Hillikers Faggots

A Memory of Eastleigh.

My Nan and Grandad lived on the corner of Factory Road, and Cranbury Road, opposite Stan Brehaut the photographer, who went on to work with Jack Hargreaves in his programme 'Out of Town'. The Centre of Eastleigh holds such fond memories for me, but especially the faggots and savoury duck shop, with Mrs Hilliker (I think) behind the counter. There used to be a cat sat on the counter when you went in, no health and safety in those days!! The smell was amazing, but in the week, it also smelt of the railway men that used to call in for their lunch, as she had a dining room at the back of the shop. Clemoes shops in Eastleigh, I actually went to school with John Clemoes, Pinks the Butchers next to Woolworths, and a stationery shop just along the road from Woolies, and a milliners.Opposite were the public loos, where the lady sat and smiled as you went in. There was a 'boot/leather' man in Market street, and the smell from there as you walked past was lovely. Cyril Ayley, the bike man in the top end of market street, my dad actually made fishing rods which Cyril sold in his shop. Next to him was Shepherds the butcher, and these shops were near Radio Rentals, which in turn was opposite the bus station, where my mum worked as a clippie. The two cinemas, The Picture House and the Regal, were opposite each other, and next to the Picture House was the fish shop where my aunt worked, and as a teenager the only place to be seen was the Imperial, above Burtons (now). I grew up in Nightingale Avenue, when the houses were new, we had been moved from the nissen huts in Chestnut Avenue, and the Polish refugees then moved into the huts. I went to school in Cranbury Road, and as a teenager went to the youth club at St Fancis of Assisi, with the Rev Julian Eagle. We had such good times there, and he also told us that if we came to church on Sunday evening, he would let us have an extra club night after church, so we all went. The green hut in Stoneham Lane, where I went tap dancing and did acrobats, and then we would put a show on in the Town Hall. I know I'm jumping from one year/decade to another, but there is so much to say!!