Hook Remembered - Mark Davison

For more than 600 years, this former little village of fruit trees and farms has fostered a thriving community spirit. For older people in Hook, their lasting memory of the hamlet is the flurries of apple and pear blossom which blew off the orchards in spring – or the delightful aroma of newly-baked bread from Pointer’s bakery which drifted daily along the Hook Road. The same road was once the home of children’s author Enid Blyton and aviation pioneer Harry Hawker. By 1927, the Kingston bypass was open. Developers dangled carrots in front of farmers which were too tempting to resist. By the start of the Second World War, much of Hook’s countryside was buried under concrete. What has not been destroyed, however, is the friendly atmosphere and neighbourliness in roads both old and new. Those who care about Hook’s future and want to keep it on the map must include its name on their address and not allow the neighbouring names of Chessington, Tolworth and Surbiton to encroach upon its historical identity. In this book, the first photographic volume on old Hook, take a trip down memory lane and beyond. Discover how, although it has changed in so many ways, there are still some rustic houses, cottages and corners which have survived from days of old. And read about some of the characters who have helped to form Hook’s special identity over the years.