recorder - Riddlesdown Residents Association website

THE RIDDLESDOWN
RECORDER
A half-yearly publication of the Riddlesdown Residents’ Association
No. 190 April 2010
INSIDE: AGM 12 May z Fun Day 20 June z More on Mitchley
Woods z Police panel z Parking space rationing z Grassland
on Platform 1 z SIgnificant planning issues
PLUS: The tunnels under Riddlesdown z On becoming a
writer z The perils of proof-reading
1
RIDDLESDOWN RESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATION
THE COMMITTEE
Vice-President: Mrs H.Kiernan
Bernard Munn
Treasurer
8657 0535
Brian Longman
Chairman
8657 8374
Karen Whitehead
Secretary
8668 8677
Phil Thomas
Planning
8668 3815
John Rapp
Membership, Road Stewards
and Transport
8660 9531
Nick Bygrave
Editor, Riddlesdown Recorder;
Website Administrator 8660 0787
Janice Kedwards
Social
8668 2011
Bill Whitmarsh
8660 2178
Frankie Wheeler
8660 3886
Fred Wallis
8668 7837
Mavis Wilder
8668 3579
Monica Pugh
8660 6008
Derek Gutteridge
8660 2584
Cover photograph: Mitchley Avenue
EDITOR’S NOTES
On Page 33 a resident has contributed some
Nature Notes about wildlife in his garden and
nearby. Please follow his example and send in
your observations of nature in the raw
(human life excepted) in the streets, fields and
woods and on the Common. Deer, badgers,
insects and birds seen, unusual and out-ofseason behaviour, changing populations;
anything to show the wildlife all around us
could be interesting.
It has struck me that maybe residents
(excluding our core of committee members
whose reports are the basis of this magazine)
have to leave Riddlesdown before they begin
to write for us. Several of those who do
moved away some years ago – in the case of
our most regular writer, Leslie Oppitz – more
than 50. So if anyone is about to move, please
keep in touch as it is likely that inspiration will
strike you once away from the restrictive
literary atmosphere of Riddlesdown.
And finally, from
Lower Barn Road,
left, a happy reminder
of the January snow.
Please send in your
interesting
photographs of the
area and its residents.
As in the last issue,
group portraits would
be ideal for the front
cover.
Nick Bygrave
CONTENTS
Page
News and Committee Reports
4
Pioneering air travel over
14
The Tunnels under Riddlesdown 15
RRA Accounts 2009
20
Common knowledge
23
On becoming a writer
25
Call centre conversations
27
Tony Smith writes...
29
Riddlesdown Collegiate report
31
Nature Notes
33
The Perils of Proof-reading
35
Community pages
39
You may write to Riddlesdown Residents’ Association at any of the following:
66 Westfield Avenue, Sanderstead, CR2 9JU
43 Westfield Avenue, Sanderstead, CR2 9JZ
37 Buttermere Gardens, Purley, CR8 1EJ
44 Riddlesdown Avenue, Purley, CR8 1JJ
Please mark your letter with the committee member’s name, if applicable.
You can also use the Website Message Board’s open or private email facilities.
RRA Notice Boards are situated by Riddlesdown Pharmacy, by the Church Hall and by
Saban’s Newsagents. We also use the board on St. Edmund’s Green and the one in the
station waiting room.
Website: www.riddlesdownresidents.org.uk Email: [email protected]
3
NEWS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS
CHAIRMAN’S REPORTS
Welcome to the April 2010 edition of
the Riddlesdown Recorder. This is
issue number 190 which, I was gratified
to see, gets us to within five years of its
production bicentenary. There can’t be
many local magazines with such an
unbroken record of publication
(although, with paper shortages
during World War II, there were then
only few and irregular typewritten and
roneo’d issues).
Can I particularly draw your
attention to my sections below about
the Funday on 20 June (see page 5)
and the AGM on 12 May (see page 11).
Please try to come.
Best wishes to all readers, residents
or not.
Brian Longman, Chairman
MITCHLEY WOODS AND MITCHLEY HILL
Once again I find myself returning to the
subject of Mitchley Woods.
In my last report I mentioned that
Taylor Wimpey had put their substantial
land holding of 73 acres in Riddlesdown
up for sale. The land included a large
section of Mitchley Woods, the two fields
off Mitchley Hill and Mitchley Avenue,
and a section of land adjacent to Honister
Heights.
With a guide price of £535,000, the land
as a single plot was clearly beyond our
budget. With this in mind the Association
entered into joint discussions with the
Corporation of London and
Riddlesdown Collegiate with the view of
bidding for a key 12-acre plot in Mitchley
Woods and a 4.7-acre plot adjoining
Riddlesdown Common.
The discussions were productive and we
were very close to the point where two
separate bids involving the Association
would be made. However our hopes were
dashed at the last minute when a bid,
which we think was above the asking
price, was accepted for the land.
We contacted Taylor Wimpey, as did our
local MP on our behalf, to explain to them
the benefit of this land to the local
community and to Riddlesdown Collegiate
for educational purposes.
This was all to no avail and the only
crumb of comfort was that the purchaser
was not a company that sub-divides land
into many individual plots, and was
previously known to Taylor Wimpey. Five
months later and as far as we know, the
sale has still not been completed. This
may be for a variety of reasons and it
might well have been completed by the
time you read this report.
However you will remember that the
sale of this land was subject to an ‘uplift’
provision whereby 25% of any increase in
the value of the site, arising from the
granting of planning permission for any
non-agricultural uses, would be payable to
the vendor. This uplift provision applies
for a period of 80 years and may well
deter potential purchasers of the land.
The Association is constantly
monitoring the situation and I would
remind residents it has now been four
years since the land owned by Mitchley
Wood Estate Trust was put up for sale.
Despite this initial sale the land still firmly
remains green belt and little has changed.
Since our formation in 1937 the
Association has on many occasions
needed to defend the open and pleasant
aspect of Riddlesdown and with your help
we will continue to do so.
Visit our website:
www riddlesdownresidents.org.uk
4
WIND TURBINES
Some of you may have seen an article in
the local paper where the association
was accused by Malcolm Wicks, MP
Croydon North, of being selfish and
bigoted in its opposition to a planning
application by Riddlesdown Collegiate to
erect a 50ft high, 6KW wind turbine on
green belt land. It was a pity that Mr
Wicks did not contact the Association to
find out the background to this situation.
If he had, he would have realised that the
green belt land around the school is, as
you all know, currently under threat from
speculative land developers.
Our opposition was not against green
energy projects but at the precise location
of this 50-foot wind turbine in such a
sensitive area, only yards from land that
might well be subject to a future green belt
challenge. In our dialogue with the
Collegiate, far from having bigoted views
on renewable energy projects as Mr Wicks
suggests, we fully supported a scheme for
a smaller wind turbine on the school site
but in a less sensitive location together
with a range of solar panels. This would
allow pupils the opportunity to examine
and compare the benefits of different
types of green energy systems. The
application has now been withdrawn and
the association would like to thank the
Collegiate for listening to the community.
The Association has excellent
relationships with the school and will
be fully supportive of a future redesigned
and relocated green energy project.
NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICE PANEL
For those of you who are not aware of
the panel and its function, it represents the
views of residents on local policing issues.
It identifies local concerns, sets priorities
and reviews the outcomes.
At its February meeting the panel once
again identified burglary and motor vehicle
crime as its top priorities. Other issues
discussed were dangerous dogs and cold
calling. On dangerous dogs it was agreed
that the Corporation of London and the
Safer Neighbourhood Team would arrange
a series of open events up on
Riddlesdown to raise awareness of the
issues involved. On cold calling there was
general concern that many elderly
residents can feel vulnerable when cold
callers knock on doors, sometimes up to
10pm at night. In May 2007, Croydon
introduced a no cold calling zone in an
area of Shirley for a trial period of six
months. The conclusion was the scheme
had been an undoubted and resounding
success. Not only had there been a marked
reduction in the number of cold callers in
the area but residents felt safer and more
confident in their own homes. Comments
on the scheme included: ‘The scheme is a
good thing for the older, more vulnerable
residents of the borough’; ‘thank you for
the pilot – we hope it continues as it adds
to a safer neighbourhood.’
The question is what do you think?
Would you like the Association to explore
the idea? Please use the Association’s web
site to let us know your views.
RRA AND CITY OF LONDON FUN DAY 2010
If you missed out last year, this year’s date
is Sunday 20 June starting at noon. I have
checked the calendar to ensure no clashes
with England’s football matches at this
year’s World Cup.
The day has fun for all the family and
last year attracted around 1,000 people
who enjoyed a picnic on the Downs and
relaxed to the sounds of a jazz band,
donkey rides, Punch and Judy, swing
boats, tractor rides, children’s races and so
much more.
It is a really great day out and remember
the day is for everyone, young and old,
and it is completely free.
See Page11 for times. See you there.
5
PLANNING AND REGULATORY MATTERS
As usual, all the planning applications in the RRA area are updated weekly on
our website: www.riddlesdownresidents.org.uk
There is a message board on this site which also provides some useful
information and discussion with many local residents. All residents are welcome
to view the message board; however, to post any message you will first need to
register in a simple process.
Phil Thomas,
PLANNING APPLICATIONS
mast for railway safety, we did not object;
we did raise comments as to why it had to
be 15 metres high as it would protrude
above the tree line and be seen by many
houses higher up the valley. The Council
subsequently responded to Network Rail
that they had no observations to make.
Unfortunately Network Rail did not take
our comments on board and they erected
this 15m high mast in January. The conifer
trees in front of the mast and line-side
equipment do screen it from the two
properties concerned but it is plainly
visible to many other properties higher up
and overlooking the valley.
Network Rail mast at rear of
91/93 Brancaster Lane
I have received a number of calls about a
mobile phone mast and associated line
side equipment, which has been erected
adjacent to the downside railway track
(golf course side), at the rear of 91/93
Brancaster Lane. This item was previously
reported in the Recorder in October 2008
and again in October 2009.
In April 2008, an application was
submitted to Croydon Planners for a
15-metre-high telecommunication mast by
Network Rail, who were seeking any
observations from the Council.
Because it was a permitted development
under the Planning Laws that allow
Railway Companies the right to erect
certain equipment without planning
permission, it wasn’t advertised to
adjoining neighbours in the normal way.
The mast is solely for communication by
the train operators on the rail network and
is not being used by any of the
commercial mobile phone companies.
Network Rail were
told to improve
nationwide phone
coverage between
train drivers and
signalling staff by
Lord Cullen, who
chaired the Inquiry
following the
Ladbroke Grove
train crash.
The RRA did
find out about this
application but, as
The mast seen from
Riddlesdown Avenue
this is a private
Waddon Leisure Centre
and Purley Pool
A planning application for one of the
proposed replacement swimming pools, at
Waddon (Purley Way, Five Ways junction),
was submitted to Croydon Council in
October. This Leisure Centre will in due
course be one of the replacements for
Purley Pool, which the Council have said
will close, circa 2013.
The other proposed replacement pool is
in Coulsdon but, as yet, no planning
application has been submitted. The
Waddon Leisure Centre proposal is for a
25m swimming pool, sports hall, gym,
dance studio, community space,
café and crèche and is intended to be built
in conjunction with 164 residential flats,
23 houses and an Education Centre.
