Timber Hill 1903, Caterham
Timber Hill 1903, Caterham Ref: 50976
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Memories of Timber Hill 1903, Caterham
My Childhood Home
I was brought up in this house! We moved here in 1965 when I was three and moved from here in 1979. It has wonderful memories for me, of long summer days playing on Timber Hill, or 'The Green' as we called it, and sledging there in winter. The house itself was a child's delight (lots of places to hide!). It was an atmospheric place to live in and evocative of the past. I think living here gave me my passion for trying to understand the past, which ultimately led to my choice of career as a History teacher.
Caterham, Crescent Road
We moved into No 33 Crescent Road in 1948 - it overlooked Timber Hill recreation ground which in those days had a large emergency water tank where we caught newts. I am trying to place the house in the 1903 picture. From the look of the slope it was in Crescent Road and fairly high on the hill. Our house was near Jacobs ladder, with 'The Longships' in between. In 1948 milk was delivered by horse and cart fom the dairy which was just behind the primary school on the other side of Timber Hill. There were still gas lights,which were fairly dim so the view of the stars from the middle of the 'rec' was stunning. St Georges day parade used to assemble on the 'rec'. The village had a full complement of traditional shops. Sainsburys still had several counters where you queued at each for different products. Everything was measured and wrapped on the spot. Biscuits from big tins, cheese cut from whole... Read more
Caterham & local memories
Read and share memories of Caterham and Surrey inspired by Frith photos.
Paper Boy
As a 12-year-old I sold newspapers every morning outside the cookhouse where hundreds of National Servicemen were going through the horrors of their initial training in the Guards regiments. I believe they earnt 28/6 per week, much of which they had to spend much of it on boot polish, brasso and blanco! Their breakfasts look pretty disgusting - porridge, greasy fried grub and then bromide laced tea - all in the same mess tin. All the regiments had their own bands, so the sound of marching music echoed around Caterham on the Hill nearly every day. They had their mascots too - I really fancied owning the Irish Guards' wolfhound. Recruits used to go in, in their teddy boy drapes - and not emerge for eight weeks, by which time they would have been transformed into disciplined, clockwork men! After this preview of life in the Army, it's no wonder that 3 years later I joined the Royal Navy!
Family Day Out - Clerkenwell to Caterham 1925
The above photo depicts Dorothy Connor (nee Step) aged 10, with her late Mother Elizabeth Step (aged 46) and her Sister, Florence Step (aged 21) having alighted from the 159a Bus which brought them from their home in Clerkenwell, London, pictured Outside the Old Surrey Hounds Public House, Croydon Road, Caterham Surrey on a Day Out to Caterham in 1925. They were on their way to the Barracks Hospital to see Dorothy's Uncle Charlie (her Father's Brother) who was in the army hospital. Wearing a pull-down bonnet and a typical twenties dropped-waist shift, the young Dorothy and her family had no idea they had been caught on camera. It was not until Dorothy was looking through a copy of Helen Livingstone's book some eighty years on that the exciting discovery was made. Dorothy said "My Son, Dave, knows I like old books and pictures and as an early Birthday present he bought me the Surrey Photographic memories. I looked through it and was absolutely flabbergasted; I really... Read more
Tracing Past Relative
I write from Queensland, Australia in the hope that someone may read this and be able to provide further leads or information. My husband Bill has an original birth certificate dated 18th May 1948 - mother Elizabeth Theresa Coll, showing his place of birth to be Caterham Nursing Home. We have no further news of her. The unnamed father was rumoured to have been in a regiment from the Canadian Army that was apparently stationed in the area during the war... it would have to be post war to fit the timeline of course. Bill was adopted out to a Scottish family name of 'Allan' who were residing in Caterham and had lost an infant son, Robert John, the previous year or thereabouts. Both of Bill's parents are deceased and any relatives last contacted in 2003 were not able to help with any further information. If anyone can be of assistance here we would be most grateful as our sons would like to know their origins. As I now... Read more
Pupil
I attended Caterham School in the 90's, and very little had seemed to have changed since Victorian times. I'd be interested to know what the tower thing in the centre of the building is/was, it's purpose and why it was removed.
