The Hardy's of Bordon: A History of a Beloved Local Landmark

The Hardy's of Bordon: A History of a Beloved Local Landmark
From its origins as a cornerstone of community life to its present-day role as a cherished shopping destination, the Hardy's of Bordon has woven itself into the very fabric of this remarkable Hampshire town. This presentation brings together archival research, original primary documents, community memories, wartime history, aerial views, rare photographs, and personal stories to tell the full, rich history of one of Bordon's most enduring presences — explore the full history in the sections below.
Cover image: High Street and Whitehill Road, Bordon, 1912 — the very street where Edward James Hardy would establish Bordon Motors and Dorothy May Hardy's Ladies Outfitter just over a decade later. Source: Woolmer Forest Heritage Society / Bordon Nostalgia community archive.
What You'll Find in This Document
🏛️ Origins & History
The story of Edward James Hardy and the family businesses that gave The Hardy's its name — from the Bordon Motor Garage and D. Hardy Ladies Outfitter of the 1920s–30s, to the Brice family's transformation of the site into a modern shopping centre around 2010. The 1939 Kelly's Directory confirms the full names of the founders: Edward James Hardy (Bordon Motor Garage) and Dorothy May Hardy (Ladies' Outfitter) — a husband-and-wife partnership sharing Tel 18 Bordon. A 1931 Kelly's Directory entry for Walter J. Hardy in Lindford pushes the family's outfitting presence back even further. Most significantly, a newly discovered original conveyance deed dated 9 September 1929 — His Majesty's War Department to Mr Edward James Hardy — confirms the exact founding date of the Hardy's site for the first time.
📸 Rare Archival Photographs
Five user-supplied photographs spanning c.1915? to c.1980s, plus six licensed Alamy photographs and aerial views spanning c.1905 to 2025 — including Deadwater Hill, the Longmoor Military Railway, High Street postcards, Chalet Hill, and a 2025 Google Earth aerial of The Hardy's site with pin marker — a visual record of Bordon High Street across the decades. Including a newly discovered photograph believed to show the Bordon Motor Garage forecourt, c.1929–1930 — possibly the earliest known image of the Hardy's site.
💬 Community Memories
Genuine recollections from Bordon residents spanning the 1930s to the 1990s — sourced from the Francis Frith community archive, local press, and direct contributions. Plus a guide to the archives still waiting to be explored, and a call for your own memories and photographs.
🪖 Military History
How Bordon's identity as a garrison town shaped the High Street — from WW1 mobilisation on 5 August 1914, the Bordon Home Guard (90+ volunteers, 1940), bombs dropped during the Blitz, the Canadian Army's construction of the SEME workshops in 1942, and the Longmoor Military Railway, to the closure of Bordon Camp on 27 June 2015.
🛍️ The Hardy's Today
A full directory of The Hardy's current tenants — 20+ independent businesses across retail, food, beauty, health, professional services and trades — and the story of the Brice family who run it.
📰 In the Press
Thirteen verified press articles from the Bordon Herald, Farnham Herald and Liphook Herald (2010–2026), including six featured clippings — including the story of John and Jayne Brice's 2010 conversion of the building, and the intriguing Joanna Hardy connection.
📋 Sources & References
A full bibliography of all sources used — archival, press, official and photographic — with a transparent note on what remains unconfirmed. Compiled June 2026.
Bordon, HampshireLocal HeritageCommunity History
Table of Contents
This document contains 23 sections. Use the contents below to navigate the full history of The Hardy's of Bordon.
Part One: History & Heritage
01
Setting the Scene — Bordon's history and how The Hardy's fits in
02
The Early Days — Origins and founding of The Hardy's
03
Meet the Landlords — Edward Hardy, the mid-century stewards, and the Brice family
04
Rare Finds — Archival photographs of Bordon High Street, c.1915? to c.1980s
05
Bordon High Street Through the Lens — Aerial and street views across the decades
06
A Visual Timeline of Bordon High Street — Key moments from c.1905 to the present day
07
Stories from the Street — Community memories of Bordon High Street
08
Wartime and Change — How The Hardy's survived Bordon's military era
09
Bricks and Mortar — The architecture and evolution of the building
10
Your Photos — Help us tell the full story
Part Two: The Hardy's Today & Beyond (Sections 11–20)
Continuing from Section 10 above.
11. Keeping the Legacy Alive — Key takeaways and a call for more stories
12. A Possible Connection — The Hardy name in the local press (Joanna Hardy)
13. In the News — The Hardy's as reported by the local press (2010–2026)
14. Bordon's Regeneration — The Hardy's role in the town's transformation
15. Longmoor Military Railway — Bordon's remarkable military heritage line
16. The Hardy's Today — Who's Here Now (the full tenant directory)
17. Independent Retail in the 21st Century — The Hardy's challenge (the retail analysis, Forest Centre, stats)
18. A Living History — Join the project
19. Sources & References — Part 1: Press & Archives
20. Sources & References — Part 2: Official Sources, Images & Research Notes
This is a living document. New research, photographs and community contributions are actively being sought. If you have information to add, please email us at [email protected]
🌐 The Hardy's Bordon — Official Website: www.thehardysbordon.co.uk — Browse the current tenant directory, find out about available units, share your memories and photographs, and stay up to date with news from the centre. Run by John and Jayne Brice, with site operations by Wayne Parsonage, marketing by Joanne Sycamore, and finance by Claire Crumpton.
Setting the Scene: Bordon's History and How the Hardy's Fits In
Bordon is a town in the East Hampshire district, nestled on the edge of the ancient Woolmer Forest. Unlike its neighbours — Alton, Petersfield, and Farnham — Bordon was never a market town. Its growth was driven almost entirely by the military presence at Longmoor Camp and Bordon Camp, established in the late 19th century. This makes its independent retail heritage all the more remarkable.
A Garrison Town, Not a Market Town
Bordon grew rapidly around its military camps, drawing waves of soldiers, families, and civilian workers who needed places to shop, gather, and call home. The High Street developed to serve both military personnel and the growing civilian population. By 1915 — as seen in this archival photograph — early motor cars were already appearing on the High Street alongside the town's first shops. Francis Frith archive photographs from c.1919–1960 document the street's evolution, capturing landmarks such as Clinton & Co Garage (1919), Frisby's Boot Stores (1919), and M.E. Adams Store on Chalet Hill (c.1960).
Where the Hardy's Fits in the Story
The Hardy family businesses — an outfitter and a motor garage — were among the earliest and most prominent civilian commercial enterprises on the High Street, operating alongside local landmarks such as the Palace Cinema. As the military presence eventually wound down — Bordon Garrison closing in 2015 and triggering a major regeneration programme — trusted local institutions became more important than ever.
Located at the heart of Bordon's civilian High Street
Among the earliest established independent businesses in the town
Serving the community through military, post-military, and regeneration eras
A touchstone for generations of local families and residents
The Early Days: Origins and Founding of the Hardy's
Like many beloved local landmarks, the Hardy's began with the ambitions of a single family who saw a need and set about meeting it. The Hardy family established themselves on Bordon High Street during a period of significant growth for the town — and what they built was far more than a single shop.
Dorothy May Hardy (Mrs), Ladies' Outfitter
At the heart of the Hardy family's retail presence on the High Street was Dorothy May Hardy (Mrs) — now confirmed by full name from the 1939 Kelly's Directory — who operated a Ladies' Outfitter, providing clothing and fashion to the wives, families, and civilian workers of this busy garrison town. The "D." in "D. Hardy Ladies Outfitter" stands for Dorothy. In an era when local shops were the lifeblood of a community, a trusted outfitter on the High Street was an essential presence. The Hardy name quickly became synonymous with reliable, personal service.
Edward James Hardy and Bordon Motors
Alongside the outfitting business, Edward James Hardy — his full name now confirmed from the 1939 Kelly's Directory — owned and operated Bordon Motors — also known as the Bordon Motor Garage — which moved into its High Street premises in the late 1920s. With petrol pumps on the forecourt, the garage served a town increasingly dependent on motor transport, catering to military personnel and civilians alike. The garage stood opposite the old military cemetery, which had closed in 1910, and close to the Palace Cinema — right at the social and commercial heart of Bordon.
A Remarkable Dual Presence
The 1937 photograph above tells the story with striking clarity: "D. Hardy Ladies Outfitter" and the "Bordon Motor Garage" with its petrol pumps, standing side by side on the High Street. The 1939 Kelly's Directory confirms that both businesses shared the same telephone number — Tel 18 Bordon — making clear that this was a single, unified family enterprise run by husband and wife. For a small garrison town, this dual commercial presence — fashion retail and the motor trade — was an unusual and thoroughly enterprising combination. The Hardy family had not simply opened a shop; they had woven themselves into the very fabric of Bordon's daily life.
Above: 1937 — D. Hardy Ladies Outfitter and Bordon Motor Garage, High Street, Bordon.
Do you have documents, letters, receipts, or family records relating to the Hardy family businesses? These would be invaluable additions to this history. Please share them by emailing [email protected] or contact the team directly.
🏆 An Extraordinary Discovery: The Original Conveyance Deed
This document, recently brought to light, represents the most significant primary source discovery in this entire research project.
The Conveyance Document, 9 September 1929:
The handwritten text reads:
Dated 9th September 1929.
1642
His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the War Department.
to
Mr Edward James Hardy.
Conveyance
of freehold land at Bordon in the Parish of Whitehill in the County of Southampton.
This is the original legal deed by which Edward James Hardy purchased freehold land at Bordon directly from the War Department on 9 September 1929 — the very land on which he established Bordon Motors. The document confirms:
The exact date the Hardy family acquired the High Street site: 9 September 1929
The land was sold by His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the War Department — the British Army
The buyer is named as Mr Edward James Hardy — confirming his full name
The land is described as being in the Parish of Whitehill in the County of Southampton (Hampshire was historically part of the County of Southampton)
Reference number: 1642
This document perfectly corroborates the SoPSE archive record that 'Bordon Motors moved into its High Street premises in the late 1920s' — and now we know the precise date: 9 September 1929. The War Department was selling off surplus land around the garrison at this time, and Edward James Hardy seized the opportunity to establish his motor garage on the High Street.
This document is of exceptional historical significance. If you have further documents relating to the Hardy family — deeds, receipts, correspondence or photographs — please share them by emailing [email protected]
🗂️ Archival Discovery: The Hardy Family Confirmed — Kelly's Directories 1931 & 1939
Two significant pieces of documentary evidence have now come to light from Kelly's Directories of Hampshire — one of the most reliable contemporary trade directory series of the era — establishing the Hardy family's presence in the Bordon area across nearly a decade.
