tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8444655216015826707.post6935815010578264437..comments2024-03-28T07:24:02.781+00:00Comments on Faded London: Croydon - Surrey Street areaYelfyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12151975456880168482noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8444655216015826707.post-61003303187836123252018-09-20T11:14:20.989+01:002018-09-20T11:14:20.989+01:00Thanks to sharing this amazing article. ADV Shopfr...Thanks to sharing this amazing article. ADV Shopfronts LTD is a reputed company that provides the best class <a href="https://advshopfront.co.uk/blog/shop-fronts-in-croydon-aluminium-doors-installation-in-croydon/" rel="nofollow">Shopfronts Installation in Croydon</a> at affordable prices. Click on this link to get full details.angleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04392963286571983373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8444655216015826707.post-7044336975599598702014-04-30T13:46:34.658+01:002014-04-30T13:46:34.658+01:00Apparently, the 'Domed' building was calle...Apparently, the 'Domed' building was called 'The Grand' theatre - found it on Francis Frith.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8444655216015826707.post-37982117395979773242009-05-24T00:45:17.505+01:002009-05-24T00:45:17.505+01:00Thanks to both John and Gayle for their comments a...Thanks to both John and Gayle for their comments and interesting insights. It's one of the pleasures of just wandering around somewhere like Croydon with a camera and making wild surmises about its history and development that I then have people who know the area coming on and sharing their knowledge!Yelfyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12151975456880168482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8444655216015826707.post-71284800674191330592009-05-16T18:39:00.000+01:002009-05-16T18:39:00.000+01:00This is an interesting piece and I have enjoyed th...This is an interesting piece and I have enjoyed the photographs. There are few things that don't chime however; the first is that Croydonians still have problems regarding themselves as 'in London', but that is changing with time. What is still absolutely true though is that much of what you have described as 'High Street' is in fact 'North End'. The road that runs along the top of the terrace through the centre of Croydon is North End from the junction of Tamworth Road/Station Road in the north (from which northwards it becomes London Road). North End meets High Street at the junction with Chruch Street (Crown Hill) and George Street. The road running southwardds changes its name to 'South End' at the junction with Lower Coombe Street and Coombe Road.<br /><br />Grant Brothers, the department store, was based at London House, High Street, and this was the frontage that you have in your 3rd and 4th photographs. There was an arcade through which you could gain access to Surrey Street on the lower terrace to the west via a green painted iron fretworked bridge and steps (these became the subject of a local furore after the demise of Grants when developers wnated to build extra accesss bridges to span Surrey Street to link the then new multi-storey car park off Syurrey Street to High Street). <br /><br />Surrey Street and High street share much of their modern history with each other since the area down the terrace linking Surrey Street and the Church Street areas was changed significantly at the time of the widenuing of the High Street around 1895. The area around Surrey and Church Street was a myriad of lanes and alleyways and housed many of the less desirable housing stock of the town as well as a large population. This was the centre of the meat industry locally - the Shambles was demolished in the development described above - but the butchery trade still flourished in such a way that in a national strike of butchers in the 1920s Croydon seized up because Church Street and neighbouring roads were clogged up with unmoving butchers vans.<br /><br />The last of your photographs is an infill that occupies one of the former alleyways - there are others such as Robert's Yard, Priddy's Yard and Overton's Yard, all of which have a life today.<br /><br />In North End you have photographed the original Woolworth's store - this changed around 1967 following the completion of the then new WHitgift Centre. The main entrance to this new centre was through what had been the gates of first the Whitgift Grammar School (which moved to SOuth Croydon in the 1930s), then the Whitgift Middle School (which moved to Shirley Park and became the Trinity School of John Whitgift when the site was developed as the Whitgift Centre (The Whitgift foundation continued to own much of this land from which they derived a healthy rental income)). You have photographed the Burton store which was built toconform with the entranceway to the old school entrance, thus it has a rounded facade that seems to lead neatly into the more modern centre.<br /><br />My memory of these things is fading and I have forgotten what the dome was from, but I suspect that you are correct that it was probably one of the theatres/cinemas that came and went in Croydon's history.<br /><br />The Sun Fire Plaque is just that as you describe. In the days before the fire brigade the insurers owned the fire pumps and maintained them for the benefit of their own customers - if you were burning down they would respnd, but if you were displaying the wrong mark they'd let you burn! The number indicated the policy number.<br /><br />I do remember the relief above the bank door - this was near the top of Crown Hill, I think that it was over the entrance to the old High Street branch of the National Westminster bank.<br /><br />The Red Lion near Crown Hill and Bell Hill was proudly displayed over the pub of that name - I think that this was the store that later was taken over by David Lashmar and traded for a number of years as 'Beanos' which was a superb record store.<br /><br />Tullett's is no longer owned by that family but it has been an institution in Surrey Street for generations; they are perhaps not as well known as Turtle's (who moved to Park Street), or Hewitt's in Church Street, or Reeves furniture store at what became known as Reeves' corner at the junction of Church Street, Church Road, Tamworth Road and (before the modern dual-carriageway was pushed through)St John's Road.John Welbecknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8444655216015826707.post-8141127587559685182009-03-16T22:14:00.000+00:002009-03-16T22:14:00.000+00:00GB may stand for Grant Brothers, just a guess. I w...GB may stand for Grant Brothers, just a guess. <BR/><BR/>I was born at 85 Church Street in the flat above the Beaumont Bed shop, which used to be Philips Menswear. I think your picture of the tiny window must be very near to where I lived?Gaye Murrayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02399570072177546550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8444655216015826707.post-61129007802843311722009-03-16T22:04:00.000+00:002009-03-16T22:04:00.000+00:00You're right. The High Street building was a l...You're right. The High Street building was a large department store called Grants. I have very fond memories of the store, as a child visiting Santa etc. It is a listed building, but the interior collapsed & became dangerous, so I think they kept the facade only.Gaye Murrayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02399570072177546550noreply@blogger.com