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Hundreds march through South Norwood to support Grenfell
Down South Norwood High Street they marched, in silent solidarity with the victims of the Grenfell fire. The Albion hasn’t seen a crowd like it for years
More than 300 people, plus TV crews and newspaper reporters, turned out in South Norwood last night to show solidarity with Grenfell and reject racism. But who was the only one to talk to the reporter from The Sun?
KEN TOWL reports, main photo by CHRISTOPHER HOPE-FITCH
“It was that fucking video,” says Ian Bone, de facto head of the South Norwood Tourist Board, when I ask him why he decided to organise a silent march in solidarity with the survivors of the Grenfell Tower Fire.
The SNTB has, until now, confined themselves to activities which border on the surreal, producing, for example, T-shirts with the logo “Don’t Fuck with the Tourist Board”, campaigning to have a local lake named after Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (the creator of Sherlock Holmes had lived in South Norwood once), and organising magical mystery tours around the neighbourhood. Continue reading
After 50 years, Crystal Palace gets its Picture Palace back
Half a century after it closed, Crystal Palace’s cinema has re-opened, following a £3m makeover. RICHARD WEEKES took a look inside
After a £3m spruce up, the Everyman at Crystal Palace looks better than ever
The Everyman Crystal Palace opened its doors for the first time on Tuesday night, treating scores of invited guests to a sneak preview of what they describe as the “boutique cinema experience”.
There’s plenty to pique your fancy, long before you get to the cinema listings: items on offer include padron peppers, humus and flatbread, or maybe something meaty from the Spielburger (sic) Menu, all washed down with Viña Torcida Rioja. Try ordering that at your local multiplex.
The return of the movies to Crystal Palace for the first time in 50 years represents a triumph for the Picture Palace Campaign, a community group which fought hard for decades to prevent the site on Church Road — which housed the Rialto until 1968 — from being sold off for any use other than cinema. Continue reading
Bronze dancers to take centre stage at Selsdon auction
Some of the items up for auction at Farleigh Court last this month
Television antiques expert Catherine Southon is staging another auction of art works in Selsdon later this month, including a collection of 11 works by the noted Australian sculptor Tom Merrifield.
Estimates for the Merrifield auction items range from £120 to £700. Continue reading
Posted in Art, Business, Selsdon & Ballards
Tagged Catherine Southon, Farleigh Golf Club
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Croydon Scouts check out Westminster for Parliament Week
Croydon Scouts listen to MPs Chris Philp and Sarah Jones in the House of Commons
Croydon Scouts chose a particularly interesting date for their latest group outing, to the Palace of Westminster yesterday to learn about the workings of Parliament on the day that news emerged that a Brexit agreement had been brokered between the EU and the Government.
Scouts from across the borough travelled to the Palace for UK Parliament Week and to visit the seat of the nation’s legislative body, where they were hosted by two of the borough’s MPs, Chris Philp and Sarah Jones. Continue reading
Posted in Chris Philp MP, Sarah Jones MP, Scouts and Guides
Tagged Chris Philp MP, Croydon Scouts, Sarah Jones MP
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Council is rocked by news that finance chief has resigned
EXCLUSIVE: Our local democracy reporter KEN LEE on a shock departure from Fisher’s Folly
Huge loss: Richard Simpson
Richard Simpson, effectively the second-in-command at the council to chief executive Jo “We’re Not Stupid” Negrini, is to leave Croydon.
Simpson has worked at Croydon Council since 2005, working his way up to the £170,000 per year role of executive director of resources to which he was appointed two years ago. In the past, he has described Croydon Council as “an organisation that I love”.
The council’s former finance director is widely respected throughout Fisher’s Folly, by both Labour and Conservative politicians, and by his colleagues, who credit him with steering the local authority through the troubled waters of year-after-year of swingeing austerity cuts.
“That’ll be a huge blow to the council,” was the reaction of one cabinet-level Katharine Street source. Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Richard Simpson, Tony Newman
Tagged Conservative, Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Richard Simpson, Tory
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Williams signs up council to improve its digital service
Well this could prove an interesting “challenge” for Croydon, which is, apparently, “a council with a reputation for digital”, according to a press release it issued yesterday.
Neil Williams: council’s new digital chief, promising to do things better
The council press office left the readers of its release to decide whether Croydon has a good or bad “reputation for digital”.
Croydon has one of the least user-friendly websites among London local authorities, it probably broke all kinds of data protection law by off-shoring the management and control of its entire database to India, and it gained national notoriety when it spent hundreds of thousands of pounds on its controversially procured Crap App, MyCroydon, which was so bad it had to be scrapped earlier this year.
More recently, under the leadership of council chief exec Jo “We’re Not Stupid” Negrini, to fulfil its statutory obligations to those with special educational needs and disabilities, Croydon launched a Local Offer site, which was found to break the law in several respects.
