The 400-plus years since his day have seen the town transform into a commuter and retail centre, its population swelling by hundreds of thousands, with newcomers arriving from across the world.

But now, the powerful charity the Archbishop started here wants to recall those and previous years, even as it works on reshaping the borough's future.

With plans taking shape under the £1billion pound deal to redevelop the Whitgift shopping centre and chunks of Old Town, the Whitgift Foundation is organising a wide-ranging heritage festival.

The first Croydon Heritage Festival will take place this June, featuring tours of Whitgift's historical buildings, plus as many exhibitions, shows and talks as people care to host.

Martin Corney, clerk to the foundation, says the event, which will run from June 3 to 23, is a chance to take stock of the borough's past ahead of the long-awaited major redevelopment.

He said: "I am very excited that something is happening, and I think in terms of developments for Croydon, lots of things are going to start to emerge.

"And one of the things that I have been talking to them [developers] about is repositioning Croydon and the image of the town and celebrating what it has. And we have such a diverse community here."

Croydon-based public relations company White Label Consultants is organising the festival for Whitgift and wants people to get in touch if they want to host festival events.

White Label representative Rosanna Farrar says projects should be accepted as long as they are "safe and heritage-themed", and organisers hope to see events across the borough.

"It is a platform for anybody," Ms Farrar said. "So we are looking at things like historical tours, talks from experts, film, photography, music, dance, the arts – you name it.

"We are very keen to give local authors a platform during the festival to read excerpts, and we are inviting local actors to come along and give recitals."

Hosting an event under the festival's remit means promotion in its publicity materials and use of its official logo, as well as other support.

"What we have found is there are ways in which we can provide support by introducing people," added Ms Farrar.

"For example, somebody is looking to move an exhibition into the Croydon area in time for the festival and she is worried about paying someone to do that.

"But actually, with the contacts we are making, I am sure that everyone will work together to make those possible."

Local history group The Bourne Society, which covers southern parts of the borough including Purley, Sanderstead and Coulsdon, is one of the groups hoping to take part.

Its chairman Paul Sandford said: "We have put everybody on alert for the opportunities available and we are certainly keen to take part in it."

Organisers are also talking with other history groups, such as the Friends of Shirley Windmil and community groups outside the town centre, so the diversity of the borough is reflected.

The centrepiece of the festival will be a public event in North End on June 8, while Whitgift's assets, such as Old Palace School and the Almshouses in central Croydon will, of course, feature heavily.

To take part in the festival, e-mail rose@whitelabelconsultants .org.uk. or call 020 8726 7968.

THE extremely muddy countryside in Catton Park, Derbyshire, was the unlikely magnet for some 2,000 young athletes representing more than 40 counties at the ESAA Cross-Country Championships, most of whom seemed to revel in the conditions.

Five local athletes proudly ran in Surrey gold with varying degrees of success in fields of 300 or so athletes, and three of them contributed significantly to major team achievements.

Trinity school senior Sophie Foreman placed high throughout, and was doubly rewarded with a fighting fifth-place finish, just 40 seconds behind the winner, as well as leading her team to a comfortable runners-up spot.

Fellow Trinity School student Peter Chambers was experiencing a slight off-day.

He almost fell at one point but recovered well to finish 23rd, 50 seconds behind the winner and feature in probably the most emphatic team win in the history of the championships with 74 points.

Kent came second on 289 points and Yorkshire third with 481 points.

Another Croydon Harrier, intermediate girl Stevie Lawrence, came 97th and contributed to a double Surrey success in that team category, with the county placing a solid second in the main competition and winning the special R Brown trophy for the first team to close in all its runners too.

Wilson's intermediate Tom Holden, of South London Harriers, was very unfortunate, succumbing to a health problem shortly after the start, but such is his talent he can be confident of returning soon as a significant threat to his peers.

Kieron Connor had a tough baptism in mud on his national debut but he acquitted himself well without making the scoring six, but his is certainly a name to watch.

In the highlights from the ParkRun action last Saturday morning, Rob Spalding came home as a runner-up at the Roundshaw Downs event, while Josie Kavanagh triumphed in the women's category.

