CR5 Issue 166 March 2019

March 2019 

We love 

showing 

of f... 

If you are thinking of 

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property, please call 

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a free valuation. 

020 8763 8878 

sales@danieladamsestateagents.co.uk 

www.danieladamsestateagents.co.uk

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Take advantage of our connection to 

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through our associated Mayfair office 

 

LONDON PROPERTY EXHIBITION 

 

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3

Welcome to the March 2019 Issue of CR5 

CR5 is your local community magazine delivered FREE of charge every month to 

11,700 homes in Coulsdon, Old Coulsdon, Netherne, Hooley & Chipstead. 

Welcome to the March 2019 issue of 

CR5 Magazine. 

As we go to print the sun is shining 

bright and we are hoping that Spring is 

well on its way. The crocuses are 

popping up and in the wooded areas, 

the bluebells are preparing to bloom. 

In the month of March, we celebrate 

St David’s Day on 1st, St Patrick’s Day 

on 17th and Mother’s Day on 31st. 

Don’t forget to treat your Mums and 

make their Mothers Day a special one 

this year. Just a simple thoughtful 

gesture is often more valuable than 

expensive gifts. 

If you are thinking of starting a new 

project in 2019 there are a wealth of 

local services in the CR5 Magazine. 

This month, we welcome some new 

advertisers - why not scan through the 

pages to see if you can spot them, or 

use the handy index on page 98 to find 

the service you require. 

Check out the local activities on our 

Community Pages (p90-97), 

If you are planning a local community 

event, please do make contact with 

CR5 to advertise free of charge on the 

Community Pages. 

Dont forget to LIKE our Facebook page 

for regular updates. You can also find 

more information on our website 

www.CR5.co.uk 

We hope you enjoy reading this 

months packed edition of CR5 and we’ll 

see you again in March 2019 

Wishing you all a happy and healthy 

March. 

Lucy McAlpine 

Editor CR5 Magazine 

Telephone: 01737 557888 

Mobile: 07703 209292 

email: 

lucy@cr5.co.uk 

Published by CR5 Magazine, 

Hillside, Netherne Lane, 

Coulsdon, CR5 1NR 

Editor: 

Lucy McAlpine 

Assistant: 

Michelle Plant 

CONTENTS: 

Concorde: Making history 50 years ago 8 

Sherlock Holmes and the Vampyres of London 10/11 

Building more homes on brownfield sites 16 

Animal Protection Trust 24 

Pets - Unwanted Guests 24 

CR5 Recipe: Potato & Broccoli Gratin 32 

The History of Plastic 36/37 

Books to Share 40 

Gardening: Fabulous Fruit Trees 48 

Parenting: Growing Green Fingers 56 

A social event that’s murder to attend 60/61 

The Valiant (and why no man is an island) 64 

Coulsdon & Purley Debating Society 72 

Cash ISA’s - Still worth it? 76/77 

The Weather Quiz 78 

Motoring: Is a diesel car right for me? 80/81 

Mothers Day 2019 82 

The man who never was 88 

Coulsdon Library 84 

St David’s Day 85 

St Patrick’s Day 85 

CR5 Kids Page 86 

Old Coulsdon Camera Club 87 

RSPB : Bird’s Eye View 87 

CR5 Just for Fun Crossword 88 

Trip Down Memory Lane 89 

CR5 Codeword 89 

CR5 Community Pages 90-97 

Index of Advertisers 98 

We take the hassle out of advertising, giving 

you time to run your business. 

To advertise your business in the next issue, either 

call or email us for our CR5 media pack 

Deadline for artwork for April 2019 issue: 

19th March 2019 

Please note: Advertising Space cannot be 

guaranteed in our deadline week: please make 

your booking in plenty of time 

DISCLAIMER 

Although every effort has been taken in compiling the contents, 

the publisher cannot be held responsible for errors, omissions or 

information supplied by its advertisers. 

CR5 is COPYRIGHT protected. No part of this publication may be 

reproduced, stored in any retrieval systems or transmitted in any 

form, without prior permission of the publisher.

www.atlasroofingconstruction.co.uk 

We are a small family business based in Coulsdon, carrying out domestic roof replacements, 

repairs and associated works, in Surrey and South West London, for more than 30 years. 

We pride ourselves on working in a clean, tidy and efficient manner and are mindful and 

respectful when working on private property. Our aim is to keep disruption to a minimum. 

We work to a high standard using quality materials, and you will find us highly competitive. 

We are proud to be endorsed by the consumer organisation Which? and are members of the 

National Federation of Roofing Contractors, along with a TrustMark Roofer Status. 

No deposits or upfront payments required, and for added peace of mind, we provide 10 year 

insurance backed warranties*. 

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5


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7

Concorde: Making 

History 50 Years Ago 

On 2nd March 1969, an 

awestruck crowd watched 

as Concorde took to the 

skies above Toulouse on its 

maiden flight, drowning out 

their applause with its four 

Olympus 593 engines. 

Built to fly in excess of 

1,300mph, on that first 

flight the Anglo-French built 

Concorde was in the air for 

just 27 minutes and didn’t go 

above 300mph. “Finally the 

big bird flies, and I can say 

now that it flies pretty well,” 

said the pilot, Andre Turcat. 

It would be another month 

until Concorde was tested 

in British skies, with Brian 

Trubshaw flying the plane 

from Filton near Bristol to RAF 

Fairford in Gloucestershire, 

and another six months until 

it was tested at supersonic 

speed on 1st October. The 

British government had 

already invested £155m in 

Concorde, predicted to be 

flying commercially by 1973 

and estimated to cut the flying 

time between London and 

New York from seven hours 

40 minutes to three hours 

25 minutes. However, some 

people in the government 

were concerned it wouldn’t be 

commercially viable and could 

cost the UK £900m. 

Only fourteen 

Concordes ever flew 

commercially 

Their fears were well-founded. 

When it finally began to fly 

commercially on 21 January 

1976, economically, it wasn’t 

a success. The 70s saw two 

fuel crises, sending oil prices 

soaring, and Concorde’s 

small fuel tanks and heavy 

consumption increased costs 

and limited the length of its 

journeys. The sonic boom it 

produced restricted its routes 

and forced it to fly at subsonic 

levels in some places – yet 

supersonic speed was its 

primary selling point. 

In the decades that followed, 

Concorde’s fortunes were 

mixed. Companies cancelled 

their orders, production 

stopped in 1979, and only 

fourteen Concordes ever 

flew commercially: seven 

for Air France and seven for 

British Airways. However, one 

event that garnered positive 

publicity for the plane was 

Live Aid. During Bob Geldof’s 

huge charity concert event 

on 13th July 1985, Concorde 

was the celebrated means by 

which Phil Collins managed 

to play venues on both sides 

of the Atlantic. At Wembley 

Stadium, he performed with 

Sting and The Police before 

boarding Concorde, bound 

for New York. Once there, 

a helicopter flew him to 

Philadelphia to perform at the 

JFK Stadium, where he sang 

solo hits and played drums for 

Eric Clapton’s set. 

But 15 years later, the press 

story was very different. On 

25th July 2000, a Concorde 

aircraft went down at 

Gonesse near Paris, ploughing 

through a small hotel and 

killing all 109 people on board 

and four on the ground. The 

accident took the planes out 

of the air for over a year while 

£17m was spent on safety 

improvements. The plane 

didn’t return to service until 

November 2001, just weeks 

after the terrorist attacks of 

9/11 had caused a drop in air 

travel. 

The service never recovered. 

Just 18 months later, it was 

announced the plane would 

be retired due to falling 

passenger numbers and 

rising maintenance costs. 

Concorde’s final commercial 

flight was on 23 October 2003. 

By Alison Runham 

www.alison.runham.co.uk 


DISCOVER 

YOUR PATHWAY 

YEAR 11 STUDENTS AND THEIR PARENTS 

ARE INVITED TO OUR PATHWAY EVENTS 

TUESDAY 26TH FEBRUARY, 5.30PM – 7.30PM: 

SCIENCE & MATHS 

ENGINEERING 

HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE 

HUMANITIES & LAW 

WEDNESDAY 13TH MARCH, 5.30PM – 7.30PM: 

BUSINESS 

TRAVEL & HOSPITALITY 

SPORT & PUBLIC SERVICES 

IT & COMPUTING 

WEDNESDAY 27TH MARCH, 5.30PM – 7.30PM: 

VISUAL ARTS 

PERFORMING ARTS & MUSIC 

MEDIA & ENGLISH 

This is a ticketed event with a prompt 5.30 pm start. Students must 

be accompanied by a parent/guardian. To reserve your tickets, 

please visit: www.coulsdon.ac.uk/event-tickets 

Placehouse Lane, Old Coulsdon, 

Surrey, CR5 1YA 

Tel 01737 551176 

Fax 01737 551282 

marketing@coulsdon.ac.uk 

@Coulsdonsixthformcollege 

@CoulsdonCollege 


9

THE GREATEST DETECTIVE 

HIS DARKEST MYSTERY 

HIS DEADLIEST ENEMY 

SHERLOCK 

HOLMES 

AND THE 

VAMPYRES 

OF LONDON 

APRIL 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13 at 8pm 

APRIL 13, 14 at 3pm

The mortal remains of a young 

aristocrat vanish without explanation in 

the dead of night from Brompton Necropolis. 

But no sooner is consulting detective 

Sherlock Holmes asked to investigate, than a 

second mystery presents itself - a beautiful heiress 

afflicted with unaccountable night terrors that are 

slowly raining her life away. 

As these two strange cases resolve themselves into 

one, Holmes and his steadfast companion 

Dr John Watson find themselves plunged into a 

shadowy, hidden London of grave-robbing 

grotesques, murderous Szgany gypsies and 

demonic possession that conceals a diabolical plot to 

overthrow the very Crown itself…. 

SHERLOCK 

HOLMES 

AND THE 

VAMPYRES 

OF LONDON 

TICKETS £10 

CONCESSIONS £7 

BOX OFFICE 

07709 266 728 

boxoffice@twcoulsdon.org.uk 

www.twcoulsdon.org.uk 

The play takes place at the 

Coulsdon Community Centre, 

Barrie Close, Chipstead Valley Road, Coulsdon CR5 3BE 

Hot, cold and alcoholic drinks, plus a range of sweets and snacks, 

will be available from the kitchen from about an hour before 

curtain up at each performance. 

Audience seating is on a first come first served basis, 

so come early to ensure a good seat. 

For those driving, there is a large free car park at the Centre. 

For those using public transport, the 166 bus stops close by and 

Woodmansterne railway station is only a short walk away. 

We look forward to seeing you. 

Please Note 

One of our characters is an earthy East-End lass, with the occasional 

vulgar turn of phrase. If you are of a delicate disposition you would be 

best advised to cover your ears when she’s on the stage. 

T H E A T R E W O R K S H O P C O U L S D O N - I N V E N T E D 1 9 7 0. 

R E - I N V E N T E D W I T H E V E R Y S H O W


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15

Building more homes on 

brownfield sites 

By Chris Philp 

Member of Parliament for Croydon South 

The Council’s planning committee is 

currently granting 95% of applications that are 

put before it. As a result, applications that are 

unpopular with residents, or are not in 

keeping with the area are waved through. 

The Council plans to build 10,000 

more homes in suburban areas by 2036. 

To achieve this, the council intends to build 

blocks of flats in traditionally quiet areas. 

It will require knocking down existing houses 

and building on green land. I strongly oppose 

this. On 11th February I spoke at City Hall to 

make my opposition to the Council’s plans 

clear. It is not that I oppose building new 

homes. London needs new homes. Building 

more homes will help young people into 

homeownership. It will prevent first time 

buyers from being priced out of the market 

and is vital to solving London’s housing crisis. 

