The photos of Victor Izard
 I know very little about Victor Izard. He ran
a business in Brook Road called The Radio Centre, also
called Redhill Radio and Photo Services, in
which was a sub-business known as Rapid Photo
Services. At some time he may have had an address in
Cornfield Road but he lived at Warren Road in later life.
He died in the mid-1990s and some of his photographs were
acquired and kept by Mrs Valerie Potts, who passed them
on to me in 2008. My grateful thanks to her. The dates of many of the
photos are the early 1950s. One has 1950 written on it,
another has 1953, another 1954, but the majority are
undated. One photo can be dated to 1967 and another to
the 1980s.NOTE: - Since I wrote the above I have been contacted by Keith Fuller who not only knew Vic Izard but also supplied additional photos by him. These additional photos are included below with the pictures from Mrs Potts but are marked (courtesy Keith Fuller). Keith was also able to supply a picture of the man himself, which is reproduced here. Victor Izard (courtesy Keith Fuller). |
| Victor's
photographs appear below in the following categories: Marching in Old Redhill - - Other images of old Redhill - - Reigate - - People - - Other locations - - Victor Izard's shop |
| MARCHING IN OLD REDHILL | |
 1 |
 2 |
| Elephants in Brighton Road. When the circus came to Earlswood Common it usually arrived by train. The animals were walked through the town to overnight lodgings at Pickfords old storage yard in Brighton Road and moved from there when the circus tents and had been erected on the common. This picture was taken close to Victor Izard's shop in Brook Road. | A boys' organisation marching
down the Brighton Road in the opposite direction to the
elephants but at about the same point in the road. The
bus, probably a 447, is coming out of Brook Road, the
previous picture having been taken from just where its
front is. The shops on the far side of the road have now all been replaced by blocks of flats. In an email Peter Dungate says: - I think that the organisation marching is the Boys' Brigade. It is probably members of the 2nd Reigate Company which was based at St. Paul's Church at Shaws Corner. I was a member of the 1st Reigate Company in the early 1960's. Many thanks to Peter |
 3 |
 4 |
| This time it's the Church Lads Brigade on the march in Redhill High Street. Shops in the background include Fianders, Davies pram store, World Stores and Lamberts bakery. | Another High Street parade, of what looks like girl sea scouts. They are passing the row of shops that were taken over for a short time by Kennards. |
 5 |
 6 |
| The male contingent of the Sea
Cadets marching past the Rio Cinema - formerly the Pavilion Cinema built on the site of Grimes furniture store - and the Royal Oak pub. Lower Bridge Road joined the High Street between those two buildings at this time. The church in the background is St Joseph's. |
Yet more Sea Cadets at a similar point in the High Street to the previous photo but this time in the background is Fianders store with the entrance to the Temperance Hotel adjoining. The Royal Oak pub is far left. Between the pub and the hotel Grove Road used to join the High Street. The officer marching nearest the camera is the same as at the head of the procession in the above photo. |
 7 |
 8 |
| Girl sea cadets photographed at the same point in the High Street as in the photo 6. As this photo is dated 1954 on the back we can probably assume the photo 6 is the same date. | Back to the CLB and back to Kennards also. This picture from 1953 is late in the year, despite the sunshine, as Kennards has a Christmas sale on. The reason that Kennards did not maintain a presence in the town was that the company was unable to buy the leases of the shops they had taken over. |
 9 |
 10 |
| The Sea cadets in London Road. As with many of the other photos no buildings seen in the background remain. Gloucester Road is still there but the Central Hall has been rebuilt and an office blocks stands where the houses are. In front of both is the roundabout connecting London Road with the Redhill ring road. The same officer as in previous photos is nearest the camera. | By contrast to photo 8 the CLB have a wet day to march up Station Road, their probable destination being St Matthew's Church. Captain Songhurst is the officer in front of the drums. The shop next to Freeman Hardy & Willis is Jersey Dairies, and between it and the three story white building was the point where Rees Road intersected with Station Road. There was a garden associated with the large white building in which for many years stood one of the last remaining large tank blocks that during the war formed a line through the town. |
| OTHER IMAGES OF OLD REDHILL | |
 11 |
 12 |
| Staff at the Shell-Mex and B.P.
