Since 2012 the Guildford Dragon online newspaper has published several hundred articles on local history in addition to its daily news. Here I list about 130 articles covering topics such as Places (22), People (9), Industry (6), Entertainment (mostly RocknRoll Years) (22), Events e.g. floods, great storm, guy riots (5), traditions (5), Wey Navigation (4), World Wars (17), Norman invasion, and many more (40) I could not easily categorise. I shall try and add to this list as new articles appear. (I have done my best to include links but if any do not work you can search for articles on the Guildford Dragon).
Places
| Abbotts Hospital | Abbot’s Hospital Receives £92k Heritage Lottery Grant To Mark Its 400th Anniversary | Guildford’s iconic Abbot’s Hospital has received £92,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to help it celebrate its 400th anniversary in 2019. The building continues to provides for what it was… |
| Burpham | Superb New Book On The History Of Burpham | For good local history research you need dedication and be prepared to leave ‘no stone unturned’ in your quest. And this is what Moria MacQuaide Hall has done in writing… |
| Civic Hall | Pic from the Past: Civic Hall Booking Office 1985 | By Martin Giles My wife was sorting some old photos yesterday, you know real photographs, printed on paper, and among them was this one. It is of the Civic Hall… |
| Friary Brewery | A Peek Inside The Friary Brewery | by David Rose One of my earliest memories of Guildford town centre is getting off the bus in Woodbridge Road and saying to my mum: ‘What’s that strange smell?’ ‘That’s… |
| Guildford Cathedral | The Building Of Guildford Cathedral | Local historian Stanley Newman looks back over the design, planning, building and consecration of the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit on Stag Hill. May 2011 marked the 50th anniversary of the… |
| Guildford Station | Chasing A Steam Train | by David Rose It’s 44 years since steam trains were withdrawn from regular service in the Surrey area, then the Southern Region of British Railways. I can’t believe it’s that… |
| Guildford Station | Plaque To Mark 50 Years Since Guildford’s Engine Shed Closed | It will be 50 years ago this July that steam trains were withdrawn from regular service in the Guildford area. Now, a plaque has been made to commemorate the 50th… |
| Guildhall Clock | The Guildhall Clock Is Always Getting Ahead of Itself | For hundreds of years people needing to know the time in Guildford High Street have been able to simply glance up at the iconic town clock projecting from the Guildhall.… |
| Hindhead Tunnel | A Trip To The Seaside | by David Rose Have you been through the new Hindhead Tunnel on the A3? It certainly cuts the journey time to Pompey and the seaside. Travelling through the tunnel the… |
| Holy Trinity Church | Holy Trinity Church’s Time Capsule Contains A Wealth Of Material For Future Generations | A time capsule has been buried inside Holy Trinity Church in Guildford High Street to provide future generations with a snap-shot of life in the church and parish in 2019,… |
| Holy Trinity Church | New Feature Series: Guildford Cathedral’s Fascinating Hidden Spaces Are Revealed | by Hugh Coakley Loved or loathed, Guildford’s Cathedral Church of the Holy Spirit is a monumental building, both inside and out, which we who live in Guildford would miss hugely… |
| Holy Trinity Church | A Peek Inside Holy Trinity’s Bell Tower On Ringers’ Practice Night | By David Rose The sound of church bells ringing out is part of the culture and heritage of Britain. But how often do we give a thought of what actually… |
| Libraries | Updated: Rising Population That Finally Forced Guildford To Open A Public Library | By David Rose Guildford’s public library has been a feature of North Street since 1962, but some readers may recall others sites in the town where books could be borrowed for… |
| Libraries | County investing in libraries | County Council press release says it intends to invest in libraries, look at different ways of running them and perhaps use them as bases for other vulnerable services |
