Page 19 - br-oct-2021

October 2021 October 2021

The pool is now used by regular groups of scouts, guides and brownies who come OBITUARIES
from the town and all over the New Forest. Regular parties are held at around
6pm. each evening and they were holding their 4 .consequetive birthday party
th
in a row this week. Phil Robbins
It was time for my swim and I enjoyed my Phil or Philip was:
few widths (47 metres!) in the middle of
the pool. Yes, I suppose that the inflatable Husband to Audrey
to the swimming purist may seem a little Partner to Sylvia
garish but if you want to keep a facility
like this you need to cater for everyone Dad to Mike & Will
including the young. On the day I was
there, the sun shone brightly warming the Granddad to Emma, Tristan & Cori
pool to a comfortable 22/23C, positively Brother to Jim
balmy for a sea swimmer.
Uncle to Caroline & Pete
Wetsuits were on hire for those who feel
the cold but for today, none were Friend to many
needed. As I turned after another width, I glanced up and there was the
wonderful sight of the Isle of Wight ferry coming out of Lymington Harbour and Helper to countless
sailing past: just magical! He was born and grew up in a Gloucestershire village – following many
By midday, the pool was already filling up and this despite it being carnival day in Robbins before him.
the town. The kiosk managed by Ollie Packwood was doing a roaring trade. Lido Philip knew how to work - be it in his chosen careers of teaching and
life was really bubbling with time to sit in a deckchair, read a book, eat your computing, or making ends meet with railways, removals or building bits of
sandwich lunch or maybe take a gentle dip. the M4. A work ethic he passed on to his sons and Grandchildren.
I love this pool, the friendly He also knew how to volunteer - running Cubs with Audrey, refereeing rugby,
staff, the jokey lifeguards and organising running and orienteering races, or becoming a guide at
the sense of fun! For just £2.50 Gloucester Cathedral. And in Bere Regis he helped to run Autumn Leaves
you can spend the day here with Sylvia and would happily clear Bere Stream with the wildlife group.
and just relax. I was not
tempted to try the inflatable Sport has always been important to Philip starting out with rugby (scrum half
but the water zorbing looked obviously), hockey, squash, orienteering, road running, hill walking and in his
interesting. A little voice inside 50’s and 60’s gamely taking up sports after his sons – like mountain
me said “Act your age Robert, marathons, fell races, mountain biking and cyclo-cross; all done with
when will you grow up!” to appropriate competitiveness and some success.
which my reply has always
been “Why let the youngsters Another interest was trains; following steam locos
have all the fun! around Britain in the caravan with sons and long
suffering wife, and then with the grandchildren. Later
Bob Holman he was very competitive at bridge and crib; partners
who played the “wrong card” got “The Look”.
Starting married life living in a row of Robbins houses,
family was very important to Philip, and at the same
time taken for granted in the right sense. To his sons

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