However, building blocks of flats by 

destroying family homes in areas that have 

always had a quiet or suburban character 

is not the answer. Across the south of the 

borough, the council is granting permissions 

to knock down 4-5 bedroom houses, to build 

blocks of around 9 flats. This creates buildings 

that are out of character with the area around 

them, as well as a sudden spike in population. 

A sudden increase in the number of people 

living in an area creates a strain on local 

infrastructure; including roads, schools and 

GP surgeries. 

The necessary infrastructure improvements 

are not being made. For example, the 

proposed 17 storey skyscraper in Purley 

would provide just 20 new parking spaces for 

220 new flats. There is already a shortage of 

parking in the south of the borough. Building 

blocks of flats with inadequate parking spaces 

will only exacerbate the problem. 

New buildings should be appropriate to the 

area and only built on suitable sites. 

The Council’s own Local Plan states that 

planning permission should only be granted 

for buildings that fit the character of the area. 

In the south of the borough most homes are 

4-5 bedroom family homes. Homes like these 

are important for young families and should 

not be destroyed. 

The Council is only focusing on 

hitting its target through blocks of flats. As a 

result, the Council is failing to meet its target 

of 30% family homes (ie homes with two 

bedrooms or more), as only 19% of new homes 

have more than two bedrooms. 

The Council should be prioritising building 

flats on brownfield sites, near existing tall 

buildings. Tall buildings and tower blocks 

already exist in Croydon town centre, and I 

support building them there – not on field or 

in the suburbs. 

I will be launching a Brownfield First 

campaign on this issue in the near future. 

There are many buildings that are unused 

in Croydon town centre. These should be a 

priority – either repurposed or rebuilt as flats. 

More widely, Sadiq Khan as Mayor of London 

should bring forward large scale schemes on 

brownfield sites. Previous mishaps during his 

time as Mayor have caused schemes at Old 

Oak Common and the Meridian site in Enfield 

to fail – which could have provided around 

16,000 homes. 

The town centre already has the 

necessary infrastructure and amenities for 

new residents. Its excellent transport links 

makes it perfect for young professions just 

starting on the property ladder. Building more 

large blocks of flats in Croydon town centre 

is therefore appropriate, and will protect our 

green spaces. 

A focus on Brownfield First will allow the 

borough to meet its housing demand and 

preserve the historic character of our 

neighbourhoods. 

The views and opinions, expressed by the author are 

theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views 

or opinions of CR5 Magazine. 

CR5 Magazine makes no representations as to 

accuracy, completeness, correctness, suitability, or 

validity of any information in this editorial. 


THE QUALITY OF THE PUPILS’ ACADEMIC AND OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS IS EXCELLENT 

ISI Educatioal Quality Iospectio Repirt, Nivember 2018 

St David's is a happy school where the 

children thrive, educatonally and socially, 

and are encouraged to reach their full 

potental through the teaching of a talented 

and caring staf. 

We are extremely proud of our consistently 

outstanding exam results. Last year our 18 

Year 6 pupils achieved a total of 7 grammar 

school ofers and 22 independent school 

ofers, of which 6 were academic or subject 

scholarships. 

In our recent ISI inspecton report, it was 

found that: “pupils have excellent attudes 

towards learning, showing high levels of 

concentraton and willingness to work 

collaboratvely” and that “the pupils’ 

behaviour is exceptonal”. 

Please do come and visit us to experience 

the warm, inspiring environment that is the 

“St David’s family” and see what we can 

ofer your child. To arrange a personal tour, 

please call 020 8660 0723. 

PLEASE CALL 020 8660 0723 TO ARRANGE A PERSONAL TOUR 

Woodcote Valley Road, Purley, CR8 3AL 

Tel: 020 8660 0723 Email: ofce@stdavidsschool.co.uk 

www.stdavidsschool.co.uk 


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21


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Earth Bonding & certificate 

Multi Room Audio/Music Systems 

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Home Automation & Energy Saving Systems 

Central Heating & Wiring of Central Heating Systems 

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Cooker Circuits/Kitchen Circuits/ Bathroom Circuits 

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23

Spring has finally arrived 

– but so have some 

unwanted guests 

Although we welcome the warmer weather with 

open arms, spring also means the re-emergence of 

parasites that can cause severe discomfort for your 

dog, and are potentially a serious health risk. 

The danger of ticks 

Ticks are small oval-shaped parasites often found 

in countryside areas. They attach themselves to 

a ‘host’ to suck their blood, and if not removed 

quickly can cause health issues ranging from serious 

irritation to your dog’s skin to potentially lifechanging 

Lyme disease. 

Safely removing a tick 

The best way to remove a tick is to use a special 

tick-remover shaped for the purpose, which your vet 

should be able to provide. It’s important to twist the 

body before pulling it out, and to ensure the whole 

of the tick is removed. Leaving behind the head can 

cause serious infection in your dog, so if you’re not 

sure how to do it, take them to your vet. 

Fleas 

Fleas are smaller than ticks and can be very difficult 

to spot if your dog has dark fur. They can quickly 

multiply to the point where your pet is constantly 

scratching, which can cause serious irritation to their 

skin. 

Your vet should be able to recommend an 

appropriate flea and tick treatment based on their 

weight, which reduces the chances of infestation and 

illness. Being vigilant and aware of the dangers these 

unwanted visitors pose, however, is also a good first 

line of defence that will keep your dog happy and 

healthy. 

www.petfleas.co.uk/blog/springtime-safety-for-your-dogs 

www.telegraph.co.uk/pets/keep-animals-healthy-in-spring 

www.thekennelclub.org.uk/health/for-owners/ticks. 

By Ann Haldon 


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25


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27



29


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31

Potato and Broccoli Gratin 

This hearty vegetable gratin makes a great side dish for a Sunday roast, or a very 

satisfying vegetarian supper served with crusty bread and a mixed green salad. 

Ready in: 1 hour | Serves 4 - 6 

Ingredients 

750g potatoes, peeled and 

cut into chunks 

Salt and freshly ground 

black pepper 

225g broccoli florets 

1 tbsp olive oil 

1 red onion, peeled and 

cut into thin wedges 

25g butter 

25g plain flour 

300ml milk 

150g mature Cheddar, 

grated 

2 tsp Dijon mustard 

Fresh basil leaves, to 

garnish 

Preheat the oven to 200C, fan 180F, gas mark 6. Boil the potatoes in a 

large pan of lightly salted water for 8-10 minutes until almost tender, 

adding the broccoli to the pan for the last 2-3 minutes of cooking time. 

Drain well and place in a large shallow ovenproof dish. 

Heat the oil in a large pan over a high heat and fry the onion for 3-4 

minutes until just softened. Scatter the onion over the potatoes and 

broccoli. 

Melt the butter in the pan, then stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute 

until foaming. Remove the pan from the heat and gradually stir in 

the milk. Return to the heat and bring to the boil, stirring all the time. 

Reduce the heat and simmer for 1-2 minutes, still stirring, until the 

sauce is smooth and thickened. 

Stir in the half the cheese and the mustard and simmer for a further 

minute. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. 

Pour the sauce over the vegetables in the dish and scatter over the 

rest of the cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes until 

golden and bubbling. Serve garnished with the basil leaves. 

TIP 

Choose a firm, waxy-fleshed potato such as Charlotte or Desiree for this dish, or try 

sweet potatoes instead. 



33

Oasis Academy 

Coulsdon: 

excellence through rigour, 

resilience 

& passion 

Work with us... 

Teaching and Support Staff Vacancies 

An exciting opportunity has arisen within our flourishing 

Academy. We are recruiting a full time Female PE Teacher, 

MFL Teacher and Receptionist not only is this a chance to 

join an enthusiastic team of staff but also the potential to 

further your career and join us on our journey to become an 

outstanding Academy. 

For further 

info or opportunities 

please contact Hannah Suleyman 

Hannah.Suleyman@oasiscoulsdon.org 

01737 551161 www.oasisacademycoulsdon.org 


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35

The History of Plastic 

It has been around for a 

relatively short space of time 

but in less than 200 years it 

has become our indispensable 

disposable. Now, with the 

realisation that it is having a 

hugely detrimental impact on 

our environment, are its days 

numbered? This month we look 

at the history of plastic. 

Put simply, plastics are polymer 

chains which can be carbon or 

silicon-based and moulded into 

any shape. 

Bakelite is usually thought of as 

our first ever commercial plastic. 

However, before Bakelite, there 

were other types of plastic 

derived from natural and organic 

sources. 

BAKELITE - The First 

synthetic plastic 

Rubber, a plant-based material, 

was being used as early as the 

1820s. Commonly used for 

rubber bands, shoe soles and 

tyres, rubber was manufactured 

from a substance called latex, 

which is the thick milky sap that 

is produced by many plants but 

primarily the rubber tree. 

Elastic, invented in 1820 by 

Thomas Hancock who founded 

the British rubber industry, is 

also produced from latex. Today, 

rubber is mainly made artificially. 

The material of a 

thousand uses 

Similarly, in 1839, a German 

chemist, Eduard Simon, 

accidentally came across what 

he called Styrol (now known as 

styrene) while experimenting 

with the distillation of a natural 

resin of the Turkish sweetgum 

tree. However, he did not realise 

the potential of what he had 

discovered until his work was 

resurrected in the early 1900s by 

Hermann Staudinger to become 

the basis of polystyrene. 

Another plant-derived substance, 

and the first stable man-made 

material to be considered as the 

forerunner of the plastics family, 

was called Parkesine. It was 

unveiled by Alexander Parkes at 

London’s Great International 

Exhibition in 1862 and used to 

make objects like buttons and 

cutlery handles. 

Derived from cellulose, it 

could be heated, moulded into 

whatever shape was needed 

and then cooled to retain this 

shape – much like every other 

plastic. Cellulose also gave rise 

to celluloid, most famous for its 

revolutionary use in photographic 

film, and the thin sheet plastic, 

cellophane. 

Bakelite was invented in 1907. It 

was different as it was the first 

plastic to be made from a nonplant 

source. 

A hard resin formed from 

formaldehyde and phenol (a 

chemical that comes from 

coal tar), its manufacture was 

perfected by a Belgian inventor 

Leo Baekeland (although earlier 

formaldehyde combination 

plastics had been invented just 

before 1900). 

Non-conductive, like plastics in 

general, Bakelite was initially 

used as an insulator for electrical 

wires (hence its use in old plugs 

and light switches) but went 

on to be made into all kinds of 

everyday objects from decorative 

bowls and cigarette holders to 

telephones and jewellery. The 

Bakelite Corporation’s tagline 

was ‘the material of a thousand 

uses’, which could equally be 

applied to all plastic today. 

Bakelite had its problems, 

however. It was brittle and 

colouring it proved difficult (most 

Bakelite objects are either black 

or various shades of brown). Its 

use died out and it was gradually 

replaced by next-generation 

plastics which included vinyl 

and the clear plastics acrylic and 

Plexiglass. 

In 1930, Badische Anilin & Soda- 

Fabrik, better known as recording 

tape manufacturer BASF, 

used the work of Simon and 

Staudinger to start commercially 


manufacturing polystyrene, 

which could be injected, 

extruded or moulded. 

Later, the Dow Chemical 

Company produced the first 

foamed polystyrene (made 

from beads) which they dubbed 

Styrofoam – a light, air-filled 

yet strong insulating plastic 

that went on to be used in 

disposable cups, packaging and 

the building industry. 

By the 1930s, a range of 

synthetic plastics was being 

produced in a variety of colours: 

polyester, polyvinylchloride 

(PVC), polythene, polyurethanes 

and nylon. This is now seen as 

the most significant era in the 

history of plastics. 

Manufacture was taken over 

by petrochemical companies 

who turned crude oil into massproduced 

plastics for every 

conceivable commercial and 

domestic requirement. It was 

endlessly versatile, very difficult 

to break and easy to clean – a 

miracle material. 

