Reigate memories
Here are memories of Reigate and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Reigate or a Reigate photo.
Living on Cornfield Road
I had lots of friends to play with up on the green and also the woods where we used to ride our push bikes or swing on the big rope swing over the sandy bank. I even fell off and broke my arm. I also broke my jaw falling out of a tree on the green at the top of the road. We also had two shops at the bottom of the road, Cornfield Stores, run by a man called Fred, on the other side was Portmans. There were lots of children living on Cornfield Road, like the Grubbs, Hockleys, Frosts, Scraces, it was an idyllic childhood living on this street.
White Tomkins & Courage
In the 1960s I used to hurry down Nutley Lane each morning to my job as telephonist at WTC, which was situated a few road away at the distal end of Nutley Lane and has long since disappeared. WTC was a thriving, example of local industry in the area, producing biscuits and fruit squashes, alcoholic beverages and many more products of which I dont recall now. The offices were situated in a lovely old building which has long been demolished and has been replaced by housing.Behind the offices were laboratories and factory buildings. The company provided work for a lot of local people, scientists, factory workers, technicians and clerical staff to name a few. Being about 15 years old at the time, I only recall a couple of faces from that era (1963/4). The office manager was Mr Edwards and I think his P/A was called Pauline, there were a few other secretaries, plus Vanessa Paine, a 16 year old glamorous girl who worked as receptionist. I also remember Mr Smith... Read more
Fate Led me Here
Bell Street, Reigate. The address of my great grandfather, and until 2006 I had never been there. But on a nostalgic trip from Sweden, seeking my roots so to speak, I visited Reigate to see if any signs were to be found. Needing to buy a flower for a birthday, I went into a florist's on the west side of Bell Street, a couple of buildings down from the High Street. Then I went into the Old Book Shop further down on the east side, where I was able to buy a book of Old Reigate. In the book was a photo of my great grandfather's butcher's shop. Yes - on the site of the florist's ! ! It sent shivers down my spine to know that I had unknowingly walked on the site of Chandler's Butcher's Shop, now long gone. My great grandfather, Joseph Chandler, had also had a farm on the outskirts of Reigate, Albury Farm (or Manor) where I believe there is now a school.
The world... Read more
Reigate, Doods Road 1939-50
My Granny and Grandad Weller, in their cramped semi, took me, my mum and dad, my brother and sister plus 2 billeted soldiers under their loving wing in 1940 and I can honestly say that was the most happy household you could ever wish for. We knew things were serious when they installed concrete mini pyramids in the street outside which apparently would stop tanks from advancing. And people flocked to Reigate caves to sleep the night, crazy on reflection, these are natural sand caves and I suspect one good wallop from a Doodle Bug that didn't get over the North Downs chalk cliffs would have caved the lot in, thank God it never happened. My father was an entertainer, a good one. Highly professional, Magic, Ventriloquism (he won the UK International Brotherhood of Ventriloquism Cup in the 1950s). He trained me up at the age of 7 to carry out a 15 minute performance on any stage magic using sleight of hand, I hated it but it meant... Read more
'The Market '
'The Market' - this was what we used to call the small hotel on the corner of High Street and Tunnel Road. It was the most wonderful time, hippies were in every night, there was a disco and psychadelic light show once a week upstairs. I drove a red Morgan and had a Dutch au-pair girl on my arm, all this and I was 21 years old, a most exciting time. Thank you Reigate.
Reigate Hill
This is the exact location in which my family has placed a memorial bench for my mother Ann Gout (nee Edwards). She spend many happy hours on Reigate Hill when she was a Girl Guide and loved this view. A few years ago the trees and bushes has become overgrown, but thankfully the council have now cut them back. I think that the house in the background is still there, but is now hidden behind trees.
Good Times
my grandad was the head gardener, dick jenner. i have great memories of going into the caves and staying with my grandparents in their little house in the castle ground. my nan, eileen veness (jenner then) is still well and living in sussex.my mum, uncle and aunt all lived in that house for many happy years. Bridget Harwood (as was then)
Farrington's of Reigate
The Farrington family of Reigate were the Lime Merchants that owned and worked the Lime Kilns at Reigate. The business was established by Benjamin Farrington my Great great Grandfather one hundred before Frederick Price Farrington (Alderman of Reigate 1889-1911) finally took it over until his death in 1927. The family lived at the Lime works on Reigate Hill, many of the children later lived in Nutley Lane.
