I am sure most of us bemoan the traffic jams that now seem to permanently plague Farnham every time we visit. This is something that is generally thought to be getting much worse so perhaps it was a surprise to find this image in the Herald Archive dating from May 1957 – and it’s not the only one in this vein.

The photographer seems to be located in what was then the Westminster Bank building and is looking west along the two-way, wider, part of The Borough towards West Street and I’m sure that you will agree there is more traffic present in the shot that one might have expected.

This is a view of a busy town centre with lots of shoppers going about their business alongside the vehicles parked or passing through. There are queues at the bus stops so imagine the scene as their transport arrived for them to alight. Cyclists are weaving amongst the stationary and slow moving traffic and delivery vehicles make up the mix.

Thankfully the street scene of buildings has changed but little and The Queen’s Head still trades under the same name. I have a feeling, though, that this image just pre-dates the opening of the by-pass which means that at least some of the vehicles passing through will shortly be taking the new route that was hoped would solve most of the town’s traffic problems.

Sadly, as we now know, this was not to be the case.

News from the archive

The Herald Digital Archive Project will take a trip down memory lane at the Sunflower Cafe at The Spire Church, Farnham, this Thursday.

Run by home care agency Right at Home GF, the Sunflower Cafe is aimed specifically at individuals with dementia and their carers, providing them with the opportunity to enjoy a cuppa, biscuits and great company.

It meets every Thursday, from 11am to 12.30pm, at The Spire Church in South Street. The Thursday, May 18, session will see the Herald’s project team use archive photos to trigger memories, both personal and of local historical events.

The Herald Digital Archive Project is currently on the lookout for two new volunteers to support its community engagement and fundraising efforts. Anyone interested in these roles is asked to please email [email protected]