HADRA Newsletter - Winter 2021

WINTER 2021

Hartley & District Residents’ Association

THE HADRA NEWS www.hadra.org

Protecting and Advancing the Common Interests of the Area FROM THE ACTING CHAIR

Welcome to HADRA’s first full printed Newsletter since Autumn 2019. What an extraordinary couple of years it has been! Personally I find it bewildering that HADRA is still dealing with a lot of issues that have beleaguered our area for many years – overdevelopment, inadequate infrastructure, litter and fly-tipping, inconsiderate parking and crime – and yet in many ways I also feel that life has completely changed as we learn to live with the ongoing impact of both COVID and climate change, not to mention Croydon Council’s bankruptcy.

I first attended a HADRA Committee meeting back in March 2020. After attending a Council workshop on the Local Plan review in 2019, I had resolved to become more active in local matters. I felt that I could no longer in good conscience sit back and moan about the way the area was changing (and not for the better) without actually making the effort to do something about it. And so 2020 turned out to be the year that I joined the HADRA Committee, as well as the Croydon group of Friends of the Earth. Inevitably, this issue has a decidedly green tinge, but that seems appropriate as (at the time of writing) COP26 has just come to a disappointing close. You’ll find a report on Coulsdon’s Great Big Green Week fair on pages 6-7 as well as a feature on a local eco-business and Terracycle collection point on page 5.

Lockdown 1 started just two weeks after my first HADRA meeting. Aside from the stress of food shopping, I associate that first lockdown with sunshine, gardening and the Thursday clap. The majority of the HADRA Committee was shielding and we had to operate very differently, with greater reliance on more modern methods of communicating. Getting to grips with Zoom, MS Teams and WhatsApp was quite a challenge for many of us! We continued to issue sporadic eBlasts but had to postpone our 2020 AGM which we eventually held via Zoom rather than in person. As our previous Chairman had decided to step down, I agreed to become Acting Chair.

Hard to believe that was over a year ago.

Turn to page 9 for news on our next AGM. ... continued on page 4

OLD COULSDON CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

Beautiful new Christmas lights have been illuminating Tudor Parade in Old Coulsdon since Saturday 27th November. The start of the festive season was celebrated with singing, mulled wine and visits to Father Christmas, as well as a wide array of stalls, all superbly organised by the Christmas Lights in Old Coulsdon Friends Group (CLOCFG).

The annual cost of the Christmas lights is entirely met by CLOCFG’s fundraising activities. Contact margaret@wraybank.co.uk if you’d like to make a donation of time or money to support this lovely community initiative. You can find out more on the CLOCFG Facebook page.

TREASURER’S REPORT

The pandemic brought with it a radical change to the finances of HADRA. Being unable to print and distribute our Newsletter impacted our main source of income: advertising. Being also unable to send out road stewards door-to-door hit our subscription income. Although a few residents (about a third of the normal number) have paid their £3 subscription by bank transfer in recent months, we are still very short of anticipated income.

Expenses during the period were still substantial in the form of affiliation fees, the subscription-based planning notification service, and insurances, ultimately leading to a cash shortfall for the 2020/21 accounting period. We have moved our bank account to take advantage of a switch incentive, which was received in June 2021.

Any residents who have not yet paid their subs are kindly requested to do so at their earliest convenience (details below).

Income Total Income

2019/20 2020/21* £3,184

£478

Subs £1,230

£459

Adverts

£857

Other £1,097 Expenditure

£3,353

£0 £19 £649

*unaudited figures

Josephine Hullay Treasurer

HADRA SUBSCRIPTIONS

Residents are reminded that the easiest way to pay the £3 subscription is to set up an annual standing order. We have recently moved our bank account so please note the new details: Account name: HADRA Account number: 41022558

Sort Code: 23 05 80 (Metro Bank)

Please quote your postcode and flat/house number in the reference.

You can of course use the same details to make a one-off payment.

Alternatively, cash and cheques made payable to HADRA can be delivered to 52 Hartley Hill; please remember to include your name and address.

If you have any queries about your subscription, please email treasurer@hadra.org. We are also very grateful for any additional donations and appreciate the support of all residents who make financial contributions to help fund our activities.

If residents need to contact the association, they can do so via email at action@hadra.org

NEWS FROM PURLEY FOOD STOP

LOCAL NEWS HADRA CALLING: BECOME A HADRA REPRESENTATIVE

HADRA AREA IS STILL UNDER ATTACK FROM DEVELOPERS

Part of the beauty of our area comes from the hills and valleys and they also make for a good workout when distributing leaflets!

