Bramshott, the Village 1901

Chiltley Place

My twin brother Colin and I were born at Chiltley Place on the 28th of July 1942 due to the bombing of Portsmouth. My father was serving in the Royal Navy on the hospital ship HMS Liverpool in the far east when we were born. My parents and brothers last visited Chiltley place in the late 1950's. Recently I received a copy of Chiltley Place and Goldenfields as a gift. Colin now lives in Cornwall with his family, I now live in the United States. Best wishes, Barry.

Dad was born here

Dad was born at 25 Station Road in 1927, and his Dad had his own business there, G Budd & Sons. When Grandad passed away, and Nan a few years later, Dad bought the house, with 'the yard' behind and carried on the business, which was a building firm. Dad's brothers also worked for the firm. Dad was painter and decorator, Uncle David a brickie and Uncle John a carpenter.

Childhood in the 1960s-early 1970s

I remember Beech Hill very well as I lived over Glayshers Hill from 1958 when I was 2 years old - we couldn't get up the hill in the winters back then and my dad would spend ages trying to get to work. We spent our childhood playing over Arford Common and the big old house at the top of the hill that eventually became Kays Crescent. Mr Radford from the village used to deliver vegetables to our door and all shopping was done at Whittles - oh, and Mr Weever up on Headley Down baked all the bread and cakes. I grew up with all the kids from Eerie Camp and went to Mill Chase. I had a friend who lived under the archway - where Mrs Groves used to live - at the top of Barley Mow Hill (the postbox was in the hedge). At the bottom of Barley Mow Hill was the good old 'Wheatsheaf' where Chris and Cyril never did know our real ages! We would skive off school and go over the Lithuanian Club and Kevin Smith fell through the ice on the pond when we tried skating! Beech Hill was a focal point where we would 'hang out' at the bus stop as teenagers. There was a small church next door - St Francis's - where we went to Sunday School with Mrs Lampard and Mrs Johnson and Brownies run by Mrs Ansell - oh, it all seemed so innocent then - but you had to wait 3 hours for the no 18 bus on a Sunday.

Beech Hill Corner

I remember this place so well, this is the bus stop I used to use from Mill Chase School. Many an ugly scrap would occur on the school bus with the kids from the Erie camp, I think that is one of the old army huts the families used to live. I lived at Ludshott Grove in the new houses opposite  the camp. I remember a good old copper called PC Pike, he was a great old soul. I wonder if he is still with us, he used to give us a clip around the ear for scrumping the apples from the orchard near the deep pond at the bottom of Beech Hill. Those were the days.

Little Black Houses

This is where our godmother used to live.  Her name was Fona, a really lovely lady, we'll always remember her.  I was born here in the same little black house that Fona lived in, (she used to live next door, but moved into our house when we moved to Saville Crescent in Bordon).  I don't remember Headley Down when I lived there as I was very young when we moved, but when I was older my elder sister used to take me there on a bus from Bordon, always on a Saturday.  Fona would take us blackberry picking and we would play in the large back garden for hours.  I remember there were loads of fir trees and the houses seemed to be higgledy-piggledy with shrubs and trees in between - so much nicer than these modern estates. Before Fona took us to the bus stop to go home we would have toast and chocolate spread or peanut butter and jam whilst Uncle Dennis (Fona's husband) watched the football results on the television.  I loved those times and wish I could turn back time and live them all over again.