Newsletter 33 Founded by David Arscott Spring/Summer 2014

This book caused a storm when it was published in 1920! FIVE YEARS’ HELL IN A COUNTRY PARISH by Rev. Edward Fitzgerald Synnott Country Books paperback 210 x 148mm 120 pages 4 photos £10.50 The Reverend Edward Fitzgerald Synnott, known to some as ‘Big Paddy’, was born in 1870 and attended West Meath Grammar School before joining the Irish Constabulary, which he left in 1894. He was ordained in 1898, before taking a degree at Durham University. He had been to Canada before serving in several English parishes, and on 22nd June 1914, he arrived in from Worthing with his wife.

A compelling preacher he attracted a full congregation, but his past experience had not fitted him for a small rural community. He was right, and everyone else, wrong. The fact that he was Low Church did not please the villagers, added to which his lack of consultation on church matters and spiteful rumour-mongering by villagers did not help matters. He alienated most of the village, especially those from the big houses – believing that man was created equal in the sight of God and upsetting the newly-rich. His dog, ‘Pat’, disappeared – and Synnott received his tail in the post! He became the subject of numerous anonymous letters, and Rusper was rife with gossip about his doings.

Villagers complained to the Bishop, leading to his trial on a charge of serious mis- conduct. He had to sell his beloved cob ‘Kitty’ to help fund his legal defence, and he wrote this book after he was found not guilty by a trial at Westminster Consistory Court. Surprisingly, he remained in the village following the publication of this book in 1920, for another 13 years – until 1933.

Were all villages this bad? www.sussexbooks.co.uk Email: [email protected] Tel: 01629 640670 2 EDITORIAL

hy is Rusper like a bus? You wait for ages, and then – two come along together! This newsletter features two books on the village, and both by rectors. Cautionary Pilgrim: WWalking Backwards with Belloc is by the Rev. Nick Flint, the current incumbant. Five Years’ Hell in a Country Parish by Rev. Edward Fitzgerald Synnott was rector until 1933, and Nick says the following:

“Eighteen years ago I received my own summons to the parish of Rusper. Everything was arranged. We only needed a removal firm. ‘Rusper?’ asked a voice at the other end of the ‘phone. ‘My father and I have moved at least the last half a dozen Rectors of Rusper! I suppose you’ve read the book?’ I had to confess I had no idea what he was talking about. He chuckled as he told me the title of ‘the book’. That was my introduction to the Reverend Edward Fitzgerald Synnott.”

A warm welcome to Pighog — it’s good to see a revival in poetry. An excellent book from Summersdale – A Feast of by Rosemary Moon. Rosemary is a successful food writer and a passionate advocate for locally sourced and produced food. This is her 19th book! Our founder, David Arscott, continues to support the club – in spite of living out of packing cases, having just moved from Lewes! SB Publications continue to publish their excellent walk books. This time we have Country Walks Near the Sussex Coast by Jonny Young. The Book Club always welcomes authors self-publishing. This time we have two books. Letters to a Part-time Barmaid by Victoria Seymour, and Barns Green & : Then & Now by Mary Hallett. This latter book is especially welcome, as many members will be familiar with the priest’s house in Itchingfield churchyard – looking more like a doll’s house! Amberley Publishing are here again with two new books, and Pallas Athene have updated and reprinted A272: Ode to a Road. And don’t miss the Wartling book on the First World War. I do like to see childrens’ books with a local theme – see Earlyworks Find & Seek Trails. And a warm welcome to QueenSpark Books, and the Book Guild with two walks books and one on baking.

The Club ‘away-day’ is Saturday 6th September, and this year we visit . I hope to meet some more members this year.

Please do contact me if you are aware of any new Sussex books I have missed. And if you are writing a book, I would be more than pleased to help you bring it to print. Happy reading, Dick Richardson SUSSEX BOOK CLUB ·COURTYARD COTTAGE ·LITTLE LONGSTONE ·BAKEWELL ·DERBYSHIRE DE45 1NN NEWREVISEDEDITION 3

Latest edition of a phenomenon A272 – AN ODE TO A ROAD by Pieter and Rita Boogart Pallas Athene paperback 250 x 210mm 272 pages colour pictures throughou £19.99

New enlarged, revised, improved 4th edition • The most eccentric and fascinating guidebook we have ever seen John Sandoe Bookshop • Delightful Woman’s Hour • The oddest publishing success of the year Western Daily Press • Remarkable Daily Telegraph • One of the most original, crazy, informative and enjoyable books toappear for a long time: this guide is utterly appealing bol.com • Road all about it! The Sun

A decade-old obsession for Dutchman Pieter Boogaart resulted in a guide- book that looks like no other, to a subject never before fully explored: the A272. Three continuous texts wind their way through the book, simultaneously exploring the A272 itself and the countryside it passes through; extra commentary is provided in yet another level of text. Hundreds of colour photographs complete this homage to the ‘epitome of Eng- land’.

