London Districts: Croydon (Documentary)

Subtitles available under video via CC button. Series Soundtrack available at yeththar.bandcamp.com/follow_me. Watch #LondonDistricts on TV @ Sky 117, Freeview 8, Virgin Media 159 and YouView 8 via London Live.
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Croydon is in the London Borough of Croydon spread across both London and Surrey. It's a large town directly to the south of central London in the midst of Bromley, Thornton Heath, Mitcham and Carshalton.
Originally a mediaeval market town, Croydon was the go-to place for the valuable Saffron spice and its place name is believed to be derived from this.
Croydon boasts a large shopping complex in the shape of the Centrale and the Whitgift Centre which was the largest shopping centre in London until 2008.
This Greater London town is distinctive for its TfL Tramlink light rail transport system. Croydon's version of the DLR. It began operating in 2000 as the first London tram system since 1952. All 17 miles of it are now included on the London Tube Map.
The council seems to have given tacit approval of an arts quarter over the last few years. Dozens of striking murals are emerging on walls, shutters and fences around the town centre as part of the 2015 Croydon Mural Project which has produced over 100 murals to date.
Croydon College is a further education college established in 1868 offering BTEC Diplomas, NVQs, A levels and entry level courses. For the last few years, it has maintained an Ofsted rating of 'good'. The BRIT School for performing arts and technology also lives in Croydon and has birthed a slew of notable actors and musicians.
Recently, the popular food, retail and club outlet, Boxpark, forged out of shipping containers, opened a venue in East Croydon. It has revitalised the night life and trendy image among younger punters.
The town is expected to see further changes through its Vision 2020 urban planning initiative which aims on promoting Croydon as a hub of living, retailing, culture and business with £3.5 billion committed to development projects.
The Shirley Windmill has had its fair share of life tribulations. Its been abandoned, set on fire, replaced, eaten by birds, struck by lightning, had limbs broken off and was listed for sale in the paper as an April fool's joke by school pupils in 1971.
In 1803, Croydon opened the worlds first public railway. The Surrey Iron Railway ran from Croydon to Wandsworth to facilitate the area into becoming a growing commuter town.
Today, East Croydon station is one of the U.K.’s busiest non-terminal train stations. Additionally, the large town has a West and South Croydon station but is absent of a North Croydon. There is an express train to Gatwick airport; just one replacement of the now defunct Croydon international airport, which was also the U.K.’s first. It introduced a control tower along with air-traffic control to the world after the first world war.
Neighbouring the station is the iconic 50p building, or as it is properly known, number One Croydon. Completed in 1970, it has 27 multi angular storeys stacked up to a height of 269 feet.
Saffron Square tower is currently Croydon's tallest building at 440 feet and recently won a unique architectural prize for the ugliest building in the UK. A new skyscraper is set to be built at nearly 800 feet. This will exceed the height of One Canada Square in Canary Wharf to become the U.K.’s second tallest building behind The Shard and the highest residential block.
The Fairfield halls arts, entertainment and conference centre opened in 1962. It has hosted The Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Queen, Pink Floyd and was a setting in the Da Vinci Code film.
Aside from the modern development, Croydon preserves several older structures like the Croydon minster, Addington Palace to the south and Croydon Palace; traditionally the summer residence of the arch bishop of Canterbury for over 500 years.

[@TheDimeDrawer]

Everytime I visit Croydon a brand new building pops up out of nowhere lol.

[@booth2710]

Yep. That's Croydon. High rise building, High rise crime rate and high rise council tax. Basically a concrete dump.

[@RandomGamer-qy6ys]

@@booth2710 meh well flats are beautiful and cheap

[@maximyles]

@@booth2710 High Rise buildings, Crime rates aren’t all that bad, we have some of the greatest schools around and we have good links into London. Not all bad.

[@sarahwagland1559]

​@@maximylesI like someone who looks on the bright side. The girl who was stabbed recently went to The Old Palace.

[@RidesInforests]

Croydon also has some stunning parks in and around the area. People often overlook this aspect. Park hill park is amazing. Lloyds park and Shirly hills just near by offer a real nature get away.

[@thysupremematrix4327]

Don't forget Selsdon Nature Reserve! It's absolutely superb.

