The following notes on the telephone exchange were provided by Frank Riddle Junior.

Around 1941 (and before) to late 50s/60s ithe exchange was located in the sitting room of No. 1 Mascalls Cottages. I
lived at No. 2 next door. At this time there was no electricity in Ewhurst and our wireless sets were powered by
accumulators. The people who operated the exchange were Mr & Mrs Wilkinson and the numbers were single or double
digit. i.e. Ewhurst 9 (Pitts Garage?) etc. and I remember the connections were made by plugging in a male lead about
10mm dia into a female socket on the board of the number for Ewhurst.
It was then taken over by the Bleach family and Stephen Bleach lives in Horndean who may remember more about the
exact date of closure.

In the late 50s /60s as call volumes increased the exchange was then moved to the Cranleigh Road, 90 yards from
Mapledrakes corner where an automatic exchange managed the calls.
Owing to a shortage of copper much alloy cable was used at that time and this is not good for broadband!
I think there is a bungalow there now.

The picture below is one of my mum & dad in the garden of 1 Mascalls c1941 and you can see the telephone pole in the
background! The poles had large white ceramic insulators and each pole had lots of them as each wire was separate!
I have the following phone numbers in my Book in case they mean something!

Ewhurst 62 was Jack Luff a Builder lived at Hillside opposite village hall
Ewhurst 78 was Henry Lade a Butcher opposite Hazelbank Stores next to the vets.
Ewhurst 29 was Jim Lazzell's father at Ewhurst Garage at NE corner of Downhusrt Road (now housing)
Ewhurst 31 was Watson & Son Bakers opposite telephone box at Hazelbank
Ewhurst 21 was Hillman Atwell the Chemist opposite the School
Ewhurst 87 was Summersbury Dairy in Sommersbury lane.
Ewhurst 18 was AA Bailey Butcher & Dairyman opposite Garlands, Roy Bailey lives near me.
Ewhurst 106 was Ewhurst Haulage Company/Hazelbank Garage, (now Skoda) "Newton Edwards family (Mabel wife
of Joe N-Edwards died 2/3 years ago)
Ewhurst 42 was Hazelbank stores (Kennet & Evans) still there trading!
Ewhurst 98 or 22 was Pitts Gage opposite Bulls Head Dan & Phil Pitt sons Dan was badly burnt in a tank 1940's
Ewhurst 40 was Jack Bicknell Builder in Mapledrakes Road

Frank and
Mrs Riddle
in 1 Mascalls
c 1941
John Greenwood’s archive has produced the following two letters from British Telecom
Monica Roach remembers Evelyn Tidy's late husband Frank mentioning that, as the telephone exchange site was
compulsory purchased before the exchange was built, they were due some financial compensation when it was sold as a
building site.

Last year I helped one of the Brookhurst Grange residents off Holmbury Road with their broadband and they reported
that the house was Ewhurst 1. Some of the original wiring is still in use !