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Tag Archives: Ken Towl
160 voices sing Verdi’s Requiem at Croydon’s People’s Palace: with Elton John in the toilets and ‘limited nibbles’ for £15
The Croydon Philharmonic Choir made its long-awaited return to the refurbished Fairfield Halls last night. And so, too, did KEN TOWL When a Croydon re-opening commands the presence of the Mayor of London himself, you know something big is happening. … Continue reading
Fanfare for the Common man, and here’s a toast to two ‘saints’
WANDLE WANDERER: Our non-resident rambler KEN TOWL is off on his travels again, but he hasn’t had to venture very far afield to discover some overlooked treasures St Reatham is not, of course, a church named after a saint, but … Continue reading
Colour Palace adds light to Picture Gallery’s Baroque and rolls
Need somewhere to take shelter from summer showers? KEN TOWL has been on his travels again, this time all the way by bus to Dulwich Village This summer, until September 22, a very modern pavilion is standing in front of … Continue reading
Take a walk on the Weald side, but remember to bring a map
Having followed the waymarkers, just, all the way from East Croydon to Warlingham, KEN TOWL got back on the bus bright and early to pick up the Vanguard Way from where he left off, with some a-llama-ing findings along the … Continue reading
Posted in Ken Towl, Outside Croydon, Walks
Tagged Ken Towl, Limpsfield, Vanguard Way, Warlingham, Weald Way
2 Comments
Be in the Vanguard for a hike from Croydon to the south coast
In the middle of the hottest of heatwaves, KEN TOWL set off from East Croydon for the sea. He travelled not by train, but on foot along the Vanguard Way I am looking at a plaque on the side of … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon parks, East Croydon, Environment, Ken Towl, Lloyd Park, Walks
Tagged East Croydon station, Ken Towl, Vanguard Way, Warlingham
2 Comments
Hipsterdom is alive and thriving at £8 per pint in Surrey Street
Go on a pub crawl, said the editor. Find the dark heart of hipster wankerdom in Croydon, where beer is overpriced and the sandwiches chewy and taste odd, he said. Play ping pong, or shuffleboard, came the brief. As you … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Ken Towl, Pubs, Restaurants, Surrey Street
Tagged Croydon, Ken Towl, London, Surrey Street, Surrey Street Market
6 Comments
Brixton restaurant that serves up a lambshank redemption
KEN TOWL has been doing thyme at one of London’s best-rated restaurants, where there isn’t a bar, but everyone is behind bars and where porridge isn’t on the menu Last week I literally had my collar felt. Getting into Her … Continue reading
Posted in Ken Towl, Outside Croydon, Restaurants
Tagged HMP Brixton, Ken Towl, The Clink Restaurant
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How Lime puts the squeeze on bike riders, at 15p per minute
KEN TOWL took a ride on one of the new dockless e-bikes that can be found in the borough, so that you don’t have to… The future has arrived in Croydon, and the future is green. Lime green. The future … Continue reading
Posted in Commuting, Cycling, Ken Towl, Lime bicycles, Transport
Tagged Ken Towl, Lime e-bikes, Muhammad Ali, STUART KING
4 Comments
Artists open their doors to show off a vivid picture Palace
The first Crystal Palace Artists’ Open House event started yesterday. KEN TOWL went along to see what it has to offer One hundred and fifty years ago, Camille Pissarro lived on Westow Hill, finding beauty in the ordinary streets around … Continue reading
READER OFFER: Step out on our next guided ramble, May 18
Places are now open for Inside Croydon’s latest guided walk, in and around our bit of south London, and to be held on Saturday, May 18. Ken Towl, our non-resident rambler, will again be leading the way as we explore … Continue reading
Posted in Inside Croydon, Ken Towl, Walks
Tagged Inside Croydon, Inside Croydon Guided Walk, Ken Towl
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A gentle amble across two hemispheres, and a giant mystery
WANDLE WANDERER: After the first Inside Croydon guided walk, editor STEVEN DOWNES rambles on more than usual (if that were possible) What is it? A simple enough question, but one that none of our number could answer. Perhaps 12-foot across, … Continue reading
Posted in Inside Croydon, Ken Towl, Walks, Wandle Wanderer
Tagged Croydon, Ken Towl, London LOOP
6 Comments
More savour-me-slowly than kiss-me-quick at Bauhaus-on-Sea
KEN TOWL’s been on his travels again, discovering a potential excursion to… Bexhill With a cluster of bank holidays approaching, and the weather, tentatively, getting warmer, it is time to start planning a trip or, as Chaucer put it in … Continue reading
READER OFFER: Join us for Ken Towl’s Magical Mystery Tour
