Palace users call on Coe to honour his legacy promises

Posted on August 20, 2015 by insidecroydon

Within a day of Sebastian Coe winning election to one of the most powerful positions in world sport, users of the under-threat facilities at Crystal Palace National Sports Centre have issued a challenge to the double Olympic gold medal-winner to be as good as his word over the venue’s “legacy” role following the 2012 London Games.

Lord Coe in Beijing yesterday: challenged to match his words with actions at Crystal Palace. Picture: Getty Images/IAAF

Lord Coe in Beijing yesterday: challenged to match his words with actions at Crystal Palace. Picture: Getty Images/IAAF

Before he was elected President of the International Association of Athletics Federations at a meeting in Beijing yesterday, Lord Coe had held the position of executive chairman of a company, CSM Sport and Entertainment, which conducted a consultation last year on behalf of his Tory colleague, Mayor of London Boris Johnson, on the future of the former national athletics stadium.

Coe’s CSM consultation offered four options, all of which suggested the demolition of much of the stadium and other sports facilities. Continue reading →

Posted in Athletics, Boris Johnson, Community associations, Croydon Harriers, Crystal Palace Park, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Sport | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Housing services advice bus, Shirley, Aug 25

Posted on August 20, 2015 by insidecroydon

Housing info bus Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Council, Housing, Shirley North, Waddon | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Taberner House saffron farm within £1,000 of fulfilling dream

Posted on August 20, 2015 by insidecroydon

A vision of recreating Croydon as Crocus Valley needs another £1,000 in crowd-funding before the weekend to become a reality.

How the central Croydon crocus fam might look, as imagined by local artist Lis Watkins

How the central Croydon crocus fam might look, as imagined by local artist Lis Watkins

One restaurant has already placed an order for the scheme’s entire first crop of saffron, Ally McKinlay’s idea of turning the site of the former council offices into a pop-up community farm for four months appears to have a commercially viable aspect to it which distinguishes it from many other fund-raisers.

With saffron, a long-cherished spice for cooks, being worth more than its weight in gold – at around £75 per gram – it seems that turning the former Taberner House site into a crocus field for a few months could prove to be the most lucrative horticultural project in central Croydon since the police closed down the marijuana farm in a Waddon semi last year. And the crocuses would be entirely legal, too.

Continue reading →

Posted in Activities, Business, Community associations, Education, Environment, Gardening, Taberner House | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Campaigners secure transatlantic interview with director

Posted on August 19, 2015 by insidecroydon

the forgotten kingdomThe Save the David Lean Cinema Campaign will be staging a live transatlantic interview with director Andrew Mudge following the screening of his new film, The Forgotten Kingdom, on the evening of August 27.

The Forgotten Kingdom is being screened at the David Lean Cinema in its week of release in the UK, a breakthrough for the campaign volunteers, the first time that has been possible since the cinema’s re-opening 18 months ago.

The first feature film to be shot in Lesotho, The Forgotten Kingdom is “a moving, magical tale of identity” (according to Hollywood Reporter).

The interview with Mudge, who is based in the United States, will take place using Skype, and will be chaired by Janet Smith. Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Cinema, David Lean Cinema Campaign | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Reed supporter’s petition to halt election gets 15 signatories

Posted on August 19, 2015 by insidecroydon

Corbyn beer matsAs ballot papers for a raft of Labour elections arrive through letter boxes this week, Croydon North’s Progress MP Steve Reed OBE and a “co-operative” councillor who served under him during his time as leader of Lambeth Council have called the party process into question.

Jeremy Corbyn looks like he might win the Labour leadership contest on first-preference votes alone, a democratic outcome of an election which Reed and the likes of Stockwell councillor Alex Bigham appear to regard with horror. Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon North, Gavin Barwell, Jason Cummings, Lambeth Council, Mayor of London, Steve Reed MP, Tessa Jowell | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Coulsdon bowling green helps give teenagers a head start

Posted on August 19, 2015 by insidecroydon

Croydon teenagers are getting a head start in lawn bowls in Coulsdon. Youth volunteers from the Headstart scheme have been busy at the Coulsdon Memorial Ground, helping the Friends of Marlpit Lane Bowling Green.

