The late Roy Richmond, long time patriarch of Epsom and Epsom Coaches, was a font of knowledge about Epsom, the town he lived and worked in all his life. His recollection of Epsom before and after the war, makes for fascinating reading. The original text was hand written, but has recently been put into print, by Roy’s son Andrew. Now here for all to read.
The boundaries of Epsom Urban District Council and Epsom Rural District Council were revised in 1937, Epsom & Ewell becoming a Borough with a new Town Hall in The Parade and replacing the original Council offices in Church Street. Ashtead, Banstead, Bookham. Chessington, Leatherhead, Tadworth and Walton on the Hill were transferred to neighbouring Authorities, the proposal to establish unitary government in the mid-nineties would have had some merit, especially now the Parliamentary boundary has been amended to include Ashtead and parts neighbouring areas that existed prior to Epsom & Ewell becoming a Borough. The total number of residents in Ewell Court, Stoneleigh, West Ewell and Cuddington are part of Ewell for all intents and purposes outnumbering the residents in Epsom but still leaving Epsom as the centre of administration possibly due to its notoriety arising from Pepys Diaries that gave prominence to The Wells for its medicinal qualities and a popular social venue associated with Nell Gvnne., last but not by any means least in importance, the Derby on Epsom Downs. All have contributed to making Epsom better known but Ewell the advantage of remaining a village. Other than the Wells Estate,Pound Lane was the only shopping parade outside the town with the exception of a few general shops between housing in Albert Road, Church Road and Hook Road, Epsom has just the one commercial centre. In contrast, Ewell had a number of shopping parades including the village, Stoneleigh Broadway, Cuddington, Ewell Court, Kingston Road, Ruxley Lane and West Ewell serving their local communities with a few of the traditional trades and crafts including Mr Ralph the blacksmith.
Electricity, gas and water undertakings in their own right met local requirements until the immediate post war period, with the Local Authority’s own Power Station producing direct current at Depot Road, its own water undertaking in East Street with two artesian wells and pumping station to the reservoir at the top of Downs Road. The Wandsworth & District Gas Company produced gas and coke on their East Street premises until production was transferred to Wandsworth as the coal was shipped by convoys of barges from north east England to Wandsworth and more economic to pipe the gas and deliver the coke from Wandsworth direct to Epsom households. The advent of North Sea gas then followed.
With the exception of Jack Swift who started Ewell Downs Motors with a car dealership in the mid-thirties on the Ewell by-pass the dealerships were concentrated on Epsom, Capital Cars in Station Road, Woodcote Motor Company who moved from opposite The Albion to Church Street, Farm Garage opposite St Martins Church and Bill Page opposite the Clock Tower. There were two other sites that are now occupied by Texaco and BP. Page Motors sold petrol from a pump by the pavement in front of their showrooms opposite the Clock Tower, the attendant delivering petrol from a swinging arm that crossed the pavement and high enough for pedestrians to pass under and for motorists to be served and remain parked on the road.
Hauliers such as Fred Reeves (H R Richmond’s brother in law) operated a number of lorries principally for the Wandsworth & District Gas Company, Bert Lacey a general haulier, Bertie Hallam a carrier who cleared household effects. Both Thomas Pocock in Old Schools Lane Ewell and the Keeling brothers with a High Street shop and depository in East Street undertook furniture removals and storage. Before motorised transport replaced the horse Mr Webber of Payne & Birdseye collected and delivered parcels and luggage for residents to and from the two Epsom Stations. Also, when the boarders at Epsom College arrived and departed with their tuck boxes at the beginning and end of each term. The carriage of goods by rail required a parcel office attached to the present booking office at Epsom Station for personal callers. Inside the Booking Hall there was a W H Smith bookstall and a tobacco kiosk. The other stations in the Borough were for passenger services only.
The Royal Mail was sorted at the rear of the General Post Office in the High Street and the Banks used their service to transmit both soiled and new treasury notes to and from the Bank of England. These packages were entrusted to Post Office and railway staff secured in cages during transit to and from the Station and in the guard’s van of Southern Railways. Truck loads of ordinary mail waited on the Station platform, either the outgoing mail waiting to be loaded into a guard’s compartment or the collection of incoming mail by Post Office staff. Security did not present a real problem until the Great Train Robbery. Cheques received in the Post Office were banked with the Westminster Bank for clearance. Two postal deliveries were made Mondays to Fridays and once on Saturdays. In the period leading up to Christmas parcel deliveries were undertaken by coach.
