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 week until the BIG Santa day, but there are still several shopping days left, and there’s bound to be a bit more space under the Christmas tree for one last gift. But what to get? Why not shop Croydon?

Here’s our top five easy wins for our Cronx loved ones.

David Lean Cinema gift vouchers

Who doesn’t love the cinema, and with the awesome independent David Lean in the heart of the town centre (where you’re just as likely to be brushing shoulders with the film celebs as watching the films) their gift vouchers are an excellent Christmas present idea. The lovely Joanna Scanlan has been cinema patron since 2023, and their programme continues to get better and better with a diverse range of films and Q&As for many tastes.

Will Noble’s Croydonopolis

We chatted to the author of this fab historical journey through our hometown just last week. And we hear there may still be a few signed copies up for grabs in the Whitgift Centre Waterstones. One of the many reasons why Croydonopolis would make a great Christmas gift? From Will, ‘As well as spending a year and a half poring over history books, newspapers and clippings in the Croydon Archives, I spoke to a lot of people who’ve lived and worked in Croydon (bishops, drag queens, riot victims, town planners). The book is laced with the voices of the people who have seen Croydon change. So it’s full of memories – and opinions.’

Croydon Natural History & Scientific Society annual membership

Did you know that Croydon’s oldest cultural & scientific society was founded back in 1870, and they are still going strong today? The Society explores Croydon’s history, geology, archaeology, flora and fauna, by hosting talks, walks, and more. The membership helps keep CNHSS going, and for only £18 why not treat your loved one to an annual membership? Members receive twice-yearly packs with the programme, Bulletin and any Proceedings published, as well as priority booking for Zoom talks.

Cro Cro Land tickets

We are delighted, over the moon and dancing round the Christmas Tree with the news that our annual music festival will be returning in 2025 for its third installment on 5 and 6 April. This year was a sellout success featuring The Subways, Mattiel, She Drew The Gun, Whitelands, Berries and more. In fact we had 40+ bands over two days at the wonderful Stanley Arts. Next year we’re doing it all again and we’ve just dropped news of a few of the bands and artists you’ll see, such as Billy Nomates, Loose Articles, Dakka Skanks, The Priscillas, Lucky Number you, Bugeye, and Shallow Honey, with so many more to be announced.

Early bird weekend tickets have sold out, but there are some early bird day tickets left, which we reckon would be the perfect gift for any true music fan.

The List by Yomi Adegoke

We were lucky enough to see Yomi talk at the inaugural Lit Nights last month. The international best-selling author, journalist, and of course Croydon resident, discussed her debut novel The List (which Julia has just one chapter left to read, and doesn’t want it to finish!) The highly topical plot that deals with the dark side of social media is a complete page turner, so we highly recommend this literary gift.

There we have our festive five…

But if you’re more of a present browser, there’s the Whitgift Square Market open right up until Christmas Eve, with nine local traders offering everything from handmade gifts to delicious seasonal snacks.

And on a last but very important note; it is the season for giving and caring about your community. With this in mind we wanted to share a great way you can make a difference this Christmas. Morrisons introduced food parcels back in 2020 and have continued this ever since. It’s quite simple. Pick up a pre-packed bag which has a purchase price attached to it. Take it to a check-out, purchase it and then drop it off at the food bank point. The cost of a bag varies but is always clearly marked on the bag so you know how much you are spending/donating. Is this a sponsored ad for Morrrisons?… no, it isn’t. Morrisons is not our local supermarket, so we only just discovered this initiative after dropping in to the Purley Way branch on a drive home. It’s brilliant and we’re not sure why more supermarkets are not doing this. So if you can spare a pound or two when you’re next in Morrisons, please consider picking up a bag and helping a family in need.

Over and out until after the BIG day. Have a lovely festive time, and we’ll be back for limbo week before 2025 arrives…

Posted by Julia and Angela