Leigh Park community comes together to celebrate shopping precinct's 50th anniversary

The birthday bash for Greywell in Leigh Park was held over the weekend.

American state police patrol cars, the Coastguard, and Havant police vehicles were on show – with a flyover of the Coastguard helicopter on Saturday marking the day.

Anthony Brogden, 69, Leigh Park, was with his wife Susan Brogden, 62, at Greywell.

‘We’ve been living here for 40 years so a lot of shops were already here but they have changed,’ Susan said.

‘It’s great they’ve done a lot of things here. There’s a lot of council estates right the way round so a lot of people do come down here.’

Ian Payne, chairman of Leigh Park Traders’ Association, who runs Memory Lane Cafe at Greywell, helped organise the weekend and thanked people who helped.

He said: ‘It’s absolutely brilliant. We worked together to get it all done and it’s gone brilliantly. It’s brought the community together. That’s what it’s all about.’

At the nearby community centre, pictures from the past were on show, depicting how the area used to look.

As reported, comedian Sid James, from the Carry On movies, cut the ribbon to declare the Greywell precinct officially open in 1966.

The centre has undergone a £1m refurbishment.

Pensioner Dorothy Courtney, 84, of Winterslow Drive, Leigh Park, was out meeting friends and shopping on Saturday when she joined in the celebrations.

She said: ‘It’s very nice, I think it’s good – I can’t remember it opening, though.

‘It brings in a few more shops – whether they’re the right ones I don’t know.

‘There used to be lots of shops, not as it is now.’