25. From Rosemary Langrish neé Oakley

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Rosemary Langrish neé Oakley

Summary

Rosemary Langrish Oakley, a former resident of Lancing, shares her memories of growing up in the town during the 1930s. Her reminiscences span a variety of events, including her first school experiences, a fire at a local timber yard, playing in a chalk pit, participating in a parade celebrating a royal occasion, and encountering various itinerant figures who were common in the area at the time. She recounts both happy and unsettling experiences, highlighting the unique character of Lancing during her childhood.

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Early Lancing Memories

We moved from Portslade when I was about four years old, in 1932. We lived in one of the houses almost opposite Hoe Court Track. My first memory of Lancing was starting school at what is now called Freshbrook.

I was five years old, and my mum took me on the back of a bicycle with a cushion on the carrier. One morning, a little boy ran from Addison Square straight into the road and was hit by a motorbike. He flew up into the air, but I don’t think he was killed.

Also, at about the same age, I was sitting in the garden on an old cycle frame leaning against the fence, watching the red glow in the sky over Shoreham where White’s timber yard was on fire. The bike fell over, and I broke my arm, which took a long time to heal and would not straighten out. The hospital gave me a lovely big doll to carry back and forth to help straighten my arm, but it is still bent to this day.

Playing on the Downs

Opposite the Withy Bed (a clump of willow trees), we used to see snakes curled up in the sun on the bank, some were very big.

We went with friends up on the hills to play in the Chalk Pit and one day we found a big wallpaper book which we managed to carry home for drawing on. Also, one time we could hear a person singing "Morning has broken," and it was lovely as it echoed in the pit.

The Coronation Parade

I’m not sure if it was Queen Mary’s Jubilee or the Coronation of King George and Elizabeth, but I was in the big parade and dressed as a Victorian maid. It was a lovely crepe paper dress in green with a frill around the bottom, a white cap, apron, and lace-trimmed pantaloons that were split through the middle, nearly like two separate legs.

The parade started at Penhill Road, so Mum took us on the bus. As I got off, I caught my plimsoll in my dress and tore the bottom. The parade started off okay, but walking around by the Farmers pub and cottages, it pelted down with rain, and a little boy dressed as a red post box got soaked; he was as red as his box. We finished up at Lancing Manor Park. A short while after that, we each received a special Coronation mug from a really big wooden box in the hall at school.

Lancing Characters

We sometimes had "tramps" (homeless people) call and ask for hot water or something to eat. If Dad was home, Mum usually gave them tea and a thick cheese sandwich; we think they passed the word around. Also, gypsies called, selling pegs or sprigs of heather for luck. Onion men on bicycles came around as well. An Indian man was selling things, but we were told "never to open the door."

Another time, while playing on the hills, some boys came over and asked if we would like a sweet. Of course, we said "yes." When they opened the tin, it had a snake curled up in it. Whether it was live or dead, I don’t know. All I do know is I don’t like snakes.

A New Chapter

We moved house a few times and eventually left Lancing for Shoreham when I was about ten. I missed my old school (Mill Hill), so I played truant and took my two sisters and brother walking over the Old Shoreham toll bridge to the Manor Park for the school sports day. You can guess I had a good telling-off when we got back home.

PS: I just remembered I think it must have been an Air Display as a couple of planes dropped what we thought were ribbons, so we ran across the fields to find it was toilet paper.

24. Pictures from South Lancing School ~ Bob Brown

Bob Brown

Lancing resident and Pastfinder group member Bob Brown has kindly sent these two pictures of Staff and pupils of South Lancing School from the early 1950s

courtesy Bob Brown (L&S Pastfinders)

It would be interesting if any of our readers could name any of the sitters for these group portraits.

23.Ted White & South Lancing School

Ted White

Ted has kindly sent a picture of his family for an article about Penstone House and also enclosed the picture below... He writes:-

My Time at South Lancing School (1941–1947)

I went to South Lancing School next to the Main Post Office from 1941 to 1947 and I have attached a photo of the teachers who were there in about 1946/7. I think that the one with the flowers in her lapel was the headmistress, Miss Kates, and in the middle was Miss Alexander. On the right is Mrs Curd of an old Lancing family. Who were the others?

Life During Wartime

 I really enjoyed my days at the school, except of course that these were the years with frequent visits to the Air Raid Shelters. 