In the HADRA area alone, despite many strong objection letters and referring planning applications to planning committee, the Council has already granted permission for 16 flatted developments whilst only refusing six, two of which are subject to appeal and are with the planning inspector, and two more are undecided. As a consequence, the street scene and character of the area are being changed in certain roads.

As you browse the articles in this edition of the HADRA newsletter, spare a thought for those people in your local community who have been out and about delivering the newsletter and bulletins to your door.

The last 18 months or so have been challenging and emotional but we saw how communities responded and came together to support their neighbours and those around them who needed help and assistance.

We want to build this approach into the heart of the HADRA community and are asking for volunteers across our area to join and develop our network of HADRA representatives (artists formerly known as Road Stewards).

We still need the HADRA representative community to deliver newsletters but we encourage people to pay subscriptions electronically (quoting postcode and house number) so there are no longer any awkward conversations about money or working out the best time to make deliveries.

However, it is as much about looking out for your neighbours, listening to their views, offering support and saying hello to those who have recently moved into the area.

If you think this would suit you to a T or you’d like to get more involved in your local area, please get in touch!

Jackie Fowler Membership Secretary

Croydon Council’s implementation of their Suburban Design Guide Supplementary Planning Document (SPD2) has resulted in aggressive development of windfall sites in the HADRA and Kenley areas, where family houses on large plots are being demolished to build a block of 9 flats, or a family house is extended and converted into flats.

When these developments are built the Council collects a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) to improve infrastructure in the way of medical, schools, community facilities, roads, sewers and transport to support the increase in population. However, Croydon has demonstrated its abysmal failure to distribute CIL money fairly across the borough. Almost nothing has been spent in the past four years in the south of the borough. For example, over £6m CIL has resulted from the Cane Hill development but no extra infrastructure has been provided in the way of schools and medical facilities for the extra population. The Purley Leisure Centre and swimming pool is still closed and the Council does not intend to repair and reopen it.

What HADRA objects to is that blocks of flats are being shoehorned into small sites, building on garden land, invading privacy and changing an area’s character and carbon footprint. Blocks of flats quickly alter population density and local infrastructure simply will not cope.

HADRA did support one planning application at 10 Haydn Avenue for the Nut Tree Outdoor Nursery in April 2021. This private enterprise will provide additional nursery facilities in the local area for structured outdoor play whilst at the same time teaching children about nature and care for the environment thus enriching the education of our young generation who have been deprived of quality outdoor play in the last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite stating that this private enterprise should be encouraged to make up for the shortcomings of the Council, it took the planning department six months to grant planning permission.

Colin Etheridge Planning Representative

TWO NEW FINIALS FOR COULSDON ‘ART TRAIL’

Further to our story in HADRA’s Spring 2021 online Newsletter, two more finials for Coulsdon Town Centre were placed towards the end of November.

Surrey Iron Railway is positioned in the Lion Green Car Park and Emmeline Pankhurst between the pet shop and the Comrades Club.

The Old Lodge Lane Baptist Church Food Stop was launched at the peak of the first wave of the pandemic in March 2020. We had been approached by Croydon Council the previous year to set up a Food Stop, offering a shop that charges a nominal membership fee of £3.50 for £15-20 worth of food and making it available to families that are finding it hard to make ends meet. Their plan was to have frontline council officers available to offer face to face support when people came to choose their food.

However, the council’s financial problems and the pandemic meant that this model was not going to be possible. We decided that whether we could offer the support and face to face interaction or not, we had to do something to support furloughed, vulnerable and shielding families in our community, so we decided to take a step of faith... For the first few months we offered a delivery only service, taking £15-20 worth of fresh, chilled, frozen, tinned and packet food to up to 70 families each week via an amazing team of volunteers.

As restrictions eased, we started to open an in-person shop and over time transitioned into a shop-only service at Old Lodge Lane Baptist Church on Reedham Park Avenue on a Friday morning from 9am till 12pm which is how we continue to operate now.

its continued work in the community and our pastor, Nick, was recognised for his work in the community over the last 11 years. This builds on the award that we received last year from the Mayor of London in his 2020 volunteer awards.

We rely on wonderful people in our community to donate food, clothes, hygiene items, finances and volunteer to make this project happen. If anyone reading this wants to help out in some way, then please get in touch with us. If anyone wants to donate to our Christmas hampers project this year then they can do so via the following Just Giving link www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ foodstopchristmashampers The best way to contact us directly is via email office@ ollbc.org.uk or via our website www.ollbc.org.uk.

