Greetings
from Bagshot - Christmas 2017
The end of the Bird in Hand has finally come about with its convertion to a drive-through coffee outlet. I have heard several reports of vehicles making ill-considered manoeuvers having driven out. The traffic congestion caused by the adjacent junction continues unabated, frequently queueing back way past the BP garage. Still on the subject of roads, the M3 roadworks are reputed to have been completed turning our section into 4 lanes each way with no hard shoulder. I say 'reputed' for the completion is claimed by the authorities - they obviously do not consider frequent over-night closures to sort out issues and perhaps to complete the technology associated with a "smart motorway" to be part of the roadworks! Many residents who live along the A30 are unhappy with the disruption caused by lorries diverted off the M3 driving at speed past their houses.
The latest in the saga of Pinewood is that a planning application to retain the existing building and build a large care home behind it is on appeal following rejection by the local council. There is a report at www.getsurrey.co.uk and on SHBC website planning application number 16/0681.
In my last newsletter I refered to correspondence concerning Fred and Anna Leitinger who ran the Hero in the 1960's. I have now heard from their daughter Maria that Fred (Alfred) passed away last December.
Lead coffins in the centre of the village? Phil from the Archaeology group is looking for help. He writes : "Do you have any information about lead coffins being found in the centre of Bagshot? I have a correspondent who insists that this was so. They could have been metal cattle troughs I suppose. They couldn’t have had bodies in them otherwise the police would have been involved and it would have been in the papers. They can’t have been associated with the chantry as that didn’t have burials." Have you heard of this?
Last
time I reported the County Council's plan to turn off many street
lights in the early hours to save money. Several readers
comments
with alternative suggestions. We are now several months
downstream and all
is
quiet - there are no ongoing complaints and the police report that it
has not had any influence on the crime rate (which is very
low
anyway) and I have heard one report that says the savings were greater
than expected and so the period that the lights are on is to be
extended. Personally I can't see the logic behind that - if
there are no problems with curtailing the lighting then why not use the
extra savings to help somewhere else?
Having read in last Christmas' newsletter of the village's Christmas Tree, Trev wrote :
I very much applaud Bagshot parish for hanging on to the tradition of "The Xmas tree in the Square" (or as you say in Bagshot's case a "Triangle").
I wonder how many other villages can still boast the continuation of this tradition ? Especially in this modern fast paced, commercial and money saving way that we have today and maybe all of you that support Bagshot could inspire other villages ?.
It is 20 years since the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.
Photographs of the Victoria Monument in the village centre,
which virtually became a shrine, have recently come to light and can
be seen here.
Updates since the last
newsletter
include 
- James Butler Almshouses - a new page. June would like to hear from anyone who knows of the ladies in the 1914 photo on that page, or who has any information prior to the building of Meade Court.
- Stuart records that his grandparents ran the Bird in Hand and he was born there.
- Maggie adds her memories of Fortuna's ice cream and the Dinallo family
- Bob asks about a swimming pond.
- Pat adds some information about the Caldwells of the Cedars Windlesham
- Ian has been able to answer Shannon's question about Verona Cottages.
- Alan Woods remembers the Little Chef.
- Margaret adds her recollections of Half Moon Street and buying 'stales'.
- Karen recalls her grandfather, Dick Millard, being manager of the International Stores, and the rocking horse in Chapman's shoe shop.
- Mary Hoare has provided another group photo - this one is of the Bagshot scout troop. My guess is that it is mid 1950s, but do you know better and who can you identify?
- Peter Summerton has provided more photos of children's parties in the Parish Hall circa 1950. We also have corrections to some of the adults' names in photo of the 1950's party.
- Chris recalls living in Bagshot Park in the 1970s.
- Ebrebs writes that more information about George Philbrook and his ancestors and children has been posted to rootsweb and myheritage
- Former Army Chaplain Dan writes of his visits to Bagshot Park and identifies some photographs on the V&A museum website.
- Mike Powell writes of his family's connection with the Fortuna family and askes if anyone can identify a particular lady.
- Susanna dates the building of Bagshot Hall to 1840 by her 3x great grandfather.
- Laurie described fried eggs sandwiches eaten in the Dolly Varden car park.
- Alison adds her memories of Miss Wardle.
- Margaret Hill adds to Liz's memories of Mrs Ross and their paper shop.
- Clive has added his memories of Mala Brand.
If you are researching your Surrey family history then you may
be interested to know that the Parish Registers for much of Surrey
including Bagshot and its chapel are available on-line at
ancestry.co.uk If you don't have a suitable subscription then
try your local library as they may well have access. The
images have not been created from old microfilms but
are new colour ones and, being the Parish Register, marriage
records contain the couple's actual signature (or mark), not the copy
you get via the GRO.
- Ilse Carlen is seeking a photo of Charles Frederick Becher who lived in Church Road from about 1920 to his death in 1940.
- Gerald Smithers is seeking contact with any local relatives.
- Carol Marvin, whose gg grandparents farmed Rapley Farm in the mid 1800s wonders what the relationship was between the farm and Royalty.
- Alice Byers asks about Cox, Holmes and Trueman, the location of Rose Cottage and Nursery Lane, and Bagshot School circa 1923-1930.
- Tony Clements, a relation of John Clements MM who is commemorated on Bagshot's War Memorial, is seeking information about his life and military service prior to WW1.
- Jane asks about the land the other side of the railway to the former Waterer's Nursery.
- Peter ask if anyone knows what happened to Geoff Ward of scrambling fame.
- I am still looking for anyone who can add, or provide corrections, to the profiles of those who died in WW1 and are recorded on the village War Memorial. Charles Thomas Mundy is proving particularly difficult.
With best wishes for Christmas and the New Year to
you and
those you hold dear.
Neil
home