THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE - Bunty Remembers

THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE — these Findon Chronicles are created by Valerie Martin and contain scenes from her home village of Findon,
West Sussex, U.K. Everyday stories about real people.

BUNTY REMEMBERS.....

Copyright Valerie Martin 2008

I hear many snippets of information through the tangled Findon grape vine.......... and rumours abounded in August 2008 regarding the flattening of the scrubland and the bonfires on the north side of Nepcote Green. (Perhaps the latter had not been entirely environmentally friendly and the wood should really have been chipped and mulched you are thinking?) Anyhow if all of the hard work was for the eradication of bunnies from the bank.... I suggested that it would only be temporarily successful. I had seen Peter Rabbit hopping up the lane with a grin on his face and carrying a banner reading "WE'LL BE BACK".

The story goes that the Parish Council had been in conflict with the Arun District Council for cutting down these said bushes before a certain date because of nesting birds ... I am not quite sure what this magic date is...... but I guess someone will tell me.

As an aside: I had heard that a family of stoats lived around the very same scrubland and were often seen playing there in the past.... although I do not know if the Arun Council would be interested in the happiness of stoats and their homesteads. Also it had been told to me that a dead slow worm was uncovered after the scrub were destroyed.... slow worms are supposed to be protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981.

It was reputed that work could not continue at the location until the Arun Council gave the band of workers the official O.K. to proceed once more.

The story mumbled around the village was that the Parish Council was awaiting a bulldozer to be provided by the Findon racing fraternity (plus man power in the form of village resident, Phil Cook) to eradicate the tree roots and flatten this section of land..... in readiness for what?

I had heard all sorts of speculation.... even that picnic tables had to be installed on the vacated site (once it was landscaped) and were to be up and running in time for the Sheep Fair ! Ummm.... not much time to do that as it was already August.... did they mean Sheep Fair 2008 or 2009 I wonder?

I heard also that there was some disagreement about a football net (goal posts?) being erected on Nepcote Green..... ah.... that was another matter entirely I guessed.....an added enhancement to the scene ..... as in days of old when guys donned in long shorts used Coachmans as the changing rooms. Decision time will arrive ......which team plays up hill and which side down hill?

Anyhow, these were all rumours that I had gathered by just being a good listener..... and it made for interesting village talk whether true or not.

Hush.... is anyone reading this next bit?.... This is really top secret..... phsssst....did you hear the one about the bunnies who have been busily doing midnight tunnelling with flashlights under the flint wall actually behind the Wattle House on the Green ? Yes, THAT story was perfectly true in August 2008.... (not too sure about the flashlights though) .......I had seen them myself bobbing to and fro and breaking into the Cissbury Estate beyond. This was really an unforgivable clandestine act and the Parish Council were reputed to be acting on the information received..... perhaps from a mole.

It was amid such local speculation that I was walking up Nepcote Green in August 2008 with my two Shetland Sheepdogs, Suzie and Katie, when a couple came towards me with a Terrier and a Chihuahua. As I had owned three Chihuahuas when I first came to Findon (one was actually killed on Nepcote Green by another villager's dog) I stopped to see this little canine that was trotting towards me.

The owner of the two dogs out for a walk on the Green introduced herself as Bunty Stepney from Lancing and she originated from Findon and true to her word, she sent me some reminiscences later in the week of her days in the village.

Hello Val, This is Bunty Stepney , i spoke to you up the village green on Thursday.

It was so nice to meet you, as i said to you, you put so much into your web site, it is really great to read about the old village people from the past.I so miss my mum telling me all about them to.

I was wondering how nurse Day is, she brought two of my children into the world, nearly a third one, but we moved to Lancing a week before he was due. She is such a lovely lady, in those days she was on a par with the local doctor, as we used to go to her for all our little ailments, right down to lancing a boil, we even used to get the baby milk off her, she never complained at whatever time you rang her bell, even Christmas day sometimes.

Unlike Mrs Goatcher who ran the garage in the High Street, she used to charge our radio batteries in those days, and we were always fearfull when we had to go and collect it, as she always appeared to come across as grumpy, but am sure it was just a childhood fear, as in later years, she was quite friendly.

Then there was the local shoe repairer, Tom Flint, , you have written about, he was also in the High Street, we could never work out how he knew which shoes were ours, as he always had a huge pile of repaired shoes, but went straight to yours, trouble is , he did so like to chat, it seemed like hours before you got away, but he was a friendly man, they sure gave alot to village life in those days

Then in the Square was Mr Wall, who ran the sweet shop, what an emporiam that was, you were hard pressed knowing what to choose.

Village life sure was great in those days, we used to pack , our jam sarnys , and bottle of water, and be out all day, mums knew we were safe, as the village bobby was always around, if we were up to mischief, a threat from him he would tell our dad soon sorted us out. Shame its not like that now isnt it.

Thanks again for great web site......Bunty

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THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE — www.findonvillage.com is a continually growing record created by Valerie Martin exclusively for documenting life in Findon.

Do let me know of anything you hear about Findon - not too controversial. Please note that opinions expressed in the Findon Chronicles are not necessarily reflective of my own thoughts.... but sometimes they are!