Quirky

Our festive five

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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Best Before Sunday

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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Norwood’s Red Riding Hood

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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4000 years of toys

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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A spooky story with Hip Hop

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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Creative buzz by the park

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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Did someone say walnuts?

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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A right royal party

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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Beach Centrale

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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Hetain Patel’s hobby heaven

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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Classical in concrete?

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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A little bit different from normal

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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Aladdin versus Jack

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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Gliding over Croydon

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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This is Carnival of Invention

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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This is Croydon Stands Tall

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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Reset, recreate, rewild

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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Flipping fun

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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Fairytale escapees

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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Jubi-lovely

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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