Five reasons Croydon is NOT “sad and monotonous”
With French newspaper MetroNews reporting that the nation’s rugby team is not enjoying its stay in Croydon, the South London district is coming in for a bit of a bashing, but are they overlooking the area’s special ‘je ne sais quoi’? Here are five reasons why culture-packed Croydon is not “sad and monotonous” as MetroNews claims, but actually a great place to live, work and visit:
1. Fascinating buildings
Croydon’s architecture brilliantly combines the practical with the picturesque. Take Croydon Clocktower, which is not just an ornate clock, but also home to the Museum of Croydon and Croydon Central Library. Meanwhile, legendary arts venue The Fairfield Halls has seen appearances by everyone from Johnny Cash to The Beatles over the years.
2. Cutting-edge music
Croydon’s BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology has helped many fledgling performers to reach stardom, with Adele, Amy Winehouse, Jessie J and Leona Lewis among its former alumni. There’s a great dubstep scene in Croydon as well.
3. A bookish history
If y
ou’d rather lose yourself in a book than music, Croydon’s got it covered. Sir John Betjeman penned two poems about the town, which has been home to the likes of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and D. H. Lawrence.
4. Top TV
Classic TV programmes like ‘The Bill’ and ‘Peep Show’ have been filmed in Croydon. Iconic 1990’s comedy ‘Men Behaving Badly’ was also set in South London, with Croydon mentioned frequently.
5. A place in Hollywood
It’s not just on the small UK screen that Croydon has played a role, but the big international one as well. In the 2012 Batman instalment ‘The Dark Knight Rises’, did you know that ‘Gotham Hospital’ was actually none other than Croydon’s Delta Point? The former BT offices were converted to flats shortly after. So, Croydonians have plenty to be proud of, and if you’d like to pay the town a visit, why not check out Hallmark Hotel London Croydon Aerodrome?
