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It’s horrendous what the developers have done to a small town with character. No Sparrow park, no Arthur’s bridge, gone the church which was built back to front! Gone my childhood home. So sad. But I have my memories and this film and my brother’s photos which are contained in the book “As and When”.

Thanks Cyril..I lived at 13 Goldsworth road. Went to Goldsworth road junior school where I met my life long friend. Still in our 80s now. We left Woking to live in Brookwood when I was 16. Lovely photos thanks again. X

How lovely, I remember it well. I am actually a Reading boy but my parents were Woking bred, had lots of relatives there & most every Bank Holiday I was down at Loop Road, Kingfield Green with my paternal Grandparents. My Mum's people along Board School Road, just off Chertsey Road. I had super times in the area. So much I won't bore you with but I was as familiar with most of the area as I was with Reading. The short story is, that my Cousin, Jennifer Blake was friendly with a near neighbour, Marilyn Chambers & things ended up with her being my Wife for over 55 years. She was the most wonderful thing that ever happened to me. Both of those girls went to Goldsworth School during their age. Jenny worked at the G Q Parachute until marriage. Marilyn down the Lion Works in administration. She insisted on continuing working for a couple of years when we married during 1966, we had actually purchase a Bungalow between Guildford & Aldershot. We both travelled as I maintained my employment close to Reading station. We obviously married at Christ church. Whilst courting we would alternate between the two towns & on a Wednesday I would shoot over to Woking to be with her. We often went to the Ritz, a lovely appointed cinema, the Odeon up Duke Street which was a Gem because when a through express train hit the station that cinema shook with the sound & power of the motion. We would also walk the park which I was well familiar with before we ever met. Always went along to see the 'Cards' when I got the chance & when they were closer to Reading during the 50s, I would go along to the like of Oxford City, Wycombe Wanderers if it didn't intercede with a Reading home game. Walks through the woods to the Wheatsheaf across the common. I even used to cycle there from Reading when I was about 12 to 15. Took various routes on that as I enjoyed cycling. Been yapping too long but such great days. Love Woking, would not have missed it for the world.

I'm an Aldershot boy but used to go to Woking frequently. Memories of going to the Atalanta in the early 70's. The Ritz/ABC had a VERY similar auditorium to the Ritz/ABC in Aldershot & they both opened on the same day in 1937. I went to Brooklands College with the son of Deakins the builders - Brian Deakin.

Just how I remember Woking before it was ruined. I was ten in 1963 and lived in New Haw so often went into Woking. Very nostalgic video.

What a shame the sound doesn't work properly.

Thanks for the trip down memory lane. I grew up on Maybury Road, born '59 and fondly remember the sandpits (grandparents lived Midway South Road Horsell).

My gran used to work in the Woolworths on Chertsey Rd….(on the biscuit counter, if you please….)😊

Thanks for the memories

Born in 1964 I remember many of these locations growing up. Great memories of my dad's Morris Minor Traveller and buying gifta for my mum at Eltons in Chertsey Road.

An ugly and poorly designed town, full of ignorant people - run by a Council that has gone broke owing 2.4 billion pounds. Give it a wide berth and move to the far more attractive and successful Guildford.

Most of that pretty town was destroyed in the late 60s & 70s. Since then it has again utterly changed. Only the High Street & Broadway are reconisable...Woking is now a soul-less town to be avoided

This is Brilliant, Thank you Cyril❤

ive been living in woking for my whole life.

We need a national enquiry into the destruction of wonderful places like Woking. The needless transformation into ugly, concrete high rise and precincts coupled with ridiculous 'town planning'. We have to stop the way we have allowed town councils ruin our towns and cities. There should be a TV series dedicated to the downfall of English towns like Woking.

YEEEEEE

Detta är det Woking som jag kommer ihåg. Vilken trist förort till London. Men med en del charmerande minnen. 60 talet är långt bakom oss nu

Thanks for putting this up. I left in 1962 to join the Navy as a boy. It certainly brings back fond memories of a busy but happy place.

Gotta love Woking!

I remember Woking in the 50s, my mother worked in Maybury Road and I went with her in the school holidays. I worked there myself in 1968 - 69 and have fond memories. I also used to go to the Atalanta with my mates in the 1960s, fantastic dance floor.