National Westminster Bank
This picture looking across the roundabout to what was The National Provincial Bank directly opposite The Old Surrey Hounds Pub.
On the corner where the photo was taken from was The Westminster Bank, this is where I first worked after leaving school in 1972. The following year The Provincial and The Westminster merged to form Nat West and we were then working across the road in The Bank in this picture. I have many happy memories of my time there in Caterham.
Jacob's Ladder
I remember my Dad taking me out for a walk when I was visiting my great grandfather, my nan and great aunt who lived in Court Bushes Road at the time - I was only little, I think he ended up carrying me half way up - I remember losing count of the number of stairs too!!
Shopping Days
I remember being sent to do some shopping in the Co-Op that used to be situated in the High Street
My Great Grandfather
My father was born into a large army family and became very connected to Caterham barracks and was a ground engineer for the 615 squadron at Kenly aerodrome during world war II. My dad was born in 1914 and by the age of thirteen was living at the barracks with 12 other siblings. His father was a Sargent and his grandfather was an army architect that helped with some of the builds within the barracks including the barracks swimming pool. We have very old regimental photo of my grandfathers regiment and my father with the 615 squadron.... Caterham is my home town and I find myself a long way from it now... I miss it.
Cedar Grange, Caterham Valley
I am fairly sure that this is where my grandmother - Julia Millie Crocker, grandfather William Crocker - and father Horace George Crocker b 1915 lived from about 1916 to at least 1920.
Recently bought my ggrandmothers ( Julia Davis) death certificate - and she died at Cedar Grange, Caterham Valley in 1916.
would be interested in any older photos of the house.
Met my Wife When Stationed There
I was stationed here in the Irish Guards 1970-1971 and loved the town and people. I met my wife in the Caterham Arms, she worked at Stangrave Hall in Godstone as a riding instructor. I will always remember the lovely people, great memories wish I could go back ah well must move on. James G Brown
Grandad's Caff
The white-fronted terraced shop on the left was owned by my mum's parents from 1940-44, from where they ran their cafe. My bedroom was the little attic room on the front. Most of the customers were from the Canadian Army Regiments billetted in big country houses that had been requisitioned to accommodate the soldiers. They were, I was told, a pretty wild bunch - most of the houses had large amounts of their floorboards missing, having been used as firewood.
Across the road was a Sainsbury's shop with marble counters and butchers in smart aprons.
We didn't have an air raid shelter during the war and I can remember standing at the front door during air raids targeting the Guards' Barracks and RAF Kenley, hanging on to my nan's hand as the guns up on the by-pass fired at passing aircraft illuminated by the searchlights in Marden Park. On Sunday mornings my Nan used to brew up tea adding a teaspoon of whisky 'to keep our... Read more
View From Paddy's Heaven
I saw this photo and recalled how little the view had changed from the 1920s into the 1960s and early 1970s.
There was a place called Paddy's Heaven which was a few old cottages at the end of Commonwealth Rd, this is where my mum and dad lived when I was born, it was demolished sometime in the 1960s. Although I don't really recall the cottage myself I do remember playing on the spot after they were gone and this was the view we had.
We could always rely on the clocktower in Harestone Valley Rd to let us know when it would be time to go home and if it was getting dark the face was well lit, also it would chime regularly just in case it was out of sight.
Some of the surnames I can recall are - Hickmott, Bew, Stone, Buckland, Pain, Bright, to name but a few and we all went to the infant school at the end of Farningham Rd followed by Marden... Read more
Clifford Wheatley
remembering walking through the main gates and your feet dont touch the floor
Railway Booking Clerk
My grandfather with his family moved to Caterham and appeared on the 1891 census as living in Beechwood Road.
The census also detailed that my grandfather at the age of 13 was a railway booking clerk. Does anyone know if I could track down whether my grandfather was a booking clerk at Caterham railway station?
Saw the photo of the railway station on this site dated 1903.
