Selsdon From 1964 1970

Clare, Thank you for your comments on my article .Love your fond memories above and I know exactly how you feel but I know Jacqueline Cook will agree with me and say "Clare, don't go back. It will break your heart".

Hi Christine, Ahh, thanks for that warning, maybe I should just remember it how it was and leave it there. Why do we not like things like they are now, I often wonder... or are we a small minority that wistfully look back? I would love to try and get in touch with fellow 'Selsdoners' though! Are you one ofmthe,? Do you live there now? Does Jacqueline live there now? Many thanks, Clare

Yep, I used to hang out at the 'Rec' (my classmate lived in the house backing onto it from Woodland Gardens) and our group of Selsdon Primary School friends (as it was in my day - the 60s) used to practice our self-choreographed routines to songs like 'Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep' and 'Sugar, Sugar'. I also used the back entrance from Old Farleigh Road to go horse-riding at Selsdon Park Hotel. I don't remember your name specifically (Benson being your maiden name? Like mine is Kent?), but what were those of your siblings? My Mum used to walk to the shops daily from the bottom end of Littleheath Roads and sometimes took me into the old-fashioned Sainsbury. I went to those Brownies once (before committing to the uniform, luckily) and never returned, after 'Arcala' fell over on top of me! My mother and I lived at 24 Benhurst Gardens for a while, much later, in the 1980s. Maybe we should hook up for a wander around together sometime.

Hi Clare,
Your memories brought back lots of memories for me as well. I remember as a kid, soon after moving to Littleheath Rd, crying when I heard the old air siren go off because I got frightened. I also remember my nan having a bad fall because she tripped over fruit boxes outside the greengrocer on the other side of the road to Nash's. I also remember Mr Nash of Nash's greengrocers, yes he was a nice man. Our mum used to send me and my sister up to do the grocery shopping and I remember him showing me the potatoes. Also do you remember when Lloyds Bank (if it is still Lloyds Bank because I moved to Australia 12 years ago!) was a grocery shop called, I think, Baker's Stores? We used to do the shopping in there and there was a lovely lady who always served us with short, wavy grey hair which she tinted blue or sometimes pink, and my sister and I were always fascinated because she would match the colour of her earrings to her hair colour. I also remember being fascinated by the giant size Kellogg's Cornflake boxes on the shelves high up. I remember the old Sainsbury's and when it had an "upgrade" and they opened the little supermarkety bit down the back where you walked round with a basket - very novel! I distinctly remember my mum and I trying to work out the "real" price of a cucumber when we went over to decimals! I went to Selsdon Primary and then went on to Riddlesdown in (I think) 1970. Gaye Collins

It's so good to read the memories from other people about Selsdon. I really think it was a special place. It was self-sufficient and unspoilt., hidden away. We used to get the 234 bus i think from outside the library, to take us to Croydon, the big, posh (!!) town to do big shopping. If I am able to visit this summer, I'll post up a comment and maybe some of us could meet up for a wander around.

Clare, Jaqueline Cook moved to Italy in her twenties and is still there. She would be very pleased if you contacted her. I see Melina Helen Middleton has communicated with her through her "memory" article and discovered they both came to Selsdon from Blackheath and they both now live in Italy! I was born in the village at 1 Farley Road and "the Butcher, the Baker, the Candlestick maker, Norman Nash the Grocer, Percy the window cleaner and P.C.Boxall our local "Bobby" literally ALL knew I had arrived! I am a Real Selsdonian. I am so pleased more people are discovering this website.

Christine my Mum worked at Norman Nashes green grocer his nickname was Nasher because he had false teeth that kept coming loose. Lots more memories I'm trying to put together and will write again once I have got it all down.

Clare , hope u read this, and Gaye. things have changed so much in selsdon. The 'new' library by the triangle has gone, theres a new large sainsburys there, although they have incorporated another library in the building.The car park there has gone, so many of the shops have changed, but worse than all this, The Good Neighbours have been levelled, and is a car park for Aldi!!! The new Selsdonians have their priorities wrong. It would be great to meet up Clare if u came back.

