Farncombe memories
Here are memories of Farncombe and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Farncombe or a Farncombe photo.
An Evacuee Remembers
A South Londoner, I was 12+ when WWII started in September 1939. I was evacuated with Wandsworth Central School to Farncombe, and remember sitting on the floor in a large hall waiting for someone to 'adopt' me. Eventually, I found myself with the Gorringe family who were the local Builders, Decorators, Undertakers etc, in Hare Lane. I have nothing but very happy memories of my time with them which lasted until 1942, when I returned to my parents back in Wandsworth. This was to a new home, for the old one had been destoyed by bombs. I have nothing left of my childhood except memories and one book. With the Gorringes, I was treated like the fourth son of the family - the junior of Bertram, Keith and Stanley, the three existing sons. In Farncombe, I saw apples growing on a tree, I went ice skating on Broadwater Lake and tobogganing on Bunkers Hill, all firsts in my life. I have many memories of Eddy Leroy, the son of the... Read more
Chilhood in Farncombe
I grew up in Farncombe. My grandparents lived opposite the railway station and all my other relatives lived in the village. My grandmother had worked as housekeeper to the Phillips family whose son, 'Jack', was radio operator on the Titanic. I attended the local village school and remember the toilets had no doors, only sacking on nails, and the air raid shelters in the playground. My brother-in-law was a stoker on the steam trains and living close to the railway line I used to wait and wave. I attended the Sunday School where we quoted JOHN.3.16 and was baptised in St Johns church. My childhood was tinged with sadness as I was aged 4 when I lost my mother, followed by a family rift. I stilI remember the open fields with an abundance of clover and buttercups where I roamed with my butterfly net, and the stream where you could catch minnows in a jam jar. I was taught at an early age how... Read more
St Johns School
I went to the school between 1965 -1968, the family then moved to Coventry. My name was Angela Holley and I would love to see any interior photos of the school. I do visit Farncombe a couple of times a year and take a walk down memory lane. As it is now a day centre I always wonder what it is like inside. Any photos would be lovely to see.
Deja Vu...!
Seeing this photograph made me feel as if I'd walked down this street only yesterday, when in fact the last time was well over 30 years ago now! I attended Broadwater School form 1970 - 1975, and walked home to the top of Frith Hill every day. At the time I had the hots for one of the guys that worked in Gocher's as an electrician, and I always hoped he'd drive pat me in his little blue van and give me a ride home!!! Those were the days!
Well, It's A Start
Disappointed by a lack of reminiscenses here I, only this evening, asked a man (who turns out to have lived in the white house in the top left of the picture since 1917) if he had any memories. I'm afraid all he came up with was the aggrieved memory that the timber merchant (situated where Jackson & Gocher is now) used to let his horse 'drop his guts' right outside his front door 'every (expletive deleted) day'.
It's a start anyway and I'll try again next time I bump into him!
My Great Grandparents And Great Uncle
After reading through all your lovely memories I am hoping somebody may remember my great grand parents and great uncle. My great grand parents were Douglas and Verena Walters who lived at 21 North Street. Their son, also named Douglas, was born in 1936. Verena died in 1942 at 21 North Street, she was young - only 39 years old. If any body has any memories at all about my family I would be so very grateful to hear them.
Ivybank Children's Home
Memories of Ivybank children's home...Dotto the dog. Open fires. Huge entrance hall. Large staircase. Massive garden. Watching steam trains. Aunty Bonnie. Auntie Theresa with Tim the dog. Auntie Bonnie's friend we had to call Uncle John (creep). Walks to school over the railway bridge through the occasional steam from the trains. Not much laughter. Sunday school. Food delivered to the dining room via dumb-waiter.
The Chocolate Box Sweet Shop
My dad knows of the chocolate box, in fact it is believed his mother May Ellis owned or managed it at this time - she had three children, two boys and one girl - does anyone remember May Ellis or her sons Harry Ellis or Jim Beech? Also my two aunts and an uncle from the Beech family ran a sweet manufacturing place and may have supplied sweets to the shop. Dad still has lots of memories of Farncome and some funny stories to tell.
Edwardian Idyll
My mother, Eileen Keith, was born in Farncombe in 1908 and her brother Ben in 1912. She often spoke with pleasure of her childhood there, and of her teachers (Miss Alexander and Miss Kate Gresham) and the vicar, Canon Bowring. She also used to speak of the beauty of the water meadows and the wild flowers, daffodils and bluebells , and of the River Wey, along which she and her mother Mary once walked from Guildford to Godalming.There was no electric light then and they used oil lamps.Two friends she used to mention were Keithie Gorringe and Ursula Attwater. The children with their mother (Mary Keith) used to go to London by train occasionally to visit Mary's sister Betty, and as few villagers ever went to London in those days Mary was known as "The Lady from London". They hated the electric lights of London, thinking them very harsh. In 1920 when my mother was 12 they emigrated to Australia but always used to talk of her longing to... Read more
1960s
Yes I remember the Chocolate Box sweet shop. I went to the Infants School and my mum worked at the wood yard part time. My grandparents lived at 1 Tottenham Road and I used to go there after school. Sometimes I enviously watched the tap dancing across the road at a community hall. We lived at Binscombe Cresent and Long Gore. There was a bakery as well below the train station.
