After months of delay, the Fryern Arcade post office in Chandler’s Ford will be moving across to the other side: 6-7 Fryern Arcade, and open at 1pm on 29th August.
Today I spoke to one builder who renovated the new site. I walked in to see the layout of the new shop.
The new shop will have a prominent space for tobacco. There will also be a bureau de change kiosk.
Fryern Arcade post office to open 7 days
You may have heard that WH Smith will open its outlet here in the post office. The Fryern Arcade Post Office will also open 7 days a week.
Costa Coffee, which opens on 3rd May 2014, also opens 7 days a week.
Mark, the builder who renovated the new post office, showed me the new site today. Mark is from Bristol and he told me the shopfitting contract is with The Jordan Group.
Here is a slideshow about the layout of the new post office at the Fryern Arcade.
Fast development of Chandler’s Ford
Chandler’s Ford is fast developing. A few years ago, the Fryern Arcade was quiet on Sunday. Now on Winchester Road, Waitrose, Costa Coffee, and the new post office are opening 7 days a week, the atmosphere in our community has certainly changed.
The fast development with new businesses also reflects the change of our lifestyle. Many of us seem to need to shop on Sunday. The roundabout at Winchester Road and Oakmount Road has become busy even on Sunday.
Where is the centre of Chandler’s Ford?
Where is the centre of Chandler’s Ford? Do we have a centre here?
Recently a few friends and I were trying to pinpoint the Chandler’s Ford centre. We were unable to agree on one.
Is Fryern Arcade, with The Mall Shopping Centre, including Chandler’s Ford Library, naturally the centre of Chandler’s Ford, as the area now seems getting more prosperous?
What about Hiltingbury Road? There are lovely shops on Hiltingbury Road with independent community shop such as Bay Leaves Larder, and the Hiltingbury Community Centre is dedicated in promoting cultural and social events in the community.
Perhaps Hursley Road is the centre? Hursley Road is known for the Chandler’s Ford Community Association, where I voted at the polling station, and watched many brilliant productions by the Chameleons, and the parish church – St. Boniface Church, where I help sell Traidcraft products twice a month, and where Chandler’s Ford War Memorial is located just outside of the church.
Someone also suggested Chandler’s Ford Industrial Estate or the Central Precinct as the centre of Chandler’s Ford.
What is your view? Do you think we have a definite centre of Chandler’s Ford? If you were to choose the Centre of Chandler’s Ford, what would you choose?
Note: You’ll also find interesting discussion about Where Is The Centre Of Chandler’s Ford in this thread on Streetlife, our local social media site.
Related posts on the Fryern Arcade, Chandler’s Ford:
- Asante Family Remains Optimistic Despite Chandler’s Ford Shop Closure
- Asante Chandler’s Ford Coffee Shop Closure
- Fryern Arcade: Butchers And Post Office
- Fryern Arcade WH Smith Local & Post Office Open – Chandler’s Ford Today
- Fryern Arcade Post Office: Open 7 Days A Week?
- What Had Happened To The Fryern Arcade Public Toilets?
- Fryern Arcade D & G Hardware Store
- Fryern Arcade Old And New
- Fryern Arcade’s Fresh Look: MIBI, D & G
- Fryern Arcade In Chandler’s Ford: Major Changes Are Coming
- Buying Christmas Trees At Fryern Arcade
- “We’re Sorry To Be Leaving Fryern…But…”
- Where Is The Centre Of Chandler’s Ford?
- How I love Your Comments
- Coffee And Free WiFi In Chandler’s Ford
- In Love With Chandler’s Ford Coffee Shops
- D & G Hardware: From Canberra To Chandler’s Ford
- Nostalgia: My Stamp Collection
- The Big Issue In Chandler’s Ford
- The Myth Of Thomas The Tank Engine
- Who Are The Heavenly Knitters in Chandler’s Ford?
- Table Hogging
If you are self-centred then the centre is where you are. Where are you? The highest concentration of people is at or near Fryern Arcade. You might argue that there are more people at the Industrial Estate or at Thornden School but they are regimented there by economic or educational forces whereas attendance at Fryern is more voluntary.
We are fortunate in Chandler’s Ford to have not one but several distributed centres where we can shop, socialise and access services like buses, schools, surgeries etc such that all of Janet’s suggestions can be regarded as centres. One could add Asda and Valley Park.
Whenever in a large town or city, I feel better if there is a quiet and tranquil place near the centre; a park, garden, riverbank, churchyard, playing field or, in our case, lakes.
I learn to ‘walk’ after living in Chandler’s Ford. In my previous life in the tropical country, walking wasn’t considered as leisure or pleasure.
