Longparish memories
Here are memories of Longparish and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Longparish or a Longparish photo.
Holidays at Longparish
I used to visit my aunt and uncle who live in Longparish, we went there for our holidays, their names were Oswald and Ellen Warwick. They live in Northacre at number 4. We used to visit the local farm and try to catch the rabbits as they ran from the harvester, we never caught any, they were too quick. The old public house was called the Freehouse but we never got any free lemonade, we never understood why!
Church Farm
I lived at Church Farm, Longparish in the late fifties & early sixties. The farm was then a working farm and my father was dairyman. I went to the primary school just after it was rebuilt, the teachers were Miss Munday & Miss Tari. The school playing field was rough grass, it was then relaid with no fence by the river yet we never came to any harm. At Church Farm there was a big old barn next to the granary. In the barn was an old covered wagon like Wagon Train. I played for hours in there. The granary had owls in, we used to spend hours looking out of our bedroom windows watching the owls come and go. The farm foreman was Mr Reg Ball, he used to ride a bike and deliver all the wage packets on a Friday to the workers who were scattered far and wide, you would not do that today! The dinner ladies were Mrs Plummer, Mrs Dobson, & Mrs Smart - she... Read more
Memories of Hampshire
On Parade
March 1954. I had been in the RE's 10 months when I first set eyes on the transit camp in Barton Stacey better known as Barton Stalag. I was sent there on transit for Korea along with another half a troop ship load of squadies. I remember a Sergeant Major who lived there and had a wooden bungalow with what seemed umpteen kids and was in charge of our draft. For some unknown reason we would parade each morning on the concrete paths around our huts and in front of his bungalow and not on that huge square for some unknown reason. He would carry a large stick this a big knob on the end which he used to demonstrate a point when telling us some of the type of women we might encounter on our travels.
I remember many guard duties there walking round the camp thorughout the night in the rain or standing in that little sentry-box outside the guardroom.
... Read more
7 Training Battalion Reme
I remember doing my 6 weeks basic training at 7 Training Battalion REME Barton Stacey. It was rough, I was only 18 and never been away from home before, and the discipline came as a bit of a shock to us all. Some of the NCO's were particularly cruel to some of the soldiers, especially the ones who didn't respond quick enough to an order. They could be quite degrading at times.
I never got to go into Barton Stacey, but did get a couple of afternoons out in Winchester and Andover. I have often wondered what it is like now where the camp used to be. Is there anything left, I don't suppose there is, after all it was 55 years ago.
Runaway Train
The day of my nan's funeral, a goods train from Newbury's brakes failed, and the signalman switched the train to another track, thus averting a major disaster as a passenger train that was nearly full was heading into Whitchurch from Eastleigh on the same track. I remember seeing the massive black engine rolled on its side fown the embankment. I believe the signalman received a medal for his quick thinking which must have saved a very bad accident from occurring. I think it was in September 1955, I was staying at my nan's bungalow with my mothr for a few weeks while Mum looked after Nan. The bungalow was, and I expect still is, about 100 yards from the station. I remember I got quite friendly with the then station master's daughter, Caroline, and we spent quite a lot of time together.
Sweet Shop Run...
this street is the scene of many a frantic cycle to the sweet shop (aka village shop) at the bottom of the hill, eager to hand over our week's pocket money to Mr Knight who ran the shop.
This view is roughly from the pub on the corner (the red lion?), that was run by a landlord that strangely became rather irate when his triumph stag was pelted with mud balls from a strategically positioned hedge. happy days...
Brightwells Cottage
In 1979 my then boyfriend and I viewed Brightwells Cottage in The Square at Sutton Scotney. It was, to put it bluntly, a hovel ... mud floors, lead covered wiring, an Elsan Toilet and holes in the thatch, but we loved it. The lady who was selling the place was at that time living in a care-assisted bungalow in South Wonston, we'd made an offer through the estate agents but had been rejected. On visiting her and convincing her that we wanted to restore the cottage to its former glory, she insisted that the agents sell it to us for the princely sum of £11,500.
Six months later we had the home of our dreams, a beautiful cottage with all the mod cons but still retaining its character. The people in the village were so welcoming and I for one was very sad to leave in 1983 when we decided to move back to Andover.
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- Doncaster, South Yorkshire
- Newhaven, East Sussex
- Grasmere, Cumbria
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- Alton, Hampshire
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- Stroud, Gloucestershire
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- Acomb, Northumberland
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- Margam, West Glamorgan
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- Osterley, Greater London
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