Chesson's Coaches

A Memory of Withyham.

Hello Patrick,
I came across your reminiscences while looking for something else - as you do! I remember Tom Chesson and his coaches, was at school with Veronica Chesson, his grand daughter and also my best friend Jill Burgess.
My name was Chris Langford, we usually travelled on the Ashdown Motors coach from Forest Row, in that cold winter we slithered all over the Forest and up to Old Lodge collecting primary school children for Hartfield, got stuck a few times. I expect you boarded at Withyham and went along the Ladies' Mile.
When the Ashdown coach was busy Tom collected us and we were in awe of him, I remember him ordering a boy off at the radio station at Nutley and he walked most of the way home until the postman took pity on him. He was strict, and we were grateful for our peaceful journeys! But I do remember my embarrassment when allowed to travel in the passenger seat, a great honour, and the school rabbit peed in my lap which Mr. Chesson was kind enough not to mention.
Jill is the daughter of Jack Burgess, cowman at Hodore, and he is frail but still alive, now in his 90s. She married John Booker, we were in the Colemans Hatch and Hartfield choirs. Perhaps you remember dear John Missen? His sermons were always memorable, and fun. He was Patrick Moore's Maths teacher at Lancing.
My father, Harry Langford, loved to fish the lakes at Withyham, and I seem to remember his name on some trophies at the pub.
I miss Sussex, enjoyed your reminiscences. Our house at Colemans Hatch, where Mother lived for 42 years, is altered out of all recognition, "Lamberts" at Newbridge. It was the most wonderful place to live and we had lots of freedom on Ashdown Forest.
Kind regards,
Chris.