petrol depot on the corner of Brighton and Brook Roads,
Redhill, stand by a vehicle decorated for the 1953
Coronation. The depot no longer exists. What the
significance of the two-headed figure the man on the left
is holding is unknown. Phil Wiggs emailed to say: - 'I think the 2 headed man in picture 11 related to the Shell advertisement of the time. The left hand head said something like "That's Shell" and the right hand one said "That Was!", or words to that effect. Roger Adams emailed in February 2009: 'My father, Richard Adams, was the depot manager for many years and is second from the left in the picture. The man on the left is Mr Rusbridge and his wife. The second lady is unknown to me but the man on the right-hand side, nearer the lorry is Vic West who drove fuel tankers for many years. Phil Wiggs' information about the two headed man is correct.' Many thanks to Phil and Roger for the information. |
The Shell-Mex and B.P. Petroleum Stores featured in the previos photo had its entrance in Brook Road. The site is now occupied by a plant hire company. |
 13 |
 14 |
  Turf were one of the popular
cigarette brands in the 1950s. Presumably the van was
delivering to one of the Brighton Road shops when this
picture was taken
by Victor
Izard |
Lawrence's premises were, and still are, situated just across Brighton Road from its junction with Brook Road |
 14a |
|
| BP tanker in Brook Road 7th May 1951 (courtesy Keith Fuller) | |
 15 |
|
| This queue of vehicles at the top of Brighton Road is caused by one of Grave's coaches backing out of its yard. The New Inn was at this time still a pub. The sign on the building next to it says 'Daren Bread', and is above Grices bakery, now part of Mortons the Padlock's premises. On the right hand side of the road widening has already taken place and will later be extended down the hill. Traffic lights and the central island had not been installed at this junction at this time. On this and other photos on this page the car number plates have the form of three letters followed by three numbers. This system became exhausted and was reversed in the mid-1950s. | |
 16 Before the veteran cars passed directly through Redhill as they do now they turned right into Station Road and continued to Reigate where they turned left into Bell Street to continue their journey to Brighton. Here the pass over Reffells Bridge and in the background can be seen M.Potter's fish shop and the electricity showrooms. The HOVIS sign is over Thornberry's baker's shop and cafe. The white building beyond with the tall chimneys is the Somers Arms pub, now Somers House. Behind the right hand car is the ol Globe Temperance Hotel, which stood where the Linkfield Corner roundabout now is. |
 17 The last shop on the north side of the bridge was Shannon Electrical |
20  18 |
 19 |
| Victor Izard was still photographing the veteran cars after the route was changed to continue through Redhill instead of going via Reigate. Here, in the background, we see that Lawrence's Brighton Road Premises were once in a different building to the one they occupy today. | The entrance to Lawrence's old yard |
 20 |
 21 |
| Whilst photographing the veteran cars but Victor Izard shows us where G.W.Collingwood's old shop was; here seen for sale. | G.W.Collingwood moved to new premises in Brook Road . . . |
 22 |
 23 |
| . . . . which before he fully moved into had to be renovated | With the building extended the headboard boasts 'removals any distance'. |
 24 |
 25 |
| Austin A30 dating from the late 1950s (many thanks to GP for the identification)and a Fiat 128 from the 1980s (kindly identified by Carlo Duroni) | |
 26 |
 27 |
| Snow in Brook Road - in 1963? | A closer look at Brook Road Garage. The films advertised on the board are 'Up the down Staircase' and 'The Long Duel', both of which were released in 1967 so we can date this picture to that year. |
 27a |
 27b |
| Brook Road 6th January 1951. (Courtesy Keith Fuller) Note the building (see detail right) standing on the corner of Brighton Road where the BP garage now is. | Detail from picture left |
 28a |
 28b |
| A house in Ladbroke Road that was demolished and town houses built on the site. The view is past the house to the tennis courts in the Sports Ground and houses in London Road beyond. | A cheerful couple on this veteran car in spite of the rain. They are passing the old Sultan pub in London Road, Redhill. |
| REIGATE | |
 29 |
 30 |
| The man on the motorised cycle is travelling south and has just crossed the level crossing at Reigate. He is passing Wray Park Corn Stores, which was then the first shop on the east side of London Road. | A man on a penny farthing bicycle in almost the same spot as the motorised bicycle in the previous picture. Was this taken during a carnival or similar event? (I'm sure I've seen this picture before) |
 31 |
|
| Reigate town centre when there was a bus stop just in front of the Old Town Hall. As in picture 2 the bus is probably a 447 | |
| PEOPLE | |
 32 |
 33a |
| This group photo has written on
the reverse: - HARRY TROUGHTON WITH MARY, 'SON' AND
FRED; REIGATE, WRAY COMMON. (ABOUT 1920 - 25). Additional information given is: DAD - Harry only, he played football for Surrey. MYSELF - Edith Mary Frances (Mary Troughton) FIRST BROTHER - Harry Wiliam (sic) SECOND BROTHER - Frederick Arthur Roger |
This lovely