Chauffeur driven car hire was available from Eddie Foord and Albert Gardner of Brewers, both adjacent to the Station and also Harry Guilder in West Street. The Road Traffic Act 1930 authorised the taxi rank at Epsom Station and it required the car hire operators to accept orders by telephone.
Making a phone call from a public telephone box required inserting two pennies in the box, pressing button “A” when the operator connected you or button “B” if the number was engaged and your coins were returned. One shilling was charged for a toll call lasting three minutes and the operator intervened to remind you to finish the call or pay another three minutes. Epsom was one of the first automatic telephone exchanges to go on trial in the twenties and proving unsatisfactory all outgoing calls were connected manually for the next 40 years and one of the last exchanges to go convert to STD dialling, Ewell was slightly ahead of Epsom Telephone Exchange but you knew when the Ewell telephone operator was listening to your conversation as the Exchange was next door to the Church and bellringing could be heard in the background. Crossed lines did occur on a number of occasions so you were never sure that your conversation was private.
The ambulance service was operated by Harry Guilder and his wife accompanied him and they were on call day and night. Patients were treated at the Old Cottage Hospital in Alexandra Road before the present General Hospital developed from the original Workhouse on its present site in Dorking Road. A local GP, Dr Stone, was appointed the first Medical Superintendent at Epsom District Hospital. The Cottage Hospital employed an Almoner as it relied on voluntary contributions. The Workhouse gave overnight shelter to persons of no fixed abode and tramps, as they were known by, walked from one Workhouse to another sometimes pushing an old pram with all their worldly possessions. To qualify for admission to the Workhouse a tramp was only allowed to retain one shilling, any excess cash would have to be handed over which encouraged some to bury their savings in the Rosebery Park flowerbeds and, hopefully, repossess the next day. The tramps or Roadside Inspectors Roy’s father preferred to call them came into the tobacco shop asking for their cash to be looked after before entering the Dorking Road Workhouse.
There were three well established Dental Surgeries in the town, Mr Withers in Station Road next to the Labour Exchange, purely by chance Mr Willis’s surgery was above a butcher’s shop across the road from Woolworths and the Whitten partnership on the corner of Worple Road opposite The Cedars.
There were a number of noteworthy private residences, in some cases large enough to be classified as mansions, Lord Rosebery and his daughter Lady Sybil Grant lived at The Durdans in Chalk Lane and the name of Rosebery lives on with the Girls School and Rosebery Park which he dedicated to remain an open space. Incidentally, a useful haven for tramps burying some of their belongings and cash in the flower beds overnight rather than the Master of the Workhouse confiscate either in return for a nights food and lodging. Hylands in Dorking Road, Maidstone House in Chalk Lane, Woodcote Green House, Woodcote Grove, Woodcote Hall, Woodcote House and The Firs in College Road. Houses large enough for non-domestic use as hotels outside the town included Hookfield, Danehurst in Alexandra Road and The Tower opposite Rosebery Park. Ashley House in the town centre where marriage ceremonies took place and the Register Office for births, deaths and marriages. The larger houses remaining as private residences were few as they required the employment of domestic staff and the era of “Upstairs, downstairs” was coming to an end. An example of this occurred when in answer to an advert for staff an individual on arrival at Epsom Station asked the ticket collector how to get to a certain house and was told “you are not going to work for that old b” and when he handed in his notice a few days later said “they were not far from the truth at the Station”. Unfortunately, the owner went down to the Stationmaster and tried to obtain his dismissal. Otherwise the remaining Epsom aristocracy were respected gentlefolk. Besides the development of the Woodcote Estate for housing, a large area of Woodcote Park had been acquired by the Royal Automobile Club for a Golf Course with hotel and banqueting facilities.
