Jan Barwick (nee Stonley) writes:
Summary
Jan Barwick, a former resident of Lancing, shares her childhood memories of the village in the 1950s and 1960s. She describes the changes in the landscape, including the development of new housing, the demolition of Lancing Manor, and the transformation of the once-wild area behind her home. She also reminisces about local landmarks, such as McCurdy's shop and the dew pond, and recounts her experiences at Lancing Prep school. Her memories offer a glimpse into the life of a child growing up in a rural village during a time of significant changeI saw your site and had to put down these memories from my childhood in Lancing. I hope you can use them.
I lived in one of the semi-detached houses opposite Lancing Manor Park in Old Shoreham Road, just along from Manor Road. The other half of our house was occupied by the Weeburs, and the Grovers were in the house next door on the other side. Bart Grover was a nurseryman up in Manor Road and his children, Susan and Diana were in between my brother and me in age.
None of the bungalows in Old Shoreham Road or behind our houses had been built then. Instead, there was a wilderness rank with nettles in which we used to play, through which a stream passed. This had a downside. In winter, the water table rose and springs used to appear in our garden and flood our garage, sometimes up to a foot in depth.