| Pubs | Launch Night Of David Rose’s New Book: Guildford Pubs | Local historian and Guildford Dragon NEWS writer David Rose’s new book Guildford Pubs has been published and there will be a launch night with a talk by him on Wednesday, October 19,… |
| Pubs | Memories Of Guildford Pubs Are Wanted For New Book | By David Rose I am currently witing a new book titled Guildford Pubs and I am on the look out for anecodotes and memories people may have of them. The book is being published… |
| Royal Surrey County Hospital | Royal Surrey County Hospital 150 Years Old | The Royal Surrey County Hospital celebrated its 150th birthday this week with staff and patients by delving into the archives. The hospital first opened its doors on April 27, 1866,… |
| St Lukes Hospital | A Timely Look Back At Guildford’s St Luke’s Hospital | By David Rose A SUPERB collection of photos show former staff who once worked at Guildford’s busy St Luke’s Hospital. It is timely to look back on these now in… |
| Sutton House | Did You Work For The Getty Family When They Lived At Sutton Place? | BBC 1’s The One Show is keen to talk to people who worked for billionaire J Paul Getty and his family at Sutton Place when they lived there between the… |
| Tunsgate | Historic Tunsgate Arch’s Renovation Work Is Revealed | By Hugh Coakley Following the fall of a piece of stonework from Tunsgate Arch in February this year (2019), The Guildford Dragon NEWS has been given exclusive access to the… |
| Workshouse (Spike) | A Look Back At The Guildford Union Workhouse – Masters, Paupers and Soldiers | By David Rose The Guildford Union Workhouse was like all others – grim, disciplined, monotonous and impersonal. The Guildford Poor Law Union was formed in 1836 under Government legislation (The… |
| Workshouse (Spike) | Grim Days Of The Guildford Union Workhouse | The Guildford Union Workhouse opened its doors 180 years ago in 1838 to those who were too poor, old or ill to support themselves. John Redpath, the general manger of the… |
People
| Alan Turing | More Details Emerge About Alan Turing In Guildford | Details about father of computer science Alan Turing’s links to Guildford continue to grow. Following Guildford Town Guide Paul Backhouse’s publication Alan Turing – Guildford’s best kept secret earlier this year… |
| Alan Turing | BBC Two Viewers Vote Alan Turing Ultimate Icon Of The 20th Century | Alan Turing, the ‘father of modern computing’ and who had a strong connection with Guildford, has been voted by BBC Two viewers as their ultimate icon of the 20th century.… |
| Buffalo Bill | When Buffalo Bill Roamed Shalford Park | by David Rose While cows graze the town meadow next to Shalford Park today, it was Buffalo Bill who had the run of the fields there just over 100 years… |
| George Abbott’s brother | George Abbot’s Forgotten Brother – Sir Maurice | by Valerie White Guildford’s most famous person in our nation’s history is, without doubt, George Abbot, who was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1611 until his death in 1633. However, little… |
| Guildford Artists | Early 20th-century Guildford Artists Have Left Their Mark | by David Rose Guildford appears to have been a popular place for artists during the first couple of decades of the 20th century with their work published on picture postcards and… |
| John Russell | John Russell – Why He Should Grab Your Attention Too | By Nicholas Bale Guildford’s history is not awash with famous sons. Some may be aware of George Abbot who became archbishop of Canterbury but there is another local character who… |
| Lewis Carroll | Will The Lewis Carroll Plaque Be Reinstated? | by David Rose Questions over the missing Lewis Carroll plaque that was once on a gate post of The Chestnuts in Castle Hill have increased following comments made by Martin… |
| Majories Williams | Obituary: Marjorie Williams (1930-2018) – Founder Member of the Guildford Town Guides | By Matthew Alexander Marjorie Williams died in Guildford on August 30, at the age of 88. She had been born Marjorie Taylor on March 8 1930 in Hull. She studied… |
| Other | Appeal To Find Man’s Dad, Possible Link To A Guildford Record Shop | By David Reading It began with an email that arrived out of the blue. The sender hoped I could solve a mystery that had troubled him for most of his… |
Industry
| Dennis | Crowds At Alexander Dennis’s Factory To See Specialist Vehicle Innovation New And Old | By David Rose An impressive array of specialist vehicles old and new were on display at Alexander Dennis’ factory at Slyfield on Saturday (May 11). And a huge amount of… |
| Dennis | Vintage Pictures To Whet Appetite For Alexander Dennis Open Day, May 11 | By David Rose Bus and coach maker Alexander Dennis’ open day at its plant in Slyfield, Guildford, this coming Saturday, May 11, looks set to be a treat. The day… |
| Nelco in Shalford | Updated: Piecing Together The Story of Shalford Engineering Firm Nelco | By David Rose For over 40 years my dad worked for the electrical engineering firm Nelco, that had a factory on two sites in Station Road, Shalford. When I was… |
| Nelco in Shalford | Vintage Electric Car Made In Shalford By Nelco Has New Owner | By David Rose It may not be an icon of British motorcar manufacturing, but it might have been ahead of its time. Made at Shalford by electrical engineering firm Nelco in the… |
| Newspapers | Memories of Life In Newspapers | Guildford Dragon contributor Dave Reading was 18 when he began working as a journalist in Guildford in 1965. We persuaded him to relate a few anecdotes from the old days… |
| PAM, Merrow | Rare Vintage Pictures Of Merrow Engineering Firm P.A.M Ltd | By David Rose Here are some rare photos taken at P.A.M Ltd, an engineering firm that was based at Merrow Sidings, now the Merrow Business Park, off Park Lane. They… |
Entertainment
| Civic Hall | Did You See Punk Band The Clash At Guildford Civic Hall in 1977? | A music fan and freelance writer who grew up in Shalford wants to hear from people who went to punk band the Clash’s gig at Guildford Civic Hall on May… |
| From aCorGlory | Recalling A Guildford City Footballer From The Glory Days Of The 1930s | By David Rose Reader Mike Parkin has responded to a story published in The Guildford Dragon NEWS in 2016 about the book by Stuart Phillips of pen pictures and statistics of more… |
| Pleasure Gardens | Guildford’s Victorian Pleasure Gardens | by David Rose Once again the summer bedding at Guildford Castle Grounds is looking a picture – make sure you find some time over the next few weeks to go… |
| Rock and Roll | Rock ‘n’ Roll Milestones: Radio Luxemburg | In his latest feature on Milestones in Rock’n’Roll history, Dave Reading remembers Radio Luxembourg and the immense influence it had on our culture and on the development of music. It’s… |
| Rock and Roll | Milestones In Rock ‘N’ Roll History: Bassist Jet Harris | The bass player is sometimes the neglected star in a rock band. In the latest of our features on Milestones in Rock ‘n’ Roll History, Dave Reading decides it’s time… |
| Rock and Roll | Milestones In Rock ‘n’ Roll History: The Psychedelic Influence | In his latest feature on Milestones in Rock’n’Roll history, Dave Reading looks at the immense influence that psychedelic substances had on our culture and on the development of music. In… |
| Rock and Roll | Milestones In Rock ‘n’ Roll History: Bo Diddley | Bowie, the Smiths, the Who, the Clash…and many more. They all adopted the trademark rhythm made famous by a guitarist baptised as Ellas Otha Bates, known to the world Bo… |
| Rock and Roll | Milestones in Rock ‘n Roll History: Eric Clapton And The ‘Beano’ LP | It became known as ‘the Beano album.’ Dave Reading continues our series on Milestones in Rock ‘n’ Roll History by taking a look at the 1966 recording session that defined… |
| Rock and Roll | Milestones In Rock ‘n’ Roll History: Rumble By Link Wray | In our series of feature articles on Milestones in Rock ‘n’ Roll History, Dave Reading features a little-known instrumental number that proved to be a blueprint for heavy metal Sometimes… |
| Rock and Roll | Milestones In Rock ‘n’ Roll History: Punk Band The Clash | Our latest feature on Milestones in Rock ‘n’ Roll History looks at the impact of punk rock – in particular the influence of Joe Strummer and his band The Clash.… |
