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 grocery stall at the bottom of Castle Street still stands. I remember when the Martins ran it and they would move it back to their home someplace every night. More permanent now. Castle Cafe, Ransomes, and the Off License in Castle Street are all gone as well as the Watney's Brewery Depot. The traffic routing was changing as I left in 1967 but most of my life in Farnham was spent waiting for buses in Castle Street for Folly Hill and in South Street for the 31 to Guildford to go to school. My mother passed away in 1987 (Muriel Archdeacon) and my father in 1991 (Desmond Archdeacon). Both buried in Farnham Cemetery.
Other memories, Crosby's Doors in West Street and Tourist Trophy Garage in East Street once owned by Mike Hawthorn. He also lived up on Folly Hill.
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RE: RE: Elmsleigh School/St Polycarp School
I do remember Goddards Garage very well, they used to look after our teachers Austin 7 for her. Abra Newton. I also remember the Yellow Bus. I belong to ADBIG, Aldershot and District Bus Interest Group. We discuss all of the old Bus Companies, also Comfy Coaches in The Bourne. We return to Farnham periodically, and was due to be in Guildford this last week for a Reunion at Guildford Junior Technical School but had to cancel because of the Volcano Eruption, was not sure if we could make it back on time. We will be back. Interesting history about the Railway Hotel !!!! My Dad would sit in the Bar and wait for me to arrive home from night School on the train. Late 50's early 60's. Also remember a few stores on Station Hill, the largest one being a General Store where you could buy and Ice Cream after School, in the summer for 3d before getting on the #38 bus to Folly Hill and Ewshot.
Comment from Mike Archdeacon on Monday, 10th May 2010.
RE: RE: Elmsleigh School/St Polycarp School
I was intrigued to find Mike Archdeacon's account of school in Farnham and Guildford. My family had been in business in Farnham for a great many years. I too was at Elmsleigh School, in I think, 1953, and then at the Guildford Junior Technical College. At that time there was a small private bus company, 'The Yellow Bus Co', plying between the Station Yard Farnham, arriving at Guildford via Puttenham. This I travelled on for some time then changed to the train which was considerably quicker. Mike must have passed our family business, 'Goddard's Garage', every morning on his way to school at Elmsleigh. The Hawthorn family and mine were well acquainted, they owning the Tourist Trophy Garage in East Street. My grandfather's great uncle, one John Goddard, owned what was called at the time The Railway Hotel (subsequently called the Blue Boy), and now is an Indian Restaurant known as the Mulberry; it was here that my grandfather started what was to become Goddard's Garage in the years before the First World War. He also planted in 1897, to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria, the Mulberry tree which is still growing in the little garden adjacent to the 'Railway Bar'. In about 1920 my grandfather bought the property on the corner of Station Hill and the Fairfield, which became the filling station and garage, and also the family home. We ceased to run the business in 1958, five years after the death of my grandfather. The house was demolished in the 1980s, and a new workshop was built in its place, and a motor repair business was built on the site.
Comment from Richard Goddard on Sunday, 9th May 2010.
RE: RE: Elmsleigh School/St Polycarp School
The Austin 7 which then belonged to Abra Newton, Headmistress of Elmsleigh School, had been bought new in the early 1930s by my Godfather; during the Second World War it was was used as a chicken hutch, but on the cessation of hostilities, when motoring again became possible, it was rescued and re-built at our garage, i.e. Goddard's Garage. Miss Newton must have bought it from my Godfather in about 1950 and used it for many years. I remember well Comfy Coaches, which were based at the Bourne and owned by Ernie Gudge. They remained in business until quite recently I believe. The general store on Station Hill had at the end of the 19th century belonged to the Robins family,and was a Temperance Hotel, and was taken over in 1920 by Willoughby Shepheard, who also ran a taxi service. Next to this was Rose the chemist and also Reddit's greengrocery.
Comment from Richard Goddard on Saturday, 15th May 2010.
RE: RE: Elmsleigh School/St Polycarp School
It was great reading your comments about my response and all of the local items of interest. I do remember Shepheard's, general stationery store, and Reddits Greengrocery. Thanks for the Memories. We were last in Farnham in 2008 and noted that some of the old Pubs still exist but seem to be disappearing. The Nelson was not as quaint as it used to be, the Queens Head, about the same, Coach and Horses too modern for me. Really liked the development in West Street leading up to Safeway Store, forgotten the name. Also around Borelli's Shop. The only shop in Farnham to be able to display the Royal Crest as I remember. What happened to the Farnham Dairy in West Street?
Comment from Mike Archdeacon on Thursday, 20th May 2010.