After eight reprintings, now in a fully revised, updated, improved FOURTH edition and – of course! – 272 pages long!

Pieter Boogaart is the European Secretary of the Folly Fellow- ship. A noted book reviewer and teacher, he lives with his wife and collaborator Rita in eastern Holland.

www.sussexbooks.co.uk Email: [email protected] Tel: 01629 640670 4 NEWBOOKS

Britain’s pre-grouping railways LOCOMOTIVES OF THE LONDON BRIGHTON SOUTH COAST RAILWAY edited by John Christopher Amberley paperback 235 x 165mm 160 pages 150 illustrations £12.99 A contemporary account of the LB&SCR’’s locomotives covering the company’s formative years from 1839 up to 1903. Originally published over 100 years ago this new edition is fully illustrated with over 150 linedrawings and photographs. A hard to find account of the early LB&SCR railway locomotives. Fully illustrated with line drawings and photographs throughout. The London Brighton & South Coast Railway – also known as the ‘Brighton Line’ – was an important pre-grouping railway. Many of the early locomotives were acquired through amalgamations with other companies and over 1,000 were built and in 1923, they were handed over to Southern Railways.

NORTH BRIGHTON: LONDON ROAD TO COLDEAN THROUGH TIME by Anthony Beeson Amberley paperback 235 x 165mm 96 pages 180 illustrations £14.99 ‘Brighton’s first suburb’, London Road, was for its first century almost entirely domestic in character and the haunt of the genteel middle classes whose gardens were praised by the Loudons. The early country suburb’s change to commercial and industrial use provides a fascinating picture of the rise and fall of a once prosperous community. It foreshadowed the suburbs, also covered by this volume, which would subsequently mushroom along the traditional northern routes out of the town, following the sale of Stanford land in the 1870s and over countryside once in the manors of Preston and Patcham. The areas covered include, London Road and its hinterland, New and the Dyke Road, Ditchling Road and Hollingbury, and the ancient route to London, the Lewes Road, encompassing Preston Barracks, Moulsecoomb and Coldean. The rare illustrations come from the author’s private collection and provide a wonderful historical record of the area.

SUSSEX BOOK CLUB ·COURTYARD COTTAGE ·LITTLE LONGSTONE ·BAKEWELL ·DERBYSHIRE DE45 1NN NEWBOOKS 5

A FEAST OF WEST SUSSEX by Rosemary Moon Summersdale hardback 180 x 112mm 290 pages £9.99

From strawberries to salmon, sweetcorn to sausages, West Sussex is a cornucopia of delicious produce. Bursting with mouth- watering recipes, information on the best local producers and tips on foraging techniques, A Feast of West Sussex celebrates the diverse flavours and rich food culture of this fruitful county. CHAPTERS: Fruit & Vegetables, Foraged Foods, Dairy & Eggs, Fish, Meat & Game, Drinks, Store-Cupboard Essentials. Sample Recipes Include: Chicken Ham and Asparagus Pie; Slow-Roast Shoulder of Southdown Lamb with Honeyed Root Vegetables; Egg Mousse with Selsey Crab; Broccoli with Molecombe Blue and Chillies, Arundel Mullet, Sussex Succotash; Squash Hummus; Sussex Pond Pudding; Wild Plum Gin; Baked Redcurrant Cheesecake & Gooseberry and Elderflower Ice Cream.

