nino_savatte
No pasaran!
Aye, Tolworth is a soulless, windswept place. If someone invited me to a night out on on Tolworth Broadway, I would respectfully decline the offer.
Kingston Upon Thames - the pros and cons
- Thread starter Moggy
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Aye, Tolworth is a soulless, windswept place. If someone invited me to a night out on on Tolworth Broadway, I would respectfully decline the offer.
Thimble Queen
Called away to another place
The 213 bus would go straight passed me in the morning when I had 9am lectures, it wasn't just cos the bus driver dint like me face, it used to happen to my housemates and other uni friends also...
DeadManWalking
Active Member
But on the other hand it has some great charity shops
And it's improved immeasurably! I lived in Tolworth from 1963 (when I was born) to about 1984, and it was a steady decline throughout that time. I remember noticing that 3 out of every 4 people you'd see in Tolworth were elderly, and usually old ladies, and the shops tended to cater appropriately. It was bracketed by a pair of low dives, in the shape of the Toby Jug at one end, and the execrable Red Lion (latterly Sullivan's, and various permutations of Harvester) at the other, both pubs of dubious reputation and even more dubious beer.
When they replaced Fine Fare with Marks, it did seem to signal a bit of an improvement overall, and the place did get somewhat better, albeit fom a low base. I think the "Tolworth Bar & Grill" may have been a mistake - if ever a place was out of place, it was that!
I'm not sure there is a way of making a 1930s suburban high street anything other than bleak, though, beyond knocking it all down and starting again.
Doctor Carrot
Marxist Henchman
I currently live in New Malden and it's not that bad really, although there's fuck all to do round here.
The Korean population bring lots of nice food shops and restaurants but apart from that it's just a high street next to a busy road.
Having said that the high street does have everything you need on it, I do all my shopping in the hight street now rather than having to venture further afield like I did when I lived in Chessington.
Best part about it is its transport links to Kingston and central London. I've never had any difficulties getting anywhere and the night bus stops right outside my house
The Korean population bring lots of nice food shops and restaurants but apart from that it's just a high street next to a busy road.
Having said that the high street does have everything you need on it, I do all my shopping in the hight street now rather than having to venture further afield like I did when I lived in Chessington.
Best part about it is its transport links to Kingston and central London. I've never had any difficulties getting anywhere and the night bus stops right outside my house
nino_savatte
No pasaran!
The Red Lion has closed; it shut up shop a few years ago and it's been covered in hoardings since I went there last year. There are some useful charity shops and there's a pretty good Tamil owned shop that sells all sorts of fruit and veg. I've never been into the Broadway Bar Cafe but it didn't look very interesting. In fact, it reminded me of a waiting room.
The areas away from the Broadway are pretty genteel in parts. Then there's Berrylands to the east...very pretty.
nino_savatte
No pasaran!
and TobyJug's been banned....erm....demolished
*gettin' confused between internetz and real life*
nino_savatte
No pasaran!
Brother Mouzone
Ⓐnarcho-Cynicism
Have lived in Tolworth and Surbiton.
To be honest I loved Surbiton, nice and green, great transport links to Central London, also used to love going to Kingston and catching a bus to Ealing Broadway (bit of a long trip but very pretty through Hampton, Kew etc). I've really started to miss it recently. Oh and the The Lamb pub in Surbiton is one of my favourite all time pubs.
To be honest I loved Surbiton, nice and green, great transport links to Central London, also used to love going to Kingston and catching a bus to Ealing Broadway (bit of a long trip but very pretty through Hampton, Kew etc). I've really started to miss it recently. Oh and the The Lamb pub in Surbiton is one of my favourite all time pubs.
yeah, me too, 65!
Where's the lamb? don't remember that one.........
Waggon and Horses was a top pub too
Well, we used to call where I lived Berrylands, but that was a blatant lie
Berrylands was Pine Walk and those of that ilk. Me, I was the wrong side of Surbiton Lagoon, in Moresby Avenue...Spot on re the Broadway Bar & Cafe - not interesting, and had ideas above its station. I refused to go there after walking in with a hat on and being greeted with "Oi. You. Hat. Off.", repeated until comprehension. Apparently, it impaired the CCTV facilities. Fuck 'em.
I miss my old manor, but it's not Tolworth Broadway, with its several hundred - all equally crap - pizza outlets and several million - similarly useless - charidee shops that calls me back. The Tamil subcontinental grocer was handy, though, especially when I used to live above that there Budgens (please, tell me that's closed down and gone, too...)
nino_savatte
No pasaran!
Well, we used to call where I lived Berrylands, but that was a blatant lie
Spot on re the Broadway Bar & Cafe - not interesting, and had ideas above its station. I refused to go there after walking in with a hat on and being greeted with "Oi. You. Hat. Off.", repeated until comprehension. Apparently, it impaired the CCTV facilities. Fuck 'em.
I miss my old manor, but it's not Tolworth Broadway, with its several hundred - all equally crap - pizza outlets and several million - similarly useless - charidee shops that calls me back. The Tamil subcontinental grocer was handy, though, especially when I used to live above that there Budgens (please, tell me that's closed down and gone, too...)
Budgens is still there but I think its business has been hit by the opening of the Tesco Metro opposite.
I got the feeling that some people would say that they lived in Berrylands when they actually live in Tolworth. I suppose it's like Chessington and Hook...where some folk claim that they live in Hook rather than Chessington (now that's a weird place!).
DeadManWalking
Active Member
The Lambs on Brighton road, opposite the petrol station. Nice little pub with a great garden.
Waggon and horses is good too.
Berrylands stinks, literally, especially in the summer as there's a sewage works there.
