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

NORMAN'S FINDON........

"My Memories of Findon (1912-1993)"

When I first came to live in Findon in 1993 I got to know Betty Ockenden very well and she was often popping in to see me with a photograph of some bygone Findon scene.   We had lots of laughs together.  She was the sister of the Ockenden brothers who ran the Woodyard in Nepcote before it closed.   She lived in the cottage next to the Nepcote Chapel and she had a friend, Norman Groves.    I did not ever meet him but he has left us a legacy today with his reminiscences of a bygone era in the village.  

I will leave it to the late Norman Groves to explain...

I was born on the 2nd May, 1912 at 10 Maxwell Road, Littlehampton, being the first child of my parents, moving to Findon 4 months later on September 12th. 

Mr father was grocer's assistant for Mr. George Winton of Wintons Stores, The Square which I am pleased to say, is still trading under the same name today. 

When I reached the age of four in 1916 I started school at St. John the Baptist School which was almost opposite my home, No. 4 Beulah Terrace.  Mr. Thomas was the headmaster and his wife was the infants teacher, two of the nicest people you could ever meet.  Mrs Thomas was so kind and loving to all of just just starting our schooldays which I will always remember. 

At the entrance to the school at this time we had to climb 14 steps.  There were 3 classrooms which are still the same today but now more modern with offices, hall etc., the infants room, the 'big' room and the room behind the 'big' room which was divided by a curtain for standards 1 and 2.  There were two teachers, Miss Slade and Miss Eager and the attendance then was about 120 children.  The clock in the tower was presented to the village by a gentleman living at Findon Place.   The mechanism was in a glass case below the tower in the 'big ' room and which had a small clock face with one hand which went the reverse way.   This made no difference to us boys and girls, as we could always tell the time by it.   The striking of the clock each hour could be heard over most of the village and still going well today.

At the outbreak of the 1914 war Mr. Thomas was called up in the army and Miss Smith came - a very strict person - known to us all as 'Granny Smith'.   Mr. Thomas did return after the war.  

The toilets were situated across the end of the playgrounds in a stone building consisting of 3 lavatories for the boys, 3 for the girls and one for the teachers.  With no mains water then, there was only a seat and a bucket.   There were 3 playgrounds with a dirt surface and loose gravel.   The end playground was for the older boys where a 'Giant Stride' stood;  it was like a maypole but much bigger with a concrete base.   It was really dangerous, I can remember seeing many cut knees.

Each morning The first bell rang at 5 minutes to nine and again at 9 o'clock.   We had to assemble (wet or fine) outside except the infants who went straight into the cloakroom where Mrs Thomas removed their hats and coats and hung them on a peg with your number.  

The remainder of us were marched into the big room where the register was called before payers were said and then off to our classrooms.  

Each morning the Rev. Usher Bull conducted the first lesson to the top class with a scripture lesson.   Sometimes this lesson was taken by the curate Mr. Percy Leonard who was a very good sporting gentleman.   Every Good Friday the whole school was marched to the church and then 'Percy' would lead a paper chase in the afternoon for the older boys for a mile or two in the Cissbury Ring Area.

I am sure that Mr. Thomas's theme was teaching the 3 Rs (Reading, 'Riting and 'Rithmetic) and I am convinced it was the right idea which I for one appreciate to this day.   The one great day of the year, which we all looked forward to, was the school treat held during the summer, usually the last day of term.  Mr. Albert Short, the farmer, provided 2 wagons, each drawn by 2 horses with straw bales to sit on.  The 2 farm labourers in charge of each wagon were Mr. Jack Long (now well into his 90's) and still going strong and Mr. Kensey Tugwell (now deceased).  They arrived at the school about 2 o'clock when we all scrambled in and drove down the High Street to Bost Hill singing all the way and very happy.

On reaching the foot of the hill leading to High Salvington all children over 9 years old had to alight and walk to make it easier for the horses.   On reaching High Salvington Mill we had a tour of the mill which was in full working order then, about 1920.  Games, racing and so on were held in the grounds were a lovely tea was laid out with lemonade.  About 4 o'clock we all had a bag of sweets, orange and apple and all aboard once again to return to school.  What I remember most was the smell of tar when the skid pan was applied as a brake coming down the hill.

