Roke campaigners take their protest to Harris’s front door

Posted on March 18, 2013 by insidecroydon

It will be interesting to see whether the private education organisation run by a  carpet salesman rolls out a welcome mat tomorrow when the Save Roke Primary Campaign stages a protest outside the offices of the Harris Federation tomorrow, March 19, from 4.30pm.

Protestors from the Kenely primary school took their campaign to the Department for Education earlier this month. Tomorrow, they will be closer to home

Protestors from the Kenely primary school took their campaign to the Department for Education earlier this month. Tomorrow, they will be closer to home

That the Harris offices are in Croydon, the campaigners hope, will see parents and teachers from across the borough come to show their support – especially since there is a fear that the Harris “carpetbaggers” have their greedy eyes on at least two other schools in Croydon.

The address for the rally is Norfolk House, Wellesley Road, Croydon CR0 1LH (very close to East Croydon and West Croydon stations and adjacent to Wellesley Road tram stop and the Travelodge). Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Gavin Barwell, Roke Primary, Schools | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

“Gis a planning job”: damning email from Croydon councillor

Posted on March 17, 2013 by insidecroydon

Inside Croydon has obtained an email sent from a Croydon councillor to a leading firm in the building industry, seeking work based on their “planning expertise” at a time when the councillor was serving on the Town Hall’s planning committees.

Clare Hilley: Croydon councillor who applied for jobs based on her "planning expertise"

Clare Hilley: Croydon councillor who applied for a job based on her “planning expertise”

We reported earlier this week about the fall-out from an investigation by the Daily Torygraph into “councillors for hire”, local elected officials who abuse their position to line their pockets, or purses, from commercial businesses keen to get an inside track on the local planning process.

The email, which we reproduce below, was sent from Councillor Clare Hilley, using her official Town Hall email address. Attached to the email is a copy of Hilley’s CV.

It was sent in December 2010, barely six months after Hilley was re-elected as councillor for Waddon ward.

At the time, Hilley was a member of the council’s planning committee and strategic planning committees. Continue reading →

Posted in Clare Hilley, Croydon South, Julie Belvir, Planning, Richard Ottaway MP, Waddon | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Campaigners protest Bedroom Tax as “vilification of the poor”

Posted on March 16, 2013 by insidecroydon
Bedroom Tax protesters in the rain outside Croydon Town Hall today

Bedroom Tax protesters in the rain outside Croydon Town Hall today

More than 60 protesters braved pouring rain to protest against the Bedroom Tax outside Croydon Town Hall today.

The protest was one of more than 50 demonstrations held concurrently across the country to oppose the measure that will mean that anyone living in a council or housing association home and deemed to have a “spare” bedroom will lose nearly £800 a year in reduced housing benefit.

From April 1, nearly 3,000 households in Croydon will be hit by the bedroom tax, making them £15.31 per week worse off. That rises to £27.33 worse off if they are deemed to have two spare bedrooms.

Around two-thirds of those affected will be disabled people, and activists were in attendance from Disabled People Against Cuts and Croydon Mental Health Forum. Continue reading →

Posted in Activities, Andrew Pelling, Health, Housing | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Join the daisy chain for lessons in active childbirth

Posted on March 16, 2013 by insidecroydon

Angela Thacker is running two free taster sessions for Daisy Birthing Classes on Friday April 5, in the morning, and Monday April 8, in the evening, at Shirley Methodist Church.

Angela Thacker: Lazy Daisy teacher in Croydon

Angela Thacker: Lazy Daisy teacher in Croydon

Spaces are limited so must be booked by contacting Thacker at angela-thacker@lazydaisybirthing.co.uk.

Lazy Daisy is a nationwide business of franchised, trained teachers who lead active birth classes using movement, breathing, relaxation and movement techniques, with expectant mothers often using yoga mats.

Thacker said, “I had a rather difficult birth and have become a Daisy birthing teacher to help local women have a positive birth experience.