I’m astonished by the woodlands in Chandler’s Ford. My son wrote No Teddy Bear’s Picnic: Walking In The Woods a few years ago, and we also explore Hocombe Mead Walk sometimes. Indeed we are lucky.
I also love the peaceful paths near me. This is my favourite route to work. So serene.
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A few months ago I was asked for directions as I walked past the town hall in my own small town. “Excuse me, is this the town centre?” I was asked. “Well yes” I replied. I think they were expecting something a bit more significant for a town centre than a pub, a Co-op and a bakery (closed)!
I would think that the area around the Winchester Road / Hursley Road junction is the centre of Chandler’s Ford. It may no longer be the geometric centre, but is where Chandler’s Ford is marked on old maps, and appears to be where the community originally grew. It’s a road junction (even back to the days when those were the only roads), and is close to the church and railway station.
Ruby,
When the HSBC robbery happened in 2007, in the news, Chandler’s Ford was described as a ‘sleepy’ suburb. Then in 2011, the same HSBC at the Central Precinct was robbed again. I could only remember these were the only times Chandler’s Ford was on national news. The robbers would have thought they could get away easily due to easy access to the main roads and the motorway.
Would people trying to buy property in Chandler’s Ford still think it a ‘sleepy’ place?
Janet,
I think you could do a really good article about how the centre has moved around over the decades. Even earlier than it being Hursley Road / Winchester road junction you could say it was Southampton Road / Hursley road now known as Bournemouth road / Station Lane junction.
The school was on the Selwood’s plot. There were houses down School Lane where the cement works is now. The corner where the advertising boards are now had a shop and builders’ merchant. Post office was near the Hut pub. Even the Hendy’s site and Northdene / Southdene Road area is called Chandler’s Ford Hill. And the horse race course was down near the train station.
Thank you Stuart for your input.
You clearly know a lot more than me about the history of Chandler’s Ford. As a newcomer of 14 years to Chandler’s Ford, I’m fascinated by all the changes, and the progress and decay of different areas in Chandler’s Ford.
I look forward to your continuous contributions about Chandler’s Ford. Thank you for sharing.
According to a sign at waitrose, Fryern is the “Town [sic] Centre” – only three minutes walk away
Hi Ruby,
Two months ago, I took this picture just outside Waitrose in Chandler’s Ford. The shop has a few signs indicating ‘Town Centre’. I don’t know how long these signs have been used, and how Waitrose determines that Chandler’s Ford is a ‘town’.
David B recently asked this question about the status of Hiltingbury on Streetlife:
“Is Hiltingbury a village? It is according to this mornings Daily Echo. I thought it was an area of Chandler’s Ford which is part of Eastleigh. Perhaps being a village means higher property values. ”
The topic has generated a great discussion amongst the local people. What is your view of the discussion?
Yes, that’s the sign I saw. I was going to take a photo but only had my mobile phone and the camera quality isn’t great.
I think that historically to be a town, a place had to have a charter to hold a market. Hence, in the north of the county, despite being similar-size places, Whitchurch is a town but neighbouring Overton only a village. Perversely, Overton seems to have more shops!
I moved to Chandlers Ford in 1987.
At that time we had Chandlers Ford Precinct, Fryern Arcade and shops and a pub off Knightwood rd for Valley Park.
There is no ‘centre’ to Chandlers Ford as nothing much has changed in that time except that Waitrose arrived a few years ago and the supermarket that was Safeway in Fryern Precinct changed a few times and is now the Co-op.
My question is: why do we need to find a centre in Chandlers Ford? Also, there are very different areas to my mind, eg Hiltingbury and Valley Park. One is ‘old’ CF and one new. (I don’t live in either).
I always think of CF as a ‘passing thru’ town on the way to somewhere else and not a destination in itself.
I feel it is a transit area between Southampton and Winchester – most people outside Hants don’t know of it and I usually describe it between the two. Hope this helps.
Difficult one to argue as CF is a commuter town. Also we don’t have an obvious attraction people come to see. People either live here (and it is a great place to live) or do indeed pass through it as they commute! CF is a destination for those who live here or have family/friends here. Having said all that, the fact we are a green place (Hocombe Mead, Hook Woods etc) is a major point in our favour but how many outside of CF know about that?
CF may not be the best place for someone to ‘go to’ but it is one of the best paces there is to ‘go from’ because of its travel connections.
Travellers who arrive at a place need a centre; those who live in a place know where things are and do not need a centre.
CF is a good pace to live. You cannot argue with that.