Mr. Albert Short and his family (son Ernie and daughter Nellie) worked long hours and hard work.   His wife and Nelly ran the dairy living in the farmhouse now the village newsagent and post office run by Gwen and Julian Harwood.   Of course most of the children had to collect the milk in the early years, skimmed milk was twopence a can full and milk was threepence a pint with rich cream only sixpence for a pot full but his son then started a delivery service twice a day and once on Sundays.

The sweetshop (now Village Homes) was run by the Harrisons and then the Wall family in the early twenties.  This was a gathering place for most teenagers where we sat around a marble top table near the window drinking glasses of lemonade.   Mrs Wall made everyone welcome and in those days we had little money, earning 10/- shillings a week at my first job;  it seemed to last a lot longer than it does today.   Bill Wall sold everything - cigs, sweets, groceries, drapery and his motto was 'what you cannot see ask for' and he would find it under the counter.  

The butcher's shop next door was owned by Mr. Henry Rice and which has changed hands several times over the years, the Blackwell brothers, Geoff Purr and today Peckhams who have still the reputation for selling good quality meat.

Joining the butchers was private house known as 'Leavesden' which was converted into a bank for a time before now being an Indian restaurant.   Next came the village post office run by Miss Winton and her assistants Miss R. Richardson and Miss Nelly Smith.

Miss Winton's companion was Miss Jane Millen who later wrote her memoirs of Findon, a very interesting book (much earlier than mine).   On Saturdays and holidays I spent hours outside this office, for in those days if a telegram came through we could deliver it.   I was lucky because I had a bike and so did the longer trips to Muntham Court, Park House or Findon Place for sixpence and there were plenty of telegrams in those days.  T

The office closed in 1930 and became part of Winton's stores owned by Mr. George Winton and where my father worked as an assistant for 40 years.   It was a very good shop selling top quality provisions specializing in bacon and cheese.  Miss Ethel Kenchett was cashier and Miss Vi Ockendon assistant.   Mr. 'Shiner' Robinson delivered groceries on a carrier bike and my dad drove a 'T ' Ford van to outlying districts like Lee Farm, Myrtle Grove, Clapham and Patching so during the school holidays I spent hours riding in the van.  There was no 'serve yourself' in those days, everything had to be weighed, on scales with brass weights, and wrapped.

The large village pond (now Pond Green) situated between Winton's stores and Stable Lane had a flint wall running through it, part of it still stands today.  The pond was never dry, Mr. Short's cows, about 60 or more, were driven from the farm to meadows around the village hall about tea time and used to stop at the pond for a drink.  Of course, the herd used to hold up the traffic, so what?  no one complained.  

On the corner of Stable Lane was Mr. Arthur Brown's greengrocer's shop, only a wooden affair but a good business.   His market garden extended almost to the top of the lane.  This was dug by hand by Mr. Dick Mustchin who is still going strong and it provided all the vegetables for the shop, fresh every day.  Mr. Brown delivered to many houses with his pony and cart all the week.   A school friend of mine, Bob Milross, worked in the garden and also made deliveries on a carrier bike.

The bakery was on the right hand side and now can be seen as the Food and Wine shop.  The bakery was demolished in 1959.  All the bread was made by Mr. Rose known to everyone as "Rosie Bill" who was also a very good shove halfpenny player at the Gun.   On the bakery site 4 shops were built with the then new post office and owned by Nelly Smith, now Mrs. Francis.  Her father and mother were the owners of the bakery while her brother Jim delivered the bread to the villagers.  Each Saturday my job was to go to the bakery for my mother to buy dough for one shilling to make a weekly dough cake, lovely! 

One of these shops was owned by Peggy and Stan Duke, the local greengrocers but alas Stan retired after a severe illness and sorry to add Peggy died in 1992.  Johnny Spiers opened a fish shop next door, a happy go lucky chap and interested in the horse race game.

