Author Topic: Gunsite Farm Holbury  (Read 7906 times)

Offline mick56

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Re: Gunsite Farm Holbury
« Reply #9 on: Sunday 29 April 12 15:59 BST (UK) »
gunsite farm was at the end of limekiln lane holbury, it was a ww2 anti aircraft emplacement, put there to protect beulieu arodrome 1mile away across the forest. in 1958 my father, who was working on ground levelling machines in the new esso refinery, put the first caravan on a ploughed field in the far left hand corner under an oak tree. soon my uncle jim and aunty muriel pitched up , to be joined by other contractors and thier families. my dad ran a hosepipe from the old buildings left from the war, across the field to a wooden shed that built out of esso timber with dozens of nail holes in it to make us a shower , that was all we had, a bit nippy when the ice was on the ground !! phil trant got his first contract to put a gravel track across the field, using picks,shovels and wheelbarrows liberated from esso . there were several irish families there, shaemus brannigan i met again 45 yrs later, there was a tall comical fella called paddy, i remember him pouring a tin of blue paint on the roof of a tipper and spreading it out with a yard broom. just been told by my dad that he was 1 of 3 brothers called smith, 1 of who lives at netley marsh near totton, we lived there for 4-5 yrs, my brother Alan and me had great time playing on the gun turrets and ammo stores, paddeling a 45gallon drum cut in half across the millpond behind the site, my dad decided to stay when the contract in esso ended, and started a mobile fruit&veg round, we moved to a bungalow in holbury drove, where dad started reynolds removals,which he sold to bishops move on his retirement,  that shed is still at the bottom of his garden 54yrs later.

Offline deoxy

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Re: Gunsite Farm Holbury
« Reply #10 on: Sunday 29 April 12 16:28 BST (UK) »
That's an interesting insight. Thanks for letting me know.  You mentioned 1958. That's the year I was born. The death certificate I have with this address on it is that of a man called William Richard Downer, a security officer, who lived at 67 Gunsite Farm at the time of his death.  There's a slight chance he may have been my father.  Thanks very much.    :)
Frecknall, Fricknell, Frignal :Anywhere
Stephens: Southampton
Nelson: Sutton cum Duckmanton, Worksop
Frith: Sutton cum Duckmanton
Reeve: Worksop
Guard: Devon, Christchurch, Southampton
Lamble: Devon
Butler: Tredegar, Cork

Offline mick56

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Re: Gunsite Farm Holbury
« Reply #11 on: Sunday 29 April 12 16:54 BST (UK) »
planted the seed in my old mans head, he knew everbody on that site it was one of his stops on his fruit&veg round, the site owners name was mr wills from totton, if you can track his family ,they just might have the records of who lived there. also if youre dad was a security guard , chances are he worked for esso at the refinery. by 1967 the site was laid out either side of concrete roads, no 67 would have been to the far right of the site adjacent to the now industrial est, where the housing est(the millpond ) is today. i can remember a few families from those days who might be able to help, bolland, gird, pike, snell, maureen &john evans, you might try my cousin john begbour, he, a vicar or something like it at east boldre church, near beieulieu, never could spell that, thats it for now mate, over the next few days my old man will remember more and i will be in touch

Offline deoxy

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Re: Gunsite Farm Holbury
« Reply #12 on: Sunday 29 April 12 16:57 BST (UK) »
Thank you very much.  :)
Frecknall, Fricknell, Frignal :Anywhere
Stephens: Southampton
Nelson: Sutton cum Duckmanton, Worksop
Frith: Sutton cum Duckmanton
Reeve: Worksop
Guard: Devon, Christchurch, Southampton
Lamble: Devon
Butler: Tredegar, Cork


