Quirky
18 December 2025
I feared I may have ‘panto’ peaked too early this year when I went to see Cinderella at Hackney Empire at the end of November (yes, shocking, I know, but I do occasionally leave...
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27 November 2025
And it’s Chriiiiissssstttttmmmaaaassss! Yes, it is actually December on Monday. Oh no it isn’t, oh yes it is! Are you ready? I’m definitely not… Whether you’re someone who did all your Christmas shopping in...
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23 October 2025
We’re hurtling towards the final show of this year’s Croydonites festival – an immersive extravaganza, called Trainwreck by experimental theatre company TomYumSim, which runs from Tuesday 28 October – Saturday 1 November, at South...
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16 October 2025
It’s that time of year again when Croydon’s streets fill with ghouls, ghosts, and more than a few dodgy fake cobwebs. Halloween has officially crept up on us and whether you’re into spine-tingling scares,...
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21 August 2025
Romantic? Croydon? It’s not a combination of words we usually (ever?) put together. We all know Croydon has a reputation; let’s not waste time on the same old tropes. Instead, what if I said...
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17 July 2025
Last week we popped by Bishops Wine Bar to catch up with co-owner Angela Ferrara about the bar’s history and their upcoming ABBA night on Saturday 26 July, which celebrates the 10th birthday of...
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8 May 2025
In our humble point of view, Croydon has never been lacking for things to do. Heck, we’ve been writing about them for 9 years now and still have a long list of things to...
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23 April 2025
I have lived in Croydon all my life and I have yet to visit Hutchinson’s Bank Nature Reserve, in New Addington. I have heard its name mentioned before, but I didn’t quite realise how...
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27 March 2025
Calling all those small business owners and solopreneurs in Croydon. Wouldn’t it be great to get together with other small business owners and solopreneurs to exchange tales of terrible clients and slippery suppliers, whilst...
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6 March 2025
A brand new Comics fair is coming to Stanley Arts later this month. (Yes, I couldn’t resist making a font pun, as a title – us graphic designers are a geeky lot – not...
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27 February 2025
In a couple of weeks we are taking the smallest Croydonist team member to Talawa Theatre to see Home Song, which is an interactive musical created specifically for babies. Yes you heard right –...
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20 December 2024
Now are you a last-minute-shopper, or a do-it-all-in-August kind of present-buyer? Are you a shop-local person or a get-it-on-Amazon-as-there’s-no-time panic-buyer? Or a combination of all of the above? It may be less than a...
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4 December 2024
This Saturday, 7 December, a new comedy show comes to town and there’s not a stand-up comedian in sight. Sketchy, by Best Before Productions is a combination of sketch and musical comedy and takes...
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21 November 2024
After having a very hectic panto season last year with trips to not one but two Croydon pantos, we’re back on it for 2024 to find out what the ‘magical’ season has in store...
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7 November 2024
Last month during the Walnut Fair weekend we finally made it along to Pollocks Toy Museum, which has its current temporary home near Turf Projects in the Whitgift Centre. One of the oldest toy...
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31 October 2024
This year the spooky season spills into November as Stanley Arts’ Days of the Dead Festival takes place next week. On the festival programme there is a new immersive theatre production called Selecting a...
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3 October 2024
A couple of weeks ago I spent my Friday evening holding a paintbrush and sipping prosecco at Hive – the new arts space on the edge of the leafy rec in the heart of...
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26 September 2024
Did you know that there used to be a Walnut Fair in Croydon? When I say ‘used to be’ we’re talking a long long time ago – if we discount the 1987 revival at...
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21 August 2024
Looking for local things to do to kick off the bank holiday weekend? Well look no further than the Queen’s Gardens Party (see what they did there with the name) which takes place this...
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8 August 2024
Now I love a ‘repurposing’ of a car park (think of the wonderful Lost Format Society from a few year’s back), so I was dead excited to hear about Centrale & Whitgift’s rooftop beach...
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18 July 2024
I’m sure most people have collected something at some point in their lives: I used to collect badges and keyrings; Angela, Beanie Babies; my parents, teapots… Why am I telling you this? Well a...
