You are here:
Lee-On-The-Solent
Lee-On-The-Solent photos
Displaying the first of 19 old photos of Lee-On-The-Solent. View all Lee-On-The-Solent photos
Lee-On-The-Solent maps
Historic maps of Lee-On-The-Solent and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Lee-On-The-Solent maps
Lee-On-The-Solent area books
Displaying 1 of 22 books about Lee-On-The-Solent and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Lee-On-The-Solent
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of Lee-On-The-Solent.
There are 12 shared memories to read.
Add your memory of Lee-On-The-Solent
or of a photo of Lee-On-The-Solent.
Tower
I remember me and my school friend walking from Rowner to the Tower in the school holidays. When we went in there we found a mate we both knew from school who was working the lift to the top of the Tower (the steps were unsafe) and he took us up to the top for free and allowed us to operate the lift. This was about 6 months before it was all knocked down.
The Tower & The Blue Bird Cafe
I remember the Tower Cinema in the late 1940s, the Saturday afternoon kids' show. Later in the early 1950s I went three times a week, as there were three programes each week, Monday to Wednesday then Thursday to Saturday and old films on a Sunday. We did not have a TV until the mid 1950s. Once I had left school I went to the Tower Ballroom on a Saturday night and to Bert Sharp, also once a month on a Thursday there would be a special dance with Art & The Band Wagoners, this band did all the American air bases and played all the latest music and featured the song that was top of the hit parade. The one I remeber was 'Diana' (must have been September 1957).
The Blue Bird Cafe I remember way back when it had just opened in the late 1940s or early 1950s. It was styled on an American Ice Cream Parlor, in the summer then it had tables and bright coloured sun shades.... Read more
Lee Pool
Although I used to take my two children to the pool from Stubbington when we lived there in the 1960s my memory is of the 1940s when it was an adult pool with a high diving board.
A swimming gala was put on by the Navy and we sat on the bank facing the sea. At one point a uniformed Navy chap stood on the end of the diving board and made some sort of announcement. To my horror he suddenly pitched forward and fell into the pool! Whether it was part of the entertainment or not I never found out and wasn't really old enough to appreciate it if that was the case. I thought he was drowning. In the event he was 'saved' by another serviceman - much to my relief. I can still picture it today over 60 years later.
Tower Cinema
I was born in Lee-on-the-Solent and so was quite young when I first went to the cinema. I loved going down the sloping floor to the auditorium. It was almost underground, although we went up steps at the end of the slope. Every Saturday afternoon saw us queuing to get in. The only film I can remember seeing though was a war film after the V E Day street party. My eldest brother was so disgusted (he was all of 9) that he made us come out before it was finished! We had been let in free too! All I can recall of that film was Japanese soldiers and motorcycles!
Even when we moved to Gosport we still came to Lee, where my grandparent lived. to go to the pictures every Saturday. The last time I went to see a film there was in 1959 with a boyfriend.
Change of Use
I can't remember when Pier Hotel ceased to be an hotel but in 1965 it was already a Residential Care Home run by Hampshire social Services.
When we moved from Stubbington to Lee in 1977 I went to work in Pier House and stayed for 20 years retiring in 1997.
The site hasn't changed much although it had many alterations to the inside over the 20 years I worked there.
Up The Tower
I went up the Tower sometime in the '50s I think. I paid all of sixpence at the little kiosk just inside the entrance. A lift whisked us up to the top. I am so glad now that I did as I have a wonderful memory of the view from the top. It was a beautiful day so you could see for miles. What an attraction it would be today.
Lee Tower Ballroom
My Dad was also in the Phil Douglas Band that played at the Tower Ballroom. His name was Les Campbell and he played the accordion. He and Ron played together for a great number of years. I remember being at one of the band do`s and running into one of the big pillars and knocking myself out. Didn't get any sympathy from Mum, she said "Thats what you get for fooling about".
The Dancing Years
stationed at hms. ariel (radio school attached to hms daedalus)in 1953 went dancing in the Tower ballroom every wednesday night...wonderful place! met my wife there ! at that time she lived at sarisbury green and had to leave the dance early to catch the local bus connection.to sarisbury green via titchfield I used to wonder where she vanished to!! took weeks before I could eventually see her home....
