Wishing you were here with us.
Thinking of you & sending you all my love.
Love you to the moon. XX
Keith was born in Southampton on the 24th of August 1927 in Briton Street. I remember my nan (his mum) telling me about when she was in labour with Dad she saw a spider up in the corner of the room, she said it was a noisy spider and had hob nail boots on. lol She said when it moved it was so noisy. Dad lived in what is known as the Chapel area of town till he was about 2 years of age and then moved to Millbrook living on what is now Millbrook Roundabout, From there he lived in Honeysuckle Road till he married Hazel Soper in 1949. He attended the school at the top of his street and was a little rascal. He had regular "wars" with boys from adjoining estates, I recall him telling me of a battle when he and his brother Donald, a cousin whose name l cannot remember and several freinds kidnapped a rival gang member and decided to make a point by catapaulting the poor boy across a field, They bent a sapling, secured it to the ground then tied their captive to it. After asking the boy where his gangs treasure was and other questions he refused to answer they cut the rope and the poor child was shot into the air. The boy was fine despite a few bruises and hurt pride dad told me. Nowadays such rough play would not be tolerated but my dad and my uncle told me it was normal in those days. All these "battles" took place in what is known as Daisy Dip. A hill/ dip in Daisy Road, The area was known as the flower gardens as all roads are named after flowers.