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20 June 2024
This week we heard about an exciting musical ensemble that will be coming our way next month. Called The Multi-Story Orchestra, the south-east-London-based collective performs in car parks and other unconventional settings, and will...
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10 January 2024
It’s January, it’s cold, it’s wet, we’re back to work and school, Christmas is a distant memory and Easter a mere dot on the horizon. So what’s different to do to perk up a...
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21 December 2023
This week me and our 6-year-old, Beth, have been to not one but two Croydon pantomimes. Oh yes we have. Sunday night was spent watching Aladdin at Fairfield Halls and Wednesday evening was Jack...
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5 October 2023
Last week I took to the skies of Croydon and crossed off an activity that’s long been on my bucket list. No, not a plane or a helicopter or even a hot air balloon,...
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28 August 2023
There’s another carnival coming to Croydon, but this is a carnival with a difference, as its theme is invention (yes you heard right). On Sunday 10 September the Carnival of Invention will be taking...
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17 August 2023
You may remember back in February us talking about giraffes covered in art roaming our streets. No? Well if not see here. Since then Croydon BID and Wild in Art (who are the organisations...
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1 June 2023
Last week we had the pleasure of heading to Croydon’s ‘newest’ hotel in Selsdon. Us seasoned locals will likely always think of the location as Selsdon Park Hotel, but what was last De Vere...
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20 October 2022
Croydon’s branch of Flip Out (think big indoor adventure park) opened in the basement of Centrale about 18 months ago, and at the time I had mentally filed it as only for older kids...
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14 August 2022
What does a huge paint brush, gargantuan tentacles, a floating pencil and a destructive beanstalk have in common? Well if you’ve been walking around the centre of Croydon over the last couple of days...
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26 May 2022
So, this time next week we’ll be in the middle of a national four-day long weekend to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Almost like a Christmas break in June! But what have you planned...
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10 February 2022
Lush foliage and racks and racks of wine bottles gleaming in the downlights greet you as you enter Old Coulsdon’s dazzling The Aycorn Shoppe. Mixing an unbelievable array of plants and foliage – moss...
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8 December 2021
Although it seems our Christmas plans are being reigned in (again) by the collective cloud that is Covid (and I’m unfortunately not talking sleigh reigns – best pun I could think of, sorry) there is...
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2 December 2021
From the sunshine coast of Brighton, Urban Legend has branched out to Croydon with their low calorie and low sugar donuts. You will find them in a shipping container that is Barbie pink inside,...
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10 November 2021
Axe Throwing in Croydon! That’s right, you can throw axes in Croydon. Axe throwing comes from Canada where people casually throw axes in their backyard. It is a popular sport in Canada as well as the...
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28 October 2021
The evenings are drawing in, there’s a chill in the air, and the mince pies are already on supermarket shelves. You’ve guessed it, it’s beginning to look alot like Christmas. I realise we haven’t...
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14 October 2021
This week guest writer and Croydon-based foodie enthusiast Helena reviews local institution (and anomaly) Cockneys of Croydon. I love pie and mash so I feel compelled to try every place that serves it because it...
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30 September 2021
October is the month of ghosts, ghouls, pumpkins and monsters as we fast approach All Hallows Eve. Yes Halloween is only one day, but for me, October is always Halloween month and I’ll spend...
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15 April 2021
Both the Elizabethan and Victorian eras in England have always been promoted as eras of enlightenment, scientific advancement; and where religion played an important part in everyone’s lives. Especially with the witch trials from...
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4 December 2020
This year I have broken my own unofficial festive rule. I don’t normally agree to Christmas decorations before December, but then I suppose it’s not a ‘normal’ year. So I now find myself writing...
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20 February 2020
I’m sure you’re all aware that around the centre of Croydon we have a series of underused subways in all their 60’s mosaiced glory. I didn’t quite realise until writing this that there are...
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23 July 2019
#ClimateEmergency is very much a global trending phrase – indeed if it’s not at the front of your mind, it definitely should be. This week we start a Croydonist series looking at some of...
