Croydon is a major commercial centre in south London but is often disparaged for a lack of culture. A fact refelected in the slang term - Croydon facelift which refers to a hairstyle where the hair is pulled back and held tightly in ponytail or bun. However, Croydon does have a lot to offer culturally via numerous high quality arts venues. Most prominent is the Fairfield Halls whose large concert hall has been used for BBC recordings since the 1960s and, recently, in The Da Vinci Code movie starring Tom Hanks. Other famous faces to appear at the Halls include the Beatles, Status Quo, Bucks Fizz, Coolio, Jools Holland and the Hall is also the home of the London Mozart Players. The Warehouse Theatre is known for new playwriting, comedy and youth theatre while the Croydon Clocktower houses an excellent library. Croydon also has smaller venues for live music and comedy and the town centre has Europes largest second hand record store - Beanos which carries rare vinyl, CDs and books. Croydon is also home to The Brit School of Performing Arts which has seen the likes of Katie Melua and Amy Winehouse pass through its doors. Other celebrities associated with the town include model Kate Moss, footballer Nigel Reo-Coker and illusionist Derren Brown. The town has fantastic transport links including railways, tramways and Croydon airport which was Londons main international airport prior to the Heathrow and Gatwick era. Croydon has a number of building of historical interest starting with Addington Place, a Palladian style mansion that was the official residence of the Archbishops of Canterbury during the 19th century. The Elizabethan Whitgift Almshouses have stood in the centre of Croydon since 1599 and served as a hospital and school for the poor and needy in the Croydon and Lambeth parishes. More recently, Croydon emerged as an important shopping centre with the completion of the Whitgift Centre and there are now plans for a new large shopping centre - Park Place
Croydon Hotel, Croydon Bed and Breakfast, Croydon Cheap Hotel accommodation suitable for a Croydon Weekend Break, a Croydon City Break, Croydon Wedding Accommodation, Croydon Guys Night out, Croydon Girls Night out or even a Croydon Stag Night or a Croydon Hen Night