Born In Lower Shott
A Memory of Great Bookham.
I have just discovered this wonderful website today and oh what memories come flooding back. I was born in Lower Shott in 1954 and lived there until I was about 23. I remember these shops so well. Being sent by my mum to get some cheese, I think it was from Mr Absaloms, and bursting into tears because everyone ignored me as they were waiting for my mum to come in and didn't realise that I had been sent by myself (obviously a big girl now) to buy something on her behalf! Mr Absalom was so kind and picked me up and allowed me to stand on his step ladders (no health and safety then) whilst he packed the cheese.
I remember the James's who owned the newsagents and round the corner was a hairdressers and a wool shop and a butchers, later owned by the lovely Ken Pillings (does anyone know what happened to him????).
In the High Street was the granaries, and a lovely shop that a bell tinkled when you entered it and sold leather goods, dog leads and such (could have been a saddlery??). I remember clearly the smell of the leather and we used to love to play in the sawdust in the butchers.
Along by Beckley was the Co-op that sold broken biscuits and down the High Street further down opposite the church was a post office and a fish shop run by the Cripps family I believe. Opposite the fish shop was a dress and wool shop run by a Miss Irwin I think her name was.
I went to both Great Bookham infants and junior schools and remember the awful winter of 62/63 when the outside toilets froze over and the teachers had to break up the water in the pans with broom handles I think and the girls were allowed to wear trousers to school because it was so cold (very revolutionary for the time).
I've often pondered over the years why the name "Lower Shott" - can anyone enlighten me? Perhaps Shott is an olde english term for road or something similar.
Oh well, Happy Days long gone now sadly. Thanks for giving me the chance to reminisce.
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Use to go to Great Bookham infants and junior schools and then left for Effingham in 1963/4 i think then moved to Birmingham with my parents in 1965 and the worst move ever.
Use to get my short back and sides at the Barbers shop,Coop for broken biscuits,my mum bought me a pair of leather sandles from 'Irwins' down Church St and then i went down the common to catch some Newts and Tadpoles and got the sandles covered in thick mud,was sent to bed without tea.
Like yourself it bought back some happy memories of when you could walk aroun the village as a kid without any problems that we have today.
Regards
Rick Francis also use to be called Malcolm but bloody hate that name.
Receiving your email made my day. I have replied - I hope you receive it.
Kind regards - Anne
Certainly a trip down good old memory lane and thanks for starting the initial Memory.
Regards
Rick
Left Bookham in 2001, now in Southampton.
When i drop off there now i just see Mick Hull, John Alexander is still down Middlemead. they are both in that school photo as well,
You were down sole farm, you would remeber the Lambournes on the corner of the green, one of them was my brothers best man, my brother Harry married Laraine Easton, her sister Pauline, yes, is also in that photo.
Regards Paul "Brass" Brassington.
Robert 'Bob' Vincent was a near neighbour and we use to go fishing together down Young Street to the river mole,some of the most happiest days of my life living down in Bookham.