West End performers are coming to Waddon for Croydon panto

Posted on November 10, 2017 by insidecroydon

Princess: Charlotte Bramwells heads the Croydon panto cast

The production company behind this year’s Croydon panto has just announced the full cast of West End performers who will be joining television performers Jonny Awsum and Paisley Billings in Jack And The Beanstalk at Waddon Leisure Centre from December 7 to 31.

Croydon’s very own comedian Jonny Awsum (Britain’s Got Talent live semi-finalist) will play Silly Billy Trott and Paisley Billings (Tattoo Fixers) will play Fairy Sweet Pea.

Joining them will be Charlotte Bramwells as the Princess, Steve Edwin as Fleshcreep, Tim Hudson as Dame Trott, Charlie Leonard as Jack Trott and David Streames as the King, with Becky Bassett, Timothy Benjamin, Olivia Stott and Alfie White in the Ensemble. Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Comedy, Music, Theatre, Waddon | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

£100m black hole in SEND funding is creating ‘perfect storm’

Posted on November 9, 2017 by insidecroydon

Croydon headteachers fear that they face a “perfect storm” as funding cuts will leave their schools unable to fulfil their responsibilities towards some of the borough’s most vulnerable children, those with special educational needs or disabilities.

Croydon schools are cutting staff and axing services for children with special needs

Sarah Jones, Labour’s new MP for Croydon Central, surveyed headteachers across the borough and confirmed widespread anecdotal reports that support for children with special needs has been cut back significantly, mainly because of Tory Government funding cuts.

Jones’s survey of more than 50 Croydon headteachers show that 85 per cent of schools have been forced to cut special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) support since 2015.

One headteacher told Jones that the funding cuts coming at a time of growing demand for SEND provision would adversely affect all pupils and staff at their school. Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Central, Education, Sarah Jones MP, Schools | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

St Mildred’s Christmas Market, Addiscombe, Dec 2

Posted on November 9, 2017 by insidecroydon

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Brahms German Requiem, Croydon Minster, Nov 18

Posted on November 9, 2017 by insidecroydon

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Photography Forum member offers his Croydon insights

Posted on November 9, 2017 by insidecroydon

Next week’s meeting of the Croydon Photography Forum will see one of the group’s own members talking about their lifetime’s work with their cameras.

Jan Podsiadly’s work has often featured Croydon sights

West Croydon resident Jan Podsiadly attended the London College of Printing in the early 1970s – the days of film, darkrooms and strange-smelling chemicals and, after a brief interlude as a ship’s photographer on the SS Northern Star, commenced a career as a professional photographer in a pharmaceutical advertising agency’s studio in the Wandsworth Road, before going freelance. During this time he also taught photography to graphic design students at the LCP and the Medway College of Art. Continue reading →

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Developers must finish station bridge, residents demand

Posted on November 9, 2017 by insidecroydon

A former deputy leader of the council is demanding that Croydon’s planning department should withhold permission for Menta Redrow’s latest luxury flats development scheme on Cherry Orchard Road, unless or until they make good on six-year-old promises to allow the Bridge To Nowhere at East Croydon Station to be completed on the Addiscombe side of the railway tracks.

The £24m bridge at East Croydon. Notice how it hangs in the air on the Addiscombe, right-hand side, like a long pregnant pause

“Residents want this link and they want it now,” said Jerry Fitzpatrick, a barrister and former Labour councillor in Addiscombe ward.

Today is the deadline for public responses to the planning application by Menta Redrow, who have replaced their original scheme for a 55-storey residential block with two “turgid towers”. Continue reading →

Posted in Addiscombe West, Cherry Orchard Gardens, Croydon Council, East Croydon, Menta Tower, Planning, Property, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Police now conducting ‘stop and search’ to catch fly-tippers

Posted on November 9, 2017 by insidecroydon

A multi-agency clampdown against fly-tipping and other offences has this week seen police and council officials make their 31st seizure of a vehicle suspected of being used to illegally store or dump rubbish.

Police and council officials were conducting vehicle checks on the Purley Way this week to clamp down on fly-tipping and other offences

More than 30 officers from Croydon Council patrolled locations across the borough on Tuesday with counterparts from the Metropolitan Police, HM Revenue and Customs and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). The operation ranged from fly-tip patrols in Thornton Heath to vehicle spot checks in Purley Way.

Council officers impounded a Ford Transit parked on Pawsons Road in Thornton Heath. The van had no number plates and building waste and oil drums in the back.

The council will now search for the registered owner, and if they do not come forward the van will be crushed. Continue reading →

Posted in Crime, Croydon Council, Fly tipping, Purley Way, Refuse collection, Stuart Collins, Thornton Heath, Waddon | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

We will remember them: Croydon’s Remembrance Day services

Posted on November 8, 2017 by insidecroydon

Remembrance Day, paying tribute to the sacrifices of military and service personnel in conflicts past and present, will be observed in Croydon on Sunday, at the war memorial outside the Town Hall and at Croydon Minster.

