West Molesey memories
Here are memories of West Molesey and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of West Molesey or a West Molesey photo.
Molesey 'Mole's Eye'
I believe the town got its name from the merging of the rivers Mole, Ember & Thames (forming the shape of an eye - hence 'Moles Eye'. I was born at the Bearsted hospital in Hampton in 1949 and from Kingston in 1951 came to live in Molesey in a brand new house until I left the town to get married in 1972. I went to Cherry Orchard infants, Church Rd for boys and later Rivermede in West Molesey, finally I ended up at Ray Rd School where I left in 1963. There used to be two cycle shops in Molesey, one was run by an older French lady until it closed and the other was WS Patching which finally closed some years ago, I got to know David Patching personally through a church we both went to. There was a flower shop in East Molesey that was known as the Button Hole and became associated in a small way with one of the Great... Read more
Seems so Long Ago
I have so many fond memories of West Molesey. Although I can't remember the exact year - we moved into Molesey when I was very small. My dad - Mick Darragh - was a butcher in the shop directly opposite St. Peter's church and we lived above the shop. I remeber the Fish and Chip shop run I believe by George and his wife??? and Bata shoe shop run by Bob. To the rear of the shops was a large area which we called the allotment (which subsequently became The Summers and Langdown Care homes. I went to Sunnymede infant school and later Runnymede Junior School. I remember Ray Road - but I actually went out of area to Rydens. Some years after moving to Molesey, we moved into a new house in Down Street - where my Mum still lives. My most powerful memory of Down Street was the year when we got flooded (sorry - not sure of the actual year). The Army... Read more
A Touch of Nostalgia
I can remember going to school at Molesey County Secondary Boys School, I can remember a few of the names of the kids in my class. I also remember the Pond Stores in Beachamp Road where you could buy 2 Park Drives cigarettes in a pack and nip behind the cycle racks in Ray Road. Although I resided in East Molesey I was of that breed what they did in West Molesey we could do better. I remember a David Fairminer, he must be a relative of Trevor. I can remember also a chap called Roger luff whose dad was the local baker with his own shop near the corner of Kent Road next to Collisons the opticians. Myself, I entered the R N and served in subs and surface ships and saw a bit of the world and managed to crawl up the hawse pipe and achieve commissioned rank. So there was life outside Molesey after all. Colin A
Further Shops Opposite St Peters Church
There was a cycle shop (but I am not sure when this opened), there was a hardware store near to the vicarage. Goulds Phamacy was on the corner between Stevens sweet and newspaper shop and the Butchers. A tobacconists was the other side of the Stevens's shop. There was also a Café, a Bata shoe shop, a ladies hairdresser, a community club? (My late Mother used to play bingo there). The last shop in the parade I cannot remember what it was or sold in those days but later it became a DIY type shop selling decorating items and such like. Yes I well remember Father John Yeend, a great man, his death was such a loss to the West Molesey community. I was born in Bearsted Maternity Hospital opposite Hampton court Green in November 1950 and lived in West Molesey from 1950 to 1973. I went to the 3 local schools there. (The infants school on the corner of the High Street and Priory Lane, the Junior school next... Read more
West Molesey in The 1960s
Can anyone remember the shops opposite St Peter's Church, West Molesey or did you work in them? To name a few: Mitchells greengrocer, Tesco the Modern Grocer, Marchall H Dixon, butcher, Stevens newsagent, Regent Fisheries, next to the Royal Oak pub, Millers Confectioner. It would be interesting to hear from you. I worked at and managed Tesco in the 1960s or perhaps you may remember the vicar, Father John Yeend, it would be good to hear from you.
Memories of Surrey
Molesey Pictures
My nan was the usherette at Molesey Picturehouse.She then became manager and stayed there until it was knocked down. This was next to Roberts radio. Does anybody remember her?
Feltham Avenue Near Hampton Court Bridge
I cannot be certain but I have vague recollections that there was an iron arch with gates in this road. It could be from my imagination but I often have flashbacks about cycling with friends to Feltham Avenue and cycling through the gates. Does anyone know if this arch was in this road or was it a dream?
Lawrence Family in East Molesey
On a holiday from Australia, today my husband and I visited East Molesey & Hampton Court.
My mother's paternal family were the Lawrence's - Edward was a master butcher and had a shop in 156 Walton Road (now a carpet shop) and their residential address in 1916 was 61 Walton Road. Edward's brother James also worked with him. Edward was my great grandfather.
A cousin John Lawrence owned 2 properties at 12 River Bank where he lived in the 1900's. He was born in 1914 and died sometime after 1985. He owned three antique shops in Bridge Road and had a stall at Portobello Road Markets. He was an artist/painter and grew native plants on a community plot that were used in his magnificent dried flower arrangements that often were found in the antique shop windows. I visited him at 12 River Bank in 1985 and could not get over the antiques that filled every crook and nanny in this home. He was... Read more
Feltham Avenue, East Molesey, Surrey
I remember Feltham Avenue very well, I grew up there with my younger brothers. I remember playing on the avenue with the other children that lived there, my brother and his friend "borrowing" garden gnomes from elderly residents . The miners strike, we all went to each others houses to tell spooky tales by candle light, the flooded River Thames just reaching the end of the road, parties, pet shows to raise money for the Puffin Club, drama group and Mr Bexham dressing up as Father Christmas.
My Life on Weston Green
I was born in Weston Green, my parents having lived at Maisonette, Weston Green. My grandfather Charles Dobson was the local baker and lived on the green in the house on its own called The Lodge which was where the cricket was played. I used to watch it from my grandmother's back yard. She had ducks and hens and used to hire out horses to people, but I was not born at that time, I only remember the ducks etc. My great-grandfather built all of the Jubilee Villas on Weston Green Road opposite the cricket pitch. The bake-house was on the other side of the road and my grandfather's sister used to run the Greyhound pub with her husband, Frank Walthew.
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