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.

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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.

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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.

18. Memory from Jan Barwick (nee Stonley)

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Audio Overview

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 change

I 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.

Story 17 from Brenda Grover

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Brenda Grover

In Reply to Alan Brenda sends this story..

Reading your Lancing history, I have just come back to live here, and I saw that your parents were friends of my Uncle Pearce and Aunty Mildred. I love being back here and just walking around, it brings back so many memories of such a wonderful childhood, and what a wonderful place to live.

 My sons, who are 35 & 37, grew up here, and they are always saying thank you for a wonderful childhood. With as you say, the beach and downs. I went up the Lancing Ring after the storm and cried as my great-grandfather helped to plant those trees, and I knocked at the door of the church villa and asked if I could look around the old family house, wonderful, so many memories. I love Lancing, it has got a bit larger, but in a way has not changed at all. Thank you again for your write-up.

 I live in Penhill now, but used to live in North Lancing, and went to North Lancing primary school with Miss Tait and Miss Humphries. I remember Mr Stear.
 Thank you again for a nice and good read.

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Story 16 from Rose (Marg) Moloney

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Rose (Marg) Moloney

This lovely recollection has just been sent in. We thank you, Marg

Childhood in Ring Road and Local Characters

I was a neighbour of Paul Kidger in the 1950s and 60s in Ring Road and remember the family well – Lyn was in my class at N Lancing Primary School. I also remember the dog-walking old lady who would bleat ‘ Kiltie, Kiltie ‘, which the dog ignored.

I was part of the St James the Less Players, a church drama group, which started my career on the boards.

The Downs, The Manor, The Park, The Clump, The Chalkpit..The Woods and The Beach..were all special places in our wonderful Sussex childhood.

Our teachers were dedicated – I am sure Paul will remember Pop Stear, Miss Tait, Miss Laugham, and Mr Cox!

Vanishing Farm

Hill Barn Farm, which Paul mentions, had utterly vanished when I went for a look in 2005…odd because though it was a wreck in the Bartons' time, it had been the Lancing College Shepherds' farmhouse and was a sturdy ancient house. In a way, I was relieved – it was a place that featured in bad dreams for me, as a teen, I had seen horses in dark barns on filth there. But…a landmark gone…………everyone has gone now, what a migrant generation we were…

In a folk club in Somerset, I met a comedian who had grown up in Lancing pre-war till 1950.

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 14 from Adrian Grover

Adrian (Grover)

Story 14

I have just found your website on Lancing, which is where I grew and, more notably, my mum is the last of the Grover Family (or the youngest at least!)

I love seeing pictures of the village, it will always have a fond place in me, especially the pictures of Crabtree Lane where I used to hang out as a youngster!

I shall have to find a picture I have of my mum as a youngster at a Grover family get-together in North Lancing, which is where they lived as a family of market gardeners!

Anyway, just to say a great site!

Regards

Adrian