Tara Green reports from the frontlines of Code Club’s war on technophobia and obsolescence – Croydon’s primary schools

The 7 and 8 year old children of our borough are cross. In true digital-native style, these children are feeling a bit left out because Croydon Code Club is not for them. The volunteer-lead action group is working very hard to get a computer-programming after … Read More »

Save the David Lean Cinema Campaign programmer Philip Howard has four more reasons to join the Spread Eagle’s art-house community

Once again, the Save The David Lean Cinema Campaign is pleased to present a film season at the Spread Eagle pub in Katherine Street. Before our March season, I wrote about the principles we follow when putting a season together. To recap, we try to show films … Read More »

Brian Lancaster, General Secretary of the Croydon Natural History and Scientific Society, explains how the Croydon Local Studies Library and Archives Service was saved.

Between 10 December 2012 and mid-January 2013 it looked as if the Croydon Local Studies Library and Archives Service might effectively cease to exist. With staffing levels already reduced after the previous round of cuts, a new requirement to save £105,000 from the council’s budget … Read More »

Local reporter, photographer, Frohican, and biking enthusiast Wes Baker explains why two wheels are better than four (or more!)

When I cycle into central London on a weekday I notice something once I hit Brixton that I don’t in Croydon. What I notice is I’m travelling with other cyclists almost like a school of fish instead of a lone whale shark. I understand that the … Read More »

Film-lovers are regularly filling the Spread Eagle’s upstairs room. Save the David Lean Cinema Campaign programmer Philip Howard explains why

The Save the David Lean Cinema Campaign pursues two main objectives. Our primary goal is to reopen the David Lean Cinema in the Clocktower complex. In the longer term, this could mean supporting a social enterprise or cinema chain with attractive plans, but in the meantime … Read More »

Why Brendan Walsh spent January demanding to see the manager

I couldn’t help myself really. It’s an inbuilt instinctive childhood reaction. Snow starts falling and you rush down to the high street to spot shivering retailers. I barely had time to grow a beard. There was some good news. The number of doors shut was now at 50% (January 19th 2013), up from 29% in early December. A Pyrrhic victory, … Read More »

Paul Sowan, an archivist and librarian with the Croydon Natural History & Scientific Society, whose research is incorporated into the Local Studies Archive, explains the library’s importance in preserving and adding to local knowledge

Over the last 50 years I have, as a member and officer of the Croydon Natural History & Scientific Society, devoted thousands of hours and spent many hundreds of pounds … Read More »

Those who support this cut would have us think this is a rarely-used archive with little relevance to present day issues. They couldn’t be more wrong

Croydon Council’s Local Studies section has three boxes of material about the life of its composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor that it has accumulated over the years. This material was useful to Jeffrey Green in researching his major biography … Read More »

Who we are is under threat. What better reason to fight?

LATEST UPDATE: It was announced at a full council meeting on the 28/01/13 that the Local Studies Archive will continue to be open to the public. It will now, however be moving to the ground floor and there is some suggestion that opening hours could be increased, and access made easier. The Citizen welcomes this announcement … Read More »

James Naylor explains why Matthews Yard, and its Kickstarter project, are Croydon’s best hope for a cultured future

UPDATE: The Kickstarter project has now ended, raising an incredible £7,858. Many thanks to everyone who took part.

With the closure of the Clocktower and now the Warehouse Theatre, Croydon is at real risk of becoming a cultural desert. While the Fairfield Halls will be supported by … Read More »