Verdun Thomas Street
1916 – 2014
Born on 6th January 1916 at Cuffnells Farm, Bank, Lyndhurst, Hampshire the midwife called Nurse Clutterbuck said to his mother “name him after the town of Verdun” as Verdun was a town in France which was under siege by the German army at the time.
Cuffnells Farm, Bank was on the Estate where Alice in Wonderland lived (Alice Hargreaves). One day Verdun was picking wild primroses and Alice came up to him and told him off and said” they are not yours to pick”. He went to Emery Down School and then on to Lyndhurst School. He came from a poor farming family but a happy one, he was one of seven children. His dad Frederick Charles Street worked as a carter on the farm for tenant farmer Mr Brown.
At fourteen he started work at Davies Chemist shop in Lyndhurst High Street and earned twelve shillings a week. Then he worked for farmer Brown back at Cuffnells Farm delivering milk by horse and cart around the village.
Verdun was known as Jack Street who was a part time professional boxer and also worked at Tile Barn Farm Brockenhurst breaking in New Forest ponies for riding and driving where he first saw his wife Kathleen Hawker on her bike coming back from the village. On the 3rd of June 1939 Jack and Kathleen were married. At that time Jack was living at Waters Green, Brockenhurst. Kathleen was one of four children and her family lived at Dilton, Brockenhurst.
Jack joined the army in 1941 and served with the 15th Scottish Division until his discharge in Germany in 1946. He was an ambulance driver during part of his time in the war and we have a wonderful photograph of Jack outside the ambulance with a group of German war prisoners. His wife had to look after two of his children (Margaret & Jack) while he was away at war. He later had one more child called Marion and lived in a small cottage at Dilton called Ivy Cottage which is still there today. At a later stage he had a new home built in the garden.
He worked for a short time after the war for the Forestry Commission with his brother Albert who lived at Fathersfield, Brockenhurst. During his time at Dilton is where he found his love for gardening which lasted throughout his life and became his great passion along with football. Jack worked at Esso Refinery at Fawley as a gauger where he was known as Vic Street and was in their cricket team. He mainly worked nightshifts and carried out his tree business called Street Bros during the day. He was at Esso approximately 17 years. During those years he entered many local garden and vegetable shows including Beaulieu which banned him for three years to give others a chance to win, which he thought was fair. He has numerous cups and medals for his achievements and in 1983 he won the gardener of the year central southern region for the Gardening News. It was the garden at Mill Lane, Brockenhurst he entered into the competition which was very pretty and had an immaculate lawn, and coaches would often slow down so the passengers could see the lovely garden.
Brian Parker one of his Grandsons started his tree felling business in 1984 and in 1987 merged with his Granddad to form Street & Parker tree surgeons which is still going strong today. In 1993 his wife Kathleen sadly passed away peacefully at their home Jacmar Cottage, Mill Lane, Brockenhurst.
Jack moved in with his grandson Brian and wife Sharon in Hordle where he carried on with his love of gardening. He spent 17 years living with us and has enjoyed seeing his great grand children grow up and we all as family were spoilt by his love and generous nature and most of all his fresh vegetables. He always believed in hard work and eating vegetables which is why he stayed fit and healthy right up to the last two weeks of his life.
Jack left behind his two daughters Margaret, Marion, and his son Jack who also went into the tree and gardening business. Now helps out his son Andrew Street in the same job.
Jack had 8 grandchildren of whom four are running their own tree and gardening businesses.
Jack had 7 great grandchildren.
A very special person who will always be in in our hearts.
– Sharon Parker