Stair House

A Memory of Lamberhurst.

I was 2 years old when my family moved to Stair House. My father was Ted Miller and was contracted by the government to collect scrap metal during the war years. We moved in 1948 but I have strong memories of the village.
What sweets were available from Mrs Fuller-Waters shop, the first haircut at the barber's, going up the hill, the golf course with a small stream running at the back of Stair House, and especially the tunnel running off the courtyard, underneath the flats. I believe it was used for rifle training during the war. My father always seemed to have lorries coming and going, day and night, and I am sure a lot of black market trading went on.
The main house had a squash court on the courtyard and seemed huge, we were always told not to go in certain rooms because they were off limits, not sure why.
When we moved to Crawley at the end of 1948, because my father had the contract to build the new road foundations, the house and premises were sold to Crown Chemicals, but my grandmother and uncle were able to continue to live at Stair House untill the 60s and we often visited them on the top floor. My grandmother was Mrs Weston and she was a keen member of the village community. My uncle, Fred Weston, worked for Crown Chemical, so although I was only 4 when we moved, going back to Stair House was regular and I still remember it as my home.