Norman Hemming completed his 100th ParkRun event at the same venue.

At the Crystal Palace indoor sprint series, five Harriers were in action the previous Wednesday with 15-year-old Daniel Luke impressing with 7.29 seconds.

Also in the U17 men's category were Darel Stone (7.48secs), Peter Olusakin (7.70secs) and Alex Roberts (7.99secs), while Shaquielle Cameron (7.73secs) flew the flag in the U20 men's races.

On the road, Sophie Bates finished third in the Valentines 10K in 39 minutes and 23 seconds.

TWO centres providing vital "safe havens" where children from broken families can meet their parents will close at the end of May.

The Welcare charity says cuts in funding and a reduction in the number of children being referred to it for support have made it impossible to keep its child contact services in Croydon and Sutton going.

Its services based in Mitcham Road, West Croydon, and Robin Hood Lane, Sutton, will stop operating on May 31.

Heather Brown, Welcare's contact service coordinator, said the decision would affect around 90 families and 170 children.

Welcare provides facilities where children whose parents are separated or divorced can meet with the parent with whom they are not living in safe and supervised conditions.

The service is considered to play a vital role in helping children to not become totally alienated from one of their parents.

Many of the parents locally involved with Welcare pay for the service but in recent years the charity has found it increasingly hard to raise money to remain on a sound financial footing.

The situation has been made worse this year by the withdrawal of £20,000 of funding from Sutton Council, which has decided to carry out its contact work in-house.

The Child and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS) has also reduced its funding by £10,000 and Croydon Council is cutting the number of children it refers to Welcare.

Ms Brown said: "We need £200,000 a year to pay staff and for the other operating costs.

"The trustees have looked closely at the finances and found that this year we would have been left with a deficit of £98,000.

"They have decided they just do not have the revenue to keep the service going."

Maria Oliphant, who uses the Croydon service, said it had been vital in enabling her child to keep in touch with her father.

She said: "It is important to me for my child to have that contact but now I am going to have to look for something else and there are very few facilities like this."

A 63-YEAR-OLD man with a triple heart bypass has been forced to cook his crumpets by stealing electricity on the landing after a leak from upstairs blew his fusebox.

Patrick Collins was at home in Chertsey Crescent, New Addington, on Sunday night when water started "cascading" down his electricity meters and the lights went out.

He said: "It got straight into the meters and I said; 'I am not going to touch that.' The electrician came out and said not to touch it, that it was unsafe."

Not wanting to go hungry, Mr Collins plugged his toaster into the cleaner's supply on the landing until his electricity could be restored.

He said: "Tell me a judge that is going to nick me for that. When my daughter came up I was on the landing doing crumpets and my tea.

"She was laughing but I said 'what am I supposed to do'?"

The leak comes from rainwater coming through the roof of the block of flats onto the top floor landing and through to Mr Collins's flat underneath. He says the flat has suffered from leaks and damp for more than six years; problems he has reported to the council numerous times.

He added: "If the council had taken it seriously from the beginning none of this would be going on."

Retired security officer Mr Collins, who had a triple heart bypass operation last year, added: "I spoke to the fire brigade. They said it won't set fire but it might make a hell of a bang.

"I said, 'Well I have just had a heart attack; I don't need another bang'."

He added that damp and leaks appeared to be both cause and effect of freezing conditions in his home, and said: "I got my £200 [fuel money] from the government but it was used before Christmas.

"I am feeling it more this year because of my operation. It would be better if I had not started smoking again but I cannot sit here with all this going on and not smoke."

A Croydon Council spokesman said: "We were first made aware of the leak in December and arranged for metal sheets to be put in place on the roof. These are being manufactured by a specialist contractor.

"We have also cleared out limescale in the rainwater pipes which had prevented the roof from coping with heavy rainfall.

"We have checked the electrical fittings in Mr Collins's flat and advised him that there is no danger, and that we will repair any damage to his property as a result of the leak."

