Fair Oak As It Was

A Memory of Fair Oak.

My first day of school was September 1965 at Fair Oak Infants. It wasn't too bad the first day as my Mum was allowed to stay at the back of the classroom, but after that I was left on my own. I became very frightened and one day I thought I'd make a "run for it". My plan was to ask to go to the toilet, and while I was gone (as in those day's the toilet block was at the other end of the playground) I'd make my escape. Alas it never happened, I can't remember if I had taken longer then expected, or the teacher Mrs Cockrin sussed what I was up to, but she came outside and told me to "Get back in class", so that was that. I suppose after a while I got used to being away from Mum and settled in.
It's all flooding back to me now. Some of the children that were in my school: Susan Vincent, Julie Butler, Robert Easterby, Beverley Saunders, Fiona Pierce, Andy Newton, Chris Brock, Clive Hatt, Susan Walker, Ian Dunford & Andrew Anderson, just to mention a few. Teachers: Mr D.W. Jones, Headmaster Fair Oak Junior School, Mrs Parfitt the secretary, Mr Cooper, Miss Murrey, Mr Russell Smith, Mr Drake & Miss Marcardy, again to mention a few.
Fair Oak was so different then, when walking to school with Mum & my Sister, Mum knew everybody, and everybody knew Mum! It was such a close little community, just a quiet little farming village, not attached to Horton Heath or Bishopstoke, just on its own, like it had been for centuries before.
Our family the "Boyes's" (my mum's side) had been farming in Fair Oak for years, my Great Great Grandfather John Boyes had farmed at "Stubbington Farm" in the square. My Great Grandfather Reginald Boyes had "Sunnybank" built in 1903 (opposite Wyvern School), and married Annie Lavington, together they market farmed there. They owned quite a lot of ground in Fair Oak, including ground near the Brook Pub, the cottages In the square opposite the "Cricketers Arms", and the cottages along Botley Road (Rose Lea, Ivy Lea & Holme Lea). Reginald and Annie had 6 children, two girls and four boys. Three boys went into farming, Jack farmed opposite Witt Road, at "Middle Farm", Ronald took over "Stubbington Farm" then "Manor Farm" down Allington Lane, my Grandfather Stanley farmed at "Lapstone Farm" then took over "Sunnybank" farming, then dug sand from there, and Harold dug sand from behind "Stubbington Farm".
Things have changed so much, where we lived in Mortimers Lane, my Mum's Uncle Ronald owned a cattle grazing field behind our house, every day "Charlie" used to walk the cows down Mortimers Lane, through the square into "Stubbington Farm" for milking, you just can't imagine 30 or so cows strolling down the main road in 2008!!
I remember the shops, you had the Butcher's Paul Opphase (I'm not sure on the spelling!) opposite E. M. Chandler's shop, Peggy Treasure's the grocer's opposite the public loo's, then you had the old Post Office down the hill away from the square which was next to Trev's Travel, and opposite there you had the Maltese fish & chip shop owners, right next door to them you had the Old Village Hall.
The Pubs: I have to say that I contributed quite a lot to the wealth of the "Old George" & the "Fox & Hounds" in my time! Funny really, one pub I very rarely used was the "Cricketers Arms". It was only later that I was to find out that back in the 1890's, my Wife's great Grandfather John Barton Veck was the Landlord of the above mentioned pub, and that her Grandfather was born there!!
My parents still live in the same house in Mortimers Lane, I moved years ago away from Fair Oak and now live in Eastleigh, but whenever I return it brings back old memories of my childhood, my school days and how things used to be in this "Sleepy Old Village" of Fair Oak.

Gary.   2008.

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