The premises with the first floor window box on the extreme left is Cornmeter, then an inn, with Allen's shop next door. There are bottles and what look like either loaves of bread or pumpkins in Allen's window. In 1911 Henry Moore, a Yorkshire born leather dresser, and his wife were at 15 Church Street, so Allen's shop must have gone by then^[1]. The shop itself was later McDonald & Gallop, a fruiterer's^[3].

Behind the young woman holding a bicycle is a tobacconist's shop, at 15a Church Street, which was run by Arthur Hailstone and his wife in 1911^[1]. They were still there in 1924^[2]. A sign saying "Tobacco" sticks out into the street above the woman's head. The numbering is still the same today, with odd numbered properties on the left and even numbers on the right.

The Star (17 Church Street) has its first floor windows wide open. It was being run as a beerhouse by Thomas G. Godwin in 1901^[4], but a few years later Harry Battson, his wife and young son were at the Star, with Harry working as both a House Painter & Beerhouse Keeper^[1]. He, too, was still there in 1913^[3] but Charles Gould had taken over in 1924^[2]. By 1939 the landlord was the bachelor Harold G. Whiting who was both a publican and taxi driver, who lived there with his retired father George. It remains open for business today.

A little further along a man in a white apron is standing in the middle of the street. He was probably Richard Thorn, standing outside his tea rooms at 14 Church Street. There is a "Teas" sign on his right. He described himself as both an eating house keeper (1901) and a refreshment house keeper (1911)^[5]. His son William (b.1900) was running the confectionery, tobacconist, catering and refreshment house business in 1939. Thorn's tea rooms were in Godalming for over 75 years^[6] and, amongst other things, provided teas for members of the Cyclist's Touring Club^[7].

Another sign, closer to the camera and above the head of the girl in a white pinafore, says "Cycles". Key and Company were cycle agents next door to Thorns at 12 Church Street from about 1907, when they advertised widely^[8], and were still here in 1924^[2].

The young girl is actually standing outside the Live and Let Live, another beerhouse, on the far side of the Deanery Yard arch. Of the various licensees and leaseholders, William Perry was there in 1885^[9] and Arthur Jennings in 1901^[4]. Whilst it is not easy to tell by enlarging the picture it is possible that is says Friary Brewery just below the roof. The Live and Let Live closed in 1908^[10].

References:

^[1] Information from the 1911 census of England and Wales, which is available on FindMyPast.

^[2] "Kelly's Directory of Surrey, 1924". (Mrs. Hailstone died at the Royal Surrey in 1939 and was buried at the Nightingale Cemetery.)

^[3] "Kelly's Directory of Surrey, 1913".

^[4] From the 1901 census.

^[5] Richard Thorn was born in New Cross, giving his age in the 1901 census as 26 and in 1911 as 35. He died on 23 Jul 1932 and is buried at the Nightingale Cemetery, Deanery Road.

^[6] Head, Ronald E. (2005) "Godalming", The Francis Frith collection, ISBN 1-85937-976-1 (with research by John Young).

^[7] "Surrey Mirror", 15 October 1948 and other dates.

^[8] "Woking News & Mail", 8 April 1907. This was one of a number advertisements placed in this newspaper during 1907.

^[9] "Surrey Mirror", 21 February 1885.

^[10] Date of closure from Janaway, John (2003) "Godalming and Farncombe Pubs and Breweries" Ammonite Books, Godalming, Surrey. ISBN 1-869866-14-2..