The Circle
A thriving little community
The Circle has always been a useful shopping centre for the Carshalton end of the estate and some remember it as being a little more 'up-market' than Rose Hill. Shops have come and gone over the years. Now residents feel that competition from larger shopping centres and supermarkets means that, in common with many smaller centres, its glory days are past.
Here are some memories of it. Perhaps you can add more?
Ted Thomson's memories of The Circle in the 1950s and 60s
My dad had a barrow up The Circle with a friend called Curly Knowles. They started it from scratch and it got quite an established business up there. Curly decided to buy a shop in Carshalton Beeches when I was about 15, so I decided to leave school and help me dad on the barrows, which we kept going till I was about 28 years of age. Enjoyed it very much.
Ted Thomson's fruit and veg barrow which served The Circle for many years
Ted Thomson
A beautiful parade of shops which had everything on there that you could possibly wish for.
On the far side of the the parade there was a hairdresser, Co-op, butchers, café, another greengrocers. There was a pie and mash shop, a wool shop, a Post Office, a a wet fish shop and an ironmongers. And on the side of the shop, where my shop is now, there was a greengrocer on the corner, a bakers, confectioner, Circle Traders selling furniture and giving a bit of credit - another confectioners shop. There was a bakery, a United Dairy, Liptons, butchers. Our barrows were opposite the butchers shop which was an ideal position for both of us. Boots the Chemist, a pet shop, Gerrards, which is the shop that I've now got. There was a Tesco's, another butchers , a small gents' hairdressers and a small shoe repair shop. A fish and chip shop and then the shop on the end - we never could quite work out what they could sell in it - but we think it was a lino come floor shop. But that was a parade of shops where you could get everything you wished for. A thriving little community and it was a joy to be round at the time. It really was.