Editing Romford (section)

==Culture==
[[File:Havering romford welcome sign.jpg|thumb|Welcome sign at Roneo Corner with the coat of arms and motto of Havering London Borough Council]]
[[File:Brookside Theatre Entrance.jpg|thumb|left|Brookside Theatre entrance]]
In 2005, Havering Council's urban strategy had the stated aims of making Romford a cultural destination, whilst recognising that Hornchurch forms the main cultural hub of the borough with a large theatre and arts spaces.<ref name=urban_strategy/> As a former market and coaching town, Romford is well served by public houses and two that are located in the market place are listed buildings.<ref name="romford listing">{{cite web|url=http://www.havering.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=8760 |title=Listed buildings in Romford |publisher=Havering London Borough Council |access-date=4 January 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110608213113/http://www.havering.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=8760 |archive-date=8 June 2011  }}</ref> The market and adjacent streets also form a conservation area.<ref name=urban_strategy/><ref name=cons>{{cite web|url=http://www.havering.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=2372&p=0 |title=Romford Conservation Area |author=Planning Department |publisher=Havering London Borough Council |year=2006 |access-date=21 September 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110608212657/http://www.havering.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=2372&p=0 |archive-date=8 June 2011  }}</ref>

Mass entertainment facilities in the town include the [[Brookside Theatre]], [[Romford Greyhound Stadium]], one of the few remaining dog racing tracks in London;<ref name=bbc_walthamstow>{{ cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7408061.stm | title=Walthamstow race track to close | author=BBC News | date=19 May 2008 | publisher=[[BBC]] | access-date=16 August 2009 | author-link=BBC News }}</ref> 2 multi-screen cinemas;<ref name=urban_strategy/> and until April 2013 [[Romford Ice Arena]], which was home to the local [[Romford Raiders]] ice hockey team.<ref name=hockey>{{cite web | url=http://www.romfordicearena.co.uk/hockey.htm | title= Hockey is Back! | publisher=[[Romford Ice Arena]]  | access-date=14 August 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080406034640/http://www.romfordicearena.co.uk/hockey.htm |archive-date = 6 April 2008}}</ref><ref name="Ice Rink Closes">{{cite web | url=https://www.romfordrecorder.co.uk/news/skaters-left-without-a-home-as-doors-close-on-ice-2941786 | title= Skaters left without a home as doors close on ice rink | date= 31 January 2013 | publisher=[[Romford Recorder]]  | access-date=31 March 2013}}</ref> The [[Dolphin Centre]] was a popular swimming and leisure facility located in the town from 1982 to 1995, but the site was redeveloped into the current Axis residential [[tower block]] and [[Asda]] superstore in the mid-2000s. There is also a [[Romford F.C.]] associated with the town.<ref name=rom_fc>{{cite web | url=http://www.romfordfc.com/ | title=History | author=Romford Football Club | access-date=14 August 2009 }}</ref> Romford Bowls Club is based in Lodge Farm Park. 1980s Post Punk bands Department S and Purple Hearts both have origins in Romford. The town is strongly associated with the electronic music group [[Underworld (band)|Underworld]], who cite Romford in their hit "[[Born Slippy .NUXX|Born Slippy]]", affiliated to the movie ''[[Trainspotting (film)|Trainspotting]]''.<ref name=underworld>{{cite news | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/on-top-of-the-underworld-697475.html | title=On top of the Underworld | author=Ben Thompson | newspaper=[[The Independent]]  | access-date=14 August 2009 | location=London | date=25 August 2000}}</ref>

{{Cquote|Ride the sainted rhythms on the midnight train to Romford|500||Dirty Epic on [[dubnobasswithmyheadman]], Underworld (1994)<ref name=underworld/>}}
Romford's position as a focus for electronic music production was reinforced by the presence of the Strictly Underground and [[Suburban Base]] record labels, with Suburban Base developing from the Boogie Times record store.<ref name=shapiro>{{cite book | title= Drum 'n' bass: the rough guide | year=1999 | last=Shapiro | first=Peter | publisher=Rough Guides}}</ref> According to a [[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] article in 1992, Romford-produced dance music formed part of a trend favouring suburban and provincial "bedroom" record labels over those in central London.<ref name=billboard>{{cite book | title=UK indies step outside london for dance hits | last=Sexton | first=Paul | publisher=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=August 1992 }}</ref> In 2013, the film ''[[Death Walks]]'' was filmed in Romford over a four-month period. The cult TV series ''[[Garth Marenghi's Darkplace]]'' was set in the fictional Darkplace Hospital, in Romford.{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}} 

The local newspapers for the town and the borough of Havering are the ''[[Romford Recorder]]'', ''[[Romford and Havering Post]]'' and ''[[Romford Yellow Advertiser]]''.{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}} 

Two radio stations are located in the area: [[Time 107.5]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Time FM|url=http://TIME1075.NET|website=Time 107.5}}</ref> and [http://bedrockradio.org.uk Bedrock Radio] (a community health and hospital radio station).<ref>{{cite web|title=Bedrock (Hospital Radio)|url=http://bedrockradio.org.uk|website=Bedrock (Hospital Radio)}}</ref>  A proposed new community service, [https://www.radioromford.co.uk Radio Romford], is planned to launch in 2024.<ref>{{cite web|title=Radio Romford|url=https://www.radioromford.co.uk|website=Radio Romford}}</ref>

In April 2023, [[hoodies]] were banned from the town centre along with Ski masks and motorcycle helmets  in an initiative by Romford Business Improvement District, backed by [[Havering]] councillors and local [[Metropolitan Police]] officers, as a measure against [[antisocial behaviour]].<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/apr/30/stupid-uproar-in-romford-as-hoodies-banned-in-shopping-areas | title='Stupid!' Uproar in Romford as hoodies banned in shopping areas | newspaper=The Observer | date=30 April 2023 | last1=Tapper | first1=James }}</ref>

Premier Cinemas, located within the [[Mercury Mall]], has served as the venue for the [[Romford Film Festival]] since 2017, the [[Romford Horror Film Festival]] since 2020, and the [[East London LGBTQ+ Film Festival]] since 2023.<ref>{{Cite news | title=Film festival returns to Romford next year with no fees for student filmmakers | url=https://www.romfordrecorder.co.uk/news/21521125.film-festival-returns-romford-next-year-no-fees-student-filmmakers/ | website=[[Romford Recorder]] |  access-date = 16 February 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news | title = Romford's First Horror Film Festival to take place this June and it promises to be truly Horrhiffic! | url = https://thehaveringdaily.co.uk/2021/06/01/romfords-first-horror-film-festival-to-take-place-this-june-and-it-promises-to-be-truly-horrhiffic/ | date = 1 June 2021 | website = The Havering Daily |  access-date = 16 February 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news | title=Kaleidoscope to host Romford's first LGBTQ+ Film Festival | url= https://thehaveringdaily.co.uk/2023/06/30/kaleidoscope-to-host-romfords-first-lgbtq-film-festival/  | publisher=The Havering Daily | website=The Havering Daily | date=30 June 2023 | access-date=16 February 2024 }}</ref>