Anyone who wants to access the shop themselves or knows someone who would benefit from a little extra help, can simply turn up at the church on Friday mornings from 9am-12pm. There is no application process or evidence asked for, all we will take are a few basic contact details which we do not share with anyone else. Turn up, pay £3.50 and go home with £15-20 worth of fresh, chilled, frozen and tinned food. It’s really that simple!

Nick Graves

We were particularly attracted by the idea that as well as a valuable social project, Food Stop was also a significant environmental project too. We were shocked to learn that the 650 kilos of food that the national charity Fare Share were donating to us each week would have all gone to landfill if they had not rescued it. We were also surprised to learn how much perfectly usable food our local supermarkets dispose of every day. We made contact with them through Fare Share and now collect each week from three local supermarkets.

All of the food that we give out is perfectly safe to eat but sometimes it has a packaging fault or a short use by date which means that supermarkets are unable to sell it in store. This makes a really big difference to the variety of food that we are able to pass on to the people who attend the shop each week and makes an impact on the environment too.

As lockdown has continued to ease and people stopped shielding or returned to work, our numbers fluctuated.

However, in recent weeks we have seen a sharp rise in the number of people who attend the shop each week.

We now have a support worker who works with people with benefit related issues, mental health issues and employment training. We also now offer a selection of clothes that people can choose from each week.

Christmas is going to be a very busy time for us at the Food Stop. Last year we gave away 50 ‘everything you need for Christmas dinner’ hampers; this year we are aiming to give away 100 of these hampers to regular visitors to our shop. We are in the process of fundraising £5,000 to make sure that we can deliver these hampers plus give out some extra season food at the shop the week before Christmas.

HADRA WREATH

HADRA Committee members, John Clarke and Josephine Hullay, represented the district on Remembrance Sunday and laid a wreath on our behalf. Thanks to John for the generous donation of the wreath.

As Christmas Eve is a Friday this year, we have taken the decision to open on Wednesday 22nd instead. We will also open on Wednesday 29th December instead of Friday 31st.

It is lovely that our work in the community was recently recognised by the Mayor of Croydon in his recent civic awards. The church and its volunteers was recognised for 2 | HADRA NEWSLETTER WINTER 2021

HADRA NEWSLETTER WINTER 2021 | 3

Continued from page 1...

Less frequent Committee meetings certainly didn’t mean a lighter workload.

Planning continues to take up an inordinate amount of our collective time and effort. Read more on how we continue to support local residents in our Planning Officer’s report on page 2.

One of my personal priorities when I became Acting Chair was to establish better dialogue between the various Residents’ Associations across the borough. Many of us are now communicating more frequently as members of the informal Croydon Alliance of Residents’ Associations (CARA). CARA’s initial focus in 2020 was to provide a co-ordinated response to the government’s ill-considered proposals to reform the planning system, which I’m pleased to say have been placed on hold pending review by the new Secretary of State. CARA’s next major collaboration will be on the long overdue review of the Croydon Local Plan, which started in 2019 but has been delayed.

If we needed proof that HADRA residents are not alone in being disenchanted with the way Croydon is run, then the results of this year’s DEMOC referendum have certainly provided that evidence – an overwhelming vote in favour of change in every corner of Croydon, with no ward’s majority being lower than 71%. Huge thanks are due to the DEMOC Campaign Committee and to all of you that signed the petition and turned out to vote.

Our new-look website is another area that has taken up a lot of the Committee’s time and effort over the last year. It’s still a work-in-progress but we hope that you like the new look. We now have greater speed and flexibility in the way we update the website and hope that you appreciate the greater responsiveness. We welcome your feedback.

Like many other organisations and individuals, the pandemic has had a negative effect on HADRA’s finances. Read our Treasurer’s report on page 1. As well as suffering from a decline in membership, HADRA desperately needs more people to get involved. We need fresh ideas, fresh voices, fresh legs. If you’d like to help make our neighbourhood a better place, and have a little time or energy to spare, please get in touch. Even if you don’t want to commit to joining the Committee, you may still be able to play a role. Turn to page 2 for more information about our search for HADRA Representatives.

As the old adage goes, “many hands make light work”.

Lucia Briault Acting Chair, HADRA

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WHAT MAKES A GOOD NEIGHBOUR?

Not an easy question to answer. If you asked 10 different people, you’d probably get 10 different answers. We all have different perspectives, different needs and wants, different personalities. But if I had to condense all the answers into a single sentence, I’d say that a good neighbour shows consideration for others.

Human beings do not exist in a vacuum. We are social creatures.