They start them young at Marlpit Lane Bowling Green

They start them young at Marlpit Lane Bowling Green

Headstart provides young people with opportunities to get involved with their local community. At the bowling green, which is managed by the FMLBG community group, Headstart’s volunteers are helping to run events, keep the bowling green open to the public and learn a new sport.

“We’re very pleased with Headstart and the volunteers,” said Ruari Armstrong, the FMLBG chairman.

“They are always willing to help, very capable, and some of them are getting very good at lawn bowls.”

Continue reading →

Posted in Activities, Bowls, Community associations, Coulsdon, Friends of Marlpit Lane Bowling Green, Marlpit Lane, Sport | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Council CEO: ‘Time for debate is over. Give us our cash back’

Posted on August 18, 2015 by insidecroydon

The borough’s elected councillors were advised not to attend the annual meeting of the Croydon Communities [sic] Consortium last month because of a possible legal dispute for the recovery of thousands of pounds of public money.

CCC chairwoman Elizabeth Ash, with someone who is not a member of CCC

CCC chairwoman Elizabeth Ash, with someone who is not a member of CCC

The CCC has been dubbed the Croham Clux Clan by Inside Croydon‘s loyal reader because of the high proportion of current and former UKIP members who enjoy the company at its meetings.

CCC staged its annual meeting more than a month ago, but it has yet to publish its minutes, and its new secretary – who until recently was a paid-up member of UKIP – has failed to circulate to all attendees her version of the meeting.

On the night of the meeting, the CCC chairwoman, Elizabeth Ash, refused to allow the meeting to be recorded independently.

Now, Nathan Elvery, the chief executive of Croydon Council, has told Inside Croydon that he will publish all documentation relating to the disputed CCC grant once the public cash has been recovered from the organisation or its officers. Elvery has directly contradicted one of the public claims made at the CCC annual meeting by Ash, who said she has a two-year contract from the council. Ash has so far failed to make any such document public.

Continue reading →

Posted in Community associations, Croydon Council, Nathan Elvery | Tagged , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Tuesday lunchtime yoga sessions, South Norwood

Posted on August 18, 2015 by insidecroydon

Yoga Continue reading →

Posted in Health, South Norwood, Stanley Halls | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Purley Way crash highlights pollution disaster coming our way

Posted on August 17, 2015 by insidecroydon
There could be 1,000 lorry journeys every day travelling up and down the Purley Way once the Beddington incinerator is firing on all cylinders

There could be 1,000 lorry journeys every day travelling up and down the Purley Way once the Beddington incinerator is firing on all cylinders

Anyone who tries to drive along the Purley Way, whether as a route to work or simply to visit any of the retail sheds that line the urban motorway, already knows it can be a pretty dispiriting experience.

Last Friday morning, it was worse than that, when a lorry carrying tons of waste tipped over on the road. The A23 was blocked in both directions for hours, the southbound carriageway remaining closed for most of the morning rush hour and beyond.

Yet Friday’s disruption and traffic chaos could just be a taste of things to come. Continue reading →

Posted in 2016 London elections, Croydon Council, Environment, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Refuse collection, Steve Reed MP, Tessa Jowell, Waddon, Waste incinerator | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

AUDIO: Pardew says referee wasn’t ‘brave’ on key decision

Posted on August 16, 2015 by insidecroydon
Alan Pardew: the referee needed to be brave

Alan Pardew: the referee needed to be brave

Arsenal were sharper than Crystal Palace today in their 2-1 win at Selhurst Park, according to Eagles manager Alan Pardew.

Arsenal took all three points after Olivier Giroud gave them a well-deserved lead with an instinctive and acrobatic effort after 18 minutes, but Joel Ward got Palace right back into the game with a long-range shot just before the half-hour.

Palace might have taken the lead early in the second half, and the turning point in the game, according to Pardew, was early in the second half when Connor Wickham, making his home league debut, hit the post. Arsenal grabbed the win after Damian Delaney sliced a Sanchez header into his own net.