Conducted by the Rt Revd Jonathan Clark, the Bishop of Croydon, the annual Civic Service of Remembrance will be held at Croydon Minster at 11am, on Sunday November 12, in conjunction with local branches of the Royal British Legion.

Members of the public are welcome to attend and are requested to be seated by 10.45am.

Following the service, there will be a wreath-laying ceremony at the cenotaph in Katharine Street at 12.30pm, led by the Mayor of Croydon, Toni Letts. Continue reading →

Posted in Bishop of Croydon, Church and religions, Croydon Council, Croydon Minster, Toni Letts | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Civic ceremonies and choir to mark tram crash anniversary

Posted on November 8, 2017 by insidecroydon

Tomorrow marks the first anniversary of the Sandilands tram derailment, in which seven Croydon residents died.

Seven people died and many more suffered life-changing injuries at Sandilands

A civic ceremony to mark the anniversary will take place at Central Parade, New Addington, near the homes of many of those passengers who made that tragic journey last November.

Members of the public are invited by the council to join together at Market Square at 10.30am. The service will feature a choir of 60 children from Fairchildes Primary and Meridian High. An inscribed plinth has been installed at the square along with seating and planting to provide a permanent memorial to those who lost their lives.

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Negrini ‘misinformed’ over data security says whistle-blower

Posted on November 8, 2017 by insidecroydon

STEVEN DOWNES reports on how the council’s chief executive has responded to serious concerns about the management of personal data with threats of legal action against this website

Croydon CEO Jo Negrini: presided over a cover-up of IT appointment, now claiming that allowing contractors in India to access the borough’s data is ‘safe’

The council’s chief executive maintains that there is no risk to the personal data of tens of thousands of residents and businesses whose details are held by Croydon Council – despite the council providing access to that information to contractors based outside the European data “safe zone”, and in spite of warnings of the dangers from whistle-blowers working on the borough’s information technology systems.

Jo Negrini, the council CEO, responded with threats after Inside Croydon’s reports of the Town Hall cover-up of how one of her most senior staff, Graham Cadle, or “The Godfather”, had hired a family friend on £787 per day.

Cadle is the godfather to the child of Harry Singh and Karen Sullivan, another senior council employee. Singh was hired by Cadle as an IT contractor at a daily rate equivalent to nearly £200,000 per year soon after his own company, Sensemble, went bust 12 months ago. Neither Cadle nor Sullivan declared their personal relationship with Singh, as is required under their terms of employment, until after an internal investigation, which was prompted by whistle-blower complaints. Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Council, Graham Cadle, Jo Negrini | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Croydon among worst areas in the country for homelessness

Posted on November 8, 2017 by insidecroydon

There will be more people sleeping rough on the streets of Croydon tonight than in the city of Birmingham.

There are twice as many people sleeping rough in Croydon today than in 2014

Those are part of the shocking statistics revealed by Shelter, the homelessness charity, who have used official government data and Freedom of Information requests to estimate that 307,000 people are sleeping rough, or accommodated in temporary housing, bed and breakfast rooms, or hostels in Britain today – an increase of 13,000 over the past year.

Shelter said the figures were an underestimate as they did not include the “hidden homeless”, people who have nowhere to live but are not recorded as needing housing assistance. Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Council, Croydon Nightwatch, Housing, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Tom Copley | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Nostradamus of Norwood, and other fascinating tales

Posted on November 7, 2017 by insidecroydon

The next Norwood Society local history meeting is on Thursday November 16 when the topic will be “The Nostradamus of South Norwood Hill and other fascinating residents”.

Stephen Oxford has thoroughly researched the South Norwood Hill area and in this talk relates the amazing prophesies of one local resident and the fascinating stories behind many others. Continue reading →

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Festive Lights Street Feast, North End, Nov 16

Posted on November 7, 2017 by insidecroydon

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Councillor challenges Menta over secret viability report

Posted on November 7, 2017 by insidecroydon

The developers of one of the biggest town centre schemes have been accused by a Labour councillor of only wanting to build homes for the wealthy, and of trying to keep their viability assessment out of the hands of pesky residents who might want to review and question their figures.

Redrow and Menta have treated Addiscombe residents with disdain for almost a decade. Now they are leafleting asking for their support

Menta Redrow, who have been involved with developments along Cherry Orchard Road near East Croydon Station which have dragged on for all of this decade, have revised proposals for consideration by Croydon Council which offer to provide barely half the required amount of affordable housing. The 445-flat scheme could be worth nearly £150million in sales once completed.

Residents living in East Croydon have been subjected to a carpet-bombing of leaflets lately, with the glossy little numbers coming from the speculative developers some six years since Menta pitched up with a hideous 55-storey tower proposal. That scheme had little to commend it and was opposed by the local Tory MP and Labour ward councillors alike, but nonetheless was granted planning permission.

