Where Is This? No.60

Published on: 4 Jun, 2013
Updated on: 4 Jun, 2013

By David Rose

Last week’s vintage picture was always going to be a tough one – but several did correctly identify it as being Merrow Grange. And the piece of public art can indeed be found near the car park at the Royal Surrey County Hospital.

Click here to see last week’s post and all the replies at he foot of it, which once again contain some interesting facts.

Where was this shop?

Something a little easier this week perhaps? Can you name where this shop was? I know one reader in particular will be able to add more details than just the location!

Do you know where these two can be found?

And the mystery piece of public art, as photographed by Peter Bullen. Do you know where these statues of children can be found?

In last week’s replies Doug Stanniforth asked whether there is a statue of a speedboat in Guildford (still hoping for that prize). Well, we’ll keep a look out… and the research park is ever expanding.

If you know the answers to this week’s, and perhaps have some comments to make, 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 vintage photo and sculpture / statue picture, and the next pair of images.

Responses to Where Is This? No.60

Brian Holt Reply

June 5, 2013 at 12:36 am

F Ayers & Sons shop was in Woodbridge Road and on the corner of Artillery Road.

The bakery was behind this shop, this is where I worked for 10 years. I started at the age of 15 years old as a apprentice baker and confectioner.

We used to unload sacks of flour and carry them on our backs up a ladder, which was on a uneven road surface in Artillery Road.

In July 1957, when the Queen visited Guildford, the plum cake presented to her was made here. I was asked, as an apprentice, to assist Mr William
Hambrook, a master-baker and the managing director of F Ayers & Sons, in the making of this cake.

The Evening Standard newspaper came and took the photograph of me holding the cake which is in David Rose and Bernard Parke’s book Guildford Remember When.
Bernard Parke Reply

June 5, 2013 at 7:19 am

1) Corner of Woodbridge Road.

2) East end of the cathedral.
Norman Hamshere Reply

June 5, 2013 at 9:29 am

Ayers’ bakers. Woodbridge Road/Artillery Road
Peter Bullen Reply

June 5, 2013 at 10:08 am

Ayers’ shop was on the corner of Woodbridge and Artillery Roads.

I knew it well! My first job was as an office boy (‘junior clerk’ was the posh title) at the National Farmers’ Union, Surrey Branch office in Market Buildings, just along Woodbridge Road, next to St Saviour’s Church.

I was often sent along to Ayers, or to the delicatessen ‘Risk’ on the corner of Church Road, (the proprietor’s name was no reflection on the safety or otherwise of his products!) to buy ‘elevenses’.
Ray Springer Reply

June 6, 2013 at 9:40 am

Ayers’ the bakers shop was in Woodbridge Road (No.71) on the corner of Artillery Road, although they had other shops in Worplesdon Road and Onslow Street.

The sculpture is in the Children’s Garden at the rear of the Cathedral.
Peter Holt aka the Clitherow Kid Reply

June 6, 2013 at 11:28 am

The shop was in Woodbridge Road / Artillery Road. F. Ayers used to make the best jam doughnuts in town.

I will send my butler up from Eastbourne to collect my prize. Please may I have six jam doughnuts. Thank you.

Certainly Sir,
You are indeed entitled to a prize but they are not free. We employ a regional pricing structure which allows us to charge a little extra for those from other parts who are obviously rollin’ in it. So that will be £18 plus £6 for the jam, 90p for dusting sugar, plus VAT.

Please instruct Jeeves to park around the back.

FYI Certain central parts of ring doughnuts are free of charge. Ed
Raineee Wornham Reply

June 6, 2013 at 4:04 pm

The statues are at the Guildford Cathedral in the gardens, as for the building i will leave the answer to that for a certain reader who has first hand knowledge of it……
David & Ann Bailey Reply

June 10, 2013 at 2:03 pm

Ayers’ the bakers was on the corner of Woodbridge Road and Artillery Road. The actual bakery was behind the shop. The Futon shop is now on the site
Doug Staniforth Reply

June 10, 2013 at 4:06 pm

The shop was on the corner of Woodbridge and Artillery Road, there was a large area at the back where all the baking was done, it was demolished about 1987, our old shop was next door, we did manage to rescue a fire bucket before it all went (photo to follow)
No idea about the sculpture but they look as though they could be washing a caravan (possibly won as a prize)
Chris Townsend Reply

June 10, 2013 at 8:50 pm

Ayers the baker’s was at 71 Woodbridge Road, on the corner of Artillery Road, but the site has since been redeveloped. They had another shop with a restaurant at 91 High Street, on the corner of Bury Street and High Street, near St. Nicolas Church. (I remember the cake-stands in the window.) In later years, another branch was at 26 Onslow Street (to the left of the archway through to Friary Square and the old barracks site). Stoughton was well-served, with two Ayers shops on the Worplesdon Road.

The bronze sculpture by Christine Charlesworth is in The Seeds of Hope Children’s Garden on Stag Hill, at the east end of the Cathedral.