In his post-match interview, Pardew paid tribute to his own side and praised his midfield signing, Yohan Cabaye. “Cabaye was as good as anyone in Arsenal today,” he said. Continue reading →

Posted in Crystal Palace FC, Football, Sport | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Tumbleweed moment as Tessa fails to chime with Croydon

Posted on August 16, 2015 by insidecroydon
Ruskin House's Labour Mayoral husstings on Monday night. With no Tessa Jowell

Ruskin House’s Labour Mayoral hustings on Monday night. With no Tessa Jowell

WALTER CRONXITE reports that the latest polling results on the London Mayoral candidate selection are not being reflected in Croydon

Two events, staged for the same audience, at the same venue, just 48 hours apart. The contrast ought to cause some concern for Dame Tessa Jowell, who the pollsters say is leading in the race to be selected as Labour’s candidate to run for London Mayor next year. Continue reading →

Posted in 2016 London elections, Environment, Health, Housing, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Tessa Jowell, Waste incinerator | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Hillcrest Netball Club player trials, Aug 22 and Sep 2

Posted on August 15, 2015 by insidecroydon

Hillcrest Netball trials Continue reading →

Posted in Hillcrest NC, Netball, Sport | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Tooting Triathlon Relay, Tooting Bec Lido, Sep 27

Posted on August 15, 2015 by insidecroydon

South London Swimming Club Tooting

Online entry for the 2015 Relay Tri is open! Continue reading →

Posted in Athletics, Cycling, Sport, Swimming | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Choral Evensong to celebrate the Queen’s reign, Sep 8

Posted on August 15, 2015 by insidecroydon

queen's evensong Continue reading →

Posted in Church and religions, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Music | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Campaigners set £200,000 cash target to save The Ship

Posted on August 14, 2015 by insidecroydon

Campaigners and residents around Norwood Junction are trying to raise £200,000 towards the cost of buying The Ship pub from its owner.

An asset of community value: The Ship pub in South Norwood

An asset of community value: The Ship pub

The Ship has been granted status as an Asset of Community Value, the first in Croydon, but despite twice having had planning permission denied to turn the pub into flats, the owner-developer has gone ahead anyway. Croydon Council has failed to take any enforcement action, and is instead seeking to negotiate some “accommodation” over a retrospective planning permission.

This will include re-instated the pub on the ground floor and basement. Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Community associations, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Housing, Planning, Property, Pubs, South Norwood | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Fund-raising summer barbecue, Ruskin House, Aug 23

Posted on August 14, 2015 by insidecroydon

National GalleryCroydon Trades Union Council is staging a fund-raising summer barbecue on Sunday, August 23 from 3pm at Ruskin House.

The event is to support Public and Commercial Services Union strikers who are fighting the privatisation of nearly 400 jobs at the National Gallery.

The strikers’ aims include the reinstatement of the victimised PCS union rep, Candy Udwin. Continue reading →

Posted in Activities, Art, Community associations | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Rotary Club annual quiz night, Shirley High School, Oct 16

Posted on August 14, 2015 by insidecroydon

Rotary club event Continue reading →

Posted in Charity, Community associations, Shirley North | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

POLL: Should comedian Mark Steel be allowed a Labour vote?

Posted on August 13, 2015 by insidecroydon

It is rare indeed that Croydon makes it on to the front page of a national newspaper. But The Independent has today splashed a picture story of how its columnist, Mark Steel, has been rejected by the Labour Party from signing up as a supporter in order to take part in the leadership election.

Mark Steel's coming to perform in Croydon

Mark Steel: rejected by Steve Reed

Yes, that’s the Labour Party rejecting an application from someone who describes himself as a socialist, someone who campaigned for the Labour Party at the General Election in May, but who has avoided membership of the party for more than a decade after its then leadership took the country into an illegal war in Iraq.

Steel announced his rejection in a tweet yesterday afternoon: “Well – an email from Labour says my application has been rejected as I ‘don’t support their values’. Maybe I was meant to invade Iraq.”

Continue reading →

Posted in 2016 London elections, Comedy, Croydon North, Steve Reed MP | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

High Court judge rejects legal challenge to landlord licensing

Posted on August 13, 2015 by insidecroydon

The legal challenge against Croydon Council’s landlord licensing scheme, a flagship manifesto policy which helped get Labour elected last year, has been rejected by a High Court judge, a decision greeted by one senior council figure as, “A great day for Croydon and particularly our residents.”