Thomasina Farrington
Reigate Springcopse Road
I live in one of these houses, and my children play on the green to the right of the photo. There is a great community feeling here. In the Queens 50th Jubilee year we organised a street party on the green for the residents of Springcopse Rd, Cornfield Road and Furzefield Crescent.
Pathway
The picture shows the alleyway that runs between Cockshot Hill and Smoke Lane, I used this cut through to take my children to school in the 1990's. Today (2006) the cottages shown are still there.
Furzefield Crescent
The four detached houses to the left of the picture are numbered 2, 4 ,6 and 8 Furzefield Crescent, built by my Gt grandfather, George Elsey.
I lived at number four between 1960 and 1978 with my parents.
The railings on the right of the picture surround an area of grass and trees, the railings were removed in the second world war.
Memories of Surrey
The Top Shop
This was the year I started school and my mum took me into the top shop after school for some sweets for being a good girl at school (I think it was called Berrys) and every Saturday my nan came over and gave me sixpence to spend at the top shop for sweets and they would have to last the week. AsI grew older my mum let me go on my own, I never moved from the village and I could do all my shopping there as well. We had shops - a butchers (owened by Mr Harriot), a bakers (sorry, can't rember the name), a post office (owned by Mr and Mrs Barnard), another sweet shop (owned by Mr and Mrs Paine), a delicatessen (owned by Mr and Mrs Deerman), a greengrocers (owned by George and Jack Samuels) and a few more shops that I can't remember and the top shop which changed owners frequently, the one I can remember is Mr and Mrs Welfare as Mr Welfare looked... Read more
Meadvale as A Living Village
When we first moved to "the estate" in the early fifties I would have to catch the bus into Reigate as I went to school in Holmesdale Road. The school I have forgotten about but what is memorable was the smell of the fresh baked bread coming from the bakery across the road from the bus stop. As kids we would go in and the lady (cannot remember her name) would give us nubbins of left-over dough that had been baked for that very reason.
In those days it was a thriving place of commerce with a Butcher, Baker, Newsagent, Hardware store, Grocer, Shoe, Electronic shop and Post office.
I still visit when I can as I still have family there. However I left for America over thirty years ago. My life-long friend was apprenticed to Friths and we would carry around a half plate camera taking all kinds of photographs some of which may be in these archives. Good memories indeed.
MEADVALE GARAGE
My father Stan Long started Meadvale Garage in the thirties, I'm not sure of the precise date.
When he purchased it, it was a derelict rat infested old builders yard and stables.
He and my mother "May" together with my uncles "Les" and "Eddie" both worked hard on getting rid of the rats, digging holes for the petrol tanks and pits.
Dad built it into a typical village garage, serving petrol, paraffin, used cars and repairs. Most of the local village businesses were his customers. There was Harriot's the butchers, the two brother Samuels, the green grocers, George Payne the sweet shop and newsagent, a bakers, a shoe shop Mr. Mrs King, the Old Oak pub Mr Herford (and later Ted Reeves), the post office Mrs Barden and later Mr Ilyffe, the wool shop Mrs Warren. Earlier there was a dairy run by Mr. Mrs Hawkins (I think).
Peter Long
Meadvale Garage
I also remember Meadvale Garage as Stan and May were my grandparents. I spent a lot of time there as a small child. I also remember the local shops at Meadvale and my parents Bill and Heather also were landlord and landlady of "The Old Oak" public house in the 1970s. There was also another shop opposite the post office called "Berry's" (I think) and we used to buy sweets there on the way back from school, St John's, we used to walk to and from school through an alley way.
I Remember, Years Ago.
I was born in the County Hospital, where my Mum worked as an almoner. My grandparents, Herbert and Frances Pink lived on Copse road in an old row house that I loved, especially the attic where my cousin Valerie (Davis) and I used to spend time rummaging around in the ancient trunks full of 20's clothing, cigarette tins full of picture cards, old tubular records and huge heavy pattern catalogues. When I was 4 we moved to a little community of "Prefabs" near Nags Head, but Gran and Grandad would still look after me while my parents H.Maurice and Eileen Pink went to work. My cousin and I would go to the post Office and sweet shop, go to the dairy for Walls ice cream and along the path to the common, and St. Johns School that I attended. I remember the daffodils, the Chain Lakes, and sitting at at a table with my Gran, giving out concentrated orange juice in bottles (among other things) in return... Read more
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