“This is something I believe every woman should be able to have regardless of her birth path. The classes are brilliant they combine, movement, education, breathing techniques and relaxation, with the added benefit of meeting other mums to be.” Continue reading →

Posted in Activities, Business, Health, Shirley North | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Emergency meeting called on sell-off of public libraries

Posted on March 16, 2013 by insidecroydon

There will be an emergency meeting of Croydon Council on Monday evening, when Tim Pollard will be called to account for the shambolic handling of the Conservative-led administration’s attempts to sell-off the borough’s libraries.

Shirley library

Shirley Library: presented on a plate to building developers. Again

The opposition Labour group has called the emergency meeting, after their culture spokesman, Timothy Godfrey, was prevented from asking detailed questions of his opposite number at last month’s budget meeting.

Then, Pollard dropped the bombshell that after almost 18 months of a “competitive” bidding process, costing Council Tax-payers an estimated six-figure sum, Croydon Tories’ favoured bidder had refused to sign the deal because the terms were not favourable enough for them.

John Laing Integrated Services had belatedly realised that council staff’s pension liabilities would damage their bottom line and reduce their opportunity to profit from public libraries; utterly cravenly, Pollard and the Tory-run council have decided to let JLIS bid all over again. Continue reading →

Posted in Greenwich Leisure, John Laing Integrated Services, Libraries, Property, Tim Pollard, Timothy Godfrey, URV, Wandsworth Council | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Alzheimer’s cure gives Steers a target in the long haul

Posted on March 15, 2013 by insidecroydon

It’s longer than a full marathon, and Carole Steers has never done any serious walking or running before, but in September the Davidson Road resident intends to step out across the 30 miles from Putney to Runnymede to raise funds for a great cause, the Alzheimer’s Society.

Long way to go: charity fund-raiser Carole Steers

Long way to go: charity fund-raiser Carole Steers

“I decided to walk the Thames Path Challenge in one day for the Alzheimer’s Society in memory of my great aunt, Nancy, who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease, who passed away in October last year,” Steers said.

“Nancy loved to be out walking in the countryside and this is my way of saying goodbye. I am hoping that by raising funds for the Alzheimer’s Society that more support can be provided for carers as well as allowing the Society to continue its search for a cure.” Continue reading →

Posted in Addiscombe West, Charity, Health | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Rugger Bognor? PJF face a promotion showdown

Posted on March 15, 2013 by insidecroydon

RUGBY ROUND-UP: A 22-0 win at home for Purley John Fisher last weekend sets them up for an all-important clash against Bognor at Parson’s Pightle tomorrow which could define their season.

PJF's Liam Miles, supported by Tom White and Tom Leather, force their way through Old Blues's defence

PJF’s Liam Miles, supported by Tom White and Tom Leather, force their way through Old Blues’s defence

Most local clubs have this Saturday off, but PJF have a game in hand on the two sides above them in the London and South-East Division 3SW league table, Winchester and Weybridge Vandals. With Bognor just two points above basement club Old Blues, the Purley club will be looking for a bonus point win to narrow the gap to Vandals, currently second in the table with 73pts to PJF’s 67, with just another three rounds of matches to play before the end of the season.

The title looks to be Winchester’s to lose – they have already accumulated 83pts. Purley John Fisher are keen to get a return to the second tier of London club rugby after two years down a rung, and are pinning their hopes on a future fixture between Winchester and Vandals to damage Weybridge’s promotion prospects. Continue reading →

Posted in Old Mid-Whitgiftians/Trinity RFC, Old Walcountians, Old Whitgiftians, Purley-John Fisher, Rugby Union, Sport, Streatham-Croydon RFC, Warlingham RFC | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Croydon’s “only a Championship location” says planning chief

Posted on March 15, 2013 by insidecroydon

As Gavin Barwell once said, Croydon has an image problem.

Busy, busy, busy: White Label's Croydon stand at MIPIM this morning

Busy, busy: White Label’s Croydon stand at MIPIM yesterday morning

Our photograph, taken in Cannes yesterday morning, of the White Label-managed stand at the MIPIM  commercial property trade exhibition, shows that our south London borough is proving less of a hot ticket than the organisers hoped.

Having the borough’s own head of planning suggesting that Croydon is basically only second division when it comes to locations for office space has clearly been a remark well beyond White Label’s limited capabilities as PR spin doctors.

