Leaving Old Coulsdon

A Memory of Old Coulsdon.

I was born at 52 The Glade in 1960 and can remember a happy childhood, although my mum was a single mother (unusual then) and we struggled with money. I remember the parade of shops near me up the hill and especially the sweet shop with Mr Newby as owner. I went to school at Keston and loved it there. It had a swimming pool and that can't be usual for that time. We used to have a maypole at the summer fair and I loved dancing around with those coloured ribbons! I loved the area, with its common and the pond and Happy Valley. I can't forget the 190 red bus that took us into Coulsdon, Purley and Croydon and how we always seemed to be waiting ages for it!
Unfortunatly circumstances were that my mum needed to move, and I was pretty heartbroken leaving at 14, about to take my CSE's at Purley High School, and leaving behind my friends. I'd just discovered The Grange Youth Club that did a disco and had met my first boyfriend Graham! But I had no choice and we moved to Cliftonville in Kent (not that far, but it might as well been Australia to me). I remember being very lonely and, as you can probably tell, although I'm nearly 50 now I still miss my very special place Old Coulsdon...

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Added 21 December 2009

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Hi Gillian, How lovely to read about your Memories. My husband and I moved to 54, The Glade on the corner of Keston Ave/The Glade so our homes would have been neighbours. We moved there
1976, so would not have been there when you were there. However, we did have lovely neighbours who lived at 52, The Glade... they were Chris and Dee and Robins, and their son Matthew and daughter Katie. Sadly, like you, we all moved away and we now live in Bexhill and the Robins family live in Andover, although Matthew still lives in Coulsdon. You may have known
Jack and Mary Loveland who lived at 54, before us. I wonder if you knew my son-in-law,
Wayne Bulled who lived at 114, Tollers Lane, and his brother Simon? Wayne and our youngest daughter are married and now live near us in Bexhill. Do you remember Bernard and Audrey Bedford. Audrey still lives in Keston,Ave. Sadly, Bernard died a few years ago now. Do you remember Diane Barrack and family, 30, Keston. I remember Newby's very well and Mr. Newby's
favourite remark when I bought cards, "Have you got Birthday trouble?". Please do email me back if you can. Would love to hear more of your memories of Old Coulsdon. Yes! a special
place . Thank you so much. Sally (Goring).

By sally.goring2006 on Sat Nov 2nd 2019, at 8:07 pm

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I was born at 168 The Glade on Easter Sunday 25th April 1943, and the church bells rang for the first time since the war had broken out...I went to Keston Avenue school, my brother George died at 11 months and is buried in the cemetry of St John's church, my friend Janet Atkins, was born at 67 The Glad and lived in the Glade for most of her life, it was such a magical place to grow up, fields commons woods everywhere, I am stll in touch with one friend Peggy Dance Giles, who lived across the road from us, I can still remember most of the names of the people who lived close by, probably most of them have gone now...beautiful memories...

By Janet Williams on Wed Mar 16th 2022, at 11:20 am

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