SNOPPER`S HOUSING LEGACY

On the one hand, you could say that I have been partly responsible for leaving a trail of destruction behind me. On the other hand, it can equally be argued that in some of the places I have `resided,` my leaving has led to significant improvements in the nation`s housing stock.

For example, the cottage in which I spent most of my boyhood was quite old when we moved in in 1946. It had originally been built in 1735. As soon as we moved out, the cottage, along with the one next door, was snapped up, promptly demolished and the site transformed into the testing facilities for Sir Christopher Cockerill`s hovercraft development. In turn, that facility had its day and the site then gave rise to a `nice` housing development going by the name of `Sir Christopher Court.` The good news is that I am still able to wander through a small park, down to where our back garden ended, and enjoy once more the view across Southampton Water:-

(Erstwhile back garden - please click for full effect)

Next, our brief time at Kidbrooke in south-east London was spent in a rather distinctive art deco pub called the Dover Patrol. Guess what? Yes, it`s now a rather `nice` housing development going by the name of `Dover Patrol` (such originality!) Pity really, as the pub had a good deal of architectural merit, but when did that stand in the way of progress?

("Dover Patrol" - nice)

My next contribution to housing demand took place through my professional career. Almost my last job and arguably the pinnacle of a long and undistinguished career was spent working out of a big shed on a disused airfield - such a claim to fame! The shed is no more and has been replaced by a rather `nice` block of apartments named Guys Court after, I`m sure, Guy Gibson the wartime Air Force hero who commanded the squadron which operated out of the airfield in question.

(Guys Court - nice too!)

I think you must agree that Guys Court is a great improvement on the shed pictured at the top of this page and so my claim to have improved the environment, however involuntarily, in so many places is not without foundation.

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