Church Crookham
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My father must have arrived in Church Crookham around 1942. About a half dozen Canadian officers were quartered in an extremely 'modern' house, called The White House. My father, a young Captain, always spoke of that house with something approaching awe. For some reason, the sanitary fixtures fascinated him: wash basins in individual bedrooms, something unknown in North America. His bath had tiles embossed with dolphins, I remember him saying.
Even for the officers, transport was generally by bicycle and he became an intrepid cyclist, whereas at home he had always had his own car as a teenager (a Ford Model A, with rumble seat).
Mostly he recalled the kind welcome of the English people: it seems Canadians were preferred to the rather rambunctious Americans.
Shared on 09 September 2009
Church Crookham, Aldershot Road c1960
Ref: C102015
The house on the right hand side of this picture was called Claremont. We lived
there in the early 60s. There were two cottages to the side. In one of those cottages lived a girl called Elizabeth Holland, she used to babysit us. They had the most wonderful vegetable garden. We had fires in all the rooms, but also had paraffin heaters. I would go to the garage which you can just make out in this photo to buy paraffin. The Verne was just to the left. This was a most exciting walk, as there was a newsagents where I could buy comics, Bunty, Judy and Princess. The butcher shop always had bones for the dogs. Further on down Aldershot Road was a fish and chip shop - delicious. Then you would hit some Army buildings. That is where we went to church. Father Scantlebury, he gave us ice cream cakes when we had out first communion! A little further on was the racecourse. Going the other way was the Wyvern. Ivy was the kindest of landladies to children. A Schweppes bitter lemon and a dairy milk tray chocolate bar that had different centres . Such happy times
Shared on 11 April 2008
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