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'We always knew X Factor Hannah was seriously talented'

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THOSE who know and work with Croydon's X Factor sensation Hannah Barrett are backing her to go all the way on the ITV show.

Hannah got through to the boot camp stage after her performances on last weekend's shows reduced judges to tears.

The 17-year-old is studying for her A Levels having been temporarily excluded from Archbishop Lanfranc School for a "respite" term at the Croydon African Caribbean Family Organisation education centre.

The centre is known to take in pupils with behavioural issues but interim head Patricia Oliver said that all seemed to be behind Hannah.

"Hannah was never properly excluded, she just needed some help in a few subjects like maths and English. She did well enough that she could return to do her A Levels and we wish her every success.

"She was a hard-working student and a very confident girl who was always a good spokesperson for the group."

Mrs Oliver taught Hannah but had no idea about her X Factor appearances.

She added: "My husband and I were shocked when we sat down to watch but by the end we both had tears in our eyes.

"I wasn't shocked because she used to serenade us in class and we always knew she was seriously talented. I think she could be a winner because she's amazing and everyone here is behind her."

Hannah, who works part time at Greggs in Thornton Heath, revealed on last week's show that her father, who died two years ago, was her musical inspiration.

Since then she has fallen out with her mother and moved into temporary accommodation.

Hannah's renditions of Emeli Sandé's Read All About It and Jennifer Hudson's One Night Only were shown on consecutive nights last weekend. The judges made two unanimous decisions to put her through to the next stage of the competition.

Ex-Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger called Hannah "my little Nina Simone" and fellow judge Sharon Osborne added: "For someone who sells sausage rolls and is 17 years old, that was wonderful."

'We always knew X Factor Hannah was seriously talented'


Saffron Square tower marketed to investors in UAE

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AN international property agency is marketing flats in what could become Croydon's tallest high rise to investors in the United Arab Emirates. The 43-storey tower is the final phase of the Saffron Square development on Wellesley Road. Some of its 414 flats went on sale in the UK for the first time last month and, like other high profile residential building projects in the borough, the properties are now being marketed overseas. According to the Khaleej Times, an English language newspaper in the UAE, estate agents Chesterton are holding marketing events today (Friday) and tomorrow at the Emirates Tower in Abu Dhabi. According to the article, prices for an apartment start at £162,000 (more than the developers Berkeley Homes announced last month) and the tower will be finished by "2016 onwards". Around 60 per cent of Saffron Square is aimed at the buy-to-let market and the development is factored into council plans to provide more than 20,000 new homes over the next 20 years, including 7,300 in the town centre. Some have voiced concern at the lack of affordable housing at this and other developments touted as "high-end living" and claim selling the suites overseas restricts buying and letting opportunities for people in Croydon. Saffron Square is not the first high profile building project in Croydon to be advertised across the globe. In April it emerged that flats in the IYLO building, a short walk along Wellesley Road, were being promoted to buyers in Hong Kong. The website of Centraline Property Agents said the development, which has stood half-finished on a roundabout for five years, was the ideal investment opportunity because investors can avoid stamp study. The Advertiser also revealed that the 20-storey tower had been purchased by Stephen Hung, a businessman originally from Hong Kong and owner of three hotels and two golf courses in the UK, through tax haven Jersey. Paul Scott, Labour's spokesman for planning, said at the time: "This is not an isolated example. It's appalling that some of the richest people in our society are able to have the benefits of owning property in this borough while contributing as little as possible to it. These loopholes have to be closed." Work has since resumed at what had become a dilapidated and graffiti-strewn building site after Mr Hung was able to negotiate a £900,000 reduction in the amount he has to pay to build affordable homes in Croydon. Saffron Square's tower will be Croydon's tallest building when it is completed in 2016, though it could be surpassed by the 55-storey development in Lansdowne Road and the 54-storey Menta scheme, which are both in the pipeline. Earlier this year leaked records from the British Virgin Islands tax haven revealed Israeli investors had bought offices in Croydon in 2009. Records within more than two million leaked e-mails show Israeli lawyer Yoram Yossifoff's Mydas Fund, based in Tel Aviv, bough Metro Point in Sydenham for £12 million, then leased the building to the Department for Transport for £920,000 a year until 2020.

Saffron Square tower marketed to investors in UAE

Dirty nappies and a headless fox - care home battle turns dirty

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DIRTY nappies, a beheaded fox, and a vandalism spree - clashes over a care home's expansion have turned even nastier.

An angry resident delivered the nappy to the care home's manager, along with a letter accusing its staff of fly-tipping.

The dirty protest came amid rising tensions over the planned expansion of the home, off Higher Drive in Purley, with neighbours claiming signs have been vandalised and a beheaded fox found on a driveway.

Jenny Sener, who lives in Highland Road, said she came home after a weekend away to find rubbish all over the road which she believed had been dumped by staff at nearby Highfield House – a high-dependency care home.

