Story 14 from Adrian Grover

Adrian (Grover)

Story 14

I have just found your website on Lancing, which is where I grew and, more notably, my mum is the last of the Grover Family (or the youngest at least!)

I love seeing pictures of the village, it will always have a fond place in me, especially the pictures of Crabtree Lane where I used to hang out as a youngster!

I shall have to find a picture I have of my mum as a youngster at a Grover family get-together in North Lancing, which is where they lived as a family of market gardeners!

Anyway, just to say a great site!

Regards

Adrian

Story 13 from Brenda Redford

Brenda Redford

Brenda writes:

Family Holidays in North Farm Road and Tower Road

I used to come to Lancing to visit my Grandmother in North Farm Road in the fifties as a youngster in the school holidays. My aunt and uncle lived in Tower Road. 

The Luxor Cinema and Jaffa the Labrador

I remember going to the Luxor to see Singing in the Rain and other films that were on at the time. I remember walking a lovely Labrador called Jaffa, as he was orangey red in colour. 

Railway Workers and Child-Sized Baskets at Woolworths

My grandfather worked for the railways, which were at Churchill Industrial Estate. On North Road, there was a cobbler and a small sweet shop. Also, Woolworths had small shopping baskets for us children that couldn't manage a large one.

Horse-Drawn Floats and Riding at Bridles

 I also remember a horse-drawn milk float delivering milk and groceries.

Sadly, my Grandmother has passed on now, but I am now living in Lancing myself and still walk dogs, my own and also run dog training classes. I expect some of you have seen me around and maybe have come to our classes. Lovely memories. I still love Lancing.
-She adds
I also used to ride the horses up over New Road, owned by the Bridles.
Regards
Brenda Redford

Story 12 from Karen Foster

Hear Karen's story

Karen Foster

I found your website by accident, it was such a delight it was to read everyone's memories, that I thought I would write some of my own.

Life in Tower Road and the Veranda Classroom

Just the word Lancing conjures up pictures of my childhood.
I was born in Tower Road at No.84, moving to No.80 (the one with the steps) in 1967. My first school was South Lancing Infants in North Rd in 1958, the classroom with the veranda must take a photo of it one day before it disappears. I can remember the air raid shelters, as remembered by Paul Bridle, and woe betide anyone who went near them. I believe the headmistress was Miss Birch, she had a large jar of sweets in her room, don't know how I know that one!

The Great School Migration: From North Road to Irene Avenue (

 We were told one day that we had to move schools, so we packed up our books and pencils and walked up to The Unit, which is now Boundstone Nursery School. Mr Teacher was Mr Juleff. We soon settled there until we did the same thing again and walked around to Irene Avenue for our last term before Boundstone.

Felt Badges, Beatles Clubs, and Playground Games

I spent many happy playtimes in those schools, playing marbles, etc. Does anyone remember standing tea/gum cards against the wall and flicking other cards to knock them down, winner takes all? We had lovely tea parties at Christmas in the school hall, with food provided by our parents. We also had a Beatles club there when I was older, it cost 3d, and we received a small daisy-shaped badge made of felt!

Chalk Pit Adventures and "Cheese and Sand" Sandwiches

School holidays were filled with trips up the downs, playing in the chalk pit, and plenty of room to use a child's imagination; you could be anything up there. other times spent on the beach, building the proverbial sandcastles with moats, drinking orange squash and cheese and sand sandwiches!

Paddling Pools and the "Eel in the Mine" at Brooklands

I remember the Brooklands paddling pool opening. There were lots of animal-shaped pools for us to play in and rocks to climb, what fun! Fishing under the bridge that led into Brooklands for sticklebacks and minnows. Someone told us that there was an eel living under the bridge, hidden in an old mine that was buried there. You believe anything when you are young.

Cinema Trips and Local Shopkeepers

My friend Sheila Haite, who lived next door and I used to go to the Luxor together to see Walt Disney and Cliff Richard films. The first film I saw was Bambi, it cost 9d. We used to look for which films were on, on posters in Sompting Rd, just outside the knitting wool shop, which was next to a grocers shop owned by the Street family, then owned by the Brown family. This was next to Mr Jones, the chemist. 

I remember Paul Bridle's grandparents' shop on the corner of Myrtle Rd, my mum Lilian Wingfield used to shop in there but worked in the other grocer's shop. She later went to work at Woolworths. My dad Reginald, worked in the railway works but left in 1963 before it closed, to go to Solarbo in Commerce Way. I remember Dr Alexander was my dad's doctor, but us children saw Dr Whiting; he was a lovely man.

