Disconnected Croydon
Connected Croydon is a programme of public works to improve Croydon’s streets, squares and open spaces.
On Tuesday, I had a simple need to go to IKEA Croydon, which is served by the Ampere Way tram stop, to meet an e-friend, who’d seen my musing about creating a new IKEA Kitchen. We’d agreed to meet at 13:00 and as I knew the journey well, I took a timely train from Whitechapel to get to Croydon about 12:30, which would have given me time to walk through Croydon to one of the tram stops like George Street that are served by trams going to Wimbledon.
But there had been no warning that the trams weren’t running through Croydon town centre and an Overground employee told me, I must walk to Reeve’s Corner tram stop.
But I don’t know Croydon at all, except from on a tram or train passing through, so I got lost and walked to East Croydon, where a sensible man told me that there were no trams and I would need a 410 bus to get to Reeve’s Corner. But the bus information system didn’t call out Reeve’s Corner, so I ended up two stops down the line at Wandle Park, where the information system said that I’d hjave to wait twenty-seven minutes for a tram to IKEA.
Luckily, the display was wrong and a geezer with a clipboard, said that was par for the course, so I eventually got to IKEA at 13:30 or so, after my friend had had to give up.
I didn’t muck about coming home and avoided Croydon by going the long way round via Wimbledon.
Connected Croydon? Pull the other one!
Or at least put up some signs that can be understood by visitors! And a Tram Replacement Bus would have helped this simple soul!
On the other hand, perhaps, they don’t want visitors!
My mother was right, when she told me not to go south of the Thames, as you get lost!
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The Anonymous Widower 
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