Web Page  No 2164

1^st June 2015

Top Picture: Hayling Level Crossing

Middle picture: Hayling Toll Bridge

 Bottom Picture: Hayling Sand Dunes

A Day on the Beach

Living, as I did for over twenty years on the Havant Road in Drayton, it became a standing joke in the late 1950’s and early 60’s that there was never any trouble crossing the road on a nice summer weekend or Bank Holiday because the traffic was always at a standstill because of the numbers trying to make their way to the beaches on Hayling Island.

There were two very big problems getting onto Hayling Island. The first one was the gated level crossing at Langstone where, in the peak periods there were at least four packed passenger trains an hour each way necessitating the gates being closed. That meant eight train movements an hour especially on summer Saturdays and if Mick O’Shay, the crossing keeper, only closed the gates for four minutes each time it resulted in the road traffic being held up for over a half an hour each hour. Mind you in his spare time Mr O’Shay ran a taxi firm and sometimes did not get back in time to open the gates for the train and so there was a train queue as well! We did not have a car at this time so it was bus to Havant and onto the train to Hayling but that’s another story).

However having negotiated the level crossing within a half a mile was another major hold up and this was the Toll Bridge. The bridge was owned by the Southern Railway and they retained ownership right up until the 1970’s when it was sold to the Council so that a new bridge could be built. The original bridge was of timber construction with a tarmacadam roadway surface and was over 70 years old. Tolls were charged at varying rates for every vehicle and this caused even more delays, but the biggest delays came at the end of the life of the bridge when a strict weight restriction was imposed which had the effect that a laden bus was well over the permitted weight and so on arriving at the bridge the bus had to stop and pay the toll, the passengers disembarked and walked over the bridge, the bus would then drive over the bridge empty and then pick up its passengers on the other side. More delays. We did, on occasion, take the bus and the walk over the bridge was always exciting for a small boy.

The traffic hold ups were terrible and sometimes, on hot days, the queue would reach way past our house and on into Drayton. These were the days before the MOT and so there were all kinds of cars on the road, some safe others held together with rope and string and there was always a call for a watering can full of water to top up boiling radiators.

As I got older and became mobile on my 21” Royal Enfield Bermuda bicycle we would cycle over to Hayling and take a packed lunch and spend the day in the sand dunes, which have now been flattened, a danger to health and safety they said.

I remember one day I set off with a group with my lunch and towel in my saddle bag along with a small Pifco portable radio and set off for Hayling. We had a great day and just before we left we decided to have just one more dip in the sea, when I came out I grabbed my towel and looked for my underpants, ( I had worn my bathers under my trousers on the way over) and discovered I had left them at home. After a quick think I decided I would be able to ride home without underwear and no one would know. What a mistake that was! The journey was so painful, remember we had only just come out of the sea and even with vigorous drying the sea salt still clung to my nether regions. How I made it home I do not know and when I underdressed I was red raw and very sore. Still Mum, an ex-nurse, came to the rescue with a large jar of Nivea Cream.

Morale to the story must be: always make sure you have always got your knickers with you!!!

  Keep in touch

Peter

DUSTYKEAT@aol.com

You Write:

I write, I do an illustrated talk with movie film of the Hayling Island Railway Line if anyone wants a speaker some time!

News and Views:

My new book DRAYTON REVISITED should be going to press in the next couple of weeks. I have already started on a sequel, DRAYTON MEMORIES.

Peter 

On this day 1^st June 1960-1965

On 01/06/1960 the number one single was Cathy's Clown - Everly Brothers and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Wagon Train (ITV) and the box office smash was Psycho. A pound of today's money was worth £13.68 and Burnley were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 01/06/1961 the number one single was Surrender - Elvis Presley and the number one album was GI Blues - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was No Hiding Place (AR) and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth £13.25 and Tottenham Hotspur were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 01/06/1962 the number one single was Good Luck Charm - Elvis Presley and the number one album was Blue Hawaii - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was Lawrence of Arabia. A pound of today's money was worth £12.89 and Ipswich Town were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 01/06/1963 the number one single was From Me To You - The Beatles and the number one album was Please Please Me - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Great Escape. A pound of today's money was worth £12.64 and Everton were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was Profumo resigns.

On 01/06/1964 the number one single was You're My World - Cilla Black and the number one album was Rolling Stones - The Rolling Stones. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was Dr Strangelove. A pound of today's money was worth £12.24 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 01/06/1965 the number one single was Long Live Love - Sandie Shaw and the number one album was The Sound of Music Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Sound of Music. A pound of today's money was worth £11.69 and Manchester United were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.