Nostalgic memories of Dorking's local history
Share your own memories of Dorking 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.
Add a Memory!
It's easy to add your own memories and reconnect with your shared local history. Search for your favourite places and look for the 'Add Your Memory' buttons to begin
Displaying Memories 11 - 20 of 20 in total
During the second war my father Ronald Micheal Newell was moved from W.T.Henleys London office to Milton Court, Dorking. He told me that as an Electrical Estimator he was involved in working out the costs etc. for RADAR and PLUTO the oil pipeline from England to the Normandy beaches, also the Mulberry Harbours that were sent from England to France.
My first post as a carer on a holiday in the UK was in the house next door called Pixham Mill house. A lovely first impression coming from Australia. Exactly as I imagined a country home to be. You could see the mill house from the creek which ran down by the side of the property. Just lovely!
I worked in the Buying sction of W. T. Henleys as a Clerk for about two years before leaving to join another cable manufactring company at Leatherhead. I remember there being a very fine staircase in the building.
I started work for the first time on 31st December 1946 as a messenger in the Bridge Section of the Chief Civil Engineers Department of the Southern Railway. Our offices were situated on the whole of the top floor of the building. Then on the 1st January 1947 the railways were nationalised and I worked for the Railway Executive at Deepedene until I was called up for National Service in 1951.
My wife and I were married in this church on the 30th March 1957. I had spent most of the first twenty five years as a Sunday School member and later as a full member of the Methodist Church.
I love my home town of Dorking. I was born there in Lincoln Road in July 1939, five weeks before the start of WW2. We played in the street and used people's gate posts for rounders bases as there was not a car in sight. We roamed for miles in the beautiful surroundings and to the top of Boxhill as well games of tracking with arrows chalked along the many footpaths and alley ways. I attended Pixham school from ...see more
WOW, I never thought that I would see this post card again. Yes, that's me doing my weekend job as a waitress at the funky new Wimpy bar on Boxhill. My name was Vanessa Howard and I lived at Ismanola, Boxhill Road.
Reputed to be one of the first in the UK, locals, mods and rockers, and day trippers flocked to buy their Wimpy and Chips and Coffee, Knickerbocker Glory, Pepsi Cola in a glass bottle and all else Wimpy ...see more
The photo was taken from the railway bridge and the new dual carriageway was only a year or two old. Round to the right opposite Deepdene Garage was Fairfield Drive and what a lovely area it was to be growing up in. We lived at no 4, the Parsons at no 6 and the Skiltons at no 8 or 10, the Barrows were no 8 or 10, but it was many years ago. The road was full of baby boomers. The Cooke twins lived at no 26 and ...see more
My mother, Valerie Evans, worked for British Railways southern region from 1957 -1960 at Deepdene House. She was a shorthand typist and remembers Deepdene House to be a beautiful building with extensive grounds. She has happy memories of friends in the typing pool. The building hadn't changed much since 1891 although I don't believe there was a conservatory in 1957. During her lunch breaks she would play tennis, table tennis and netball or just sit out on the grass and enjoy the scenery.
These two ponies belonged to Dorking Riding School and they were popular characters with gentle dispositions. They retired in 1963 to good homes. Pepsi-Cola is in the foreground. I was a groom at the stables and regularly rode them around the area.
