Angela Ferrara and her father Tony have run Bishops Wine Bar in Croydon's Whitgift Centre for the past 17 years, providing a unique meeting place where a drag queen might casually chat with a solicitor, reports The WP Times via InsideCroydon. The bar has been a local fixture since 1982, filling its walls with Croydon memorabilia, photographs of past patrons, and tributes to icons such as Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, and the late Queen Elizabeth. Despite its longstanding presence and eclectic charm, the family has recently received notice from their landlord that they may need to vacate the premises within six months.
A Place Where Community and Diversity Meet
Angela describes Bishops Wine Bar as a rare space where generations and backgrounds naturally come together.
“We have a mix of old and new faces here. The newcomers love it because it feels very human,” she said.
Tucked away in a secluded corner of the Whitgift Centre, attached to the former Allders car park and reached via a discreet entrance on Wellesley Road, the bar has always felt slightly off the beaten track. That hidden location has long been part of its appeal, giving Bishops the character of a local secret rather than a typical high-street venue. However, the same setting has also created practical difficulties, particularly since the closure of the car park in May 2024, which dramatically reduced passing footfall.
Over the years, Bishops has become known as much more than just a place to have a drink. It has grown into:
- a welcoming meeting point for long-time Croydon residents
- a safe and inclusive space for people of all backgrounds
- a social hub for regular customers and newcomers alike
- a platform for local musicians and performers
- one of the last independent venues in the Whitgift Centre
- a living part of Croydon’s cultural history
For many customers, the bar represents a sense of continuity in a town that has seen rapid change. Its warm atmosphere and personal touch stand in contrast to the growing number of chain businesses and redeveloped retail spaces around it.
Landlord’s Break Notice Sparks Concern
The break notice arrived unexpectedly on New Year’s Eve, delivered by solicitors acting on behalf of the Whitgift Limited Partnership. The letter formally invoked a break clause in the tenancy agreement, giving Angela and Tony until June 2026 to vacate the premises, while offering only a limited and non-specific option to discuss possible relocation.
The owners described the notice as cold and impersonal, saying it provided no clear reasoning for the decision. After 17 years of running the business in the same location, they had hoped for a more constructive and transparent dialogue about the bar’s future. In a written statement, the landlords said their objective was to:
“focus on consolidating and improving public access and experience around the centre, while balancing the need to prepare for more extensive redevelopment.”
However, the lack of detailed explanation or concrete proposals has left the Ferrara family and their customers uncertain about what comes next, adding to growing concerns over the future of independent businesses within the Whitgift Centre.
Operational Challenges Amid Redevelopment Plans
Angela and Tony say the practical realities of running Bishops Wine Bar have become increasingly difficult as redevelopment around the Whitgift Centre progresses. Their unusual location, once part of the venue’s charm, is now creating daily obstacles to basic operations.
Essential facilities such as the bar’s safe, electricity meter and freezer are located in areas that have become harder to reach due to closures in the former Allders car park. These restrictions have already led to logistical problems, including delayed deliveries, limited access for maintenance and, on several occasions, the loss of refrigerated stock.
Despite ongoing changes to the surrounding site, the couple say they have received little practical support from centre management. While they remain in contact with a local management representative, they feel that communication from the wider Whitgift administration has been minimal and inconsistent. The lack of clear signage directing customers to the bar has further reduced visibility and footfall.
“They have been the opposite of helpful — actively unhelpful,” Angela said.
With fewer shoppers passing through the area and access routes becoming more complicated, the day-to-day running of the business has turned into a constant challenge. The owners fear that, without meaningful assistance or clearer plans from the landlords, the operational pressures will continue to mount in the months ahead.
Community Support and a Petition to Stay
Despite the mounting challenges, Bishops Wine Bar continues to enjoy strong and vocal community backing. A public petition calling for the venue to remain open has already gathered nearly 1,000 signatures, reflecting the depth of local support for one of Croydon’s last truly independent social spaces.
The campaign has attracted backing not only from loyal customers but also from prominent local figures, including Natasha Irons, Labour MP for Croydon East. The MP has contacted Whitgift Limited Partnership on behalf of the bar, urging the landlords to seek a solution that would allow Bishops to continue operating in its current location.
Angela says the petition has had an immediate and positive impact.
“People have been coming in because they’ve heard about the campaign. It’s reminded everyone how much this place means to the community,” she explained. Regular patrons describe Bishops as far more than a business — it is a meeting point, a support network and a familiar refuge in a town centre that has changed dramatically over the years. The growing public response has reinforced the owners’ belief that the bar still plays a vital role in local life, even as redevelopment pressures intensify around it.
Life Inside Bishops Wine Bar: community, character and connection
Bishops Wine Bar has never been just another local pub. For decades it has functioned as a genuine community hub in Croydon, offering a relaxed, inclusive space where people feel known and welcome. Regular patrons include long-time local residents, older single women looking for company, creative professionals, performers and newcomers who quickly become part of the extended Bishops family. The atmosphere inside the bar is informal and personal, built around simple but meaningful traditions:
- friendly daily conversations between regulars and staff
- impromptu sing-along sessions led by loyal customers
- small live music nights and themed events
- gatherings that mix different generations and backgrounds
- a safe, welcoming environment for anyone visiting alone
- appearances and tributes to Cosimo, the bar’s much-loved resident cat
For many customers, Bishops represents something increasingly rare in modern town centres — an independent venue where people are treated as individuals rather than transactions. Its modest size and quirky character have helped create a sense of belonging that chain bars and corporate spaces struggle to replicate. Angela Ferrara says those personal connections are what make the current situation especially painful.
“It’s very, very tiring. I’m feeling a bit demotivated,” she admitted.
Her father Tony, who has worked alongside her for nearly two decades, added:
“I’ve had enough, but she loves it here.”
Their words underline how deeply the business is tied to their own lives and to the lives of their customers. Whitgift Limited Partnership has reiterated that discussions about possible relocation remain on the table as part of broader redevelopment plans for North End and central Croydon. The company says it is seeking to balance improved public access with long-term regeneration goals. For now, however, the fate of one of Croydon’s most distinctive social spaces remains unresolved.
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