In an interview with a local paper, Mike Kiely, the senior Croydon Council officer attending Marché International des Professionnels d’Immobilier, the week-long property developers’ piss-up in the south of France, actually said something which displayed that he has a grasp on reality.

“We are not in the Premiership. We are not on a par with the Canary Wharfs of this world.

“We are in the Championship so we have to work very hard to create a quality product,” Kiely told the Croydon Guardian. So more Crystal Palace than Manchester United then? Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Allders, Business, Croydon Council, Planning, URV | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Historical assets ought to be foundation for Croydon’s future

Posted on March 14, 2013 by insidecroydon

CROYDON COMMENTARY: A charitable foundation with assets of more than £200 million could be doing more to make the most of the borough’s historical heritage, says DAVID CALLAM 

The statue of John Whitgift, symbollically holding the hospital the Archbishop founded in Croydon

A statue of John Whitgift, symbolically holding the hospital the Archbishop founded in Croydon

The Whitgift Foundation is seeking commercial sponsors for a festival in June. It wants to promote itself and to celebrate the wider Croydon community – past, present and future.

But could it be doing more for the town of which its founder was so fond?

The Foundation is the longest-established Croydon institution. It pre-dates the area’s incorporation as a borough (1883) by nearly 300 years.

Today, it owns the freehold of the Whitgift Centre and much other commercial property in and around the borough, using the money it generates from rents to pay to run care homes and three large private schools. It is a registered charity with, according to records lodged with the Charity Commission, total assets of more than £210million and annual income of £46million. Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Business, Charity, David Callam, Education, History, Old Palace, Property, Schools, Trinity School, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation, Whitgift School | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Incinerator campaigners demonstrate that money talks

Posted on March 14, 2013 by insidecroydon
Anti-incinerator protesters make their point at last night's meeting of the Sutton Council development committee

Anti-incinerator protesters make their point at last night’s meeting of the Sutton Council development committee

The Development Committee on Sutton Council thought they were holding a routine meeting last night, until a number of Stop The Incinerator protestors drawn from across Sutton and Croydon entered with placards and sat down at the front of the public gallery.

Once the meeting started, the councillors were startled when the protestors stood up with £5, £10 and £20 notes taped across their mouths. Their message was that, as far as £1billion incinerator schemes are concerned, money talks.

Perplexed, the meeting chairman opted to speed through the agenda, declaring the meeting closed within a couple of minutes. Continue reading →

Posted in Broad Green, Business, Croydon Greens, Environment, Health, Planning, Shasha Khan, Stuart Collins, Sutton Council, Waste incinerator | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Another chance to get Trashed: Sutton, March 28

Posted on March 14, 2013 by insidecroydon

TRASHED_MOVIE_POSTER_A3_WEB_V3The Stop the Incinerator Campaign’s screening of the acclaimed Jeremy Irons film, Trashed, at Fairfield Halls last week was seen by more than 80 people, and the obvious demand has persuaded the organisers to show the movie again.

“There was spontaneous applause when the final credits started to roll,” Paul Pickering, the campaign chair, told Inside Croydon.

“We are now able to confirm details of our screening in Sutton. We will be showing Trashed in Meeting Room 2 at The Civic Centre, Sutton, on Thursday March 28. Doors will open at 7pm.”

There will again be a Q&A session following the film. Continue reading →

Posted in Activities, Cinema, Croydon Greens, Environment, London-wide issues, Sutton Council, Waste incinerator | Leave a comment

Bishop says he will always defend the poorest in society

Posted on March 14, 2013 by insidecroydon

Jonathan Clark, the Bishop of Croydon, says that the government is “placing an additional and unfair burden on the poorest members of our society”.

Bishop Clark: attack on benefits is an attack on basic

Bishop Clark: attack on benefits is an attack on basic necessities

In an interview to be aired on local radio this weekend, Bishop Clark explains why he was among the signatories to an open letter criticising government policy.

“Concern for the poor is absolutely at the heart of what the church needs to be there for, because we need to speak up for those who have no other voice and that is what I was trying to do,” he said.

