Herald - Issue 420

Page 20 • The HERALD • 10th March 2022 v SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BUSINESSES 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 M. C. HALL LTD 4 Carpentry 4 Fencing 4 Decoration 4 Extensions 4 Kitchens 4 Loft Conversions 4 Bathrooms 4 New Build First Rate Building & Carpentry Work Start to Finish Service • References Available • Fully Insured • 1 year guarantee Free Quotations and Friendly Advice Given Contact mchall126@btinternet.com or call 023 8089 8456 or 07976 937941 Website: www.mchallltd.co.uk NEW FOREST PLUMBING AND MAINTENANCE 24/7 LTD *YOUR LOCAL 24 HOUR EMERGENCY CALL OUT PLUMBER* We provide a wide range of plumbing services, with an established reputation for quality, service and customer satisfaction. www.newforestplumbing247.com Contact us on 07912 092557 or 023 8194 0237 newforestplumbing@yahoo.com THE AMERICAN GI’s WHO NEVER RETURNED TO BROCKENHURST TO COLLECT THEIR PHOTOS by local history enthusiast, Marc Heighway e New Forest was a hive of activity during the Second World War. As well as multiple air elds and to get their photo once Stan had processed his latest batch. Some people never returned to get their photos. But many people did, as Stan had built a reputation as the man to go to if you wanted a photo that could truly capture a moment in time. He had a knack for capturing the personality of his subjects. Recently I was lucky enough to be shown some of these photos taken by Stan Orchard during the 1940’s. One set of photos immediately jumped out at me. It was a collection featuring 3 American GIs posing with local villagers taken on a summer’s day in July 1944. is was the month following D-Day, so perhaps they were on their way to France to support the advance through Europe? I don’t know… yet. Sadly, the Americans never did return to collect their photos from Stan. ankfully though he had noted the date and names of the GIs, just as he did with any photos of passers- by that he took. e names of the American soldiers were Robert Watkins, Albert Williams, and Buck Northington. A few months ago, I managed to track down the grandson of Buck Northington in Alabama, USA. Sadly, Buck had passed away in 2018, so it was too late for him to see the photo of himself taken in 1944. His grandson was amazed to see the photos. He now has treasured images of his beloved grandfather from a period in Buck’s life he’d not seen before. I hope to one day nd relations of the other two American GIs, Robert Watkins and Albert Williams. Whilst it’s likely the two men have also passed away, if their family can see the photos, it would be incredible. Thanks to Tony Johnson for allowing permission to share these photos from his Stan Orchard album. If you have any stories or accounts of WW2 in the New Forest and Waterside, I’d love to hear from you. I’m currently writing a book and planning a local WW2 history exhibition for June of this year. You can email me on: mheighway@hotmail.com. a large bombing range, it was temporary home to thousands of Allied troops. is included American, British, and Canadian soldiers in the lead up to D-Day. Brockenhurst witnessed lots of activity. Local villagers saw soldiers training in nearby woods, plus vehicles and troops of all nationalities passing through. One of those Brockenhurst villagers was a man named Stan Orchard. He founded a bicycle and electrical shop in Burford Lane. As well as serving the local community from his store, he was also a talented photographer. During the 1940’s, Stan would stop passers-by outside his workshop and o er to take their photo. Hundreds of people obliged, and days later they would return Buck is pictured here, sat in the middle of the group. Can you shed any light on the other GIs, Robert Watkins and Albert Williams? EVERY DAY STAMPS ARE CHANGING A letter from Nick Landon, Chief Commercial Officer, Royal Mail Your readers will have seen that our ‘every day’ stamps are changing. We are adding unique barcodes to stamps to pave the way for innovative services for our customers and to enhance the security of the postal service. We are encouraging customers to find and use-up any non-barcoded stamps before 31st January 2023. exchange them for barcoded stamps completely free of charge. Our ‘Swap Out’ scheme will open on 31st March 2022. Customers will be able to print out a form from our website, call our Customer Experience team to ask for one or pick one up from their local Delivery Office’s Customer Service Point. More details about our ‘Swap Out’ scheme will be announced soon, but in the meantime please be assured that all existing stamps remain valid for postage in the usual way. However, if customers are unable to use them up by then, we will