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Croydon - nightlife, accommodation, things to do and general chat

ATOMIC SUPLEX said:
Bummer. Waitrose is closing in November.
One of only six or seven shops I use in Croydon on a regular basis.
Arrhh.
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I am not surprised, frankly. The centre of Croydon is so dire these days it must be very difficult to get the footfall they need. And commuting hasn't really picked up properly. And, as pointed out, there is no parking nearby, so people like me go to other branches.
 
hash tag said:
Is it the only Waitrose I know where there is no parking very close by?
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Guineveretoo said:
And commuting hasn't really picked up properly.
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Think it was probably aimed at train commuters calling in for a few bits rather than people taking their car to do a big shop.

I've seen a few other waitroses like that - there are (or used to be) smallish ones near wimbledon, twickenham and clapham junction stations - the one at clapham junction is / was on a road that was mainly buses only but a fairly busy shopping street.

depends quite who you believe just what proportion rail commuting has fallen by. possibly stereotyping, but maybe the sort of commuters who would call in to a waitrose might be the ones more likely to be wfh-ing more of the time?
 
The Croydon Waitrose was quite a large one. The St John's Road Clapham one is supposed to be a large one but is very small and crowded. As Puddy_Tat says, it's in the heart of the areas shops.
 
Guineveretoo said:
I am not surprised, frankly. The centre of Croydon is so dire these days it must be very difficult to get the footfall they need. And commuting hasn't really picked up properly. And, as pointed out, there is no parking nearby, so people like me go to other branches.
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I think it's a lunchtime / evening meal/shop before going home type shop. Always seemed fairly full to me, but apparently it has always been struggling (not just recently). As someone who doesn't drive parking has never bothered me. Probably doesn't help that it is flanked by two sainsburys at each end of the street.
I have no interest whatsoever of visiting sainsburys and tesco (the church street tesco has also gone according to my wife).

I am a bit pissed off. It's not all poshy posh expensive stuff, quite a lot of the waitrose essentials brands were regulars for me. My wife occasionally still does waitrose deliveries so I guess they will become more regular.
I'll miss their sunday food reductions, they were often legendary.
 
The thing I am curious about though is who all the new flats that are all over Croydon are for. They are not cheap, and they are not very big. There are no fancy shops for young rich city types, commuting hasn't picked up.
The trains are rammed
Boxpark is shit
There is no nightlife
The shopping centre is shit
The only thing left to love about croydon is the green spaces, so I assume it won't be long before they are all destroyed.
The only shops I regularly visit are Lidl and waitrose. Occasionally I will shop in Decathlon, screwfix, ikea, 101 records, Forbidden Planet, H&M, Hewitts.
 
Thats a bit off the radar for most people who go to the multi story's. I used to do a little sneaky around the back of there in Walpole Close or Wellesley Grove where it was often possible to find a meter :thumbs:
 
I can't imagine how things will improve for Croydon in the next thirty years. The Council owe so much money they will never be able to improve anything and the debt will only get worse. There is absolutely no vision from anyone as to turning around the decline. It makes me very sad given I grew up there, went to school there as did my kids.
 
TopCat said:
I can't imagine how things will improve for Croydon in the next thirty years. The Council owe so much money they will never be able to improve anything and the debt will only get worse. There is absolutely no vision from anyone as to turning around the decline. It makes me very sad given I grew up there, went to school there as did my kids.
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I too was born n grew up there but got out. Is this any different to anywhere else or even just a reflection of the nation as a whole?
 
hash tag said:
I too was born n grew up there but got out. Is this any different to anywhere else or even just a reflection of the nation as a whole?
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Its very different. It's not just random decline. The current situation is a product of design. A monumental slowburn fuckup. Both Labour and the tories and many council officers were right behind the project. A continuity of policy for years. At best Croydon will be a campus town full of flats with nice but overgrown parks.
 
Maintenance on the Whitgift Centre has been skimped for years in anticipation of being demolished to make way for Westfield. I can see the owners shutting it on H&S grounds given the low occupancy and footfall. That will finish the town centre.
 
My last claim to Croydon, our wedding rings came from a jeweller in St Georges Walk. Is that place still a pile of rubble?
Saw many many gigs in the greyhound, fairfield and cartoon and coming back to the fairfield soon.
 
Although I only live just outside the borough I was rarely visiting Croydon itself, even before the pandemic. I used to eat out there, have drinks or go to meetings at the Fairfield but they all fizzled out. I think the last time I visited was for an Urban drinks or possibly a comedy night.

I do visit the outskirts (Purley, Coulsdon, Kenley & Sanderstead) from time to time but I don't really consider them to be Croydon even though they are in the borough.
 
The George Street Tesco has now moved to the high street proper.

It is sad when I think of the nightlife when I was younger. I wonder if it's still out there somewhere? I know of a few things going on but they are few and far between but I know in my age group there is some want for things like music and dancing.
 
Callie said:
:hmm:
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Is that a bad thing?
I think I bought my daughter some clothes there, some jeans and a stripy jumper for myself. To be fair I might still have only visited five times in five years.
I bought a cramps t-shirt and a skirt on-line at H&M, but I don't suppose that counts.
 
ATOMIC SUPLEX said:
It looks pretty weak though. I recently took my daughter shopping for some summer clothes and it was like looking for eggs and flour in the first weeks of covid.
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Ohh I might use this. "Like looking for eggs in lockdown"
Our great grandchildren will wonder where the phrase came from.
 
It is a bit mad. It's fucked a lot of shit up but Croydon was on the way down long before COVID.
ATOMIC SUPLEX said:
It looks pretty weak though. I recently took my daughter shopping for some summer clothes and it was like looking for eggs and flour in the first weeks of covid.
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Yeah it's rubbish. However I think that is reflected in other places too. Shopping in shops less of a thing. Annoying for me because I like to feel fabrics and I'm crap at returning online stuff.

Get her into making her own clothes 😎
 
ATOMIC SUPLEX said:
She would probably be fine with it. . . . if we got a sewing machine. I doubt she has the time at the moment though as she is studying for GCSEs. Quite stressful.
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On thing Croydon does still have- a fine sewing machine shop down Church Street.
Its been there for generations
 
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