The Croydon Citizen

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor and the civil rights movement

Samuel Ali — Fri, 23 Mar 2018 12:00:42 +0000

In the 50th anniversary year of the assassination of US civil rights leader, Martin Luther King, on 4th April 1968, it’s timely to examine the role of Croydon composer, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, in the early modern US civil rights and pan-African movements. His mixed-race ethnicity, humble beginnings and untimely death make the story of his achievements all the more remarkable. Yet, even more remarkable than the individual, are the ... Read More »

Press for progress: how Croydon celebrated Women’s History Month

Holly Bernstein — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 17:29:44 +0000

March is Women’s History Month. The theme for International Women’s Day, which fell on 8th March, was Press for Progress, as 2018 marks the 100-year anniversary since women first got the right to vote in the United Kingdom.

Croydon has hosted a range of events celebrating both Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day.

On 7th March, Croydon Council’s Women’s Staff Network presented #PressForProgress: International ... Read More »

A day in the life of one of Croydon’s best kept secrets

Tonie Lambie — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 13:07:16 +0000

It’s Tuesday, 12:30pm, and I’m on my way to Ruskin House, with a case full of notices, leaflets and record cards, to open up the weekly clinic of the Croydon Healing Association in the Cedar Hall. Once the pre-school staff have finished tidying up, and after the children have all been collected, I and the other members of my team set about transforming this obligingly multi-purpose space into ... Read More »

Labour politicians just can’t get their heads around non-confrontational politics

Tim Pollard — Wed, 21 Mar 2018 17:00:24 +0000

We were treated to another display from Croydon Labour politicians at the budget-setting council meeting recently, where they interrupted and heckled our speakers continuously and then went on to insist that one of the policies that they announced in their budget was not copied from the Croydon Conservatives’ manifesto, in spite of the overwhelming evidence that it actually was.

In some senses it doesn’t really matter who ... Read More »

International Women’s Day: Greta Scacchi helps fundraise for period poverty

Liz Sheppard-Jones — Wed, 21 Mar 2018 12:00:58 +0000

On Saturday 10th March, International Women’s Day 2018 was celebrated in Croydon with a tea party at the Oval Tavern in support of local charity We-STAP (We Supply Toiletries And Products For Women In Need). The event was attended by Mayor Toni Letts and also received support from Hollywood star Greta Scacchi, invited by one of the organisers. The event set out to raise awareness of period poverty, and to fundraise and ... Read More »

Review: A Journey through Brutalism – the guided walk

Steve Thompson — Tue, 20 Mar 2018 17:42:27 +0000

Organised by RISE Gallery, St George’s Walk, this fascinating tour complements the current Brutalist exhibition at the gallery.

The tour was led by the ebullient Kevin Zuchowski-Morrison, owner of RISE Gallery, who gave interesting insights into Croydon buildings which most of us are familiar with, but probably know little more about them.

Wikipedia defines Brutalism as originating from the French word for ‘raw’, as Le Corbusier ... Read More »

Tribunal rules that Citiscape residents are responsible for costs of Grenfell-style cladding

Holly Bernstein — Tue, 20 Mar 2018 12:24:45 +0000

A tribunal has ruled that leaseholders in Citiscape are responsible for paying nearly £500,000 to keep their building safe.

By 16th February 2018, eight months after Grenfell Tower caught fire, the Building Safety Programme had identified 314 residential or public buildings over 18 metres in England with Aluminium Composite Material cladding (ACM), and 288 of these blocks are residential, according to a House of Commons briefing.

London Road’s Green Mile links West Croydon to Thornton Heath – with flowers

Liz Sheppard-Jones — Mon, 19 Mar 2018 17:00:08 +0000

On Sunday 4th March, London Road’s Our Green Mile project was launched with a ceremony to plant the first planter outside West Croydon station. This was followed by a procession along London Road, giving out leaflets and talking to people about the project, and also litter picking in the area. A second planter was then put in place at Thornton Heath Pond.

Our Green Mile is a community-led ... Read More »

Are we damaging our children through learning?

Sean Creighton — Mon, 19 Mar 2018 12:00:50 +0000

There are many ways our society is damaging children’s learning. Among them as discussed at the Croydon Assembly/National Union of Education event on Saturday 24th February are funding cuts, testing, the lowering of qualifications needed by teachers, the adverse effects of increasing poverty and poor housing, the lack of quiet homework space, libraries now being less able to support homework, and the reduction in extra-curricular activities.

There ... Read More »

William Awomoyi is elected Croydon’s first Young Mayor

Holly Bernstein — Fri, 16 Mar 2018 17:00:37 +0000

William Awomoyi, 14, from The Cedars School was announced as Croydon’s first Young Mayor last night. The election results were read to a packed crowd at the town hall.

“I get tired when people say, ‘What can we do for the young people?’ No, no, no, no. We have to hear what do they want to do, and let’s support them to do it and do it ... Read More »