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23.1977/19. Gugnunc enamel badges and Wilfred the rabbit.
Do you remember this delightful character? Were you in the Wilfredian League of Gugnuncs?
Pip, the dog, Squeak, the penguin, and Wilfred, the rabbit (pictured), were comic strip stars of the 1920s and beyond. Originally published in the Daily Mail newspaper between 1919 and 1956, this cartoon strip was created by Bertram Lam and drawn by Austin Bowen Payne. They concerned the adventures of three orphaned animals and the early strips were whimsical, charming and very witty.
Squeak was found in London Zoo after hatching on the South African coast years before. Pip was discovered begging by a policeman on the Thames Embankment so was sent to a dogs’ home, where he was bought for half a crown. Wilfred was found in a field near his burrow and was adopted by Pip and Squeak. Pip assumed the father role whilst Squeak was the ‘mother’ to her ‘young son’ Wilfred.
The popularity of this little family was immense. In 1927, the Pip, Squeak and Wilfred fan club, The Wildredian League of Gugnuncs (W.L.O.G.), was founded. They even made membership books and badges in blue enamelled metal with Wilfred’s long ears as the main motif (pictured). At one time, the club had over 100,000 members. The W.L.O.G. organised events, competitions, parties and rallies for its members. Among the rules of the club was to be a good person, to make the world a better place, to be kind to animals and to never eat rabbit!
Even war medals were named after these beloved characters.
Watch one of Pip, Squeak and Wilfred’s animated adventures around the world!The River Thames has a long history of flooding and the 1920s were no different! These postcards capture the floods that occurred in Walton in 1925.
On Saturday 17 January 1925, The Surrey Comet reported that rain fell persistently for ten days from 23rd December and continued ‘practically without intermission’ until 3 January. The Thames overflowed its banks and flooded low-lying land. Near Hampton Court the river level was seven feet above normal. Several small islands were submerged, and many houseboats were damaged.
Similar flooding occurred throughout the rest of the 1920s. In response to the disastrous 1928 Thames flood, London commenced significant infrastructure improvements. This included raising the Thames Embankment, implementing new flood warning systems, and initiating the concept of the Thames Barrier. This was later completed in 1982.
76.1981/10. Miniature edition of the Daily Mail newspaper.
Measuring just 11cm by 8cm, this tiny edition of the Daily Mail newspaper belonged to Weybridge resident, Dr Vicary, and is dated 17th February 1925. These rare miniatures were not typically sold to the public or put into general circulation as they were more of a promotional, collector’s item that would have been produced for an event or exhibition.
Lord Northcliffe, proprietor of the Daily Mail, founded the Ideal Home exhibition in 1908 at London’s Olympia exhibition centre. In the spirit of social reform, he hoped to stimulate debate about better housing conditions. For a fee of one shilling, the public were educated and entertained by displays of labour-saving appliances and show homes. The exhibition was next held in 1910, 1912, and 1913, and then annually from 1920.
At these exhibitions, the Daily Mail would have its own stall where visitors could learn ‘the most fascinating secrets of newspaper production.’ (The Daily Mail, 18 July 1927). Specially printed miniature copies of the newspaper, such as this one, were printed and offered as a souvenir to the interested visitors.
In 1924, 300,000 visitors attended the exhibition. By 1937 this figure had more than doubled.
Read more about the 1927 Ideal Home exhibition here: Science of Advertising, Daily Mail, Monday 18 July 1927
1.1980/31. Nesta Llewellyn's summer hat.
This charming cream summer hat belonged to Nesta Llewellyn, the daughter of John Llewellyn who co-founded the luxury store Liberty & Co in 1875.
Born in 1895, Nesta enjoyed a successful creative career in music. She studied piano with Evelyn Howard-Jones at the Royal Academy and later, in the 1920s, joined Dorotha Vincent, Lilian Gaskell and other successful artists on the staff of the Howard-Jones (later, the Howard-Jones Sammons) School of Music. She remained a close friend of Howard-Jones throughout his life and, with his sister Enid, nursed him during his final days. She gave her first pianoforte recital at the Wigmore Hall in 1924, returning subsequently on numerous occasions and giving her last recital there in 1958.
Nesta bought this summer hat from Marshall & Snelgrove, a high-end department store on the north side of Oxford Street that specialised in women’s fashion. As a successful musician, Nesta would have been able to travel in and around London and purchase more luxurious, stylish clothing items such as this one. She wore this hat in the mid-1920s and while on a visit to Egypt. She was one of the first private visitors to the tomb of Tutankhamun after the archaeological excavations in the early 1920s.
