Eastleigh, North Stoneham Church c1960

Post war memory

Reading the other memories I remembered a group of us watching - oh what was his name - an artistic painter, doing up the Chocolate Box opposite the Chamberlayne Arms on the corner of Blenheim Road and High Street, and we watched practically the whole day, fascinated by his art from chalk lines to fully paint shop name. Even when it was finished we failed to notice the spelling mistake. It was later explained to me that such large names from close up on a ladder was very difficult. I can see his long stick with a cloth ball used to rest his arm on whilst painting. His face was badly damaged, I don't know whether it was the war or birth that caused it but I do know that his work was a really professional job despite the spelling.

My early years in Eastleigh

I was born at 15 Factory Road in 1936 and left to work in London in 1954. I cannot recognise the shops in the High Street photo. 'Detective' tells me that the view must be from the Factory Road/High Street corner, looking down towards Leigh Road, I do not recall any trees in the street. The left hand corner was Stubbingtons furniture, Greens greengrocers, The Salvation Army chapel (Mr (Major) Stubbington)) was in charge there, opposite was the Post Office and coming back up high street a newsagency, a 'ladies' shop, Mrs Luffman's confectioners (the story went that she was advised during wartime of the death of her son or husband, I'm not sure which, and instinctively put her hand to her head and when waking the following day discovered a palm sized patch of grey hair), a bit further up the local fish and chip shop, what was on the corner, a clothing shop perhaps? Then Blackman's confectioners and ice cream, a greengrocers, and after the war a re-opened men's hairdresser, a couple of houses and, on the corner of Market Street, a haberdashers. The only reason I have for thinking it is taken looking towards The Rec is because I was born in number 15 and that would be on the opposite side to the number 39 in the picture which must then be High Street and further down to Leigh Road would be the start of numbering.

Harry 'Ginger' Scott

My father passed away in 1955. I returned from National Service in Germany in time to visit him in Winchester hospital, sadly my older brother Ron was a regular soldier serving in Hong Kong and could not get back in time to see our father but was one of the pall bearers at his funeral in the parish church. If indeed it is the one at the back of the Rec, I called in the area on holiday from Australia in 1998 to find that church had been burnt to the ground and got the story from the club manager next door.  Sad to see such iconic buildings have been 'allowed' to pass on.

Wartime memories

I remember going down to the Rec a million times, but mainly remember the soccer ground on the right, the bandstand, the back of the WVS where I had lunch for a few pence because Mum was at work in Pirelli's, and the the 'invasion' when the Yank troops were camped on the Rec. We would wander on the Leigh Road pathway hunting for 'lost' coins, a very lucrative foraging trip, and occasionally a comic or two. I also remember the speedway track (bicycle) and practising what is now mountain biking on the 'out of bounds' bomb sites.