Kennards, Grants And Allders

A Memory of Croydon.

I was born in 1950, and only left when I married in 1973. I remember the donkey rides in Kennard Arcade in the 50's - they had little bells on their harnesses and for sixpence you could have a ride which seemed like for ever but was probably only a few minutes long. Then into the little zoo with monkeys, and I seem to remember there was a bridge going over from one side of the arcade to the other. There was a pet shop right at the bottom which I always found facinating - babby rabbits and kittens on display in the window. One of these tiny rabbits ended up in my bedroom cupboard after my friend and I couldn't resist the smallest cutest grey fluff ball - it was only discovered when my mother investigated a nasty pong coming from my room. Luckily after a ticking off mum said that Bunkie could stay as long as he was put outside!
I too remember the music in Kennards Blue Room - 3 or 4 (I cant quite remember) ladies dressed in lovely black sequinned dresses played violins, a piano and a viola or a double bass surrounded by tropical ferns whilst we had afternoon tea. One of these ladies, Mable, was a friend of my mother and I remember feeling very important when she came and sat with us during her break. Very Hinge and Bracket!! Little sparrows hopped around looking for crumbs under the chairs which I loved. We had a plate of creamcakes or buttered teacakes and a pot of tea with coloured sugar crystals in a bowl.
Grants was the first of the big stores to go - we bought our Posh frocks from there. At least they still have the Grants logo on the building.
Sadly Allders is now in the hands of the Receivers hoping for a buyer to continue the name - very sad.

Although I now live in South Africa, I love going back to Croydon every year and take a walk down memory lane - I have happy childhood memories of a now very different Croydon