The Bishop of Croydon was among more than 40 senior churchmen, including the new Archbishop of Canterbury, to write an open letter last week protesting at the government’s proposed welfare changes.

While recognising that the government faces difficult decisions, Bishop Clarke says that the decision on capping benefits is wrong. Bishop Clarke gives a clear explanation of his belief that the government has acted in error with the 1 per cent benefit cap. Continue reading →

Posted in Bishop of Croydon, Church and religions, Croydon Radio, Local media | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Croydon Central will have all-woman list for Labour

Posted on March 13, 2013 by insidecroydon

The Labour party candidate for the Croydon Central parliamentary seat will be a woman, according to a report on the Labour List website today.

Thornton Heath councillor Louisa Woodley: one of the women who were passed over by Croydon North and who might go forward for Labour's all-woman shortlist in Croydon Central

Thornton Heath councillor Louisa Woodley: one of the women who were passed over by Croydon North and who might go forward for Labour’s all-woman shortlist in Croydon Central

The seat, which was held by Labour until 2005, is represented by Gavin Barwell of the Conservative party, who won at the 2010 general election with a majority of less than 3,000 votes.

Croydon Central has already been earmarked by Labour as one of its target seats in its bid to win power at the next election, likely to be held in May 2015.

Croydon Central is one of two London seats in the latest batch of recommendations for an All-Women Shortlist by the Labour party’s “Org Sub” committee – the other is the ultra-marginal Hampstead and Kilburn, currently held by the veteran MP and former actress, Glenda Jackson. Continue reading →

Posted in Andrew Pelling, Croydon Central, Gavin Barwell, Gerry Ryan, Louisa Woodley, Nina Champion, Val Shawcross | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Council extends consultation deadline over Arena academy

Posted on March 13, 2013 by insidecroydon
All change? Croydon Council has extended its consultation period for its Arena Acadmey proposals

All change? Croydon Council has extended its consultation period for its Arena Acadmey proposals

After protests from locals that too little time had been offered to respond, Croydon Council has extended the consultation period on its controversial proposals (aka “determined plan”) to build a large secondary school at Croydon Arena in South Norwood.

As first reported by Inside Croydon, the rapidly cobbled-together scheme for a sports academy has already drawn the opposition from Conservative councillors because of the likelihood to build on Metropolitan Open Land alongside the Arena in Albert Road and South Norwood Country Park. Continue reading →

Posted in Adam Kellett, CALAT, Croydon North, Education, Schools | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Rainbow charity gets a special delivery from Croydon depot

Posted on March 13, 2013 by insidecroydon

In a week when raising cash for children’s charities is making the news, UK Mail’s Croydon depot has done itself proud, handing over a cheque for £1,250 to Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity.

UK Mail's Croydon depot's charity presentation to the Rainbow Trust this week

UK Mail’s Croydon depot’s charity presentation to the Rainbow Trust this week

The “special delivery” to the Surrey-based charity was made earlier this week, with Parcel Pete – UK Mail’s cartoon mascot – meeting up with Rainbow characters Zippy, George and Bungle, while UK Mail’s Croydon staff Alison Lahabib (Operations Manager), Don Howie (Site Manager) and Jayne McClymont (Site Admin) were also on hand for the photograph, left.

The money was raised after UK Mail staff thwarted an attempted fraud at the depot, leading to an arrest by police. UK Mail is the delivery partner for Telefonica O2 and as part of a reward scheme, the mobile phone company handed over £625 for their crime-busting efforts. After the funds were matched by UK Mail, the team at the Croydon depot donated the money to Rainbow Trust, a charity who provides individually tailored social palliative care to all family members of a child who has a life threatening or terminal illnesses. Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Charity | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Tech Town session offers more start-up advice

Posted on March 13, 2013 by insidecroydon

croydon tech city northThe next meeting of the Croydon Tech “City” movement is a week on Thursday, March 21.

The event will feature a tech panel of local technical startup experts – including Simon Bird, the founder of software company dotDigital, who will be doing a question and answer session to give advice, help and suggestions about how non-techies could go about starting to create an app, website or computer program. Continue reading →

Posted in Activities, Business | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

White Label’s “no Cannes do” with conference publicity

Posted on March 12, 2013 by insidecroydon

Whoops. Looks like another clanger dropped by White Label, the PR agency that is ubiquitous in Croydon Council business.