CAUTIONARY PILGRIM: WALKING BACKWARDS WITH BELLOC written and illustrated by Nick Flint Country Books paperback 234 x 156mm 82 pages £8.50 Nick Flint is Sussex born and bred, having lived half his life in the East and half in the West of the County. A parish priest in the Church of England for 25 years he is married with one daughter. During the course of writing Cautionary Pilgrim he discovered he is distantly related to Mad Jack Fuller. He believes he is the first literary rector in his village since his predecessor in 1919 wrote Five Years’Hell in a Country Parish. ʻThe book has an extraordinary atmosphereʼ JOHN BIRD Satirist and Comedian from TVʼs Bremner, Bird and Fortune ʻA work of engaging wit and styleʼ CHRISTOPHER WINN Author of the I Never Knew That... books, now a TV series. ʻSoaked in the lore and animated by the Spirit of Bellocʼ MALCOLM GUITE Author of Faith Hope and Poetry, and Sounding the Seasons ʻAn affectionate travelogue, punctuated with delightful drawingsʼ NICHOLAS FRAYLING Dean Emeritus of Chichester Cathedral www.sussexbooks.co.uk Email: [email protected] Tel: 01629 640670 6 NEW BOOK – SUSSEX WRITERS 9

COUNTRY WALKS NEAR THE SUSSEX COAST by Jonny Young SB Publications paperback 210 x 148mm 112 pages Colour pictures £9.99 The counties of East and West Sussex boast some of the most beautiful scenery to be found any- where along the southern edge of England. In Country Walks Near the Sussex Coast, experienced walker Jonny Young takes us on a series of invigorating and fascinating journeys across the miles between the beauty spots of Thorney Island and Camber Sands. Walks are clearly described and presented with maps and references in a helpful and easy-to-follow format, and both historical and contemporary details are revealed as the paths unfold. The routes take in many of East and West Sussex’s well- known coastal towns and villages and the surrounding country- side, whilst uncovering some hidden treasures of the counties’ impressive coastal heritage. Presented in full colour, with many of the author’s scenic photographs, Country Walks Near the Sussex Coast is an indispensible guide for anyone with a love for walking and an interest in the English landscape.

SUSSEX WRITERS 9 Diana Pé My background may also be unusual. After studying Modern Languages, I taught at a variety of schools and sometimes regretted that I had not made History my subject. On retirement I was able to indulge my interest History when I began producing Walks Guide Books with snippets of information about Churches. My walking companion, Doreen Peskett was, and still is at age 96, an Anglican. Churches were often the focal point of our walks. I grew confident in entering and studying churches. A publisher, Sigma Press produced my first two books. Through them I learnt about presentation and had to use a computer, Fortunately my artistic brother, Stephen Good was able to draw good maps for my next three books. When my brother died, a rambler friend John Avenell took over the maps. Another artistic friend, Audrey Stevens has made beautiful paintings for the covers. My research into Church History is becoming deeper but walks, sadly, are getting shorter. I may have to call it a day when I have finished my present project in Devon.

SUSSEX BOOK CLUB ·COURTYARD COTTAGE ·LITTLE LONGSTONE ·BAKEWELL ·DERBYSHIRE DE45 1NN POMEGRANATE 7

Sussex as she is heard – David Arscott‘s unrivalled audio collection Sussex Book Club founder David Arscott was for years a BBC radio producer and presenter. Here he presents five memorable archive CDs.

G 1 Wunt be Druv – David tours the county talking to the last remaining speakers of our rich Sussex dialect.

G 2 Lureland by the Sea – Peacehaven’s incredible Wild West type development, as told by the people who lived there in the years following the first world war. Dare to be a Daniel – The story of Eastbourne’s Salvation Army riots in Victorian times, narrated by John Surtees.

G 3 The Glory of the Garden, featuring veteran Sussex grower Bert Winborne at 80, a reading of Kipling’s poem in praise of gardeners and the memories of veteran sons of toil living in the former home for retired gardeners at Henfield.

G 4 He Who Flew by Night – The strange story of Grey Owl, Hastings schoolboy turned North American indian and conservationist-author, narrated by Bernard Rutherford. A Place of Quiet – A visit to the Charterhouse monastery at , normally closed to the outside world.

G 5 Night of Misrule – A noisy evocation of November the Fifth at Lewes, with contributions from Bonfire Boys and historian Jim Etherington. Ale, Thou Art My Darling – A tour of Harvey’s Brewery, with Geoffrey Barlow and Miles Jenner.

