Croydon gyms and swimming pools to close on Monday as ‘mark of respect’ for the Queen
By Tara O’Connor, Local Democracy Reporter
Gyms and swimming pools across Croydon will close on Monday as a “mark of respect” for the Queen on the day of her funeral.
The late monarch’s service will be held at Westminster Abbey on Monday, and the day has been turned into a national bank holiday.
Council-funded leisure centres in Croydon are run by Better and the company announced it will be closing all of its gyms, libraries and venues to mark the sombre occasion.
The company also runs leisure centres in neighbouring boroughs of Sutton and Merton.
Better Croydon Tweeted: “As a mark of respect, we will be closed on Monday, September 19. Normal service will resume on Tuesday, September 20. We thank you for your understanding.”
During the 10-day mourning period, after Her Majesty’s died on Thursday, scheduled Croydon council meetings have also been postponed.
The flag at Croydon town hall will be flown at half-mast until the day after the state funeral and the building will be lit deep purple every evening. Katherine Street will be closed to cars to allow people to leave floral tributes safely.
A book of condolences is open in Braithwaite Hall from 8am-8pm on weekdays and 9am-6pm at weekends. Residents can also leave messages at their local libraries which will be added to the book.
Floral tributes can be left at the flagpole outside the Town Hall, St Edward King and Confessor Church in New Addington, Coulsdon Memorial Ground, Norwood Grove Recreation Ground and Wandle Park.
Croydon’s executive mayor, Jason Perry, said: “We will always be grateful for Her Majesty’s seven decades of dedicated service to our country, both in peacetime and war. Her strength and unswerving sense of duty has been a true inspiration, even in the toughest of times.”
Croydon Council was contacted for further comment.
Pictured top: New Addington Leisure Centre (Picture: David Cook)
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