Offline mick56

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Re: Gunsite Farm Holbury
« Reply #13 on: Monday 07 May 12 21:15 BST (UK) »
HELLO MATE, JUST BEEN TALKING TO MY OLD MAN, THE NAME DOWNER RINGS BELLS BUT FOR THE MOMENT THATS ALL, THE FARMER, MR WILLS LIVED IN MARCHWOOD, NOT TOTTON, ITS ONLY 1 MILE AWAY BUT COULD AFFECT YOURE SEARCH,ALSO HE GOT HIMSELF ONTO THE LOCAL COUNCIL SO THAT HE COULD GET PLANNING PERMISION TO TURN AN AGRICULTURAL FIELD INTO A CARAVAN SITE, SO LOOK INTO RECORDS AT FAWLEY PARISH COUNCIL AND NEW FOREST DISTRICT COUNCIL , HE WOULD HAVE BEEN ON ONE OR THE OTHER FROM 1960 ONWARDS. BY ABOUT 1961 THERE WAS A SITE WARDEN WHO,S CARAVAN WAS THE FIRST ON THE RIGHT DIRECTLY OPPOSITE LIMEKILN LANE,A MR & MRS COOK, THEY WOULD HAVE KEPT RECORDS OF TENNANTS AND RENT PAYMENTS, IF THEY STILL HAVE FAMILY IN THE AREA ,WE DONT KNOW, OLD MAN JUST PHONED, OTHER FAMILIES YOU MIGHT WANT TO TRACE ARE THE TAGGARTS, AND THE McLEANS, BOTH LIVED ON GUNSITE LONG AFTER WE LEFT, AND STILL HAVE FAMILY HEREABOUTS  MAUREEN McCLEAN BECAME A LOCAL COUNCILLOR , SO WITH HER CONNECTIONS SHOULD BE A GREAT HELP . IF I KNEW YOURE NAME AND ANY LOCAL INFO IE SCHOOL YOU WENT TO ,MOTHERS NAME ECT, IT WOULD HELP ME LOOK A BIT CLOSER  FOR YOU , IF YOU WANT TO E MAIL ME , ITS  *   MEANTIME GOOD LUCK MATE.   MICK.

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Offline deoxy

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Re: Gunsite Farm Holbury
« Reply #14 on: Tuesday 08 May 12 00:16 BST (UK) »
Thanks Mick,  I've been able to find a contact site for Maureen McClean and I've sent her a message.  On the adoption papers my mother gave her address as Woodside, Hilltop, Beaulieu where apparently she had been working as a domestic.  I had an electoral roll search done but neither William or my mother were listed as living there. In fact neither of them were found at all...!  I was given the name from a close member of my family who actually visited Woodside and said it seemed a creepy place and she feels that William is a likely possibility to be my father.  This name was a memory from a long time ago and is not necessarily right but it's my best shot.  I wonder if maybe he didn't actually live there and was just a security officer or something similar for the site.  The person who did the electoral search said it was an area of farm cottages.
It's very kind of you and your Dad to help. I'll email you with my mother's surname etc.  Thanks very much.  :)
Frecknall, Fricknell, Frignal :Anywhere
Stephens: Southampton
Nelson: Sutton cum Duckmanton, Worksop
Frith: Sutton cum Duckmanton
Reeve: Worksop
Guard: Devon, Christchurch, Southampton
Lamble: Devon
Butler: Tredegar, Cork

Offline brownrann

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Re: Gunsite Farm Holbury
« Reply #15 on: Monday 27 May 13 14:21 BST (UK) »
Hi,

My mother, sister and brother lived at number 37 between 1962 - 64! I'm trying to find more information as I was only a baby and my mother has died. She was relectant to talk about the past. She was a single parent which in those days was frowned upon!! I've read your helpful comments as I've been trying to locate Gunsite Farm. Any help or photos much appreciated.




planted the seed in my old mans head, he knew everbody on that site it was one of his stops on his fruit&veg round, the site owners name was mr wills from totton, if you can track his family ,they just might have the records of who lived there. also if youre dad was a security guard , chances are he worked for esso at the refinery. by 1967 the site was laid out either side of concrete roads, no 67 would have been to the far right of the site adjacent to the now industrial est, where the housing est(the millpond ) is today. i can remember a few families from those days who might be able to help, bolland, gird, pike, snell, maureen &john evans, you might try my cousin john begbour, he, a vicar or something like it at east boldre church, near beieulieu, never could spell that, thats it for now mate, over the next few days my old man will remember more and i will be in touch

Offline deoxy

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Re: Gunsite Farm Holbury
« Reply #16 on: Monday 27 May 13 21:18 BST (UK) »
Frecknall, Fricknell, Frignal :Anywhere
Stephens: Southampton
Nelson: Sutton cum Duckmanton, Worksop
Frith: Sutton cum Duckmanton
Reeve: Worksop
Guard: Devon, Christchurch, Southampton
Lamble: Devon
Butler: Tredegar, Cork

Offline brownrann

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Re: Gunsite Farm Holbury
« Reply #17 on: Tuesday 28 May 13 07:09 BST (UK) »
Thank you for your reply. Lots of info from helful Mick. Can I ask, is the site now completely demolosihed? Are there any remains? Also, another family from the site I have contacted is the Wills family, no relation to the owners and Peter went to Holbury School. John


Hello Brownrann, Here's a post from helpful Mick.  http://www.francisfrith.com/fawley,hampshire/memories/gunsite-farm_282181/#utmcsr=google.co.uk&utmcmd=referral&utmccn=google.co.uk