Opening “The Best of West End” exhibition at the musuem

Last night, on behalf of the Borough, at the official opening evening view of “The Best of West End” at Surrey Heath Museum, I said thank you to the West End luminaries for their contributions of so many photographs, reminiscences, and memorabilia.

This excellent photographic and historical record of West End, compiled by our wonderful museum curator, Sharon Cross, is something no West Ender would want to miss. Here’s the short speech of thanks I gave last night, written by Sharon Cross.

Good evening fellow Councillors, Ladies and Gentlemen and a warm welcome to this special Evening View of the exhibition “The  Best of West End “

Looking at West End’s busy, thriving community today it is interesting to find that the village originated as a series of scattered settlements, which together comprised  the “west end” of Chobham, and only gained its own Church and school in the 1840s to save the long walk to the parent village. The community spirit was evident even then: village men digging out sarsen stone from the local heathland for building, and dragging it back in borrowed farm carts. The founding of the Gordon Boys’ Home (now Gordon’s School) in the late 1880s which opened the neighbourhood up to a wider world – it is difficult for us to realise what an impact the appearance of the Gordon Boys Home must have made in the middle of a country village or the resentment at the loss of the common when the Army took it over.

Besides the Church and schools, the displays will highlight aspects of local life such as shops, trades, farms, nurseries, the Institute and local celebrations such as the West End Show. 

The reminiscences which have been so kindly supplied bring the story to life. When William Lucock of Streets Heath set off in the mid-1880s to woo the comely Bagshot widow Elizabeth Copas, he had to do so under cover of darkness to avoid being dragged from his horse by irate neighbours.  They wanted to know what he was playing at, courting a Bagshot woman – and a widow to boot – when there were plenty of fine unmarried girls in his own village.  This incident, from the family history of local historian Richard Wilson, gives an indication of how parochial local life was only 125 years ago. 

In the 1880s Stanley Alder a local teacher documented the lives of the travelling families who stayed on the local common each year, in the book Work Amongst the Gypsies, which the Museum is re-printing this autumn.  Hence the scene at the centrepiece of the exhibition

The story of different settlements, like Donkey Town with its unusual history,  feature alongside a wealth of photographs gathered through a project organised by John Smith and Mick Glazier to record the village then and now.  Mr Smith and Mr Glazier have also researched the poignant history of the village War Memorial.

A remarkable collection of material has recently been donated in memory of Mrs Olive Wright whose family lived in West End for many generations, through the kind offices of Mr Howcroft and Miss Hilton. Other embers from equally old-established local families, such as the Rapleys and Stevens or from organisations like the Working Men’s Club, the Agricultural and Horticultural Show Committee or Holy Trinity School, and we are also grateful to those who supplied their memories of the village in the 1930s, 40s and 50s.

We are very pleased that the timing of the display has tied in with the development of the new Village Design statement, an important milestone in West End’s future.

The Museum’s exhibitions are only possible because they are mounted in partnership with the community.  So many generous residents and ex-residents have contributed that we hope that you will forgive us for thanking you collectively, although we should perhaps mention Mrs Blackwell who is here from America, staying with her sister Mrs Lawrence.    Thank you all for coming and we hope you enjoy your evening.