26 November 2025

Cuckoo Bushes Hall was filled on Saturday afternoon as residents gathered for a pair of captivating history talks that shed light on both global and local events from the Second World War.

 

The afternoon began at 2:00pm with an evocative presentation by Richard Hodgkinson, who shared the remarkable wartime experiences of his father, a sea plane pilot during WW2.

An audience of around 100 people listened as Richard recounted stories taken from his father’s book, describing patrols flown from RAF Mount Batten in Plymouth in 1940. Accompanied by a detailed PowerPoint and archive video footage, the talk offered a vivid glimpse into the challenges and bravery of those who served on flying boats during the war.

Richard’s visit also helped raise funds for Solent Sky Museum in Southampton and the Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre, two organisations dedicated to preserving aviation history.

You can watch the whole presentation at: https://youtu.be/ZMze_FY_Kmo?si=ZFaXiv2-DN3ozg2C

At 3:45pm, the hall welcomed an additional 60 people for a moving presentation on the Polish Dependants’ Hostel, once located on what is now Hiltingbury Recreation Ground.

The session, led with a short introduction and a film produced by Eastleigh Borough Council, explored the arrival of Polish families in the area following the devastation of the Second World War. Many had been displaced, subjected to forced labour, or separated from their homes, and the UK became a vital refuge.

From 1946 until the mid 1950’s, the Hiltingbury hostel offered shelter, community, and a new beginning for those rebuilding their lives—an important part of local history that many residents were hearing about for the first time.