Opposite these shops is the forge (still going strong today) owned by Ted Brown with blacksmith Mr. Goddard senior and his son Fred, now almost 90 years old, who handed over the business to his son, Dennis.   Mr,. Ted Brown's brother Walter had the cycle shop next to the forge where he made his own cycle and named it the Findonian for £3. 19s.  He did all repairs including punctures which were plentiful in those days.  You could hire a cycle for sixpence a day. 

Continuing along Cross Lane there was the coal merchant, Mr. Gawn & Son, opposite Holmcroft Gardens.  The two workers were Mr. Mark Nichols and Mr. Frank Skinner who drove the cart by two horses to Worthing goods yard for a load of coal and returning to the yard where it was bagged and weighed and then delivered round the village for 2/3d a cwt.  After the yard closed as a coal merchant it was sold as a car breakers and garage, this was demolished about 1969 and 4 terrace houses built.

Now to the High Street about 100 yards south of Greypoint a wooden building was constructed about the 1920s known as the 'Old Comrades Hut' for members of the British Legion and social members over 188 years.  Two snooker tables were installed.

We joined the billiard league in Worthing and this was the work of Mr. Bill Wall who before coming to Findon was an amateur champion of England. It became a fine club with dances being held also whist drives to raise funds;  they even formed a 4 piece band with Mr. T. Bryant, Mr. Tom Winton and Mr. Syd Godlard as 3 of the members.  The band became very popular playing at dances. 

Next door was a fine country house (now Findon Manor), it was once the vicarage, before my time and then a private residence owned by Mrs Belle Beattie with beautiful gardens and opposite was her garage.  Mr. Bennett was her chauffeur.  The kitchen garden was on the site now occupied by the village hall and the youth club.  The village hall was built in 1938 and today must be one of the best kept village halls in the district, it is in daily use and its lawns, hedges etc. are a credit to a few OAP gentlemen who are responsible for its appearance all the year round. 

At one time the house of the Goatcher family next to the hall opened as a a garage with petrol pumps and a car hire service.

The shop a little further south in the High Street, now a picture framing shop, was once owned by Mr. Tyler running a saddlers and leather shop making harnesses for the many stables in the village later becoming Elmcroft Stores selling groceries, adjoining was the local shoe shop and repairers known as "Brooklyn" owned by Mr. Churchill.  On entering the front door the room on the left was used for repairs with 2 assistants, Mr. John Miller and Mr. Tom Flint and in those days it was a very busy business.  In the room on the right was the shop for the sale of boots, shoes, slippers and wellies.  I remember my mother taking me there for a pair of boots for school which cost 17/6d and she laid down the law not to play football in them as they were very expensive.  Mr. Churchill had a large lovely garden behind the shop, flowers of every kind and would sell you a bunch for 6d.

Moving along the High Street is a terrace of 6 houses known as Hermit Terrace named after a gentleman who won the Derby in a snow storm with his horse called Hermit.   At the end of the terrace was the Mills family who were the local tailors making breeches and jackets for the stable lads.  Of course the trainers Mr. Gore (Stable Lane), Mr Alex Law (Nepcote) and Mr. Cecil Young (The Vale) were very strict with the lads who had to be dressed smart in those days. 

I think Mr. Gore was the most successful one winning a lot of the big jumping events training 2 Grand National winners.  Jerry M won in 1912 and still holds the record as a seven year old carrying a top weight of 12 st. 7 lb.  He was ridden by Lester Piggott's grandfather.   The other winner was Cover Coat. 

Mr. Alex Law trained at Nepcote Lodge now converted into luxury flats. 

Capt. Ryan Price came to Findon and took over the Downs Stable (Mr. Gore's) and became very successful winning on the flat and jumping including the Gold Cup at Cheltenham, the Oaks at Epsom and many more before his death in 1986.  His wish was to train a Derby winner but alas he never did.  He built a fine house and stables next to the convent called Soldiers Field where his widow Dorothy lives today.   The Captain's jockey was Josh Gifford who held the record of 122 winners in a season at the age of 21 and is now training winners with success at the Downs Stables.   I might add he is a keen cricketer for the village team.

