The Crossing c1955, Farncombe
The Crossing c1955, Farncombe Ref: F10016
Memories of The Crossing c1955, Farncombe
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Farncombe & local memories
Read and share memories of Farncombe and Surrey inspired by Frith photos.
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.
