Tadworth 1943 1957
A Memory of Tadworth.
I was born over the shop at 1, High Street, then a MacFisheries where my Grandad was the manager until he retired at the end of October, 1956. We stayed there, with the shop closed, until moving to Downland Way, Tattenham Corner in 1958. Mum worked at R.J. Chapple (have I got the spelling right?) where she was the counter clerk at the sub-Post Office until she retired. The shops in the High Street that I remember were an ironmonger and hardware shop next door (run by Mr. Pigeon [spelling?]], then a grocers (the Valentis were the only people there that I can recall), followed by a newsagent (Mathie I can remember) and lastly at the other end of the terrace, a sweetshop and tobacconist (pass!). There was then a dentist in the neighbouring house and going round the corner into Tower Road, a chemist and an establishment run by SEGAS; was it a show room? I'm unable to remember who ran the chemist shop but I do, just, remember Mr. Graham at the gas place. He rode what was then called an autocycle, a small species of motorbike which was activated by pedalling. They had engines of about 98cc, roughly twice that of a moped. I know that he liked cigars, because Grandad had boxes of these, (as well as cigarettes) given to him at Christmas and he'd pass them on to him.
Going on down the High Street, there was a furnishing store and it seemed to me to be a very rare occurence to see anyone in there. Adjoining this was what my Gran called "The Cook Shop" and it was usual to see red Hall & Co.'s coal lorries as well as green municipal vehicles in the employ of Banstead UDC outside whilst their crews enjoyed a "cuppa". Going on towards the cross roads, there was a semi-circular (corrugated iron, I think) building set back from the road, this being something to do with the Christian Scientists and behind this were a couple of tennis courts and some allotments, of which Grandad had one. Lastly there were some premises known as "the Scent Factory", comprising two brick buildings, one large and a much smaller one which appeared to be disused and which had the appearance of having been a cottage at some time. At the crossroads and opposite the High Street, there was a police box, the light on top of which could sometimes be seen flashing (summoning Dr. Who?) and next to this an air raid siren on top of a substancial pole.
Traffic in the roads was then was, of course, so very much lighter and it was quite a shock, some decades ago and long after I'd moved away from the area, to find traffic lights had been installed. Even the pillarbox by the parade of shops had been changed from an Edwardian one.
I do hope that I've not bored anyone but would like to hear from anybody who may remember me - I went to school at Walton-on-the Hill Infants' and C. of E. Junior and later Picquets Way, Banstead, now "upmarketed" to Nork park.
Best wishes, Bill Armstrong
Add your comment
You must be signed-in to your Frith account to post a comment.
Add to Album
You must be signed in to save to an album
Sign inSparked a Memory for you?
If this has sparked a memory, why not share it here?
Comments & Feedback
The ironmonger in “The Parade” was Ernest Pidgeon and he had a daughter Sandra. She married Stan Kay the son of the local fishmonger. So far as I’m aware Sandra died aged about 46, most probably from cancer.
The newsagents where your mum worked was R G Chappell.
I went to St Hilda’s School in Tadworth Street and also went to Picquet’s Way prior to passing the 13 Plus, so I may well have known you.
Best Wishes
Chris Rosenberg
Yes, you did know me; we were both in classes 1A and 2A at Picquets Way, form teacher "Dolly" Ripon. I remember that you collected fag packets (an unusual past-time) and that you looked for them on the top deck of the 406 and 406A buses that terminated at Tadworth station. You also had a number 8 Meccano set (grr!! mine was only a 7) and that your Dad had a Talbot car - a lovely beast, c.1935? I seem to recall that your second name is Barry.
As you may know, your bungalow is no more, replaced by blocks of flats/maisonettes.
You are right about Sandra - she was a pretty girl, older than me by a few years and I still have a book that she gave me for Christmas in 1947. She's probably the reason that I like Sandra as a girl's name; it's my wife's second name and the first one of our eldest daughter. I met Stan a couple of years ago on one of my very rare visits to Tadworth and he was very kind by inviting me into where he lived, which is where I was born!
You're correct too about the name of the shop where my Mum worked, as mentioned, at the sub post office. Reg C. died in New Zealand, around 1957 I think it was.
I didn't pass the 13+ and I still recall the headshaking of my interviewers. "How many are there in a cricket team?" was one question. How the hell was I to know that? I had no interest whatsoever in cricket (I regard watching it as a certain cure for insomnia) nor football. Well, I reasoned that as there are eleven in a football team (about all that I knew then, or indeed, now about the game) it couldn't be the same number, so I suggested thirteen. There followed a chorus of tuts.
"Who is your favoutite author?" was another question put to me during the inquisition. I suppose that I was supposed to say someting on the lines of W.E. Johns or Robert Louis Stevenson but I was much more familiar then with the works of other Stephensons, George and Robert and so I proffered the name of a well-known author of adult books about railways. My tormentors' eyebrows went towards the ceiling, accompanied by yet more grunts. I knew then that I'd failed in a BIG way!
And so it came to pass that I stayed at what is now grandly called The Beacon (unless it's undergone another identity change) and my last year was spent at West Ewell Secondary School where I sat "O" levels. Of all the classes in the school (which I thoroughly despised) mine was the only single sex one. Shame! Where did you go?
My interest in railways is undiminished and I now live on the outskirts of Kidderminster, quite a change from Bracklesham, my last abode. Yes, railways are to blame and before the lockdown, I did archiving at the local railway museum, which I'm now doing from home.
So, many thanks for getting in touch - it's so good to hear from a contemporary.
Best wishes,
Bill
You are correct, my middle name is Barry. You can find a photo containing the two of us at:
www.bansteadvillage.com/picture/number505.asp
My dad’s car to which you refer was a Talbot LONDON a 65 or a 75 with a pre-selector gearbox. It carried a two letter, followed by four numerals, registration; so, must have been registered around, or before, the year you indicated which was when the registrations format changed.
My younger brother and I did have a large and comprehensive collection of cigarette packets. It didn’t seem so odd in the days when lads collected cigarette cards, bookmatch packets, postage stamps, bus numbers and locomotive numbers etc. They were harmless pursuits and you could learn quite a bit from some of them, particularly the foreign stamps.
My non school (ie local) friends were:
John Knight, son of Mr & Mrs Knight who ran (owned?) the Willow Café
Ian Beresford Clarke who lived in the big house on the corner where the police callbox was
And Tony Smith who lived in High Street in the first house past the entrance to Tower Road. Tony’s dad had a well equipped machine shop in his garden and I used to earn some pocket money working at milling and turning for him. His dad also had a big car which I’m pretty sure was a Humber Super Snipe.
There was also a lad I knew on the opposite corner of Tower Road in the left hand semi I think just along from you. I can’t remember his name but you probably would have known him.
There was also a couple of women living in the big house, first on the right over the railway bridge. They had goats and sold goats milk which we would buy from them occasionally. Their name was Jute or Jupe or something sounding like that. Did you know them?
Best Wishes
Chris B Rosenberg