West Byfleet memories
Here are memories of West Byfleet and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of West Byfleet or a West Byfleet photo.
ST JOHN'S CHURCH (1950's And Early 60's)
St John's Church has its own peculiar smell which I used to appreciate during "the long kneel" (communion). Once a month, (or every week) an army of children would be frogmarched from The Langsmead School to attend Sunday Worship. The Langsmead Room now is the only reminder of the now defunct Boarding School which the pupils funded by collecting a mile of threepenny bits. My friends and I went to Sunday School and thoroughly misbehaved ourselves but the vicar, of the time, was very patient with us. One day we were mucking around in "the long kneel" when "Goody Two Shoes Evelyn" reported us and dragged us of the see Mr. Costin. We were petrified that he would find out we had been making my childminder's son turn head over heels in front of the altar and playing the organ without permission. He was, however, extremely kind to us and put our names in the birthday book. A few years later I belonged to Children's Union... Read more
Centenary Celebrations
I am currently collecting records of memories of members and relative memorabilia of those people who attended the youth club at West Byfleet. If there are any members out there who would like to contribute to the exhibition that will be held sometime in April onwards, please contact me at arfairlie@ntlworld.com or phone me on 01932 343618.
Thank you. Alan Fairlie
The Library
I don't know the exact year the library was built in West Byfleet, only that it opened the flood-gates for me & I would be the first to campaign against closing libraries, thanks to this inclusion to 1960s West Byfleet. The fact that it was circular encompassed that feeling of 'modernism': I was able to wallow in so many stories, fact & fiction, all for free!! It even lent LPs to play on my little Dansette portable record player!
The offices in the background of this photo replaced a beautiful row of houses, one of which I think had its front room servicing as a doctor's surgery: or it could have been the dentist. Although at the time it seemed criminal to demolish these places, the offices served me well for some temp work during college holidays!
Further back was our first supermarket: The notion of collecting all your items in one basket rather than asking an assistant was scary but wonderful! I remember following... Read more
West Byfleet
I started at West Byfleet CS in 1963 when Fred Goodger was the head master, and a more paranoid man I've yet to meet, but some of the teachers were great! I remember the school very well and so many pupils. I came from Pyrford and West Byfleet was a long way in those days! I remember the shopping centre and Camerasports where we all bought our records (mostly The Beatles) and I remember the excitement when 'Sgt. Pepper' came out. Everything was a lot more innocent then. We had Parish Day on the Rec and my mate Ginger Gammon broke his legs on a swing there! I had lots of other friends, some of whom I'm still in touch with, but so many I lost touch with. I live many miles away in Bristol now but still get back sometimes. I married a Byfleet girl (Judy Pinnock who used to work in Paula Marks record shop) and moved some 27 years ago. Happy memories.
The Bus Stop
In 1961 I remember starting West Byfleet School and waiting by this bus stop for the bus to take all the Byfleet pupils home. Straight opposite the bus stop was the school uniform shop 'George C Wenn', everything had to be perfect and we had to wear hats, white ones in the summer and maroon and gold in the winter, we all looked very smart. I also remember rushing home to see the new television programme 'Coronation Street'... then out to play before tea.
Memories of Surrey
My Childhood In New Haw
Our family moved to New Haw when the new council houses were built at Heathervale. We lived at 26 Park Side. Everybody moved in about the same time so during the fifties there was great community spirit in our street. The residents even managed to build their own social club (Park Side Club). My father Basil Ponting was involved with this, but probably only on the drinking side.
It's still possible for me to remember some of the families that lived in our street, names like Doig, Pacey, Norman, Richards, Burgess, Redmond, Saul and Hill etc. I attended New Haw County Primary School (now demolished) from the age of five until I was sent to a school for the Partially Sighted in Seaford, Sussex.
Heathervale Park was right behind our house but somehow we preferred to play out front, pushing our homemade trolleys around the block. When we did go over to the park there was always a parkie (as we called him) on duty so it... Read more
Grange School And Onwards
My name is Andy Pearce and I was born in New Haw in 1952. I went to Grange School in 1957. Names I remember are Jenkins, Wright, Hatch, Swanton, Gill, Watts. Many more faces than surnames.Was a paperboy at Flanagans on Woodham Road and belonged to the Cubs that met at Grange School and the Scouts that had an old Nissan hut down by the canal, next to the rec. Friends were Richard Jenkins, Olivia Philipson, Mary Rowlands. Great times for kids, biking through the fields to Rowtown, playing along and in the Bourne. I recall my first day at school, kicking over some skittles in the classroom with another boy, Robert something (also in the cubs). We both got a ruler across our legs from the teacher. Used to love roller skating down the Grange Road hill, from Manor Road to Job's dairy, which was almost opposite our house. We used to play in their yard in the evenings. The skating memory reminds me that there was a lovely girl who lived in... Read more
My Grandparents The Lock Keepers, Mr And Mrs Denyer
I have very happy memories of my grandparents. My grandad had an enormous beard, and grandma always wore a long flowered apron. Grandad used to sit me on the handle of the lock gate while he slowly opened it to let the water level rise or drop so the water level in the lock was the same as the river and then the barge could go on its way. My mother left New Haw to live in Grimsby, the only time I saw my grandparents then was when we came on holiday. As I got older the barge people would let me sail through the locks into the river and my grandma would get me of the other side. I remember on one visit one of my little sisters had somehow got to the water's edge, nobody dared call her for fear of her falling in, it was a case of creep up and grab. At the back of the cottage was a waterfall with a footbridge going over it, which... Read more
NEW HAW CHILDHOOD
I have lived in New Haw most of my life. My family moved from Kings Road to Farleigh Road in 1949. One of my first memories was being taken to the New Haw Clinic for day care as my mother worked in London. There I encountered Nurse Lytle whom I met later at West Byfleet and Fullbrook School. We nicknamed her "The Nit Nurse". Pocket money in the 1950s was not very generous - but at the age of 5 I clutched 2d in my hand and made my way to "Hunts" to buy either 4 blackjacks and 4 fruits salads (1d for 4) or a packet of polos. Mr. Hunt first ran the shop solely as a sweet shop but later branched out selling wallpaper, paint and all things DIY - today the shop specialises in nail extensions and manicures. Next to him was the jeweller "Mees" (which is now a hairdressers) - I used to do a lot of window shopping there. Kendals used to sell corn, chicken... Read more
Wedding
I married in this church in March 1974 my maiden name was Whittle in those days. I also attended the youth club in the hall that was behind the church for a few years.
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