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Holmbury St Mary memories

Here are memories of Holmbury St Mary and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Holmbury St Mary or a Holmbury St Mary photo.

Grandfather

According to 1901 Census my grandfather, Charles Thomas, was a footman at Hopedene. I would love further information about the house, the family and staff if possible.

My Childhood

I was born to Victor Owen Colman Emmerson and Jean Florence Emmerson at the family home of Garden Cottage, Holmbury St Mary in September 1957. I have an older brother, John and a younger sister Diane who were also born there. My grandmother Catherine or 'Kit' was for many years housekeeper to Dorothea Flower who lived next door in Hurtwood Cottage. I have many memories of growing up in the village, attending Holmbury St Mary primary school, belonging first to the brownies and then the girl guides. Although I no longer have any family connections in the village there are still a number of family friends that still reside there. Some of my fondest memories are that of the special bonfire nights held near the village, the pyrotechniques of which were originally orchestrated by a Mr Bill Narroway.
Garden Cottage is still very clear in my mind, being built on a raised bank directly opposite the rather grand house and grounds belonging to Lady Catto. It was, and still is... Read more

Memories of Surrey

My Forest Green Family

I moved to Forest Green when I was 2 but my whole family comes from the area. Christine Dendy (my maternal grandmother) was born in the village. Her parents were a housemaid and a gamekeeper/odd-job man for the Vaughan-Williams estate. My grandmother was born in the row of First World War council houses erected behind the village green and she married the son of a village shopkeeper from Ockley. Their children were my mother and my uncle. My mother married a Londoner she met through her job and I am one of her four children. Two years ago my husband and I upheld four generations of tradition when we married in Forest Green church and were doubly proud to display my grandmother's wedding pics from the same venue! Hopefully at some point we will move back to the area, though sadly the village school at Walliswood which at least four generations of my family attended has been closed.

Childhood

Post Office 1936
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i was born in guildford in 1986 and my parents had just taken over abinger post office and stores this is the house in the middle of the photo with all the ivy (that wasnt there in my time) the window above the shop was my parents room the spare room and the lounge are the rooms to the left. i loved living here and have many great memories of going to abinger village school, fishing in the stream, playing on the green and in the ruffs going to the abinger arms(probably the 1st pub i ever went to) and the tea rooms at the clock house now apparently i have heard that these tea rooms have moved to my old front room and front garden! i also remember the teddy bears picnic and the teacher who made me wear a bear mask one year, playing pooh stcks in the stream, pony rides on the front part of the green. i remember bonfires either at the cricket club or holmbury... Read more

Coneyhurst Farm

I am researching my family tree and I have learned that my ancestor George Worsfold born around 1799 ran Coneyhurst Farm in Ewhurst in the mid to late 1800s. He had 7 children and a lot of other relatives also in Ewhurst and Cranleigh. I am hoping to discover more and perhaps visit Ewhurst soon.

Ewhurst War Memorial

The Memorial 1922
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For more information on the men from Ewhurst who served and fell or returned from the First World War, details can be found at www.ewhurstfallen.co.uk.
"The number of volunteers from Ewhurst and Ellen's Green was 'second to none'. The memorials show the price they paid"
Walter Stemp, one of the village's veterans.

Temporary Home

The Crown Inn c1955
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When my maternal grandparents' house "Hobart", Mount Road, Cranleigh was bombed during World War Two we were housed temporarily above the the Crown Inn whilst the bomb was defused and the house put back in order.

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