Awbridge pronounced Aybridge, the former Celtic settlement of Abedric meaning abbot’s ridge, belonging to St Peter’s Abbey in Winchester, is located in the picturesque Test valley in Hampshire where the older houses are built from locally-made red Michelmersh brick and handmade clay roof tiles, with later slate and brick Victorian terraces.

“Surrounding the yard's storage area are fourteen acres of field,” Trevor told Salvo in 2016, “which are kept, not for growing produce but simply as a small patch of natural countryside, full of wildlife and beautiful to look at." Romsey Rec was year's ahead of 'rewilding' becoming a thing.

Romsey Reclamation's website at the time had the company environmental policy: 'We have always been committed to reuse and recycling and reclaiming building materials is one of the most effective ways of keeping the negative effects of modern living to a minimum. Brickworks are major polluters of our environment, and reusing bricks and tiles means far less production of harmful gasses, and also means there is a presence maintained in modern developments of old styles of building, and weathered, character heavy materials. The fact that we need reminding of more traditional methods and materials, serves only to reinforce the need for reclaimed products and services, and this section of our site is here to promote and publicise the `Green` option. 

In addition to supplying local and regional builders and developers with reclaimed bricks, reclaimed roof tiles and reclaimed slates, Romsey Rec is a major dealer in reclaimed railway sleepers. “Even though technically there should be many reclaimed UK and Irish railway sleepers available it seems to be becoming harder to find old UK sleepers now, even though the demand from customers is high, so we now have to buy from abroad. The largest quantity we imported was a shipload of 10,000 from eastern Europe into Southampton docks. But we are finding it hard to locate large quantities now,” Mr. Halfacre told us.

In 2010, Romsey Rec became a family concern with Trevor’s wife, Jean, and daughter, Debbie, assisting with paperwork and sales. At the time, aged 65, Trevor was sanguine: “I could sell up, and have had a good offer for the premises, but what would I do? I’m most happy when I am running my salvage business,” he said. He continued to run the business and died aged 82. Trevor Halfacre was a modest community-minded gentleman dealer. Under his stewardship Romsey Reclamation became an early subscriber of Salvo and was also a long-time member of the Salvo Code. 

The funeral of Trevor Halfacre will take place at the historic Romsey Abbey at 2pm on 27th March.

Romsey Abbey, Church Lane, SO51 8EN.