Nostalgic memories of Cobham's local history

Share your own memories of Cobham 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 Memories 11 - 17 of 17 in total

My grandfather owned the shop when it was a grocers shop from the early 1950s to the early 1970s. I vividly remember sitting in the shop while he served customers. Dad used to deliver goods to customers on a trade bike. Although we no longer live in Cobham, it still makes us very nostalgic when we drive past nowadays but it is strange to see the shop as a cottage again.
In the 1950s the Railton Mobil Special with which John Cobb had taken the world land speed record in 1947 was displayed in the showroom. Reid Railton, the car's designer, was associated with Thompson & Taylor. The garage was also an Alfa Romeo dealership and to see beautiful red Guilietta coupe's in the showroom with 5 gears, twin overhead cam engines and twin carburettors in the 1950s when my mother stopped for petrol in her 3 gear sidevalve Ford Anglia was a schoolboy's dream.
My grandfather was born in Cobham on Painshill. My memory is that it was on a slight hill with a slight bend, the Greenline bus used to stop near the old home, it was a cottage with a porch and had a very thick door with big locks on it. I have a photo of my great-gran standing at the gate. My great-great-grandfather was a pit sawyer, in the 1881 cencus it has him as a lawyer, but I remember seeing the pit ...see more
Does anyone remember the little sweet shop on the Tilt.  I do, and remember walking home from St Andrew's School in Cedar Road, along the little alley onto Stoke Road, across to the Fire Station and up towards the Running Mare.  The  little shop sold sweets and ice lollies and buttons!  The Frith photo is great, it shows the cottage that was the shop and is now a cottage again.
My mother Joyce Stannard worked at the shop in this picture in the foreground with the canopy next to the wine merchants. When she started it was a little wool shop owned by Miss Wright - she sold it to the Norman's who expanded and did dress design upstairs. My brother Nigel and I attended the Infants school in Hoggs Hill Lane followed by the Primary School which was behind this row of shops. There was a ...see more
My father, Capt. F.C. Dyer used to play the organ at Hatchford Church until his death in 1950. It was a pump organ and Bubbles was the name of the hunchback who pumped the organ. We lived in the Semaphore Tower up on Chatley Heath and would walk down through the woods and through Hatchford Park to the Church every Sunday for the Church Service. Capt. Dyer is buried in the third grave (unmarked) from the south ...see more
I believe the white building to the centre left in picture is the Thompson & Taylor garage. I worked there briefly (about 1 year), the manager then was a Huw Edwards? I think, but the name of T & T was very well known in motor racing circles & particularly with the nearby Brooklands motor racing circuit. There was a huge old car Napier Railton I think, memory going, which was kept in the showroom & ...see more