Growing up in Aldershot

Aldershot, the home of the British Army

Like many English Army Brats, I grew up in this town.

I was born in the Cambridge Military Hospital. I called Aldershot home, even though we moved around a lot with the military. Wherever my Dad was posted with 1 Para – we would move there for a year or so, then cycle back to Aldershot.

Schools were Talavera Infants, Beaumont Middle and Heron Wood.

Home was in the old Military housing complexes, Willems Park (which used to be near Asda is now) and then Talavera Park (at the top of Barnard Way – the most epic death defying skateboard run down into a busy road LOL)

Willems Park block was army married quarters on Wellington Avenue. It was built about 1964 and demolished in the 1990s, to be replaced by houses again used as married quarters. It was built on the parade grounds of the old cavalry barracks.

By God those housing complexes were grim, but as a kid we had great fun knocking on doors and seeing how far the angry squaddies would chase us when we ran away 😉

The official ALDERSHOT SHOWREEL displays a much glossier version of Aldershot than I remember. PS: It’s (rather unfairly) nicknamed Aldershit for a reason 😉

Thanks for the memory jogger 🙂