Story 15 from Alan John Marshall

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Alan John Marshall

Thanks to Alan for this marvellous account:

Market Gardening in Boundstone Lane

I was living in Sompting Road up until the mid-1960s. Myrtle Stores were at 109, just up the road from Myrtle Road. I remember so much about Boundstone Lane, and the school being built on the land which my father worked as a Market Gardener. In the War, and just after, they had an orchard there, with lots of gooseberry bushes under the apple trees; daffodils in the springtime; and I used to go finding birds' eggs along the line of elm hedge, beside the twitten - that ran along the northern edge of Dad's gardens.

Middle Boundstone Lane then was just a true "lane" with a rough surface, and big puddles in the rainy times. I was born right at the top of Upper Boundstone Lane, just below the cemetery.

The Frightening Shelters of South Lancing Primary

Also, just at the end of the War, when I must have been about 4 1/2, I attended the South Lancing Primary School. That was a very unhappy time for me. I remember the air raid shelters, they were under the northern ramp of what is now the railway bridge. Frightening places, closed by big double doors sloping up the side of the ramp.

A Bittersweet Move to North Lancing Primary

A teacher there, a woman whom I was frightened of, had us lined up for punishment, for trespassing on the grass slopes of the ramp. I remember something like having to dip our fingers in mustard water and suck on our fingers. Was this just a figment of my imagination? Or did it really happen? I cannot be sure. Anyway, the fear of that school and the screaming from me in the mornings at having to go to school made Mum keep me at home until I was 5, and then they got me into North Lancing Primary School, under Miss Daisy Humphreys. That was much better.

That is all I can come up with right now, but if anyone is interested and wishes to connect with me further, you can use my email address, anakial@hotmail.com and let me know who you are.

Alan
8th October 2008

The Grover Nursery and Myrtle Stores

Alan adds..
My parents, Peter and Cecily Marshall, were very close friends of Percy and Mildred Grover. The Grovers had their nursery at the corner of Boundstone Lane and the "top" road (Southeast corner), with several glass houses there. After retirement, Percy and Mildred moved up to near Storrington.
My dad was from a very old family of Lancing, and Mum's parents ran Myrtle Store for several years. Dad's parents had the semi-detached houses 2 doors up built in 1912, and the space between the back of those houses and Myrtle Crescent was a market garden too.

A Firework Disaster in Middle Road

We had a huge bonfire in Middle Road, each Nov 5th. One time, I was only a very little boy, my chip basket full of fireworks, was put "for safety" down by the fence, "out of the way." But someone lit a Roman candle on the post above, and my whole basket full went up at once. I was so sad and in tears for the remainder of the evening.

Alan wrote further

Sompting Road Memories and Family Tragedies

Mum died on December 23rd 2000, as a consequence of a road accident in Sompting Road. She was knocked off her bicycle. Quite an active cyclist was Mum, at 86 years old. Dad survived her by almost 2 years, and spent that time in Ibiza with my sister.

Dad was related to the Bushbys, Fullers, Lishers and Charles Colbourne,  who was a very respected butcher in Brighton (Chas. Colbourne). Colbourne's drapery store used to be at the top of Penhill Road.

From Sussex Grapes to Lancing Tomatoes

Dad's aunt Mary lived at Skirwith, the market garden which occupied the site on the corner of Crabtree Lane and Grinstead Lane. One of their greenhouses had a grapevine growing in it. I understand that prior to the late 1800s, grapes were grown extensively in Sussex because of the high sunlight intensity between the Downs and the sea.

Then, improved sea transport meant that imported wines and grapes from France made the grape industry of Sussex unviable, and the "new" crop of tomatoes became very popular.

Having grown tomatoes virtually all his life, and with a good reputation for sweet and tasty produce, Dad continued in his retirement to grow tomatoes in his little backyard garden at Cokeham Lane.

The Rowans, 113 Sompting Road

 He was born at The Rowans, 113 Sompting Road, and told me in those years there were very few other houses in Sompting Road or Boundstone Lane. Indeed, I remember when both sides of Upper Boundstone Lane were orchards. (That is the area between Crabtree Lane and the Upper Brighton Road.) The last house on the right-hand side at that time was occupied by McIntyre, one of the coal merchants. Boundstone Lane at that point was still a muddy, puddly, unsealed road surface.

The Paving of Boundstone Lane

A pretty good job of rebuilding the road was done, around 1951/2 I would say, because I left North Lancing Primary School in 1952 and it had been done whilst I was there. The foundation of the road surface was a mixture of old house bricks, flints, and rubble down to a depth of approximately. 1 1/2 feet. They used a steamroller for surfacing.

I attended Worthing High School from 1952 to 1957(Dec).

Editor note:
I emailed Alan on 16/12/2011 to establish he is available for correspondence. He has confirmed this.

He added this note to his profile:
Son of Peter John Marshall, market gardener, who was the son of Percy George Marshall.  Numerous family links:  Lisher, Fuller, Grover, Bushby, Long, Colbourne, Judd.

I now live in Tasmania.  Born 1941. Attended North Lancing Primary School, Worthing High School.

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

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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

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AI generated podcast created from 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