THIS week, we take a look at bygone Byfleet and West Byfleet.
Peeps reader Alan Fairlie has kindly supplied plenty of details of the shops and buildings that are featured on the lovely print and multi-view postcard reproduced here.
The print looks to date from the late 1950s or early 1960s and shows what is known as West Byfleet Corner, where Parvis Road becomes Old Woking Road.
Byfleet is to the left, past St John’s Church, and Woking to the right. Lloyds Bank, on the right of the picture, is still there. The confectioner/tobacconist was, at some time in the 1950s, owned by former professional footballer Bill Dodgin. This was possibly where Mr Summers (also spelled Somers) previously had his grocers shop.
To the left again is Tylers the wine merchants, and then school uniform outfitter George Wenn. At the extreme left would have been Garnett Jones, the draper that supplied the local Father Christmas each December.
The picture top left on the multi-view postcard, shows the Clockhouse, which was run as a trust for older people. I remember going there to sing carols and take young people for a Sunday evening service and to entertain the residents.
To the right in this view you can make out a few shops. And on the left is a car outside the Blue Anchor pub, which made Byfleet infamous when there was a murder there many years ago.
The centre picture features St Mary’s Church. One of the choirboys was yours truly. My voice broke two weeks after I became head choir boy. The church records are reputed to go back to 1310. The church’s land was on the border of the ancient Windsor Forest.
The scene shown bottom left on the postcard is the Mill House, the last property before you reach Byfleet Manor House, along the road in the photo. A sign on the wall by the railings reads “Bluegates Hole and Manor House only”.
The Plough Corner road junction is the subject of the photograph at the bottom right of the postcard, and is taken looking east.
The Royston Chase Hotel, unseen, would have been on the left. And the shops immediately ahead would have been, from left, Freelands (just in the photo) then, set back, greengrocers Jack Curtain, Hills butchers, a grocers (possibly named Pullens) and chemist Webbs, now Boots. And then there was Binfield Bakery, recently closed.
The white building is the Plough pub, and then after a gap can be seen what was the gas showrooms, with the Midland Bank next door.
The photograph top right on the postcard shows the Wey Navigation, possibly looking downstream from Dodds Bridge, which brings you out to Pyrford Road.
If you have memories or old pictures relating to the Woking area and its people which you would like to contribute to this page, call David Rose on 01483 838960, or write to the News & Mail.