Nostalgic memories of Farncombe's local history
Share your own memories of Farncombe and read what others have said
For many years now, we've been inviting visitors to our web site to add their own memories to share their experiences of life as it was when the photographs in our archive were taken. From brief one-liners explaining a little bit more about the image depicted, to great, in-depth accounts of a childhood when things were rather different than today (and everything inbetween!). We've had many contributors recognising themselves or loved ones in our photographs.
Why not add your memory today and become part of our Memories Community to help others in the future delve back into their past.
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Displaying Memories 11 - 18 of 18 in total
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.
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.
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.
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 ...see more
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!
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.
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. ...see more
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!