A total of 46 car parking spaces (Pay &
Display) will be provided for the Leisure
Centre but within this provision, eight
spaces will be for staff, four spaces will be
for disabled use and three for mini buses.
6
As this application is outside our
area, the RRA did not object to the
proposed Leisure Centre for the local
community in Waddon, but we did
raise some comments to the Planners
regarding the siting of this scheme
and the possible implications for
those in the Riddlesdown area.
Our comments were based mainly
on the public transport aspect.
Although the Council’s consultants
said the proposed site in Waddon is
well served by public transport for
residents in the Riddlesdown and
Sanderstead areas, this will involve at
least two bus trips, either via Purley
(412 & 289) or via South Croydon – a
number of routes along the Brighton
Road, and then the 119.
Although we have a good rail link
at Riddlesdown Station, if a train is
used, there will then be either a 15minute walk between East and
West Croydon Stations to catch
another train and alight at Waddon
Station, and then a further seven
minute walk to the site, or
alternatively via a 119 bus from East
Croydon Station. The nearest
Tramlink station (Wandle Park) to the
site is about a 20-minute walk from
the proposed Leisure Centre.
Whichever form of public transport
residents take, it will add considerable
time, cost and distance compared with
our current facilities in Purley.
As walking – about three miles each
way from the centre of Riddlesdown
(Mitchley Avenue) – will probably be
out of the question for most
residents, the alternatives are car or
cycling. We said we believed that, at
peak times, the number of car spaces
would be insufficient to meet the
demand with all other visitors to these
facilities. In addition, coaches could at
times be parking and taking up some
of these car spaces. There is no
nearby off-site overflow car parking
or available on-street parking.
The Leisure Centre is to be located
on the Fiveways junction, which was
recently named as the most dangerous
in Croydon for accidents between
September 2008 and May 2009.
In addition there will be additional
traffic flows on Purley Way for the
proposed residential use on this site.
Planning approval was also granted in
March 2008 for a new B&Q Store in
place of the current Homebase Store
at Fiveways, although it is not clear
whether this store will be built. Also
there will be new developments at
Wandle Park Village with 782
residential units, commercial units and
workshops, near to Sainsbury’s.
In addition, John Lewis have also
recently announced their intention of
opening a Home Store, close to PC
World. Purley Way is already one of
the most heavily congested roads in
Croydon, particularly at peak
weekday morning and evening times
and also at weekends, and we believe
all these developments are going to
further increase traffic flows on this
road junction and thereby cause
further inconvenience for our
members and families who, in some
instances, will have little alternative
but to travel by car.
In total there were nine objections
and comments, including some from
the Waddon Residents’ Association.
However, as expected, the Council’s
Planning Committee, in January,
unanimously voted in agreement to
this application (the Council do not
refuse their own applications). We did
copy our comments to all three
Councillors in both the Purley and
Sanderstead Wards, and to our MP,
Richard Ottaway.
We did receive back some
encouraging comments and one from
Councillor Donald Speakman, on
behalf of the three Purley Ward
Councillors, who said they all
supported a pool in Purley and saw
7
no reason why there should be a pool in
Coulsdon. We wait to see what the future
holds for Purley Pool! Interestingly, over
the winter period, the Council have spent
£70,000 on refurbishing the adjacent
multi-story car park!
It is also interesting to note that other
swimming pools – in Thornton Heath and
New Addington – are in Labour-held
Wards, and the other in South Norwood
and the proposed one in Waddon are in
key marginal Wards that swing between
Conservative and Labour.
Yet our pool in Purley, which has
excellent transport links and parking, and
is in a reasonably strong Conservative
Ward, is threatened with closure! Call me
cynical, but I bet the threatened closure
would be not happening if the Purley
Ward was marginal!
those who wish to go into Croydon to be
caught up with this site traffic and to be
tailing back up around the Capella Court
office block and back into Riddlesdown
Road. Also those coming in from the
south along the Brighton Road and then
returning up Riddlesdown Road can have
the same problems.
It is an issue that we, as an Association,
raised about 10 years ago with the
Council! So hopefully this extension, if it
happens, might reduce the problem.
We await the Council’s decision.
81 Westfield Avenue
As reported in a number of previous
issues, planning applications have been
submitted for back-land developments at
81 Westfield Avenue. On appeal, the
Planning Inspector allowed, last year, a
three-bedroom detached bungalow to be
built. However, a new application was
recently submitted for the erection of a
three-bedroom detached chalet bungalow
with vehicular access on to Copthorne
Rise. The previously approved scheme
provided accommodation within the roof
space, serviced by roof lights in three
elevations. This application removes that
element and provides single storey
accommodation only, but this building is
larger than in the previous approval.
We understand that a number of
residents and a Councillor objected to this
new, larger bungalow. However, the
Council’s Planning Committee recently
backed their officers’ recommendation
and approved the scheme.
Purley Oaks Recycling Centre
A planning application has recently been
submitted for the existing Recycling
Centre to be enlarged into the existing
Highways Depot at the rear.
New additional compactor units and an
increase in the number of car parking
spaces, to try and reduce traffic
congestion on the Brighton Road and
Riddlesdown Road, are proposed.
The RRA have sent comments to the
Planners supporting this application,
particularly as some local residents can be
affected by lengthy traffic queues,
especially at weekends, when the barrier in
the site is brought down for health and
safety reasons. It is not uncommon for
PARKING PERMITS
It was interesting to see a report submitted
last December to the Council’s Traffic
Management Committee about limiting
the number of new parking permits being
issued, mainly in the town centres.
Because of the low ratio of parking
spaces for new large town centre
residential developments and conversions
– usually half a space per flat – this is
putting great pressure on street
parking bays.
The Council’s Parking Division said
parking permits in future are going to have
to be rationed, mainly in town centres.
This is to some extent being caused by the
current planning regulations.
Although the Council’s own Planning
Car Parking Standards say developers
8
should allow a maximum of two spaces
for detached and linked houses, one and a
half spaces for terraced houses and flats
and one space for flats, this criteria is
seldom met and approvals are sometimes
given with less parking. This is part of the
reason roads are now becoming clogged
with parked vehicles and is something the
RRA argued about on the proposed flats
development in Lower Barn Road, but
without success.
As it is now the norm for most
households to have one car and
sometimes two or three, the current
Government, the Planning Inspector and
some Councils appear to be on a different
wavelength when it comes to off-street
parking.
To a certain extent, it is they who are
causing the parking mayhem on our
streets now because of these ludicrous
rules, especially half a space per dwelling!
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
Flooding under the Bridge
in Lower Barn Road
Many of you will be aware of the flooding
of Lower Barn Road under the railway
bridge that occurred in November and
December and which made the footpath
and roadway impassable for those wishing
to leave or enter the Station on foot, and
also for those wishing to use the shops.
For some people it meant wading through
the filthy floodwater to catch trains or to
get home, or to get to the local shops, but
for those who didn’t, it could mean a
detour of up to one mile. Because of the
depth of the floodwater, some cars were
also unable to pass through.
We did raise this flooding issue with the
Council in 2002 but, because of budget
cuts, they were not prepared to do
anything then or again in 2006 when
flooding recurred.
However, after these latest events, we
again took the matter up with the Council
and also got support from Ward
Councillor Lynne Hale and another
Councillor who lives locally. The Council
told us the main reason for the flooding is
blocked and silted up soakaways (this
drainage is not connected to a surface
water sewer).
The gully grids are also quite frequently
blocked and, of course, during late
autumn, the situation is made worse with
leaf fall. Fortunately the Council did listen
this time and have spent money on
cleaning the surface water drainage system.
You may have noticed large tankers in the
area emptying all the soakaways and road
gully sumps. Hopefully this will now go
some way to alleviating the flooding
problems under the bridge. Unfortunately
a legacy of this is now some noisy
manhole covers when traffic passes over
the ironwork in the road!
We have also pointed out to the Council
that there are blocked gully grids and
soakaways in other hilly roads including
Mitchley Avenue, Buttermere Gardens,
Rectory Park, Copthorne Rise, Dalegarth
Gardens and Riddlesdown Avenue; they
say that they will deal with these as well in
due course, ‘as and when schedules and
budgets permit’, which we hope will be
from April 2010 onwards.
Salting and accidents in
Coombe Wood Hill
We have been told by local residents that
during the recent snowy weather there
were at least nine accidents in Coombe
Wood Hill which involved damage to
parked cars, and vehicles demolishing
street furniture, garden walls. Most of the
accidents were from vehicles travelling
down the hill.
Although some people in cul-de-sacs
and Coombe Wood Hill may not agree, we
are pretty lucky that many roads in the
RRA area do get salted fairly frequently by
the gritters because of the hilly bus routes
on Mitchley Avenue, Rectory Park and also
most roads leading to Riddlesdown
9
been refilled since the beginning of
January. The Government’s pre-winter
advice to Councils was to stockpile
supplies for six days use, but
fortunately Croydon ignored this and had
supplies in excess, to take them through
the winter period.
Collegiate. A number of our roads are
classed as ‘primary routes’ for the
salting operation.
However this winter it seems that the
gritting lorries have not been going up
Coombe Wood Hill on a regular basis; it
has now been classed as a ‘secondary
route’ for some reason. This could be why
there have been so many accidents in this
road this year. A comment we have heard
back from the Council is that very few
people in Coombe Wood Hill have
complained! Obviously the moral of this
story is for residents of Coombe Wood
Hill (and other roads not salted) to
complain to the Council. It is highly
unlikely that they will salt cul-de-sacs;
Honister Heights is the exception,
because of access to the Collegiate.
However, be aware that Councils now
solely use rock salt; this is not so
noticeable on the road surface as the
previous rock salt, which used to be mixed
with grit. So they may have salted your
road but it may not be obvious.
We are also lucky that the snow ploughs
attached to most of the Council’s lorries
can be used in streets in our area because
there are no speed humps! Having less
snow on the road improves the action of
the salt and does reduce the time it takes
to melt the snow, albeit salt needs to be
laid a number of times to be effective and
also needs traffic to grind it in. Also
Councils, from mid-January, have been
restricted in salting because of the severe
salt-shortage nationwide due to the
Government’s intervention. They have told
prudent Councils, like Croydon, to
conserve their stocks and reduce salt use
by half! Hence the reason the green
‘Highway Only Use’ salt boxes have not
Tree planting
The Council have over the last few years
been removing some trees and re-planting
new ones in our streets. However, as usual
the budgets are tight and for this year’s
winter programme (2009/10), not all of
our roads have had trees replaced. Some
residents have made us aware of streets
where trees are missing; we have reported
these to the Council and they may be
replanted next winter. However, because
of health and safety concerns, the Council
are a little selective as to where they
replant. They will not plant new trees near
street lights or telegraph poles/cables,
illuminated traffic signs, near to driveway
crossovers, buildings, known drains or
underground cables and pipes. It would be
interesting to know if there are any trees
missing in your street and whether a tree
can be replanted where one has previously
been removed. We would like to hear from
you and the location of your suggestion.
