Banstead, High Street c1955

Information Request - Banstead Asylum 1950's

Hi

I personally do not have a memory of Banstead Asylum - but I am looking for any details that anyone can give me of it in the 1950's. I am trying to trace anyone who worked there, or relatives of anyone who worked there. My gran died there in 1956, unfortunately my father was adopted at birth, so never knew his mother. I am trying to build up a picture of her life with the very limited details I currently have. Also I would like to know if any admission records, patient notes etc still exist and if so where I would be able to find them.

Thanks

Banstead Residential School, Fir Tree Road

I was at the school from 1929/1939. My name is Stanley Thomas, I would like to be in touch with anyone who was there at the same time. When the Second World War broke out we were evacuated to Reigate, Surrey. I remember Reginald Boulton, David Seeley, William Lee, Cyril Seeley. If any of you are still about, please get in touch.  The head master was C L G Raynor, the house mother was a Mrs Bell of C Cottage. I now live in West Sussex. My e-mail address is classicnats@talktalk.net    Phone 01903877106.

banstead station

I well remember Banstead station in the 1950's. I used it to go to school in Wallington from 1953 to 1959 and then to go to College and then to work in London. At this time I lived in Nork and of course in those days the trains were all steam trains. My father used to go to work by train in the 1940's and always said that at 8.00am , standing on the platform waiting for the London Bridge train, you could hear a nightingale sing. Sadly as the station became busier, this ceased, but it was always one of his abiding memories of Banstead Sation.

Catching a train

After visiting my aunt and uncle who were the Matron and Superintendant of the Banstead Residential School, which was adjacent to the railway line, my mother and I would hasten along to the station to begin our journey home. If a train was drawing into the station on the way towards London mother would call down to the station staff on the platform, which was well below the footpath, and the train would be held until puffing and out of breath we could continue to the station and run down the stairs. What a service. Today the staff would strain to keep to the timetable!

The schools have long since been demolished and a housing estate has taken their place.

Banstead War Memorial in its original position

This card shows the Banstead War Memorial before it was moved to its current positition in the 1990s.

Sutton Lane was very narrow in earlier times and conductors used to have to get off the bus to check that there was not another one coming the other way. Often the buses had a hard time coming up the hill from Sutton and an old watering can was kept by the Woolpack to enable the driver to top up the radiator.

If you would like to know more about the history of Banstead, check out the Banstead History Research Group website. You will also find an ongoing project to research the history of the memorial and the stories of the men listed on it.

I would particularly like to find any information about the rededication of the memorial after WWll. Please contact me via this site or the Webmaster link on the  BHRG web site.
Thank you.