Nostalgic memories of Ash's local history
Share your own memories of Ash and read what others have said
For many years now, we've been inviting visitors to our web site to add their own memories to share their experiences of life as it was when the photographs in our archive were taken. From brief one-liners explaining a little bit more about the image depicted, to great, in-depth accounts of a childhood when things were rather different than today (and everything inbetween!). We've had many contributors recognising themselves or loved ones in our photographs.
Why not add your memory today and become part of our Memories Community to help others in the future delve back into their past.
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Displaying all 10 Memories
this was residence once then I think it went into a police station.
I became a volunteer to serve at front desk. then all small stations were brought out so it was then closed
does anyone have any other stories
Lovely memories of Ash Church.
I lived near the Greyhound in May Crescent, Val Watson. I remember when I was a kid the hunt used to leave from there. Dont agree with fox hunting but it was something to see all the dogs and riders. Lovely old pub visited when I went home in 2007.
The Lyon Brewery is still there on the lefthand side. The Nightingale, further down the road, closed in 2006 and became an Indian restaurant, big pity as was a lovely pub.
I was told that the Queen was in the area to meet the regiment that was in situ on Fox Hill when war broke out. Because the road up to the hill was in a bad state due to being just a track , the army put down a concrete road up one side and down the other taking weeks to complete it and the the Queen went up, saluted the army, and came back down - apparently taking 15 minutes in total. All the locals were in dismay about the whole thing at the time.
Mr Hogsflesh built Hillside Farm, Ash. The tree hides the farm house up the drive behind the white gates. Then Mr Maurice Scard bought the bungalow in 1954 and his wife still lives there. The farm was across the road - now it is Fairview Estate. The small, tiny bungalows next door were demolished in 1960 and new semi detached houses were built in their place. Hillside farm has a celler underneath where the milk was stored to keep cool for selling.
I lived in the house in the foreground of this picture, known as Hartshorn, from 1960 to 1964. The barn just visible on the left was our garage. The house itself was alleged to be an Elizabethan hall house and every room upstairs had a floor at a different angle to the others as each was put in separately. There was a bread oven in one room and a huge open fireplace in the other with a tiny ...see more
This used to be our local pub. Many a night spent throwing money at the jukebox and into the pool table. I was sprung for being 16 but still allowed to buy lager (cheers!!) LOL!! It's a chain pub now and has some kind of Big Steak restaurant attached. Such a shame.
My father's family lived in the cottage with the arched windows next door to the post office. The house was named Apsley Cottage. My grandfather Henry Briggs was a career soldier in the Royal West Surrey Regiment. He served in the regiment from 1896 until 1919. He was also a range warden of the Ash ranges. I spent many happy days in the cottage during my school summer holidays.
At the age of nine, I had to come and live with my mother's parents, Albert and Emily Warner, at 3 Church Path (pair of cottages now pulled down, but their well - (what wonderfully tasting water, drawn up with a bucket) still remains now in the front garden of the house occupying part of the site. The reason for my evacuation from Colgate, near Horsham, was that the flat we all lived in caught fire very early one morning ...see more