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The Venturas Club was a youth club started by the Thornton Heath Ratepayers and Residents Association in c.1946. It continued until c.1958. Jeanne Joy (n233e Bamford) was a member and her late husband, Monty Joy, was Secretary and later Chairman. His brother Vic was also a member in the early days. Jeanne has written a detailed history of the Club which is included in the collection (see accession file).

Louis Henry Turtle, born 1861 in Chesterfield, was a travelling salesman for Sheffield cutlery manufacturer Wheatley Brothers. In 1894, whilst visiting Croydon, he purchased a tool shop on Crown Hill that was up for sale. He continued to be head of the firm until his death 4th October 1940, aged 79.

Louis Henry married Kate Hibberson in 1883 and had two children, Clifford and Marion. Clifford worked in the shop until he was called up to fight during the First World War. He was killed in the Battle of the Somme in 1916 at age 23. Marion went on to marry Martin Little whom she later divorced, changing her name back to Turtle by deed poll. They had a son named Rupert.

Rupert, a trained engineer, worked in the shop where he met Marjorie. Her father provided Rupert with a job in his engineering company whilst Marion and Rupert ran the shop. Rupert and Marjorie had 4 children. When the eldest showed no interest in wanting to run the shop, Jeremy took over, helping facilitate a move of premises in 1964. Jeremy Turtle ran the business until its closure in 2008.

In 1963, land between 25 and 33 Tunstall Road, measuring 0.097 acres and earlier occupied by two large garages, was purchased by the Corporation for 1633250 aand back land to 15 -39 Tunstall Road, measuring a further 0.46 acres, was purchased likewise for 1635000. The school was built in 1970 - 1 under the Urban Aid Programme with the contractor being W.J. Simms, Sons and Cooke Ltd, Sherwood House, Beddington Lane, Croydon.

The Hill Barn Open Air Theatre was in operation at Hill Barn, 101, Purley Downs Road, Purley. It put on 2 productions, one in 1960 and the second in 1961 before the property was sold to developers and the site forms part of the Maywater Close Development.

The school was founded as a Primary School and opened on 16 June 1976. A Nursery Unit was created in September 1990. Tollgate Primary School was closed in July 2007.

Opened 3 September 1957. The school accommodated both infants and juniors throughout its history. Closed 18 July 1980, as a result of falling rolls.

The photographs and papers relate to Ernest Rollason, and members of his wifes family, several of whom were teachers or head teachers in Croydon. Ernest Rollasons wife was Winifred Westlake Dowle (b1887), who had been a Pupil Teacher at St Andrews School, Croydon, and then a teacher at St Michaels School, Sydenham, before marrying and later returned to St Andrews as a supply teacher. Winifreds father, Edmund Dowle, was head of the Parish Church Boys School, Croydon, 1882-1894; and of the Senior Boys School, 1894-1895. Her mother, n233e Alice Todhunter (c1860-1898), was the sister of Emily J Todhunter (1869-1909), head of St Andrews Girls (Upper) School, 1884-1908, and of Isaac Todhunter, head of the Parish Church Junior Boys School, ?1894-1909. FA (or JA) Todhunter, head of St Marks Girls School, 1884-1886, was presumably another relation. Mary Large (c1856-1936), head of St Andrews Infants School 1884-1908, had close associations with the family: after the death of Alice Dowle in 1898, Miss Large brought up her two children (Winifred and a younger brother); and she later became godmother to Winifreds son, Geoffrey Rollason, and brought him up while his father, Ernest, was away in the army in World War I.

Ernest F Rollason (c1881-1957) was apprenticed as a pupil teacher at Holly Hall Schools, Dudley, 1895-1899; and then trained at Westminster Teacher Training College, 1899-1901. His first teaching post was as an Assistant at Oval Road School, Croydon, 1902-1903. He then taught at Beulah Road Boys School, Croydon, 1903-1915, before leaving to join the army. At the end of the War, he went to teach at Tavistock Grove Senior Mixed School, where he remained (despite several applications for headships) until his retirement in 1942.

Thornton Heath Ratepayers Association was in existence by 1893. In 1947 it was renamed the Thornton Heath Ratepayers Residents Association; and it survived until at least the late 1960s. Like other Ratepayers Associations, it was a local community body for Thornton Heath ward which put forward candidates for election to Croydon Borough Council. It claimed to be 'non-sectarian and non-political', but was broadly anti-socialist; and it believed in 'a co-operative effort to secure the best representation and the maximum efficiency of administration in the interest of all'. It was a member of the Croydon Federation of Ratepayers Associations. It had a junior section, called the Venturas Club.

In general, the Associations meetings concerned themselves with the selection of election candidates; discussions about local amenities; and the organisation of social, fundraising, and philanthropic events.

The Associations principal officers and representatives on the Council over this period were:

Presidents: WJ Palmer (1929)-1930

EEL Arkell 1930-1946

DG Stewart 1946-1948

JW Dowsett 1948-1949

FS Martin 1949-1950

P Durrant 1950-1951

Mrs VT Davies 1951-(1952)

Hon Secs: TJH Pitman (1929)-1935

JE Herod 1935-1937

WG Morris 1937-1941

Mrs Morris 1941-1943

Mrs VT Davies 1943-1946

John Davies 1946-1947

Mrs Rodda 1947-1948

FS Martin 1948-1949

JB Pickles 1949-(1952)

Councillors: John Hicks 1921-1929

WJ Little 1922-1923

Dr C Owen Fowler 1922-1928

WJ Palmer 1923-1926

EEL Arkell 1926-1941; elected Alderman 1941

[Mrs MCL Cullis unsuccessful candidate 1928]

[TW Manley unsuccessful candidate 1929]

WH Parry 1930-1936

M Lynch 1931-1947

HW Anderton 1936-1940

DG Stewart 1940-1945; 1946-1956; elected Alderman 1956

F Harding 1942-1945

[JEW Robinson unsuccessful candidate 1945]

JW Dowsett 1947-1954

Frank S Martin 1949-1952