CroydonLife

Ted Craig talks about Twilight Rainbow

2008-05-30T16:44:00.000+01:00

Ted Craig talks about the new production at the Warehouse Theatre, The Twilight Rainbow, playing 30 May - 15 June, a pulsing, laughing, bittersweet tour of memories shared by the inimitable crew of multi-skilled Zimbabwean refugees and asylum seekers, directed by Peter Mutanda Wa-Ndebele.

Holocaust Memorial Concert at Ruskin House

2008-01-26T15:15:00.000Z

Ruskin House is hosting a concert to mark Holocaust Memorial Day tomorrow. Featuring artists from Poland, Ireland, Australia and Ukraine, there will be poetry and music, including Russian, Jewish and Gypsy music by Balalaika.

It takes place from 8pm on 27 January, in the Cedar Hall, Ruskin House, 23 Coombe Road, Croydon. Tickets £2 available on the door or from 020 8688 5339. The event has been organised with the support of the Ruskin House management committee, Croydon TUC, Croydon Labour Party, Croydon Co-operative Party, the Folk & Blues Club and Croydon Communist Party.

Was Oscar winner's feud formed at the Warehouse Theatre?

2008-01-02T16:21:00.000Z

In musing on the Warehouse Theatre's current play, Drood, Mark Shenton of The Stage tells a story about the roots of a theatrical spat down under, which might trace its roots back to a play in Croydon at the Warehouse over a decade ago.

In his blog entry, "Emigrating to Croydon", Mark highlights the suggestion made by Michael Billington in the Guardian last October that Colin Moody's walkout from the Sydney Theatre Company was inspired by his experience in Croydon when he performed Michael Gow's Sweet Phoebe there in 1995. His co-star was Cate Blanchett, in her first UK stage performance, and it was she who got the glowing reviews. Moody's meanwhile were merely "respectful". So was it this which was at the root of Moody's objection to Blanchett's appointment with her husband to run the STC, despite her Oscar glory?

In the blog full of other gossip, Shenton describes the Warehouse as "a dynamic, but largely unsung, little producing theatre" and looks at the international connections of Croydon. Drood, meanwhile, is on until 24 February and is full of fun and innovation. Book now and don't forget the Victorian-inspired menu for interval food.

Healthcare for London - a consultation

2007-12-18T17:16:00.000Z

Following the ground-breaking announcements of health minister, Professor Lord Darzi, London's Primary Care Trusts have launched a major consultation on the future of Healthcare for London. Essentially the government and the NHS want to provide more excellence in urgent, acute specialist care which may mean having a smaller number of specialist hospitals for strokes, major injuries, etc; and more local, generic services in the community, bringing together GPs, blood test services, dentists, pharmacies, etc.

I think there is a lot to be said for these proposals. Long-term conditions like diabetes could be better dealt with in community medical centres, without the need for hospital visits or stays, and the very best technology and clinical expertise can be gathered together to assist those in acute need. Now we just need them to recognise the importance of accountability and the participation of patients and staff along the lines of foundation hospital trusts - a sense of ownership and involvement, being more patient-focused, and strategic beyond even these expanded and generalised services.

It's important the views of Outer London boroughs like Croydon are heard. People can find out more and get involved by:

Coming to the Croydon roadshow on 7 February, 2pm-8pm at the Fairfield Halls
Visiting : www.healthcareforlondon.nhs.uk
Calling: FREEPHONE 0808 238 5430
Writing to: FREEPOST, Consulting the Capital

Vote for cycling improvements - Croydon's share of the People's £50 Million

2007-12-07T14:33:00.000Z

Online voting has opened for Sustrans’ Connect2 to win the Big Lottery Fund’s: The People’s £50 Million contest. Croydon’s Park Links is one of the 79 schemes UK-wide that will happen if Sustrans’ Connect2 wins, so please vote to bring a share of £50 million to Croydon.

You can vote online now at www.thepeoples50million.org.uk

Sustrans’ Connect2 is one of four projects competing for the £50 million and Lorraine Kelly championed the Connect2 project on ITV1 the other night. Telephone voting begins today. All voting concludes at 12 noon on Monday 10 December.

Croydon Park Links will create a linking network of green paths and walkways across the Borough, joining up existing parks and open spaces to make it easier for pedestrians, cyclists and others to get around. The scheme will link central Croydon to the Wandle Trail and Wandle Park and will join South Norwood Country Park, Ashburton Park and Addiscombe Railway Park to the town centre.

If Sustrans wins the £50 million award Croydon Council will receive £550,000 of it to develop the Croydon Park Links.

