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🌦️ CROYDON DAILY WEATHER
☔ BROLLY ALERT. Today, Saturday 24/10/2026: a dry, bright start, then light rain from about 10am that turns heavy by early afternoon and lasts into the evening. High of 16°C with gusts of up to 45mph later on. Get your outdoor plans in early.
🌤️ Sunday 25/10/2026: sunny and dry, high of 13°C, but blustery in the morning with gusts of up to 43mph, easing through the afternoon. The clocks go back an hour at 2am.
🌦️ Monday 26/10/2026: light rain from the morning, easing to cloud later. High of 17°C, gusts of up to 40mph.
⛅ Tuesday 27/10/2026: sunny intervals with a chance of a shower early on. High of 14°C.
Source: Met Office, Croydon forecast
🏙️ THE HEARTBEAT: CROYDON BID BACKED FOR FIVE MORE YEARS
Town centre businesses have voted to keep Croydon BID (the Business Improvement District) running for another five years, from 1 April 2027 to 31 March 2032. South London News reports that 92.8% voted in favour by number and 97.7% by rateable value, on a 63.9% turnout. That is up on the 2021 ballot, when 92% backed it by number on a 54% turnout.
The BID is funded by a levy on town centre businesses and pays for things like events, street safety and promotion of the town centre, including many of the half-term activities in this issue. Croydon BID chief executive Matthew Sims called the result "a true demonstration of a business community united together". Croydon Council has also welcomed the result.
Sources: South London News, Croydon Council Newsroom, Croydon BID
🚋 THE DAILY COMMUTE: NO TRAMS EAST OF EAST CROYDON FROM TODAY
From today, Saturday 24/10/2026, until Friday 06/11/2026, there are no trams between East Croydon and New Addington, Elmers End or Beckenham Junction while TfL renews track. Replacement buses are running, so check the TfL Go app or journey planner before you set off, and allow extra time on the Croydon to Wimbledon line, which has been busy this week.
Source: Inside Croydon
🗓️ WEEKEND RADAR: SATURDAY 24 TO SUNDAY 25 OCTOBER
Saturday turns wet from late morning, so we've flagged the indoor picks. Sunday is the day for fresh air.
🎉 Whitehorse Road community garden: 10-year celebration, Saturday 24/10/2026, 11am to 5pm, Whitehorse Road Recreation Ground, Boulogne Road entrance, Selhurst, free. Children's entertainer at 11am, pet parade at 12pm, a colourful "dopamine dressing" walk at 12:30pm, live music all day, Black History Month songs from Roz Thornton at 2pm and a share-your-skills Fun Palace from 2pm to 4pm. Outdoors, so go early and bring a brolly. 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. Indoors. Source: Croydon BID
🎨 The Big Make by Crisis, open Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm, until Friday 30/10/2026, Croydon Urban Room, Whitgift Centre, free. Indoors. An exhibition of 4,000 handmade porcelain discs, each standing for a household or person estimated to have experienced homelessness in Croydon over the past year, plus sound and sculpture. Today is one of the last Saturdays to see it. Source: South London News
🎮 Next Level, Saturday 24 to Tuesday 27/10/2026, Centrale and Whitgift Shopping Centres, free. Indoors. 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. Indoors. Check the listing for the offer's conditions. Source: Croydon BID
🎭 Michael Starring Ben, Saturday 24/10/2026, 7:30pm, Ashcroft Theatre, Fairfield Halls. Check the listing for tickets. Source: AllEvents
🕐 Sunday 25/10/2026: the clocks go back an hour at 2am, so enjoy the 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
🗓️ WEEK AHEAD: HALF-TERM AND HALLOWEEN
🦖 Dinosaur Adventure Live: Danger on T-Rex Mountain, Monday 26/10/2026, Fairfield Halls, £19.75. Source: Croydon BID
🎲 Monday Night Games, Monday 26/10/2026, 6:30pm, The Ludoquist, £8. Source: Croydon BID
🎃 Halloween: Family Fun Day, Tuesday 27/10/2026, 12pm to 4pm, BOXPARK Croydon, free. Source: Croydon BID
💬 Restoration Talks Live: Let's Talk Mental Health, Wednesday 28/10/2026, 7pm to 9pm, The Front Room, 37 to 39 St George's Walk CR0 1YL, £10 on the door (card only). A panel of mental health professionals on winter blues, men's mental health and emotional wellbeing, with an anonymous audience Q&A. Everyone welcome, whatever your faith or background. Source: Restoration City Church and Peace of Mind Counselling Services event submission
🖌️ MINULI Makers: My Little Pumpkin Patch, Thursday 29/10/2026, 11am, Centrale Shopping Centre, Upper Mall, £12, ages 2 to 10. 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. Source: Little City Croydon
👻 Trickle-Treat Halloween Special, Friday 30/10/2026, 5pm to 11pm, Trickle. Source: Croydon BID
🪩 Halloween Disco at The Dog, Friday 30/10/2026, 8pm to 12:30am, The Dog, £5.50. Source: Croydon BID
Save the date:
🎭 The 2026 Croydonites Festival, Wednesday 4 to Saturday 21/11/2026. Source: Croydonites