The three Emergency Services are now located in Church Street, the Police Station having moved from the junction of Ashley Avenue and Ashley Road, opposite the Methodist Church. Ashley Avenue was a private road with housing and Roll the builder had access to his yard at the far end of the cul-de-sac. There was no Ambulance Service until after the War. The Fire Brigade was manned partly by regular firemen and volunteers based in Waterloo Road before moving to their present site. Public Notices were displayed outside the Police Station details of lost and found articles, photographs of suspected criminals and other items of general interest conveniently situated alongside the pavement walking towards Rosebery Park.
The horse and cart were the primary means of delivering coal, milk, bread and vegetables until the mid-thirties. Whereas grocers were the first of the traders to deliver by motor van many were licensed to sell wines, spirits and beer so combined their deliveries with the grocery orders. Mr Mortimer of Holland & Barrett called at houses regularly on his pedal cycle taking orders which Mr Brown delivered the next day. Mineral waters and cordials were sold by roundsmen calling at regular intervals such as Randall & Measures who produced and bottled their own lemonade in a building next to Epsom Cricket Club, bread delivered daily, Ardern Elphick the butcher took orders over the telephone and delivered the same day, Furniss’s and other merchants from the Goods Yard in Station Road delivered coal for use in open grates, as well as anthracite and other products for the “Ideal” boiler that most houses had installed by then, replacing open range stoves which were no longer required following the introduction of cooking by gas. It was a long time before the solid fuel type of heating was replaced by appliances that combined water heating and central heating chimney sweeps were a long way from being made redundant. Milk deliveries have survived so far by curtailing early and late morning deliveries to once every other day in the week and made possible by the introduction of refrigeration, packaging and bottling and not having to use a ladle from a churn. Most bakers combined their retail outlet with rounds by horse and cart before progressing to motor vans. For instance, Turners and Woods in East Street, Riddingtons from their Clock Tower premises and Chamberlains at the top end of the High Street delivering by hand barrow Riddingtons’ stables were demolished to make way for Westminster Bank (sadly missed by those who remember the restaurant and bakery at the front with leaded diamond shape windows). Another loss was the redevelopment of Mr Sheath’s bakery the other side of the Clock Tower which has also been replaced by a Bank.
There were traffic delays even in those days. The exercising of racehorses on roads was a regular practice by the trainers which is less common nowadays as traffic moves too fast. Fertilisers were unnecessary as the manure seemed to disappear quickly and put to good use for growing roses.
A compulsory purchase order issued by the Council to acquire the Westminster Bank building and realign the frontage with Lloyds Bank at the junction of High Street and Waterloo Road was never followed through whereby there would be a straight line of shops from the east to the west section of the High Street. The first plan for a Relief Road with the object of diverting through traffic away from the Town Centre was to start at Wells Road and continue via Mount Hill across West Street parallel with the railway, crossing Waterloo Road by an underpass and demolishing a number of houses in Adelphi Road to meet up with East Street. Public Meetings were held in an attempt to encourage the Civic Trust principle of co-ordinating the shop fronts and their decoration to give a better appearance which might have frustrated some of the planning approvals that were subsequently given.
Traffic used to pass on either side of the Clock Tower. On Saturdays a market replaced car parking in the Market Place and the regular attendant with his official armlet received one shilling if he was there to receive it. It was possible to do a “U” turn by the Clock Tower and return to the top of the town. Roundabouts were installed at both ends of the High Street during part of this period as the amount of traffic started to increase. Light refreshments were sold from a mobile van parked by the Clock Tower and at another site on the Common at the top of Dorking Road encouraging lorry drivers to stop for a cup of tea.
During the summer months T Wall & Sons famous for their ice cream employed roundsmen during the summer pedalling their tricycle barrows around residential roads and the roundsman ringing his bell and calling out “Stop me and buy one”, also sign-written on the barrows.
There was unemployment during the thirties when dole money was paid out at the Labour Exchange in Station Road, across the road from the Goods Yard.
During this period two additional places of worship were established the Baptist Chapel in Dorking Road and the hire of a Church Hall to the Jewish community as a result of the Nazis causing many to immigrate from Austria and Germany. St Johns Church in Church Road at the rear of Turner the Bakers, the Baptist Church in Church Street opposite the Adult Education Centre and St Joseph’s Catholic Church in Heathcote Road demolished, the Catholic Church now stands at the top of Mount Hill. The United Reformed Church was originally the Congregational Church that had to be rebuilt on the same site in Church Street as a result of fire damage.