Each CD costs £6, but you can buy the complete 5-part set for £25. Mark your order Audio Collection Bundle.

www.sussexbooks.co.uk Email: [email protected] Tel: 01629 640670 8 QUEENSPARKBOOKS Brighton based QueenSpark Books is the largest and old- BACKSTREET BRIGHTON est community writing and publishing organisation in Featuring photographs the South-East region. (Established 1972). taken in the late ‘40s and Through the publication of over one hundred books in early ‘50s of Brighton its forty two year history, QueenSpark has established houses scheduled for itself as a national leader in widening public access to demolition and publishing. reminiscences of Its unique collection of local history books (spanning families who lived in the organisation’s 42 years) includes some fascinating those houses, this is a memoirs of local Brighton & Hove people, wonderful must anyone interested photographic collections and social history publications in the social history of detailing the history of the city. the city. All proceeds from the sale of QueenSpark’s Price: £10.99 publications go back into funding the organisation’s work in the community. BACK ROW BRIGHTON www.queensparkbooks.org.uk Back Row Brighton transports us to the hey- PHOTOGRAPHIC COLLECTIONS day of Brighton cinema- THE BRIGHTON &HOVE going in the company of PHOTOGRAPHIC those who were there. COLLECTION I Price: £11.99 A quirky and eclectic seletion of 50 images featuring the historic and contemporary (donated by the public). A BACKSTAGE BRIGHTON testament to the diverse A fascinating journey people and history of through the history and the city. heritage of Brighton & Price: £9.99 Hove’s many theatrical venues. THE BRIGHTON &HOVE PHOTOGRAPHIC Price: £11.99 COLLECTION II This collection features the work of selected local photographers including JJ Waller, Peter Chrisp and the late Leslie Whitcomb SELECTED MEMOIRS creating a fascinating TAKE HIM AWAY –RON PIPER portrait of a changing The powerful tale of city. Brighton born Ron’s Price: £9.99 steady progression towards a life of crime in war-torn East London. It is a compelling THE BACK YARD SERIES account of one man’s A fascinating series of books looking at the the history life history, which also of Brighton through evocative photographs and conveys a vivid picture transcribed memories of local people. of the social history of the time. Price: £4.95 SUSSEX BOOK CLUB ·COURTYARD COTTAGE ·LITTLE LONGSTONE ·BAKEWELL ·DERBYSHIRE DE45 1NN QUEENSPARKBOOKS–CRMM 9 PEBBLE ON THE BEACH –TONY DIAMOND BRITAIN AT WAR Growing up in Brighton, TALE OF A BOY SOLDIER –GEORGE PARKER Tony was subjected to a The story of Brighton childhood of physical born George Parker who and mental abuse – enlisted at fifteen to including electric shock fight in The Great War. treatment at the age of His courage and ten – abandoned by his determination epitomise family at fifteen, and the resilience of the sent to Australia to fend human spirit in over- for himself. This is the coming adversity and true and incredible story surviving traumatic of one boy’s ability to times. survive. Price: £6.99 Price: £7.99 BRIGHTON BEHIND THE FRONT – TEATIME TALES –VARIOUS AUTHORS VARIOUS AUTHORS Memories from the Brighton behind the fascinating clientele that Front vividly portrays have frequented the what it was like to live in Pavilion Gardens Cafe this south coast town over many years run by during the Second World the Sewell Family since War. the 1940s. Price: £11.99 Price: £5.99

MEN ONLY WANTED!

No, not the smutty magazine, but new members for the all-male Chanctonbury Ring Morris Men. They celebrated 60 years in 2013. They dance out in the summer, but in wintertime, they practice at Woodman- cote Village Hall on Wednesdays. They dance the Cotswold tradition and also have a North-West side (clog). Other events include apple howling and tipteering (mumming) on Boxing Day. Intending dancers and musicians should contact: www.crmm.org.uk or just email for more information [email protected] … and please donʼt think there are only two dances – one with sticks and the other with handkerchiefs! www.sussexbooks.co.uk Email: [email protected] Tel: 01629 640670 10 CROWSNESTPUBLICATIONS

Tales from this master storyteller. Humorous encounters with Sussex characters, from war veterans and farmers to hop-pickers and mill-workers the author has met whilst repairing sewing machines.

RANDOM THREADS 1: PATCHES OF HEAVEN Paperback 224 pages black-and-white photographs £9.99 RANDOM THREADS 2: SKYLARK COUNTRY Paperback 176 pages black-and-white photographs £9.99 RANDOM THREADS 3: HIGH STREETS & HEDGEROWS Paperback 224pp black-and-white photographs £9.99

The latest book from the master story-teller HAVE I GOT A STORY FOR YOU Alex I. Askaroff Country Books paperback 230 x 150mm 294pages £14.99 Special price £12.50 56 black and white photos We all love stories, and in Alex Askaroff‘s eighth book he continues with his fascinating travels around the South East of England, collecting more hilarious and enchanting tales as he goes. Some will make you laugh, some will make you cry, but all will have you captivated.