🎨 SoCro Art Fair, Sunday 08/11/2026, 10am to 3:30pm, Coombe Wood School, 30 Melville Avenue CR2 7HY, free. More than 50 local makers. Source: SoCro Art
🩰 The Nutcracker by Imperial Classical Ballet, Saturday 28/11/2026, Fairfield Halls. Inside Croydon is running a competition to win a pair of tickets. Source: Inside Croydon
🛍️ The Fit Edit: Black Friday and Pre-Christmas Shopping Event, Saturday 28/11/2026, 11:30am to 4pm, Croydon Creative Enterprise Zone Creative Space, Unit 55, Lower Ground Floor, Centrale Shopping Centre CR0 1TY. A plus-size shopping event with fashion, lifestyle finds and community. Tickets £3.50, or £4.50 for VIP early access, and they're on sale now: book on Eventbrite. Source: The Fit Edit
🎒 SCHOOL CORNER
🍂 Half-term starts now. Croydon schools are off from Monday 26 to Friday 30/10/2026 and back on Monday 02/11/2026. The autumn term then runs to Friday 18/12/2026. Academies and independent schools can set their own dates, so check with your child's school. Looking for things to do? The Weekend Radar and Week Ahead above are packed with half-term ideas. Source: Croydon Council term dates
🎄 Shoutout: Good Shepherd Nursery and Primary School, New Addington. Good Shepherd's Christmas Fair is on Friday 18/12/2026, 1:15pm to 5pm, at the school on Dunley Drive, New Addington CR0 0RG. Free entry, everyone welcome, and every penny goes towards the school's outdoor spaces. Local businesses and makers: stalls are available, so email [email protected] to book a pitch. Source: Good Shepherd event submission
📌 PTAs, schools and parent groups: got a fair, fundraiser, open evening or a story to share? Send it in and we'll feature it in School Corner for free.
🧡 COMMUNITY WATCH
🕯️ Sandilands tenth anniversary: a public remembrance ceremony will be held on Monday 09/11/2026 at 11am in Market Square, Central Parade, New Addington, ten years on from the 2016 tram derailment in which seven people died. The names of those who lost their lives will be read, followed by a silence and the laying of flowers, and everyone is welcome to attend. If the anniversary is hard for you, the Sarah Hope Line is available on 0343 222 5678 (weekdays, 8am to 6pm). Source: South London News
🏪 Convenience store owners in Croydon East: the Association of Convenience Stores is still looking for a retailer to host MP Natasha Irons on Thursday 12/11/2026, 11am to 12pm. Find them 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.
📰 NEWS AND NOTES
♿ Disabled Freedom Pass proposal. South London News reports that the council plans to close its discretionary Disabled Person's Freedom Pass scheme to new applicants, saving an estimated £140,000 over two years. It covers people aged 18 to 59 who get council social care or South London and Maudsley support but don't meet the statutory criteria. Existing pass holders would keep theirs. Source: South London News
🧖 Sauna plan for Crystal Palace Park. Crystal Palace Park Trust and Community Sauna Baths CIC have applied to Bromley Council for a community sauna for up to 50 people on the park's former caravan site, along with new offices for park staff. Source: South London News
📝 Council Tax Support consultation: still open until 10 November. Respond on the consultation page and confirm your email address afterwards so your response counts. Source: Inside Croydon
🚌 Fares rise next Sunday, 01/11/2026. The adult bus and tram fare goes up 10p to £1.85, and the daily bus and tram cap rises to £5.55. Source: Inside Croydon
💡 DID YOU KNOW?
Croydon's trams first ran in May 2000, making Tramlink the first modern tram network in London. Croydon's original horse-drawn and electric trams ran until 1951, so the borough went almost 50 years without them.
🏪 BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: PEACE OF MIND COUNSELLING SERVICES
🌿 Peace of Mind Counselling Services was founded by Chaz'ara Melody, a qualified integrative counsellor with more than 12 years' experience in education, pastoral leadership and emotional wellbeing. It offers individual, couples and group therapy mainly online, with some in-person sessions in Wallington, plus emotional literacy programmes for secondary schools, consultancy and community wellbeing workshops.
What makes it different is the belief that wellbeing shouldn't stay in the therapy room. The approach is warm and down-to-earth, built to take the intimidation out of asking for help, and Chaz'ara also co-hosts Restoration Talks, Croydon's community conversation about mental health (next one on Wednesday, listed above). She'd love to hear from local schools, businesses and groups who want to work together on wellbeing.
Source: Peace of Mind Counselling Services' Business Spotlight submission.
🏪 YOUR BUSINESS COULD BE NEXT
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Building a Stronger Croydon, Together
The Croydon Local Pulse Team