I could go on forever, but will stop My parents and sister still live in Lancing, and although I only live in Rustington, I still think of Lancing as my home.
Karen Foster, nee Wingfield.

Story 9 from Paul Kelly

Paul Kelly

Having been born in Worthing and lived there until just before my 21st birthday.

Eakins shop in Penhill Road

I was having a good look at the Lancing and Sompting site and came across the photo of the Ironmonger's shop on Penhill Road.

You may be interested to know that I worked in that shop for a while after I left school, but it was then owned by A.J. Eakins.

I got the job through his son John who I went to school with. I wonder what happened to them all.
Other than that, the shop doesn't look so different than when I worked there in the late 1950s

Paul Kelly
Adelaide, Australia

Story 10 from Paul Bridle

Hear Paul's story

Paul Bridle

Summary

Paul Bridle shares memories of his childhood in Lancing, England, including his family's business, Melhuish's Stores, and his attendance at Lancing Infants School. He remembers a DUKW vehicle that took people onto the sea and a cargo ship that may have been bound for Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Paul Kidger adds to the story by recalling steam trains and providing details about the Bridle family's general practitioner, Dr. Alexander, a World War I fighter pilot

Story 10

Childhood in Lower Boundstone Lane

I was born in Southlands Hospital, Shoreham-by-Sea, on 8th November 1951 and lived with my parents in Lower Boundstone Lane, Lancing, from then until later in the 1950s. My father was an architect and my mother a housewife. I attended Lancing Infants School and recall an air raid shelter in the grass playing field at the back of the school. I, along with the other pupils, was too afraid to go down the steps to it.

Melhuish’s Stores and the New 'Top Road'

My grandfather owned and ran Melhuish's Stores until he retired and moved to 25, Upper Boundstone Lane, where he lived until the early 1970s. I can remember the building of the school in Upper Boundstone Lane and the A27 'top road'. My great-grandfather, who lived with my grandparent,s used to walk from their bungalow each morning up to the top road and back for exercise.

The DUKW and a Glimpse of the Cuban Missile Crisis

Does anyone else remember the ex-army DUKW vehicle, which used to take people out onto the sea?
At the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis, I and my family were at my grandparents' beach hut when we saw a large cargo passing along the channel out to sea. It would seem that it was being shipped to Cuba by the Russians. I was blissfully unaware of the fear of war that so many people had.
Reply from Paul Kidger

Battle of Britain Steam Trains at the Crossing

I still remember the excitement of seeing a Battle of Britain class steam train going over the level crossing in Lancing. Magnificent and a change from the electric trains.

In addition, Paul writes...

I'd be pleased to hear from anyone who remembers my family in Lancing - My grandparents owned Melhuish's Stores in Sompting Road, which I think was called something like Myrtle Terrace or Parade. The shop was on the corner of Myrtle Road and Sompting Road. It was converted to a house, possibly in the 1970s.

Dr. Alexander: The Pilot with the Bullet Wound

Our family GP was Dr Alexander (called "Dr Alec"). He had a crease in one cheek from a bullet wound in WW1 when he was a fighter pilot.

Paul Bridle

Story 8 from Marjorie Lisher

Hear Marjorie's story

Marjorie Lisher

The Lisher Family

On the 5th of February 2002, I spoke to Marjorie Lisher about her memories of the Market Garden Business her father ran on the land east of the Southern Railway Carriage Works in Lancing.

Marjorie Lisher lived in Lancing all her life. She was born in 1912 in the same house at Salt Lake where her father Frank had been born, in what is now part of Freshbrook Road.
The small modern house where she now lives is on the site of the house her Grandfather lived in when he had set up the Lisher Coal Merchant business.

 
Frank Lisher set up a Market Garden business on the land surrounding his parents' home.
In 1929, he built himself a house right next door. It was named the Finches.
The Nursery site took up much of what is now Chester Avenue, The Crescent and Finches Close.

 
On the site, there were sixteen large commercial glasshouses as well as a packing shed and stables for their two horses.
The main produce was Chrysanthemums and Tomatoes, these were taken to the old Market at Brighton via the coast road by horse-drawn van.
Sometimes this trip was made three times a week. Frank Lisher would set off at 8pm in the evening so the produce would be on the market stalls first thing the next morning.

 
Frank's daughter Marjorie took an active part in the family business. She remembers they also grew runner beans and mushrooms; these did not go to Brighton but were packed onto the train and sent to Covent Garden or Brentford Market.

