Those residents with long memories will remember 18/19 July 1955.
That night record 11 inches of rain fell at Martinstown and the following day the villages of the River Wey were hit. Water levels in Radipole Lake rose and overflowed into Radipole Park Drive, Commercial Road and the Park District, Marsh Road and Westham Coach Park. Homes at Preston and Sutton Poyntz were flooded and at Watery Lane an hole 12 feet deep was scoured out and a local boy Robin Crump was drowned. At Sutton Pontz Mr B. Bailey was killed by lightning whilst sheltering under a tree.
The writer who was a pupil at Holy Trinity Infant School was sent home when the school was closed as it was used as a Rescue Centre. The photo shows a number of Southern National coaches partially submerged on Westham Coach Park. They were parked there as the Bus Garage in Commercial Road was under reconstruction following war damage in 1940 when it was severely damaged in a lunchtime bombing raid.
The two churches so clearly visible are Christ Church and Gloucester Street Congregational Church, demolished in 1957 and 1980 respectively.
