Bromley Gloss - London Borough of Bromley - Current, Upcoming, Historic

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Bromley Gloss - London Borough of Bromley - Current, Upcoming, Historic

LONDON BOROUGH OF BROMLEY! PLUS occasional pieces on ANYTHING from ANYWHERE. You Can Share EVERYTHING Local Bromley Borough & there Abouts to This Page.

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Debz: facebook.com/dzadewalsh
Page Founder/Manager/Editor/Narrator, Researcher - Historical/Topical, Post Creator, Administrator, Videographer/Photographer. Bjorn: Page Researcher, Videographer, Photographer
Dave: Page Researcher; Historical Detail, Current Affairs. Lucas: Page Researcher; Historical Detail, Current Affairs.

08/11/2025

“Cowboy” sauntering along Bromley Market Square in days of yore🤠1891.

06/11/2025

1930s and 1960s Bromley Town Centre. First photo shows what sat just off Elmfield Road before the demolitions. Second photo shows the buildings the Victorian buildings were replaced by in the 1960s. Aberdeen buildings is present in both photos and remains today.

02/11/2025

⛲️ Homebase building, Catford’s tribute to the great Crystal Palace, gone except for its shell. October 2025. The store closed in March 2025 after the company went into administration. The site was later acquired by the owners of Home Bargains for redevelopment. Currently the plot contains what feels like the carcass of the old building, a strange sight when you’ve known the glass building for so long.

⛲️ Wildlife are still inhabiting the pond like nothing happened, we spotted a heron on the island there the other day. Remains to be seen what type of building will come in its place, though reported that Lewisham Council have agreed plans.

⛲️ Homebase Catford was built on the site of Peter Pan’s Playground and Pool aka Southend Pond once a popular local spot for its boating and fairground before the DIY store was constructed in the early 1980s.

01/11/2025

Bromley South, undated photo probably Edwardian, early motorised bus, open to the elements must have been more than a bit blowy as it drove along. People stood on the corner of the turning into Simpson Road (front left) having a chin wag. Policeman just behind them.

Signage of the shop (left) looks like it says E Carpenter and son, a photographic studio going by the window display and the signage at the top. Winter time, everyone in a warm coat and obligatory hat. Wrought iron railings infront of the railway station. Most of the Victorian buildings in shot to the right are still there today.

31/10/2025

Bromley High Street north in 1899, next to The Royal Bell Hotel. Thanks very much to Jay for sharing. Clear image where you can really take in the garments worn by the passers by. Zoomed in photo in the comments.

31/10/2025

Undated photo of Bromley High Street, hazarding a guess… 1950s not earlier as the very first UK zebra crossing was October 1951. In the distance the Carnegie Library and to the right the Methodist church. Both unfortunately demolished in the 1960s. Garage to the left, lots of cars parked up, and two folks on bicycles, the female wearing a flowing skirt.

31/10/2025

Billy Smart 🎪 William George Smart Senior (25 April 1894 – 25 September 1966) was a British showman, fairground proprietor and circus proprietor, the founder and owner of Billy Smart's Circus. Born in London, Billy Smart was one of 23 children in a family that worked on fairgrounds in London and South East England. After marrying in 1925, he and his brothers set up their own fair, which became a regular attraction in the region. During WW2 Smart ran several Holiday at Home Fairs, to boost morale.

🎪 Billy Smart's Flying Circus came to Bromley on 21 October 1970, for a special event where aerialist Ria Roeber performed from a trapeze suspended from a helicopter directly above the big top, likely taking place at Norman Park. The circus was well known for touring every part of the British Isles and frequently visited various parks and commons in and around London and the South East, including Blackheath, Danson Park in Bexleyheath, Addington Park in Croydon, Crystal Palace Park, and Clapham Common, so likely visited Bromley on other occasions.

🎪 Smart arranged for the televising of his circus from 1947, as the first BBC location live TV show. This led to regular Christmas shows on the BBC, including the 1977 Royal Jubilee Big Top Show, organised by his son David Smart, which was attended by Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh, and raised several million pounds for charity. In the 1960s, the Billy Smart's TV show was the first UK TV programme to attract more than 20 million viewers in the UK. Between 1979 and 1982 the circus was broadcast on ITV.

🎪 Around 1961, Smart offered £1 million to buy Blackpool Tower, and also headed a consortium hoping to involve Disney in what would have become the first Disney amusement park in Europe; however, the venture did not proceed. Smart then decided upon a novel concept, a safari park, and, after years of searching for a suitable site, bought a property near Windsor for this purpose. The Windsor Safari Park, was brought to fruition by his sons, Ronald, David and Billy Jr, after his death, and grew to attract up to 2.5 million visitors per year.

🎪 Billy Smart died in 1966, in his caravan shortly after conducting a band in front of his circus tent at Ipswich. His friend Sir Billy Butlin described him as "the greatest showman of our time and probably the last of the great showmen."

31/10/2025

Bromley Market Square 1986. Most businesses shown did not make it to 1990. Closed down shop shown was once Caters, then became Presto, here stood empty. Also closing in Market Square 1980 was Dunns Furniture Store. Also closing down before the decade was out was Mr Amaricar, Jewellery Guild closed 1986, so did Glaisters, Bristol and West Building Society closed in the 1980s, as did Allied Carpets. 10 years later old Freeman Hardy Willis shoe shop Market Square closed for good. Previously in 1971 Maunders Bakery closed down, building taken over by McDonalds in 1979. Around the corner in Widmore Road 1980s Coop Department Store closed down. Nearby on the high street Jean Junction had closed down in 1981. Seconds away Henekeys aka The Rising Sun pub was demolished in the period this footage was filmed, it had closed at the end of the 1970s.

29/10/2025

Light display on The Churchill Theatre, Bromley High Street in support of the Royal British Legion who support the Armed Forces, veterans, and their families, and to commemorate Remembrance Day. Displays of poppies were also being put up in other parts of the town yesterday evening. October 2025.

26/10/2025

This photo was on a display by Bromley Civic Society and The Royal Bell at the open day of the hotel during renovation September 2025. Showing ‘High Street North, decked out for Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee in 1887. Near the old Star and Garter (left).’

25/10/2025

Fire at The Crystal Palace 1936.

25/10/2025

1936 Crystal Palace Park. "A tragedy to the insurance companies, and above all a tragedy to the window cleaning profession" so said the presenter speaking at the time of the tragic fire that destroyed The Crystal Palace. His last line was cut short 🤔what was he going to say? "It will probably be rebuilt alas as the worlds largest block of...." ..

We cannot imagine what Managing Director Sir Henry Buckland was thinking, shown here as he stood amongst the ruins.

Crystal Palace Park has been owned and managed by London Borough of Bromley since 1986.

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