The ubiquitous and now 

controversial plastic drinks 

bottle was born after the 

development of polyethylene in 

1941, as it was discovered that 

this type of plastic can withstand 

up to two atmospheres of 

pressure. In 1948, Tupperware 

was invented. 

Inexpensive to mass-produce, 

plastics quickly became an 

integral part of our disposable 

society – the basis of toys, 

clothes, computers, televisions, 

furniture, cutlery and the bags 

and packaging surrounding 

them. By simply tweaking the 

polymer chains, a plastic suitable 

for any form or function could 

be made. 

Today, the robustness of 

plastic has also proved to be its 

downfall. 

Plastic can be divided into 

two types: thermoplastic and 

thermoset. Thermoplastic can 

be reheated and reshaped but 

thermoset plastic cannot. It is 

therefore the most polluting of 

plastics, as it cannot be recycled 

and takes thousands of years to 

degrade. 

But any plastics that find their 

way into the sea are also broken 

down by the environment into 

microplastics that can invade 

living organisms, including, 

ultimately, ourselves. 

So, as we ingest increasingly 

more of our miracle invention, is 

our DNA chain slowly becoming 

a polymer one? 

By Catherine Rose 


37

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39

Books to share 

Becoming – Michelle Obama 

Michelle Obama’s 

autobiography became 

an instant hit when it was 

published late last year, and 

it’s easy to see why. Her 

trademark warmth, humility 

and intelligence shine from 

every page. 

The memoir takes us from 

Michelle’s early childhood to 

her time as First Lady, and 

beyond. Entertaining, thoughtprovoking 

and inspiring to 

boot. 

When All is Said – Anne Griffin 

Widower Maurice sits at a bar 

in Ireland, raising toasts to the 

most important people in his 

life, from the brother who died 

so many years ago to his late 

wife. His joys, tragedies and 

regrets are laid bare. A warm, 

powerful tale that’s hugely 

enjoyable to read. You’ll miss 

Maurice’s humour, straighttalking 

and honesty when you 

reach the end. 

Hold – Michael Donkor 

17-year-old Belinda is a 

Ghanaian housemaid, who is 

sent to London by her mistress 

as a companion for another 

teenage girl, Amma. Belinda 

leaves behind fellow maid, 

11-year-old Mary. Belinda and 

Amma grow close until a 

revelation causes Belinda to 

question everything she’s been 

taught. The three girls struggle 

with their identities and the 

expectations placed on them, 

whether by parents, employers 

or society as a whole. An 

intriguing coming of age novel 

with plenty of unexpected 

twists. 

Whether you give them as a 

gift or only pass them on once 

you’ve turned the last page, 

these books were made for 

sharing with friends 

and family. 

A Poem for Every Day of the 

Year – Allie Esiri 

Whether you fancy a funny 

poem for April Fool’s Day, a 

festive one for Christmas or an 

autumnal treat for October, 

you’ll find them all and more in 

this collection. While the book 

is aimed at children, these are 

poems that people of any age 

can enjoy. Poets range from 

old favourites such as Charlotte 

Brontë, Emily Dickinson and 

Phillip Larkin to contemporary 

wordsmiths such as Kate 

Tempest. Each poem has a 

short introduction by Allie Esiri. 

Humans of London – Cathy 

Teesdale 

Cathy Teesdale has taken 

thousands of photographs 

across Greater London over 

the years. This book features 

more than 250 of her best 

shots with short quotes 

from the subjects. Beautiful 

pictures, interesting stories, 

a glimpse into other people’s 

lives – what more could you 

ask for from a coffee table 

book? 

Sherlock Holmes Case Book: 

Solve-it-Yourself Mysteries – 

Tim Dedopulos 

If you love a good 

‘whodunnit’ and enjoy sifting 

through the clues to identify 

the culprit for yourself, 

you’re going to love this 

book. There are 10 cases to 

solve, from ‘The Birchfield 

Mystery’ to ‘Murder at the 

Carnaby Rooms’. Each one is 

beautifully illustrated. Twists, 

turns and plenty of red 

herrings mean you’ll need all 

your powers of deduction to 

solve the crimes. Great fun. 



41


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47

If you have ever been put off the 

idea of growing your own tree 

fruit, such as apples, pears, plums 

or cherries, simply because your 

garden is on the small size, think 

again; it is not difficult to grow a 

fair quantity of fruit in even a tiny 

garden. There is no need for an 

orchard, acres of land or even a 

large garden, so just how do you 

manage it? 

Start by checking out the plant’s 

‘rootstock’, which is the type of 

tree root that the variety you 

want has been grafted on to. The 

rootstock determines how big a 

tree will grow, and if you get one 

that has a dwarfing effect your 

tree will be much less inclined 

to become huge. Rootstocks 

‘Pixey’ on plums, ‘M9’ on apples 

or ‘Quince A’ on pears should help 

to reduce the risk of a large tree 

developing. 

You could also use an apple or 

pear as a border edging. Each 

tree will spread to 150cm (5ft) or 

more and can be trained to form 

a horizontal barrier at about 45cm 

(18in) above the ground – they 

look fantastic when in flower, 

and then bear fruit along the 

horizontal ‘arms’. A pollinator tree 

nearby is needed to ensure good 

fruit set or choose the self-fertile 

‘Concorde’ pear and you’ll still get 

a reasonable crop with just 

one tree. You can buy readytrained 

step-overs from some 

Fabulous Fruit Trees 

garden centres and specialist fruit 

nurseries. 

Consider growing fruit trees 

in pots. There is no doubt that 

growing pretty well anything in a 

pot takes more effort from you, 

as the plant will be reliant on you 

for food and more moisture, but 

provided you use a good-sized 

pot – perhaps even a half-barrel – 

it can work well. It is best to use 

a loam-based John Innes No. 3 

compost, but make sure there is 

plenty of drainage material at the 

base of the container – broken 

flower pots work well! Provided 

you make sure that no one variety 

gets out of hand and grows too 

vigorously, it is a useful idea in a 

smaller garden. 

‘Family Trees’ are basically trees 

on to which two additional 

varieties of the same fruit have 

been grafted, meaning you can 

grow three varieties of apple 

or pear on just one tree. The 

varieties are selected by the 

nursery so that they all pollinate 

each other and so you should get 

a fair crop from an established 

tree. 

When space is limited, you can 

grow ‘Ballerina’ or ‘Minarettes’ 

trees. These are what I call 

‘skyward’ apples, because they 

produce their fruits on short spurs 

which grow out of the vertical 

main stem, with the result that 

you end up with a tree measuring 

up to 2.4m (8ft) tall, but which is 

so columnar that you can plant 

them just 60-90cm (2-3ft) apart 

if you want more than one tree. 

This form of tree is available 

as many different varieties, 

including dessert apples, 

cooking apples, pears, plums, 

gages and damsons. They can 

be grown in patio pots or in 

open ground. 

Most fruit trees need a 

pollinator, or sometimes two, 

to ensure that the flowers on 

each variety are pollinated so 

that the fruit can form. If space 

is very limited and you can 

definitely only afford the space 

for one solitary tree, then you 

can still grow fruit: choose a 

variety that is described as ‘selffertile’, 

meaning that the tree 

does not need a companion and 

can fertilise its own flowers. If 

you love apples, this might be 

a ‘Queen Cox’, ‘Greensleeves’ 

or ‘Red Devil’, or if pears are 

your passion, try the variety 

‘Concorde’ or ‘Invincible’, for 

cherries try ‘Stella’ and for 

plums choose variety ‘Victoria’. 

If you do provide a pollinator 

you’re likely to get a heavier 

crop, but without you’ll still get 

a fair quantity of fruit. 

If you have a fence or 

framework with a bit of planting 

space next to it, then you 

could also grow your fruit as an 

‘espalier’, which means trained 

and pruned so that the tree lies 

pretty well flat against the fence 

with several parallel ‘arms’ that 

bear the fruit, or perhaps as a 

‘fan’ where the branches are 

trained and pruned to produce 

a near flat fan shape against the 

surface – this works especially 

well for cherries, plums, 

damsons and even apricots. 

Why not grow a cordon or 

single-stemmed apple or pear 

over a simple arch? Better 

still, grow one variety up one 

side and another (a suitable 

pollinator) up the other – it’ll 

look stunning in the spring when 

in flower, and then again when 

it bears its tasty crop! 

By Pippa Greenwood 


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Growing Green Fingers 

Helping your child to discover 

a love of gardening. 

Their own little corner 

Your child may not have 

the same taste in plants as 

you do. So, if you can, give 

them their own mini-plot to 

experiment with. Let them 

choose the plants they want 

(after discussing soil conditions, 

shade etc.) and give them the 

responsibility of watering and 

weeding. Children aren’t known 

for their patience so try to 

incorporate some plants that 

will give instant enjoyment and 

have a strong fragrance, such as 

lavenders and geraniums, along 

with others that are easy to 

grow and worth the wait, such 

as sunflowers, sweet peas and 

marigolds. 

Grow your own 

Fussy eaters can often be 

persuaded to try new things if 

they’ve had a hand in growing 

them. If you have the space 

for a raised bed, you could try 

courgettes, lettuces, or dwarf 

runner beans. Limited space? 

Potatoes, carrots and peas can 

be grown in pots. Tomatoes 

thrive against a sunny wall, 

while pepper plants and herbs 

will be fine on a 

windowsill. 

Wildlife 

Encourage your child 

to hang bird feeders 

in the garden and fill 

a shallow bowl for 

a bird bath. You 

could also help 

them to make a 

bee hotel by tying 

sections of bamboo 

canes together, or 

fixing the canes 

into a terracotta 

pot with some modelling 

clay. Older children 

might enjoy 

identifying different 

birds, bees and insects using a 

book or app. 

Somewhere to play 

You may not have room for a 

football pitch or trampoline, 

but even small gardens can 

usually offer some space for 

play. A few fixed logs can make 

a fun mini-obstacle course 

for example, and a swing can 

provide hours of enjoyment. 

Why not build a temporary den 

over a low hanging branch with 

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some old sheets, clothes pegs 

and cushions? You could also 

make a mini-sandpit with a 

trough, large plant pot or small 

paddling pool. 

A fairy garden 

Create a fairy garden together 

by filling a shallow container 

with soil and adding a few 

small plants. You could use a 

small plant pot for a house, 

create a miniature lake with 

a ramekin and make a swing 

with sticks and string. Add 

some solar-powered twinkly 

lights and a couple of small 

wooden or plastic elves and 

fairies. 

Safety first 

Teach children never to eat 

anything from the garden 

without checking with you 

first. Do head to the RHS 

website (www.rhs.org. 

uk) to find out what plants 

to avoid growing though; 

some are very poisonous 

and others can irritate 

skin and eyes. Keep 

sharp tools, plant 

food and weed 

killer safely out 

of reach at all 

times. If you 

have a pond, 

cover it with a 

rigid metal grille. 

More inspiration 

The BBC has lots of ideas for 

encouraging children into 

gardening, from growing 

patterns on the lawn to 

building a wormery. See 

www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/ 

gardening_with_children. 

By Kate Duggan 



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59

A social event that’s 

murder to attend 

We all love an excuse to get 

together with like-minded 

people, have a chat, a nice 

meal and maybe a few drinks. 

Sounds like fun, doesn’t it? 

So what if we added another 

element to this cosy, social 

gathering? Let’s say, a bloody 

murder? How about dividing 

the partygoers up into victims, 

suspects and detectives and 

spending the rest of the 

evening trying to fathom out 

the motives and methods that 

led to the terrible crimes the 

guests have witnessed? 

Welcome to the world of 

Murder Mystery events, 

where, over the course of 

an evening, every budding 

Sherlock Holmes or Jane 

Marple has the opportunity 

to solve a grisly murder or 

two, following a trail of clues 

carefully laid down by the 

organisers. 

‘After Dark’ is the only murder 

mystery company in the world 

officially licensed by Agatha 

Christie Limited (who manage 

the literary and media rights 

for Agatha Christie’s works). 