After the flat-above-Budgens, we bought a house on the other side of the A3 in Warren Drive North (no, not one of the titchy Sunray ones - one of the big semi-detacheds, I was Rich thenBudgens is still there but I think its business has been hit by the opening of the Tesco Metro opposite.
I got the feeling that some people would say that they lived in Berrylands when they actually live in Tolworth. I suppose it's like Chessington and Hook...where some folk claim that they live in Hook rather than Chessington (now that's a weird place!).
). I laughed at the Estate Agent when they tried to claim that as Berrylands - I remember saying something like "Heh, perhaps you could call it 'South Berrylands', but there's no way you can call the other side of the A3 Berrylands". (apologies to anyone not from the area who won't have a clue what we're on about).It was our own suburban version of all the Cla'am, St Reatham, and BattERsea nonsense, I suppose.
Yeah, that could niff when the wind was in the wrong direction.
But I never realised just how green and pleasant Berrylands was until I moved away. It really is a very pretty neck of the woods...especially for suburban London.
FabricLiveBaby!
Live Baby Fabric!
I like Kingston, pretty much for the reasona already mentioned. Close to parks, nice pubs by the river, quiet, good shops.
Cons are (as someone else has mentioned) it is pricey. And the bars at night are typical small town, shoes and shirts drunkeness. The only place worth going to is Bacchus Bar, which is very small and dingy, but plays some excellent music and generally draws a nice casual crowd (and don't have a no trainers rule).
Transport is OK but isn't as great as some people are making out. The train from Kingston takes 30 minutes to get to Waterloo , which is my least favourite terminal as it takes ages to get anywhere from there. From Surbiton I think it is quicker, but still only goes to Waterloo.
Hope that helps.
Cons are (as someone else has mentioned) it is pricey. And the bars at night are typical small town, shoes and shirts drunkeness. The only place worth going to is Bacchus Bar, which is very small and dingy, but plays some excellent music and generally draws a nice casual crowd (and don't have a no trainers rule).
Transport is OK but isn't as great as some people are making out. The train from Kingston takes 30 minutes to get to Waterloo , which is my least favourite terminal as it takes ages to get anywhere from there. From Surbiton I think it is quicker, but still only goes to Waterloo.
Hope that helps.
nino_savatte
No pasaran!
One of the biggest drawbacks to living in Kingston is the fact that it is in Zone 6. I know that there has been a campaign to have Kingston rezoned but, given the evident greed of Stagecoach, it is unlikely to happen any time soon.
The Kingstonians shot themselves in the foot when they turned down the opportunity to have a tram link.
The Kingstonians shot themselves in the foot when they turned down the opportunity to have a tram link.
nino_savatte
No pasaran!
After the flat-above-Budgens, we bought a house on the other side of the A3 in Warren Drive North (no, not one of the titchy Sunray ones - one of the big semi-detacheds, I was Rich then
It was our own suburban version of all the Cla'am, St Reatham, and BattERsea nonsense, I suppose.
Yeah, that could niff when the wind was in the wrong direction.
But I never realised just how green and pleasant Berrylands was until I moved away. It really is a very pretty neck of the woods...especially for suburban London.
I know Warren Drive. And yeah, South Berrylands....good one!
Did they?? What, recently? Because if they did, that's the second time they've screwed the pooch: the only reason Surbiton has such a good train service is because, when the original line was being built from London out to the South West, Kingston decided it didn't want a nasty, plebby little railway full of common oiks, so it went via Surbiton: Kingston only got its line later, on - effectively - a branch line.
I know Warren Drive. And yeah, South Berrylands....good one!
I miss that house. We'd Arrived when we bought that place...
Even my mum was a bit envious, and that's saying something...
nino_savatte
No pasaran!
Did they?? What, recently? Because if they did, that's the second time they've screwed the pooch: the only reason Surbiton has such a good train service is because, when the original line was being built from London out to the South West, Kingston decided it didn't want a nasty, plebby little railway full of common oiks, so it went via Surbiton: Kingston only got its line later, on - effectively - a branch line.
I miss that house. We'd Arrived when we bought that place...
Even my mum was a bit envious, and that's saying something...
The tram line went from Croydon to Wimbledon instead. I remember talking to someone about this last year. As you say, it's almost like history repeating itself with the railway station winding up at Surbiton.
nino_savatte
No pasaran!
New Malden has a really good bike shop on Kingston Road. I think it was in the process of a name change last time I saw it. It was called Pitfields.
Sorry about the delay. I've just seen this post.
I don't actually know what happened, I only found out it was finished when I tried to look up the dates for this year.
Kingston always reminds me of Croydon, but with ideas above its station.
Reasonably shopping with a big department store and the usual chains. Nice pubs by the river, but a fair few awful townie pubs and clubs later on. Meh - it's alright for a visit or two, but I'm not drawn there.
Reasonably shopping with a big department store and the usual chains. Nice pubs by the river, but a fair few awful townie pubs and clubs later on. Meh - it's alright for a visit or two, but I'm not drawn there.
Chz
Stark Raving Sane
I'd agree, these days. Obviously it's a much nicer place historically, but it's the here and now that matters. Kingston is a bit cleaner, Croydon has a much better train service. There are posh bits around Kingston, but they're fairly inaccessible by transport, relatively speaking.
I'd say that's true now (or was when I was last there regularly, 4 or 5 years ago, but it didn't used to be like that.
I can remember going to Croydon and thinking what a horrible place it was, then seeing Kingston move inexorably closer to exactly the same kind of thing. The rot really set in when they built that awful Bentall Centre - I think Kingston effectively lost its town centre then.
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