Since when… tumbleweed. Continue reading →

Posted in Addiscombe West, Cherry Orchard Gardens, Menta Tower, Planning, Property, Sean Fitzsimons | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Waddon councillors’ bumpy ride to being top of the POPs

Posted on November 7, 2017 by insidecroydon

Waddon councillors (from left) Joy Prince, Robert Canning and Andrew Pelling worked with the council and police for traffic calming on Imperial Way. The scheme has now been nominated for an award. Photography: LEE TOWNSEND

An initiative by ward councillors working with local police in Croydon South has been declared “top of the pops”, after deadly street racing has been halted through collaborations with businesses off the Purley Way.

The loud and rowdy Friday night “Croydon Cruise” of dozens of cars and motor bikes parading and racing along Imperial Way and on the roads of the industrial estate nearby regularly attracted large crowds. But it also brought complaints and raised safety concerns, with one crash in July 2016 leading to the death of a young father. Continue reading →

Posted in Andrew Pelling, Crime, Jeff Boothe, Joy Prince, Policing, Purley Way, Robert Canning, Waddon | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Croydon High PTA’s Winter Fair, Selsdon, Dec 2

Posted on November 7, 2017 by insidecroydon

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St Francis, Monks Hill, Christmas Fayre, Nov 25

Posted on November 7, 2017 by insidecroydon

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River Wandle Ghost Walk, Wandle Park, Nov 11

Posted on November 6, 2017 by insidecroydon

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ATG presents Billy, Warlingham, Nov 23 – Dec 2

Posted on November 6, 2017 by insidecroydon

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Friends of Selsdon Wood autumn walk, Nov 11

Posted on November 6, 2017 by insidecroydon

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Sanderstead and Selsdon Rotary Club Craft Fair, Nov 11

Posted on November 6, 2017 by insidecroydon

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New Addington Tories confused about what they stand for

Posted on November 6, 2017 by insidecroydon

As exclusively revealed by Inside Croydon, the local Tories are putting their ‘B List’ candidates only in less-winnable wards. WALTER CRONXITE reports that it appears that some of those Conservative B-listers don’t seem to understand their own party’s policies

When the people of New Addington go to their polling stations in May to elect councillors for the next four years, they might need to exercise a great deal of care over their choices, since even some of the leading parties’ candidates appear more than a little confused over the policies that they are standing for.

Take Neville Dick, who is a candidate in New Addington North ward. Continue reading →

Posted in 2018 council elections, Ace Nnorom, Fieldway, Jason Cummings, Neville Dick, New Addington, New Addington North, Tim Pollard, Tony Pearson | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Movies, moustaches and how to handle a strong leader crisis

Posted on November 5, 2017 by insidecroydon

 

“Life has improved,” the strong leader said. “Life has become more joyous.”

Croydon 2017? Nope, Moscow, 1950.

Those were the words of Josef Stalin who, post-mortem, bestrides the brilliant horror-satire which is the first presentation of the David Lean Cinema’s December programme. Continue reading →

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Official investigation under way over West Thornton selection

Posted on November 4, 2017 by insidecroydon

WALTER CRONXITE reports on further delays and dispute in Croydon Labour’s candidate selection process ahead of next May’s local elections

Callton Young, right, canvassing with MP David Lammy. Delays in selection could see West Thornton ward lose Young

Labour Party officials in West Thornton ward face an investigation after what one member described as a “farce” of a selection meeting last weekend, with further delays and disputes seemingly guaranteed over a process which, borough-wide, is already almost two months behind schedule.

Members in the solidly Labour ward were sent an email yesterday from Yvonne Green, the selections procedures secretary. In the email, Green stated, “Due to disruption by members from outside of the West Thornton branch and the Croydon North constituency, the shortlisting meeting last week had to be abandoned.”

Selection for West Thornton’s three candidate spots should have been concluded by lunchtime today, but there will be a further delay now while officials from the Croydon North Constituency Labour Party carry out an investigation “due to a number of complaints”, according to a local party member.

“No indication was given of how long this will take.” Continue reading →

Posted in Bernadette Khan, Callton Young, Stuart King, Thornton Heath, West Thornton | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Rare butterfly spotted on New Addington chalkland reserve

Posted on November 4, 2017 by insidecroydon

Naturalists at Hutchinson’s Bank nature reserve are celebrating the sighting of a rare butterfly.

Naturalist Martin Wells captured this image of the rare brown hairstreak butterfly at Hutchinson’s Bank

Hutchinson’s Bank is one of the richest remaining chalk grassland habitats in London, and this year it has been just a touch richer with the appearance of the brown hairstreak butterfly.

London Wildlife Trust has been working to expand habitats for around 30 butterfly species at the nature reserve. The butterflies include grizzled skipper, dark green fritillary, small blue, brown argus and chalk hill blue. All have been helped to thrive by the Trust’s work to reduce scrub encroachment and allow controlled grazing, but it was the sighting of the brown hairstreak that really highlighted the project’s success. Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, New Addington, Wildlife | Tagged , , | 1 Comment