[@milehighclassics]

I grew up there and was 70s child and 80s raver and I loved it, the concrete was not-that old and it was one of the first places to have mc Donald’s with root beer and tin ashtrays also it was my home

[@johnorchard4]

I met Mr E W Rae. He came into my shop to buy a present for his daughter in the early 1970s. We were in the Whitgift centre and he came in with a large man carrying an attache case. His role, apparently, as to carry the cash - because that was where the notes were withdrawn from to pay for the daughter's gift. What was the occasion? It was the opening of the McDonald's on North End/Whitgift Centre and Mr Rae was the Senior Executive Vice-President of McDonald's UK attending the opening. You may imagine, he was not from Croydon.

[@richardfedczuk5760]

Saffron from the crocus flower. Croydon has changed quite a bit since this video was filmed.

[@_LilacRoses]

This music is killing me with all the sound effects LMAOOO!! Good video though :)

[@ldiaz138]

Excelent!..very good short documentary, I quite enjoyed. Txs

[@sarahlondonvlogs]

Worked in this borough for 5 years - brings back old memories. Shopping was a bonus at lunchtime. Remember this place like it was y/day

[@fieldsofgreen8857]

Moved to Croydon from London, did well owned three houses, then 80s 90s recession lost everything, moved over to semi rureil Kent and never looked back.

[@maximyles]

What made you lose the properties?

[@fieldsofgreen8857]

Recession tenants losing their jobs subletting not paying any rent and refusing to move out.we eventually lost the property's moved over to Kent with very little, hubby had two heart attacks due to the stress, but with a lot of hard work we came through it, and when he passed three years ago he knew had left with a nice comfortable home.

[@warprecautions631]

Another great video! It is a good thing that Croydon is getting regenerated.

[@andymottley3273]

Hey great video not sure about the music %

[@sarahwagland1559]

I like an optimist 😊

[@splashpit]

Almost got to the end without seeing an Croydon facelift but you got one in just at the end , good job !

[@benchaney77]

Love this video, really helpful to get a snap of local culture

[@LondonDistricts]

I agree with you of course :)

[@rachieshaulsandthings]

Remember when box park first opened , live on south Croydon , go into Croydon all the time , great vid 👍

[@juanguerra3472]

Great shots, editing, rhythm and colometry. The music is incredibly atmospheric, like the provided information. This is the first series of videos that shows things about London that I have noticed and are not usually seen or mentioned. I would love to see one from Hackney or Islington. To keep watching your videos will be a pleasure. Thanks for sharing.

[@LondonDistricts]

Islington is published - Check out the new London Districts Soundtrack here yeththar.bandcamp.com/follow_me

[@newageviewstv8006]

Another great video 🔥 🔥 you

[@goodwood-rc4nx]

wish most of the shops seen in this video were still around, the town centre is halfway between old and Westfield which might take over the Whitgift and centrale shopping centres

[@markpowell602]

Great video well made 👍

[@LondonDistricts]

Thanks for the visit

[@footballsoccerx2021]

The "50p building" is actually the "Three-penny Bit Building " (pronounced thrupp-penn bit") . It was called this because of the shape of the building resembling the old 3-penny piece coin. After the introduction of decimal currency in Britain in 1971, replacing the old pounds, shillings and pence currency, the tower then resembled the newly introduced 50p coin, as the 3d piece coin was withdrawn. As a result many younger people now call it the 50p building

[@p0rq]

I had no idea it ever had a name, after ten years of commuting on the tram to East Croydon. It was always just “that funny shaped building”.

[@sirtrollalot7762]

Thru penny bits is cockney rhyming slang for tits

[@sarahwagland1559]

Do people still pronounce Katharine Street Kath-a-rine and not Kath-rin? Or Kaf-rin even? 😄

[@richardfedczuk5760]

It's also know as the wedding cake tower.

[@finleybobjjm446]

there is a north croydon station, norwood junction

[@carltheblue.2531]

I live in Croydon that bloke begging gets up and walks off at the end of the day blagging the public..

[@LondonDistricts]

Oh shoot!

[@surgexz1799]

Saw him the other day in central right next to the Whitgift shopping center he just walked off and started talking to his mates lol

[@villageglobe3453]

Beautiful

[@sarahwagland1559]

I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

[@mirilil5185]

Such a shame that croydon didn't develop as planned

[@haroldofcardboard]

nice one. thank you :)

[@LondonDistricts]

Welcome!

[@ebonystone8890]

I just started working in West Croydon in January 2020 and it is now so rough and down trodden compared to when I worked in West Croydon in 2002.

[@G-Man78]

I disagree completely.