To find out more about Connect2 please visit www.sustransconnect2.org.uk

Are Kate and Amy really the faces of Croydon?

2007-10-30T15:44:00.000Z

Today's email from the Croydon Guardian has three stories about Kate Moss and one about Amy Winehouse. None of the stories has a direct link to Croydon - it is simply that the celebs involved spent some time here before being famous.

Kate Moss, of course, is a Croydonian. She went to local schools and it's no secret that she grew up in Addiscombe and South Croydon. But it's not clear to me why her Croydon roots means our local paper has to make space for stories about Kate's nanny, her Top Shop designs and her boyfriend's convictions.

Amy Winehouse on the other hand has rather dubious connections to Croydon. Hailing from Southgate at the northern end of London, she trekked her way down to Croydon to attend the Brit School for a few years. This is enough for the Guardian to include the latest ups and downs in her marriage with Blake.

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against these celebs or celeb gossip in general. But if I want to hear about Kate and Amy, I'll read Vogue or the NME or the 3am Girls or Popbitch. It isn't as if these stories happened in Croydon or even that these women's careers have much to do with their Croydon connections. I want my local paper to focus on news that involves Croydon and affects Croydonians.

If we want Croydon heroes, people whose fame was moulded by their Croydon experience, perhaps we should consider England rugby players George Chuter and Paul Sackey. Both attended Croydon schools and honed their skills week in week out on our playing fields. But maybe even then their exploits are best left to the back pages of the Telegraph than in the local paper.

Mind you, anything is better than hearing about Dane Bowers' latest appearance at a Croydon nightclub...

Talk2Croydon

2007-10-04T16:37:00.000+01:00

Talk2Croydon is a new site courtesy of Croydon Voluntary Action, Croydon Primary Care Trust and Croydon Council to give a community forum for views and ideas. Its vision is "to create debate, dialogue and increase community involvement in local decisions reaching those not able or willing to attend meetings/events."

Currently there are surveys about trees, pavement cycling and reducing waste. Anyone can post community events and networking opportunities.

Who is checking workers' safety in Croydon's construction industry?

2007-09-21T17:42:00.000+01:00

On Wednesday, a third serious industrial incident took place in central Croydon in a matter of months. Wandering into Dingwall Road at lunchtime, the road was blocked by fire engines and police cars. It turns out that a mechanical digger fell into a basement during demolition work. The driver was badly shaken.

Back in June, a crane collapsed into the Croydon Park Hotel seriously injuring one man. And in April this year much of Croydon was closed to motorists when a large container almost fell from a crane by Croydon Flyover.

So that is three incidents in close succession, with impact on local residents and motorists - the terrible incident in Battersea last year shows the dangers involved. But above all, we have to be concerned for the safety of the construction workers in Croydon. What are the Health and Safety Executive doing? How is Croydon Council - particularly planning control - controlling developments and demolitions?

With the massive amount of development about to take place in Croydon in coming years, we need to get this sorted. I have raised this matter with leading members of Croydon Trades Council - their vigil after the last incident helped raise awareness, but now we need policy change.

Giving Lucy and Andrew a little space

2007-09-20T09:54:00.000+01:00

The news that our Croydon MP Andrew Pelling is facing some difficulty is for some tempting to exploit politically. Not for me. I think it's very sad news and hope that Lucy is ok, and Andrew is getting the right advice. They've always been thoroughly decent to me and now they need some space. I look forward to fighting Andrew and Croydon Conservatives on policies and performance, not personal issues.

Last night at the Warehouse

2007-09-17T16:43:00.000+01:00

Last night I managed to catch the last night of 'Vacant Possession' at the Warehouse Theatre, a new comedy that arrived in Croydon direct from delighting audiences at the Edinburgh Festival by Ray Brown, performed by Phillip Manikum and Jamie Smelt.

A gentle comedy, it is set in 1980s Yorkshire and deals with Sweeting, a self-made older man looking for attention and company, and Gary, a 30-something political activist and general dosser needing to move out of his mum's. There was some lovely characterisation and use of language, and it was a really sweet engaging play of the kind that works so well in the Warehouse's intimate space.

The play got nice reviews at Edinburgh, but sadly Geoffrey Wilkinson who played Sweeting died suddenly before the play made it down to Croydon. Manikum has made the part his own, and it's a fitting tribute to Geoffrey that the show did go on.

The play now moves on to the Hackney Empire then Yorkshire. Meanwhile the Warehouse has the world premiere of Some Kinda' Arizona this Friday, with the play on until 21 October.

