The Rise and Fall of Whitgift Shopping Centre in Croydon 1970s

The centre was the largest covered shopping development in Greater London until the opening of Westfield London at White City in 2008.
In the first two decades of its existence, the Whitgift Centre had no roof and was open to the elements.
The first shop to open was Boots on 17 October 1968, and the centre itself was officially opened in October 1970 by the Duchess of Kent. In the middle of the Whitgift Centre there was a Roman-themed pub called The Forum.
In the 1990s, the centre was almost completely rebuilt to an atrium design, and the Forum pub was demolished.
Today its situation is tragic and people have abandoned it especially after the protests that burned half of Croydon in 2008, the people who shopped there left and never came back.
Croydon 70s Then and Now (London) The Rise and Fall of Whitgift Shopping Centre
Croydon 70s The Rise and Fall of Whitgift Shopping Centre Then and Now (London)
The Rise and Fall of Whitgift Shopping Centre Croydon 70s Then and Now (London)

[@LondonPower]

5:22 At this point next to the entrance of Whitgift, the 15-year-old student was murdered on her way to school. As you can see, people are still offering flowers as a token of love to the deceased student

[@zeburules]

Thank you for this memory lane walk. I worked in the centre in the early 90s, it was pretty busy, fairly safe lots of young families. Like much of London and surrounding areas, a definite decline. Very sad.

[@LondonPower]

Thanks for sharing

[@itsjemmabond]

Alders closing down was the beginning of the end.

[@LondonPower]

Agree 👍

[@Baldieman1]

You are right,but I would also cite BT & Nestle leaving the town & particuarly the riots over a dead gun toting drug dealer in 2011 being catalysts.

[@rajnirvan3336]

You can say that it. Allders was the gem of Croydon

[@bganonimouse2754]

I still can't make sense of the 1980s Whitgift centre that I went to as a child a number of times and today's one. When did the centre become an underground precinct and was that an extension? I couldn't get my bearings at all when I visited a few years ago compared to the last time I was there in 1986!

[@LondonPower]

At the 1990

[@IndigoJo]

The renovation of the centre that included the glass roof being fitted was the early 90s, but this isn't when it went into decline although I did miss the curly ramp (was too young to go into the Forum); this happened gradually from the early 2000s onwards. Department stores went out of fashion because of online retail where you can find the clothing you want by looking it up, without needing to browse all the concessions. The old centre was past it at the point it was refitted and at the time it seemed very modern, it wasn't sad looking like it is now.

[@keithe8449]

​@@IndigoJoThe best and most accurate comment I've heard.

[@dianepage2654]

I worked in Habitat in the Whitgift centre in 1973 for about a year and was manager of Topshop later in the 70’s, around 75/76, it was so busy then, such a shame to see how it is now !

[@IndigoJo]

The picture at 6:26 must have been taken in the early 80s; the bus is a Leyland Olympian, a bus that only came into service in 1980. In the 70s the green buses were Atlanteans, and they survived in service until the 90s.

[@johnorchard4]

I remember accompanying one of the drivers removing excavated soil and detritus from the site after the demolition of the school that stood on the site previously, that was mid-to late 60s. I remember also working in the centre in the early 1970s, at Pindisports. It was whilst there that a slim weedy looking American came shopping. He had a 'minder' with him carrying a document case. The American was buying gifts for his daughter back in the states. He identified himself as E. W. Rae or Ray, senior executive Vice President McDonald's UK. He was there visiting the almost completed new store - the first in Croydon. I had never heard of McDonalds back then! I remember when the place was finally covered, and they placed those shiny floor tiles in the area towards Allders. They were a nightmare, nobody had checked before they were laid, but they were slippery as hell. It is only possible to walk by avoiding the dark tiles.

[@IndigoJo]

The marble tiles were slippery at first and remained slippery because they kept polishing them every day. Once they stopped polishing them, they became less smooth and easy to walk on.

[@peterclark9677]

I worked as a apprentice carpenter in the forum pub fitting the bars etc

[@rajnirvan3336]

That Woolworths was one of my favourite stores in Croydon. Now empty after H&M left.

[@Lily-cd4fx]

I think it doesn't help that the people who own whitgift also own Centrale across the road, meaning that they probably doesn't care that much that all these shops move out because they still own the shopping centre they're in! It really is a shame. I remember even 5-10 years ago it being so much busier and like having actually interesting independent shops and food places. Now it's just nothing.

