Brockenhurst, The Village 1949

Photo ref: B394007

My Great Grandfather J.T. Bull was the Local Blacksmith in the Village, my Mother Regina his grandaughter was born there 1929..The Bull Family were also the Publican's of the Railway Inn formerly known. Now the Snakecatcher Inn close to the train gates on the main road to Lymington. John Thomas Bull also ran the Point to Point Shows in the 1930's in the Viliage.. Way before the New Forest Show.

Went to Brock from 1955 to 1960 and had a nickname 'Heap' for obvious reasons - I was rather large. Remember playing for the School Cricket team. Also remember a lot of lovely looking girls... wish I hadn't been so shy.

In 1932 my father Len James was moved to Brockenhurst as the 'village bobby'. I was born in 1931 and my brother in 1929. We lived in the Police house (now a renovated private home) and eventually both us boys went to the C of E Primary School. Dad had a standard issue police bicycle, on which he would ride to Lyndhurst and submit his report to the Station Sergeant there. In 1934 we bought a 1928 Morris Minor ...see more

My dad is Sam Collins who lived at Wisteria Cottage on railway crossing. He was born there in 1926 and left to join the army in 1943. He is 84 years old now and lives in Maidenhead, Berks. His memory of this photo is that the shop, with sun blind was a butchers shop. This was owned by Mr Gosling and the large house next door was his home and not a pub. He remembers the thatched house being occupied by a family called Reid (Read maybe).