From Kelly's Directory of Hampshire, 1939 (under BORDON):
"Hardy, Dorothy May (Mrs), ladies' outfitter, High St (Tel 18)"
"Hardy, Edward James, Bordon Motor Garage, High St (Tel 18)"
— Kelly's Directory of Hampshire, 1939 (via headley-village.com/historical/1939dir)
From Kelly's Directory of Hampshire, 1931 (under LINDFORD):
"Hardy, Walter J, outfitter & post office, High Road (Tel 159 Bordon)"
— Kelly's Directory of Hampshire, 1931 (via headley-village.com/historical/1931dir)
The 1939 directory is the most significant confirmation yet of the Hardy family story. It reveals the full names of both business operators: Dorothy May Hardy (Mrs) running the Ladies' Outfitter, and Edward James Hardy running Bordon Motor Garage — both listed on the High Street, and crucially, both sharing the same telephone number: Tel 18 Bordon. This shared number is conclusive evidence that Dorothy and Edward were operating as a husband-and-wife partnership, running two complementary businesses as a single family enterprise.
The 1931 entry for Walter J. Hardy in Lindford — running both an outfitter's and a post office from the High Road, on a Bordon telephone number — represents the earliest confirmed documentary record of a Hardy family member operating an outfitting business in the Bordon area. The Bordon telephone exchange connection suggests close ties to the wider Bordon commercial community. Walter J. Hardy may have been a relative of Edward James Hardy — possibly his father, brother, or another family member — but this connection has not yet been confirmed.
An open question for further research: The precise relationship between Walter J. Hardy (Lindford, 1931) and Edward James Hardy (Bordon, 1939) has not yet been established. Whether Walter was Edward's father, brother, or otherwise related remains unknown. If you have any family records, correspondence, or other documents that might shed light on this, please do get in touch.
Meet the Landlords: The Faces Behind the Hardy's Through the Decades
Behind every great local presence are the people who dedicate their lives to it. The Hardy's Shopping Centre has been shaped by the personalities, decisions, and dedication of its landlords across successive generations. Each era brought different challenges — wartime austerity, post-war reconstruction, the decline of the garrison, and the challenges of modern retail — and each landlord responded in ways that kept the Hardy's not just alive, but meaningful to the community.
Note: No confirmed photographs of the Hardy family landlords have yet been located. If you have photographs of Edward Hardy, the Hardy family, please email us at [email protected]
1
Edward James Hardy: The Founding Generation
Edward James Hardy was the patriarch behind the Hardy family's remarkable dual presence on Bordon High Street. He owned and operated Bordon Motors (also known as the Bordon Motor Garage), purchasing the freehold land from the War Department on 9 September 1929 and establishing Bordon Motors on the High Street. Alongside him, his wife Dorothy May Hardy (Mrs) ran D. Hardy Ladies Outfitter — the "D." in "D. Hardy" standing for Dorothy — with both businesses visible side by side in the celebrated 1937 photograph. The 1939 Kelly's Directory confirms that both businesses shared the same telephone number — Tel 18 Bordon — conclusive evidence that Edward and Dorothy were operating as a husband-and-wife partnership, running two complementary businesses as a single family enterprise. Edward served both the military garrison and the growing civilian population of Bordon, and by all accounts was a hands-on, community-minded operator who knew his customers by name. Stories from long-standing residents speak of a man who was as much a neighbour as a businessman. Further details of his life and legacy are still being uncovered — and your contributions may help complete the picture.
2
The Mid-Century Stewards
As the business passed through the middle decades of the 20th century, successive members of the Hardy family took on the mantle of stewardship. This era saw significant expansion and modernisation — adapting the centre to meet the demands of post-war Britain and a changing retail landscape. The landlords of this period are remembered for balancing commercial pragmatism with the personal touch that had always defined the Hardy's brand.
3
The Brice Family: Modern Era Custodians
The transformation of the Hardy's into the "Shopping Centre | Community Hub | Business Centre" it is today is very much the story of the Brice family. Around 2010, John and Jayne Brice were actively at work converting the building into what the Farnham Herald described as "a complex of shops and offices" — the pivotal moment that gave The Hardy's its current form and identity. Jayne Brice also opened the Old Dairy Coffee Shop at The Hardy's in October 2010, running it until 2021 — a cornerstone business that helped establish the centre's community character from the very beginning.
Today, the centre is a genuinely family-run enterprise with multiple Brice family members actively present and invested. John Brice serves as Business Centre Owner and primary contact for new tenants, while Jayne Brice is confirmed as Joint Owner — with a further family business connection suggested through Orca Clutch (Yard 2), UK-based clutch and flywheel remanufacturers sharing the same contact details. Sam Brice continues to run OSL Promotional Clothing from Shop 4, a business well-known and well-regarded in the town. Lucy Brice operates LB Design Recruitment from Unit 9C — a specialist architectural and design recruitment consultancy bringing over 20 years of industry expertise to the centre. Day-to-day operations are overseen by Wayne Parsonage, who handles site operations and also runs The Dairy Coffee Shop (Shops 5 & 6) and Dashy Balloons (Shop 10) from within the centre itself.
The Brice family's commitment to The Hardy's is not simply that of landlords managing from a distance; they are present, invested, and very much part of the community the centre serves. The Hardy's is, in every sense, their project as much as their property.
Do you have photographs, letters, or personal memories of the Hardy's landlords? Your contributions are at the heart of this living history project. Email us at [email protected]
Rare Finds: Archival Photos, Maps, and Aerial Views of the Hardy's
These rare archival photographs capture the evolution of Bordon High Street from c.1915 to c.1980s, offering an extraordinary visual record of how the town — and the Hardy family's place within it — changed across eight decades. The 1937 image is particularly significant, showing the Hardy family's dual business empire directly: D. Hardy Ladies Outfitter and the Bordon Motor Garage with its petrol pumps, side by side on the High Street in their heyday. Archival records held at Bordon Library (Hampshire Library and Information Service) confirm that Bordon Motors was owned by Edward Hardy. A newly discovered conveyance deed confirms the exact date: Edward James Hardy purchased the freehold land from the War Department on 9 September 1929. A c.1930 photograph in that collection — unique ID: hs-hl-hs6574-i-00-000.jpg — shows the Bordon Motor Garage and the Palace Cinema looking south along the High Street, with the military cemetery opposite the garage (which had closed in 1910).
📷 Image captions — left to right:
1. c.1915 (date as labelled on original photograph) — Bordon High Street showing early motor cars alongside the town's first civilian shops. Note: this date has not been independently verified — the scene appears similar to the c.1929–30 appendix photograph on the Early Days page, and the vehicles visible may be consistent with a later date. Any garage visible predates the Hardy's — Edward James Hardy did not purchase the site until 9 September 1929. Can you help confirm the date?
2. c.1935 — A large crowd gathers on Bordon High Street, possibly for a military parade, civic celebration or royal event. The Hardy family businesses were trading on this same street at this time.
3. 1937 — The most significant image in this collection: D. Hardy Ladies Outfitter (left) and Bordon Motor Garage with petrol pumps (centre), side by side on Bordon High Street. This is the Hardy family's dual business empire at its height — the outfitter run by D. Hardy, and Bordon Motors owned by Edward Hardy, who purchased the freehold land from the War Department on 9 September 1929. (User-supplied photograph)
4. c.1960 — End of Bordon High Street looking towards White Hill. A café is visible on the left. The Hardy family businesses were still trading in this era.
5. c.1980s (labelled '1994') — Bordon High Street showing Bordon Electronics and Minnies. Note: the '1994' date is as labelled on the original framed photograph, but vehicle analysis suggests the photograph may date from the 1980s rather than 1994 — the cars visible appear consistent with late 1970s to mid-1980s British models. The exact date has not been independently verified. Can you help confirm the date?
c.1915?
Bordon High Street in its early years — date as labelled on original photograph but not independently verified. Clinton & Co Garage and other early businesses visible. The Hardy's site was not purchased until 9 September 1929.
1935
A large crowd gathers on Bordon High Street, possibly a parade or civic event
1937
D. Hardy Ladies Outfitter and Bordon Motor Garage with petrol pumps — Edward Hardy's dual business empire on the High Street, established after the 9 September 1929 conveyance deed. The most important image in this collection.
1960
End of High Street looking towards White Hill. A café is visible on the left. The Hardy family businesses were still trading in this era
c.1980s
Bordon Electronics and Minnies visible on the High Street. Labelled '1994' on the original photograph but vehicle analysis suggests c.1980s. Can you help confirm the date? Email us at [email protected]
Do you have more archival photographs, old Ordnance Survey maps, or printed postcards showing Bordon town centre? These would be enormously valuable. Email us at [email protected]
Bordon High Street Through the Lens: Aerial & Street Views
Where the preceding Rare Finds card focuses on five user-supplied archival photographs directly connected to the Hardy family businesses — images that place the family at the centre of the story — this card takes a wider view. Drawing on aerial photography, the Woolmer Forest Heritage Society Facebook community archive, and the celebrated Francis Frith collection, these images show Bordon High Street in its broader geographical and historical context: the streets, rooftops, shopfronts, and skyline within which the Hardy family businesses operated across the decades, and against which The Hardy's shopping centre eventually took shape. Together, the two cards offer both an intimate family record and the wider townscape that surrounds it.
📷 Image Captions
c.1905–1912 — Deadwater Hill, Bordon — a postcard view of Deadwater Hill (now Chalet Hill), showing the corner shop and street scene. The caption on the original reads 'DEADWATER HILL. BORDON.' (ref. S 13208). Licensed from Alamy (ref. ER5E3B).
c.1905–1910 — Longmoor Military Railway — a steam locomotive crossing Station Hill, Bordon, before the First World War. The LMR connected the garrison to the national network from 1903 to 1969. Licensed from Alamy (ref. GM6EGF).
c.1905–1912 — High Street and Whitehill Road, Bordon — a postcard view showing the Refreshments shop, Hairdresser, Cycle shop and other businesses on the left, with horse-drawn transport on the street. The original caption reads 'HIGH STREET AND WHITEHILL ROAD, BORDON.' (ref. S 13212). This is the very street where Edward James Hardy would purchase land and establish Bordon Motors in 1929. Licensed from Alamy (ref. 2C878B3).
c.1950s — Chalet Hill, Bordon — the postcard caption reads 'Chalet Hill, Bordon'. H.J. Wells shop is clearly visible on the left alongside other independent retailers. Chalet Hill was the adjacent shopping street to the Hardy's High Street. Licensed from Alamy (ref. ER5EY2).
