Welcome to another edition of Londonist: Croydon Edit.
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Purgatory-with-escalators? The Whitgift Centre—which arrived in Croydon in 1968—was earmarked for demolition years ago, to be redeemed with a gleaming Westfield megaplex. But as anyone who's lived in Croydon for more than five minutes will tell you, things haven't quite worked out as planned. And so the once-great shopping mall clings on—a shell of its former self, but ticking over nonetheless. It is a liminal dimension, where the ceiling cries into bright yellow buckets and the lion's head fountains are filled with gravel, not water. If you're not in the market for a pot of Magic Corn or a diamanté-encrusted bedstead, perhaps you think there is nothing for you in the Whitgift Centre at all. You'd be wrong.
Partly because I live close by, partly because I've been writing a book about Croydon (it's published in September: this is possibly not the last time I’ll plug it) and partly because I've got a bit of a thing for moribund shopping malls (ah Elephant & Castle, how I miss you), I've spent a fair amount of time pacing the courts and mezzanines of the Whitgift.
Here are some things I've found that are very much worth getting up to.
Drop in at the Windrush Generation Legacy Centre
As its name suggests, the Windrush Generation Legacy Centre celebrates everything that people from the Windrush generation have contributed since first arriving in Britain in the late 1940s. One of its members, Joan Harry, penned a brilliant memoir for Londonist to mark 75 years of Windrush. The centre is open on Saturdays, when you can check out the permanent display—"Gaan a Farin"—a replica Windrush era living room/dining room/bedroom setup. There are also various temporary exhibitions, packed with photos and memories about the trials, tribulations and joys of being a person of Caribbean heritage in London and Croydon. As well as twice monthly coffee mornings for over 50s (with guest speakers covering everything from history to hair tips), the WGLC host various special events, including lunch clubs where you can get stuck into chicken, plantain and coleslaw.
Grab some lunch
Speaking of food. The Whitgift's not the first place you think of when it comes to going out for lunch, but there are a couple of places you can grab a bite. Classic Cafe, up on the mezzanine across from Flying Tiger will ply you with old school comfort food—think lasagna (free garlic bread thrown in), cheese paninis, soups, jacket potatoes, sausage ciabattas—for a very decent price. It’s far more satisfying than a sandwich from Sainsbury’s. Another of the Whitgift’s culinary attractions is Tashi Sushi; you often get a good whiff of their katsu curry the moment you step into the Whitgift as the aroma meanders through the mall. The queue that forms at Tashi Sushi on some lunchtimes informs you that the food does indeed taste as good as it smells. (They also, would-you-believe-it, sell sushi—again, better value/quality than what you’ll get in your average supermarket.)
As for dessert in the Whitgift? Er, you could try a handful of gobstoppers from one of the Whitgift’s candy globes, though I can't say I've personally tried.
Enjoy playtime at Pollock's
Since Pollock’s Toy Museum was unceremoniously turfed out of its Fitzrovia home of many years, it’s found an unlikely nest in the Whitgift Centre, where it’s open to the public every Saturday. On display is everything from Sooty puppets to dolls' house rooms, made in the A Barton & Co factory, which employed a number of people living on the New Addington housing estate between the 1950s and 80s. Pollock’s is free entry, and extra enchantment is laid on with regular workshops, toy theatre performances and the like. If you’ve got kids and live anywhere near Croydon, you’ll want to check Pollock’s out. Even if you don’t have kids, it’s a wonderful little place. It's unclear exactly how long the toy museum will stay here in the Whitgift Centre, so call in while you can.
Sip a merlot in Bishop's Wine Bar
In my line of work, I've discovered a number of wonderfully hidden drinking holes, but Bishop's is one of my proudest finds.
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