These recollections have been supplied by villagers who have lived or worked in the village during the past. Some of them are are still living here. The earliest recollection is from a Mr. V.A. Dibble, who was the son of the first schoolmaster of Baddesley School and he was born in 1889.
We believe they provide a fascinating glimpse of what village life was really like in the past and I hope you will find them to be as interesting a read as I most certainly did.
Click on the links below to access each recollection.
Please Note: As some of the recollections are quite long you will need to scroll the bar on the right hand side to access all the content.
| V. A. Dibble | E. Marsh | D. Peckham | B. Myall | M. Gradidge |
| P. Farmer | J. Hibberd | E. Cosier | J. Fowler | D. Biggs |
| P. Haws | E. Gardner | J. MacKenzie | M. Watts | R. Cobern |
Copied from an original statement written by Mr.E.J.GARDNER 20, Gainsborough Court (June 1976)
The Common from Middle Rd to Rownhams Lane was one open place covered with heather and small trees. Five houses were built on this land in the early 1930’s, by Mr. Ayles from Ringwood who purchased nearly all this land.
The first part of the factory (Borden) was built the early 1930’s by LIESTER LOVEL(?) from Wales, and was used by FOLLANDS, during the last war (1939) for aircraft parts. After the war it was worked as a glue factory and other things of that kind. At one time, they manufactured washing and clean powders. The factory has got bigger over the years, although several meetings were held to deal with the dust and smells, which some nearby tenants had to put up with. But nothing stopped the work going on and they are still enlarging today (1976).
During this time people who had camped out on this land during the bombing of Southampton had began to buy the land. At one time after the war land was sold for 10s (50p.) a foot frontage and of course it was soon built on. The Village Hall was thought of in 1935, but it was a job to get money to buy the land. The Committee, consisting of Mr. Foot, Mr. Williams, Mr. Waits and Mr. Brooks, held fetes and parties to raise the cash. Then the war started and of course it was all stopped. After the war, I believe the Playing Fields Association came to the rescue. (This could be checked.) Of course, the later building sites you know, such as Ringwood Park and Greenway. REEMA factory started after the war and Baddesley Ennel about 1949.