Where Is This? No.166

Published on: 25 Jun, 2015
Updated on: 25 Jun, 2015

By David Rose

Well done to those who correctly identified last week’s images.

The steam train was indeed on its way to Reading, rounding the curve after leaving Guildford, with the then Dennis Bros factory away to the left and what is today a car park of the University of Surrey away to the right.

Not sure whether it was the 12.45 to Reading South as Mike Melbourne suggested, but it was indeed a former Great Western Railway Mogul 2-6-0 class engine.

It is hauling a parcels van and behind that three coaches in Southern Region green livery. As many railway enthusiasts will know, in the latter years of steam-hauled trains on the Reading to Redhill route, the mainstay of engines were ex-Southern Railway N or U class 2-6-0 engines. A number of these were based at Guildford loco shed.

Sometimes, a ‘GWR’ engine was used, with its fireman and driver based at Reading loco depot.

As a very young trainspotter with my dad on Yorkie’s Bridge (off Walnut Tree Close), it was a delight to see one of the ‘Western’ engines, with my dad later ticking it off in my Ian Allen loco spotter’s book.

As well as the Moguls, occasionally a named engine was used, sometimes a ‘Manor’. I still have that book and I saw Nos. 7816 ‘Frilsham Manor’ and 7829 ‘Ramsbury Manor’.

I vividly recall one of them passing under Yorkie’s Bridge and seeing sparks flying out of its copper-capped chimney!

Enough of the railway ramblings. Last week’s quirky photo showed the carved wood panels on the front of Guildford House in the High Street, as most correctly identified.

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

Do you remember these buildings near the town centre?

So on to this week’s images. The older picture is not that old – probably dating back to the late 1980s. Two buildings can be seen, both of the same firm, now gone. So who was here then?

Have you seen this sculpture and do you know what it represents?

The quirky photo is another piece of public art that I had not noticed before until a couple of weeks ago. It is fairly new. Where is it and what does it symbolise?

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

Responses to Where Is This? No.166

Bernard Parke Reply

June 25, 2015 at 1:40 am

1) The Surrey Advertiser (Offices)

2) Outside G Live. It represents the Olympic Torch’s passage through Guildford.

I once remarked to GBC that it appears to be getting rusty only to be told that it was supposed to look rusty – for some reason!
Chaz Folkes Reply

June 25, 2015 at 8:15 am

I think the top photograph is the old Surrey Ad offices on Martyr Road.

The second picture is taken outside the GLive and represents the Olympic Torch Relay.
Ray Springer Reply

June 26, 2015 at 11:38 am

The buildings are the old Surrey Advertiser headquarters at Martyr Road.

I think the public art statue must be within the Surrey Sports Park, although I must admit I’ve never seen it.
John Lomas Reply

June 26, 2015 at 8:44 pm

I believe the statue is at G Live and seems to depict an Olympic Torch Bearer.
Linda Jackson Reply

June 28, 2015 at 3:21 pm

1/ These are the old Surrey advertiser buildings in Martyr Road and the right hand side building was it’s head office. I believe it also let a couple of rooms to Refuge Assurance company where my sister worked in approx 1962?
I remember climbing the stairs to meet her in the office on a Saturday. From there we went to the library, which I remember as a smaller building than the one we have in North Street today.

2/ This could be a wire sculpture of a baton carrier of the 2012 Olympics by the grounds of G Live.
Chris Townsend Reply

June 29, 2015 at 8:43 pm

The mystery buildings on the left are those once belonging to the “Surrey Advertiser” on Martyr Road, facing Ward Street. Was the building on the right once occupied by Biddles, the printers? I remember buying my reprint of “Stephen Langton” by Martin Tupper from the ground-floor shop about 1969, after Biddles’ bookshop next to the Royal Grammar School was closed.
Margaret Cole Reply

June 30, 2015 at 11:05 am

This is the Surrey Ad. Martyr Road. To answer your question, who was here then, well it was David Rose of The Guildford Dragon, that’s who.

The sculpture is of ‘Juno the Olympic Torch’ bearer it can be found on the grass near G Live in London Road.