We asked readers what they miss most about Sutton.
The answers ranged from favourite shops and markets to long-gone cafés and ice cream parlours.
There were memories of nightclubs, childhood days out and a quieter, more community-focused place.
Here is what people told us they want back:
Shops and the changing high street
- “Having a High Street, that has decent shops again. Not loads of places to eat and drink”
- “A High Street with a decent variety of shops as well as a butchers, a greengrocer and bakery”
- “Wilkinsons, Morrisons, BHS and Debenhams”
- “Morrisons as it was with the café. Wilkinsons. The large B&Q”
- “Gamely’s where my parents would get all my Action Man outfits from”
- “HMV and Virgin Records”
- “The pretzel shop that used to be near Primark”
- “Woolworths”
Ice cream and sweet memories
- “The Regent for ice cream. It was the best flavoured ice cream ever”
- “The lovely ice cream parlour I used to have as a child. There was nothing like the taste of that ice cream”
- “The ice cream shop opposite McDonald’s”
Town character, planning and identity
- “Flat skyline”
- “Local planning consistent with the area rather than Croydon-esque high rises”
- “Sutton arcade of the 70s. The Victorian one. It’s sacrilege that it was destroyed”
- “Sutton Surrey. Not London borough of”
Markets and independent traders
- “The indoor and outdoor market”
- “The market that used to be in the car park near Halfords”
- “The gold man’s stall from Sutton market”
Nightlife, entertainment and social spaces
- “Legends night club, Chicagos, market stalls in the street”
- “Sutton Superbowl. A market and shopping centres that are worthwhile”
- “Friday night cruise”
- “Scruffy Murphys”
- “The Granada cinema”
Cafés and food spots
- “The café in Lind Road that my grandad had, and I went to so many times in the 50s and 60s”
- “The café Cup Cakes”
Transport and convenience
- “Fast trains to London and direct trains to the south coast via Dorking and Arundel”
- “Sufficient parking”
Safety and atmosphere
- “The police presence on the streets”
- “The Sutton burglary posse”
- “Feeling safe”
- “The feeling of peace and serenity”
- “Manners and respect”
Community, childhood and local services
- “A small and less busy town with smaller classroom sizes, doctors and hospitals with quick appointments”
- “The swimming pool”
Local colour and quirks
- “The wizard man”
- “The little train up and down the High Street”
