41. The Brooks by George Forrest

GeorgeForrest

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Tower Road Memories

When the war ended, my father returned from his army service, and a short while later, we moved back into Tower Road, a bit further up the road this time. This changed my area of play, new friends and neighbours, new places to explore and things to learn. 

The Brooks and Cokeham Lane

The area we knew as "The Brooks" was close at hand, a way into the countryside. The brooks started at the end of Tower Road, where Carnforth Road now begins, no more buildings, just fields. The boundary to the open fields was Cokeham Lane, and this had a long line of large elm trees, sadly now gone. Cokeham Lane at the bottom end was no more than a track which ended with a solid white gate at the railway line.

 

On the south side of the railway line on what has become a much larger industrial estate were a couple of businesses, I can recall Solarbo, Lancing Packers and I believe Manhattan kitchens, I believe the correct name was Robinsons, A number of people from Tower Road worked there and rather than take the long way round, illegally crossed the line by climbing over the gate. I know a number of people with a criminal record, having been caught trespassing by the British Transport Police, were taken to court.

Fields and Streams

The Brooks consisted mainly of fields, some of which were planted, but mostly because of the streams crossing them, not suitable for crops. I believe there were two streams, one I know would have been the Teville Stream, not sure about the other. It was a new world to me, and I spent a lot of time there just meandering, catching sticklebacks and frogs in the streams, and watching nature. Many happy days and memories.

The Snake Encounter

One such memory I recall was on a bright, warm summer's day, three or four of us were just wandering, doing nothing in particular, walking down beside a hedge and came to a gate, originally a five-barred gate, a little dilapidated, but still substantial enough. Anyway, me being me, showing off decided that I would try to vault the gate. I was fitter then and managed it.

Over the gate and in mid-air, I looked down at my landing spot, the grass flattened by other people using the gate had become the ideal spot for a huge snake to do a bit of sunbathing... It was the largest snake I had ever seen outside of a zoo. 

A while ago, a newspaper cartoonist named Styx drew characters running in midair. That was me. 

Gravity being what it is, though, I managed to land astride the snake and was immediately making haste to get away. The poor snake was probably just as startled. I ran. The other lads caught me up but were still laughing. I was told later that it was undoubtedly a female grass snake and probably pregnant. I was not waiting to find out; it was a big snake that was enough.

Most definitely a case of look before you leap. It didn't deter me from going down to the brooks, and I spent many more happy days there. Hope you can laugh at this as I now can.

40. George Forrest talks about Steam Trains

George Forrest

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Playing With Trains

One thing about being 7 - 8 years of age, living on the south side of the railway line and going to school on the north side of the line meant having to cross the railway line four times a school day. It didn't matter whether the gates were open or closed, it was almost obligatory that we, that is, three or four of us, went over the footbridge. 

We waited for a steamer to come through in order that we could become enveloped in steam and smoke. If a train wasn't due, we would wait. To our minds, it was essential that we smelled of smoke. Often this made us late home for dinner ( we didn't have lunch then), only posh people had lunch. I can still hear the tellings-off that I got from my mother to this very day. And the occasions that, having finished my meal,  my wrist was grasped and I was hauled back to school at a rate of knots.

Roger Price and the Luxor Cinema

One of my friends at the time was Roger Price; his father owned a small grocers just below the Luxor cinema. If you stand facing the Luxor, you will see to the right a gap, next was a very old cottage, it might have been two, next was the grocers, then a shop I can't really recall, the third shop was Newberry's, a tobacconist and confectioner.

Very few shops had window displays, but one warm sunny Sunday afternoon, our family was out for a stroll and happened to pass said grocers. There in the window were two sacks of rice, these were being attacked by about 8 - 10 mice. They had gnawed a hole and were busy eating. We watched for some minutes, they were far too busy eating to notice us. We left them to it, didn't wish to disturb them. Though from that day on, my mother never bought anything from Mr Price that wasn't in a tin. .

Building Memories

The next two buildings were detached dwellings, now offices. My father was employed as a trainee bricklayer on the site nearest the Farmers Hotel, and my mother lived in one of the thatched cottages opposite. She spotted him and as they say, "The rest is history".



