I’ve lived in London now for the past seven year and have always been based in the South East, moving progressively further South as time goes on (Dulwich – Crystal Palace – Croydon)
Now, many of you may think that each move represents a downgrade in neighbourhood, but I beg to differ.
Through my walking training I’ve had a unique opportunity to see lots of Croydon and can report back that there are plenty of positives, despite what people may tell you.
1. Greenery - David Bowie once described Croydon as a ‘complete concrete hell’. Personally, I think anyone who creates something as abhorrent as two Tin Machine albums looses the right to be critical – but that’s just my opinion. Despite what the thin white duke thinks, Croydon has lots of green space including 120 lovely parks. Croydon also does very well in the Britain in Bloom competition – see here if you don’t believe me. Given the content of my previous posts you’ll realise by now that trees, plants and the like are kinda high on my agenda.
2. Safety - I have never once felt threatened on the way home from work to my little palace in Addiscombe. This is in marked contrast to being attacked by teenagers in Gipsy Hil and witnessing two nasty muggings in West Dulwich.
3. Rejuvenation - there is lots of work going on in the city centre, so much so that The Guardian declared that ‘Croydon is the new Barcelona’ back in 2007 (even I raised an eyebrow at that).
4. Culture – it’s not all hoodies stabbing each other on street corners you know, there’s also the odd spot of theatre and art and what-not. The Croydon Clocktower and Warehouse Theatre are particularly good. If it wasn’t for Fairfields Hall I wouldn’t have seen the spectacular Brian Blessed in Peter Pan last Christmas.
If you need any further convincing I present my trump card – Croydon is getting its very own Waitrose. How bad can it be if the last bastion of Middle Class shopping is prepared to move here?
So, you can keep your Dulwich Villages - long live Croydon! Up yours, David Bowie.
Now, many of you may think that each move represents a downgrade in neighbourhood, but I beg to differ.
Through my walking training I’ve had a unique opportunity to see lots of Croydon and can report back that there are plenty of positives, despite what people may tell you.
1. Greenery - David Bowie once described Croydon as a ‘complete concrete hell’. Personally, I think anyone who creates something as abhorrent as two Tin Machine albums looses the right to be critical – but that’s just my opinion. Despite what the thin white duke thinks, Croydon has lots of green space including 120 lovely parks. Croydon also does very well in the Britain in Bloom competition – see here if you don’t believe me. Given the content of my previous posts you’ll realise by now that trees, plants and the like are kinda high on my agenda.
2. Safety - I have never once felt threatened on the way home from work to my little palace in Addiscombe. This is in marked contrast to being attacked by teenagers in Gipsy Hil and witnessing two nasty muggings in West Dulwich.
3. Rejuvenation - there is lots of work going on in the city centre, so much so that The Guardian declared that ‘Croydon is the new Barcelona’ back in 2007 (even I raised an eyebrow at that).
4. Culture – it’s not all hoodies stabbing each other on street corners you know, there’s also the odd spot of theatre and art and what-not. The Croydon Clocktower and Warehouse Theatre are particularly good. If it wasn’t for Fairfields Hall I wouldn’t have seen the spectacular Brian Blessed in Peter Pan last Christmas.
If you need any further convincing I present my trump card – Croydon is getting its very own Waitrose. How bad can it be if the last bastion of Middle Class shopping is prepared to move here?
So, you can keep your Dulwich Villages - long live Croydon! Up yours, David Bowie.
P.S - training is going well, five miles in 75 minutes last night. Walked back from Forest Hill station to home, which gave me an opportunity to see lots of places i don't normally visit. I'm also becoming terribly well acquainted with the bus routes of London. Perhaps a second career with TFL beckons?
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment