Where Is This? No.234

Published on: 11 Nov, 2016
Updated on: 13 Nov, 2016

By David Rose

I wasn’t surprised that a good number of readers correctly identified last week’s mystery vintage picture as being Farnham Road, with the Aldershot & District bus turning into Guildford Park Road.

But I was surprised that some know the location of the plaque as being on the Town Mill building, now the Mill Studio of the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre.

Thanks as always to those who replied and the comments they made with extra information.

Gerry Bixley said the Farnham Road / bus picture was “easy peasy”. He is right in saying that, as he is one of a number of leading lights in the Aldershot & District Bus Interest Group, which does so much to keep the “Traccco” bus company alive with its preserved buses and recording the firm’s history.

Click here to see last week’s post and all the replies.

Which Guildford street are these old soldiers marching down? Click to enlarge in a new window.

This week’s vintage picture shows a march down a street in Guildford town centre. Not one to mark Armistice Day or Rememberance Sunday, but by the Old Contemptibles association who, throughout the UK, used to march in about springtime each year.

They were men who were British troops belonging to the regular army in 1914, and the term was supposedly derived from a comment made by the German Kaiser, Wilhelm II.

Do you know which street this is, and can you add any information?

Just behind the standard bearers is Pte ‘Chuck’ Sheffield (note the stripes on his arm for long service). He was once a bit of a legend, as he was at Stoughton Barracks for many years.

The story goes, that despite being ‘past his age’ to serve, he was allowed to stay on in the army as the barracks was the only home he knew.

If anyone can add any details of him, please leave a reply in the box below.

Some kind of artwoek outside a scholl on the outskirts of Guildford. Do you know which one? Click to enlarge in a new window.

The quirky picture is of a piece of metal artwork that is at the entrance to a school on the outskirts of Guildford.

The school has been featured in the Through Time section of Dragon when it was a senior school. It is now a junior school.

Do you know where this is?

If you know the answers to this week’s mysteries, please leave a reply in the box below – and include extra details if you have them.

They will be published along with two more mystery images at about the same time next week.

Responses to Where Is This? No.234

Dave Middleton Reply

November 11, 2016 at 12:26 am

I don’t know for sure, but I think the old soldiers are marching down Tunsgate towards the High Street. I seem to recall that Jeffery’s motorcycle shop was on Tunsgate.

The quirky picture railings are at the entrance to Northmead School at the lower end of Grange Road at Stoughton.
- Dave Middleton Reply
  
  November 16, 2016 at 11:06 am
  
  Further to my previous comment:
  
  I’m pretty sure that the soldier in battledress uniform and beret in the foreground of the photo is Private Fred “Chuck” Sheffield, who features in this British Pathe news clip from 1951, who at the time of the film had served 41 years with the Queen’s Royal Regiment at Stoughton Barracks.
  
  http://www.britishpathe.com/video/no-leave-for-pte-sheffield/query/Guildford
Teresa Bass Reply

November 11, 2016 at 1:13 am

I think the first photo is Tunsgate: it’s really bugging me because I’m pretty sure the photo was included in one of the talks at the Keep (and I think it was David Rose’s book launch evening – although I could be wrong)!

Whatever, I know the cycle shop came up in whatever it was discussed.

But there is a building that looks very similar to where that knob connection shop is (or around there anyway).

The other photo I recognised, not because of the artwork, but because of the houses around the entrance.

A quick visit to Google maps street view confirmed my suspicion that it was Northmead School on Grange Road.

It got me thinking and I did a very brief online search and found your article on schools in the area where you made reference to the school changing from secondary to junior in 1971.
John Lomas Reply

November 11, 2016 at 8:03 am

Old picture: Tunsgate, with Jeffery’s motorcycle shop clearly visible.

Quirky Picture: The entrance to Northmead Junior School on Grange Road.
Bernard Parke Reply

November 11, 2016 at 8:52 am

1) Tunsgate.

2) Northmead School
Norman Hamshere Reply

November 13, 2016 at 6:55 pm

Not an answer to No234 but a reference to the photo caption:”the man carrying the flag” – guaranteed to get every legionnaire hot under the collar!

On parade this is always referred to as “The Standard”. Years ago this was explained to us young nephews by uncle Fred who was standard bearer for Stoughton & Westborough British legion for many years.
Brian Holt Reply

November 14, 2016 at 1:23 pm

Coming down Tunsgate towards the arch.

On the left of the photo by the blind there is a sign Tunsgate Tea Rooms.

Quittenton’s was a umbrella shop, further up was Jeffery & Sons motor cycle shop.

I think this was where the Three Tuns pub was that closed in the 1930s.

I remember coming out of Holy Trinity School nearby and looking at the motorcycles. They included James, Norton, Triumph,and Matchless.

Further up was Flynn the greengrocer, Foster watch and clock shop, Candy Corner sweet shop.

The artwork is outside Northmead Junior School, Grange Road, Stoughton. It was formerly Formerly Northmead boys school, which I attended there in 1952 for three years.
Chris Townsend Reply

November 14, 2016 at 7:54 pm

The old soldiers are marching down Tunsgate, past Jeffery’s premises, Wheeler’s radio shop and Quittenton’s umbrella shop, located there between 1934 and 1964. On the left is a sign for the Tunsgate Tea Rooms.

The spider’s web artwork is by the entrance to Northmead Junior School, Grange Road, Stoughton.
Aubrey Lehay Reply

November 14, 2016 at 11:48 pm

Although the gate a relatively recent addition it has to be Northmead in Grange Road.

It was a boys’ school only when I attended.

Being useless at technical drawing, woodwork, metalwork, bookbinding etc, I had the audacity to apply to attend cookery classes at the girls’ school opposite. Permission refused.
Bill and Doug Staniforth Reply

November 15, 2016 at 4:57 pm

It’s Tunsgate just down the road from where Benny’s Records is now [Ed: who?].

Has Tunsgate always been blocked off from traffic at High Street end or was it once open?

The man two behind Chuck looks remarkably like Albert Steptoe.

The artwork is at Northmead School in Grange Road. We thought Mr Rose should have known this as he was former pupil there.
Margaret Cole Reply

November 15, 2016 at 7:33 pm

The first picture shows the Old Contemptibles marching down Tunsgate.

I do not recognise the old shops, but I do remember Pipers sweet shop which we frequented quite often.

I don’t think the owner liked us shool kids as he would run down his stairs into the shop as quick as a flash for fear of someone helping themselves – as if!

The next picture is in Grange Road. At the entrance on the right and going down showing the metal art depicting a spider in its web is Northmead Junior School.

This was hard to find looking on the wrong side of the road.
Vic Moseley Reply

November 17, 2016 at 8:20 pm

This can only be Tunsgate,

S.R.Jefferys & Sons to the left and rear of the marching group gives this one away.
Brian Holt Reply

November 18, 2016 at 7:07 pm

In reply to Margaret Cole comments, Pipers sweet shop was in Quarry Street next to Smith’s Newsagents (no connection to W H Smiths) which was on the corner of Castle Street. I lived in Quarry Street and my mother use to go in and have a chat with Mr & Mrs Piper and buy my sweets from there.

They were elderly but very nice people, sometimes I went to their shop on my own.