Farnham memories
Here are memories of Farnham and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Farnham or a Farnham photo.
Buy my Lily of The Valley.
On one day of the year, through the forties and probably the fifties, my grandmother Ethel Glazier, would pick all the lily of the valley she had, in a square bed about three foot square, in her back garden in Rowledge. She would bind them into small bunches, with leaves around, and tie them carefully with thread. They would sit in a bowl of water on the flagged floor of her larder overnight. She would be on the first bus from the village in the morning, and sit in the Castle Street end of this Colonade, selling the bunches from a basket. She would be home in time for the midday meal, with a pocket ful of cash, and a treat of fish heads for the cat (patriotically called Monty). My grandmother was a most respectable woman, and this was totally out of character, but I think she just liked to disprove my grandfather's maxim "you can't eat flowers!"
The Borough/West Street
I note that the traffic was still two-way at this time. I also note the coach stopped opposite the cleaners, a few yards down from Woolworths, the Royal Blue used to stop here, en route from the Coast to London. Left Farnham in 1967. Now reside in Florida.
Best Years of my Life
In the early 1980s I lived in Farnham as a student and lodged with a family in the town. I have very fond memories of those days and they really were the best days of my life. When I left to return to Wales part of me stayed there and when I hear music from the period memories of Farnham come flooding back if I was only just there yesterday.
Lived in Farnham 1957-1975 Daughter of Terry And Bonnie Hunt
I was bought up in Farnham, attended Clare Park in Crondall and then Weydon School, went to College at Brookwood. My parents were Terry and Bonnie Hunt, we lived at 37 Firgrove Hill, there were 4 of us kids, Tan, Kitt, Dody and Monty. I have many good memories of Farnham and area. Mom started up the youth club next to what became the Redgrave Theatre, Us kids helped clean up the Maltings buildings. My parents were friends of the Elphicks, Kirks, Jayes, used the Spotted Cow as a local.
Elmsleigh School/St Polycarp School
Born in Aldershot in 1939 my father worked for a builder in Farnborough, Chuter, and eventually moved to a rented house on Folly Hill. I initially went to St Polycarp but moved to Elmsleigh where both myself and my sister stayed for a few years. Wondered if there are any of the old pupils still in the Farnham. I was lucky to pass an exam and went on the the Guildford Junior Technical School in 1952 which was the beginning of my carreer in engineering. Farnham was a great place. My youth was spent at the swimming baths in South Street which seemed to be a teenager club where we could meet others or our age. Last year I visited and found a few of the old shops still around, Goodridge in Downing Street, Woolworth's and most of the pubs. Elphics I think was still there but Smythes had been sold, although the tiled entrance was still intact with their name. My mother worked there until the late 1960s. The... Read more
St Christopher School
Hi my name is Noreen and I lived in Farnham for quite a few years. I was actually born in Ash. As you go past the library, from the town centre, there used to be a private school called St Christopher, where I worked for a good few years. I started as washer up but progressed to main chef. Sadly the school closed in 1999. I had many happy memories of Farnham and working there.
Farnham
My great aunt Carrie (Wills) was born in Farnham and lived at No1 Bratton Villas all her life. Her father worked as a carriage upholsterer and all the children were born in the house, which was a small 2/3 bedroomed terrace. When I was a child we always visited to watch the airshow. She had a range and a scullery and an outside toilet, and also a tin bath that hung on the outside wall. The front room was only used to weddings funerals etc. During the 1970s the council built a car park in front of her house, which I am assuming is the Wagon Yard Car Park. As a child we used to walk along past a big house with a very high red brick wall and as far as I can remember there was a brook/river alonside the path and fields. Apparently on the red brick wall of the big house are the names of all my nan's family as each one of them etched into it... Read more
Clare Park School
I am Leslie Harlan Bourgoin, and I remember changing at the Farnham train station each morning to board the school coach bound for Clare Park. My sister Mary Lynn and I were American girls who lived in Farnborough in the early 1960's while our father was a USAF exchange officer there. My parents were Gene and Jean Harlan.
We attended Clare Park as day girls and loved to go into Farnham with our parents to visit the shops. I was friends with Wendy Monday who lived in Farnham. Our family friends were Bernard and Marjorie Lawley. I now live in Seattle and will be in the UK in October of 2008. I would love to contact CPark girls.
Memories of Surrey
Upper Hale Junior School
I was a pupil of Upper Hale Junior School from 1969 to 1971 when I transferred to Heathend Comprehensive. When I was there the Head Mistress was a Miss Carter and my teacher was Mr Macknight, a very talented Artist who taught me and others to draw. Mr Macknight also held unusual classes of of what would be termed E.S.P: he would send a pupil into the adjoining cloakroom with a pen and paper, draw a very simple picture on a 'rolling' blackboard and get all the other children to concentrate on the picture or symbol and try to "send it" to the child in the cloakroom! I'm not sure this would be allowed with children so young as 9 and 10 years old, but on a number of occassions the results were startling!
Gym sessions with Mr Macknight would get very daring and he would challange children to climb up the ropes, walk along the high metal support beams and get down the other rope, all without a safety... Read more
My Great Grandfather Edwin Coombs
My great-grandfather had a pub named the Cricketers Inn in Wrecclesham Street, Wrecclesham, Farnham, Surrey. His name was Edwin Daniel George Coombs. His son Sidney William Coombs was a brewer's assistant on the 1901 Census. Later Sidney joined the Navy and was aboard HMS 'Vanguard' when it blew up on 09/07/1917. He is remembered on the War Memorial at Chatham, Kent. Alas I cannot find any information about the Cricketers Inn, it does not seem to exist any more. Any information would be much appreciated. Has anyone an old photo of the Cricketers Inn? Please. contact me if so, my e-mail address is patbutler10@btinternet.com
Thanking you,
Patricia.
Harbury, Warks
Hi, I am researching my family tree and am interested in finding anyone with the surnames Wells, Sheasby and Southam in the Harbury/Ladbroke area. Any information would be much appreciated. patbutler10@btinternet.com
Wife's Memorys
My family name was Stebbing, Jennifer, Carol and Sue, and l lived down Beldham Road council estate until my father Robert won the football pools, then he bought a house in Northwood in Middlesex. He was a bus driver and before that a sergeant in the army for 24 years. He used to drink in the Cricketers Arms. My best friend was a Shirley Warner.
The Abbey Moor Park & The Ghost of Jonathan Swift.
I went to Farnham art school in 1968-1971, and at that time, Moor Park was used as a conference centre, available for hire, and inclusive of staff and an elderly chaplain called Dr Bird. As you know, Moor Park was the first place Jonathan Swift worked at when he arrived in England, and he was secretary to Sir William Temple. We had a conference there over a period of days, and - as we were warned - something strange always happened at these events. Our one involved a sort of mass-hysteria which was amusingly disruptive. We all blamed Dean Swift for these events afterwards.
The whole area encompassing Waverley Abbey, Stella's Cottage, Mother Ludlam's Hole, Father Foote's Hole and Moor Park is extraordinary, and I have written a fictional book (www.tjstephenson.com) It is (imaginatively) titled 'Waverley Abbey' by Thomas J Stephenson. I have had some communication from the nice people who run the Constance Spry centre at Moor Park, and they seem to have been good custodians of the... Read more
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