We have evolved over millennia from a brutal time of ‘every man for himself’ and now live in a supposedly civilised modern world.

We have learnt to barter and trade. We no longer think that it’s acceptable to invade and conquer ‘weaker’ nations. We believe in collaboration and compromise for mutual benefit. Since the Age of Enlightenment in the 17th century we have embraced the concept of the social contract, something which I now feel should be on the primary school curriculum, because certain aspects of Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic have shone a spotlight on some exceedingly selfish behaviours in today’s society.

HADRA is often approached by residents who feel that our neighbourhood ‘rules’ are being breached. Social media posts support this sense of dissatisfaction but can illustrate how divided opinion can be on any given subject. Are fireworks fun or dangerous? Are bonfires a good way of getting rid of rubbish or an environmental nuisance?

Of course, we don’t really have any neighbourhood rules (apart from those enshrined in UK law), but if we did, I think they would look something like this: 1. Be friendly. Smile. Say hello. Be polite. Offer help and support.

2. Share information. Recommend your favourite shops, restaurants and businesses. Warn your neighbours about roadworks, potholes, suspicious activity.

3. Take pride in your local area. Take your rubbish home. Pick up litter and deal with it appropriately. Report fly-tipping, blocked gullies and other problems to the Council. If they don’t respond, contact your local Councillor. Keep your home looking neat and tidy – if you’re struggling, ask for help. Dispose of your household and garden waste responsibly.

4. Be a considerate driver. Stick to the speed limits in built-up areas. Look out for pedestrians. Obey road signs and markings – they are there for a reason, not just to annoy you. Consider others when parking; can your neighbour see to get out of their garage or driveway safely? Could an ambulance and fire engine get past in an emergency?

GREEN HADRA

HAVE YOURSELF AN ECO-FRIENDLY CHRISTMAS

If you feel like you’re suffering from “eco-overwhelm”, help is at hand with these handy tips from Laura at eCO2 Solutions, a zero-waste refill delivery service in and around Coulsdon. Laura kindly agreed to be interviewed so that we can all set “be more sustainable” as our New Year’s resolution.

What made you decide to start an eco-refill business?

I’d been focusing for some time on reducing my carbon footprint at home as well as at work, and thought I could share the journey and encourage others to do the same. We are all busy, so I understand that people want convenience. Buying eco-friendly products in bulk and delivering for free, I hoped to make it as convenient and cheap as possible for people.

I started in earnest in February 2020. I got a website up and running and I put posts on the Nextdoor app. I delivered to a lot of people who were isolating and I had time to deliver on foot which was good for my step count! It’s been growing steadily since.

How do you get new clients?

Mainly from Facebook and word-of-mouth. Officially, my delivery area is just the Borough of Croydon and Coulsdon’s surrounding areas, but I struggle to turn people down if they’re further away as I don’t want to discourage anyone, even though I don’t charge for delivery. One of my posts got reshared so often that I got an order from Lingfield (which I fulfilled) and a spot on BBC Radio Surrey!

How does your refill service work?

You choose the products in the sizes you want from our online shop. Once you’ve placed your order, we will contact you within 24 hours to arrange a delivery day that suits and to make payment. You put your bottles to be refilled on the doorstep on the morning of the delivery and we come and refill. You can put out any Terracycle items too and we will take them at the same time.

7. Resolve conflicts calmly. No-one is perfect. Some disagreements are inevitable. If you have a complaint, raise it in a civil manner and with tact. Try to find a resolution that both parties are happy with.

Is there anything you would add to the list? Is there anything HADRA could be doing to make our neighbourhood a better place? Please let us know.

Lucia Briault

P.S. Apologies if you’re now humming the theme tune from Neighbours.

To avoid unnecessary journeys, I’ve teamed up with a Terracycle collector from Tadworth who collects for all the schemes or knows someone who does. Now people can drop off all the different products at my location and if I’m not signed up to collect them, I pass them on to Tadworth (normally a shady transaction in a car park in Banstead, where we exchange rubbish from the boots of our cars!)

Ideas for an eco-friendlier Christmas?

I don’t want to be bah humbug about Christmas, but the over-consumerism and consumption makes me cringe.

Buying presents can be a stressful task at the best of times, but if you are trying to be environmentally mindful about your purchase it can be really limiting.

To reduce cost and overall consumption, why not agree a family limit either monetary or one gift per person; perhaps only buy presents for the kids.