The local builders were W. Ockendon & Sons with their yard at Nepcote, also timber merchants where many trees were hauled into the yard and cut into required lengths for posts, fencing etc., and building materials for merchants.  In addition, trees were cut and prepared for the making of coffins as they were the local undertakers.   Unfortunately, as the sons passed away, the firm closed down in 1976 when the yard and buildings were demolished and several houses built there.

The great event of the year is the Findon Great Fair held each September on Nepcote Green or as we know it the Fair Green where in the past many thousands of sheep are sold by auction.  The Hammond family provided all the sideshows, swings, roundabouts, coconut shies for many years and now the Harris family from Ashington with more modern things such as bumper cars and switchbacks.  Many other travellers are coming nowadays with clothes stalls etc. 

As a boy the fair was open for entertainment till late at night with crowds of people there, but not so many these days.  It was always a school holiday on Fair Day and the sheep came from all over the country but were not allowed in their pens until after midnight on the day of the sale.  The shepherds, with their dogs, brought them nearer each day to the fields round the village.   The boys, and I for one, helped to drive the sheep for miles when sold and would receive a few pennies from the shepherds.   In those days all the roads leading to the Fair were blocked with large flocks of sheep being driven there but today it is all done with large lorries with some 3 tiers high;  they still come near and far, even Wales. 

The large flint building standing on the Green is known as the 'Wattle House' so named as the hurdles which were kept there and used to form the sheep pens are now known as 'wattles.  At each end of the building were apartments used by the Wakenham family and the Stringer family and the large upstairs room was used for Council Meetings, also whist drives run by a Mr. Johnson.

Before mains water came to Findon in 1930, drinking water came from wells; the one near the Gun was where my father had to lower a bucket (and which I understand was over 300 ft. deep) for our drinking water several times a week.  It was lovely cold spring water but today the toilets are built over it and you won't catch me using it.

The well at North End, which can be seen on many postcards today was filled in to make way for the bypass in 1938 by West Sussex Council for whom I was working and helped to fill it in.  It is situated under the south bound carriageway. 

Until 1926 the only lighting in houses was by paraffin lamp, then the Worthing Gas Light and Coke Co., laid the gas mains to the village.

On reaching the age of 11 years in the summer of 1923 Mr. Thomas started examinations for boys and girls and, if successful, we the boys could go to St. Andrews School in Worthing and the girls to the High School in South Farm Road.  

We could choose 4 subjects and I remember choosing arithmetic, composition, geography (my favourite) and reading and very excited when told I had passed.  The two Bennett brothers (Chris and Arthur) also passed and we had to bike to St. Andrews in Clifton Road, Worthing.   In those days there were only 2 houses at Bost Hill and one named Beaconsfield Lodge near the present library and a lodge at Offington Corner.   Findon Valley was lined with large elm trees.

I started work in 1926 as an apprentice gas fitter and helped to install gas to many homes in the village.  To me the best thing that happened was the arrival of the main drainage in the 1960s which did away with cesspools in most homes.  What a performance, every 3 months to have them pumped ut with a tanker lorry called 'Joe the Stench'.

In 1922, with many other boys and girls, I joined the choir of St. John the Baptist Church.  We had a good choir consisting of about 14 men, 20 ladies and girls and 16 boys, which filled the choir stalls and the front two pews.  We attended morning and evening services and Sunday school in the afternoon.   The choir-master and organist was Mr. Shelley who was almost blind, lived in Worthing and travelled to and fro by bush which stopped at the bottom of Church Drive for him to walk up to the church.  He was a very good man and well liked by all of us and held choir practice at the school every Thursday evening.  

It was the Rev. Usher Bull who started the pay scheme - 1/6 a quarter for a full attendance.  The church organ and vestry were in the left hand corner, now a chapel I believe, the organ had to be pumped by hand and run on wind;  this was done by Mr. Shem Randall. 

There was no electricity in those days, the church lighting was a standard, containing 6 candles, in each pew.   These were it by the sexton, Mr. Langridge, who also tolled the bell at short intervals on the occasion of the death of a parishioner, I think it was tolled 3 times for a woman and twice for a man.

