Shirley Public Library

A Memory of Shirley.

I was born in Shirley in 1935. My parents had married a year earlier and moved to a new semi detached house (cost seven hundred and twenty-five pounds) in the new housing estate. They came from crowded row houses in London's East End so living in a new house in the suburbs with three bedrooms and a bathroom for the two of them and one baby must have seemed like heaven. Although my parents had bought a new home they didn't have much money left over after paying the mortgage and for a long time the rooms were not fully furnished.
My Dad was in the Army in WW II and overseas for four years. He must have been quite despondent to hear that his 'castle' had been damaged by a doodlebug in June 1944. Fortunately it was repairable, several other homes nearby were destroyed completely. The picture of Hartland Way brought back memories.
The building on the left in the picture is the public library for Shirley, Croydon. At the age of ten when I returned to Shirley in 1945 after being evacuated to the country this became a favorite place for me to read and borrow books. We didn't have any books at home and of course no television so a visit to the library was a real treat.
I clearly remember discovering the author Dornford Yates and reading many of his books, and even now sixty-five years later can remember some of his characters (Lord Chandos) and parts of the plots.
We lived at number 66 Shirley Way so it was a walk to get to the library but in those days we walked a lot. On the right of the picture there is a row of shops including a news agent, and a garage.
Back in 1945 the buses did not run up Hartland Way. The 119 route operating prewar STL double decker vehicles ran from Bromley to West Croydon. Route 194 had the six wheel LT double deck buses, and occasionally had a few that had open back staircases. However, London Transport was short of vehicles, and quite a few single deck private motor coaches were running the routes to supplement the regular fleet.
In my teens I would go to the Odeon cinema in West Wickham and more often then not would walk both ways as it was quicker then waiting for a bus!
I was twelve when I had my first bicycle! There was a reason; I had to get to the Stanley Technical School in South Norwood, about three miles away and riding a bike was cheaper and quicker then using the bus.
Shirley was a good place to grow up as a teenager.
Like many who write their memories on this web site, I also moved thousands of miles away to the west and now live in a totally different environment in the USA.
I have been back to my birth place for a nostalgic visit and while interesting it was a bitter sweet experience.