Inside Croydon’s non-resident rambler is off on his travels again soon. And this time, he’s giving iC’s loyal readers the chance to tag along for the trip. Saturday, April 6, will be Inside Croydon’s first public guided walk, with Ken … Continue reading
Posted in Inside Croydon, Ken Towl, Pubs, Walks
Tagged Inside Croydon, Inside Croydon Guided Walk, Ken Towl
1 Comment
BINMAGEDDON!: The six-month saga to get one bin changed
CROYDON COMMENTARY: We appear to have a new version of the ‘how many people does it take to change a light-bulb’ gag here in Croydon… Only this one, inevitably, involves the bins. From the recent experience of KEN TOWL, pictured, … Continue reading
Posted in Addiscombe East, Croydon Council, Environment, Ken Towl, Maddie Henson, Refuse collection, Steve Iles, Stuart Collins, Tom Lawrence, Veolia
Tagged Addiscombe, Addiscombe East, Croydon Council, Ken Towl, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Maddie Henson, Steve Iles, Stuart Collins, Veolia
4 Comments
Turkish flavours provide some added spice on the high street
Good service, tasty coffee, delicious cakes and great bread. KEN TOWL discovered there’s plenty to enjoy in the newest shop in Addiscombe I sit drinking a Turkish coffee while Ilyas serves a customer, a Glaswegian, if my accent-detector is tuned … Continue reading
Turf’s reflections on Croydon tend to mirror another reality
KEN TOWL reflects on an exhibition which appears to show that Croydon is often better at playing other locations than playing itself… Turf Projects’ latest exhibition (open until March 2) is Harold Offeh’s “Croydon Plays Itself”. The title makes reference … Continue reading
Board games cafe Ludoquist has found a winning formula
The game’s up for KEN TOWL, who after trying to Monopoly-se a weekend night out, at first didn’t have a Cluedo where to go, but went on a Trivial Pursuit for a new venue and after a final roll of … Continue reading
Exhibition will leave you hooked and keep wanting to go back
KEN TOWL takes a trip (not that kind) to London Bridge to experience an exhibition on addiction. Sitting at the base of The Shard, opposite London Bridge Station on Great Maze Pond, is the recently opened Science Gallery. Hooked is … Continue reading
Ghosts of Christmas past come to haunt the Whitgift Centre
Were we just imagining it, or was the crackling muzak in the Whitgift Centre really playing a version of Wham!’s ‘Last Christmas’? Perhaps it was someone’s idea of a joke. Meanwhile, KEN TOWL has gone all Bob Cratchit on us … Continue reading
Posted in "Hammersfield", Allders, Business, Centrale, CPO, Ken Towl, Whitgift Centre
Tagged Centrale, Hammersfield, Hammerson, Ken Towl, Westfield, Whitgift Centre
6 Comments
Street art on Surrey Street can’t fill the gap in the market
Armed with his re-usable canvas bag, KEN TOWL strolled down Croydon’s ancient street market to pick up a bargain and find out how the traders are getting along, more than a year after its £1.1million makeover It is a truth … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Ken Towl, Surrey Street
Tagged Croydon Council, Ken Towl, London Borough of Croydon, Mark Watson, Surrey Street, Surrey Street Market
5 Comments
Kira Freije exhibition shines new light on Christmas shopping
KEN TOWL went to the Whitgift Centre and got more than he expected I had been doing the sort of soul-destroying Christmas shopping that you do at the Whitgift Centre and I was making my way to Wellesley Road tram … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Ken Towl, Whitgift Centre
Tagged Ken Towl, Kira Freije, Turf Gallery, Turf Projects, Whitgift Centre
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Clocktower exhibition has broad brush approach to local talent
The Croydon Art Society was recently named national arts club of the year. KEN TOWL went along to their annual exhibition at the Clocktower and found out why There is a portrait in the Croydon Art Society’s exhibition that looks … Continue reading
Hundreds march through South Norwood to support Grenfell
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 … Continue reading
There’s a real art to life drawing in a draughty church hall
For a borough whose politicians claim that ‘art is at the heart of regeneration’, it seems that the world’s biggest drawing festival has passed Croydon by. But KEN TOWL managed to track down a well-established group of artists who show … Continue reading
Posted in Activities, Addiscombe West, Art, East Croydon, Ken Towl
Tagged Addiscombe West, East Croydon station, Ken Towl
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When taking to the streets offered a way out of Brexit
KEN TOWL, our non-resident rambler, went on a walk with a difference yesterday, on one of the biggest popular marches of this century, and in some very mixed company The plan was to meet up with some colleagues from work, … Continue reading
