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Thames Ditton
Thames Ditton photos
Displaying the first of 20 old photos of Thames Ditton. View all Thames Ditton photos
Thames Ditton maps
Historic maps of Thames Ditton and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Thames Ditton maps
Thames Ditton area books
Displaying 1 of 18 books about Thames Ditton and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Thames Ditton
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of Thames Ditton.
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My Mum Ran Comerford's Corner Shop
We moved south from Chadderton near Oldham in 1965. My mum had taken over running the corner shop that had been bought by Comerford's in their quest to own the entire block. All but one house has succumbed to their buying and even when we eventually left in late 1969 the neighbours were holding out. I was 10 years old and I went to St Mary's in Long Ditton and my brother to Ditton Hill Infants. I have great memories of Comerford's and the huge warehouses full of old bikes that we used to play on. I joined the Cubs mainly so we could play football and we won the Esher District football competition in what must have been 1966 or 67. I moved to the scouts and the new scout hut was built by the pavillion on Long Ditton Rec. Great rose-tinted days. Whatever happened to Comerford's?
Surrey memories
My Life on Weston Green
I was born in Weston Green, my parents having lived at Maisonette, Weston Green. My grandfather Charles Dobson was the local baker and lived on the green in the house on its own called The Lodge which was where the cricket was played. I used to watch it from my grandmother's back yard. She had ducks and hens and used to hire out horses to people, but I was not born at that time, I only remember the ducks etc. My great-grandfather built all of the Jubilee Villas on Weston Green Road opposite the cricket pitch. The bake-house was on the other side of the road and my grandfather's sister used to run the Greyhound pub with her husband, Frank Walthew.
Wilton Gardens, West Molesey
I lived and went to school in West Molesey. I remember the shops near the Royal Oak pub. My mum always took me into the shoe shop for my shoes. I remember going into the sweet shop on my way to school. Can anyone tell me the name of the local children's home in East Molesey? I remember going there often as 2 friends were living there from 1965 - 1975.
I Used to Come to Comerfords!
I bought my first motorbike from Comerfords in Thames Ditton (would have been at top right of this picture) in October 1973 - a Yamaha FS1e moped in 'Blackcurrant' metallic. But for up to two years earlier I would have cycled here from Hersham maybe 3 times a week to walk up and down the long isles of bikes or press my nose up against the window if on a Sunday. Across the road was also a little shop that had Puch mopeds - not the typical Maxi, but those rather eccentric two-toned bomb tank models. I desperately wanted a motorbike and the idea of having a friend ride pillion was so exciting. However money for a teenager back then was difficult so I did paper rounds, Saturday and holiday jobs to pay for it (Bejams in Esher - now Iceland - and Waitrose in Weybridge) and eventually made my 16th birthday deadline and paid over my 179 for a brand new bike. I continued my efforts and with also... Read more
Little Cedars Cottage - Portsmouth Road - Used to be Owner by Gazes
I used to live in Little Cedars Cottage, Long Ditton with my mum and dad, my dad was the accountant at Gazes Building Society and was provided this house to live in from about 1954 - 1956. Windmill Lane was just around the corner - it was a dirt road with some houses and a recreation ground - I remember on Guy Fawkes Day we used to build a bonfire on Windmill Lane and let off fireworks - I was about 11 and I remember it as great fun. I have been living in Canada since 1965. I don't think Little Cedars cottage is still there, one day I would like to go and explore Long Ditton and Thmaes Ditton again.
School Days And Beyond
I was born in Hook (surname then was Martin) and moved to Hinchley wood at a very young age. As there was no school at that time in Hinchley Wood we started our education in Long Ditton infants school, walking to and from as there was no transport . At this time the head teacher of the infant school was Miss Jefferson and one of the other teachers was Miss Edwards. My brother and one of my sisters also attended this school and we all moved on to St Mary's junior school which was then in the building opposite the recreation ground, now I believe it is a mosque. Miss S E Tranter was the head teacher there and in later years when one of my children attended St Mary's Miss Tranter referred to her as one of her grandchildren. In later years after my marriage we moved to Long Ditton and lived firstly in Effingham Road, and subsequently... Read more
Lawrence And Peggy Berg
My uncle Lawrence married Peggy Smurthwaite in about 1935 and took over the Hinchley Wood Hotel. It was already well-known to him and his brother, Ellis, because he was a partner in the building firm E & L Berg which had developed an estate over the other side of the Kingston Bypass. Though he knew little or nothing of the licenced trade, his wife, Peggy, was the daughter of teh Smurthwaites of the Kingston Hotel (now demolished). They later moved to the Roundabouts Hotel in West Chiltington, West Sussex; while there they began building. After Lawrence's death Peggy continued building, having disposed of the Roundabouts. The Hinchley Wood Hotel has gone, sadly. It was a meeting place for service men and women, particularly RAF aircrew. Peggy led a conga train through her normally staid pub on VE day. She was a most glamourous woman, an example of a 'South of France' type of pre-war days. Lawrence was a burly and genial sporting type who had been a bayonet-fighting instructor at... Read more
