Where Is This? No.129

Published on: 2 Oct, 2014
Updated on: 2 Oct, 2014

By David Rose

Well done to all those who correctly identified the demolition of the old railway bridge and the installing of the new one at the foot of Woodbridge Hill, as seen in last week’s vintage photo.

Click here to see last week’s post and all the replies at the foot of it with lots of extra detail.

I was surprised that a number of readers either knew or worked out that the suit of armour can be found in the garden of the Kings Head pub in Quarry Street. It can be seen from Castle Street – but the best view is from the first floor of the office of the Guildford Volunteer Centre in Castle Street! I get to see that as I go there as part of my job as co-ordinator of the Joining In! project that supports community development in Westborough and Park Barn!

But on to this week’s images.

A Guildford street scene from the early 1900s. Do you know where?

The vintage photo is a section cropped from a picture postcard of the early 1900s. I think the name of the store will aid all those who know Guildford of yesteryear. Do you know which street this is?

Do you know where this is?

The quirky photo features a porthole window. Do you know which building it is and where it can be found?

Last week I mentioned that I am running a bit short of locations for quirky photos. John Lomas emailed with several suggestions which I will follow up, and while out in the town on Wednesday morning I photographed a few more – some fairly easy, one or two a bit more difficult. So, watch this space for those…

And I have also recently been emailed some rather good railway photos from the 1960s. Some of those will be featured here.

If you know the answers to this week’s and can perhaps add some extra facts, please leave a reply in the box below. They will be published at about this time next week along with two more mystery images.

Responses to Where Is This? No.129

Alan Cooper Reply

October 2, 2014 at 10:01 am

I believe that to be North Street just before Market Street
John Lomas Reply

October 2, 2014 at 1:53 pm

Gammons drapers on North Street / Market Street corner, now French Connection on the corner and east in the next unit uphill, a store I rememmber entering many times with my mother, a seamstress.

I have a memory of an overhead cash transfer system taking cash from the counters to the cashier and bringing back receipts and change, this was a forerunner of the pneumatic system which Harvey’s installed in their store.

There were a number of arrangements like this, one used a spherical container which was rolled between rails across the stores, I saw one of those in a Fred Dibnah programme possibly at Beamish Co-op store, and another used a basket supended from wires.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcFUE3n7p1U
I think Gammons’ was one of those.

The quirky picture is Friary Court where Milbrook passes under the building just before the bottom of the High Street hill. The photgrapher is probably stood on the pavement behind the railings close to the river bridge approach.
Ray Springer Reply

October 2, 2014 at 2:55 pm

The early 1900 picture is of North Street on the corner of Market Street where Gammons store stood for years.

The quirky picture with the round window is Friary Court at the bottom of the High Street in Millbrook, opposite the town bridge.
Ian Plowman Reply

October 2, 2014 at 9:36 pm

Gammons was in North Street Market street in the back ground. I remember the vaccum pipe system in the store that took the money from the cash desk to the back office
Mike Dillon Reply

October 3, 2014 at 3:37 pm

North Street / Market Street on left.
Vic Moseley Reply

October 3, 2014 at 4:33 pm

This picture is Gammons Ltd. on the corner of Market Street and North Street near the underground public conveniences, and opposite the old Theatre Royal. I can remember they had a overhead cash system from the tills to the cash office above the shop.
Bernard Parke Reply

October 3, 2014 at 4:47 pm

GAMMONS,

Corner of Market Street and North Street.

I remember the rather dapper buyer in the menswear department.

He was Mr Frew, whose son I seem to remember married into the Sparrow family.

Mr Frew lived with his wife on Woodbridge Hill.

Harold Gammon the founder of the store, although a Methodist did much to help The fledgling Salvation Army here in Guildford from The attacks of The Skeleton Army.

A devise sponsored by publicans who felt that the tea total army would ruin their trade.

Harold Gammon took rigorous steps by petitioning the then Home secretary to force the Mayor to give protection to the salvationists.

The other photograph is Friary Court which is visible when driving towards the Electric Theatre.
margaret cole Reply

October 6, 2014 at 9:57 am

This Gammons Store was on the corner of North Street and Market Street. When I was a young girl in the 50’s I would shop in there and see the money going to the cashier in overhead pneumatic pods and come back to the counter with the change and receipt. Fascinating.
The porthole window is in Friary Court building at the bottom of High Street straddling Millbrook and is an upmarket Office complex
Brian Holt Reply

October 6, 2014 at 9:02 pm

1. Gammons. Large drapery store was situated on the corner of North Street and Market Street.

I remember going shopping there with my mother a few times, and when you paid your bill you could see your cash being put in a capsule, and whiz around the store on a rail that hung from the ceiling to the cash office and wait for your change to come back in it.

The Gammon family were not only respected traders in the town but did much for the welfare of Guildfordians and the churches in general. The founder, J.F.Gammon died in 1916.

2. The High Street end of Friary Court, near the town bridge and at the end of Millbrook.
Doug and Bill Stanniforth Reply

October 7, 2014 at 3:57 pm

The first picture is Gammons department store on the corner of North Street and Market Street. It was a higgledy-piggledy building with steps rather like Fawlty Towers. It also had one of those pneumatic money tube systems. The building later became a Bernie Inn (anyone remember them?)

The second picture is Friary Court on Millbrook just opposite Plummers [now Debenhams] department store. We wonder why there have been two major department stores yet neither sold speedboats?

[We received a report that you were spotted recently in adjoining baths, soaping up your torsos. You had a rubber ducks, a cool submarine and, of course, a speed boat. You seemed very happy in the warm water with loads of bubbles and your toys.

Then, you got dragged out of the bath, thrown outside and were told never to go back to B&Q. Can this be true? Ed]
Chris Townsend Reply

October 7, 2014 at 5:41 pm

The vintage photo is of North Street, with James Fielder Gammon’s outfitters’shop on the top corner of Market Street. The business started in Guildford in 1878, with the present building of 1895 designed by Henry Peak. Gammon’s closed in 1967. The Imperial Temperance Hotel was on the lower corner of Market Street at the time of the photo until about 1920.

The quirky photo is of Friary Court, next to wagamama at the foot of High Street.
Mary Hutton Reply

May 26, 2019 at 2:03 pm

This is Gammon’s departmental store, North Street, Guildford. I worked in the drapery department cutting lengths of material from long rolls (yards, feet and inches in those days!) during the summer holidays from college (around the years 1962-65).