THE land agents responsible for a block of flats in Kenley have been prosecuted for blighting the lives of residents in a landmark case for Croydon Council

Nowsad Gani, who runs Gani and Company, which manages the block between 286 and 312 Old Lodge Lane, pleaded guilty to breaching the Environmental Protection Act by failing to ensure rubbish was removed from the site on a monthly basis.

Simon Kiely, prosecuting, admitted Gani had removed one load of rubbish after being issued a notice in June last year, but had not managed to control the level of fly-tipping since.

As a result, the council had paid £152.60 "out of the public purse" for contractors to remove the waste – which included domestic appliances, armchairs, computers, mattresses and cooking implements.

"The council received many complaints from local residents and the company failed in their obligation to clear the site. It cost taxpayers and damaged the local area," Mr Keily said.

However, Zack Simons, defending, told Croydon Magistrates' Court that Gani had been a land agent for 20 years with more than 180 properties in the area and had never been in trouble with the court before.

He said: "Mr Gani runs a responsible business and always deals with complaints. He removed the rubbish in June 2012 and then wrote to the tenants who live in the block of flats to remind them to deal with their waste. He did more than was asked of him.

"There are better ways of dealing with this kind of problem out of court. The council should have told Mr Gani about the problem earlier and he would have sorted it out."

Gani was fined £400 and ordered to pay the council £152.60 and contribute £500 to courts costs. He was also ordered to pay a £40 victim surcharge.

After the hearing, Gani said: "That block of flats has problems with the occupiers and we have had calls from the police a number of times about drugs.

"The council could have worked with us rather than prosecuting us. We are trying everything possible but there is a problem with that particular block."

David Hooper, a resident of Old Lodge Lane, is worried the surrounding properties could be devalued by the rubbish. He said: "We want to protect our area and this is destroying it. The agent should put up cameras or have someone on site. This will not end with one court case."

Last month, the Advertiser received complaints from residents in Old Lodge Lane, claiming they had seen discarded bottles of methadone – a heroin substitute used to rehabilitate drug addicts – yards from a primary school.

Kenley councillor Steve O'Connell said he welcomed the "severe poke in the eye" the company had received and thought it an important measure to force the agent to take responsibility for the site.

Croydon Council said it was the first time it had managed to prosecute an agent with failing to clean up fly-tipping regularly or control the issue.

You probably had firm ideas about parenting before you had children. Did you ever judge as you saw a parent managing a tantrum in the supermarket? Or tut as you heard a child arguing back or being bribed to behave well with sweets? Maybe you believed that "I will never do that."

There are few things more humbling than parenthood. It can bring reality crashing down to challenge what we thought we knew before the children arrived. And our parenting has such a big impact: we are raising the next generation.

So much has to be experienced and discovered along the way in parenting. What kind of person will they be? What kind of parent are you? What are the bits of parenting that you will find enjoyable and which bits of the job are challenging and torturous?

Have you used your upbringing as a model for your parenting, or as warning for how to be the complete opposite? And what are your dreams, plans, hopes and fears for your children's future?

One thing is certain: parents have to keep adapting to the age and stage of their children, and need to keep learning to manage each one. Parents have an easier job when they are supported by family or their community.

Each family has principles that are important in guiding its parenting, but there is no such thing as a universal set of parenting rules and best practice because each child and family is different.

Croydon has the largest population of any London borough – 342,000 people live here. The borough also has more children and young people than any other London borough. Some 82,000 Croydon residents are under the age of 18 and the school population census (Summer 2012) showed 52,000 are children of school age (5-16).

Our children are educated in 120 state schools and a smaller number of private ones. There are 120 parks and playgrounds. There are youth clubs, playgroups, after school clubs, children's centres and countless numbers of organisations and businesses which are providing services, experiences, education, entertainment and support.

It takes a village to raise a child. We are lucky in Croydon; we have a town. The aim of this page is to support you as a parent, and to bring you news, views, learning and resources, so that you can enjoy raising your children in Croydon. On this page, in our neighbourhood newspaper, we can come together as a community, to grow and learn as parents.

You can help to shape this page and make it useful for you.

Ask us your parenting questions.

Tell us the parenting issues that are worrying you.