Classmates

Names such as Jackie Jasper, Daphne Chamberlain, Brian Vincent, Mike Smith ... were some of our classmates.

courtesy Ted White

22. Derek Gorham sends old photo's

Derek Gorham

Thanks to Derek again, here he has sent three photos and is hoping a reader of this blog will be able to add some information regarding the people in the photos.
[click the images to enlarge]

The Home Guard picture is my Dad, Bill Hendy, ??,??.

courtesy Derek Gorham

The other picture has been dated 1944 and was taken in the Carriage Works. Miss Hawkes is the lady and my Dad is on the left but why this group?

courtesy Derek Gorham

The third picture is the1950s darts team at the Legion; my Mum, Mrs Payne, Mrs LLoyd,?, Mrs Monery, ?,?, Mrs Parker, Mrs Trixie Payne.

courtesy Derek Gorham

21. Derek Gorham recalls North Lancing Primary

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Derek Gorham

Derek writes his Lancing memory about North Lancing School

Like so many of your contributors, I stumbled on your site, and the memories just flowed. I hope some of this will be of interest. There could be more if I really thought.

I was born in 1948, having come down the big chimney at Southlands [maternity hospital] as Nurse Paddy Hatley used to say, she and her colleague "Bon" were the district nurses for the village; the latter was also the "nit nurse" at North Lancing School. Bon was quite short, and by our last year, she needed a stool to reach. Doctor Betty was the doctor. There were no appointments or an intercom to call you in. Patients sat around a big room with a grandfather clock in the corner, waited their turn, and then the door opened, and without fail, a tremendous cough erupted from behind it. Doctor Betty had a "foreign" car and acknowledged everyone he knew as he drove around. Since he seemed to know everyone, his hands were seldom on the wheel.

School on Google Maps

Miss Humphreys, who had been at the school since World War I, left a term after I started at North Lancing Primary. If you left your autograph book with her, she would draw beautiful pictures of rabbits in crayon in it. Then Mr Cox arrived with his cane. Mrs Barnes did the dinner money; Miss Goby, with her big Wooden Record player and 78 of 'The Stars and Stripes', ideal music for marching around the room too, was the Reception teacher. Then came Miss Lapham, who taught us to read using Chicken Licken books in which the sky fell on the unfortunate bird. I managed to avoid Mrs Horne/Miss Orman, who was severe of dress and much feared. Mrs Thomas used to arrive on her bike, which had a plastic guard over the back wheel to protect her dress. Mrs Jones also had a bike, and we learned our tables by writing them on little pieces of paper, which were then thrown away. Mr "Pop" Steer was the cub master. He had a car, Uncle Clem. He also was in the choir at St James and organised musical evenings; I can still remember much of "The Pied Piper of Hamelin", and he ran a recorder group. We used to play people out from assembly. 'March in Scipio' seemed to be a favourite. Raffia mats and basket work were his specialities; there always seemed to be rolls of cane soaking in water. Mr Nutter had his own cane and taught in the original school. Finally, there was Miss Tate with her very sensible hairdo and measured walk.

Miss Curzon taught us country dancing; Mr Durrant was there, as well as Miss Higgins, whom he married. They used to sit in the sun at the back of the huts and chat. Miss Waite arrived and, I think, taught drama. Mr Wood, the caretaker, had a droopy moustache and wore thick corduroy trousers. He was always on hand with a bucket of sawdust if someone was sick.

As for my classmates, there was Philip Norton, who was my friend until his death two years ago, Jamie Wrench, David Coker, Peter Clist, Maureen Clarke, Angela Bayley, Janice King, Lynne Sandford, Neil Furze, Lynn Tugnett, Christine Marshall, Steven Blackledge, Colin? Bishop, Freda Voak and Alvin Vordregger (who could forget that name?). Then there are the people I can see who are nameless.

Chuff Chuff Charlie Elphick was not in my class, but we all used to watch him endlessly "playing trains" at playtime.

The Eleven Plus arrived; those of us who passed went on to Grammar school. The girls disappeared and so did the pupils who were not successful, but we had all had a safe childhood, been well taught, and had the good fortune to have the Downs and the beach as our playground.

20. Sue Sutherland's North Lancing Memories

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Sue Sutherland's Nostalgic Memories of North Lancing

Summary

Sue Sutherland shares nostalgic memories of her childhood in North Lancing, England. She recounts vivid details of her primary school, piano lessons, and interactions with local businesses, including a Tythe Barn and Pat Barton's stables. Sutherland fondly remembers her time in the Girl Guides, where she learned traditional skills like digging latrines and cooking on a wood stove. She also reflects on the community events she attended, such as the annual fete at the manor and the horse-drawn carts used for milk delivery and coal transport. Sutherland expresses her gratitude for growing up in such a unique and enriching environment.

Childhood in North Lancing

I came across your website by sheer accident and was delighted to find it.

Even though I am thousands of miles away, I often think of North Lancing.  I lived there during my childhood and went to North Lancing Primary School. I remember so clearly sweet Miss Humphry and the sometimes intimidating Miss Tate.  Miss Tate was my teacher, and Mr Stears was also my teacher and piano teacher, to whose house on Penhill I dutifully went every Saturday morning.   The only thing I can remember was that his front room was extremely cold, and my forte was not playing the piano.

