Over 100 people squeezed into Buriton village hall on Saturday September 30th for a trip down memory lane.
The annual local history event attracted visitors from many miles away and provided opportunities for memories to be shared and for new information to be unearthed.
Amongst the main attractions were scores of old photographs of the village’s sports teams, dating back over many decades.
Dozens of visitors contributed to a huge ‘photo wall’ by adding dates and names of the community’s sporting heroes from yesteryear.
It was great to see so many people return to the village where they had shared so many happy times. As well as having fun, meeting up with long lost friends and reminiscing they were able to identify many of the people featured in the old photographs.
Some people met others who they had not seen for over 40 years.
There was also a collection of pictures of the local area taken by Buriton’s own Don Eades. For over 25 years Don took photos for the Petersfield Post and, thanks to a special loan arrangement with the Petersfield Museum, a sample was also available in the exhibition.
More information was also collected for the community’s archives with a series of photos being sent from Sydney, Australia, on the eve of the exhibition and more being brought on the day.
Other information collected included insights into families who had travelled the area shearing sheep, thatching houses and making hurdles. John Anthony from Stubbington recognised his grandfather and great grandfather shearing sheep in one of the displays.
And other visitors were able to add knowledge to their family trees – including descendants of the Hugonin family who had owned the Nursted House Estate in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Copies of all Buriton’s local history books were on sale alongside wide-ranging displays about hop growing and picking; the Buriton and Butser chalk quarries and lime works; the village school; and changes in farming practises around the village.