Longmoor Station — '1.30 Special' — soldiers packed onto open wagons at Longmoor Station on the Woolmer Instructional Military Railway (W.I.M.R.), the early name for the Longmoor Military Railway. The original caption reads 'Longmoor Station. 1.30 Special.' Licensed from Alamy (ref. JX7115).
c.2000s — High Street / Chalet Hill junction, Bordon — showing the distinctive green-domed corner building (the former Whitehill Club), Coral bookmakers, Fred Chicken Ranch, and Chapplins of Bordon estate agents. This junction of the High Street and Chalet Hill is a well-known Bordon landmark. Licensed from Alamy (ref. WPDM3A).
2025 — Aerial view of The Hardy's, High Street, Bordon — Google Earth, 9 May 2025. The Hardy's complex is visible in the centre-left of the image, with the High Street running diagonally and the Tesco car park visible to the right. Source: Google Earth (earth.google.com)
Full image source attributions are listed on the Sources & References page.
📡 Heliview Aerial Photography — Professional aerial photographs of Bordon were taken by Heliview Aerial Photography on 19 July 2002 and 1 September 2009. These images are held in the Heliview stock library and are available to license at stock.heliview.co.uk — they represent the earliest known professional aerial photographs of the Bordon area and would be a valuable addition to this document. If you have access to these images or can help obtain them, please email us at [email protected]
Many of these images are sourced from the Woolmer Forest Heritage Society Facebook group and the Francis Frith archive. The Francis Frith collection holds 50 photographs of Bordon spanning from 1895 to the 1960s, along with historic maps from 1895, 1897–1909, 1919 and 1940. Visit www.francisfrith.com/bordon to explore the full collection.
📅 A Visual Timeline of Bordon High Street
The photographs in the preceding gallery span over a century of Bordon's history — from the Edwardian garrison town of the early 1900s to the modern High Street of today. The timeline below places them in their broader historical context, tracing the key moments that shaped the street where the Hardy family businesses operated for decades.
1
c.1905
Bordon High Street in its earliest documented form. The garrison is newly established and the first civilian traders appear: Phillips Brothers open a general store at the corner of Chalet Hill and Lynton Road, among the very first civilian businesses in the town.
2
1906
The Bordon Mineral Water Company begins operating from a farmhouse at the bottom of Chalet Hill (then Deadwater Hill), run by Mr Tebbutt. Their motto: "We follow the troops." Later becomes Allen & Lloyd, trading until c.1920.
3
1913
The Electric Palace Cinema opens on the High Street, directly opposite the site where Edward Hardy would later establish Bordon Motors. For six decades it serves as the social heart of civilian life.
4
5 August 1914
The 44th Howitzer Brigade Royal Field Artillery mobilises at Bordon Camp on the very first day of full British mobilisation. On 13 August, the 1st Battalion South Wales Borderers depart for Le Havre — among the first British troops to reach France.
5
9 September 1929
Edward James Hardy purchases freehold land at Bordon from the War Department (conveyance deed ref. 1642) and establishes Bordon Motors on the High Street. Dorothy May Hardy's Ladies Outfitter is also trading — the Hardy family's husband-and-wife business empire confirmed by the 1939 Kelly's Directory.
6
1937–1943
Bordon Council School pupils experience wartime Bordon first-hand, including air raid shelters on the school playing field. The High Street continues to trade through the uncertainty.
7
14 May 1940
Following Anthony Eden's BBC broadcast, over 90 local civilians in Bordon, Whitehill and Blackmoor form a Home Guard unit. Bombs are dropped on Bordon during the Blitz of 1940–41.
8
1942–1944
The Canadian Army builds the SEME workshops at Bordon (1942). Bordon serves as a key staging post for D-Day preparations in June 1944 — troops and war machinery fill the streets. Clothing rationing (introduced June 1941) places the Hardy outfitter trade under strain.
9
1956–1962
Frank Butcher takes over the Bordon Cafe on the High Street, working day and night. By 1962 he appears at Guildford Bankruptcy Court — his account books, he explains, had been "chewed by a litter of nine puppies."
10
1969
The Longmoor Military Railway closes after 66 years of operation, severing the garrison's direct link to the national rail network. A sign of the garrison's slow decline.
11
1973
The Palace Cinema closes after 60 years. Bordon loses one of its great social anchors.
12
1980s onwards
The Forest Centre opens on Pinehill Road, drawing national chains (Boots, Peacocks, Poundstretcher, Lidl, Wilko) and shifting Bordon's retail geography. Independent High Street traders face growing pressure.
13
27 June 2015
Bordon Camp officially closes as REME holds its farewell parade, ending over 100 years of military presence. The Whitehill & Bordon Eco-town regeneration programme is launched — a 20-year, £1 billion transformation.
14
2010s
John and Jayne Brice convert the historic High Street building into The Hardy's Shopping Centre — 20+ independent businesses, a community hub, and a living link to the town's past.
15
June 2021
The Shed opens as the first major feature of the new town centre, attracting over one million visitors in its first five years.
16
2024
The Dairy Coffee & Cake (Wayne & Jean Parsonage) opens at Units 5 & 6 — a new operator continuing the coffee shop tradition at The Hardy's, and a sign that the centre retains its ability to attract new independent businesses.
17
2026–2036
3,350 new homes planned; population projected to grow from ~16,000 to 22,000 by 2030. The Hardy's — one of the few businesses with genuine continuity across the pre- and post-garrison eras — remains a vital community anchor.
The Hardy's of Bordon has served its community across every era shown in this timeline. Continue reading to explore the full history in the sections below.
Stories from the Street: Community Memories of Bordon High Street
The true history of the Hardy's lives not just in ledgers and planning documents, but in the memories of people who visited, worked, and grew up there. Below are genuine recollections gathered from Bordon residents, sourced from the Francis Frith archive (francisfrith.com/bordon/memories), which holds 27 community memories contributed by residents and former residents — a rich complement to the photographic record.
"I Still Remember Frisby's and Lipton's"
A resident who stayed with their grandmother in Varna Road in 1961 recalls: "Many changes have occurred and I still remember Frisby's at the top of the hill, and Lipton's... my cousins still live in Alma Road, I go back just to see it all now and then." Frisby's Boot Stores and Lipton's grocery were key High Street landmarks alongside the Hardy businesses. Source: Francis Frith community memories archive, November 2020.
"The Air Raid Shelters on the Playing Field"
A resident who attended Bordon Council School from 1937 to 1943 recalls the wartime years vividly — including air raid shelters built on the school playing field. A powerful reminder of how close the war came to everyday High Street life, and of a community that kept shopping, trading, and living through it all.
"The Penny Café on the Corner"
A resident recalls the 1960s and 70s: "On this corner there used to be a purple/red tin building which was called The Penny Café. Further down Hogmoor Road was a coach firm run by Mr Brown. He operated the school buses around the villages to take children to Mill Chase, Bordon Junior School in Budds Lane and Bordon Infants School." This informal café culture was the backdrop against which the Hardy businesses thrived. Source: Francis Frith community memories archive, April 2023.
"Lovely Neighbours on Pine Trees"
A REME soldier's family who lived in Bordon in 1964–65 recalls: "We lived on Pine Trees Caravan Park... We had lovely neighbours." The transient but tight-knit military community at Bordon Garrison formed a vital part of the High Street's customer base — and the Hardy's served them with familiarity and care.
"Very Fond Memories of My School Years"
A Mill Chase pupil from 1964–66 recalls: "My father was stationed in Bordon with the REME... Have very fond memories of my school years." For garrison children, the High Street — and places like the Hardy's — provided a sense of permanence that anchored their otherwise mobile lives.
"The Dog Ate My Account Books" — Frank Butcher's Bordon Cafe, 1962
Frank Butcher took over the Bordon Cafe in 1956, working day and night, seven days a week, and acquiring a milk bar on the same street and a mobile tea bar at Broxhead Common. In 1962 he appeared at Guildford Bankruptcy Court. Asked to produce his financial records, he offered an extraordinary explanation: the books had "been kept in a room and had been chewed by a litter of nine puppies." The official receiver, Mr E.C. Sherwood, was unimpressed: "I congratulate you, I have heard some excuses for not producing books before but never that they have been eaten by dogs." Source: Haslemere Herald, 26 April 2025.
"We Follow the Troops" — The Bordon Mineral Water Company
Bordon once had its own mineral water company, operating from a farmhouse at the bottom of Chalet Hill (then Deadwater Hill) from at least 1906, run by Mr Tebbutt. It later became Allen & Lloyd — a chemist selling everything from pills to false teeth — listed in Kelly's Directory as a mineral water manufacturer from 1911 to 1920. Their motto was "We follow the troops", and their bottles have been found near army establishments across southern England. The Woolmer Forest Heritage Society holds postcards of the farmhouse from 1905 and 1910. Source: Alton Herald, 8 August 2023.
Neighbouring Businesses of the Hardy's Era
The Hardy businesses were part of a rich commercial neighbourhood. Verified archive sources confirm the following High Street neighbours across the decades:
Frisby's Boot Stores
High Street, Bordon, 1919. One of England's earliest chain shoe shops, founded by Joseph Frisby (1848–1902) in Leicester in 1871. By 1888 the chain had 300 stores nationally. A photograph is held in the Francis Frith archive (ref. 68813X). The business remained family-owned until sold for £6 million in 1982.
Lipton's Grocery
High Street, Bordon — part of Sir Thomas Lipton's (1848–1931) national grocery chain, founded in Glasgow in 1871 and grown to 300 stores by 1888. Famous for Lipton Tea, sourced from Ceylon plantations. Lipton was knighted in 1898 and is also remembered for five unsuccessful America's Cup challenges.
Clinton & Co Garage
High Street, Bordon, 1919 — a motor garage trading before Edward James Hardy purchased his site in 1929. The Francis Frith archive holds a photograph (ref. 68814X). Clinton & Co were among the earliest motor traders in Bordon, serving the garrison's growing need for transport.
The Penny Café
Junction of Hogmoor Road and Oakhanger Road, opposite Bolley Avenue, 1960s–70s. A distinctive purple/red tin building, now replaced by detached bungalows. Nearby was a coach firm run by Mr Brown, operating school buses to Mill Chase, Bordon Junior School and Bordon Infants School. Source: Francis Frith community memories archive, April 2023.