Enough for today ATB

George Forrest

39. George Forrest tells a story about the men at the Lancing Railway Carriage Works

 

George Forrest

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The Lancing Railway Carriage Works

Whilst the Lancing railway carriage works was probably the largest employer in the area, I personally did not have a lot to do with it; some of our friends and neighbours worked there, and some of my school friends did on leaving school. It was said, tongue in cheek, that it was always possible to tell where a carriage worker lived because the house was painted green and cream, i.e. the colours of the old Southern Railway.

Early Morning Work at the Paper Shop

My only real contact with some of them came early in the morning when I worked for an hour in the paper shop now occupied by Garretts on North Road just above the railway station. At that time, it was owned by a man named Briggs. Later sold to a Mr Forshaw.

Carriage Workers and Their Routine

Anyway, the carriage workers had to clock in by 07.45 or they lost 15 minutes of pay. I worked from 06.30 until 07.30, although I rarely got away before 07.45 because of the late workers. Usually, all went smoothly until about 07.30, there was ample time to make up three paper rounds for the boys delivering them. 

Morning Chaos

The late-running workers would throw their bicycles onto the pavement, run into the shop, almost throw their money onto the counter and become quite impatient if their paper and cigarettes were not immediately forthcoming. It was always the same ones; they never seemed to learn. I think this was when and where I learned to swear. The swearing was increased when it was realised that the railway level crossing gates were closed and they would have to carry their bicycles over the footbridge. The situation was not helped by Mr Briggs and me being amused by this and showing it.

The Shop and Sorting Office

The shop was, or at least the back half of it was, the main Lancing Post Office at that time, and the sorting office was in a detached building to the rear of that.

38. George Forrest .. further memories - the war years - buying a spitfire

George Forrest

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Memories of the War

Bearing in mind that I was only 4 years old when war broke out, I can only really recall snippets of memories about the war, little fleeting snapshots, so to speak.

The Crabtree Rec and Sugar Beet Fields

I remember the railings on the wall of what I have always called the Crabtree Rec being cut down. When I last looked, the stubs were still there. The whole of that field was ploughed and sown with sugar beet.  My grandfather dug up by far the largest half of our front garden and sowed spring onions.  I recall seeing other vegetables in people's front gardens, things like lettuce and beetroot instead of flowers; the leaves were colourful anyway.

Penny Collections for a Spitfire

Another thing was the seemingly endless street collections of pennies to buy a Spitfire. Lining up pennies on the kerb, to get a mile of pennies was another way of collecting cash, can't imagine Lancing ever achieved a mile, but we tried......    Any old scrap metal was collected, including old kettles and saucepans.  I remember the lorry collecting all the scrap metal loaded with old bikes and, well, almost anything.

Tanks and Armoured Cars on the Main Road

We lived on the only north/south main road through the village, and closer to D-Day, lots of tanks and other vehicles would pass our front door. We sat on the front wall writing down the numbers and nicknames of the tanks and other armoured cars. We watched as some of the drivers attempting to turn the corner by The Farmers misjudged it, and the tracks chewed up the kerbstone.

 As I said, mini memories  

37. George Forrest continues...danger of living under a thatched roof

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37._George Forrest

Early Family Life

Shortly after I was born, our little family moved to Lancing, into a house in Myrtle Crescent, I am sure it was next to the Prior family, and Roy, who you have interviewed, was one of them. My sister was born at this address in 1938. I can't give you dates, but shortly after we moved to an address at the station end of Tower Road.

War Efforts and Relocation

When war broke out, my father was not enlisted into the army; he was a bricklayer and was wanted in the Midlands and North Midlands to do bomb repair work in places like Coventry, Nuneaton, Warrington and others.

 My mother, who was concerned about being on her own with two small children, decided to move in with her parents in one of the two semi-detached thatched cottages opposite "The Farmers", roughly where "The Pantry" is now.  

Fire Risks and Precautions 

Being thatched, the roof was highly combustible; just the thought of an incendiary bomb was worrying.