Among the litter was a dirty nappy, so Mrs Sener donned some surgical gloves, scooped it up and delivered it to the care home manager along with a letter.

"Accompanying the hand delivery of this letter to you today is a bag of refuse collected from the top left hand side of Highland Road, which your staff use as their personal car park," she wrote.

"In addition to the usual refuse, there is also a baby's nappy. This was dumped on the side of the road in yet another act of disgraceful disrespect for the environment and residents.

"Your staff are quite clearly responsible, as I have observed them on my daily early morning walks park their cars at the top of Highland Road and then walk to the care home."

Ms Sener went on to criticise the care home's waste management: "For over 18 months, as I return from my morning walks, I have been picking up and disposing of an endless quantity of Costa Coffee cups, bottles, cans, and sandwich wrappers.

"Crushed glass bottles in particular represent a danger to children and to cars.

"Yesterday morning, after returning from a weekend away, I was disgusted to see the top of Highland Road covered in litter yet again, including a nappy.

"This was really the last straw and my patience and goodwill are at an end."

The resident – who volunteers at the Royal Marsden Hospital – then threatened to continue a dirty protest if the care home did not solve the problem.

"Any further litter encountered in the areas where your staff park will be removed and deposited on the front doorstep of the care home.

"In this way your staff will come to understand how offensive it is to residents to have rubbish dumped in front of their homes."

Carolina Walicka, the care home employee who was presented with the rubbish bag and letter, said: "We have written a letter back to Ms Sener and will be investigating the matter.

"I do not think it is our staff, as there was a can of special brew and a KFC box in the rubbish. However, we wish to make her happy, so will be looking into the matter."

Police confirmed they were investigating reports of criminal damage on a street sign and that residents had told the local safer neighbourhoods team about the headless fox.

Dirty nappies and a headless fox - care home battle turns dirty

Captain Sensible talks punk, Palace and puddings

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Andrew Jameson caught up with Croydon's Captain Sensible - legendary frontman of The Damned and composer of a certain snooker-based TV show theme tune...

Tell me about your new album

Never being one to follow trends I am on a crusade to rehabilitate the image of the concept album in the eyes of music fans. The Who's Tommy and The Pretty Things' S.F. Sorrow are magnificent. I've worn out several vinyl copies of each over the years.

So, my Damned bassist colleague Paul Gray and I decided to write a bunch of songs, which have as their theme things about this country that we find annoying, amusing, or plain daft. So there's plenty of potential for material there.

Entitled 'A Postcard From Britain' it names names... Clarkson, Jade Goody, Blair – they're all in there – and of course being a closet progger there's no shortage of guitar solos and sitars either.

Do you ever come back to Croydon?

I only live down the road in Brighton so nip up all the time to visit friends and watch Palace. I recall, as a kid, standing at the top of the Holmesdale terraces where it was a grass hill. Those were the days of Budgie Byrne, Bobby Woodruff and Bert Head. I wish I knew what happened to the collection of white covered programs I collected. They must have been lost somewhere in subsequent years.

I often bore people by pointing at the trees I planted when a landscape gardener... which, although fairly small when they went in, are now 30 or 40ft high. Before joining the Damned I spent a year or so in that job and there's thousands of my trees all over south London – which makes me happy.

What memories do you have of your time at Stanley Tech Boys?

Well, I didn't know any different at the time, but looking back it was an extraordinary school in that they were strongly influenced by the public school thing. Boys were split into different houses, lots of classroom debates, teachers all gowned up, etc. Oh, and corporal punishment.

It was all gloriously old fashioned and the kids were messing about with ladles of molten iron and making horseshoes and the like while, as befits a school named after African adventurer Stanley, learning all about the days of the British Empire.

All that made a bit of a rebel out of me and for that I have to thank the school for my anarchic tendencies.

I do remember loving the school dinners though... pies, mashed potato with lumps in, stews, etc. I always went back for seconds. And the puddings... why does nobody eat semolina any more? Delicious stuff.

Captain Sensible talks punk, Palace and puddings

New plans for the Whitgift Centre 'likely to be submitted in October'

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SUBMISSION of plans for the £1 billion revamp of the Whitgift Centre have been delayed by a month as developers continue to hammer out the finer details.

The Westfield/Hammerson partnership had hoped to submit a planning application this month but confirmed this week there were still details to iron out.

Discussions are understood to still be going on between the developers, the council, Transport for London and the GLA on transport initiatives.

These are understood to include the level of contributions the partnership will make to improvements to the Fiveways junction in Purley Way to cope with extra traffic expected to be generated by the redevelopment of the town centre's retail core.

The £1 billion Whitgift Centre investment will involve the delivery of 1.4 million square feet of retail space, together with retail facilities and housing.

Councillor Jason Perry, the council's cabinet member for planing, said this week he understood October was now the target month for the consideration of the scheme.