Could that be all about to change, and for the better? Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Neil Williams
Tagged Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, London Borough of Croydon, Neil Williams
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Croydon Art Society wins Art Club of the Year award
The Croydon Art Society has won the national Art Club of the Year award.
Looking Out, Looking In, by Anthony Waldbaum, one of the Croydon Art Society’s submitted works
The award is run by two art magazines The Artist and Leisure Painter.
The Croydon Art Society was nominated as a finalist for the second consecutive year.
The Society had to submit five works, which were exhibited until last weekend at the Patchings Art Festival near Nottingham, where final judgement took place.
The prize comprises a voucher for artists equipment, the sponsorship of one the Society demonstration evenings and national publicity in the two art magazines.
There’s an opportunity to see more works by artist members of this award-winning organisation at the Croydon Art Society’s 129th Annual Exhibition, at the Clocktower Museum Gallery and foyer from November 20 to December 8. Continue reading
Hackbridge residents asked to take part in plan referendum
The area coveredby the localplan includes the Beddington Farmlands, which is a constant source of dispute between locals and Viridor, the incinerator operators
Sutton Council is running a community referendum this month on The Hackbridge and Beddington Corner Neighbourhood Development Group (pause for breath…) neighbourhood plan.
The Hackbridge and Beddington Corner Neighbourhood Development Group (pause for breath…) was set up in November 2011 under the Localism Act. The group is made up of volunteers and includes local residents, business and other local interest groups and organisations.
They say, “We have worked hard since 2012 writing our neighbourhood plan for Hackbridge and Beddington Corner (in between responding to many planning applications). Continue reading
Cinema to stage free screenings for charity at Christmas
Two movies being shown at the David Lean Cinema over the Christmas period will be free entry – with cinema-goers being asked to donate the cost of their ticket to a very deserving local cause instead.
The Save the David Lean Cinema Campaign’s latest newsletter explains: “We normally have a couple of afternoon shows between Christmas and New Year. This year in no different, with a screening of the new Japanese animé Mirai on Thursday December 27, and the delightful Karen Blixen story Babette’s Feast on Friday December 28, both at 2.30pm.
“In the spirit of the festive season, these screenings will be free, with patrons being asked to give a voluntary donation of cash or provisions to our selected charities, which will be Purley Food Hub and the Croydon Refugee Day Centre. Continue reading
Open days at Little Holland House, Carshalton, every month
Posted in History, Honeywood Museum, Sutton Council
Tagged Carshalton, Little Holland House
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Poverty rising as 1,759 Croydon families need food banks
As food bank use across London surged over the summer, because of the “shambolic” introduction of Universal Credit, figures released this week show that there were 1,759 three-day emergency food supplies given out in Croydon in that six-month period.
Food bank use across London rose by 23% over the summer
The figures, from the Trussell Trust and covering April to September, show that in Croydon, 573 of these were emergency supplies were provided to children.
London Assembly Member Fiona Twycross has responded to the shocking figures by calling on the Government to “stick to their pledge and put an end to austerity”.
The Trussell Trust attributed the increase in food bank referrals to low incomes and benefit levels being insufficient to keep up with basic living costs. The charity has also cited Universal Credit payment delays as another significant driver of food poverty. Continue reading
Posted in Fiona Twycross, London Assembly, London-wide issues
Tagged Croydon, Fiona Twycross, food banks, Trussell Trust, Universal Credit
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Full steam ahead: The things you see in Croydon (part 94)
This old steam roller was making its way through Purley yesterday
Thanks to our loyal reader for this photograph, of a steam roller on its way through Purley yesterday morning. Continue reading
Council remembers to publicise civic Remembrance service
Croydon Council’s press office, having forgotten to include any reference to this weekend’s Remembrance Sunday ceremonies in its autumn edition of the quarterly, Council Tax-payer-funded Your Croydon magazine, managed to put out a press release detailing the civic arrangements for tomorrow’s solemn ceremonies – but not until gone 4pm yesterday.
That will have been far too late for the print deadline of the out-of-borough newspapers that are distributed around Croydon. Continue reading
Scott in shock resignation as chair of planning committee
Local democracy reporter KEN LEE reports on the latest bizarre conduct in the Town Hall chamber
In what must be one of the least transparent pieces of council business conducted even under this Town Hall administration, Paul Scott, the all-powerful chair of the planning committee, shocked those attending last night when he announced an item not on the meeting’s agenda – his own resignation.
Not-so-great Scott: the planning chair, Paul Scott, votes through his resignation last night
No explanation was offered, nor did the four opposition Conservative members of the 10-strong committee bother to seek one. “They were stunned into silence,” said one observer in the chamber.
Scott has long been a target for criticism of the Labour-run council’s planning policy because of his bombastic manner when running planning meetings, and his facility for appearing to possibly have fingers in all sorts of local development pies… Continue reading
Government has withheld funding for new tram safety body
Croydon Central MP Sarah Jones has discovered that the Tory Government has delayed releasing funds to establish a tram safety body, two years after the tram crash which killed seven people and injured 62 others at Sandilands tram stop.