The Parade became known for people taking a stroll after attending evening Church Service and taking the opportunity to parade in their Sunday best. Access to The Parade is still possible to walk the full length to St Martins and the United Reformed Church by walking beyond the cul-de-sac out to Worple Road, the only difference is very few people actually walk or go to Church nowadays. An Evening Service was held at the Ebbisham Hall every Sunday to a fall congregation for many years conducted by Mr Beaumont who sponsored the Hal and created Epsom Brotherhood that operated a thrift Club whereby weekly subscriptions of one shilling were repaid at Christmas with interest added. Payments during the year were made to sick persons or those fallen on hard times. The entrance to the Ebbisham Hall was directly opposite The Parade in Ashley Road on the site now occupied by WHSmith The Epsom Brotherhood, Epsom Sisterhood and the Provident Club held their meetings at the Myers Hall and the Ebbisham Hall next door. Christmas Clubs have gone out of fashion these days reflecting a more affluent society in some areas maybe and treasurers were known to run away with the funds and be suspect. John Furniss, a local family businessman directed regular productions for local Dramatic and Operatic Societies held at the Ebbisham Hall. A local GP donned a sandwich board on Sunday evenings, presumably meaning no one should commit any of the sins! The Salvation Army Band held Services in the Market Square and Concerts were held in Rosebery Park under cover of The Bandstand that has sadly disappeared.
There was no shortage of places to meet – St Barnabas Church Hall and St Martins Church Hall. Meeting Places that have been demolished since include the Foresters Hall situated halfway between the Station and the Spread Eagle, The Co-Operative Hall over one of their shops in East Street, the original Christ Church Hall at the foot of West Hill, the Lecture Hall, Myers Hall annexed to the Ebbisham Hall and Epsom Baths Hall in East Street now the Rainbow Centre which converted to a Public Hall during the winter and very popular for Saturday evening Dances by well-known Big Bands like Jo Loss performing there.
Public Houses that used to let rooms for meetings and Wedding Receptions included the Spread when it replaced The Scotsman near to Boots the Chemist and was subsequently demolished. The Red Lion in East Street opposite the Telephone Exchange has since been redeveloped.
Upper High Street, formerly known as Station Road, was the terminus to the London Bridge and Road) The Goods Yard had been established and working there was thirsty work and gave rise to the naming of the three public houses, the Locomotive in East Street, the Railway Guard in Church Road and the Railway Hotel opposite the Goods Yard, Public Houses that have closed as such or demolished include the Spread Eagle, The Wellington next to the Post Office, The Eclipse (named after a Derby winner) at the foot of West Hill and The George opposite Waterloo House.
It is difficult to imagine the original shop frontages before the road widening of the High Street between Lloyds Bank and the East Street railway bridge with no centre reservation to separate the oncoming traffic or evidence of any of the original trades or businesses, except Boots the Chemist who were already established and Woolworths following the road widening. Until this redevelopment took place Richmond & Reeves garaged their charabancs and horse boxes on land at the rear of these shops with a narrow entrance between Parrs news agency and Tuttes confectionery shop. At the back of Tuttes there was Bill Wernham’s smithy where the farrier could be seen fitting new shoes to the horses in the yard leading up to Richmond & Reeves premises that backed on to the railway embankment. The garage was replaced by a Public Car Park when Richmond & Reeves relocated to South Street.
Following the High Street widening it was possible to enter the Car Park from either direction in the High Street by a much wider entrance, unlike the charabanc and horse box drivers who had to ask Holland & Barrett to raise their shop blinds when entering and leaving the garage.
The demolition of the Cinema Royal next to the railway bridge left a space that remained vacant for a long time. Newspapers were sold on the corner of the High Street where the road curved towards the railway bridge and Mr Penniket, “Bubbles” or Fred stood there and quick to recognise a motorist slowing down with the correct money sold newspapers by throwing one through the open car window on to the passenger front seat for customers they recognised. The same three took turns standing outside the Westminster Bank and selling papers in the same way to passing motorists. They called out the names of the three evening papers “Star, News or Standard”.
