Mile Oak Revisited

Better put some names to those faces. Maybe in two years I can make it. Lynne in Idaho.

Dear Jennifer
I attempted to answer Lynne from Idao with names, but have not seen it published, so guess I had messed up. It was a wonderful pleasure meeting you and your husband, after so long being connected via internet. Thank you again for Tony. We hope the three of you will join us when we get together in two years. Thank you for organizing the meeting with the Mayor. That was the icing on the cake.
My friend Julie Christmas Lay, who knows Carol well, has an interesting family background. Her father worked on the orginial bungalows of Mile Oak as a plumber and was invited to select which one he wanted. He chose one with pine trees behind it, in Stanley Ave. Although at that time there was a row of pine trees, the length of Stanley Ave., number 45 is the only one still with pine trees. These trees are now protected. Many years ago when a terrible storm went through Brighton, Julie's mother Phyllis fought for her trees, when back door neighbors wanted them cut down. The present owner is a tree preservist, who told Julie and her sisters on July 27th he had placed a preservation order on the trees. Julie explained that her mother had also done this, many years ago, and there had been an article in the local paper re her mother's fight for the trees. Thought you might find that interesting. Again thank you and thank you for the link. I am sitting out the down graded tropical storm, thank goodness not the hurricane predicted.

My memories of Mile Oak are from the mid fifties when together with my friend Patrick Maher we used to escort two young ladies home on the 15B. He later married Margaret Greenfield who lived with her family in Beechers Road and Marion Ditton who lived in the corner house in Foxhunter Road and married someone else. In those days Chalky Lane was just that and the Mile Oak Road was very dark and narrow. Very little developement had taken place and it was fields up through the valley. Although it isn't in Mile Oak we often used to meet in the milk bar just down from Portslade station on the west side.

Bonny sent me an email having seen the comment posted by David Smart. Thought he would like to know wheels have turned a complete circle and I am now living back in Foxhunters Road! I Well remember Margaret and Patrick - hopefully will bump into them some time.

Hi Marian, what a surprise! Are you in your mum's old house? Pat and Mags were living in Shoreham the last time I saw them and her sister Beryl is living in Hangleton quite near to me. I haven't moved very far over the years as you can see. I have an address for Pat and Mags if you want it.

Hi David
Yes - back in mum's bungalow although  it doesn't look much the same inside as we had it extended so Pete (my husband) and myself could move in to look after her. Hopefully there will be another Mile Oak reunion next year which I will be able to attend as I had a broken ankle last year.

I lived at 62 St Andrews Road, Portslade and attended Mile Oak Secondary School 1944/45. I was a member of the 1st Portslade Girls Brigade. I would love to hear from anyone. We migrated to Australia in January 1950; my mum Cicely Hollands, dad Don Freemantle, brother Roger and sister Diane. I was 17 years old when we left and I left many friends behind. I would love contact from anyone.  I am now a mum to 2 sons and 2 daughters, and have 4 grandsons and 5 granddaughters, 2 great granddaughters and 3 great grandsons. My husband is Alan. Anyone out there would like to contact me, I love writing and emailing.

[Editor's note: Due to the restrictions of the UK Data Protection Act email addresses are hidden from public view - the exception is if an email address appears within the body of the message, in which case it is seen as 'permission to be made public' and will be published.]

Does anyone know Elizabeth Peel of Portslade? She would have been born about 1944,45 and worked at Forfars Office, Church Rd, Hove when she left school. We were very good friends and she was our bridesmaid in 1962 at St Johns Church, Hove. We lost contact over the years and I would love to make contact with her. I would appreciate any information. Thanks

I recall Elizabeth Peel in my grade at the girls school. Marion did you have relatives who taught dancing at the Abinger Road Hall in the early 50s and/or related to Hilary Upton who lived in Beechers Road Mile Oak?

For those interested in the forthcoming reunion this year (2010) details can be found on this web site under Areas/Mile Oak/Introduction to Mile Oak/From sheep farming to 'infills' - see the comment near the bottom of the page.

Hi-Simon Bailey here, son of Sam and Betty Bailey. We lived in Oakdene Gardens from 1961. I have just published a website - www.thosetwowords.com - to say thank you to those people who have shaped my life in some way. I have included quite a few people from the Mile Oak days. Please do take a look and let me know if you have any memories toadd. Also, I'd love to have any photographs of Dr Dart the local GP, David Martin geography teacher at Portslade School and any photos of the day Margaret Thatcher opened Portslade school in 1973.