Peter Stewart

I know that it's supposed to be a large and significant memorial, and I know that it's got a large angel on the top. I'm just going over to one now. I always feel awkward about walking on graves, don't you? And it's a little tricky here not to, because... You can't necessarily see where they all are, but here's a big grave with a surround around it. And it's got a large angel on the top.

I know that it's supposed to be a large and significant memorial, and I know that it's got a large angel on the top. I'm just going over to one now. I always feel awkward about walking on graves, don't you? And it's a little tricky here not to, because... You can't necessarily see where they all are, but here's a big grave with a surround around it. And it's got a large angel on the top.

And I'm just walking around to see if I can see some names. No. Mary May Sturt. So it's not that. I'm just looking around. I can't see anything else obvious. I'm over at the far side. I'm told that it's quite a significant gravestone with an angel on the top and some steps around it. And over to my right-hand side, I can see some which may fit the bill. I can see three with angels on.

And I'm just walking around to see if I can see some names. No. Mary May Sturt. So it's not that. I'm just looking around. I can't see anything else obvious. I'm over at the far side. I'm told that it's quite a significant gravestone with an angel on the top and some steps around it. And over to my right-hand side, I can see some which may fit the bill. I can see three with angels on.

So let's see. if these are any of them, in loving memory of Samuel James Ramsey, so it's not that one. I found it. I found it. It's not actually that significant, but I found it. In sacred and everlasting memory of Emmie. It's difficult to read. And Henry Bancroft. It's really difficult to read the inscription on here. There's four or five lines of text.

So let's see. if these are any of them, in loving memory of Samuel James Ramsey, so it's not that one. I found it. I found it. It's not actually that significant, but I found it. In sacred and everlasting memory of Emmie. It's difficult to read. And Henry Bancroft. It's really difficult to read the inscription on here. There's four or five lines of text.

I can see that it's there, but it's really difficult to read the actual citation. But I can certainly read Emmy and Henry Bancroft. And it's quite moving after reading and telling you the story about this significant local couple who did so much so so much for the town and to be here now and I can kind of pay tribute to them

I can see that it's there, but it's really difficult to read the actual citation. But I can certainly read Emmy and Henry Bancroft. And it's quite moving after reading and telling you the story about this significant local couple who did so much so so much for the town and to be here now and I can kind of pay tribute to them

I wonder what they would have thought today after setting up the outdoor Lido of what we have today in the likes of Donnings and also setting up the cinema there, the majestic on Bancroft Road. And I could stand here and watch a film in the middle of a churchyard, live or pre-recorded, beaming in from anywhere in the world on a handheld device, immediately call up any film at all.

I wonder what they would have thought today after setting up the outdoor Lido of what we have today in the likes of Donnings and also setting up the cinema there, the majestic on Bancroft Road. And I could stand here and watch a film in the middle of a churchyard, live or pre-recorded, beaming in from anywhere in the world on a handheld device, immediately call up any film at all.

And that's quite incredible, isn't it? 1934, less than 100 years ago. Quite some people setting all that up. Emmy and Henry Bancroft lying together in Reigate Cemetery. The local entertainment entrepreneurs, Harry and Emmy, they developed the town's first and only leisure centre. And you may recall their story the next time you travel down Bancroft Road.

And that's quite incredible, isn't it? 1934, less than 100 years ago. Quite some people setting all that up. Emmy and Henry Bancroft lying together in Reigate Cemetery. The local entertainment entrepreneurs, Harry and Emmy, they developed the town's first and only leisure centre. And you may recall their story the next time you travel down Bancroft Road.

From Reigate and Red Hill, Buckland, Betchworth and Brockham, great stories from places you love and people you know. This is the Planet Reigate podcast.

From Reigate and Red Hill, Buckland, Betchworth and Brockham, great stories from places you love and people you know. This is the Planet Reigate podcast.

I'm just driving into the Bancroft Road multi-storey car park, which strikes me as an appropriate place to park. Because this, as you would have heard from previous podcasts, is the place that became possible when the Bancrofts decided that they would buy some land...

I'm just driving into the Bancroft Road multi-storey car park, which strikes me as an appropriate place to park. Because this, as you would have heard from previous podcasts, is the place that became possible when the Bancrofts decided that they would buy some land...

round the back of the Hippodrome cinema that they were running at the time, the one on Bell Street where Wagamama's is at the moment, so that they could create their own cinema called the Majestic. on a newly formed road which came to be known as Bancroft Road.

round the back of the Hippodrome cinema that they were running at the time, the one on Bell Street where Wagamama's is at the moment, so that they could create their own cinema called the Majestic. on a newly formed road which came to be known as Bancroft Road.

And as part of the deal, the council bought this plot of land, which became a car park, both for the Majestic and also for the swimming pool as well. And it's on this site, where it was originally just a waste piece of ground for a car park, back in the 1930s, that is now... the multi-storey car park on Bancroft Road. And why am I here?

And as part of the deal, the council bought this plot of land, which became a car park, both for the Majestic and also for the swimming pool as well. And it's on this site, where it was originally just a waste piece of ground for a car park, back in the 1930s, that is now... the multi-storey car park on Bancroft Road. And why am I here?