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Grateley Memories

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Written by Various Contributors
Saturday, 29 November 2008
e-Mail dated 27th November 2008 from Janet Burcombe-Filer I am now 51 and my father was Stan Pearce, a signalman at Grateley Station until it closed. We lived in the Station House, which formed part of the platform and I remember the steam trains and porters hanging the paraffin lamps. I have a elder sister Shelia, brother Michael and a younger sister, Rosemary. We all attended Grateley Primary School. I remember the village all so well. We were so unhappy when due to the railway changes we had to move to Eastleigh. I can still remember some of my school friends and their names and the house opposite the school, which was said to be haunted. The public house was just up the road and the owners were a Mr. and Mrs. Hunt, they had a son called Martin. Whatever happened to him - I would love to know? I would also like to know what happened to my friends back then. My father is dead now, but my family and I still have very fond memories of our childhood in Grateley. Indeed, we also had other family there and in Cholderton. My mother worked in Palestine for a family potato picking, can you believe it in this day and age! My memories go on and on, so if there is anyone still in Grateley that may remember the name Pearce, I would love to hear from them. Webmaster note: If you wish to contact Janet, please e-mail me and I will pass on your correspondence to her. e-mail dated 3rd August 2008 from Peter Burrows Hello again Steven and thank you for putting my letter on your fantastic Grateley Community website. Reading with interest the Grateley History. One item was about the smell of the carcasses at the "glue factory" between the station and the village. I still remember those horrible stinks and mother having to try and seal the windows when the wind was in a certain direction. At that time we lived in the Railway Cottages, just a couple of hundred yards away from the factory. Incidentally, we buried our sewerage up by the allotments so did not need the collection cart. In Grateley History Chapter 13, there is a mention about Lawrence Houses (I mentioned that we lived there when it first opened in my last letter) The first four Lawrence Houses were not 1-4. They were in fact, 1,2,5,6. No.s 3&4 were built later and I think that Dolly Head had one of them. Marchant did not occupy the first set of houses. It was in fact us as the Burrows family (No.6). I also thought that it was the Jefferies family who lived in No.2 first, but perhaps the Glovers were there first. The Jefferies lived next door to us previously at the Railway Cottages. Not being picky, but this is all your fault for bringing back those wonderful childhood memories, even during the war years. I would like to take this opportunity to remind those who know him that Trevor Collins is in a very serious condition and we pray to our dear Lord God to look after him and to give Susan strength and our love during this terrible time. From Down Under Canberra Best Regards to you all. Peter, Etta & all the Aussies. e-mail dated 31st May 2008 from Peter Burrows I was looking at your web site for the very first time after being over in the U.K. (from Canberra, Australia,) and in particular, Grateley visiting old school-friends. I was born in the railway cottages and later lived in Lawrence Houses next to Trevor Collins. My father was a railway signalman at Grateley after the war, and told us of strange happenings in the signal-box when he was on night-shifts. We thought he was just trying to frighten us with a good story. It was great getting back to the old home where we went through the WWII. The picture of the children and the three soldiers are also very interesting. The soldiers had wore the side hats, which was also that of my father Jack Burrows. I still have his hat. It is the hat of the 14th Army Burma Artillery. Commonly known as the "FORGOTTEN ARMY". Those who remember, will know that each year during the war, we had our annual festive day and my mother always had me in the fancy dress parade wearing kakhi uniform and carrying a shield with "XIV Army. The Never Forgotten Army" on it. I can still remember it. I joined the Arethusa Training Ship at the age of 13, then the Royal Navy and finally came to Australia with my family in 1974. Never regretted it but still think a lot about Grateley and my friends there. My wife Etta was also in the Navy and we have three children and six grandchildren. Grateley School was a great place although I did not particularly like Andover Boys Secondary School. I had passed for the Grammer School with Hazel Turner, but dad could not afford to send me there. Anyway, thank you for a lovely website and I should visit it more often now that I have found it. I would welcome an email from anyone in Grateley who would care to write and perhaps remember the Burrows family and the Hornes from Wallop. Best regards and cheers from Australia. Peter Burrows (OAM JP) Peter's email address is:
Last Updated ( Saturday, 29 November 2008 )

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