The Slaugham Archive
Wards Stores in the High Street, HandcrossA shop everyone of a certain age will remember is Wards Stores located between Hibbs and Sons and the newsagents in Handcross High Street.
Its manager was Sid Sargent from Truggers pictured here with two of the assistants. Behind the counter is Sally Townsend, but I have no positive identification of the assistant in white.
Sometime after this photograph was taken, Sally married Reg Briggs from Truggers and for many years they have lived in New Zealand.
I am grateful to Penny Smith (née Sargent) who lives in Queensland, Australia and writes as follows:
“Sally’s father was gamekeeper at Brantridge Park along Balcombe Road; her mother was the cook there when the Park was owned by the Earl and Countess of Athlone, and subsequent owners. Sally grew up with their children when they were in residence.
Wards Stores was owned by H G Kingham and Co of Dorking but traded under the name of Wards Stores in Handcross. Kinghams had several shops around Crawley, Haywards Heath, Epsom, etc which is how my parents met. My Mum, Betty, was a bookkeeper at one of the Surrey stores and was sent down to Handcross to be the bookkeeper there before the war. As her parents lived in Banstead, Surrey, she lodged with Mr and Mrs Keylock in the house opposite the shop which belonged to Kinghams. When Dad became shop manager we could have moved in there but Mum said she wasn’t giving up her council house as there was no knowing how long Dad would be at the shop. (picture #1454)
Our granddaughter, Sophie, is in the Royal Australian Navy and her ship was in port for ANZAC day which is our equivalent of Rememberance Sunday but with more bells and whistles than you could imagine. As Sophie was marching in the city parade we went in to see her. It was a very proud moment, and I wore Dad and Mum’s medals too.”
The Large Version shows a close up.
Select Open Document to see four bills from the shop, variously using the names of Wards Stores and Kinghams.
View Large Version
Open Document
Picture added on 08 May 2017 at 21:16
This picture is in the following groups
Roads - Handcross - High Street (South)
Roads - Handcross - High Street (South)
My father, Roland Pescud, worked in Wards Stores in the 1940s. That's how he met my mother, Eileen Cheal, as she was before they married.
Mum walked into the shop and asked for a pound of sausages; it was just on Dad's leaving time so they biked home together.
The rest is history!
They married on 28th April 1945.
Mum walked into the shop and asked for a pound of sausages; it was just on Dad's leaving time so they biked home together.
The rest is history!
They married on 28th April 1945.
Added by Anne Harrison (née Pescud) on 30 May 2017
My Dad, Ted Boniface, also worked at Wards with Sid and Sally.
I'm not sure of the timeline exactly, but he was certainly still there when I was 4 or 5 (so 1961/62). I remember going behind the scenes and seeing the mass of crates and boxes!
I'm not sure of the timeline exactly, but he was certainly still there when I was 4 or 5 (so 1961/62). I remember going behind the scenes and seeing the mass of crates and boxes!
Added by Annette Hogwood (née Boniface) on 11 June 2017
My Dad, Roland Pescud, certainly used to mention the name Boniface, in fact the whole family did.
My Mum, then Eileen Cheal, lived at Beauview Farm, Pease Pottage with the family. After marrying Dad they moved into Tilgate Forest Row, Pease Pottage in 1945 and lived there all their lives. My uncle, Michael Cheal, and sons live in Truggers.
I went to Handcross school from 1958 and then to Cuckfield School. Do you remember me, Annette? You are a friend of my cousin Elaine Brookman, I think!!
I also remember Sandra and Ann Marchant. Such happy memories.
My Mum, then Eileen Cheal, lived at Beauview Farm, Pease Pottage with the family. After marrying Dad they moved into Tilgate Forest Row, Pease Pottage in 1945 and lived there all their lives. My uncle, Michael Cheal, and sons live in Truggers.
I went to Handcross school from 1958 and then to Cuckfield School. Do you remember me, Annette? You are a friend of my cousin Elaine Brookman, I think!!
I also remember Sandra and Ann Marchant. Such happy memories.
Added by Anne Harrison (née Pescud). on 12 June 2017
I can vividly remember as a 5-6 year old, being given a shopping list by my mother and asked to phone Wards Stores - my first ever phone call.
Later that day Wards van pulled up and delivered the order. Wards were some 70 years ahead of Ocado!
Later that day Wards van pulled up and delivered the order. Wards were some 70 years ahead of Ocado!
Added by Angus Hardern on 12 March 2020
Mr Sargent (Sid) had me clean the store room in the basement, stack bottles and crates, etc.
What I find amazing is how many Handcross youth emmigrated throughout the Commonwealth.