Leigh Park: so rural the hunt used to gather there

In the view on the right we are at the end of a tidal creek in Emsworth.
The hounds from Stockheath Naval camp  gather with hunters on Stockheath common. To the  left rear is part of the, now demolished, Cricketers Tavern.The hounds from Stockheath Naval camp  gather with hunters on Stockheath common. To the  left rear is part of the, now demolished, Cricketers Tavern.
The hounds from Stockheath Naval camp gather with hunters on Stockheath common. To the left rear is part of the, now demolished, Cricketers Tavern.

In this view the hunt is gathered outside the now-demolished Cricketers Tavern to the left in the background.

These are the hounds from Stockheath Naval Camp organised by the commander, Captain Eric Vivian.

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To the right is Wren Anne Shuttleworth. To her left as we look is Captain Vivian’s wife Audrey, then Vivian himself.

TIDAL A view up the creek at Emsworth looking towards Queen Street, circa 1950s		              Picture: Barry Cox CollectionTIDAL A view up the creek at Emsworth looking towards Queen Street, circa 1950s		              Picture: Barry Cox Collection
TIDAL A view up the creek at Emsworth looking towards Queen Street, circa 1950s Picture: Barry Cox Collection

On the far left is Petty Officer George Treadwell in civilian dress.

I remember the fir tree well and some years after this picture was taken a tall pole was put up alongside it with a wartime air raid siren at the top. It sounded to call part-time firemen to Havant fire station.

In the second picture we are at the end of a tidal creek in Emsworth. The road passing right to left is Queen Street and the creek is named after it.

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To the left can be seen what was called a grain merchant but today it is known as the Old Flour Mill.

WAIT Southbound traffic on Northern Road, Cosham, in the early 1960s 			   Picture: Barry Cox CollectionWAIT Southbound traffic on Northern Road, Cosham, in the early 1960s 			   Picture: Barry Cox Collection
WAIT Southbound traffic on Northern Road, Cosham, in the early 1960s Picture: Barry Cox Collection

The shop with the white wall was, in the 1960s, a hairdressers. I cannot make out what it traded as then even when enlarged.

The building behind the storeroom to the front has been demolished and is now the Lillywhite car showroom and motor engineers.

To the forefront, the storeroom has also long been demolished and I suspect the motor launches have all had their day as well.

Behind the camera the creek flows into Emsworth Harbour..

Here we see Bakers new store then recently opened in Havant.Here we see Bakers new store then recently opened in Havant.
Here we see Bakers new store then recently opened in Havant.
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• Before the A3(M) was built between Horndean and Bedhampton, traffic heading into Portsmouth from the north passed through Cosham before heading along Northern Road to the roundabout just north of Port Creek where traffic from Western Road also joined the throng. The result? Chaos.

On most weekday mornings traffic was at a standstill for what seemed like forever. The opening of the A3(M) stopped this at a stroke.

In this photo, taken from the roof of the old telephone exchange, we are looking south with the Portsbridge roundabout in the top left hand corner. To the right are the King George V playing fields.

• And finally, one for all our Havant readers who can remember shopping in Baker’s store in West Street.

I cannot remember it, but looking at this photograph it looks like a women’s clothes shop.

It appears to have recently opened. Does anyone remember shopping here?

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