Not quite in London, not really part of Kent, growing up in Beckenham can be an awfully confusing time. And if growing up in Beckenham wasn't fun enough at the time, here are ten reasons to remember that magical time...
1. The guy who lost his virginity on Channel 4’s Virgin School worked in the Odeon.
2. Dress code in Bar Flux was extremely strict. Second hand shoes accepted but brand new Paul Smith trainers were a no-no. Socks over trainers were always worth a try in times of desperation.
3. Trying to get into The Elmer Lodge with dodgy photocopies of passports as ID.
4. Croydon Recreation Ground was and still is called ‘Beck Rec’.
5. The Wimpy was the only fast-food alternative to McDonalds.
6. People from gated communities thought they were the dogs.
7. The N3 was the only way of getting home from London after 11PM – this usually added about 3 hours to your night, allowing you time to sober up before you arrived in Beckenham.
8. You were never more than a ten minute walk from one of a multitude of train stations – Beckenham Junction, Beckenham Hill, New Beckenham, Elmers End and Eden Park to name a few.
9. The Streets mention of Beckenham in ‘Who Got the Funk?’ was an extremely proud moment.
10. Orange was the predominate ethnicity of a Langley Girl.
11. You were never quite sure if you were from south-east London or Kent, this lead to many debates with people from outside the area – usually accusing you of ‘trying to be hard’ or ‘trying to be posh’.
What are your memories of growing up in Beckenham? Add your comments below.
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