All our yesterdays: Croydon High Street, as it was around 70 years ago
If you’ve ever wondered what it must have been like before the Croydon Flyover, before the Wellesley Road urban motorway, and before the Whitgift Centre and Nestlé Tower, then an illustrated talk from the Croydon Natural History and Scientific Society on Monday might be just for you.
The CNHSS, a registered charity, is one of the oldest cultural societies operating in Croydon, tracing its history back more than 150 years. It stages a range of talks and walks throughout the year, and Peter Saunders’ “A 1950s Croydon childhood” is to be their last of this year.
Saunders, a sociology professor, is the author of Croydon Boy: growing up in post-war Britain, and his talk on Monday carries a tagline “a bit of sociology mixed with a bit of nostalgia”.
Saunders was born in Croydon’s Old Town (near where the flyover now stands) in 1950.
Professor and author: Peter Saunders
His family moved to a maisonette in New Addington, then to Waddon, and eventually to Shirley.
“In 1957, Prime Minister Harold MacMillan told the British people: ‘Let us be frank about it, most of our people have never had it so good’. And he was right,” the CNHSS says in announcing Saunders’ talk.
Saunders’ family bought their own home in a cul-de-sac near Duppas Hill, they owned a 12-inch black-and-white television (which only received one channel), and his father was the proud possessor of a 1936 Morris, which he tenderly wrapped in a cover every night to protect it from the rain.
“In this talk, he uses his experiences of his Croydon childhood in the 1950s to reflect on some of the changes (for better and for worse) that have taken place since then in the way we live, work and bring up our children.
“The talk will be illustrated by photographs from the period, and there will be plenty of time for discussion,” the CNHSS says.
To start at 7.45pm on December 11, the talk is being held in the CNHSS regular venue, the David Sweet Hall at the East Croydon United Reformed Church, 86, Addiscombe Grove, Croydon CR0 5LP.
Everyone is welcome to attend the Society’s talks, although they do request a £3 donation towards costs.
- Inside Croydon – as seen on TV! – has been delivering local community news since 2010. 3million page views per year in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
- If you want real journalism, actually based in the borough, you should consider paying for it. Please sign up today. Click here for more details
- If you have a news story about life in or around Croydon, or want to publicise your residents’ association or business, or if you have a local event to promote, please email us with full details at inside.croydon@btinternet.com
As featured on Google News Showcase
- Our comments section on every report provides all readers with an immediate “right of reply” on all our content
Inside Croydon is a member of the Independent Community News Network
- Inside Croydon works together with the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, as well as BBC London News and ITV London
ROTTEN BOROUGH AWARDS: Croydon was named among the country’s rottenest boroughs for a SIXTH successive year in 2022 in the annual round-up of civic cock-ups in Private Eye magazine
When are Croydon Council going to update the Whitgift Centre- It’s a disgrace
It has never been the responsibility of a local authority to manage private landlords’ retail premises.
No it hasn’t but the council have made it damn difficult to park and ridiculously expensive, part of the reason for failing footfall.
The car parks are operated by/managed by Westfield.