| Rock and Roll | Millestones in Rock ‘n’ Roll History: Heartbreak Hotel | In our series of articles focusing on Milestones in Rock ‘n’ Roll History, Dave Reading features a classic song about heartbreak that proved inspirational in the development of modern music. … |
| Rock and Roll | Milestones In Rock ‘n’ Roll History: You Really Got Me | In the third of our series of feature articles on Milestones in Rock ‘n’ Roll History, former Guildford journalist Dave Reading recalls the story of the Kinks’ ground-breaking song You… |
| Rock and Roll | Milestones In Rock ‘n’ Roll History: House Of The Rising Sun | In the second of our new series of feature articles on Milestones in Rock ‘n’ Roll History, former Guildford journalist Dave Reading relates the background to a song that was… |
| Rock and Roll | When The Odeon Hosted Larry Parnes’ Pop Package Tours In The Early 1960s | Dave Reading recalls the pop package tours that hit Guildford during the early 1960s Before Brian Epstein gave us the Beatles, there was Larry Parnes. The intense fan frenzy that… |
| Rock and Roll | Hitting The Guildford Music Scene In The Sixties With Blues Band The Crow Janes | Dave Reading, former full-time journalist and a life-long lover of the guitar, recalls some early experiences at the birth of Guildford’s thriving Sixties music scene It was Hank Marvin who… |
| Rock and Roll | Amazing Night In 1964 When Steve Winwood Played Guildford Civic Hall | The year was 1964. The guy behind the microphone was virtually unknown at that stage. But for former journalist Dave Reading it was one of the musical highlights of his… |
| Rock and Roll | Thrill Of Meeting British Blues Guitarist Peter Green 50 Years Ago | Former journalist Dave Reading recalls a brief encounter with one of his guitar heroes at a Guildford gig 50 years ago. A friend of mine was talking about memorable moments… |
| Rock and Roll | Story Behind A Classic Jimi Hendrix Song And A Young Music Fan’s Obsession With It | Former Guildford journalist Dave Reading looks at the complex background to a song that became a rock ’n’ roll legend The oddly-named Cafe Wha? in the heart of Greenwich Village,… |
| Rock and Roll | Hearing Chuck Berry Loud And Clear On Guildford’s Cygnet Café Jukebox | Dave Reading recalls hearing the music of Chuck Berry for the first time in a dark café that stood by the River Wey at Guildford. Chuck Berry died on March… |
| Wings and Wheels | Bidding Farewell To Wings & Wheels Air And Motor Show | The final Wings & Wheels spectacular of historic aviation and motoring has taken place at Dunsfold airfield. Our correspondent Bob McShee once again enjoyed the show and reports on it… |
| Olympic Fever In Guildford Back In 1948 | by Bernard Parke Photos from David Rose With Olympic fever growing by the month, and the recent news that the flame for the 2012 London Games will be passing through… | |
| Where Is This? No.209 | By David Rose The location of the picture featuring 1948 London Olympic Torch Relay runners remains a mystery as we have not had it positively identified. John Lomas suggested the runners could be coming out of… |
Events
| Floods 1968 | It’s the 50th Anniversary of The 1968 Guildford Floods! | By David Rose Fifty years ago this weekend saw the worse floods Guildfordians had witnessed within living memory. It was said to have been on the scale of an event… |
| Great Storm 1987 | The Great Storm That Wreaked Havoc 30 Years Ago Across The County | By David Rose Thirty years ago (October 16, 1987) southern England witnessed a storm that is still remembered to this day. Trees were uprooted and power lines were brought down. |
| Guy Riots | Sparks Fly | Verbal sparks flew on local airwaves this morning as a proposal to erect a sculpture to commemorate Guildford’s 19th century Guy Riots was debated by Alderman Bernard Parke and this… |
| Guy Riots | Remember, Remember The Guildford Guy Riots | by David Rose This summer’s riots across the UK shocked us all. However, this kind of behaviour is, unfortunately, nothing new. In the mid-19th century Guildford witnessed a number of… |
