Burgh Heath memories
Here are memories of Burgh Heath and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Burgh Heath or a Burgh Heath photo.
Burgh Heath Methodist School
I went to the Methodist School just before the Second World War, the school closed because we had no shelters, and we were transferred to three classrooms at Picquets Way. I remember Miss Parrott as headmistress and a Mrs Godfrey. We still used the Galleon for swimming lessons, usually in the morning before the pool opened to the public. Yes, it was sometimes very cold! We fished for newts and tadpoles in the pond. As there were no sweets generally available to us we bought Bonio dog biscuits at Privetts store to eat, they were very tasty!
Methodist School
I was at the Methodist school at Burgh Heath from 1950 to 1957, my maiden name was Hopper. I was born and lived in Burgh Heath until 1965 when I married and went abroad. When I returned in 1971 I moved locally to Epsom Downs. I remember all the teachers, the school house and spending play times on the common. The little shop near the conker trees was owned by Mrs Jones and the grocery shop next to the pond was called Privett's stores and run by Mr and Mrs Palmer. The old guy that served Tizer and tea leaves in his coffee from the shop by the alley to Ballards Green was called Fred. Does anybody remember Mrs Stanley's tea rooms which were near the pond, and having to walk over to the war memorial hall for our dinner?
Sugar Bowl
Wasn't this an indoor swimming pool?
Methodist School
I was at Burgh Heath Methodist School from about 1953 to 1956. My mother was Mrs Coleman, who taught reception. Mrs Parrot was headmistress, Mrs Westwater taught the second class. Miss Marshall was at that time the milk lady and lived with her mother in a little cottage at the end of a cobbled path, opposite the school, by the pond. They had gas lighting downstairs and a candle was used upstairs. They had a garden that went down to the pond and always flooded in the winter. My father was a photographer in his spare time and took photos of the years that I was there, which I still have. We lived at Belmont and my mum cycled along the Brighton Road to school every day, with me on the back! We had nature walks around the pond and I remember being warned of the dangers of thin ice in the winter, as a boy, Alan someone I think, drowned when he fell through the ice a few winters previously. Miss Fletcher took... Read more
The Galleon
I also have fond memories of The Galleon. Mum and I sometimes went there after school, and sometimes we went to The Sugar Bowl.
Swimming Lessons
I remember swimming lessons at the Galleon, laying in a 'cradle' that was held by a long pole that the teacher let go of when she thought you wouldn't sink !!! I also remember how freezing cold the water was, the fountain at the end of the pool that we used to play in, AND I remember my sister Frances getting her elbow stuck in the side of the pool !
Dancing Round The Maypole
I can remember dancing round the maypole by the conker trees just down from the pond on May 1st with the Burgh Heath Methodist School, Head teacher Miss Mary Fletcher - and buying sherbert in the little shop nearby which was weighed out on an old set of scales - sherbert and humbugs kept in little glass jars on the shelf - can't remeber the name of the lady that owned the shop but knew her daughter Mrs Freida Day - anyone else remember any of this or what this lady's name was? Also remember hearing stories of the horse and cart that went down the well in the pond - wonder whether that was true -Miss Marshall who lived by the pond (school secretary) told us this story - gosh so many memories flooding back :)
Memory of The Galleon
I remember gooing swimming and getting my elbow stuck in the bar that went round the edge of the pool
The Galleon Swimming Pool
The Galleon swimming pool was all blue with a marvellous fountain at the far, shallow end. Above to the left was a sun balcony and a little counter where you could buy soft drinks and sweets. There was a wavey slide on the left side middle and a spring board at the deep end. Everywhere was painted summer blue. Oh the fun we had as kids and the place was always crowded on sunny days. I still have a photo of me in one of those dreadful rouched swim costumes which were fashionable after the war, sitting on the edge of the pool.
Burgh Heath, Sugar Bowl
I remember the Sugar Bowl very well as I used to swim there. I was a boarder at Red House School further down the Brighton Road, does anyone remember that? Best days of my life (another story), Walton on the Hill for Boys' Brigade, Sugar Bowl for swimming, oh yes, as we all seem to say, if only I could turn the clock back and it's so true!
