Moving Away

A Memory of Old Coulsdon.

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 in woods or common land.

I moved to St. Leonards in February 2010, to be nearer my son. But I know I will miss Old Coulsdon after living there for over sixty years.
I have some photos of the area taken in the 1960s.

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