Ash memories
Here are memories of Ash and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Ash or a Ash photo.
Fond Memories
At the age of nine, I had to come and live with my mother's parents, Albert and Emily Warner, at 3 Church Path (pair of cottages now pulled down, but their well - (what wonderfully tasting water, drawn up with a bucket) still remains now in the front garden of the house occupying part of the site. The reason for my evacuation from Colgate, near Horsham, was that the flat we all lived in caught fire very early one morning and all we escaped with was one horseshoe shape door stop and our lives! The Warner's were a very green fingered family. I recall big purple plums the size of a light bulb, raspberries, yellowberries, strawberries, very sweet apples, blackcurrants and gooseberries by the bucket load. Uncle Sid was a wizard with his crysanthemums and other flowers, and their two big greenhouses (I can still picture their special aroma) were full of tomatoes and lots of bedding plants. The Cannon pub (now converted to cottages) was the favourite Warner... Read more
Hill Side Farm
Mr Hogsflesh built Hillside Farm, Ash. The tree hides the farm house up the drive behind the white gates. Then Mr Maurice Scard bought the bungalow in 1954 and his wife still lives there. The farm was across the road - now it is Fairview Estate. The small, tiny bungalows next door were demolished in 1960 and new semi detached houses were built in their place. Hillside farm has a celler underneath where the milk was stored to keep cool for selling.
Fox Hill
I was told that the Queen was in the area to meet the regiment that was in situ on Fox Hill when war broke out. Because the road up to the hill was in a bad state due to being just a track , the army put down a concrete road up one side and down the other taking weeks to complete it and the the Queen went up, saluted the army, and came back down - apparently taking 15 minutes in total. All the locals were in dismay about the whole thing at the time.
Pubs Down The Guildford Road.
The Lyon Brewery is still there on the lefthand side. The Nightingale, further down the road, closed in 2006 and became an Indian restaurant, big pity as was a lovely pub.
I Lived in The House Next to The Church
I lived in the house in the foreground of this picture, known as Hartshorn, from 1960 to 1964. The barn just visible on the left was our garage. The house itself was alleged to be an Elizabethan hall house and every room upstairs had a floor at a different angle to the others as each was put in separately. There was a bread oven in one room and a huge open fireplace in the other with a tiny (glazed in our time) window through which the ash was pushed. The ash heap could be seen outside.There was a well in the garden operated by a footpump as I recall just by the brick summerhouse. By the time we moved in, the front of the house was enhanced by a mature Wiisteria.
The Greyhound
This used to be our local pub. Many a night spent throwing money at the jukebox and into the pool table. I was sprung for being 16 but still allowed to buy lager (cheers!!) LOL!!
It's a chain pub now and has some kind of Big Steak restaurant attached. Such a shame.
Apsley Cottage.
My father's family lived in the cottage with the arched windows next door to the post office. The house was named Apsley Cottage. My grandfather Henry Briggs was a career soldier in the Royal West Surrey Regiment. He served in the regiment from 1896 until 1919. He was also a range warden of the Ash ranges. I spent many happy days in the cottage during my school summer holidays.
Memories of Surrey
Tongham Shops
I remember going into all these shops when I was a toddler. I loved watching the sugar and flour being taken from bags stood on the floor or counter. Everything was in sacks or bags and on display. It was so interesting going shopping back then taking our time in each shop catching up on the village news. What a lovely time to grow up in!
All my Growing Years
I remember growing up in the village of Tongham, met my husband and still going strong. Prepared for many years of memories from school to moving, still visit occasionally, hasn't changed too much except for new builds. The cardinals remains virtually untouched. 1974-1988
The War Years in Tongham
I lived and served in the Home Guard in Tongham during the Second World War. Dad played the piano in the White Hart at that time. Canadian soldiers were in abundance (2 of my sisters were war brides). The landlord of the White Hart at that time, I believe, was Jim Hatton. There was also a POW camp there (Italian soldiers). I have so many happy memories of the war years and growing up within a large family there before joining the army and serving the final months of the war in Northwest Europe. I left for Canada with my young family in 1957 and am now a retiree living close to Vancouver, British Columbia. I have so many fond memories of Tongham and its place in my family's history during the war years. I have not been back since then and would probably not recognise the changes that have taken place since then, though I was pleased to see that the White Hart is still there. Thanks Tongham for... Read more
Home. The Cobbs
We moved to Tongham from Ash in 1955 when I was 14, lived on the Cardinales, I am now living in Yorkshire. The days and years spent in Tongham were good, having a house with a bath and flushing toilet was brill. I still did not have my own bedroom, but never mind, it was really the start of my adult life. I went into the army for 2 years, married and came home, had my children and also lived on the Cardinals. I worked in the cafe, the first shop in the row, played Stallball as did my girls, I was in the Red Cross. Our boy played for Tongham football club, always took part in Tongham Carnival, helped my mother with the over 60 club when they went on holidays, good friends. Tongham has changed over the years and is now looking a bit full, not like a country village as it was back then, never mind it's still Tongham with its own village people.
Early Days
I was born at home in Coleford Bridge Road in 1935 and grew up there, went to school in Frimley and lived in Mytchett until emigrating to Australia in 1964. In those early days life seemed very simple, only a handful of cars, making street cricket safe. Every body walked, our nearest shops were through the bridle path to the main Mytchett road, there we found Days Store, Dawes the butcher and on the other side of the road was Eades the shoemender and the Post Office, where I had a post office savings account as I grew up. Outside the shops was the bus stop for the Aldershot & District Traction Co (green) bus service between Aldershot & Woking and the yellow bus service between Guildford (I think) & Camberley. The nearest train station was Ash Vale, Southern Rail to London (Waterloo). I remember that the train arrival times coming back never tied up with the bus, so most times we had to walk home. There were two farms... Read more
Memorybank total
We're very pleased and excited by your response so far to our "Share your Memories" community.
You've shared 28,806 memories of 5,943 towns & villages across the UK - keep them coming!
Find Memories
Simply search for your favourite places to read others' memories and share your own.
Tips & Ideas
Not sure what to write?
It's easy - just think of an important place in your life and ask yourself:
How does it feature in your personal history?
What are your best memories of this place?
How has it changed over the years?
How does it feel, seeing these old photos of your favourite place?
Do you remember stories about the local community, its history and people?
Start now!
It's easy to add your own memories and reconnect with your shared local history. Search for your favourite places and look for the orange "Add your Memory" icon to begin.
Places this week
Here are some of the places you've shared memories of this week:
- Brentford, Middlesex
- Patshull Park, West Midlands
- Newcastle, County Down
- Slough, Berkshire
- Ewell, Surrey
- High Halden, Kent
- Maidenhead, Berkshire
- Burghfield, Berkshire
- Walsall, West Midlands
- Knaphill, Surrey
- Blundellsands, Merseyside
- Streatham, Greater London
- South Tidworth, Hampshire
- Forest Row, East Sussex
- Shelsley Walsh, Worcestershire
- Oban, Argyll
- Beverley, North Humberside
- West Kirby, Merseyside
- Kempsey, Worcestershire
- Fyfield, Essex
- ... and lots more - Browse this week's memories now.
Your memories
To jump straight to the memories you have added already to the Community, click here
I Remember When...
This stunning compilation highlights some of the best stories selected from the thousands contributed here on the
Frith website. The result is an absorbing chronicle of British life from the Second World War to the mid 1960s.
A colourful treasure trove of memories, "I Remember When" is an
irresistible mix of personal stories and recollections that affectionately reveal the detail of everyday life in Britain.
