31. Maureen Clarke

Hear Maureen's story

I am the Maureen Clarke in Derek Gorham’s list of classmates.

Daily Walks to School

I lived, and still do live, just over the border in Sompting, so the walk to North Lancing School was about a mile; 4 times a day, as I came home for lunch most of the time I was there. I used to call in at Fircroft sweet shop on my way to or from (was it a Mrs.Middleton who owned it?) If I bought a small gobstopper, I could get it finished before I got to school, but a big one lasted too long! When I was old enough to walk on my own, I sometimes went on the footpath between Berriedale Drive and Boundstone Lane (which eventually became part of Boundstone School playing field) despite my mum telling me not to!

Teachers and Memories

I remember most of the teachers Derek mentions, although not in quite the same detail. However, I still have my autograph album with Miss Humphreys’ drawing of rabbits in it! It was quite scary moving up to Miss Lapham’s class after only one term, but she was very good to me, and later on I visited her in her little cottage at the top of Hoe Court. It is my understanding that she died in the early ‘90s. 

Musical Experiences

I have photos of the recorder group Derek mentions, and later on, there were also violinists in the group, of which I was one. Some of us played too with the Lancing Secondary Modern School orchestra run by Olive Poole. I also remember going off to sing as a school group at local schools' music festivals.

 Noyes Fludde at Lancing College

At the end of my final year at North Lancing, some of us took part in a production of Benjamin Britten’s ‘Noyes Fludde’ at Lancing College, only a year after it was first performed, and we walked across the Downs to the college for rehearsals. We took the parts of the animals, and I seem to recall that I was a rat!

The 1957 Gym Presentation

This photo is from 1957. It must have been a gym presentation in the playground for a parents Open Day? (Check out the cars!)

List of Classmates

In my autograph album, I have a list of classmates, so I could add some to Derek’s list: David Hebden,
Ian Ralph, G(ordon?) Ryan, John Martin, Sally Ede, J(ulie?) Brazier, David Fulford, Gavin North,
E(lizabeth?) Maddan, Margaret Hogben, D.G.Goldsmith, J.S.Butt, Peter Youlds, J.Stacey, D(avid?) Nock, P(aul?) Clayburn, E.West, M.J.Gunn, M(argaret) Marshall, A.Walker, V.Beech, H.Blaylock.

Some of these may have been an academic year above us. Where are they all now, I wonder?

Mrs. Thomas's Class of '55

Some of the names are in this photo of Mrs Thomas’s class of ’55………..

Back row: Philip Norton, John Martin, Colin ?, Barry Ruffel(?), Angela Bayley, ??, Gavin North, Derek
Gorham, Mrs.Thomas.

Row 3: ??, Ian Ralph, Christine Marshall, Margaret Hogben, Neil Furze(?), David Coker?

Row 2: ??, Maureen Clarke, ??, ??, Josephine ?, ??, ??, Jamie Wrench, ??

Front row: ??, Janice King, ??, ??, ??, ??, Sally Ede, ??

The Red House Memories

Further to Rose (Marg) Maloney’s memories, I too used to visit the Red House in Manor Road as I was a friend of Jamie Wrench. At that time, it had a large garden, which was great for us kids to play in, and of course, it also had a cellar, although I’m not sure we were supposed to go down there!

Moving On After the 11+

As Derek says, after 11+ we drifted apart a bit, although some of the mums used to bump into each other in the village and exchange progress news! Many of the boys who passed, I believe, went on to Steyning Grammar, and I went to Worthing High School for Girls, as it was then. Boundstone School was not yet built, although when I first went to North Lancing, my parents were told that by the time I was 11, we would all go to a new school in Lancing.

30. Carriage Works Outing ~ Derek Gorham

Derek Gorham

courtesy Derek Gorham

 The photo is from a Carriage Works outing, almost certainly during the 1950s. I have no idea where it was taken, but the outing may have been organised by my Dad.  I know he arranged some of them over the years, and Mum used to make sausage rolls for all.

My Dad, Les Gorham, is at the front in the shirt sleeves on the left; Wally Cocks could be the man in the blazer behind him; Jack Sparkes is the man in the tank top in the middle and Mr Lawson/Lawford could be the man in the jacket on the extreme right.

29. Interview with Roy Prior

Roy Prior

Roy Prior has been a resident of Lancing most of his life.
We interviewed him about his recollections in June 2012 and recorded his conversation.

Click the link here it takes you to the audio recording.

This isn't Roy but it goes a little way to illustrate the man recalling his early life

28. Vera Bartram recalls..

Vera Bartram

A Nostalgic Reflection

A friend lent me a copy of your Lancing Village Memories, which I found very interesting.

 

Hear Vera's story in her own words 

Early Life in Lancing

My family moved here from London in 1931 when my father opened a barber shop on Brighton Road by Chandler's Corner called "Bob's". I have lived in Lancing ever since, except for the period when I was working at Bletchley during the War.

 

School Days

 
I went first to a little private school called Viking House School run by Mrs Old in Kings Road, but when my sister started school a couple of years later, we went to South Lancing Primary, which in those days was the only primary school in Lancing. Seniors went to North Lancing in what is now the St.James the Less church hall, where the hall was divided into two classrooms by screens. I remember the school in Irene Avenue being built, and that is where I went at 11 years old. Many years later, when I had two sons, they went to the new North Lancing primary at the bottom of Mill Road, and Miss Humphrey was still headmistress and Miss Tait still there. Miss Humphrey retired while my sons were there.

 

Wartime Memories 

We lived at my father's shop until 1940 when we moved to a flat along the Widewater.
From there, we often saw dogfights during the War as German planes came across the Channel, making their way inland, and the Spitfires fought them off. I remember seeing a German have to bail out, and his parachute didn't open.

 

Lancing's Cinemas and Shops 

I also remember first a little cinema being built in Penhill Road called the Regal and later the Odeon, and also the Luxor being built. As my father displayed posters advertising the programmes, we got free tickets every week, so saw a lot of films!
There were not a lot of shops built North of the railway until after the war, and although Lancing is still officially a Village, it is much bigger now.

 

Familiar Faces and Businesses 

 
I remember so many of the businesses mentioned by your correspondents. I went to school with Vera Gardner and Kathleen Scardifield, whose parents' shop was mentioned. I also remember the Melhuish's store, and I think one of that family was in my class at school, but I can't remember the name. We, too, had Dr Alexander until he retired and then Dr Collier.

 

Connections and Friendships 

I remember Derek Gorham, who has written because at one time we lived four doors away from his parents, and I was friendly with his mother, and Derek was at school with my son Peter.

 

A Heartfelt Conclusion 

What a lot of memories this has brought back - very enjoyable reading, thank you.

From: Mrs Vera Bartram (nee Murray)