Trip down memory lane in Shere - My Postcard Collection

My first introduction to Shere was way back in the 1960's, when I used to visit the village with my family and sit by the Tillingbourne with our picnic. From my first visit, I fell in love with the village, even though I was only eight years old. My Grandmother lived in Dorking, my parents met in Beare Green and my Aunty and Uncle lived in Cranleigh, so I feel this amazing bond with Shere.

UPDATE - VIEW all 550 Postcards on flickr - click HERE

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Postcards from Shere

As memories of the happy weekends and summers spent in Shere, I started to collect the many postcards of the Village. Rather than they stay locked away in a cupboard, I wanted to share these with you.

SCROLL the above images of Shere (right to left) - click on the photo and step back in time...
...please be patient for the images to fully load as there are over 100 postcards to view - when the scroll arrow appears, they have fully loaded

ROLL-OVER the
postcard for detail
then CLICK to view
the full image.

All the scrolling postcards above
give you the facility to view with an
'electronic magnifyer' and discover
for yourselves the hidden gems
captured some 100 years or so ago.

Postcards are arranged as if you were walking around the village.

Map


Starting from A25, into Upper Street
turning right to Middle Street
over the Tillingbourne
and left to The Square
up past St. James Church
along Church Lane
up Church Hill
back to: The Square
right to Middle Street
left into Lower Street
to Rectory Lane
back along: Lower Street
left over the Tillingbourne
to Middle Street
along Middle Street
towards Upper Street
turn right towards Gomshall lane

 

Shere - hidden gems in time

Every postcard tells a story, a 'snapshot in time' that gives us clues of what life might have been like in the village.

The postcard above shows a couple of men standing at the door of 'The White Horse', whilst the 'rag and bone man takes some time out to rest, along with his trusted companion. Up towards, 'Shere Lane', you can make out other travellers/business men with their cart.

Fast forwarding half a decade, the postcard below shows 'Middle Street' in the late fiftee's. On closer inspection, reveals a couple sitting in the back of their van, taking a break (outside the now, "Lucky Duck" tea room)

I created this page to illustrate just how much detail can be found, by observing the detail within the postcards cards, you can often find hidden gems - The postcard below uncovered a couple of details that I had initially missed:

The scene is looking from 'St. James Church' towards the Square.
The top zoom, shows a man peering over the top of the motor car but also shows people going around in their daily life as the bottom highlight shows a mother, leaving the shop with her pram and a lady walking away away around the corner down 'Lower Street'.

 

Shere - stepping back in time

Above: front of the postcard titled 'The White Horse, Shere' with a view of three girls overlooking the
'Tillingbourne Stream' where Middle and Lower Street meet at 'The Square'
and below...


...the rear of the same postcard sent in the Summer of 1910 - roll over the card to read

Postdated July 18th 1910 - The card, written by a young girl to her Auntie and Uncle, gives us a glimpse of her village in Shere.

a Having traced "Oak Lea" in the 1911 census, conducted a year later from the postcard, it appears that the house was sadly 'uninhabited'. It may be that the family moved on...

Does anyone know the possible location of "Oaklea"? If, so please drop me a line.

For OTHER stories on the back of the postcards, VISIT HERE

 

Dating postcards

Even a postmarked postcard may be misleading as it might well have laid unsold or unused for several years before being mailed.
Here is a guide for dating postcards:

Francis Frith postcards reached the following serial numbers: Judges postcards reached the following serial numbers as follows: 
18521 – 1886 55341 – 1906 79014 – 1926  
19500 – 1887 57201 – 1907 79313 – 1927 No. 7400 in 1921
20475 – 1888 59460 – 1908 80652 – 1928 No. 9347 in 1927
21450 – 1889 61298 – 1909 81599 – 1929 No. 12971 in 1930
22421 – 1890 62187 – 1910 82990 – 1930 No. 15323 in 1932
28140 – 1891 63077 – 1911 83725 – 1931 No. 22430 in 1939
29865 – 1892 64058 – 1912 84911 – 1932  
31590 – 1893 65149 – 1913 85424 – 1933 From the late 1950s, Judges began to produce
33315 – 1894 66516 – 1914 86015 – 1934 colour cards.  These cards are numbered from
35040 – 1895 67714 – 1915 86471 – 1935 C1 to at least C29312.
37121 – 1896 67868 – 1916 87164 – 1936  
38962 – 1897 67894 – 1917 87845 – 1937  
40804 – 1898 68020 – 1918 88252 – 1938  
42852 – 1899 68796 – 1919 88855 – 1939  
44900 – 1900 69357 – 1920 88958 – 1940  
46320 – 1901 69918 – 1921    
48082 – 1902 71721 – 1922    
49125 – 1903 73333 – 1923    
51142 – 1904 75416 – 1924    
53180 – 1905 76667 – 1925    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UPDATE - VIEW all 550 Postcards on flickr - click HERE