He said it was important that the details of the Westfield/Hammerson scheme were worked through before it came to the committee.

And in a statement issued on Wednesday, the partnership said "We continue to work hard with the council in the delivery of our transformational retail regeneration scheme in Croydon.

"The date for the planning determination will be confirmed by the council as soon as we are sure we have the optimum long term solution for Croydon and its residents.

"We continue to make solid progress with all other aspects of our project, such as the land assembly process and negotiations with retailers, and are still working towards our original timetable for delivery."

The aim is to open the new shopping centre in 2017.

New plans for the Whitgift Centre 'likely to be submitted in October'

'My Tesco lift ordeal'

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A CUSTOMER has demanded an apology from Tesco after her getting her arm trapped in a lift door which later turned out to be broken.

Lisa Mellors, 45, says the supermarket has behaved "outrageously" by breaking health and safety guidelines at its new-look Purley store and then ignoring her accident.

"I work for the Alzheimer's Society so I know exactly how organisations have to run their health and safety and Tesco failed on this abysmally," she said.

"I was in the new-look Tesco with a friend who is not able to use the escalators so we went to use the customer lift.

"We walked in, pressed the button and the doors closed behind us. However, the lift didn't move and just sat there with the doors closed.

"We started to get a bit nervous so I pressed a button to open the doors so we could get out.

"They opened so I walked out first with a basket of shopping on my arm.

"Suddenly the doors closed and clamped my arm, trapping it. Normally they open automatically again but these doors didn't and kept trapping my arm for what felt like ages."

When the doors released Ms Mellors, she walked around near the lift to see if there were any signs.

"Around the corner on a piece of paper sellotaped to the wall was a note saying 'out-of-order'," she said.

"I know from my charity work where we can so easily be sued, that the note completely defied health and safety rules. How were we to see it?"

Ms Mellors went to hospital to have her arm X-rayed. It was not broken but had suffered quite serious cushion wounds.

When the customer reported the incident to Tesco head office, she was told she would receive a call the next day.

She said: "It's now two weeks later and I have had complete silence. I even hand delivered a letter to the store's manager a few days after the accident and have also had no reply.

"It's absolutely outrageous – they have no care for customers. I'm really shocked.

"All I want is an apology and an explanation as to why, in their new make-over, they had a broken lift and had not followed the health and safety rules."

A Tesco spokesman said: "We were very concerned to learn of this incident and are sorry that Ms Mellors felt that we didn't take it seriously.

"Our store manager has contacted her directly to apologise and will be writing to her to outline the action we have taken.

"The lift has now been fixed and we apologise to all of our customers for any inconvenience caused."

'My Tesco lift ordeal'

VIDEO: Wacky invention banishes woe of carrying shopping

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A MADCAP inventor from Purley has come up with his own solution to the back-breaking chore of carrying shopping back from the supermarket.

Bilal Rashid, 50, and his investor friend John Bird, 48, came up with the Safe Lift, a simple strap with hooks that rest on a person's shoulders.

The idea, which the pair claim is completely new, is to free up the shopper's hands, preventing their fingers being ripped to shreds and allowing them to go about their daily business.

Bilal, of Higher Drive, said: "I used to go to the supermarket on foot and when I came back my fingers would be blue and I'd be very tired.

"With this, my hands are free so I can use my mobile phone or have a cigarette. Shopping time becomes leisure time."

Bilal, a Costa Coffee barista who grew up in Bahrain, met John more than 20 years ago through their wives.

Software developer John said Bilal was a bit "crazy" and had previously come up with a lot of ideas for inventions which had already been made.

He added: "Billy is my friend and he's very creative. I want him to be as successful as possible so I told him to go away with a good idea and I'd think about investing in it.

"He came up with lots of mad ones but then one day he came up with the idea for the Safe Lift.

"It was a brilliant idea so we scoured the world and found that it is completely unique so we bought the patent."

The pair created a YouTube channel which has videos of John's twin sons, Paul and Aaron, both 15, demonstrating the benefits of using the product.

They are in negotiations with "major distribution channels" as well as local chiropractors – who are one of their key target markets.

John, from Chipstead, added: "We have spent the last two-and-a-half years honing our product because it is a logical solution to a universal problem.

"The weight of the shopping bags is spread across the shoulders rather than the back so it takes the weight off and could help with long-term health."

The pair want the finished product to be yellow, although they know it may not be a fashion accessory.

John said: "My son went off to university so I gave him a big bag of Safe Lifts to give to his mates but he said to me, 'I'm not walking the streets of Bristol with that'.

"Well, after the first trip to the shops, he was using it all the time."

Bilal and John have a production deal for the Safe Lift with the largest manufacturers of rubber car mats in the country and want to keep it as an English product.

John said: "Everything seems to come from abroad, but we want to keep it as an EU product and preferably English.

