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Effingham Junction memories

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Living in Effinham Junction.....1936 to 1958.

I grew up in Surrey Gardens, first at "Ceuta", then at White Croft. My father, Mr Crump, purchased the plot of land beside the footpath and the house was built 1947/8. During my childhood, Surrey Gardens was a rough road with many potholes, and our fathers became expert at mending our bicycles. The woods behind the houses on one side were our playground as was the Common beyond the station. There were no houses opposite the Railway Cottages, and I remember woods there, carpeted with bluebells. Also there was no road to Horsley through the woods by the bridge over the railway line...again our playground. There was one shop by the station, a wooden structure, presided over by Mrs Searle. She sold everything, only limited by the war time. There was another shop next to the Garage on Forest Road, which also had a Post Office Counter, and a Mr Marshall, further along, opened his garage once a week to sell fish. For most things it meant the bus to East... Read more

Memories of Surrey

My Early Years

I was born in Sheepwash cottage in 1926 the year Tommy Sopwith left the Towers and it was turned into a girls colledge by Miss Maule and Miss Isaceson . My father had worked for Tommy Sopwith for many years at the Towers and he stayed on as estate foreman. We moved into the cottage horsley towers as most of the old estate was sold to the developers. The old back enterance became the front enterance, everything had to go through the tunnel under the gardens.
We moved away when the school closed down, that was in 1935 I think.

Wedding

St Martin's Church c1955
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I was married at St Martin's Church on September 6th 1958, to Alan Haddrill. My maiden name was Crump and I lived in Surrey Gardens, Effingham Junction. The vicar was away so a replacement came from, I think, Clandon. He was late, and I arrived before he did! My father and I went in through a door at the front, under the tower, and my new husband and I emerged through the porch. There had been a huge thunderstorm the night before, but the day was warm and sunny. We had our reception at the Horsley Hotel, opposite the station.

William of Occam

My memory relates to 1977 because it was then that I first heard of William of Occam (from Ockham early 14th Century). I would think he should be the village's most famous son. It seems sad that there appears to be no memorial to him there. Although a Franciscan friar, he was also in trouble with the Papal Court for heresy, so perhaps Henry VIII would have had some sympathy for him. Occam's Razor is a major philosophical contribution to modern scientific thought. "Occam's Razor" is the title of a regular Australian Broadcasting Commission presentation popular current topics.

My Wedding

I was married at St. Mary's at West Horsley on 4th November 1961 to Colin Duddridge. Sadly he passed away in April 2008. I now live in Canada and have done for nearly 40 years. I was in the choir for 9 years and my father Douglas Blake was a sidesman.

West Horsley (previously Under Ockham)

The Barley Mow, we went up there for my sister's hen night, and ended up at the caravan park down Green Lane. I have just visited it, well last year actually, and didn't realize it was such a lovely park, I just remember it being very dark and cold. It is very well run caravan site, with fishing, and from all accounts was a school, they still have a huge lake, with a walkway in the middle which was the schools and a hall with the date on, which I can't remember at the moment, it is well worth a visit, and if we had our motorhome, or our caravan, now we would definately go and stay there!

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