This can be done either through the
message board on our website, or advising
one of the RRA Committee members, or
the Forestry Section at the Council direct.
‘Report It’ and Highway Matters
Following the harsh winter, there are now
a number of defective road surfaces in the
area and these road defects, along with
other problems, like an abandoned car,
road or white line marking defect, blocked
RRA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Wednesday 12 May 2010 at 7.30pm at
St.Edmund’s Church Hall, Mitchley Avenue
(Minutes of the 2009 meeting will be available at the meeting)
Mr Gordon H.Smith, Principal, Riddlesdown Collegiate, will talk on the their Vision for the Future
10
road surfaces. It does seem strange that
Croydon, along with most other Councils,
are obsessed with health and safety issues
and spend a fortune of our money in
rectifying problems. Yet when it comes to
highway safety, where there are thousands
of deaths a year, Councils along with the
Government, seem to under-invest in our
road maintenance programme, especially
side streets. This is despite most of us
paying thousands of pounds a year in road
and fuel tax and also Council tax. Funny
old world isn’t it !
Phil Thomas
road gully, environmental problems, a
loose, broken or defective manhole cover,
defective street light, can be reported to
the Council. This can be done either
through their website www.croydon.gov.uk – go to ‘Report it’ on
the right side, or telephone 020 8726 7100
or 020 8726 6200.
We are also continuing to have dialogue
with the Council on weekend street
cleaning, poor white line markings to
roads – particularly give way markings at
junctions and on bends – and the
appalling state of some grass verges and
RRA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2010
Just a quick reminder – the Association's
AGM is on Wednesday 12 May at St.
Edmund’s Church Hall.
I do understand that attending an AGM
is not everyone’s idea of a good night out
but I would urge you to come along.
The Association is here to represent
your views and the only way we know
what they are is for you to come along
and tell us.
Our guest speaker this year will be
Gordon Smith, Principal of
Riddlesdown Collegiate, who will be
discussing their vision for the future. It
should be interesting.
Brian Longman
Westfield Avenue and Hyde Road from the Common
RRA and CITY OF LONDON FUNDAY
from 12.30pm Sunday 20 June 2010
on Riddlesdown Common
All are welcome, all activities are free
Jazz band, Punch and Judy, races, swing boats, tractor-trailer rides and more
11
NEIL YOUNG LANDSCAPES
Retaining walls, paths, Patios and
Drives
Decking, Pergolas and Fencing
Ponds and water features
Planting and maintenance
LOCAL, FRIENDLY,
FOR FREE ESTIMATES CALL
NUMBERS BELOW
Phone: 0208 651 5191
Mobile: 07949 141 031
Email: [email protected]
Home-made meals
All-day breakfasts
Salads and roast dinners
Maggies Diner
The Place to Eat
75 Mitchley Avenue, Sanderstead CR2 9HN Tel 020 8405 3388
Open
Monday to Friday 7am to 4pm
Saturday 7.30 to 3pm
Sunday 8am to 3pm
Parties welcome
12
TRANSPORT
From January, we have been able to use
Oyster Pay As You Go on our trains.
This adds a new opportunity to pay for
travel, and the need to consider carefully
whether to buy a paper ticket or to have
deductions taken from the credit on an
Oyster Card.
While the Oyster Card daily maximums
at £14.80 (Peak: travel starting between
6.30 and 9.30am) and £7.50 (Off Peak)
match the travel card prices, there is the
danger that the Oyster Card deductions
can exceed the maximum.
This is because Oyster uses morning
and evening Peaks (6:30am to 9:30am and
4pm to 7pm) with the daily maximum of
£14.80 triggered by use between 4.30am
and 9.30am. Details can be obtained from
this web address:
http://www.londontoolkit.com/
briefing/travelcard_oyster.htm.
I leave you to take care.
John Rapp
MEMBERSHIP
I have heard that our members are
respected by the staff of Arriva which
operates our 412 bus service. They write:
“I have been approached by two of our
drivers this morning who wished me to
pass on thanks to Riddlesdown area
residents. Some of our buses became stuck
unable to get up the hill yesterday
afternoon and evening and were there for
some time before being dug out. I
understand that local residents were
kind enough to see that the drivers
were as comfortable as possible,
supplying hot drinks (and other necessary
facilities) during the wait. Perhaps you
would be kind enough to circulate the
heartfelt thanks of our employees to those
responsible via the auspices of your
residents’ newsletter please.”
John Rapp
SOCIAL
Children’s Party 2010
For the first time in living memory, the
children’s party planned for 16 January had
to be cancelled.
We were reluctant to call it off but had
so few children on the list that we were
left with little alternative.
The snow caused havoc with the
delivery of invitations and was probably
the main reason for the lack of support
this year.
We will be organising the party again
next year when we sincerely hope that we
get the overwhelming support this event
deserves.
Janice Kedwards
ANDREW DELGROSSO
PAINTING & DECORATING
INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR
PROPERTY MAINTENANCE
REPAIRS AND REFURBISHMENT
CALL FOR FREE ESTIMATE
PHONE: 020 8660 0436
MOBILE: 07719 713413
36 MITCHLEY AVENUE PURLEY SURREY CR8 1DT
13
was the first passenger flight over the
Channel, carrying 12 people. After a 2
hour, 30 minute flight, his Goliath touched
down on British soil, and the Paris/
London route was inaugurated.
It was not possible to set up a regular
service until the summer. Great Britain
was prohibiting all civil flights over its
territory in accordance with a ban decreed
in 1914, which would not be lifted until
May 1, 1919. On August 25, the British
airline Aircraft Transport and Travel
started the first regular airline service
between Hounslow (soon to be replaced
by Croydon) and Le Bourget airfields.”
So, whichever country lays claim to the
first passenger or commercial flight over
the Channel, Riddlesdown can justly be
seen to have been at the epicentre of the
development of flying in 1919.
PIONEERING AIR
TRAVEL OVER
RIDDLESDOWN
Tony Charlwood of Purley Bury
Avenue writes: I was recently flying
from London City Airport to Edinburgh
on a City Jet flight. City Jet is part of Air
France and in the Air France inflight
magazine I read the following
fascinating snippet about the
‘Paris – Londres’ route.
“A post war link. February 8, 1919:
Bundled up in a leather jacket against the
cold that was blanketing the Paris Region,
Lucien Bossoutrot took off from Toussusle-Noble airfield, south of Paris. Aboard
his Farman Goliath: 12 passengers, all
soldiers, heading for Kenley Field near
London, barely 330 kilometres away. This
Do you need a local window
cleaner?
20 years’ experience Reliable service
Fully insured.
Phone Neil
0208 657 3547
07940 227 502
email [email protected]
Phil Thomas
Handyman and Decorator
What do I do? A range of everyday jobs lasting from an hour, a few
days and sometimes a few months! These include, internal and
external decorating, minor plumbing repairs, tiling, carpentry, flat pack
assembly and any other general minor repairs.
This is not a comprehensive list and if your job is not listed, then give
me a call and ask.
Hourly rates. No VAT charge on labour
36 years experience in the building industry
£2m public liability insurance
Riddlesdown based
Phone: 020 8668 3815, mobile 07958 793098
e-mail: [email protected]
14
THE TUNNELS UNDER
RIDDLESDOWN
by Nick Bygrave
or three high along the tunnel walls and
adds that ‘there was also a canteen, a
hospital and washing facilities – even a
church. (Paul Sowan considers it likely
there was some confusion here with the
much more extensive and organised
Chislehurst caves.)
The road-side site was originally a
chalk pit, shown on the Ordnance
Survey plan of 1867-68 which was
revised several times. The post-war
1947 version does not show tunnel
entrances or airshafts.
Paul Sowan’s article in substance gives
an account by Harry Pearman, a noted
authority, who ‘discovered’ the tunnels and
how they came about.
“... you too may be curious about a group of
entrances set back in a chalk cliff at Kenley.
There are five entrances, three at ground level and
two about 15 feet up. They are just off the A22
behind a bus stop one mile south of Purley, at the
junction with Hayes Lane.
You may have noticed, set back off the
A22 opposite Hayes Lane, the premises of
Optical Surfaces Ltd, producers of
specialist optical equipment. They were
recently described in an article by Paul W.
Sowan in Subterranea, the magazine of
Subterranea Britannica, an organisation
devoted to the study of man-made and
man-used underground structures and the
archaeology of the Cold War.
The magazine’s editor, Nick Catford,
and the author kindly gave me permission
to use their material here.
The Optical Surfaces frontage is the
outward face of a set of tunnels and
rooms extending back about 75 metres
under Riddlesdown. They were excavated,
along with others at Coulsdon and
Epsom, as overnight shelters in, it is
thought, 1941 in response to the
bombing that began in September 1940.
“He found himself looking
down on a water closet...”
“These entrances were always securely closed, but
in 1957 it was noticed that a piece of corrugated
iron closing one of the upper holes had been bent
back enough to permit entry. We had nothing but
a box of matches but we crawled in and found
ourselves in a five foot high passage, hewn out of
the upper chalk. After 25 feet (7.7m) we stopped
at the edge of a vertical drop of unknown depth.
“We returned later at dead of night and
excitedly donned full caving kit to explore the new
tunnels. Fred Topliffe led the way and stopped at
the top of the drop and shone his light down it.
He found himself looking down on a water closet.
We climbed down, using the available fittings and
came out into a lower passage and found that the
lavatory was one of fifteen, each in a cubicle along
the wall, and on the other side of the passage were
another fifteen. Turning right we crossed another
passage at right angles and entered a further
“We returned later at
dead of night...”
Early government policy was not to dig
such shelters but this was reversed
following the heavy casualties of that year.
A Bourne Society article records that Mrs
Valerie Parkin, born in 1941, recalls that
she and her mother ‘lived’ in the caves and
made them their home for two years. Her
mother’s accounts note tiers of bunks, two
15
Tip Top Hair
100 Lower Barn Road, Purley
(opposite Riddlesdown Station)
LADIES & GENTS SALON
Phone : 8660 2123
Opening Hours:
Tuesday/Wednesday 9.0 a.m.-6.0 p.m.
Thursday/Friday 9.0 a.m.-7.0 p.m.
Saturday 9.0 a.m.- 4.0 p.m.
Monday/Sunday closed
Perms
Sets
Tints
Highlights
Cut and Blow Dry
Special Rates for Senior Citizens Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday
J. F. HARDEY
& SONS
GENERAL BUILDERS
5 KINGFISHER LANE, TURNERS HILL
Nr. CRAWLEY, WEST SUSSEX RH10 4QP
ROOFING, INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR DECORATING
CRAZY PAVING etc.
Please ring for an estimate
Telephone: 01342 714427
Mobile: 07836 299915
NO JOB TOO SMALL
16
Drawn by Tim Robinson
Engine
Arches
The three main tunnels are about
75 metres long, and the six crosstunnels 62.5 metres. This shelter is
about three times larger than the
otherwise very similar former deep
shelter and optical works at
Coulsdon, having six crosspassages rather than two. The
tunnels are two to three metres
wide and largely brick-lined.
spread out like fans in all directions
seeking wood and when they find it
they grow into little puffs like
cotton wool. One room was found
with masses of fungus covering the
walls and floor. On a table was a
last remnant of the lost battle: a
book on fungicides with the fungus
itself eagerly devouring the pages.
