Uckfield & District Preservation Society Reg. Charity No: 258785 NEWSLETTER

Volume 12 Issue 2 May 2003

Chairman’s Address reject Wealden's proposal to alter Luxfords Field. We must now persuade them to make Luxfords Field into a Trust so that it I was very pleased to read that Uckfield Town Council, can never be changed. like us, had objected to Wealden Council's changes to Luxfords Bob Bonnett Field and the proposed new Gyratory Road System. The Society has sent formal objections to both proposals and has Members please note, although the usual A.G.M. asked to put our views forward at any subsequent inquiry. reports are contained in this issue, for practical reasons A number of members have asked why the Society doesn’t take it has been decided to delay this year's meeting until advantage of the Government's Gift Aid Scheme. The simple Friday 12 September. Further details will be sent to answer is that we cannot claim members' tax contributions, as you under separate cover. by giving “Hindsight” free of charge we give too much back. The cost of “Hindsight” is more than that allowed by the Government. Nutley Windmill Report With the funding needed to make Bridge Cottage into an active Community Heritage Centre, we need to show that we are Last year was a fairly successful one. Opening to the maximizing all monies received. The Executive Committee, therefore, public on the Wednesday workdays has proved beneficial as far propose that “Hindsight” is not in future sent free to members. as income is concerned. Members will be entitled to purchase “Hindsight” at the lowest The work on the brake is now completed, with only some cost that the Society can charge and still be able to claim a Gift Aid tax adjustments required. refund. Until the costs for the next “Hindsight” have been With this year’s open days now under way I would like to calculated, we are unable to give a price or inform members of mention that if anybody is willing to come and help on any of their effective discount, but we anticipate that this will be the open days they would be most welcome. The guides and about 40%. helpers are a friendly group and we are always pleased to With the AGM just around the corner, it's once again the welcome others showing their support on behalf of the Society. time to recall last year and look towards the next. In May we will again have National Mills Weekend, 11th and We are now a Limited Company and have adopted a new 12th, when we will be opening the mill to support this event. The constitution. This will help to protect members and allow us to Crowborough Amateur Radio Society will also be there trying to proceed with the ambitious and exciting projects planned for contact as many mills as possible. In previous years they have been the future. very successful in contacting mills not just in the UK but also in Bridge Cottage Heritage Centre Sub-Committee has been Europe. very active, laying the groundwork to turn Bridge Cottage into a We now have a new and simpler Society website address, building that can, and will, be used by the whole community. A very (udps.co.uk) which is easier to remember and to type. If anybody positive working relationship has been formed with the Town Council. has set a bookmark to the old address they should be redirected Studies are being carried out for the best utilization of the building and to the new site automatically. I'm sorry that over the last few expert help has been obtained to ensure that listed building months I haven't been updating it as much as I would have liked. I regulations are not broken and its historic character is not hope to improve on this. compromised. Next year will see the arduous task of obtaining the Robert Pike necessary funding. [email protected] Once again the Local History Sub-Committee managed to organise a programme of interesting talks and visits. Looking Bridge Cottage Heritage Centre ahead more treats are in store; how do they do it? “Hindsight” was again up to the very high standard we have now come to The moves toward improving facilities in the building and expect. I personally liked the later publishing date: Novels are encouraging it's use seem slow at times but definite progress is being made for the summer, and factual history suits an open fire and a fat behind the scenes. armchair. Uckfield Town Council, who own the building, continue to be very Major repairs have been completed to Nutley Mill, but supportive and we are working with them to set up a long term lease. This like the Forth Road Bridge maintenance work can never stop. security as a tenant is a vital condition for obtaining grant funding from For the first time takings at the mill exceeded expenditure. By organisations like the Heritage Lottery Fund. opening on most Wednesday working days, donations and sales have We are producing a detailed project brief, co-ordinated by Mick almost doubled. People like to see work in progress and are grateful that Harker, covering all aspects of the work needed. One interesting feature individual attention is given to them. emerging from these plans is the way that the most up to date technology Lastly, the important issues regarding the future of the town. could be used to improve the use of one of our oldest buildings. Environmental Sub-Committee members represent us on the A recent disability audit has highlighted that meeting modern Town Forum and Regeneration Committee. I believe that we, standards of equal access, soon to be enforced by law, is physically very together with other similar bodies, helped persuade the Town Council to difficult in an old building but “virtual” access by computer networks and

