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

18/10/2025

Beckenham Parish Church Lych Gate. Vintage postcard. It states:
This Thirteenth Century Lych Gate is one of the oldest and most beautiful in the country and was restored in 1925, as a War Memorial to his two sons by a Beckenham Townsman.

17/10/2025

🚞 Penge East Railway Station Station in 1983.

17/10/2025

A solitary figure, smart coat and hat, hands clasped behind his back, strolling along the path at the bottom of the stone steps in Library Gardens aka Church House Gardens, Bromley Town Centre, in the 1930s.

13/10/2025

📽️ Bromley Road Then and Now 📽️ The Splendid Cinema.

📽️ ‘Originally this was to be known as the Delphine Cinema, it was built and operated as an independent cinema by John Thomas Halliman and remained an independent throughout its life.

📽️ It opened as the Splendid Super Cinema with Marion Davies in "Not So Dumb". Although designed by Major W.J. King, the Italianate/Swiss atmospheric interior was designed by artist F.L. Philie. He created a scene that depicted chalets, villas, mansions and a castle which were set among trees and flowering shrubs. Winding lanes climbed through wooded slopes to distant mountains. The blue of the sky met and extended across the ceiling in which was set a large central lights fitting which could be set to reproduce the changes of colour from sunrise to sunset.

📽️ Unfortunately, the Splendid Cinema became a victim of falling audiences due to the impact of television and rowdy youths in the audience and it closed with the film "My Man Godfrey" starring David Niven. Proposals to use the building as a Roman Catholic church or a rag store both fell through and it was demolished in the summer of 1958.’

📽️ Info Credit and Thanks to: Barry Gilbert

09/10/2025

🪷 “The Chinese Garage” in Beckenham. It was built in 1928 to a design by Edmund B. Clarke in the style of a Japanese pagoda on land adjoining Stone Park Farm which was part of the Langley Court Estate. The film was no doubt made to show off the glamorous new facility. It’s said that prior to WW2 it had always been referred to as “the Japanese Garage” locally, but during conflict was given its new nickname.

🪷 In this footage, which would have been shown in local cinemas of the day, an attendant in smart uniform opens a car door at the garage entrance. He swiftly salutes the young woman as she gets out of her vehicle. He dispenses petrol from an extravagant petrol pump. There are shots of the petrol station gardens including a small bridge and a pond with water lilies.

🪷 The woman wanders around the garden, poses on the bridge, then skips merrily back to her car and drives off.

🪷 “The Chinese Garage” remains there today, though no longer used as a petrol station. It’s ornamental garden and much smaller pond remain, and still looking lovely in 2025. Video Credit: British Pathé.

08/10/2025

A good time to visit Church House Gardens aka Library Gardens, Bromley Town Centre. With the leaves changing colour, warm autumn tones, scenic foliage. The hilliness of this place is another bonus. Very enriching taking a stroll there. October 2025.

04/10/2025

East Street Bromley, The Drill Hall in a former life, now houses O’Neill’s.

03/10/2025

Drove South West for about 40 minutes from Bromley Town Centre to the Surrey Hills 🪷 September 2025.

03/10/2025

Bromley Market Square 2016, locals watching Andy Murray defeat Milos Raonic for the men’s singles tennis title at the Wimbledon Championships. It was his second Wimbledon title.

03/10/2025

🪷Traquilty of Beckenham Place Park, September 2025.

01/10/2025

30/09/2025

Bromley Baptist Church before and after the Bromley Art School come Free Library was built, Tweedy Road. The art school/library building is now residential.