Category archive

Croydon - page 6

Every restaurant, cafe and takeaway in Croydon with a 0 star food hygiene rating

Published on in Croydon/Food

There are incredible things to eat in Croydon at every possible price point from the obligatory £2 chicken and chips deals to fancy fine dining.

But as well as taste, food hygiene is incredibly important, which is why Croydon Council sends food inspectors to places serving hot food regularly to check standards on behalf of the Food Standards Agency.

Inspectors show up unannounced and check the premises all over for mess as well as the way food is handled and records are kept.

Reports are graded in three main inspection categories. Hygienic food handling, cleanliness and condition of facilities and building, and management of food safety.

 

Hygienic food handling covers all handling of food including preparation, cooking, re-heating, cooling and storage carried out by all members of staff.

The cleanliness and condition of facilities and building category includes having an appropriate layout, ventilation, hand washing facilities and pest control to enable good food hygiene.

Here are the 18 outlets in Croydon which currently have a zero hygiene rating, the lowest possible grade:

Am2Pm, Central Parade, New Addington

(Image: Google)

 

New Addington newsagent Am2Pm was last inspected in January last year, according to the Food Standard’s Agency, getting the lowest possible hygiene rating.

The store failed to impress the Croydon inspectors in 2018 scoring “improvement necessary” for hygienic handling, “major improvement necessary” for cleanliness and condition as well as “urgent improvement necessary” for management of food safety.

We contacted the store to find out why there hadn’t been another inspection or if it had closed, but there was no answer.

A worker at H&T Pawnbrowkers said the shutters had been down at the store for “about a week”.

Chicken World, Godstone Road, Kenley

Chicken World in Norfolk Terrace, Godstone Road, Kenley (Image: Google)

This Kenley chicken shop actually did okay for the cleanliness and condition of the shop. When inspectors visited in August 2018 they found it “generally satisfactory”.

But hygienic food handling was rated as having “improvement necessary”, while “urgent improvement” was required for their management of food safety.

We got in touch with the people at Chicken World but management declined to speak with us.

Delights Dessert House, High Street, Croydon

Delights Deserts on Croydon High Street (Image: Grant Melton)

 

Although it is now closed due to the ongoing construction work in that area, Delights had two consecutive zero food-hygiene ratings, with one highlighting a mouse problem, before it shut.

In 2017 Delights, which sold a range of ice cream, warm puddings and milkshakes, was also told it “must carry out a deep clean” and “disinfect” shelving.

The report noted that the parlour, which sells a variety of ice creams and sweet snacks, had agreed to temporarily close while the problem was sorted.

However, just six and a half months after that damning report, the dessert spot has received yet another zero star rating from the FSA after an inspection which took place on May 26.

The report we obtained said there was “evidence of mouse activity throughout the premises”.

Hygienic food handling and the cleanliness of the restaurant both were deemed necessary for improvement.

Delights needed more urgent improvement to its management of food study, but it closed last

Fire and Slice, High Street, Croydon

Fire and Spice in Croydon High Street is now closed (Image: Tara O’Connor)

Back in June this year, Fire and Slice in High Street was handed a zero rating out of a possible score of five by the Food Standards Agency.

A full report of the inspectors’ visit released through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request outlines the reason behind the terrible rating.

In the report the inspector wrote: “A lot of food was past its ‘use by’ date. This is a serious offence.

“A deep clean of the kitchen is required including all equipment, utensils and food containers.

“Date checking must improve, a 10-day shelf life for cooked food is not safe, it should be three days for all high risk foods unless specifically mentioned by managers.”

The restaurant opened in May last year, but is now closed.

Frontline Jerk Hut, Beulah Road, Thornton Heath

Frontline Jerk Hut in Thornton Heath (Image: Google)

Major improvements were necessary at the Frontline Jerk Hut, but the Thornton Heath takeaway closed instead.

In April 2018, the Frontline Jerk Hut didn’t even manage to get any points on its rating and needed major improvements to the way it handled food and management of food safety.