Once again Alex brings his unique magic to the page and captures England, its history and its people, as only he can.

Includes 10 poems from the master’s pen.

SUSSEX BOOK CLUB ·COURTYARD COTTAGE ·LITTLE LONGSTONE ·BAKEWELL ·DERBYSHIRE DE45 1NN HAVEYOUGOTTHESET? 11 TALES FROM THE COAST Paperback 384 pages black-and-white photographs £12.99 His ‘Random Threads’ trilogy has long been a favourite of Book Club members and Alex brought out a fourth volume. For newcomers we should explain that the author is the Sussex equivalent of James Herriot, with the repairing of sewing machines taking the place of treating sick farm animals. What they have in common is an eye for humanity as they journey around their chosen patch – and the ability to turn their encounters into gripping stories, humorous, zany and touching by turns. Tales from the Coast is a generous dollop of a large-format book, with 384 pages and a sprinkling of illustrations. If you’ve met Alex you’ll know that he has a warm personality; if you haven’t, this book will bring it home to you. ‘Some of the great pleasures of my life,’ he writes, ‘are the happy fulfilling moments with friends, chatting, remi- niscing and exchanging stories, or just sitting alone in a quiet moment of reflection remembering times of long ago.’

NORMAN: A JOURNEY THROUGH TIME Paperback 216 pages black-and-white photographs £12.99 Like many people Norman had lived a life which he thought of as ordinary. He, like many of us, is almost invisible, a single leaf on a tree in our human forest.

For most of the 20th Century Norman had been involved in and witnessed a brave new world, a world in which we live today.

Here is a mini biography of a modest man who was born into a rural time hardly changed for centuries. Where a team of farmers and animals would spend back-breaking days working a field, to a time when one man in an air-conditioned cosy tractor, with music playing on his iPod, guided by satellites in space could do the same work in a few hours.

Norman’s journey has spanned the most interesting century that this planet may ever have, and, through war and peace, provides us with a unique portrait of one man’s remarkable life.

www.sussexbooks.co.uk Email: [email protected] Tel: 01629 640670 12 NEWBOOKS–OLDBOOK

FIND AND SEEK TRAILS NOOKS AND CORNERS OF by Pauline Crouch OLD SUSSEX Earlyworks Press 210 x 148mm £7.99 by Rev. P de Putron Country Books paperback 295 x 205mm 158 pages £18.50

Well known to local youngsters through her work in Hastings Childrens’ Library, Pauline Crouch knows how to make a day out both In 1875, The Rev. de Putron, Rector of interesting and educational. With this book Rodmell, published this selection of under your arm, you can add a sense of engravings, many dating from the early 19th adventure to family walks in Hastings, Battle, century. This is a record of the vanished past – Rye and the countryside around. old houses in Hastings have been demolished – many churches have been Includes photocopiable worksheets with ‘restored’ by the Victorians – the plaster Pauline’s own, gigglesome illustrations. removed from The Star Inn at Alfriston, etc.

The Bluebell Railway Revisited by Matt Allen Halsgrove hardback 230 x 214mm 144 pages illustrated in colour throughout £14.99

The Bluebell Railway was originally a part of the former Lewes to East Grinstead line and when closure by British Railways loomed a keen band of volunteers worked hard to prevent the line being confined to history. In this book, premier railway photographer Mat Allen takes a photographic journey along the 11 miles of track showing all the Bluebell has to offer and the new extension to East Grinstead. In more than 140 colour images he captures the essence of this magnificent jewel in the British heritage crown.

SUSSEX BOOK CLUB ·COURTYARD COTTAGE ·LITTLE LONGSTONE ·BAKEWELL ·DERBYSHIRE DE45 1NN NEWBOOKS 13

Finding My Place Seven Long Distance Walks in Kent and East Sussex by Brian Rance Book Guild paperback 234 x 156mm 352 pages £12.99

Finding My Place is more than just a guide book to Kent and parts of East Sussex; it is also a companion guide to the places visited on seven marathon walks. It is a celebration of the geography, geology and landscape, the flora and fauna, the history, people and places of this part of southern England.