Macready & Bennett
Hairdressers, Bordon, early 20th century — among the very first civilian businesses on the High Street. Photographs are held at Bordon Library (SoPSE Archive ref. hs-hl-hs6568) and in the Francis Frith collection (ref. B143307, c.1910). Do you know anything about them? Email us at [email protected]
M.E. Adams Store
Chalet Hill, Bordon, c.1960 — a general store adjacent to the Hardy's High Street. The Francis Frith archive holds a photograph (ref. B143036X). General stores like M.E. Adams were the backbone of garrison town life. Do you remember M.E. Adams? Email us at [email protected]
Phillips Brothers
Corner of Chalet Hill and Lynton Road, c.1905–1910. One of Bordon's first civilian traders, Phillips Bros opened a general store during construction of Bordon Camp, then moved to larger purpose-built premises in 1905 — the date visible as a medallion on the building. Two archive photographs exist: Francis Frith (ref. 46600CM, c.1905) and SoPSE Archive (ref. hs-hl-hs6572, c.1910). Source: Smith & Wain, Images of England: Bordon and Whitehill, 1998, p81.
Palace Cinema
High Street, Bordon — built 1913 as the Electric Palace Cinema, directly opposite Edward James Hardy's garage. For six decades the social heart of Bordon's civilian life. Closed end of 1973, then briefly re-opened showing films four days a week with bingo on the other three, before finally closing in the 1980s. The building later reopened as the Majestic Snooker Club. Bordon also had a second cinema: the Empire on Camp Road (converted 1938, Odeon from 1939, closed August 1973). SoPSE Archive ref. hs-hl-hs6565. Sources: SoPSE Archive; Cinema Treasures.
Bordon Mineral Water Co.
Chalet Hill (Deadwater Hill), 1906–c.1920. Founded by Henry Allen, later partnered with Mr Lloyd in 1868. In 1906 run by Mr Tebbutt. Allen & Lloyd had branches in Fleet, Bordon and Aldershot and traded until the 1960s. Motto: 'We follow the troops.' SoPSE Archive ref. hs-hl-hs6573. Source: Bordon Herald, 8 August 2023.
Bordon Cafe
High Street — taken over by Frank Butcher in 1956. He worked day and night, acquiring a milk bar on the same street and a mobile tea bar at Broxhead Common. A decline in service personnel caused earnings to halve; the cafe closed 1960, the milk bar 1961. Total debt reached £3,252 plus four years of unpaid Inland Revenue taxes. Source: Bordon Herald, 26 April 2025.
Church of England Soldiers' & Sailors' Club
Camp Road, Bordon — opened by Princess Alexandra in 1904, having motored from Aldershot. The club had a billiard room, public refreshment bar, devotional room, and a reading and writing room where concerts were held. It stood opposite Quebec Barracks as a vital social hub for off-duty soldiers. SoPSE Archive ref. hs-hl-hs6569. Source: Smith & Wain, Bordon and Whitehill in old picture postcards, 1995, p30.
Do you have memories of the Hardy's, the High Street, or Bordon town centre? Every story adds to the picture — we are actively collecting memories from customers, tenants, employees, and members of the Hardy family. Email us at [email protected]
Wartime and Change: How the Hardy's Survived Bordon's Military Era
Bordon's identity as a garrison town cast a long shadow over every aspect of civilian life — and the Hardy's businesses were no exception. The conveyance deed shown above — dated 9 September 1929 — is a remarkable primary document confirming the exact moment Edward James Hardy purchased the Hardy's site from the War Department, just as the town was entering one of the most turbulent periods in its history. It was on this same street that Dorothy May Hardy's Ladies Outfitter and the Bordon Motor Garage were operating throughout the 1930s and into the turbulent years that followed. The Bordon garrison was a key staging post for amassing war material in the build-up to D-Day in June 1944 — as confirmed by the Farnham Herald (5 June 2024). The town is still dotted with concrete slabs on which tanks and armoured cars were parked during the wartime build-up — physical evidence of Bordon's role as a key military staging post.
Bordon During the World Wars
World War One: On 5 August 1914 — the very first day of full British mobilisation — the 44th Howitzer Brigade Royal Field Artillery mobilised at Bordon Camp. On 13 August 1914, the 1st Battalion South Wales Borderers departed Bordon Camp and sailed to Le Havre with the British Expeditionary Force, among the first British troops to reach France. Bordon's ranges were used for final weapons preparation with live ammunition — rifles, machine guns, Lewis guns, mortars, bombs and explosives — making it a critical last stop before the front.
World War Two: The garrison was confirmed as "a key staging post for amassing war material in the build-up to D-Day in June 1944" (Farnham Herald, 5 June 2024). During the summer of 1944, the build-up of troops and war machinery across the south of England was unmistakable to local civilians — including those shopping on Bordon High Street. The Whitehill Town Council records confirm: "during the two World Wars many hundreds of troops passed through as expeditionary forces and reached a high point in 1944, when Bordon played its part in the preparations for the D-Day landings."
Bordon Home Guard: On 14 May 1940, following Anthony Eden's BBC broadcast calling for Local Defence Volunteers, local civilians in Bordon, Whitehill and Blackmoor formed a Home Guard unit of over 90 men. A photograph of the unit was taken beside the Whitehill Club. The unit included Col Knox, who had been Colonel Commandant Commanding Bordon Garrison in 1923–1926. (Source: Woolmer Forest Heritage Society)
Bombs Over Bordon: During the Battle of Britain and the Blitz (1940–41), a number of bombs were dropped over Bordon. Remarkably, some of these were only discovered during the recent Bordon redevelopment and had to be destroyed by Army Bomb Disposal in controlled detonations on site — a vivid reminder of how close the war came to the town's streets and shops. (Source: Woolmer Forest Heritage Society)
Canadian Army — SEME Workshops: In 1942, the Canadian Army built the SEME (School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering) workshops at Bordon. The cornerstone was laid by General A.C.L. McNaughton, GOC-in-C 1st Canadian Army, and the buildings were constructed by the Royal Canadian Engineers for the Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps. (Source: Woolmer Forest Heritage Society)
Longmoor Camp active from 1903 to 1969
Clothing rationing introduced in Britain: June 1941
Bordon Home Guard formed: 14 May 1940 — over 90 local volunteers
Bombs dropped on Bordon during the Blitz, 1940–41
Bordon was a key D-Day staging post: June 1944
Canadian Army built SEME workshops at Bordon: 1942 (WW2)
Bordon Camp officially closed 27 June 2015, marked by REME's farewell parade
Regeneration programme launched: "Whitehill & Bordon Eco-town"
The Hardy businesses faced particular pressures throughout these years: clothing rationing, introduced in Britain in June 1941, fundamentally altered the outfitter trade, while wartime fuel rationing and the requisitioning of vehicles placed the Motor Garage under severe strain. Longmoor Military Railway, running through the area, connected the camps to the national network and underscored just how thoroughly military logistics shaped everyday life. Through all of this, the Palace Cinema nearby served as a vital morale booster — and the Hardy businesses, like the best of Bordon's traders, adapted and endured.
Post-War Reconstruction and the Garrison Years
The post-war decades brought relative stability, with the garrison continuing to provide a steady base of customers. The Hardy's developed a dual customer base: civilian families who had put down roots, and the ever-changing population of military personnel and their dependants. Adapting to this mixed community — with its distinctive needs and high turnover — required exactly the kind of flexibility and personal service that defined the Hardy family's way of doing business. Despite the pressures of the war years, the Hardy businesses appear to have survived and continued trading, a testament to their resilience and the loyalty of the community around them.
The closure of the garrison in the early 21st century triggered an identity crisis for Bordon — but also a remarkable opportunity. The Whitehill & Bordon Eco-town regeneration programme promised thousands of new homes, new jobs, and a reinvented town centre. For the Hardy's, this presented both a challenge and a chance: to remain relevant to an entirely new generation of residents while honouring the loyal community that had supported the business through decades of war, rationing, and change.
Sources: Wartime Memories Project (wartimememoriesproject.com); Farnham Herald, 5 June 2024 — 'Peeps into the past: Getting ready for D-Day' (Daniel Gee); Whitehill Town Council, Farewell to the Garrison Festival records; Woolmer Forest Heritage Society — woolmerforest.org.uk/Military_History/Home_Guard/ and woolmerforest.org.uk/Military_History/SEME/
Bricks and Mortar: The Architecture and Evolution of the Building
Any building that has served a community for many decades accumulates history in its very fabric — in the materials used, the modifications made, and the signs of use and care that accumulate over time. The 1960 photograph captioned "End of High Street, Bordon, looking towards White Hill" offers a rare glimpse of this streetscape in the post-war era: a café visible on the left, the road stretching towards White Hill, and the commercial character of a working garrison town still very much intact. Francis Frith archive records trace the High Street's changing face from 1919 through to the 1960s — a visual chronicle of a community in constant, quiet transformation.
1
Original Construction
The Hardy family's original buildings on the High Street — the Ladies' Outfitter and the Motor Garage with its distinctive petrol pump forecourt, clearly visible in the 1937 photograph — were typical of 1920s–30s commercial architecture: low-pitched rooflines, open forecourts, and functional brick or timber construction. Built to serve a working garrison community, they were durable and purposeful rather than decorative, entirely in keeping with Hampshire's vernacular commercial building tradition.
2
Mid-Century Modifications
As the business grew, so too did the building. Mid-century modifications expanded retail space and modernised shopfronts in line with the commercial fashions of the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. Facades were updated, internal layouts reconfigured, and facilities improved. These changes, while sometimes obscuring original features, speak to the building's fundamental adaptability — its capacity to reinvent itself while retaining its core identity and purpose on the High Street.
3
Late 20th Century Development
The most significant architectural transformation came as the site evolved from a motor garage and outfitter into a recognisable shopping centre complex. The Hardy's at High Street GU35 0AY now contains multiple retail units — Unit 5, Unit 12, and others — a coherent retail identity that reflects substantial investment in roofing, modernised utilities, and the accessibility improvements demanded by changing legislation and evolving customer expectations. The transition from family-run forecourt to multi-unit centre is itself a remarkable story of commercial evolution.
4
Contemporary Stewardship
In its current form, the Hardy's Shopping Centre balances the demands of modern retail with a genuine respect for its heritage. The building's survival and adaptation across a century of change — from petrol pumps and millinery counters to a thriving local shopping centre — is a testament to its resilience. Sensitive renovation, improved signage, and investment in the public realm all reflect a pride of ownership that is entirely in keeping with the Hardy's heritage and Bordon's community spirit.