The cleanliness and condition of the building needed improvement too, which might give a hint as to why it appears to have closed, as we could not get a hold of the old management.

Ju-ice & Shakes, Portland Road, South Norwood

Ju-Ice & Shakes in Portland Road now appears to be shut (Image: Google)

Juice & Shakes in South Norwood failed its inspection spectacularly, needing major improvement in cleanliness and condition and management of food safety.

Croydon inspectors also told the management to improve hygienic food handling.

Since the May inspection, the juice bar appears to have been closed.

KK African Foods, Thornton Road, Thornton Heath

KK African Foods in Thornton Heath is just about to close, a manager said (Image: Google)

One of the managers at KK African Foods has said the store will close for good in a week or two.

The most urgent improvements were needed to management of food safety after the disastrous November 2017 inspection.

Cleanliness and conditions were also needing major improvement and they were told to get better at the hygienic handling of their food.

The manager admitted that the 2017 inspection was their last, but said he is closing the business at the moment.

“We are going to close very soon, probably about two weeks from now” he said this week.

Navaratna, South End, Croydon

                               Navaratna in South End, Croydon (Image: Google)

Indian restaurant Navaratna in Croydon Town Centre needed to urgently improve its management of food safety and major improvement to cleanliness and condition.

Improvements are also necessary to hygienic food handling at the restaurant.

Another place last reviewed in November 2017, the restaurant did not answer any of our calls.

Morley’s, South End, Croydon

                               Morley’s in South End, Croydon (Image: Google)

Morley’s and South London are synonymous but this town centre Morleys wasn’t quite what met the eye.

Morley’s told My London that the store had been operated using a similar logo but without an official licensing agreement.

That is to say, it isn’t really a Morley’s.

“It happens quite often, unfortunately,” a spokesman for the chicken empire said.

“The current owner was assigned the unit without permission from Morley’s to use the trademarks and goodwill.

“The owner was running the shop without a valid franchise agreement.

“After lengthy discussions and mediation, a suitable candidate has now been found and are currently in discussions to purchase the lease which should be completed within the next 4 weeks.

“It is unfortunate our brand has received negative press for the second time in the past 12 months due to this store.”

Reviewed this last September, the chicken shop got no stars in its inspection and was told major improvement was necessary to the way they handled food.

They were also told they must urgently improve hygienic food handling and management of food safety.

Peri Peri Bites, Brigstock Road, Thornton Heath

Peri Peri Bites in Thornton Heath (Image: Google)

In September, Croydon inspectors headed to Peri Peri Chicken Bites and left particularly unimpressed.

They asked for major improvements to be made to all the aspects assessed by the food hygiene officers.

The hygienic food handling, cleanliness and condition and management of food safety were all not up to scratch.

We spoke with staff at Peri Peri Bites who said “we didn’t see anything like that” before declining to comment further.

Planet Pizza, Russell Hill Road, Purley

                              Planet Pizza in Russell Hill, Purley (Image: Google)

In September, Planet Pizza in Purley failed to meet the expectations of inspectors from Croydon Council.

The popular pizzeria needed major improvement in the cleanliness and condition of the eatery, while it needed to urgently improve its management of food safety.

Even for hygienic food handling, inspectors found the pizza place wanting.

Naser, the manager and owner says the store had a problem with its electrics, but “an electrician has been and fixed the problems” he told My London.

“He is sending me the certificates and I will send them to the council. I’m hoping someone can come in the next week or two so I can get my hygiene stars back”.

Roosters Point, Brighton Road, Purley

                          Roosters Point in Brighton Road, Purley (Image: Google)

This Purley fried chicken spot has changed hands again, now becoming Roosters Point having been Rooster Spot for years and Chicken Cottage for years before that.

In what is likely to have been its first ever inspection, Roosters Point got a zero rating after being told they need major improvements to both hygienic food handling and management of food safety.

Although less dire, the cleanliness and condition of the building also needed attention, according to the Croydon inspectors.

