Memories Of Camberley 1951 67

A Memory of Camberley.

I have so many happy memories of my childhood in Camberley. I lived in Stockwood Cottage, Crawley Hill. My parents worked for the Thomas family in Stockwood House. Sadly it's no longer there but now there are many houses and I think it's still called Stockwood. My sister Pauline & I had a huge garden and woods to play in & make camps. We had a back entrance through the wood onto Crawley Ridge. The Thomas family were really kind to us as they let us use their huge hall area for our birthday parties.We used to go across the road to Claremont Avenue where there was a pond in the woods and catch newts. On Sunday afternoons Miss Johnson used to collect us and take us to Sunday School at St Paul's Church in Church Hill. Every year we would go to the Sunday school party. Remember having fig or date sandwiches! I went to Princess Street junior school, took my cycling proficiency in the playground there. Remember the headmasters office was upstairs off the hall. Had to stand under the clock if you were naughty and dreaded him coming out of his office.
Lots of memories of Camberley. Kate with all her dogs in a barrow. You could hear her coming a long way off with about a dozen dogs barking. Timothy Whites, Woolworths, the bus station where would spend one or two penny's in the sweet shop there. Only about 1d on the 48A Chertsy Bridge bus home? Elmhurst Ballet school. Thought the girls were so elegant. Picking up chestnuts by Elmhurst. I would spend a lot of my days in the summer at The Blue Pool. The wooden changing huts, grassy slope to lay on and smiths crisps with the blue salt bag or potato puffs. Have happy memories of playing with Helen Lowis in Park road, Shirley Bassom in Bristow Road, Pat Killalea. Went to Francehill School, loved the outdoor swimming pool there. My sister used to go to the Grammar School just up the road. Had work experience at Storno's on the Frimley road. Hated it, don't remember much about it. Was in the office.Wasn't keen on the headmistress there as got the cane for going over the fence from the playing fields in lunchtime where there was a lake. It was out of bounds. Went on a school trip I think it was 1964 to France.Annecy, Chamonixi and Geneva. Had a great time although didn't appreciate it enough in those days.
My sister used to go the jazz club in the Cambridge Hotel, I think it was on a Sunday evening but I preferred the Agincourt. Saw The Who, Cream, Long John Baldrey, Pinkerton Assorted Colours and many more. There was a lovely cafe at the top of the High Street. It was upstairs and had frothy coffee. Another good one was the other end of the High Street which had a great jukebox. 1965 ish Saw Peter Sellers & Britt Ekland at the London Road Rec. it must have been carnival time . Used to love the Fair there. Always seemed to be a lot going on. Could hear the Drag racing from Blackbush Airport. Hated going to the dentist, Mr Fearney, in Upper Gordon Road. My sister and I went to the Brownies & guides in Gordon Road. Went camping with them. Used to go in the back of a removal lorry. My dad used to like walking along the Portsmouth Road to The Jolly Farmer just to sit on the grass there and watch the cars go by. Used to go into the grounds of Sandhurst to sit on the grass by the lake and ice skate on it in the winter, not that I had any skates but managed ok with whatever I had on my feet. Used to go to the cafe in Blackwater sometimes on the back of A motorbike. All the bikers used to meet there. Sadly I moved away with my parents and the Thomas's to Wiltshire July 1967. I would come back some weekends as I missed Camberley so much. A few years after Stockwood was demolished to make way for new houses and the M3. Sarah Champion nee Josey.

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