This year, people are being urged to buy early due to delays in shipping which I fully expect to blow up into queues of panic-buyers before December even hits. Why not take the extra time to make a gift or buy local to avoid shipping? You can buy second-hand (only you will know a lot of the time) or regift your own or your kids’ items.

Alternatively, put together an eco-friendly bundle of refillable goodies from our website!

eCO2 Solutions can be found online at www. eco2solutions.org.uk or on Facebook at www.facebook. com/eco2solutions.org.uk.

ETHICAL GIFTING

5. Be a considerate pet owner. Clean up after your dog (use a street bin or take it home – it is bad form to hang it on a bush or use another household’s bin). Keep your dog under effective control or on a leash in public spaces, especially if there are children or vulnerable people present. Do not allow your dog to roam onto other people’s property. Take measures to reduce incessant barking.

6. Be a respectful homeowner. People have different ways of relaxing. Some will be annoyed by loud music or screaming kids or endless power tools. Just give a thought to others.

refills. The pumps and the refill packets aren’t generally recyclable so I was collecting lots of them.

What is Terracycle?

Terracycle (www.terracycle.com) is a company that recycles the “non-recyclables” to divert them from landfill or incinerators. They work with both manufacturers who want to reduce their product waste and a network of collectors, like me. As collectors we can sign up to their different collection programmes and create a drop-off point like mine. Collectors get points for sending boxes of the product wrapping according to the weight sent, which can then be converted to cash and paid to a charity of your choice.

I signed up for the Carex scheme initially as I worked for a company that despite its size was using small individual bottles in the numerous toilets rather than bulk buying or

HADRA NEWSLETTER WINTER 2021 | 5

GREAT BIG GREEN WEEK FAIR On Sunday 19th September, as part of Great Big Green Week, we held our first ‘eco fair’ in Old Coulsdon, outside Pistachios in the Park in Grange Park. Despite the last-minute organisation of this event, stemming from a conversation in the Sustainable Coulsdon Facebook group, there was a decent turnout and everyone who attended seemed to enjoy finding out how local individuals, businesses and groups are doing their bit to tackle climate change.

Some local Brownie packs undertook a litter pick and learnt about the differences between household recycling and the various Terracycle schemes for those hard-to-recycle items. (See page 5 for more information about Terracycle.)

Organised by The Climate Coalition, Great Big Green Week saw over 5,000 events take place across the UK to celebrate how communities are taking action to tackle climate change and protect green spaces and encourage others to get involved.

The fair in Old Coulsdon was one of a series of events taking place all over Croydon, co-ordinated

by Croydon Climate Action and culminating in the Great Big Green Festival in central Croydon on Sunday, 26th September.

There was an interesting variety of events including fairs, guided walks, workshops, litter picks and a photography competition. To see which businesses and organisations took part in Croydon’s Great Big Green Festival, please visit https://www. croydonclimateaction.com/croydon-s-great-biggreen-week.

Ross Cycles

The main driving force behind the fair, Laura runs her refills business from her home in the HADRA area. Laura also provides a collection point for Terracycle.

For more information, check out our feature on page 5.

Ross established his Caterham-on-theHill business in 2005 and specialises in bike servicing and repairs. The shop also stocks a large selection of accessories and essentials, as well as a range of kids and adult bikes by Forme. To help with your sustainable travel, you can also book workshops on bike maintenance.

A local group run by volunteers who work to promote and protect these much-loved local open spaces. The Friends organise an annual programme of walks and talks devised to encourage local people and visitors to experience the rich variety of wildlife and archaeology found here. Turn to page 11 to find out how to be a Friend!

www.eco2solutions.org.uk

www.rosscycles.co.uk

www.friendsoffarthingdowns.co.uk

Lisa’s Eco Kitchen

Lisa set up her business after spending a lot of time looking for eco-friendly, sustainable, reusable replacements for so many items that we use at home every day. Lisa is based in Coulsdon but offers a free delivery service within a 5km radius. Check out her website for tips on living more sustainably. Lisa believes that we can all do our bit to help reduce waste, reduce plastic, reduce pollution & help to save our planet for future generations.

www.lisasecokitchen.com

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Friends of Farthing Downs & Happy Valley

eCO2 Solutions

SOLO Wood Recycling

The South London Wood Recycling Project is a not-for-profit social enterprise that specialises in working with wood that would otherwise be going to landfill.

