Lepe, Hampshire

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... [more]

Chanting at dusk

My parents were managers of The Montague Arms for a short while. On sunny days I was allowed to cycle to Hythe and back. I was twelve and fit enough to reach Hythe within half-an-hour! I heard rumours from the staff at the hotel that the Abbey nearby was haunted by the ancient monks who had lived there.... [more]

Dibden Purlieu Newsagents / Mr & Mrs Storey

It was so lovely to see you refer to Mr Storey (Sid) in the earlier post - he was my wonderful Grandad!

Nan and Grandad (Grace and Sid Storey) used to run the newsagents, and as a little girl, I was always in there playing - even now, years after Nan and Grandad have passed on, Grandad's daughter, my Mum... [more]

DP in the early 60's

I can remember Dibden Purlieu just after the Merrimede shops were built and the new shops opposite on the corner were being built (where the Bathroom Acadamy is in 2009). I was abou 5 years old.  In those days I could ride my first bike down the un-tarmacked Watermans Lane (which was a dead end, the Wimpey estate was being built)... [more]

Philip Streets

This is the photo in the distance of the house where I was brought up (from Dec 1952 to March 1964) with my three brothers, Michael, Alan and twin Roger, N° 1 Abbey Close. Our neighbours were Mr and Mrs Orchard with their two sons Malcolm and Melvin and on the other side Mr and Mrs Jewel with their three daughters.... [more]

Watercolour painting

I grew up in Warsash (Fleet End) in the 1950s and a friend of mine lived in one of the cottages shown. His aunt produced hand-painted watercolour postcards, one of which I possess. It was obviously painted from this photograph, as it shows in almost every respect an identical view. The only things different are the omission of the roof and... [more]

Date of photo

The car with the 'L' plates is the car my sister learnt to drive, and so the photo must have been taken in a few months from late January 1966.  Athough the PO has closed, the Newburys have lived here from at least as far back as 1853 to date.