Page 2 Uckfield and District Preservation Society video cameras can ensure that everyone can find out about the whole On the Chairman's initiative, a particularly prominent article building and any contents. outlining the Society's reasons for opposing development on A computer based archive of research materials, such as documents, Luxfords Field (as adopted at our last A.G.M.) appeared in the photographs and maps, can allow access to the enormous range available “Sussex Express” of 21st June last. Once again, our Society despite limited space and without any risk to the original. An electronic stand was in evidence on Uckfield Festival Day (13th July), and archive avoids the need for costly changes to the building to create a during the following week successful town walks were led by Brian controlled atmosphere to protect paper documents, especially in view of Phillips and myself. Also during Festival Week, local history the flood risk. A more secure building could store the originals without the photographic exhibition sheets designed by Mick Harker, Sally need for public access. Wireless local networks allow flexible Pearce and Brian appeared on our stand and at various display use of space without intrusive cabling and high speed telephone points in the town. connections mean that the main server can be securely elsewhere. Our Newsletter, the editorship of which I took over last The problems of equal access, damp environment and poor security year from Simon Wright, has continued to keep members and have concerned people in the past and limited potential uses but we are now others outside the Society informed about our activities. Using beginning to find high tech solutions. my e-mail facility, I am now sending copies to our Town Imagine being welcomed into Bridge Cottage and being helped to Councillors, the Town Clerk and the Regeneration Partnership search through a large archive of early photographs for your house or Coordinator. At one Partnership Steering Group meeting I also ancestors and then tying the picture up with relevant census records. Or presented to members, using sources from “Hindsight” and our perhaps browsing through early maps to see how your area has changed. own members, a detailed account of the local history attractions There is a lot of information around but at the moment it is not easy to find. of the area, and it was also agreed to use copies of Simon New technology makes this type of archive practical for Bridge Cottage. Wright's postcards of Uckfield views and Brian Phillips's I would like to thank Mick Harker and Adrian Pearce for their work revised historical introduction in the new Town Guide. in moving forward our plans and Brian Phillips for opening the building to Finally, it is worth noting that, during the year, both the Nutley visitors on many days throughout the year. Windmill and the Bridge Cottage Heritage Centre groups have We hope that members of this Society will be regular users of, and provided items for the local press. In the “Sussex Express” of perhaps volunteers at, Bridge Cottage Heritage Centre and so any views 19 July Brian Pike and Bob Bonnett featured in a prominent on how to make best use of the building would be very welcome. article (with photograph) headlined “Nutley Windmill May Be Oldest in the Country”, and in a letter of 26 July to the same Andrew Ledward journal Mick Harker outlined the achievements of the Society and its future plans, especially those for Bridge Cottage. Further Planning & Environment Report details of our plans for the Heritage Centre were given in “Express” articles of 23rd August and 20th December. As the P & E Sub-Committee has been temporarily Peter Ferguson suspended since the departure of Jonathan Cahill, the Executive Committee has limited its activities in this sphere to a The “Uckfield Weekly” consideration of the broader issues which will affect Uckfield in the future. A hundred years ago, in August, a new local paper, At the end of last year the Town Council initiated a “Uckfield Weekly”, made its first appearance. Costing 1d, it regular series of Forums to discuss these issues as and when the gave its readers far more detailed coverage of local news than need for the consideration of specific items arose. We have any other similar journal attempts today. There were only four been regularly represented at these Forums, where the subjects pages, and the first – and much of the last – were taken up with discussed have been the proposed Tesco development, the advertisements, so how was such coverage achieved? The Chamber of Commerce scheme for the development of answer is: large pages, small print and no illustrations. Each Uckfield and the plans for