Hi there, I have now have a good print of Bart’s Toy Fair. Our grandparents never seem to have stayed anywhere very long ( something to do with unpaid rents = moonlight flits. Times were very hard in the 20s & 30s). Farnborough has a good local history centre and may be able to help with regard to their town centre shops as well as for neighbouring Aldershot. My view is that its very unlikely that the shop itself still stands as both town centres were largely rebuilt in the 60s & 70s and are now being upgraded into shopping malls.I will be driving up there in middle of November via my daughter Jane’s place in Merrow, Guildford. On the small world front, there is a pub on the old Guildford-by-Pass called ( I think, The Wooden Bridge) where Norah Lilian Hamilton Smith first met one Thomas Samuel Warren.
24/10/08
I’m trying again with this message as my computer failed to send original one and had to be carted off to be cleaned up & given a bigger memory ! Copies of most of my fairly small family pics collection and BMD certificates have been sent to Cousin Janet over the past year or two and I guess you two could meet up to see whether you can fill any gaps between facts and family gossip. Following on with nicknames, I never heard Beryl referred to as Budge ( perhaps that was attached to her in OZ) and my parents always referred to Denny while Thomas S ( who I never met) was Pa. On Biddy’s first job, I’m waiting for a bit more info which, as you suggested, might lead me to Guildford rather than Aldershot.
21/11/08
Good news about more pics – hope there are some good ones of Thomas Samuel Warren as I only have one of him apart from the Wedding Portrait ! I agree that on closer examination, it is Bart’s and not Barlo’s Toy Fair and I’m still expecting to find that it was in Guildford. The family was living at 15 Commercial Road when Beryl was born on 4 /10/27 and Janet has provided a pic of Biddy sitting down holding Beryl with the older kids gathered round. I think this would have been Spring 1928 when Biddy was 14 years old, had left school and was ready to start work. Also,in this family pic she is actually wearing the same shoes as she is wearing in your Barts pic. Added to all this, Commercial Road was ( & still is) right in the middle of Guildford shopping centre and it would be surprising if Biddy found her first job too far away from home. But then you never know and at the end of this week I’m off to search for traces of Barts at Surrey Records Centre in Woking. I’ll be in touch.
24/03/09
Despite delays on M23 & M25, finally made it to Surrey Records Centre yesterday ! My search for Bart’s (not Barlos) Toy Bazaar is over as I found copies of the Guildford City Outlook (1d if bought or free if delivered !?? ) for 1926 & 1927 which contain adverts for Bart’s Toy Fair & Childrens Wonderland at 4 Friary Street, Guildford – a short step from where the Warren family was living. Sadly no trace of Daphne – she & her new husband were not shown in Voters Lists for September 1986 or 87 at the High Street address in Ewell which was shown on the marriage certificate. I will put Bart’s adverts (plus some 1911 Census returns & certificates) in the snail-mail so keep your eyes peeled…… just like me, as my right eye has now been declared perfect following my cataract operation at the end of February.
02/04/09
Alan W
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