Sandilands, Nov 2016: two years on, a tram safety body has yet to be funded by the Government
The dedicated tram safety body was the first of 15 recommendations made in a report by the Rail Accident Investigation Board last December.
Jones has called the continuing delay in funding a dedicated tram safety body as “unacceptable”. She has called on transport secretary Chris Grayling to explain the delay to the House of Commons.
Today is the second anniversary of the Croydon tram crash, in which Dane Chinnery, Donald Collett, Robert Huxley, Philip Logan, Dorota Rynkiewicz, Philip Seary and Mark Smith died after an early-morning tram from New Addington derailed when travelling at nearly four times the speed limit on a bend in the track out of the Lloyd Park tunnel. The Croydon crash was the deadliest tram accident in Britain for almost 100 years. Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Central, Sandilands derailment, Sarah Jones MP, TfL, Tramlink, Transport
Tagged Conservative, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Croydon tram crash, Croydon Tramlink, Labour, London, London Borough of Croydon, Member of parliament, New Addington, Sandilands derailment, Sarah Jones MP, Tory
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CODA make a real song and dance out of their 75th birthday
CODA’s cast for Spectacular, Spectacular, who are backed up by a band of vibrant musicians
Culture correspondent BELLA BARTOCK dusted off her glad rags, and her Zimmer frame, to get along to the Braithwaite Hall for an innovative take on a birthday party
It’s not often I get invited along to birthday parties these days, and even rarer for me to be asked to a party for someone, or something, younger than I.
So it was with special pleasure that I shuffled along to Katharine Street last night for the opening performance of Spectacular, Spectacular (so spectacular they named it twice), which is CODA’s way of celebrating its 75th anniversary. Continue reading
Posted in Art, Braithwaite Hall, CODA, Comedy, Music, Theatre
Tagged Braithwaite Hall, CODA, Croydon Operatic and Dramatic Association
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Centrale is getting itself all lit-up for Christmas, Nov 15
Croydon shopping malls Centrale and Whitgift are gearing themselves for the annual Christmas business surge, with a big lights switch-on planned for 6pm at Centrale’s Christmas Tree next Thursday, November 15.
Centrale’s Christmas lights get switched on next week, with Santa’s Grotto opening the week after
This might, just, be the last Christmas when the Whitgift Centre is open for business, before the scheduled start of redevelopment works in 2019. So the centre’s management is hoping to ensure this year’s festive fun goes with some extra Ho, Ho, Ho.
There’s a long list of festive activities planned, including the giving tree, carol singing, Santa’s Toy Workshop Grotto and the hugely popular gift-wrapping service. Continue reading
Posted in "Hammersfield", Business, Centrale, Whitgift Centre
Tagged Centrale, Whitgift Centre
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Croydon’s suffrage movement, Ruskin House, Nov 10
Posted in Croydon North, Hamida Ali, History, Ruskin House
Tagged Croydon North, Labour, Ruskin House
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Railway plans could blight Selhurst properties for five years
Our transport correspondent, JEREMY CLACKSON, on first reactions to proposals for infrastucture works to unblock the Croydon Bottleneck
Homes and properties along Gloucester Road, the Tait Road industrial estate, Swan Close and Lambert’s Place all seem likely to be subject to complete or partial compulsory purchase to enable an additional two tracks to be laid, if proposals being consulted by Network Rail are eventually accepted.
Network Rail has plans to fix what it regards as the worst bottleneck in all of Britain’s railways, and its six-week consultation began on Monday, giving residents, MPs and local councillors a first sight of some – though not much – of its detail.
Increasing the number of platforms at East Croydon from six to eight, adding two extra tracks and replacing five junctions with flyovers and dive-unders are part of a grand plan to reduce delays on Southern, Thameslink and Gatwick Express services between London, Surrey and the south coast.
What has also become clear to those who have attended the early consultation sessions is the extent of land needed to achieve the scheme’s objectives, land that is currently owned by dozens of residents and businesses on the west side of the tracks between East Croydon and the Selhurst junction. Continue reading
Posted in Commuting, East Croydon, Selhurst, Transport
Tagged Croydon Bottleneck, East Croydon, East Croydon station, Network Rail, Selhurst
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Grenfell bonfire effigy prompts South Norwood silent march
Residents and community groups in South Norwood are coming together for a silent march next Wednesday, in solidarity with the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire and to demonstrate their rejection of the racist bigotry displayed earlier this week in a “despicable” Bonfire Night stunt.
Six men have been arrested on public order offences since Monday. At least two of those arrested are from South Norwood.
Footage was posted on social media showing a model depicting Grenfell Tower, with figures of residents at the windows, being set alight in a back garden.
On Tuesday, police spent two hours searching a property in South Norwood, which is suggested as the venue for the Bonfire Night party. Continue reading
