Julie Johnson, A Little Girl, A Lifetime of Memories

I was born at Hawthorne Cottage, Trampas Lane, North Boarhunt on May 7th 1957, it was my grandparents' house, Charlie and Marge Johnson. Their son Rod was my dad, and Joan was my mum, later I had a sister Lynn and a brother Simon. We moved into 6 Birch Hill Cottages and I went to Newtown, Droxford and Porchester Schools. I remember Mrs Mahoney and Mrs Russell at Newtown School. I remember going to tea at Mrs Mahoney's house once, she used to invite some of her pupils to her house for tea, it was a lovely house and I remember her husband as being a lovely man. We used to go on nature walks if it was a nice day, I loved it, collecting flowers and leaves and learning all about nature, and when I went to porchester we used to go down to the castle and draw it. One year at Droxford we did a nativity play at Christmas and we had a real donkey in the church. My cousins lived in the village at 7 Wine Cross, the Gomerys, Glenys, Roger, Melvin and Martin, who was the same age as me. My sister played with Marie Crook and Louise Curl, I played with Jackie Large, Anne Dallimore, Susan Sivyer and also had a friend called Carolyn Croft who lived in Portchester. The thing I recall most about those magical days is that we roamed free from morning to night without anyone worrying about us, playing in the woods, collecting cob nuts and blackberries, no need to go home if you were hungry. I remember crossing the field at the side of the club and going over the stream and into the woods where we found an old empty cottage with a well, we used to play there. I used to go horse riding at Schofields on Wickham Common on Saturdays. I remember my dad playing football for Boarhunt in the rec, and my mum made him a pair of shorts out of an old bed sheet. I also remember playing in the sandpit and long walks up Hundred Acres. Anne Dallimore's grandmother was Mrs Clare, she used to take us for bike rides with Penny the dog in the basket on the front of her bike, we were gone all day. Anne married my cousin Martin so I am lucky that I still get to see her. I now live in Lincolnshire but still like to get down to Boarhunt when I can, Dad's ashes are buried in South Boarhunt churchyard with his mother Marge. I love to go there when I am down, it is the most peaceful place on earth for me. Well I must close now, if anyone would like to get in touch with me please do, Boarhunt will remain in my blood and heart forever.