[@allylou5151]

I use go to wax city get some of my vinyl

[@AbdulKareem-uy6hk]

@@G-Man78 , exactly! I lived in West Croydon, off the London Road! Awful place then and now 👀

[@G-Man78]

@@AbdulKareem-uy6hk West Croy 20 years ago was far worse. At least the transport is better now and there are more cameras. Be thankful, I was in Portsmouth, more specifically Southsea last year and lets just say, it made me appreciate living in London in 2021 rather than some yokal local town by the seaside, stuck in 1985

[@youngmurphy7556]

Why does it need a Croydon North station? It's got Selhurst, Thornton Heath, Norbury and Norwood Junction. Coydon South isn't in the town centre either.

[@johnorchard4]

At one stage there were over 24 railway stations in Croydon. Croydon Central was what became the Town Hall gardens and later the Jubilee Gardens.

[@seandennis8486]

Wow so many facts I didn't realise

[@errolmartin7733]

Maplins has gone like a lot of other shops

[@LondonDistricts]

I liked Maplins. Shame.

[@SebFlorida]

for anybody wondering, the crazy tune is representative of Croydon's difficult relationship with mental health.

[@_LilacRoses]

really?

[@paulstevens9746]

Well made video, music is a bit annoying for me. Croydon is not spread across Surrey though. It was once a Country town in Surrey, but became a London Borough in 1965,. Croydon lost it's identity after Sir James Marshall's master plan for the future, with the demolition in the 1950's 60s and 70's of many beautiful old buildings to create a "New Town". In my opinion it is a place to avoid if you can.

[@jessc2064]

Agreed. Croydon is crap.

[@mildlydispleased3221]

The harsh, brutalist architecture gives the town character. And the Croydon postcode is indeed spread across London and Surrey which may be what he is referring to.

[@jordanhtiffirg1990]

​@mildlydispleased3221 i dont get why people like brutalist archeticture its dull, ugly, souless and plain

[@johnorchard4]

It was never a county town in Surrey. It was always separate administratively. As a manor it was part of the elite group of manors owned by the Archbishops of Canterbury, and so the Sheriff's writ for the local county simply did not run there. It became a borough in the early nineteenth century and was created the County Borough (thereby a county in its own right) in 1889 (under the 1888 Act).

[@paulstevens9746]

@@johnorchard4 where does it say it was a county town?

[@RandomGamer-qy6ys]

4 years ago 90% of the buildings there didn’t exist 💀💀💀💀💀💀

[@johnsamu]

Good video full of interesting info, smooth informative speech. Last time I visited Croydon was about 9 years ago, so it's interesting to see the changes.

[@LondonDistricts]

Exactly what this project is intended for. Glad you are enjoying the episodes. I like how Croydon turned out. It's changed a lot but somehow still feels just like how it did years ago. Went to college there for like 4 years.

[@mayena]

Croydon is London's largest area both demographically (192,064-27/3/2011 ONS Census).

[@fintytin5771]

Most enjoyable film there Sir. !! Although Queen never played Fairfield Halls - they did play the Greyhound pub nearby however

[@LondonDistricts]

Right you are. A discrepancy in the Fairfield research.

[@josmith2031]

always in my heart ❤️ but had to go 🤣🤣🤣

[@KOKINGWAYNE]

Why!? 🤔

[@verdeboyo]

It looks so run down, grey and boring. But then it is Croydon

[@KOKINGWAYNE]

My home 🏡 for nearly 40 years!

[@verdeboyo]

@@KOKINGWAYNE and I was born there!

[@KOKINGWAYNE]

@@verdeboyo Nice 👍🏿

[@KOKINGWAYNE]

@@verdeboyo Nice 👍🏿

[@chanchito4401]

I really dig the music in this video, couldn't find it anywhere unfortunately. :(

[@LondonDistricts]

It will be on the second LD soundtrack album by 'Yeth Thar' once series two has aired in full.

[@wendyflanagan5738]

A pleasant description of a place I pray for to find the God given Soul, Archangel watching over you there, in Croydon and keep bringing Christlight to one another. It is such a blessed time.

[@dlawss]

MY GOD ! What has happened to a the wonderful Croydon i was brought up in ? Those gardens outside the Town Hall were once 25ft lower and it was a railway Station.I worked in Surrey Street Market for Ike Powis who had a great salad stall and his twin brother had a fruit stall opposite now it looks more like a junk market.I remember the 3d bit building going up as there was a house still there and she wouldn,t move so it was built around her house.Please don,t tell me Ashburton Schools have gone and the Library in Ashburton Park has been demolished

[@sarahwagland1559]

Doesn't East Croydon Station look awful?😮

[@naharvloguk5502]

😍🌺💞🕊️

[@haroldofcardboard]

06:11 just another chipmunk reading the paper :)

[@LondonDistricts]

You know, after all this time I cannot even say I noticed this guy in the edit. How random and funny!!