"Wouldn't it be nice to have a successful worldwide product which came from Croydon?"

VIDEO: Wacky invention banishes woe of carrying shopping

VOTE 2014: Where does Labour stand in Croydon?

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In the first of a series of articles looking at where Croydon's political parties stand on key issues for the 2014 council elections, chief reporter Gareth Davies talks to Labour leader Tony Newman

Before the last election you promised to introduce free school meals for all primary school pupils – do you remain committed to this pledge?

Tony Newman: "Given the Government cuts to local authorities across the country, everything that anyone has previously pledged is under review. We're very actively looking at breakfast clubs, targeted at schools in areas with the greatest deprivation. In times of austerity there are a lot of children missing that meal. Some of the clubs are already up and running and there's a lot of evidence that they work. But, in terms of the school lunches I think, at the moment, it's unrealistic. In the light of the cuts we're having to be very hard-nosed."

You've been an outspoken critic of the council's new headquarters and the council's town centre Urban Regeneration Vehicle (CCURV). What would you do with it if elected?

"We've made it very clear that a complete review of CCURV will be one of our day one agenda items. One of our clear priorities will be a dramatic expansion in the building of affordable housing. We think there's potential for CCURV to be redesigned to help deliver that, but if that potential doesn't exist then the future of CCURV would be up for grabs. We are currently looking at all, and I mean all, options. Yes [that includes pulling out completely] but I'm confident we will be able to renegotiate CCURV to deliver Labour's priorities."

Would a Labour council raise or freeze council tax?

"In each of the last four years we've voted with the Conservatives to freeze it and my expectations we would do that next year. What I can't do, effectively two years out, is go beyond that but I will say a Labour administration would be determined to keep council tax as low as possible."

Would Labour reinstate the ten school crossing patrols recently axed by the council?

"Assuming the schools and the parents want them, the answer is yes.

The only caveat is if they are on an automated crossing [a number of the affected patrols were] the answer might be different.

If it's an automated crossing that works, it might not need to be looked at. Where there's a zebra crossing and no other protection for children the answer is yes."

What would you do to tackle the issue of homelessness in Croydon?

"The critical thing is the supply of housing, both to buy and rent, and where there are new homes being built making sure that a higher proportion are affordable. So not the ten per cent [cabinet member for regeneration] Jason Perry looks for, but 30 per cent. We're absolutely committed to that as a minimum."

You have criticised the council's pensions investment in the tobacco industry – would this stop under Labour?

"That would end as soon as possible. The idea you could have a huge organisation, responsible for public health, investing in the country's biggest killer is completely unacceptable."

What would a Labour council do to create more school places?

"I think we still have reasonable space in the borough [in which to build new schools].

The bullet we might have to bite is that, while there is land across Croydon, we may have to build some schools and then transport children across the borough if need be.

To me converting former office blocks into schools smacks of desperation.

I would much rather be planning properly, which is what isn't happening at the moment."

You have also criticised the decision to introduce fortnightly black bin collections. Would you reinstate weekly collections?

"This will be another thing we will review very quickly. One thing I can say is you may not have the same frequency of service everywhere. There are places where there is a high density of housing where a weekly collection may be the answer. There are other places where it may not be."

Labour is often highly critical of fly-tipping and the state of Croydon's streets – what would you do to tackle the problem?

"We're looking at having a very highly publicised, simple number to ring for people to report fly-tipping and we're going to make it an absolute priority to clean up those parts of the borough that need it.

We're going to make a very high profile attack on fly-tipping, seek the most punitive penalties possible for those caught doing it and clean up the mess in the mean time."

Can you categorically rule out closing any of Croydon's libraries in your next term, if elected?

"I can categorically rule out closing any libraries. We will also look pull out of the contract with John Laing [which has an agreement to run libraries for the council]. I want to see the libraries back initially under the arm of the council and then we want to see a model where local communities, if they want to, can take control and run their libraries."

VOTE 2014: Where does Labour stand in Croydon?


"Dangerous" fly-tipping puts power supply at risk

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MATTRESSES, fridges and ironing boards have all been dumped at electricity substations delivering essential power supplies. More than 150 of the sites have been the target of illegal fly-tipping this year in London, the South East and East of England – with other items found including sofas, desks, toasters, bottles, tree clippings, cans, building rubble, guttering and tyres. The incidents can put power supplies at risk by delaying access to vital equipment and endanger staff visiting the sites to carry out inspections, maintenance or repairs. Dumped settees and other large waste can also be tempting for children to climb, who might not understand the severe dangers of entering an electricity substation. Jim Nicholl, lead environmental adviser at UK power networks said: "Fly-tipping can delay the reconnection of power supplies by blocking access to our essential electricity distribution equipment. "It is also dirty, dangerous and can be harmful to our staff and the public. We are appealing to the public to help us by reporting any sightings of fly-tipping at the sites which bring power to their properties." The group is urging people to call if they see rubbish blocking a substation, so the waste can be safely removed. Cleaning up dumped items has already cost UK Power Networks several thousand pounds this year. Anyone who sees fly-tipping blocking access to a substation can report it to the company on 0845 601 4516.

