F is for Fine Fun Festive Frippery From Fleet

Not much text as it's about the pictures, and it's only a bit of fun, see what you can find, especially in the images of the bottom shelf, the rabbits aren't clear, but if I tell you it's the Britain's 'family' you'll spot them, and the rat's not in focus but he is there!

This year's theme was to tie the items on the upper shelves to historical places or views of Fleet, while the bottom shelf seems to be reflecting the fact that there's always been an automotive element to the limited 'industry' of Fleet (which is a dormitory town for London commuters) with the - still extant - scrap-yards up the road at Blackbush, the  Northhant's Tyres factory (post-WWII); later a retail-only, specialist and import outfit (I once worked for), the world famous and now defunct County Tractors and the equally 'ex' First Inertia Switch who used to make fuel-safety cut-off valves for Ford of Detroit - where this author also worked for a short time after leaving the Army.

Ken Haynes motorcycles (on the right) where my brother bought his first Honda Goldwing (and sidecar!) in 1982, before he had a full license - hence the sidecar! Both long-gone; Ken Haynes and the bike, not my brother!

The station, now on its third set of buildings; recently completed and the remains of the jetty showing in the pond, the jetty was used by sea-planes and experimental float-planes from the Fleet Air Arm at Farnborough.

County Tractors

I'm sure we'll get another display next year (I think we've had one three-year's running now?), so I'll look out for it and share it with a wider audience!

And Happy New Year to you!