Croydon Cannes brochure Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Cane Hill, Cherry Orchard Gardens, Croydon Council, Housing, Jon Rouse, Planning, Property, URV | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Planning conflicts of interest? In Croydon? Don’t be silly

Posted on March 12, 2013 by insidecroydon

The Daily Torygraph, that bastion of left-wing revolutionaries, yesterday ran a fascinating report on how some councillors had been abusing their position within local authority planning committees to line their own pockets. Or purses. Shock! Horror!

Hilary Benn: councillors would have "clear conflict of interest"

Hilary Benn: councillors with consultancies would have “clear conflict of interest”

This, of course, would never be allowed to happen anywhere as upright and right-thinking as Croydon, where councillors who work for building industry lobbyists manage to get around to resigning from planning committees, somewhat reluctantly, months after the apparent conflict of interest is highlighted on … Inside Croydon.

This report from last year may offer some context, particularly on the reluctance aspect of the resignation.

The Torygraph – the paper which famously exposed MPs’ scandalous expenses claims, such as the extravagant spending on his house and garden by Croydon South’s Lord Bletchingley – has followed up its report today by publishing a letter to Eric Pickles, the local government minister, from Hilary Benn, his Labour shadow.

Benn makes this important point: “It is not right for a councillor to take on paid consultancy for clients seeking to influence the local authority on which they serve. It is a clear conflict of interest.” Them’s our italics. Just for emphasis. Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Business, Cane Hill, Clare Hilley, Croydon South, Housing, Menta Tower, Planning, Property, Richard Ottaway MP, Ruskin Square, URV, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Hall brothers progress to the final of mini-movie competition

Posted on March 11, 2013 by insidecroydon

Local actor and film maker Michael Hall and his brother Charlie have both made it into the final five UK entries in Empire Magazine‘s “Done in 60 Seconds” movie competition.

MH remaking Robocop

Light, camera, action… Michael Hall on the “set” of his remake of Robocop, somewhere in suburban Croydon

Michael Hall qualified thanks to votes from friends, family and fans for his mini-movie version of Robocop.

Charlie Hall’s entry is You Only Live Twice.

Both films made extensive use of the talents of other members of Croydon Operatic and Dramatic Association, the borough’s leading am-dram group, which this year celebrates its 70th anniversary. Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Cinema, CODA, Comedy | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Bishop of Croydon signs protest letter over benefit changes

Posted on March 10, 2013 by insidecroydon

Jonathan Clark, the Bishop of Croydon, is one of more than 40 senior churchmen, led by the Archbishop of Canterbury, to condemn the government’s plan for a 1 per cent annual increase in welfare benefits in each of the next three years, regardless of inflation, for being targeted at the poorest in society.

Jonathan Clark, at the celebration of his appointment as the Bishop of Croydon with the then Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams

Jonathan Clark, at the celebration of his appointment as the Bishop of Croydon with the then Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams

The Conservative-led government’s Welfare Benefits Up-rating Bill will be debated in the House of Lords next week.

With the Church of England known as the Tory party at prayer, the prelates’ public opposition suggests another damaging division for David Cameron to cope with.

In the letter to the Sunday Telegraph published today, the 43 bishops say that the Bill’s proposals “will have a deeply disproportionate impact on families with children, pushing 200,000 children into poverty”. Continue reading →

Posted in Bishop of Croydon, Church and religions | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Group offering mentoring courses to help make a difference

Posted on March 9, 2013 by insidecroydon

Are you interested in the development of young people? Could you help a young black or minority ethnic male to reach his full potential?

The Croydon Mentoring Consortium is a partnership of six organisations who are working with the Greater London Authority to provide BME boys who are at risk of offending or of being not in education, employment or training (NEET) with mentors who can empower them to lead a positive lifestyle.

