Web Page 3091 29th July 2023 First Picture: Farlington Naval Estate

Second Picture: Farlington Race Course

Third Picture: The Marshes

Forth Picture: The George

Sitting in the sunshine in my garden in Gosport the other day I thought back to the days when I grew up in the Drayton/Farlington area, the days when the sun always shone and the biggest problem that we had was what to spend our pocket money on in Mr Shaws’ corner tuck shop in Highlands Road and Solent Road. Our play area when we were kids was enormous stretching from Portscreek to way over the hill to Widley, from Forty Acres tM Cosham High Street also taking in the Highbury estate. Farlington Marshes was always a favourite area for us, especially the bit of derelict land, where the Farlington Racecourse used to be before the war, between the Eastern Road and the Cosham Railway Triangle. Here we could explore the area which,, by that time was covered by bracken and brambles. Here we would make dens, float home made rafts and of course go fishing after having dug up the lugworms from the mud to use as bait. I only ever remember catching crabs, never ever a fish. The other side of the Eastern Road, which is now the nature conservation area, was also a favourite. Here we could discover abandoned military buildings and various other items of wartime use. Here we could dig up the underlying cordite and blow large holes in the mud. Highly dangerous but very enjoyable. Another source of enjoyment was the number of chalk pits which could be explored. Our favourites were two, the one at the top of Gillman Lane, this had some very strong vegetation through which we could climb across the chalk face of the pit and the pit at the top of Drayton Lane. This last one was rather overgrown and was a great favourite with most of us providing we did not upset the elderly gentleman who lived in a green painted corrugated iron hut in the neighbouring pit on the other side of the Lane. The hill itself was an adventure playground. In the late 1950’s and early 60’s the land was left unattended and so come the summer the whole of the hill was covered in long grass. This was to provide a fun area from the days of riding your bike through the long grass hoping not to hit a rabbit hole right through to our courting days. (You could not beat the long grass!!) Further along the hill we would explore around the forts and surrounding areas and up into Deadmans Wood, which today is a shadow of its former self as it has been manicured to fit in with the golf course off Crookhorn Lane on which it now stands. All this seemed to start to come to an end in the early 1960’s when the council granted permission for the Royal Naval estate to be built at the top of Farlington Avenue with the road pushed through to the hilltop road. This was followed by building permission being given for houses and industrial units to be built on a lot of the vacant plots of land on which we played. Such is progress. But still I have the memories of happy hours spent on the hill and the marshes, around Flint House and the chalk pits and of an evening buying a bag of chips from Mr Francis chip shop in Drayton and eating them on the way home having added the obligatory salt and vinegar and maybe the server would have also have included just a few scraps to help the snack on its way. I must be getting old. Stay in touch Peter gsseditor@gmail.com Griff Writes:- I can't remember if the pet shop in the Drayton parade of shops had a name or not but there is a good chance it was probably called "Drayton Pet Shop". I think it was next door to the Co-op? My memory has faded on the positioning of some of these Drayton shops. Anyway it's a good time to resurrect Tiggy the Tortoise who has just spent his two weeks Summer holiday with us whilst my Son and family went on holiday. Tiggy is still in fine fettle and in the best of health. Fed on the finest wafer thin sliced carrots and cucumber and dandelion leaves and the flower heads. To turn him into a turbo tortoise he gets his sugar rush from a fresh strawberry and then does he speed around the garden lawn. Contrary to popular belief tortoises can move fairly quickly when they want to and they are thoroughly warmed up by the Sun. I have had Tigs. since I was 10 years old, bought from the Drayton pet shop for 2/6d. He is a Moroccan tortoise and would have been around 3-5 years old when he came to the UK in or around 1958'ish. He does hibernate in the Winter from November to March in his own purpose built tortoise des. res. detached house built by my Son. My two Granddaughter's look after him at my Son's house. Just think he will outlive all of us as a healthy tortoise can easily live to 150 years old.

Regards to all Melvyn (Griff) Griffiths.