Where Is This? No.39

Published on: 29 Dec, 2012
Updated on: 29 Dec, 2012

By David Rose

Firstly, I hope all the regular readers to this column had a good Christmas?

The previous post was a little over a week ago, and most who replied correctly identified the mystery photo as being in Ripley and the clock as being on the tower of St Mary’s Church in Guildford. Click here to see all the replies at the foot of the post.

Thanks to those who added some details of the bus that can be seen in the view that indeed looks out from what was for many years Colborne’s Garage.

The man sitting in the car wearing the white jacket is John Colborne-Baber who set up the garage in 1939. The car is a Gobron Brillié – an early French car maker.

Mr Colborne-Baber bought the car from a garage in Peasmarsh and then restored it. It was built in 1919. He nicknamed it ‘Gobblin’ Billy’. He later sold it to a man called Bunny Tubbs, who was once well known on the motoring scene. It is likely that Mr Tubbs is at the wheel in the photo. I wonder where the car is now?

Do you know where this house stood – on the corner of a main road into Guildford and a side road?

This week’s mystery photo is another that I copied from the collection at the Guildford Institute. The house on the corner no longer stands. Clues are in the building that can be seen away to the right and the posters and sign for the railway station.

I have spent some time recently at the Guildford Institute looking at its archive collections of photographs and other material of local history. Some of these items will feature in the four-part course I will be giving there in March titled Uncovering Guildford’s History. The courses will look at local Edwardian picture postcards, Guildford’s lost shops, coronations and jubilee celebrations in the town and four Guildford worthies with connections to the institute. Booking is essential as places are limited and are, I’m delighted to say, booking up fast. Click here and then scroll down the page to find out more.

And this week’s mystery clock, pictured by Alistair Fulton, can be found where in Guildford?

If you know the answers to please leave a reply in the box below. All replies will be posted at about the same time next week, along with a new post with the answers to this week’s photo and mystery date, and the next pair of images.

Responses to Where Is This? No.39

Bernard Parke Reply

December 29, 2012 at 8:15 am

The house was situated in the Woodbridge Road. Further along the road was a terrace known as Wellington Place built in 1851.

The Salvation Army citadel now stands there.

The building to the right are those of St John Ambulance.

The clock is at the top of the High Street were the road divides into London and Epsom Road.

There was once an Elizabethan figure on the top of the clock which struck a bell on the hour.
This figure was damaged and the borough agreed that it was not worth repairing
Chris Townsend Reply

December 30, 2012 at 8:20 am

I haven’t been able to read any words on the signs, but the gasometer in the background is a good clue. The scene is the corner of Woodbridge Road and Leas Road, with Wellington Place to the left and the St. John Ambulance Brigade garage to the right.

The clock is at the top of the town, at the Clock House, at the junction of London Road with Epsom Road, above the estate agent’s.
David & Ann Bailey Reply

December 30, 2012 at 7:23 pm

The building was on the corner of Woodbridge Road and Leas Road with St John Ambulance behind. The Salvation Army building is there now.

The clock is on the building at the junction of London Road and Epsom Road.
Brian Holt Reply

January 4, 2013 at 5:17 pm

This house was the St John Ambulance headquarters for the Guildford division, and was on the corner of Woodbridge Road and Leas Road.

The Ambulance station was behind the house in Leas Road. The houses was known as Wellington Place, in
Woodbridge Road.

The clock is above Burns & Webber, the estate agents, at the junction of Epsom Road with London Road.
Doug Staniforth Reply

January 5, 2013 at 2:25 pm

I think it’s the corner of Woodbridge Road and Wharf Road, the building at the rear of the large house is the St John Ambulance premises. The clock is at the top of High St above Burns & Webber estate agents.