Fawley memories
Here are memories of Fawley and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Fawley or a Fawley photo.
Gunsite Farm
Gunsite Farm was at the end of Limekiln Lane, which was a dirt track. On the left were a row of cottages, on the right, bigger semi detatched where the better off lived. The Alan Rutherford family, (loads of them), Brian Cummings, Steve Belcher and I went to Hardley School. My father was the first person to put a caravan on the land directly in front of the end of Lime Kiln Lane, the farmers name was (?), the land had been taken over to build anti-aircraft gun emplacements to defend the various aerodromes in the forest during the war. There were concrete bunkers and ak-ak gun platforms over about 3 acres running down towards the millpond. Used to mess about there. When my old man arrived here to work for a groundworking outfit called Shellabear Price he was driving an earthmover, levelling the ground to build the 7 sisters gas tanks in Esso. He had a 22ft caravan on the back of... Read more
Fawley in The Mid 1950s
We moved to Fawley in 1954 and I spent my last 2 years of Secondary School at Hardley. My brothers John and Trev also went there. I have vivid memories of lying in bed on a clear frosty night and seeing the reflection of the flare bouncing off next door's wall and of the constant roar of the refinery. Visitors complained they couldn't sleep for the flickering light and /or the noise - I couldn't sleep without them. When we moved to Colville Avenue there were only about half a dozen bunglows there and we didn't know a soul in the village. In the paddock at the far end was the forest ponies "maternity ward" (there was also another in the middle of the roundabout at the Forest Home pub.) I can recall many a night mum in her nightie chasing a horse out of the garden, shooing away with a broom. The ponies got quite canny and learned to open the gates to get into the rubbish bins. Mr... Read more
Some of my Best Years
Hi I grew up in Fawley. My dad John Bull built a lot of the houses there. I spent a lot of my time pulling Tim or Adie my brothers out of Ashlett Creek. I have lost contact with most people I knew as I moved out to South Africa for 18 years. I wWould love to here from anyone who remembers us. Linda Alborough (Bull)
Memories,
The pictures on this site brought back so many memories, they made me smile and the warm feeling in my stomach is intoxicating. I moved to Blackfield in 1952 from Liverpool. My Dad worked at the refinery.
I used to ride from Blackfield to the Fawley library several times a week. And in later years to the dance there.
I lived in the Southern hemisphere for 40 + years and returned several years ago. I stayed with Paddy Boothman in the old Policemens houses for a week before moving on. Fawley was still Fawley to me even with most of the shops gone, the Chocolate Box was my favourite. The smell of oil fumes was something I had forgotten. Ashlett Creek was to my way of thinking totally unchanged. I commented to my wife it must have been like this for several hundred years.
I would like to thankyou for posting the pictures they meant a lot.
One thing that amazed me was distances. I... Read more
Growing up in Fawley
I was born at Copthorne Lane. I spent many happy times in Fawley, my friend and I used to cycle all over. I loved times spent sailing on the Solent. I worked for Ken Wheller as a paper girl, spent many hours in his company, what a nice guy. Sadly he passed away a few years ago. I still have contact with Fawley and visit often, but did'nt go back for many years. Now the old farm at the top of Copthorne Lane has gone. Having helped out on the farm, I rememmeber going the long way round on the day the pigs and cows were taken to market. One night the pigs got out, and there were me, mum, dad and my brother chasing them all over the village. The sow charged my mum and she belted up a tree, boy, I had never seen her move so fast. Mum also worked at Calshot air force base as a waitress, how bonny she looked in her uniform.... Read more
Happy Days
Born in the Dibden Perlieu nursing home in 1943, I then lived in both Blackfield and Fawley. Growing up was a challenge in those days, but we survived. I attended school at both Fawley and Hardley. Summers were spent on the raft at Lepe, fishing for eels in the sluice, or paddling my canoe around to Calshot and back. I worked for KEN Wheeler (Fawley Newsagents) and then did a stint with John Holland (milkman) before leaving for Australia in 1960. Finding this website has bought back many memories and I hope that a few people from the Fawley/Blackfield area will contribute to the memories. JG
Memories of Hampshire
Saturday Morning Football
Happy memories of playing football at Blackfield when attending Hardley School. Matches were arranged and the team picked on the school bus. The matches were played regardless of weather in the days when it really used to rain. Real mudbaths. Where are Phil Dobie and the rest of the team? 1948-1950.
Gravel Pits
I've fond memories of playing over at the gravel pit down Dark Lane in Blackfield and when my dad drove for Hall Aggregates in the 1970s.
Blackfield All The Fun of The Fair
Who remembers the travelling fun fair that came to Blackfield in the 1960s? Did you go to Blackfield Junior school? What about skating on the frozen Gravel pits at Holbury in the winter 1962/3/4 or the Esso Cinema? or the local band the 007's?
Have I stirred a few memories?
My name is Julian Bishop, eldest of seven siblings of the Bishop Clan now residing in Somerset. The year was in the Autumn 1960. Our ever expanding family had grown from 3 to 4 - 6 then eventually 7 plus mum and dad. We previously had grown up in a two bed-roomed flat at 12 Manor Road, Sidcup, Kent (sadly no longer there). It was now time to move to Hampshire, to a new housing bungalow development was growing in Holbury. Number 9 Long Lane Close was our destination. The site was being developed, we even had to build an extension. There was a small copse (wooded area) at the end of the cul-de-sac. There was our next door neighbours.... Read more
LONG HOT SUMMERS
MANY HAPPY SUMMERS WERE SPENT AT LEPE. i WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE A GRANDPARENT THAT LIVED IN TH ECOAST GAURD COTTAGES FROM THE 60'S TO THE 80'S. THERE WAS A RAFT NEAR THE BAOT HOUSE WHICH WAS GREAT FUN. NO CONCRETE, FREE PARKING ON THE GREEN. FISHING FOR MACKEREL WITH JO, MUSHROOM PICKING IN THE LOCAL FIELDS, PLENTY OF COCKLES, WINKLES COULD BE FOUND. LEPE IS A PLACE DEAR TO MY HEART AND WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN
Fun on The Ferry
Around about l956/57 we would all go to dances or parties in Southampton and of course, from memory, the last bus home to Hythe/Holbury/Fawley/Calshot was about 10.30p.m. Inevitably we girls missed it so there was a mad dash through Southampton to the docks to get the last ferry home which went about 10.45 p.m. I think. The skipper had always cast off but the harbour police who were nearby used to yell out and the ferry would tread water so to speak and the police would pick us up and throw us on board . It was such good fun. I expect Health and Safety would frown mightily on such antics now. We would recite Shakespeare, much adulterated, to give the other passengers a laugh and generally play silly bs. I remember one night after going to a Buddy Holly concert being left behind by the rest of the group and luckily getting backstage to meet the Crickets and Buddy; they drew little cartoon bugs all over... Read more
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