The floor of the former chalk pit
is now used as a car park for staff and
visitors. The main (central) entrance
to the shelter is by way of a flight of steps
and terrace outside the main door.. The
tunnel entrance is about two metres
above the old chalk pit floor. To the right
can be seen a smaller flight of steps
leading to one of the emergency exits.
About six metres above the pit floor,
one, if not both, of the bricked-up
inclined ventilation shafts can be seen
through the trees.
Inside the main entrance, a passage leads
via an antiblast dog-leg into the central
tunnel, at the far end of which is a large
room of unknown purpose. This room is
wider and higher than the tunnels, and is
shown on Harry Pearman’s sketch plan
published in 1963 as having, then, what
appear to be four support pillars. The
parallel tunnels either side lead in from
emergency exits for the optical works,
protected by substantial internal blast
walls, dating from World War II.
Both arms of the first cross-tunnel
accommodated both WC cubicles and (at
the outer ends) primitive urinals. The 60
cubicles were presumably used by both
Bricked up
Urinals
Urinals
Pearman’s plan
Inclined
ventilation
shafts
passage with another 30 WCs in it. After this we
got into open passage again and found that the
system was laid out as in the diagram.’
The sketch plan, says Paul in his article,
is based on Pearman’s drawing from which
it appears that entry had been gained via
the air shaft opening into the cliff face
and to the left of the main entrance. Most
of the passages were brick-lined, but
where the chalk was visible, it showed that
the tunnels were hewn with picks. Beds of
flint were visible in the walls and remains
of plumbing and lighting systems
festooned the roof.
“...a book on fungicides
with the fungus eagerly
devouring the pages... ”
It appears that this is the remains of an
air-raid shelter built in the Second World
War. At a later date it was taken over by a
Mr Charles Gardner, the proprietor of
Chislehurst Caves, who tried to grow
mushrooms. As at Godstone
(underground quarries and/or hearthstone
mines) he was defeated by a fungus that
attacked the mushrooms. Though the
mushrooms have long since disappeared
the fungus lives. Its thin rubbery tentacles
17
W
E
S
S
O
N
S
Riddlesdown’s Post Office
Newsagents, Confectioners
and General Store
Come to us for your . . .
5 Newspapers and magazines
(all can be delivered)
5 Stationery, cards, tobacco,
confectionery
5 Groceries, fruit and vegetables
5 Wines and spirits
5 Fresh bread and rolls (Sats. only)
5 Chilled drinks, meats and
dairy produce
5 Frozen ice cream, ready meals
5 Next day dry cleaning
OPENING TIMES
Shop:
Weekdays 6am - 8pm
Sat. and Sun. 6am - 7pm
Post Office:
Weekdays (except Wed): 9am - 5.30pm
Closed 1pm - 2pm
Wednesday
9am - 1pm
Saturday
9am - 12.30pm
Sunday
Closed
Last collections from postbox: Weekdays 5pm
Saturdays and Bank Holidays - 12 noon. Sundays: none
102 Lower Barn Road Purley
Tel: 020 8660 1400
EASY PARKING
SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL POST OFFICE
18
sexes. Cisterns and lavatory pans have
mostly been removed. It appears that
mains water was laid on for flushing the
toilets. The urinals, which survive in-situ,
were no more than half-round earthenware
gullies set in the floor against the outer
wall. The presence of manhole covers
inside and outside the shelter suggests that
these facilities were linked to the main
sewer under Godstone Road from the
outset. The right-hand lateral tunnel has
been left more or less in its original state,
other than the modernisation of the first
one or two cubicles for current needs.
The cubicles have shoulder-height halfbrick thick partition walls, abutting at their
outer ends against nine inch square brick
support pillars, corbelled at the top where
they meet the ceiling. This extensive roof
support (not seen at Coulsdon) may reflect
some doubts on the part of the designer
Optical Surfaces Ltd
Their precision manufacturing business
needed somewhere as free as possible
from traffic and other vibrations and with
very stable atmospheric conditions. A
constant temperature was also required (it
varies within the tunnels by no more than
half a degree Celsius). They manufacture
highly specialised mirrors, lenses and
prisms, by grinding from blanks of
various compositions including glass,
ceramics, metals, and silica. Silicon carbide
is used for the main grinding, and cerium
oxide for final polishing. Computerised
testing equipment allows optical surface
dimensions to be measured in terms of
wavelengths of light. They are the only
UK manufacturers of off-axis paraboloid
mirrors. These and other products are
used in high-power laser laboratories,
astronomical observatories, and satellites.
Silvering and coating is contracted-out.
The firm had to negotiate access to the
Kenley shelter in the light of an Act of
Parliament which stipulated that the
tunnels might be requisitioned for Civil
Defence purposes in the event, during the
19
concerning the stability of this tunnel a
short way behind the open chalk pit face.
Most of the left-hand toilets tunnel has
now largely been modified as office and
storage accommodation, although the
disused urinal survives at the far end.
An inserted ceiling here renders the
inner end of the second ventilation
shaft hidden.
The tunnels are of much the same crosssection as those at Coulsdon, and likewise
largely brick-lined.
As at Coulsdon, there are a few spaces
additional to the main tunnels grid, one
side or the other of the central tunnel,
between the first, second and third
cross-tunnels
A condition survey for Coulsdon
identifies at that site, apart from toilets,
provision for a canteen, a warden’s office,
and the base for the ventilation shaft.
Cold War, of the ‘four minute warning’
being sounded, indicating imminent
nuclear missile attack. However, it took
them four days to clear a pathway to the
main entrance!
Thanks again to Nick Slatford and Paul Sowan
for letting me use their article. I would also like to
thank John Mathers (pictured here at the
entrance and, coincidentally, a former neighbour of
mine in Riddlesdown Avenue) of Optical
Surfaces for letting me visit their offices and seeing
and photographing the tunnels for myself. It was
fascinating to see something of the grinding and
testing of mirrors being prepared for scientific
instruments.
Nick Bygrave
RRA FINANCES 2009
(provisional, unaudited figures)
INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT AT:
INCOME
Members’ Subscriptions
Advertisers in Recorder
Interest on Investments
Sundry Donations/Bequests
Countryside and Woodland Appeal
Granby Enterprises Sponsored Walks Projects
EXPENDITURE
Children’s Party
Fun Day
Countryside and Woodland Appeal expenses
Donations and Membership/Affiliation Fees
Hall Hire for Committee Meetings and AGM
Insurance
Equipment - noticeboards
Printing: Riddlesdown Recorder
: Membership Cards
Phone, Postage, Stationery
Granby Enterprises Sponsored Walk Project
SURPLUS FOR THE YEAR (a minus = deficit)
BALANCES AS AT START OF YEAR
TOTAL FUNDS
BALANCE SHEET
CASH
LLOYDS TSB TREASURER’S ACCOUNT
LLOYDS TSB WOODLAND APPEAL ACCOUNT
HSBC TREASURER’S ACCOUNT
HSBC HIGH INTEREST DEPOSIT BOND*
TOTAL FUNDS
of which committed (ring-fenced) for:
SARAC Contingency Fund
Granby Walks Project
Woodland Appeal
TOTAL COMMITTED FUNDS
TOTAL UNCOMMITTED FUNDS
* Of the HSBC HIDB, £15,000 pertains to the Woodland Appeal
The Riddlesdown floods of November 2009
20
31 Dec 2009
31 Dec 2008
1,789.00
1,656.50
324.96
0.00
1,247.29
0.00
5,017.75
2,568.00
1,519.50
1,322.96
0.00
150.00
0.00
5,560.46
264.08
1,139.90
110.00
41.00
250.00
0.00
1,852.00
203.55
1,924.36
0.00
5,784.89
-767.14
44,009.52
43,242.38
362.97
1,062.39
0.00
50.00
80.00
250.00
252.13
1,724.00
202.01
72.23
0.00
4,165.73
1,394.73
42,614.79
44,009.52
438.51
4,373.20
7,722.35
708.32
30,000.00
43,242,38
269.56
6,367.99
6,475.06
896.91
30,000.00
44,009.52
0.00
4,119.92
24,722.35
28,842.27
1,234.00
4,119.92
23,475.06
28,828.98
14,400.11
15,180.54
OPEN INVITATION to local families to
spend time at Purley Bury Tennis on our
Open Day: introduce your children to tennis,
or get back into tennis yourself, meet our
coaching team, enjoy the lunchtime
barbeque, play a set, or think about
becoming a social member!
OPEN
DAY
SUNDAY
18 APRIL
PROGRAMME: FROM 10AM, JUNIOR OPEN MORNING WITH CLUB COACHES §
FROM 12.30, BBQ § FROM 2PM, SENIOR OPEN AFTERNOON – PLAY, MEET
COACHES AND COMMITTEE § FROM 4.30, TEA § THEN MORE TENNIS § BAR
OPEN FROM 10AM § BETWEEN BRANCASTER LANE AND PURLEY BURY AVENUE
21
RIDDLESDOWN PHARMACY
104 Lower Barn Road, Purley, Surrey
Tel/Fax: 8660 7150
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 9-1pm, 2.15-5.30pm
Wednesday, Saturday: 9-1pm
Pharmaceutical advice and health care requirements
Toiletries, baby goods, gifts, films and batteries
24 hour film processing (received before 11 am)
ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED
Mary Bond B.A. Solicitor
WILLS, PROBATE & INTESTACY SERVICE
Administration of Estates, Friendly Personal service
Private Consultation in your home or office
NO VAT CHARGE
Tel: 020 8405 0596
34 Kersey Drive, Selsdon, South Croydon, Surrey CR2 8SX
K.B.
INTERIORS
& Garden Maintenance
Painting  Decorating  Garden Maintenance
-
Do you wish you could get that painting & decorating, you keep putting off,
done at a reasonable cost, by someone you could trust to leave a key with?
Or have someone to keep your garden looking neat & tidy?
Phone Kevin Bannister on 020 8688 5085 or 07528 65 65 80 (mobile)
for a chat & a free estimate Or, if you prefer, email me on [email protected]
I live locally in South Croydon & am fully P & D qualified, insured & Police (CRB) checked
EMERGENCY AND NON-EMERGENCY TELEPHONE NUMBERS
All emergencies: (Fire, Police, Ambulance) 999
All Croydon Police Stations: 0300 123 1212
Sanderstead Safer Neighbourhood Team:
222c Addington Road, Selsdon, Croydon CR2 8LD
020 8721 2470, 07920 233889
22
COMMON KNOWLEDGE
by Barry Gutteridge, City of London
Ribbon of grassland
The rangers, ably assisted by the
Riddlesdown Volunteer Group and
Riddlesdown Collegiate, have created a
new ribbon of chalk grassland. Stretching
for over a mile from Famet Avenue in the
west through to Riddlesdown Quarry in
the east, there is now a virtually
uninterrupted corridor of potentially
flower-rich grassland. Isolated populations
of insects, orchids, delicate herbs and
other wildflowers will now be able to
spread along the ribbon unhindered by
dense patches of impenetrable scrub. The
final, and arguably most important link,
was created in February when, working in
partnership with Croydon Council, an area
of bramble and scrub-covered downland
was cut back to form a wide grassy
corridor linking Riddlesdown Quarry (a
picture from 1931 below) with the rest of
Riddlesdown. Aerial photographs suggest
that this area was open grassland in the
1930s but has since grown over. It’s hoped
that eventually the extremely rare small
blue butterfly, which breeds in the Quarry,
will venture out along the corridor and
populate new areas.