Croydon Gateway public inquiry set to open

2007-09-17T16:04:00.000+01:00

Tomorrow sees the start of the long-awaited inquiry into planing permission and then the compulsory purchase order being sought by Arrowcroft so that they can build their Arena scheme in central Croydon, without any viable scheme to replace the Warehouse Theatre and against the background of increasing public opposition to the scheme.

Meanwhile the site owners, Stanhope Schroders, have unveiled a new name for their alternative scheme - Ruskin Square, after John Ruskin, the writer and social commentator with strong links to Croydon. Ruskin's parents are buried in Shirley and he spent much of his childhood here.

Local residents and Stanhope themselves are among those who will be objecting to Arrowcroft's council-backed CPO. Although the Warehouse Theatre is pleased that Arrowcroft is slowly coming round to a replacement theatre, it too is making its objections. Arrowcroft's scheme leaves the theatre without the home for three years, then promises an entirely inadequate and unfunded building subject to stringent requirements. If they change their mind, Arrowcroft keep the three million for their own purposes - a privilege not extended to Stanhope. Ken Frost has an analysis here.

The Inquiry starts tomorrow, Tuesday 17 September, at 10am at the Jury’s Hotel, 26 Wellesley Road, Croydon.

Gerry Ryan for Croydon Central

2007-07-29T20:39:00.001+01:00

Gerry Ryan won the nomination tonight for Croydon Central as the Labour Co-operative candidate, with the participation of over half the members.

Gerry, a telephone engineer and CWU official, is a Croydon councillor and has lived in the borough all his adult life. Gerry was the Labour
candidate in Croydon South in 2001.

Labour lost Croydon Central in 2005 by just 75 votes and favourable boundary changes and our excellent candidate means Gerry and Labour are in a great position to take the seat next time.

Crap Cycle Lanes of Croydon

2007-07-17T14:46:00.000+01:00

Mike Armstrong of Croydon Green Party has been campaigning away on cycle facilities with his new blog, Crap Cycle Lanes of Croydon.

I have always been a little dubious about engineering solutions to achieve more cycling, when perhaps it would be better to promote cycling through better additional facilities like showers at work and safe parking, and taking cars off the road as the congestion charge has proven. But the Council gets the money for lanes and junctions, so it should spend it properly. I wish Mike's blog had been there to guide us two or three years ago when trying to navigate the complexities of traffic management.

Croydon Central shortlist (finally) decided

2007-07-16T01:53:00.000+01:00

Following the decision to repeat the shortlisting in our quest to find a Labour candidate for Croydon Central, there was a slight change to the result. This time Cllr Simon Hall edged out Cllr Stuart Collins. The full list is:

- Jane Avis
- Andrew Bradstock
- Simon Hall
- Gerry Ryan
- Afsana Shukur

Clearly this has been difficult, not least for the candidate who had been shortlisted and who had put in a lot of work only to come off the shortlist once again. But the shortlist provides some real choices - some local, some from further afield, some experience as councillors, some in business, some in the civil service, those best known for their work rate, others who are better at communication and speech-making, and those who have previously been parliamentary candidates. It will be a difficult choice to weigh all these things up.

Croydon Festival underway

2007-07-14T10:14:00.000+01:00

Croydon Festival takes place on 14th and 15th July. The Croydon Council organised festival starts today in Lloyd Park with the African Caribbean Family Festival, 1pm to 8pm with Jimmy Cliff headlining. Tomorrow sees the Croydon Mela, also in Lloyd Park 1-8, with Raghav and a host of other acts.

Personally I was sad to see the World Party which normally took place on the Saturday narrowed to become an African Caribbean day only, without the international flavour that included food from around the world and campaigning stalls from Oxfam and the Fairtrade Network. There were many great acts from Africa and the Caribbean before, but we also had acts from Europe and Latin America that were fantastic too - Ojos de Brujo, Rodrigo and Gabriela and Los de Abajo in the heart of Croydon. It is important to mark 200 years since the end of slavery, of course, but hopefully next year the festival can return to drawing in acts and stalls representing the best from around the world.

Warehouse on Facebook

2007-07-14T09:26:00.000+01:00

The Warehouse Theatre has a Facebook group...

New shortlist needed for Croydon Central

2007-07-10T19:01:00.001+01:00

Although the local Labour Party had already agreed a shortlist, some technical concerns were raised. Therefore Croydon Central has to shortlist once again this Sunday. As before Jane Avis, Gerry Ryan and Afsana Shukur are automatically shortlisted. Of the six men eligible, Andrew Bradstock and Stuart Collins just edged out Simon Hall last time, but this will be a new vote and potentially a new shortlist therefore.

