Trip back in time

It’s a modest little place, but with special memories.   This is the two-up and two-down end of terrace place where I was brought up in Hampshire. 
Which means that this was home for the first 20 years of my life, until I moved into my own flat above a shop in another town.
But with fond memories of  the small Hampshire town of Alresford, I simply had to make a detour when I was in the town, to discover a touch of nostalgia.  After all,  not only was this place home, I went to both junior and senior school in the town before moving on to another school ten miles away.
I remember the town having two particular claims to fame — it’s annual sheep fair, and as the centre of a watercress growing area.   Watercress, that was sent to London and other markets in huge quantities by train.
These days there is an annual watercress street festival held in the town acknowledges the importance of the industry to the town  — this year’s festival  is on Sunday, May 21 and word is that more than 50 producers of all manner of produce within Hampshire Farmers’ Markets will be there.
Then of course there is the railway, the Mid Hants railway Preservation Society’s Watercress Line which recaptures the age of steam trains and celebrated its 40th anniversary as a heritage railway earlier this month.
When the tiny house was home, I travelled on the railway every day for six years to school, and later to my first job.

Memories are made of this!