The original Lloyds Bank on the corner of Waterloo Road and the High Street was replaced with two identical buildings, one before the High Street widening which was knocked down within two years and the first one made way for another identical Bank built to the new frontage. Everyone at the time this happened thought there had been a lack of planning. Between Lloyds Bank and the Car Park entrance several trades were lost by Norwich Union’s development of that space, Mr Prankerd’s “Dorothys” patisserie, Mr Brookman’s saddle shop and Mr Thomas’s drapers’ shop but Pullingers stationery and booksellers’ shop were actually replaced (the photograph gives an indication of the old and the new frontages at that point). A branch of A Lewis the tobacconists, a Williamsons restaurant, International Stores, Dolcis shoes, Lilley & Skinner shoes and Woolworths were the new tenants on one side of the Car Park entrance and on the other side next to Boots the Chemist were Meakers and Burtons for men’s clothing and the Charter Inn, aptly named with a very nice restaurant on the first floor, the year Epsom & Ewell received its Charter. Court Brothers, the furnishers, traded in that block of shops for a short time in the immediate post-war period.
On the opposite side of the High Street from the junction of Church Street there was the Choc Shop on the corner, two gentlemens’ outfitters, Nuthalls grocery and hardware store, Skiltons the family butcher, Richard Hicks the greengrocers, the Keeling brothers furniture shop, Miss Keeble’s off licence, ironmongery, Maypoles the provisions merchants, Timothy Whites & Taylors the chemist, Mrs Foale’s (Chambers) wool and toy shop, two more butchers, two sweet shops, Holland& Barrett who were grocers at that time and now better known for their Health Food shops, MacFisheries and Marshalls fish shops, W H Smith who took over Mrs Daniells shop and Mr Taylor’s news agency , Mr Duplock who repaired and sold shoes before Dorothy Perkins took over the shop, Alexanders men’s tailors, National Provincial Bank and the Regent Library that loaned books for two pence per week The Spread Eagle’s off licence was taken over by Victoria Wine. Many of the shops had residents living upstairs, an exception being Archie Hicks the gentlemen’s hairdresser on the first floor and the ladies salon on the second floor over Maypoles.
Facing down the High Street and before passing under the East Street railway bridge were Sisleys two shops producing their own boiled sweets, a chemist, a Home & Colonial grocery shop and Coppens department store that can be remembered for their haberdashery and centralised cash system whereby the sales assistant despatched the invoice and cash by a shuttle at ceiling height which the cashier receipted and returned to the point of sale. Technology had been established and memories of department stores operating the same system were portrayed in a television series “Are you being served”. Crossing the road and walking under the bridge to Miss Marshall’s shop where she was standing, with her hair tied back in a bun, ready to sell haddock, herrings, kippers winkles and shrimps whereas the High Street shop all manner of seafood such as lobsters and crabs, poultry and game bought at Billingsgate and Leadenhall Markets the same morning in time for the shops opening at 8 o’clock. Next door to Miss Marshall’s fish shop was Phil Parr’s other news agency at the corner of Adelphi Road, redevelopment. The Rifleman on the opposite side of Adelphi Road is one of the few surviving buildings of this time.
Church Street commences at the first junction of Depot Road and there were a few shops principally Mr Knight’s tuck shop relying on the custom of Epsom County School for Boys (before it moved to Ewell) during their break time selling liquorice reels, pear drops and sherbet fountains. Two other shops were Percy Polhill the butcher and the Devonshire Dairy who had a milk round as well. Fred Elson the coachbuilder had an open yard in front of his repair shop then a few houses before the Fire Station. Dorling & Co ‘s printing works with Mr Green managing most of the print orders in Epsom, especially the production of Epsom Race Cards which required working at night.
On the other side of Church Street, the Electricity Showrooms and the Capitol Cinema occupied a forecourt that was well used when popular films were being shown and queues formed well before each performance. The Woodcote Motor Company occupied two floors as they supplied Wolseley cars for the Metropolitan Police with their distinctive radiator marque and the familiar bell perched on the front bumper. The Baptist Church and Hope Lodge were the only buildings before the dental surgery on the corner of Worple Road, the space between known as Silver Birches the centre of an objection in recent years when it was made an environmental feature. The only time the public had full access to Silver Birches when Epsom County School for Boys were able to use it as a playground for about eighteen months before the School moved to Ewell in 1938.
