Part 8 : The Final Reveal – The Skeletons in the Garden

Jenny Sampson wrote about the Railway Association Club

"The Railway Association Club, I believe it was called, was a social club for the families of railwaymen to go to. On Saturday nights in the 50’s, there was a pianist and drummer who played dance music for the patrons. I was allowed to go with my Mum and Dad, and I could do the Boston Two Step with my Dad. Also, for three years running, I was the “ New Year Fairy”, so that after a man dressed as "Old Father Time" left the dance floor, and the last stroke of 12 o’clock sounded, I would run in and say Happy New Year to everyone. I think the last time I did that, I would have been about 10"

The Railway Association Club was the true heart of the ‘Colony.’ It was here that the rigid hierarchy of the Works dissolved into the rhythm of the Boston Two Step. Jenny Sampson vividly recalls the 1950s Saturday nights, where a pianist and drummer provided the soundtrack to village life. Perhaps most touchingly, Jenny served as the ‘New Year Fairy,’ a role that saw her welcome the future just as Old Father Time left the floor—a symbol of the next generation growing up in the shadow of the great sheds.

The Unseen Strength "Stripped of their seaside cladding, these homes reveal their true identity one last time. It is incredible to see the strength of the Victorian and Edwardian timber—mahogany and teak frames that were built by the craftsmen of the Lancing Shops to withstand decades of travel, and then another eighty years of the Sussex salt air. They don't build them like this anymore."

The Final Departure There is a certain sadness in seeing these 'Railway Bungalows' come down. For generations of families, they weren't just carriages; they were the foundation of a life on the Brighton Road. As the arc-roofs are lowered for the last time, we aren't just losing a building—we are seeing the final physical departure of the 'Visible Colony' from our shoreline.

While the sledgehammers worked on the Brighton Road, the memories of the people who lived there remain intact. For every carriage door that was removed, there is a memory of a Sunday tea, or a family getting ready to walk down to the Railway Association Club on South Street for the Saturday dance. The wood may be gone, but the story of the community is now firmly on the record.

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The Invisible Colony: Full Series

• Part 1: The Hidden Entrance – Life Behind the Works Walls

• Part 2: The Bofors Gun & The War Effort (Note: Update to Part 5 per your plan)

• Part 3: The Trimmers & The Blind Makers – Precision Crafts

• Part 4: Typower & The Power of Lancing Engineering

• Part 5: The Cannon on the Coast – The Bofors Legacy

• Part 6: From Railway Sheds to Manhattan Furniture

• Part 7: The Saw-Tooth Skyline – 2006 to Today

• Part 8: The Final Reveal – The Skeletons in the Garden

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I want to extend a massive thank you to the members of the Lancing and Portslade history groups who turned these posts into a living history. To the late John Drewett for the technical insight and 2006 'saw-tooth' records; to Cyril Morris for the memories of his father’s trade; to Jenny Sampson for the social sparkle; and to Clare Verlander for ensuring our geography stayed true to South Street.

The physical 'skeletons' of the old railway carriages may be disappearing from the Brighton Road, but thanks to your memories, the 'Invisible Colony' is now very much on the record. Whether Wendy uses these notes for the Keep Lancing Lovely project or they simply remain here for the next generation of researchers, the story of the Lancing craftsmen is safe.

Thank you for joining me on the walk."