Teddy Boy Era

A Memory of Reigate.

I was born at the top of Reigate Hill (Mogador) and would catch the 406 bus every Saturday night to watch the latest films at the MAJESTIC cinema.

We would visit most of the local pubs in the area - Market / the Bell / The Queens /
The Sultan (this was opposite the Co Op), there was also the South Eastern, and the Locomotive' The Home Cottage we never used.

My girl friends father was George Pearman who was the foreman at Kennings garage between the Locomotive and Surrey Mirror buildings, in Ladbrook road.

Some Saturday nights we would visit the old Market hall in Redhill to watch a rock band which most nights ended in a fight with the local lads from Merstham.

The Ex-Servicemen's club was never in Redhill, but in Reigate where I still drink on most Saturday nights and still call out the bingo.

Our group of lads were called the Kingswood Cowboys, and our last port of call on Saturday nights would be the Market Hotel Reigate for our last pint, we would watch out for the last bus (406) which would stop outside the the White Hart, we would then run as fast as we could, up Tunnell Road to catch the bus, however the driver and conductor would be laughing and waving to us as it sped past us which resulted in a long walk home, not till after another drink at the Railway Hotel.

When I started driving (my car was an Austin A35) we could drive up Tunnell Road, and the High Street was both ways. We purchased our records from RHYTHMS in Church Street, and you could smell the home made coffee from two doors up. Opposite the Tunnell bus stop was Wray Park Motors (which sold Rolls Royce cars) also in the parade of shops was a cafe, and behind them was Reigate swimming baths .