In partnership with
Norwood Grove turns 100
Norwood Grove is marking its centenary with a free community celebration at the White House (Copgate Path, SW16 3EA) on Saturday 7 November, 1pm to 3:30pm. Entry is free, and registering in advance helps organisers make sure there is enough cake to go round. It is a lovely excuse to explore one of Upper Norwood's best-loved green spaces. Register on Eventbrite.
The Popcorn Brand Turning Heads and Raising Capital
What does it look like when a consumer brand starts to break out?
Popsmith generated $5.8M in revenue in 2025 and is projecting $9M in 2026, with more than 100,000 customers and $20M+ in lifetime sales.
The brand has already earned national recognition through Oprah’s Favorite Things and partnerships with Costco, Sur La Table, and Williams Sonoma, where Popsmith is rolling out nationwide this holiday season.
Now Popsmith is raising capital to accelerate its next stage of growth, and individual investors have the opportunity to become shareholders.
Quick hits
Weather: A dry, mild day with sunny intervals, a high of 16°C and a low of 7°C, almost no chance of rain and light winds. Friday looks sunny and similar at 15°C. (Met Office)
Trams: No trams run between East Croydon and New Addington, Beckenham Junction or Elmers End until 6 November while track is replaced, and a power failure at Therapia Lane yesterday also cut services to Wimbledon. Replacement buses from East Croydon are going the long way via West Wickham and Coney Hall, and the 64 and 130 are on long detours because the Kent Gateway by Addington Park is blocked between Gravel Hill and Addington Village. Allow extra time and check TfL before you travel. (Inside Croydon)
Selsdon roadworks: Foxearth Road near Littleheath Woods is closed until midnight on 2 November, and there are temporary lights at Queenhill Road/Farley Road and on Addington Road by the Sir Julian Huxley until Friday. (Inside Croydon)
Water main: A burst main on Beulah Hill near Downsview Road (SE19) caused flooding, lane restrictions and patchy water supply earlier this week while Thames Water crews carried out repairs. (South London News)
Remembering Sandilands: The council is holding a remembrance gathering in New Addington on Monday 9 November to mark ten years since the tram derailment. We'll share the time and venue once confirmed. (Croydon Council)
Folk favourites: Steeleye Span play the Ashcroft Theatre on Thursday 5 November, with tickets from £33.25. Inside Croydon is also giving away a pair of tickets. (Fairfield Halls)
On stage in Selsdon: CODA brings the wartime musical Spitfire Girls to Selsdon Hall from 26 to 29 November. (Details)
Anything Yuh Like, South End. A new Afro-Caribbean bar-restaurant has opened at The Corner House, 1 South End (CR0 1BE), mixing Ghanaian and Caribbean flavours: suya lamb chops, jerk chicken, jollof rice and a signature mac and cheese. It is owner Kendra Marful's first restaurant after years of home cooking and catering, and Inside Croydon's reviewer called the lamb "divine". Mains from £15.95. Open Thursday and Friday 3pm to 9pm and Saturday 12pm to 4pm, so tonight is a good night to try it. (Read the review)
Croydon Calisthenics. Fancy learning your first pull-up, or a handstand? Croydon Calisthenics is a community-led club run by Theo Dopson that uses bodyweight training to build confidence, discipline and connection. They run public open sessions for all levels on selected weekends (no booking needed, dates posted each Monday), meetups training together in local parks, skill workshops and community competitions.
For younger ones, there are coach-led Kids Only sessions for ages 5 to 14 at Addiscombe B&G Club, £7 a session. The current dates have already sold out, which says a lot, so keep an eye out for the next ones. As Theo puts it: come pull through.
📍 Croydon · 🌐 croydoncalisthenics.com · 📸 @croydoncalisthenics · ✉️ [email protected]
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On this week
Today, Thu 29 Oct, 11am: MINULI Makers pumpkin patch craft for ages 2-10, £12, Centrale Shopping Centre (CR0 1TY). Costumes welcome. Book via Happity.
Fri 30 Oct, 11:30am: Craft Club: Creepy Crafts, free drop-in for ages 5+, Atrium, Croydon Clocktower (CR9 1ET). More info.
Thu 5 Nov, 7:30pm: Steeleye Span, Ashcroft Theatre, Fairfield Halls (CR0 1JD). Tickets.
Sun 8 Nov, 10am-3:30pm: SoCro Art Fair, 50+ local makers selling paintings, prints, ceramics and gifts, free, Coombe Wood School (CR2 7HY). More info.
Tue 10 Nov, 2pm-4pm: Free Seed Swap with free refreshments from A Little Blossom, St Mildred's Church, Bingham Road, Addiscombe. More info.
Friday 30 Oct. Little ones aged 2 to 6 can enjoy Flotsam, a new 35-minute opera for young children, at Stanley Arts in South Norwood at 11am, £11 (details), or a train-track role-play session with Little City Croydon and Trainmaster at Our Lady of the Annunciation Church Hall, 9:30am, £15 per child (book).
Saturday 31 Oct (Halloween). BOXPARK Croydon celebrates its 10th birthday with a free Family Feastival from 11am, plus kids' wreath making, pumpkin painting and a Halloween party (Eventbrite). Stanley Arts has family pumpkin carving at 11am (details), Pollock's Toy Museum has a free pop-up at Unit 49, Whitgift Centre from 11am (details), and Turf Projects opens its Canny Valley exhibition at 1pm, free (details). After dark, the David Lean Cinema has Halloween screenings of Dracula (details).
Sunday 1 Nov. Historic Croydon Airport's first-Sunday open day runs at Airport House, Purley Way, from 10am, with under-16s free (details). In the evening, the Sunday Quiz at The Spread Eagle starts at 7pm, £2 to play (details).
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Building a stronger Croydon, together. The Croydon Local Pulse Team.