Addlestone Swimming Club 1919 – 1975 by Albert Kitchenside
Addlestone Historical Society, £6.00 Available at Society Meetings. Also available at Chertsey Museum “The Cedars”, 33 Windsor Street, Chertsey. KT16 8AT
This soft cover A4 format publication covers the incomplete text written by Gosden and Othen, titled “Addlestone Swimming Club – Swimming in Addlestone”. This covered the period from the inception of the club in 1919 until 1951. Albert edited the paper and continued his research of the undocumented period 1951 to 1975 collating many of the illustrations set out in the monograph. Poor health prevented him drawing his research to finality and AHS members stepped in to complete and publish his hard work.
It charts the progress of this highly successful club and its slow decline due in part to the provision of more attractive municipal and school indoor and heated pools!
The Railway in Chertsey and Addlestone by Mike Harris.
Addlestone Historical Society, £6.00 Available at Society meetings or available at Chertsey Museum “The Cedars”, 33 Windsor Street, Chertsey. KT16 8AT
This soft cover A4 format publication presents the lecture given by the late Mike Harris to the Addlestone Historical Society in September 1998 and contains a selection of photographic slides included in that presentation. It describes the historical backgrount to the construction of the railways in West London that lead to the routes through Chertsey and Addlestone
Addlestone’s Victory Park by Jim Knight.
Addlestone Historical Society, 2012; soft covers; 88pp, incl. introduction & appendix; numerous monochrome photos; £7.99 + £2.91 p&p UK (one book)
ISBN 978-0-9571057-0-6
Distributor: Jim Knight email: j.jknight@ntlworld.com
Copies also available from: Chertsey Museum “The Cedars”, 33 Windsor Street, Chertsey. KT16 8AT.
Addlestone’s civic memorial to the First World War (there is a fine parish memorial in St Paul’s church) comprises the gardens and playing fields of Victory Park and the memorial gateway at the park’s entrance on Chertsey Road. Jim Knight’s book, published in February 2012, traces the backgrounds of the local servicemen who gave their lives in the conflict and whose names are inscribed on the gateway’s stone pillars. The author has drawn on a wide range of material including local newspaper reports, many with photographs.
A further number of fatal casualties that are not inscribed on the memorial but which might have been worthy of inclusion are presented in an appendix. The book also recalls the struggle to bring Victory Park into being. Funding, meant to come from money-raising events and public subscription, did not sufficiently materialize until the project was saved through the generosity of one of Addlestone’s prominent citizens. See “Street Histories Series” below.
While collecting the material for Addlestone’s Victory Park, Jim acquired, over many years, information on some 450 “Addlestonians” who have some recorded involvement in the war, about 180 of whom are included in this book. The remaining cases cover non-fatal casualties, gallantry awards, letters home, fund-raising schemes etc. Some business and entertainment activity is also included. For anyone with relatives known to have been living in Addlestone at the time in question Jim would be pleased to search his database to see if a particular name is included and to share his information, without charge, if anything is found. Please contact him via e-mail as above.
Edwardian Addlestone tea towels
Tea towels with nine images of old Addlestone. £3.50 plus 50p P&P available at Society Meetings and on request. See “contact us” on Home Page.
Street Histories Series.
Doresa Close in Addlestone has been selected to be the first in a series of leaflets to be printed on the Society’s new equipment. The intention is to provide residents of the named street with information on the origins of their street name. Doresa Close was selected as the first as it is the most recent new development in Runnymede in need of a new road name.
This project is the development of a series of “Flyers” aimed at providing historical information to residents of Addlestone, New Haw, Woodham and Rowtown as well as promoting an interest in local history.
This is the start of what will be a very long project and the content included in each road flyer will hopefully be interesting, informative and provide an insight into why the road they live in is so named.
Anne Harwood, past Chairman of Addlestone Historical Society said:
“Addlestone’s history goes back to Saxon times and was first shown on a map as “Adelston” in 1610. During the last 25 years, members of the Addlestone Historical Society have discovered links with many famous names from the past, including royalty, statesmen, writers, actors, engineers, pioneers and entrepreneurs. I hope that new members of the Society will want to help us to discover more”. Doresa Close in Addlestone, recognising the importance of Constantine Doresa to Addlestone, is one of the more recent developments to be completed in Runnymede and the road name chosen may not be familiar to many people.