A - Z April Challenge

Over the course of the coming month the Guildford and District blog will be taking part in the April A - Z Blogging Challenge.

Each day a post will be published representing the letters of the alphabet - 1st April is A, 2nd April is B and so forth. The only exception is there is NO post on Sunday!

Long time readers of this blog may recall I have previously shared what is my genealogical postcard tool - this postcard shows a 10 mile radius of Guildford. Not all the places on this postcard will be shared over the coming month. There will be some previously shown favourites and some new ones!

So stayed tuned! You can see who else is participating in the A - Z Challenge by visiting the participants lists at www.a-to-zchallenge.com

Grantley Arms, Wonersh

Tangley Manor circa 1913

Published by Francis Frith - 65258 which dates to circa 1913

Wonersh Street, circa 1915

This is one of my favourite cards of Wonersh. My several times Great Grandfather, John Butcher (1795 - 1877) inherited one of the cottages on the right hand side.

Early on in my career I worked in the next village. I would routinely walk between Bramley and Wonesh, past these cottages on my way to the Grantley Arms for a sandwich and drink. It always felt very "warm and fuzzy" to be walking along the path that John walked, around 150 years previous.

Guildford & Neigbourhood Album Cover by Frank Lasham, Guildford circa 1919

I spotted this lovely old album of views of Guildford and Neighbourhood last year. I was very tempted to purchase but the reality was I already have a copy, but the front cover of the album is pretty tatty. I asked if I could take a picture of the cover so that I could share it here and thankfully the then owner let me. The album itself dates to circa 1919.

WRAC's Receiving Freedom of Guildford circa 1980's

Although not especially old this scene represents a time when there was a military barracks at Guildford. I recall parades such as these from my childhod.

I grew up in Guildford in the 1970's and 1980's. It was quite common to see the WRAC's at the railway station boarding trains crying because they had been posted to Ireland and of course in this period the situation in Ireland was a fragile one.

Whilst this picture and the story I have shared is not especially it old, it does record a time in the Guildford pictorial history.

Bramley Grange Hotel, Bramley circa 1929

High Street from River Bridge Guildford 1911

This is a great view. Initially I could not work out what was missing from the picture, but once I gained a sense of place I could tell immediately.

This is the Bridge that crosses the River Wey and looks up the High Street to the town clock. St Nicholas Church is behind the viewer. This is the time before the road (A281), Debenhams and the underpass. This is before cars, which is why there was no road here.

I love the shop views and the boards on the side of the buildings advertising the various businesses. This is the view that my Grandfather, who was aged 3 at the time this postcard was sent would have seen. My Grandmother had yet to be born.

The Jolly Farmer, Puttenham circa 1909

A postally used card sent to a family member, complete with ink stains!

Produced by Alfred Challen, Compton