New Milton Memories

I remembering exploring the back streets of New Milton, Ashley, Bashley and Barton on Sea on my bike as a 10 year old. Phelps supermarket was mum's main food shopping weekly destination. Burgess News Agency was where she would buy our weekly comic. My siblings would cherish their weekly read. I had 'Topper' while my brothers and sister had 'Beano', 'Victor' and 'Tammy'. I remember the excitement of unwrapping the Comic Annuals from our Christmas stocking each year. Our Hornby trainset would often see the dining room daylight but not as much as my brother's Britain's farm set! We all at some stage went to New Milton Junior School and 2 of us went to Gore Road Secondary School (now Arnewood) before emigrating to Australia in 1970. Ballard Lake was the place to trial my eldest brother's model motor boat. The ducks were as intrigued as we were. The local Rec would often be the place to vent our football enthusiasm. My brother and I used to challenge each other with football collection memorabilia, from cards of players in the First Division to BP Gold Coins of the English World Cup squad. I remember getting the bumper stickers from the Esso garage emblazoned with the 'Tiger in your Tank' branding. The distinctive smell of screen print inks was memorable.