Senior Ranger, Riddlesdown
Chalk grassland arrives on
Platform 1
Working in partnership with Southern
Rail, the rangers and volunteers have
created a chalk grassland feature at Kenley
station. Using grass and wildflower seeds
collected from our meadows last summer,
a flower-rich grassland is becoming
established in one of the old station
flowerbeds. Towards the back of the bed
we’ve also planted examples of native
shrubs including guilder rose, spindle and
rare juniper bushes, that grow wild on
Riddlesdown. To complete the scene,
there’s a colourful map board pointing out
some of Riddlesdown’s highlights. So the
next time you're waiting for the train to
London why not take a stroll down the
platform and take a look (see picture) at
what Riddlesdown has to offer? We've
installed a similar board at Riddlesdown
station for visitors using that line.
New management plan takes
shape
Last autumn many regular visitors to
Riddlesdown were approached by the
Rangers asking for feedback on the draft
edition of our new site Management Plan.
We received many interesting and
constructive comments which are now
being used to help us create the final
edition of the new plan. The colourful
document should be ready by mid-spring,
so keep an eye on our website to
download your copy:
www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/openspaces
23
KITCHEN AND
BATHROOM SHOWROOM
POPULAR RANGES, & KNOWLEDGEABLE STAFF
BATHS, BASINS, TOILETS
AND SHOWERS
ON SHOW
QUALITY PRODUCTS
AT E V E R Y D AY P R I C E S
SALES DESIGN & INSTALLATION
CALL IN FOR A FREE SURVEY & QUOTE
C O U L S D O N H O M E H A R D WA R E
2 2 , 2 4 C H I P S T E A D VA L L E Y R O A D
COULSDON CR5 2RA. 020 8660 9287
w w w. c o u l s d o n h o m e h a r d w a r e . c o . u k
ng Stones Pre-scho
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Riddlesdown
St Edmund’s Church Hall
Mitchley Avenue
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday
From 9.15 am. to 12.15 pm for 2½ - 5 years
Details from Mrs Cathy Balogun 07905 104431
24
ON BECOMING A WRITER
by Leslie Oppitz, former
Riddlesdown resident and author of
the Lost Railways series of books
I have to confess railway and tramway
books were not my first attempts at writing.
In the early 1950s when living in
Mitchley Hill, I had a BSA M6 motorbike
and sidecar. One evening when taking my
girl-friend, Joan, (a nurse and now my wife)
through Brixton the chain broke. Joan
finished her journey by underground and I
limped home. I dared to send a handwritten
article about it to the MotorCycle Magazine
– and it was published.
I had little time to attempt writing for
many years after that. From 1942 I had
worked with the then National Provincial
Bank in London, but after army service I
ended up from 1957 working for a large
printing company first in sales, then finance
management. In the early 1980s the
company was failing and in 1981 I was
forced to retire with poor health. At last, I
thought, I could try my writing again! But I
really felt I’d nothing to write about. So I
tried short romantic stories for magazines
and sold – none. Here’s a brief excerpt
from one I wrote:
“As the giant aircraft clawed its way into the
night sky I glanced again at the young girl beside
me. The cabin lights caught her lovely long hair as
she turned now and her eyes met mine. My pulse
quickened as our eyes locked in an electrifying
moment. By the rise and fall of her breasts I
guessed she could read my thoughts yet her face gave
nothing away. I sighed and looked away at the
twinkling lights of the town receding
beneath us…”
I even sent a specimen chapter to the
romantic book publishers, Mills and Boon,
(don’t tell my wife) and they wrote back
encouraging me and giving guidelines and
advising how it should be written! But I
didn’t pursue it. Perhaps if I had I’d be
wealthy now.
My writing railway and tramway books
came about quite by chance. I had now
moved to Sussex and taking a stroll through
25
the local countryside I came across what
looked like a railway embankment.
I had by then a fair knowledge of local
railway routes and this didn’t make sense. A
visit to Haywards Heath library gave me an
answer. It was a railway that was planned;
construction began in 1865 – and then the
proposed ‘Ouse Valley Railway’ was
abandoned because of competition from
another company.
It occurred to me that not many people
knew about this planned route across parts
of Sussex; so I set about writing a short
article which I sent to the Mid Sussex
Times. I had always had a hankering for
railways. While living in Thornton Heath
(then in Surrey) as a child I had always
thrilled as a stopping train bound for
Victoria steamed into the station. Also my
father had spent most of his life with the
railways working first for the London,
Brighton & South Coast Railway, later to
become the Southern Railway.
To write the article I used a battered old
typewriter with a continental keyboard, so
going was hard. Three months later the
editor thanked me for my article and said it
was being published for the princely sum of
£10. This I thought could give me a chance
to occupy my time. I tried another article –
then another. In time they were published
and within a few months I had achieved
quite a number. Then somebody suggested
I put them together to make a book. In this
way my first book ‘Sussex Railways
Remembered’ came about.
Now heartened, I got a better typewriter
and my next county had to be Surrey where
I’d spent much of my life. This proved
quite a challenge although an
interesting one.
I had planned to write about ‘Lost
Railways’ yet unexpectedly Surrey had less
closed lines than many other counties.
I planned the book therefore on these few
lost lines, and also dealing with many lines
from their early origins.
Research around Surrey was soon
organised and my wife and I set off first to
the former Surrey Iron Railway agreed by
Parliament in 1803.
This 4ft 2in gauge line ran from
Croydon to a point between Hooley and
Merstham (now lost under the M23).
Relics were soon found, a good specimen
opposite the Feathers at Merstham.
This set the pattern for future research.
The whole of the county was explored
including visits to Guildford, Epsom and a
day at Brookwood where we found a
cemetery and an army camp. There was a
time when special funeral trains ran from
London via Brookwood station and then
on a short branch into the camp. Only
single tickets were needed!
Research also took us to the Oxted line
recalling the days when steam trains took
me to school in London from
Riddlesdown in the late 1930s. A visit to
Woldingham proved interesting. The
nearby Marden Park acquired notoriety in
the 1970s when the Government
announced plans that the area might be
considered as a terminus for the Channel
Tunnel. Apparently the public outcry was
such that the idea was abandoned.
Gatwick Airport’s early days also proved
interesting. Where today’s runway exists,
horses used to race at the popular Gatwick
Racecourse. The racecourse station opened
in 1891 and soon become much used. The
racecourse lasted until the early 1940s
when the land was taken over by the
Government. There was confusion
towards the end when training on Spitfires
had to be cancelled because of a race
meeting. Reminders of the old racecourse
can still be found. Its bandstand was
moved to Queen’s Square, Crawley and the
old concrete passenger bridge that once
spanned the earlier Airport station now
crosses the track at Balcombe in Sussex.
The Lost Railways of Surrey was
published in 2002 and, to my surprise,
proved very successful. It has already been
reprinted. After Surrey came Kent and
more books then followed. Much of this
could not have been done without help
from my wife Joan (also from Surrey) who
proved herself an able person to check my
work. As a schoolboy, I often travelled by
tram and these too seemed a fascinating
subject. ‘Tramways Remembered – S and
SE England’ also followed including, of
course, the trams that reached Purley.
Sales generally improved even further
when the books’ format was changed plus
front cover illustrations very capably
painted by artist Colin Doggett. The
Surrey Railways book carries a splendid
cover showing a Schools Class locomotive
Stowe at Redhill in the late 1950s.
Research could be good fun. Phoning
the BR Press Office on one occasion, I
asked for some 19th century information.
‘Records have gone to Kew’ they said but
they could send me some press cuttings
from a chap called Leslie Oppitz who used
to write articles in local papers! And a visit
to a remote terminus in East Anglia gave a
surprise. Wandering around looking for a
platform in the undergrowth I noticed an
elderly yokel leaning against a gate. He
called out, “If you’ve come to catch a
train, mate, the last one left 60 years ago.”
In 1991 Joan and I moved to Shropshire
where we found a stone cottage in
Maesbrook near Oswestry. I had a study
that overlooked a field towards an old
station. Joan told me this is why we had to
buy the cottage. But this station was on the
former Potts line which closed to
passengers in 1933. There’s a tale from the
time it re-opened for WD use. An elderly
lady operated the poles forming the barrier
at the level crossing. One morning a
farmer found one pole up and one down.
When he asked why, she told him she was
half expecting a train!
I shall always find railways and trams
fascinating. When writing books I gave
talks to local groups, these being illustrated
to include steam sound effects to bring
back the past. One WI member
recently told me that she could even smell
the steam.
What more could one hope for?
26
Customer: “No.”
Tech.Support: “OK. Right-click again. Do
you see a pop-up menu?”
Customer: “No.”
Customer: “I’ve been ringing 0800 2100 for Tech.Support:“OK, sir. Can you tell me what
two days and can’t get through to enquiries. you have done up to this point?”
Can you help?"
Customer: “Sure. You told me to write ‘click’
Operator: "Where did you get that number and I wrote ‘click’.”
from, sir?”
***
Customer: “It was on the door to the Travel Tech. Support: “Right, sir. In the bottom leftCentre.”
hand side of the screen, can you see the
Operator: “Sir, they are our opening times.” ‘OK’ button?”
***
Customer: “Wow! How can you see my
Caller: “Can you give me the telephone
screen from there?”
number for Jack?”
***
Electronics Company Operator: “I’m sorry, sir, Caller: “I deleted a file from my PC last
I don’t understand who you are talking
week and I have just realised that I need it.
about.”
If I turn my system clock back two weeks,
Customer: On page 1, section 5 of the user will I have my file again?”
guide it clearly states that I need to unplug
***
the fax machine from the AC wall socket
Caller (enquiring about legal requirements while
and telephone Jack before cleaning. Now,
travelling to France): “If I register my car in
can you give me the number for Jack?”
France, do I have to change the steering
Operator: “Er ... ! ! !”
wheel to the other side of the car?”
***
***
Caller: “I’d like the number of the Argoed Caller: “Could you give me the number for
Fish Bar in Cardiff, please.”
a knitwear firm in Woven?”
Directory Enquiries Operator: “I’m sorry,
Operator: “Woven? Are you sure?”
there’s no listing. Is the spelling correct?”
Caller: “Yes. That’s what it says on the
Caller: “Well, it used to be called the
label: Woven in Scotland.”
Bargoed Fish Bar, but the ‘B’ fell off.”
***
***
Caller: “Does your European Breakdown
Technical Support: “Right, sir, I need you to
Policy cover me when I am travelling in
right-click on the Open Desktop.”
Australia ?”
Customer: “OK.”
RAC Operator: “Doesn’t the product name
Tech.Support: “Did you get a pop-up menu?” give you a clue?”
