Nostalgic memories of Caterham's local history
Share your own memories of Caterham and read what others have said
For many years now, we've been inviting visitors to our web site to add their own memories to share their experiences of life as it was when the photographs in our archive were taken. From brief one-liners explaining a little bit more about the image depicted, to great, in-depth accounts of a childhood when things were rather different than today (and everything inbetween!). We've had many contributors recognising themselves or loved ones in our photographs.
Why not add your memory today and become part of our Memories Community to help others in the future delve back into their past.
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Displaying Memories 1 - 10 of 27 in total
CATERHAM HILL - High Street and Chaldon Road
I lived in 20 Chaldon Road and 5-7 High Street, Caterham Hill as a young child from about 9 years old. I went to the Infant school in Chaldon Road. On Friday mornings a Siren was used to attend school, I think an air raid siren. The Boys Brigade used to meet in the evenings in the school playground. I joined the Youth Club which was held in a hall in Chaldon Road, great ...see more
St John's Church was where all 5 of the Fleet Family children, Shirley, me, Michael, Herbert Terry, Peter, and Susan were baptised, starting in 1935 through to 1946.
Our School was opposite, and we walked all of the way from "Northdowns" at the junction of Harestone Hill road and Harestone Valley road to school daily. It's a long way for little legs..
Today I live in Kent and Susan in Lancashire.
Mum came from ...see more
Marden Park was the furthest extent of our cross-country run from Caterham School (Wapses Lodge) in 1951. We would leave the school, cross the Caterham by-pass, run on a bridle path between fields (which I believe, in 1944, were used as a huge parking area for military materiel in the build-up to D-Day), down on to the Woldingham Road, under the viaduct and onto Marden Park Road. We would then run as far as (what was in ...see more
I will be 72 years old this year of 2015. I remember working with my uncle Syd and Auntie Chris Ryder at Bromley Hall Corn Merchants at the Godstone Road end of Timber Hill on the site which later became Fine Fares supermarket. I was about 8 or 9 years old when I first used to go round to Syds home in Holly Tree Road on The Hill and he would take me down to the Corn Stores on ...see more
This is View Point on White Hill and is some 777 feet above sea level. As you can see there is a fantastic view towards the South Downs and west to Box Hill. It was from here during the war we boys watched the aerial dog fights. There was a super chalk slide down the hill which wore out many pairs of trousers. The view is still there but the M25 now appears in the foreground. John Bailey-Smith
This was before the demolition of the left hand side of Croydon Road, gone is the cinema, "The Capitol" later "The Florida", many shops, "The Greyound" Public House known as "The Dog"and worst of all the grandly named Globe Fish Restarant , no more fish and chips! Instead we have an anonymous modern block of offices with shops under but only J.J.Browne the jewellers from the originals. I miss that nice little jumble of old shops, that was Caterham Valley! John Bailey-Smith
Used to go swimming every day in the Barracks when the Irish Guards were there.
If I remember rightly, in this year it was a Catholic school for girls. It was the last place I saw a red squirrel, I used to go under the viaduct to get there. There was a house at the entrance to the drive and there was a gamekeeper that lived there, his name was Mr Starmer (a not very nice old man, as I remember). Just across the road was the school playing field.
My sister got married in this church, Pamela Watts, she married Ken Passmore. I had a half brother who was killed in the second World War, there used to be a board outside with his name amongst others on it but I cannot remember his surname as it was different to mine. He was called Teddy (or Sproggy), if anybody knows it can you call on 01799550126 and ask for Robbie, thank you.
WENT TO THIS SCHOOL TILL I WAS 15 [HEADMASTER WAS KNOWN AS BUTCH ] MR HOWELL THERE WAS TWO PLAY GROUNDS ONE FOR THE GIRLS AND ONE FOR THE BOYS ,CANT REMEMBER ALL THE TEACHERS MR, COMER WAS HISTORY TEACHER HIS WIFE WAS HEAD MISTRESS TAUGHT NEEDLEWORK VERY NICE COUPLE USED TO GET FREE MEALS BECAUSE WE LOST A BROTHER IN THE WAR HEAD BOY WAS JOHN WICKS & JANET HIS SISTER WAS HEAD GIRL . ...see more