| Elections | 2019 General Election | Guildford Dragon surveyed 100 people in High Street on 23rd Nov to understand voting patterns. Interesting results with graphs |
Traditions
| Guy Riots | Sparks Fly | Verbal sparks flew on local airwaves this morning as a proposal to erect a sculpture to commemorate Guildford’s 19th century Guy Riots was debated by Alderman Bernard Parke and this… |
| Guy Riots | Remember, Remember The Guildford Guy Riots | by David Rose This summer’s riots across the UK shocked us all. However, this kind of behaviour is, unfortunately, nothing new. In the mid-19th century Guildford witnessed a number of… |
| Barrel Racing | Were You There? Barrel Racing in Guildford High Street | Dragon reader Graham Richings kindly submitted some images from slides taken by his father in the 1960s and 70s. Among them were these two images apparently of some sort of… |
| Christmas | Season’s Greetings Edwardian Style | By David Rose Would you send a Christmas greeting on a postcard? Well, the Edwardians were happy to do so. As the picture postcard craze swept through the UK in… |
| Fox Hunting | Were You There? – Surrey Union Hunt Meeting | Fox hunting is a controversial subject. But here are two photos of the Surrey Union Hunt moving down the Upper High Street past the Royal Grammar School in, we suspect,… |
| Maypole | Guildford Snippets – Do You Know? No.8 | by Nick Bale, Guildford Town Guides Distances from Guildford were always measured from the Maypole – an enormous mast-like structure with cross beams. Where was the Maypole sited? a. By… |
| Trafalgar Day | Flashback To Trafalgar Day Parade in 1958 and Guildford’s Sea Cadets | Today, Friday, October 21, marks Trafalgar Day, and these pictures show Guildford’s TS Queen Charlotte Sea Cadets providing the guard of honour at the parade in London on that day in 1958. Sent… |
Wey Navigation
| Rive Festival | Guildford Snippets Do You Know? No.20 | By Nick Bale Guildford Town Guides Next weekend, Guildford will be celebrating the River Wey, which for centuries was a key commercial feature of the town. The Wey River Festival… |
| to abatLock | Has Rubbish Put Paid to Stoke Lock’s Place In History? | by David Rose Guildford’s Stoke Lock, on the Wey Navigation, should perhaps be better known within the UK’s history of inland waterways.The fact that the area around it has long… |
| Tumbling Bay | Tumbling Bay’s Original Use And Why The Mill Stream Could Date To Saxon Times | The collapse of the Tumbling Bay weir at Millmead in Guildford and the unusual sight of a trickle of water on some stretches of the navigation towards St Catherine’s has… |
| Life On The Wey Navigations | David Rose takes a look at the history of the waterway than runs through St Catherine’s. The Godalming Navigation of the River Wey that runs through St Catherine’s was once… |
World Wars
| WWI | A Zeppelin Memorial For St Catherine’s? | By David Rose While spending a few days in Edinburgh earlier this week, I snapped this photo of a memorial to an air raid by a German Zeppelin airship during the… |
| WWI | When Peace Came – Guildford At The End Of WWI, Talk By David Rose | Join me, David Rose, for an illustrated talk, When Peace Came – Guildford at the end of the Great War, this coming Monday evening, November 12, at the Keep pub… |
| WWI | Guildford People On Film Sharing Their Reflections Of The First World War | Residents and local groups, of all ages, have helped the borough’s commemorations for the centenary of the end of the First World War by reflecting on people’s lives in Guildford in… |
| WWI | Remembering Guildford’s First World War Military War Hospitals | With remembrance services and events this coming weekend and the focus of course being on the centenary of the Armistice, local historian and writer DAVID ROSE, looks at medical care… |
| WWI | Chilworth’s West Lodge Reveals Its Wartime Secrets – Hopes It Will Now Be Preserved | By Gavin Morgan New research backed up by English Heritage has unearthed the wartime role of West Lodge, part of the Chilworth Gunpowder works. It appears to have been built… |
