St James the Less Parish Hall was built in 1872 as a purpose built school. The 1870 elementary education act. It was paid for by local donations from people within the community and was built at a cost of £900 and was built to take 215 children. It was enlarged in 1900 to take more children at a cost of £300. (Kerridge 1979). It is a central feature of the village and is still used as a nursery school and by various local community groups such as the Girl Guides Association. It was opened on 16th September 1872 by Miss Emma Parker who was the school mistress at the time (ibid.) The hall is also within the North Lancing Conservation area.
During it’s time as a school, consisted of one large central room which was divided by a curtain. An enfants room was at the western end of the building (ibid.) (now partitioned off as the parish office) and there was also the residence for the school mistress at the eastern end of the building (ibid.) There was an additional extension in the 1900s of a wing on the west of the building which provided a new classroom and a kitchen. In the 1970’s a kitchen and and a toilet block extension was built and the old kitchen ripped out to form the main hall in the west wing.
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Oh, my! Such memories! I started at North Lancing in 1946, after trying to settle at South Lancing. I hated the latter. Didn't like the teacher who was very strict.
My Dad, Peter Marshall attended here, in this building, in the early 1920's, when Miss Humphreys was already Head Mistress.
Here, in the old original building of North Lancing Primary, we used to have one class here, in the classroom on the left. You can just see the windows. The teacher (I think) was a Miss or Mrs. Thomas. There was a hot water radiator located inside, immediately under the window. We were by that time using pen and ink, having grown up and graduated from using just pencil.
I was wearing plimsolls which were too tight at the toes. Mum and Dad did not realise this, and presumably were struggling financially. To this day my big toes are deformed by about 15 degrees!
I left North Lancing Primary in 1952 and went to Worthing High until the end of 1957. First job was at F W Woolworth in Worthing, only for 6 months (they thought I was too lazy, and gave me the boot literally!), then I got a job as tea boy in a film company in London.
Now living in southern Tasmania.
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