1960 — End of High Street, Bordon, looking towards White Hill. The street visible in this photograph is the same one that once fronted the Hardy family's garage forecourt and outfitter's window — a continuity of place, if not of form, that connects the present shopping centre to its earliest origins.
Your Photos: Help Us Tell the Full Story
This section belongs to you — to the Hardy's community, past and present. Every photograph, document, and personal recollection you share helps us build a richer, more complete picture of this remarkable place and the people who made it. Research has already uncovered some extraordinary material in public archives, but the most irreplaceable records are those held in family albums, attic boxes, and personal memories. Please help us fill in the gaps.
Photos Already Contributed
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has shared material so far. Here is a selection of the images already contributed to the project:
Image captions (left to right): 1. Bordon High Street, c.1915? (date as labelled — not independently verified; the scene may be consistent with a later date, possibly c.1929–30). 2. Bordon High Street, c.1935 — a large crowd gathers, possibly for a military parade or civic event. 3. 1937 — Dorothy May Hardy's Ladies Outfitter and Bordon Motor Garage with petrol pumps, side by side on the High Street. The Hardy family's husband-and-wife business empire at its height — confirmed by the 1939 Kelly's Directory (Tel 18 Bordon). 4. Bordon High Street, c.1960 — looking towards White Hill, with a café visible on the left. 5. Bordon High Street, c.1980s (labelled '1994' on the original frame — vehicle analysis suggests the photograph may date from the 1980s rather than 1994; the exact date has not been independently verified). All photographs user-supplied. 6. Bordon High Street, c.1929–1930 — believed to show the area around the Bordon Motor Garage shortly after Edward James Hardy acquired the site via the conveyance deed of 9 September 1929. Note the petrol pumps, early motor vehicles, and the 'Motor Garage' signage on the left. (User-supplied photograph)
What the Archives Have Already Revealed
Research into public collections has uncovered a rich seam of historical material relating to Bordon and the Hardy's site. The following sources have been identified and are being explored:
Hampshire Library and Information Service
Bordon Library holds a photograph (ref: hs-hl-hs6574-i-00-000.jpg) showing Bordon Motor Garage and the Palace Cinema, c.1930 — a remarkable image that may capture the Hardy's forecourt in its earliest commercial form. Also accessible via the SoPSE database at sopse.org.uk.
The Francis Frith Collection
Fifty photographs of Bordon are held in this national archive, including: High Street c.1960, Main Street c.1920, Bordon Camp High Street c.1960, and early images of Clinton & Co Garage (1919), Frisby's Boot Stores (1919), M.E. Adams Store (c.1960), Macready & Bennett Hairdressers (c.1910), and Phillips Brothers (c.1910) — a vivid visual chronicle of the town's commercial life.
The James Bentley Archive
Available at jbarchive.co.uk, this collection of vintage photographs includes High Street Bordon c.1915, Station Road Bordon, and Whitehill Bordon — street-level views that place the Hardy's site in its wider townscape context across the early twentieth century.
Kelly's Directory of Hampshire, 1939
This invaluable trade directory has already been consulted and confirmed the Hardy family entries: Dorothy May Hardy (Mrs), ladies' outfitter, High St (Tel 18) and Edward James Hardy, Bordon Motor Garage, High St (Tel 18) — conclusive evidence of the husband-and-wife partnership at the heart of the Hardy's story. A snapshot of the commercial landscape on the eve of the Second World War.
What We're Still Looking For
Despite what the archives have yielded, there are significant gaps that only the community can fill. If you have any of the following — however fragmentary — please get in touch:
Interior Photographs
We have found no interior photographs of the Hardy's Ladies' Outfitter or the motor garage showroom. Images showing the inside of the shop — counters, stock, fittings, staff at work — would be extraordinarily valuable and are almost certainly held only in private hands.
Business Records and Ephemera
Receipts, invoices, advertisements, or any documents bearing the names D. Hardy or Bordon Motors would help us trace the business's commercial history in detail. Newspaper cuttings, price lists, loyalty cards, and promotional leaflets are all equally welcome — no fragment is too small.
The Hardy Family
We are particularly eager to hear from members of the Hardy family, or anyone with a personal connection to the business. Photographs of the family themselves, biographical details, names, dates, and personal recollections would help us bring the human story of the Hardy's to life in a way that no archive can.
The 1970s, 1980s, and the Transition Years
Photographs of the Hardy's shopping centre during its 1970s and 1980s development are almost entirely absent from our research so far. We are also seeking any documents or memories relating to the transition from garage and outfitter to the multi-unit shopping centre — a pivotal chapter in the building's story that remains largely untold.
All photographs and documents shared with this project will be treated with the utmost care. Originals will be returned promptly; digital copies will be stored securely and used solely for the purposes of this history project. Former employees, tenants, and anyone with memories of working at or visiting the Hardy's are especially warmly invited to contribute. Please email us at [email protected] to share your material, or speak to a member of the project team today.
Keeping the Legacy Alive: Key Takeaways and a Call for More Stories
The Hardy's Shopping Centre is more than a collection of shops — it is a living testament to the enduring power of community, the value of local enterprise, and the importance of places that people can genuinely call their own. As Bordon continues to evolve and grow through its regeneration programme, the Hardy's stands as a bridge between the town's rich past and its exciting future.
🏛️ Heritage Matters
The Hardy's story is part of Bordon's story — and Bordon's story is part of Hampshire's story. Preserving and sharing this history is an act of community pride and an investment in the town's sense of identity. Local landmarks like the Hardy's are irreplaceable; once their stories are lost, they cannot be recovered. Recording this history now, while living memories and physical archives still exist, is both urgent and important.
📣 Your Voice is Vital
This history project depends entirely on community contribution. Official records can tell us what happened; your memories, photographs, and personal stories tell us what it felt like — and that is the more important truth. Whether you shopped at the Hardy's as a child, worked there as a teenager, or managed a unit as a tenant, your perspective is a unique and irreplaceable piece of this puzzle. Please do not assume that someone else will share your story. Share it yourself.
🔮 Looking Forward
The Hardy's Shopping Centre remains open and active — a living, breathing part of Bordon's present as well as its past. Supporting the Hardy's today is an act of faith in local community and independent retail. As the Whitehill & Bordon regeneration brings new residents and new investment to the area, the Hardy's has a vital role to play in welcoming newcomers into the town's traditions while remaining a home for those who have always been here.
"The history of a place is kept alive not by plaques on walls, but by the people who remember it, love it, and choose to pass its stories on."
Share your memories, photographs, and stories — email us at [email protected]
🗞️ Local Press Discovery
A Possible Connection: The Hardy Name in the Local Press
A fascinating discovery in the local press has brought the Hardy name back into the spotlight — and raised an intriguing question: could there be a family connection between Joanna Hardy and the Hardys of Bordon? The Bordon Herald noted her surname is well-known locally in connection with Bordon Motors — but no direct genealogical link has been confirmed by any source.
📰 As reported in the Bordon Herald, 18 February 2024:
"Her surname is well-known locally as the Hardy family once owned Bordon Motors and played a big part in the town's early community."
Joanna Hardy — A World-Renowned Expert
Joanna Hardy (born 9 November 1961) is a jewellery expert of international standing and a familiar face to millions as a regular on the BBC's Antiques Roadshow. Her career spans more than 40 years in the jewellery trade — beginning as a goldsmith, progressing to rough diamond valuer at De Beers (including work in Antwerp), and then to senior jewellery specialist and auctioneer at Sotheby's.
Her professional distinctions are exceptional: she is a Fellow of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and holds the distinction of being a Freeman of the City of London. She is also an accomplished author, having written Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire (Thames & Hudson), among other works.
Educated at Bedales School — the prestigious independent school in nearby Steep, Hampshire — Joanna has spoken publicly about the influence of her father's "hard work ethic" on her remarkable career. Her father John was himself a businessman, and that spirit of diligence and enterprise will feel familiar to anyone who knows the story of the Hardy family's commercial legacy in Bordon — though whether any direct family link exists remains unconfirmed.
Adding another intriguing Hampshire thread: Joanna's godmother was Margaret Biggs — the first woman to pass her FGA (Fellow of the Gemmological Association) exam in 1923 with distinction, and later President of the National Association of Jewellers. Margaret ran Biggs of Farnham — a jewellery shop in nearby Farnham, Surrey — and it was her influence, and the jewellery bench at Bedales School, that first sparked Joanna's passion for the trade. The proximity of Farnham to Bordon — just 8 miles — adds yet another local thread to this fascinating story.
In March 2024, Joanna gave a talk titled "A Sparkling Career: A Woman in a Man's World" at Blackmoor Village Hall on 9 March 2024, in aid of the Friends of St Matthew's — bringing her story, and the Hardy name, back to the heart of the local community.
🏎️ Bordon Motors
The Hardy family operated Bordon Motors from the late 1920s onwards, under Edward James Hardy — a cornerstone of the town's commercial life during its garrison years.
👗 D. Hardy Ladies' Outfitter
The "D." stands for Dorothy — Dorothy May Hardy (Mrs) — confirmed by the 1939 Kelly's Directory. She and her husband Edward James Hardy ran both businesses from the same High Street address, sharing telephone number Tel 18 Bordon.
📰 The Bordon Herald Connection
When the Bordon Herald covered Joanna Hardy's 2024 visit, it explicitly noted that the Hardy surname is well-known locally — a tantalising hint at a possible connection, though one yet to be formally confirmed.
🗺️ Hampshire Roots
Educated at Bedales in Steep, Hampshire, Joanna's roots are firmly in the county — the very landscape that shaped the Hardy family's legacy and the wider Wessex heritage. Joanna's godmother Margaret Biggs ran Biggs of Farnham jewellery shop — just 8 miles from Bordon — and was the first woman to become a Fellow of the Gemmological Association (1923). It was Margaret's influence that first drew Joanna into the jewellery world.
📣 Can You Help Us Confirm the Connection?
The Bordon Herald's observation that the Hardy surname is well-known locally makes Joanna Hardy a fascinating and potentially significant lead in this history project. Whether there is a direct family link between Joanna Hardy and the Hardys of Bordon Motors remains unconfirmed — and this is something we would dearly love to resolve.
We would be delighted to hear from Joanna, or any other members of the Hardy family, who may be able to share photographs, memories, or documents relating to Bordon Motors, D. Hardy Ladies' Outfitter, or the wider Hardy family story in Bordon. If you have any information that might help confirm — or indeed clarify — this connection, please do get in touch.