the building of houses at Bird in Eye page was divided into six columns with around 200 lines per and Downlands. More recently we have been able to consider the column. That meant each week some 20,000 words, which new Uckfield Town Plan and submit our objections to development amounted to a million words a year. on Luxfords Field and the proposed Gyratory Road system to Responsibility for Uckfield and its surrounding villages in Wealden District Council. those days rested with the Urban District Council, the Board of It is hoped that we shall shortly be able to re-form the P & Guardians and the Rural District Council. The former met E Sub-Committee, so that planning applications, particularly as monthly, the two latter fortnightly, and “Uckfield Weekly” they affect the Conservation Area, may also be considered and carried full reports of their proceedings and decisions. The action taken where necessary. UDC (Chairman R.J. Streatfeild, Vice-Chairman S.S. Avis) had Peter Ferguson a number of committees. The Highways Committee was then concerning itself with the repair of the bridge over the river, Publicity Report with street lighting and with telephone posts. The Sanitary Committee enquired into the escape of sewer gas at the bridge As in previous years, my duties have included a number and with sewage disposal generally. It also went into the of routine activities which ensure that the Society is constantly question of arrangements for isolating cases of infectious in the public eye. These include the distribution of programme illness. The Cemetery and Pleasure Grounds Committee leaflets and local history meeting posters, the submission of looked into the possibility of using sheep to keep the grass short local history reports to the press and the delivery of on the Victoria Pleasure Ground, and the Buildings Committee “Hindsight” both to our main retail outlets and to local and considered the plans for the proposed Foresters’ Friendly national journals for review purposes. Society Hall in Harcourt Road. What we might term the paper’s leading article went

Uckfield and District Preservation Society Page 3 under the heading of ‘Out and About’, comments on local From The Editor’s Scrapbook (2) matters by ‘Observer’. Referring to delays in the repair of the bridge he remarked, “Everybody is getting tired of the Volunteer Bureau Survives - Thanks to Volunteers inconvenience”. The Board of Guardians met at the Union Workhouse In the “Sussex Express” of 27 December it was reported that with Captain Noble J.P. in the Chair and the ubiquitous S.S. financial problems had forced the Volunteer Bureau (of which Avis as Vice-Chairman. The Chairman expressed himself UDPS is a member) to make Mrs. Eve Currell, its manager, forcibly about the rate of maintenance per person being charged redundant. Backed by funds from Social Services and the Town by the authorities at Hellingly Asylum. “These gentlemen, with Council, the Bureau was set up more than ten years ago to provide a their hands up to their elbows in the ratepayers’ pockets, have link between volunteers and the organizations that needed their fitted up the building in a most extravagant way, lighting it with time, but, owing to Government cutbacks, the County Council electricity (my italics) and putting in stained glass windows….” more recently was forced to withdraw its grant. However, the The Board was also concerned with “the crowded state of situation began to stabilize in 2001, when the Bureau agreed to the sick wards” in the Workhouse infirmary, even before the carry out work for the Town Council for payment. approach of winter. It also received the vaccination returns “Unfortunately we have not been able to secure the funds to which showed that of 276 births during the preceding half-year, cover both the cost of the premises and the manager's salary but 175 infants had been vaccinated, 9 had died unvaccinated, 62 we have got the funds to continue until April, and hope that a new had been exempted and 19 postponed, while the remaining 11 service agreement with the Council will enable us to carry on after had moved to other districts. that”, said trustee Mrs. Sheila Charlesworth. Members may be There was a detailed account of the Boys’ Camp, attended reassured that Mrs Charlesworth and other volunteers (including by 150 “waifs and strays” from Southwark and Ramsgate. Mrs. Currell) will be continuing with the work of the Bureau “The site of this year’s camp is an ideal one (Mr Holmes’s farm for as long as possible. adjoining Framfield Road) with the watertight sleeping tents arranged in lines upon an eminence…while upon the lower The Case of the Missing Wardens ground are situate the kitchen and dining tents and offices”. “Uckfield Weekly”, of course, published a variety of As we were going to press for our last (January) issue, we Sports Reports, giving detailed results of the Bowling Club’s noted, on “Rouser's” page in the “Sussex Express”, a annual cup competition (won by C.J. Pillin), and concluded photograph of “the Civil Defence section of Uckfield Home with several paragraphs under the heading “Misconducted Guard, formed in 1943 from serving air raid wardens”. Those