LIPHOOK’S latest development at Silent Garden, off Portsmouth Road, has honoured one of the elder statesman of the parish.

A new road has been named Rudgard Way, after Tony Rudgard, the sports representative for Bramshott and Liphook Parish Council and founder of the annual Village Sport Day.

Railway historian Tony, 92, appeared in Michael Portillo’s TV series two years ago, talking about the role of the railway in World War I. He spoke to Mr Portillo about his father Harold, who played a central role in the organisation of wartime railways.

He was a Lieutenant Colonel with the Royal Engineers, promoted to the rank of Major as superintendent in charge of the Somme narrow gauge railway in 1916.

The railways played a vital role in the Allied victory in the First World War, as they provided much-needed supplies and equipment to the Front.

Mr Rudgard also showed Mr Portillo an original letter sent by his grandfather Edward Rudgard to Harold on the declaration of the Armistice in November 1918.

In the 1950s Tony was working as a railway engineer in the London area and after working for Shell in Mombassa, Kampala, Port Sudan and Jakarta, he settled in Bramshott 47 years ago with his late wife Jean and their family. In 1983, he was honoured to be invited to Buckingham Palace where he received an MBE from the Queen.