Hello,
I am writing to say a big thank you for your wonderful web site. I had a great time going down memory lane tonight, and what I found so special was being able to see the grave stones for many of my family members (Allens and Dances).
I was born in Emsworth but lived from about day 3 on the Island until we moved to London when I was 14. So I went first to Hayling Primary School (Havant / Kings Roads), then onto Hayling Secondary School (Church Road). It is my understanding I was baptised at St Mary's and used to be in the choir in my younger days.
My family are long time members of the Island and since your last update my grandmother has joined her son and husband, and grandaughter (Wendy died at 6 years old of Polio in 1969) in the grave yard as has my Uncle Bob (Dance), with his young son John, who died when he was about 6 of polio in the 1940's.
I still have family members living on the Island, Uncle Roger, a loveable rogue and his family, they live in the Church Road area and in fact until just a few years ago lived in the house I lived in until moving to London (92 Church Road, on the roundabout) - my Auntie Sylvia still lives in Rest-a-wyle Avenue (wife of Dougie Allen who in his later years rode around the island in his motorised wheelchair with the numberplate Dougie 1) - he now lays to rest with his 6 year old daughter Wendy/ Other family members are the Dance Family - they live in Elm Grove, and Edith Dance is my foster mother and still remains as close to me as any real mother could.
I used to go to Brownies in the Church hall opposite St Mary's and in summertime used to spend all my time on my bicycle riding around the Island or riding on my friend Janets donkey's (Peter and Paul) - Janet is a member of the Barrett family, they too lived in Church Road and her grandfather and grandmother also reside in St Marys. Janet's mother and father were both teachers. They would be in their early 70's now.
I still, as you may guess, have extremely fond memories of my time living on the Island and it shall always remain a very special place to me and one which I look forward to visiting again soon. I now live in Australia and have done so for the past 13.5 years, in a place called Townsville which is in North Queensland, so the weather and terrain is obviously very different. But remembering those old wonderful words 'there is no place like home', and that is what Hayling Island is and always shall be to me.
I wish you and the congregation of St Mary's all the very best of luck, wishes and happiness for the continued good work that you all do.
Thank you for your time in reading this.
Best regards
Val France (Valerie Margaret 24/03/60 - daugher of Henrientta France (Nee Allen))