Where Is This? No.47

Published on: 5 Mar, 2013
Updated on: 6 Mar, 2013

By David Rose

Once again, all who replied to last week’s images had no trouble identifying them.

Yes, the kiosk at Guildford lido was the mystery vintage photo and the mystery sign can be found at Guildford law courts. Click here to see last week’s post and the replies at the foot of it.

I’m glad a few mentioned the fact that Guildford Lido celebrates its 80th birthday this year – and there are plans for some celebrations.

Rob Price, marketing manager with Freedom Leisure that runs the lido and Spectrum on behalf of the borough council, has been having a look at old photos of the lido in my collection.

There are plans to have a display at the lido this summer telling its history.

I showed Rob the fascinating film clip that can be found on the internet of the opening of the lido in 1933.

It’s on the Pathe news website. Click here to go to the website an to view it. Note: you will have to sit through a short advert before the real film appears!

Interestingly, in the film clip and behind the mayor William Harvey (before he dives in) can be seen the then town crier Albany Peters and a then town councillor Joseph Parke.

It would be great to create the same scene this year on the anniversary, with the mayor diving in with our town crier today, David Peters (great grandson of Albany) and Alderman Bernard Parke (grandson of Joseph) sitting in the same place as their relatives did!

Name anything in view here, and say from where the photo was taken?

On to this week’s images. The vintage picture postcard view dates to the 1910s and was taken from the top of a historic Guildford building. Any ideas? And also (or otherwise) can you name the church spire that can be seen and perhaps whose premises the chimney belonged to?

Have you seen this sign on your travels?

The mystery sign is at a well known place on the edge of the town centre. A building that once stood on its own, but that is now encroached by others – particularly on one side.

If you know the answers 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.

We're giving away this sheet of Green Shield stamps to those who gets the answers to the mystery pictures correct!

We’re giving away this sheet of Green Shield stamps to those who get the answers to the mystery pictures correct! They don’t have to accept it….

And finally, regular readers will know that some respondents have been asking (with some humour) when will there be a prize for quiz winners? Well now we have one. Martin Giles explains: “We have trawled through the ~~rubbish~~ remnants of yesteryears and discovered a genuine facsimile copy of a sheet of Green Shield stamps (with DIY perforations) kindly donated by the chuckle brothers at Pedal Pushers, Stoke Road, where we have our fleet of ~~bikes~~ office transport maintained.

“Do you remember all that licking? Do you remember queuing up at the Green Shield stamp store in Woodbridge Road? It was sort of like Argos but without money. Happy memories.

“From now on, every winner can claim their own Green Shield souvenir, sent from us by email! Free P&P. They are very rare, it is hard to calculate their true worth – but luckily we have a limitless supply.”

Responses to Where Is This? No.47

Bernard Parke Reply

March 5, 2013 at 10:15 pm

1) Top of The Castle, The Methodist Church in North Street, And The Friary Brewery.
Ray Springer Reply

March 6, 2013 at 9:27 pm

I think the photo was taken from the top of the castle keep looking across Guildford to the Gas Works gasometer and beyond.
The Church (with steeple) is the Wesleyan Church (or was it Congregational) on the corner of North Street and Woodbridge Road which was demolished in the early 80s.
The chimney must be within the Friary Brewery (Friary Holroyd and Healy)
Can just make out the top of the Angel Hotel in the High Street at the bottom of the picture below the Church.
Still working on the mystery sign.
I like the prize – loved Green Shield stamps – Janet, my wife, worked there for a while.
John Lomas Reply

March 7, 2013 at 12:43 am

The spire is on the Wesleyan Chapel at the corner of North St and Woodbridge Rd. the large construction which lines up just left of the spire is one of the Gas holders behind the market, the river can be seen just to the left of the gas holder.
The clerestory roof lights on the building at the bottom R/H corner are probably on the indoor swimming baths and the photo probably taken from the top of the castle.
Norman Hamshere Reply

March 8, 2013 at 9:15 am

Spire of Methodist church North St.centre of picture,with gas works beyond and tall chimney of Friary brewery to the left. Photo taken from Guildford castle?
Peter Bullen Reply

March 8, 2013 at 10:46 am

Tricky one! The photo must have been taken from the castle keep (as we used to call it)and it shows the Methodist Church on the corner of Woodbridge Road and North Street.

Immediately behind it, the steep roof is probably the Baptist Church in Commercial Road.

The chimney is probably part of the Friary Brewery complex or even the old Guildford Gas Light and Coke Company in Onslow Street – the angle of the shot makes it difficult to choose. The backs of the houses in the foreground would be those on the south side of the High Street.
Brian Holt Reply

March 8, 2013 at 3:02 pm

The tall chimney and buildings to the right was the old Friary Brewery, Commercial Road side.
The picture shows steam which was probably coming from the bottling plant.
Behind the chimney you can see the gas holders.

I think the photo was taken from the top of Guildford Castle.

The coach and car parking sign is at Guildford Cathedral. I have used the coach parking there many times.
Chris Townsend Reply

March 10, 2013 at 8:24 am

The view is taken from the Castle, looking north across High Street and North Street. I can make out the top of the “Angel Family Hotel”, the spire of the Methodist Church (on the corner of North Street and Woodbridge Road), and the Baptist Chapel (with the small spire in the middle of the light-coloured roof) on Commercial Road, in the centre. To the left and beyond the chapel are the distinctive buildings of the Friary Brewery, with its chimney. The gasometers identify the Gas Works. Middle left (a bit blurred) could be the Picture Palace, now the nightclub, on Onslow Street. At the centre foot of the picture is the High Street end of Chapel Street.

My guess is that the sign is near the top of the road up the Cathedral hill.
David & Ann Bailey Reply

March 10, 2013 at 5:23 pm

We think the picture was taken from Guildford Castle, in the forefront you can see the Methodist Church that stood on the corner of North Street and Woodbridge Road. Behind that is a gas holder and to the left is the chimney of the Friary Brewery.
James McColl Reply

March 11, 2013 at 1:52 pm

Photo probably taken from Harvey’s roof garden, looking north and in the picture are: the gasworks holder / cattle market area (where Odeon Cinema is now) Friary Brewery chimney (site of Friary Centre) and the church that is now where Barclays Bank stands at the bottom of North Street.
Paul Robinson Reply

March 11, 2013 at 5:28 pm

Taken from the castle. The church is the Methodist Church and the chimney is the Friary Holroyd & Healy Brewery