The View From Monument Green c1965, Weybridge
The View From Monument Green c1965, Weybridge Ref: W74097
Memories of The View From Monument Green c1965, Weybridge
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Weybridge & local memories
Read and share memories of Weybridge and Surrey inspired by Frith photos.
How I Gave up Smoking - in One Day!
I was born in 1934 at Weybridge in Surrey, close to where the River Wey joins the Thames, thus offering the dual attraction of open countryside and water - a totally irresistible combination to young boys set free from the heavy-handed restraining influence of fathers by the advent of the Second World Ware! For a few miles before joining the Thames, the Way comprised the original Wey Navigation, used for transporting barge loads of heavy goods via the Thames to London. Timber, coal, corn, flour, wood and even gunpowder were regularly moved up and down the waterway in the 16th and 17th centuries and during the war the canal was still in regular commercial use. The huge barges were pulled along the tow path by equally huge horses. We lads grew to love these gentle giants with their soft kind eyes and placid nature and we knew them all by name. They were stabled overnight in a large barn at Edwards Lock, where we helped to brush them down,... Read more
MONUMENT TO THE DUCHESS OF YORK
('Unknown', but somewhere in the region of 1825.) I saw this delightful Chantrey monument to the Duchess of York today in the belltower end of St. James's, Weybridge. The inscription is rather sad because, essentially, untrue. The sweet words supplied by the Duke of York are, put politely, an 'exaggeration' on his part. He was a decidedly unfaithful man to his longsuffering Prussian "consort". TMW
Eyot House.
I lived at Monument Green, Weybridge until 1948. During that time Eyot House was occupied by Lord and Lady May (of Bryant and May Matches). There was no bridge in those days, you had to ring a bell and a man brought a boat over to collect visitors. We used to go late at night to watch all the "posh" people arriving to house parties - we hid in the bushes! I live in Littlehampton now and would love to hear from anybody who remembers me (Eveline Swinbank) from St. James' School.
Heath House School
I remember seeing John Lennon and some of the other Beatles coming to pick up Julian Lennon from school. I was at Heath House School from 1961 until 1965, I'd love to catch up with some of the people that I was at school with then, or even see some pictures of Heath House, I remember the old 1920's cars that we were allowed to play in, and the old swimming pool, which seemed so big then.
Fire at The Mill
I grew up in Radnor Road where the small off-shoot of the Wey ran past our garden, we could see the back of the mill from the bottom of the garden. I remember one night after we had gone to bed when I was about 10'ish, in the late 1950s early 1960s, my parents waking my brother and me up and taking us to this footpath in the picture to watch the mill (linseed oil mill) burning. It was completely gutted, I can remember the heat from the fire even though we had the river between us, the locals all standing around and us children thinking it was all very exciting. I also remember being sent to the lock-keeper's shop to buy tea or sugar, it always seemed to be open. This part of the Wey was our playground and I remember spending most of my childhood walking along this footpath and playing, being chased off by the lock-keeper when we tried to walk across the wooden plank he had... Read more
When Weybridge 'Woolies' Opened!
'Woolworths' facia remained above their High Street premises throughout the Second World War with a 'Closed for the Duration' notice affixed to the boarded up windows. My mother regularly took me to the Kingston-on-Thames branch though so I, like most of the inhabitants of Weybridge, eagerly anticipated the 'Grand Opening' which I believe occurred sometime in 1946. A huge crowd gathered for the event and I had been given 'half a crown' to spend which in those days was a veritable fortune to a ten-year-old! Sweets like most worthwhile things were still rationed but I did buy some 'broken biscuits' which were served direct from glass-topped tins into a paper bag. Broken ones were much cheaper than 'whole' ones and kids didn't need to have a 'ration book' to purchase them! The crowds stayed all day and the schools closed because no one turned up! By far my biggest disappointment was to discover that, unlike the Kingston store, they didn't sell large mugs of steaming hot 'Horlicks'! Over the ensuing... Read more
Memories of A 'War Kid'
See my memory under "What did you do in the war, Granddad?' This pic shows the point on the Wey navigation featured in my 'Giving up smoking' story. The barn where the heavy horses were housed is still there, opposite the 'oil mills'. It is now a visitor centre.
Teenage Memories
I used to work in the little shop at the Boathouse selling icecreams & drinks.
I mastered the tippy canoe and learned to pole a punt. Uncle Sid (not my real uncle) and his boathouse hold great summer memories for me.
Happy Days
I used to cross this bridge every day (on foot or pushbike) to get to school at St James C of E School and then later on to work. Every journey started with this bridge.
Schooldays
I had a boy in my class at school who lived in this house. It always seemed very mysterious to me. Leslie Hoy, I wonder where you are now. We also used to swim regularly at the New Bridge a couple of hundred yards up from Eyot House. I remember the island the house is built on had a bridge connecting it to the tow path. It had a gate and you had to have a key to gain access to Eyot House.
Butlers Boat House
Looking at this picture reminded me of days we spent hiring a boat from Butlers boat house and going up the river to Walton-on-Thames. Good old days, won't see them again.
The Launderette
I remember this picture very well. Just down the road from Woolworths by the white car, was a Launderette (maybe it's still there). This Launderette was the first one ever introduced to the UK from America in 1959. As we had no washing machine or dryer, this place certainly changed our lives. I can remember one day I was with my brother Bernard waiting for the washing and as usual went to look for some mischief (this time in Woolies). On this particular day they were selling mousetraps for threepence each. Just for some fun we set each one (without cheese)!! and watched with great amusement as customers picked them up and nearly had their fingers broken. Naturally we got caught and received a well deserved clip round the ear by the store manager.
Dudley Piggott, Tbilisi, Georgia
My Grandma & Aunt
Some years ago I gave my mother a book of Old Weybridge photos for Mothering Sunday as this is where she was brought up.
Imagine her surprise, on seeing this picture of Queens Road in Weybridge, to realise that the two people on the far right were her mother and younger sister, Edith & Lesley Johnson. She recognised her mother instantly from the distinctive hat, which she is also wearing in my mother's wedding photos!
