The London and Southampton Railway was first proposed in 1831 and the bill approved by Parliament in 1834 at a cost of £900,000. The section between Basingstoke and Winchester opened on 11 May 1840 – and was the final part of the London and Southampton Railway to be completed. Prior to its construction, all of the traffic between London and Southampton was carried by eight stage coaches, four wagons per week, and one barge weekly on the Basingstoke Canal!
The London and Southampton Railway was first proposed in 1831 and the bill approved by Parliament in 1834 at a cost of £900,000. The section between Basingstoke and Winchester opened on 11 May 1840 – and was the final part of the London and Southampton Railway to be completed. Prior to its construction, all of the traffic between London and Southampton was carried by eight stage coaches, four wagons per week, and one barge weekly on the Basingstoke Canal!
The London and Southampton Railway was first proposed in 1831 and the bill approved by Parliament in 1834 at a cost of £900,000. The section between Basingstoke and Winchester opened on 11 May 1840 – and was the final part of the London and Southampton Railway to be completed. Prior to its construction, all of the traffic between London and Southampton was carried by eight stage coaches, four wagons per week, and one barge weekly on the Basingstoke Canal!
Mabel Burgis
A big 'Thank You' To Richard Kirby (Mabel's nephew) for these great memories of his Aunt.
She definitely was a character!
"It was nice to read Mabel's gravestone is in the church graveyard
'You meant so much to so many'
She was a prolific poetry writer in the style of Pam Ayers, writing poems about the villagers that were usually read out at harvest festivals or church fetes.
She wrote this ditty to celebrate Micheldever winning the trophy for Best Kept Village in Hampshire in 1977. Read Here
Her home at St Cross Cottage was always a place of peace and tranquility that was largely aided by the very soothing, tick-tock of the 17th Century lantern clock that was on the wall by the stairs, which unfortunately, was stolen during a burglary shortly after her death.
As an amusing anecdote, she was always worried about the passage of the pea lorries past her cottage at harvest time as her front porch often got biffed. But there was one occasion that was really memorable! She was doing her keep fit topless in her bedroom (it was graceful exercises raising her arms above her head) when a haywagon with a couple of lads on top stopped by the bedroom window to let a car pass by on the other side of the road.
Aunt Mabel hosted the Sunday schools in her front room, I think as much cake and orange squash was consumed as scriptures were read, and I believe these sugary consumptions ruined many Sunday lunches and peaceful afternoons in the village! "
