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Chapter 17  A Forton Family

Mr. Haggard was a chimney-sweep who lived on Brockhurst Road.  He went round on his bicycle with his equipment attached behind him.  He swept the chimneys by hand, - he used to say he did it properly.  The last two years he used a van.  His wife took the orders for chimney-sweeping.

Mr. Haggard trained his family in ringing hand-bells.  They performed at various functions for charity, including the Summer Fete in the paddock attached to the Vicarage of St. Thomas’s, Elson.  They played for the Harvest Festival of St. Peter & St. Paul’s Church, Fareham, in front of the “White Horse” pub, Wallington. On New Year’s Eve, the Haggard hand-bell team sang the old year out and the New Year in.  They stood on the island at Brockhurst Road junction with Anns Hill Road and later, on the steps at the front of their house.

They played on TV several times, - on “In Town Tonight”, “Opportunity Knocks”, “Carol Lewis’ Discoveries”, and “All Your Own”.

On the corner of Hartington Road and Brockhurst Road was Hunt’s, then Collins the Hairdresser, Jackson’s the Cycle shop and Knight’s the grocer’s.  Next came some big houses – Haggard’s was one of them (in middle?). On the opposite side of Brockhurst Road on the corner of Mill Lane was a big house with a large dark tree in front of it.  Lady Carey lived there and Mr. & Mrs. Smith were in service there and lived there with their 3 children.

At St. John’s School, when Angela started there, only 4 or 5 children were admitted at a time. On Angela’s first day at School, her mother took her into Miss. B’s class.  One little girl was howling.  Miss. B said to Angela “Would you like to go on the horse?”.  Angela said “Goodbye Mum” and was off

When Angela was older she sometimes took the headmaster’s dinner to him.  She liked Mr. Stainer perhaps because when he didn’t want all his roast potatoes, he said she could have them, as well as any pudding that was left.

From the old School the Infants used to go into church to hear a talk by Father Munro, sometimes Fr. Munro told a story about candles.  The candles had faces drawn on them.  The big one was Daddy Candle with a moustache, then there was Mummy Candle and 2 little ones.