Stoneleigh

A Memory of Stoneleigh.

I was born at home on Waverley Road in Stoneleigh in 1940 during the Bllitz. I lived there until I emigrated to Canada in 1962. This photo brings back many memories. I remember Atkinsons, the Newsagent on the left of the picture. MacDonalds on the right was a paint and wallpaper store owned by my friend's parents. I worked there on Saturdays when I was about 16. I think I earned 15 shillings for the day. There was a bicycle shop on the Broadway and when I passed my 11 plus to Nonsuch School my dad bought me a bike there and I rode it to school through Nonsuch Park for the next 6 years. I saved up and bought myself a camera from the Chemist shop on the Broadway. It was an Ilford Sportsman and I think I paid about 11 pounds for it - quite a bit of money in those days but it was a great camera. I feel very fortunate to have had such a happy, carefree childhood growing up with my sisters in this very special place.

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Added 30 October 2013

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Just along the Broadway from Atkinsons in the early 1960s there used to be a horsemeat restaurant that, no doubt owing to local protests, turned into a fish-and-chip shop.

Coincidentally, whilst my nieces and contemporaries were at Nonsuch High School for Girls in the.next decade, there was a school-safety campaign for a bus service connecting Stoneleigh BR with Cheam railway station via the school end of Nonsuch Park, instead of having to take a rail journey via Epsom Station.

(No chance of a miniature or narrow-gauge, school-commuter rail service linking all corners of the park itself, plus the adjoining Cheam Rec).

A bus service has meantime been instated, but on an Epsom Clock Tower to Worcester Park BR route..

By dagmar.melman on Sun May 28th 2017, at 1:20 pm

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Born in 1944 I lived in Woodstone Avenue which ran off the roundabout to the right of the photo. There was a gents hairdresser in the back room of Atkinsons and I had a newspaper round with Bentleys at the other end of the Broadway. I think I was paid 9 shillings a week for 7 mornings. There was a large bomb crater at the junction of Woodstone Ave and the Broadway. This was rebuilt in the mid 1950's and included a shop called Crescendo's. This was both a coffee bar and record/music store. My first Hofner guitar came from there. I spent much of my time in Nonsuch Park often being chased by Jim the park-keeper or irate courting couples we used to taunt. I also remember The Peach Bar, an italian ice cream shop, which was the haunt of the local teddy boy types. My sister,born 1933married one of the partners of Stanwoods radio and TV shop which was near the peach bar.

By jmilborrow7 on Mon Sep 16th 2019, at 3:17 pm

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My friends and I spent a good deal of our time in Nonsuch Park. We were also guilty of taunting courting couples. The gardens around Nonsuch Mansion were lovely but you were not allowed to walk on the beautiful lawn in those days and the park keeper would chase you off if you did. I also remember the Peach Bar on the Broadway but "nice" girls like us didn't go in there.
I went to Stoneleigh East school before I passed my 11 plus to Nonsuch school. We rode our bikes through the park every day regardless of the weather. I'm 79 years old now but have such happy memories of those days.

By Susan O'brien on Tue Sep 17th 2019, at 2:34 am

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My Mum had the Crescendo in 1960, It was just a music shop when we moved there. My Mum changed into the coffee bar and record shop, with bench seating and the mighty italian expresso coffee machine. it was very trendy and very popular with the young teens.

By Nicholas De Demko on Thu Jun 23rd 2022, at 2:48 pm

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