Spread throughout the book are 85 illustrative plates to supplement the narrative: including route maps, in-depth historical information, points of interest and notable landmarks.

Walking My Patch Seven More Journeys through Kent and East Sussex by Brian J. Rance Book Guild paperback 234 x 156mm 320 pages £12.99

An ideal and informative companion to seven long distance walks, perfect for ramblers interested in Kent and East Sussex.

Not only a convivial walking companion, the book contains 109 illustrative plates, which include route maps, in-depth historical information, points of interest and notable landmarks, countryside regulations and descriptive wildlife profiles, and a selection of the author’s own ‘place’ poems.

Brighton Bakes by Jessica Haggerty Book Guild hardback 250 x 195mm 192 pages £19.99 Jessica takes you through the seasons with contemporary recipes in colour, for cakes, muffins, pies and tarts, all using fresh local produce and show- casing a unique blend of urban chic and old-fashioned flavours. Bake a batch of fragrant lemon geranium muffins for a summer picnic, or warm up a winter’s evening with dark chocolate chilli gingerbread. Capture Brighton’s vibrant, seductive spirit with Margarita cupcakes (why drink when you can have a cocktail in a cake?), sumptuous garlicky pots with rosemary olive crackers, and the ethereal White Night Cake. www.sussexbooks.co.uk Email: [email protected] Tel: 01629 640670 14 NEWBOOK S

Pighog is an award-winning independent Brighton publisher SOME CIRCULAR WALKS IN SUSSEX by Martin Myers Pighog paperback £11.50

Some Circular Walks in Sussex takes us on a tour of surreal and disturbing collisions of the urban and the rural, of past and present, of public and personal and of conventions and their subversions. All in very well made poems of analytic imagina- tion and telling insight.

BRIGHTON VENTRILOQUIES by Tony Spiers Pighog paperback £11.50

In this collection Tony Spiers’ highly individual and entertaining poetic voice is thrown into characters and characteristics of Brighton with the dexterity of a master. But this is much more than a local collection. It’s the debut of an astounding poetic talent barbed with delightful wit and philosophical acuity. It's a source work for love of place and the way poetry can weave that love into our perception and understanding. His vocabulary is as fresh and exciting as a glass of the best Prosecco – with all the bubble and fizz, clarity and taste. A remarkable new poet finds his feet and flaunts them for our enjoyment.

BRIGHTON SUITE by Mark Whelan Pighog paperback £5.00 The poetry of Mark Whelan dramatises intimacy and loss in a lyrical, sensual world whose landscape blurs and becomes incorporated into the play of the human body. This tender and heart-rending body of work traces love through a fascination with the visual world and exemplifies the poet’s capacity of crystallising elusive emotions though delicately positioned images and the nuances of pacing and rhythm. Mark Whelan was awarded the prestigious James Clarence Mangan award in 2011 for Brighton Suite.

SUSSEX BOOK CLUB ·COURTYARD COTTAGE ·LITTLE LONGSTONE ·BAKEWELL ·DERBYSHIRE DE45 1NN NEW BOOK – WHATʼS ON? 15 IN MEMORY OF OUR LOCAL HEROES OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR Wartling Parish Local History Group by Alan Brown and Vivien Bowles 250 pages with numerous colour pictures £14.95 Proceeds to Wartling Church, Herstmonceux Church and Help for Heroes This book covers: Wartling, Bodle Street, Herstmonceux, Ashburnham, Ninfield, Hooe, Catsfield, Pevensey, Westham, Boreham Street, Windmill Hill, Cowbeech, Penhurst, Brown Bread Street, Pevensey Bay, Hankham and Stone Cross.