Company Manager Tom Fisher 

says: “We perform around 

150 murder mysteries a year, 

travelling up and down the 

country.” The company’s most 

popular format is the ‘criminal 

cabaret’, a dinner floorshow 

usually accompanied by 

a three-course meal. Tom 

explains: “Guests are invited 

to watch scenes of evidence 

in between courses and then, 

as dinner is served, they can 

question and interrogate the 

suspects to discover who 

committed the deed!” 

Now everyone could play 

detective in the comfort 

of their own homes. 

From Carry On film themed 

scenarios to murder on board 

the Titanic, ‘After Dark’s’ 

varied programme caters 

for public events and private 

functions, including birthdays, 

hen nights and corporate 

functions, and their work is 

typical of the many murder 

mystery companies – both 

large and small – that operate 

across the UK. But what is it 

about these events that have 

made them so enduringly 

popular? 

A very British pastime 

According to TV historian Lucy 

Worsley, author of ‘A Very 

British Murder’ we developed 

our interest in murder stories 

during the early 19th century, 

when rural workers left towns 

and villages in order to take 

up work in the cities. Used to 

living in small communities 

where everyone knew 

everyone else, these migrant 

workers found themselves 

surrounded by strangers, living 

closely packed together in city 

environments where crimes 

were committed on a daily 

basis. 

Workers’ anxieties were 

further fuelled when a series 

of famous killings spread 

like wildfire throughout 

the country, thanks to the 

fast-growing distribution of 

‘broadsides’ (the historical 

equivalent of the tabloid 

newspaper). The newly literate 

working classes greeted these 

lurid stories with a mixture of 

fear and fascination. 

Fears began to lessen over the 

next hundred years or so, as 

organised police forces began 

to patrol the streets, but the 

public also became more 

cynical about the effectiveness 

of the police. The idea that 

clever members of the public 

could outsmart professional 

detectives had been around 

since 1887, when Conan Doyle 

published his first Sherlock 

Holmes novel, and forty years 

later Agatha Christie made her 

own contribution to the ranks 

of fictional amateur sleuths 

with Miss Marple, a sharpeyed 

spinster from a rural 

village who used her sharp 

wits and knowledge of human 

nature to solve crimes. Fast 

forward another seventeen 

years and the invention of 

the game ‘Cluedo’ made 

criminal detection even more 

accessible. Now everyone 

could play detective in the 

comfort of their own homes. 


No job is too 

big or too 

Perhaps it’s also no 

coincidence that the 1920s 

and 1930s – a period generally 

acknowledged as the ‘Golden 

Age’ for detective fiction – 

was also a time when chess 

and crosswords were all the 

rage. As a result, according to 

Dr Worsley, murders became 

“sanitised and trivialised” and 

the solving of crimes came to 

be regarded as “an elegant 

kind of crossword puzzle”. 

Whodunnit? The inventor of 

the Murder Mystery 

In 1981 – almost one hundred 

years after Sherlock Holmes 

first appeared in print – 

Liverpool businesswoman Joy 

Swift had a brainwave. 

Joy owned a small chain of 

hotels and was looking for an 

idea to entertain her guests 

in the evenings. The rest, as 

they say, is history. Hiring 

local actors to play the main 

characters, Joy came up with 

an interactive entertainment 

that would allow her guests 

to act as sleuths in a murder 

mystery scenario. 

Her plan was so successful 

that three years later she 

found herself travelling across 

the Atlantic to stage her first 

murder mystery weekend 

in New York. She has since 

helped to develop the genre 

on TV and in different parts of 

the world. 

These days Murder Mystery 

events take place in many 

different locations and venues. 

Tom Fisher from ‘After Dark’ 

explains: “We’ve performed 

a pirates-themed murder 

mystery on an actual pirate 

ship in Liverpool; in 2017 we 

performed a Great Gatsbythemed 

murder mystery on 

a Windermere Lake Cruise; 

and, we regularly perform 

bespoke murder mysteries 

for Lancaster Castle.” 

It’s easy to see why a social 

gathering that involves 

dressing up, drama, 

teamwork and a bit of fine 

dining might be popular. 

But back in 1981, when Joy 

Swift had her revolutionary 

idea to entertain bored 

hotel guests, she couldn’t 

possibly have imagined that 

her simple Murder Mystery 

game would go on to achieve 

such long lasting national and 

international success. 

By Kate McClelland 

Maiden Maintenance 

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63

The Valiant 

(and why no man is an island) 

At present I am sitting in my friend’s holiday 

home overlooking a picturesque bay on the 

island of Alderney in the Channel Islands. It’s 

a charming place unaffected by the frantic 

pace of modern life back home. Most shops 

open for a few hours each day and at the 

cinema we were offered a chance to choose 

who we sat next to - the Cox’s were an 

unknown quantity to the cashier though they 

turned out to be fine (GDPR having bypassed 

the island). 

It is isolated yet familiar. Products (much of 

which are to my delight, stocked by Waitrose) 

come in weekly by ship: The ‘Valiant’ makes 

its round trip from Portsmouth to Alderney, 

Guernsey, Jersey and then back the way it 

came; bringing fresh supplies and also transporting 

produce to the UK. It is the lifeline 

of the island and whilst some products are 

locally sourced (dairy and meat for example) 

most needs to be imported. 

On a personal level it is tempting to imagine 

we can survive alone. An island as it were. 

Content with our own resources and without 

the need of others. Receiving little but also 

giving little. 

However to thrive we need others, we need 

community and also community needs us. 

As a Christian, church provides an important 

community just like this. Sure, it’s not perfect, 

but like the ‘Valiant’ it is a regular spiritual 

lifeline. 

Perhaps you have faith but have been going 

it alone, or are looking for a community or 

lifeline. In the Bible we are encouraged to 

‘not [give] up meeting together, as some 

are in the habit of doing’ (Hebrews 10). Can 

I encourage you to find your Valiant: somewhere 

you can be resourced and enriched 

and somewhere you can make a difference. I 

know our local churches would be delighted 

to welcome you. 

Have a great month. 

Peter Russell 

Prayer for Coulsdon & Old Coulsdon 

Prayer for Coulsdon & Old Coulsdon exists 

to encourage Christians to pray for the town 

and its residents. If you are interested in 

praying with us you are warmly invited to join 

us for one of our prayer gatherings (which 

last an hour) on: 

Monday 4 March 9am 

-at 56 Bradmore Way 

Tuesday 19 March 8pm 

at 65 Edward Road 


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71

Michael Swadling proposed the Society’s first 2019 

debate ‘Today’s media are destroying 

democracy’. He opened by defining ‘democracy’ 

– a liberal system where the rights of people are 

enshrined in law, and where election results have 

to be respected. The Media, said Michael, are the 

main means of communication – TV, radio, Press 

and others – that are dedicated to impartiality and 

can separate comment from news. But we can 

no longer trust that all views get a fair hearing, 

because a growing number of media sources are 

aimed at sub-groups. 

This challenges our belief in the validity of voting 

results and in established democratic institutions, 

through constant media questioning of why 

people’s votes differed from the predicted or 

desired result. Today’s media have seriously 

misjudged political outcomes – so that Scottish 

Independence, Trump’s election, the rise of the 

populist vote in Europe, all occur as ‘shock’ results, 

failing to reflect actuality. The Media are also imposing 

an ‘Overton” window, discussing only those 

ideas deemed publically respectable and 

cold-shouldering major fringe movements. This 

is in contrast to the turbulent 1980s, when media 

reported conflicting views – Tebbit and Benn, TUC 

and CBI, Scargill and Thatcher. Media may also 

undermine radical views. In a NEWS at 6 report 

in 2015, Jeremy Corbyn’s response to a question 

from Laura Kuenssberg was adversely manipulated 

by radically editing Kuenssberg’s question. Surely 

programmes such as Question Time give a balanced 

representation of people’s views? From September 

2017, the 42 shows since the EU referendum 

presented 137 Remain panellists to 72 Leavers. 

Of the 195 guest appearances in 2014-15, the SNP 

were on the panel 6 times, the Lib-Dems 22 times 

and UKIP in just 1 in 4 programmes – even though 

they were getting 10 – 20% in the polls, hardly 

representative of contemporary political opinion. 

Non-political guests included 38 journalists, 

10 celebrities, 3 entrepreneurs, 1 Trade Unionist, 3 

academics, and 2 religious people, again, 

said Michael, scarcely reflecting the 6.23 million 

trade union members, 6 million churchgoers, 

4.8 million self-employed and 25 million private 

sector employees. Our self-promoting media class 

often fails to undertake the proper function of accurate 

public communication. Rarely do they report 

the many large campaign marches in London, and 

seldom do local media report on Residents’ Association 

or local council meetings. Today’s media do 

not provide a fair representation of a wide range of 

views, leading many to polarise round social media 

sites, resulting in more conflict and destroying the 

democratic principle of presenting both sides and 

agreeing to differ. 

Opposer Richard Ackland reminded the Society of 

that famous media guru, Marshall McLuhan, who 

insisted that the medium was distinct from its 

message. To illustrate, he pointed out that the 

medium of this debate was speech. But it is the 

content of the speech, not the speech itself, 

that determines whether democracy is destroyed. 

The development of the printing press accelerated 

the promulgation of ideas throughout the 

world – but it is the content of the printed word, 

like the spoken, that was important, not the media 

of speech, print, radio, telephone and e-mail. 

Richard used the art of painting to illustrate the 

difference between medium and content. Painting 

was an important way to communicate stories and 

moral tales in an age of low literacy levels; when 

painting suddenly became ‘abstract’, people found 

it confusing because the message was unclear. 

Music, however, is accepted by all as an abstract 

medium. Transport has also been seen as a political 

threat – the 19th. century expansion of the railways 

distressed the Conservative Duke of Wellington, 

who argued that mass mobilisation of the working 

classes would better enable them to organise 

and challenge the status quo. He didn’t however, 

object to railway engines and equipment! On the 

other hand, someone who buys the travel medium 

of a new car is the subject of our interest because 

of what the medium says about him, not where it 

might take him. 

The debate tonight is about the ability of media to 

destroy democracy – but media are neutral, only 

their content and those who broadcast it can 

influence opinion. Richard then tackled the 

question of the media’s effect on democracy. In the 

past, the rich and powerful unscrupulously decided 

what was portrayed, read or heard. But the Internet 

has placed the power of content in public hands. It 

may result in some unsavoury or populist views, 

but it is arguably more democratic than opinions 

massaged by newspaper barons, religious and 

political dictators. So, the media seem to becoming 

more, not less democratic. 

The Internet also provides fast, immediate but 

transient messages – soon forgotten and rapidly 

replaced by the newer material – hardly likely, said 

Richard, to threaten democracy. 

The motion was lost by 5 votes to 7, with 0 

abstentions. The next meeting, the Society’s annual 

Visitors’ Debate, will take place between our MP for 

Croydon South, Chris Philp and Andrew Pelling, Labour 

Councillor for Waddon on April 4th.(Thursday). 

at 7.30 p.m. at the Old Coulsdon Centre. The topic is 

yet to be determined, but will be 

published in the April edition of CR5. 

Visitors are very welcome; for any 

further details, please contact 

Angela Applin, 020 8668 8558. 


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73

Turning houses into beautiful homes 

Neil Jackson has been offering a professional 

and caring service in Kenley and the 

surrounding area since 1997. 

In the last 21 years he has built an excellent 

reputation with a large and growing list of 

clients. In fact nearly all of his work is through 

word of mouth and recommendations. Neils 

testimonials and Google reviews are indeed 

testament to his dedication and reliability. 

What stands out more than anything 

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always polite, trustworthy, punctual and 

reliable - the key to his success. 

Neil cares about your home and garden, 

taking care to tidy up at the end of every day. 

A guarantee is provided with evrye piece of 

work, including a two year guarantee on all 

external work. 