Station Road, later to be known as Upper High Street, starting on the side where the terminus to the Victoria and London Bridge railway line was situated behind the shops that followed on from Coppens departmental store was Fred Williams ladies hairdressing salon, then the Conservative Club, Mrs Campbell’s millinery shop which was replaced by Wards pram shop, Yarrows high class confectionery shop, Sainsbury butchers, grocers, cold meats and cheese shops on two sites where the assistant patted the butter into shape and the required weight, direct the assistant as to where he cut your portion of cheese and decide how much York ham you would like cut from the special bowl shaped stand on display or the bacon
cut to your choice of thickness. Mr. Angel’s restaurant specialised in a 3-course lunch for one shilling and sixpence, Herbert Watson the florist, C Day Riddick watchmaker and optician, Eastmans the dry cleaners, Westleys the fruiterers and greengrocers, another Marshalls fish shop. The new shopping parade was extended further up Station Road to include Buttons bakery and cake shop, Mr Roadhouse soft furnishing shop, Birch & Whittington for artist materials, Greydawn café, a butcher and Mr Hills tobacco and confectionery shop ending with Adams Bros carrying out boot and shoe repairs in the last shop on that side of Station Road.
On the opposite side of Station Road from the junction of Church Street and Depot Road there is The Quadrant, a new parade of shops which replaced the dilapidated theatre and the electrical shop on the corner where customers left their accumulators for Mr Beauchamp to charge and be collected the next day in order that his customers may listen to one of the wireless sets he sold. There was James Walker the jewellers, a wallpaper and paint shop, dress shop, the Scotch Wool Shop, a lending library and the Halifax Building Society the first Building Society to open in Epsom under the managership of Geoffrey Fenn. The shop next to The Quadrant was Grinstead the chemist, then William Pile’s stationery and order office where advertisements were accepted for the Epsom & Ewell Herald with their upstairs office for Mr Wall and then Mr Harris to write their reports of Public Meetings they had attended religiously most weekday evenings. Sitting next to each other at these meetings Mr Goldsack made his reports to the Epsom & Ewell Advertiser. Mr Worsfold who managed Fosters grocers shop always displayed every biscuit imaginable under glass covers in front of the counter, Mr Joslin the fruiterer and greengrocer, Absalom & Garlands the ironmongers later known as Olbys and then the United Dairies shop that sold hot milk to the Lecture Hall School next door during their morning break. There were two shops either side of the entrance to the Lecture Hall, one opened when Mrs Campbell from across the road found it necessary to add to her range of Iadies garments on sale. Continuing up Station Road, other shops included Foords furnishing, Flynns the dry cleaners, Marie ladies hairdressing salon and Madame Elwyn’s millinery. Then the Liberal Club one of the few survivors of bygone days. Capitol Garage occupied a large forecourt with a showroom and petrol pumps. The Labour Exchange was set back from the pavement then followed some commercial and residential properties including Mr Withers house and surgery, Mr Norrington the builder who lived next door to his business and the Railway Hotel managed by Mr Bromley the licensee. Mr Norrington had a large unit in front of his office displaying the tools of the building trade. Also sharing the same forecourt was Pearces Garage, then cottages set back from the pavement with long front gardens. Next Mr Goby’s house and stables where he trained racehorses and a footpath that led to the Barley Mow and the Railway Guard. Further up and opposite to the Goods Yard in Station Road the original line of houses remain in place as far as the five way crossroads with Pikes Hill emerging half way along to the Milk Depot at the end.
