Having read all your past entries about the old place and thinking that I must bring myself up to date before adding anymore, I decided to visit Surbiton and take a few snapshots last Wedneday.

The first things that struck me were the number of speed cameras and the frustrating traffic congestion, far greater than just a few miles out. Then I thought it would be a good idea to park in Lovelace Gardens, as I used to, and walk into the centre.

I could not believe what I found. No space whatsoever anywhere! Had an old freind in Arlington Road not still been in residence I would have had to give up and go home. He kindly let me use his space with a visitors card.
To see wardens going round placing tickets on cars in residential areas was incredible

First I visited where I used to live before moving in 1961 to St.Matthews Avenue. My old home used to occupy the space now taken up by "Hursley Court" down to and once including No.12 which is called "The Old Coach House". My home had 21 rooms if one included the cellars underneath. There were over one hundred fruit trees in the garden which once included a kitchen garden at the rear of No. 21 which we used to call the lodge. This whole property cost my parents £5000 with a little help from the bank in 1948.

Of course we were not the kind of rich people who originally owned the house which my parents bought as a business venture, having moved from Ashley Road, Thames Ditton, and before that Springfield Road, Kingston, where I was born. Although my whole family was connected with the theatre and had been since the eighteenth century, times were hard and the house had to be let out to army officers who worked in Chessington. My mother also ran a day nursery there. After my father died in 1955 everything began to get too much for my mother and second part of the garden was sold off to Wallakers for £3000 to build four maisonetts and later the main property for £17,500 where "Hursley Court" now stands. I would like to know what that lot would be worth today. What I would really like to know about is the history of Loveace Gardens and Lovelace Road and the period of when this prestigious and very grand estate was built around the 1900s. Very rich people indeed must have lived there and must have employed many local people as their servants and butlers. Can anyone point me to finding out more with original photographs of the then newly built houses?

Anyway Having walked the streets of Surbiton and snapped away I purchased three very good books which are "Surbiton Past" by Richard Statham, "Surbiton Memories" by Mark Davison, and "Surbiton Bombed" by Mark Davison and Paul Adams. Three excellent books which can portray old Surbiton life far better than my hazy memory is able to, apart that is from the period of the 1950s which not many have contributed to. Perhaps the younger generation of those years have simply moved too far away and have not the same interest as myself. It is very sad that there were no 1950s references to St. Andrews Primary School which stood in St. Andrews Road.

I really want to contact school leavers of Summer 1955.

Please , please, somebody speak to me on these forums and this website as there seems to be a lot of readers but not much input, even though it exists primarily for local people. If you have a computer and view, do not be afraid to add comment. The British are losing the power of speech and self expression.

Have a good weekend, Peter.