| WWI | Fascinating Pictures and Details of an Aussie Soldier Convalescing in Guildford During First World War | By David Rose During the First World War, Guildford’s workhouse in Warren Road was taken over as a military war hospital. The historians at today’s Spike heritage centre on the site… |
| WWI | Effingham Holds World War One Exhibition | By Liz Hogger Over 200 visitors attended an exhibition held last Saturday (December 3) on the subject of Effingham during World War One. The exhibition covered the activities of Effingham people… |
| WWI | Message from a Somme Casualty’s Great Nephew Leads to Special Memorial Service | A message from a great nephew of a local soldier, killed in the Battle of the Somme 100 years ago, has led to a special memorial service held on Thursday… |
| WWI | Guildford Men Who Took Part In Naval Battle Of Jutland | By David Rose One hundred years ago today and tomorrow (May 31 and June 1) the First World War’s Battle of Jutland was fought between the Royal Navy’s Grand Fleet and… |
| WWI | Great Uncle Charlie’s WWI Death Plaque Comes Home | By David Rose An amazing item of my family’s history has been returned to me courtesy of a family from Camberley. It is a next of kin memorial plaque, made of bronze, that was given… |
| WWI | New Website Launches To Immortalise Surrey’s Great War Story | People with stories or photographs of Surrey in the First World War are being urged to help create a lasting digital memorial to the county’s role during the conflict. Surrey Heritage,… |
| WWII | Dad’s Army In The Battle For Guildford | by David Rose In early June 1944 as Allied forces made final preparations for the invasion of France, Home Guards were taking part in ‘The Battle of Guildford’. It was,… |
| WWII | Wartime Concert Party Had The X Factor! | by David Rose They didn’t need TV programmes like Britain’s Got Talent to show off their entertainment skills in the 1940s – they had their very own X Factor. These… |
| WWII | Eighty Years Ago Britain Declared War on Germany And Evacuees Poured Into Guildford | By David Rose Eighty years ago on September 3, 1939, Britain declared war on Germany. It was a Sunday morning and at 11.15am Britain’s prime minister, Neville Chamberlain, broadcast to… |
| WWII | Spare a Thought Today for Guildford’s Own Great Escape Airman | Guildford today should recall the loss of one of its great unsung World War 2 heroes, former Squadron-Leader Alec Bristow, Mosquito pilot, and a lucky survivor of the legendary Stalag… |
| WWII | What Guildford’s GPO Home Guard Unit Did During The Second World War | Based on a photo of men from Guildford Post Office who formed a Home Guard unit during the Second World War, historian Frank Phillipson writes about it and the duties the… |
| WWII | Letter: Anyone Out There Related To Stoughton Barracks Soldier ‘Chuck’ Sheffield? | From Dave Middleton Following on from David Rose’s Where is This? column in the Dragon on November 11, I was inspired to try to find out more about the long-serving Private Frederick “Chuck” Sheffield, of… |
Saxons and Normans
| The Normans Are Coming – Right Through Surrey! | When, in 1066, William the Conqueror invaded England, and following the Battle of Hastings, his army soon moved through the country. It was not long before they swept through parts… |
| Anglo-Saxon Burial Find Is Re-interred At Wanborough Churchyard | Human bones thought to be part of an Anglo-Saxon burial have been re-interred in the churchyard of St Bartholomew’s in Wanborough, thanks to co-operation between the local community and Guildford… |
Other
| Please Return Me To My Home | by David Rose Litter louts were just as much a nuisance over one hundred years ago as they are today – and that includes places such as St Catherine’s Hill… |
| Call For Guildford To Proclaim Itself As The Cradle Of English Democracy | A little-known event that occurred in Guildford in 1647 could give the borough reason to claim the town as the cradle of English democracy. In 1647 radical delegates from Parliament’s… |