Retracing to the East Street railway bridge where there is a row of shops opposite the Hook Road junction and still possible to read the advert for Benskins Brewery sign written on the wall, there was Edwards Cycle and Pram shop, the two Randalls menswear shops, Woods bakery bread and cake shop, Horace Johnson’s display of fruit and vegetables on his forecourt, ending with deWight’s mens and ladies hairdressing salon. Dr Barnados Homes orphanage occupied a large area, then alms-houses and T Snow’s cycle shop stocking Hercules, Humber, Raleigh and Rudge cycles at prices averaging five pounds per bicycle. The Red Lion, Bert Hutchinson the barber and hairdresser, Charlie Greentree repairing shoes in shops which have since been lost to redevelopment. Similarly, other properties further along East Street before the Church Road junction have gone included the South Suburban Co-operative Society’s four shops for their grocers, butchers and the sale of other merchandise. There is a break in the line of shops at Linden Place where Dennis Neville and his
sisters stocked all manner of tools and ironmongery on one corner and Charlie Keys tyre shop on the other corner. Other shops included Horman Fisher the chemist, Ludbrooks newsagency tobacco and sweet shop leading up to the Church Road junction. Following on from there Turners Bakery and Charlie Prett’s tobacco and hairdressing shop with houses either side of the Kings Arms, probably well supported by the Kiln Lane workers in its heyday. After the Dirdene Gardens junction C T Osborne’s “Chossy” leather factory, Walls Ice cream depot and a parade of shops ending at the garage on the corner of Windmill Lane, otherwise known as Half Mile Bush.
Crossing over to the other side of East Street there were a few shops and Giles Nurseries which has stood the course of time as a family business must have had sufficient clay to grow roses whereas the brickworks of R M Stone ceased trading in the late thirties due to lack of clay making it uneconomic Kiln Lane was not developed in any shape or form and the East Street frontages were undeveloped with some housing up to Hawkins garage where their horse boxes and Ford commercial dealership were located. Longhurst the undertakers displayed their stock of monumental masonry, followed by Mr Heward’s display of carcases under the awning of his butchers’ shop and The Locomotive just before Middle Lane, just wide enough for a vehicle to pass through. Marshalls fried fish and chip shop on the other corner stayed open until the cinemas and public houses closed at 10.30 p.m. There were a few houses and shops before the entrance to the local water supply, some of which were demolished to make way for another approach road to Middle Lane when it was decided to seal off its entrance from the Locomotive. The Telephone Exchange and The Municipal Baths, now The Rainbow Centre, were established in the mid-thirties whereas Keelings depository and Garden Cottages dated further back in history before the Gas Company built its gas holder which remains in place and qualify as a listed building. Tester and Tuck had a chimney brush by their front door and swept most of the chimneys in the neighbourhood. It was a dirty job as smokeless fuels were not generally available in the neighbourhood. It was a dirty job as smokeless fuels were not generally available. Just before the Hook Road junction there are a number of old timbered houses including the Plough & Harrow public house before turning the corner into Hook Road where the cinema had stood idle for many years and destroyed by fire in 1941.
Walking back to the crossroads where Friary Meux were the proud owners of a prestigious public house, the Spread Eagle, in front of which a large golden eagle over the entrance lent character to the establishment. Managed by Mr Eighteen it was never an hotel with accommodation but a popular meeting place and typified the class system that existed with the three bars named the lounge, the saloon and public with slight price variations that justified the décor and whether your beer was served in a glass or tankard. The restaurant provided good lunchtime and evening dinners. A small lock-up shop on the corner was Mr Pickford ‘s tobacconist shop and traded as Claude and Miss Dawson his assistant until the shop closed. From there to the corner of The Parade H L Reid opened a department store stocking practically every household need from a safety pin to a bedroom suite and a restaurant on the fourth floor so that customers went past every department and have a view of the town centre. There was a lift with a capacity for three persons but most customers found it almost as quick to reach the top floor on foot. On the opposite corner of The Parade, Harry and Frank Roll’s Estate Office administered their local housing estates being developed along with the construction of the Baths Hall in East Street and many other public meeting buildings further afield such as churches. Ashley Road had little else beyond what has been mentioned, on one side of the Ebbisham Hall there was the Surrey Trustee Savings Bank managed by Mr Parrott who cycled everywhere and on the other side Achille Serre the dyers and cleaners, their business prospered as dyers and due to the economy, that made it necessary to seek a cheaper way in which to give a new look to your wardrobe. Although the White Hart was subsequently lost when the development of the corner site opposite the Spread Eagle took place the three shops overlooking the forecourt that remain in place included Longley & Broadhead Estate Agency and Elsie Hayes the ladies outfitter before turning into the High Street with Peacheys kiosk shop on the corner selling sweets and tobacco.