part of MP4, who through their recordings have raised more than £1million for charity.
FitzRoy has worked with some of the world’s biggest bands, including Coldplay, Muse and Foo Fighters. This week, she expressed the ambition, if elected, to provide the backing vocals to Brennan and MP4. Continue reading
You can question the election candidates in our virtual hustings
For the General Election, we are doing something different: Inside Croydon is staging Croydon’s first ever virtual hustings.
And you can be part of it.
Through our Under The Flyover podcasts, we’ll be interviewing a selection of the candidates across Croydon’s three parliamentary constituencies – Croydon North, Croydon Central and Croydon South.
And we will be putting questions from YOU – Inside Croydon’s loyal reader – to the election candidates who are seeking your vote on December 12. Continue reading
How to make friends and influence people, Croydon 2019
Trebles all-round! A stellar performance in networking with people who control housing and planning in Croydon from PLMR’s Alex Priding (beard, closest to camera, centre)
So, this is what political lobbying looks like in Croydon in 2019.
The photograph shows a merry gathering of Labour campaigners, on the night last week that the Grauniad columnist, Owen Jones, paid a fleeting visit to rally activists as they battle to defend the marginal Croydon Central constituency held by Sarah Jones (no relation…).
You can even see the eager hack poking his head forward in the middle of the right-hand side of the table, among various parliamentary aides (technically, currently unemployed, at least until the outcome of the election is resolved), plus local councillors, council cabinet members and even a deputy leader of Croydon Council.
And there, sitting front and centre with them all, is Alex Priding.
You can see Priding at the head of the table, closest to the camera, bearded and grinning.
Priding is an account manager with a major political consultancy, PLMR.
PLMR is a Westminster-based company whose clients have included the likes of Barratt Homes, the Battersea Power Station development company, the Berkeley Group, Centrica, Clarion Housing, Churchgate, Crest Nicholson, the government quango Homes England, Joseph Homes, one or two local authorities (though not Croydon Council, for now anyway), Crystal Palace Football Club, Redrow Homes, Shanks Estate Agents, Spitfire Homes… Continue reading
Posted in 2019 General Election, Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Business, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Paul Scott, Planning, Sarah Jones MP, Tony Newman
Tagged Alison Butler, Croydon, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Kevin Craig, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Owen Jones, Paul Scott, PLMR, Sarah Jones MP, TCC, The Campaign Company, Tony Newman
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Labour’s radical manifesto promises to end the housing crisis
Labour’s manifesto launch this morning, held in Birmingham
Jeremy Corbyn this morning launched Labour’s manifesto for the General Election, in which he confirmed plans for wide-ranging re-nationalisation of public utilities, an £11billion windfall tax on the oil industry to pay for Labour’s environmental policies, and to build 100,000 council homes per year.
Called “It’s Time For Real Change”, the manifesto has been co-authored by Corbyn’s policy adviser, Andrew Fisher. It is one of Fisher’s last major tasks in the role before the South Norwood resident leaves his post to spend more time with his young family. The manifesto was immediately described as the most radical Labour manifesto in decades, promising an “investment blitz” that would leave no corner of the country untouched. Continue reading
Posted in 2019 General Election
Tagged Andrew Fisher, Croydon, Croydon Council, Jeremy Corbyn, Labour, London
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College building in park could end Crystal Palace tram scheme
A fund administered by the Mayor of London has handed £5m to Capel Manor College to build on Metropolitan Open Land in a Grade II-listed park
Any prospect of extending the tram network to Crystal Palace could hit the buffers before its backers even check-in at a platform, if the GLA gets its way.
Piece by piece, the Greater London Authority, which has responsibility for the sorely under-maintained National Sports Centre and some influence over Crystal Palace Park, is slowly disassembling the sporting infrastructure in the area. A public consultation being held later this week provides a significant clue to their ultimate intent.