They recondition the material and either create unique pieces of furniture and other products or sell the wood on as raw building material for DIY or building projects.

www.solowoodrecycling.co.uk

The Chat Zone

An area where people could find out about various local groups and initiatives relating to climate and sustainability, and chat with likeminded individuals. It was great to hear about Rev. Paul Robert’s plans to make 750 year-old St John’s an ‘Eco-Church’. Visitors dropped in to learn about our local green spaces and Friends of… groups; Croydon Climate Action; Repair Cafés; Croydon Community Energy. We also sold copies of The Insect Garden by local author and OCRA Chair, Michael Seabrook.

www.croydonclimateaction.com

HADRA NEWSLETTER WINTER 2021 | 7

WHAT’S ON

PURLEY LITERARY SOCIETY – PROGRAMME OF EVENTS

Residents and other interested individuals are welcome to join the Purley Literary Society at 8pm (unless otherwise stated) at Purley URC Church Hall, 906 Brighton Road.

Visitor fee is £5 per talk or join us for just £22 for the season.

CROYDON U3A - THE GIFT THAT GOES ON GIVING

Once the Christmas decorations are down and the tree has been recycled, what is there to look forward to? How about joining Croydon u3a and enjoying a gift that goes on giving all year round?

Just look at what membership of Croydon u3a offers!

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CHRISTMAS LIGHTS HUNT

If you have visited Tudor Parade in Old Coulsdon recently, you may have spotted that Sam from #samtmart has once again worked her magic on the local shop windows for the Pistachios Christmas Lights Hunt, which raises money for the CLOCFG (Christmas Lights of Old Coulsdon Friends Group).

The Hunt started at the end of November and is on-going until Christmas. If you want to get involved, pick up a hunt sheet from the following stores: • • • • • • • • • • •

Pistachios in the Park

Danny’s Fish and Chips Stella’s Emporium

The Aycorn Shoppe Torio Hairdressers Hydro Hounds Tudor Bakery

Rowlands Funeral Directors Whyatt’s Coffee shop The Village Stores The Curry Leaf

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Anyone no longer working full-time can join Croydon u3a.

There are no upper or lower age limits and no qualification requirements – all you need is interest, enthusiasm and willingness to explore new challenges together with others; we share our knowledge, skills & experiences.

We have a mixture of different types of activities – some are practical and physical, others are based on discovering more about a topic - and yet others offer the chance to learn or perfect a skill.

We currently have over 60 Interest Groups – we think there is something for everyone - BUT if you don’t see anything that you like, then we can help you to start a new group.

Our groups meet in different halls and venues, including some in private homes, all over Croydon. In addition, we have a General Meeting on the Second Wednesday afternoon in each month at the Freemasons’ Hall (73 Oakfield Road, CR0 2UX) with a talk on a wide variety of topics and a chance to socialise over a cup of tea.

During Lockdown we remained spectacularly active – we met via Zoom and/or kept in touch through email and phone calls and delivered free IT training to help people up-skill. Now that we are able to meet face-to-face again, we still continue to offer many Zoom opportunities to members who prefer this.

Croydon u3a is run by its members for its members …and there is no stopping us.

If you haven’t already heard of Croydon u3a, do please look us up. Find us at: https://u3asites.org.uk/croydon on Facebook or contact Jenny Wilson (Chairman) at: chair@croydonu3a.org.uk or T: 07808 723 686

7th Dec

George IV, the Prince Regent: Connoisseur or Conman?

Martin Heard

11th Jan

The Secret Gardens of London (change of talk)

25th Jan

Making the Film 1917

8th Feb

The NHS

Colin Jones

Andy Robertshaw

Nicola Howe

22nd Feb

Ethel Rosenberg - A Cold War Tragedy

8th Mar

The Crop Circle Mystery

22nd Mar

Anne Sebba

Andy Thomas

At 7:30pm, AGM for 2021-2022, followed

by Chile and Easter Island: Desert, Fire, Ice, and Mysticism Nick Brazil

COULSDON & PURLEY DEBATING SOCIETY

The country is full of opposing ideas, and we seem to be politically more polarised than ever before.

Google searches, Facebook and Twitter timelines feed you more of what you already see and have few, if any, “come together” moments for all. Yet society benefits when we try to see the other point of view.

The Coulsdon and Purley Debating Society first met in 1909. In its first three meetings, it covered public ownership, votes for women and free trade, two of which are still hotly debated today.

Debates are held on the first Tuesday of every month, starting at 7:30pm, at the Old Coulsdon Centre, Grange Park, Coulsdon Road CR5 1EH (unless by Zoom, as indicated). Debates are free to attend, with a £15 per annum subscription if you choose to join.

