Pyrford memories
Here are memories of Pyrford and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Pyrford or a Pyrford photo.
Pyrford School
My father was a teacher at Pyrford School when Len Cowie was the headmaster. I remember Mrs Jones and Mrs Bugler and Miss Mcdermot and Mr Stevens, who lived by the old school in Engliff Lane. I remember being privileged to sometimes miss class and go swimmimg in the pool when my dad was taking his class for a swimming lesson (he helped build the pool), and once when swimming the Beatles came on the radio with 'I Feel Fine' and I remember all the girls shooting out of the pool and running towards the radio (which was beside the pool), they ran screammg towards it! I also remember Mr Caldicot the caretaker. Days of simplicity, 'You don't have to say you love me', no mobiles and no computers! Did you know that in 1964 when building the infants' school they buried a metal box under the foundations and put in it the Beatles' record 'She Loves You' and newspapers from that day and other artifacts, and to think that... Read more
Pyrford Church
I can remember the church being built and coming from the school next door for the carol service; very modern for its time with long timber features. Martin
Rowley Bristow Orthopaedic Hospital - 1970
I became a Student Nurse, training for the Orthopaedic Nursing Certificate at The Rowley Bristow Orthopaedic Hospital, on the day before my 17th birthday in January 1970.
The hospital was divided into two main buildings, St Nicholas's Home and St Martin's Home. This photograph shows the smaller of the two buildings, St Martin's, which is where I lived.
The main part of the first floor that you can see, was occupied by the School of Nursing. The top floor was known as the Night Nurses Corridor. The first floor of the left-hand wing was known as the Domestics Corridor, where the Domestic Staff lived, and the first floor of the right-hand wing was known as the PTS (Preliminary Training School) Corridor, where many of the Student Nurses lived. My room was the first window that you can see on the left, on the first floor. The room next to it was the Senior Tutors Office. The ground floor of the left-hand wing was a ward (sorry I can't... Read more
Boats
I had a cruiser ('Hely'n) at Pyrford marina in the 1990s, and remember some great barbeques moored in sight of Newark Abbey. Moved to Thames, to Penton Hook in the 2000s.
Great Hospital
I was a patient at the Pyford Hospital from about 1959. I was aged four. I had dislocated hips and I was there for nearly a year. My parents could only visit at week-ends as we lived in London. However I enjoyed my time there. It was very children friendly. We were like a big family. The nurses were great. I had a friend called Billy who was older than me and came from up North. He had hurt his back. Then there was Colin O'Farrell and Stevie Porter. The nurses were Nurse Milligan, Sister Grossman and a ward orderly called Theresa. If you had to be in hospital then this was the place to be. I live in Australia now. My sister met someone a couple of years who was nurse at the hospital and she had some photos of me and the other children in my ward.
CONFIRMATION
My memories of Pyford Church are that I made my Confirmation there on December 22nd in the evening, and it was raining cats and dogs, there were steps to walk down, and I was dressed all in white, I was unfortunate and slipped and fell, and of course I was all muddy, they say it's unlucky when that happens, but I will never forget it. We lived at Wisley. Does any one else remember their Confirmation that night, 22nd December 1955?
Morning Walks
When I was 5 years old I broke my collar-bone bouncing off my Nanny's bed!
I was sent to the Rowley Bristow. My dad used to take me for walks in the morning along the river before my hospital appointments, we used to pick buttercups and shine them under our chins. These are special memories for me, as Dad died when I was 6. These walks were lovely 'together times' for us.
The Church
I remember (just) this church being built, in 1963 I think it was. I also remember going to the school Christmas services. Good days!
PYRFORD HOSPITAL
I well remember Rowley Bristow Hospital as I became a patient in Rudolf Ward (under Sister Morris of Byfleet) the day before I was due to sit my O levels in June 1956. Fortunately, I was allowed to sit them in hospital and each day I was wheeled into a small room, between the two rooms that made up Rudolf Ward, to take them. I spent some 5 weeks there and the experience made me realise how very fortunate I was insofar as I did not have to have an operation and lose any of my limbs as did some of the other patients. The patient care there was exceptional with splendid nursing care under a matron who was a legend. Happy days!!
Pyrford School in The 1950s
Like Ron Hardie I also went to Pyrford Elementary in the late 1950s before my parents moved to Canada. I still go back to my old childhood home whenever I'm in England. I still remember Mrs Dean the headmistress, the classroom in the village hall just to the left of the main entrance and the covered playing areas in the two playgrounds.
