Epsom memories
Here are memories of Epsom and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Epsom or a Epsom photo.
Saturdays in The Cinema
During the Second World War, as youngsters we would look forward to the Saturday mornig matinee at the Odeon cinema (4th building on the left of photo).
Entrance was thruppence (three pennies). With our pocket money we would lash out on a penny peashooter with a packet of peas, the matinee used to start with a sing-along followed by a cartoon, then two half-hour films, the last being a western serial.
One that I remember well ends with the good guy entering the cabin and then it explodes, next Saturday's serial shows the guy coming out of the back door just before the explosion.
Bad guys always wore the black hats, this was the time for the booing, the good guys wore white hats, this was the time for the cheering.
The noise was so loud the cinema manager would come up on the stage to ask the kids to keep the noise down, I'm sure it could be heard half way down... Read more
Village Shop
My partner Tim and I have owned this shop since 1999. This has been a family busines for 12 years with our daughter Amanda helping us.
This was originally the "paper shop" which is how many older resdents of the village still refer to it however over the years it has been extended and is now a "village shop" and in fact is the last shop in the village (apart from the small one in the garage).
We have removed the side canopy and extended the fence but apart from that
the front of the building has changed very little over the years (which cannot be said for the surrounding area)
We have had many memorable moments; the heavy snow we had two years ago being one of them as the village was completely cut off - we have never seen our shelves so empty or the shop so full of customers!
93-95 High Street
This building was owned by my mother's family, the Longleys, from about 1915. 93 High Street was the head office of Longley & Broadhead, a firm of estate agents ran by my great-grandfather Henry B. Longley (of Woodcote Hall) and later by my grandfather Leslie B. Longley, for over 50 years until L&B was incorporated into Osenton & Lamden in 1969. However, the Longley family retained ownership of 93-95 High Street, Epsom for another 30 years with the building divided up into three retails units (let to a bookmakers, another firm of estate agents and a newsagent) and several small office suites above. Following the death of Mrs K Longley (L B Longley's widow) in 2002, the building passed to my brother and I and two years later we agreed to sell to the owners of the neighbouring Ashley Centre. (The Longleys also owned Woodcote Hall from c1920 until 1980 with Henry Longley developing its grounds around 1925 to build the houses along Woodcote Close. In 1965 Leslie Longley... Read more
Doodlebug
Back in 1944 then being 13 years of age I was admitted into the Cottage Hospital in Epsom to have my tonsils removed.
I recall at the time the only other person in the ward was a soldier at the far end of the ward, who each time the pretty nurse came in he tried to get her onto the bed for a kiss.
One day during an air raid warning a doodlebug [V1 rocket] was heard approaching with the motor cutting out just before getting within range, in having a 10 second 'glide in' giving time to pull the steel food trolley over the head and getting under the blankets.
The doodlebug hit the grounds of the hospital knocking out the windows and parts of the ceiling. Apart from a few minor cuts from flying glass I don't think there were any serious injuries.
John Forder.
Tweedsana Epsom High Street
Above "The Woolwich" (c1987-91) on the corner of Waterloo Road rhs also Mike Burton's "Radfords" Electrical Installation Design Consultants moved from 2a East Street(1984- 87) then to Church Street c1991-94. Mike now works from home near Plaistow, Sussex.
The Nell Gwynne
In our early teens we used to go to the Nell Gwynne, upstairs in the 'coffee bar' where we had what I believe was the worlds first Nickelodeon (manual version). We paid the lady 3d, I think it was, and she put our favourite record on the record player on the counter and we listened while we chatted.
Anybody out there remember the Lecture Hall School in Upper High Street (circa 1943/44)? Headmistress was a Miss Gray. I fell in love with Ann Bridson (I was 7).
Waterloo Rd had a DIY shop in those days, going under the name of 'Useful Bros'.
I went to the Infants School down the bottom end of White Horse Drive, where we filed into the air-raid shelters complete with gas masks when the sirens went!
My mate John Evans and I went to the Methodist Youth Club, to meet the girls I guess. Marilyn ?, Janet Mansbridge, Jeanette Scott, to name the memorable ones! We learnt to square dance.
I lived along... Read more
Rosebery Park
I was born in Epsom in 1936. Apparently, when still in my push-chair, I trundled down the bank shown in the picture and ended up in the water!! Later when 10 or 12 we used to sail our model yachts on the pond and in our teens spent a lot of evenings in the park chatting up the girls! Happy, happy days. I must admit there was a tear or two in my eyes when I saw all those lovely trees felled by the great storm.
Lifespan
I was born in a house that is not yet built in this photo, the house would be on the bottom left corner of this print. I still live 200 yards away, level with where the photograph was taken. The area of trees and shrubs on both sides of this view of Dorking Road were developed. However to the rear of the person taking the photograph it is still open common land, as shown in print ref 80804, this view is as was, apart from lamp posts and road signs.
Woodcote Pond
My brother and I used to play in the woods on Woodcote Green and build dens. We also used to paddle in the pond in wellies, or walk on the ice in winter.
Waterloo Road
This photo was taken from immediately in front of my Uncle's/Father's (Antiques) shop in Waterloo Road, looking towards the station. Divers, the shop with all the hardware items immediately in the foreground, was next door and I was always being told off as a child for touching/playing with their goods!
Going to School
The path shown in the picture was my route to the infants school which was then in Church House, down the steps to the right of the tower. Miss Cordell was headmistress, ably supported by Miss Hyde, Mrs Wooding and Mrs Price, whose sons Dominic and Christopher also attended the school.
The Nell Gwenn
The white building in the forground is the Nell Gwenn public house, a well-known hostelry.
Memories of Surrey
Happy Days
Spent 3 very happy years on the nursing staff, made many friends, who I lost contact with.
SRN, RMN
I arrived at Horton hospital as a young nurse, from Guyana, and was given the best nursing education. I moved to the USA, The education I received at Horton was second to none, and I am eternally grateful.
Baldwin's Butchers Shop
I have this photograph on the wall as it reminds me of my dad, Arthur Edward Elson. He was born in Mill Lane in 1914 and worked as a 'butcher's boy' for Baldwin's which is just visible on the right of the photo.
He delivered meat to customers by bicycle which is how he met my mother, she had come down from Durham and was working for Doctor Eileen Stevenson who lived at Holmfield in Cheam Road.
He worked there until he was called up to fight in the Second World War, in fact they continued to pay a percentage of his wages to his mother Alice, my grandmother, for the duration of the War as she was a widow and survived by taking in washing.
The first Elsons to arrive in Ewell were my great great great grandparents John Elson, a widower from St Martha on the Hill and his wife Sarah Longhurst. They were married in Ewell on 29th December 1793.
Wedding Day 1958
This is the church that my parents were married in, April 12th 1958. I haven't seen it since 1974, when we emigrated to Australia. Their wedding photos were taken in front of the church, with family members, many of whom are no longer with us.
Department of Building/ Plumbing
Department of building second year of a four year plumbing apprenticeship. As an sixteen year old just starting work Ewell Tec set the standards that I have tried to keep to all my working life.
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