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Private Transport
 
A car at the petrol pumps
A car at the petrol pumps (showing the sign of Cleveland Petrol)
outside the shop of William J Henry about 1920

In the 1920s and 30s cars were still few and far between but just following the Second World War, the use of private cars became more popular, and by the end of the century over half of households had two cars. This probably had one of the biggest effects on the village, over the last 50 years. The effects of this were closure of shops with the increase in traffic turning some parts of the village into dormitory areas with no local services.

School Crossing "Lollipop"

School Crossing Patrols go back to the 1950s for Wyke Primary School at the junction of Westwood Lane, Guildford Road (A323) and School Lane (Speed bumps were added to School Lane in the 2000s).

A Speed Limit of 40 MPH alone Guildford Road (A323) from School Lane to the Anchor came in to force in the mid 1960s also this was in Westwood Lane up to Christmaspie. This was reduced to 30 MPH and extended in 2006 and a 40 MPH was added to the Pirbright Road (A324).

Speed Limit Sign

Yellow Lines
Yellow Lines were added to the Cross Roads at the War Memorial in late 1980's covering the Post Office, Normandy Butchers and Normandy Stores, on the opposite side of Hunts Hill Road to the War Memorial a car park had been added some years earlier
Parking Zone Sign

Traffic Light Sign

Traffic lights were added to the junction between Pirbright Road (A324) and the Guildford Road (A323) at Elm Hill in the late 1990's following and number of accidents at this busy junction.

Traffic Lights

Garages
In the 1950's, Normandy had three garages (Anchor Garage, Normandy Garage and Westwood Lane Garage), but by the end of the century they had all stopped selling petrol.

Anchor Garage
In 1923 it was taken over by Albert Henry Wiltshire and son. When son William Wiltshire built the house called Lynthorne and moved across the road around 1930, W L Yorke started the garage under the name of Cleygate Garage. It had one hand-operated 'wind-up' petrol pump.

Cleygate Garage c1932
Cleygate Garage c1932

In 1935 C W (Paddy) Johnston, the former TT motorcycle champion, took it over and was proprietor for several years under the name of the Open Road Garage.

In the 1950s, 'Monkey' Marsden ran the garage. The nickname derives not from an insult but from the large cage of monkeys kept on the garage forecourt by Mr Marsden. These monkeys were constantly escaping and villagers can recall them climbing on cars and banging on the roofs. One of them even managed to jump on a motorcyclist's back and remove the astonished man's crash helmet before he knew what was happening! The next proprietors were Frederick Bayliss and Reginald Dare who ran it under the name of Anchor Garage Ltd. Also at this time the garage had a transport Café (Red Arrow Snack Bar) next to it on the Guilford side that was still open in 1970. It was sold again in about 1979 and it became Wyke Hurst at Normandy.

Wyke Hurst at Normandy 1992
Wyke Hurst at Normandy 1992

Normandy Garage
Thomas James started Normandy Garage in the late 1920s, who by 1936 was offering "any make of car, lorry, electrical or radio parts (telephone Normandy 13)". He also mended mowers and bicycles. According to local residents, filling your car with petrol in those days was a very leisurely affair. Tommy would stroll out of the workshop and, after a chat, would labouriously pump the petrol from one of his 'side-to-side' type pumps.

The Richards family came to Normandy Garage in 1966 and became outright owners in 1976. John concentrated on building up the service side of the operation while Joan manned the petrol pumps. In 1982 the trend towards vehicle sales culminated in Normandy Garage becoming one of the first UK Hyundai franchises. Their success led to the complete remodelling of the site in the winter of 1997/98 with an impressive modern showroom.

Normandy Garage 1992
Normandy Garage 1992

Westwood Lane Garage
The third garage in Normandy, in Westwood Lane, was started in the early 1930s by Richard (Dick) James, Tommy James' brother. At first the garage was just a shed where Dick did repairs, sold paraffin, etc. He started the haulage business with just one lorry. Nearby Fred Nunn, who made breezeblocks also sold petrol from his pump.

After the war Dick had the two fields beside the garage full of army-surplus lorries which he was repairing and selling for the 'groundnut scheme' in West Africa. In the late 1950s he sold the garage to Mr Ashe who modernised it. By 1965 it was Normandy Engineering Limited, advertising in an official parish guide: - "Petrol, repairs, service, plant hire, site clearing and earth moving. Cut prices and Green Shield stamps". Since about 1971 it has been All Recovery, a breakdown recovery service owned and run by Brian Mayhead.

Westwood Lane Garage (All Recovery) 1992
Westwood Lane Garage (All Recovery) 1992

Normandy Scrap Yard (Willey Green)
This property was originally part of Chapel Farm. The Bayliss family moved there in 1936 from West End, Woking and were timber merchants. By 1938 William Bayliss was dealing in second-hand cars and during the war they broke up cars to provide much-needed metal. This was the origin of the scrap-yard. In 1965 Normandy Auto Salvage started trading and in the early 1980s it was run by A G Bayliss and managed by John Norgate with a staff of six, offering "a vast range of spare parts".

