This year signifies the 80th Anniversary of D-Day, and the events of the Second World War have been in our thoughts recently.
The 26th of July also marks 80 years since St. John’s Primary School was bombed in the Second World War.
One of our committee members was a child at the school during that period, and you can read their memories of the event on our Stories page. It is an interesting insight into the hardships faced during a period that should never be forgotten.
Police are urgently appealing for help to find a man who has absconded from a mental health facility in Beckenham, south London
Abderrahmane Ariba, 30, was last seen at about 09:30 BST while he was on an escorted walk.
Mr Ariba may have travelled from the facility in Beckenham to Marble Arch then Croydon where he was last seen.
Extensive enquiries are ongoing to locate him.
He is described as 5ft 5ins tall and of large build.
When last seen, he was wearing a blue polka dot T-shirt, black tracksuit trousers and black trainers.
Members of the public are advised not to approach him.
Anyone who knows of his whereabouts is urged to contact the force and for an immediate sighting call 999.
At this time of year we all like to think about being on a sunny beach with your loved ones around us far away from home and the worries of everyday life. Holidays should be a wonderful part of our life. However experience tells us at Trading Standards that it can all start to unravel even before we are near the airport lounge.
With the demise of the traditional high street travel agent booking your holiday is now a process most of us do ourselves online. This can be confusing with so many choices of places to go and traders to book with, and this can be the time it all starts to go wrong and unravel without us knowing about it. However, there is good news, there are two simple rules to make sure that any worries you have are to do with meeting the baggage limit and not losing everything before you get there.
First of all, let us introduce you to two organisations and what they do.
The first is the Association of British Travel Agents known as ABTA and then the Air Travel Organisers Licence known as ATOL.
ABTA provides protection that if your travel company goes bust, you’re entitled to your money back and this includes any accommodation costs. If you’re already on your holiday, your passage back to the UK will be protected. This means that if anything happens before your holiday you get your money back or if you’re already there you can relax and know that the important things are covered.
ATOL protection covers you before and during your trip. When you purchase a trip that is ATOL protected, you will receive an ATOL Certificate. It will show you who and what is covered, as well as provide guidance on what to do if your travel company stops trading as an ATOL holder. We recommend that you always keep a paper or digital copy of this certificate saved with you. The scheme is designed to reassure you that your money is safe, and will provide assistance in the event of an ATOL holder failure.
However you book your holiday make sure that whoever you book it with is either an ABTA or ATOL member so you will be setting off on the right foot. Doing this will protect you and your money and let the only worry about your upcoming holiday be getting your choice of bucket and spade in your baggage.
To find out the latest news on what is being planned in your local area, check out our latest Planning Report with up-to-date information on Planning Applications including developments in:
We also have the very latest on the Revised Croydon Local Plan (2018) which is now open for Consultation. Also, take a look at the MORA Planning App, which gives you an easy way to track all the current and recent planning applications within the MORA area. It’s simple to use and free for you to access.
Transport for London (TfL) have informed us that strike action is currently planned from:
Sunday 30 June until Monday 8 July and
Thursday 11 July until Monday 15 July, impacting London Trams services.
Additionally, planned engineering work on Saturday 6 July and Sunday 7 July will mean no London Trams services will operate east of East Croydon on those days.
If the strike action goes ahead, there will be a reduced and disrupted service expected on the whole of the London Trams network for some of these days and customers will be encouraged to check before they travel.
Customers are also advised to complete journeys by 18:00 on affected days and consider walking and cycling for local journeys where possible.
London Buses and London Overground in the area are scheduled to operate as normal but could be busier than normal. All customers will be advised to visit tfl.gov.uk/strikes or the TfL Go app for the latest information.
TfL staff and Travel Ambassadors will be deployed on the busiest parts of the London Trams network to assist customers with their onward journeys. These locations include Addington Village, Beckenham Junction, East Croydon, Elmers End, West Croydon and Wimbledon.
On Saturday 6 July and Sunday 7 July, there is a planned closure of the London Trams network for essential maintenance. No trams will run from East Croydon to New Addington, Elmers End and Beckenham Junction but rail replacement bus services and enhanced local bus services will be available. This essential maintenance work includes packing ballast under a new section of track near Sandilands tram stop, which will mean smoother journeys for customers and help extend the life of the track.
Customers are advised to plan ahead, to consider alternative routes, to check before they travel, and to allow more time to complete their journey
