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Out & About

Children growing up in the 1940s and 1950s had far fewer toys than children do these days and spent most of their time outdoors. With little traffic on the roads they played out on the streets of their neighbourhood. For children growing up in Haslemere, a relatively rural location, children played in woods, farmland and the local recreation grounds. Children at this time were also expected to have a hobby and joining societies such as the Girl Guides or the Scouts were part and parcel of growing up.

Track 13 Photography

Credit line: John Belton talks about taking photographs as a young boy.

Transcription:

Interviewee: I’ve had a camera since I was about five. I started off with a Brownie 2a ?

Interviewer: Where did you get your first camera then?

Interviewee: It was given to me.

Interviewer: Was that by your parents?

Interviewee: I can’t remember now. But that used to take the old 126 film, I think it was either the 116 or 126 film, eight shots on it.

Interviewer: Nice pictures on those Box Brownies. Nice and sharp weren’t they?

Interviewee: Yeah, but the trouble was you had to take them to the chemist and wait about a fortnight for them to be processed.

Interviewer: Where did you get your processing done?

Interviewee: Possibly one of the chemists but I can’t remember which one because there were two or three chemists in Haslemere at that time. There was where Lloyd’s is now. I can’t remember who was there. Then there was Boots which was over in the Causeway which is now the pizza place. And then there was probably Magics ? And then there was another one in Haslemere wasn’t there? Was it Waller’s? That was up Wey Hill.

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