Tadley during the '60s and '70s
Barry Howard moved to Tadley in 1954, when his father took a job with the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment (AWRE). After a few weeks in a caravan in Mount Pleasant, the family moved into a new house in Huntsmoor Road, on the AWRE estate. He attended Tadley Junior School, on The Green from late 1954 until September 1955, when Burnham Copse Junior School opened in the old Chivers canteen building on Newchurch Road. He spent four years there, in Miss Taylor's, Mrs McDiarmid's, Mr Winter's and Mr Fabel's classes - with Roger Searing as Headmaster - before going to Queen Mary's Grammar in Basingstoke. He left school just before his 16th birthday to work at Barclay's Bank, Tadley, but lasted less than a year there.
Huntsmoor Road, looking eastwards from No 24; December 1963.
This photo of Huntsmoor Road was taken with a Brownie 127 camera - hence the poor image quality. The blurry white building in the gap between the houses at the top is the telephone exchange.
Barclay's Bank with Boundary Hall in the background; 1964
This photo of Barclays Bank was taken in June 1964. I'd started work there as a Junior in April that year. The Manager was Mr Balmforth and the Chief Clerk was Mr Mortimore. Other staff included Ron Giles, Jeanne March, Steph Albery, Susan Ody, Sandra Eyles, Pam Townsend, Val Stacey, Martin Clulow and Val Mitchell.
The New Inn, Baughurst (now The Badgers' Wood); 1970
This photo of The New Inn (now The Badgers' Wood) on Wolverton Road was taken in October 1970. I think that on the opposite side of the Brimpton Road from The New Inn, at the junction with the Heath End Road, there used to be a large pond or lake. I have a vague memory of there being a cottage there as well, set behind a white paling fence - but maybe not.
Tadley Old Meeting (United Reformed Church); 1970
This photo was taken in June 1970.
Tadley Post Office (right) and Allen's Garage (left), Tadley Hill; 1970
May's photo was taken in August 1970. I was a pupil at Tadley Junior School, on The Green, from late 1954 to September 1955, and sometimes called in at the Post Office for an ice cream; the white building opposite the Post Office was the sorting office.
Deserted Bishopswood Farm (also known as Appleton's Farm), 1970
This photo of Appleton's Farm was actually taken in February 1968. My Dad knew Percy and his wife quite well, as for many years he used to garage his car (a black, upright Ford Popular) in the barn. We knew Percy from the time we first moved to Tadley in 1954, and remember the huge shire horses peering out of the stables into the straw-covered farm yard, and the carts stored in the cart shed (front right of the photo).
Cottages near Heath End House; 1971
This black and white photo is a contact print, taken on an old glass-plate camera in January 1972, and is of one or two old cottages on a track leading off the opposite side of the road past where Heath End House used to be. The track itself led to Kent's Coaches garage on the Brimpton Road.
The Fighting Cocks, Tadley; 1970
The Fighting Cocks, taken February 1970, was always the starting point of the Remembrance Day procession when I was in the Air Training Corps (211 Squadron). The cadets used to meet in the hut beside the old Royal Cinema, behind Barclays Bank, under the supervision of officers Mr Bailey, Mr Gates, and of Sergeant Wilkes.
Tadley Library; 1971
The Tadley library shot was taken in January 1971. The building stood on an old RAF road, near to the playing fields, close to Hangar 5 and across some waste ground from the rear of the Halstead House shops on Bishopswood Road. For all the years that I lived in Tadley, the librarian was a Mrs Maule. I loved the feel of the place.
The Fox and Hounds; 1971
This photo of The Fox and Hounds, was taken across from what used to be called Whatmore's shop.
Inhurst Farm; 1972
A photo of Inhurst Farm, on Wolverton Road, taken one evening in August 1972. The road going off to the left of the farm house came out on the Brimpton Road near the Hurst Secondary School, and Browning Hill was behind the spot from which I took the shot.
Burnham Copse Junior School; 1971
A photo of the original Burnham Copse classrooms taken in January 1971 from Newchurch Road. In my time there (1955-59), the classrooms in the photo were for the two senior years: in the one at front right was Mr Winter and in the one at rear right the stern and venerable Mr Fabel. On the opposite side of Newchurch Road from the school, there used to be a tuck shop.
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Barry's and TADS caption.
Wolverton Chapel; 1972
Situated on the road between The New Inn (now Badger's Wood) and The Wellington Arms, not far from Kent's Coaches garage and Baughurst Stores.
Huntsmoor Road; 1960
A view looking south-west from number 24, towards Heath End. Whitedown Road is leading off to the left.
Appleton's (Bishop's Wood) Farm; 1964
A view taken from the adjacent field, showing the old style haystacks and thatched barn.
Baughurst; 1972
This is Oak House on the Baughurst Road. The photo was taken on an old glass plate camera, looking across fields from what I believe is now known as Shaw Lane.
The entrance to Heath End House; 1972
As a child, Barry and his friends would climb into the swampy grounds of Heath End House searching of conkers - the knowledge that we were trespassing making it all the more enjoyable.
The barn at Bishop's Wood Farm; 1972
For several years after Percy Appleton retired the farm lay empty. Although a bid to build houses on the land was rejected it was, I believe, eventually turned into a golf club.
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Barry's and TADS caption.
The pine woods at Heath End; 1970
This photo was taken when work had begun to widen the road. The pine woods extended along the road to the grounds of Heath End House and were the backdrop to many invented games of cowboys and injuns. When we were older it was dirt-tracking on our bikes.
Rookery Dell in Monk Sherborne; 1972
Rookery Dell was the scene of a hard-fought campaign to prevent the Council from using it as a rubbish dump - what we would nowadays call a landfill site. I moved away from Tadley in 1973 so I never knew the outcome.
Rookery Dell in Monk Sherborne; 1972
Rookery Dell was the scene of a hard-fought campaign to prevent the Council from using it as a rubbish dump - what we would nowadays call a landfill site. I moved away from Tadley in 1973 so I never knew the outcome.
The house near Pound Farm; 1972
It may be called Barn Close; not sure.
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Barry's and TADS caption.
Page updated: Thursday 12 May 2016.
Review date: 1 July 2016.