Where Is This? No.141

Published on: 30 Dec, 2014
Updated on: 30 Dec, 2014

By David Rose

Calling all mystery picture addicts…. We’re back again after a slightly longer duration than usual for your replies. Christmas festivities, that included lots of food and drink and trips to sales, etc, are the general reasons why.

The Staniforth brothers (or should that be Speedyforth?) of Pedal Pushers (or perhaps Paddle Pushers) in Stoke Road may be interested to know that I got a speedboat in my Christmas stocking.

Not enough water in the Wey to launch it at present. Think the water will have to rise a long way up Woodbridge Hill before I can sail past Doug and Bill’s shop. But as the saying goes, the best days you have while owning a boat is the day you get it, and the day you sell it on…. so it may be theirs one day as a prize in this fun competition. No promises though!

The mystery vintage photo featured last time showed part of the Jellico-designed roof garden on the then Harvey’s store. Many recognised that and added comments. Click here to see last week’s post and all the replies.

Apologies to the regulars who correctly pointed out that we’ve also had that one before! My new year’s resolution must be to try to avoid that happening again.

The quirky photo is a piece of art that can be found in front of flats in Woodbridge Road, opposite the sports ground. Again, some of the replies add extra details. And to answer John Lomas, yes the Guildford Cricket Festival takes place each year. I don’t think a university side has played in it for many years. Part of the cricket week now includes a beer festival – as mentioned by David Atkinson in his reply.

So, on to this week’s mysteries…

Do you recognise where this is?

The vintage picture dates to the late 1920s or 30s. I have no idea why a carriage drawn by four horses, that looks like something out of the 18th century, was making it way down this main road on the outskirts of Guildford.

Note the council houses in the background, while the shop (one of a pair) on the left still stand. Behind where the carriage is there are now flats, built in about the late 1960s, I think. Do you recognise where this is?

Where can this Christmas tree be found?

The quirky photos shows what is probably Guildford’s highest placed Christmas tree. It won’t be on the top of the building for much longer this Christmas, but has been an annual fixture for some years now. Where can it be found?

If you know the answers and can perhaps add some details, please leave a reply in the box below. Replies and the answers, along with two more mystery images will be published at about the same time next week.

Responses to Where Is This? No.141

Bernard Parke Reply

December 31, 2014 at 2:26 am

Worplesdon Road opposite the new Sainsbury’s store.
John Lomas Reply

December 31, 2014 at 8:09 am

This time it is Worplesdon Road, the photo taken from just outside the Yellow Bus garage (today Sainsbury’s). Just to the right of the shop in the picture was an access to the recreation ground and in the 1940s/50s there was also a branch library along that lane.

I can’t remember what was on the spare land, could it have been allotments?
Chris Townsend Reply

January 1, 2015 at 5:23 pm

The vintage picture shows one of the shops on Worplesdon Road (built early 1930s I think) opposite the present Sainsbury’s, with the Shepherd’s Hill estate in the background.
Carolyn Mullen Reply

January 1, 2015 at 8:29 pm

It looks like the horse-drawn carriage picture was taken in Worplesdon Road. Stratton Court flats would now stand in front of the houses by the roadside. The shop is now T.J Plant and tool hire, and The Haven foundation charity shop which are opposite the new Sainsbury’s. It is really nice to see the horses and carriage on the road instead of all the traffic of nowadays!
Sheila Atkinson Reply

January 1, 2015 at 11:37 pm

I think the vintage picture was taken in Worplesdon Road, opposite the new Sainsbury’s.

The Christmas tree is on top of the insurance buildings opposite the fire station.
Ray Springer Reply

January 3, 2015 at 9:50 pm

This is Worplesdon Road near to the junction with Aldershot Road at Woodbridge Hill.
The shop in the picture is now a cafe.
Margaret Cole Reply

January 6, 2015 at 9:41 am

The horse carriage is coming down Worplesdon Road facing No.91 which was F. Andrews confectioners with No.89 Gilberts general stores, now a plant hire shop and charity shop, opposite to the new Sainsbury’s local store. You can see Shepperds Hill and Fentum Road behind the horses and the empty bit of ground where Stratton Court flats were built. But what were the horses doing there? Someone will know.

I believe the Christmas tree lights were on the Cornhill Insurance building in Ladymead, which is now Allianze Insurance PLC. No lights this year.
Doug and Bill Staniforth Reply

January 6, 2015 at 4:29 pm

Pretty sure this is Wurplesdon road near the entrance to Stoughton Rec opposite the Yellow Bus Garage and the Royal Hotel (Once owned by world famous darts player and celebrity sailor Mick McManus).

We’ve got no idea on the other picture, but would guess Harvey’s roof garden (again).

[Ed: the brothers once again using their very local spellings! Wasn’t Mick McManus a wrestler? He might have owned a speedboat! You should have recognised the quirky photo, it’s not far from your excellent cycle emporium.]
Brian Holt Reply

January 9, 2015 at 7:49 pm

This photo was taken from the corner of New Cross Road. The shops were a general stores on the left, now T J Plant Hire, and next door Andrews Confectioners, which was our sweet shop.

This shop had a change of ownership a few times and the last owner was Jay from the Londis shop that was once opposite.

Behind the fence is the entrance into Stoughton Rec. There was a branch library inside the gate and also toilets. After these were pulled down and a small hall was built there – now used by of Challengers Guildford.

The first group of houses pictured above the horses is know as the pan in Fentum Road, and Shepherds Hill houses are on the right.

When we moved to Shepherds Hill in 1952 the waste land was allotments, that is now Stratton Court flats.

Also, wrestler Mick Mcmanus was the landlord the Royal Hotel for a few year, but it was run by his son, as Mick lived in New Cross, London, and owned an antique shop there.
Ed Gardner Reply

March 27, 2015 at 7:44 pm

The newsagent there opposite the old YBS holds special memories for me, if I recall right. The daughter Karen used to work there sometimes and I had the hots for her, this would be about 79/80, and managed to date her for a while…. we used to go down the Plough bottom of town in my ole Hillman Hunter! Ahh those were good days! 🙂