Normandy Motorcycles
Normandy Motorcycle Company was established in about 1959 by brothers Brian and Mike Garbutt in what had been Mrs Carpenter's bakery and general stores.

Normandy Motorcycle 1989
Normandy Motorcycle 1989

Map of Roads

Map of the Roads through the
Parish of Normandy
(1950s/60s)

With Garages, Cafés, Smithy, Motorcycle Shop and Scrap Yard marked in red

Click on map to see an enlargement
(will open new window or tab)

Driving in Normandy - The Driving Test
The RAC was founded in 1897 as the Royal Automobile Club and a group of motoring enthusiasts form the Automobile Association (AA) on 29 June 1905 at the Trocadero restaurant in London's West End, from the late 1920's a number of books on "how to drive a car" were published and in 1930 the Minister of Transport, Herbert Morrison, proposed the passing of a Bill, which became the Road Traffic Act 1930 and came in to effect, April 1931, the first edition of the Highway Code was also published in this year.
 
"How to Drive a Car" 18th Edition"How to Drive a Car" 14th EditionHere are two covers from a book published in association with "The Motor"
(a magazine of the time)
 
(Left) "How to Drive a Car" 14th Edition published about 1935 at a cost of 2/6
(140 page Hardback)
(Right) "How to Drive a Car" 18th Edition published 1950 at a cost of 5/-
(160 page Hardback)

The Driving Licence
Here are the documents you would have received if applying for a driver's licence in 1947.
... ... Driving Licence (click to see an enlargement). ..... . ..... Driving Test Hints (click to see an enlargement) .......... 'L' Plate, Regulations  (click to see an enlargement)

Driving Licence

 Driving Test Hints

 'L' Plate, Regulations
 

Application for Driving Test (click to see an enlargement) 

Application for Driving Test

Click on photos for more information
You would have also needed to get a copy of the Highway Code from a local newsagent at the cost of 1d, the one in use at this time was the third edition from 1946, but remember at this time there were still many horse and carts on the road making deliveries and police officers still carried out point duty.
The Highway Codes
The Highway Code (1946)  (click to see full book)
1946
cost 1d
The Highway Code (1954) (click to see full book)
1954
cost 1d
The Highway Code (1959) (click to see full book)
1959
cost 6d
The Highway Code (1968) & Reprint (1974) (click to see full books)
1968
cost 1/3
Click on book to see an enlargement of the full book

MOT test station signMinistry of Transport - Vehicle Testing
Following the second world war and into the 1950s most people purchased second hand cars and light vans, many of which were originally manufactured pre war and were not in 'tip top' condition. As a result there were numerous vehicles being used on the road that were potentially dangerous. In particular they often had problems with brakes, lights or steering. As a result of this, in 1960 the then Ministry of Transport under the direction of the Minister of Transport Mr Ernest Marples decided that all vehicles over ten years old should have their brakes, lights and steering checked every year. This became known as the "Ten year Test", or alternatively the Ministry Of Transport Test - which became shortened to 'MOT'. The Testable age was progressively reduced to 3 years by April 1967, while some "limited use" and agricultural vehicles are exempt from test altogether.

In Normandy during the 1960s the Anchor Garage and Normandy Garage where listed as test stations for cars and light vans and Normandy Motorcycles provided this service for motorcycles, scooters, motorcycle combinations and Three wheeled vehicles.


The Tufty Club - BookRoad Safety
Normandy with its two main roads had problems with road safety particularly with children, but in the 1950s and 60s, through very simple films, books and stories by "RoSPA" (Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents), Tufty persuaded pre-school children that the road could be a dangerous place. This was done through the medium of burst footballs and dropped ice-creams, rather than something which young eyes might find too upsetting, such as squashed squirrels.

Tufty Club - Application form (click to see an enlargement)Tufty (full name Tufty Fluffytail) had his origins in 1953, created by the late Elsie Miles. In 1961, the Tufty Club was set up as a network of local groups - which at its peak had nearly 25,000 branches throughout the country. Parents would join the Tufty Club on their children's behalf, and children would proudly wear badges showing that they were members.

Click on form to see an enlargement


Downloads
Map of the Roads through the Parish of Normandy (607kb) (JPG format)
Driving Test Hints (1946) (111kb) (PDF format)
'L' Plate, Regulations (1936) (144kb) (JPG format)
Application for Driving Test (1946) (174kb) (PDF format)
The Tufty Club - Application Form (1961) (167kb) (JPG format)
 
Wikipedia links
Road Traffic Act 1930
Herbert Morrison (Minister of Transport, 1930)
Ernest Marples (Minister of Transport, 1959-64)
The Highway Code
Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA)
Tufty Club

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