Share a tip or strategy that works well in your home.

Invite us to review an event, club or business that provides services for families.

As Croydon parents, let's share, learn and teach together.

E-mail your thoughts to newsdesk@croydonadvertiser.co.uk

THE Duchess of Cornwall is coming to the borough again this morning - this time visiting the world-famous Brit School.
It will be the third visit in as many years by Camilla, having previously come to Croydon in the aftermath of the riots in August 2011 with husband Prince Charles.
Last September, the couple visited again, this time touring Surrey Street and the Old Town, before meeting local businesspeople at Matthews Yard.
The Duchess is due to meet students and watch performances during her visit to the Brit, which over the years has spawned the likes of chart stars Adele, Amy Winehouse, and Leona Lewis.
Students from the Selhurst school have already been Tweeting this morning, in anticipation of their special guest's arrival.
Keep following this website for updates, photographs, and reaction from the visit.

Wilson's School in Wallington is planning to permit girls for the first time in 400 years.

The prestigious boys' grammar today announced it was to consult with parents, staff and students on a proposal to both expand and become co-educational.

The move comes after  all secondary schools in the Sutton area were asked to consider whether they would be willing to expand to meet the expected growth in the number of pupils already entering  the borough's primary schools.

A statement released by governors said: "Wilson's wishes to respond to that challenge and has considered carefully what kind of expansion would be best, not only for the school, but also for the community.
"Parents and children in the area are fortunate in having access to a wide range of excellent schools, both selective and comprehensive. Currently, however, they do not have the choice of a selective, co-educational school."
It continued: "We believe that parents will be delighted to have this choice added to the range already available to them. We know that many parents and students prefer co-education and this will provide parents, for the first time, with the opportunity to send their sons and daughters to the same selective school."

Under the plans the school, whose old boys include Michael Caine, will expand from five to six forms of entry and become fully co-educational in Year 7 and the sixth form from September 2015.
If the proposal is backed by parents, staff and students the school said it would consult more widely with the community.

The governors' statement added: "Wilson's School will be celebrating its 400th anniversary in September 2015. As a school with a long history, we are used to taking the long view, as the Governors did when they took the decision to move from Camberwell to Sutton in 1975 to secure the school's future. As we enter the next 400 years of our history, we want to consider how the school can best serve the generations to come and fulfil our Founder Edward Wilson's vision of an education for all. We have come to the conclusion that if Edward Wilson were founding his school today, he would almost certainly found a co-educational school."

THE annual Easter procession through Croydon re-enacting the crucifixion of Jesus will feature the town's bishop addressing the crowd for the first time ever.

The year will be the sixteenth annual "Walk of Witness" event on Good Friday, co-ordinated by all the different church denominations in the borough.

Processions from the United Reformed Church in Addiscombe Grove, the corner of Nottingham Road and Brighton Road, and St. Michael's Church in Poplar Walk, will begin simultaneously at 10.30am and meet at the Whitgift Almshouses in George Street, where the crucifixion will be re-enacted.

A fourth procession will see Jesus, played by local gospel rapper and teacher Frances Beke, carry the cross from outside Marks and Spencer in West Croydon, followed by the Bishop of Croydon, the Rt Rev Jonathan Clark.

Toni Suffolk, who organises the event, said: "This year will be quite special because the bishop is giving an address for the first time. He seems to be much more involved with the community, which is great.

"We were also saved, like last year, by a anonymous donor who sent us funds about six weeks ago, so we're very grateful."

Choirs will begin singing at 10.15am at the Whitgift Almshouses, and then accompany the crucifixion re-enactment when the processions arrive in the centre of town.

WE KNEW what was at stake at Brighton, but we just didn't rise to the occasion.

I think the timing of the goals really knocked the stuffing out of us and it was a tad unfair in my opinion with the deflection for the opener.

There are no complaints from me – this is the Championship. We're in a fantastic position with eight games left and it's down to shrugging off last Sunday and getting on with it.

We are looking to bounce back and we now have two big games in three days coming up.

Our early defending against Brighton was fine, which led us to counter-attack, but we weren't potent and we weren't at it.