Playtime
I can remember my nan coming over to the school and passing me and my sister sweets through the fence at playtime. She lived in a cottage opposite the school. I also remember the great Guy Fawkes Night over by the pond and the hot potatoes, and taking wood and sticks over and throwing them on the bonfire to see how big it could get!
Burgh Heath Pond
My memory of the pond was when I fell down a well in the pond with my wellington boots on, and my brother pulled me out. Also on the heath we used to build the bonfires for Guy Fawkes day, that was so much fun, bringing all the furniture and putting the guy on top, also the shovel with the spuds on, yummy. Bertha Deates was a favourite place too. Fond memories. Irene Rogers-weller
Conker Trees
I remember getting conkers from the tree by the little sweet shop and cottages near the Methodist school and being chased by geese outside Bertha Deate's shop near the hills and mountains.
Memories of Surrey
The Clarks Shoe Shop
i can remember the kind manager of this shoe shop, i was only 7 and i was impressed with the wooden foot measurer, i also wemt to the coop with my mother, i wonder if the shops are still there,
in 1977 was the queens silver jubilee, and children from the local merland rise waved union jacks on derby day 1977, all i saw was a pink glove.
happy new year ro you all
ivan
Tattenham Grove, Tattenham Corner
I was born at number 42 Tattenham Grove in 1939 and lived there with my mother and grandparents until 1944 when my dad came home from the war. My grandfather worked on the railways, and used to come off shift at the station, one of my favourite places. The weighing machine and the machine where you could print your name on a piece of metal, and later the machine that sold chocolate after rationing ended. I remember when visiting as I grew up and being sent to the newsagents for ice cream, trying to get it home before it melted! My grandparents grew lovely roses in their front garden and had a great veg garden at the back. I havent been back since the late 1950s, both my grandparents being gone since 1961. One of these days I would love to visit again to see the changes, I am sure there must be many. I remember the fair during the Derby days each summer, it was very exciting... Read more
A Childhood
I was born in The Spinney in 1961 and lived there until I let there at 19. I remember it all with rose tinted spectacles, the community, the shops: Waldens the butchers, Doreens the newsagents, or Hodges across the road, the hardware store, the small library, the Co-op and the Wavy Line Stores, the race meetings and especially Derby Day. I went to Merland Rise school and remember the two headmistresses, Mrs Bingham in the infants and Miss Wilson in the Juniors. An abiding memory is of the snow in the 1960s and 70s and trudging to school as a child of five or six to find the school closed but a small group of teachers running a class which I was put into, until my mum came to fetch me.
Garden Farm, Waterhouse Lane
We lived at Garden Farm, Waterhouse Lane, Kingswood, these are some of my memories. I went from there to Tadworth School, also myself and family used to walk from there most Sundays along different paths to Reigate and have an ice cream, and had no money for the bus fare home so we had to walk all that way back again, but was good fun. Also we would often walk to Main Road and see a Greenline bus coming, so we would hop on, and end up in London, again with not much money, and we would sit on the steps of Eros with peanuts, and more often than not get the last bus home. We also would walk over to Epsom downs after the races and find money that people had lost after a day at the races, they were good innocent days
Hairdressers Banstead High Street 1969-1973
I worked as a Saturday girl at the hairdressers opposite the church in Banstead High Street when I was 15 in 1969. It was called Nicolette then and I worked for Margaret and her mother Mrs Anscombe. Margaret was a lovely boss, she taught me many things. The salon seemed huge to me in those days, but on a recent visit I was surprised at how tiny it is now. When I worked there we had seperate booths and front was basins. The curtain was pulled across once the customer was seated within. I recall one client who worked at the church would request a foot stool while under the dryer and would read her bible while waiting for her hair to dry. Miss Deacon (Deaky) was her stylist. The salon also had a barbers attached and Ian and Trevor were the two barbers. Famous clients were Peter Osgood and Peter Bonetti - both footballers playing for Chelsea at the time. My school friends were really jealous of me over... Read more
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