CALL CENTRE
CONVERSATIONS
Snow at the Riddlesdown Gate
27
P & P Šaban
Newsagents
71 Mitchley Avenue, SANDERSTEAD
S Croydon CR2 9HN
Tel: 020 8657 2998
Opening Hours:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday:
z 6:45 am to 6 pm
Wednesday,
z 6:45 am to 7:30 pm
Saturday:
z 7:30 am to 7:30 pm
Sunday:
z 7:30 am to 1 pm
28
time I was working in London with the
Corps of Commissionaires but my doctor
advised me to give this up in order to
avoid any stress.
As for hobbies, during my army service
I was a good cross-country runner. I ran
the regimental orienteering team and, in
1971, ran in the army regimental
orienteering competition, coming 86th out
of 376 runners.
In 1982, I took
up family history
research. Also
in that year, I
joined the
Coulsdon and
Purley branch of
the Royal British
Legion. During
my retirement, I
have organised
reunions of one
of the batteries I
served with, and
also a trip to
Malaysia in 1993.
In 1983 I joined
the Croydon
Male Voice
Choir but left in
2007 when my
voice started to
fail me.
All through my years living in
Riddlesdown, I have picked up litter while
walking to and from the paper shop each
morning. Last year, my wife brought home
a litter picker which some of you may
have seem me using.
I would like to thank all of you for your
good wishes and thanks.
Tony Smith is a well-known figure around the
area and many people have commented gratefully
on his efforts to keep the area free of litter.
The RRA adds its thanks to him and to all
the others who keep Riddlesdown looking as good
as it does.
Editor
TONY SMITH OF
BRANCASTER LANE
WRITES...
I have lived in Riddlesdown since February
1977. I have had two successful careers in
my working life – firstly in the Army,
secondly in the Post Office.
As a soldier, I
served in the
Royal Regiment
of Artillery for
22 years – from
1948 until 1971
when I left as a
Staff Sergeant/
acting Warrant
Officer serving in
7th Artillery
Brigade HQ,
Dortmund,
Germany. I was
awarded the
Long Service and
Good Conduct
medal along with
the General
Service Medal,
Malaya, and the
1962 General
Service medal
(with clasps for
Borneo, Malay Peninsular and Northern
Ireland). My military conduct was classed
as Exemplary.
On leaving the Army, I worked with the
Post Office in the City of London as a
Postal and Telegraph Officer at various
offices including, for six years, at the
House of Commons.
Then I did ten years teaching with the
London Regional Training and
Development Group as an Executive
Officer, a total of 20 years altogether.
I retired in 1991 and then the year 1995
found me in hospital with a brain tumour
which, lucky for me, was benign. At this
The RRA Website: www.riddlesdownresidents.org.uk
29
A family business since 1969
Specializing in
Bathrooms, Kitchens
Conservatories
Replacement doors & windows
and all aspects of building work
Contact:
Dave Kohler: 01342 835651
Mobile: 07968 077172
Simon Kohler: 01883 742898
Mobile: 07812 644867
E-mail: [email protected]
See our web site for a display of our work
www.kohlerhomeimprovements.co.uk
30
and many of the staff came together to
put on an outstanding production of
‘Oliver’ in January. This followed hard on
the heels of an exceptional Christmas
Concert which I know a number of local
residents attended. The energy and talent
given to these events by staff and students
is a real joy. In addition our sporting teams
have continued to shine and I am
particularly pleased that rugby is
developing rapidly.
Visitors to the Collegiate will have seen
that we have begun what we hope will be a
wholesale redevelopment of the front of
the building. Phase 1, which is a new
reception and some office space, should by
now be completed. We have been
unfortunate that the commencement of
the building works coincided with the
wettest November, followed by the coldest
December and January on record, which
caused considerable delay. However, the
new facility will help us to improve
services to all of our students and parents.
Riddlesdown Collegiate students know
that learning does not just take place in the
classroom. Over the last year, groups have
visited France, Italy and Spain on a range
of field trips, and a team of Year 9
Scientists represented the UK at The
International Space Settlement Design
Competition at NASA
in Houston. Alongside
this, our students
continue to work with
the Wardens on the
Common, and to teach
Science in local
primary schools.
Neighbours who
wish to know more
about us, or who may
be interested in any of
the employment
opportunities which
are available, may like
to visit our website at:
www.riddlesdown.org
RIDDLESDOWN
COLLEGIATE REPORT
by Gordon H. Smith, Principal
The academic year has been incredibly
busy so far. When term began last
September we were celebrating our best
ever GCSE and A Level results and
beginning work in our new
Collegiate structure. Since then we have
made rapid progress.
During the autumn term over two
thousand current and prospective parents
visited the Collegiate. As well as parents
looking to transfer children to Year 7 next
year, we took the chance to invite parents
of current students to look around the
Collegiate in order to understand our new
ways of working. This was invaluable in
helping us to reflect on how the new
system has been going.
It is also pleasing to note that numbers
applying to join the Collegiate at Year 7
and Year 12 continue to grow, although
this does mean greater competition for the
same number of places.
Our Creative and Performing Arts
College (CPA) has, as is often the case,
been the public face of the Collegiate this
year. The CPA incorporates Art, Drama,
Design Technology, Media Studies and PE
The Cast and Orchestra for Oliver
31
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High pass rates
Punctual & professional
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Mob: 07748 542667
Tel: 020 3016 7098
[email protected]
32
Block booking
discount
First 10 lessons
£190
NATURE NOTES
Please send in your nature observations to the
editor or via the Website Message Board
According to Birdwatch, in 1995 the
woodpigeon was only the eleventh most
common bird in British gardens. But by
2008 it had risen to third, after blackbird
and blue tit but ahead of robin, dunnock,
great tit and collared dove.
Our small back garden is now
dominated by seven or eight (very fat)
woodpigeons from nearby sycamores.
They outnumber even the magpies and
are challenged only by a variety of
sprightly tits.
Colourful birds are rare - a pheasant
once last year, young Great Spotted
Woodpeckers once or twice, and
occasional jays. No green parakeets yet.
One wood pigeon spends most of its
time under the seed holder or the peanut
holder apparently waiting for a robin or a
dunnock, a chaffinch or a tit, to arrive and
spill food onto the ground for it. If
another woodpigeon arrives it is bullied
away, short shrift. The common
woodpigeon, incidentally, is reckoned to
coo: “I told you not to” (which is quite
convincing when you try it out).
A starling pecked from one side of the
seedholder and a small bird from the
other. The starling suddenly flew off with
such force that the seedholder span round
and round, the small bird – unperturbed –
with it. Another small bird joined it, and
they both went happily round, and round
and round again.
Snow is a giveaway of where animals
go. Late January and tracks revealed that a
fox had liberally marked a neighbour's
front door and welcome mat as its
territory. In case other foxes were
attracted by the scent she washed down
the door and threw away the mat,
remarking: “It's their time of year.”
On the pavement an aggressive magpie
seemed to be pecking at a dead magpie
splayed out on the ground beneath it.
Eventually the live magpie flew off. At
which the ‘dead’ magpie got up and
hopped into the garden. Soon the
aggressive magpie flew back, and perched
on the gutter above it. Anyone know what
was going on?
Observations from near the top of Purley Bury
Avenue, on the edge of Riddlesdown
Orpington in both directions at 20 minute
intervals in peak hours and 30 minutes at
other times.
It was to be a single track line with
passing places and electric trains from
the outset, so gradients could be severe
thus cheapening the cost of construction.
Experience had been gained on the
West Croydon to Wimbledon single
6½ mile railway.
Apparently creation of the Green Belt
killed this project just prior to the Second
World War.
Perhaps some of your readers can
throw more light on the precise route of
this project.
Yours faithfully
L. Martingell
Grisedale Close
FROM THE RECORDER
ARCHIVES OCTOBER 1977
Dear Sir,
It may not be widely known that a light
railway was proposed in the early 30s and
reached an advanced planning stage,
including, I believe, an Act to permit
construction to commence – this was the
boom period of suburban development,
and in Sir Herbert Walker’s Southern
Electric expansion era.
The proposed line was to leave the
Oxted line south of Sanderstead with
proposed stations at Mitchley Wood,
Hamsey Green, Chelsham for Upper
Warlingham, Tatsfield and so on to the
Orpington main line. Circular routes were
popular in those days and trains were to
be routed via Woodside, Sanderstead and
33
St Edmund’s Church
Riddlesdown’s Anglican Church at the Heart of the Community
Part of the Parish of Sanderstead
Services on Sunday mornings at 8am and 9.15am
Family service on the second Sunday of each month
Saturday morning children's club once a month
All welcome – just come along
Contact Revd Susan Atkinson-Jones (tel: 8657 5505)
Church hall for hire
Very reasonable rates
Good for children’s parties
Contact Christina (tel: 8651 4857)
Mitchley Avenue (junction with Lower Barn Road)
All types of building & decoration work undertaken
We provide a professional and caring service – at competitive
prices – with the peace of mind from knowing you are in the
hands of a qualified team
ROOFING - EXTENSIONS - RENOVATIONS - PLANS ARRANGED
LOFT CONVERSIONS - INSURANCE WORK - KITCHENS - BATHROOMS
INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL WORKS - UNDERPINNING AND STRUCTURAL WORK
AND MUCH MORE!
Tel: 01883 626288 Fax: 01883 626299
34
and conventions. Do we retain full stops
between capital letter abbreviations (M.P.s
or MPs, not to mention M.P.’s or MP’s)
because we are used to the logics of the
past or do we keep things as simple as
possible? Today’s trend is towards
missing out the stops. As with
hyphenating words or not, trends are not
simultaneous throughout print media.
(Once head master, head-master and
headmaster could all be found – until it
became head teacher.)
There is also an ugly trend towards some
publications imitating computer-typed
letter writing: many newsletters – even
magazines – no longer indent paragraphs
but have a line between instead.
The perlis of prof-reading
by Harvey Smith, a Recorder
proof-reader
The editor of the Riddlesdown Recorder is
a bit of a stickler for honouring the words
of his contributors. If that's what they
write, so it should be printed.
Indeed the magazine, representing a
population of perhaps barely 3,000, not
only keeps everyone up to date on the
work of the residents’ association but also
publishes an intriguing range of articles
from and about the locality.
Consistency
But problems arise. Because contributions
arrive from many different authors, to
begin with there is no house style and one
needs to be imposed. Should it be
residents’ association or Residents’
Association, page or Page, 11 July 2010 or
July 11, 2010, percent or %, R.R.A or
RRA, the Council is or the council are,
1990s or 1990’s, two thirds or two-thirds,
airfield or air field, air force or airforce,
ise or ize? For this the Recorder draws
on conventions adopted by the published
style guides of the national press. The
point is: consistency; there is often no
right or wrong.
Then, inevitably, sometimes a
contribution may contain wordy
phrases, loose punctuation or unclear
sentences that need tidying up; another
may simply have to be cut to fit the tight
space available.
Errors
Errors themselves fall into three
categories: to do with the words and
punctuation, to do with the typefonts, to
do with the layout. A fourth category,
infelicitous word-breaks at the end of a
line, is avoided in the Recorder because the
text is set raggy-right (unjustified) instead
of in columns with two straight edges
(justified).