Large bag in the road causing problems on the M23

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DRIVERS are being urged to be cautious this morning as there is a large bag on the middle lane of the M23 northbound at Junction 10 for Crawley. No other major problems have been reported on roads in the area at the moment. Meanwhile a good service is also running on the trains, after the widespread disruption yesterday. On the tubes minor delays are currently operating on the Central, Hammersmith and City and Metropolitan lines, but otherwise there is a good service. Trams are also running smoothly at present,

Large bag in the road causing problems on the M23

TRAVEL: M25 traffic and train delays through Coulsdon

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The M25 is slow this morning clockwise at Junction 10, for Wisley and the A3. Meanwhile the A3 is also slow northbound approaching this interchange at Junction 10. Elsewhere there are also delays to drivers on the M25 anticlockwise at Junction 12 for the M3. Meanwhile there are currently no trains running between Tattenham Corner and Coulsdon Town due to signalling issues. Tickets are being accepted on London Buses between Tattenham Corner and Purley and also Metrobus routes 420 and 460.

TRAVEL: M25 traffic and train delays through Coulsdon

M25 closures for major widening scheme

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A MAJOR upgrade of the M25 will lead to a series of overnight closures later this month. The scheme will increase capacity on the road between Junction 5 for Sevenoaks, Junctions 6 for Godsone and Junction 7 for the M23. The London-bound M26 between the M20 and the M25 will also be closed on selected dates while gantries and signs are installed, the Highways Agency said. John Payne, Highways Agency project manager said: "We have now completed the new concrete central reservation barrier and are progressing with work to convert the hard shoulder into a live running lane. As we move on and work on different sections of the project, we need to alter the road layout as we go. "We're also installing new gantries and signs which will ultimately provide road users with valuable information that will reduce congestion and improve journey time reliability. "To do all that we need to temporarily close carriageways, and to minimise the disruption to road users, we have planned the closures to take place overnight, when traffic flows are lowest. I would advise anyone wishing to use the M25 on these dates to plan their journeys in advance and allow extra time." The M25 will be closed anti-clockwise between Junctions 6 and 5 overnight, weather permitting, on Saturday 21 September, Saturday 28 September, Saturday 5 October, Saturday 16 November, Saturday 23 November and Saturday 30 November. Drivers will be diverted via the A22 and A25. Meanwhile the Londonbound M26 between the M20 and the M25 will be closed overnight on Saturday September 21 between 10pm and 6am, on Sunday September 22 between 10.30pm and 5.30am and from Monday 23 to Thursday 26 September inclusive between 10pm and 5.30am. Drivers will be diverted via the A20 and the M20.

M25 closures for major widening scheme

Music Technology Evening Course at Carshalton College

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If you fancy delving into the world of music technology and having a go at making a beat or track, fancy giving DJ or live performance a shot, or want to gain experience in our fully featured facilities then our Music Technology Evening course could be for you.

Commencing Wednesday 2 October 2013, the 10 week course costs only £110.

All music technology students at Carshalton College now work on brand new Apple iMac computers with both Cubase and Logic Pro installed as standard. Both studio PCs have state of the art Apple Mac PRO computers with Intel Xeon processors. We also have a large range of professional microphones for recording vocals and instruments courtesy of SE Electronics.

The music technology team also have several avenues open to the DJ performance side of things with Pioneer CDJs turntables, Ableton Live with Akai APC40 controller and Native Instruments Traktor PRO with S4 controller. Our studio 2 has been redesigned and treated with acoustic tiling to get things sounding really tight. And of course we still have Studio 1 with our fantastic live room and 24track recording facility.

Not only do you get to learn on the most up to date equipment and software but you also have the expertise of one of our music technology tutors Nat Ryles. Nat is a music tech guru, starting his life as a dance music producer and DJ way back in the late 1980s. He has plenty of industry experience as a record label manager, promoter, live and recording engineer and has travelled the world performing at some of the largest underground dance music festivals on the planet. The key to Nat's value here at the College is that he is still very much active within the industry writing, recording and performing.

The Carshalton College Music Technology Evening Course is a friendly and laid back workshop where the students are free from the bother of assessments and written work. Everyone is encouraged to communicate their needs and desires with the tutor so that their time can be used as productively as possible during the sessions. The equipment is there to learn on and gain experience of, and the tutor is there for help and guidance. All levels of skill are welcome, from absolute beginners looking to have a go, to the semi-professional looking to brush up on advanced techniques.

Please contact our Customer Services team on 020 8544 4501 or via email at cs@carshalton.ac.uk for more information and to enrol on the course.