Reading through this has brought back lots of memories. I started at Selsdon Primary School in 1960. There was still the secondary school upstairs then. Miss Dixon was the Reception Class teacher at the time. She later became Mrs Corsiaire. Her husband was a nurseryman somewhere along the Old Farleigh Road if I remember correctly. Mrs Galloway was the 2nd year infant teacher; I remember her for her "Edna Everidge" glasses....she could change the pointy bits above the lenses so that they were different colours! Miss Bjork was Headmistress. I remember her taking photos of school plays with her camera and old fashioned round flash light. Other teachers I remember were Mr Ivatt, Mr Russell, Mr Younghusband, Mr Worth, he taught us music....everybody was "Dear Boy". Mrs Uzzell was there but I had few dealings with her; I think she may have tried to teach me French in the Juniors. Mrs Sully was a terrifying dragon of a woman. Woe betide you if you left any of your dinner!
I too remember Sainsbury's both as an ordinary grocer's shop and later when it became partly self service. You could buy broken eggs in a waxed paper carton then. Other shops were The Gift Shop run by Mr Draper. He sold Corgi Toys and Eddisons jokes. There was Cave Austin's, a grocers just down from the Broadway. They used to sell biscuits loose from glass topped tins in front of the counter. Mr Ashdown worked there. He became a painter & decorator when they closed. There was the newsagents on the Broadway, RE & AJ Cooper, I worked as a Sunday paperboy there from about 1968 until 1973.
Does anybody else remember the traffic lights being put in at the crossroads....they weren't switched on for ages and the rumour was that that there was no electricity supply. It could be true; Woolworths had gas lighting still at that time.
I could ramble on for hours; I loved Selsdon & Sanderstead back then but the magic had worn off when I last went back, probably 15 years ago now.

Hello Gaye, I have just read your memories of Selsdon. You must be about the same vintage as me, if you remember the air raid sirens. I started at Selsdon Primary circa 1944 when the doodle bugs were coming over. The Air raid warning outside the school would go off and we were marched in orderly fashion to the school air raid shelters. I learnt my ABC and 2 x table in the shelters. I left Selsdon in 1963 so remember most of what you have written about. One query I would like answered is where abouts was Bakers Store? I can visualise the name over the shop, but not exactly where it was. My vague recollection is that it was on the same side of the road as the Baptist Church. Going towards Farley Rd. Next to the church was the Village Club (during the war a restaurant) then in 1940s, a solicitors Office. Then Cecil Ireland mens outfitter, them Bakers store, or Hubbard and Nash the iron mongers and then Bakers store. Of course my memory could be completely wrong!
The reason that I ask is because I am writing articles for the Selsdon Residents Association, and I want to make sure I have my facts right.
I loved your bit about the shop lady in Bakers store. The one who changed hair and earings to match. Can I put that in my article when I come to write up some more about old time shopping in Selsdon?
I could send you photos of Selsdon as it is today. A lot different to when you were a youngster like me! But this web system does not allow photos to be added to comments. I would need an email address. However you can see some recent photos, taken only 2 weeks ago at the Selsdon Residents Association web site, here https://selsdon-residents.co.uk/selsdon-through-the-eyes-of-a-war-baby.php
If you think a bit more about it I am sure, that like me, your old memories will come flooding back. If so I would love to hear more.
Des Donohoe ex Abbey Rd, Selsdon

Gaye, I think we were at Selsdon Primary together. If I am right you had red hair and a sister called Tina?
I seem to remember Deena who lived in Selsdon Vale, Donna Stringer and a girl called Sandra who lived down towards Addington.
I used to spend my time at the stables with the ponies, working for hours just to ride the ponies back the paddock. Playing in the rec on my bike.
My name then was Jane Currell and I lived at 1 Lynne Close, Farleigh Road and I started at Selsdon Primary around 1964/65