[@rajnirvan3336]

@@Lily-cd4fx I went there few weeks ago. Complete contrast from so many years ago. Made me feel really sad 😔

[@21dazzer]

Does anyone remember The Drummond Centre that was there before Centrale?

[@prairiewolfo9274]

@@21dazzerYeah. There wasn’t much to it though.

[@rajnirvan3336]

Yes I remember Drummond Centre. Was eventually integrated with Centrale​@@21dazzer

[@marie-ctunnicliff513]

I used to work for Kompass Publishers in RAC House from 1969 - 1972, and was in the Whitgift Centre nearly everyday, either in the pub or doing a bit of shopping. So sad to see what Croydon is like now. There used to be some great shops!

[@christopherbasilpizzinga2499]

i lived in croydon all my life, went to whitehorse school in the early 70's , shopping and hustling in the whytgift center in the mid 70's , left after college in 1979 to work abroad. look at it now !, complete shit hole !!!.

[@Arthur_King_of_the_Britons]

_"A nation without heroes cannot long endure"_ - Abraham Lincoln

[@maureencampbell7301]

I worked at the Croydon BHS in 76 to 78. Love every moment. I migrated to Australia in 83. It’s so sad to see how much things have deteriorated. I hope somehow London can become the great place it once was…

[@Sradenham]

BHS closed all their uk shops in 2016 after failing to find a buyer. It isn’t the fault of Croydon

[@zebedep]

Whifgift Centre used to have x2 W.H Smiths; one in the corner (now Poundland?) that sold books, while the other I think sold music, stationery, newspapers, etc.

[@NewController01]

You know, it's become more apparent that Centrale, opposite, is in MUCH better condition, when you do this one route in Pokemon Go, you can literally compare the both of them as you go along

[@Monicablackbelt24]

I preferred the old whitgift centre .. it was so much better with The Forum pub in the middle as a meet up .. and Alders coffee shop! Once a lovely place to go shopping and work in .. now you wouldn’t catch me near it unless absolutely necessary! I really miss Sainsbury’s in the whitgift 😢

[@LondonPower]

Thanks for sharing!

[@mickeydodds1]

That leaking roof was only put in a few years ago.

[@IndigoJo]

It was added when the centre was renovated sometime in the 1990s. That's also when the curly ramps, the hanging signs with the numbers outside every shop, and the Forum pub were removed.

[@infohound41]

Not sure I agree with you that there is anything wrong with people expressing themselves through having different clothing to others or that woman should demand equality but totally agree that they have not managed Croydon well since the 2008 crash and everyone goes to other places to shop now and to have a day out. Personally I would reopen North End to traffic as it might bring some life back into that part of Croydon.

[@lookingforthewhy6447]

Trust me, our skirts in Croydon in the 1970s had nothing to do with women's lib and everything to do with fashion.

[@freeatlast.]

Thank you Westfield

[@peterclark9677]

There was a arcade in kenards great at Xmas 🎄

[@dominicgilmartin5943]

Now the best thing about croydon is any road out of it. Rip croydon.

[@Edith-t4j]

Even Poundland has 2 security guards never need such thing in the past, does anybody know why things why things have changed.

[@dhdavidholloway]

6.03 Look at the crowds!!

[@sawyerhja]

One wonders, would it look just the same, even if Amazon did not exist?

[@LondonPower]

good point

[@21dazzer]

No, it wouldn't. All high streets would still be thriving, but as the saying goes - "use it or lose it".

[@peterclark9677]

There is a underground city beneath the Whitgift centre roads traffic lights

[@LondonPower]

? what do you mean ?

[@peterclark9677]

@@LondonPowerthere is a basement type area under the Whitgift centre where there is loading and unloading food and security vans for the money for the banks. There is traffic lights etc. There is a entrance to it by the underpass side, a ramp leading down. When I worked as a carpenter on the shops we had our materials delivered there and bought up in the lift

[@Heg2501]

8:27 Half prize! Half prize! 50% off!

[@philbarrance]

💔

[@darrelhill9754]

used to be a dozen record shops now only one 101 which is sadly closing next year its just full of migrants and drunks now so sad it needs investment like bromley had

[@matthewprince9705]

The Labour council threw all of its eggs into one basket by trying to bring a Westfield (replacing Whitgift) to Croydon. It would have cost £1.5 BILLION, which is the SAME figure that the council is now in debt by through mismanagement and underfunding! They really believed a gigantic shopping centre built after the sub prime house market crash, rise of internet shopping and famous chain store closures was going to save the town! It shows local councillors are useless businesspeople and terrible visionaries.

[@YaraTCKpopIdol]

Omg, that's terrible.