Crondall, Surrey

A Canadian in Wartime

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... [more]

Claremont - Aldershot Road

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... [more]

Relationships

I met my husband at the Bull Inn, Bentley and we lived and worked there together for 2 years before we moved up to Newcastle to raise our 2 wonderful daughters. I am just wondering if Mary and Peter are still running the old place?

Lord Wandsworth College - John Edgar Smith born 27 March 1922

I wonder if you may have known John Edgar Smith (School No. 293) in the 'thirties'?

My beloved John always spoke very fondly of his years at Lord Wandsworth College, Long Sutton, as . . . 'some of the happiest years of my life'!' Because his father had died, before he was born on 27th March 1922, John became eligible... [more]

Chalk Pit & the Hunt

Julian's hunt story is almost right. I was living at the Chalk Pit at the time, and still do. It was about 1981, on a Saturday lunchtime, when the hunt came over the top, but it wasn't on Boxing Day.  The hounds were chasing Hares.  The leader of the hunt knew there was a main road so directed the hunt across... [more]

Bad day at the hunt

The chalk pit at Odiham looks much the same today as it did over 100 years ago, except that most of the buildings are no longer there. An old story I heard in the The Bell Pub, mentioned the local hunt gathering in the Bury Square on boxing day some years ago. They left in the direction of the Chalk Pit... [more]

My Mum  Annie Spreadbury

My mum was born in Wintney Hartney near Binsted and went to school here.
These are her memories.

The school was staffed by nuns (maybe two). She remembers that one of them was very handy with the cane on knuckles! But she also remembers the kindness. She came from a typical large, poor family, which was rent apart when her... [more]

Binsted School

I can still remember the day I started school. My Mum walked me from Isington to Binsted, I didn't know exactly where I was going and when we got to the school we had to go up these steps that were overhung with trees, it reminded me of a green tunnel.

I was shown my coat peg - it was... [more]