The manager has been contacted for comment.

Rupali Ruchi, Brighton Road, South Croydon

Rupali Ruchi has been in place since 1984 according to a sign in the restaurant’s window (Image: Google)

Sticking with Brighton Road, this Indian restaurant had a pretty negative inspection in December 2017.

Croydon’s food inspectors felt that the restaurant needed major improvement to its cleanliness and management of food safety, and also improvements in it its hygienic food handling.

We weren’t able to get through to Rupali Ruchi for comment on their hygiene rating.

Stop By Jamaican Takeaway, London Road, Norbury

Stop By Jamaican Takeaway in London Road, Norbury (Image: Google)

Stop By in Norbury was inspected in March 2018 and found to need urgent improvement in managing their food safety

The Caribbean eatery also needed major improvements to hygienic food handling, according to the Croydon Council food safety inspectors.

We spoke to the restaurant but nobody was available to comment on their food hygiene rating.

Surrey Street Fishmongers, Surrey Street, Croydon

Surrey Street Fishmongers got a zero hygiene rating in March last year (Image: Tom Matthews)

Major improvements were deemed to be necessary across the board at Surrey Street Fishmongers, after a March 2018 inspection.

The nightmare inspection led to the overall zero grade, but the fishmonger performed just as badly in each category when inspectors visited.

Owner Sajid says the store was closed for renovations at the time inspectors visited.

“We had closed the store then for renovations and I don’t know why they did the inspection,” he said.

“We have put in a new suite, new displays, put in a new floor and it’s all clear now.

“I don’t know why they did it but it killed us, we had no business in the store. It’s very clean now people can come and have a look themselves.

“The hygiene rating nearly ruined us.”

The Cricketers, Shirley Road, Shirley

                                  The Cricketers pub on Shirley Road (Image: David Cook)

The popular Shirley pub The Cricketers was inspected in March last year, the cleanliness and condition were actually rated as “generally satisfactory”.

But that’s where the good news ended, as the pub still received an overall zero rating, thanks to urgent improvements inspectors felt were necessary in food safety management.

Paula Bucur, who co-owns the pub, told the Croydon Advertiser in April that she has been working hard to correct the problems.

“When they came, I was going through a hard time and we weren’t serving food, which I told the inspector,” Miss Bucur explained.

The kitchen as it was just a month after the zero rating. The pub still hasn’t started serving food fully since new management took over in 2017. (Image: David Cook)

“I was told that I had a month to do a list of things to improve the hygiene rating, and then another inspection would be taking place.

“I have done a lot of hard work, and I think the inspector will be very pleased the next time she comes.”

However the hygiene rating has remained at zero because inspectors have not been back to visit, Paula said on Monday (January 21).

“I’m still waiting for them to come back down. I have all my certificates now so just waiting but they only do one visit a year.

“It’s not like they make an appointment. If I knew they were coming, for example next month, then I could relax.

Portrait of Paula outside her pub. She says loyal customer haven’t been put off by the food rating and saw the hard work and cleanliness themselves (Image: David Cook)

“They tell me its a surprise inspection but I can pay £180 if I want my own.

“The pub is the cleanest it has been in the 18 months we have taken over it. We had other issues like parking problems with construction at the back but the customers are loyal.

“They can see all the hard work we put in and they haven’t been put off I mean we still aren’t doing food. We tried for two months in summer with a chef but it didn’t work out.

“I was so surprised when the inspection report came, I mean we closed the pub for four months and worked so hard to fix everything. We even got a five-star rating from the brewery.

“Anyway six hours in front of a PC and I had my certificate, we’re just waiting for a re-inspection really.”

TK Maxx, Whitehorse Lane, Broad Green

TK Maxx in Whitehorse Road had mouse droppings, urine and gnawings that had been there for “at least a month” (Image: Google)

TK Maxx may be a fashion retailer, but plenty of people pick up the sweets and treats conveniently placed near the tills.

Bad news if you were doing that in April last year as mice had been gnawing at them, as well as defecating and urinating.

