Wh Newson

A Memory of Reigate.

On the right is Rushworth Road. When I joined WH Newson they occupied the land that is now the Canon office and Homebase. Newson's was a timber merchants with sheds full of timber, boards, fencing products etc.. Customers would come in, see one of the staff who'd accompany them to the yard and start collecting their items.
I'd just left Reigate Grammar and was living in Raglan Close with my parents. We used to drink at the Bulls Head in Reigate on a Friday / Saturday too. Newsons was run by a larger than life chap whose name escapes me. Morris someone? Staff would occasionally go to his home to spend the day doing DIY or whatever.
My manager there, Rick Beard and I would stroll over to the railway sidings and hard standing and race our radio controlled cars on the redundant British Rail owned area after work (sometimes during!) It was a large expanse of concrete the remains of which, are still visible if you go to the far end of the Homebase car park. You could walk all the way from there parallel to the train tracks, to the shabby shops fronting London Road.
I remember a cafe there (bacon butties on those cold winter mornings). In the photo above, it may have been one of those on the right. Maybe two or three up from Rushworth Rd?
The Newsons land was sold and next thing we knew it was a Texas Homecare and an office block. Then Texas became Homebase and here we are in 2012. You know what makes me most nostalgic. Standing outside the shop on London Road chatting, eating the butty, and not really noticing any traffic. Try pulling out of Rushworth Road now!!!