[@KayKapone1]

I was born in Croydon Croydon university hospital 🏥

[@KayKapone1]

@Ronald McDonald it’s mayday hospital and Croydon university hospital some thing you muppet 😂 it’s funny how you’re trying to correct me it’s called Croydon university hospital even try search it up smh same thing also it goes by 2 of the names. Don’t try to correct me here. You fucking idiot 😂

[@KayKapone1]

@Ronald McDonald you ain’t gonna do shit. 😂 I’m very much a local bud lived in south Norwood 15 years born in “mayday” now living in tooting for the past 5 years. Listen mate stop chatting shit over the internet. You petty fuck grow up this is so childish lmao 😂 it has 2 names 😂 in every Facebook post of mayday hospital it even says Croydon university hospital. So listen here Yh if you wanna get all lary over the net. Give me your snap and we’ll meet then dare you see it to me you verbalist kid “from ends” actually endz... smh 🤦‍♂️

[@KayKapone1]

@Deesar Thafaks Yh ik wait how how you find me here? 😂 searching for Croydon after I mentioned it? 😂

[@KayKapone1]

@Deesar Thafaks Yh same to you. Sorry for saying illford is in Essex I just got told by every friend it’s in Essex. Obviously it ain’t tho is it? 😂 illford is London.

[@allylou5151]

I was May Day

[@realdeal7897]

The manor we run tings

[@allylou5151]

Weird that's where I ended up Canterbury.... mentioning archbishop at end

[@LondonDistricts]

Surely you have to like Canterbury though!

[@johnorchard4]

It does not spread across London and Surrey, that is a bit of a misleading statement. Thornton Heath is IN Croydon, despite the fact that many still address letters to Thornton Heath, Surrey. There is no actual evidence that the area was ever a centre for saffron, it is simply one of the alternatives proffered by people about the etymology of the name of Croydon. It is far more likely, IMHO, that the name Crogdene (which is the earliest version of the written name) means crooked valley. Croydon owes its existence to the valley which was carved by the Proto-Wandle and created a gap in the North Downs which offered a direct and easy route between the area around London and the south coast. The problem of deciding where Croydon is in terms of the heirarchy of places has been exacerbated over the years by its politico-economic situation. It was regarded as being within the historic county of Surrey, but it has never been in the administrative county of Surrey. When county councils were first created in 1889, the new County of London took in the only other settlements in the county of Surrey that had a larger population than Croydon - being Southwark and Lambeth. Croydon itself, under the same Act of Parliament, became a County Borough (it had already been a borough) - thus having county status in its own right and returning a member of parliament. Its historic importance was derived from the Lord of the Manor. Like the manor of Lambeth, the manor of Croydon belonged to the Archbishop of Canterbury - hence why both places had an archiepiscopal palace. It had been in the hands of the Archbishop since, at least, the ninth century. The more modern developments in the 18th and 19th centuries tended to be on the top of the river terrace (North End and High Street represent the line of the top of the ancient river bank), because it was drier and less prone to flooding (Old Town flooded regularly). The Victorian shopping areas and the administrative centre were all on this terrace. The first and second town halls were built on the western edge of the terrace along High Street and the third around the corner in what became Katharine Street. When Greater London was created, the Urban District to the south of Croydon was merged with the County Borough to form the new London Borough of Croydon. The old UDC had, previously been under Surrey County Council, but was no longer after 1 April 1965. So, since 1965 no part of the London Borough of Croydon was in the administrative county of Surrey, and the population within the old County Borough had never been under the SCC. Even in ecclesiastical terms, Croydon was different to the rest of Surrey (until comparatively recently) in that it was a 'peculiar' of the Archdiocese of Canterbury. In recent times, what we grew up thinking of as the Parish Church has been known as Croydon Minster. It is unclear why it has been important to emphasise this status since it had been a Minster church for well over a thousand years prior to it being called that on a daily basis. It simply means that this was the mother church with additional status within the local area and to where parishioners of smaller parishes came on real high days and holy days.

[@tobsstone]

So which are the nice areas to live in, near Croydon? I hear parts of it are really rough?

