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

THE MYSTERY OF ALICK CHUMLEY'S CHRISTMAS CARDS ― Did he pass through Findon?

Copyright Valerie Martin

In February 2010 I received an email from David Johnston in Petworth saying....."I have attached a couple of 'original' pen sketches (.c. 1920 / 30 period?) that although not of 'Findon' content, they are of West Sussex, interest - I can find nothing about them, nor least, who Alick Chumley, the artist was! Would be most interseted to know if any of your 'website surfers' may know!   With best wishes,  David."

                                                   click on images to enlarge

So we had another mystery to solve..... The Mystery of Alick Chumley.   The only clue I could immediately think of was the address....there is a Pembroke Avenue in Hove and another in Worthing. 

Doug Attrell in Goring by Sea emailed to say..."Hi Valerie.... Mystery Artist....David Johnston's mystery intrigues me.

The name Alick Chumley can't be that common so I tried a search on Google. The only one I can find appears to have been a stage actor. He's listed in the "1911 Stage Yearbook". I came up with a very interesting site where you can read the book online. With a bit of luck & a following wind this link should take you to both pages that he's on.

http://www.archive.org/stream/stageyearbook1911londuoft#page/148/mode/2up/search/alick+chumley

The play is "The Artfulness of Ada" at the Pleasure Gardens, Folkstone on 28th Feb & Folkstone & the Opera House, Woolwich on 21st March so he got around a bit.

This link is a few years later in May 1915 when our hero is starring in "Searchlights" at the Swansea Grand Theatre.

 http://www.swanseasgrand.co.uk/swansea%20grand%20theatre%20archive%201911%20-%201925.html

He turns up next in "Who's Who in the Theatre" published in 1925.

 http://www.archive.org/stream/whoswhointhethea011179mbp#page/n127/mode/2up/search/chumley

First listed on December 1922 at the New Theatre, London (now the Noel Coward Theatre) playing Smithers in "The Great Well" & last heard of in March 1925 (Page 127) at the new "Q" Theatre, near Kew Bridge (demolished in1958) playing Adam Smith in "Adam and Eva".

Fascinating. What's the betting this is our mystery artist?"

I thought that the dates certainly appeared to be correct with the vintage of the sketches.

Doug added, "I'm pretty certain this is our man. I suspect those cards were hand-drawn & intended for close friends. The man inthe drawing is him. The address on one card is 24 Pembroke Avenue, Hove. I presume this is his address. A lot of show business people still live in Hove as it's very handy for London.

The contents of the cart & the back pack are interesting & one box is labelled Slides. There is also some sort of machine in both drawings. I was wondering if he was an amateur historian or perhaps a photographer/artist who travelled round giving magic lantern shows in his spare time. The places on the signposts might also give clues.

From the info we have there's no way of telling his age or when these cards were sent. He was already touring with a stage play in 1911 & I was was wondering why he was still at it in Swansea in 1915 when all the young men were rushing to enlist. Depending on the way you read it he was in charge of the touring company by that time in partnership with an A. Russel Davis. (Might be worth doing a search on him.) Of course, he could have served in the forces some time later. It's a shame I lost track of him in 1925.

Well that was brilliant deduction on Doug's part.  Yes, the sketch must be of the artist himself   Great pity that FINDON is not depicted on one of the signs in the sketches...... it would be marvellous if he made it to Findon in the snow!  The sketches do appear to be snow scenes so were possibly handmade Christmas cards that Alick Chumley sent to friends. 

David Johnston said,,,,  "Dear Valerie - yes, I've been following the replies on your web,with interest - and it certainly seems that the 'mystery' is solved.

A travelling actor, who made it down from Scotland to Sussex, no doubt earning his money as he went - and there, amongst his goods and chattles that are in the trolley he is pushing, is an old fashioned cine-projector, which makes sense.

There is too, some mystery, as to why he seems to be referring to the old book - 'Highways and Byways' - of Sussex? He must have known E.V. Lucas.

kind regards, David"

Well, we seem to have Alick Chumley sussed.   I wish we could have found if he passed through Findon during his travels with his cart and his load!   Too much to hope for I suppose.

Continue if you would like to read Come Fly With Me.

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