Where Is This? No.173

Published on: 27 Aug, 2015
Updated on: 27 Aug, 2015

By David Rose

The Sewing Box was in Chapel Street and a number of readers correctly identified it as last week’s mystery vintage picture.

John Lomas added some interesting comments about a radio shop that was also there. I looked up the FA Cup Final he mentions watching there. It was actually 1947 when Charlton beat Burnley 1-0. But what does a year matter – it was a long time ago!

Chris Townsend recalls the radio and TV shop being RFH Porter. It’s likely it was there before The Sewing Box.

The quirky pictured showed one of two, believed to be air vents, on top of what was once Holy Trinity School School. Again, Chris Townsend identified the location.

And the Dennis bus was pictured in Times Square / Broadway in New York City. A couple of readers got that one. I promise no more buses for a while at least!

Where is this then?

This week’s mystery vintage picture is again from those supplied to me by Ade Morley. The pictures are quite quirky in themselves. This should be fairly easy once you have worked out what the things are sticking up into the sky.

Do you recognise this feature?

While the quirky photo shows a cropped view of a structure in the town centre featuring a couple of arches. Not that difficult, or is it?

You may have read the obituary I wrote recently on the passing of Dave Salmon, a fantastic photographer.

The executors of his will have been looking through his massive collection of images. Among them are hundreds of photos he took of the changing scenes in Guildford from about the 1960s onwards.

One of the executors is retired railwayman Geoff Burch, who is the custodian of this truly great picture archive.

He showed me some of them this week. Included among the many railway, aircraft, Guildford City FC, Castle Green Bowling Club images, to name just a few of the subjects Dave photographed are a number of Guildford scenes that I could not positively identify.

Geoff wants to share these pictures and have the locations identified. For example, there are a number of ‘corner shops’ and buildings being demolished, so they will be ideal to feature here in the hope that readers will recognise where they were taken and perhaps add some details. Watch this space!

A memorial service celebrating Dave Salmon’s life will take place at St Saviour’s Church, Woodbridge Road, on Friday, October 16, at 11am. All are invited to attend. We will be giving a Powerpoint presentation of some of his pictures as well telling his life story, plus also hope to display others as prints for all to see.

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

Responses to Where Is This? No.173

Bernard Parke Reply

August 27, 2015 at 11:18 am

1) Guildford City Football club that was once in Joseph’s Road
2) Tunsgate
Dave Middleton Reply

August 27, 2015 at 12:10 pm

First picture is the floodlights and roof of the stand at the long gone Guildford City Football ground at Joseph’s Road.

Second picture is the inside of the back wall of Tunsgate Arch, off the High Street, Guildford.
John Lomas Reply

August 27, 2015 at 9:20 pm

The old photo must surely be the old Joseph’s Road ground of Guildford City FC.

I see on Google Street View that their HQ is still there, albeit in a modern building.
Ray Springer Reply

August 27, 2015 at 11:05 pm

These are the floodlights at Guildford City’s football ground in Joseph’s Road.
The quirky picture is the entrance to Tunsgate off the High Street.
Colin Reardon Reply

August 28, 2015 at 4:13 pm

Guildford City FC ground at Joseph’s Road. My uncle and brother both played for them back in the 1960s and 70s.

Rear of Tunsgate arch.
Linda Jackson Reply

August 28, 2015 at 9:52 pm

1. Looks like the floodlights at Guildford City football ground, Joseph’s Road.

2. These are the arches in Tunsgate. Whether they were put in place after the Second World War, or more recently I am not sure. It was once a through road for traffic.
Chris Townsend Reply

August 30, 2015 at 6:24 pm

The vintage picture shows the stand and floodlights at the Joseph’s Road side of the old Guildford City football ground.

The quirky photo is a vew from under the arches, looking up Tunsgate.
Brian Holt Reply

August 31, 2015 at 10:03 pm

(1) The photo is of the floodlights and main stand at the old Guildford City Football Club, Joseph’s Road ground. To the right of the stand is the tea room, with the club house behind it, which is still open today.

I was at the switching on of “the lights” on Monday evening 3rd October 1960, when the city played a full strength Chelsea team, which included Terry Venables, Jimmy Greaves, brothers Peter and John Sillett, Frank Blunstone, goalkeeper Reg Matthews, and Peter Brabrook.

Kick off was at 7.15pm, six thousand fans packed into the ground. I still have the programme which cost sixpence (that’s six old pennies, or a tanner – 2.5p today). Admission for adults to the ground was two shillings (two bob or a florin – 10p today), the stands were extra, and boys’ admission was ninepence.

The city manager at the time was Albert Tennant who spent many years at Chelsea, and was old friends with Ted Drake their manager who promised to send his full Chelsea team to play City under the first floodlight match in Guildford.

Sadly new directors who took over the club decided to sell the ground and move to Dorking. I was at the last match played there on Saturday February 12th 1974, when only 625 fans bothered to turn up, to see the City beat Folkestone 2 – 0 in protest.

Now a new Guildford City team has started again playing at the Spectrum.

(2) Tunsgate Arch looking towards the shops in Tunsgate.

[Great memories from Brian Holt, as usual. Many thanks to him for taking the time to share them.
I nearly played at Joseph’s Road when my school side made it to the final of the “Trader’s Cup” in 1971. Unfortunately, I got injured and hospitalised in the semi-final and so couldn’t play in the final, which we won. I was promised a medal but it didn’t materialise. Ed.]
Margaret Cole Reply

September 1, 2015 at 7:58 am

The first picture shows the floodlights at Guildford City’s football ground, Joseph’s Road.

Also the picture shows the Stockton Road side of the ground – the words “Drink Courage” can be seen on the stand. This was when the social club was a Courage house.

The club folded in 1974 and the floodlights went to Minehead FC.

Second picture shows a view from Tunsgate looking up towards Castle Hill. Easier this week.
Doug and Bill Staniforth Reply

September 1, 2015 at 4:47 pm

It’s Guildford City Football Club, Joseph’s Road. The nearest bus stop would have been in Woodbridge Road of which there was a choice of nos 20, 20c 67, Safeguard buses and routes up the Worplesdon Road.

It is safe to assume that many successful professional footballers are speedboat owners.

The other pic is in Tunsgate of which there are no bus stops nearby.

“It is also safe to assume that many two wheel spanner monkeys are day dreamers who have watery fantasies. Happy wrenching! Ed”
John Lomas Reply

September 2, 2015 at 9:35 pm

I have just realised, the modern picture is the left hand side of Tunsgate Arch looking out towards Tunsgate itself. The dormer type windows, seen through the larger arch, are around where F&B and Tiny Tangles are.