7th December Christmas party with Balloon Debate (quick-fire arguments) 4th January Zoom debate: English spelling should be reformed to make it easier to spell 1st February Stop and Search is a small price to pay for safety

1st March Zoom debate: Topic to be confirmed nearer the time

Find out more at www.purleylit.org.uk.

NOTICE OF AGM – SAVE THE DATE!

Following the disruption caused by the pandemic, the Committee has decided not to hold an Annual General Meeting in 2021, but rather try to get back to the usual timing of holding an AGM in the spring or early summer, as stipulated in our Constitution.

The 2022 HADRA AGM will take place on the evening of Wednesday 11th May. Please save the date. Further information will be distributed in due course.

5th April Local election debate

Debate times and topics may vary from those published. Check out the Society’s Facebook page for updates or email for further information coulsdonpurleydebating@gmail.com.

RULES FOR DOG OWNERS If you take your dog onto a public road, please ensure it is kept on a leash at all times.

Please clean up after your dog. If there isn’t a bin, take it home. If you don’t do this, you could be fined up to £1,000.

HADRA NEWSLETTER WINTER 2021 | 9

USEFUL NUMBERS HADRA COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Acting Chair – Lucia Briault email: chair@hadra.org Phone: 020 8405 0394 Vice Chair – Vacant

Treasurer – Josephine Hullay email: treasurer@hadra.org Phone: 020 8660 0845

Secretary – Elaine Clark email: secretary@hadra.org Phone: 020 8660 9927

Membership Secretary – Jackie Fowler email: membership@hadra.org Phone: 020 8241 4267 Planning Representative – Colin Etheridge email: planning@hadra.org Phone: 020 8668 3707

Transport & Environmental Representative – Clive Lang Phone: 020 8407 0039

Health Representative & Minutes Secretary – Rita Lewis Phone: 020 8668 5520 Newsletter Editor – Vicky Burley email: editor@hadra.org Phone: 020 8406 0843 Committee Member – John Clarke

Committee Member – Diane Hearne Phone: 020 8668 1778

Kenley

Ola Kolade Mobile: 07707 277218 Jan Buttinger* Mobile: 07801 531870

Old Coulsdon

Margaret Bird 020 8604 7035 Mobile: 07710 184942 Steve Hollands* 020 8405 1902

Purley & Woodcote

Coulsdon Town

Badsha Quadir* Phone: 020 8668 3672 Oni Oviri* Mobile: 07783 152359

Mario Creatura Phone: 020 3624 3142

Simon Brew Mobile: 07803 618096

Ian Parker Mobile: 07783 152343

Luke Clancy* Mobile: 07710 183567

Visit www.croydon.gov.uk for a full list of councillors. * Not standing for re-election in May 2022.

Please refer to the Croydon Conservatives website for information on their prospective candidates for your ward.

KEEP UP TO DATE

POLICE & CRIME

Please find below some useful contacts: Emergency Tel: 999

LIST OF WARD COUNCILLORS

Non Urgent Tel: 101

Old Coulsdon SNT Email: OldCoulsdon.SNT@met.police.uk Kenley SNT Email: Kenley.SNT@met.police.uk Coulsdon Town SNT Email: CoulsdonTown.SNT@met.police.uk Purley & Woodcote SNT Email:PurleyandWoodcote.SNT@met.police.uk

The HADRA website, at www.hadra.org has lots of information including Police, Planning, Local History, Health and Frequently Asked Questions.

Residents are also invited to join our Facebook group, WhatsApp group and sign up for our monthly eBlast. The eBlast contains details of local events and any urgent issues in the area. You’ll find links to each of these on the homepage of the website. If you have any trouble, please email action@hadra.org for support.

Need your shelves or curtain rails installed, pictures hung, flat pack furniture assembled, patio, drive or path pressure washed or want something original created out of genuine reclaimed wood?

Give me a call or send me an email and I’ll come along and give you a price. I’m reliable, trustworthy and charge reasonable rates.

I cover most areas from Mitcham to Caterham “No electrical or plumbing work - sorry”

BE A FRIEND!

The Friends of Farthing Downs and Happy Valley formed themselves sixteen years ago to arrange walks and talks, keep the public aware of the importance of These Downs, and support the City of London and Croydon Council who carry responsibility as owners.

WHY NOT JOIN THE FRIENDS? – contact grahamlomas5@ hotmail.com and play a direct role in protecting and championing this countryside.

IF YOU HAVE A PARTICULAR INTEREST, SKILL, OR JUST A LITTLE TIME TO SPARE, WHY NOT JOIN OUR COMMITTEE WHICH MEETS FOUR TIMES A YEAR IN COULSDON A New Challenge Farthing Downs, Coulsdon Common, Happy Valley, Kenley Common and Riddlesdown are now a National Nature Reserve.

