Where Is This? No.233

Published on: 4 Nov, 2016
Updated on: 4 Nov, 2016

By David Rose

Many correct replies to last week’s mystery pictures.

The vintage one featured the High Street close to its junction with Quarry Street. A number of readers added within their replies names of shops who were once in those buildings. Including, WHSmith when it was on the corner with Quarry Street, grocers Holdens, Bretts restaurant (where WHSmith is today), and an early location for Thorp’s bookshop.

I was pleased with John Thorp’s reply noting that his family’s bookshop was once there, where a branch of the fashion store GAP is now. This was before it moved up the High Street to the Constitutional Hall building, where most people fondly remember it.

John therefore supplied the answer to the location of this picture (in the collection at the Guildford Institute) and one I had not been able to work out.

Thorp’s bookshop and lending library was once in the main part of the High Street. Click to enlarge all pictures on this post in a new window.

So here’s a close-up view of Thorp’s bookshop and lending library – fascinating isn’t it! I am not sure of the date, but it looks as if Thorp’s had just moved.

I think it is occupied by GAP’s kids’ store today, while GAP’s main store is further up on the corner with Chapel Street.

When Boots the Chemist was on the south side of the High Street, on the corner with Chapel Street.

And that building was once occupied by Boots the Chemist, as this picture shows, believed to be from the ‘1922’ collection of shop images at the Guildford Institute. You can also see Thorp’s shop lower down

In his replies Dave Middleton was not allowed to name the location of the 1621 date on the wall in the quirky picture, as he supplied me with the photo.

I had never noticed this feature before. However several readers did know, or worked out roughly the location. It is at the back of Abbot’s Hospital (viewed from North Srreet) and Keith Childs gave the date as being when the wall was built, noting it was the following year that the first of the almshouse’s residents moved it.

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

And now for this week’s vintage mystery picture. We haven’t had a bus photo for a while. So here is another taken by Aldershot & District Bus Interest Group stalwart Peter Trevaskis. Hopefully it will excite the Staniforth brothers and may lead them to including one of their witty? jokes in their reply.

Recognise this location? Details of the bus anyone?

Peter took this photo on May 19, 1965. It might be an easy one to identify the location, or is it?

Where is this plaque? The date on it might be a clue?

Dave Middleton again supplied this week’s quirky picture. It’s a plaque on a substantial building towards the river. Any ideas where?

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. It will probably be Thursdays from now on, as I have been asked to supply my weekly history column to the Woking News & Mail by the close of play on Wednesdays, rather than Thursdays. I can only take so much local history in one session!

Responses to Where Is This? No.233

Dave Middleton Reply

November 4, 2016 at 12:29 am

The bus is going over the Farnham Road bridge towards the junction with Guildford Park Road. The current day number 27 still goes that way!

No comment on the quirky picture again.
Paul Burgman Reply

November 4, 2016 at 12:30 am

Farnham Road junction with Guildford Park Avenue.
John Lomas Reply

November 4, 2016 at 1:04 am

The Dennis Loline from 1958 (now in preservation http://www.dennissociety.org.uk/preserved/bus/sou465.html ) is on Farnham Roadd railway bridge.

The Friary Meux building in the background on the right and the building pre-dating the current Bridge House on the left.

The Gray’s sign is very close to where the quirky pic (ironwork feature) was a few weeks ago.

I’m guessing at late 1960s to early 70s.
Bernard Parke Reply

November 4, 2016 at 7:12 am

i) The bottom of the Farnham Road.

2) The Old Town Mill
C Barker Reply

November 4, 2016 at 8:29 am

The bus is on Farnham Road railway bridge, Bridge House and the Friay Meux chimney in the background.
Glo Crouch Reply

November 4, 2016 at 2:12 pm

Old lady from Sandown: the bus is in Farnham Road waiting to turn right into Guildford Park Road.. xxx?
Sue Warner Reply

November 4, 2016 at 3:32 pm

The picture with the bus – The bridge over the railway at the bottom of Farnham Road.
Gerry Bixley Reply

November 5, 2016 at 1:39 pm

Easy peasy. It is Farnham Road Guildford, the bus which is one of the First series of Guildford built Dennis Lolines with East Lancachire coachbuilders bodies, is turning into Guildford Park Road on service 27 which shuttled between the bus station and Dennisville.

The bus has been preserved privately and attends local rallys.
Chris Townsend Reply

November 7, 2016 at 7:58 pm

The Aldershot & District Traction Company Ltd (A&D) bus, number 27, is just about to turn right into Guildford Park Road after leaving the Farnham Road Bus Station and heading along Park Street and the lower part of Farnham Road to the railway bridge.

Back then A&D alternated with Safeguard to provide a service every 15 minutes to Guildford Park, along Madrid Road and up The Chase, to Dennisville and St John’s Road.

The location is familiar, as a recent quirky picture showed the ornamental metalwork which is now to be seen where the gates were to the left of the bus.

Those gates led to the sidings and cattle pens where cattle were once unloaded from railway wagons to be transported to the cattle market.

The plaque is to the right of the entrance to the Mill Studio, part of the former Town Mill, which was bought by the Corporation in 1896 to be converted into a waterworks, when it had new pumps installed.

Frederic Ferdinand Smallpeice “was from a very old Guildford family.

He was Town Clerk from 1875 to 1902, Alderman from 1904 to 1905 and Mayor in 1905” as stated here:

http://artuk.org/discover/artworks/mayor-ferdinand-smallpeice-12480

There is a similar portrait of Robert Salsbury (mayor in 1894 and 1895) in Roger Nicholas’ book on the Mount Cemetery, “…And the Lord taketh away”.

Salsbury was a watchmaker and jeweller, with his distinctive shop on the corner of Swan Lane.
Margaret Cole Reply

November 8, 2016 at 1:25 pm

The no.27 bus is on the Farnham Road Bridge on its way to Dennisville with the Friary Meux building behind on the right and Bridge House on the left.

The date plaque is on the town mill in Millbrook. 1896 refers to the date of installation of new water pumps by the Guildford Corporation when the mill was converted into a waterworks.
Brian Holt Reply

November 9, 2016 at 9:59 pm

The bus is turning from Farnham Road into Guildford Park Road.

It’s one of the original 1958 Dennis Loline Reg no Sou 465 fleet number 357.

Route 27 was to Dennisville, later extended to Guildford Cathedral to terminate right outside the the cathedral doors.

2. The plaque is at the Mill Studio, Millbrook.
Ben Darnton Reply

August 11, 2017 at 9:42 am

Great photo of an Aldershot & District double decker on the Farnham Road railway bridge, taken a couple of weeks before the last steam engines to Horsham ran under here.

Peter is giving a free talk about the history of the Aldershot & District Bus Company, with photos and sound recordings from 7.30pm at the Keep Pub in Castle Street Guildford on Monday, August 21st, free entry. All are welcome!