Motors – Heavy fines at Uckfield”. When one defendant, a Mr identified in the photograph were Percy Dumas, manager of Sidney Girling, failed to answer the summons the Chairman Tyhursts; Horace Cornwall of Cornwall's seed shop; Fred (Captain Noble again) said he should be disposed to issue a Lloyd, Rocks Park gardener; “Jammy” Packham, insurance warrant. “The Bench were not going to be defied by motor agent; Frank Fuller, builder and undertaker; Preece, baker; Watney people any more than by the commonest tramp”. When Mr Rogers, fishmonger; Maurice Brown, agricultural worker; Schmid Girling did finally appear, P.C. Waghorn stated that he had (Ridgewood); Ronald Haslett, Boots' manager; Bert Swindell, been timed driving “a light locomotive” at 28 m.p.h. through accountant; Reg Carter, W.H. Smith's manager; Harry Pollard, Maresfield. He was fined £6 with 8 shillings costs. jeweller; Sgt. Valentine Barford of Barford's Clothing; Charles Fuller, The question of “Passive Resistance” which occupied a baker; John Fowler, Home & Colonial Stores manager; ? Swain, column and a half cannot even be summarised here. It was in butcher. Does anyone know the names of any of the three the forefront of local news over the next month and I shall hope unidentified members of the group? The photograph was to give an account of it in a future “Hindsight”. provided by Les Brown, son of Maurice. Les also gave details of Simon Wright local bombs and pilot casualties on both sides which supplement those mentioned at our January meeting (see this issue). Editor

Another Family Visit Gun Founding in the Weald (Jeremy Hodgkinson - 6 December) On Wednesday 19 February I was able to extend a welcome to Miss Mary Wren and her friend Miss Lorna Knowles, In the middle ages iron ore and trees were plentiful in the both from Bexhill. Miss Wren is a descendant of the Wren family Weald. Charcoal made from the trees made the smelting of the ore to who, from at least 1851 until 1881, lived at Bridge Cottage. After produce iron possible. A major use of iron was in the manufacture coffee at the Civic Centre, where we looked at various family th of guns. documents, I took both ladies on a tour of our 15 century hall The main use for the gun at this time was to replace the house. I have again been in touch with Alison Mackenzie, who visited mechanically powered siege weapons of earlier times. Early Bridge Cottage last October and whose Miles family lived there guns were cannons such as the Bombard which could be about in the 1850s and 1860s. According to Alison, there was a family 6 feet long, up to 2 feet bore diameter and weigh several tons. A connection between the Miles's and the Wrens, for which we await famous local gun is the Eridge Gun which has a “pub” named further evidence. Of course, we are always pleased to welcome after it. Some small hand held guns were also produced. Large members of families with Bridge Cottage connections and put them cannons were mainly used against castles and walled towns, their in touch with others researching those families. use starting the decline of castle building. Early guns were made by Peter Ferguson tying iron bars with iron hoops like a tubular barrel. This was a very expensive process. By the 15th century bronze bell casting was well established, so the change to casting bronze cannon was

Page 4 Uckfield and District Preservation Society not a big one. The resulting guns had a better finish with more mother was a kilt mender. Frank and his business partner, Jim Scott, embellishments such as handles and badges but were not as strong as became civilian members of the Royal Engineers, repairing military iron guns. buildings. The other alternative was to cast iron cannon. This Peter Smith showed us items from the collection of his required very close control of the preparation of the moulds, the uncle, who, as a member of the R.A.M.C., was cut off in France iron purity, the casting temperature and the bore machining. just before Dunkirk and was sent to the German P.O.W. Camp, Cast bronze cannon and cast iron cannon were made up into the Stalag 8b. These included an Amateur Dramatics programme, a 19th century. Russian currency note, Stalag identity “dog tags” and a ring and The first Foundry in the Weald was at Buxted in 1540, a pair of handcuffs made by a Canadian inmate, as well as others appeared in Maresfield, Mayfield and on over the Kent border numerous photographs. For the rest of the evening we viewed towards the sea and the River Medway to take advantage of water photographs, documents and hardware and exchanged our own transport. World War II stories. The cast iron cannon proved to be effective and relatively Peter Ferguson cheap, so the Wealden industry prospered and expanded, and exported to Europe as well as supplying the home market. However Pleasure Steamers and Piers of Sussex trade competition with the Dutch turned to war and our (Robin Jones - 7 February) government banned exports. In the 1750s the rapidly growing Empire was needing more and more guns but now there was Robin used photographs to take his audience on a journey competition from the north of England and Scotland. along the south