I remember the Tythe Barn and we used to buy our eggs there (it's so sad it is no longer), our veggies either came from the garden (my mother was in the land army) or from a house which was just down from the end of the manor and next to the Corner House.

Adventures in the Woods

Someone had also mentioned the path through the woods at the back of the manor.  We used to play in those woods all the time, and there were two cottages which were the old woodsman cottages leftover from when the manor was a fully functioning estate.  Next to the cottages was an air-raid shelter which no one ever went into.  We thought it was haunted.  They are probably gone now, too.

Time at Pat Barton's Stables

I worked at Pat Barton's stables, and for a day of mucking out stalls, I got a free riding lesson. In the summer, we collected the hay from the top of the downs between the end of Mill Road and the Clump.  Some weekends, John (son) and I would take the donkey and cart over the downs to Steyning and sell manure.  Pat Barton also let me come to the point-to-point races and even let me use a pony and paid for my entry into a race at a gymkhana we all went to.  I remember him as a very proud gentleman who fought incredible pain from a hunting accident in Ireland.  Although the farm was run down, all the animals were well looked after.  Those days were, in retrospect, probably the happiest of my entire life.

Memories of the Girl Guides

I was also in the Girl Guides.  I have forgotten the name of the Captain, other than she was a Miss and had been a captain forever.  She did not believe in any modern conveniences, and we dug our own latrines, made our own furniture, and all cooking was done on a wood stove (if you didn't get dry wood, you did not eat). William Baden-Powell would have been proud.

Annual Fete and Community Spirit
I also remember so clearly the yearly fete at the manor.  We did country dancing, and there was also a parade where the coal company still had the horse-drawn cart.  Our milk was delivered by horse and cart (South Coast Dairies), and occasionally, a rag and bone man would show up with his pony and cart.

I was very fortunate to grow up in such a wonderful environment.

Best Regards
Sue Sutherland

Update.. Sue wrote this footnote: FYI, I was talking to my cousin today, who still lives in the area, and she remembered the name of the captain of the Girl Guides, and it was Miss Norris. 

   Regards, Sue Sutherland.  

19.Memory from Jan Baker-Freeman

Jan Baker-Freeman sent us this memory

This story was originally posted as a comment below another story in May 2010

I should have done it more justice and given it a full placing in these stories. I am correcting this here.

Hear Jan's story as an audio file

Jan writes..

 ..I, too, just came upon this site, and it brings back all the memories of my 7 years of growing up in Lancing, all the people I remember, all the people I would love to know how they are doing now.

This brought so much pleasure; it is amazing. 

All this started with a need for school records for a job with the Dallas Police Department, which at 65, I eventually withdrew from.

 My name is Jan(et) Baker-Freeman, I moved from Grange Hill Essex, a council house exchange by my Grandparents, William and Alice Baker, to 177 Tower Rd, next to the Messers, Linda, David and I think Christopher, I remember Diane Bacon, Barbara Gorringe, her Father was the rent man, then there was Mr. & Mrs Tom Reynolds the postie, and they had a son who's name I don't recall, he must not have lived there, as I was close as an only child to these people.

 I remember Brenda and Richard Pitt, who emigrated to Australia. I think their Dad had the greengrocers on South St. It's people I remember, as well as places. I am recalling the people I used to see in the places you mention. 

 I remember the Betteridge girls, Patsy Leggit, Frances Martin, Jennifer Cook, Lillian ? from Bushby Close, Susan and Janet Shepherd who went to Beverley House on Penhill Road, as did I, after I came out of hospital after contracting polio.

View Larger Map 
Huss and chips at the chip shop on Penhill, great pickled onions and gherkins.

 I remember Saturday morning pictures, I was on the committee, not sure I ever accomplished anything.

 I remember schoolmates, Frances Shapland, Maureen Singer, Barbara McGuiness, Carol Mason, Sheilagh Churcher, Margaret Deacon, Margaret Cheetham, Ivy Sullivan, Avril Barraclough, just so many girls..

 The "rec", biking to Arundel, is most likely a difficult feat today, with many cars on the roads.

Carolyn Holden, Mary Goldsmith, Christopher Riddle, Jennifer Wintle, Honnie Marshall, Carol Burchet, her mother, was the restaurant manager at the Odeon. Just 7 short years, to know and remember all these names, what a great place for a child to grow up.

When I returned, I worked for Tesco in Worthing, then SPD and Solarbo, A C Draycot part-time, such a small world. Lovely memories of the ocean, rough and green often, the downs, Devils Dyke, Brighton Pier, Worthing Pier where I spent my pennies in silly games.

 What a delightful trip down memory lane.