Since
announcing the chosen name for the former doctors car park area as ‘Vinings
Copse’ I received an interesting and touching letter from one of the
Vining family.
From left to right Father John Vining, Heather, Jennifer, Janet, Andrew and Mother Peggy with Lassie the dog Photograph kindly loaned by Heather Whitham (Vining) photo by Frank Dean, taken approximately 1952
Dear Mr Lewry
North Millers Dale Newsletter
A friend of mine gave me the December
North Millers Dale Newsletter to read the article ‘Historical Aid to
Choice’. I was delighted to read that it was a unanimous decision that
the name for the area of the ‘former doctors surgery car park’
will be the ‘Vinings Copse’.
I am one of the Vinings that grew up at Hiltonbury Farm and when our family
moved on and the Millers Dale was developed nowhere on the Estate was named
after the family although by strange coincidence my Mothers maiden name was
Miller!
My great grandfather came to Hiltonbury Farm in 1887 and our family farmed
there until 1976. Although my parents have sadly passed away the five of us
who grew up at Hiltonbury Farm have many happy and fond memories of our childhood
and growing up in what was then the heart of the countryside. Our youngest
brother was actually born at Hiltonbury Farm in April 1958. In 1947 my father
established the ‘Hiltonbury Pedigree Jersey Herd’. In 1976 we
were offered Velmore Farm , which is situated the other side of Chandlers
Ford, to take on as a tenancy as we were having to move out of Hiltonbury
due to development. I have been at Velmore for 32 years and now about to retire.
My youngest son is taking over Velmore Farm and my eldest son who farms in
Botley has the ‘Hiltonbury Pedigree Jersey Herd’.
As I am about to leave the farm and at the moment in the process of clearing
out the farm house I have found a great many photos, newspaper cuttings and
memorabilia of Hiltonbury Farm so the naming of the copse at Millers Dale
as ‘Vinings Copse’ has come at a very apt time.
I would just like to eliminate the rumours that the Farm House is haunted.
Over the many years we lived at the farm there was never a sign of any ghost!!
When I was a child we only had gas lighting and candle light which was very
creepy but no sign of ghosts!!
On behalf of the family I would like to thank those concerned for naming the area ‘Vinings Copse’ the thought is very much appreciated.
With best wishes
Yours sincerely
Heather