We had probably two chances, and one of them was from their own player.

If I can have the game again, I'd do something slightly different. We would have pressed higher up and not let Brighton get in their rhythm, but it didn't work so let's get the crowd up for Birmingham.

I'm sure Brighton would swap where we are right now, but it's about what we're trying to do – I don't really take any notice of anybody else because I'm focused on just us.

They can say they beat us 3-0, but we can say it back from December – let's get on with it.

What is important is totally and utterly getting enough points to get promoted and that's all I'm focused on.

We have to believe in the players and just put Sunday down as just a bad day at the office.

Apparently I'm supposed to be on Twitter, but it's not me at all.

I really think it's just another social abomination in my opinion.

I think you can be anonymous on the thing and if you've got anything to say, you should talk to people and be respectful.

If you're a football supporter, your job is in the word itself - to support. Is it supporting anybody to unleash abuse or bellyache on people? It's not.

No one meant to play like that and no one was more upset in that dressing room, I can tell you all that right now.

My job is to now get the players upbeat again, not criticise people. I picked the team I thought would win but it didn't work.

With the greatest respect, people pay their money and say what they feel, but you cannot be on one of these things like Twitter which wasn't designed for us human beings to actually communicate through.

It was just one bad result. I've never known such an open chairman like Steve Parish and his board to the fans, and at the end of the day, I think you are all very fortunate to have them.

Try being a Blackburn Rovers fan right now and put things into perspective. Let's get up for Birmingham City and Blackpool.

A DEVELOPER delayed plans to fell dozens of trees in Coulsdon after residents reported it to police on the grounds it would be breaking the law.

Affinity Sutton had started planned work this week felling conifers around its development at 408 Chipstead Valley Road, but stopped after residents said the trees contained nesting birds.

Destroying active nests is illegal, and the developer says it is now seeking "specialist advice" on whether nests are present before continuing.

Chipstead Valley Road resident Julie Hockham phoned Affinity and Croydon police as soon as she learnt work was about to start on the 40ft trees.

She said: "If they are going to do it then I accept that these trees are coming down, but do it outside the season. I mean, can you imagine how these birds must feel?

"They would have to wait until September now – they should have done it before."

Ian Scott, head of development at Affinity, said if birds were found to be nesting, the trees would not be removed until the nesting season was over.

He added: "They do need to be removed though as they are in poor condition and have a limited life expectancy, and will be replaced with new trees as well as hedging and fencing."

The in-progress development of 38 affordable homes was approved on appeal to the Planning Inspectorate in 2010, after Croydon Council said it would be too cramped.

Removing the trees around the site is also angering neighbours whose privacy and view they protected.

Woodstock Road resident Michelle Quarton said: "Because they have taken the trees down in the corner I can see right into the development and so I have got no privacy whatsoever."

Mrs Quarton added she had not received a letter warning that the work was about to start, and was shocked to see the contractor chopping down the tree on Monday morning.

She said: "I was milling away doing my housework and putting the washing up and went to let the dog out and I saw a bloke up the tree."

A spokesman for the developer said the trees will be replaced with "a variety" of others, which will grow to "between 3.5 and five metres in height". She did not specify a number.

She added: "This setting will provide an attractive landscape for the much-needed 38 new affordable homes that we are building there for local people."

A Croydon Council spokesman said the authority had visited the site and there were no breaches of planning permission.

PC Teri Lambie, Croydon borough wildlife crime officer said talks on the matter were continuing. She said: "We are speaking to both the local residents and the management company of the land concerned about this to ensure that no offences have or will be committed.

"However, if anyone has concerns about wildlife crime then please speak to your local Safer Neighbourhoods Team and they will be able to advise you on the issue or pass your inquiry on to myself or the Met's Wildlife Crime Unit."

STAFF at specialist global ICT recruitment firm are celebrating the company's highest position in the Sunday Times Best 100 Small Companies to Work for competition.

The 2013 results show the firm, based in Stafford Road, Wallington, has moved up from 13th position last year to number eight this year.

