Where Is This? No.79

Published on: 16 Oct, 2013
Updated on: 16 Oct, 2013

By David Rose

Many correctly identified Booker’s Tower as featured in the mystery vintage photo last week. That image must date back to the 1870s, I think.

Thanks for all you comments that can be seen at the foot of the post. Click here to read. I can add that Charles Booker lived in Quarry Street and was a corn merchant and miller at the Town Mills. He was also a Guildford town councillor supporting the Whig party and later the Liberals. He was three times mayor.

After the death of his two sons, both at the age of 15, he was determined to build something as a memorial to them. He leased 40ft of land, then known as Cradle Fields, near The Mount, from a Dr James Steadman, and had the tower built in 1839.

Flags were flown from the tower until the cemetery was consecrated in 1856. It was known locally a ‘Booker’s Folly’.

It’s said that he would invite frinds to join him at the top of the tower where they would watch the ‘Woking railway’. Presumably, they stood there looking north hoping to catch a glimpse or a puff of smoke several miles away from the then new-fangled steam locomotives than ran on the London to Southampton line via Woking Common station. This would have been before the railway came to Guildford in 1845.

He died on May 18, 1841, age 71, and is buried in Holy Trinity Churchyard. There is a wall plaque in memory of him and his wife Harriet, inside the church.

More details in my book Guildford Our Town (published by Breedon Books in 2000).

And the ‘quirky’ picture seen last week is the top of the Thai Terrace restaurant in Sydenham Road. Some of you got that one right. A late reply from the Stanniforth brothers of cycle shop Pedal Pushers also correctly identified the view. But Martin Giles and I were in the shop this afternoon (Tuesday) and I can only say I gave them a further clue! And as I said to them, we’d love to present them with a prize of a speedboat for their continued observations to these mystery photos, but among all the fashion stores and tea shops in Guildford, there ain’t any boat chandlers in the High Street!

For newer readers of this column, there is a long-running joke about us offering a prize similar to those given away in the 1980s TV quiz show Bullseye, hosted by Jim Bowen. Back then the top prizes were always something like the latest design in caravans or speedboats. All I can say is, play your cards right, hope that Bernie the bolt’s aim is true and keep you eyes firmly on the Generation Game’s conveyor belt, and you might get lucky!

Do you know where this place of worship is? Hasn’t changed much.

Okay, on to this week’s images. The vintage one is of a place of worship. Do you recognise it? As a clue, it stands quite close to where the Surrey Ad once had its print works and HQ.

Have you seen this golden boot, somewhere in Guildford High Street?

And the ‘quirky’ photo is of a golden boot. The clue here is that it is in the High Street and above a shoe shop no less.

Also, there has been two more replies to Where Is This? No77. One from John Lomas and the other from my good friend Simon Vine. They made some interesting comments about the Bridge Cafe and other goings on in the area at Ladymead now occupied by B&Q, Homebase and other stores. Click here to view.

If you know the answers to this week’s, and perhaps have some comments to make, please leave a reply in the box below. All replies will be posted at about the same time next week, along with a new post with the answers to this week’s vintage photo and quirky picture, and the next pair of images.

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