•  Haslemere Educational Museum
    Culture, Learning & Inspiration Since 1888

    Lets Share Stories Project


    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 9 Bonfire



    Credit line: Andrew White talks about going to a local bonfire night festival.

    Transcription:

    Interviewee: What was I talking about? Oh yes, bonfire night. And they would drag all this wood, a huge pile we used to have on the swings, playground site at Border Road. And Bill Bridges’ father, gosh, he used to get a can of paraffin, get it going, it used to be hell of a bonfire. But it was a real street affair. People didn’t tend to have little bonfires in their own gardens, everybody was in on this thing. But I don’t remember there being any great celebrations around the bonfire, or singing or mulled wine or cups of tea or anything, but we had a whale of a time with it, and it really was an annual event.