The report noted that there was an ongoing rodent infestation at the store, with signs it had been there for at least a month, and that the procedures in place to control pests were “inadequate”.

The report, sent to TK Maxx on May 1, said: “Food on display was contaminated by rodent urine and faeces and had been visibly gnawed. Food must be protected from contamination.”

“There was an active mouse infestation at the store resulting in mouse urine and faeces on shelving. These areas require cleaning and disinfection.”

The store was ordered to contact the inspector once the necessary work has been carried out in order for another inspection to take place.

TK Maxx says it has taken “corrective action” since the inspection, although last April’s inspection is still the most recent on public record.

A spokesperson for the American retailer said in June: “The safety of our customers and hygiene of our stores is important to us. We have taken corrective action in this store, and ensured that appropriate pest control procedures are in place going forward.”

 

Tropical Essentials, Central Parade, New Addington

                    Tropical Essentials in Central Parade, New Addington (Image: Google)

The ethnic convenience store in New Addington has closed, a neighbouring shopkeeper confirmed, after having received a zero-star food hygiene rating in July last year.

Owners had been told to urgently improve its management of food safety as well as the cleanliness of the restaurant.

The hygienic food handling also needed major improvement to get back up to scratch, but before another inspection was carried out, the store closed.

From mylondon.com

by By Qasim Peracha

 

Chicago Steakhouse stored out of date food in its fridges

Published on in Croydon/Food

Chicago Steakhouse stored out of date food in its fridges

(Image: David Cook)

This is not what anyone who is a fan of Croydon‘s Chicago Steakhouse will have wanted to hear.

The restaurant has been given the second lowest possible food hygiene rating. That’s a paltry one out of five.

A basement flooded with sewage was partly to blame while out of date food was also found in fridges for staff to consume.

The restaurant, on South End, South Croydon, was inspected by a Croydon Council environmental health officer on behalf of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) on February 12, 2018, where it received a food hygiene rating of one.

 

The inspection report, obtained by MyLondon through a Freedom of Information request (FOI), highlights the sewage problem at the restaurant as one of the reasons for the damning rating.

“Urgent action [is needed] – the basement area is flooded with sewage and there is a lot of equipment,” the inspector says in the report.

“Clear this area and investigate the drainage problem. Staff should not enter this area until the problem has been dealt with.”

The restaurant was told to put a sign on the door of the basement warning staff of the problem until it had been addressed.

The out of date food

Tubs of coleslaw, apple pies and strawberry cheesecakes, which had best-before dates two weeks before the inspection, were also found.

“This is an offence,” said the inspector.

“Food past use by dates cannot be left in fridges for staff to consume.”

The food hygiene rating system

The food hygiene scheme is designed to helps you choose where to eat out or shop for food by giving you clear information about the businesses’ hygiene standards.

Food establishments are encouraged to display the sticker given to them which shows their food hygiene rating. However, it is voluntary for them to actually do so in England.

The scheme gives businesses a rating from 5 to 0 which is displayed at their premises and online so you can make more informed choices about where to buy and eat food.

5 – hygiene standards are very good

4 – hygiene standards are good

3 – hygiene standards are generally satisfactory

2 – some improvement is necessary

1 – major improvement is necessary

0 – urgent improvement is required

What the rating covers

Ratings are a snapshot of the standards of food hygiene found at the time of inspection. It is the responsibility of the business to comply with food hygiene law at all times.

This includes:

  • handling of food
  • how food is stored
  • how food is prepared
  • cleanliness of facilities
  • how food safety is managed

The food hygiene rating scheme does not provide information on the following factors:

  • quality of the food
  • customer service
  • culinary skill
  • presentation
  • comfort

 

The inspector concluded that the restaurant’s cleanliness and condition needed improvement, and instructed staff to clean the venue’s equipment.

Major improvement was needed in terms of the management of food safety, while its hygienic food handling was deemed generally satisfactory.

What’s on the menu?

