The Unexpected Beauty of Croydon

A tram at Waddon Marsh on Purley Way It's not a bus, it's not a train... it's a tram! Since 2000, trams have been a key part of transport in Croydon and along the routes to Beckenham, Elmers End, New Addington and Wimbledon. You can read about the history of the Croydon tram system on Wikipedia . It opened in 2000 after literally decades of planning. Part of it runs on former railway lines, while other parts run on or parallel to roads.  I use trams often, as they're fast and direct. The "hopper" fare means you can combine trams and buses in the same journey. I'm going to write about what there is to see around some of the tram stops, beginning with Addington Village Interchange. Addington Village Interchange doesn't seem particularly remarkable at first glance. It's a tram stop and a small bus station with fields on one side and a busy dual carriageway on the other. Ideal if you want to switch between buses or between bus and tram.  Two male pheas...

2020 has been a very difficult year, but I don't think discussing how horrible it's been is going to make any of us feel better. Instead, I'm going to recap my favourite Croydon wildlife sightings of the year. These aren't all rare species, but they're sightings that were special to me for reasons I'll explain. Roe deer Back in January I saw some roe deer at Bramley Bank nature reserve and recently I've seen some around Selsdon Wood too. However, over the summer we had a special visitor staying on the edge of the railway cutting next to Park Hill, a short distance from East Croydon station. I dubbed him Rowan, as he seems to be a male roe deer. He was a little shy but curious about me watching him through the fence. I hope he found his way back along the railway line to a more suitable territory eventually. Roe deer, Park Hill, July 2020 Butterflies and dragonflies During the first lockdown, I visited Hutchinson's Bank, on the edge of Croydon. This peace...