Vintage image of Tamworth Road - late-Fifties
As Peter Eades (JRGS 1963-69)
writes: "I
stumbled across this picture while reading online about something else. The
photograph shows a boy wearing John Ruskin uniform walking south along Tamworth Road
from West Croydon railway station towards the former school premises.
"I recall that the last trolleybus in Croydon ran in July 1960; the Morris Traveller
dates the picture as being after 1952. The red and white car is an
Austin Metropolitan, which didn't appear in the UK until April 1957.
Also the picture is in colour, which didn't become widespread until the
late Fifties.
"So I think we have a time frame of 1957-60. That means the school
would have moved to Shirley at least two years previously.
Does anyone have a memory long enough to identify
the boy seen here?
"Judging by the shadows, I would hazard a guess that the picture
was taken late afternoon, so maybe the schoolboy is on his way home and
just happened to live near the old school. He might be carrying a sports
bag, because it has loop handles rather than the close handle of a brief
case. And judging by his height he must be 5th form or above."
The image is ©2007 David Bradley, whose
website contains additional
information about Croydon trolleybuses. The site's author states that
the picture was taken on a Saturday in early 1959. "The trolleybus
heading away from us would shortly make its way into Station Road after
crossing North End," David advises, "and then proceed onto Crystal
Palace; in the opposite direction, trolleybus passengers are travelling
towards Sutton.
"I can’t be sure of the date nor day the picture was taken,
but as Route 654 was abandoned on Tuesday, 3 March 1959, I would have
probably been out and about with my camera the previous Saturday and in
Tamworth Road possibly during early afternoon. It was pretty good weather for
late February back then. So why the school boy is seem in uniform is a
bit of a mystery.
"Having checked with a colleague who was with me on that day, I can
confirm that the image was taken on Saturday, 28 February 1959."