[@verdeboyo]

steer clear from New Addington and wide berth from Roundshaw. Head towards West Wickham, much cleaner. Unless you are 18 years old female, pregnant and with nowhere to go then get off at New Addington

[@feng99]

Redhill

[@EmPJ22]

@@feng99 Redhill is boring as shit now. Everything has closed and it's always been full of chavs. Reigate is way better

[@rickykilby4672]

@@verdeboyo have you ever lived in new addington? You paint the place as a horrible place to live,I have lived here nearly all my life,and sure it does have its rough parts but it has tremendous community spirit too,all places have bad parts,and the stereotype about 18 year old pregnant woman was uncalled for,most people here are hard working decent types

[@AbdulKareem-uy6hk]

@@EmPJ22 , Reigate is definitely better than Redhill! I first went for drinks in Redhill back in 2004...not nice then lol..

[@MGEE8572]

All those art murals and the buildings there were on have been demolished and the surround buildings have gone the same way . Gone is Saint Georges Walk but it wont be forgotten. 6.29 where is that area coz I don't recognise it ?

[@sarahwagland1559]

It's a water tower behind Surrey Street. Victorian I think.

[@sarahwagland1559]

I remember meeting the Trinity boys in Panino's, St George's Walk for tea and a piece of hot buttered toast if you could afford it 😊

[@sebhoward6674]

Yo mate been watching yr vid’s👍👍👍why are most of yr documentary’s on SE LDN but no Horrible, Dirty and High crime rate STH Norwood🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@sarahwagland1559]

Well done for making Croydon look reasonable although anywhere looks nice when the sun is shining. Murals are fun but its a shame that they're there to poorly disguise all the empty shops. I don't think you mentioned the Parish Church and some footage of it and The Old Palace would have been nice. But, overall, a good job.

[@gary3561]

Proper tune. Uplifting and hip.

[@katieadams3080]

but who does it

[@gary3561]

@@katieadams3080 i suspect the artist who makes the mudic YETH THAR is a pseudonym and is actually Dewyne himself. Mans got a talent innit.

[@katieadams3080]

@@gary3561 he has, thanks for reply gal

[@jlynn732]

Looks like Manchester..How Unfortunate

[@savolrat]

why did you start the video with a professional beggar? bizarre

[@LondonDistricts]

Why not?

[@beeohel6787]

@@LondonDistricts when I was in England my best friends were black and I can tell you this we had some great time in fact 2 of them move to the country i live in 😁😘 Hounslow was the area

[@miaroscfala]

@@beeohel6787 You should watch the movie 'Get Out' that movie is definitely for you.

[@beeohel6787]

@@miaroscfala Thanks i will check it out 😘

[@darganx]

@@beeohel6787 wow.. 'my best friends were black' well good for you 😮

[@seanmartin699]

Great place but bad for knife crime

[@misfit2022]

Croydon, a difficult place to like

[@fjm7370]

Interesting and well-made film, but, apart from the Alms Houses and old Town Hall, it all looks so shabby and unattractive now. All that ugly graffiti, encouraged by the local council, a council which has now declared itself bankrupt with debts of over £1 billion. Home of Britain's ugliest building: says it all! Poor Croydon! What have you become?

[@clarkkent2372]

I thought Croyden was one of the worst boroughs to live in.

[@koqoo]

❤️ #CRONX

[@PeterShieldsukcatstripey]

Poor man

[@LondonDistricts]

I know right. There are good people in this world though. Felt sorry for him.

[@Sasha-ce4tu]

Nothing wrong with his legs Lol

[@Sasha-ce4tu]

Omg....I just want to Cry croydon looks Awful 😢😢😢😢

[@theresapierce3934]

Bankrupt Croydon.

[@infocitycybercentre7599]

graffiti makesthe city become ugly my opinion

[@georgehenry9458]

won a unique architectural prize for the ugliest building in the UK😂

[@alexandergabrisch]

Good video, but the music is very anoying.

[@LondonDistricts]

Really? I love this beat. It's sick!

[@sewing2165]

I find it really annoying too

[@johnorchin8567]

Alexander Christian Grünfelder I find the music an unnecessary distraction, I just want the information.

[@haroldofcardboard]

i think the music fits,

[@MassiveLib]

Bankrupt dump with a high crime rate. Would you walk around at night...

[@bigCyril]

Going out at night? Don’t forget your stab vest.

[@TERESABELINDE]

Still a dump ....sadly x

[@SeanMauer]

Try as they may, they can't drag England down to third world depths.

[@beckynelson6786]

It has no soul.

[@benlotus2703]

BLM--