Elmsleigh School St Polycarp School

A Memory of Farnham.

Born in Aldershot in 1939 my father worked for a builder in Farnborough, Chuter, and eventually moved to a rented house on Folly Hill. I initially went to St Polycarp but moved to Elmsleigh where both myself and my sister stayed for a few years. Wondered if there are any of the old pupils still in the Farnham. I was lucky to pass an exam and went on the the Guildford Junior Technical School in 1952 which was the beginning of my carreer in engineering. Farnham was a great place. My youth was spent at the swimming baths in South Street which seemed to be a teenager club where we could meet others or our age. Last year I visited and found a few of the old shops still around, Goodridge in Downing Street, Woolworth's and most of the pubs.  Elphics I think was still there but Smythes had been sold, although the tiled entrance was still intact with their name. My mother worked there until the late 1960s. The grocery stall at the bottom of Castle Street still stands. I remember when the Martins ran it and they would move it back to their home someplace every night. More permanent now. Castle Cafe, Ransomes, and the Off License in Castle Street are all gone as well as the Watney's Brewery Depot. The traffic routing was changing as I left in 1967 but most of my life in Farnham was spent waiting for buses in Castle Street for Folly Hill and in South Street for the 31 to Guildford to go to school. My mother passed away in 1987 (Muriel Archdeacon) and my father in 1991 (Desmond Archdeacon). Both buried in Farnham Cemetery.  
Other memories, Crosby's Doors in West Street and Tourist Trophy Garage in East Street once owned by Mike Hawthorn. He also lived up on Folly Hill.

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