A FORMER pupil of St Matthew's School, Redhill, delivered these two pictures to our Yesteryear desk on Friday.
Charles Smith is hoping the school picture, showing the class of 1954, will revive memories and asks ex-pupils to drop Yesteryear with their recollections. The school was then in Station Road, next to St Matthew's Church.
The other shows the view from Mr Smith's childhood home at 46 Station Road, Redhill, in the 1950s.
Charles Smith was 11 years old when the picture at the school was taken. He is now a grandfather living in Epsom.
His mother ran Serre Achille, a dry cleaning and dyeing firm.
"I remember at night, the vans used to call to take all the clothes and laundry to London," he said.
As a child, Mr Smith was taught at St Matthew's before he moved up to Frenches School, in Redhill. Corporal punishment was meted out at St Matthew's in those days and Mr Smith recalls one pupil being beaten with a stick in front of the class for a misdemeanour he never discovered the details of.
He vividly recalls the town's shops and cafes when he was a boy.
"Opposite our flat was Café Remo, then, going east, Partners and Lloyds Bank," he said.
A little further west along Station Road (at No 35) was the Silver Birch Restaurant and then the Particular Baptist Chapel (built in 1858 and still standing).
Next door, at 39 and 41, was Nicol's, the draper's and ladies' outfitters, followed by Carr Woods, ladies' and gents' tailors and outfitters.
On the same side as Mr Smith's home were, going east to west up the street, Fortes Milk Bar and Restaurant; a chemist called W H Fowler; the Northampton Boot Company; and, further along, Hancock and Bean, run by Miss E S Elliott. Her shop sold baby linen in addition to being a ladies' outfitters.
Rounding up Mr Smith's trip down memory lane, Rickett, Cockerell & Company, coal and coke merchants, was at No 48, followed by Radio Rentals at No 50.
