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Sopley
Sopley maps
Historic maps of Sopley and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Sopley maps
Sopley area books
Displaying 1 of 22 books about Sopley and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Sopley
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of Sopley.
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Fire
I too was at RAF Sopley and I remember having a call out to a fire at married quarters which was some distance from the camp. Up we roared in our little flat lorry towing a fire pump at 16 MPH flat out only to find when we arrived that the Bournemouth Fire Brigade had arrived before us from 12 miles away and put out the fire. But at least we got a good cheer.
R.A.F. Sopley
RAF Sopley was very special. My station from July 1957 Till June of 1959. The post office in Bransgore was aspecial place for all airmen. The cat and fiddle, as well as the crown were special meeting places. My vist in September to the Station inasmuch with permission from Sue, I walked the site many of the old buildings in place. A wreck from its former days. I hope and pray it will not be developed for commercial or residential. Should be turned back to Farmland as it was prior to RAF Sopley. With a large memorial for all to see from the main entrance in memory of all who served in the defence of freedom. Tony Taylor and Ted Newton served the same years i was at Sopley. Please contact me . To the folks at Bransgore you were the best in support of us. God Bless everyone.
Dorset memories
Parcels
The Post Office brings back many happy memories. In 1954 to 1957 I served in the RAF at Sopley. Some of us would walk to the Post Office to send letters home & meet friends we had made in the village. If anyone remembers the good times we had...
Thankyou. - B Haywood
Visits With my Auntie Joan
I loved this charming village, I remember the 'fishmonger' and the 'greengrocer' bringing their wares from door to door with their 'horsedrawn' carts (yes, even in 1956). I used to walk her dog with auntie Joan to this very post office to mail letters and get 'bits and pieces". Auntie Joan always loved the small country places, she lived in many places like this because of her husband's work.
I had the privelage of visiting all her 'little hidaways' throughout England and Scotland.
Days Out in Christchurch
It made me sad seeing this photo, as my mum is buried at Hinton park. How I smiled when we left the park, and turned onto the main road. What faced me was the Cat and Fiddle. When I was a child, we would call there after spending the day in Christchurch. So many happy memories, they used to serve a good meal there. Being but a child it was great to enjoy a few hours taking in the adult world.
Flying G Western Riding Ranch
How lovely to find some photographs of The Flying G, but I am surprised that there are no other comments when so many people went there. I went there twice, once in 1966 and again in 1967. The first time I was studying at St Godric's in London and Maureen Smith was going there in the holidays. She was a very focused and enthusiastic person. My friend Bev Chapman and I decided to go with her for a laught too. Bev's parents drove us there the first time. It was wonderful. Bev fell in love with cowboy Pete, who Carrie (a cowgirl working there) was also in love with, but we didn't find that out until the next time. I fell in love with Dave who was engaged to Sheilagh, but at 17 (and in those days) that's what crushes and growing up was about. It was a safe and nurturing environment to grow in. Better still it fulfilled dreams - it was like living in a Western movie. The... Read more
Ringwood High Street
I rember walking up to the High Street as a small child, there was a shop, I think it was a hardware or ironmongers, at Christmas time the shop was always lit with lovely fairy lights. There was also a supermarket called Pricerights and another shop called Coxs and Hicks which sold a full range of clothes and soft furnishings, wool, material, all that kind of stuff.
