A casual peep into Croydon Clock-tower library
By Yawar Ali Kazmi

From the West Croydon Railway Station, as you walk through the high street of Croydon towards the town centre, you see a number of people, busy shopping, chatting, hanging out, walking fast making their way out and in the street of the busy market. Some relaxing on the black iron benches, a better option for the exhausted shoppers. Sales people are seen representing different organizations, trying to get hold of the prospects. You hear some individuals preaching religion as you pass by. Half-way the high street you begin to notice the guiding signs that direct you towards the Surrey Street Market, Library & Information, Croydon Clock Tower, Council Offices, Fair Field Halls and East Croydon well you wouldn’t be lost anyway as the people of Croydon are very helping and friendly. Gradually the crowd thins out as you make your way towards the town hall., at the corner of this modern and high standard beautiful high street on the left hand you see a building that speaks for itself - a church. Walk further and you will cross the tram track at George Street, here the path is slightly inclining crossing another road in the same direction you are now passing by some beautiful buildings on your right, the Grants-those being used as places of dinning out and entertainment. Right in front, you notice another road turning to your left and you see direction sign again, as soon as the footpath takes you to the left you face a huge architecture typical British, a clock tower and another structure. Yes, you are there! Across the road is the Croydon Clock Tower Library. What catches your eyes is the Victorian statue that is quite glorious and the template at the bottom of it reads VICTORIA REGINA ET IMPERATIX 1837-1901.

Before one looks at the building’s details, the whole attention is taken by the impression of its looks. Here, it really depends upon one’s having the aesthetics, if so you’ll definitely be paused and will take a look at this structure of the Croydon Clock Tower Library, old though, yet beautiful. You take the stairs down towards the entrance and the child-side of yourself gets excited as you’re about to enter through the main doors. Wow! the impression changes! Automatic opening doors, the modern tiled flooring, bright and fashioned ceiling, A reception on your left upon your first visit will attract you towards itself as if it were an information reception, in fact it is a ticket office, not a ticket to be bought for the library! Other three entrances with sliding doors are seen through this hall apparently. The arch of the middle door has some modem art impressions and on the right pillar are the marks that describe the different sections and departments of the building and a map-chart that gives the picture of each floor. The temperature is quite pleasant and one feels relaxed upon entering.