Chicago Steakhouse, which is open seven days a week, serves a variety of steaks, with the most expensive being its fillet, which costs £24.99.

All steaks come with a side of mash potato, steak cut chips or vegetables, as well as a peppercorn, mushroom or fresh tomato sauce.

The restaurant also sells beef burgers, chicken burgers and a range of sides.

For dessert, it offers strawberry cheesecake, apple pie and custard and vanilla ice cream.

The restaurant says on its website: “Our inspiration for the food and design of Chicago Steakhouse comes from the need [for] authentic halal steak with a modern twist.

“Our steaks arrive lightly grilled on a hot stone grill accompanied with salt, pepper, butter and chilli flakes. We serve good quality meat at affordable prices in Croydon.”

 

from mylondon.com

By Sam Truelove

An impressive display by Palace saw them move into the FA Cup fifth round by beating Tottenham Hotspur 2-0

Published on in Croydon/football

An impressive display by Palace saw them move into the FA Cup fifth round by beating Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 at Selhurst Park thanks to goals from Connor Wickham and Andros Townsend.

Wickham’s eighth-minute opener set the tone for a memorable afternoon for the Eagles as the striker netted his first goal in over two years, and that was followed by Andros Townsend converted from the penalty spot against the team he began his career at.

Spurs then missed a great chance to get back in contention when Kieran Trippier missed a spot-kick of his own just before half-time, and that allowed Roy Hodgson’s team to confidently see out the rest of the game against a toothless Tottenham and move a step closer to Wembley.

Wickham was handed his first start for 26 months but it took him just eight minutes to end over two years of frustration by returning to the scoresheet. Jeffrey Schlupp burst into the box and got around Davinson Sanchez to shoot goalwards, and after Paulo Gazzaniga parried the effort away, Wickham nudged the ball over the line from a few yards out and allow the pent-up emotion to pour out of him.

That saw a pulsating first 45 begin to bubble and Lucas Moura whizzed a shot just over the Holmesdale goal before Patrick van Aanholt saw a clean hit from 30 yards head straight to Gazzaniga, but on 34 minutes the Eagles were literally handed a golden chance to take a huge step into round five.

Wilfried Zaha whipped in a dangerous cross and under pressure from Wickham Kyle Walker-Peters knocked the ball away from the striker with his arm; an incident so blatant that VAR wasn’t required to back up Kevin Friend’s penalty decision, and with no Luka Milivojevic on the field Townsend took up the spot-kick duties and whacked the ball past Gazzagina.

Having netted against his former club, two minutes later Townsend had a huge opportunity to do so again when Van Aanholt pushed on down the left and unselfishly cut the ball back to the winger but this time the Spurs keeper was equal to the attempt to keep his team in the game, and indeed the cup.

But to progress Spurs now had to score twice and they spent the rest of the half squandering opportunities. Four minutes before the break Palace lost concentration at a set-piece and a cute free-kick routine seemed certain to allow an undetected George-Kevin Nkoudou to slide the ball home, but Julian Speroni made a superb double save, stopping the initial effort at point-blank range before scrambling back to his feet and blocking the Frenchman’s follow-up.

An incredible first half then had a final twist on 43 minutes when Spurs earned themselves a penalty when Van Aanholt clumsily challenged Juan Foyth to allow Trippier his own opportunity to convert from 12 yards, however he screwed the spot-kick well wide of the target as the hosts escaped down the tunnel with their two-goal intact.

Another excellent Speroni stop was required once play continued as he showed good reactions to tip a deflected Fernando Llorente shot away from the bottom corner, but as the second half rolled on Palace were more than content to soak up the visitors’ pressure and put plenty of men behind the ball which Spurs couldn’t find a way through Hodgson’s well-organised side.

In fact it was Palace who came the closest to scoring the game’s third goal when six minutes before the end a counter-attack ended with Gazzaniga saving a low Zaha shot, and as the Palace defence held firm Speroni broke the club’s all-time clean sheet record with his 112th shoutout, overtaking Nigel Martyn in the process to complete a perfect day for the Eagles.