Email us at [email protected]
🔍 How Likely Is the Connection? A Research Assessment
After extensive research across multiple sources, we can offer an honest assessment of how likely a family connection might be — and crucially, how it could be confirmed.
The Case For a Connection
She grew up attending prep school in Liphook — just 3 miles from Bordon. This is not a coincidence of geography; it suggests her family had roots in this specific corner of Hampshire
She attended Bedales in Steep — another school very close to Bordon
Her godmother ran Biggs of Farnham — just 8 miles from Bordon. Her family's social circle was rooted in this tight Hampshire/Surrey corridor
The Bordon Herald specifically noted the surname connection — local journalists tend to know their patch
Her father John was a businessman. The Bordon Hardy family were also businesspeople. The timeline is plausible: if Edward James Hardy had a son named John born in the 1930s–40s, that son could be Joanna's father
The Case Against
Her father John was in the jukebox and slot machine industry — completely different from motors or outfitting
She was born in London, not Hampshire
No genealogical source has ever confirmed a link
The Bordon Herald article never claims she is related — it only says the surname is locally recognised
Hardy is not an uncommon surname in Hampshire
🗂️ How to Confirm It — The 1939 Register
The single most useful step to confirm or deny this connection would be checking the 1939 National Register — which lists all UK residents on 29 September 1939 — for Edward James Hardy's household at Bordon High Street. If Edward and Dorothy had a son named John born around 1930–1940, the connection to Joanna Hardy (born 1961, father named John) would become very compelling indeed.
The 1939 Register is held at The National Archives (Kew) and is publicly accessible via Findmypast. This is a research task that anyone with access to genealogical records could undertake — and we would be delighted to hear from anyone who does.
Sources: Bordon Herald, 18 February 2024; Wikipedia
In the News: The Hardy's as Reported by the Local Press
The Hardy's and the Hardy family name have appeared in the local press on several occasions — from a 2024 local press story noting that the Hardy surname is well-known locally due to the family's historic role at Bordon Motors, to the community spirit shown when a current Hardy's tenant was targeted by vandals in 2025. Here are the verified press clippings found during research.
Bordon Herald — 18 February 2024
Antiques Roadshow expert Joanna Hardy to give talk at Blackmoor Village Hall
"Her surname is well-known locally as the Hardy family once owned Bordon Motors and played a big part in the town's early community."
Jewellery expert and BBC Antiques Roadshow regular Joanna Hardy — whose surname is well-known locally in connection with the Hardy family's historic role at Bordon Motors, though any direct family connection has not been formally confirmed — gave a talk titled "A Sparkling Career: A Woman in a Man's World" at Blackmoor Village Hall in March 2024. The Bordon Herald noted the Hardy family's historic role in the town's early commercial life. Joanna was educated at Bedales and has 40+ years in the jewellery trade, including roles at De Beers and Sotheby's.
bordonherald.com
Farnham Herald — 15 May 2025
Community rallies round Bordon café owners after vandal attack
Reporter: Marcus McQuilton
"Bordon and Whitehill has recently been struggling with antisocial behaviour but the support we have received has restored our faith in humanity." — Wayne Parsonage, The Dairy Coffee & Cake
The Dairy Coffee & Cake (Unit 5, The Hardy's, High Street) — run by Jean and Wayne Parsonage — had its front window smashed by vandals on 11 May 2025. Jean has lived in Bordon since she was three years old. The community response was overwhelming: tradesmen offered to replace the window free of charge, councillors visited, and new customers came in specifically to show support. The incident highlighted both the challenges facing independent High Street businesses and the remarkable community spirit that surrounds the Hardy's.
farnhamherald.com
Farnham Herald — 8 July 2024
Sweet dreams are made of this as dessert parlour opens in Bordon
Reporter: Paul Ferguson
"It's just something a bit different for Whitehill & Bordon." — Chris Smith, Sweet Choices director
Sweet Choices — offering authentic Italian gelato, luxury milkshakes, crepes and waffles — opened on Bordon High Street in July 2024, with East Hampshire District Council chairman Cllr Catherine Clark cutting the ribbon. The business sits next door to a chippy, positioning itself as a destination for dinner-and-dessert on the High Street. A sign that the Hardy's High Street continues to attract new independent businesses.
farnhamherald.com
Farnham Herald — 1 September 2010
Shopping mall, cafe on the cards
"Sam Brice is already well known in the town because he owns OSL Promotional Clothing, and for the past few months he and his dad John have been converting the building that houses the shop into a complex of shops and offices."
This article documents the pivotal moment when John and Jayne Brice began converting the High Street building into what would become The Hardy's shopping centre complex — with Sam Brice's OSL Clothing as a cornerstone business from the start. Planning permission was being sought for a new shopping mall, café, and Smarter Working Centre on Bordon High Street. Jayne Brice also opened the Old Dairy Coffee Shop at The Hardy's in October 2010, running it until 2021 — a cornerstone business that helped define the centre's character.
farnhamherald.com
Bordon Herald — 6 April 2026
Sound of silence: Heartbreak for couple as Bordon pet shop closes
Reporter: Paul Ferguson
"One bloke came in, saying he had to say goodbye as he's been using us since we were in The Hardys." — Rocky, Crowder's Pets
Crowder's Pets (Kaz and Rocky) closed their Chalet Hill shop in April 2026 after more than a decade in Bordon. The couple originally opened an aquatics shop in The Hardys around 2015 before relocating to Chalet Hill. Their story is a reminder of The Hardy's role as a launchpad for local independent businesses — and of the challenges facing small retailers in the town.
bordonherald.com
Farnham Herald — 2 May 2024
Get on your bike and explore Whitehill and Bordon with free hire from The Shed firm
Reporter: Paul Ferguson
"This is a fantastic opportunity for locals that may not have access to a bike currently to use one and enjoy the benefits of the town developments in and around the Green Loop." — Simon Bush, Cycle Sphere
Cycle Sphere (formerly Unit 2, The Hardy's — by 2024 based at The Shed, Budds Lane), owned by Simon Bush and trading since 2016, partnered with East Hampshire District Council to offer free two-hour bike and e-bike hire to East Hampshire residents, promoting the Whitehill & Bordon Green Loop. The scheme highlighted how Hardy's tenants are actively engaged in the wider community and regeneration of the town. Note: Cycle Sphere has since closed, as confirmed on their website (cyclesphere.co.uk).
farnhamherald.com
These clippings are sourced from the Bordon Herald and Farnham Herald (Tindle Newspapers). For the full articles, visit bordonherald.com and farnhamherald.com
Bordon's Regeneration and the Hardy's Role Today
Few English towns have undergone as dramatic a transformation in the early 21st century as Bordon. The closure of the garrison — which had defined the town's identity, economy, and social structure for well over a century — created both a crisis and an extraordinary opportunity. Bordon Camp officially closed on 27 June 2015, when REME held its farewell parade, marking the end of over 100 years of military presence in the town. The Whitehill & Bordon Eco-town initiative, one of the UK's most ambitious post-military regeneration projects, set out to create a sustainable, connected, and vibrant new community on the foundations of the old garrison town.
Within this regeneration story, the Hardy's Shopping Centre occupies a uniquely important position. It is one of the few businesses with genuine historical continuity across the pre- and post-garrison eras — a familiar name and face in a town that has seen enormous upheaval. For new residents moving into the thousands of new homes being built in Bordon, the Hardy's represents an immediate connection to the town's authentic character: proof that Bordon is not simply a new development, but a real community with history and identity.
Key Regeneration Milestones
🏗️ New Sainsbury's Superstore
Construction began August 2025 with a groundbreaking ceremony in June 2025. The new 16,000 sq ft Sainsbury's store — the cornerstone of the emerging new town centre — is expected to open in October 2026, bringing approximately 75 jobs to the area. A permanent banking hub will move from The Shed to a unit next to the new store.
Sources: EHDC (August 2025); DIO/GOV.UK (June 2025); Bordon Herald (March 2026).
🏠 The Shed — Five Years On
The Shed opened in June 2021 as the first major feature of the new town centre. By June 2026 it celebrated its fifth anniversary, having attracted over one million visitors. Home to around 15 independent businesses, it has been recently upgraded and remains the beating heart of the regeneration.
Source: Bordon Herald, 9 June 2026.
🏘️ New Homes Progress
As of March 2026, 800 homes are occupied out of 2,400 approved, with 3,350 new homes planned in total by 2036. The regeneration project is now at its halfway point, with around 70% of town centre infrastructure complete. The population is projected to grow from approximately 16,000 to 22,000 by 2030.
Source: WBRC Annual Town Assembly, March 2026; whitehillbordon.com.
🏥 Health Hub & Future Plans
A new Health Hub — providing GP and primary care provision — is planned to follow the completion of Sainsbury's. The project is a 20-year, £1 billion transformation programme running to 2036.
Source: Bordon Taskforce, February 2026.
The Hardy's Shopping Centre continues to operate as an active and welcoming retail destination in Bordon town centre — one of the few businesses with genuine historical continuity across the pre- and post-garrison eras. As the new Sainsbury's, Health Hub and town centre take shape around it, The Hardy's remains a vital community anchor. Continue reading to explore the full history, current tenants, and community news in the sections below.
Longmoor Military Railway: The Hardy's Extraordinary Neighbour
No account of Bordon's history — and by extension the history of the Hardy's — would be complete without reference to the Longmoor Military Railway (LMR): one of the most extraordinary pieces of industrial and military heritage in the south of England, and a defining feature of the landscape within which the Hardy's operated for much of the 20th century.
A Railway Like No Other
The Longmoor Military Railway was established in 1903 as a training facility for the Royal Engineers, teaching soldiers the skills needed to build, operate, and maintain railway lines in wartime conditions. At its peak, it comprised over 70 miles of track across the Bordon and Longmoor area — an astonishing engineering achievement hidden within the heathland of East Hampshire. The railway served both a military training function and a practical logistics role, connecting the camps to the national network at Liss and Bentley.
The LMR operated until 1969, when it was closed and the land eventually returned to other uses. Its legacy lives on in the preserved locomotives now held at heritage railways across the UK, and in the memories of the soldiers and civilians who worked alongside it for nearly seven decades.
The Railway and the Hardy's Community
For the civilian community of Bordon — including the customers and staff of the Hardy's — the Longmoor Military Railway was an ever-present feature of daily life. Its engines could be heard and seen from the town; its personnel were part of the social fabric; and its practical role in connecting Bordon to the wider world made it an economic lifeline during the years when private car ownership was limited.