 During the early part of the war, when the German bombing was at its height, my grandfather would do his fire picket job, i.e. standing at the door, just watching...   I can recall him standing just outside with a lighted pipe turned upside down in case the German pilots should see the glow. We had a large blanket draped over the inside of the door, 1) to stop any light escaping when Grandad popped in to get warm, and 2) to stop any draughts.

Mother's Concerns and Moonlit Nights

My mother's main concern was on moonlit nights, the light would be reflected off the very shiny glazed roof tiles of "The Farmers"  hotel. They were much shinier then, and let the enemy pilots know where we were.

Anti-Aircraft Defences and Air Raids

During that time, there was an anti-aircraft gun on the south side of what would become the road bridge at the bottom end of Grinstead Lane. When there was a raid on it could get quite noisy. 

Memories of German Doodlebugs

Another thing I remember at this time was the German doodlebugs. They made a very distinctive sound. We didn't get too many this way, although I think one did drop on the farm just north of  Lancing College. Whilst in school, if one was heard, the whole class, the teacher included, would be silent except for little soft whispers of "Keep going, Keep going, Keep going".

36. George Forrest

George Forrest's Story

My name is George Forrest. I was born in 1935 in Worthing but moved to Lancing before my third birthday. I moved out to live in Brighton for 50 years. I now have Parkinson's, hence the reason for returning to Lancing. It is flat. Parkinson's makes me tire very quickly, so I hope you will bear with me.

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Chesham House and Lancing Village Memories

I have recently been visiting Chesham House and have acquired a copy of Lancing Village Memories (edition 2). Some of the stories took me back. During the war years, my mother, my younger sister and I lived with my maternal grandparents in the thatched cottages opposite the "Farmers", roughly where the "Rainbow" is now.

Grandfather and Rosecroft

My grandfather was a market gardener employed by Frank Fuller, whose ground was on the north side of Sompting Road. where "Rosecroft" is now. Rosecroft was the name of Frank Fuller's house. Almost opposite was Lisher's coal yard and stables for his cart horses. We always had to be lifted up to see over the bottom half of the door of the horses in their stable. I believe it was Sid Lisher, but I could well be wrong

Lisher's Coal Yard. 

Lisher's coal yard was a small siding which held about 6 - 8 coal wagons. There, the Lishers' men would weigh and bag up the coal and put it onto the cart ready to be delivered. The horses would be fetched from their stable and hitched up. Sid would climb up onto the cart and, with his cap with the peak at the side, would start his round.. When all the coal was delivered, Sid would get onto the cart and fall asleep (or at least appear to). The horses would make their own way back to the railway siding and stop. It didn't matter where the round ended; the horses knew their way back. My memory tells me that the horses seemed to ignore the rest of the traffic. Goodness only knows what they would make of it today. 

The Horses' Stable

Back home, they were taken back to the stable, fed and watered. Of course, the stable is no longer there, but it can be positioned exactly. Walk along the south kerb of Sompting Road, and just before it starts to bend slightly to the right, there is a little dip in the kerb line; this was to allow the horses to walk straight through the stable door.

My fingers are getting tired, must sign off if this is of interest. I will see what else I can recall.

Editors note... I will be writing to George to say 'Yes, please, for more marvellous memories

35. Graham Franklin

Graham Franklin

My Time on North Rd

I lived in North Rd, number 55, which was a grocery and pet food shop. ( I think it sells fish and chips now!)

School Days

We moved there in 1961, I was 5 and went to South Lancing School, almost opposite our shop. Then went on to Irene Avenue School and finally Boundstone. I moved away from the area in 196,9 aged 13, to Bournemouth.

Magical Memories

I think it is a magical place. I have fond memories of all my old school friends. Lancing Rec, he manor where I attended Sea Scouts, tennis at The Manor with Susan Collins, whom I admired from afar!

Adventures and Fun

The Chalk Pit, great fun to be had.  Evening football training with Lancing FC under floodlights, wow, such great memories.

Getting in Touch

Any old pals who want to get in touch I am on Facebook, or graham.franklin@jewson.co.uk

Great pages, thanks.

GRAHAM FRANKLIN