“We love playing at Fun Walk because it has a carnival atmosphere. We try and get everyone involved, dancing and singing and it’s exactly what it says – a fun day,”
If you thought Fun Walk was just a walk, think again. With a bar, food stands, jewellery stall, kids’ activities, raffles and music from what must be one of Croydon’s, if not London’s, oldest guitar groups, there’s all-day entertainment for all ages.
This will be the third year when 20 or more members of Croydon Guitar Club fill the stage and play their renditions of classic songs from the last 60-plus years.
“We love playing at Fun Walk because it has a carnival atmosphere. We try and get everyone involved, dancing and singing and it’s exactly what it says – a fun day,” says Brian Miller, 78, who’s been playing the guitar since the age of 14 and joined the group 12 years ago.
“It was about a year after my wife Hazel had died under the care of St Christopher’s and I had been going to the bereavement group for a few months. I heard about Fun Walk sent the organisers a video of the group playing at Penge Festival and they asked us to play.”
The personal connections run deeper still in advance of their third appearance, as Christina Smith, who founded the group back in the early 1980s, is currently being cared for by St Christopher’s.
“As a group of mostly older people from the Croydon area many of us have a connection to someone who’s been cared for by St Christopher’s and that makes playing at Fun Walk even more special.
“For me, the bereavement group has been very helpful. For a long time, I went every week. You can stay as long as you like, talk or not talk and you know that everyone is there for the same reason and they just understand.”
The guitar group practise weekly in the Croydon Guides’ hall and, due to popular demand, have been invited to play two sets at Fun Walk 2026 – morning and afternoon.
For Brian and his fellow guitarists, it’s really about having fun and that approach at last year’s Fun Walk gained them an influential admirer and a surprising booking.
He adds: “The Brit School Principal, Stuart Worden, got chatting to me and said he’d never seen so many people enjoy themselves so much on stage before and so he’s asked us to go and play at one of the concerts at the school for the students to witness our carefree approach.”
While Brian emphasises the group’s informal ethos, the playlist of appropriate songs like Walking Back to Happiness, Walk Right Back, I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles and These Boots Were Made for Walking, will be well honed come 10 May.
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