I was born 20.11.43 at 17 Vale Drive, Findon Valley, the home of my uncle and his family.

I am the result of mum and dad having a dirty weekend at the tail end of the war, when they were both stationed in Kent.

Unfortunately Dad was already married and it was “not the done thing” to have a child out of wedlock in those days. So, after my birth mum and I went to live with my grandparents Mr & Mrs Long at 2 Elder Cottages, Nepcote.

When I was 6 months old my mum returned to her family in Mablethorpe, Lincolnshire, leaving me with my grandparents. She was not allowed to take me with her, although her sister was allowed to take a dog home, strange values, but that’s life.

My mother sent me a 1st birthday card but it was returned to her and she was told not to contact the family again.

I attended Findon School from 1948 to 1954. Miss Alexander was the headmistress and Miss Fillimore took the infants.

One of the first things we learnt was knitting, and this I took to quickly, and still knit today. Now it is to sort pattern problems out for the ladies or finish off and stitch together for another lady.

When 9 yrs old I taught my auntie in Eastbourne (Mrs A. Catt) to knit. In return she taught me to crochet. Sadly she never took up knitting and has since died, but I have continued to crochet and now give shows and talks to ladies groups and clubs. My work has gone to Australia, America, Canada and Nottingham  etc, but I digress.

Some of my school friends are Alan Pelling, Robin Woods, Eric Whittington, Tony Carter, Edward Spooner, Roger Turner, Valerie Ockenden, Helen Budd, John Collier, Ann Lidbetter, Roy Hogan and Sue Mustchin.  Miss Alexander was very handy with her pointer, (not a cane) as I found out on more than one occasion across the hand.

We had logs delivered from Ockendens yard to Elder Cottages for the fire, and coal was stored in a cupboard under the stairs, water was drawn from the well and the toilet, a bucket at the bottom of the garden.

All cooking and hot water was done on the stove, gas lighting downstairs only and ‘blackout curtains’ in case of air raids.

Tea was made in the big black pot in the morning and stayed on the stove all day, it was filled up at night and left to go cold over night and this was then poured into quart bottles the next morning for my uncles to take for their lunches with a chunk of bread and cheese.

My grandmother died when I was 9 yrs old and I had to go and live with my dad, stepmother and stepsister at 2 York Terrace, Nepcote. Not a good move, I must have been a constant reminder to Kate of Dad's affair. The only advantage of York Terrace was it had electricity and water on tap, toilet still down bottom of the garden and tin bath still hung on the wall.......

My grandfather was a shepherd as was my uncle Harry who also lived at Elder cottages and Uncle Jack who lived at 14 Old Council Cottages, near the Fire Station, which has since moved. He lived there until he was 99 yrs. Then moved to a nursing home in Worthing. He died in his 101st year, after getting his telegram from the Queen and had a party in Findon about 2 years ago.

When I was 12 yrs and at West Tarring school I had a fight and tore the sleeve of my new coat, from that day on I had to buy all my own cloths, so I did two paper rounds 7 days a week and went out gardening at 2 places in Nepcote, 2 in the lanes, some down Findon road towards the Valley and one at Offington corner. In the winter months I would clean silver and brass or anything else that wanted doing.

One of my better-paid jobs was Findon sheep fair, I used to help put up the sheep pens for the fair. In those days there was 12000 to 18000 sheep and one year between 22000 and 23000. There was sheep everywhere. On the downs, and in the field opposite the green. The pennies earned were spent on the range.

When we lived at York Terrace our neighbour was Mick & Pam Ockenden, please give her my best wishes the next time you see her. I remember that Mick was into photography and filmed a flower opening. That must have been in the mid fifties.

Dick Mustchin, Mary, Ann and Sue lived at No.3

Roy Hogan must be about 56 yrs and went to the High School and I think he had something to do with horses but I have not seen him for 40 yrs.

Edward Spooner would be about 58 yrs. And I believe he joined the forces.

The A.A. man with his yellow motor bike and side car used to stand at the AA box on Warren Road near Offington corner roundabout and salute all the cars with an AA badge, they don’t do that anymore. Also on that piece of road there were 3 or 4 ladies with prams selling flowers. The last time I saw them they were outside Woolworth’s.....

I joined the Army on 31st Dec. 1958, aged 15 yrs and went to Army Apprentice College at Chepstow.  When I left the forces in 1970 I worked in Worthing as an engineer Knowles Bakery, H.R.S engineering and Beaumont’s.

In 1985 I visited St Catharine’s House in London, Records Office, to try and trace my mother. I discovered that she had married and had a son David. I tried directory enquiries but she was not on the phone, but, the telephonist being very helpful said —n“There is a person with the same surname in that street.”

She gave me her number and I rang her and asked if she knew a Grace Hall, which was my mothers married name.  When she said they had been friends for years I asked her to give her my number and ring me anytime. 

Well she rang at 6 o’clock that night and said —

“I know who you are, you’re my son.”

We were on the phone for well over an hour that night and agreed to meet. This we did on 14th November 1985, when I went into her home there was welcome home signs and in the dinning room around the wall a birthday card for every year — 42 of them, including the pop up one she had bought for my 2nd birthday, which she had kept from 1945.

Her husband died a year later and my Dad’s wife died 3 months after that. Then I got my mother and father back together again.

In 1989 my daughter married in February, my parents married on 27th May and Joy and I married 29th July, a busy year........

I prefer to be called Ernie but my mates will only know me as Toby, as long as you don’t call me late for dinner I don’t mind.

Wattle house, now what do we know about that, well. I used to play with Robert Love who lived there with his family and the Wakehams, the Grandad rarely wore a shirt and was a regular at the Gun Inn, again outside toilet and a well for water.  I understand that it is to be restored to its former glory, I for one hope so.

Hope this gives you a bit more to go on with.

Good luck

Ernie