 
She recalls that horse manure required for soil improvement used to come by train from racing stables to the goods yard of the railway. There, it attracted a great number of rats, which became a daily hazard.

 
To help them to be as self-sufficient as possible, the family also kept chickens, pigs and rabbits. It was not wise for the younger members of the family to grow attached to the animals because they would often be on the menu.

 
One of Frank's two brothers joined his father in the Coal business, the other was involved in the local Dairy

Story 7 from Valerie Brown

A memory from Valerie Brown

Hear Valerie's story

Story 7
I lived in Pratton Avenue from 1938 (then 2 years old) to 1955. We used to play in a field at the top of Pratton Avenue, which is now a built-up area. At the other end of the street, we used to shop at a greengrocer's owned by two sisters, I think their name was Hibdige and also a sweet shop owned by Mr Brown.

The bungalow we lived in was called Lorretto, and I think it was number 9. My Dad built an air raid shelter in the back garden, which we used to sleep in when the siren went off, and my brother and I slept in hammocks, which I remember falling out of.

I attended North Lancing school when Miss Humphreys was headmistress, and Irene Avenue Secondary School, and the headmaster then was Mr Russell.

 I have been in Australia since 1965, but visited Lancing a few years ago and much had changed - I managed to get a photo of Lorretto, which had been wonderfully updated, but unfortunately, no one was home!

 I vividly remember the huge concrete blocks and barbed wire all along the seafront during the war years, and was delighted when it was all over and we could spend school holidays on the beach.

Valerie Brown
Secretary
Mallesons Stephen Jaques
Sydney
valerie.brown(at)mallesons.com

Story 6 from Joan Hamilton

Story 6

Joan (Sparkes) Hamilton writes:

Quite by accident, I came upon your very interesting site.
I started this morning on Google looking for Halewick Farm, Sompting, that used to be my home.

Lancing Clump was a favourite place of mine; I daily rode my horse through and around it when I was a teenager, before the war.
Then there was an old tree with a big low branch, gone after that storm, [1987], but I have pictures of my children and then grandchildren standing on it.

 I am very glad to learn that the area has been made a reserve.
 I also lived at Cokeham Manor at a very early age. I see you have found my cousin Edward Sparkes's Mumblings, what an interesting morning I have had!
I have lived in Canada since 1946. I married a Canadian soldier and came to Canada as a War bride. My visits are not so frequent now, but I still have lots of memories.
If you would like to contact Joan,  write to: jehamilton(at)sympatico.ca

Story 5 from Paul Kelly

Story 5
Paul Kelly recalls
I used to live in Broadwater and had an Aunt who lived in 1st Avenue, Lancing.
We had lots of good times in Lancing, but the memory that seems to stick is standing outside the Corner house, in the snow, waiting for a bus home. I see they have changed the name to the Sussex Potter - what a shame.
I now live in Australia - have been here for 39 years

contact Paul Kelly paulk(at)kdfisher.com.au

Story 4 from Diane Sisman

Hear Diane's story

Audio overview podcast

Story 4
Diane Sisman recalls Lancing in the 1930s and '40s

"I am an old resident of Lancing. My parents had a bungalow at 16 Chester Avenue. Is it still there? At that time, in 1938, they paid 700 pounds for it.

The Dairy

 At the end of the road, there was a tall stone wall where there were the cows for the little dairy on the main road. There was a path at the side of the last house, which was known as the right-of-way, which was used by anyone going shopping.

The Bakers

 There was a baker's shop called Leroy's with mouth-watering pastries, a grocer called Potter Bailey with sawdust on the floor and huge wheels of cheese. They had a little container that the money was put into and then sent by pneumatic methods to the other regions to be counted, and change and receipts to be returned to the customer. There were two old chairs so that even older customers could sit down.

My sister and I would go to the dairy and watch the milk run down rollers to be chilled and which I can still smell. I can also still smell the wonderful aromas of Potter Bailey. There is so much more I remember. I am now 70. Is there anyone out there who still remembers, too? Happy New Year.........Diane."

Further memories of Diane Sisman:
"On the beach itself were some bungalows. One was called No No Nanette and was owned by, I think, the writer of the show. **
 There was also one that belonged to jockey Gordon Richards, whom we knew very well."

Editor Note:
*Chester Avenue has since been extensively developed, and '16' is now a number nearer 100 according to Diane's sister, who visited recently.