picture was taken in Brook Road Re picture left: - There is a holding at Surrey History Centre catalogued as Accession no. Z495 deposited by Miss Mary Troughton and entitled 'Reminiscences of Warren Road, St Mary's Church, etc. This is Mary Troughton's memories of Warren Road and her childhood and St. Marks Church, which played a huge part in all of their lives, as for most people in those days, and was given to the SHC by Mrs Potts who gave me these photos. AJM |
 33b |
|
| A wedding photo by Vic (courtesy Keith Fuller) Information from Ron and Joan Stacey January 2009 The couple are Norman and Eileen Flint (Eileen was nee Busnell of Brook Road). Mr and Mrs Flint are friends of Ron and Joan and confirm that the wedding was on July 3rd 1954 at St Johns church and that the photo was taken by Vic Izard who use to take wedding photos on the side. The reception, pictured above, was at the Greyhound pub, Brighton Road, Redhill. Many thanks to Ron and Joan, Norman and Eileen, |
|
 39a |
 39b |
| 1947 Cadillac pictured in Redhill in 1949 (courtesy Keith Fuller) | A Studebaker at the 1951 Motor Show (courtesy Keith Fuller) |
 39c |
|
| The Brabazon aircraft at Farnborough in 1949 or 1950 (courtesy Keith Fuller) | |
| Victor Izard's Shop | |
 40 |
 41 |
| The board alongside the shop | The shop front |
 42 |
 43a |
| The shop window is divided between photgraphic and radio services. On the left is advertising for weddings and other special ocassions. Incuded is a display of photos from the 1951 Festival of BritainAt the bottom right of the window is a notice saying 'All radios repaired'. | Another window display. For sale are radios, lamps, kettles, clocks and other items. Comparison with previous pictures shows that the large clock was running. |
 43b |
 43c |
| Picture 43b is similar to previous picture 43a but it will be seen that the clock shows a different time and a number of the items displayed have changed. It can also be seen that the picture 43c on the right is one of the pictures displayed in the window, and was, in fact, a picture of Vic's bedroom. (both pictures courtesy Keith Fuller) | |
 44 |
These are some of the
pictures taken by Victor Izard, no doubt there were many
more. Grateful thanks to Mrs Potts for keeping them safe and then passing them on to me. AJM |
| Another picture of the shop window, this time with televisions and radios on view. | |
| Email received from Keith Fuller | |
| I had an impulse to look
for details of the Redhill branch of the Church Lad's
Brigade, mainly to see if they were still in
existence - and came across Vic's name and
photographs. I knew him quite well, having
befriended him when he rewarded me for climbing trees to
rescue his model aircraft on Earlswood Common, and later
to fly control-line models he made but was unable to fly
because of damage left by a bout of T.B. he had suffered
during his teenage years. I was very interested in
photography and learned a lot from him. In fact, in
your photograph No.43, a poster of mine advertising
developing and printing, and with some "snazzy"
design features, was done by me - I think, in exchange
for the loan of one of his cameras to take some close-up
shots of bird's nests which my very cheap and simple
camera could not cope with ! My family moved back to Hastings in 1951, and although I visited Vic on my motorcycle several times, I joined the Army in 1956, and our paths diverged. I remember that early on, he built a television set from ex-wd parts, and placed it in the window - and both he and I would cycle from our various areas to watch the programmes from OUTSIDE the shop! It attracted a lot of interest from the general public too. Over this period he developed a friendship with another radio man who's name I forget, but he was a local dustcart driver and I have a vague memory that I heard that Vic had gone into partnership with him - running the business. I also have a snap of his of me on a trip to an RAF exhibition at RAF Kenley (To which we cycled - I lived at Salfords and went to Reigate Grammar from 1946-1951). I also remember cycling to Epsom Downs with him on many occasions for model aircraft flying. My main hobby is still cameras and photography, and my service career was with the Army AND the RAF - even Serving my first tour of duty with the RAF at RAF Kenley in 1965/66. I reckon old Vic would have been delighted had he known!! This may be of some interest to you - and you never know, I may be able to dredge up some more memories and perhaps some pictures taken by Vic - incidentally, I feel I should have been in that picture of the CLB Band marching along the High Street - can't see myself though- I played a bugle! Sincerely, Keith Fuller. |
|
 45 |
 46 |
| Keith with model aircraft late
1940s on Earlswood Common. (picture taken by Victor Izard courtesy Keith Fuller) |
Keith at shop with his
motorcycle c1953/4 (picture - taken by Victor Izard - courtesy Keith Fuller) |
 47 |
 48 |
| Keith on a visit to Redhill in 1951. He didn't wear protective clothing in those days; certainly crash helmets were not compulsory.(courtesy Keith Fuller) | The CLB in the Priory grounds c1946-48 (courtesy Keith Fuller). Keith is standing in the centre of the back row. This picture is one not taken by Victor Izard. |
| This is one page of Alan Moore's website (retired 2014) | |
| 18.3.2013 | |