Memories of Warlingham

Catapults - mid fifties

This brings back when us local lads would venture into the bike shop where he also sold modelling bits and pieces. By far the best elastic for our catapaults (sprogs) was 1/4inch elastic, we had to convince the bloke that it was for model aircraft so that he would sell us a couple of feet.

I just remembered also, that he used to sell a 'Penny Farthing Bike' made of fairly heavy duty stiff wire and a heavy 'flywheel' on the front around which we'd wind a bit of string and pull sharply, thus spinning the wheel, we then placed it upright on the pavement and it would take off for a few feet.

Hamsey Green

The building being constructed next to the co-op was a small supermarket that would be first named Coopers then, Fine Fare. The Shop next to the co-op on the right was Bill Croft the bicycle shop. Out of view to the left of the car park bollard would be where Trevors the Newsagents was located and where I was a newspaper delivery boy for several years.

Hamsey Green/Warlingham

This is indeed Hamsey Green. The view is from the Good Companions car park. The two shops with awnings to the right of the image no longer exist, as the Coop built a shop there. One used to be a bike shop (left) and the other (right) a place that sold head stones for graves. The tall trees in the background were a grove of Horse Chestnut trees that covered much of the land as it dropped towards Kingswood. Close to the Kingswood end of this plot of land was a large greenhouse (or more), that was a flower shop of some type. The area where the trees can be seen, is now near the top end of Kingswood Avenue where the newer shops are located.