Callum Jackson 

Callum Jackson joined Paintwise Decorators 

in 2014 under the tuition of Neil Jackson, 

and now has a full 5 years of experience in 

decorating. He brings the same considerate 

attitude for your home. Callum cares about 

his work, giving a quality finish to all projects 

he is involved in. Paintwise are proud to have 

him as a part of their team. 

The Paintwise Team believe that 

colour plays a very important part in peoples 

lives and strive to give you the very best 

advice for your home ideas. From cool to 

warm neutrals to harmonising shades. From 

a dash of interest to a vividly bold wall; a 

papered feature wall perhaps? Whatever your 

feelings evoke, we aim to create for you, both 

inside and out. 

Paintwise Decorators have a very close 

working relationship with local stockists; 

Brewers, Purley Way. They are always keen to 

help with wall papering expertise, selecting the 

right paint finish, supplying paint pot samples 

for our clients or just general good advice. 

Brewers not only stock top quality trade paints 

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Paintwise use 

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21 

DON’T FORGET 

To 

TO 

advertise 

MENTION 

call 

THE 

Lucy 

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on 01737 

PAGES 

557888 

WHEN 

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RESPONDING 

07703 209292 

TO ADVERTS 75

Cash ISAs – still worth it? 

As we come to the end of the 

financial year, you may be 

wondering if it’s still worthwhile 

opening a cash ISA, and whether 

this tax-free savings account 

offers the significant benefits it 

once did. 

Gone are the days when banks 

and building societies battled to 

offer the best deal for ISA savers. 

Given the low savings interest 

rates of recent years, the high 

rates offered on some current 

accounts, and the introduction 

of the Personal Savings 

Allowance, why would you want 

to open a cash ISA at all? 

There are a few reasons to 

consider giving cash ISAs 

another chance. 

First of all, however, let’s look 

briefly at the Personal Savings 

Allowance (PSA) to find out 

what it is and the impact it’s 

having on savers in the UK. 

What is the Personal Savings 

Allowance? 

The Personal Savings Allowance 

was introduced by the 

government in 2016 and allows 

you to earn £1,000 of savings 

interest tax-free. If you’re a 

higher-rate taxpayer the limit 

is £500, with additional rate 

taxpayers being ineligible for this 

tax-free allowance. 

You’d need a healthy savings 

Cash ISAs can 

offer a safe haven for 

your savings in the 

long-term 

pot to breach your PSA limit but 

of course that’s not impossible. 

Also, where previously an ISA 

was the only savings product 

offering tax-free interest, 

you can now use a number of 

different accounts, some of 

which offer much higher interest 

rates than an ISA. 

But the key here is that if you 

are likely to go over your PSA, 

cash ISA interest doesn’t count 

towards that limit, so you can 

earn it tax-free and still have 

your full £1,000 (or £500) PSA 

allowance. 

Potential for increased earnings 

and a change in tax bracket 

Whether you’re earning an 

average or relatively low wage at 

present, the potential exists for 

you to increase your earnings 

and change tax brackets in the 

future. The Personal Savings 

Allowance is halved to £500 for 

higher rate taxpayers, and you 

may find the threshold isn’t as 

‘out of reach’ in years to come 

as it currently seems. 

Add to this the likelihood of a 

rise in savings interest rates in 

the future and you’ll receive 

more interest on your savings, 

again effectively moving 

you closer to the limit of the 

Personal Savings Allowance. 

Saving flexibility 

Cash ISAs offer considerable 

flexibility, with some providers 

allowing you to withdraw 

money and pay it back during 

the same tax year without losing 

any of your ISA allowance. This 

allowance, currently £20,000 

(tax year 2019/20),¹ can also be 

spread across a cash ISA and 

a stocks and shares ISA in the 

same tax year. 

The value of compound interest 

is also an important issue when 

considering the benefits of 

opening an ISA. If you don’t 

need ready access to your 

savings, you could amalgamate 

the balances of the cash ISAs 

you hold into a single fixed 

interest rate ISA account 

offering higher rates. 

Compound interest can accrue 

to a considerable sum over 

time, but don’t forget to keep 

the balance of your account 

within the Financial Services 

Compensation Scheme (FSCS) 

limit in order to be safe – this is 

currently £85,000.² 

Potential to leave your ISA 

savings to your partner on 

death 

In April 2015, the government 

introduced new rules whereby 

the balance of an ISA on death 

can be inherited by a spouse or 


civil partner tax-free. In practice, 

they would able to use your ISA 

allowance (to the value of your 

ISA balance) as well as their 

own for the tax year in which 

you die. 

This ability to inherit ISA savings 

tax-free is a significant benefit 

not available with other savings 

accounts. Your Personal Savings 

Allowance cannot be inherited 

alongside this one-off ISA 

allowance, however. 

If you move abroad 

If you decide to move abroad, 

the rules state you cannot save 

into an ISA once the tax year 

in which you move has ended, 

unless you’re an employee of 

the Crown and you’ve moved 

for work purposes. 

This is because you’re no longer 

a UK resident for tax purposes, 

and you’re also prevented from 

transferring the account(s) to a 

new provider. There’s no need 

to close the account, however – 

you can use it again if you return 

to the UK. 

Consider a cash ISA as part of 

your savings mix 

Clearly, saving into an account 

other than a cash ISA offers 

benefits, but it’s not a good idea 

to totally discount them when 

interest rates are low. Cash ISAs 

can offer a safe haven for your 

savings in the long-term and can 

be passed down to your family 

tax-free. 

Rather than relying solely 

on your Personal Savings 

Allowance, which could always 

be altered if there’s a change 

in government, give some 

consideration to a cash ISA as a 

part of your savings plan. 

It may prove to be an important 

savings product for the future 

you, but don’t forget to shop 

around for the best rates. 

¹www.rsmuk.com/ideas-andinsights/tax-facts 

²www.fscs.org.uk/what-we-cover/ 

Thisismoney.co.uk: http://tiny.cc/ 

z72s1y 

www.telegraph.co.uk/investing/ 

isas/ask-expert-can-still-have-isamove-abroad/ 

www.gov.uk/individual-savingsaccounts 

By Ann Haldon 


77

The Weather 

CR5 Weather Quiz 

1. What type of weather condition is defined by the Met Office 

as "moderate or heavy falling snow with winds speeds of 30 

miles per hour or more and a reasonably extensive snow cover 

reducing visibility to 200 metres or less"? 

2. "Sunny day, sweeping the clouds away" is the opening line of the theme song 

to which TV show? 

3. What determines whether a particular type of weather phenomenon is called 

a hurricane, a cyclone and a typhoon?... a) its wind speed; b) its location; or 

c) the time of year it forms? 

4. In which 1993 film is the main character a weatherman called Phil Connors? 

5. Which two of Santa's reindeer have names that are derived from words 

meaning "thunder" and "lightning"? 

6. Derived from Greek terms meaning "the study of things high in the air", what 

word refers to the study of the weather? 

7. Which 1985 film's title is also the name of an electrical weather phenomenon 

named after the patron saint of sailors? 

8. According to the lyrics of the only hit single by The Weather Girls, it starts 

"raining men" at just about what time? 

9. Used in weather stations, what is an anemometer used to measure? 

10. In April 1986, what extreme weather condition led to the deaths of 92 people 

in Bangladesh? 

Answers on page 88 - no peeking! 

Let your business 

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79

Motoring 

Is A Diesel Car Right For Me? 

Despite recent bad publicity, 

diesels still fit the bill for 

some drivers – and we 

explain why. 

In September 2015, the 

world of diesel changed 

forever when news broke 

that Volkswagen had been 

covering up illegally high 

emissions of nitrogen oxides 

from its diesel vehicles. Since 

then diesel has come under a 

lot of pressure, with various 

groups calling for it to be 

heavily taxed or even banned 

altogether. 

Many say that diesel was 

mis-sold to buyers, promising 

low emissions and high fuel 

economy when in reality it 

was totally unsuitable for the 

journeys they do. 

But diesel isn’t necessarily the 

bad guy all the time. For some 

buyers, it’s still a good choice. 

But are you one of those 

buyers? Read on to find out… 

What’s your mileage? 

Diesel cars make a lot of 

sense for high-mileage 

drivers. Those doing over 

20,000 miles a year will soon 

benefit from the increased 

fuel economy a diesel engine 

provides – and over time, 

they’ll save money. 

This is because diesel fuel 

contains more energy than 

petrol, meaning that even 

though it’s slightly more 

expensive it offers more 

miles per gallon. However, in 

most cases, diesel variants of 

cars cost more to buy than 

their petrol equivalents, so 

depending on the price gap 

you’ll need to do more miles 

to break even. 

For example, the Volkswagen 

Golf 1.6-litre diesel costs 

around £1,600 more than 

the equivalently powered 

petrol car. According to 

the official fuel economy, a 

driver would break even after 

around 75,000 miles – so for 

an average driver, that’s over 

six years. But for a motorway 

mile-muncher doing 30,000 

miles a year, they’d break 

even in less than three years. 

What type of journeys do you 

usually do? 

Diesels are very efficient – 

when they’re warm. However, 

they take a while to heat up, 

which means during the first 

10 miles or so of any journey 

they’ll be inefficient and 

polluting. 

That’s not really good news 

if you regularly undertake 

lots of journeys shorter than 

that, and it gets worse, too. 

You see, modern pollution 

control systems need the 

engines to be running at a 

certain RPM to function. This 

is easily achievable on the 

motorway, but if your car 

starts a regeneration cycle 

while you’re idling on the 

school run, you risk clogging 

up expensive and complex 

systems such as exhaust 

gas recirculation or diesel 

particulate filters. 

How heavily loaded are you? 

If there’s one thing diesels 

have over a petrol engine 

in abundance, it’s torque. 

This sheer pulling power 

means that for heavily loaded 

vehicles such as people 

carriers, vans, or trucks, there 

really isn’t much substitute 

for a diesel. 

That’s especially true of 

people who often tow heavy 

items like caravans or horse 

boxes – they’ll find that a 

petrol engine, unless it’s a 

super-powerful one, really 

tends to struggle in these 

situations. 

A diesel is more pleasant to 

use when loaded to capacity, 

and won’t suffer as much 

strain as a petrol car would. 

You won’t need to ride the 

clutch so often, nor will you 

need to go through the gears 

at such a rate. 

Which cars are you looking 

at? 

Of course, this all assumes 

you have an option. 

However, several cars 


simply don’t offer a viable 

alternative to diesel, leaving 

you with the choice of 

sticking with the oil-burner 

or choosing a different car. 

Let’s take pickup trucks, for 

example – there’s currently 

not a single petrol-powered 

crew-cab pickup on the UK 

market. The same is often 

true of people carriers, and 

even some executive or 

family cars have this issue, 

too. 

Move into the more 

luxurious end of the market 

and you may find the diesel 

is the ‘sensible’ option. 

Sure, there’s a petrol 

version available – but it’s 

a monstrous V8 with a daft 

amount of horsepower and 

a fuel economy figure in the 

teens. In these situations, 

you may just have to work 

around a diesel – taking 

regular long journeys and 

making sure it’s impeccably 

serviced to keep the emission 

control systems running as 

they should. 

There’s no doubt many 

drivers of diesel cars today 

would be better off in a 

petrol model, or even an 

equivalent hybrid or electric 

model. Yet the fuel has 

its uses, for high-mileage, 

heavily-laden or pennypinching 

buyers. As always, 

just shop carefully and 

consider all of your options 

before you buy. 

By James Baggott 

Watch your 

business 

blossom with 

CR5 Magazine 

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succeed 

• FREE artwork design with 3 month 

bookings or more 

• Discounts available for 3, 6 and 12 

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or email lucy@cr5.co.uk 

for a CR5 Media Pack 


81

Mothers Day 31st March 2019 

Mother’s Day in the UK is often known by its 

traditional and religious name of Mothering 

Sunday. This widely held observance always 

falls on a Sunday and is not a bank holiday. 

Mothering Sunday is the fourth Sunday of 

Lent, usually landing sometime in March. 

Traditionally, it is a day on which people visit 

the church they were baptised in and on 

which they honour their mother. Both Roman 

Catholic and Anglican churches in the UK 

observe Mothering Sunday. 

Apart from the church-based activities of 

Mothering Sunday, Mother’s Day is celebrated 

in ways similar to celebrations in the US, 

Australia and elsewhere. 

History of Mother’s Day. Celebrations of 

mothers and motherhood can be traced back 

to the ancient Greeks and Romans, who held 

festivals in honor of the mother goddesses 

Rhea and Cybele, but the clearest modern 

precedent for Mother’s Day is the early 

Christian festival known as “Mothering 

Sunday.” 

Mothering Sunday was originally a time when 

people returned to the church, in which they 

were baptized or where they attended 

services when they were children. This meant 

that families were reunited as adults returned 

to the towns and villages where they grew 

up. In time, it became customary for young 

people who were working as servants in 

large houses, to be given a holiday on 

Mothering Sunday. 

They could use this day to visit their own 

mother and often took a gift of food or 

hand-me-down clothing from their 

employers to her. In turn, this moved towards 

the modern holiday, on which people still visit 

and take gifts to their mothers. 

Traditionally, people observed a fast during 

Lent. Lent is the period from Ash Wednesday 

until Good Friday. During the Lent fast, 

people did not eat from sweet, rich foods or 

meat. However, the fast was lifted slightly on 

Mothering Sunday and many people prepared 

a Simnel cake to eat with their family on this 

day. 

A Simnel cake is a light fruit cake covered 

with a layer of marzipan and with a layer of 

marzipan baked into the middle of the cake. 

Traditionally, Simnel cakes are decorated with 

11 or 12 balls of marzipan, representing the 11 

disciples and, sometimes, Jesus Christ. One 

legend says that the cake was named after 

Lambert Simnel who worked in the kitchens 

of Henry VII of England sometime around the 

year 1500. 

Mother’s Day has become more and more 

commercialised in recent years, but it’s still 

primarily a “family time” holiday. It’s common 

for children to give their mother a gift, 

flowers, a card, a break from house chores, 

and maybe some time to rejuvenate at a salon 

or a spa. 

The most traditional Mother’s Day flower 

is the carnation. Pink carnations represent 

gratitude and love while red carnations signify 

admiration. White carnations are traditional 

flowers to give or wear in remembrance of a 

mother who is no longer living. 


The Man Who Never Was 

If there was ever a period that Britain could 

claim was its Golden Age then the Victorian Era 

was almost certainly it. From the final fall of 

Napoleon in 1815 to the start of the first World 

War just under a hundred years later, Britain and 

its empire rose to a dominance unseen before in 

history, certainly in its world embracing scope. 

Industry, invention, trade and exploration all 

seemed to attain dizzying levels of attainment. 

It was a party so good, that a further century on 

and we’re still living with the hangover, waking 

up and wondering why we’re still not having 

such a great time, where all our friends have 

gone, and why there’s so much mess to clear up. 

But like most bright and shiny things, 

scratch the surface and it’s not quite so glittery 

and wonderful underneath. London may have 

been the centre of global commerce but within 

a short walking distance of The City the denizens 

of much of the East End lived in abject poverty. 

The Irish independence seeking Fenians ran 

a terrorist campaign that used explosives to 

target underground and railway stations across 

the capital in the 1880s. And the Queen herself 

was subject to no less than eight assassination 

attempts during her reign. 

So the Victorians were no strangers to 

the darker side of life. All that they needed was 

someone to oppose it. And he came, courtesy of 

a Scotsman with a fairly undistinguished medical 

career. Arthur Conan Doyle, born in Edinburgh, 

had studied medicine, been a ship’s doctor and 

tried his hand, unsuccessfully, at running a 

medical practice both in Plymouth and Southsea. 

And it was during the long periods between 

patients that he wrote. Like many would be 

writers, he had difficulty in getting published but 

finally ‘A Study in Scarlet’, the first 

Sherlock Holmes story, was published, appearing 

in Beetons’ Christmas Annual in November 1887. 

Well received, a sequel, ‘The Sign of the Four’, 

followed in 1890. The first short story, ‘A Scandal 

in Bohemia’ appeared in The Strand magazine in 

July 1891 and from then until the publishing of 

his final adventure ‘The Adventure of 

Shoscombe Old Place’ in 1927, the stories of 

Sherlock Holmes enthralled first a nation, then 

the world. 

Eccentric, mercurial, deeply flawed 

with a passion for truth and justice if not always 

the law, and with little regard for the agents 

of that law, he struck a chord with the public. 

If Holmes thought the police were dull-witted 

buffoons, then he was voicing an opinion held by 

many, especially in the aftermath of the Jack the 

Ripper murders of 1888, sensationalised by the 

popular press. 

Holmes acknowledged the 

order of things, understood 

that some men were kings 

and others commoners, 

but felt himself outside 

such trifling concerns. 

He was no lantern-jawed 

adventurer charging into 

battle for love of Queen, 

country or the love of a 

good woman, but a 

drug-taking aesthete for 

whom personal relationships 

were a distraction and whose 

greatest challenges were 

mental not physical. 

221B Baker Street, the home of 

Holmes, at the time of its fictional creation didn’t 

exist. The numbers didn’t go that high. But when 

the road was extended early in the 20th Century 

it suddenly did. And such was the impact of the 

character on the public psyche that Holmes 

too made that leap from page to reality. Many 

believed him, and still believe, that he was a 

historic figure of the period alongside Gladstone, 

Disraeli, Brunel, Nightingale and other eminent 

Victorians, and not a work of fiction. 

If Holmes never really lived, then it 

seems as certain that he can never truly die. 

Conan Doyle tried in 1893, plunging his hero to 

his death at the Reichenbach Falls in Switzerland 

when he felt the character was overshadowing 

his other work. Public demand brought him 

back. And continues to do so. From the first 

portrayal on stage in 1893 by Charles Brookfield, 

through William Gillette, Basil Rathbone, Peter 

Cushing and the defining version by Jeremy 

Brett in the 1980’s, to Benedict Cumberbatch 

and Jonny Lee Miller’s latest updated versions, 

the character lives and grows, adapts and learns. 

This April, another Holmes will appear 

at Coulsdon Community Centre. ‘Sherlock 

Holmes and the Vampyres of London’ from 

Theatre Workshop Coulsdon sees the famous 

detective uncover a mystery that starts with 

a missing corpse and a terrified girl and leads 

down ever darker and darker paths. This new 

gothic thriller written by Richard Lloyd stars 

Joe Wilson as Holmes, the latest in that long line. 

But will he be the last? The question is 

elementary, my dear reader. Of course not… 

Paul M Ford writes for GrayDorian 

– The Writing Bureau. 

See Pages 10 & 11 for full performance details. 


83

BRADMORE GREEN & COULSDON LIBRARY 

COULSDON LIBRARY 

For Children 

Craftytime. Fridays 3.30-4.30pm. 4-7 year olds 

and their adults. 

Storytime. Saturdays 3-4pm. 4-7 year olds and 

their adults. 

7-12 year olds use the fun and interactive 

LEGO Education programmes, WeDo or 

StoryStarter. These sessions are now FREE! 

Advanced booking required. Monday 11th & 

25th and Tuesday 5th & 19th 4-5pm. 

For Adults 

Neil Jackson, who’s an experienced rowing 

coach of the Oxford University Women’s Boat 

Club, will talk about the Oxford and 

Cambridge Boat Race on Friday 29th March 

from 10.30-11.30am. He’ll discuss the race’s 

origins, venues and people as well as the 

changes, controversies and challenges 

surrounding the race. Free but booking 

required. 

Adult reading group. 2nd Thursday of the 

month from 2-3pm. The group will discuss A 

Week in December by Sebastian Faulks on 

Thursday 14th March. 

Free one hour one-to-one IT help sessions 

on Mondays and Saturdays. 10am-11am and 

11am-12pm. Please contact Coulsdon Library 

to book. 

It’s free to join the library and 

nearly everything is free to 

borrow. 

Croydon Libraries are available 

24/7:- We have a digital library of 

audio and e-books to download 

as well as digital magazines. 

https://www.croydon.gov.uk/leisure/libraries/online-library 

BRADMORE GREEN LIBRARY 

For Children 

Crafternoon. Tuesdays 3.15-4.15pm. 4-7 year 

olds and their adults. 

Storytime. Wednesdays 2.15-2.45pm. 

Under 5s and their adults. 

Rhymetime. Fridays 11-11.30am. Babies, 

toddlers and their adults. 

7-12 year olds use the fun and interactive 

LEGO Education programmes, WeDo or 

StoryStarter. WeDo shows how to make 

models which can be programmed to move; 

creative stories can be inspired with 

StoryStarter. These sessions are now FREE! 

Advanced booking required. 

Every Monday 4-5pm. 

For Adults 

Monthly coffee morning. 1st Saturday of the 

month 10-11.30am. 

Free one hour one-to-one IT help sessions. 

Please contact Bradmore Green Library to 

book. 

There are jigsaws for loan at the library. 

Please ask staff for details. 

The library has a free car park. 

Coulsdon Library at 167 Brighton Road, 

Coulsdon, CR5 2NH, Tel 020 3700 1007; 

coulsdonlibrary@croydon.gov.uk 

Opening Hours 

Monday 9am-6pm, Tuesday 9am-6pm, 

Thursday 9.30am-6pm, Friday 9am-7pm and 

Saturday 9am-5pm. 

Bradmore Green Library, Bradmore Way, 

Coulsdon, CR5 1PE, Tel 020 3700 1003; 

bradmoregreenlibrary@croydon.gov.uk 

Opening Hours 

Monday 9.30am-6pm, Tuesday 9am-6pm, 

Wednesday 9am-6pm, Friday 9am-7pm and 

Saturday 9am-5pm. 


St David's Day 1st March 2019 

March kicks off in style with St David’s Day, when 

Welsh people across the world – but mainly in Wales, 

naturally – celebrate their fantastic heritage under 

the banner of their national saint. 

St David plays a very important role in Welsh culture 

but little is known about his life. It is believed that he 

lived to be 100 years old and that he died in 589, but 

the first texts on his life only appeared around five 

hundred years after his death. This means that it is 

difficult to tell which aspects of the St David’s story 

are true and which are legend. He was supposed to 

have been very gentle and physically strong and tall 

despite eating a frugal diet. His parents were Sant, 

the grandson of a prince of Ceredigion in southwest 

Wales, and Non, a niece of the legendary King 

Arthur. 

St David travelled widely throughout Wales, Cornwall in the south-west of England, Brittany in 

France and possibly to Ireland and Jerusalem. He founded several churches and a monastery 

in Wales and eventually became an archbishop. St David was canonized in 1120 and March 1 

was included in the church calendar as St David’s Day. People started making pilgrimages to St 

David’s monastery after he was canonized. A cathedral still stands on its original site. 

St Patrick's Day 17th March 2019 

St. Patrick's Day is a celebration held every year on March 17. 

Saint Patrick is the most well-known patron saint of Ireland. 

He lived in the 4th and 5th centuries and came from a rich 

Romano-British family living in England. At around sixteen years 

of age, he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and taken to Ireland as a 

slave. 

After six years he escaped and returned to his home. Many years 

later, Patrick followed a call on his life to preach in Ireland and it is 

believed he died there on 17 March 461 although there are many 

variations on this as well as on his birthdate. It also is possible his 

name at birth was Maewyn Succat. 

There are many legends about Saint Patrick, for examples, some 

say that he rid Ireland of snakes, that his ash wood walking stick 

became a living tree and that he spoke with long-dead ancestors of 

the Irish. 

