Wandle Park

A Memory of Croydon.

I grew up in Lower Church Street, next to the Pitlake ph. As kids we used to play all summer long in the park. By then the boating lake had been drained and it was just a big circular ditch with the island in the middle. The river was still there with, if I remember, three bridges crossing it. We used to go over the iron footbridge from Waddon New Road past the shelter on the right to the cabin for sweets and ices (by the first bridge) and then played football or cricket. In the swing rec there were two sets of swings, one for the smaller kids with bars that lift up to put there legs through. The larger swings were on 15ft chains and seemed to fly really high. There was a very high slide, a metal rocker horse (with very pointed ears) that held about six kids. A box like roundabout and what we called a 'witches hat'. Most of these rides have been removed now because of 'health and safety'. Also in the Park was a Bowls Club and two tennis courts backing on to the railway. One of my dad's friends used to drive the shunter & steam loco for the Electricity coal yards and always gave us a toot on the whistle, when we called to him.