Meeting with David Silvester

These are notes taken at a meeting between Peter Reeves, David Silvester and Graham Lawrence on August 4th, 2004 at the Clubhouse.

Jim Silvester who wrote the letter to the Hampshire Chronicle during the Second World War was the grandfather of David Silvester. David's father was Ernest Silvester.

During the war there were 3 Ack-Ack (Anti-Aircraft) gun emplacements near the first green whilst there were another three on the opposite side of Shepherds Farm Lane.  A searchlight was placed in the triangular area betweeen the Kilmeston Road and the Morestead Road by the second tee. There was a Canadian camp to the left hand side of the fifteenth fairway.  Until 2003 there were some Nissen huts there.

During the war the Daily Mail sent an aeroplane to the club --- why??

The Corhampton Estate was inherited by Lt. Col. Robinson who sold it to the Metropolitan Railway Company.  The 6000 acres were sold for £66,000.
In 1946 the club bought the land from Peter Silvester for £500 and the cricket club ceased to share the land.

Rex Chester let the club have a tractor to mow the course and, in return, his son, also called Rex Chester was given life membership of the club.

CB Fry played cricket in 1921 on the Golf Course. Peter Freemantle (wicket keeper) and Peter Pyle played cricket and golf as did others.

Greenkeepers lived in Steynes House which is at the back of the sixth tee.  The greenkeepers were the professionals.

The club house used to be an old railway carriage.

The area of the fifth hole was a ploughed field. Gorse and heather were everywhere and where they were not thistles covered the ground everywhere the sheep grazed..  

A lot of people cycled to the club but the local gentry and middle clas farmers had cars.  Other members were teachers, builders and butchers.

The yew trees stretching from the right of the first fairway to the front of the sixth tee form the parish boundary between Corhampton and Droxford, thus holes 3 and 4 are the only holes completely in Corhampton.

There was a bridle path that ran from outside the clubhouse across the course to the 6th green.  It was diverted to become what is now the Wayfarers Walk.

In 1964 the club was offered all the land to the south of the practice ground, 16th and 12th holes, comprising 40 acres for £16,000.  Dennis Pink was a keen proponent for the purchase but it was decided not to go ahead on the grounds that there was no future for its use.   Dennis left the club and joined Lee-on-Solent.