Racton memories
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Memories of West Sussex
Great Grandad Strickland - Stickland
Escaping from his mammoth wife, Gran Con, who could eat a whole chicken at one sitting, Great Grandad Stickland fled Street in Somerset and took lodgings in the F&H. He suffered nightmares, and the person who slept in the same lodging room used to turn him over. One night he did not and that night he died. Perhaps he thought his wife had caught up with him. He was a grand horsemen and part of a Welsh family called the Sticklands (changed to Strickland by the Army in the Second World War). He is buried in Chichester, the poor man's grave was found in the 1970s and now forms the family grave. We have one picture of him and Gran Con. He had three daughters and 2 sons, they where all very proud of their dad and although Gran Con had the 'Strickland temper', she was well loved, her grand daughter remembers staying with her in the cottage in Street in Somerset. Please excuse the English, I suffer from dyslexia.
QUEEN'S CORONATION
I WAS BORN AT No 2 THE SQUARE IN 1938 AND REMEMBER DECORATING THE FRONT OF THE HOUSE FOR THE QUEEN'S CORONATION. I MARRIED IN 1959 AND MY FIRST FLAT WAS AT THE CHANTRY IN FOXBURY LANE. I SERVED IN THE ROYAL AIR FORCE FOR 33 YEARS AND NOW LIVE IN DEVON. ONE OF MY YOUNGER BROTHERS NOW LIVES IN NEW ROAD (WHITE HORSE LANE IN THOSE DAYS). MY WIFE'S GRANDMOTHER, MRS HAWKINS, LIVED DOWN WHITE HORSE LANE AND GRANDAD HAWKINS (ALBERT) USED TO OWN THE OLD BAKERY WHICH WAS IN MY DAYS "WATSONS" AND IS NOW THE CO-OP IN WESTBOURNE SQUARE. GRANDAD HAWKINS DIED IN 1930.
Greengrocers 1899-1934 East Street: Mark & Annie CROUCH
My Great Grandfather Mark Crouch ran a greengrocers shop from the front room of his thatched cottage in East Street from 1899-1934 and then after he died his wife Annie continued as a grocer/greengrocer until 1934. I have a photo (date unknown but would probably be late 1920s - early 1930s) of Annie standing in the doorway of her shop which had a bow front and A.CROUCH over the window, but I don't know if the same building exists today (2008). Mark's son Edward (my grandfather) and his wife Ada and family lived first in a bungalow on Monks Hill and then for many years at the former old Boys' School in School Lane, which had been converted into 2 bungalows. I remember as a child spending many happy summer holidays with them there (1950s). I live in Devon now but am researching the family history. Ada Crouch was a music teacher and gave lessons from home. She died in 1966. Edward (Ed) was in the Army and worked on... Read more
Watercress Beds
I have no memories of West Ashling but somewhen before 1860 my G/G/Grandfather James Hare started the watercress beds there. It was not untill quite recently we found out what we know about this family. My G/Grandfather George was not infact registered as a Hare he had his mothers name which was Mayhew. All his children from his first marriage were all registered as Mayhew's and were all born in the East End of London where George was a railway porter. We think he brought some of his children which included my grandmother down to West Ashlingin when his wife died in 1872. My grandmother lived in the area and married my grandfather Kennedy Larbey at Westbourne in 1890 and they lived in and around the area until 1897.
The family to this day still own and run the watercress beds at West Ashling and at Hambrook. George Larbey
Homefield School, Southbourne Hants
My brothers and I were day pupils at Homefield starting in 1955. My twin and I quickly departed to Grammar School, but my younger brother David was there for three years. Mr Taggart? was the Head Master I think.
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Places this week
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- Lewisham, Greater London
- Methilhill, Fife
- Orpington, Kent
- Tyseley, West Midlands
- Burghfield, Berkshire
- Grasmere, Cumbria
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- Margam, West Glamorgan
- Frizington, Cumbria
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- Ryhill, West Yorkshire
- Diss, Norfolk
- Glossop, Derbyshire
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- Pengegon, Cornwall
- Battersea, Greater London
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- Riddings, Derbyshire
- Newhaven, East Sussex
- Hill Of Beath, Fife
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