| Can You Identify These Locations? | by David Rose Here are five vintage pictures from my collection that have rarely been seen in recent times. Can you work out where the locations are? In most of… |
| A 1920s Tour Of Guildford From The Air | by David Rose No sooner had the first aircraft taken to the skies than photographers were on board taking pictures of the ground below them. This is an aerial view… |
| Jam Today, But Marmalade Yesterday | by David Rose St Catherine’s Village website webmaster Martin Giles emailed me the following: ‘Another old bottle challenge for you! This fragment was given to me by Chris Lewis who… |
| A Drop Of The Hard And The Soft Stuff | Local historian and bottle collector David Rose writes about the history of brewing and mineral water making in Bury Street, Guildford. For just over 100 years, the plot of land… |
| Witnesses Sought To Aircraft Collision Over Guildford | By David Rose Can anyone remember the event in 1952 when two military aircraft collided in mid air over Guildford? One crashed near Blackwell Farm, Wood Street, and the other… |
| From Woodbridge Park To Western Australia | by David Rose Building work is nearing completion on the new store for trade and DIY retailer Wickes at Woodbridge Road in Guildford. It is on the site of a… |
| Can You Identify These Locations? (7) | By David Rose There were no suggestions as to the locations of the previous three mystery pictures – and which I readily admit that I do not know where they… |
| Can You Identify These Locations? (6) | by David Rose A number of readers identified last week’s two mystery pictures. Yes, the first picture was indeed at Kingpost in Burpham at the junction of London Road and… |
| Can You Identify These Locations? (5) | by David Rose The Baileys have done it again – correctly identifying the previous two mystery locations. The war memorial at Stoke Road has indeed been moved from its original… |
| Can You Identify These Locations? (12) | by David Rose Well done to Carol, Mike and Bernard for correctly identifying the locations last time around. See their posts at the foot of Can You Identify These Locations?… |
| Can You Identify These Locations? (11) | by David Rose No problems with correct answers to the mystery pictures on the previous post. Bernard Parke and the Baileys once again identified the view of Woodbridge Road and… |
| Down By The Riverside | by David Rose Guildford’s river frontage, between the Town Bridge and the Onslow Street bridge, has certainly changed over the years, as these photos show. It’s an area that was… |
| Can You Identify These Locations? (10) | by David Rose A view looking up Farnham Road was one of the two mystery images shown last time. Bernard Parke correctly identified it, but was a little off track… |
| Temperance Tavern In The Town | by David Rose Collectors like me who are also keen on local history often come together over objects that have something in common. Trade token collector and historian John Theobald… |
| Can You Identify These Locations? (9) | by David Rose The mystery house featured in the previous ‘locations’ post is indeed in Waterden Road – as correctly identified by Caroline Reeves. It is called Ravenscroft, and is… |
| Train In The High Street That Refused To Move | The MGM film company’s Trackless Train had completed 23,000 miles, travelling through the USA and Canada and then on to Britain. But after it had arrived in Guildford, it ran… |
| Scout Group Still Going Strong After 102 Years | By David Rose This Sunday, November 27, will see a parade service at 10.30am, at the United Reformed Church, Portsmouth Road, Guildford, by members of the St Nicolas 9th Guildford Group.… |
| Focus On Weybourne House and Masonic Lodges | By David Rose The South West Surrey Masonic Centre near Guildford town centre is tucked away off Hitherbury Close, between the Portsmouth Road and the River Wey. The following facts about… |
| Can You Identify These Locations? (14) | by David Rose Well done to everyone who successfully recognised the mystery pictures last time, writes David Rose. They were the Newlands Corner Hotel (now the Manor House Hotel, Newlands Corner,… |
