TUCKED away from the heavy traffic of the M27 motorway and the busy A27 is a special place, a haven of peace, history and strong village pride that is Bursledon.

It will always be an important place to me as it was here, now 50 or so years ago, I spent my early days, growing up in and around the village.

Like many other local families my grandfathers were in farming and boat building, which have always been two of the mainstays of the area. My first school was in a room under the village hall and the big day of the year was the funfair and fireworks of the annual regatta.

Of course, there have been many changes over the years. The Swan is now gone and replaced by a block of flats, horses and carts no longer take strawberries to the railway station and today the river, with its hundreds of yachts and motor cruisers, bears little or no resemblance to the 1950s but, fundamentally, Bursledon is still much the same.

Quiet lanes, a centuries-old church, tranquil views across meadows to the River Hamble, picture-postcard homes and a fair share of welcoming pubs all go to make up Bursledon's unique atmosphere.

Unlike many other places these days there is still a determined feeling of identity about Bursledon. The village hall remains a focal point and an enthusiastic group of residents make sure the heritage and history is actively promoted and not forgotten.

An example of this is the publication of a 2003 calendar featuring photographs of Bursledon taken by a local family in the 19th century.

Even the story of how the calendar came about goes to show the continuing interest there is in Bursledon's past.

When Molly Julian's car broke down in Bursledon, by a strange chance it chose just the right place.

Mrs Julian went up the drive of a nearby house to seek help and there met Felix Neville-Towle, who was once the churchwarden at St Leonard's in the village.

The reason for the visit by Mrs Julian, who then lived in Lymington but who has since moved to New Zealand, was to return a photograph album which had been in the possession of her family from the time the photos were taken more than 100 years earlier.

Mrs Julian was the daughter of a former vicar of Bursledon and her grandmother, Florence Spencer, had been cook for a well-known local figure, Mrs Emmeline Shawe-Storey, whose family took the photographs which now make up the calendar.

Mrs Shawe-Storey, who died in 1937, had a love for chimneys and was responsible for the elaborate brickwork still to be seen in the village.

Bursledon can trace its history back into the mists of time and its name has been recorded in many different ways such as Brixenden, Burtlesden, Bristelden and Bussleton, in addition to the 12th century Brixedone.

According to local historians, bad roads and no bridge, until 1880, meant that the river was the main highway and sailing ships carrying cargo moored in the deep water off the Jolly Sailor, now one of the village's best-known pubs.

During the Second World War Bursledon's boatyards worked for the Royal Navy and there was a military base in the Upper Hamble woods, from where landing craft operated.

In recent years Bursledon has become one of the country's main boating meccas with many marinas, chandlers and suppliers based on the river.

For more information about the calendar contact the Friends of Bursledon Village Hall, telephone 023 8040 2286.