5th May 1845 was the date the railways came to Guildford and became an important part of the town; the railway changed how people worked and how they travelled, with many people employed by the railway and using the trains to travel to work, to the Dennis Factory, for example, which manuratured bicycles, fire engines, and many other vehicles.
The anniversary was an opportunity for the Friends of Guildford Station to create an exhibition of vintage photographs and memorabilia which was visited by over 300 people, including people with connections to the railway and with stories to tell.
At the same time, a large timeline was created, with funding from the station developers Solum, showing the progression of the railways at Guildford up to the present day.
An event took place on Friday 2nd May, marking the 180 year anniversary, with David Peters, the Town Crier, Howard Smith, Deputy Mayor, and Mike Lamport, main adviser for Railway 200 and part of Railway Heritage, whose father was assistant Station master at Guildford in the 1960s; they all said a few words to the assembled visitors, with many of passers-by catching trains also stopping to listen. The large timeline panel with content created by Friends of Guildford Station was unveiled with great ceremony and there was also an opportunity for Fiona Morton SCRP CEO and Kevin Boorman SCRP Director, to unveil the names of 10 women connected to railway history on the North Downs Line, part of the Southeast Communities Rail Partnership Blue Plaque project. The group then visited the exhibition of old photographs installed by the Friends group, followed by tea and cupcakes.
The well attended event attracted publicity in the local news and also raised the profile of the role of Community Rail. It celebrated Railway 200 and helped create connections between local communities and their railways.
"the celebrations highlighted people who really made a difference in the past and shows how the railways have changed peoples lives" BBC Southeast