Purely In The 60s

A Memory of Purley.

I was born in Purely hospital in 1960 and lived in Grasmere rd until 1979.
I remember going to ballet lessons somewhere upstairs near the top of Russell Hill rd, and creche was in the church hall on Brighton rd near to the hospital (and next to the gas board shop which sold cookers etc). Also Tufty club, which may have been near the station. There was a little toy shop just before the railway bridge on Godstone rd, which had a model railway in the window into which you could roll a penny to see the train go round. Along the high street I recall Morgans, and a fishmongers and a shoe repair shop set back a little. I was taken to see Mary Poppins at the Astoria age 5. Near to there was the post office.
My dad spent a huge amount of time in the Jolly Farmers. I remember Les and Bet Phillery the landlords, and the bar at the back as it used to be, it's all opened out now and modernised. Also remember being sat out in the car in the car park with bitter lemon and crisps. At other times he frequented the Railway hotel and the Royal Oak bar in that concrete monstrosity on the way to South Croydon.
To get home to Grasmere rd you would walk along Godstone rd and up the ramp to Warren rd. Sometimes we would see boys climbing up the steep cliffs on the right of Warren rd and i would say "look mummy, naughty boys!" Our house backed onto the railway line, very noisy especially when they were doing maintenance at night. Also going under the 2 bridges either on Godstone rd or at the bottom of Riddlesdown rd - they seemed huge dark and filthy, and were full of pigeons.
I went to Christchurch primary and whilst there they built the extension for the juniors so they no longer went to the building in the high st. After school I'd often be taken to the rotary field to play. I went to Christchurch Sunday school and the brownies in the church hall.
Later went to Riddlesdown school which was horrible.

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