The Past and Present of Croydon's London Road

As noted in my previous article, 40 and 42 London Road are currently a double shopfront housing a beauty supplies shop called Ideal Beauty. That article covered the history of number 40; here I fill in the gaps by exploring the history of number 42 where it diverges from that of its neighbour.

mid-1870s: Construction of the building, and J Smart’s piano warehouse

The building was constructed in the mid-1870s, as part of a block with numbers 36, 38, and 40. As I’ve discussed previously, although numbers 28–42 all look very similar, they were in fact constructed in two separate halves: 28–34 around 1868–1872, and 36–42 around 1874–1875.

The first occupant of number 42 — or 8 Oakfield Terrace as it was known at the time — was J Smart’s piano warehouse, providing “Pianos and Harmoniums of every description at all Prices for sale or hire”.[1]

late 1870s: Parris & Co, hatters

J Smart’s tenure was short, and by 1878 the premises were occupied by Parris & Co, hatters. Parris & Co likewise only stayed a year or two, and were gone by 1880.[2]

1880s: William S Overall, baker and miller

Baker and miller William Overall moved his substantial family from Bermondsey to Croydon in 1879 or early 1880.[3] Employing “2 men & 1 boy” at the time of the 1881 census, William had clearly chosen an appropriate type of business for this corner premises, as even after his departure around 1885 the shop continued in the same line for another three decades.[4]

1880s–1910s: Thomas Henry James and William Wilson

William Overall’s successor at 42 London Road (which by then had been renumbered to 8 The Parade) was Thomas Henry James, who also seems to have expanded the business to include coal.[5] An advertorial for his business in the 1891 publication Where to Buy at Croydon[6] explains how “especially suitable” the premises were for a baker, with “a well-equipped bakehouse at the rear of the premises [...] reached from the side street by a waggon entrance through the courtyard.”[7]

Where to Buy at Croydon also describes the other goods for sale at the shop: “A good stock of all forage requisites is stored in the lofts, which are also situated here and in warehouses close by. Horse and stock keepers will always find this a depot for first-class goods. The shop itself is fully stocked with every kind of corn, meal, seeds, flour, etc., [...] notably the fine Midlothian oatmeal, so much used of late years as a breakfast dish, and with many as a general food for children [...] the coal department [...] appears to be doing a large and increasing trade, the quality and prices of these goods comparing very favourably with others in the trade; hence his success.”

Thomas Henry James continued to sell bread, corn, and other consumables until the late 1890s, at which point the business passed to William Wilson. There seems to have been some overlap here, as Ward’s 1897 directory lists William Wilson as a resident on the premises but Thomas Henry James as the proprietor of the shop. Census data makes it clear that William was around the same age as Thomas (Thomas is 40 in the 1891 census and William is 50 in the 1901 census), so this wouldn’t have been a case of an apprentice taking over his master’s business. In any case, around 1917 William Wilson also departed, and the premises fell vacant.[8]

late 1910s–early 1990s: a double-fronted property

By 1920, the destiny of number 42 had been joined to that of its neighbour. William E Pratt, who had been trading as a grocer and provision merchant at number 40 since around 1902, expanded his business into the vacant number 42 and continued in the double-fronted property until around 1932.

William Pratt was followed by the Halford Cycle Company (c.1932–c.1985) and then a furniture shop called Heritage Pine (c.1988–c.1992). More details of all three businesses can be found in my article on 40 London Road.

1990s–2000s: Richer Sounds

Following the departure of Heritage Pine, numbers 40 and 42 were once more split into two separate shops, and number 40 fell vacant.[9] However, number 42 was taken over by Richer Sounds, an independent audio and TV retail company established by Julian Richer in 1978.[10]

Richer Sounds opened its London Road branch in March 1993. It continued to trade at this address until August 2007, when it moved to larger premises at 109 South End; it still remains there today.[11]

late 2000s: Ideal Discounts

By July 2008, 42 London Road was in the capable hands of Omar Khan, a long-term Croydon resident with two other shops on London Road: Beauty Trend at number 35 and Ideal Beauty at number 40. Number 42 became Ideal Discounts, stocking items including shoes, bags, and kitchen equipment such as kettles, toasters, blenders, and weighing scales.[12]

2010s: Ideal Beauty

By November 2010, however, Ideal Discounts was no more, and number 42 again formed a single shop with its neighbour at number 40.[13] Today, Ideal Beauty trades from 40–42 London Road, selling all kinds of beauty items including wigs, hairbrushes, hairbands, and soap.