Editor’s note: This post was sent to Chandler’s Ford Today by Liz Stothard (re: Dee). She grew up at the Hutments.
Could someone help Liz find out some links about her past in Chandler’s Ford please? Below is her article.
By Liz Stothard (re: Dee):
I was born in Winchester 1950 lived at the Hutments. And also I see from looking that my late Father is mentioned…he worked for Vickers and then ATC!
Until he was relocated to Hamble.
Have some pictures somewhere of me and my brother at the Hutments and also photos of Dad in the drawing office, in Hamble. Dad was Patrick Dee.
We lived at the Hutments for about four years. Hope to be able to speak to others that were part of that era.
Just reading some of Dad’s letters.
It seems we were at The Hutments, and living two doors away was a man named Harry, but with no surname. So if we can find out who he was, perhaps I can find out the number I lived at?
Harry worked at IBM in 1987? According to his letters.
My brother Christopher Dee went to Hursley infants school in the village.
The dates in his letters are from living at the Hutments from 1946 to 1958.
Twelve years?
Hope we can find someone who knew Harry?
Related posts:
- Nick Johns: Do You Remember The Hutments?
- Mike Sedgwick: Hutments
- Dave Key: History of Vickers Armstrongs (Supermarine) Hursley Park: Can You Help?
Hi Liz … No help to you whatsoever I’m afraid, but it might spark off someone else’s memory …
My parents were friendly wih a Helen and Fred Stone … there was a path from Hursley Road leading in to the Hutments, and their home was about 3 in from the road … Fred worked at Vickers Hursley Park and Helen and my mother worked at Vickers in Bournemouth Road when they took over Hendy’s … My belief is that the Hendy’s site was where they assembled parts etc., for Spitfires, but that could be wrong …
Hope you get something to help you …
Doug Clews
I lived in Beechwood Close as a child in the 1950s onwards and used to play at the Hutments site after the Huts had gone. As children it was a wonderful place to play as the gardens were there but no Huts, so we have free rein of the whole estate and the chestnut woods that were behind our homes.
I also went to Hursley School from 1953 to 1960, catching the bus from Baddesley Road stop.
However unfortunately I have no memory of any names of people from the Hutments
Hi well every little bit helps, and thank you for your emails, yes I was born in 1950. By brother is two years older, Chris Dee.
He went to Hursley infants, but I suffered with infantile asthma, so didn’t go to school, until I was about five.
But we used to play outside all the time,and it was a magic little place.
I just wish I had spoken to dad about the Hutments. He was a mind of information and we were there for many years.
Dad worked all over the country, Follands ATC! Vickers Supermarine, etc.
Being a Vickers employee we were given one of the Hutments.
We came down from living in Hastings…but I was so ill, under the Drs instruction, they moved back to Hampshire. I was born in Winchester, and lived most my life in Bursledon and Hamble, where dad worked at Follands.
As they say those were the days, full of very happy memories.
I lived in the Hutments in Hook Road. Went to Hursley infants until 1956. When we moved with Vickers to Swindon when I was nearly six. My sister worked at Hursley too. She would have far more memories than I
We lived at no 56 the hutments from approx. 1947 and left in November 1954. My sister and I both attended Hursley school, as she was a few years older than me she can remember when Vickers tested the engines of the spitfire they made so much noise that all lessons had to be suspended. Our father whom worked at Vickers was Mr. E M (known as John) Treharne. These blogs have kept me enthralled to read all the memories, would love to hear more. Regards Dilys nee Treharne.
I remember the Hutments, but mainly when everyone had left. I also went to Hursley School but didn’t start there until January 1954. ( I was kept home for a term as my brother was born in the July and for some reason my parents didn’t want me to feel I was being pushed out!)
For us gang of kids who lived in Beechwood Close, we used the derelict site to play in, all the plots were still clearly marked out by their gardens and we loved picking the flowers that bloomed. I remember lots of Rose Bay Willow herb growing on site as it returned to nature.
At that time there were no houses between us and the Hutment site and we had a wonderful time playing in the road ( unmade) ,the woods and the Hutment site. Sorry I don’t know any names though!!
we lived at 58 the hutments mistake on my part !!
I would love to know how Katherine Hanniford is. She also lived at the hutments.
I have just found you. I can remember quite a few names of people who occupied the hutmenfs. My family moved ther from rooms in Hursley,when my mother was pregnant. As ther facilities were poor so Vickers helped us to relocate to no 84 the hutments. We were there from 1946 till1956. I was12 when we moved in I can Rember they were happy times. We children lived out doors most of the time mainly in the woods on Hook road . The boy always scrambling around a circuit through the trees on their bikes even having matches against other boys from else where . Half way along the road that ran parallel to Hursley road there was a small I think wooden building whist drives were held there I think the library delivered books and meetings were held . Surrounding this,a number of different trees and shrubs grew I think befor the hut nets went up and roads put in this shrubbery extended further because our ,hut had these lovely shrubs right out side our kitchen door. Along side of the building was a cut through where you could get through to Hursley road and the telephone and bus stop for Winchester . Many of the staff at supermarines would catch the works busses here. I am rambling on a bit and I don’t know how much information you want. I could perhaps draw a plan of the area and enter a few names. So i will leave it there for now. My Father was Bill Fear he was a section leader of the Hydraulics dept .
M
.
Don’t miss this wonderful series: Hook Road Hutments and My Family by Peter Russell: https://chandlersfordtoday.co.uk/hook-road-hutments-and-my-family-by-peter-russell-part-1/
I remember my early years living at 229 Leigh Road. Behind our house there was a coppice, beyond which was “the camp”. The camp was comprised of a variety of Nissen Huts (or perhaps Quonset Huts) and other buildings, wherein, when I lived there, a troop of American G.I.’s were stationed. I remember running behind their trucks as they departed the camp, trying to catch packages of gum, which they tossed out to me and my friends.
The Polish residents, who lived in the Hutments were suffering terribly from the ravages of the war. I remember once, going carol singing along the Hutments and was greeted by one of the residents who gave me an orange. It must have been a great sacrifice for her to do so as rationing was in full force back then.
I remember too, a small river that ran alongside the Eastleigh Rec, a large area with a cricket pitch, soccer fields, a playground and lots of grassy areas. I recall laying on the freshly mowed grass (post-war) watching spitfires buzzing high in the blue sky, probably making their way to Southampton Airport.
I attended Kings Road School until I was smitten with Rheumatic Fever and had to abandon my studies for a full year. Mr. Mann, the Headmaster was an angry and abusive man, who caned me and a friend for accidentally straying into the boys toilets building as we tried to retrieve a football….6 of the best was a blister-making, painful experience. So long ago, so many memories….good, bad and ugly.