Pyrford has grown drastically but Teggs Lane is still there as is the Village Hall, the school, and my house on Lovelace Drive, the playing fields and the remainder of Woking Common. Basically it is still as I (want to) remember it. Pyrford in the 1950's was a perfect place to grow up in I remember exploring the area with my friends, Richard Martin, Timothy Earl and Mark Lutman ( where are they now?) and discovering fishing on the River Wey directly opposite Newark Priory. It was a very settled time and place in which to grow up.
Despite the passage of 50 years, to return... Read more
The 50's at School
I remember starting school at the 'old' school and then after 3 years moving to the new school - it seemed huge and daunting and many of us got lost in the first few weeks. Pyrford was great to grow up in then - we had fields to roam in, there were farms that didn't care about kids wandering in and asking questions(guiness Dairy Farm in particular), we went out at 9 in the morning and came back when we were hungry, not a care in the world!!
As we got older and braver we ventured further afield - fishing at pigeon hole bridge, swimming at sandybanks and even camping by the river!! We found old derelict barns (will be houses now) and really believed we were in the Just William books! We went bird nesting and tree climbing and all the things boys should do but can't today - oh and we played conkers with no goggles on!!
Pyrford and the surrounding areas were an adventure every day and... Read more
Memories of Surrey
ST JOHN'S CHURCH (1950's And Early 60's)
St John's Church has its own peculiar smell which I used to appreciate during "the long kneel" (communion). Once a month, (or every week) an army of children would be frogmarched from The Langsmead School to attend Sunday Worship. The Langsmead Room now is the only reminder of the now defunct Boarding School which the pupils funded by collecting a mile of threepenny bits. My friends and I went to Sunday School and thoroughly misbehaved ourselves but the vicar, of the time, was very patient with us. One day we were mucking around in "the long kneel" when "Goody Two Shoes Evelyn" reported us and dragged us of the see Mr. Costin. We were petrified that he would find out we had been making my childminder's son turn head over heels in front of the altar and playing the organ without permission. He was, however, extremely kind to us and put our names in the birthday book. A few years later I belonged to Children's Union... Read more
The Bus Stop
In 1961 I remember starting West Byfleet School and waiting by this bus stop for the bus to take all the Byfleet pupils home. Straight opposite the bus stop was the school uniform shop 'George C Wenn', everything had to be perfect and we had to wear hats, white ones in the summer and maroon and gold in the winter, we all looked very smart. I also remember rushing home to see the new television programme 'Coronation Street'... then out to play before tea.
West Byfleet
I started at West Byfleet CS in 1963 when Fred Goodger was the head master, and a more paranoid man I've yet to meet, but some of the teachers were great! I remember the school very well and so many pupils. I came from Pyrford and West Byfleet was a long way in those days! I remember the shopping centre and Camerasports where we all bought our records (mostly The Beatles) and I remember the excitement when 'Sgt. Pepper' came out. Everything was a lot more innocent then. We had Parish Day on the Rec and my mate Ginger Gammon broke his legs on a swing there! I had lots of other friends, some of whom I'm still in touch with, but so many I lost touch with. I live many miles away in Bristol now but still get back sometimes. I married a Byfleet girl (Judy Pinnock who used to work in Paula Marks record shop) and moved some 27 years ago. Happy memories.
The Library
I don't know the exact year the library was built in West Byfleet, only that it opened the flood-gates for me & I would be the first to campaign against closing libraries, thanks to this inclusion to 1960s West Byfleet. The fact that it was circular encompassed that feeling of 'modernism': I was able to wallow in so many stories, fact & fiction, all for free!! It even lent LPs to play on my little Dansette portable record player!
The offices in the background of this photo replaced a beautiful row of houses, one of which I think had its front room servicing as a doctor's surgery: or it could have been the dentist. Although at the time it seemed criminal to demolish these places, the offices served me well for some temp work during college holidays!
Further back was our first supermarket: The notion of collecting all your items in one basket rather than asking an assistant was scary but wonderful! I remember following... Read more
Centenary Celebrations
I am currently collecting records of memories of members and relative memorabilia of those people who attended the youth club at West Byfleet. If there are any members out there who would like to contribute to the exhibition that will be held sometime in April onwards, please contact me at arfairlie@ntlworld.com or phone me on 01932 343618.
Thank you. Alan Fairlie
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