1. Knaphill in the early 1900's - Window on Woking

Article from <strong>Knaphill</strong> News KRA Newsletter - October 2006
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There are many <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g local history books available <strong>in</strong> <strong>Knaphill</strong> Library, about <strong>the</strong> Bas<strong>in</strong>gstoke Canal, <strong>the</strong>
com<strong>in</strong>g of <strong>the</strong> railway to Wok<strong>in</strong>g Common, The Brookwood Cemetery, The Brookwood Hospital, Inkerman
Barracks and <strong>the</strong> like. But, <strong>in</strong>stead of recount<strong>in</strong>g that <strong>in</strong>formation aga<strong>in</strong>, we thought readers might like to
wander down Memory Lane with some of <strong>Knaphill</strong>’s senior residents.
Alan Frost, was born <strong>in</strong> 1912 <strong>in</strong> <strong>Knaphill</strong>. He was one of 13 children. His fa<strong>the</strong>r was a postman, work<strong>in</strong>g
from <strong>the</strong> Post Office <strong>in</strong> <strong>Knaphill</strong> village. Life at home was much simpler <strong>the</strong>n: one tap, no bathroom, outside
‘privy’, vegetables from <strong>the</strong> garden and no luxuries.
Alan walked across <strong>the</strong> common to school <strong>in</strong>
<strong>Knaphill</strong>. He remembered <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>kwells and
straight nib pens, <strong>the</strong> daily arithmetic and
times tables to be learnt and <strong>the</strong> strict
discipl<strong>in</strong>e. After school he worked at a local
Doctor’s surgery: chopp<strong>in</strong>g wood for
k<strong>in</strong>dl<strong>in</strong>g, br<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> coal and do<strong>in</strong>g o<strong>the</strong>r
odd jobs. Of <strong>the</strong> one shill<strong>in</strong>g a week he
earned, most went to his mo<strong>the</strong>r, but his
penny was usually spent on creamy toffee
from one of <strong>the</strong> confectioners <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> village.
Alan started work on a farm at Pirbright
when he was 14. His job was to milk <strong>the</strong> cows and <strong>the</strong>n deliver <strong>the</strong> milk. He drove a pony and trap loaded with
churns, and carefully ladled <strong>the</strong> fresh milk <strong>in</strong>to a jug at each kitchen door.
He went to work at ‘Grimditch & Webb Butchers’ on <strong>the</strong> High Street, to learn a trade. In his youth he recalled
about fifty shops <strong>in</strong> <strong>Knaphill</strong>, with four butchers alone. There were no refrigerators <strong>in</strong> people’s homes, so
housewives would buy food a ‘day at a time’. There were even two slaughterhouses <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> village, so cattle,
sheep and pigs were a common sight <strong>in</strong>
‘Mr.Moore’s’ yard at <strong>the</strong> back of <strong>the</strong> High Street.
Later I went to see Mrs Marjorie K<strong>in</strong>gsbury. The
house <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> picture is Highclere, which was Mrs
K<strong>in</strong>gsbury’s (nee Hard<strong>in</strong>g) grandfa<strong>the</strong>r’s home. (It
is now <strong>the</strong> pet shop, 1 High Street). When she was
a girl grow<strong>in</strong>g up <strong>in</strong> <strong>Knaphill</strong>, she remembered <strong>the</strong>
fields all <strong>the</strong> way down <strong>the</strong> hill to Chobham Road
and Barley Mow Lane. (The second picture shows
<strong>the</strong> Barley Mow Public House). Spread along <strong>the</strong>
High Street <strong>the</strong>re was a wide range of shops:
grocers, bakers, hardware stores, general stores,
haberdashers, and even a rag-and-bone yard. Firms
like Belchers, Rices, Pickards, Rugleys and later
Boormans, but <strong>the</strong>re were spaces between <strong>the</strong>m,
with gardens, allotments, houses and fields beh<strong>in</strong>d.

Cyril Fagence, (b. 1913) had worked <strong>in</strong> Rugleys, but Cyril and I talked more about <strong>the</strong> ‘Isthmian League’ and
<strong>the</strong> <strong>Knaphill</strong> Football Clubs of his youth. He had been a top goal scorer and remembered a match when his
<strong>Knaphill</strong> team beat Wok<strong>in</strong>g 7 to nil. Football was Cyril’s favourite sport but <strong>the</strong>re seems to have been plenty
for young people to do <strong>in</strong> <strong>Knaphill</strong> <strong>in</strong> those days.
There was also cricket and tennis, a bowl<strong>in</strong>g green
beh<strong>in</strong>d <strong>the</strong> Anchor Pub, a lively dance hall at <strong>the</strong>
end of what is now Highclere Road (that sometimes
put on picture shows), church events and country
fairs.
Life <strong>the</strong>n sounds idyllic, but perhaps that is part
of <strong>the</strong> way our memories mellow as <strong>the</strong> years go
by. So <strong>the</strong>se Memory Lane articles are a tribute to
<strong>the</strong> people of <strong>Knaphill</strong> and to happy memories, and
fond recollections of a quieter time.
S<strong>in</strong>cere thanks to Alan, Cyril and to Mrs K<strong>in</strong>gsbury for shar<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong>ir memories with us. <strong>Knaphill</strong> people have
many wonderful stories to tell which can help us to understand <strong>the</strong> history of our ever-chang<strong>in</strong>g village.
If you have memories of <strong>Knaphill</strong> and <strong>the</strong> local area that you would like to share with us, please contact us by
Email: news@knaphill.org
Or write to: The Editor, KRA <strong>Knaphill</strong> News, c/o <strong>Knaphill</strong> Post Office, 1-2 Anchor Crescent, <strong>Knaphill</strong>,
Wok<strong>in</strong>g GU21 2PD
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Sadly Alan passed away on 27 th September 2006, but his son Terence k<strong>in</strong>dly allowed us to <strong>in</strong>clude his memories <strong>in</strong> this
article.