coast from East to West Sussex, plotting the Competition from coal fired mechanised industry, growth and decline of piers and paddle steamers. shortage of wood and high grade iron ore lead to the decline of During the late eighteenth century it had become Wealden Gun Founding from about 1800 on. fashionable to take the sea air and to promenade and the seaside Ted Hardy resort was born. As a later attraction, and to meet two needs, many resorts introduced a jetty, a basic structure for World War II Memories promenaders to walk out over the sea, with a landing facility for (Open Evening - 3 January) steamers carrying visitors constructed at the sea end. Entertainment buildings, such as a theatre, were added later. In Mick Harker's slides included those of a German bomber 1822 Brighton saw the construction of the first pier in Sussex, brought down at Ridgewood, the remains of another bomber ( a the Chain Pier, which inspired a painting by Constable to depict Heinkel) being towed down the High Street, a pill box, police the fishing boats by the pier as a reminder of the days before auxiliaries, an A.T.C. parade and evacuees. This provided a cue the seaside resort overpowered the fishing village. for Stella Freeman to recount her experiences as an evacuee By the mid century Eugenius Birch was the designer and from Kensington. One of the two million children sent away engineer associated with many of the south coast piers, just before the outbreak of war, she was home again by including Eastbourne (1868), Hastings (1872) and Brighton's Christmas. However, she was later re-evacuated, this time to a West Pier (1866).Most have suffered the ravages of storms and coal miner's family in Somerset. Coming from a comfortable fire and have either been redeveloped by wealthy individuals middle class home, this proved to be a culture shock, as her (eg Hastings), taken into the care of the local council (eg hosts lived in poverty. However, after four years with them, a Worthing) or taken over by charitable trusts (eg West Pier, bond of affection developed, and she spent much time looking Brighton). after the lady of the house, anaemic from malnutrition. Because of their manoeuvrability paddle steamers were Recently she attended a service at Westminster Abbey for two the favoured vessels to cruise the south coast, calling in at piers and a half thousand members of the evacuees' reunion along the route.. A 1955 timetable advertised a range of day organization. trips from Eastbourne to Boulogne, Ryde, Hastings and During the war Jim Fordham's family farmed 112 acres at Eastbourne lightship with the White Funnel Fleet. Until 1981 Little Horsted. Initially, this was a mixed farm with 24 cows, Hastings Pier had a landing stage for steamers and also pigs, chickens, turkeys and 20 acres of corn. However, after the advertised trips to the Isle of Wight. outbreak of war, about half of their land was turned over to Until recently, the Waverley paddle streamer was often arable, and in addition to wheat and oats they grew mangles, seen by Eastbourne's visitors and is being refurbished with £3 kale, sugar beet and flax. Labour was initially provided by Jim, million of lottery funding in Great Yarmouth. his father and an aged farm hand, but from 1944 onwards The talk was concluded with a stunning 1996 illustration German prisoners of war were also employed. of Eastbourne Pier illuminated with the Waverley alongside at Roy Fuller could just remember trenches being dug in the the end of its trip from London. meadow opposite the old Uckfield Hospital, where he was born. At Sally Pearce the outbreak of war, his home at 7 Church Street became an Air Raid Warden's post. His father Frank's A.R.P. book noted three occasions God's Acre - Churchyards and What They Tell Us in 1940 when bombs dropped on Uckfield. On 17 September the town (Elizabeth Hughes - 7 March) suffered an incendiary raid, during which 12 high explosive bombs also fell, one fracturing a water main in Browns Lane. On 3 With the aid of a varied collection of slides, our County October 3 high explosive bombs fell at Ridgewood, damaging Archivist outlined the story of how English people down the the Union Workhouse. On 21 October oil fire and high explosive centuries had buried and remembered the dead. Churchyards bombs fell in the town. Miraculously, during these raids only one average about an acre (some much larger) and may be square, person was killed. Of the troops stationed locally, Roy remembered irregular or circular in shape. The latter often denotes a pre-Christian particularly the Canadian Division, for whose Scottish contingent his site as at Knowlton, Hellingly or English Bicknor. Churchyards may

