Croydon’s Saffron Central was in the spotlight on Sunday 28th January, as it featured in Radio 4’s Yasmin Khan programme, Britain’s Secret Saffron Story.
In summer 2015, in Queens Garden, a new crocus farm was created after a local resident, Ally McKinley, discovered that Croydon’s name was thought to mean ‘crocus valley’ in Anglo-Saxon. He subsequently created a community project to bring the popularity of the crocus, and the saffron it makes, back to the town and called it ‘Croydon Saffron Central’.
During the Radio 4 programme’s focus on Croydon, Ally highlighted how the project became about more than just planting the flowers and harvesting them, as local groups created the art work around the project too and the street art which has subsequently followed. It was about creating a community project and trying to change perceptions of Croydon, with much success, bringing the flower back to the town.