THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE — www.findonvillage.com  created by Valerie Martin, contains scenes from her home village of Findon, West Sussex, U.K.

PERSONALITY OF THE PAST — THE FINDON NEWSHOUND

Copyright Valerie Martin 2004

Originally printed in the Findon News in July 2004

"Nothing ever happens in Findon" is a common enough expression. 

Do you remember the late Jim Grant?    He was born in Newcastle and was in the banking business long before he came to live in Tudor Close.   He collected his own news items for the Findon News — of which he was the editor for 22 years.  I've been told that he used to sit on Nepcote Green during the summers in the 1970/80s thinking out his pieces in readiness for publication.  Jim was the chief contributor to the Findon News — along with fellow Parish Councillor, the late Stanley R. O'Hanlon, (who was also Findon's representative on the Arun District Council).

In those days, the publication consisted of eight pages full of news, gossip and information.   The Scotsman presented it all with a somewhat light touch and on the whole an admirable economy of words.  

Like all good reporters, Jim, who was long retired and getting on a bit, picked up news wherever he went in Findon.... in the pub....in the local shops and chatting to villagers in the street.   There was a cookery corner in the publication and a "Findon Fred" cartoon signed by "Eric".   There was no mystery attached to Eric, he was Eric Turier the retired Worthing Borough Planning Officer.

Jim was the Chairman of the Parish Council and you would have thought he would have inside information for the Findon News but he said —

"The Findon Parish Council is not much use for news.   They rarely talk about anything interesting.   It's really pretty boring."

He served on the Council for eighteen years.

So Jim hunted out the news for himself and added his own brand of humour and gave it to a small East Preston company to publish.  The circulation hit a giddy 600 in those days under his eagle eye.  His monthly masterpiece cost 5p but Jim always made a point of reminding the inhabitants of Findon that there was no profit —  it was only a hobby for him.   I know the feeling from running this website!

Jim died at the age of 82 in Worthing Hospital in February 1987.   He had lived in Findon for 25 years.

The editorial reins of the Findon News were taken over by fellow Parish Councillor (and one time Chairman), and prominent member of the Findon Preservation Association, London born Stanley O'Hanlon.      Stanley died in September that year.  He had began his long career in the civil service as a clerical officer in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries at Whitehall and during forty years of service, he was promoted to Senior Executive and in the 1950s had been award the MBE.     Committed to retaining Findon's character and identity, he was also Chairman of the Findon Village Preservation Society for seven years and President for the last two years.

Pam Ockenden and Sue Elliott then took over the editorship of the Findon News and enabled it to continue.

If you would like to see a bit more of Findon, click on Findon in the late Seventies.

This is Findon Village — www.findonvillage.com is a continually growing record created by Valerie Martin exclusively for documenting life in Findon.