Many of the Hardy's customers during the mid-20th century would have arrived in Bordon — or sent goods away from it — via connections to the LMR network. The railway's closure in 1969 thus represented not just a military decision but a significant change in the social and economic geography of the town that the Hardy's served.
LMR established: 1903
Peak network: over 70 miles of track
Closed: 1969
Heritage locomotives preserved at Watercress Line and other locations
The Hardy's Today: Who's Here Now
The Hardy's Shopping Centre operates in one of the most challenging environments in the history of British retail. The rise of supermarket chains, out-of-town retail parks, and online shopping — accelerated dramatically by the COVID-19 pandemic — have together proved fatal for many independent local shopping centres. That the Hardy's continues to operate and serve its community is a testament to the resilience, adaptability, and genuine community value of the business.
The photograph above, taken in 1994, captures Bordon High Street with "Bordon Electronics" and "Minnies" visible — a snapshot of the independent retail mix that characterised the High Street in the 1990s, and a reminder of how much has changed in three decades.
The Retail Landscape: Then and Now
For much of the late 20th century, the Hardy's complex at High Street, Bordon GU35 0AY sat at the heart of a diverse independent retail scene. Among its most beloved tenants was Russell's Records (Shop 12) — a vinyl record shop stocking approximately 25,000 albums and singles that became a genuine local presence, the kind of specialist retailer that gives the High Street its distinctive character. Today, the centre describes itself as a Shopping Centre | Community Hub | Business Centre — a designation that accurately reflects the remarkable breadth of its current tenant mix, overseen by Business Centre Owner John Brice, Joint Owner Jayne Brice, and Site Operations Manager Wayne Parsonage.
The confirmed current tenants span retail, food, hair and beauty, health and wellbeing, professional services, and trades:
🛍️ Retail & Food
The Dairy Coffee Shop (Shops 5 & 6, Wayne Parsonage) — Mon–Sat 10am–3pm
Russell's Records (Shop 12, Russell & Howard — ~25,000 vinyl albums & singles)
OSL Clothing (Shop 4, Sam Brice) — Mon–Fri 9:30am–5:30pm
Dashy Balloons (Shop 10, Wayne Parsonage)
Homegrown Soaps 'n' Stuff (Shop 13, John & Laura Bartle)
Free Book Exchange in the corridor
💇 Hair & Beauty
Colours Hair & Beauty (Shop 3, Anita — award-winning) — Tue & Fri 9am–5:30pm, Wed & Thu 9am–8pm, Sat 9am–4pm
Jessica Jane Beauty Co (Shop 7, Jess — 5-star, 68 reviews, Beauty Academy)
Jo's Barbers (Shop 11, Joanne Fisher) — Tue, Wed & Fri 10am–5:30pm, Sat 10am–2pm
Paws for Grooming (Shop 14, Karen — NVQ Level 3)
L & E Beauty (Shop 17, Lily & Ellen) — Mon–Sat 9am–6pm
Harleo Clinic (Unit 9D, Bekah — laser hair removal & nail artistry)
🌿 Health & Wellbeing
The Cleansing Room (Shop 9, Lita — colonic hydrotherapy, 5-star, 20 reviews)
Lisa Ellen Holistic Therapies (Unit 9A, Lisa Ellen — The Celestial Method)
Lucy Harris Counselling (Unit 9F, Lucy Harris — Integrative Counsellor & Psychotherapist)
💼 Professional & Trades
Q/Kew Networks PC & Laptop Repairs (Shop 2, Dave Waller — B2B & B2C)
LB Design Recruitment (Unit 9C, Lucy — specialist architectural & design recruitment, 20+ years' expertise)
Ascenza International Ltd (Unit 9E, Joanne Sycamore — international talent sourcing & recruitment)
Eco-Conscious Planet (Unit 9E, under Ascenza International — curated online shop celebrating sustainability and ethical craftsmanship, run by Joanne Sycamore. Web: eco-consciousplanet.co.uk)
OnTrack Heating (Unit 11A, Dave — award-winning Gas Safe engineers, 800+ five-star reviews)
Whitehill Gas Centre (Yard 1 — bottled gas and accessories)
Orca Clutch (Yard 2 — UK-based clutch and flywheel remanufacturers)
🔑 Available Units (as of June 2026)
Shop 1 — Large unit with shower, kitchen, office space, balcony and lower floor. Available to let. Contact John Brice: 07789 481 653 / [email protected]
Shop 8 — Retail unit, available to let
Unit 9B — Office/retail unit, available to let
Close-up aerial view of The Hardy's site, High Street, Bordon, 2025. The Hardy's building complex is clearly visible with its distinctive layout and car park. Source: supplied directly to this project.
🔍 Historical Aerial Views Wanted — A search of the Britain from Above / Aerofilms archive (1919–1953) did not locate specific aerial photographs of Bordon High Street. The Heliview aerial photographs from 2002 and 2009 (held in the document's Aerial & Street Views gallery) remain the earliest known aerial views of the site. If you have access to historical aerial photographs of Bordon High Street from any era, please email us at [email protected]
Independent Retail in the 21st Century: The Hardy's Challenge
The opening of The Forest Centre on Pinehill Road marked a significant shift in Bordon's retail geography. Drawing national chains including Boots, Peacocks, and Poundstretcher — with Lidl and Wilko subsequently establishing themselves nearby — the Forest Centre became the dominant retail facility for much of the town. The Hardy's has responded not by competing on the chains' terms, but by positioning itself as a deliberate contrast: the home of independent, community-focused retail in a landscape increasingly defined by national brands.
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The Supermarket & Chain Challenge
From the 1980s onwards, large supermarkets and national chains drew footfall away from traditional High Street independents. The Forest Centre consolidated this shift locally, offering the convenience of familiar brands under one roof. Independent centres like the Hardy's had to find their competitive ground — and found it in personal service, local knowledge, and community connection.
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The Online Revolution
The explosion of e-commerce through the 2010s and the COVID-19 pandemic presented perhaps the most existential challenge to physical retail in British history. Yet many consumers have since rediscovered the value of local, physical retail — recognising that delayed deliveries and impersonal algorithms cannot replicate the experience of shopping somewhere genuinely rooted in their community.
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The Community Anchor Advantage
The Hardy's greatest competitive advantage is precisely what has always distinguished it: its role as a genuine community anchor. For Bordon residents — particularly older residents, those without cars, and those with a strong sense of local identity — the Hardy's offers something no online retailer or out-of-town superstore can match: a place that is genuinely theirs, staffed by people they know and trust.
The story continues to evolve. The Dairy Coffee & Cake (Wayne & Jean Parsonage, Units 5 & 6) — a new operator continuing the coffee shop tradition established by Jayne Brice's original Old Dairy Coffee Shop (2010–2021) — is a sign that the centre retains its ability to attract new independent businesses and adapt to changing consumer habits. The challenges of the 21st century are real and ongoing, but the Hardy's distinctive identity as the home of independent retail in Bordon remains its most durable asset.
~16K→22K
Bordon Population
Current population of the Whitehill & Bordon area (2011 census: 16,035), projected to grow to 22,000 by 2030 as new homes are completed — representing a major influx of potential new customers for The Hardy's.
3,350
New Homes Planned
New homes planned for the Whitehill & Bordon regeneration area by 2036 — with 800 already occupied as of March 2026. The town's population is projected to grow from ~16,000 to 22,000 by 2030.
A Living History: Join the Project
The story of the Hardy's Shopping Centre is not finished — it is being written every day by the people of Bordon who shop there, work there, and care about what it represents. This presentation is a beginning, not an end: a first attempt to gather and share what is known, and an open invitation to everyone with a connection to the Hardy's to help us make it richer, more complete, and more accurate.
Share Your Photos
Upload your personal and family photographs showing the Hardy's, Bordon town centre, or life in the town across any era. Every image adds to our collective visual record.
Tell Your Story
Write or record a memory, an anecdote, or a personal reflection about the Hardy's. No memory is too small — the richest histories are built from the smallest details.
Share Documents
Receipts, advertisements, newspaper cuttings, maps — any written or printed material connected to the Hardy's or to Bordon's history is welcome. We will scan and return all originals.
Connect the Family
If you are a member of the Hardy family, or know someone who is, please get in touch. Your family's story is at the heart of everything the Hardy's represents, and we would love to hear it.
"A community that knows its history knows itself. The Hardy's of Bordon is not just a shopping centre — it is a mirror in which an entire town can see its own story reflected."
Share your memories, contribute your photographs, and help keep this remarkable story alive for future generations.
The Hardy's Shopping CentreBordon, HampshireEst. 1929
Sources & References — Part 1: Press & Archives
All factual claims in this document are drawn from verified primary sources, archival records, and published press articles. The following references are provided for transparency, further research, and attribution. Where information remains unconfirmed, this is clearly noted — see the caveat below.
