Where Is This? No.161

Published on: 20 May, 2015
Updated on: 20 May, 2015

By David Rose

The back view of the High Street’s Guildford House was easily identified by nearly all who replied last week. And the quirky photo of a beam can be found on the building also in the High Street now occupied by travel agents Thomas Cook.

Some interesting comments about that, including the one from Dave Middleton who says the beam has ‘WH Smith’ carved in it.

Click here to see last week’s post and all the entries at the foot of it.

Name the bus firm and the location.

This week’s mystery vintage picture features a vehicle from a long gone Guildford bus firm, decorated for what I am sure was the town’s carnival procession to mark the Queen’s coronation in 1953.

Do you know the location and the name of the bus company? Perhaps you can add some more details too?

I do know the name of the girl pictured in the chariot on the roof of there bus and who is dressed as Britannia. The decorative work was done by a local hairdresser.

Do you know where this is?

The quirky photo features a piece of decoration above a window high up on a store in Guildford High Street. Have you seen it? Who occupies the store now and who was once there?

If you know the answers to this week’s images 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 photos and the next pair of images.

Responses to Where Is This? No.161

Jules Cranwell Reply

May 21, 2015 at 9:03 am

I’m pretty sure the model aircraft is a Comet.
Vic Moseley Reply

May 21, 2015 at 9:50 am

This is a Yellow Bus Services bus standing outside of the depot in Worplesdon Road, Stoughton.
John Lomas Reply

May 21, 2015 at 10:14 am

The carnival bus is one of the two Dennis Lancet J10s with Gurney Nutting bodies, operated by Yellow Bus Services from Stoughton, PPA649 or PPC105. The photo was taken outside their garage on the corner of Worplesdon Road and New Cross Road.

The DH Comet model (entered service with BOAC in May 52), at the front would suggest ’53.

The hairdresser who had done the ’51 display The Crowning Achievement of Bus Transport and the ’52 display consisting of a huge swan and floral gondola, Queen of The Highway, was George Yates from Maison George of Stoughton.

Ref: Happy Family by N Hamshere & J Sutton.
Bernard Parke Reply

May 21, 2015 at 2:03 pm

1. The Yellow Bus is outside its garage in Worplesdon Road.

2. Above Boots in the High Street.
Chris Townsend Reply

May 25, 2015 at 8:28 pm

The bus is outside the Yellow Bus Services depot on Worplesdon Road between New Cross Road and Barrack Road, where today there’s a block of flats.

The High Street store is Boots. Built about 1934, it was formerly Marks and Spencer’s, until they moved to their present store in 1962. The building in the photo replaced what was known as Bank House, since Sparkes the bankers, prominent townsmen, once occupied it.
Brian Holt Reply

May 25, 2015 at 9:06 pm

1. The bus company was the Yellow Bus Service (YBS), the picture was taken from outside their garage in Worplesdon Road, Stoughton.

The company started in 1920, as a partnership between Frank Hutchins and Sydney Hayter, but was dissolve after three years, with Mr Hayter remaining as sole proprietor.

The first bus was a little 14-seater model T Ford, brown and yellow in colour.

A coach was always entered for the annual Guildford carnival procession of decorated vehicles. It was always the latest Dennis vehicle YBS owned. The decorating was done by the staff and consisted of bunting and sprays of flowers.

The decorated bus in the picture was new in October 1952. It was their first Dennis L6 Falcon, ex-demonstrator 30-seater, registration number SPD 207. It had Eaton two-speed rear axle and Gurney Nutting B30F bodywork, and it had jack knife doors.

YBS employee Ernie Glew remembered seeing some rather elaborated Christmas window displays at a hairdressing salon, Maison George, in Stoughton.

He approached the proprietor George Yates to see if he would be interested in preparing something for the YBS carnival entry, and he designed their display every year. Conductress Majorie Nash rode on early floats as their queen.

2. This window in the High Street was on the old Marks & Spencer shop, which is now Boots.
Margaret Cole Reply

May 27, 2015 at 10:35 am

This is the Yellow Bus Service outside its garage in Worplesdon Road.

The bus was decorated by George Yates, hairdresser of 137 Worplesdon Road, my neighbour in fact.

He was so proud of his achievement as 10 years on he still had the cherubs and trumpets in his garage, and the picture on his wall.

I think the coach was for the carnival celebrations in the town.

The ornate stonemasonry can be found on second floor of Boots the Chemist, 85-89 High Street. Previously it was Marks & Spencer, before it moved down to its currant location.