I found out my ancestors owned Robertson Brothers Furniture which is shown in your video of Woking. I live in the USA, and visited Woking and met my current relatives in England for the first time this July 2022. Thank you.

I think Rick Parfitt from Status Quo (bless him) would have loved to see this clip. He grew up in Woking, as described in many biographies.

We hate Aldershot

Thanks for sharing, the Woking I rarely got to see in 1955 for my 18 weeks RMP training at Inkerman Barracks.

So sad woking is such a tip now.

I was born 2006 in the Woking borough and left in 2017

So many comments running Woking down now. Very sad. Whoever thinks these things have obviously got very lofty expectations. Great video, thanks for sharing!

Ashplants best shop ever

I was born in 67 at Woking maternity hospital. I had a Fantastic childhood growing up in Woking but would hate to live there now. The town development has never been sympathetic in my opinion. Money is the overwhelming factor in all areas now. Boy I'm old. 🤦‍♂️

Goodness, if you saw the state of Woking now, you'd never believe it.

I remember the Aldershot& district. Known as the dawdle slow and risk it.

Thanks for this film. I was born in 1945 and grew up opposite the Cotteridge Hotel at the top of Constitution Hill. We often went to the Park to play and to swim in the summer (except when there was a polio scare). I went to dance classes which I hated, at the Albion Hotel opposite the Station. When friends came to visit I took them down Oriental Road to stare at the Mosque. I saw films at the Ritz and the Odeon. I think the Gaumont did more X-rated films which were forbidden to us. I went to a small convent school in Pembroke Road. My father was a doctor with a surgery in the house. Stubbs, in the film, was the butcher's I think? Foote's was the bakers. Maxwell's was the music shop near the boys grammar school, where I sat some piano exams. Many fond memories. I wouldn't recognise the town now. My favourite haunt was the Public Library where your library tickets were stamped. Book shelves on the ground floor and then upstairs was a study area.

Overdevelopment, bad development, too much emphasis on car use, and excessive traffic have made Woking (and much of the Southeast) unattractive and uninhabitable. After 31 years, I decided that enough was enough.

I was born in 1953 and grew up in Woking until the 80's. I worked in John Clarke's fish shop, Freeman Hardy & Willis, Boots & BT. Woking in the 60's was full of character, wonderful diverse shops, 3 cinema's, The Atlanta on a Saturday with its sprung dance floor!....When I go back there now it breaks my heart. What a mess they have made of it..v sad.

That's the Woking I remember. It looked pretty much the same after I left it in 1957 when I got married.. Most of it has disappeared now. I still have the memories especially Goldsworth School. I went through the whole system there from aged 4 and 1/2 in 1940, until I left Senior School in 1950, aged 15 to start my apprenticeship.

Paul Weller

I've lived in woking since I was born, and I have always wondered what the town used to look like and I honestly prefer how it used to look compared to it now.

Fascinating! I was born in Knaphill in1962,left in 1977.

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Ray Morgan has ruined this town

ive lived in woking almost my whole life but its amazing to see woking way back like this, seems like such a lovely time

Poor old Woking. Has been and still is being utterly destroyed.

Nostra auto per tanti anni. ..affidabile e robusta...mai problemi....unica pecca il cambio a 4 marce. ...chiamava la quinta. ..

Thank you so much for sharing these pictures, Especially the Guildford road shots. so many memories!!

My bus---the number 28! Nostalgia indeed. The Gaumont, the Odean, queues round the block for Pollyanna.

Fond memories of the Odeon in the late 1950s. I couldn't afford sixpence to go upstairs. I was a fourpenny boy in the stalls. I would rather spend the tuppence on a stick of pink and white nougat.

Thanks for this Cyril ! 👏👏 Great memories . Good old days ! Woking ruined now !

Thank you Cyril for the nostalgic look around Woking in the 1950's. I lived in Vale Farm Road all through the war until 1957, so all round Goldsworth Road, the School and Woking Park etc was all familiar territory to me. That raft on the Canal was used by us kids many times to get to the sunken barge on the Slocock's side. I was an ABC Minor in those days and loved those Saturday morning film shows.

Nice one Cyril brought many memories for me too, I lived on Boardschool Road and went to Marbury Primary school