Tag Archives: Neil Bennett

Memorial to victims of Lanfranc air disaster to re-open this July

Posted on April 10, 2026 by insidecroydon

NEIL BENNETT reports on the fund-raising success and hard-work – even by some doing community service – to make a garden in Croydon Cemetery a fitting memorial to the 39 people killed when their aeroplane crashed into a Norwegian mountain … Continue reading →

Posted in Archbishop Lanfranc, History, Neil Bennett, Sanderstead, Schools, Thornton Heath, West Thornton | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Our news podcast looks at bins, cold cases, LTNs and Reform

Posted on March 31, 2026 by insidecroydon

The new episode of The Croydon Insider, our regular round-table, news panel discussion podcast thingy, looks at recent events in Croydon, including the Reform party’s rally at the Fairfield Halls, where they revealed their candidate for Croydon Mayor – and … Continue reading →

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Ben Flook, Community associations, Croydon Insider, Fairfield Halls, Fly tipping, Inside Croydon, Litter Free Norbury, Nadia Azizuddin, Neil Bennett, Refuse collection, Tony Hooker, Under The Flyover, Veolia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Delve behind the headlines on Allders, The Fold, Anonyvoter and campaign launches, with our regular subscriber podcast

Posted on October 1, 2025 by insidecroydon

Our Croydon Insider podcasts are an (almost) regular delve behind the headlines at the stories that matter to you, Inside Croydon’s loyal readers. And in our latest wide-ranging episode – part of what has been described as a “citizens’ revolt … Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Allders, Annabel Smith, Climate Crisis Commission, Croydon Council, Croydon East, Croydon Greens, Croydon Insider, Croydon West, Environment, Garwood Foundation, Housing, Inside Croydon, Ken Towl, Local media, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Neil Bennett, New Addington North, New Addington South, North End Quarter, Peter Underwood, Sarah Jones MP, Under The Flyover, Whitgift Centre, Zack Polanski | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

View from the boundary looking good for our local cricket clubs

Posted on August 15, 2025 by insidecroydon

The Test summer may have finished prematurely early, making way for the crash and bash of franchise cricket, but as NEIL BENNETT, right, the former BBC Television News sports correspondent, found at the grassroots in south London, the game is … Continue reading →

Posted in Cricket, Sport, Surrey CCC | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Lanfranc air disaster author named in King’s Birthday Honours

Posted on June 18, 2025 by insidecroydon

NEIL BENNETT reports on a significant name included on this year’s King’s Honours List Among the 1,215 names on this year’s King’s Birthday Honours list, one has particular significance for Croydon. Rosalind Frances Barbara Jones is awarded the British Empire … Continue reading →

Posted in Archbishop Lanfranc, Community associations, History, Neil Bennett, Schools | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

‘More buckets than businesses’: readers quiz Labour’s Davis

Posted on May 12, 2025 by insidecroydon

‘What are you going to do about the Whitgift Centre?’ one of our readers asked Councillor Rowenna Davis, Labour’s recently selected candidate to stand for election as Croydon Mayor in May 2026. ‘At the moment, there’s more buckets than businesses.’ … Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Council Tax, Croydon Business Association, Croydon Council, Croydon Insider, Crystal Palace FC, Fairfield Halls, Inside Croydon, Ken Towl, Mayor Jason Perry, Neil Bennett, Rowenna Davis, Under The Flyover, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Fond sporting memories played out on Norbury’s fine pitches

Posted on April 2, 2025 by insidecroydon

NEIL BENNETT, the former BBC News reporter, hopes that plans for the redevelopment of a sports ground in Norbury will at least restore some of its past sporting glories It was just the Westminter Bank Sports Ground in the 1950s … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Housing, Lambeth Council, Merton, Neil Bennett, Norbury, Planning | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Lanfranc in appeal to restore memorial to victims of air crash

Posted on March 6, 2025 by insidecroydon

By NEIL BENNETT The Archbishop Lanfranc Academy is asking for help to restore the memorial to 34 of its pupils who died in a 1961 air crash, one of the most tragic chapters in Croydon history. The boys, two teachers … Continue reading →

Posted in Archbishop Lanfranc, Community associations, History, Schools | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

It’s pod-tastic! Croydon Insider looks at 2024’s biggest stories

Posted on December 9, 2024 by insidecroydon

The Croydon Insider is back, with the latest episode of our news discussion panel podcast thingy… And the last pod-tastic episode of 2024 looks back on the Croydon news of the past 12 months in the company of former BBC … Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Insider, Inside Croydon, Under The Flyover | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Rams’ football offering ‘alternative vistas’ for Thornton Heath

Posted on August 6, 2024 by insidecroydon

The football season got off to a perfect start for  Croydon Athletic with a 3-1 FA Cup extra-preliminary round win at home on Saturday, to the delight of the club’s fans, their famous owners and their new sponsors. NEIL BENNETT, … Continue reading →

Posted in AFC Croydon Athletic, Football, Sport, Thornton Heath, Wilfried Zaha | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

How Stormzy’s football dream is becoming a Mayfield reality

Posted on March 26, 2024 by insidecroydon

Former Croydon Advertiser reporter and BBC sports correspondent NEIL BENNETT, pictured right, returned to an old stomping ground in Thornton Heath to catch up with the progress of AFC Croydon Athletic under their new celebrity owners, Stormzy and Wilfried Zaha … Continue reading →

Posted in AFC Croydon Athletic, Andrew Johnson, Football, Sport, Thornton Heath, Wilfried Zaha | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Rewind: the real story behind Croydon’s rich musical heritage

Posted on February 14, 2024 by insidecroydon

As an exhibition opens in the Clocktower about the history of music in Croydon, NEIL BENNETT, pictured left, the former BBC News and Croydon Advertiser journalist, asks how the borough has maintained such a strong musical tradition through all its … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Borough of Culture 2023, BRIT School, Fairfield Halls, Museum of Croydon, Music, Selhurst | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Surrey makes new pitch for cricket at Croydon sports grounds

Posted on January 7, 2023 by insidecroydon

NEIL BENNETT has discovered more hope of a revival for what once seemed a long-lost cricket club in Thornton Heath Last month, we reported on the sad demise of a once proud sports club, with a locally famous cricket club … Continue reading →

Posted in Cricket, Sport, Surrey CCC, Thornton Heath | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Glimmers of hope around Thornton Heath’s lost cricket club

Posted on December 19, 2022 by insidecroydon

Former BBC journalist NEIL BENNETT returned to his Croydon roots to try to track down one of the lost gems of south London – Thornton Heath Cricket Club In August, television news coverage of the tragic gas explosion on Galpins … Continue reading →

Posted in Cricket, Sport, Surrey CCC, Thornton Heath | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments