News
Here is the latest news from our branch area (and sometimes from further afield!).
- Robin Butler
Saturday 11 June 2022
Croydon & Sutton CAMRA are sorry to learn of the untimely death of Robin Butler, longstanding manager of the Spreadeagle, Croydon. We send our condolences to his friends and family.
- Glamorgan, Cherry Orchard Road
Tuesday 31 May 2022
Local CAMRA members are strongly encouraged to support this campaign.
The next open meeting will be on 1 September 2022 (venue will be advised nearer the time).
UPDATE 27/06/2022: The moratorium set by the ACV expired on 11 December 2021. There has been no activity at all in the last few months. The owners claim that they have an unconditional offer of £2.2m but we are unable to verify this. Discussions continue as to the best way to proceed.
CAMRA colleagues, please regularly check the planning register to check whether a new application has been submitted, and advise ku.gro.armac.nodyorc@retsambew if any application is spotted.
Th group is on Facebook Save the Glamorgan Facebook page and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SaveTheGlam
Croydon planning register: Croydon planning search
- Mark Knight, landlord of the Dog & Bull
Saturday 28 May 2022
We are saddened to let you know that Mark Knight, landlord of the Dog & Bull, passed away suddenly on Thursday 5 May. We extend our condolences to Mark's family, colleagues and friends.
- The Olde Clocktower
Friday 20 May 2022
The Olde Clocktower, Whitehorse Road, Croydon was illegally demolished just before Christmas. This breaches planning law as no permission had been granted for demolition of the pub.
We have written to the Planning department and have also contacted the local MP and councillors. A complaint reference has been obtained and we await further action from the Council.
- Wetherspoons withdraw from Croydon (comment from our branch Chair)
Wednesday 18 May 2022
Nine years ago the J D Wetherspoon’s chain had ten pubs in the London Borough of Croydon. With the recent closure of the Milan Bar, and the demise of the Skylark by the end of this month, the number will be reduced to only four. This has repercussions not only for the former loyal customers of each of the pubs, but also for the availability of beers from smaller local brewers. The number of outlets for cask beer in Croydon has obviously been reduced.
The Skylark in particular has been a regular entry in the Good Beer Guide, first appearing in 2006, and being included for the last 11 editions, demonstrating both the range and quality of the ales available. It also was one of the few Wetherspoon’s pubs to have an outside drinking area.
Wetherspoon’s pubs have acted as community meeting places, family restaurants and catered for the whole range of age groups over the years.
Only one of the Croydon closures has continued as a pub – South Norwood. The others are a mixture of supermarkets, gyms and empty properties. It remains to be seen how the Skylark and Milan Bar premises will be utilised. It can only be hoped that other operators may be interested, and that the Croydon plan will dictate that change of use is not granted before the leases are properly marketed.
None of these pubs in Croydon were historically pubs, but the presence of the chain may well have played a part in the closure of other outlets, unable to compete with the marketing power of the group.
- Milan Bar and Skylark
Monday 16 May 2022
The Milan Bar closed on Sunday 13 February and the Skylark is also will be closing on 27 March. Despite a petition attracting more than 1,200 signatures, Wetherspoons have confirmed the closure of the Skylark
Article in MyLondon: https://www.mylondon.news/news/south-london-news/another-wetherspoons-croydon-shuts-forever-23352462
And here is an article in Inside Croydon: https://insidecroydon.com/2022/02/10/its-a-valentines-day-massacre-as-spoons-close-milan-bar/?fbclid=IwAR3Z2k3UWu8uZpEdO7G81GGcFt-dX6yPB4DiV2-__pCrKPrcHRzcEzxmOhA
- A brief history of Croydon breweries
Thursday 5 May 2022
Please go to the Breweries page for a short history of 19th century Croydon breweries, from the South East London Pub Guide 3rd Edition 1988