Nostalgic memories of Great Bookham's local history
Share your own memories of Great Bookham 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 1 - 10 of 39 in total
What a big surprise stumbling across this photo of where I lived during the 1960's. The caption on the photo dates it as c.1965. I can perhaps be a bit more accurate on the date. The shop called Mould was sold in 1962 to my parents and we lived in the flat above. My mother and father had the Mould name replaced with their own fairly soon after taking over, so the photo must have been taken prior to ...see more
I chanced upon this site. It brought back great memories from early 1980's. I met 'Kathleen' 'Kathy' at Preston Cross Hotel, I was as a receptionist there . Nito's People were the resident band. At the weekends the hotel held dinner dances. Kathy and I worked at the dinner dances, taking the guest coats and doing the guest billing. As I remember her husband was Alan and they had a daughter Sylvia. They owned the Granary, in Great Bookham High Street. I remember they sold animal feed
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Attended Bookham Primary school.The headmaster was Mr Brown.Pupils included the Walker Smiths managers son and the Lloyds bank managers son. It was a small village in those days.My grandparents lived in church cottages in church road and I lived in middlemead road.
In 1924 my grandparents Charles and Maud Kleboe bought The Croft, Church Road. The Croft is the house with the For Sale sign. They bought it from Mrs Procter, the widow of Dr Procter, who was famous for visiting patients by car. The 1871 census shows a Dr Steadman and family living there. The census includes a resident coachman. The stables are still there behind The Croft. I lived there in the late 1940s/early fifties.
Had this been only 4 years later that could have been me in the photo. Just inside on the right (and so behind the inward opening door) was where the Commando and WPL comics were kept and thus visiting the newsagents was a weekly pilgrimage come pocket money day.
Spent a few evenings in here. Used to meet up with my pals for a jar or two. There was Nigel Bennett, Martin & Chris Lodge, Dennis & Ken Peachey, and many others. Happy days.
It looks to me, that this view is of Hayters shop on the corner of Church road and The Park. We lads would go in to buy sweets and stuff. The Barn Hall is opposite.
My family moved to Great Bookham in 1957, and were the first owners of 1 Allen Road, part of a small Close of bungalows built by New Ideal Homes of Epsom. The 1904 photograph shows the beautiful beech trees by the Leatherhead Road, and these were separated from our home by a service road running parallel. Sadly these magnificent trees had to be chopped down, but not before our side garden had been populated ...see more
I have just discovered this wonderful website today and oh what memories come flooding back. I was born in Lower Shott in 1954 and lived there until I was about 23. I remember these shops so well. Being sent by my mum to get some cheese, I think it was from Mr Absaloms, and bursting into tears because everyone ignored me as they were waiting for my mum to come in and didn't realise that I had been sent ...see more
My maternal grandparents lived at Mostyn, Crabtree Lane. Mr & Mrs William (Bill) Jones. He was a builder; in the 1920's he worked in London and used to come down to build Mostyn at weekends, they finally moved in I think in the late 20's. It had a large garden that ran down to the back of Dawney Road. He had a large workshop where he did his carpentry. There was a lovely tennis court and orchards which ...see more