Music Technology Evening Course at Carshalton College

Creative Opportunities at Carshalton College

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Mark Gatehouse, Team Leader for Creative Technologies, has been a tutor at Carshalton College for 5 years. Joining as an Interactive Media Tutor in the Creative Industries department, Mark has now taken on a new role in the IT team. With a varied and interesting career, wealth of expertise and knowledge across a number of creative areas, Mark provides a fantastic enthusiasm with his teaching and plenty of opportunities to learn.

Leaving school at 18, Mark joined Sainsbury's before realising he wanted to follow his passion for photography and completed the BA (Hons) Film and Photographic Arts course at the University of Westminster. Following his teacher training, Mark has worked at various schools, colleges and universities teaching photography, video production, games design and interactive media.

His career outside teaching has included working with professionals across the media sector including famous directors. Mark was an authorised photographer for IBM, shot images for Calvin Klein and SEAT, illustrated computer books, worked as an IT Director for an advertising agency and his studio was one of the first in the country to turn a profit from digital imaging. He has exhibited widely in London and won an RX Club award in New York for a medical advertising series.

Talking about his love for teaching, Mark said

"It is the continuously varied enthusiasm of students that makes the job interesting. Carshalton College is the perfect size to encourage students to develop interests across a wide spectrum of creative areas without being pigeon holed. I love learning, experimenting and having the chance to do this everyday makes me happy.

With the convergence of the creative and IT subjects in our department, we are now ideally situated to deliver a truly STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics) curriculum that fully engages with industry."

The department works hard to maintain strong links with Media and Games Development networks, enabling our students to gain access to industry specialists and take part in activities with real life briefs and exhibitions. These include the Worldskills Games Development Competition, where Games students, Sean Covell & Laura Nelson, rose to the challenge at the London regional heat and Sean secured his place as one of the final ten competitors (taking place in November in Birmingham) and Laura made it through to the reserve list.

There have been placements with Film Production companies, 36 students took part in a project to set up a working media company, work has been submitted to the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, students presented responses to live briefs with Lloyds Bank and BT, submitted work to the Holocaust Exhibition with London Borough of Sutton Council and coming up before Christmas the students will be running a stall in Sutton High Street.

His advice to students interested in creative subjects would be

"Be open to new ideas, learn everything and not just the software, think outside the box, look for similarities and not differences and kick the doors open!"

Talking about the College, Mark said

"One of the great things about working at Carshalton College is that we work successfully as a team to get the very best out of our learners and to position the College at the heart of our community. This year we have a new HNC to offer local people the opportunity to access Higher Education and careers in Music. We are opening up our facilities on Saturdays to run a Coder Dojo for parents and young people to use our facilities for their own creative projects. In the spring we are holding a massive Creative Technology careers fair with some really great companies and Universities taking part. We are also working with our major sponsor Autodesk to become the first accredited Academic Autodesk Training Centre for Media and Entertainment!

Better find your sunglasses as the future looks bright"

For more information on all the courses within our Creative Industries department including Art & Design, Music Technology, Digital Media & Games and Information Technology, please clickhere

Creative Opportunities at Carshalton College

Hope for businesses in the South East

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BUSINESSES in the South East have reason to be at their most optimistic since 2011. The average company in the region with a turnover of £20 million or less is expecting to grow revenue by 149 per cent over the next five years, according to new research from Santander. Not only is this is an increase on the 140 per cent five-year growth forecast in 2012, but it is also one of the most optimistic of any region in the UK. Additionally, more than a third of businesses in the area are looking to hire new staff as an immediate priority – the highest in the UK. Gwyn Price, Santander Corporate and Commercial regional director said: "Understandably, many businesses across the South East remain cautious given the current environment. However, our latest growth survey reveals the most optimistic five-year outlook for three years. Figures that indicate firms are increasing efforts to hire new staff are also to be welcomed. "Despite an increase in optimism, we encourage businesses to remain focused on business fundamentals and plan responsibly for future growth. For firms across the South East that have survived the past few years of economic volatility and are well positioned to seize future opportunities, basics such as effective cash flow management, first-rate customer service and long-term strategic planning remain key to ensuring they can realise their ambitions." Nationally, the study revealed UK businesses as a whole are predicting turnover growth of an average 134 per cent in the next five years, equivalent to 18.5 per cent a year, and up considerably from the 88 per cent five-year growth forecast in last year's survey. Despite the increase in optimism, however, UK businesses are still facing stiff challenges with half of those polled reporting they are focussed on "survival" as an immediate priority. This is down from 54% in 2012 but higher than in 2011 when the figure stood at 47%.

Hope for businesses in the South East


Man charged after pensioner tricked into handing over bank cards

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A MAN has been arrested and charged after an elderly woman was tricked into handing over her bank cards in East Grinstead. The charge relates to an incident in East Grinstead on September 2 when the pensioner was conned into handing over her cards and details. Hundreds of pounds of cash was then withdrawn from cash machines. Shaun Moore, 21, of New Addington, London, was arrested on Tuesday (September 10) and charged with conspiracy to commit fraud between July 18 and September 10. He appeared before Croydon magistrates yesterday (Thursday) and was remanded in custody to appear again today (Friday).

