County Notes
September
page 403-409 - selected items
Those of our readers, and there are many, who are interested in
the preservation of such windmills as still remain in the County, must have been
heartened by the recent decision of the West Sussex County Council. Windmills of
the ancient type, post, tower, or smock, are of no economic value to-day, and
naturally they stood in positions where the wear and tear of weather was
exceptional. If they are to be preserved as historical relics, the repair bill
will be little less than in the days when they "earned their keep." In
fact, only a Local Authority can afford to-day to undertake their preservation.
The West Sussex County Council has recently mapped those in its area which
remain in whole or in part, some 26 in all. There are none, rather curiously,
north and west of a line through East Worthing - Halnaker - Wisborough
Green - Ifield, except West Ashling which was mainly a water mill. Of these the
County Council have concerned themselves with the preservation of three:
Halnaker, tower; Shipley, smock; and High Salvington, post; one example of each
type.
But the County Council's decision stirred local pride
in Worthing. High Salvington is in the borough, and the Borough Council readily
agreed to pay the price of preservation of the mill. The County as readily
agreed. But will Worthing's action prove a spur also to East Sussex?
Other
Local Authorities do their share. Brighton has one, Hove has one. We do not know
at the moment who is responsible for the famous Jack and Jill at Clayton, but we
are pretty sure it is not the East Sussex County Council. Are they on Crown
land? No doubt many of our readers will tell us. But we are quite sure that if
they begin to tumble down there would be a unanimous howl from all parts of
Sussex. Years ago Oldland Mill at Keymer was left to the Sussex Archaeological
Trust, who only accepted it on condition that they were not to be responsible
for upkeep. The Sussex Archaeological Society has been exploring all avenues and
leaving no stones unturned, just like the Cabinet ministers, but with little
success so far, unless the West Sussex action is due to their influence. The
Pilgrim Trust would have made a grant for repair, if a local Committee would
have undertaken upkeep, but local effort has tried and failed. Neither the
Society nor the Trust has funds to spare in these days.
Then
there is Winchelsea, which Mr. Anthony Freeman can no longer maintain, as we
have lately heard. In fact, the private owner and the local voluntary society
are no longer in a position to continue to undertake unremunerative burdens of
this kind. West Sussex and the Boroughs have set a good example. To use still
one more cliche - verb. sap.
Sayings and Pronunciations
Should Houghton be pronounced Hoton, Horton, Huffton or Howton? The question
is asked by a writer who calls himself "Silly Sussex (with Just a Touch of
Scottish)" in the current issue of Contact, a magazine for the blind of
West Sussex. He gives, under the heading of "Sussex Sayings," some
choice local pronunciations: "Hannaker" (Halnaker), "Smuddle"
(Small Dole), "Lilampton" (Littlehampton), "Ezburn" (Easebourne)
and "Chidezder" (Chichester). "As a lad," he says, "I
was called among other things a scallywag, a spodnoodle, a scrimshanker, a
chocololovitch, a rapscallion, a hobbledehoy, and a stick-in-the-mud." From
M. J. Smith of Bognor Regis come two quaint expressions of pleasure: "I'll
give you a hog's pudding when I kills my cat," and "I'll kiss you
twice and owe you two-pence."
Railings for a Tomb
The Regency Society of Brighton and Hove have carried out another useful
piece of work. At their own expense they have erected attractive railings round
the tomb of Amon Wilds, who died in 1833, in the churchyard of the old parish
church of St. Nicholas, Brighton. The monument records that "through Wilds'
abilities and taste, the order of the ancient architecture of buildings in
Brighton changed from its antiquated
A "Horrible" Name
The name of Dalloway, it might have been thought, would be an honoured one
in West Sussex as that of a historian long famous among the county's worthies
for his researches into local history. But a generation has arisen, it appears,
who know not Joseph-so much so that residents of a certain road in Arundel
recently went to the trouble and expense of lodging an appeal (which actually
succeeded) before the local magistrates against a decision of the Arundel Town
Council to change the name of their road from Torton Hill Road to Dalloway Road.
The appellants, through their solicitor, pleaded that they did not like the name
Dalloway Road. One said it had "no local significance," and was
"an unpleasant sounding name in any case." Another, a lady, said she
thought it was "horrible." The council's representative declared they
had "no axe to grind," and would be entirely content to accept the
decision of the bench.