Nesta retired to St George’s Hill in Weybridge for the last 30 years of her life. Here, she concentrated on recording in the form of both private Long Playing records and tapes, thereby creating a permanent legacy of her long career and musical talent for her many friends and admirers.
She died on the 20th May 1979. Her final resting place is not far from her former home, at St Peter’s Church Cemetery in Hersham.
On the following pages, you can explore a selection of concert programmes and press notices relating to Nesta’s recitals in the 1920s. To turn the page, click on the ‘next’ button or use the mouse to drag the page.
1.1980/110a. Programme for the first pianoforte recital by Nesta Llewellyn at the Wigmore Hall, London, on 15th December 1924.
1.1980/109a. A publicity leaflet, entitled 'Nesta Llewellyn - Press Notices'. This delightful image captures Winifred and Eileen Newman in their swimming costumes, bathing in the River Thames at Weybridge.
Historically, the Thames was a popular spot for swimming, with residents swimming at official bathing pools, islands, and even diving off pontoons! In July 1914, the Walton and Weybridge Urban District Council had permitted mixed swimming, and this change was welcomed by many:
100.1997/13. Winifred and Eileen Newman in their swimming costumes, bathing in the River Thames at Weybridge.
‘Weybridge has a large summer population of city men, who travel up to business every morning, returning to the joys of the river each night, and they welcome the opportunity of an early morning dip with their womenfolk.’ (The Daily Telegraph, Tuesday 16 July 1914).
River bathing was popular in the Elmbridge area too. Its popularity was evident by the number of swimming stations seen popping up along the Thames.
In May 1925, the Molesey bathing station opened at the end of Sadlers Ride just opposite the downstream end of Garrick’s Ait:
‘The station has been built of wood. It is designed in a similar style to that of the Walton bathing station farther up the river, and consists of four compartments, one each for boys, girls, men and women.’ (The Surrey Comet, 30 May 1925).
There was no admission fee but there were opening times managed by an attendant, local man James McLoughlin. Affectionately known as ‘Mac’, James was a well-loved personality and taught many local boys and girls how to swim.
By the 1930s, the River Thames had become a top spot for family holidays and swimming in the River Thames remained a popular pursuit until the Second World War. After the War, things started to change as residents were becoming increasingly concerned with the risks associated with river bathing. In response, Walton opened its first indoor swimming pool in 1965.
Molesey soon followed suit. When its bathing station was destroyed by a fire in 1966, it was never rebuilt. Times were changing and so had the attitudes towards outdoor swimming.
U.307. Hardings’ Guide Map to the district of Walton and Weybridge.
Like many other familiar objects, the road map has been transformed by digital technology. From the foldable glove-compartment staple to a robotically voiced GPS system, maps have become more portable, easier to hold and just plain different.
Yet, in the days before Google Maps, foldable pocket maps were regularly used by the public and travellers alike. They were practical tools designed to withstand the rigours of outdoor life and portability and convenience were vital to their design. The same is true for this object.
This colour pocket map offers a detailed guide to the district of Walton and Weybridge. It was published by J.H. Harding and Co of Nottingham in the early 1920s and is one of numerous similar regional items within the ‘Harding’s Guide Map’ series.
This vintage piece of cartography could be purchased by advertisers in Walton, Weybridge, Chertsey and Addlestone and is surrounded by adverts for businesses that were found in the local and surrounding area during this time.
Click here to watch the map unfoldProperty sale catalogues showcase grand houses in the Elmbridge area. By including phrases such as ‘the very attractive, medium sized freehold family residence’ and ‘the picturesque house’, these documents intended to upsell the property to potential buyers. Floor plans, descriptions and photographs of rooms were also included.
As an historical source, these pieces are incredibly useful. Not only do they provide insights into the cultural and social context of their time, including fashion, social habits, and economic conditions, but they also provide details about the types of property, its intended buyers, and the social status of previous owners. This makes them rich sources of information for research into local, family and architectural history.
On the following pages, you can explore the contents of one sale catalogue in our collection. To turn the page, click on the ‘next’ button or use the mouse to drag the page.
50.1982/2. Sale catalogue for The Mount, Oatlands Park, Weybridge. Booklet contains details and photographs of the house and 3.5 acres of grounds. For sale by auction on 12 May 1925 by Hampton & Sons. 
86.1981/5. Oatlands School Logbook.
This cloth and leather-bound logbook is from Oatlands School on St Mary’s Road in Weybridge. It contains entries from 24th February 1902 to 27th July 1927.