Today, Saint Patrick’s Day is a religious day where many attend 

church services. Others, even across the globe, celebrate Irish 

culture with parades and parties. Green is the colour of the day although, originally, it was blue. 

A symbol of Saint Patrick’s Day is the shamrock, a type of three-leafed clover. It is said that Saint 

Patrick used the shamrock to demonstrate the Christian Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Ghost) to 

the people of Ireland. 

Some of the more traditional foods eaten on Saint Patrick’s Day include soda bread, cabbage, 

corned beef, Irish stew, colcannon potatoes, green beer and pots-o-gold (a chocolate dessert). 


85

Answers on page 88 


Leon says “I look at a lot of photos! 

I belong to one of the main photo 

sharing sites and most mornings I’ll 

scroll through 70 or 80 photos, giving 

‘likes’ to photos that grab my attention. 

Certain photos make me linger a few 

seconds longer while others, 

technically proficient as they may be, 

do nothing for me. What I like in an 

image and what the next person likes 

are often very different. That’s the 

enjoyment of photography, it really is 

different for everyone. 

This image is one I took of Vauxhall 

bridge and the modern developments 

behind it. I decided on monochrome 

and a high contrast look which brings 

out the sky and heightens the drama. 

It’s not a perfect image by any means 

but it brings me pleasure and that’s 

what photography is all about.” 

March 2019 DIARY: 

5 Street Competition 

12 Workshop: Member’s photos from Arctic and 

Club Outings 

19 “In My Viewfinder” talk by Andy Small 

26 Colour Print Competition (3 of 3) 

We meet each Tuesday evening at 8pm in 

Cameron Hall, Canons Hill, Old Coulsdon. Visitors £5 

(refunded on joining). 

Visit oldcoulsdoncameraclub.org.uk, see us on facebook 

or contact lynda@oldcoulsdoncameraclub.org.uk 

Bird’s Eye View, March 2019 

John Birkett, RSPB Croydon Local Group 

Spring is in the air, although a late cold spell 

such as last year’s ‘Beast from the East’ could 

put that on hold. Notwithstanding that, 

March usually sees changes to our birdlife. 

Many of our winter visitors leave for their 

breeding grounds, while resident birds should 

start to establish their territories. This could 

be your last chance to find redwings and 

fieldfares before autumn and numbers of 

other birds feeding in our gardens, such as 

chaffinches and blackbirds will dwindle. 

However, some species seem to peak in 

March when siskins and redpolls make use of 

garden feeders to get themselves into prime 

condition before heading off elsewhere to 

breed. 

Meanwhile, the vanguard of our first summer 

visitors should be turning up by the end of 

the month. Chiffchaffs could be singing in our 

gardens and woods, sand martins may be 

hawking for insects over lakes and ponds and 

check out grassy areas for wheatears and ring 

ouzel. 

You could let us know what you see in your 

local area by emailing 

johnbirkett@hotmail.co.uk or check out the 

Croydon Birders website. 

To find out more about Croydon’s birds and 

the group’s activities visit our website 

(http://www.rspb.org.uk/groups/croydon/) or 

come along to one of our meetings. 

Ring ouzel by 

Alan Pearson 


87

CR5 Just for Fun Crossword 

Across 

7. Sea between Europe and 

Africa (13) 

8. Created, designed (8) 

9. Perfectly fair or flat (4) 

10. Normally, typically (7) 

12. Unwanted plants (5) 

14. Holding device (5) 

16. Copenhagen’s country (7) 

19. Astonish (4) 

20. Tropical fruits (8) 

22. Celebrated, toasted (13) 

Down 

1. Green leafy plant (4) 

2. Picture house (6) 

3. Fabric (7) 

4. Wedded woman (5) 

5. Dust might cause this! (6) 

6. Chart of dates (8) 

11. Answer (8) 

13. Tomato sauce (7) 

15. Organize, oversee (6) 

17. First working day (6) 

18. Waste material (5) 

21. Foot digits (4) 


Kids Answers from page 86 

The Weather Quiz Answers from p78 

1. A blizzard 

2. Sesame Street 

3. b) Its location 

4. Groundhog Day 

5. Donner and Blitzen 

6. Meteorology 

7. St. Elmo's Fire 

8. Half past ten 

9. Wind speed 

10. Hailstones (weighing over 1 kilogram) 


CR5 Trip Down Memory Lane 

This pre-war postcard shows a quiet Brighton Road with a policeman on the left. The Comrades Club 

(opened 1933) and Coulsdon Library (opened 1936) had just been built. Note the black and white 

edging on the traffic islands - perhaps anticipating the black-out of wartime. 

Are you interested in local history? Then why not join the Bourne Society. 

Apply to : J Hurrion, 7 The Towers, Hayes Lane, Kenley, CR8 5YL www.bourne-society.org.uk 

CR5 CODEWORD 

Each letter in this puzzle is represented by a different number between 1 and 26. The codes for three letters are 

shown. Once you have filled these throughout the grid you can start guessing words and reveal other letters. 

As you find the letters enter them in the box below. 

Your Answer 

grid 

T 

M 


I 


89

What’s On in the Community 

FREE page for local charities and non-profit making organisations 

Here to help you 

The South East Cancer Help Centre is a local charity that over the last 30 

years has helped thousands of people affected by cancer. 

Talk to us and explore the ways we may be able to help you, whether it be 

through information, counselling or the wide range of complementary 

therapies we offer. 

We have local NHS recognition and provide a friendly, supportive environment 

with only one purpose – to help you cope 

Visit www.sechc.org.uk or call 020 8668 0974 for more information 

South East Cancer 

Help Centre, 

2 Purley Road, 

(Tesco Development) 

Purley, CR8 2HA 

Registered Charity No. 1011509 

Talk to us – we’re here to help 

2 nd Tuesday of every month 

2pm – 4pm 

In the Church Hall 

fun quizzes and 

entertainment for a 

modest donation 

Holy Communion at 1.30pm 

Toys & Tots 

FREE weekly session 

every Tuesday @ 

11am in the Church 

Hall Committee Room 

ST ANDREW’S CHURCH 

COULSDON 

Email: standrewsoffice@yahoo.com 

Sunday Worship 

starts at 9.45am 

Holy Communion, music 

led by a versatile robed choir 

and talented organists, 

Junior Church for our 

younger members. 

Messy Church 

Every 3rd Tuesday 

3.30pm – 5.30 pm in 

the Church Hall 

Hall to Rent 

Spacious, well appointed 

kitchen and servery, 

cutlery, dishes, furniture 

and some parking, 

competitive rates 

Email: hall.lettings@standrews.coulsdon.net 




Coulsdon & Purley Fundraising Group’s 

Quiz Night 

Saturday 9 th March 2019 

Doors open at 7pm and Quiz starts at 7.30pm 

Cameron Hall, Old Coulsdon Congregational Church Hall, 

Coulsdon Road, CR5 1EH 

Tickets £12 pp 

An evening of fun for the whole 

family and a delicious Fish 

Supper too! 

Please come along and support your 

local Marie Curie fundraising group and 

find out more about the charity’s work! 

For more information and tickets please 

contact Brian on 01737 557447 

THE ARTS SOCIETY CROYDON AREA 

Formerly Croydon Decorative & Fine 

Arts Society 

Meet Monthly (2nd Thursday) at 10.15 

All Saints Church Hall, Sanderstead 

We are looking for like minded people 

that are interested in Art. 

We have expert lecturers to do the talks. 

14th March Coronation Majesty, Myth, 

Music 

11th April Played in London 

– the city at play 

For further details phone 0208 657 2496 or 

email janice.brunger@outlook.com 

PURLEY LIT 

TALKS 

You can join the Purley Lit at any talk or 

ring Yvonne Walker 01737 552654. 

Held in URC hall, Brighton Rd 

(next to Purley Hospital) starting at 8pm. 

Visitors £5. 

More details on the web site: 

www.purley-literary-society.com 

Tuesday 5th March 2019 

John Pilkington will be speaking on ‘The 

Abyssinian Difficulty - A Victorian Expedition 

Retraced’ 

Tuesday 19th March 2019 

Melanie Gibson-Batson will be speaking on 

‘Bruges - It’s more Than Just Chocolate and 

Chips’ 

The RSPB Croydon 

Local Group 

Monthly Illustrated Wildlife Talks in 

South Croydon 

Whitgift Sports Club, Croham Manor Road - 

off Croham Road, South Croydon, CR2 7BG 

Second Monday of each month, 2pm and again at 8pm. 

Admission £4.00. Everyone is welcome, not just RSPB 

members. 

Free refreshments. A selection of RSPB goods, nuts & 

seeds are on sale. 

Parking limited on site but free in adjacent roads. 

64 & 433 buses stop nearby in Croham Road. 

Monday March 11th 2019: 

“A Birding Journey through Mallorca”. We welcome 

Len Clark to take us on a journey to a destination much 

visited by UK trippers – Mallorca. Following his tour of 

Western Spain a while back we know that we shall be 

well entertained by the hidden treasures on this 

somewhat maligned island. 

For more information contact John Davis 

on 020-8640 4578 

or see www.rspb.org.uk/groups/croydon 

Note: on request we give illustrated bird talks to local 

organisations. 


91



Woodcote Medical 

Patient Participation 

Group 

AGM & OPEN MEETING: 

ALL WELCOME 

SOCIAL 

PRESCRIBING: 

FIND EXTRA CARE & 

SUPPORT 

Come and meet your Care Navigators, learn 

about this new drug-free method of treatment 

and put forward your views & ideas 

Tuesday 12 th March 2019 

19.00 to 20.30 

AGM and FREE REFRESHMENTS FROM 18.45 

(All welcome to attend) 

PURLEY SURGERY: 32 Foxley Lane, CR8 3EE 

Speakers: To be confirmed 

PAINTING FOR PLEASURE 

ART EXHIBITION 

Saturday 9th March 

9.30am - 4.00pm 

In the Guide Hall 

Tudor Parade 

Coulsdon Road 

Old Coulsdon 

Refreshments available 

Admission free 

BANSTEAD FLOWER CLUB 

Invite you to watch 

National Teacher 

GILL MCGREGOR 

present 

“SPRING SENSATION” 

Wed 27th March 2019 at 2pm 

Doors open 1:30pm 

Raffle, members competition “Spring Zing”, 

floral sundries sales table and refreshments 

We’re a friendly local flower club affiliated 

to NAFAS. New Members and visitors (£6) 

always welcome. 

Monthly meeting and demonstration at 2pm on 

the 4th Wednesday of every month at Banstead 

Community Hall , 

Park Road SM7 3AJ 

For further details or enquiries,see our page at 

http://www.surreynafas.org.uk/banstead-flower-club 

email bansteadflowerclub@hotmail.co.uk or call 

Susan Macpherson 0208 657 4328 

Gatton Park Events 

All activities must be booked in advance, unless 

otherwise stated. Children under eight must be 

accompanied by an adult. 

Sunday 3rd March Park and Gardens Open 

Park and gardens open all afternoon, bird hide 

open, free guided tours and free activities for 

children, including the Wild Things play trail. 

Tea and cakes are available to purchase. 

Join the Great Gatton Mouse Hunt! Find knitted 

mice hidden in the grounds. 1-5pm. Cost: adults 

£5 children free. Special 2 for 1 offer on entry for 

members of the Surrey Hills Society. 

Cost: adults £5 children free 

Sunday 24th March Garden Structures 

A one-day garden structures course run by an 

experienced under-woodsman. Craft an obelisk 

and a sunflower while enjoying views of the lake. 

Materials and tools provided. 10am-4.30pm. 

Cost: £55. 

