I spent a fascinating and hugely enjoyable afternoon at Chandler’s Ford library yesterday where I attended a talk on “Growing up in Chandler’s Ford in the 50s and 60s” by local ‘lad’ Martin Napier.
Extra chairs had to be brought out to accommodate everyone. Based on his posts on Chandler’s Ford Today, but with much additional information, Martin talked about what Chandler’s Ford was like in those days, including the local shops and businesses, schools (2), hospitals and the places where he used to play.
My dog-walks around these roads will be much richer as I pass buildings and open spaces and call to mind what they used to be like 50-60 years ago. I didn’t know that Hiltingbury rec was once a gravel pit or that there was once a brickworks in Common Road (which might explain the large number of bricks we found when digging down for the foundations for our extension).
Martin: a great raconteur
Martin is a great raconteur and the session was ‘interactive’, with some of his schoolmates chipping in with their memories of both Kings Road school and North End school (where the fire station is now, on Leigh Road). Listening to the antics that they all got up to, it is not surprising that the cane and slipper were in regular use for punishment. I am glad I did not have to teach them – it made my years teaching in a London comprehensive school seem positively tame!
At the end of the session, Martin circulated some photographs, including one of North End School choir. As I left, people were clustered round these images, trying to put names to faces.
Martin has promised to do another post for this website soon. Although I didn’t grow up in Chandler’s Ford, it was really great to have this insight into local history.
Article Series by Martin Napier
- Part 1: Martin Napier: Growing Up In Chandler’s-Ford: 1950s – 1960s
- Part 2: Martin Napier: Growing Up In Chandler’s Ford: 1950s – 1960s: Paper Boy; North End School
- Part 3: Martin Napier: Growing Up In Chandler’s Ford: 1950s – 1960s Bonfire Night
- Part 4: Martin Napier: Growing Up In Chandler’s Ford: 1950s – 1960s: North End School
- Part 5: Martin Napier: Growing Up In Chandler’s Ford: 1950s – 1960s: Bicycle, Bicycle!
- Part 6: Martin Napier: Growing Up In Chandler’s Ford: 1950s – 1960s: A Summer Of Hope And Sorrow
- Part 7: Martin Napier: Growing Up In Chandler’s Ford: 1950s – 1960s: The Big Freeze in 1963
- Part 8: Martin Napier: Growing Up In Chandler’s Ford: 1950s – 1960s: Breaking Free From North End School
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Related posts:
Growing up in Chandler’s Ford: 1950s – 1960s: My Passions with Bikes and Boats (Part 9)
Growing up in Chandler’s Ford: 1950s – 1960s: Bikes, Boats, and Adventures (Part 10)
Growing up in Chandler’s Ford: 1950s – 1960s: Witnessing My First Powerboat Race (Part 11)
Growing up in Chandler’s Ford: 1950s – 1960s: Paper Boy; North End School (Part 2)
Growing up in Chandler’s Ford: 1950s – 1960s: Rotrax Memories; Joy of Powerboat – Part 14
I also “grew up” in Chandler’s Ford from age 12 to 18 years when I immigrated to America. I love to hear Martin’s memories as I too have fond memories; some are included in my book Reflected Highway (Toni Byrnes).
I attended North End and I lived at 112 Winchester Road next door to the Halfway Inn; my next door neighbors were Mr. & Mrs. Humphries, he was a retired policeman. There were also the Hilliers’ and the Biddlecombes’. I have several family members still living in Chandler’s Ford and I get updates from them as the area changes. My sister and her husband – the Wyatts’ owned the green grocers on Oakmount Road which is no longer there – pulled down to accommodate Waitrose.
Ah, the good old days!!!
Toni (Pauline) nee Saunders
Came across this by accident. Had a brief read of an entry from Martin Napier talking about Tricketts building houses in Chandler’s Ford. My dad worked for Trickett’s and he bought a house down here, and moved the family from London. I was born in Hursley Road in 1955 in a house my dad helped build (or so I was told) and I remember utility bills sent to our address still bearing the name Trickett!
It is highly likely Martin remembers some or all of the ‘Cooley’ boys …. Cliff, Larry, Bob and Jeff!