My Father...

A Memory of Croydon.

This photo shows a view from the 'top' of Surrey Street market and my father was a trader there from just after WW2 until his untimely death in 1960.

He operated a fabric (yard-goods and drapery) shop and during the good times had a stall outside too, then in leaner times just a stall.

The crowd seen in this photo is gathered around a stall operated by Charlie Robery, he sold many and varied items from the pitch, assisted by a number of helpers and some crowd 'ringers' whose job it was to encourage others in the crowd to buy. Charlie was a 'patter' barrow-boy, with a continuous line of humerous, sometimes slightly ribald chat, who would get the crowd going with his arms full of a whole set of crockery which he'd place there item by item, all the while 'shouting the odds' and explaining how 'just for today' this set of crockery wasn't 3 pound, not even 2 pound ten, not even 2 quid...no...just today, who'll give me one pound seventeen and sixpence? he also sold a 'mystery package' which was a small box wrapped in brown paper. The customers didn't know what was inside but it was cheap and contained a small gift item which was good value for the pocket-change which Charlie charged.

My dad's stall was right next to Charlie's and he sold his yard-goods and during the Summer when people were out of the house more often and sewing less, he and my mother who helped out on the stall, sold ladies cotton shift dresses and during December when people were too busy with the holidays to sew, they sold xmas items, slippers and chocolate-covered cherries in gold boxes.