Purley Fountain And High Street

A Memory of Purley.

I was born in Mayday but brought up in Lansdowne Road for the first two and a half years. I remember the fountain being in the grounds of the water works where Tesco is now situated. When I was nearly 3 we moved to above the old gas showroom in the High Street, Purley. The cinema that is there now used to be called the Astoria and I can remember as a very small child having tea in the restaurant. My great uncle Fred used to live in the flint cottages just along from the cinema. Where the Sainsbury's now stands used to be a big car park to service the train station. Also in my twenties I used to work for the Abbey National in the High Street. Sadly the High Street consists of banks, estate agents and building societies these days. I have not been back to Purley for many years but can remember that the High Street used to flood very badly due to the fact that that the Bourne stream runs underground. At the end pf Whyteleaf Road there used to be the Railway Hotel which was pulled down and offices built. I understand the Jolly Farmers is stil there, as my Nan used to often visit.