Traders join hands against Croydon riots (From Croydon Guardian)

Traders join hands against Croydon riots

7:40am Friday 17th February 2012 in Croydon Riots By Nick Hitchens

Croydon traders and community leaders have joined hands in a symbol of solidarity six months after the August riots.

Meeting outside the House of Reeves furniture store, which was burned to the ground and now hosts a gallery of images from the night the group collected to join hands on Tuesday February 14.

Traders from around Church Street, Surrey Street, Frith Road and Reeves Corner are planning to set up an Old Town Business Association, while plans for regenerating the riot affected areas have been drawn up by Croydon Council.

Trevor Reeves, director of the House of Reeves, said: “I hope we can use this as a springboard to get this part of Croydon regenerated,” he said.

“We need some of the GLA money to be spent here to make life better for everyone in the area which, up until August 8 last year, was really the forgotten part of Croydon.

“We have a wonderful minster, our new shop and the hoardings celebrating the history of our business and neighbourhood. Now we need to work together to put the Old Town back on the map and get this part of Croydon trading properly again.”

Among those joining in the show of support were local businessmen, representatives from Surrey Street market and vicars from local churches, many of them wearing T-shirts bearing the ‘Love Croydon’ slogan.

Fiona Woodcock, markets inspector for Croydon Council, said: “It is really important to show a united front for Croydon.

“I am very proud of Croydon and we have a great future. It is very important that Croydon, as a very large town that is capable of being a city, has a real identity of its own.”