🌧️ Today, Friday 23/10/2026: heavy rain through the morning and early afternoon, easing to light rain and clearing by the evening. High of 12°C with gusts of up to 48mph from the afternoon, so take care on the roads and near trees.

🌧️ Saturday 24/10/2026: dry and bright early on, then rain from mid-morning that turns heavy from around midday and lasts into the evening. High of 16°C and gusts of up to 43mph.

🌤️ Sunday 25/10/2026: sunny, with a high of 13°C and a breezy day, gusts of up to 40mph. The clocks go back an hour overnight.

🌦️ Monday 26/10/2026: light rain on and off, a high of 17°C and gusts of up to 38mph.

Source: Met Office, Croydon forecast

From Saturday 24/10/2026 to Friday 06/11/2026, there will be no trams between East Croydon and New Addington, Elmers End or Beckenham Junction while TfL carries out track renewal work. Replacement buses are planned, so check the TfL Go app or journey planner for your route before you set off, especially if you are heading out for half-term.

The disruption has already begun. TfL says a track problem near Lebanon Road has closed that stop and suspended services between Arena and Elmers End this week, with specialist repairs needed. It expects the whole network to resume on 6 November after the half-term engineering closure. Inside Croydon also reports crowded trams on the Croydon to Wimbledon route this week, so allow extra time there too.

Sources: Inside Croydon, Inside Croydon (closure dates)

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🍵 Menopause Fun Palace: art making and tea party, 2pm to 4:45pm, Turf Projects, upstairs in the Whitgift Centre, opposite the pipe organ, free. See the mini art exhibition and make your own artistic response. Aimed at adults, with family welcome, and teas will be served. Source: Creative Croydon CIC

With heavy rain and strong gusts forecast, please check each organiser's listing before you travel.

Saturday is the wetter of the two days, with the heaviest rain from about midday, so Sunday looks like the better bet for time outdoors. Indoor options are marked below.

🎉 Whitehorse Road community garden: 10-year celebration, Saturday 24/10/2026, 11am to 5pm, Whitehorse Road Recreation Ground, Boulogne Road entrance, Selhurst, free. A children's entertainer at 11am, a pet parade at 12pm, a colourful "dopamine dressing" walk at 12:30pm, live music from local talent all day, Black History Month songs from Roz Thornton at 2pm and a share-your-skills Fun Palace from 2pm to 4pm. This is an outdoor event, so dress for the weather. Source: Creative Croydon CIC

🌳 The Sensible Garden reopening, Saturday 24/10/2026, 12pm to 2pm, South Norwood High Street SE25 6EF. A tidied-up garden named in honour of Captain Sensible. Source: Stuart Collins

🧸 Pollock's Toy Museum Pop-Up, Saturday 24/10/2026, 11am to 4pm, Whitgift Centre, free, and indoors. Source: Croydon BID

🎮 Next Level, Saturday 24 to Tuesday 27/10/2026, Centrale and Whitgift Shopping Centres, free. Four days of gaming, esports and creativity for half-term. Source: Croydon BID

🛝 Kids Play Free at PLAYBOX, Saturday 24 to Friday 30/10/2026, PLAYBOX Croydon. Please check the listing for the offer's conditions before you go. Source: Croydon BID

🎭 Michael Starring Ben, Saturday 24/10/2026, 7:30pm, Ashcroft Theatre, Fairfield Halls. Please check the listing for details and tickets. Source: AllEvents

🕐 Sunday 25/10/2026: the clocks go back an hour in the early hours, so you get an extra hour in bed.