For Sale and To Let signsTony Newman, the council leader, said: “Those developers and landlords who have sought to exploit the vulnerable and attack Croydon’s Labour council elected with a clear mandate to deliver the PRS licensing scheme have been sent the clearest possible message.”

It can only be hoped that Newman is equally forceful and bullish on behalf of the people who elected him when he next meets the likes of landowners the Whitgift Foundation, their £1 billion developers Westfield, and their managing agents, or the lobby group Develop Croydon.

It is not clear immediately whether the judge will award Croydon Council’s legal costs against the Croydon Property Forum, the shadowy body which brought the case.

If the judge does not, it means that Croydon Council Tax-payers will be saddled with the bills for defending the case, which could run to an estimated £30,000 or more.

Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Alison Butler, Business, Croydon Council, Dudley Mead, Environment, Housing, Jo Negrini, Planning, Property, Stiles Harold Williams, Tony Newman, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Croydon rocks? Well, only if we need new lavatories for dogs

Posted on August 12, 2015 by insidecroydon

There’s recycling. And then there’s regurgitating. As in vomiting up a really bad idea…

Rock off: Is this an improvement to any high street?

Rock off: Is this an improvement to Thornton Heath, or any high street?

Croydon Council, having removed the notorious 20 boulders of New Addington, have managed to come up with an idea to dispose of them which is, if anything, even worse. It has used the 50th anniversary of being incorporated within Greater London as a spurious excuse to distribute the 20 lumps of rock around the borough, adorned with plaques to mark an event of utter disinterest to the vast majority of Council Tax-payers.

And meanwhile, no one seems to know what happened to 21st stone of Croydon, Mike #WadGate Fisher’s wodge of cash…

The boulders cost £7,000, paid for from the Mayor’s Regeneration Fund during Fisher’s Tory administration. They were originally installed to deter illegal parking along the parade at New Addington, to the near-immediate horror of residents.

The Labour group which is now in charge at the Town Hall, having incurred the cost of removing the eye-sores, has managed to make a bad situation worse by incurring additional expense in re-distributing the boulders elsewhere. Continue reading →

Posted in Alison Butler, Art, Coulsdon, Croydon Council, Environment, Nathan Elvery, New Addington, Purley, Thornton Heath | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

JLS star adds the X Factor to rugby club’s training session

Posted on August 12, 2015 by insidecroydon

JB Gill: singer turning to winger

JB Gill: singer turning to winger

Warlingham rugby players turning up for pre-season training at Hamsey Green last night quickly noticed a familiar face in the changing room – but one that was more familiar to them from their television screens.

Turning up for training at the rugby club for the first time in a decade was JB Gill, the former singer with JLS, the boy band which nearly won the ITV talent show The X Factor in 2008.

Gill was a rugby player at school in his teens, and was a pacy winger and full-back in the Waringham club’s junior section, too, before his singing career took off, during which time JLS enjoyed five UK No1s and sold 10 million records around the world before the band split two years ago. Continue reading →

Posted in Rugby Union, Sport, Warlingham RFC | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

If you want change, then now’s the time to vote for change

Posted on August 11, 2015 by insidecroydon

First, the declaration of interest. I have known Christian Wolmar since 1986, when we both experienced what it was like to work for Robber Maxwell.

Outstanding candidate: Christian Wolmar

But when I suggest that all of Croydon (perhaps with the exception of serving Tory councillors) should get behind Wolmar and vote for him in Labour’s open primary to select the party’s London Mayoral candidate, this is far beyond an old pals’ act.

Inside Croydon doesn’t always endorse candidates. Only when there’s a special case. This is one such instance.

Last night’s hustings at Ruskin House confirmed that judgement.

If we have learned anything over the past 18 months of local and national politics, it is that ordinary people – those who don’t measure their politics by the number of leaflets delivered or “away days” attended – are tired of the same-old, same-old, and they want change. And they want change now. Continue reading →

Posted in 2016 London elections, Boris Johnson, Christian Wolmar, London-wide issues, Mayor of London | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Hustings where a Dame turned into a pantomime villain

Posted on August 11, 2015 by insidecroydon

For a second time inside a week, Ruskin House was full for a political meeting

For a second time inside a week, Ruskin House was full for a political meeting

Inside Croydon’s Editor, STEVEN DOWNES, managed his own bit of entryism to report from the far-left corner of last night’s Labour hustings at Ruskin House

There was an end-of-term feeling about it all. And with the headmistress missing, there was plenty of opportunity for mischief.