The selection meeting is now planned for 29 July.

Croydon Council - your chance to question them

2007-06-22T14:49:00.000+01:00

Croydon Council has reintroduced public question time at full Council meetings. The problem with them before was that the same people asked the same questions each time, although it was often useful to see the public ask questions on an issue that had blown up in the previous few weeks that Council bureaucracy inadvertently fails to respond to, given its longer cycles.

The next meeting of the Council is 23 July and the deadline for questions is 9 July at noon. You need to email council.questions@croydon.gov.uk with a question no more than 50 words long which relates to an issue over which the Council has direct power or responsibility. If you attend the meeting you can find the written answer to your question and make one oral supplementary question.

So go ahead and ask your questions; topics that I hope come up are the Warehouse Theatre, Croydon Gymnastics School, Upper Norwood Library, the Council's view of academic selection, the disturbing spate of violent crime against young people, the Fairfield Halls, the trees of Coulsdon, and maybe even the crane collapse.

More information here.

Lights Out Croydon... errr... London

2007-06-21T17:57:00.000+01:00

Lights Out London takes place tonight between 9pm and 10pm. Turn your lights off to show your commitment to fighting climate change, and how important the issue is to Londoners. Public building and landmarks taking part include Piccadilly Circus, Parliament, the London Eye, Harrods and Buckingham Palace.

No word on whether Croydon Council buildings will be taking part though, or even the Skyline bright coloured lights will be switched off...

Croydon Central shortlist agreed

2007-06-19T16:51:00.000+01:00

Labour Party delegates from branches, trade unions and the Co-operative Party agreed a shortlist on Sunday for Croydon Central:

- Jane Avis
- Andrew Bradstock
- Stuart Collins
- Gerry Ryan
- Afsana Shukur

Croydon Central - shortlisting phase

2007-06-15T14:43:00.000+01:00

So the nominations are all now in, and Croydon Central Labour Party is moving to the shortlisting phase in the quest to find Labour's candidate for the next general election.

The General Committee will meet on Sunday to draw up a shortlist, which is likely to be of five. Pretty much guaranteed to figure are Jane Avis, Gerry Ryan and Afsana Shukur due to either having nominations from branches representing over 50% of the membership, or being a woman with only two still being considered for what must be a balanced shortlist (or in Afsana's case, both).

There are therefore six men remaining for what will probably be two places: Andrew Bradstock, Stuart Collins, Ted Goodman, Simon Hall, Gordon Nardell, Owais Rajput.

Croydon Bike Week

2007-06-15T13:59:00.000+01:00

Croydon Bike Week takes place as part of National Bike Week, June 16 - 24, the UK's 9 day celebration of cycling.

There are events all through the week, including rides for beginners and families, and for more experienced riders.

Finding the best person for Croydon Central

2007-05-31T00:01:00.000+01:00

UPDATE: 15 June

The really exciting thing so far about the Labour Party's process to select our candidate for Croydon Central is that there is such a strong field. Lots of good people with solid experience and a real hunger to go out there, lead an energetic campaign and kick Andrew Pelling out. Better still is that the candidates are engaging on both campaigning and policy fronts. It's largely a positive process and members are posing the questions and issues that the public care about - local health and transport, generating enthusiasm, public safety and international issues.

Of course the downside of such a strong line-up is that at some point we have to make a decision...

Those I am aware of as having received nominations so far are:

Nine nominations

Cllr Gerry Ryan
Joint Deputy Leader of Croydon Labour councillors and convenor of Co-op councillors, leads on crime & public protection, councillor for Selhurst, candidate in Croydon South 2001, Crystal Palace FC fan, telephone engineer active in CWU

Nominated by Addiscombe Branch Labour Party (22%), Fairfield Branch Labour Party (19%), Shirley Branch Labour Party (10.5%) , Heathfield Branch Labour Party (6%), CWU West End Amal. Branch, CWU Capital Branch, CWU Croydon & South London Branch, CWU Postal Workers Branch, Croydon & East Surrey Co-operative Party AUTOMATICALLY SHORTLISTED with 58%

Eight nominations

Cllr Dora Dixon-Fyle
Deputy Leader of Southwark Labour councillors, secretary of South London Co-operative Party, board member of London Labour Party, magistrate, vice chair of Black Socialist Society and Africans for Labour

Nominated by Addiscombe Branch Labour Party (22%), Woodside & Ashburton Branch Labour Party (29%), New Addington (8%), Fieldway (4%), Amicus-Unite Croydon & Crystal Palace Branch, GMB C60 Branch, GMB Labour Party Branch, T&G-Unite 1/427 (Parliament) Branch WITHDRAWN FROM RACE