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8 May 2019
Looking for something a bit different for an evening out? Want to get creative, but don’t usually get the chance? Fancy meeting a renowned London street artist? If that’s a yes, yes and yes,...
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14 February 2019
Fifty years ago this summer, the first manned spacecraft landed on the moon, and as you’ll know (especially if you’re a regular reader here) Croydon was quite taken with Space at that time, building...
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18 October 2018
A few saturdays ago we headed for some retail therapy in Crystal Palace. We’re rather partial to a spot of window shopping in the Triangle’s antique and modern furniture shops, you see. (Who can...
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3 October 2018
We have a new café on the block in Croydon town centre. And one with a rather unique selling point, as it forms part of the newly opened Crisis charity shop on Crown Hill....
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13 September 2018
The Purley Way shopping experience just got infinitely more exciting with the opening of Atomica. If you’re fans of Croydon’s sixties architecture like we are, you’ll definitely be fans of this shop. A hidden...
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11 January 2018
Reality bites the dust with mind bending experiences and pure escapism. No I’m not talking about LSD or any other kind of illegal substance. I’m talking virtual reality baby. Forget VR experiences of the...
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6 December 2017
In the words of rock band Slade, ‘IT’S CHRISTMAS’… well almost, and I’m thankful that I still have a good couple of weeks to get organised on the present shopping front. If you’re stumped...
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3 October 2017
Thinking of having your barnet cut? (A bit of cockney slang for you). This month Off The Record bring a whole new meaning to a trip to the barbers with their project ‘Mind My...
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6 July 2017
The Croydon Comedy Festival is well underway, with many a fine entertainer gracing a Croydon stage or two. One such comedic genius, and raising star is none other than Briony Redman. If it sounds...
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2 May 2017
Our first birthday party is but a few days away, and we have an awesome line-up of bands to entertain us throughout the evening this friday at The Oval Tavern. It’s free entry, and...
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21 March 2017
Last week I was excited to take a look around Croydon’s latest pop-up, the Croydon Reuse Organisation (or CRO as it’s more commonly known). Run by locals, Eunice and Andrew Dickinson, the not-for-profit enterprise...
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14 March 2017
So when someone mentions Morris dancing, what do you think of? A quaint English village setting perhaps, with a team of men wearing white outfits, and straw hats with flowers. Or maybe bells on...
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22 December 2016
Being Christmas week we thought it was fitting to have a chat with Lee Taylor, associate vicar of Croydon Minster (our would-be Cathedral of Croydon). We talked about everything from Christmas (obviously), to history...
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20 December 2016
It’s time for the announcement of our favourite Croydon Christmas lights folks. We’ve seen some fantastically festive lights the length and the breadth of the borough from Selhurst to Selsdon, Addiscombe to New Addington,...
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14 December 2016
It’s been just over a month since The Breakfast Club, and indeed Boxpark Croydon, opened their doors to an eagerly awaiting public. Having won the hearts of many of London’s East Enders, The Breakfast...
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28 November 2016
I have been dining at Little Bay in South Croydon all my adult life. For those of you who don’t know it (first of all why not, and secondly why the hell not) the...
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14 November 2016
The festive season has arrived, and what better way to kick off the final countdown than with a Croydon Christmas competition for our rather smashing readers – yes you! A competition means prizes, so...
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2 August 2016
The Purley Way, known as a Saturday traffic nightmare of DIY shoppers, is actually quite a fascinating place. Rich in history, it was once upon a time at the forefront of an exciting new...
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14 June 2016
I have a secret I’m going to share. Deep breath. I. Like. The food. In. IKEA. Now, you’re probably thinking ‘so what’. But I like it enough that a few years ago I even...
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24 May 2016
When we think of windmills the first places that spring to mind are Amsterdam and Norfolk, followed by the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, oh and a random school trip to somewhere in Essex…...
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16 May 2016
Early evening on a bright sunny Sunday in Croydon and we’re at the borough’s coolest new hot spot, The Lost Format Society, for a catch-up with two of the masterminds behind the project, Justin...
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