Herald - Issue 411

Page 26 • The HERALD • 26th August 2021 v SAY YOU SAW IT IN THE HERALD v FREE ESTIMATES • 10 YEAR GUARANTEE HYTHE: office.atlaswindows@gmail.com FAX/PHONE 023 8084 0441 Unit 2, Hardley Ind Est, Southampton ESTABLISHED FOR 30 YEARS THE LOCAL WINDOW COMPANY WITH THE BIG REPUTATION SUPPLY & INSTALL • Windows • Porches • Conservatories in PVCu • Doors • Choice of Colours & Woodgrain HANNAH’S ELECTRICS Your Local Female Electrician NEED AN ELECTRICIAN? From simple upgrades to complete house re-wiring - and everything in-between, Hannah’s Electrics is the perfect choice. A trusted tradeswoman with sensible rates covering Southampton, New Forest & Waterside areas CONTACT HANNAH 07585 778136 W: www.hannahs-electrics.co.uk • E: hannahelectrics@gmail.com Like us on Facebook MR SWEEP THE CHIMNEY SWEEP keep it clean - keep it safer Open fires, wood burners, stoves etc. Both private and commercial properties Member of the Guild of Master Sweeps Tel: 07971 280906 www.mrsweeplymington.com email: mrsweeplymington@gmail.com 38 Bath Road, Lymington SO41 3SB Ogilvy Property Services • Painting & Decorating • Kitchens & Bathrooms Supplied and Fitted • Tiling Walls/Floors • Plumbing • General Property Maintenance • Prompt & Free Quotes • No Job Too Small Tel: 023 8087 1187 Mobile: 07786 960101 www.ogilvypropertyservices.co.uk Tales from the Graveyard of All Saints’ Church, Fawley Written by Patricia Hedley-Goddard, Churchyard Archivist for the ancient parish church of All Saints’, Fawley There has been a church at Fawley since 971 A.D. and the graveyard contains over 3,500 known souls within it. Over the next few months, I will be writing up the stories of some of the people buried within the churchyard, many with living relatives who have so kindly contributed to these short histories. ALFRED ‘POPEYE’ HYLAND On the south east side of the churchyard stands a memorial to Alfred ‘Popeye’ Hyland, plus other members of his family. It is believed that Alfred was born in Catford, Lewisham, on the 23rd July 1905. By 1939 he was living in the Fawley/ Black eld area at 13 Newlands Close with his wife Nellie Florence (nee Gird) whom he married in July 1926, and with their rst two children, Alice and William. Sadly, William died aged 13, and is also buried in All Saint’s Church, Fawley. In 1937, while working at AGWI re nery, before it became ESSO, he visited Bertram Mills Circus which was visiting Southampton. Cyril Mills was so impressed with ‘Popeye’s’ funny faces that he o ered him a 2 year contract to appear as a side show at the circus. e wage was twice that of what he was earning at AGWI (£4.10s) a week. Rescue. He was a familiar sight going round with a charity bucket collecting for these causes. His nickname ‘Popeye’ came about because he did much of his charity work dressed as ‘Popeye’. He had made himself papier maché muscles for his arms (complete with ‘tattooed anchors’), and wore a ‘Popeye’ out t complete with hat and pipe. Additionally he had wonderfully mobile facial features and could screw his face up into ‘Popeye’ expressions, much to the delight of local children. In 1973 he entered a BBC contest and was declared uno cial face-pulling champion of England. For the ‘Black eld and Langley Carnival’ he made fabulous, large papier maché heads of di erent characters, for people to wear, and for the children’s school fete. He was a truly lovely, kind, ‘community’ person. At that time the local carnival was one of the highlights of the year. It used to start at the Forest Home Pub at Hardley, and process to either a eld in Black eld or Langley, or the recreation ground in ornbury Avenue. Some of the oats were stored at Mopley Farm, and others, from the local enterprises, used to decorate their carts or lorries especially for the carnival. ere was a carnival queen and her attendants, marching bands, clowns and dancing. A good old fashioned local carnival. One year he had set up a bon re for November 5th in the eld opposite Newlands Close (it now has a escaped and fell into the box of reworks and the whole lot exploded onto the ground. For the local children, he would set up a screen (probably an old sheet) on his front room wall, sit all the local children cross legged on the oor and show them lms… a rare treat. At the end of Newlands Close, at that time (1940’s-1950’s), there was a Nissan hut. He would cover it with a sheet and used it as a ‘family cinema’ for the adults in the evening. He would project lms of TT races and other subjects on to the side of the hut from his projector set up in his bedroom nearby window. His next door neighbour at that time told me that she and the other children in the street, who were supposed to be in bed asleep, used to creep into a front bedroom and peep out of their window to watch the exciting lms. is enterprising man sometimes made lead model soldiers, which were very popular at the time. He would work in his back garden, melting down the lead and pouring it into little moulds. In later years Alfred worked at Lepe Beach as a car park attendant, and also as an attendant at Southampton Swimming Baths, where he used to entertain the children and keep them in good order. Alfred died in Lymington In rmary in December 1983 aged 79, and was buried in All Saint’s Church, Fawley, in a family grave. With grateful thanks to June Barnes and Joan bungalow built on the site). Somehow a spark In 1939 he is recorded as working as a camou age brush hand for the RAF. During WW2 he was employed as a reman by Southampton Fire Service, and then later on, he worked as a ‘bucket boy’ for ornycro ’s shipyard, looking a er the braziers. ‘Popeye’ was a colourful character and dedicated much of his life involved in local charity work especially for the Calshot Lifeboat, RNLI and the Air Sea The unofficial face-pulling champion of England, Alfred ‘Popeye’ Hyland Continued on page 27