The village always had an excellent cricket team, a 1st and 2nd eleven played at Kennel Bottom one of the best and most picturesque in the county.   All the top clubs applied to play here and still do today.  I was very interested in the game and when I was 10 or 11 years old I became 1st eleven scorer travelling everywhere with them until later on I played for the 2nd eleven and enjoyed many years. 

I became groundsman and was very proud how the ground looked taking pride in my work which took many hours using a 30 in. motor mower. 

During the 2nd World War the army used it for parking guns, tanks and lorries leaving it in a poor state.  However, a local resident and keen sportsman, Major Spen Hillier, with a few volunteers worked for many hours restoring it.  

Back to playing on it again, after  attending umpire classes, arranged by Mr. Overington, I became umpire for the 1st eleven for a few years.  We only had wooden sheds for changing rooms and teas were prepared each week end by Charlotte Hicks and my wife boiling kettles on a primus stove.  But today we have a lovely brick building with changing rooms, showers and toilets, and kitchen and a very good bar which I run as steward.  

I have always been a keen sportsman and watched Findon play football, when a small boy, in a field called the Wicks west of School Hill roundabout and which was kindly given by Col Thynne of Muntham Court (now the Crematorium); he also gave the team its first laying strip of amber and black stripes also the colours of the team.

Later as a teenager I played in goal for many years at the new ground Cissbury Park kindly given by Mr and Mrs H.R.P. Wyatt of Cissbury House.  This was one of the biggest and best grounds in the league and playable in all weathers.  The only cover for changing was a clump of beech trees, but who cared when it was an honour to play for the village teams winning many cups.

Once a year on a Sunday during the summer, it was called Hospital Sunday, the West Chiltington Brass Band directed by a Mr. Goulds and assembled in the Square playing good music collecting money from coaches and cars travelling through the village also from the houses. 

What a colourful sight when they marched off down the High Street headed by several bright banners, the Oddfellows and the Buffaloes societies.  Mr. Kensey Tugwell with bowler hat led the procession to the church playing the music for the hymns and on leaving the church they played on the lawn in front of Findon Place where the Hartridge family lived.  Then, off again, down the drive turning right to the Black Horse for another stop, marching up Nepcote to the Green and Nepcote House, then back to the Square for the final fling.  We all followed and a lot of money was collected for the hospital.

At this time we only had 2 pubs in the village, the Gun Inn in the Square with landlord Frank Sandell and the Black Horse in the High Street with Mr. Charman as landlord.   When Mr. Rowley and family came to the Gun as Landlord it became the headquarters of the cricket tam using the room upstairs for meetings, also the annual dinner was held there. 

The Black Horse changed hands to Mr. Jackson Alan Rand, who was an actor and was stand in for Brighton's famous Max Miller.  The football team used the old tearoom of the Blackhorse as headquarters enjoying some very good evenings, especially when winning a few cups.

The present Black Horse was built 1938-39 when the old one was demolished with 6 cottages.   With the coming of the bypass. 

The only street lighting in the village was an old oil lamp halfway up church Drive lit on Sundays by the sexton.

Not a lot of building took place in the village before the War until the Holy Rood was built in 1938;  now known as the Lady of Sion.  It was not until the bypass started in 1938-39 and the war started that, in my mind, Findon changed.  The farms finished and the new estate built there, the ponds filled in - one at Pond Green, another at the Black Horse now a garden centre and one at North End.  

In my early days we had no flooding but now with a heavy storm Kingswood, near the fire station, is under water and the Square and the High Street are a right mess.

The village hall was built in 1938 and is used regularly by many people for all sorts of activities in village life.   Before the hall was built the building adjoining the school known as the 'Old School House' was let for all functions, whist drives, Mothers' Union Meetings etc., and on occasions wedding receptions.   To hire the hall for an evening was one shilling.  The hall was demolished about 1966 to allow for additions to the school and its present entrance, doing away with the steps.

