The history portal for Shoreham-by-Sea, Sussex, England
A Walk to the Bridge and Back
A compilation of old postcards and photos from the 1890’s to 1930’s arranged in order to provide a visual representation of a walk through the High Street as it once was, across the old Norfolk Suspension Bridge and back.
Continue reading “A walk to The Bridge and back”
SHOREHAM GRAMMAR SCHOOL 1944-50
THE PREMISES
I started at the school in 1944, shortly after the Allied invasion of German-occupied France. The school buildings were centred in Pond Road, and covered the whole block, that is to say, the area of the present community centre, citizens’ advice bureau and car park. The school had its own chapel, with pews, choir stall and organ, on the opposite side of Pond Road, about where the grass mound in front of the health centre is now. The large house facing you as you look south down Pond Road is called Westover, and provided residential accommodation for single masters and a room for piano tuition.
Continue reading “Shoreham Grammar School”
A light hearted recollection of Police training and the early days at Shoreham
A year or two after getting married and moving to Shoreham I hankered after doing something more exciting with my working life and thought of joining the Police. I imagined myself drawing admiring glances from the ladies as I strode impressively along the High Street in smart uniform and polished boots and applied for the West Sussex Police (at that time East and West Sussex were separate forces).
WRITTEN BY GERRY WHITE
Our terraced house with three bedrooms, was in Connaught Avenue built in 1936, it had modern conveniences, for those days, with Electricity, gas , an Ideal Boiler for heating water, and a fireplace in every room, apart that is, from the small bedroom at the front of the house. My mother did the weekly wash in a Copper gas heated boiler, which had a wringer mounted above it. Most importantly there was a bathroom, with flush toilet,bath, and wash basin. The style was Art Deco with period tiled fire places, and stained glass designs either side of the front door. There was a service road to the rear of the house enabling coal deliveries, and the Dustbins to be emptied. In 1948 the gardens had been restored to the prewar condition , with a lawn in the front garden and the rear planted for vegetables.
WRITTEN BY ANDY RAMUS
Living on Shoreham Beach as a child, you kinda felt like you owned the world sometimes, stood on the beach where all that changed was the position of the shingle, sometimes banked right up so high that it near buried the old wooden breakwaters, and then other days the sea would pull the shingle back so far as to expose, what then as a child, seemed like mighty tree turrets, or Queens Guards all neatly lined up.
Along the Beach at Bungalow Town.
Ever wondered where those bungalows pictured in Shoreham’s old postcards were? Relive the view our predecessors saw and even meet them by joining our celebrated Shoreham Time Walks. See those wooden structures as they once were, some little more than simple wood and corrugated iron shacks, others extravagant and imaginative in design. Those wishing to participate should present themselves promptly at 1pm at the east end of Widewater on Saturday 10th August in any year between 1900 and 1920………………………. Continue reading “Along the Beach at Bungalow Town”
Railway Carriages as Houses.
A 1910 article and photographs from ‘The Harmsworth Magazine’ recording the origin and construction of dwellings and subsequent development of Shoreham by Sea’s amazing Bungalow Town. (donated by the Shorehambysea.com History website) Continue reading “Railway Carriages as Houses”
The Blockade (or “Preventative”) Service was created in 1817 following the country’s huge loss of revenue due to what was then considered by some to be a lack of success by the Customs and Revenue Services in coping with the smuggling problem. It is perhaps unfair to lay the blame for this entirely upon them as, amongst other things, we know that manpower was short compared with the smuggling gangs they came up against; pay was poor and even the ships they used were invariably slower and less well armed than the smugglers’ own vessels. Continue reading “Blockade Coastguard Station”
Preface
This was a care home administered by East Sussex County Council although paradoxically it was in West Sussex. When I was born in 1948 in Southlands Hospital, my parents were Assistant Superintendent and Matron. The home cared for children whose own natural parents were unable for various reasons to care for the children themselves. It was not an orphanage nor a “naughty boys and girls home”. Some of the children were orphaned of one or both parents; most were from homes in which the parents felt unable to cope for many reasons.
The story of Captain John Butler has already been extensively described in Maria Butler’s family history ‘Memories of a Shoreham Seafaring Family’ but this circa 1786 sketch shows another side of his talents. The naive character of some of the buildings, St.Mary’s church etc., in the drawing may suggest that he was not an especially gifted artist and many have thought that his representation of Shoreham is not altogether realistic.
Continue reading “John Butler’s 1786 Sketch of Shoreham Examined”