Certainly, one instant effect if Capel Manor College gets their way to build on Metropolitan Open Land within the Garde II-listed park would be to jeopardise any tram extension to Crystal Palace. Continue reading
Posted in Angela Wilkins, Athletics, Bromley Council, Commuting, Croydon parks, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Crystal Palace Park, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Planning, Sadiq Khan, Sport, TfL, Tramlink, Transport
Tagged Angela Wilkins, Boris Johnson, Bromley Council, Capel Manor College, Croydon Tramlink, Crystal Palace, Crystal Palace Park, Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan
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Love Norbury Christmas Fayre, London Road, Nov 23
Posted in Community associations, Love Norbury, Norbury
Tagged Love Norbury, Norbury
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Labour election candidate challenged over tram crash cover-up
A London Assembly Member and General Election candidate for a Labour safe seat has been accused of protecting the Mayor, Sadiq Khan, and Transport for London from “serious, legitimate questions” over the safety of the tram network.
Michael Liebreich: two months after his evidence to City Hall committee, his letter has not been entered into the minutes
Michael Liebreich spent four years as deputy chair of TfL’s safety, sustainability panel under Boris Johnson when he was Mayor, and two years as chair of the safety, sustainability and HR panel under Khan.
There, he called for a full and independent investigation into how TfL managed to cover-up and censor an internal review into fatigue among tram drivers which it conducted after the November 2016 tram crash at Sandilands, when seven people were killed and more than 60 badly injured.
Liebreich has described the TfL cover-up of the fatigue review as the most “vital challenge” of Khan’s Mayoralty, and at the City Hall session with Assembly Members two months ago he made clear the need for the Mayor to appoint an independent investigator “to answer all the open questions around TfL’s handling of Fatigue Audit IA 17 780”. Continue reading
Posted in 2019 General Election, Florence Eshalomi, London Assembly, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, Sandilands derailment, Sarah Jones MP, TfL, Tramlink, Transport
Tagged Croydon tram crash, Croydon Tramlink, Florence Eshalomi, Labour, London, London Assembly, Michael Liebreich, Sadiq Khan, Sandilands derailment, Sarah Jones MP, TfL, TOL, Tram Operations Ltd, Transport for London
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Anti-social behaviour complaints see CCTV installed in Purley
Temporary cameras are to be installed in Purley and Croydon town centre to help monitor anti-social behaviour, street drinking, drug-taking and fly-tipping.
The council’s anti-social behaviour team and Croydon police requested a camera be moved to Old Lodge Lane, in Purley, following reports of drug-taking and harassment of local shop staff.
Fly-tipping, excessive domestic waste, vermin, car racing and fighting were also raised as concerns, as well as ball games being played in the roads, which were damaging residents’ vehicles and holding up bus routes.
Heathfield House Grand Christmas Bazaar, Coombe Lane, Dec 1
Posted in Charity, Croydon parks, Environment, Heathfield House
Tagged Heathfield House
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Tories’ sick joke as absentee councillor runs for parliament
Our political editor, WALTER CRONXITE, discovers that despite missing three-quarters of council meetings this year, a Conservative councillor from Purley is now standing as a parliamentary candidate, in a constituency which has never had a Tory MP since the Great Reform Act of 1832
Oni Oviri: plucked from obscurity to stand in a safe Tory council ward. Now a candidate in a Labour stronghold in the General Election
Oni Oviri, Purley’s absentee councillor, has not abandoned politics entirely.
Despite missing 77 per cent of the council meetings she has been expected to attend in 2019, Oviri is now standing as the Conservative Party candidate in South Shields in the December 12 General Election.
It is unclear what connection the south London-based tea trader and import-exporter has with the north-east of England. For her part, Oviri has remained entirely silent on social media about her selection as a candidate for the General Election.
But then, as the residents of Purley and Woodcote ward have come to realise since voting for her in May 2018, silence on most matters is something in which Oviri excels.
Posted in 2019 General Election, Oni Oviri, Purley
Tagged Conservative, Labour, Oni Oviri, Purley, Purley and Woodcote, South Shields, Tory, UKIP
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