Where Is This? No.251

Published on: 17 Mar, 2017
Updated on: 17 Mar, 2017

By David Rose

Most of those who replied to last week’s mysteries correctly guessed the cropped vintage picture as being Guildford Civic Hall, now rebuilt as G Live.

Dave Middleton, in his reply, wrote: “Why oh why didn’t they name the new building The New Civic Hall, which actually would’ve meant summat, rather than G Live, which means now’t.”

I recall at the time the new name was announced it was said reasons why the words ‘G Live’ were chosen included it being for marketing reasons and to be easily remembered.

There had been calls to name it after a person with a connection to the old civic hall – Vernon Handley was one suggestion. He being the first conduction of the Guildford Philharmonic Orchestra.

So, we could have ended up with something like ‘The Late Vernon Handley Memorial Civic Hall For The Arts And Entertainment Of The Borough of Guildford’.

While on the subject of names of buildings used by the public. Within close range of each other is the Park Barn Community Centre and the Park Barn Centre. Every day of week, people go to one believing it to be the other.

The community centre was built first, why Guildford Borough Council didn’t name its social centre something else so as not to confuse the two buildings is a bit of a mystery. Perhaps the latter could have been named after a well known Guildford personality or stalwart local councillor?

Last week’s quirky picture appeared to be easily identified as the town’s coat of arms on the Town Bridge. One of four on the bridge, the one I photographed is on the left-hand side when looking upstream.

Moving on to this week’s pair of images.

A VJ Day party – but where? Click to enlarge in a new window.

The vintage picture shows a group of Guildford people celebrating VJ Day in 1945. With a power station in the background, can you name the location?

Where can these metal rings be found on the boundary wall of a specific building in Guildford. And what were they once used for? Something must have been chained up. Do they still do it hereabouts?

Dave Middleton has emailed this week’s quirky images, and admits: “it’s a bit of a stinker.”

It’s quite arresting as well.

In describing what’s featured in the image, Dave writes: “It’s a series of iron rings that are set into the front boundary wall of a distinctive public building in Guildford town centre.

“They pre-date the building itself and the ones in the newer section of wall were, I’m told, salvaged by the builders and re-set into the new wall in the same positions as they were originally. The current building is situated on a piece of land that was used for a very different purpose beforehand.”

If you think you know the answers, please leave a reply in the box below. The answers, along with the next pair of images, will be published at about the same time next week.

Responses to Where Is This? No.251

Nick Choules-Burbidge Reply

March 17, 2017 at 11:34 am

Looks like it could be the recreation ground between Recreation Road and Stocton Road, judging from the view of the power station and the angle.
Dave Middleton Reply

March 17, 2017 at 12:31 pm

The VJ party photo looks to have been taken somewhere on Recreation Road, just up from Woodbridge Road, where the old town power station in the background was. Perhaps they were heading to the recreation ground to tea and cake!

No comment on the quirky picture for the time being.
Ivan Dally Reply

March 17, 2017 at 5:03 pm

VJ Day party Recreation Road.
Chris Townsend Reply

March 19, 2017 at 9:01 pm

The party seems to be in Recreation Road. The power station was on Woodbridge Road, where Power Close and Faraday Road are today.

The metal rings are on the boundary wall of the police station at the end of Margaret Road, on the site of the old cattle market also on Woodbridge Road.

From memory, horses were tethered on the north side of the market, (though by the 1950s there weren’t many brought to market), so my guess is that the rings are on that side.

I think this painting in the Borough Art Collection shows the location:
https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/guildford-cattle-market-12503
Jan Brion Reply

March 19, 2017 at 11:07 pm

Guildford police station forecourt. It was a part of the cattle market wall with the loops to tether the animals.
Mike Dillon Reply

March 20, 2017 at 10:14 am

With the Guildford power station in the background, the photo was taken in Recreation Road or the Recreation Road side of Stoke Recreation Ground.
Brian Holt Reply

March 22, 2017 at 6:15 pm

The photo is taken from Stoke Rec or Stocton Road.
Margaret Cole Reply

March 23, 2017 at 12:26 pm

The first picture shows VJ Day being celebrated in Recreation Road with the electricity works in the background.

The picture can be found in the book Guildford The War Years 1939-45 by David Rose and Graham Collyer, for the Surrey Advertiser.

Second one: No idea.