It was a privilege to welcome His Majesty King Charles III to Surrey Street Market as part of its 750th anniversary celebrations. His visit was a fitting tribute to a market that has been at the heart of Croydon life since receiving its Royal Charter in 1276.
The King is no stranger to the market having visited in 1994 and in 2012. One of the special parts of today’s visit was seeing His Majesty meet the people who make Surrey Street such a vibrant and important part of Croydon. From long-standing traders like Kathy Gilliam whose family has traded in Surrey Street for generations; to George Whatle, who has served his popular Caribbean food from the market for 25 years; and Kevin Allagapen, a qualified nutritionist who began trading on Surrey Street this year.
It was also wonderful to introduce The King to some of the community leaders who do so much for our borough, including Wayne Lindsay of P4YE, Eloise Ofori of Anima Youth, Shaniqua Benjamin of the Surrey Street Action Group, and representatives from organisations such as the BME Forum, Asian Resource Centre of Croydon and Croydon Vision. Their work demonstrates that Surrey Street is much more than a market; it is a focal point for community life in our borough.
Ahead of His Majesty’s birthday, I was also delighted to present him with a special birthday cake accompanied by a lively rendition of happy birthday by local school children from Shirley High School Performing Arts College and Howard Primary School. Thank you to everyone who came along and gave The King such a warm Croydon welcome. Read more about the celebrations.
10-year anniversary of the Sandilands tram derailment
On Monday 9 November, we came together in New Addington to mark the tenth anniversary of the Sandilands tram derailment, in which seven people lost their lives and more than 60 were injured. My thoughts remain with the families and friends of those who lost loved ones, those who were injured, and everyone whose lives were changed by that terrible day. As a community, we will never forget them.
Remembrance events
We came together this week to honour the extraordinary courage and sacrifice of those who have served our country. It was particularly moving to see so many schoolchildren from Winterbourne Junior Girls’ School taking part. They provide a powerful reminder that the duty to remember will be carried forward by future generations.
Investing in Croydon
I was pleased to speak at the Invest in Croydon Conference alongside Howard Dawber OBE, Deputy Mayor of London for Business and Growth, and Pierre-Hugues Schmit, Chief Executive of London Gatwick. The event showcased Croydon’s strengths and the opportunities ahead for businesses and investors.
Creating jobs, attracting investment and growing our local economy remain among my top priorities. That is why Pierre-Hugues Schmit and I have written to the Chancellor of the Exchequer to make the case for improved rail capacity through East Croydon, which is vital to supporting growth across Croydon, London and the South East. Read more.
London’s most improved parks
I am delighted that Croydon has been recognised with London’s Biggest Improver Award for our parks service. The award reflects the improvements we have made to our green spaces, including new and upgraded playgrounds, outdoor gyms and better facilities for residents.
It is also a tribute to our dedicated parks teams, volunteers and Friends Groups, whose hard work helps make our parks such valued community spaces. Read more about the work to improve our parks here.
Have a lovely weekend. If you have time, why not enjoy one of Croydon’s fantastic parks? And happy birthday, once again, to His Majesty The King!
Jason Perry
Executive Mayor of Croydon
Photo by Glenn Foster