The history of logbooks can be traced back to 1862 when all headteachers were required by law to keep a day-to-day record of all events at their school. In keeping such a book, the school was eligible for state grants. Since these grants were dependent on pupil attendance, logbooks note times of student behaviour, sickness or lateness. Some also provide details about significant national events.
The same is true for our logbook. After the First World War, a deadly influenza pandemic broke out killing an estimated 50 million people worldwide. Being one of the few countries in Europe to remain neutral, Spain was not subjected to wartime censorship. This meant that she could freely report news of the outbreak, leading to the misnomer, ‘Spanish Flu.’
By the mid-1920s, the pandemic was largely considered to be ‘over.’ However, seasonal outbreaks continued throughout the 1920s and their effects on Oatlands School are recorded in this logbook. Entries such as these allow us to start to piece together how globally significant events impacted our local schools and communities.
Quote from the school logbook. 17th February to 27th February 1925.
Sports team photography began in the mid-19th century with the rise of modern sport and photography. It started as static group portraits and has evolved into taking photos which capture action and motion.
252.1986/47. St George’s College in Weybridge in 1925.
This photograph (right) of the school ruby team was taken at St George’s College in Weybridge in 1925.
St George’s was originally a boys’ boarding school in Croydon that was founded in 1869 by a Belgian Catholic order of priests called the Josephites. Within a few years it had outgrown its Croydon location.
In 1884 it moved to the grounds of Woburn Park near Weybridge, and from the 1960s began inviting girls into the sixth form.
Today, St George’s is an independent mixed Roman Catholic co-educational Josephite day school that educates pupils from aged 3 to 18.
Similar school sports team photos have been captured across the borough. This black and white photograph shows a school cricket team (below), possibly from Finnart House School in Oatlands.
252.1986/61. A school cricket team, possibly from Finnart House School in Oatlands.
Finnart House School, originally known as Hayes Certified Industrial School for Jewish Boys, was opened in February 1901. Prior to this date there had been no specifically Jewish institution for the education and training of ‘abandoned or problematic boys.’ The East London Industrial School at Lewisham had accepted some Jewish pupils but had become less willing to do so by the early 20th century. This created a problem for the Visitation Committee of the United Synagogue and so a school was founded in Hayes, Middlesex. By 1918 the school held 128 boys.
Despite its success, the number of pupils progressively declined because the Hayes School was too large for their needs. The school was moved and reopened at Finnart House, Oatlands Drive in Weybridge.
After the move, numbers in the school continued to decline and it was no longer considered a reasonable demand on public funds to maintain a specifically Jewish school. In response, the school started to admit Church of England boys.
In the 1970s, Finnart House School closed and a trust was set up for the aid of underprivileged Jewish children. The Finnart Trust still exists today.
78.1973/15. The Woodworker Magazine, June 1925.
The Woodworker Magazine was a British publication that started in 1901. The magazine was a comprehensive resource for both amateurs and professionals that covered a wide range of woodworking topics, including furniture making, tool techniques and woodworking history. At sixpence a piece, it was affordable to most people too.
This is one of fifteen copies of the magazine that we care for at the museum. The collection originally belonged to Mr Howard Lansdell who was the husband of one of our former curators, Avril Lansdell.
Socially, the magazine was a well-respected piece of literature. This was largely due to the experience and dedication of its editor. Born in Pimlico in 1898, Charles Hayward was an extraordinary illustrator, designer, writer, editor and photographer.
In 1923, Charles began his own cabinet making business alongside his work as a technical illustrator. In 1925, he started contributing to the Handicrafts magazine. In 1935 when he left there to become the associate editor of The Woodworker. Despite the challenges that the Second World War brought (bombings, shortages of printing materials and staff) he never missed an issue. Charles thought up the woodworking projects, designed and built them, photographed the finished items, and then edited and marketed the magazine. In addition to these technical pieces, Charles wrote a regular page titled ‘chips from the chisel’ which is still remembered by older readers as a pithy, philosophical and humorous account of woodworking gleaned from his vast experience.
Charles remained editor until his retirement in 1968, though he continued to contribute to the magazine even after this time. He saw the craft transform from entirely hand-tool based to one where machines were common, inexpensive and had displaced the hand planes, chisels and backsaws that had characterised his training and youth.
Sadly, the magazine printed its last issue in November 2024, closing due to economic pressures. While the magazine may have now ceased printing, it leaves a great legacy. It played a significant role in shaping the woodworking community locally, and further afield, and provided a platform for sharing knowledge and inspiring generations of carpenters.