Man charged after pensioner tricked into handing over bank cards

Train death victim branded 'selfish' and 'stupid' on Twitter

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SELFISH, inconsiderate, stupid – these are some of the printable words used by insensitive commuters this week to describe a man hit by a train outside East Croydon Station.

Hundreds took to Twitter to blame the man for making them late to work and, in some cases, to swear at him for apparently taking his own life during the Monday morning rush hour.

The volume of uncaring messages, sent in the same week as Suicide Awareness Day, has shocked some and led charity Samaritans to warn of the potentially devastating consequences of internet "trolling".

Perhaps more concerning than those who joked or used words unrepeatable on this page, were the sheer number of people who were blasé or simply annoyed about the prospect of being delayed.

The Advertiser has created a graphic – from a cross section of more than 150 tweets – which shows the most prominent words used following the man's death.

These include 'selfish', 'inconsiderate' and 'delayed', and shows insensitivity was far from confined to trolls.

Virginiapuri tweeted: "Wish people would stop jumping in front of trains in Croydon or at least do it at a better time #cantdealwithdelays."

Another poster, DeeLRTP, wrote: "What selfish inconsiderate ***** killed themselves in east Croydon."

Plomade tweeted: "So I've been sacked from work because some **** decided to make me 2 hours late by committing sewerside [sic] in Croydon."

BethanyOx displayed the same attitude, tweeting: "Thanks to the person who killed themselves at East Croydon, your [sic] making me late & probs going to cost me my job!"

D4RRYL tweeted: "So basically all my trains are going to be delayed because another person has thrown themselves under a train. Happy Monday."

JordanB42 was similarly uncaring, posting: "People who jump in front of trains are the most inconsiderate *********."

JordyGreaves was among the most offensive of tweeters, posting: "Hate selfish people who jump in front of trains. Kill yourself at home."

Naishy89 tweeted: "Apparently someone has been hit by a train at East Croydon. Hit no doubt means a selfish bugger's disrupted everyone's journey."

Another, Oreecle, asked: "Selfish ****. Couldn't they wait until after rush hour?"

And, with a depressing lack of irony, Sabs_mc posted: "STRESS. Forgot my bag and some selfish person got hit at east croydon so my train to Gatwick is delayed #whyme."

Samaritans director Rachel Kirby-Rider said such tweets were a worrying feature of social media.

"People who send such messages are not aware of the consequences for those who have been bereaved," she explained.

"Each death leaves a family without a parent sibling or child.

"Comments such as these are neither sensitive nor helpful."

There were those on twitter disgusted by the response.

Tishyfish wrote: "Someone died at East Croydon & all people are complaining about is they're late for work. Get some perspective on your lives people."

Kingdomhorse tweeted: "Don't get me wrong, it's a travel nightmare when this happens but maybe the crowd at East Croydon could spare a thought for the victim?"

Jillibillysilly posted: "To the people complaining about the poor soul in East Croydon...you are everything that is wrong with society."

Train death victim branded 'selfish' and 'stupid' on Twitter

'I'll be giving my all here'

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CAMERON JEROME is keen to make a good impression at Palace after completing a season-long loan move on deadline day - and has hailed co-chairman Steve Parish for making the transfer happen.

The striker's move south from Stoke may have surprised a few supporters but he has been impressed by what he's seen so far at the club's training ground and already knows about the passionate fans in one particular area of Selhurst Park too.

"You have to make the right impression and give your all with good performances. I'm sure the fans will take to not just me, but all the new signings," Jerome said.

"The fans seem to be quite notorious for making a racket behind the goal in the Holmesdale Stand. I watched the Sunderland game on television and the support there was fantastic.

"I think that's really important for fans to get right behind us. It can spur us to winning football matches, especially at home.

"I've only trained two or three times. I haven't been down here that long but it's been good.

"The manager has made me feel welcome and the chairman especially too. He played a big part in getting me down here.

"He's sorted every single thing really, he's hands-on, and most chairmen don't really get involved in that many things, but Steve likes to and he cares a lot about the players and how everyone is.

"That goes a long way for the players, so he was a huge factor for me.

"I'm just looking forward to bedding in with the new players and hopefully we can click together quickly. We have a half-decent squad here.

"I've played with one or two of them before and I know a few of them from playing against them in the past.

"The boys are spot-on, there are no egos here and Palace have always been renowned for being a well-run family club. That's the impression I've got so far."

The former Birmingham City man admits there had been other interest in his services during the transfer window, but once he knew of Palace's intentions, he "jumped at the chance" to join up with manager Ian Holloway.

