Nostalgic memories of Godalming's local history
Share your own memories of Godalming 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.
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Displaying Memories 21 - 28 of 28 in total
My Grandfather, Hubert Blackwell, lived in Ivy Cottage with his mother and father, Mr Henry Alfted Blackwell, he was born in 1897. I have just looked up his First World War war records and he states his address as Ivy Cottage, Peperharrow Road. I knew he lived in Godalming, but that was it. It is lovely to see a picture of the road as he would have certainly seen it as it is shown in 1907. Did anyone know him?
My great-grandfather was a swimming instructor at Charterhouse. He lived in the last (?) house on the right, just before the lane leading to Charterhouse. The swimming pool was directly behind the back garden. Before this was built they used to swim in the River Wey which was accessed by a path opposite the lane. The remains of the wooden platform on the river bank still remain. His son took over the job when ...see more
My great-grandfather Walter Alfred BEARMAN was the 'pub manager' in 1908. He was married to Helen Mary Bearman and had been resident in Godalming for some time, the earliest I am aware of was 1899 when my grandfather's sister was born. Walter was originally the blacksmith in Godalming. There is a picture in the Frith gallery of two children standing on the streetside under the blacksmith sign. The two ...see more
My grandmother lived in Godalming at 20 Pound Lane, her name Annie Winter. She used to work in the Milk Bar in the High Street with a lady named Mrs Margaret Barnes. She did not die until 1977 and is buried alongside her husband Thomas Winter in Eashing Lane cemetery. She was a member of the deaf club. She had friends all over the place near to Godalming. Does anyone remember her? Margaret Finch
I lived my early years in Godalming, in a small house opposite the Salvation Army Hall in Mint Street. In the 1930s we moved to Peperharow Road. My father Ernest Covey was the Steward of Brookhall, Charterhouse for a number of years. I went into the Royal Engineers in 1937, as a Boy Soldier. I learned to swim in the Ginny and went to the Bell School. I found since, that Covey folks have lived in Godalming since the ...see more
I think it took place in 1818 opposite the church and what is now the Phillips Memorial, on the other side of the river . ( Llamas Lands?) The depression made in a horse shoe shape was where the crowd stood to watch the event! Each year, the Horseshoe, as we called it, flooded and froze and we all gathered to scate and slide on it. Was the Boarden bridge the only one there at that time? Still a ford, I think.
Hidden by or almost visible in the trees beyond the large house on the left is a small cottage or lodge, opposite the beginning of Busbridge Lane just visible behind and to the right of the people in the road. One morning during the war (WW2) a stray Doodlebug (Flying bomb) landed and exploded opposite this cottage and destroyed it. Minutes before, the occupants, adults and several children had left and gone ...see more
It was the summer of 1946 and we used to go swimming in the river at a spot called "The Ginny" which was up the road a little (towards the camera) on the opposite side of the road to these houses. This part of the river was used as a swimming pool by Charterhouse school. We, that is children from Busbridge School aged 10 to 11 years, were about to start at Meadrow Secondary School at the end ...see more