Yes, that small building was next to the leather warehouse on the corner. A mishmash of mostly small industrial stuff, if my memory serves me correctly. Cheers!

6:22 Sorry, there’s a *car* in the 1983 photo???

I've always wondered about this place, I've lived in Richmond for 25 years, but I've only ever seen it on google maps because its not exactly easy to explore a private golf course. Shame about the flight paths though, kind of ruins the tranquil vibes.

Growing up and living in Orpington area from 1968-2012, I remember so many of the sights here. This and your other videos have effectively realised my very distant memories. I also remember when the taxi rank was the other side of the station.

Full of immigrants.

Interesting video well made. Does anyone know what the purpose was of this building.

Sad to witness the decline of such a bustling, thriving place which was a major shopping destination for many people. 😢

The city centre is a joke immigrants tearing round on bikes for Uber eats and beggars accosting you.

Great video. I've lived in Leicester for 60 years & Iove the place & it's people. Such a pity that the town centre is so run-down.

10:41 The original walnut trees were on the grass in front of the DSS building before being replaced by the Odeon. In fact I think some of them may have gone before that to make way for the covered market area.

Love it !

One of the few councils that actually paid for graffiti to be painted on one of the tallest buildings in the city. Madness

Well, fancy that TV times post to surviving all those years, I’m old enough to remember when it was just a BBC and the first programme I remember watching on ITV was Dr Desmond Morris and zoo time

I grew up in leicester. Its now a third world sh1tehole

These photos are wonderful. More or less in the final years when Croydon was a bustling town centre. What should have been a new start heralded by the arrival of the tram marked the start of a long decline which continues to this day. Awful decisions by the council, now bankrupt, to overspend massively on its own buildings and prioritise high rise residential development, whilst neglecting the town centre and making life difficult for businesses to thrive. The botched Whitgift Centre redevelopment, the demolition of the whole area around St George's Walk, the mismanagement of the Surrey Street market, over-pedestrianisation, the failure to properly police South End and the expensive nightmare which is parking. What could have been: see Will Noble's new book, Croydonopolis, which looks at all the missed opportunities.

I negotiated the purchase for Leicester City Council, of the then newly completed New Walk Centre Offices (because of their curved shapes, known as the “banana blocks). Comprising 214,000 sq ft of air conditioned and fully carpeted offices, it cost £5.22 million, an absolute bargain! I was a little surprised to hear that the complex was demolished just a few years ago.

I was born, went to secondary school and got my first job in Croydon. I moved away in 1998, so your 1997 pictures are how I remember it. Sadly it looks like I made the right decision.

Let me guess, it hasn’t changed for the better.

Certainly looks stunningly beautiful house that was a lovely little video

Lovely video buddy. I live in essex and never knew of this place! Will definitely go tgere with tge family. Thanks

I was a child when it was being built, I was always fascinated in how it was being built and it's scale. I had never seen anything like it before.

NICE ONE --- MOVED TO PURLEY in 2013. from CRYSTAL PALACE. (Lived there with Family as from 1963 to 1970's ). Before 1962 to 1963 TOOTING with Family & Family Friends ) FROM, U.K. (2024). However, MY FIRST VERY GROWN - UP MOVIE was called "The GRADUATE " with Dustin Hoffman. ( With Family Friends of Course ) !!!!! SEEN at the PURLEY - A B C CINEMA (1970's).

Did you know about the tunnel linking the Police statioin to Taberner house and the library?

I worked in 38 High street in 1967 and soon after at Selgrove jewellers (high st shop backing onto the Whitgift centre,then under construction) Croydon was in those days,a pleasant place!

I remember that scaffolding on the high street. It was there for ages. I have always preferred the name The Shires. The High Cross is something very different to me. That has moved by the way.

Loved your videos! I moved to the States in 1977, I was 22 and love to see my old memories of Leicester. Thank you!

I miss the old Odeon. Such a beautiful building. Used to be really nice inside as well with a gorgeous cinema with very confy seats. The inside has been ruined now. Such a shame. Removing the subway by the railway station was a rubbish idea as well. Very useful if you were running late for your train. Especially as now you have to traverse two pedestrian crossings which aren't green at the same time and the roads are very busy. Extremely dangerous. They did a good job with renovating the area where the cattle market used to be.

Where did you use to live then?

Pedestrianisation has been brilliant for the city. I enjoy being able to walk without having to watch for cars, or the pollution. The problem is that we've become so car-dependant in mentality that a lot of us don't know how to cope without them being around as much. Special dispsensation should be given to tradesmen and delivery vehicles though for practical reasons.

Really interesting to see the changes, especially the Cattle Market, and to hear a bit of information about particular buildings. I enjoyed this.

Growing up here in the 70s and 80s, I remember seeing the local punks with mohicans, DM boots and zips etc. messing around on the benches at this end of the car park, just behind and a little up from the phone boxes. At school the kids used to switch around the first letters of Fryer Tuck when they referred to the chippie. Halcyon days....😃

I have a feeling this is going to be a depressing video

A blast from the past. Thank you for sharing ❤

Who remembers Dr Grants house that once stood derelict for years ware the village hall now stands near the war memorial , now this would be an interesting subject to look into the history of why it was left so long n such a derelict state all I know about it was a Doctor called Muriel Grant once owned it.

Beautiful church just up the road as well 👍🏻👍🏻

Thanks For The Update ! I Worked in The Swan and Sugar Loaf in 1960 !😊

Thank you for this historical record of Orpington , I was born in 1957 and grew up in Lancing road not far away from here and remember the Walnuts even before it was built , it is amazing how it has all changed over the years .

Croydon is in Surrey!

Nice video, thank you for posting. I lived in and around Orpington in the 1950's and 60's. It has changed incredibly and, sad to say, not for the better in my opinion. Then, it was a charming little Kentish town full of friendly, neighbourly people. Now? Just another suburb in the London sprawl. I visited recently and it was a traffic nightmare, old landmarks had been pulled down with ghastly edifices replacing them and swarthy, miserable, immigrant types were everywhere. Only a few days ago 3 young men were shot and injured in Otlinge Road. It's sad.

Nice video, thank you for posting. I lived in and around Orpington in the 1950's and 60's. It has changed incredibly and, sad to say, not for the better in my opinion. Then, it was a charming little Kentish town full of friendly, neighbourly people. Now? Just another suburb in the London sprawl. I visited recently and it was a traffic nightmare, old landmarks had been pulled down with ghastly edifices replacing them and swarthy, miserable, immigrant types were everywhere. Only a few days ago 3 young men were shot and injured in Otlinge Road. It's sad.

Nice video, thank you for posting. I lived in and around Orpington in the 1950's and 60's. It has changed incredibly and, sad to say, not for the better in my opinion. Then, it was a charming little Kentish town full of friendly, neighbourly people. Now? Just another suburb in the London sprawl. I visited recently and it was a traffic nightmare, old landmarks had been pulled down with ghastly edifices replacing them and swarthy, miserable, immigrant types were everywhere. Only a few days ago 3 young men were shot and injured in Otlinge Road. It's sad.

Nice video, thank you for posting. I lived in and around Orpington in the 1950's and 60's. It has changed incredibly and, sad to say, not for the better in my opinion. Then, it was a charming little Kentish town full of friendly, neighbourly people. Now? Just another suburb in the London sprawl. I visited recently and it was a traffic nightmare, old landmarks had been pulled down with ghastly edifices replacing them and swarthy, miserable, immigrant types were everywhere. Only a few days ago 3 young men were shot and injured in Otlinge Road. It's sad.

I moved to Croydon in 1976 and left in 1993, went back once in 2004. It had been thriving but was rapidly going downhill when I left, it’s sad to see it decline further. When I was a teenager I often hung out in Queen’s Park with my friends, it was pretty then but looks horrendous now. I don’t plan on ever going back.

Interesting little video thank you. I come from the city of Kingston upon hole we have lots of old little ladies like that all very unique and interesting one called the land of green ginger

Excellent work, thank you.

Know it well…

Crispins had 4 fish shops in orpington for about 10 year's until they sold them high street ,colton parade, marina crescent, cockmanden,.

Love your videos very nostalgic and ive subscribed keep up the good work

I used to work at crispins fish and chip shop did you know they had 4 fish shops in orpington one at the war memorial one at colton parade one by St. Mary Cray station and also one in cockmanden crispins had 40 fish shops called crispins and 40 called Marys fish and chips around the cost of England thay thay were owned by RHM Ltd rank hovis and bisto and many other companies

Thanks for this as I lived in Tadema Rd from the late 50s then into Stadium Rd for a couple of years. Primary school was Ashburnham Rd all off Lots Rd..played in bombed out warehouses fished in the creek and had a fight in is with some lads that had walked across the rail bridge from Battersea 😂 also played on sunken boats on the Thames where the embankment turned up towards the Kings Rd. Fantastic childhood 👍