Palace: Speroni, Ward, Dann, Kelly, Van Aanholt, Meyer (Milivojevic 79), Kouyaté, Schlupp, Townsend (Ayew 88), Zaha, Wickham (Benteke 70). Subs not used: Tupper, Wan-Bissaka, Sakho, Riedewald.

Tottenham: Gazzaniga, Foyth, Vertonghen (Lamela 45), Sanchez, Trippier, Dier (Wanyama 62), Skipp, Walker-Peters, Moura (Sterling 81), Nkoudou, Llorente. Subs not used: Lloris, Rose, Aurier, Winks.

 

By cpfc.co.uk

Facebook plans to integrate Messenger, WhatsApp and Instagram. What that means for users

Published on in Croydon

Facebook plans to integrate its messaging services on Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.

While all three will remain stand-alone apps, at a much deeper level they will be linked so messages can travel between the different services.

Facebook told the BBC it was at the start of a “long process”.

The plan was first reported in the New York Times and is believed to be a personal project of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

Once complete, the merger would mean that a Facebook user could communicate directly with someone who only has a WhatsApp account. This is currently impossible as the applications have no common core.

The work to merge the three elements has already begun, reported the NYT, and is expected to be completed by the end of 2019 or early next year.

Presentational grey line

What is Facebook’s plan?

By Chris Fox, technology reporter

Facebook probably didn’t want to talk about this in the middle of a privacy scandal, but its hand was forced by insiders talking to the New York Times.

Until now, WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger have been run as separate and competing products.

Integrating the messaging parts might simplify Facebook’s work. It wouldn’t need to develop competing versions of new features, such as Stories, which all three apps have added with inconsistent results.

Logos for WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram
                            WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram are run as competitors

Cross-platform messaging may also lead the way for businesses on one platform to message potential customers on another.

And it might make it easier for Facebook to share data across the three platforms, to help its targeted advertising efforts.

But bigger still: it makes Facebook’s suite of apps a much tighter, interwoven collection of services. That could make the key parts of Facebook’s empire more difficult to break up and spin off, if governments and regulators decide that is necessary.

Presentational grey line

Shared data

Mr Zuckerberg is reportedly pushing the integration plan to make its trinity of services more useful and increase the amount of time people spend on them.

By effectively joining all its users into one massive group Facebook could compete more effectively with Google’s messaging services and Apple’s iMessage, suggested Makena Kelly on tech news site The Verge.

“We want to build the best messaging experiences we can; and people want messaging to be fast, simple, reliable and private,” said Facebook in a statement.

“We’re working on making more of our messaging products end-to-end encrypted and considering ways to make it easier to reach friends and family across networks,” it added.

The statement said there was a lot of “discussion and debate” about how the system would eventually work.

Linking the three systems marks a significant change at Facebook as before now it has let Instagram and WhatsApp operate as largely independent companies.

The NYT claimed that Mr Zuckerberg’s championing of the plan to connect the messaging system had caused “internal strife”. It was part of the reason that the founders of both Instagram and WhatsApp left last year.

The decision comes as Facebook faces repeated investigations and criticisms over the way it has handled and safeguarded user data.

Comprehensively linking user data at a fundamental level may prompt regulators to take another look at its data handling practices.

The UK’s Information Commissioner has already conducted investigations into how much data is shared between WhatsApp and Facebook.

Content Source from BBC.com

35 things you will only understand if you are from Croydon

Published on in Croydon

Wherever you are from there are always lots of little things unique to your hometown that everyone there will have noticed.

Most visitors will be oblivious to them.

But we’ve spotted them and they make us smile, laugh or shake our head in a very knowing way.

So, let’s not mess around any longer – here are 35 things you’ll only understand if you are from Croydon.

1: Everyone under the age of 30 knows someone who knows someone who knows Stormzy

2: Watching World Cup matches at Boxpark was better than being at the games themselves

3: Nobody has ever got a tram all the way from New Addington to Wimbledon. It would probably take longer than a flight to Australia!  