20-21 Hastings Town & Country Fair WHAT’S ON? MAY 21 Rare Breeds Show, Weald & Downland 2-5 Green Man Festival, Hastings 23-24 Ardingly Antiques Fair 3-25 Brighton Festival 23 – 2 August British Archaeology Fishbourne 4-5 Ancient Crafts Festival, Michelham Priory 27-28 Lammas Festival, Eastbourne 10 Feast of St Pancras May Fayre, Lewes Priory 27-28 Ringmer Steam & Country Show 16-26 Charleston Festival 30 – 3 August Glorious Goodwood 24 CRMM Festival AUGUST 24-26 Castle Siege, Arundel 24 Heathfield Agricultural Show 1-4 Sussex Craft Show, Michelham Priory 3-4 Loxwood Joust JUNE 4, 11, 18, 25 Punch & Judy, Brighton 9 CRMM Shoreham tour 1-2 Knepp Castle Floral Fringe Fair 2 Fayre 9-11 West Dean Chilli Fiesta (W Sussex) 6-8 S of England Agricultural Show, Ardingly 10-14 Worthing Birdman 7 CRMM Henfield Gardens & Arts 10-11 Northchapel Steam Show 8 Hidden Histories, Preston Manor, Brighton 17-26 Arundel Festival 15-16 Game & Country Fair, Parham House 17-18 Steam Festival, Weald & Downland 15 – July 14 Festival of Chichester 24-26 Steam & Country Show 19-23 Hickstead Jumping Derby 31 Shoreham Airshow 22-23 Tournament, Arundel Castle SEPTEMBER JULY 1 Ale at Amberley Museum 5 Batty at Bodiam Castle 3-4 Ardingly Antiques Show 6 CRMM Steyning tour 5-6 Hastings Beer & Music Festival 6-7 Wiston Park Steam Fair 6 Michelham Priory Ghost Walk 7, 14, 21, 28 Punch & Judy, Brighton 13-14 Findon Sheep Fair 10-14 Lordington Lavender Open Days 13-14 Stopham Vineyard Tours 11-14 Goodwood Festival of Speed 13-15 Goodwood Festival of Speed 13-14 Bognor Bird Man 14-15 Medieval Weekend, Michelam Priory 13-14 Brighton Kite Festival 14-29 Rye Arts Festival 13-14 Glynde Food & Drink Festival 21 Open Night, Herstmonceux Observatory 16 – 3 August Petworth Festival 22 Apple Day, Stanmer Park www.sussexbooks.co.uk Email: [email protected] Tel: 01629 640670 16 NEW BOOK – SUSSEX WRITERS 10

LETTERS TO A PART-TIME BARMAID by Victoria Seymour Paperback 156 pages £11.99 A bundle of love letters, found at an auction in Hastings, tell the true story of a 1950s postal courtship. Their writer is Dunkirk survivor Maurice Nash who, fourteen years after the historic evacuation, was working as builder, travelling around England repairing and rebuilding a still broken country. The object of his shy affection was part time barmaid Peggy Cockrill, who served behind the bar of one of the many pubs in which Maurice found solace in the lonely evenings. Depth is added to the story by Hastings past and present barmaids and builders, who talk about their working lives. In this, the final book in her series on Hastings wartime and post war history, Victoria Seymour also re-visits Lavender Cottage, via the memoirs of a WWII soldier, whose family were the first occupants of this now famous house.

SUSSEX WRITERS 10 Victoria Seymour Victoria Seymour’s first book was published in 2002, after she retired from the post of the director of the family owned language school. Since then she written eight further books on Hastings and Kent modern social history – 1930s to 1950s. She has also abridged her first title as a CD.

For the past year she has been writing a double-page spread feature called “Looking Back”, for The Hastings Observer. These articles will be reproduced as a year book for Christmas 2014. Victoria says her interests are her large family, researching, writing, and time-travel.

SUSSEX BOOK CLUB ·COURTYARD COTTAGE ·LITTLE LONGSTONE ·BAKEWELL ·DERBYSHIRE DE45 1NN BOOK CLUB AWAY-DAY 17

HENFIELD For this year’s ‘away-day’ we visit Henfield in West Sussex on Saturday 6th September. We meet at the museum at 10.30am, giving us the opportunity to view the exhibits. The museum acts as a guardian and conservator of articles and artifacts that relate to Henfield and surrounding villages. The origins of the museum go back to about 1930 when Miss Lucie Bishop produced a small exhibit of local history objects. This was followed in 1937 by another small exhibition to mark the coronation of George VI. The collection at this time was housed in two cupboards on the landing in the Assembly Rooms. There is wheelchair access, toilet and parking for the disabled, baby changing facilities, car parking and refreshments.

Henfield Museum, Henfield Hall, Coopers Way, Henfield, West Sussex, BN5 9DB Tel: 01273 492507

Members and guests are free to make their own arrangements for lunch – Henfield has numerous places for refreshment. We meet again at 2pm at the museum, when the curator, Alan Barwick, has agreed to lead a guided walk on Henfield. This ‘away-day’ is for members of the Sussex Book Club, and naturally, their families and friends are just as welcome. Please, do let me know if you are able to come, and please give me some idea of numbers.

