Christchurch memories
Here are memories of Christchurch and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Christchurch or a Christchurch photo.
High Street
I was born and lived in Christchurch for 10 years (1952-1962) but still count it as my home. Iremember walking down the High Street with Mum and my sister, when she stopped to talk to someone I looked around and saw them knocking down some building at the top of the street ready for the by-pass.
Turntable
I remember as a small lad being taken by Dad to the back of the (I think) Dolphin pub to watch the trolly buses being put onto to the turntable. First one of the men would get a long pole and disconnect the overhead poles, then the two would turn the trolly bus round using two push bars at 180, then they would re-connnect the poles - sometimes it would spark as they put it back.
Christchurch Trolleybus Turntable
Where's the turntable?
The Trolley Bus Turntable at Christchurch
I moved to Boscombe near Christchurch in 1954 when my father's job with Williams Deacons Bank took him to their newly opened Bournemouth Branch. I was amazed! I was just eight years old and all I had ever really known in the way of public transport were the London Transport red or green buses, plus some red trams and trolleybuses. Yet here in Christchurch were bright yellow buses and trolleybuses which plied the route into Bournemouth. Better still for a fascinated young boy, was the amazing trolley bus turntable in Christchurch. The driver took the trolleybus onto the turntable in a little cul-de-sac in the middle of Christchurch and then the conductor would get off and disconnect the pantograph on the roof and they would push the trolleybus round to face the way it had come ready for the return journey. Any watching youngsters were invited to help push so I had great fun with this!
Part of my Childhood
I spent many enjoyable school holidays in this town. My Uncle had a store called Staggs the Drapery and clothing store. Back then we used to spend many an hour wondering over to the Quay & the Priory. We also used to take the ferry over the Avon into Southbourne where my Aunt lived. Then we would walk to Hengisbury Head. Sometimes we would fish in the Avon. It was a wonderful little town and when I visit it I still have a touch of nostalgia because a lot is still unspoilt. Unfortunately the wonderful garden that backed on to my Uncle's store is now part of a car park. Progress I suppose where beauty has to give way to necessity.
118 Hunt Road, Somerford
My parents Evelyn & Tom Williams purchased this house brand new in 1956, and we lived there for two years.
Rail Station Name Plate Machine
Recall using a machine on the platform at Christchurch Railway Station. It punched letters onto a aluminium nameplate strip of metal for 6d. I still have one of them.
Film of the Trolley Bus circular turning table can be seen on the youtube site, plus black & white footage of trolley buses' final parade journey round Bournemouth.
Memories of Dorset
The Red Squirrels in Fisherman's Walk
As a young schoolboy in Southbourne from 1954 to 1956 I loved to walk to and fro in Fisherman's Walk. There were red squirrels which were fairly tame and would take food from my hand if there were not too many people about. This was only a mile from my home in Petersfield Road and even nearer to Southbourne Junior School. This became a regular highlight to show our family visitors. Sadly red squirrels have now been ousted by the grey ones but I still recall them very fondly. When I was just nine years old in 1954 Fisherman's Walk seemed enormous - I revisited in 2004 and was so surprised at how small it now seems!
The Cliff Steps, Southbourne
Year 1955 because it's central to the time we lived just a few doors down in a new bungalow (Khandala), from the Thorpe's café (it was west towards the roundabout, north side of the road) and one of my cherished memories as a child, is of walking down to the dliff steps (steep then) and standing halfway down in very thick mist (couldn't see the hand in front of your face), feeling almost totally isolated except for the sound of the waves crashing below, and yet totally at peace and one with all creation at the same time. Great stress releaser and highly recommended to the reasonably stable minded.
Now I begin to understand why I loved it so, being a poet and dreamer, musician, photographer and artist of sorts. Never managed to bring my son there (www.permanentgreen.com for his art, photography and music), haven't been back myself for 50 years, wow, just realised this IS the anniversary year, as we left with Mum in November of 1957... Read more
Childhood Memories
My sister and I spent many happy holidays in Highcliffe. We used to stay in a chalet that was situated in a field at the back of a pub. There were chalets all the way round the edge of the field and there was a shower block at the bottom. Very primitive by today's standards but what fun we had. I can't remember the name of the pub but it was on the main Lymington road. My mum used to see us over the main road to the children's park and there was a path that led down to the beach. We had great adventures. Our chalet was called wee hame. If anyone can recall the name of the pub or can remember the chalets I would be so grateful for any information.
Mr And Mrs Bob Olley
In 1956 I was an apprenticed grocer with a very poor wage. My passion was fishing and if I went to see the river bailiff, a Bob Olley, after work to pay for a license, he would often say 'Go and do your fishing and don't worry about the license'. Bob felt that to make me pay for a half day ticket just for 3 or 4 hours wasn't worth it. When I caught a 23-pound Pike one Sunday morning, Bob was on hand to not only witness the catch, but we walked back to his house where he weighed it for me. Bob and his wife were the essence of lovely people and in Holdenhurst village itself - it was no exception to the rule to find many residents there of a similar nature. Lovely memories for me, not only the fishing, but the village, the people and the walk up Woodbury Avenue. I now live in Australia and have done so since March 1970, but the aformentioned memories... Read more
A Strong Memory
I was born in 1931. During the war I spent about 1 year in Walkford, at the home of a great aunt in the village of Walkford. The maternal ancestry of my family is in Walkford. My great aunt had a house on I guess the Ringwood road. She had a hand laundry and at that time she would collect linen from the big houses in a van. Mondays, I believe was the day the linen soaked in an outhouse, the following day boiled, the next dried, the next ironed and finally delivered back.
I do not know my great aunt's family name, as I never knew my grandmother's maiden name. I remember the name `Cuppage' or perhaps `Cubbage', and their descendants still lived, and continued to live I guess, in Walkford. There was a daughter, and the daughter's son was named Dennis. I believe he moved to Highcliffe in later years. As you walk down Ringwood Road from Highcliffe end towards Hinton Admiral, they lived in a house... Read more
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Places this week
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- Blackpool, Lancashire
- Salford, Lancashire
- Thurstaston, Merseyside
- Godstone, Surrey
- Dartford, Kent
- Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire
- Lundin Links, Fife
- Parkgate, Merseyside
- Oldham, Lancashire
- Severn Beach, Avon
- Oadby, Leicestershire
- Pyrford, Surrey
- Dulverton, Somerset
- Eamont Bridge, Cumbria
- Rochdale, Lancashire
- Tredington, Warwickshire
- Langley Park, County Durham
- Beeston Castle, Cheshire
- Stokesley, Cleveland
- Beverley, North Humberside
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