The entire magazine has to be proofread, line by line, several times, trying to
approach it from a different standpoint
each time. Above all, it is essential to
understand what has been written, word
by word, sentence by sentence. Sometimes
the editor has to check meaning with one
of the authors.
Words may be misspelled, run together,
have letters transposed – or be missing.
Punctuation may be erratic, quotation
marks both double and single; brackets
may be unclosed, full stops omitted,
semi-colons used where there should be
colons, and too many or too few commas.
Arguments
Our proof-reading meetings are always
exciting. The longest-running argument is
about where the full stop goes at the end
of a sentence that concludes with a
quotation. Inside or outside the quotation
marks? This may seem straightforward but
some of the style guide examples are hard
to understand. Style guides do vary on
some points – so, for us, the editor’s
decision is final.
Then there’s the matter of current usage
Threats
Modern usage threatens the semi-colon
(little understood), the hyphen (confused
with the dash, and little understood) and
the apostrophe (often regarded as
superfluous because hard to understand).
35
Purley Property Care
Quality painting, decorating & maintenance work for your home & garden
Small jobs
Internal & External painting & decorating
Wall & floor tiling
General repairs & maintenance
Floor sanding & varnishing
Fencing, paving, turfing
Bathroom renovations & installations
General carpentry
Gutters - UPVS/cast iron - repaired, replaced & cleared
Etc.
Free Quotations. References available. Fully insured.
Phone: Steve Hulbert 020 8645 9112 or 07961 807475
KN STAINED GLASS
Traditionally constructed stained glass windows
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For advice or free estimate call:
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A professional & friendly service for all your
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To book an appointment, call Nicola now on
020 8406 4484 / 07966 470137
36
different spacings, partly because every
correction made to the text may create a
space in the wrong place. Proof correcting
can go on for ever.
Layout has to be perpetually examined
to see that horizontal spaces are correct,
pictures line up, dropped caps look right,
line rules are accurate, the page
arrangement works, tints are not too
heavy, advertisements fit in, and the look
of the issue is as attractive as possible.
Space is at a premium in the
Recorder. But in the last issue we
inadvertently allowed over 35 widows and
orphans (single word lines), adding up to
about three-quarters of a column of
space. If the computer can leave a word
on its own, it will. Cutting out
unnecessary words helps fit in an article or
creates space.
A magazine needs to be consistent in
form and sound in content. Mistakes can
alter meaning, be just plain irritating, or
wear away at the reader’s confidence in
authors and editor. But there’s always the
problem of how far to go into the land of
pedantry and bucking trends.
So how long will it be before the
Riddlesdown Residents’ Association loses
its apostrophe? It has been there since
1937 and dares anyone to remove it.
Barclays has/have done away with it,
Sainsbury’s has/haven’t; shop signs often
ignore it and tennis reports tend to Mens
and Ladies singles.
It is sensible to examine headlines and
captions again at the last because they are
where mistakes will most often be noticed.
The greatest worry is that on the computer
the act of correcting a mistake will create
another, which may go unseen.
Typefonts need to be checked for
consistency in face, emphasis and size. The
Recorder uses the serif face Garamond for
the main text and crossheads and, in italic,
for authors’ names and footnotes.
Headlines, other cross-heads and picture
captions are in the sans serif Arial.
The most peculiar mistake that got
through recently was caused by some
weird incompatability between the editor’s
PC and the printer’s computer, causing
various capital italic Ns to be printed in
bold, after the magazine had gone to press.
Such inter-machine conflicts can cause
whole lines to vanish.
Layout and space
The most elusive, tiny error is failing to
achieve consistent spacing after
punctuation and between words, partly
because different contributors use
SOME PROOF CORRECTION MARKS
close up – delete space
insert
start new paragraph
insert full stop
transpose
insert double quotes
Above are some of the signs that usually
confront me on the return from Harvey of a
proof that I had hitherto considered perfect,
mainly because it has been put together by me,
read through by me and read through again by
my wife. Even so, I always miss a few dozen
errors, omissions, misspellings, not to mention the
many sad cases of widows and orphans that
leave Harvey distraught. It is a tribute to his
hawkish eye and long experience that he picks
them up and makes the Recorder look much
more professional than it might otherwise be.
We are very grateful to him for his work over
the past seven years.
As he says, I do try to keep to what is written
by contributors, only correcting spelling and
grammatical (in my or Harvey’s view) mistakes,
clarifying where necessary and occasionally
deleting or adding words to keep to the space
available.
Editor
37
38
COMMUNITY PAGES
THINGS TO DO, JOIN, AND HELP WITH
Short pieces on local associations, events and activities are included here free of
charge. New material is required for each issue please. Space is limited so please get
contributions in early (at latest by end February and/or August) – first come, first served.
We are a friendly,
local, ladies choir.
For us, 2009
was a successful
year which
included several seasonal performances
before Christmas.
We perform an annual concert in July
when friends and supporters gather to
hear the choir perform a concert of
songs and light music. This concert is
always a fundraising event for the choir’s
chosen charities.
In our weekly rehearsals we have fun
and improve our technique with clear
guidance from our musical director, ably
assisted by our pianist. We are helped
with relaxation and vocal exercises and are
coaxed gently through passages with tricky
tuning or timing.
Cantilena Singers welcomes new
members. We meet on Wednesdays at
7.30pm in the Small Hall, Methodist
Church, Limpsfield Road, Sanderstead
(403 bus route). The new term started on
13 January 2010 when we began to
prepare for our summer concert. For
more information please ring Jill on
07957 627783.
competitive or feeling judged. We meet
between 8pm and 10pm and members
bring with them a couple of short extracts
from books, music, or from their own
interests or experience, in any style or
format, to fit the subject on the
programme no matter how loosely. Even
if you feel you know nothing at all about
the evening’s theme you may be able to
find something to bring, no matter how
inconsequential, and in sharing this with
what is contributed by other members you
may discover things you didn’t know, or
interests you might like to pursue further.
The atmosphere is informal, based on
meeting with a focus, the prime object
being to have a pleasant, interesting
evening in friendly company; we stop for
biscuits and a cup of tea or coffee halfway
through. As the annual subscription only
has to cover administration costs, it is low
and there is a small charge for
refreshments at the meeting.
We would welcome new members of
any age so, if this sounds a tempting
alternative to whatever TV has to offer,
why not come along for a ‘taster’
session where you wouldn’t need to bring
a contribution.
If you want more details about the
group, please ring me, Anne Slatford, on
020 8660 4378.
CROYDON OPEN GROUP
If you enjoy books and music, you might
like to join a small like-minded group of,
at the moment, mainly retired but young
at heart local people for a couple of hours
each week.
We are hoping you might be attracted by
the prospect of spending what could turn
out to be an interesting evening in
pleasant and comfortable surroundings,
sharing or adding to your knowledge and
interests without needing to be
MARION'S GUIDED WALKS
April – July 2010
These walks are for all who love to get out
into fresh air, and want to know more
about the history and wildlife of their
local countryside. Boots are advised as
paths may be muddy. Bring waterproofs in
case of shower. Dogs allowed if on leads.
We finish at the start point. The walks are
39
LINIAN LAUNDERETTE COMPANY
10 Ye Market, Selsdon Road, South Croydon
FOR ALL YOUR LAUNDRY NEEDS
9 BLANKETS AND DUVETS WASHED AND DRIED 9
9 SERVICE WASHES 9
9 IRONING SERVICE 9
9 SHIRT SERVICE 9
9 SPORTS KITS 9
9 WASHING 9
9 DRYING 9
COLLECTION & DELIVERY SERVICE
(evenings possible)
Member of
National
Association
of the
Launderette
Industry
TEL: 07958 573541
40
free but donations are welcomed. They are
led by Marion, Downlands Project and
Friend of King’s Wood Volunteer.
Wednesday 14 April. Rare Remnants at
Croham Hurst. Grid Ref. 335 633. Enjoy
springtime in the woodlands surrounding
this pebble ridge. The heathland remnant is
threatened by erosion, spread of trees, and
trampling and is being managed to save it.
Small plants abound in the old orchard
patch. Join Marion for a 2.5 mile, 2 hour
hilly walk along and around the ridge. Meet
at 10am on Selsdon Road (bus route)
opposite West Hill. Steep slopes.
Tuesday 20 April. Springtime in King’s
Wood. Grid Ref. 349 603. Find our
beautiful native trees as they begin to break
into leaf above the spring anemones.
Bluebells may be in flower, and the
coppiced hazel plots are wearing a green
haze. Join Marion for a two hour level
stroll. Meet at 10am where Orchard Road
enters the woodland (off Limpsfield Road,
Sanderstead, B269, bus route 403).
Tuesday 4 May. Is King’s Wood
Dressed in Blue? Grid Ref. 349 603. We
hope to see this ancient woodland carpeted
with bluebells – an awesome sight. Fresh
greenery is adorning our many species of
native tree. Join Marion for a two hour
walk, mostly level. We meet at 10am where
Orchard Road enters the woodland (off
Limpsfield Road, Sanderstead, B269, bus
route 403).
Wednesday 23 June. Flowers Galore on
Hutchinson’s Bank. Grid Ref. 379 619
The Downlands and Old Surrey Downs
Projects have been working to push back
the encroaching scrub from this valuable
chalk hillside. Grazing sheep and goats are
helping to create the right conditions for
the many flower species and butterflies and
other insects to flourish.Meet Marion at
10am by the entrance gate up Farleigh
Dean Crescent, Featherbed Lane,
Addington. 2 hour walk with some steep
slopes.
Sunday 27 June. Riddlesdown Riot of
Flowers. Grid Ref. 323 605. Revel in
chalkland flowers along the ridge. Marion’s
2.5 hour walk will use part of Section 4 of
the London LOOP with access and signage
by the Downlands Project. Meet at 10am in
Riddlesdown Common car park (beyond
the top of Riddlesdown Road), Purley.
Some slopes.
For more details about the Downlands Project
Walks Programme telephone 01737 737700 or
01883 341140
FAMILY OPEN DAY
AT PURLEY BURY TENNIS:
SUNDAY 18 APRIL
This is a golden opportunity to bring all
your family along to enjoy the fun at Purley
Bury, one of your two local tennis clubs –
to play or watch, sip a drink, join in the
lunchtime BBQ or have tea. Your children
can try tennis out in the morning, you can
play in the afternoon.
Gave up tennis some years ago? Then come
along and regenerate yourself. Too old? It’s
the exercise that counts! Too young? We start
at Purley Bury Tennis at four years of age
(and hope to go on and on). No ball sense?
Nonsense. That’s what coaching is for. Not
sporting? We have many social events during
the season – and our bar makes a happy
local social centre.
More details about the club are in the
loose insert in this issue of the Recorder.
You can contact us on 020 8668 5259 or
www.purleyburytennisclub.net – but do just
turn up during our Open Day. We’ll be
looking out for you.