We had several large private houses, Muntham Court the home of Col. Thynne and family, related to the Bath family of Longleat who, I understand, were living there before my time.  It was a lovely house with beautiful gardens and a maze with 2 or 3 gardeners, stables and grooms and well kept.  Mr. Stocks, who lived in the lodge at the front of the drive was chauffer for many years.   The Colonel was a brilliant horseman, always present at foxhounds meets.  Also, the house was demolished inthe'60s.  We all thought it was terrible at the time, as it would have been a lovely convalescent home but it was used to build the Crematorium opened officially on 5th January 1968 by the Mayor of Worthing, Councillor Ross.  I must admit it is a fine setting for it.

I must mention our very good part time firemen who do a good job and who are a busy station.  I remember in the early days when it was started a shed in School Hill near the Gun Inn housed the equipment comprising 2 short ladders, a fire extinguisher with buckets and a stirrup pump, Mr. Cyril Langridge was in charge.   Then a shed was built on the green at Homewood with Mr. Lambourne and followed by Mr. Oliver Rose.   Now, we have a well built station with a good crew led by Mr. Tony Voice who is the local butcher so when a call is made, off he goes so the shop is closed and we do not get any meat!  (not really true).   This station was built in 1966.

The present vicarage was built in School Hill in the 30s for the Rev. Usher Bull and his wife.  Both were very active, he formed a Scout Group and Mrs Bull formed the Brownies and Girl GLuides.

The first vicarage I knew was in the High Street, called 'Averys' on the corner of Church Drive with the Rev. Billy Allen.  On his retirement the house was run as a retirement home by Dr. Daphne Veale and her husband with a room as the local surgery and what an attractive lady and good doctor she was.  

We were very lucky to have Nurse Joan Day in the village living at Nurses Cottage, Horsham Road and as good as any doctor being on duty 24 hours a day, an excellent midwife having delivered over 400 babies.  All good things come to an end and Joan retired but leads a very active life in village affairs having started the Friendship Club for the over 55s which is going well with about 70 members after 15 years.

I am very proud of my village of Findon as it has always been very clean and tidy.  Up to the War we had two good roadmen provided by the Council, Mr. Daniel Hollingdale and Mr., Harry Kennard who had a truck, brooms, shovels and a 'swop hook'.  The roads, hedges and the Square were always perfectly kept - a real credit to both of them.  Today we have a 'Best Kept Village' Competition which, in the past, we have won.

A policeman lived in the police house in Horsham Road and always seemed to be on duty, 24 hours a day, never heard of violence or any serious crime in my days. 

In 1933 Sir Alan Cobham brought his 'Flying Circus' to the 'Wicks' for two days with flying displays given by 2 planes, giving trips at the cost of half a crown in an open cockpit for two and the pilot lasting about 20 minutes.  If you were brave (and I wasn't) it cost 10/- for a trip above the clouds with loop the loop.

The large house in the Square, known Greypoint turned into flats had a lovely garden with a rare tree called a tulip tree which had wonderful blooms during the spring but one cannot stop progress and this was cut down when the land was sold for the building of the bungalows in Tudor Close.  I believe that there is another of these trees at Kew Gardens.  

Another unique attraction was at the house where Mrs Hunt lived behind Studio Cottage in the High Street.  She kept peacocks in a large open pen, one could view from the iron gate (still there).   Coaches always stopped there when on excursions, the coaches were called 'charabancs' then and mystery trips from Worthing for half a crown usually came through the High Street to see the lovely creatures.   Traffic consisted of farm vehicles, horse and cart etc., mostly in those days.   There was a 10 m.p.h. limit through the village until the bypass was built, and the policeman, P.C. Morris, kept a tight vigil on this.   He was also on duty to see the children safely to school in the mornings, dinner time and 4 o'clock until we had a lollipop lady 'Aunty Ethel', in about 1960 which she did for many years until 1992 in all weathers (well done).

The construction of the bypass took place in 1938-39 by West Sussex County Council.   I worked for them and feel very proud today, when I see such magnificent trees and hedgerows, to think that over 50 years ago, I and Mr. Charlie Langford with a foreman from Barnham Nurseries planted every one of them.  The trees   were 2' 6" tall and the hawthorn for the hedge were only 1' 6" tall.   Along the centre reserve shrubs were planted also the first tree planted was a holly on the School Hill roundabout.  The purpose of planting shrubs and trees in the centre was to stop the dazzle from headlights of approaching cars and which was very effective.  And to think that those lovely trees and shrubs have been cut down from the Black Horse to Nepcote Corner, to be replaced with white lines on the road which most traffic ignores.