And he hinted he may review his personal situation at the end of the season should Palace have a successful campaign and avoid relegation.

"I had a few options over the transfer window, but it was a case of I wasn't really available until the last part of the window, and that was on loan only," said Jerome.

"Palace jumped at the chance and I jumped at the chance to come to the club. It wasn't a case of I had to leave, the opportunity was just there.

"I wasn't pushing for a move at all, I was more than happy to come and be part of Crystal Palace and what the manager is trying to build here.

"As a player, you want to play in every game.

"Sometimes it's not possible, but now I want to work hard to get in the team and keep up my performances to keep my place in the side.

"I don't think there are any guarantees in the team at Palace, there are no egos, and as a footballer you have to work hard to put in the performances on a Saturday.

"We just have to maintain our Premier League status.

"But I just hope to do well for myself, do well for the team, and then just see what happens from there."

'I'll be giving   my all here'

MP calls for action on state of Portland Road

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AN MP has hit out at fellow Conservatives on Croydon Council for their "unacceptable" neglect of Portland Road.

Croydon Central MP Gavin Barwell said around 5,000 residents have complained about the state of the street and were "understandably infuriated" by the amount of fly-tipping, prompting him to demand the council invest in the area.

"The current state of Portland Road is unacceptable and I'll be working hard to make sure something is done about it," he said.

"Over the years, Croydon Council has invested wisely in many areas across the borough, including the excellent job they've done on Lower Addiscombe Road, but the residents I spoke to feel Portland Road has been neglected.

"I've spoken to the council about installing CCTV cameras at the sites where people are persistently dumping rubbish, making sure that when properties are converted to flats adequate provision is made for bins, and recycling boxes and providing some large communal bins."

However, Woodside ward councillor and leader of Croydon Labour party Tony Newman said the MP was "two years too late in his criticism of the council's approach to street cleaning".

He said: "Gavin Barwell has remorselessly supported Croydon Council over its cuts to the budget which we warned would cause a litter epidemic.

"Unusually it was even one of the main issues in Steve Reed's parliamentary by-election for Croydon North last year – it's an issue that affects most of Croydon, not just Portland Road.

"Barwell is not helping with these comments running the area down. That in itself will prevent people investing in the road.

"I agree there is a problem with the 100-metre stretch at the north end coming from South Norwood Hill with many shop fronts closed.

"This area needs very careful thinking as it is one of the arterial routes into the town centre so cannot be cut off for development for any significant period of time."

Councillor Paul Scott, who chairs the Friends of Portland Road group, said he did not want to criticise Mr Barwell's move for change but felt he had ignored it for years.

He said: "We started this group in 2005 and drew up a comprehensive plan with the then Labour council to regenerate the area.

"In 2006, when the Conservatives took over and Barwell was on the cabinet, the plan was dropped.

"The area needs serious support and investment, not just a bit of money to repair pavements and put up hanging baskets."

The council said it was planning to redirect £200,000 of funding from another area to be spent in Portland Road around the leisure centre.

"A proposal is currently being developed to invest a further £1.5 million into environmental improvements," a spokesman said.

"If approved the next step will be to consult local businesses and residents in order to agree the specific improvements which are most needed.

"The fly-tipping issues in this area are already being prioritised for enforcement so those responsible can be caught and fined or prosecuted.

"We're also reviewing planning guidance so that future developments take into account changes to the way that waste is managed with a greater emphasis on recycling."

MP calls for action on state of Portland Road

Boss pleased with attitude in friendly

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PALACE boss Ian Holloway says he was happy with the players' attitude in their 2-0 friendly win over the Oman national team on Tuesday, despite a number of them failing to make his 25-man squad last week.

Owen Garvan, Florian Marange, Aaron Wilbraham and Stephen Dobbie, who were omitted by the boss last Tuesday, all started the game at Selhurst Park, with Dobbie opening the scoring in the second half.

And Holloway would have fielded more of his new signings if they had not been away on international duty.

"It was something we felt was right to do a couple of months ago when we were offered it and I think it worked out well," he said.

"Oman were neat and tidy and it shows that everybody in the world can keep the ball now. I think that's the future of football now, to retain possession and get an end product out of it.

"It was better than training so it was good, that's all you can ask. The attitude was good, despite the disappointment some of them must be feeling.

"Life is about your attitude. If you don't get what you want, it's what you do about it, and these are a great group of lads.

"Obviously, with the rules we're under in this division, I would have been allowed 30 players last year but I'm only allowed 25 now.

"It was good to see the fans there. I think they'd hoped one or two more of the new signings were playing, but obviously with the international break, we had six away."

Left-back Jonathan Parr completed 60 minutes on his comeback from injury, while Darcy Blake also managed to get game time under his belt.

But Holloway says it looks like Blake will make a loan move after he failed to make the final squad too.

"What he's had to go through, it's not easy so we're all wishing him the best and helping him through," he said.

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