There are no charges for the ‘away-day’ but I suggest a donation of £5.00 to the museum would be welcome.

www.sussexbooks.co.uk Email: [email protected] Tel: 01629 640670 18 MOREONHENFIELD

THE STORY OF HENFIELD by Rev Henry de Candole (Former Vicar of Henfield) Country Books paperback 220 x 136mm 230 pages £14.50

Published by Country Books in 2005, this is a facsimile of the first edition published in 1947 and was the first published history of Henfield. In early 1940 the Rev Henry de Candole was appointed vicar. Although a scholar, his history of the village is not dull and boring, but is written in a natural easy style. He was a friendly and accessible man with a sense of humour and he cared for the people of Henfield through the war years. He later became the Bishop of Knaresborough.

Contents: The name and site; the Saxon castle; Norman Henfield; the Manor of Stretham; river, road and rail; turnpikes; the church and village in the middle ages; the Bysshopp family; wars and taxes; Thomas Stapleton; the church chest and registers; church marks; vicars and vicarage; registrar and clergy; the survey of 1647; Henfield Place and the Holneys; Shiprods and the Cheales; church- wardens’ accounts; overseers of the poor; the Workhouse; the visit of Sir William Burrell 1773; an 18th century vicar; briefs, or letters from the King; vicars bad and good; the restoration of the church; village life, trade and industries; watermills and windmills; the three commons; field names; population; smuggling and smugglers; the Prosecuting Society; Non- conformity; houses and building materials; inns and fairs; schools; Henfield in the 19th century; Chestham; Barrow Hill; the village.

Old houses, formerly at the corner of Church Street

SUSSEX BOOK CLUB ·COURTYARD COTTAGE ·LITTLE LONGSTONE ·BAKEWELL ·DERBYSHIRE DE45 1NN Ê

ORDERFORM 19

Please make cheques payable to: Sussex Book Club and send your order to: Sussex Book Club, Courtyard Cottage, Little Longstone, Bakewell, Derbyshire DE45 1NN Email: [email protected] Tel: 01629 640670 Name: Date of order: Address:

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Membership of the Sussex Book Club is free. You will not be sent unsolicited titles. Your books are delvered free of charges for postage and packing. We will not make our members’ details available to other organisations. The books you order from the club will be sent direct to you from the individual publishers and should arrive within two weeks, unless a later publication date has been advertised. I can’t keep track of deliveries, so please alert me promptly if you experience unacceptable delays. Save a stamp and order online at www.sussexbooks.co.uk

www.sussexbooks.co.uk Email: [email protected] Tel: 01629 640670 20 NEWBOOKS

BARNS GREEN & ITCHINGFIELD THEN & NOW by Mary Hallett Paperback 240 x 190mm 208 pages over 200 photos £15.00

A superb collection of over 200 maps and documents illustrate this comprehensive local history of the small Sussex Parish of Itchingfield and the village of Barns Green. Starting with a summary of the very early history of the parish, the book includes sections on local names, the 1840 Tithe Map and the 19th century census returns, the Parish Chuch and primary school before moving onto to compare old photographs with specially taken modern day equivalents. The text accompanying the photo- graphs gives an insight into the life of the community over the past 150 years ending with the Ode to Barns Green written by a Candian Serviceman stationed in the village during World War 2.

THE HALF-LIFE OF FATHERS by Vanessa Gebbie Pighog paperback 175 x 250mm 34 pages £11.50

Vividly crafted, Vanessa Gebbie's debut collection The Half-life of Fathers presents a raw sense of history and family driven by the hunger of loss. Each poem in the collection builds towards a desperate longing for family and time, seducing the reader with stark imagery and intense relationships. Vanessa challenges the boundary between war and nature, upholding the legacy of a father and the endeavor of a soldier. She weaves together the understanding of a located family, the loss of a father and finally the desperation of war. Vanessa crafts theatres and churches into haunted spaces, where the presence of some- thing or someone left behind lingers. These sophisticated descriptions produce a sepia world created by the fervent need to love and remember.

SUSSEX BOOK CLUB ·COURTYARD COTTAGE ·LITTLE LONGSTONE ·BAKEWELL ·DERBYSHIRE DE45 1NN