The tram network is wonderful but getting a train from one end of it to the other would take a lifetime (Image: Transport for London)

4: Late night trains back from London that aren’t meant to stop at Selhurst always stop at Selhurst

5: There’s always a new skyscraper being built

6: We’ve got the best street art in the world

7: It feels like our Westfield will never get built

8: The Ikea chimneys are weirdly beautiful

9: You miss Beano’s, Tiger Tiger and the Black Sheep Bar

David Lashmar pictured outside Beano's
Those happy days spent rummaging through records at Beano’s (Image: Danny Fitzpatrick)

10: Meridian High School will always be Addington High

11: And The Quest Academy will always be Selsdon High

12: We’ve got a lot of Harris Academies

13: The view of London from Crystal Palace is simply magical

14: Driving to the likes of Brixton, Dulwich or Catford can take hours despite them supposedly only being a few miles away

15: You have no idea what goes on down on the Webb Estate but wish you had a house there

16: An older member of your family once met Ronnie Corbett

17: We always seem to have someone on The X Factor. Whatever did happen to Ben Haenow?

Ben Haenow does one of those cheesy album cover poses

 

18: We cannot agree on whether there’s such a thing as a Croydon accent

19: And we really can’t agree if Croydon is in London or Surrey

20: CR7 means Thornton Heath, not Cristiano Ronaldo

21: There’s no pond at Thornton Heath Pond

22: And New Addington doesn’t look particularly new

23: While Old Coulsdon doesn’t look that old

24: We all went on a school trip to either Chislehurst Caves or the Natural History Museum

We’ve all been to the Natural History Museum at least twice (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

25: McDermott’s does the best fish and chips you’ve ever had

26: Summer evenings in the garden of The Dog and Bull or The Oval Tavern are pure bliss

27: Most of the south of the borough is golf courses

28: You’ve heard Greg Rusedski, Michael Buble and Francis Rossi from Status Quo live here but you’ve never actually seen them

29: You secretly dislike Sutton a little bit just because it isn’t Croydon

30: You miss Surrey county cricket matches being played at the Whitgift School

The Whitgift School is so posh it has it’s own cricket ground (Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty Images)

 

31: You’ve had so many nights which have started at The Skylark where you’ve never actually made it into the town centre

32: You know Broad Green exists but you’re not really sure where it starts and where it ends 

33: Having to explain Crystal Palace’s Selhurst Park is in neither Crystal Palace or Selhurst

34: Thornton Heath can simply be called The Heath and New Addington just Addo

35: You’ve always wondered where North Norwood and East Norwood are

 

Content By Andy Worden from mylondon

click here to access the original source

Intersport Thewinningmargin 

Published on in Croydon/Local Business Spotlight

Need a quality Sports shop to get your sports gear from? Head down to Intersport thewinningmargin located (185 Brighton Rd, Croydon, South Croydon CR2 6EG). Pop down to their shop, give them a call or contact them via social media you won’t be disappointed.

Watch video below

 

Contact info

Phone:020 8680 7057

Address: 185-187 Brighton Road,  South Croydon CR2 6EG
MyCroydonLocal.info  “keeping it local”

Brexit latest: Jeremy Corbyn urges Theresa May to cut Parliament Christmas recess short for crucial vote

Published on in Croydon

Jeremy Corbyn has urged Theresa May to cut the Christmas recess short and recall Parliament so MPs can vote on the Brexit deal.

The Labour leader said he wanted to have a vote “as soon as possible”.

He accused the Prime Minister of trying to “run down the clock” and offer MPs a choice between “the devil or the deep blue sea”.

Mr Corbyn refused to be drawn on whether Labour would seek to extend Article 50 to keep the UK in the EU for longer.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has vowed to continue with Brexit should Labour get into power (PA)

Speaking to the Independent, he said: “Lots of things are possible, the EU has long-form on reopening and extending negotiations, but let’s not jump too many hoops when we haven’t arrived at them.”

