Vague Memories Of Waterlooville

A Memory of Waterlooville.

I was born at the Bransbury Nursing Home, Jubilee Road, Waterlooville, during the war in December 1943. I lived with my grandmother Eva Hill (nee Redman) and my mother, Joyce Hill (nee Lewis) at 56 Hambledon Road Waterlooville, Hampshire while my father Charles Henry Hill, was in the navy and was away at war. We stayed there only six months until a bomb exploded in the back garden and we went to stay with my mother's parents in Wales. My family have lived in the area and surrounding district since the 1850's mainly under the name of Redman and Hill. The family was from West Wittering West Sussex and the Waterlooville area. My Great Aunt Mabel Redman passed away in 2013 and she used to live on Stakes Road since 1940's until the late 1990's.
Our Family moved to Portchester in 1950 and then moved to Wales in 1955. From there I ended up in Canada where I reside now.
My memories of Waterlooville are rather vague but I do remember, when we lived in Portchester, the explosion of the ammunition barge at Bedenham Naval Depot near Gosport, in July 1950 and the most exciting part was travelling on my Uncle Ken Redman's bicycle from Portchester to Cowplain to stay with my Aunt because our house had no window glass left in it after the big bang. My sister, mother and I stayed with my aunt for a couple of weeks and I remember walking to Waterlooville most days for something or other.
I have fond memories visiting my relatives William and Daisy Redman, Ken and Rita Redman, Kitty and Jock Hyde and many more, right up until we moved to Wales and my last visit was to see my Aunt Mabel in 2012.
Vivian John Hill
Kincardine Canada

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