IRAQ AND THE BILL
AT PURLEY LIT
Already Purley Lit, our local talks and
computer slide shows society, has speakers
to entertain you every other Tuesday
evening this coming autumn. And we’ve
only just finished a season which included a
calendar girl, Pompeii, Eleanor of
Aquitaine and Fred Dibnah's widow! First
up will be actor Graham Cole’s insider’s
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experience of The Bill, the
long-running ITV police soap - full of
anecdotes and misadventures.
Then there is a wholly different take on
war-torn Iraq to that we get in our
newspapers and news bulletins, with John
Pilkington’s vividly illustrated and beautiful
Iraq journey which he is calling: A Stroll
Through the Axis of Evil.
A new departure will be Vivien Lovett’s
two-parter on the history of one of
Croydon’s best-known stores, Kennards,
with much intriguing archive material,
tracing its activities through the 1920s and
30s, and before it became …Debenhams.
Next year…is too far ahead but will
include a history of the South Downs,
our new local National Park, by
Patrick Coulther.
Becoming a member
Every autumn-spring season Purley Lit
entertains the local community with
interesting speakers over eleven alternate
Tuesday evenings in Purley United
Reformed Church hall, which is in the
middle of Purley and easy to get to.
Become a member now for only £21 a
year and save the £31 extra it would cost
paying the £5 visitor’s fee at the door.
There’s also coffee and biscuits. Purley Lit
is the ideal, short, local evening out: talks
start at 8pm and end no later than 9.30pm
with a diverse range of speakers on a wide
range of subjects.
Ring Margaret Hall our membership
secretary on 8668 1764, or look us up on
www.purley-literary-society.co.uk
sessions (Sundays/Fridays) for those just
starting out or looking to brush off the
cobwebs, with Wednesday and Saturday
afternoons catering for the more
experienced players.
The club offers Junior play with
coaching on Saturday mornings, and, for
the more competitive, there’s our annual
tournament and Surrey LTA
Competitions. Open play is available to all
members outside these sessions.
On the social side, there’s the
camaraderie of the club sessions, endorsed
by members taking turns to provide tea
and cakes, plus several functions each year
where friends and family are welcomed.
Please look at our website
(www.RiddlesdownLTC.com)
or come along to Lower Barn Road.
RSPB CROYDON LOCAL GROUP
Monthly Illustrated Wildlife Talks,
Old Whitgiftian Association Clubhouse,
Croham Manor Road (off Croham Road),
South Croydon. Second Monday of each
month (except June), 2pm and again at
8pm. Admission £3.50.
Everyone welcome, not just RSPB
members. Refreshments included.
A selection of RSPB goods, nuts &
seeds are on sale. Parking is limited on site
but free in adjacent road (no meters)
Monday April 12: A Celebration of
Birds – Peter Holden has worked at RSPB
HQ for 40 years and will give a very
personal view of the Society, the birds and
a few of the people who have shaped the
Society and nature conservation in Britain
today.
Monday May 10: House Crow: Corvus
Splendens – a talk on invasive alien birds
around the world will focus on the House
Crow that Dr Colin Ryall has been
studying for 25 years. He is currently the
Senior Lecturer in Environmental
Management at Kingston University.
Monday July 12: The RSPB Reserves of
North Kent will be expertly explained to
us by Gordon Allison, Warden of the
RIDDLESDOWN LAWN
TENNIS CLUB
Back in the 1930s, our Club was
developed to provide the local community
with the opportunity to exercise by playing
sport and encourage residents to socialise.
We like to think, 75 years on, that these
aims remain the same.
With a wide variety of ages and
standards, we offer something for
everyone who likes tennis. There are club
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RSPB North Kent Marshes, stationed at
Elmley Marshes Reserve on the Isle of
Sheppey.
Monday August 9: RSPB Croydon
Local Group’s General Meeting at 2pm
and AGM at 8pm, plus a talk (tba)
Monday September 13: On TheTexas
Trail is a roundup of the birds unique to
Texas and the southwest US deserts. Dave
Hassell has 12 years experience as a YOC
Group Leader and 17 years as an RSPB
Local Group Committee member.
Monday October 11: Orchids will be
shown in all their exotic beauty by David
Johnston, founder member of the RSPB
Gravesend Local Group and a selfconfessed wild orchid twitcher!
if you are not a member already you could
always join us for a mere £6 and exhibit
your own produce and have even more fun
on the day.
Membership details from Valerie Burley
8651 5837.
Colin Jones, Chairman
VOLUNTEERING
FOR VICTIM SUPPORT
Victim Support is the independent
national charity for people affected by
crime. We give free and confidential help
to victims of crime, and their family and
friends. We can provide emotional
support, practical help and information.
Victim Support in Croydon, based in
the Brighton Road, South Croydon, offers
support to people living or working
anywhere in the borough of Croydon but
we can only provide this service with the
help of committed volunteers.
So, if you would like to volunteer for
this much needed and worthwhile
organisation and help people in your
community, please contact us for more
information or for an application pack.
Volunteers must be non-judgemental and
maintain confidentiality. Diversity is
important to us and we welcome people
from all sections of the community. There
is an initial training course of five days,
on-going training, support and supervision
is given and out-of-pocket expenses paid.
There is an opportunity for volunteers
to develop their role and undertake further
training to support victims of the most
serious crimes, such as rape and sexual
assault, those bereaved by murder and
manslaughter, domestic violence and
hate crimes.
If you have been a victim of crime and
would like help from us do please contact
us on the number below.
Our offices are at
250 Brighton Road,
South Croydon
CR2 6AH.
Phone: 020 8681 7711,
email:[email protected]
ST. EDMUND'S CARING GROUP
In 2009 we undertook a total of 851 jobs
including transport to 272 medical
appointments and over 200 shopping trips.
More importantly no job was refused, and
that is down to the commitment of our
wonderful volunteers, who give of their
time for free.
If you would like to become a volunteer
please contact Julia or Barbara as below;
just one hour a month would be a great
help and some jobs take even less time
than that!
Equally, if you need our help in any way
and live in Riddlesdown please do give us a
call to find out a bit more about us and
what we can do to support you.
Julia Rider 020 8651 6493
Barbara Towler 020 8660 8653
SANDERSTEAD
HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY
June 28 is the date for our Summer Flower
Show in the Wettern Tree Garden, Purley
Oaks Road. From 2pm. As usual we will
have The Crystal Palace Brass Band, Teas
on the lawns, Plant Sale, Craft Stalls,
Children’s entertainer plus the show itself
with classes for flowers fruit and vegetable,
domestics and crafts. Do please come to
what is always a delightful afternoon and,
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Our MP: Richard Ottaway (MP for Croydon
South), House of Commons SW1A 0AA
Tel: 020 7219 6392 (surgery 1590) or visit surgery at
36 Brighton Road, Purley CR8 2LG (by appt.)
http://www.richardottaway.com/
Email : [email protected]
Donald Speakman, 4 Bencombe Road, Purley,
Surrey CR8 4DQ Tel: 8405 6752
Email : [email protected]
SANDERSTEAD
Lynne Hale c/o Town Hall, Katharine Street
Croydon CR0 1NX Tel: 8405 6721
Email : [email protected]
Tim Pollard, Woodside, 42 Lime Meadow Ave,
South Croydon CR2 9AR Tel: 8251 8500
Email : [email protected]
Yvette Hopley c/o The Town Hall, Katharine
Street, Croydon CR0 1NX Tel 8657 0973
Email: [email protected]
Our Councillors
PURLEY
Graham Bass, 19 Woodland Way, Purley
CR8 2HT. Tel: 8660 7013
Email : [email protected]
Derek Millard, c/o The Town Hall, Katharine
Street, Croydon CR0 1NX. Tel: 8660 9329
Email : [email protected]
RIDDLESDOWN/LONDON TRAIN TIMES (OFF-PEAK)
To East Croydon, Victoria (London Bridge): Weekdays: 0906, 0936 then 6 and 36 mins past the hour until
2306. (LB trains: 1846, 1916, 2016.) Saturdays: 0706, 0736 then same each hour until 2306. Sundays: 0821
then same each hour until 2321.
From Victoria to Riddlesdown: Weekdays: 0923, 0953 and then 23 and 53 mins past the hour until 1653
then 1723, 1753, 1823, 1853, 1923, 1953, 2023, 2053, 2123, 2153, 2223, 2253, 2324, 2349. Saturdays:
0723, 0753 then 23 and 53 mins past the hour until 2253 then 2324, 2349. Sundays: 0722 and then same
each hour until 2222.
From London Bridge to Riddlesdown: Weekdays: 1715, 1744, 1815, 1847. Saturdays and Sundays: No
direct services.
From East Croydon to Riddlesdown: 0910, 0940 and then 10 and 40 mins past the hour until 1710, then
1730, 1741, 1758, 1805, 1817, 1831, 1842, 1900, 1911, 1940, 2010, 2040, 2110, 2140, 2210, 2240, 2310,
2343, 0010. Saturdays: 0910, 0940 and then 10 and 40 mins past the hour until 0010. Sundays: 0943 and
then same each hour until 2143, then 2245.
Enquiries: National Rail Enquiries: Tel: 08457 484950, website: www.nationalrail.co.uk/ or
www.southernrailway.com/. Southern Customer Services: Tel: 08451 272940
AND SOME LOCAL BUS ROUTES AND TIMES
The 412 starts/ends at West Croydon bus station, passes through High Street/Katherine Street, South
Croydon (Swan & Sugar Loaf), Upper Selsdon Road, Selsdon (Farley Road), Sanderstead Church,
Riddlesdown (Mitchley Avenue), starting/ending at Tesco's, Purley.
Frequencies (mins): Early: 20, Peaks 15, Daytime 15, Evenings 20, Late evenings 30. (Sundays 30).
First and last: from West Croydon: weekdays and Saturdays: 0620, 2355; Sundays: 0655, 2355.
from Tesco’s weekdays and Saturdays: 0552, 2327; Sundays: 0627, 2327.
The 403 starts/ends at West Croydon bus station, passes Fairfield Halls, Park Lane, Swan & Sugar Loaf,
Sanderstead Station and Church, Hamsey Green, Warlingham Green and Sainsbury’s, Chelsham, Farleigh,
starting/ending Chelsham Common.
Frequencies (mins): Early: 20, Peaks 12, Daytime 12, Evenings 15, Late evenings 20. (Sundays 20).
First and last: from West Croydon weekdays and Saturdays: 0530, 2400; Sundays: 0700, 2400.
from Chelsham Common weekdays and Saturdays: 0530, 2400; Sundays: 0650 2400.
Enquiries: London Transport 020 7222 1234 www.transportforall.com/; Arriva 020 8271 0101.
(Sources: Trains: Southern timetable; Buses: Out & About (TfL). Timetables change, so, if in doubt, check with the operators.
RRA can accept no responsibility for the accuracy of the above information.)
Our Website: www.riddlesdownresidents.org.uk
Library Closing Days: Purley and Selsdon – Wednesdays; Sanderstead – Thursdays
Croydon Council’s telephone number for all enquiries: 020 8686 4433
RRA Committee Meetings: Usually 3rd Wednesday in January, March, May, September and November
Printed by Denyer Printers, 33 Lower Road, Kenley, Surrey CR8 5NH 020 8660 1375
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