Help Needed Identifying Faces From The Past And A Lost Film

Published on: 8 Feb, 2016
Updated on: 8 Feb, 2016

By David Rose

Here are some old photographs recently emailed to me with requests for names and details of the people seen in them.

Stoke School football team. You can see some of the names written below the picture. Click to enlarge in a new window.

First up is a football team from Stoke School and supplied by Shirley West. She says: “This was sent to me this evening it would be good to get some info on it. I am sure your followers would love it.”

You will see names of the players beneath the picture. It has also recently been published on Ben Darnton’s Guildford Town Past & Present Facebook group page with several comments. Chris Smith added the picture there.

Perhaps Dragon readers can add some more details.

Who’s the Guildford City FC mascot and the referee? Click to enlarge in a new window.

The second photo shows a Guildford City Football Club mascot, probably dating from the early 1960s? Who is he? And can anyone name the referee?

The picture was supplied by Alan Wyle, a keen fan of today’s Guildford City.

Thirdly, some photographs from a wartime pageant play called This Precious Stone.

It was written by Guildford town Labour councillor and mayor Leslie Codd (who was the publicity manager at Guildford Co-op), and billed as “the history of the ancient town of Guildford, but also popular entertainment which includes music, singing, dances, comedy, drama, fantasy and pageantry”.

A taven scene from This Precious Stone. Click to enlrage in a new window.

I previously featured a story about this play in 2004 during my 13-year tenure of editing the Surrey Advertiser’s From the Archives page.

The play was performed at Guildford Technical School in 1944 and involved a good deal of young local people. It was directed by Eileen Thorndike, sister of the acclaimed actress Sybil.

Another scene from This Precious Stone. Click to enlarge in a new window.

Leslie Codd had some excellent contacts with the Labour Party and on the Sunday following the final stage performance a crew from the Workers’ Film Association came down to Guildford and filmed it in colour being performed at locations in and around Guildford. Many of those young people who performed it on stage were in the film version.

It was premiered in London in 1946 to guests that included national politicans and six municipal mayors. It was later shown at Guildford Technical College, but since then it seems to have disappeared.

Advertisement for the showing of the film This Precious Stone. Click to enlarge in a new window.

Despite my appeals back in 2004 for anyone who may know of its whereabouts no-one came forward. Perhaps someone will now?

These pictures were supplied by Jan Welsman, whose father was in it. She says he never saw the film as he was soon to go off to war.

If you have any comments to add, please leave a reply in the box below.

Responses to Help Needed Identifying Faces From The Past And A Lost Film

Keith Earle Reply

February 9, 2016 at 1:23 pm

The GCFC mascot is me, Keith Earle, age 10.

The match was a home game verses Wimbledon in the 1967/68 season (a Southern League premier game).

I was also a mascot in Guildford City’s famous FA Cup run against Brentford and Newport County in the same season.

I am presently a season ticket holder at GCFC.

Up the City!

[David Rose: Very pleased we have sorrted that one out so quickly. You and Alan Wyle must know each other!]
Dave Middleton Reply

February 9, 2016 at 3:13 pm

A bit of a long shot, but have you tried contacting the British Film Institute? They may have a copy somewhere in their archives.

[David Rose: thanks for the suggestion. I will try to make contact.]
George Trask Reply

February 9, 2016 at 3:15 pm

I recognise Mr Johnny (Dinger) Bell in the Stoke School photo.

When was it taken?

I was at Stoke from 1950 to 1955, but don’t know any of the boys though.

[David Rose: not sure of the date, sorry.]
Joan Mead Reply

February 10, 2016 at 11:29 am

The goalkeeper in the Stoke School photo was my cousin Raymond Young.

The family lived in Onslow Road and he would have been 15 in 1950.

Sadly, he passed away in 2003.
George Trask Reply

February 12, 2016 at 5:49 pm

I have just had another good look at the Stoke team and noticed that there is a date on the football which is 1948.

I spoke to a friend, Mike Flowers, who can recall seven of them. He also said that P.Ward is still around.
Michael Flowers Reply

February 15, 2016 at 4:42 pm

I bet they won a lot of matches with Nobby Knight in the team – he was a great player.

Ray Young was a good goalkeeper as well.

Mr Bell had some talent to choose from.
Alan Hammond Reply

February 26, 2016 at 10:49 am

Peter Smith lived in Recreation road. I was in his class in 1947 – 1949.
Cecil Greenfield Reply

March 6, 2016 at 3:37 pm

During the war years I lived in Merrow and attended at Merrow School and later at Guildford Tech.

I took part in two of the scenes of the pageant play and thoroughly enjoyed doing so. I also took part in the filming – if I remember rightly it was done on 16mm.

Ken Ruddock who played a major part was one of my friends.

Later I worked for Leslie Codd at the Co-op.

I would like to make contact with his son Brian who I knew quite well; mention was made that he lives in Wonesh – I will be staying at Wonesh when I go UK in a couple of weeks time.