Belmont memories
Here are memories of Belmont and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Belmont or a Belmont photo.
Very Fond Memories
I was born in Ewell in 1945 and lived with my family at 156 Banstead Road South from 1950 to 1966. My first school was Miss Attrel's at the top of Station Road opposite the garage. I used to walk from home and back although a bit later I caught the 213 bus from the station to the top of Downs Road. We used to go to Belmont every Saturday in my grandfather's 1936 Hillman Minx for my dad to go to some of the shops. I remember the butcher's shop with its sickly smell, sawdust-sprinkled floor, and the butcher himself who was very loud, particularly when he shouted meat names and prices to a lady who seemed imprisoned in a box with a window in the front. At about that time I discovered the wonders of Brown's sweet shop - amazing what you could buy for 1d. As I grew up I came to know most of the shops in Station Road including the barber at the back of... Read more
1950s Belmont
I was born in Epsom and lived in Belmont all my childhood. I attended Cotswold Road Primary School and also the Sunday School that was there on a Sunday. The building was knocked down in the 1980s, it was opened in the 1890s and I can remember we celebrated its 60th anniversary in the 1950s dressing up as Victorian children! We played and cycled all over the downs particularly the chalk hills on both sides of the railway line. Coming out of school we would have a couple of pennies to spend on sweets which would be spent at either Rex's shop or Diprose shop in Downs Road. In summer we would buy ice creams or lollies at the cafe where the buses turn round. On Bank Holidays I remember lots of people from south London would come on the 88 bus for the day with their families when the weather was good. I can remember the field where the Royal Marsden Hospital now stands as a barley field and we would... Read more
Early Years
I was born in Carshalton and lived at 5 Pelton Avenue for the first 10 years of my life. A Mr Ely lived at No 1, Mr and Mrs Townsend with their 2 children Catherine and Michael, at no 3, us, then known as Barbara Coleman at no 5, Mr & Mrs Newman, John amd Michael at no7 and my cousins David and Josephine Harmsworth and their mum and dad at no 9. Over the road was a Mrs Savage, a welsh woman and Peter Beavis and his mum and dad.
I vaguely remember a nursery school called ,I think, Green Gables, Rex's the sweet shop,the Californian pub, the n0 80 and the 81 bus to sutton and the little 213 that went down the switchback. There used to be fires on the Downs quite often then, and the fire engines were cheered madly!
I went to the League of Health and Beauty on a Saturday afternoon at a hall in the village,not for long!
My mum was in the... Read more
Belmont Preparatory School
I was a boarder here in the late 1940s. The Principal was Miss Attrill and Miss Doris, who was described as being her niece. They were Scots, and I believe that Miss Doris was a keen golfer. I am not sure whether Miss Attrill was or had been a golfer, as well. They used to walk with walking sticks, which I think were more of an accessory, than a walking aid. They both wore kllts ornamented with grouse claws. Does anyone know of them, please? I would love to know what became of them. I remember the walks to the Downs in 'crocodile' formation. I returned there in ther early 1990s upon my return from America, and found that the the buildings had been demolished to make way for a parking lot at the back. There were only two boys at the school, and we used to play Cowboys and Indians. I was always the one who ended up being tied to a tree. The... Read more
Memories of Surrey
Cheam, And The Gander Inn
I was born at The Gander Inn in 1954 and I lived there with my mum and dad and older brother William. My dad's name was Aubrey Lund and my mum's was June. We lived there until 1960 when we sadly had to leave as my dad died very suddenly of a heart attack. I have very fond memories of the Gander (it was great fun to live in a pub when you were little!). My brother and I played in the function room upstairs, he would also sometimes put me in the dumb waiter and send me up and down! I also remember playing on the beer crates in the back yard and I had a small swing that was attached to the door frame of what was I think the bottle shed. I remember the rag and bone man who used to come with his horse, and the shellfish stall that used to set up outside the gates. I have memories of going down some very steep steps... Read more
Cheam Halls
My father had an accordion band and would play at dances at the CHEAM HALLS in the years leading up to the start of WW2.
They were called The Ron Young Accordion Band and I am desperate to hear if anyone can recall such a band.
I now live in the Northeast of England.
I expect the 'Halls' are now a supermarket?
Memories of Sears Park
I have many very happy memories of playing in Sears Park as a child, collecting conkers from underneath the trees with my sister and Nan or later by myself. We often used to cut through from Cheam Road and walk along the footpath at the side of the park and then back into Cheam Village itself. I often still think of Cheam and I suppose that my wish would be to return one day. The pictures of Ewell Road, Upper Mulgrave Road also reminded me of the sweet shops that we used to call into in the village and on Mulgrave Road itself. At that time Harry Secombe used to live on Cheam Road with his Rolls Royce Siver Shadow HS 91 (I think) on his drive.
The pictures of the flower beds also brought back memories of some of the shops, Timothy Whites, Sainsbury's, and watching the butter being patted and the bacon being sliced. Happy days indeed.
School Days
I grew up in Malden Road and went to Wallington Grammer School. I vividly remember having to walk to the bus stop in Ewell Rd every morning and sometimes having to run for the bus as it waited at the traffic lights. Luckily it was one of the open platform sort so a daredevil leap could be made to get on as it pulled away. I remember there was a dance studio by the bus stop.
I Have A Company Named Cheam Now
I lived in 24 Shirley Avenue 1930 to 1948 except when in the army 1944 to 1947. I know United Diaries were to the right of the picture, WH Smiths were across the road. In 1938 Teacofs were diagonaly opposite your picture, who made coffee meringues with cream, now 83, a great favourite, near by across from United Dairies was W Sargent who repaired cycles and punctures, also had post cards mounted adverting items to sell 'A pair of Flemish Giants;- rabbits for sale one and sixpence each'. I have lived in South Africa for the past 62 years would like to contact anyone, I went to Whitgift School, Haling Park, Croydon from Sept 1944 to Nov 1947. I have many war memories of cycling to school, never missed a day.
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