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River Common
River Common maps
Historic maps of River Common and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all River Common maps
River Common photos
We have no photos of River Common, although we do have photos of these nearby places:
Upperton| Lodsworth| Tillington| Petworth| Selham| Northchapel| Byworth| Easebourne| Blackdown Camp| Graffham| Fernhurst| West Lavington| Duncton| Midhurst| Kirdford| Heyshott| Woolbeding| Fittleworth| Kingsley Green| Stedham| Plaistow| Stopham| Bepton| Cocking| Wisborough Green| Lynchmere| Iping| Haslemere| Bignor| Ifold
River Common area books
Displaying 1 of 24 books about River Common and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of River Common
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West Sussex memories
Mother's Memory
Thinking that my mother always lived in and around Kidderminster, I was surprised to discover her mother had died in West Sussex. I did some research and found Mum and her siblings attended Tillington school. The school register was interesting reading, on 22 September 1927 the school nurse visited and Frances (my mum) and her sister Edith were sent home for having dirty heads. I remember Aunt Edith and Mum telling me they were sent home because they had nits and the walk home was up a big hill and it took ages to get home. My mum was 8 and her sister 10, not somthing we would do today. It does seem strange that nits are reported in the school register but not their mother's death 4 weeks later. Their mother died in the workhouse, Budgenor Lodge, Easebourne.
Petworth Mill
My grandparents Hylands live in the millhouse at Petworth. When I was a child, after moving from a farm at Sutton my grandad Bill worked for the mill driving a flour lorry and nan Olive used to sell tickets to men wnting to fish along the the river. I loved staying there, trying to catch fish in the big millpond with our nets. I remember the millpond used to swell and come up over the road, sandbags were put up to stop it going into the cottage. There was a man who lived in a caravan a bit further down from the mill cottage, I used to think it strange he would empty a bowl into the millpond every morning, lol. When Nan and Grandad moved in there wasn't a bathroom and we had to go down a corridor at the back to use the loo, a wooden seat with a hole in it, and chamberpots at night, until a bedroom was turned into a bathroom. I remember roaming the... Read more
Childhood
We took the steam train to Selham station and walked across the fields to our destination . My gran and step grandad lived in a little cottage called Smokey Hole in Selham. My granddad worked at a farm called Konigs (Conigs - not sure of the spelling) along the lane. I have been trying to find this location as I want to revisit. I remember being bathed in a tub and a long walk to the outside toilet down the garden. The harvesting, where all the rabbits ran out of the field across from the cottage and most met their demise by the local farmers. There was a stream in a field alongside the cottage and my cousin and I used to play in that, swing on a rope tied with a knot. All very happy memories of a five year old, but sadly only one photograph of myself standing on the cottage fence, none of the cottage itself.
Memories of Ebernoe
My father Frederick George Standing grew up at Colhook Common, Ebernoe. His schooling was done at Ebernoe School, which was next to the church. The school is now a private house. He married Mary Grace Cooper at Ebernoe church. He was a member of the cricket and football team. He continued to play for Ebernoe cricket team as did his brother Harold (Son). Nearly every Saturday we would be bundled into the car and off we would go to Ebernoe for yet another game of cricket. My brother and I enjoyed it as we were able to catch up with our cousins (Harold's children). Tea time would approach and my mother and Aunt Kath would walk us all down to Colhook Common to have tea with my grandmother. We would stay there until Dad and Uncle had finished their game and came and collected us, to go the Balls Cross pub for after match drinks. It was better still if the game was at Easebourne, as my Aunt Reeves did... Read more
I Was Cross!
Having spent a beautiful morning walking around Surrey, we decided to visit villages with stupid names. We ended up at Balls Cross. Balls Cross consists of a house, 2 cars, a public bin and grass. No Balls and certainly no crossing - absolutely hopeless. If anybody is looking for villages in the UK with stupid names - I would avoid this one - there is nothing to see. (Plus I needed the toilet badly - not even a coffee shop - useless!)
The Old Bakery
The building in the distance is the old bakery. When I was a child/teenager (in the 1960s) my grandparents (Bert and Annie Hurd) lived in a cottage just behind where this picture was taken, and whenever we visited them we would go down to the bakery to see their friends Mr and Mrs Shoubridge (and Joyce Gumbrill who ran it and the little shop. Mr Shoubridge used to bake fresh bread daily in the oven which was heated by burning bundles of small branches called faggots. Then the ashes were raked out and the bread/cakes were baked in the oven by the residual heat. My memory says that one of the houses on the right of the picture was occupied by one Dr Death, but I cannot swear to that.
Bottom of Easebourne Street, Went to Primary School Further up
The Village Post Office was in the white building on the left, and is still there today 18th Jan 2007.
On the right behind the wall is the Estate Office where my Father, Jack Owen, worked for many years as Chief accountant.