🍽️ The Kids' Table, Sunday 25/10/2026, 12pm to 4pm, BOXPARK Croydon, free. Source: Croydon BID

❓ Sunday Quiz, Sunday 25/10/2026, 7pm, The Spread Eagle, £2. Source: Croydon BID

🦖 Dinosaur Adventure Live: Danger on T-Rex Mountain, Monday 26/10/2026, Fairfield Halls, £19.75. Check the listing for show times. Source: Croydon BID

🎲 Monday Night Games, Monday 26/10/2026, 6:30pm, The Ludoquist, £8. Source: Croydon BID

❓ Big Fat Quizbox, Monday 26/10/2026, 7pm to 9pm, BOXPARK Croydon, £2.93 to £11.52 depending on the ticket. Source: Croydon BID

🎃 Halloween: Family Fun Day, Tuesday 27/10/2026, 12pm to 4pm, BOXPARK Croydon, free. Source: Croydon BID

🖌️ MINULI Makers: My Little Pumpkin Patch, Thursday 29/10/2026, 11am, Centrale Shopping Centre, Upper Mall, £12, ages 2 to 10. Come in your Halloween costume and make your own spooky pumpkin patch. Spaces are limited, so book through Happity. Source: Happity

🎤 Halloween Karaoke, Thursday 29/10/2026, 8pm, The Porter and Sorter, free. Source: Croydon BID

🚂 Little City Croydon x Trainmaster, Friday 30/10/2026, 9:30am to 11am, Our Lady of the Annunciation Church Hall, 147 Bingham Road CR0 7EN, £15. Train tracks and role play for little ones, for the first Croydon visit from Trainmaster South London. Source: Little City Croydon

🎨 SoCro Art Fair, Sunday 08/11/2026, 10am to 3:30pm, Coombe Wood School, 30 Melville Avenue, South Croydon CR2 7HY, free. More than 50 local makers. Source: SoCro Art

🎭 The 2026 Croydonites Festival, Wednesday 4 to Saturday 21/11/2026. See the festival site for the programme and tickets. Source: Croydonites

🏪 Convenience store owners in Croydon East: could you host an MP visit? The Association of Convenience Stores is looking for a Croydon East convenience retailer to host MP Natasha Irons on Thursday 12/11/2026, 11am to 12pm, to talk about business and the issues that matter to shop owners. The venue is still to be confirmed. Find the Association of Convenience Stores at acs.org.uk to get in touch. Source: Association of Convenience Stores event submission

🤝 Know a local group doing something good? Tell us about it and we may feature it in a future issue.

🏛️ Council chief executive search to start again. Croydon Council's appointments committee decided not to appoint a permanent chief executive from the recent shortlist, and the Mayor told Wednesday night's full council that the post needs the right experience and leadership. Mike Jackson, who started as interim chief executive in August, remains in post, and no date has been given for a new recruitment round. Inside Croydon reports that the permanent role was advertised at £275,000 and that the interim is paid at least £1,500 a day. Source: Inside Croydon

🗳️ Croydon BID ballot: voting closed at 5pm on Wednesday on whether Croydon BID continues from April 2027 to March 2032. We could not find a published result as we went to press, and we will share it once it is out. Source: Croydon BID

📝 Council Tax Support consultation: still open until 10 November. You can respond on the consultation page, and remember to confirm your email address afterwards so your response counts. Source: Inside Croydon

🚌 Fares going up on 01/11/2026. The adult bus and tram fare, including the Hopper, rises by 10p from £1.75 to £1.85, and the daily bus and tram cap goes up by 30p to £5.55. Source: Inside Croydon

When Croydon BID last went to ballot in 2021, businesses voted to keep it for 2022 to 2027 with 92% in favour by number and 95% by rateable value, on a 54% turnout. This year's proposal would continue it with a levy of 1.3% of a business's rateable value, and only businesses with a rateable value of £40,000 or more get a vote. Source: Croydon BID

🎨 Pop Up Top Up CIC is a Croydon-based creative youth enterprise organisation that helps young people turn their creativity into confidence, skills and real opportunities. Through workshops, pop-up markets, business challenges and hands-on experience in retail, marketing, sales and event delivery, it supports young people to explore entrepreneurship and try out their own business ideas.

What sets it apart is the learn-by-doing approach: young people develop products, trade at pop-up markets and work alongside businesses on real events. It has programmes ready for community groups, Pupil Referral Units, schools, colleges and universities, and it is looking to connect with local businesses and organisations that could host a programme, collaborate on delivery, share their expertise or support young people to turn ideas into reality.

🌐 popuptopup.co.uk

📸 Follow @popuptopupcic on Instagram

Source: Pop Up Top Up CIC's Business Spotlight submission.

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The Croydon Local Pulse Team