WARLINGHAM SAINSBURY'S GRAND OPENING DAY - 13th SEPTEMBER 1994

 Publicity for the opening of the new Sainsbury's Warlingham superstore including a plan of all the aisles and facilities inside the store.

A member of staff kindly took my camera inside the store to take the following 4 exclusive photos before the opening time. The Bakery

Attractively displayed Chilled Fruit Aisle

Shelves along aisle 7 neatly filled up ready for the grand opening of the store at 09:30am on 13th September 1994

 Staff standing by the checkouts just before the official opening time at Sainsbury's Warlingham. 13th September 1994

 My Wife Wendy and Myself had waited at the doors from 8 a.m. We each took a photo to ensure we were first through the doors at opening time

The Grand opening took place on Tuesday 13th September 1994 at 9.30 a.m., when the then Deputy Chairman of J Sainsbury, David Sainsbury and Kevin Plant, the new store Manager greeted the first customers (who were My Wife Wendy and Myself) that had waited at the doors from 8 a.m. We were welcomed with a bottle of Champagne and Gift Vouchers.

 
Our first till receipt from checkout 002 at Sainsbury's Warlingham store on the opening day, we did a main shop at a later time.

 Reward cards for Sainsbury's Warlingham store, each store had their own unique card. Current cards are now Nectar cards

Sainsbury's Warlingham Mosaics by Oliver Budd

The two wonderful mosaics that were unveiled at the Sainsbury's superstore in Warlingham on the opening day on 13th September 1994 were designed and produced by Oliver Budd. The two original mosaics were sadly destroyed when the store was enlarged during the winter months of 1999 / 2000, but when I discovered this, I was so upset and annoyed and reported this and thankfully Oliver Budd was able to produce the two beautiful replacement mosaics which were completed on the 25th April 2000.

NEARLY FINISHED - Oliver Budd above, is seen here putting the final touches to his original masterpiece which depicts 125 years of shopping at Sainsbury's. It was started on 5th July 1994 and completed on 25th August 1994.

CLOSE-UP 1869 - Victorian fashions on both sides of the counter are shown in this delightful section of Oliver Budd's Warlingham Sainsbury's Mosaic.

CLOSE-UP 1950 - The Provisions counter now known as The Delicatessen was all the rage in the days before self-service stores and supermarkets caught on.

CLOSE-UP 1994 - Shoppers and Sainsbury's staff 1994 style with a backdrop of the local countryside are shown in this close up view of Oliver Budd's Warlingham Mosiac.

CLOSE-UP "SAINS BERRIES" TRADE MARK - The original Sainsbury's Registered Trade Mark design with the letter "S" and "AINS" intertwined with red berries is beautifully portrayed in this close up view of just a small part of Oliver Budd's Warlingham Mosaic.

CENTRE SECTION OF THE FLOOR DESIGN MOSAIC - This long mosaic was situated on the inside wall of the main lobby entrance to the store

A VERY SAD SIGHT - The beautiful mosaic was being boarded in, I imagined that it was to protect it when the store was enlarged during the winter of 1999 / 2000, but when the upgraded enlarged store reopened the two mosaics were nowhere to be seen.

THE LAST PIECE GOES IN - Alan Edwards (yours truly!) presses the last piece into the replacement floor mosaic at Warlingham Sainsbury's on 25th April 2000.

THE REPLACEMENT FLOOR MOSAIC - The second version of the long floor mosaic which is placed on the wall facing the main Limpsfield Road, this replaced the first mosaic which was displayed in the main entrance lobby and was sadly destroyed when the store was enlarged during the winter of 1999 / 2000.

THE REPLACEMENT MAIN MOSAIC - The second version of the main mosaic was positioned where the original mosaic was, but rows of large shopping trolleys sadly block the lower section of this beautiful mosaic

There were many ways that the new store was promoted in and around local towns and villages.

These local free newspapers featured a 4 page special covers promoting Sainsbury's Warlingham supermarket

This poster on the bus shelter outside Budgens, Oxted which was originally a Sainsbury's store and is currently a Sainsbury's again!

Station Road East, Oxted - Another poster "SAINSBURY'S LImpsfield Road, Warlingham NOW OPEN"

This poster was displayed on East Croydon Network SouthEast railway station

This AA direction sign was erected along the A22 road at Whyteleafe

THis AA direction sign was situated at Worms Heath, between Botley Hill and Warlingham

This inflatable Airship was flown above the new Sainsbury's Supermarket at Warlingham for a couple of weeks

This This Mobile Media van promoting the new Sainsbury's Superstore is heading out and about for a tour

On Wednesday evening 28th September, as a gesture of thanks to those who gave their support, many local residents were invited to "See behind the scenes" and were given a guided tour, which included seeing the cold stores, meat preparation area, offices, the delivery bays and all the places not generally open to the public. The evening concluded with an excellent buffet which was enjoyed by all those present

Warlingham Sainsbury's, known by the company as "023" included It's own In-Store Bakery, Fresh Fruit and Vegetables, Flowers and Plants, Newspapers, Magazines and Cigarette Kiosk, Delicatessen Counter, Toilets including a Disabled Persons Toilet, Baby Changing Room and had 21 checkouts. I understood that foundations were laid for a Sainsbury's Cafe but objections from a local garden centre put a stop to a cafe.

Since 1994 there have been many improvements and enlargements to the store including the closure and demolition of Warlingham Ambulance Station to make additional car parking spaces for the larger Sainsbury's Supermarket.

From Buses at Chelsham to Trolleys at Sainsbury's

   EARLY MORNING AT CHELSHAM GARAGE - 1987          ALMOST GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN - 1990              J SAINSBURY'S WARLINGHAM STORE 1994

I contacted The Bourne Society to hopefully arrange for a "Blue Plaque" to be displayed at the Warlingham Sainsbury's to commemorate the fact that the store was built on the site of Chelsham Bus Garage, I supplied full correct details to The Bourne Society and sadly when the plaque was unveiled there was an unforgiveable mistake which stated that "Chelsham Bus Garage was closed by "LONDON TRANSPORT". I had informed The Bourne Society that it was closed by "London & Country" (London Transport last operated at Chelsham Bus Garage on 31st December 1969)

FUN PHOTOS - CHELSHAM BUS GARAGE and SAINSBURY'S COINCIDENCES "023"

Sainsbury's Warlingham store which was built on the site of Chelsham Bus Garage was allocated the official store number 023 by Sainsbury's. This same number 023 was on rare occasions displayed in the number roller blinds on the front of Kentish Buses from Dunton Green Garage when displaying a leading zero as part of the route number when working on Kentish Bus Route 23 which passed Chelsham Garage during the 1990's My photo shows SNB257 just after passing Chelsham Bus Garage in May 1989 , Chelsham Bus Garage closed in June 1990.

AN225 with Sainsbury's advert from Dunton Green garage, seen here outside Warlingham Sainsbury's on school contract route 519. Dec 1994

One last fun photo, a Double Decker in the car park outside Warlingham Sainsbury's. I always had a camera handy for these fun moments!

<< From Buses at Chelsham to Trolleys at Sainsbury's

Back to the Chelsham Garage contents page

All photographs, graphics and animations are by Alan Edwards unless otherwise stated.