Ivybank Childrens Home
I thought I would leave a message here also, I was a child at Ivybank Children's Home in Nightingale Lane. Sadly though I don't think it is there any longer. We were an all-girls children's home, with a range of ages from 5 years to 16 years. The home was run by Auntie Bonnie. Ivybank had a massive green front door, and lots of grounds, which ran down literally to the fence by the railway line into Godalming. I remember St. Johns School which I attended, and also the church. Does anyone here remember the Chocolate Box Sweet Shop, or the steam trains, and standing on the iron bridge in Farncombe and holding your breath until the train had passed under...?
I would love to find someone with a photograph of Ivybank.
Memories of Surrey
The Licenced Victualler
My great-grandfather Walter Alfred BEARMAN was the 'pub manager' in 1908. He was married to Helen Mary Bearman and had been resident in Godalming for some time, the earliest I am aware of was 1899 when my grandfather's sister was born. Walter was originally the blacksmith in Godalming. There is a picture in the Frith gallery of two children standing on the streetside under the blacksmith sign. The two children are my grandfather Cyril Wallace George Bearman, and his elder sister Irene May. When Walter took a change of career I am not sure, sometime between 1903 and 1908. My great-grandmother divorced him in 1908, virtually unheard-of for a woman to do, and she cited violence, drunken ways, and the fact that he committed adultery 'frequently' with a local woman called Annie Simmonds, who bore him a child on 22 September 1908!
'Down Yer 'Wey'.
Moved to Farncombe in 1942 from Datchet, but evacuated originally from Barking, London. I remember arriving at my new home at 1 Tudor Circle. My Step-father was a fireman in the AFS, who's own father, George Elliott, was employed as a Shepherd watching sheep in the top fields on the left before Binscombe. Shepherds in those days were well looked after by the farmer, as a good shepherd could save many a lamb at lambing time. George used to bring home a rabbit or two during the War as he was well practised with a catapult having much time on his hands when sheep watching. I remember 'Pop' Gibson, the Headmaster at the Junior school, who would award a 'George' medal for reciting a poem from memory - the medal being... Read more
Boyhood Memories of Peperharrow Road.
It was the summer of 1946 and we used to go swimming in the river at a spot called "The Ginny" which was up the road a little (towards the camera) on the opposite side of the road to these houses. This part of the river was used as a swimming pool by Charterhouse school. We, that is children from Busbridge School aged 10 to 11 years, were about to start at Meadrow Secondary School at the end of the holiday.
Sadly , my friend Billy Ranger drowned whilst swimming here, we had planned to start the new school together (for mutual support). Billy was a lovely character and lived
in one of Tuesley Cottages between Quarter Mile Road and Minster road. He had two older brothers , one a plumber and the other, a well known blacksmith.
The dental technician I was with , as an apprentice , lived in one of those tall houses pictured on the left of the photo.
Doodlebug 1944 Ish.
Hidden by or almost visible in the trees beyond the large house on the left is a small cottage or lodge, opposite the beginning of Busbridge Lane just visible behind and to the right of the people in the road. One morning during the war (WW2) a stray
Doodlebug (Flying bomb) landed and exploded opposite this cottage and destroyed it. Minutes before, the occupants, adults and several children had left and gone down to school in Godalming. I lived in Duncombe Road and we had broken windows and a cracked wall in our house.
Last Public Hanging
I think it took place in 1818 opposite the church and what is now the Phillips Memorial, on the other side of the river . ( Llamas Lands?) The depression made in a horse shoe shape was where the crowd stood to watch the event! Each year, the Horseshoe, as we called it, flooded and froze and we all gathered to scate and slide on it. Was the Boarden bridge the only one there at that time? Still a ford, I think.
Memorybank total
We're very pleased and excited by your response so far to our "Share your Memories" community.
You've shared 28,873 memories of 5,950 towns & villages across the UK - keep them coming!
Find Memories
Simply search for your favourite places to read others' memories and share your own.
Tips & Ideas
Not sure what to write?
It's easy - just think of an important place in your life and ask yourself:
How does it feature in your personal history?
What are your best memories of this place?
How has it changed over the years?
How does it feel, seeing these old photos of your favourite place?
Do you remember stories about the local community, its history and people?
Start now!
It's easy to add your own memories and reconnect with your shared local history. Search for your favourite places and look for the orange "Add your Memory" icon to begin.
Places this week
Here are some of the places you've shared memories of this week:
- Finchley, Greater London
- Great Holland, Essex
- High Halden, Kent
- Woodbridge, Suffolk
- Streatham, Greater London
- Watford, Hertfordshire
- Almondsbury, Avon
- Cefn Fforest, Gwent
- Stadhampton, Oxfordshire
- Newcastle, County Down
- Stanhope, County Durham
- Aveley, Essex
- Southgate, Greater London
- Rhydyfelin, Mid Glamorgan
- Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
- Salford, Lancashire
- Netheravon, Wiltshire
- Luton, Bedfordshire
- Maidenhead, Berkshire
- Penruddock, Cumbria
- ... and lots more - Browse this week's memories now.
Your memories
To jump straight to the memories you have added already to the Community, click here
I Remember When...
This stunning compilation highlights some of the best stories selected from the thousands contributed here on the
Frith website. The result is an absorbing chronicle of British life from the Second World War to the mid 1960s.
A colourful treasure trove of memories, "I Remember When" is an
irresistible mix of personal stories and recollections that affectionately reveal the detail of everyday life in Britain.
