Copse Lane

A Memory of Freshwater.

An uncle, Arthur Garside owned a chemists in Freshwater following his service in the Royal Artillery during World War Two. He made Turkish Delight and would bring one or two trays of lemon and rose flavor when he visited us in Bedfordshire at Christmas time.
Much later in 1972 my parents in law moved to "Rose Cottage" in Copse Lane Freshwater and we would visit them at every opportunity for long weekends and Bank Holidays setting out at 5.30am to catch the 8.00am car ferry at Lymington. We didn't ever book our crossing as the ferry crew got to know us over the years and would always find a space.
Father-in-law, Bill Skinner, was a gardener having worked in service for many years attending to the gardens of the well off in North London.
He specialized in growing Chrysanthemums and the locals soon got to know and would visit him for growing tips in readiness for the annual flower shows.
In the evening i would walk to Freshwater Bay and over the downs occasionally reaching Alum Bay or sometimes just the nearer beauty spots if I was too tired. There was lovely stream on the bridle road leading from Freshwater Church with a stone bridge across where I would stop and watch the minnows, there was a walkway that I believe led all the way to Yarmouth.
A near neighbor who lived in Church Road was a thatcher, a dying profession.

6th June 2016
John Russell

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