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Tag Archives: World War I
All downhill for Odlings after they dismantled London Bridge
CROYDON CHRONICLES: A dynasty began in the late 1800s with a family living at Lennard Road whose relatives would build a global business empire from marble, played roles in running the British team at the 1936 Winter Olympics, helped to … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Croydon Minster, David Morgan, History
Tagged 1936 Winter Olympics, Anselm Odling, Anselm Odling and Sons Ltd, Broadcasting House, Cedric Odling, Croydon Minster, D-Day, David Morgan, Dunkirk, London Bridge, Marble, Michelangelo, Michelangelo's David, Portland Place, Prisoner of war, Royal Artillery, Switzerland, The Eiger, The Odling Cup, Wengen, World War I, World War II
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This teacher’s Foss way always led her back to South East Asia
CROYDON CHRONICLES: In his latest delve into the archives, DAVID MORGAN recalls the life of a missionary, the daughter of a former Mayor of Croydon, who worked in China, Malaysia and South Africa, and survived almost four years in the … Continue reading
Remembrance and History: a special Croydon Insider episode
Can you help in our appeal, with the Deputy Lieutenant of Croydon, in providing details of personnel from Croydon who have been killed on active duty in the years since the end of World War II? On Remembrance Sunday, our … Continue reading
Posted in Bourne Society, Croydon Airport, Croydon Insider, Croydon Minster, Croydon Natural History and Scientific Society, David Morgan, History, Inside Croydon, Johnny Dobbyn, Under The Flyover
Tagged Battle of the Somme, Caterham, Croydon, Croydon Airport, David Morgan, Deputy Lieutenant of Croydon, Fiona Satiro, First World War, Johnny Dobbyn, London, Menin Gate, Phil Swallow, Remembrance Day, Remembrance Sunday, Royal West Surrey Regiment, Second World War, Warlingham, World War I, World War II, World War One, World War Two, Ypres
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The Croydon schoolboy who was among Ypres’ first casualties
SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT: The Third Battle of Ypres in 1917 lasted five months and claimed 300,000 allied casualties. DAVID MORGAN recounts the tragic story of one of them, Captain Henry Willders-Lewis, from Croydon, who died on the first day of the … Continue reading
The Town Hall hero of the Great War who ran Croydon’s baths
SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT: A special ceremony held at Croydon Town Hall in November 1918 saw a council worker awarded the Military Medal and the Croix de Guerre. DAVID MORGAN tells the story of Ernest Saunders’ bravery in battle We are at … Continue reading
Posted in Church and religions, Croydon Minster, David Morgan, History
Tagged Croix de Guerre, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon Minster, Croydon Parish Church, Croydon Town Hall, David Morgan, Ernest Saunders, First World War, Military Medal, Remembrance Sunday, The Great War, World War I, World War One
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Shakespeares who made music part of their family business
SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT: For a century and a half, one of Croydon’s best-known firms has been funeral directors J B Shakespeare. DAVID MORGAN delves into the Minster archives and sees the writing on the wall for that family’s musical role in … Continue reading
Best Polonius you’ll never see: Miles Malleson’s classic clown
SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT: Born in South Croydon in 1888, actor and playwright Miles Malleson’s work drew plaudits from Olivier, Thorndike and Gielgud. DAVID MORGAN recalls the life, career and campaigning of a well-recognised but often overlooked talent Alice Malleson, one of … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Church and religions, Croydon Minster, David Morgan, History, Theatre
Tagged Alec Guinness, BBC Radio, Bolshevik Revolution, Brighton College, Croydon, Croydon Minster, David Morgan, First World War, Herbert Beerbohm Tree's Academy of Dramatic Art, John Gielgud, Labour, Lady Constance Annesley, Laurence Olivier, Miles Malleson, RADA, Six Men of Dorset, Sybil Thorndike, Tolpuddle, Tolpuddle Martyrs, University of Cambridge, World War I
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Poignant moment as British Legion branch lays up its standard
The Coulsdon branch of the British Legion has formally closed, 104 years after its foundation. The decision was taken due to declining numbers of members. The occasion was marked with a final parade and the retirement of the branch’s standard … Continue reading
Christmas Eve marks cententary of the Croydon air disaster
SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT: Christmas Eve marks the centenary of what in 1924 was the worst air disaster in British history, when an aircraft crashed shortly after taking off from Croydon Airport, killing everyone on board. DAVID MORGAN has scoured the archives … Continue reading
How Croydon Parish Church remembered its brothers in arms
SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT: On Remembrance Sunday, using a treasured service sheet from Croydon Parish Church from more than a century ago, DAVID MORGAN outlines early efforts on the home front in World War I, and some of the many sacrifices The … Continue reading
Surrey Street’s Pightling holds unique place in WWI memorials
SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT: As we approach Remembrance Day next month, DAVID MORGAN outlines details of the life of one of the names on Croydon Minster’s Roll of Honour For the casual visitor, the list of names of soldiers on the Roll … Continue reading
Croydon churchwarden’s outstanding service in war and peace
SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT: Ahead of Remembrance Day next month, using the Minster archives, DAVID MORGAN looks back on the career of a survivor, and war hero, who became a churchwarden Remembrance Day on November 11 is an opportunity to recall not … Continue reading
Family keepsakes providing last link to another of war’s victims
SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT: Life at the front in World War I was often brief, bloody and brutal. DAVID MORGAN uncovers some of the last pieces of correspondence from one of the soldiers inscribed on Croydon Minster’s Roll of Honour A few … Continue reading
Victorians’ favourite artist for capturing lines of Classic winners
SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT: From his home on Warrington Road, George Paice became one of the leading Victorian and Edwardian-era artists, specialising in painting the gentry’s pets and racehorses. DAVID MORGAN traces his career, beginning from a WWI memorial in Croydon Minster … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Croydon Minster, David Morgan, History
Tagged Croydon Minster, David Morgan, Epsom Oaks, George Paice, Pretty Polly, Stanley Paice, World War I, World War One
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Millionaire Mayor who made sacrifices for others and an ideal
SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT: One of the borough’s most-revered figures from the Edwardian era lost everything when he declared himself bankrupt. DAVID MORGAN recounts the noble story of Howard Houlder With Heathfield House and its gardens falling steadily into a state of … Continue reading
Parish’s dynasty of vergers caring for Croydon for 100 years
SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT: In another discovery from the Croydon Minster archive, DAVID MORGAN has found the first-hand account of one of the church’s most senior lay officials which covers much of the history of the 20th Century When Frank Butler retired … Continue reading
Posted in Church and religions, Croydon Minster, David Morgan, History
Tagged Bishop Maurice Harland, Canon Leonard White-Thompson, Croydon, Croydon Minster, Croydon Minster Fire 1857, Croydon Parish Church, David Morgan, Frank Butler, Rev Geoffrey Studdert Kennedy, The Blitz, William Groves, Woodbine Willie, World War I, World War II
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How a search for a new life ended in wartime death in the Sinai
WE WILL REMEMBER THEM: One hundred and three years on from the first Remembrance Day, DAVID MORGAN has been researching the archives at Croydon Minster for more records of those lost in what was supposed to be ‘the war to … Continue reading
Proms composer Demuth’s music is overdue an encore
SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT: A Croydon-born composer whose works have been forgotten deserves a revival, writes DAVID MORGAN The BBC Proms begins next month. Eighty years ago, in the war-torn summer of 1942, among the varied concerts performed at the Royal Albert … Continue reading
Posted in Church and religions, Croydon Minster, David Morgan, History, Music
Tagged BBC Proms, Croydon Minster, David Morgan, Norman Demuth, World War I, World War II
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Names on Addiscombe war memorial; the real lives sacrificed
WE WILL REMEMBER THEM: Last year, while at an Addiscombe church on Remembrance Day, on hearing the roll call of the fallen, one of the congregation decided to find out more about those named. This is part of what STEPHANIE … Continue reading
Brothers in arms: Polhill family’s second sad wartime sacrifice
WE WILL REMEMBER THEM: What is often chilling about the Roll of Honour at Croydon Minster is how the same family name recurs. In the second instalment of this latest research, DAVID MORGAN tells of the loss of a second … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Minster, David Morgan, History
Tagged Croydon Minster, David Morgan, First World War, William Polhill, World War I
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Until the daybreak Mother: Four-fold tragedy of Croydon family
As DAVID MORGAN researched his latest article for Inside Croydon on the history of Croydon Minster, he found in the roll of honour of soldiers lost in the First World War one particularly poignant tragedy – Croydon’s very own version … Continue reading
Posted in Church and religions, Croydon Minster, David Morgan, History
Tagged Croydon Minster, David Morgan, World War I
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Minster memorials that tell the terrible toll of World Wars
Croydon Parish Church, as it was once known, contains memorials to service personnel who died serving their country. DAVID MORGAN guides you on a short tour of some of them As you walk into the Minster, you do so through … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Minster, David Morgan, History
Tagged Croydon Minster, David Morgan, Remembrance Day, World War I, World War II
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Minster ceremony remembers 75 Scouts who died in WWI
Croydon Scouts, in a ceremony attended by the Mayor of Croydon, Bernadette Khan, conducted a solemn memorial service at Croydon Minster on Saturday, exactly 100 years to the day after their predecessors staged a similar commemoration for the 75 Scouts … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Minster, Scouts and Guides
Tagged Croydon Minster, Scouts and Guides, World War I
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Gordon Campbell VC: Croydon remembers naval war hero
Croydon staged a civic ceremony in the town centre yesterday to commemorate the borough’s only World War I recipient of the Victoria Cross, the nation’s highest award for gallantry. The date was the centenary of the Atlantic naval action in … Continue reading