Uckfield and District Preservation Society Page 5 be enclosed with walls, hedges or fences, the former specially Bridge Cottage important in helping to retain the increasing volume of soil. Some of the earliest surviving memorials are churchyard crosses, which acted Open most Saturdays March to November from 10 a.m. (If in as a memorial for the poor, since wooden graves have mostly doubt ring 01825 769129.) vanished. Mrs. Hughes also talked about the buildings one sometimes finds in churchyards, such as a pest-house at Did Spelling Matter Then? Odiham, a grave watcher's hut (to guard against body snatchers) and charnel houses (for bones disturbed in later digging). Mention of the Below is a transcript of the initial section of the Diary of family mausoleum at Hursley led on to an amusing letter from George Muddle, son of Isaac and Mary Muddle, born 4 January William Heathcote to his brother, giving precise “dos” and “don'ts” for 1823. George emigrated to Australia in 1838 with the rest of his burial. the family. In those days, spelling mattered less than now, and From a Roman stela at Cirencester, we were taken on a tour of George’s spelling of some words, particularly place names, was gravestones, effigies, memorial tablets and coffins in southern highly original. Can you spot the words (including place England. Most poorer people were buried in shrouds, enabling the names) which would be spelt differently today? Correct coffin in which the body had lain for the funeral to be constantly re- modern spellings will be given in our next issue. (We are used. It was interesting to see how the crude lettering of the 17th indebted to Mr Derek Miller for allowing us to print this section century had given way to better-fashioned gravestones, clearly of his Muddle Family Diary). written epitaphs and quite elaborate imagery in the 18th century. The Ed. latter could range from symbols of death to a carpenter's tools or a church bell. One touching gravestone at Fairford depicted the church “I was born on the 4th January 1823 in the parish of Isveil cat. Epitaphs could also carry warnings such as the one on Sussex England my father went to live at Eastwood in 1825 my drinking “small beer” on Thomas Thatcher's tombstone. Crosses mother died there and i went to live with my grandmother at were reintroduced in Victorian times, along with weeping angels and Streel in the parish of Buxted. In 1826 my father married again other elaborate symbols. The 20th century saw a reversion to then i went home to my fathers again he was living up in the simpler styles, particularly military gravestones after the two World Streel Park. 1827 i commenced going to school at Francesfield Wars. At Uckfield the Streatfeild family took care to remember Sussex. 1828 we removed down to place called Lowland on the people who had served the family over many generations. same estate as Streel and i went to school at mr Hilders and Simon Wright went to school at Buxted Bridge and to Uckfield. 1829 went to live up at Hadlerdown and i still went to Uckfield school. 1830 Diary Dates went to live in Eastwood and kept going to Uckfield school. in 1833 i went to Crowborrow school and used to get a new sute Local History Outings close to every Christmas my father was a daily labourer he used to get employment at Mr Winters and at Honebourne. Sat 14 June Tour of Bodiam Castle with NT Guide Meet 1836 i left school and then went to work at Mr Winters and at Ticket Office 10 45 a.m. Honebourne and other places. 1838 my father talked about going to New South Wales accordingly on the 29th April 1838 Sat 19 July Tour of Temple Grove School with Monday we started up to Mr Starrs at Crowborrow to meet the Simon Wright 2 p.m. Carriers Waggon Tuesday 30th April we arrived at Gravesend and went on board the ship William Metcalfe we set sail Sat 16 August Tour of Fletching with Derek Rawlings. Meet sometime in the night on the 5th May we arrived at Plemouth at car park opposite Griffin Inn 2 p.m. we stayed there until the 16th May then we set sail for Sydney we arrived at Sydney on the 31st August 1838 we stayed at Nutley Windmill Open Days Sydney till Wednesday 5th September then went on board the (2 30 to 5 30 p.m.) steamer the Maitland about 10 o'clock we starl for Morpeth we had a head wind we could not put in at Newcastle we had to Sundays return to Sydney we got into Sydney about daylight Friday 25 May, 29 June, 27 July, 31 August & 28 September morning the 7th Sep we stayed in Sydney till Saturday night and Monday 25 August then we started again and got up to Morpeth about 1 o'clock on Sunday 9th Monday 10 we stated up to Mr Townsend Paterson National Mills Weekend river we stayed there a fue days then we went up to Mr Saturday & Sunday 10 & 11 May, 12 to 5 30 p.m. Daveison Penshurst upper Paterson then went to Mr Hardys then i went live at Dr Longs for a fue weeks Mr lent me to him The Mill is also open most Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. as they was badly of for a servant then i went back to Mr Hardy or Dusk. (Please Ring 01435 873367 or 01825 762341 for then I went to live at Dr Longs again” confirmation.) Local History Talks (All talks on Fridays at the Civic Centre, commencing 8 p.m.) All copy for the next issue should be sent to:

3 October Background to the Hop Industries by The Editor, Bridge Cottage Heritage Centre, High Street, Gwen Jones Uckfield TN22 5DA Deadline: Friday 29 August 7 November A Celebration of Fireworks by Maurice Evans Please note: Comments published in this newsletter do not 5 December Victorian Magic Lantern Show and Christmas Entertainment by Peter Gillies necessarily represent the views of the Society.