Ashdown Forest, East Sussex

Wrens Warren Camp School

In 1949 I was a pupil at Wrens Warren Camp School near Colemans Hatch. The school was housed in long huts which I believe to have been used in the war. It was a school for children who had been ill and needed some form of convalescence whilst still able to attend lessons.
The headmaster was a Mr Punch,... [more]

Sweet memories

Living at Forest House - just up the road from the post office. The school coach would drop us off at the bus stop, and on our way home we would stop in to what our family called "the little shop" to stash up on sweets. The shop was run by Barbara and Len Waghorn.

Horney Common

I have just read Juliet Baxter's memories about Woodstock. My mother bought Woodstock in 1946 for her mother to live in. She lived there and bred dogs until the 1960s. I have many happy memories of staying there as a child.
I have lots of photographs of Woodstock, including a postcard from, I think, the 1930s. I went to see... [more]

Horney Common as a child

I was born in London in 1938. When war broke out the following year my father sent my mother and myself down to Devon but soon after that he, and many of his regimental colleagues in the Army, rented a large country house in Horney Common and put the mothers and children there for the duration of the war. It was... [more]

Cumbers of Upper Close

Dad had lived at No 51 for many years. Myself and my two brothers grew up here, went to the local primary school, where Mr and Mrs Jupp were the heads. All three of us went onto Sackville Secondary in nearby East Grinstead, before going our seperate ways. Barry still lives in the village, but we all enjoy... [more]

Families

On the 27th of December 1956 my ex-husband KEITH GEORGE JEARY was born at 6 UPPER CLOSE where he lived with his parents until we were married at Holy Trinity Church on the 6th of November 1982 - both of my children Emily and Dominic were duly christened at Holy Trinity in 1984 and 1986 respectively as was their father in... [more]

Danehill Lodge

My Mother had come from London to visit her brother (Jack Hames)  who was working at Danehill Lodge, the name 'Pepper' were the people living there at the time.  A lovely wooden gate was the entrance to the garden and house. I remember a large kitchen with a billard room somewhere near. They had a friend who had the nickname of... [more]

Hartfield in the late 1920s

My friend Hannah Rooth (Nee Symonds) can remember living in Hartfield in the late 1920s and 1930s. She lived at Kilnwood, in Cotchford Lane, and was married in the church in 1937. She then lived in Paddock Cottage in the same lane.  In Hartfield in those days there were two pubs, a grocers, a bakers, a post office, village hall, and... [more]