To a New Road-£28,000
Down in the valley to the east of Freshfield Road, Brighton, where for
many years there was raised the pride of the town's allotments produce, a
handsome new road has been cut southwards from the Race Hill. It is 625 yards
long and it will serve the hundreds of municipal homes being erected on the
Craven Vale estate. When completed, this £28,000 road will have an
eighteen-feet wide carriageway, five-feet wide footpaths and eleven-feet wide
grass verges. The housing estate was commenced during the first year of the
reign of Queen Elizabeth the Second, and by a happy inspiration the
Corporation decided to name the new thoroughfare Queensway. It was opened
ceremonially by the Mayor (Ald. W. G. Dudeney) cutting a red, white and blue
tape stretched across its northern end. This "infilling" building in
the heart of the town is proceeding apace with the erection of picturesque new
estates far out upon the Downs, but the demand does not diminish, although
since the War the Corporation have provided more than 5,000 new homes. The
advent of a "satellite" town, possibly at Peacehaven, appears to be
an inevitability.
Shoreham Loses its G.O.M.
Barely sixteen months ago we joined with many others in congratulating Mr.
Henry Cheal on attaining his eightieth birthday while still looking in his
sixties. Now we have with deep regret to chronicle his passing. He was a
valued contributor over a long period to the SUSSEX COUNTY MAGAZINE and his
knowledge of Shoreham and its past was unrivalled. His untiring efforts as
Hon. Curator and Secretary of the Marlipins Museum resulted in its becoming
one of the most interesting features in modern Shore-ham. It will be
difficult, if not impossible, to find a successor with anything like his
knowledge of local history. No greater tribute to his memory and public
service could be made than to see that the future of the Marlipins Museum is
assured by either the local or county authorities.
Revolutionary Change
The effect of the revolutionary change that has come over the social scene
in the short space of half a century is striking in the beautiful stretch
between Preston Village and Patcham that is Withdean. Handsome residences
standing in lovely wooded grounds are no longer the scene of gay family
parties and balls which obtained in pre-Edwardian days.
The latest to be converted to enlightened modern use is Herons Court, which
was recently opened by the Corporation as a home for the aged blind at a cost
of more than £15,000. Economic necessity has robbed the rich of these
imposing residences, but there is consolation in the thought that in these
sylvan surroundings people who have been robbed of their sight or never
enjoyed the blessing now find a delightful retreat.
At Herons Court there are 16 of the 314 blind people in Brighton's 13
Corporation homes. Another 110 are in the General Hospital and voluntary
homes.
A Rectory Creche
At Broadwater a scheme has been started whereby worshippers at the parish
church on Sunday mornings can leave their children at the rectory to be looked
after while they attend service. Older children are met at the church door
just before the sermon and taken to the rectory till the service is over. The
rector, the Rev. Peter Marrow, who has six children of his own, says a similar
scheme which he organised at a previous parish which he had charge of in
Surrey proved popular.
Ofham Church
As a result of recent publicity about the urgent need to repair Offham
Church, the Church Council have in hand or in promises about £650. This has
been raised entirely in the parish. It has been decided to apply for a Faculty
to use this sum in accordance with suggestions made by Mr. Walter E. Godfrey,
the architect, about employing it to the best advantage in meeting immediate
needs, and it is hoped that unless prevented by unforeseen circumstances, the
work will begin in a few months.
This is only stage 1 of the whole plan, and nearly £3,000 is still
required to put the building into complete order. The Council will continue to
make every effort to collect this sum but they feel that there must be many
residents in Lewes to whom Offham Church is a familiar landmark and who would
like to contribute to its maintenance. The Rector would welcome donations
large or small from all who are interested, so that stage 2 may be begun with
the least possible delay.
Hamsey Old Church
This Church is now in reasonably good condition although the Rector is
still inviting contributions towards future repair and maintenance. Church
services are held there at 8 a.m. and 6.30 p.m. on the first Sunday in June,
July, August (Lammas Sunday) and September. The Sussex Recorder Players are
kindly providing the musical accompaniments.
The Old Church was well filled by an appreciative congregation on the
evening of Wednesday, 21st July, 1954, at Choral Evensong, sung
(unaccompanied) by the full choir of Brighton Parish Church under the
direction of Mr. Gavin Brown, B.A., F.R.C.O. Music included Wesley's
Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in F, an anthem, "Let Thy Merciful
Ears" (Weelkes), and the hymns "Oft in Danger, Oft in Woe" and
"Glory to Thee" (Tallis' Canon). In a short address the Rector
pointed out that this was a great occasion in the history of the Old Church,
in which architecture, poetry, music, learning, country and town were united
in worship under one ancient roof, and remarked on the close bond that drew
all present together in that both parishes were dedicated to St. Peter. The
Sussex Recorder Players played sixteenth-century music before and after the
service.
