Croydon
At the outer reaches of south London is Croydon, a borough transformed first by canals and railways, then by aeroplanes. It is now one of London’s “edge cities”, complete with a tram system.
Croydon takes in areas including Addiscombe, the childhood stomping ground of supermodel Kate Moss, and Thornton Heath, the birthplace of Stormzy. It’s also where highwayman Dick Turpin is said to have lived.
Nearby is South Norwood, where Arthur Conan Doyle lived when he killed off his most famous creation, Sherlock Holmes, in the 1893 story The Final Problem.
Sixteenth-century archbishop John Whitgift’s name lives on in the school and almshouses he founded, and the Whitgift Centre shopping mall, which opened in 1969.
Before Heathrow, London was served by Croydon Airport – where, in 1930, pioneering pilot Amy Johnson began her record-breaking flight to Australia.
Thornton Heath in Croydon is the birthplace of Stormzy
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Stormzy: A grime change-maker
This Croydon-born cultural titan has used his enormous success to challenge inequality
Malorie Blackman’s books shaped Britain’s youth
The south-east Londoner writes diverse fictional worlds for young people of all ages