MentoringCroydon Mentoring Consortium is looking for committed, compassionate people, preferably some experience of working with people from disadvantaged backgrounds but not essential, to volunteer as mentors for BME boys aged 10 to 16 years. Mentors will be responsible for developing a professional, trusting relationship with their mentee, offer information and support to their mentees, assist their mentees to engage in education, training and employment and assist their mentee to build and maintain positive relationships. Continue reading →

Posted in Activities, Charity, Church and religions, Community associations | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Cuts to Family Justice Centre are putting lives at risk

Posted on March 8, 2013 by insidecroydon

LEE WEBSTER, a campaigner from South Norwood, on the vital importance of International Women’s Day for Croydon

Campaigners protest at the damage cuts are doing to Croydon's Family Justice Centre

Campaigners protest at the damage cuts are doing to Croydon’s Family Justice Centre

Every year on March 8, we mark International Women’s Day, on which for a hundred years, women activists have campaigned for gender equality and social justice. In Croydon this year the tradition continues, as this week Croydon Labour Women’s Forum led a rally and public meeting to protest Tory cuts to the award-winning Family Justice Centre.

Tory cuts are biting, and biting hard. But none are feeling the cuts as deep and as hard as women, and particularly those who are vulnerable to violence in their homes.

The council has recently announced an extra £20,000 cuts, on top of £200,000 cut over the past two years to services for women experiencing violence in Croydon. Services in the Family Justice Centre have already been slashed – previous advisers, counsellors, housing officers, helpline workers and specialist police have been removed, rendering the centre a shell of its former self. Continue reading →

Posted in Charity, Community associations, Crime, Family Justice Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Warlingham gored by single point in defeat to Bulls

Posted on March 7, 2013 by insidecroydon

RUGBY ROUND-UP: One point. A single point.

Forward power: despite dominance up front, Warlingham lost by a single point last Saturday

Forward power: despite dominance up front, Warlingham lost by a single point last Saturday

After 80 minutes of rugby, Warlingham suffered their latest defeat last Saturday in London 2SE when they went down 32-31 at Aylesford Bulls, who delivered plenty of beef to the game and proved that they were not a bunch of nags.

Warlingham had Tom Street in the back row after his spell of paternity leave and, in the early stages, the visitors’ pack made mince meat of Aylesford. Continue reading →

Posted in Old Mid-Whitgiftians/Trinity RFC, Old Walcountians, Old Whitgiftians, Purley-John Fisher, Rugby Union, Sport, Streatham-Croydon RFC, Warlingham RFC | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Roke parents in legal challenge against “dictator” Gove

Posted on March 6, 2013 by insidecroydon

The Save Roke group is to launch a legal challenge to the plans of Michael Gove, the education minister, to hand their primary school over to a private academy.

Michael Gove: challenged

Michael Gove: challenged

The group announced its plans last night, and is working with the Anti-Academies Alliance to raise funds to pay lawyers’ charges. Within a day, they had already received enough donations to take them to half of their initial target.

The campaigners believe that they may have a case in law to challenge the Secretary of State’s actions, which they believe have gone beyond his powers by referring the state primary school in Kenley to the Harris Federation when the school is not a “failing” school.

The Anti-Academies Alliance issued a statement today in which they announced a new campaign organisation and called for an immediate “public enquiry into bullying behaviour endemic in forced academisation of schools.”

The statement said that with the Department for Education,  “bullying is endemic in forced academy conversions. Parents from bullied schools are fighting back and launching a new campaign group – Parents Against Forced Academies (PAFA). This arose from the frustration parents feel at not being listened to on key decisions about the handing of our schools by rich businessmen running academy chains.” Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Roke Primary, Schools | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

PR agents sign up Tesco as cut-price festival sponsors

Posted on March 6, 2013 by insidecroydon

TescoTesco, the unwitting purveyors of horse meat with a long-time reputation for doing things on the cheap, and now the proud owners of an “express” store in a South Croydon landmark pub despite local opposition have “generously” agreed to sponsor this year’s South Croydon Food Festival, for the grand sum of

£2,000

In October, Tesco reported half-year profits of

£1.6 billion

Every little bit helps? Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Community associations, Croydon Council, Croydon Greens, Croydon South, Environment, Fairfield, Parking, Property, Pubs, Restaurants, South Croydon, Waddon, Whitgift Foundation | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments