Croydon Past is the latest publication to hit the shop shelves and gives enthusiasts the chance to look at the area's evolution from a small but important market town to the bustling commercial centre vying for city status.

The book tells the entire story of the town's devel­opment over the centuries with the aid of original and specially prepared maps an illustrations, many of which have never been previously published.

The book's author, local historian John Gent, insists there is still a strong market for local history publications, despite a steady stream of titles being published in recent years.

He told Heritage: "There are a lot of local history books out at the moment but I do believe there is a genuine market for it. A lot of local history books are very much picture-led and in that respect this book was different, and more challenging, because it con­tains a lot of information.

"We have seen people's interest in local history grow in the last few decades. I think this is because when the horrible architecture was around during the 1960s people started to appreciate the more traditional designs and that has led to an interest in past eras." Croydon Past is available from book retailers priced £15.99, ISDN number 186077 2234.

The new town hall was opened by the Prince of Wales on May 19,1896. Left: The Queen's Hotel in Church Road, Upper Norwood was built for the convenience of visitors to the Crystal Palace. Upper Norwood became a very fashionable suburb and was at the height of its populari­ty when this photograph was taken around 1900. 

Photos courtesy of Croydon Past.