MPs are due to return to the Commons on January 7 after a two-week Christmas break.

They will begin a new debate on Mrs May’s deal on January 9 – with a vote expected to take place the following week.

Mr Corbyn said it was in Mrs May’s hands whether she should recall Parliament a week early, on January 2

“I want us to have a vote as soon as possible, that’s what I’ve been saying for the past two weeks, and if that means recalling parliament to have the vote let’s have it,” he told the paper.

“But it looks to me the Government has once again reneged on that and tried to put it back another week.

Under pressure: Theresa May (Getty Images)

“We need to have that vote so a decision of parliament can be made. What I suspect is that it’s a completely cynical manoeuvre to run down the clock and offer MPs the choice of the devil or the deep blue sea.”

A Downing Street source labelled Mr Corbyn’s call a “silly demand”, and said: “Following debate in the Commons, in the week commencing 14 January MPs will vote on the Brexit deal.

“Instead of making silly demands, Jeremy Corbyn should be honest with voters that he has no alternative plan, and only intends to frustrate Brexit – ultimately betraying the referendum result.”

His comments came as John McDonnell dismissed the idea of an indicative vote to find which Brexit options MPs would be prepared to support if the Prime Minister’s deal is rejected.

The shadow chancellor told the Financial Times such a move would “run the clock down even further towards March 29”, when Britain is due to leave the EU.

The content source from standard.co.uk 
From Sean Morrison

Construction begins on permanent home for Croydon primary school

Published on in Croydon

Work has begun on a new building for a Croydon primary school which has been without a permanent home for four years.

local MP, Steve Reed, attended the ceremonial ground-breaking ceremony for Paxton Academy’s new Thornton Heath site, which should be completed by winter 2019.

The primary free school, specialising in sports and science, has run out of tempoaray buildings since 2014.

Pupils have been taught in portacabins, earning the school the nickname the ‘portacabin academy.’

Mr Reed, MP for Croydon North, said: “This marks a momentous day for the Paxton Academy Trust.

“The Principal, staff, governors and pupils have shown remarkable resilience in overcoming major difficulties with finding additional accommodation for their growing numbers and obtaining planning consent for this permanent building.

“I am delighted to be able to celebrate with them the start of their new school building which will provide state of the art facilities to deliver a modern 20th century education for its pupils.

“I look forward to joining them again when they move into their new permanent home.”

Mr Reed was joined by the chair of Paxton Academy Trust, Barrington Gooden, the school’s principal, Johnette Barrett, along with parents, pupils, the contractor and representatives from the Department for Education.

The new building, to be built by the McAvoy group, will include classrooms, a multi use games area sports deck, breakout areas as well as a playground area on the roof of the building.

The contractor will manufacture 112 steel framed modules for the new four-storey building at their production facilities in Northern Ireland, which will then be delivered to the site in May 2019.

 

Source from yourlocalguardian.co.uk

Content provided by yourlocalguardian

The Ends festival Croydon 2019: Nas, Wizkid and Damian Marley to headline new music event

Published on in Croydon

A brand new festival combining music and food will land in Croydon next year.

Nas, Wizkid and Damian Marley are the first confirmed acts to headline The Ends festival, which will pop up for one weekend in Lloyd Park.

The three-day event will run from May 31 until June 2 in partnership with Croydon Council and is expected to host 15,000 music fans a day.

Hip Hop artist Nas will take to the stage on Friday, followed by Nigerian singer Wizkid on Saturday and Damian Marley — son of legendary Bob Marley — on Sunday, to close the final night of the festival. Further acts are to be announced in due course on the official website.

How can I get tickets for The End festival?

Tickets will go on general sale on Wednesday December 19, starting from £50. However, it’s worth noting that Croydon locals with a valid postcode will be eligible for a pre-sale 48 hours beforehand.

For more information visit, theendsfestival.co.uk

From standard.co.uk

by lizzle thomson

original source

1 … 4 5 6 7 8 9
Go to Top