North Lane

A Memory of Aldershot.

Not so sure of the date, I was born in the cottage hospital in 1936 and spent all my holidays with my grandparents the Brockbanks who had a pub in North Lane called the Heroes of Lucknow. I had many trips to the Lido with my brother, we walked all the way with our towels rolled up under our arms, the summer was warmer then. At the start of the summer holidays we caught the bus from Reading to spend six wonderful weeks in Aldershot. I remember sitting under the counter in the pub with a lemon fizzy drink and packet of crisps; the salt always in a little blue packet. My cousin also used to holiday with her grandparents, we had a great time. My grandfather Charlie Brockbank used to take us on endless walks with the dogs, all through the Hogs Back and small villages, also we would go to Ash Vale and visit two elderly aunts who lived in a huge house called Foxhurst. My father and my mother were Aldershot born, my father's name was Tom Green, he came from large family of mostly boys. One of my favourite places was reading all the gravestones in the cemetery on Redan Hill. I remember the Jewish one was always locked, so over the wall we went. Wonderful memories of my childhood. I remember at the end of the war listening to all the celebrations going on in the pub below, all the naughty songs sang by the punters. I still remember them. Lovely reading all these memories. I used to ride the No.12 from the town centre to my grandparents pub. Also the soldiers hospital; the fluid waste would run into a small brook and you could smell the Detol. It was one reason I entered the Nursing profession. I now live in Canada but my heart will always be in England and the beauty of my land of birth

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