Almost at the centre before the middle entrance, on the floor a big circular seal of bronze is fixed; it reads ’On 15th August 1991 a time capsule put together by Class 6T of Park Hill Junior School was buried here’. Through these doors you come to a corridor with multiple exits the walls do again have the some guiding signs, through it you come into an open space which unlike the corridor has a high see through slanted glass ceiling, half-white modem tall pillars, quite wide lobby, upon experiencing being in such a space one feels the space of one’s vision being heightened. Keeping with the flow of the public, you simply will pass through this quickly at first and will enter another section from your right and the smell of coffee will probably draw your attention for a bit along with some music in the background- a cafe, probably! Yes- you wonder! The hall that you see through the wall of glass windows will give an impression of children’s section as it is decorated like a primary class but this is really huge. On your left in a semi-circle is the ’check in’ desk, as you walk along it you see a customer service desk as well. And on your right the entrance to the children section where you see the kids along with their guardians, parents or teachers having the time of their best days ever. In front, you notice lifts and on your very right escalators. These take you up to the next level and one begins to realise there is a lot more than expected. The walls on this side of the building on your left have different geometrical shaped glass windows that bring natural light in from the east and the sun on a bright sun shining day. Stepping off the escalator, you face a green panel in shape of the number one ’1’ that has the description of the subjects covered by the books available at the level one or the first floor. Ranging from basic skills, black interests, children, community languages, crime, fashion & beauty, fiction, food & drink, gardening & agriculture, graphic books, general knowledge, health, home improvement, humour, languages, social welfare up to young & adult. In this section are modem mufti-sided desks with PC’s on them for individuals to surf the internet with facility of saving the selections on the floppy diskettes, readers desks, photocopiers colour and black n white and yet another customer service desk. The pc’s that are to be used to browse the catalogues are also available. The shelves, the panels all are quite modem. At the far right of this level, a wall of glass windows is seen through which the central lobby downstairs could be viewed and at the same level across another section makes you eager. The seating are sufficient and quite comfortable. It is really an excellent place, even just for a while to spend some peaceful moments. The series of escalators attracts you again and you notice an arrow mark pointing upwards and another along-side the lift door pointing otherwise. As you step on the up going path you get onto the second level and face a large green panel in shape of the digit two ’2’.These panels are indexes to their levels’ subjects. Ok! what have we got here; adventure, ancient history& archaeology, architecture, arts & crafts, astronomy, biography, biology, careers, CD ROM for hire (that’s great!), history, living-world, maps & atlases, mathematics, media & communication, chemistry, music etc well pretty much of a range! Same patterned (as level one) computer facility is on this level as well, less of the shelves more of the space on this floor. The CD-ROM collection is quite wide Enquiries desk and photocopiers available here too. The books on the visual arts are some marvelous collection. It comprises of the books on British, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, German & French painters separately. There are also quite a few books on Decorative Arts and sculpture. As you settle down and begin to feel as an insider to the library the safety measures taken by the administration will find your attention, the fine exits signs, the fine alarm bells, the smoke detectors, the fire-extinguisher cylinders and the presence of the security personnel, all assure you are in a well secured environment. On the whole, as the time is spent in the library, the architectural impression of the building as an old structure vanishes from the mind as very to-date furnishing brings you back to date buildings. On the third level digit ’3’ shaped index tells us that this level covers archives, bibliographies, bound periodicals, business, computers, directories, economics & finance, e-mail, european community, family history & genealogy, IBC -Information for business in Croydon, law & order, local studies library, newspapers (back files), official publications, politics & government & sociology. The reference section on this level has huge range of reports in chronicle order. Each level ha, quite sufficient peaceful comers for readers and visitors who would not like to be disturbed at all. From the third floor a visitor can either take the lift, which is apparently for elderly or disabled visitors, on you can take the escalator. On the ground floor as you pass by the check out you look at the comer on your night hand; some 15 pc’s and users at them, it is as you read a ’self serviced internet’ facility- free of charge for the visitors-Great!. Well here we come back to the central lobby and the guiding signs illustrate that there is a Clock tower souvenir shop (sadly it is not there any more) tourist information department, both on your front right. And along-side through the corridor are the toilets. Within this corridor there is a mini-gallery shelf which projects the works by current artists, for sale. On the same floor there is a gallery called Riesco Gallery, a hall for exhibitions, access to town hall and workshops. There are lots of seats in this space, at regular intervals local school children along-with their teachers come to perform art activities and make the most of this wide space and get appreciation from the visitors. Here, a wide panel is placed that displays the information on current and up-coming events at the Clock Tower Library. A wide stain-case takes you to the next half of the first floor which could be seen from the first level glass windows. As you climb up, you notice a reception desk in front night. A wide-open door is further seen, this is the Lifetimes Museum. The frame on the right-hand side is decorated with modem art that depicts the galleries displays. Upon entering on the right you see some wonderful paintings these are the collection of William Fond Stanley ”An archetypal Victorian”(18291909) ’his life spanned the whole of the Victorian Age. Stanley’s family was born 1829’ as it is described in the account of his life ’His father was a talented inventor, but never achieved financial success but Stanley, later on had a different fortune. His interests led him to various accomplishments’ to mention few in architecture, photography and meteorology.’ He was forward thinking and wrote a futuristic novel in which his predictions included a channel-tunnel, x-rays and the replacement of the money with plastic cards’ amazing! Stanley’s ashes rest in the Elener’s End Croydon. His collection has some thirty-six paintings by various artists of the Victorian-age. Then, the series of galleries reflect and depict the Croydon lifetimes-how it was. The displays with the life-size models depict with the information given along side, the development over the period of times. The galleries begin with the images from 1830-1880 - ’’Market Town’ .1881-1918 -’The Turn of the Century’.1919-1938 ’Suburbia’. 1939-1955’War Time & Austerity’. Each display has a touch-screen interactive TV panel with menus of different descriptions and stories about the Croydon, its Community, current contributors, the images on display in the galleries. It is no doubt worth visiting On the upper floor within the Lifetime galleries section are eight interactive TV displays with headphones and seating facility for a private study of the Lifetimes, very helpful for the young-age students and likewise for the rest. One of the panels with information on it says about Croydon (just a glimpse) Mini-Manhattan 1956-1970’In the 1960’s Central Croydon was transformed Council planners encouraged planners to build new office blocks. Many city businesses moved to Croydon.... The White gift shopping centre was one of the Europe’s biggest modern shopping precincts.... Yet Croydon in the 60’s was an exciting place, Black, Irish, Asian & Cypriot people set up home here. Croydon Art College attracted talented students.. ..The Beatles played at Fairfield Halls...’ Another display says: ’Croydon-Now 1971-Today. Croydon is the largest commercial and shopping centre in the South -East outside central London. But there is less new building now. The old buildings and open spaces that remain are more likely to be preserved Croydo’s people are increasingly diversed. In 1991 one in eight residents were from the Carribean, Africa or Asia.  The local economy boomed in the 1980’s when most people worked in retail and finance. But the recession has hit Croydon hard, with high unemployment and the highest rate of home repossession in Britain....’ As one completes the visit to this wonderful and exciting place there are again options to take a break before you set off. On this floor as you come out of these galleries on your left there is another cafeteria as there is one on the ground floor. Outside the main building of the library there is wide and open space where you can sit and relax for a while and take a close look at the splendour of this building. That’s not all that is there in Croydon-a lot more is there to be seen. 

Yawaralikazmi@gmail.com