Where Is This? No.68

Published on: 1 Aug, 2013
Updated on: 1 Aug, 2013

By David Rose

Some right and some not so right answers to last week’s vintage photo! It did show South Street (now Sydenham Road) looking towards Trinity Churchyard away to the left. Most of the buildings seen stood where the Castle car park is today.

Read last week’s post and all the replies at the foot of it by clicking here. You will see that many of those who did correctly identify the location have strong memories of the shops and businesses that were there.

The second photo was a bit of a trick as it showed St Nicolas Church Hall with the building opposite reflected in its glass side. Again all those who weren’t fooled have made roughly the same comments.

Do you recognise this Guildford street scene taken in the 1920s?

Moving on to this week’s old photo and one which I guess should not be too difficult to recognise. However, the lens on the camera that was used to take the photo makes the white building in the picture look a little strange? It comes from the collection at the Guildford Institute and is one of many taken of shops and buildings in Guildford town centre in the early 1920s.

For the today photo, I have been out and about in the town photographing what I can only describe as ‘quirky’ things! Bits of Guildford we pass by perhaps on a regular basis, but may not always take in. But then again… perhaps you’ll recognise them instantly.

Where is this hand rail?

Here is a metal hand rail that I always admire when I pass it. The top of it is so smooth (like a baby’s bottom), smoothed by literally thousands and thousands of hands touching it over the years. I wonder how old it is? Do you know the location?

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.68

Caroline Reeves Reply

August 1, 2013 at 7:51 am

The first image is taken at the top of the High Street, the building on the left is still there, now an estate agents, and the garage is now Zizi’s and the Cau restaurant.
The handrail is at the top of Rosemary Alley, as you say David, a delight!
John Lomas Reply

August 1, 2013 at 8:23 am

High St just below the Epsom Rd junction,
In the late 50’searly 60’s the garage was a Standard Dealer, I remember seeing a Standard Ten with the Standrive two pedal system in the showroom.
At that time the white building was the premises of Alfred Saville estate agents, their local manager then took over this branch and it became Howard Morley and Sons.
Ray Springer Reply

August 1, 2013 at 9:21 am

This is at the top of the High Street where the road widens. The white building is now an estate agents Howard Morley & Son. The garage is now a restaurant Zizzi.

The ancient handrail is at the top of the steps from Millbook to Quarry Street, known as Rosemary Alley
James Creggan Reply

August 1, 2013 at 4:53 pm

It’s the top of the handrail on the passage steps from Quarry Street down to Millmead.
Norman Hamshere Reply

August 1, 2013 at 8:42 pm

Car showroom for E J Baker at 180 Upper High Street.
David Bennett Reply

August 2, 2013 at 10:06 am

The photo is taken in the upper part of the High Street in Guildford. The Georgian building is now Howard Morley, Estate Agents and the Car showroom is now Zizzi’s and Cau restaurants.

The second photograph shows the handrail at the top of Rosemary Alley, linking Quarry Street with Millbrook.
Dave Peters Reply

August 3, 2013 at 12:02 am

Upper High Street just to the right of the junction with Epsom road. Off to the right was a newsagents.

The handrail is at the top of the steps from Quarry Street to Millbrook and the Yvonne Arnaud theatre.
Very steep steps andmind your head halfway down!!
Peter Bullen Reply

August 3, 2013 at 10:27 am

What a lovely piece of iron work at the top of Rosemary Alley! To my untutored eye it looks hand forged in Victorian, or even earlier, times? Would that we could know who made it. A local blacksmith, perhaps? And when it was made. It has certainly been there for the past seventy to eighty years to my knowledge. The times I clattered down those worn steps in the early 40s, past the mortuary, the water mill, and the iron foundry opposite the dogs’pound, to play under the arches that support the footpath by the river side!
Judy Oliver Reply

August 3, 2013 at 11:16 am

The ‘quirky’ thing is at the top of what I think is called Rosemary Alley, linking Quarry Street with Millbrook.

The street scene is at the top of the High Street, opposite what was the White Horse Hotel. The garage is now the entrance into Zizzis restaurant.
Angie Wallberg Reply

August 3, 2013 at 5:23 pm

That is the top of Elizabeth Alley, at Quarry Street!
Sue and Chris Bushell Reply

August 4, 2013 at 9:04 am

The first photograph is the top of the High Street which in the 60’s was called ‘Baker’s Garage’. We believe it was a Vauxhall dealer and in my youth this building was used as its offices. I used to work for Alfred Hawes optician in the mid 60’s, just a few shops away.

The second picture is the top of Rosemary Alley coming down from Quarry Street to Millmead opposite the Yvonne Arnaud.

By the way, we love The Dragon.
Sam Lenoz Reply

August 5, 2013 at 10:02 am

Top of Rosemarys Alley.
Chris McSween Reply

August 5, 2013 at 1:48 pm

The handrail must be at the top of Rosemary Alley?
Brian Holt Reply

August 5, 2013 at 9:43 pm

This is Upper High Street. In 1926 it was Crow Brothers’ Garage which was there from the end of the First
World War to the beginning of the Second.

Later it was E J Baker’s garage, the entrance was to the left of the Office building. Since then it has used by a number of different businesses.

The hand rail is at the top of Rosemary Alley in Quarry Street. I used to use these steps on the way
home from school, when going to watch the barges unloading the timber at Moon’s Yard (where Debenhams
is now). The barges were drawn by horses.
Doug and Bill Staniforth Reply

August 6, 2013 at 2:13 pm

The photo is of the upper high street now occupied by Cau and Zizzi cafes. I’m sure there was Comet store there once.
The other pic is the Quarry Street end of Rosemary Alley.

Please note: If we ever get that speedboat we could launch it down Rosemary Alley and straight into the river.

[You can be sure that if ever you get a speedboat as a prize it will fit down Rosemary Alley – with plenty of room on either side. Think Dinky – then again think nothing!]
Chris Townsend Reply

August 6, 2013 at 4:01 pm

The old photo shows Crow Bros. garage at the top of the town, today numbered 274 and 276 High Street. They had a garage and showroom there between 1912 and 1939, and there continued to be a car showroom until at least the ’50s. Now number 274 is occupied by restaurants. Howard Morley & Sons, present occupants of the listed Georgian building, state that there has been an estate agents there since 1910. The 1871 Town Plan of Guildford shows the building as White Lodge (then in Spital Street and with a front garden) at that time the residence of one Thomas Russell.

The hand rail is at the top of Rosemary Alley, off Quarry Street.
John Foster Reply

August 6, 2013 at 4:48 pm

The view is of Guildford upper High Street, looking down and across from Alexandra Terrace. I think the garage was Baker’s.

The handrail is in Quarry Street at the top of Rosemary Alley. Mine were some of the many hands that touched the rail especially on schooldays as I made my way to and from Quarry House School in the early thirties.
Ian Plowman Reply

August 6, 2013 at 9:55 pm

Photo 1 – Upper High Street the building is now Howard Morley & Son

Photo 2 – Rosemary Passage/Alley Top is in Quarry Street and goes down to Milbrook
Pete Brayne Reply

August 10, 2013 at 9:02 am

In the 1970s the Garage was F G Barnes. I bought a Vauxhaul Viva (HB series) from there in 1974 for £325, on hire purchase. I wrote it off at the Clandon crossroads – a traffic black spot!