Grocers Shop

A Memory of Great Bookham.

This shop on the right, was first opened by my Dad's father, Henry Absalom, it was next door to a sweet shop his wife Ethel ran. Ethel started a little shop from much further down the High Street during the 2nd World War when Henry came down from London to work as an armaments worker at the factory opposite the station - was that Gillets?. She ran her shop originally from her front room from a tiny house further down on the right. Then they had a little shop which was later a fish shop and I think might now be a computer shop - perhaps someone can enlighten me on this. Eventually they opened the sweet shop, the grocers and the chemist which was run by someone else (I cannot remember his name). Perhaps someone else can help me out.

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Added 13 January 2007

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Your grandfather (Harry Absalom) also had a shop at the corner of Dawnay Road. We lived in the next road (Howard Road) and my mother did all her shopping at Harry's throughout the war. From 1941 to 1947 as children we shop at the shops in the High Street for sweets on our way back from Great Bookham County Primary School.

By regruss on Wed Oct 22nd 2014, at 11:43 am

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Harry was in fact son of Henry Absalom. 'Harry Absalom my uncle and his wife owned and ran the shop in Dawnay Road - before and during the war.
My father - Harry's younger brother ran and owned the High Street shop during those same war years - and later owned the Lower Shot grocers too (on the old Grove House estate). Henry had retired and willed the shops to his sons by then. My Grandmother still ran the sweet shop until she retired - probably the very early 50's.

By Paula Clements on Thu Oct 23rd 2014, at 3:12 pm

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Thank you Paula, I knew there was some relationships between the two but not certain what it was as I was very young at the time. We used to love a bag of broken biscuits from your uncle.

By regruss on Fri Oct 24th 2014, at 11:12 am

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Bit confusing with both fo them being called Henry and so son used Harry as I guess was common then. Victoria Press comes to mind though :)

By Paula Clements on Fri Oct 24th 2014, at 3:03 pm

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Do you mean the Victory Press. This was on the Leatherhead Road just further on from the Beckley Parade. It was owned by a Mr Barford but when he died he left the business to my father, his daughter and son-in-law. I worked there for a short time until my father died at the age of 48.

By regruss on Tue Oct 28th 2014, at 12:42 pm

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I remember the sweet shop at the top of the high street,use to buy sweet with my pocket money on my way to pick the bus up on the top road,we moved to Effingham in 1963 i think it was and still went to Bookham school prior to going to Howard of Effingham.

Left in 1965 and moved to Solihull in the West Midland

By Rick Francis on Mon Apr 11th 2016, at 1:22 pm

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