“Tonight, you are part of history,” The Guardian guy, Dave Hill, who was chairing the meeting, announced. “This is the final Labour Mayoral selection hustings.” Hmm. It’s hardly England winning the Ashes-type history, though, is it, Dave?

For a second time in the space of a week, the Cedar Hall of Ruskin House was full to overflowing for a political meeting. On a week night. In August. So much for the public not being engaged with politics.

Last week, it was Corbynmania, and a bit of a love-in. Last night, the attraction for the 200-or-so in the hall could have been the anticipation of a little more conflict, as five candidates seeking the Labour nomination to run for London Mayor next May were taking their last chance to pitch for people’s votes. Continue reading →

Posted in 2016 London elections, Boris Bikes, Boris Johnson, Christian Wolmar, Croydon Central, Cycling, Housing, Ken Livingstone, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Sarah Jones MP, Tessa Jowell, Tramlink, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Croydon’s suffering Labour pains at delivering promises

Posted on August 11, 2015 by insidecroydon

CROYDON COMMENTARY: Being “Ambitious” for something is one thing, says ARNO RABINOWITZ. Actually delivering on those election promises is proving a different matter

Election night, May 2014: but what has become of the manifesto "ambitions"?

Election night, May 2014: but what has become of Labour’s manifesto “ambitions”?

Just for fun – but then I am a closet masochist – I looked through the Labour manifesto for the 2014 Croydon Council election, all 30 pages of it, yesterday afternoon. What a depressing thing to do. It is difficult to see what, if anything, the party has done to carry out its manifesto promises.

It is full of lofty “Ambitions”, such as to minimise the spread of betting shops (tell that to the residents of South Norwood or Thornton Heath) and to bring all sorts of services to Croydon and to improve local environment (though there was no mention of building a dual carriageway through a local park) but, as has been highlighted by Susan Oliver over the Family Justice Centre, absolutely nothing has changed from when Mike Fisher’s Tories were in charge.

The “Ambitious for Croydon” manifesto is a curious mixture of vague wishes and direct, if ultimately unachievable, goals. Continue reading →

Posted in 2014 council elections, CALAT, Croydon Council, Duppas Hill Park, Education, Environment, Family Justice Centre, Housing, Julie Belvir, Nathan Elvery, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Thornton Heath volunteers clock-on out of civic pride

Posted on August 10, 2015 by insidecroydon

AMY GELSTHORPE-HILL reports on efforts to smarten up the high street 

The clocktower in the centre of Thornton Heath is one of the area’s best known landmarks. Built in 1900, it is one of many hundreds of community clocks erected during the Victorian age to let workers in newly industrialised areas know where they were in the working day.

A symbol of Victorian civic pride, the Thornton Heath action team wants to restore the clock to its former glory

A symbol of Victorian civic pride, the Thornton Heath action team wants to restore the clock to its former glory

As Victoria’s reign drew to a close, Croydon was still very separate from London, and pride in the local area was shown through civic buildings such, which was partly funded by public subscription.

Lots has changed since Victoria’s day, but even in 2015 there remains pride in the community. Last weekend, local people gathered to help make the Thornton Heath clocktower the heart of the high street once again.

The Thornton Heath Community Action Team, a group made up entirely of local volunteers, had been awarded a grant from the Mayor of London’s Capital Clean Up Fund specifically to improve this area.

Croydon Council donated two large planters and also had their specialist staff power wash the paving around the clocktower, as well as having staff from the local enforcement team on hand to provide litter picking equipment and to collect rubbish afterwards.

The Action Team, advised by one member who is a professional gardener, spent the money available on a host of perennial plants, quality compost and water-retaining gel to help keep the new displays healthy, as well as buying paint for the railings and some extra plants for the existing flower beds.

We have kept the remaining money to plant bulbs in the autumn and add seasonal flowers to ensure the clocktower area looks colourful throughout the year. Continue reading →

Posted in Charity, Community associations, Environment, Gardening, Thornton Heath, Thornton Heath Community Action Team | Tagged , , | Leave a comment