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As a child, my family and I lived in London. My mother's parent's retired in 1960 to Alverstoke, just off Jellicoe Avenue. I remember staying for the
summer holidays every summer with them at the "new house" Several times a week, Grandpa would take us to town, to Pompey, or up the "Hill" to Waterlooville for
lunch. I remember the green Provincial No. 10 single-decker bus pulling up to the stop and Grandpa saying, "Two and three-halves, please!" to the driver. I recall the
fare being 6d for Grandpa and Grandma and 3d for each of the three of us.
I am now 50, give or take a couple of months, and I discovered your site (as I do everything else on the Internet, by accident, looking for something else!).
I was looking at the picture selection you have, and I began to think.Is Stanley Park still at the end of Solent Way, on Western Way? I surely would like to see pictures of those
gorgeous flower beds that used to be there; I'd love to be able to show my children how "real" gardens are done. I remember Grandpa taking us for morning coffee at
Alverbank, if we were good. What a treat! Coming back from an afternoon of swimming in The Bay, we would walk through Stanley Park. We would play under the trees, and sometimes
stop in the aviary and look at the birds. We might stop at the ice cream shop in the back of Alverbank, "to get out of the wind and warm up". Grandpa would by us each an ice cream.
"Rockets" were my favorite - red, white and blue for 9d!
Also, I remember the Ritz. Grandma and Mum took us to see "Mary Poppins" when it was released. Grandpa and Grandma took us to see the wonderful Mr. Burl
Ives (now deceased) in "Sammy the Seal". Our "after-the-cinema" treat, was to walk along High Street, down to the Hard, and go in the Porthole and each have an order of
cod and chips. A summer evening, sitting in the Ferry Gardens, feeling the breeze, and chewing on fish and chips. That's the good life! Once we even missed the last No. 10 bus back
to Jellico Avenue, and had to catch the No. 11, that went through Alverstoke, out to Haslar. That night we had to walk back through the village, as well.
We strolled along, singing songs such "100 Bottles of Pop on the Wall", Grandpa, Grandma, Mum, my brother, sister and me. What a sight!!
Anyway, we summered with Grandpa and Grandma every year from the time they retired to Alverstoke in 1960 until we moved to the United States in July 1971. We
even managed to cover a couple of Christmases there, too.
In 1971, my family moved to the United States. My children are now having their own children and I thought it would be wonderful if I
could put together a collection of pictures for each of them to keep to show their children. After all, they know about their American heritage. They have a second heritage which they should
know, as well. (Long ago, I had whole collections of pictures that I had taken myself as a young person, but unfortunately they were destroyed in a house fire. I am just thankful I
kept my life that night!) I should like to have permission to save some of the pictures on your site to disc, simply for the purpose of creating a library of pictures for my offspring. Also,
if anyone would like to e-mail me with things they recall from that era, or have pictures they would be willing to share, please feel free to provide them my e-mail address at grahamclan2004@yahoo.com From Sue Graham (I am across the Big Pond in South Carolina)
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