Six nominations

Afsana Shukur
Activist in Tower Hamlets Labour Party, former civil servant advising ministers on employment and urban regeneration, now works in social housing and regeneration, chairs a housing association

Nominated by Addiscombe Branch Labour Party (22%), Fairfield Branch Labour Party (19%), Woodside & Ashburton Branch Labour Party (29%), Shirley Branch Labour Party (10.5%) , Heathfield Branch Labour Party (6%), GMB Labour Party Branch AUTOMATICALLY SHORTLISTED with 87%

Three nominations

Cllr Stuart Collins
Joint Deputy Leader of Croydon Labour councillors, leads on culture and sport, popular former Mayor of Croydon, long-standing councillor for Broad Green, loves sport - tennis player and Chelsea fan, civil servant active in PCS

Nominated by Woodside & Ashburton Branch Labour Party (29%), New Addington (8%), GMB Labour Party Branch

Cllr Simon Hall
Councillor for Fieldway since 2005, since 2007 shadow cabinet member for health & social care, very active in local Party for number of years, lives in New Addington and previously in Park Hill, private sector experience

Nominated by Fairfield Branch Labour Party (19%), New Addington (8%), Fieldway (4%)

Two nominations

Cllr Jane Avis
Croydon councillor and shadow cabinet member for Housing, former Mayor of Croydon, keen environmentalist and cyclist, and member of and volunteer for many Croydon organisations from salsa dancing, through bricklaying to social care

Nominated by Shirley Branch Labour Party (10.5%), CWU Croydon & South London Branch

Cllr Gordon Nardell
Councillor in London Borough of Southwark

Nominated by Amicus-Unite Croydon & Crystal Palace Branch, T&G-Unite 1/427 (Parliament) Branch

One nomination

Andrew Bradstock
Director of the Christian Socialist Movement, former Croydon resident and council candidate in Heathfield ward in 2002, 2005 candidate for Faversham and East Kent

Nominated by Heathfield Branch Labour Party (6%)

Ted Goodman
GMB Activist, former councillor in Reigate, 1992 candidate for Tunbridge Wells

Nominated by GMB C60 Branch

Owais Rajput
Activist in Bradford Labour Party, executive member of Scientists for Labour

Nominated by GMB C60 Branch

Cllr Patrick Vernon
Councillor in Hackney, vice chair of Socialist Health Association, worked extensively in health and voluntary sectors and on race equality & community issues, launched high profile 100 Great Black Britons Campaign

Nominated by T&G-Unite 1/427 (Parliament) Branch WITHDRAWN FROM RACE

Other candidates worth mentioning (arbitrary list - apologies!)

James Bridge - works for Croydon-based Age Concern England, 2005 candidate for East Surrey

Andrew Hammond - activist in Ealing Labour Party, former special advisor to Charles Clarke at the Home Office, 2005 candidate for Daventry

Craig Jones - young activist from Tower Hamlets, barrister, heads public affairs and policy team for children's charity

Liam Walker - young barrister, activist in Addiscombe Branch Labour Party, scion of the Walker family of Croydon Labour lore

Cllr Keith White - former Deputy Leader of Dacorum Borough Council (Hemel Hempstead), candidate in Buckingham (1992), Aylesbury (2001), NE Beds (2005)

The day Gordon Brown came to Croydon

2007-05-25T18:44:00.001+01:00

Today Gordon Brown, our next Prime Minister, came to Croydon to visit St John's Primary School. It was great to see Gordon come to Croydon, particularly in Shirley. He was accompanied by Dame Kelly Holmes and was excitedly welcomed by the children.

Upper Norwood library saved

2007-05-18T12:19:00.000+01:00

So Croydon's Conservative Council has caved in to the campaign to save the Upper Norwood Library, according to the Croydon Guardian, by stumping up the £60,000 required.

The Council had dropped its level of funding only a year after the library had seen a £1.1 million facelift - representing a massive waste of money alongside the huge loss of service to local residents had the library been forced to close.

More than 3,000 people signed a petition protesting at the level of funding which was presented to the Council last month. The campaign was supported by local Labour MPs Malcolm Wicks and Tessa Jowell and by local Labour GLA member Valerie Shawcross, nplus the Labour councillors on Croydon Council, not least Councillor Pat Ryan.

This success is a massive victory for the people of Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, reversing a decision that showed just how out of touch Croydon Council has become in its first year of Conservative control.