Kennards of Croydon: The Store that Entertained to Sell: A History of a Debenhams Store

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A brand new pet shop, on the second floor was opened. It had space, light and carpet on the floor and about ten tropical fish tanks in a window bay. Sarah Cawley: I used to always work in Croydon, first in the reject shop in the Whitgift Centre, and at lunchtime we would go to the Arkwrights Wheel. I spent a lot of time in the Blue Orchid, Joe Bananas and Walkabout but Yates was my favourite. The toilets being downstairs was not cool after a few vodkas and wearing heels. Lots of good memories The establishment drew thousands of gig-goers over its eight-year reign, with big-name headliners including the likes of Deep Purple, Status Quo, Thin Lizzy, The Ramones and The Jam taking to the stage between 1969 and 1977. Alan Simpson: I used to love going out in Croydon! Worked in Allders for a while and used to go to Pals on a Thursday after work! Great nights and always rammed! Moonshine, Blue Orchid, Joe Bananas! Sadly all gone now! Do the kids of today even have anywhere to go to actually meet friends (old and new!) and have a good time. Too much ‘socialising’ is done online now I guess!

Carly Mcintyre-Hollis: The Red Deer pub, you could walk in and there was always someone there you knew to have a drink with. One of the few pubs I felt comfortable in. Read More Related Articles For many years The Good Companions pub in Hamsey Green was popular with families to dine out at the weekend but eventually trade declined and it closed in 2012. I also remember going to Croydon at Christmas to buy a turkey, all the butcheries had them hanging outside and we chose the one we wanted. Too much elf and safety now so it would only be pre-wrapped today. Take care and thank you againA young crowd used to frequent this Purley pub and had a reputation as a spot for a cheeky lunchtime pint. This was of course later expanded and renamed Centrale. This store continued to anchor the centre until Debenhams announced its closure in 2020. This lido had a cross-shaped pool measuring 200ft by 73ft and was something of a trailblazer in London. As an added attraction, a pair of lion cubs were put on display for a limited time and, although too young to harm the public, I did notice at one stage the door of the large cage was kept shut with a garden broom.

Opening on North End, it was supposed to be a store selling linen and silk, with special offers on silk dresses, buttons and ribbons. But Croydon did have a station called "Jolly-sailor" Jolly-sailor station in 1845, the atmospheric pumping station, with its gothic chimney/exhaust vent, in the foreground. Image: public domain It was a favourite for kids parties and, as strange as it looked on the outside, it’s presence is missed. I am amazed my mother took me to tea and listened to the orchestra, how cultured for a girl from Purley. She obviously wanted to bring me up proper. Two of the unique selling points of the store was the use of full-length windows running the length of the store, [3] a unique feature at the time, and an arcade (added during the 1930s) inside the store that linked different departments and showcased goods from around the world. [4]Sam Foster: Pool upstairs in Yates. Foam party/school night in Walkabout -karaoke on a Sunday night. The Disney store in Whitgift. Safari cinema in West Croydon. Read More Related Articles Zodiac was actually a chain of toy shops with stores around the UK but Croydonians were very loyal to their branch. I had done some concert party work in the army, so when I was de-mobbed I joined a local concert party also a semi-professional dance band, which I attended when needed.

Sadly Allders is now in the hands of the Receivers hoping for a buyer to continue the name - very sad. Debbie Burgess: Yates, Joe Banana's, Allders, C&A, Woolworths, and the Blue Orchid, where I met my partner, still together 20 years and 3 children later! Read More Related Articles Built in 1935 it was one of the first outdoor pools to boast heating and had lighting on the floors.Of course, how could we leave out good old Woolies? The brand was actually founded in 1909 and was a staple of all the main British high streets until it closed down in 2008. Shoppers were devastated and some gathered at their local store on the last day of trading. It couldn't last forever though. In 1928, Kennards was bought by the Drapery Trust around the time that Debenhams had acquired Drapery Trust. But whilst its true that after the Second World War, business declined, the store was not rebranded as a Debenham's store until 1973. The pool was used for international polo matches in its day but it shut in 1979 - we are sure many will wish it was still there now to enjoy on a warm day. A photograph shows the chetah sitting nonchalantly on a dining table while a waitress shows it a menu, probably hoping it will chose something to eat from the sweet trolley rather than one of the diners! Opening in 1934, you may have once upon a time been there for dates or trips out with friends. Sadly it closed on May 13, 1999 and was reopened as residential flats.

Despite suffering significant damage in the Second World War, the shop battled on and stayed open until 2012, when it went into administration. That's right, before Norwood Junction was Norwood Junction, it was named Jolly-sailor — after the local boozer. And the Jolly-sailor played a particularly interesting role in rail history; it was part of Croydon's atmospheric railway — a pioneering, if ultimately flawed, piece of kit that propelled trains from one pumping station to the next, via a vacuum in a pipe laid in between the rails, attached to a piston on the bottom of the train. (Jolly-sailor was home to one such pumping station). The railway was opened in 1845, but shut down by 1847 — in part due to the fact rats kept gnawing through the equipment. 3. Lots of mediocre things were invented by Croydonites And there's so many places in Croydon which we will all remember from our younger days that no longer exist. One place that I always wanted to visit in Kennards was the ball room, a large room which was a restaurant by day and an entertainment venue at night. As it was a little expensive for me I had no reason to visit it, that was until fate took a hand. As Croydon was regenerated after World War One, the iconic Savoy Theatre was built at 225 London Road.The venue opened in 1908 - just 12 years after the UK’s first ever cinema, The Regent Street Cinema in Westminster, began offering public screenings. In its heyday, in the mid-80s, Zodiac was the UK’s leading toy retailer with more than 80 branches.