From village to concrete Island 75 years

Welcome to our video exploring the fascinating history of Crawley New Town. Established in the aftermath of World War II, Crawley was designated as a new town in 1947, with the aim of relieving overcrowding in London and providing affordable housing for people displaced by the war. Over the years, Crawley has grown from a small collection of villages to a bustling town with a diverse population and a vibrant local economy.
In this video, we'll take you on a journey through the history of Crawley, from its early days as a rural backwater to its emergence as a thriving new town. We'll explore the challenges and triumphs faced by the town's planners, architects, and residents as they worked to create a modern, sustainable community. Along the way, we'll meet some of the people who have helped to shape Crawley's identity, from its pioneering residents to its innovative businesses.
Whether you're a history buff, a local resident, or simply curious about the story of one of England's most fascinating towns, this video is sure to inform and inspire. So sit back, relax, and join us as we delve into the evolution of Crawley New Town.
00:00 Introduction
00:15 birth of Crawley
00:37 Then and now

[@ianmcclavin]

I lived in Crawley from 1963 to 2010. The opening of County Mall initially made Queen's Square a bit of a "ghost town" area for a while, with major outlets like Boots and W H Smith moving into the Mall, vacating sites in the Square, which were then occupied by smaller outlets, if at all. The situation took a while to recover. Many people feel nostalgic for the appearance of the Square as it was previously.

[@WatchthisandChill]

Thank you for your comment. you predate me , I only saw Crawey in the eighties onwards, I wish they had kept the old high street the way it was. How sad that the new County Mall is now fairly empty, like Queens Square was when they built it.

[@ianmcclavin]

@@WatchthisandChill Yes , the other sad loss was the Embassy Cinema and the Starlight Ballroom. The cinema predated the new town, I didn't realise that at the time I lived there, originally we had the stalls (downstrairs) and circle (upstairs gallery) for watching the same film (Circle seats were more expensive!). It was converted into a three screen venue in 1979, but couldn't compete with the multiplex at the Retail Park when that opened. At least with the "Bar Med" nightclub the building still existed. Now it's gone forever. Also, there were two bowling alleys, but again only the one at the retail park survives now. The old cinema/Bar Med building, the old Starlight and bowling alley building (which also housed Pepés Golden Griddle which was popular), were all demolished to make way for a Morrisons, but Morrisons pulled out of Crawley themselves about 5 years later. I still revisit Crawley from time to time, but how things have changed in recent years!

[@WatchthisandChill]

You mean the cinema near the railway? Such a shame , would have been great to have kept it as a cinema

[@ianmcclavin]

@@WatchthisandChill That was the Embassy cinema, near where the KFC still stands, at the end of The Boulevard/northern end of the High Street. (There was another one even earlier, the other side of the level crossing, but that was turned into a car dealer (Gadsdons, firstly Nissan then Peugeot) before my time!).

[@jimbo6059]

Seb Coe was a 800m and 1500m runner. My first job was on the corner of Queensway and park view in the old Thomas cook shop 36 years ago.

[@WatchthisandChill]

Did Seb Coe have a connection with Crawley ?

[@davidrandall9088]

I lived in Crawley from 1951 to 1972. It is sad to see how most of the changes have not been for the better;

[@judet5426]

Good video, I'm sorry you have a negative view of Crawley... I lived there from the 90's to early 2000's, was fortunate to have a job I loved and good friends, I grew to love the town.circumstances forced a move. When I have visited over the years since, yes there has been a lot of development and changes but that's how it is in most places. I now live near Ipswich and over the years I have been here, our town centre has gone downhill. Sadly it's the same everywhere.

[@Music2Travel2Sport]

This surely is the most amateurish videos I’ve ever seen on KZbin.

[@WatchthisandChill]

You haven’t seen many YT videos then!