Guided Tours Cost: £7 per person or £9 with tea 

and cake. 01737 649068. 

events@gatton-park.org.uk 

www.gattonpark.com 




Wallington URC 

Stanley Park Road SM6 0EU 

OLD COULSDON ART SOCIETY 

in the church, entry from 

Stanley Park Road 

Saturday 

16th March 

10.00am to 12 noon 

Admission 50p 

We are a group of local amateur artists of all 

standards that come to practice and improve 

skills in an informal and friendly atmosphere. 

The Society has classes supervised by two 

Tutors for portrait and still life work, either 

painting in oils, watercolours, pencil, crayon 

or pastel work. Our Tutors are both working 

artists of an excellent standard. 

We meet on Thursday evenings during the 

school term between 7.30 and 9.30pm at the 

Old Coulsdon Bowling Club, 81 Coulsdon Rd, 

Coulsdon, CR5 2LD. 

For more information about the Old Coulsdon 

Art Society: 

http://www.ocas.me.uk 

OR just turn up at the Old Coulsdon Bowling 

Club on a Thursday evening 7:30 – 9:30pm 

during term dates. 

COMPANY CLUB 

Welcomes lively over 40's 

to social events including 

barbeques, theatre, walks, 

meals etc. 

New members evening – 1st 

Thursday of the month at 9pm 

Contact: 

Linda 020 8668 1382, 

Glenn 020 8656 9007, 

Shirley 020 8651 5835. 

email: info@companyclub.co.uk 

www.companyclub.co.uk 


93



Kenley Flyers WI 

Saturday April 27th at 7.30pm 

Tickets: £10 for Adults 

Why not come along and join us for a 

friendly meeting on the 3rd Tuesday of 

every month, make new friends, enjoy 

listening to speakers with a difference, or 

try your hand at different skills. 

Some of our activities include quizzes, 

lunches, dinners, outings, theatre trips, 

book club, scrabble group and craft 

sessions. 

We meet at Kenley Memorial Hall, 

Godstone Road, Kenley CR8 5AB at 7.30pm 

For further information call Pauline on 

020 8660 3810 

or email Pauline.odonnell@tiscali.co.uk 

There’s more than meets the eye at 

Kenley Flyers WI ! 




Fish and Chip 

Quiz Night 

Join us for our annual fish and chip quiz night in aid of SECHC 

2 places 

for £25 

£15 

a head 

Sat 23rd March 

from 630pm 

St John the Baptist Church, Purley 

Call 020 8668 0974 or ask at the centre reception for tickets 

This amazing Surrey Area competition is 

held annually to showcase the wonderful 

floral talent of the members of Surrey 

Flower Clubs. 

Surrey Area of NAFAS Show 

27th April 2019 

FLORAL ART 

10.00 am – 4.00 pm. 

Tickets: £5 

Contact: showchairman@surreynafas.org.uk 

Woking Leisure Centre, Kingfield Road 

Woking GU22 9BA 

1st Coulsdon Scout Group 

Fourth Drive, CR5 2YP 

Scouting for boys and girls 6-14 yrs 

Beavers for boys and girls 6-8 yrs 

INFO: alastair51@talktalk.net 

Cubs 8-10½ yrs 

Scouts 10½ - 14 yrs 

INFO: rodjbavin@yahoo.co.uk 

View Croydon District Newsletter on: 

www.croydonscouting.org.uk 

Hall Hire Available: contact emma@ccfworld.com 


95



COULSDON SHORT MAT BOWLS CLUB 

COULSDON SHORT MAT BOWLS CLUB 

Coulsdon Community Centre, 

Coulsdon Community Centre, Chipstead Valley Road, CR5 3BE 

Chipstead Valley Road, CR5 3BE 

Do you want to get some gentle exercise? 

Do you want to get some gentle exercise? 

want to meet new people 

Do you want to meet new people and have some fun? 

and have some fun? 

Why not give Short Mat Bowls a try? 

Why not give Short Mat Bowls a try? 

We are a friendly mixed club looking for new 

We are a friendly mixed club looking for new members. 

Flat soled shoes members. 

required, tuition provided. 

Experienced bowlers also welcome. 

Flat soled shoes required, tuition provided. 

We meet on Mondays 12am-2pm and Thursdays 2pm-4pm 

Experienced bowlers also welcome. 

Contact Sylvia on 02086682841 for further details or just turn up. 

We meet on Mondays 12am-2pm 

Annual fees £20 and £3 per session, first 3 sessions free. 

and Thursdays 2pm-4pm 

Contact Sylvia on 0208 668 2841 

for further details or just turn up. 

Annual fees £20 and £3 per session, 

first 3 sessions free. 

St Andrew’s Contact Group 

Monthly Pop In Teas 

at St. Andrew’s Church Hall, 

from 2-4pm on the second 

Tuesday of every month. 

A cup of tea, sandwiches 

and cakes are served for a 

modest donation. 

The Contact Group Volunteers invite you 

to join them for companionship and 

friendly conversation. If a lift would help, 

contact Monica Jefford 01737 555996 

contactgroup@standrews.coulsdon.net 

St. Andrew’s Church, Coulsdon, CR5 2DD. 




Southern 

Pathfinders 

We walk in the Surrey, 

Sussex and Kent countryside 

with the occasional London 

walk once a month, on a 

Sunday, usually the third. Our normal length 

walk is of 6-7 miles with one walk before a 

pub lunch, chat and a laugh and a shorter 

walk after. 

We are looking for a few new members, 

particularly younger ones (as we are almost 

all now over 60) to take the club forward, as 

we want to keep the club alive. 

As we meet at various locations in the 

countryside a car is essential, as is the 

ability to climb stiles and hills (although we 

tend to avoid too many hills). 

For further information please email : 

digeorge@outlook.com 

Croydon Social Language Club 

Monday evenings 

(except Bank Holidays) 

8 pm - 10 pm 

Informal conversation to practice your 

French, Spanish, German 

Native speakers of the above languages 

welcome. 

Venue South Croydon Sports Club 

Beech Copse (off Birdhurst Rise) 

CR2 7ES 

Contact David 020 8680 5887 

email: therbert68@hotmail.com 

DO YOU LIKE HORSES? 

CAN YOU SPARE A 

COUPLE OF HOURS 

EACH WEEK? 

Then why not become a volunteer at The 

Diamond Centre for Disabled Riders in 

Carshalton. We need volunteers to help on our 

rides for children and adults with disabilities. 

You don’t need to know about horses, we will 

train you. So, if you can spare a couple of 

hours eachweek and would like to do 

something rewarding with your spare time 

please phone us on 020 8643 7764. 

www.diamondcentre.org.uk 


97

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS 

•Accountancy/Finance 

LJ Accounting 53 

One Financial Solutions 43 

Tax Data 44 

•Aerials / Satellite 

Communitech 15 

•Architectural Services 

Jameson Architectural Services 69 

•Blinds/Curtains 

JT Blinds 14 

Mobile Curtain Studio 27 

Surrey Blinds 52 

•Building Services 

DJP & Sons - Building & Roofing 19 

Exclusive Extensions 21 

K.Chaston Builders/Decorators 81 

MJ Building Services 45 

SN Building Services 55 

STL Building Services 68 

Taylors Building Services 6 

•Butchers 

JWCC Family Butchers 73 

•Care Services 

Right Care For You 51 

•Carpentry 

Ben Saunders Carpentry 46 

•Carpets/Flooring 

Carpets 4U 59 

Carpet Supplies Ltd 67 

Janes Flooring 35 

Keith Harris Carpets 62 

•Cleaning 

A Womans Touch 69 

Brite N Breezy 28 

Surrey Carpet Care 45 

•Computer Services 

Computer Solutions 57 

Fahy Consultancy 35 

•DVD 

Carlton Video 21 

•Education & Tuition 

Coulsdon College 9 

Laleham Lea School 63 

Oasis Academy Coulsdon 34 

St Davids School 17 

•Electrical/Electrician/Supplies 

Michael Steele Electrician 55 

My Trusted Electrician 42 

Surrey Electrical Services 31 

Watt Electrical Services 23 

•Estate Agents/New Homes 

Daniel Adams 1 

John Brown 100 

Park & Bailey 2 

Walter & Mair 79 

•Gardening Services 

Absolute Gardens 47 

CJ Gardening 77 

Daisy Garden 66 

Emsworth Tree Care 51 

Expertrees 41 

Gaskells Gardens 29 

Manor Gardens 20 

Mario Bonfante- Gardening 69 

•Health, Hair & Beauty 

Coulsdon Opticians 50 

Foot Health Centre 53 

Hair by Rachel 49 

Jane Naylor-Maury Osteopath 51 

Just Beauty 69 

Old Coulsdon Osteopathic Clinic 30 

Relax Therapy 14 

•Hosting 

Xplore the World 42 

•Kitchens/Bathrooms/Bedrooms 

Dream Doors 18 

Granite Revolutions 6 

Pro-Paint Refinishing 13 

•Locksmith 

Alpine Lock Services 26 

•Motoring 

Coulsdon Auto Parts 20 

Jemca Toyota 2 

Lexus Croydon 99 

Robe & Hitchen 29 

Top Marks Tyres 71 

Volks Autos 19 

Wallace Automotive 47 

•Painter/Decorator/Supplies 

A Womans Touch 69 

Paintsmart 65 

Paintwise 74/75 


•Pest Control 

BEE OFF Pest Solutions 61 

Pest Partnership 25 

•Pets 

Anwells Veterinary Practice 35 

Sitting Purrfect 19 

Whoof Whoof Doggie Day Care 55 

•Plastering/Brickwork/Tiling 

KWS Plastering Services 46 

SWS Plastering 26 

•Plumbing & Heating 

Dapson Heating & Plumbing Ltd 53 

DV Services-Plumbing/Install 52 

Jonathan Davidson Heating 57 

MPM Plumbing 28 

SE Services-Heating & Plumbing 71 

•Printing Services 

Advanced Print 14 

•Property Maint/Handyman Services 

BLW Maintenance 25 

Dave Tuppen Handyman 46 

Higher Level Maintenance 31 

Maiden Maintenance 61 

Maguire Skips & Concrete 39 

Newhill Handyman 37 


RCB Maintenance 66 

Warwick Property Maintenance 54 

•Removals 

Palm Tree Removals 12 

•Restaurants/Café 

Chez Vous 65 

Curry Leaf 27 

•Roofing 

Atlas Roofing Construction 5 

BB Roofing 28 

DJP & Sons - Building & Roofing 19 

EB Roofing 12 

SG Roofing 58 

Tacey Roofing 66 

•Solicitor 

Rowe Radcliffe 58 

Streeter Marshall 38 

•Sports & Recreation 

Caterham Dance School 46 

•Upholstery 

Hennis Upholstery 49 

•Vape Shop 

Vapepit 70 

•Windows & Doors 

Atlas Glass 5 

Selsdon Windows 33 

The Surrey Glazing Co. 22 

•Wine Shop 

The Grape Variety 25 

Codeword Answers from page 88 

Crossword Answers from p88 

Across: 7 Mediterranean, 

8 Invented, 9 Even, 10 Usually, 

12 Weeds, 14 Clamp, 

16 Denmark, 19 Stun, 

20 Coconuts, 22 Congratulated. 

Down: 1 Fern, 2 Cinema, 

3 Textile, 4 Bride, 5 Sneeze, 6 

Calendar, 11 Solution, 

13 Ketchup, 15 Manage, 

17 Monday, 18 Scrap, 21 Toes.

THE LEXUS 

19 PLATE EVENT 

LIMITED TIME ONLY 

UP TO 10% OFF 

NOW AVAILABLE^ 

ORDER YOURS NOW 

LEXUS CROYDON 

604 Purley Way, Croydon CR0 4RF 

020 8649 5968 

www.lexus.co.uk/croydon 

CROYDON 

^Terms and conditions apply, ask in Centre for details.

We’ll give letting 

and selling some welly 

this Spring 

T: 01737 551111 | T: 020 8668 5344 

www.johnbrownmarkyoull.co.uk

CR5 Issue 166 March 2019

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