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Thornton Heath
Thornton Heath photos
Displaying the first of 22 old photos of Thornton Heath. View all Thornton Heath photos
Thornton Heath maps
Historic maps of Thornton Heath and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Thornton Heath maps
Thornton Heath area books
Displaying 1 of 13 books about Thornton Heath and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Thornton Heath
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of Thornton Heath.
There are 12 shared memories to read.
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My Father
I did not know my father, I only remember him in the early part of my life but I knew he worked for the coal yard in Thornton Heath, he had a large Shire horse and the last I know of him was standing at the horse's head with a rosette on the reins, ribbons on the mane and tail, and there were three children sitting on the cart, I think one of them was me but I have no photo to check this. I am now searching the family tree so if anyone has any photos or pictures that I can have a copy of I would be grateful.
Food Outlets
I can remember the suppliers of food and the taxi rank on the island at the Clock Tower - their pies were particularly nice and the taxi drivers very friendly. At the same place the freshly loaded coal wagons used to park whilst there drivers bought a pie - their horses were enormous - at least to me as a little boy. Thinking about it I think there was also a drinking fountain for us kids etc and a trough for the horses. They were loaded up in the coaling department of Thornton Heath Station Goods department. In my day - as a child - I used to go to the bridge a little way down the line and sit on the wall overlooking the rail-lines and watch the steam trains shunting the wagons. The wall was about six feet high and made of blue bricks - it was scary fun to walk on the top - especially over the bridge. I have checked... Read more
Frogs - Newts & Ice
I used to visit my aunt & uncle who lived in this - as it was known to me - the posh area of Thornton Heath: it was even pronounced differently - where I lived we invariably but a "mate" on the end of everything. Anyway - this was a favourite place for me - for frog and newt hunting - and in the winter - ice skating: I even fell through the ice one year. It was - as I remember a terminus for one of the London Tram routs and there was a tram depot nearby. As a family of children we were sent to the Granada cinema for Saturday morning films and an ice cream - one of those dreadful Walls bricks made from - as we were to understand - pig fat. We were not the best behaved kids - flying paper aeroplanes over the balcony. Saturday morning club recognised birthdays as well - when it was our birthday we were... Read more
The Simla PH, Parchmore Road
My friend Roy Greenfield's parents ran the Simla, which was a Charrington's pub.
Thornton Heath, High Street
My family moved back to Thornton Heath, to 35 Gilsland Road, just off the High Street, at the end of the war and stayed until 1951. United Dairies was the shop on one corner and next to that a sweetshop and tobacconists and then on to the Co-op which extended round the corner of Nursery Road. On the other corner was Pearks from where sadly my little brother had his brand new Gresham Flyer 3-wheeler bike stolen - I remember Festival of Britain memorabilia being displayed in the windows of the Co-op and the last tram going down the High Street. Iles was the shop opposite Gilsland Road where my Nan used to buy lino for her living room. I joined the Brownies in the hall at the side of St. Albans Church and went to Whitehorse Primary School - we would buy a 1d apple from the grocers shop (up 3 steps to the door) on the way to school.
Hansom Carriage
I can still remember the sound of the horse's "clipperty-clopp" as we went home in the hansom carriage after arriving at Thornton Heath station - I must have been about eight years old at the time - I always looked forward to our ride home.
Basket Works Etc.circa 1943-1960
Contributor Mr Sosgez remembers basket weaving in Thornton Heath. This was almost certainly Tom Mason Ltd in Norbury Road. It was run by Mr George Newton and occupied premises that had been a United Dairies depot and stables. The shop front was in Norbury Road next to Mr Cowell's newsagents and barbers shop, with the works stretching quite a long way back with a side entrance letting out onto the lower end of Moffat Road. I remember the place very well as my best mate, Mr Newton's son Roy and I would play there, climbing up into the stacked cane high in the roof. The water in those tanks, used for soaking and softening the cane, smelled awful and produced a horrid looking scum. Mr Newton told us (I think with tongue in cheek) that this was similar to recently discovered Penicillin and had healing powers! One worker I remember was a young Polishman called Jan. Mr Newton had many business interests including the wireworks two shops away... Read more
St Andrews Church
I can remember the old St Andrews in Brook Road, which was demolished and the new church built in its place. Wonderful old building, tiny spiral stairs to the balcony level, beautiful. Shame I have no pictures.
