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Can you find the Star Wars Easter Egg in today’s Issue?
🗓️ Upcoming Events
See link in the outro below to self submit your events
4th May
The David Prowse Gym in Ashburton Park OPENS
6th May
Celebrity Concert: Seb Hill & Will Harmer @ The Oval Tavern, 6:30–8pm
Craft Tea Sessions @ Stanley Arts, 11am–1pm
7th May
Jack and the Beamstalk @ Stanley Arts 12 South Norwood Hill, SE25 6AB
9th May
The Kiosk open 9am to 2pm The Kiosk Linktree
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📰 MORNING PULSE
🗳️ THREE DAYS TO GO - CROYDON VOTES THURSDAY
The May 7 local elections are almost here. Croydon's mayoral race has been one of the tightest in the country, with council debt rising to £1.7bn despite "fixing the finances" claims dominating the final stretch. Make sure you're registered and have your photo ID ready.
🟢 GREEN CANDIDATE SUSPENDED - BUT STILL ON BALLOT
Mark Adderley (Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood) suspended by the national Green Party over antisemitic posts but still appears on Thursday's ballot.
♿ CROYDON LEADS ON ACCESSIBLE VOTING
McGonagle Reader voting aid deployed at Croydon polling stations for the first time. Lets blind and partially sighted voters cast their ballot independently. RNIB-approved, 93% accuracy in trials.
💛 HEARTBEAT
THE GYM WHERE DARTH VADER USED TO TRAIN
David Prowse lived in Addiscombe for decades a bodybuilding champion before Hollywood came calling. Today at 11am, the David Prowse Gym opens at Addiscombe Recreation Ground, Bingham Road free, fully accessible, built with Croydon Calisthenics. Star Wars re-enactors, costume contest, calisthenics demos, stories from his family.
Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca) also worked at Mayday Hospital between Star Wars shoots. Croydon is the only place on Earth where both Darth Vader and Chewbacca lived and worked. May the 4th be with us. 🖤
📍 11am–1pm, Addiscombe Recreation Ground, Bingham Road
💛 HEARTBEAT
THE GYM WHERE DARTH VADER USED TO TRAIN
• Darth Vader (David Prowse) lived in Addiscombe from 1963 until his death in November 2020
• Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) worked at Mayday Hospital, Thornton Heath, between Star Wars films
• The David Prowse Gym opens TODAY free, forever, for everyone
• Croydon is the only place on Earth where both Vader and Chewie called home
Did you know? David Prowse trained Arnold Schwarzenegger early in his career. The force was strong in Addiscombe long before the films.
⚡ PULSE POINT
🌟 David Prowse Gym Opening 11am–1pm, Addiscombe Recreation Ground. Star Wars re-enactors, costume contest, free entry.
🏆 ONLY IN CROYDON
The only borough in London where you can visit the gym named after Darth Vader, and catch live music all on the same Bank Holiday Monday.
👋 OUTRO
Get to the David Prowse Gym opening if you can it's free, it's local, and it's genuinely one of those "only here" moments.
Thursday is election day. Polling stations open 7am–10pm. Bring photo ID.
If you're enjoying Croydon Local Pulse, share it with a neighbour the more Croydon voices we have, the better this gets.
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