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Clocktower The Committee and Associates of your Aviva Fellowship, Croydon Area, organise a programme of Events for the enjoyment of Members. We've sometimes been told "All you ever do is eat and drink", and maybe there is an element of truth — after all, those are the sort of events which usually seem to attract the largest turnout (some of us may no longer retain our former youthful vigour, and occasionally are happy just to sit down for a coffee and a chat) — but we can still enjoy an interesting walk or cultural visit. Here's a taster of some of our latest happenings.

(Click on the blue links below, to read more.)


  • On 12th March, 36 of us fought our respective ways through snow flurries and accumulative roadworks to enjoy our first Pub Lunch of 2025 at The Horseshoe on Warlingham Green, and were rewarded with a substantial feast.
     
  • On 31st January, a small group of us got up early and met at the Toby Carvery in South Croydon, making modest inroads into their generous "All You Can Eat" breakfast buffet. The "breakfast yorkies" were generally agreed to be a "Good Idea" and we stayed on in the bar, drinking coffee, until we were turfed out as staff prepared for lunchtime.
     
  • Our first event of the new year was our popular New Year Lunch, held at Croham Hurst Golf Club, Croydon, on Monday, 6th January, 2025
     
  • On Thursday, 21st November, 2024, we enjoyed our final fish and chips lunch of last year, at the award-winning McDermotts Restaurant in Forestdale
     
  • On Monday, 18th November, 2024, Dave Newland led us on his last Autumn Stroll, this time through Regent's Park
     
  • On Wednesday, 16th October, 2024, we sat down to our second Italian lunch of the year, in Ponte Nuovo, under the flyover in Croydon
  • On Friday, 11th October, 2024 Jackie Husain and her husband, Jeremy, took us back to Crystal Palace Park, to visit the upper levels and the Sphinxes where the old Crystal Palace once stood, followed by a walk round the "Crystal Palace Triangle Blue Plaques Shops Trail"
     
  • On Monday, 16th September, 2024, we returned to The Horseshoe on Warlingham Green for our second pub lunch of the year
     
  • On Friday, 16th August, 2024, Jackie Husain led us on a walk to see the dinosaurs (and llamas) in Crystal Palace Park
     
  • On Wednesday, 17th July, 2024, event organiser Hilary Kearney arranged a private visit to the Eel Pie Island Museum, where we learnt about the historic significance of this island in the Thames, and its wild days back in the Swinging Sixties
     
  • Following the success of a similar visit in 2023, on Thursday, 20th June, Judy Dumbrill took us back to the Natural History Museum to see winning entries in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition.
     
  • On Friday, 7th June, 2024, Jackie Husain took us for a walk around South Norwood Lakes
     
  • On Thursday, 2nd May, 2024, Dave Newland led us on his final Bluebell Walk, this time from Badger's Mount.

  • Meanwhile, we have continued with our regular programme of lunches and coffee mornings — we hold seven lunches a year, which regularly attract about 30–35 attendees, and two coffee (or breakfast) mornings a month for about 10–15
     
    • Our biggest event of the year is always our popular New Year Lunch at Croham Hurst Golf Club (really our Christmas Lunch, but held in January as something to look forward to in the New Year) which regularly attracts over 80 diners
       
    • For the last year, we have been trying out the All You Can Eat Breakfast at the Toby Carvery in Croydon on various dates in January, April, October and December
       
    • In March and September, we partake of a 3-course lunch at the popular Horseshoe pub on Warlingham Green
       
    • In April and November, we sit down to a Fish'n'Chips lunch at the award-winning McDermotts restaurant in Forestdale
       
    • In May and October, we enjoy an Italian lunch at Ponte Nuovo restaurant in Croydon
       
    • On the second Tuesday of each month, we meet for coffee in the Clocktower Café, part of the Croydon Town Hall complex
       
    • Four times a year (in February, May, August and November) we have coffee in the Seasons Restaurant at Knights Garden Centre, Chelsham
       
    • Three times a year (in March, June and September) we travel to Badgers Mount near Sevenoaks, for coffee in Novell's Restaurant at Polhill Garden Centre
       
    • On the last Thursday in July, we hope for good weather when we meet for coffee in the National Trust Café at Winston Churchill's home, Chartwell

If you have taken photographs at any of our Events and you'd like to share them with other Members, we would be very happy to see them. Perhaps you'd like to write a short report?
Or, alternatively, if you do not want any photo of you to appear on our pages, tell the Webmaster.
Please email details to avivafellowshipcroydon@outlook.com


CPH Chris Hall
Website Manager
Chroydon Chronicle
Aviva Fellowship
Croydon Area