| What’s In A Road Name | By David Rose Have you ever wondered about the origin of a particular road name in the Guildford area? Could it be named after a once well-known person, a corruption… |
| Bottles Bricked Up For Nearly 200 Years | Nick Booth, assistant collections officer with Guildford Borough Council’s Heritage Service, writes about four old bottles that were found in a bricked-up chimney at a house in St Catherine’s Village. Earlier… |
| Can You Identify These Locations? (13) | by David Rose A dead heat between the Baileys and Bernard Parke who both correctly identified the pictures last time around – the first being the site beside the River… |
| Calling Former 9th Guildford Scouts | By David Rose Open invite to a special parade service at Guildford United Reformed Church on Sunday, November 27. 9th Guildford Scouts pictured in the 1920s. Former members of the… |
| Can You Identify These Locations? (20) | by David Rose It’s been a couple of weeks since the last mystery pictures featuring snow scenes were posted. I have now added the two comments received. Ian Plowman correctly… |
| Can You Identify These Locations? (19) | By David Rose The mystery photos shown on the previous post appear to have stumped all of you. No suggestions at all to the location of the house that I… |
| Can You Identify These Locations? (18) Updated | by David Rose Well done to Ian Plowman, David and Ann Bailey and Bernard Parke for once again identifying the locations on the previous post. The first picture was Onslow… |
| Almshouse Trustee Appeals For Missing Historic Archives | by David Rose A call goes out to anyone who may know the whereabouts of a box, believed to contain some historic archive material, and a book from Guildford’s Stoke… |
| Can You Identify These Locations? (17) | By David Rose Woking Road was featured in the previous post, with John Pettett correctly recognising it and naming the houses as being built by motor manufacturer Dennis Bros, for… |
| Scout Parade Success – But A Mystery To Be Solved | by David Rose A celebration and reunion for St Nicolas 9th Guildford Scout Group filled Guildford United Reformed Church in Portsmouth Road on Sunday morning. The 1930s stained glass window with the… |
| Belief For Centuries That Surrey’s Water Can Cure Ailments | By David Rose Does the water from the Surrey Hills contain healing properties? It would certainly seem that over the years people have believed so. The spring at St Catherine’s, beside Ferry… |
| The Fascinating World of Worplesdon’s Historic Perry Hill | By Janet Ashton Encouraged by Gavin Morgan’s articles Focus on Heritage on Guildford’s Heritage, I would like to highlight another historic part of our borough, Perry Hill in Worplesdon. It… |
| The Day Royalty Dropped Into Onslow Village | Scheduled royal visits these days are amid much security, for good reason. Details are usually kept a closely guarded secret until just before the event, with even the press, national… |
| When The Rules About Health and Safety Were Rather Less Demanding | By Dave Reading This was my dad, Ron Reading (right), and his friend Colin Hopper sometime in the early 1960s pictured on the roof of St Francis Church, Westborough. The… |
| Book Review: Their Day Has Passed – Gypsies In Victorian And Edwardian Surrey | By David Rose Back in the 1910s certain Surrey landowners were putting pressure on the Chief Constable to instruct his officers to remove Gypsy-travellers from their land. But he was… |
| Feature: The Alchemist of Stoke – A Surrey Tale | Nicholas Bale, in his story of artist and Guildfordian John Russell, mentioned Russell’s friend, alchemist James Price. Here is the full, sorry story as written… by Guildford historian Matthew Alexander… |
| Ten Minute Tale On Victorian Pot Lid Brings Unexpected Result | Local historian David Rose’s Ten Minute Tale at Guildford Museum on Tuesday (August 29), in which an object from its collection is given a closer look, proved to be a… |
| Advertising Signs Of The Times | by David Rose In the days when St Catherine’s Village had its own local shops, the outside walls of the buildings were liberally plastered with advertising signs. You can see… |