Help the Friends give meaning to this important new designation.

Access the Friends website at www.friendsoffarthingdowns. co.uk. Access the Friends Facebook at Friends of Farthing Downs and Happy Valley.

Mobile: 07446 876416 Email: goodwoodcou1d79@ gmail.com

London Borough of Croydon Tel: 020 8726 6000 Council Trading Standards Tel: 020 8407 1311 Email: trading.standards@croydon.gov.uk Council Antisocial Behaviour Tel: 020 8726 6000 Email: ASBTeam@croydon.gov.uk Neighbourhood Watch Tel: 07454 573453 Email: nhw@cbnwa.com Tony Sales, Police Liaison 10 | HADRA NEWSLETTER WINTER 2021

Kitchens | Bedrooms | Bathrooms | Extensions

www.signaturehomesltd.org

Tel: 020 8407 2698

Marketing and Communications From adhoc support to complete management and delivery of all your marketing and communication needs Find out more at www.smarterreach.co.uk/commercial 0800 240 4526 info@smarterreach.co.uk HADRA NEWSLETTER WINTER 2021 | 11

CHRISTMAS RECIPES

CHOCOLATE TIFFIN

CHOCOLATE MINCE PIE MUFFINS

Also known as chocolate fridge cake, this is my “go-to” recipe for cake sales, bring-a-dish parties or… well, any other occasion, really!

I usually have the ingredients at home, plus it’s so easy to make and always goes down extremely well… to the extent that I have known some hostesses to hide it rather than put it out for others to enjoy!

Makes 10

200g unsalted butter

225g plain flour

4 heaped tablespoons drinking chocolate (not cocoa powder)

3/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda

200g chocolate

80g caster sugar

Method

130ml whole milk

Prepare 10 minutes Cook 15 minutes

Core Ingredients (but see Cook’s Notes)

Ingredients

4 tablespoons golden syrup

3/4 tsp baking powder

400g biscuits

1/4 tsp sea salt

1.

2.

3.

4.

Melt the butter with the golden syrup and drinking chocolate Crush the biscuits and stir into the mixture Press into a tin or mould Melt the chocolate and spread over the top of the biscuit mixture 5. Refrigerate overnight or for at least 4 hours.

6. Turn out of tin and cut into pieces Cook’s Notes •

•

•

•

I use Cadbury’s drinking chocolate and Cadbury’s Dairy Milk, because they are my personal favourites. Topping it with a mix of dark, white and milk chocolate will make it less sweet and looks really pretty if you melt them separately and create swirls. It’s a great way to use up bits of chocolate left over from Christmas or Easter.

Most recipes suggest digestive biscuits, but I use malted milk.

You can literally use anything you like. The important thing is to create a mix of fine crumbs and larger chunks, so it’s best to bash the biscuits with a rolling pin rather than blitz them in a processor.

Instead of just biscuits, you can use any combination of biscuits, nuts and dried fruit. At Christmas I like to use shortbread, cranberries, pistachios and some bashed Maltesers. At Easter, roughly crushed mini eggs work well. For a rocky road vibe, throw in some mini marshmallows (just allow the mixture to cool slightly so that the marshmallows don’t melt).

You can use any tin or mould. For the quantities above, I usually use a rectangular tin and chop it into bite-sized servings. At Christmas I use a bowl and decorate it to look like a Christmas pudding! I’ve also cut it out with different-sized star cutters and stacked it to look like a Christmas tree.

12 | HADRA NEWSLETTER WINTER 2021

1 egg, beaten

50g Greek style natural yoghurt 30g unsalted butter, melted 1/2 lemon, zest

1/2 orange, zest

125g mincemeat

75g dark chocolate, roughly chopped Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220c, gas mark 6; line a muffing tray with 10 cases. in a bowl, combine the flour, raising agents, salt and sugar. Add the egg, milk, yoghurt, melted butter and zests of orange and lemon.

Gently mix, taking care not to overmix or the muffins will be tough (a few lumps are fine).

2. Add in dollops of mincemeat, about 1/2 tsp at a time, so it is broken up into little clumps. Stir in most of the chopped chocolate and gently fold everything together.

3. Divide between the muffin cases and top with the remaining chocolate. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden and firm to the touch. Leave to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Per muffin 989kj/235kcals/7.5gfat/4g saturated fat/36.7g carbs/18.7g sugars/1.6g fibre/4.4g protein/0.5g salt