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Riddlesdown
Riddlesdown photos
Displaying the first of 20 old photos of Riddlesdown. View all Riddlesdown photos
Riddlesdown maps
Historic maps of Riddlesdown and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Riddlesdown maps
Riddlesdown area books
Displaying 1 of 16 books about Riddlesdown and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Riddlesdown
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of Riddlesdown.
Add your memory of Riddlesdown
or of a photo of Riddlesdown.
Walks on The Downs
We lived in Brancaster Lane - we often played and walked our dogs on the Downs. We lived in the area from the early 1960s to the early 1970s. We moved in the year of a really heavy snowfall - when the snowplough went through the piled snow was car roof high along the sides of the road. Not that there were nearly as many cars on the road then as now!
Growing up in Riddlesdown
It was such a surprise to see comments and pictures from Riddlesdown. I lived in Coombe Wood Hill, from 18mths old till I married in 1955. With my siblings I roamed on the Golf course and on the Downs for many a happy time. Went to Mr Halls, for Newspapers, sweets and ice cream, handing over our precious "coupons" during World War 11. Went sledding on the Downs in the winter. Rode our bikes all summer long, up to Sanderstead, on the Limpsfield Rd to Oxted Chalk Pits, down to Purley Fountain to meet with our friends. Attended Reedham Orphanage 1940-44, then St Annes College in Sanderstead. Loved taking the train to Croydon, London, or for a treat down to Eastbourne for the day. I loved growing up in Riddlesdown.
Riddlesdown Secondary School
I was a founder pupil at the then called Riddledown Secondary School. I lived in Sanderstead and we used to walk from there up over the downs to school which was situated at the top. We always felt safe, even when we were a little late from school after staying back for sports practice etc (or probably in my case detention). My mother was born in Kenley and my grandmother was a bar maid in the Rose and Crown way back in the 1900s, her name was Violet Ada Standing (maiden name West), an Irish lady who by all acounts made quite a name for herself. If anyone has any history on this family I would love to hear from them. Or any memories of school pupils from Riddlesdown or Selsdon School.
Rosemary Debbage (Edwards maiden name)
Riddlesdown Shops
It was so good to see the photos, the memories came flooding back. When I was a child I too used to go for walks on the downs and into Kenley. I lived in Derwent Drive near what was then called Riddlesdown Secondary Modern School. The shops we used to go to at Riddlesdown. My mother would send us there every Saturday to buy 2 loaves of bread. Then when I was older I worked in the hairdressers called "Hazels". Thankyou Liz for your memories, I wonder if we know each other? Yvonne Slater.
Riddlesdown in The 1950's
We lived in Dale Road, right near the bottom of Downscourt Road and we spent a lot of time on Riddlesdown because it was near to where we lived. When we got a bit older, we used to walk along the downs towards Kenley or maybe even further along where there was a railway crossing. We used to get pennies and put them on the rails and wait for a train to come along and squash them. That was in the days were children could go anywhere they liked. We used to go up to the downs by ourselves and so long as we were back for tea or supper, it didn't matter what we did.
Surrey memories
Birth Place
I have been told by my mother that I was born in St Mary's Hospital in South Croydon and I am not sure if it still exists or if there are any photos of it. Can anyone help?
Hamsey Green/Warlingham
This is indeed Hamsey Green. The view is from the Good Companions car park. The two shops with awnings to the right of the image no longer exist, as the Coop built a shop there. One used to be a bike shop (left) and the other (right) a place that sold head stones for graves. The tall trees in the background were a grove of Horse Chestnut trees that covered much of the land as it dropped towards Kingswood. Close to the Kingswood end of this plot of land was a large greenhouse (or more), that was a flower shop of some type. The area where the trees can be seen, is now near the top end of Kingswood Avenue where the newer shops are located.
