h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I lived in Fair Oak for most of my childhood years (4 to 25 in fact) and I still regard it as 'home' - despite not having any family actually living there any more.

Thanks for this article!

Howard Dickins

No problem - thanks for leaving the comment. I have just recently moved away from Fair Oak, and it was a difficult place to leave. Loved it there.

I visited again over the past weekend. Saw a few friends - including a few that I had lost track of entirely. Great place.

So where did you move to after Fair Oak ?

I went back a couple of weekends ago to visit friends and had a night out in the George and then the Noorani restaurant over the road.

We've moved not far from Basingstoke now - mainly because I changed jobs. I was travelling from Fair Oak to Reading and back again every day, and it soon wears thin.

Whereabouts are you now?

I live in Cardiff these days. I often claim to be an economic refugee - since I couldn't afford to buy a house in Fair Oak. (Okay, I probably could now, but not back then.)

I do like Cardiff of course. It's not too big - but does have a lot of the benefits of a capital city. I call it a kind of "Capital Village". (It's much smaller than Southampton, but a tiny bit bigger than Winchester - so it's not really village sized.)

Nonetheless, Fair Oak will *always* be "home" to me; since I lived there from age 4 to age 25.

Howard (Uncle Genghis)

I moved from Fair Oak to Colden Common when I was 6 years old. I remember going to the junior school near the square. I think the headmistress was Mrs Treasure. However, it was a long time ago now so may have it wrong. I was baptised in the Church, and remember sometimes the school held classes in the club house (Royal British Legion?) opposite.

I have very vague memories of the Fair in a field behind the garage. In my time there Mr Price had the shop. My home was in Scotland Close, which had a very nice little copse behind it. Since built on.

I've not been back to visit Fair Oak for many,many years. Sometimes drive through it on the way to somewhere else.

Well some of this sounds familiar.
But there was a Mrs Evans at the primary school when I was there.

I know Scotland Close though and I used to play in those woods too.
(I lived in Bradshaw close - the next one up the hill)

Oh, I still visit the church (St. Thomas) when I'm back in the area. I still have friends that go there.

OK Uncle Gengis. As I said I've only very vague memories of Fair Oak. However I also attended the next school up. I was in Nightingale House, which if I remeber right had a puple colour asits 'house colours'.

Yeah I went to Wyvern too. (And I was in Nightingale.)

Strange I went to Wyvern. Colden Common used to in those days. Teachers I remember were. Mr Blatchford, Head, Mr Saunders, Deputy Head. Mr Morgan, Geography, Mr Bell P/T Mr Mc?, Science (can't think of his surname). I think Mrs (Miss) Anderson was the other Deputy Head. I was there when Wyvern moved to Fair Oak, helping move furniture. But never actually attended the Fair Oak site. Can you imagine what would happen now if pupils helped move school?

Mr Mc.... McLeod! (pronounced McCloud) was the head of physics.
You might also remember Mr Drake (Geography), Mr Legg (History), Mr Rose (French), Mr Hill (English), Mr Griffiths (Art), - I'm just trying to think of the Music teacher's name (always known as Mutton Jeff)

Pupils helping to move a scholl? (it'll never work!)

Thank you I had forgotten some of those names. The only music teacher I can recall the name of was Mr 'Bob' Roberts. There was one before him but the name escapes me. Mr Smout was not only an English teacher in my time but also my form tutor as well towards the end. Mr Bell (Harry) P/T was superceeded by Mr 'Sam' Stevens. Mr 'Tom' Pepper(?) was Technical Drawing teacher (what was the point of that subject?). That's about all I can recall now.