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📰 Local Press — Bordon Herald & Farnham Herald (Tindle Newspapers)
Bordon Herald, 18 February 2024 — "Antiques Roadshow expert Joanna Hardy to give talk at Blackmoor Village Hall" — bordonherald.com
Bordon Herald, 6 April 2026 — "Sound of silence: Heartbreak for couple as Bordon pet shop closes" (Paul Ferguson) — bordonherald.com
Farnham Herald, 1 September 2010 — "Shopping mall, cafe on the cards" — farnhamherald.com
Farnham Herald, 8 July 2024 — "Sweet dreams are made of this as dessert parlour opens in Bordon" (Paul Ferguson) — farnhamherald.com
Farnham Herald, 2 May 2024 — "Get on your bike and explore Whitehill and Bordon with free hire from The Shed firm" (Paul Ferguson) — farnhamherald.com
Farnham Herald, 5 June 2024 — "Peeps into the past: Getting ready for D-Day" (Daniel Gee) — confirms Bordon garrison was "a key staging post for amassing war material in the build-up to D-Day in June 1944" — farnhamherald.com
Farnham Herald, 15 May 2025 — "Community rallies round Bordon café owners after vandal attack" (Marcus McQuilton) — farnhamherald.com (also published on bordonherald.com)
Farnham Herald, 15 August 2016 — "Forest Centre plan finally approved" — farnhamherald.com
Farnham Herald, 28 May 2022 — "Planning permission granted for Morrisons, shopping parade, and Mess Hall in Whitehill & Bordon" (Toby Paine) — farnhamherald.com
Farnham Herald, 16 April 2024 — "Sainsbury's to open supermarket in new Bordon town centre after regeneration company ditches Morrisons" — farnhamherald.com
Farnham Herald, 2 July 2025 — "The long farewell: Remembering when REME said goodbye to Bordon, ten years on" (Paul Ferguson) — ten-year anniversary of REME's departure from Bordon on 27 June 2015 — farnhamherald.com
Bordon Herald, 29 July 2025 — "Whitehill and Bordon should have statue to commemorate REME military heritage" (Marcus McQuilton) — reports Whitehill Town Council discussions about a REME sculpture to commemorate the corps' long-standing presence in Bordon — bordonherald.com
Liphook Herald, 18 February 2024 — "Antiques Roadshow expert Joanna Hardy to give talk at Blackmoor Village Hall" — liphookherald.com
Bordon Herald, 26 April 2025 — "Peeps into the Past: Frank Butcher blames puppies for bankruptcy" (Marcus McQuilton) — the story of Frank Butcher's Bordon Cafe on the High Street (1956–1962) and his extraordinary bankruptcy court appearance — bordonherald.com
Alton Herald, 8 August 2023 — "Bordon mineral water business 'followed the troops' before it dried up" (Angie Owens) — the history of the Bordon Mineral Water Company / Allen & Lloyd on Chalet Hill (1906–1920) — altonherald.com
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🏛️ Archival & Library Sources
User-supplied primary documents — Conveyance deed dated 9 September 1929: His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the War Department to Mr Edward James Hardy — Conveyance of freehold land at Bordon in the Parish of Whitehill in the County of Southampton (ref. 1642). This is the original legal deed confirming the exact date Edward James Hardy purchased the Hardy's site. Also: a photograph believed to show the Bordon Motor Garage forecourt, c.1929–1930. Both documents supplied directly to this project.
Hampshire Library and Information Service / SoPSE Archive — Bordon Garage, High Street, Bordon (c.1930 photograph, unique ID: hs-hl-hs6574-i-00-000.jpg). Confirms: "Bordon Motors, owned by Edward Hardy, moved into its High Street premises in the late 1920s." — sopse.org.uk
Francis Frith Collection — 50 photographs of Bordon, Hampshire, spanning c.1895–1960s, including High Street c.1960 (ref. B143038, B143039), Main Street c.1920 (ref. B143301), Village Street 1919 (ref. 68814Y), Clinton & Co Garage 1919 (ref. 68814X) — francisfrith.com/bordon
Francis Frith Community Memories Archive — 27 community memories of Bordon contributed by residents and former residents, including recollections of Frisby's Boot Stores, Lipton's, the Penny Café, and garrison life — francisfrith.com/bordon/memories
Woolmer Forest Heritage Society — Facebook community archive of historic Bordon photographs, including aerial views of Bordon High Street looking towards Whitehill, and Chalet Hill c.1940/50
Kelly's Directory of Hampshire, 1931 — Lists "Hardy, Walter J, outfitter & post office, High Road (Tel 159 Bordon)" under Lindford — the earliest confirmed documentary record of a Hardy family member operating an outfitting business in the Bordon area — headley-village.com/historical/1931dir
Kelly's Directory of Hampshire, 1939 — Lists under BORDON: "Hardy, Dorothy May (Mrs), ladies' outfitter, High St (Tel 18)" and "Hardy, Edward James, Bordon Motor Garage, High St (Tel 18)". Both sharing Tel 18 Bordon confirms they were a husband-and-wife partnership. This is the most significant confirmation of the Hardy family story — revealing Dorothy May Hardy as the "D." in D. Hardy Ladies Outfitter, and confirming Edward James Hardy's full name. — headley-village.com/historical/1939dir
James Bentley Archive (JB Archive) — Vintage photographs of Bordon including High Street c.1915 (ref. HA 3215) and Station Hill c.1915 (ref. HA 5166) — jbarchive.co.uk
Wartime Memories Project — "Bordon Camp in the Great War" — documents WW1 mobilisation at Bordon Camp from 5 August 1914, including the 44th Howitzer Brigade RFA and 1st Battalion South Wales Borderers — wartimememoriesproject.com
Woolmer Forest Heritage Society — Military History pages — Documents the Bordon Home Guard (formed 14 May 1940, 90+ volunteers), WW2 bombs dropped on Bordon, and the Canadian Army's construction of the SEME workshops in 1942 — woolmerforest.org.uk/Military_History/
Cinema Treasures — Palace Cinema, Bordon — confirms the Electric Palace Cinema opened prior to 1914, closed end of 1973, later became the Majestic Snooker Club — cinematreasures.org
Cinema Treasures — Empire Cinema (Camp Cinema), Camp Road, Bordon — confirms the Camp Cinema was converted in 1938 by architect David Evelyn Nye into a 475-seat cinema, operated by County Cinemas then Odeon, closed August 1973 — cinematreasures.org
SoPSE Archive (Hampshire Library and Information Service) — Palace Cinema, High Street, Bordon (c.1920 photograph, unique ID: hs-hl-hs6565-i-00-000.jpg). Confirms: "The cinema was built in 1913 and closed in the 1980s; it is now (2004) a snooker and night club." — sopse.org.uk
Smith, Basil and Wain, Chris. 1998. Images of England: Bordon and Whitehill — referenced for Phillips Brothers Stores (p81) and other Bordon High Street businesses. Published by Tempus Publishing.
Smith, Basil and Wain, Chris. 1995. Bordon and Whitehill in old picture postcards — referenced for the Church of England Soldiers' & Sailors' Club (p30).
Continued on the next page — Official Sources, Image Credits & Research Notes.
Sources & References — Part 2: Official Sources, Images & Research Notes
Continued from Part 1 — Press & Archives.
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📖 Wikipedia & Encyclopaedic Sources
Wikipedia — "Joanna Hardy" — en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joanna_Hardy (birth date, education, career details)
Wikipedia — "Bordon Camp" — en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bordon_Camp (opened 1863, closed 2015)
Wikipedia — "Longmoor Military Railway" — en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longmoor_Military_Railway (established 1903, closed 31 October 1969, 70+ miles of track)
Whitehill Town Council — "Farewell to the Garrison Festival 27 June 2015" — whitehilltowncouncil.gov.uk
2
🌐 Official & Corporate Sources
The Hardy's Bordon — Official website: www.thehardysbordon.co.uk (tenant directory, ownership details, available units — John Brice, Business Centre Owner; Jayne Brice, Joint Owner)
East Hampshire District Council — Planning records and regeneration updates — easthants.gov.uk
Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) / GOV.UK — Sainsbury's groundbreaking, June 2025; construction updates — gov.uk
Whitehill & Bordon Regeneration Company (WBRC) — Regeneration programme updates, Annual Town Assembly March 2026 — whitehillbordon.com
Companies House (UK) — Company registrations at The Hardy's, High Street, Bordon GU35 0AY, including: OSL Promotional Clothing Ltd (Unit 4), The Dairy Coffee Shop Limited (Unit 5), Sweet Choices Ltd (8 High Street), L B Design Recruitment Ltd (Unit 9C), The Dairy (Bordon) Ltd — find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk
Companies House (UK) — Additional recent registrations: Dashy Balloons Limited (Unit 10, incorporated 2 February 2026); The Cleansing Room Limited (Unit 9, incorporated 4 August 2025)
3
🖼️ Image Sources
User-supplied photographs (uploaded directly): Five archival photographs of Bordon High Street 1915–1994, including the 1937 D. Hardy Ladies Outfitter and Bordon Motor Garage image. All cropped, watermark-removed and upscaled for publication.
Cover image — 'High Street and Whitehill Road, Bordon, 1912' — postcard photograph sourced from the Woolmer Forest Heritage Society / Bordon Nostalgia community archive. Watermark removed and upscaled for publication.
Alamy Stock Photography — Six licensed photographs used in the Aerial & Street Views gallery:
- Deadwater Hill, Bordon (ref. ER5E3B) — c.1905–1912 postcard
- Longmoor Military Railway, Station Hill, Bordon (ref. GM6EGF) — c.1905–1910
- High Street and Whitehill Road, Bordon (ref. 2C878B3) — c.1905–1912 postcard, upscaled
- Chalet Hill, Bordon — H.J. Wells shop (ref. ER5EY2) — c.1950s postcard, upscaled
- Longmoor Station '1.30 Special' — W.I.M.R. soldiers on wagons (ref. JX7115)
- High Street / Chalet Hill junction, Bordon — green-domed corner building, Coral, Fred Chicken Ranch, Chapplins (ref. WPDM3A)
All licensed from Alamy (alamy.com)
eBay / Bordon Nostalgia archive — 'High Street and Whitehill Road, Bordon' real photo postcard (posted 1920); 'Bordon High Street, Hampshire' (James Bentley Archive ref. HA 2082). Source: ebay.co.uk
Woolmer Forest Heritage Society Facebook group — Aerial and street-level views of Bordon High Street. Source: facebook.com/groups/WoolmerForestHeritageGroup
Heliview Aerial Photography — Aerial photographs of Bordon, 19 July 2002 and 1 September 2009. Source: stock.heliview.co.uk
Google Earth aerial view — The Hardy's, High Street, Bordon, 9 May 2025. Browser chrome removed and pin marker added. Source: Google Earth (earth.google.com)
User-supplied aerial photograph — Close-up aerial view of The Hardy's site, Bordon High Street, 2025. Source: supplied directly to this project.
Francis Frith Collection — Historic photographs of Bordon. Source: francisfrith.com/bordon
⚠️ Unconfirmed Leads & Research Notes
One significant lead in this document remains unconfirmed: the possible family connection between Joanna Hardy (BBC Antiques Roadshow jewellery expert) and the Hardy family of Bordon Motors. The Bordon Herald (18 February 2024) noted that 'her surname is well-known locally as the Hardy family once owned Bordon Motors and played a big part in the town's early community' — but no source has confirmed a direct family relationship. The most promising next step would be checking the 1939 National Register for Edward James Hardy's household at Bordon High Street (accessible via Findmypast). This is presented as an open question, not a confirmed fact.
This document was researched and compiled in June 2026. It contains 22 sections including a Table of Contents and these two Sources pages. Sources were verified at time of publication. Key discoveries include: the full names of the Hardy family founders confirmed from the 1939 Kelly's Directory (Edward James Hardy and Dorothy May Hardy, husband-and-wife partnership, Tel 18 Bordon); the Joanna Hardy connection remains unconfirmed. The Hardy's Bordon history project is ongoing — if you have additional sources, photographs or documents, please email us at [email protected]