Of course the cemetery was constructed with the bypass and opposite the small gate to the cemetery stands the remains of a barn which was gutted recently by fire, previously there had been stone built barns with a yard for cattle in my days.  Near here in the meadow known as 'Butchers Croft' was a well kept grave with iron railings for two horses which, I am told, were used in the Crimean War by old Col. Margesson who lived at Findon Place.

The field, (Butchers Croft) got its name as it was used for cattle, sheep and pigs which were slaughtered at the local butchers.   The slaughterhouse behind Peckham's shop is part of the Indian restaurant today with the same wooden beams in the ceiling.   Mr. Bill Tugwell with his assistant Doug were the slaughtermen providing the meat for the shops owned by the Blackwells.

Also, behind Wintons shop and on part of Pond Green an annual affair took place.   This was the sheep dip where hundreds of sheep were 'washed'.  It was a huge concrete pit filled with water and a special powder and the sheep, two at a time, were plunged into this for a couple of minutes and when they dried out were snow white.  Mr. Albert Short provided the workers with 2 gallon jars of cider and, I think, it was pretty strong.

As I have mentioned earlier, not a lot of building took place in my early years.  The old council houses were built in the early 1920s and one of the first residents was Mr. Jack Long and his wife Emma.  Sadly Emma passed away but at the tender age of 94 he is still living there.   You cannot mistake his house.   Just look at the garden with its mass of flowers and his big back garden full of all kinds of vegetables and kept weed free all the year round.

Since the War the village has changed with all its modern practices but not altogether for the better in my opinion but of course I must confess there have been several improvements, the by pass was a must, can you imagine all the traffic coming through the village today? 

We have two more pubs now with the 'Villager' and the 'Snooty Fox' and more shops with still more to come.   The council built houses and bungalows on a site known as Homewood which was a meadow called the Pigs' field with a pond where the children's play area is today.  

Also, nearby, is sheltered accommodation with 30 flats known as 'Nightingales', built about 1982 and situated next to the fire station.  

With the closing of the farm known as 'Shorts in 1943, subsequently the land was used by tenants followed by one of the biggest developments in my time when all the farm buildings were demolished and many houses and bungalows were built on the surrounding meadows in the early 1960s.

The garage at the foot of School Hill (part of Pomegranate Cottage now) was owned by Mr. Charles Cuckney and the one place in the village where 'accumulators' could be recharged for wireless sets, before electricity came, at 6 pence a time which lasted about a week.  

Now 1993, is Findon any better?  In my days we had a policeman living in the village always on point duty, also a nurse, a petrol station, buses on a 20 minutes service to Worthing from 6.30 a.m. to 11 o'clock at night also groceries, milk and bread delivered to your door.   All gone now, left with the Poll Tax or Council Tax as it is known today.

It appears that Norman finished his reminiscences here as they do not continue.

I then had a couple of emails from John Linfield in Horsham... "Norman Groves story nice read. A larger than life character. He worked with my father in law after the war, building the Findon by pass, and they sold all sorts, buying in bulk, then bagging into smaller lots."

"Hi Valerie, as I told you some time ago, my father-in-law worked with Norman for some years, after the war, & I was telling him tonight that you were putting Normans story on your site. He has asked me if I could print a copy for him!!

The f-in-law was telling me tonight, how the two of them would go to chanctonbury with a 2 wheeled handcart. Chop down a tree, and wheel it back to the village, where they would saw & split the tree, all by hand.

They often delivered to the Greypoint Hotel, where one would put the logs down a trapdoor into the cellar, watched by the owner, while the other would be wheeling it out the other end, ready to sell again. They also did this with coal, taking an empty sack every few hundred weight delivered, usually delivering about 16cwt for every ton asked for, then asking the buyer to count the 20 sacks before they went".
 

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