READERS have sent in their memories of Westbourne after we published a gallery of old pictures of Westbourne last year.

"The suburb was considered as rather posh," said Hugh Ashley who was brought up in Westbourne during the 1950s.

He has fond memories of the Grand Cinema where girls and boys were minors of the ABC club every Saturday morning. The sliding roof frames let air in and smoke out during the intervals.

"Next to the Grand was a record shop selling 45 rpm and 33 rpm records and past the Methodist Church and on the opposite corner of Lanseer Road was the Westminster Bank. Then there was a sweet shop called Gammon's where Mr and Mrs Gammon used to sell homemade chocolates in small crinkly paper wrappings - but we could never have many because of the restrictions of post-war sweet rationing," said Hugh.

There was Fullinger's high-class gentleman's outfitters and nearby was a double-fronted Currys store that sold bicycles as well as radios.

Further along Boots the chemist had a big shop with a very popular extensive lending library and there was a newsagents called Milliner and Hollis. Weston's the bakers was next to the National Provincial Bank with an alleyway by its side.

"On the opposite side of the alley was an enormous hardware and ironmongers shop filled with everything you could ever need run by a couple of men called Sharp. The shop became a Fine Fare supermarket, Westbourne's first supermarket, and later an Iceland store,"

There was a key-cutter and the first self-service Woolworth's which then became a toy shop.

"I remember Mac Fisheries opposite Seamoor Road and at County Gates there was a bus station for Hants and Dorset green buses,"

On the other side of the road was Sainsbury's and across Seamoor Road was Parr's chemist, a Voysey's fresh bread shop and further down was a small branch of Williamson and Treadgold's greengrocers.

Just past the entrance to the Arcade there was a branch of W.H. Smith bookshop, close to Woodley's shoe shop and inside the Arcade were antique shops, Maxted's electrical shop and Don Strike music store.

Opposite the Arcade in Seamoor Road was a fish and chip shop, a post office and a flower shop run by a lady called Ena.

"The biggest shop I remember in Seamoor Road was Robert Jackson's of Piccadilly, a wooden-shelved enormous store covered with tins, bags and pots of everything edible. It was expensive but it was good," said Hugh.

Jean Stevens and her mother moved into a small flat over Andrews the butchers on Poole Road, in 1942 when she was seven while her father was serving in the war. The family stayed there until 1956.

"I attended Netherhall Boarding School in Poole Road as a boarder. I remember Harvey's the cycle shop opposite the flat, the World Stores, Brydon's that sold various cooked meats and fresh chickens, Appleyard's the newsagents where you could get your hair cut at the back of the shop. On the corner of Eldon Place was Cake Craft where my mother worked as manageress for some years. There was also Alfords the dairy where we would buy groceries and fresh milk and Nightingales the sweet shop on the corner of the Arcade", said Jean.

In Seamoor Road there was Scofield's the greengrocers and Kingsnorth's where the aroma of ground coffee could be smelt, Mac Fisheries, the clock and watch repair shop and Drayton's the booksellers and stationers where Jean had her first job.

There was a youth club at Westbourne Methodist Church on the corner of Landseer Road where Jean met her late husband Bernard. She also taught 'little ones' at the Sunday School.

Jacky Sherwood's father Paul Dampier had a barber shop in Seamoor and every Saturday she went with her parents to The Sweet Shop owned by Mr Mariner nearby. They also went to The Grill Restaurant owned by Alf Newell and his wife.

Cormac O 'Byrne said the Ascot Cafe in Seamoor Road was owned by Mr and Mrs Prescott and was always stocked with bread and cakes from Mother's Pride to ensure hotels and guest homes in Alum Chine had enough supplies in the summer.

Peter Sykes of Swanage said Excelsior Motorways Ltd was formed in the 1920s by Walter Maitland. By the 1950s he and his son Vernon had expanded the firm to specialise in coach and air continental tours. Last year Excelsior was bought by Go South Coast.

Sue Thurlow said next to Mrs Gubbins was Flossie's, a smart tea room, and in the basement was a teenagers club-style cafe called Bossies.

"It was very hip. They played a lot of Cat Stevens and we had lots of deep philosophical discussions," said Sue.