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

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Based on Frith Road in the town centre, it was thought of as a "great little shop" by customers who went in there. 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. James Mcblane: The Forum pub. It was always nice gliding up sideways on the travelator. The butchers' on Frith Road with sawdust on the floor and a separate pay kiosk. Kennedy's RIP. Read More Related Articles

And there's so many places in Croydon which we will all remember from our younger days that no longer exist. 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! So we decided to ask you for your fond memories of some of the pubs, clubs, bars and shops from years gone by that have bitten the dust. Agatha Christie featured Croydon in her novel Death in the Clouds, which involves the mysterious death of a French moneylender, as her plane comes in to land at Croydon Airport. There's also a book by Freeman Wills Crofts called The 12.30 from Croydon, in which there's another peculiar fatality on a flight — this one setting off from Croydon Airport. Just as well they shut the place down, what with all those sky-high murders... In its heyday, in the mid-80s, Zodiac was the UK’s leading toy retailer with more than 80 branches.

Purley Way Lido

If Turtles is the shop we are most nostalgic about, perhaps Joe Bananas is the bar we all get teary eyed over. Ruth Pathalias: Kennedy's! I used to go there every weekend with my dad after a visit to Surrey Street Market! They just don't do butchers like that anymore! Who could forget Allders? With a huge history of over 150 years, the department store was a firm favourite in the borough. I saw countless bands at The Rex and The Fairfield Halls, Roy Orbison, The Beatles, The Stones, all the Liverpool bands. Also on the last night of the beautiful Whitgift School I went to a concert by local band Peter Frampton and the Herd. 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

Are you still in Torquay and fit and well? I hope so. You’re so kind to reply and it has refuelled my curiosity of the old store. I’m sure I will love the book. The popular Woolworths store in Croydon, on North End, was the only store that continued to trade in its original location, opened by Frank Woolworth himself on May 4, 1912. This was of course later expanded and renamed Centrale. This store continued to anchor the centre until Debenhams announced its closure in 2020. 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. But good things can't last forever and, in May 2004, the club's owners, First Leisure, went into receivership.

6. Croydon had the first self-service Sainsbury's

Australian actor Barney Worth at the Kennards Christmas Show in Wimbledon, where he was playing the part of Santa Claus in November 1941. Worth weighed 42 stone, making him one of the largest Santas in London. The store claimed he was the largest in the world! The Beatles played there the night of March 21, 1963, and their first album, Please Please Me, was released the following day. Built in 1935 it was one of the first outdoor pools to boast heating and had lighting on the floors.

One former Croydon resident who knew the store well told the News Shopper magazine: "Kennards had a little zoo in the new building. The animals exhibited were quite a large collection of different monkeys in cages with wire fronts, various species of parrots and pet animals such as rabbits and guinea pigs. There must have been a park for the pony rides because I do recall taking a pony several times and was so keen, going into a work closeby. My keenness dwindled as one day the saddle was loose and I was sliding off the horse and too shy to tell the lady, gripping on for dear life. She eventually turned round and was horrified, gave me extra time, which I would normally have enjoyed but not this time. 😫 The store proudly advertised their new venture as "the first real zoo ever to be seen in Croydon". Although many of the animals featured were quite docile, a large notice warned that the store would not accept responsibility "for what may happen if people will poke their fingers through the bars!". Unlike many other pubs and clubs in south London, the Blue Orchid was open until 3am, and these long opening hours combined with cheap Smirnoff Ices, iconic carpet patterns and the fact that you could easily get in with a fake ID made it irresistible to young partygoers.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] He told a reporter that he would always remember the day he left as “ironic”, as it was the day Elvis Presley died. 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

Be this as it may, some of the animals were not always confined to their cages. In the mid-1930s a cheetah was on display in the restaurant where it, together with no doubt some slightly nervous diners, were serenaded by Ida Santerelli and her female band.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. David James: Tiffany’s in Purley. Sunday night Capital Radio DJ Greg Edwards' show called best disco in town.