Hythe Ferry And The Liners
A Memory of Hythe.
From 1954-60 I travelled from Blackfield to the Gregg School in Winn Road. It was a 'long and winding' road by bus, so it became an adventure to travel by the Hythe Ferry. A walk or run up the pier, or a fun ride in the electric train started a journey across the water to the Royal Pier which varied day by day. This was the time of the great liners - not the floating box hotels of today. The sight of the Queen Elizabeth and Mary, New York, France, Amsterdam being carefully shepherded into the Ocean Dock by the Calshot tug was an amazing sight. Often our Hotspur was so close we felt we could touch it! Some days it was foggy - the more days the better, as we waited for the fog to clear and knew we would be late for school - what a perk! The ferry was big enough to enjoy a quick game of hide and seek, or a sun bathe. It was fascinating to look down the steps into the engine room and smell the oil.
A real thrill was to stand at the bow when a wave from a ship hit us and we got wet from the spray.
At the Royal Pier it was a dash across the road to catch a number 15, and get off at the Cowherd Pub on the Common.
Coming home was rush, sometimes the number 15 would just let us catch the ferry, other times we would see it slipping off the mooring - followed by a frustrating wait. Once at Hythe we had a real challenge. Logically the Hants and Dorset bus would have linked up with the ferry service, but competition meant that as the train arrived at the ticket office, so the bus would slowly drive off. The thought of having to wait for 20 minutes and waste homework time, encouraged the fittest pupils to run the 440 or so yards. Sometimes we caught the bus, but often we were disappointed as the driver looked amused at us as he drove off.
A real treat for us teenage boys was the thrill of helping a young lady in distress with a heel stuck firmly in between the planks of the pier. We felt like real heroes.
The Hythe Ferry was a special saviour to all those school children making the crossing to town. Many fond memories of Greggies, Tech College and St Anne students - quite a moving community.
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Comments & Feedback
I was also a Gregg's pupil - a bit later than you 1961 onwards, although my Sister, Rae was at Greggs 3 years earlier and travelled the same route. I lived in Langley and often caught the Fawley bus - at Blackfield. I guess the dreaded gang of Culliford and Wooley were Head and deputy.
I am not in touch with Rae at the moment so I know of no-one else from that school or era. Like you, I loved the sounds of the fog horns replying to the biggest of all at the Terminus - and we would indeed pile-off the bus and pretend not to see the "FOG Ferry not running" chalkboard. Sometimes the ferry DID start to run as the fog lifted and we would have an exciting journey under the bows of the Queens and STILL arrrive at school on time.....
I'd be delighted to make email contact with you, if you're up to it!
Cheers and "He who would valiant be"
Lee Hinton (Langley Stores)