Where Is This? No.169

Published on: 16 Jul, 2015
Updated on: 16 Jul, 2015

By David Rose

Memories of cycle speedway certainly came flooding back in the replies to last week’s mystery vintage photo.

It showed a match taking place between the Guildford Aces and Chobham Rockets on the Ace’s track in Woodbridge Meadows near the River Wey, now Walnut Tree Close.

The quirky picture was indeed the top of the tower of St John’s Church in Stoke Road.

Click here to see last week’s post and the replies with information from readers about Guildford’s cycle speedway teams of the 1950s.

John Lomas noted a track that was at Cooke’s. I think this must have been by that firm’s coach depot in Worplesdon Road, near Tilehost Estate? Can anyone add some details as that’s one I did not know about?

Vic Moseley recalls the time the BBC radio programme Down Your Way broadcast live from Woodbridge Meadows with presenter Brian Johnson – who later went on to be a famous cricket commentator.

That was April 21, 1951. The Guildford Aces were formed with the help of Eric Read, the commanding officer of the Guildford Sea Cadets, and George Gaff, whose two sons, Patrick and Andrew, were keen cycle speedway riders.

George Gaff persuaded Brian Johnson to come down to Guildford to conduct a live broadcast. There are more details and pictures of the event in my book Memory Lane Guildford & District (published by Breedon Books in 2000).

My research into cycle speedway is again gathering pace as I am now looking into the sport in the Woking area. I visited Trevor Winham from St Johns in Woking this week who actually rode in the Chessington and Tolworth area in the late 1950s and on into the 1960s. He tells me the sport is still going today, although there are only about 30 teams currently in the UK. Evidently, it’s still quite popular in Norfolk.

Moving on to this week’s mysteries and the vintage photo is one by long-time bus enthusiast Peter Trevaskis, from Normandy.

He has a huge archive of photos of Aldershot & District buses that he has taken over the years. Ben Darnton of Guildford’s Collectors Records shop in Tunsgate sells some of Peter’s prints for 50p a picture.

I snapped up a load the other week and plan to feature some of them here as many of them contain views of Guildford that have changed somewhat.

So thanks to Peter, who I know well, for these fascinating images.

Lovely Aldershot & District bus, but where is it? Picture from the Peter Trevaskis collection. He took the photo on June 22, 1962.

How’s this for starters? Do you recognise the location?

The Stanniforth brothers have been a bit quiet over the past few weeks with their witty replies. I think they’ll recognise this view and have something to say!

What does this become late at night?

This week’s quirky picture shows a ring and a square of metal embedded in the pavement in North Street. What emerges from here late at night at certain times of the week?

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.169

John Lomas Reply

July 16, 2015 at 5:55 am

The West Surrey Farmers’ Association offices lead me to believe that this is near the old cattle market, so I think the bus is taking the turn from Woodbridge Road into Onslow Street just outside St Saviour’s Church.

But it appears the driver has tried to confuse any would-be passengers by showing Aldershot as his destination before he has reached the end of his journey into Guildford bus station.

The last bus you featured was SOU 459. Is the next one going to be SOU 461?
Bernard Parke Reply

July 16, 2015 at 6:10 am

A urinal.
Dave Middleton Reply

July 16, 2015 at 11:38 am

Pretty sure the vintage picture is the junction of Bridge Street and Onslow Street, outside what is now the hideous Casino / Bar Mambo eyesore. The bus about to go up Bridge Street from Onslow Street (which it couldn’t do now!), towards the railway station.

I’ve no idea as to the bus’s destination in those days, but the number 20 now runs from Guildford bus station to Aldershot bus station.

The quirky picture is the pop up gent’s toilet towards the bottom on North Street (I don’t think the level of the “liquid” in it is ever deep enough for a speedboat to float in!).
Sue Masterton Reply

July 19, 2015 at 10:30 am

It’s a pop up toilet!
Andrew Backhurst Reply

July 21, 2015 at 12:34 pm

When walking down the bottom of North Street, my 11-year-old daughter and I have always jumped into the ring calling it Guildford’s Teleportation Ring.

If it has another use other than time travel we can’t wait to find out!
Brian Holt Reply

July 21, 2015 at 5:33 pm

(1) This Aldershot & District bus registration number SOU 450, with fleet number 342, a 1958 Dennis Loline Gardner with 6LW engine.

It has an East Lancs body built to Aldershot & District’s own specification and is a 68-seater rear-entrance double decker.

It is outside St Saviour’s Church which is just out of the photo, and is turning right from Woodbridge Road into Onslow Street.

(2) This is a pop-up urinal which is stored under the pavement, (it’s known as urilift) in North Street near Friary Passage. It pop ups at 10pm until 3am every day.

These toilets were invented and are sold by the Dutch company Unlift for around £45,000.
Ray Springer Reply

July 22, 2015 at 10:14 am

The bus is at the junction of Woodbridge Road and Onslow Street.

This junction was known as Angels Corner named after Angel Son & Gray (builders merchants) whose buildings occupied this area.

The building on the right (no longer there) is Market Buildings. Next to that, not in the picture, St Saviour’s Church and the Prince of Wales pub – church still there, pub gone.

The other picture is the pop-up underground toilet in North Street outside White Lion Walk, which like Cinderella, turns into a urinal after midnight!
Margaret Cole Reply

July 22, 2015 at 12:46 pm

The No.20 bus is turning from Woodbridge Road outside the West Surrey Young Farmers Association building into Onslow Street en route to the Farnham Road bus station.

The ring on the pavement contains a Urilift pop-up urinal, and can be found near White Lion walk at the bottom of North Street.

This is a Guildford Borough Council initiative bought over from the Continent to help the Friday and Saturday night drinkers be more discreet.

The pop-up is operated by remote control, but for security reasons a man must be on site to do this.
Paul Lambert Reply

January 15, 2016 at 5:14 pm

I worked at Angel Son & Grey and often took the No20 or 20c bus from Ash and back, this was about 1967 and yes it is Angel’s corner.