More than 500 small and medium sized companies entered the contest with ratings dependent on judgements made by staff themselves. This year the survey highlighted a number of areas where Penta excelled.

Its work in the community was voted into third place and there were high rankings for the company's apprenticeship scheme and fast track leadership programme.

And there was good news for Penta's founder and chief executive Paul Clark, with 93 per cent of his staff describing him as an inspiring figure who is always developing his own leadership skills and is also considered to be open and honest.

Mr Clark said: "We are thrilled to be recognised as one of the nation's top ten best small businesses to work for and I would like to thank all our staff for their loyalty and commitment to Penta.

"Our people are at the heart of our business and this is a very special award because it is entirely based on feedback from our staff."

He added: "When we launched Penta 15 years ago, we were determined to create an inspiring working environment where staff were valued, recognised, rewarded and well looked after."

AFTER a long winter, Matt Flowers is itching to get back behind the wheel as he prepares for life in the Ginetta GT5 Challenge Championship.

The 24-year-old from Banstead is preparing for his debut season in the championship, which is a feeder series for the British Touring Car Championship and British GT Championship.

And having stormed to the Ginetta G20 Championship in 2012 with 18 out of 19 podium finishes, Flowers cannot wait for the season to start at Oulton Park this weekend.

He said: "I am really looking forward to it.

"It has been a long winter since I last had a race, but it will be nice to get back and I am itching to get going."

Flowers, a former Sutton Grammar School pupil who now works in London for an accountancy firm, has only had three or four days of testing in his new Academy Motorsport car.

However, he said he is ready for the challenge this season, with 21 races at seven different venues, including Spa Francorchamps (Belgium) and Britian's Silverstone, and Brands Hatch.

He said: "The car is much faster than what I am used to and it is a different driving experience [in a G40].

"This Championship will be a lot more competitive and there are a lot of quick young drivers.

"I will have to up my game and it is hard to know what to expect this year, but I know it will be a lot tougher.

"My aim is to try and get to the front as quickly as possible and then hopefully challenge for podiums and wins."

As for last year, Flowers said it was just one of those seasons where everything came together for him as he romped to the title with a 125-point advantage over his nearest rival.

"I had my fair share of luck and a quick car," he said modestly.

"It just all seemed to fall into place and if I could even get close to repeating that, it would be amazing."

But Flowers knows that this year will be a different kettle of fish for him, with his team-mates Will Burns and Oliver Basey Fisher among those fancied in what is considered to be an open battle for the Championship.

Add to that the emergence of Olympic cycling champion Jason Kenny in the sport and it is shaping up to be a good year for the Championship, which will be broadcast on Motors TV.

And while Flowers says that challenging for the title this year may be ambitious in his first year at the level, he is aiming to be battling for titles as soon as possible, with the ultimate ambition to move up to Touring Cars.

OXTED Ladies will have to wait to play their Investec Women's Vase Semi-final after the game was postponed on Sunday.

The O's were due to play West Bridgford Monarchs in the semi-final of the competition that they won for the first time last year, but the game was postponed early in the morning as the Nottinghamshire side was unable to travel due to snow in the Midlands.

A new date for the clash has yet to be confirmed, but it is looking likely that the game will not be played until the weekend of April 13-14.

O's skipper Lisa Nightingale said it was frustrating that the game was postponed, but said that the two sides would at least know who their opponents in the final would be by the time the semi-final is played, with Guernsey and Andover playing on April 7.

She said: "It was frustrating as everyone seemed really pumped up for the game on Sunday.

"We were ready to go and we were really looking forward to the game. But now we have to wait three weeks and hopefully we will be just as pumped up for the game then."

Nightingale added that the postponement did at least extend the holders' season, with the Surrey Premier Division season finishing earlier this month, with the O's finishing second.

But she said that on a personal level, it meant the game would come just a week after the Paris Marathon, which she is running with her brother to raise money for Brain Tumour UK.

Nightingale's father Peter died from a brain tumour last year, while her uncle Graham Nussbaum and family friend Ben Chandler also died as a result of brain tumours.

She said training was going well.

For more informationvisit www.justgiving.com/lisa-and-adam-do-paris