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West End
West End maps
Historic maps of West End and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all West End maps
West End area books
Displaying 1 of 18 books about West End and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of West End
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of West End.
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Growing up in Westend in The 70s And 80s
I was born in 1965 and grew up in Westend. I moved to America in 1988 and have only been back to visit once since then back in 1989/90. I can't really imagine how much the village has changed since then. I've seen photos and pics on the internet. I was hoping that somethings haven't changed like the common, up there on New England hill and down in the dips were we as kids used to have sausage sizzles with the cub scouts. I was hoping the ford down there in Pennypot is still there where my mates and I used to ride our bikes to and wade in the water. I was hoping the rec is still there. My grannie's flat looks over it from the end of Meadow Way. I used to live in Malthouse Lane and have fond memories of all the people there and all the people I went to school with back then. I wonder if anyone remembers me at all? I know some people... Read more
I Lived Here
I moved to West End in 1966. My family owned the Wheatsheaf from 1964 until about 1967 and my auntie still lived in West End so I often visit.
I was 11 in 1964 and my earliest memory of the village was seeing the Gordon Boys walking around the village in their uniforms of tartan trousers. navy military style tunics and little hats . They looked wonderful.
The village was always friendly and I used to ride my bike or walk all over the place. I loved the smell of Fellowes Nursery(sadly now a housing estate) in the spring and the common full of heather & gorse. It still is a nice village but has grown far too big!
Mid Eighties
From early 1984 to March 1987 I had the pleasure of being the Landlady of this public house. Many good times (some bad), many lovely customers, some of whom became friends and not forgetting all the people who came to work there to help behind the bar, in the kitchen etc. We celebrated the 40th anniversary of 'D Day' there with fancy dress in period costume, and received a lot of help from the military who as a 'training exercise' put sandbags & camouflage netting around the front of the pub, also held a 'Burns Night' party with a piper in full dress to pipe in the haggis, again a local military man, all great fun. Went back about 4 years ago & was sad to see half the garden now had houses built on. Times they are a changin (always). We nicknamed it 'the Inn on the green' as it faces onto what years ago, probably prior to the 1939-45 war, was the village... Read more
I Used to Walk to Benham Stores in my Mothers High Heels Pushing my Cat in A Pram !
I was born and bred in West End. My family the Streets go back to 1850 and ran Heathermead Nursery.
What a wonderful village and has barely changed at all.
There Must be People Still There
Whatever happened to all the guys and gals I went to school with?? Born 1965, I went to Tringham and Westend Middle School, Winston Churchill and graduated in 1982. I'm Andy Barnett, formerly of Malthouse Lane. I used to know nearly everyone around the village. Surely there's people who have been to this site who remember me. I left for the United States back in 1988. The working mens club, Wheatsheaf and everyone who used the Hare and Hounds from 1984 to date should know me. I'm interested in catching up with anyone who would care to reply, email me at starlite_andy@hotmail.com
Surrey memories
Happy Childhood.
Because my father, and later on my mother and brother, shot at Bisley, every summer holiday was spent on the ranges. We would catch a train to Woking, then another to Brookwood and then board the "Bisley Bullet" which would take us to The Ranges. The last time the Bullet ran, we all put pennies on the line and the little engine ran over them and flattened them.
At first we hired a caravan and then we bought a big family tent to stay in. I loved it there, with all that open space to play in. I remember spending my pocket money in Gale and Polden's marquee and drinking delicious chocolate Horlicks in the Horlicks' Marquee. I first went there when I was about three years old, in 1950. The last time was when I was a young married mother.
My father, a retired Naval Officer, became secretary to the TA rifle club and sadly died at Bullet lodge in 1972. He had been a great shot... Read more
Bisley School 1937-1941
I was a pupil from 1937 until 1941 when I left to go out into the wide wide world and I always said that we went in to the Bisley Schools as boys and very soon became men as many of us went into the services and made a mark for us the rest of our lives Where are they all now?
The schooling was second to none as I have looked back and it helped us on our way to be self-reliant, and my children I know have learnt from my life.
I was in the 'IRONSIDES', one of the four houses in the seniors, and our dormitory was in the top right of the photo and my bed behind the second window from the right.
I have certainly learnt a lot from my life
John
