The Parade c1955, Old Coulsdon
The Parade c1955, Old Coulsdon Ref: O106007
Memories of The Parade c1955, Old Coulsdon
Visiting The Sweet Shop
I lived in Old Coulsdon as a small child and can remember walking up to The Parade to visit the sweet shop. We lived down the bottom of the hill at the bottom of The Glade and it always seemed a long hard climb up to The Parade. We used to cut across through the churchyard.
If I was very lucky I was allowed to buy a Jamboree bag in the sweet shop. A Jamboree bag was a mix of different sweets like penny chews, liquorice sticks etc and also a small toy.
Other times I would buy a sherbert dab or 2oz of boiled sweets such as rhubarb and custard, pear drops and best of all fruit pips which were very small fruit flavoured boiled sweets so you got lots for your money.
We moved away from Old Coulsdon in 1962 but I still have fond memories of the village.
Leaving 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... Read more
Brants
Wow...I used to live above Brants around 1970 ish. My mum and dad (Jean and Norman) used to help run the place for Stanley Brant who owned it. His brother was Alan who used to live down the road. I also did a paper round It was a lovely place to grow up! I remember helping them get the papers in late at night. Brants was a good old fasioned friendly newsagent, not the sorry excuses you see today. John Pertwee (Dr Who) used to come in if I remember correctly. So many good memories coming back...thanks.
Rowntrees Fruit Gums
I used to go into the sweet shop and I had to say "a tupenny tube please, Florri".
Old Coulsdon & local memories
Read and share memories of Old Coulsdon and Greater London inspired by Frith photos.
The Fox Public House
Back in 1975/76 I used to work at the Fox behind the bar in the evenings. I also for a time worked in the restaurant. I had a lot of fun when working there, and often wonder what happened to the regulars I knew. I still keep in touch with a regular that use to come in. Happy Days.
Childhood
I lived in Old Coulsdon for many years, I used to do a paperound for Mr Cook who ran the paper shop on the Brighton road in Old Coulsdon. I spent many my summer holidays exploring Happy Valley and Devils Dyke and I used to be albe to walk to Chaldon church from my house. I have a great aunt who lived in Taunton Lane and remember Nr Newby very well. I have not been to Old Coulsdon for about 20 years now but I'm sure it's not changed that much.
Growing up in Old Coulsdon 1946-67
I was born at 274 Coulsdon Road in 1946, my father had a business in Caterham-on-the-Hill and my paternal grandparents lived at 31 Canons Hill - all my childhood was spent in the area so I have a lot of memories! The Tudor Rose pub No.270, landlord Bobby Lorimer (florid face) he drove a Sunbeam Rapier convertible, his sons Paul, David, Robert & Brian were good friends, David & I planted two Willow trees in the pub garden, I think one has survived, at 272 lived Bob & Marjorie Neobard, their front garden full of Daffs in the Spring. I went to Downland nursery school at age 5, headmistress Miss Martin, at seven I went to St.Annes Prep school for boys in Purley and caught the bus outside Cullens every morning (no lifts in those days). Other shops I remember are Olivers the sweet shop and grocers (Mr Oliver was a big fat man) that later became 'Pay'n'take', Brants the Newsagent (Alan Brant often did my paper round for me... Read more
Downlands Nursery, Old Coulsdon
My father was killed in the early part of the war, therefore my mum had to go to work and find a nursery placement for me. We lived in Caterham-on-the-Hill and the nearest nursery was Downlands, at Old Coulsdon. I was just over l year old when I started, and was heartbroken when my mum left me, I cried all day, and the next. With the kindness and patience of Matron and her staff, I got used to the routine, and within a few weeks had settled in. My mum worked in Croydon, we would get the 7.30am bus in the morning and I would have breakfast at nursery, dinner and tea. My mum would pick me up at.6.00pm to take me home. As I got older it became a pattern of life, and I enjoyed all the activities and Miss Ford singing and playing the piano.There was always a lovely warm welcoming smell on cold mornings as you entered the door, and I looked forward to the time when my mum... Read more
My Paper Round
I worked as a paper boy at Newby's in Taunton Lane. I got up at 5 am and went to the shed behind the shop to sort and mark-up the papers. I then did 2 rounds before school for 6/- a week per round and 5/- for the marking up; a princely sum in those days. The rounds were hard work, particularly on Fridays when The Coulsdon & Purley Times and Advertiser came out. The weight of newspapers on the crossbar of a bike and the hills, Taunton Lane, Waddington Avenue and the Glade leading down into Caterham Drive, kept a young lad very fit. It's worth bearing to mind that most houses had newspapers and comics delivered and, with the exception of the Daily Mirror and the Daily Sketch, virtually all the newspapers were broadsheets.
Moving Away
I was born in Redhill hospital in 1948 and lived in Shirley Avenue. I went to Downland School which was a stone cottage called Pound Cottage just before Stanley Close. There was Cherry Tree Cottage about 3 doors up, they used to sell sweets & ice cream, we would go there lunchtimes. We used to use St John's hall to do plays & PE. I then went to Chipstead Valley School. In 1970 I got married in St John's Church and in 1976 we moved to Tollers Lane. My son Chris went to Keston School & Taunton Manor as it was then. The only problem was the snow. It was always worse on the hills. If you worked in Croydon no one believed you when you phoned up and said you couldn't get into work because the buses couldn't get up the hill! A few more houses have appeared over the years but a lot of the area hasn't changed. If you walk 5 minutes in any direction you are... Read more
