The story of the Fairlight Residents’ Association
What were its origins and how did it develop?
Part 4 – The modern era:
This year, in 2017, we are celebrating the first seventy years of the Fairlight Residents’ Association, the FRA. In part 1 of this story we looked at the FRRA, the earlier incarnation that had represented the residents up until the war years. Part 2 looked at the formation of the FRA in 1947 and some detail from those early years. Finally part 3 looked at the magazines, when they started and some of the more interesting stories of the time.
Today, in 2017, the FRA has a more relaxed outlook on life in Fairlight and concentrates its efforts on providing additional information, services and events for the village. If we look at the last eighteen months we see that events put on by the FRA for its members and others include, Quiz nights, Variety Nights, Fairlight News magazine, Distributor Nights (for the hardy souls who deliver the magazine to a total of 550 houses), the email scheme, stalls and exhibits at the Village Hall Fairs and recently the one-off exhibition to celebrate the 70th anniversary.
At the request of the FRA, Haydon Luke and I put together a small exhibition at the Village Hall with the theme being the 100th anniversary of the 1917 Fairlight Hall Estate sale and the Lucas-Shadwell family. Before the 1917 sale, Fairlight was a very different place comprising St. Andrew’s Church, the school, Coastguard cottages on the Firehills and at the Haddocks, a few houses off Fairlight Road, along Pett Road (part of Fairlight Parish at the time), Peter James Lane and Rosemary Lane plus a few scattered farms mostly owned by the Lucas-Shadwell family. Immediately following the 1917 sale there were a few years of change during which time some of the land belonged to Salehurst Fruit Farm Ltd, before they quickly went into liquidation and the land was acquired by Lord Rothermere and the Harmsworth family (of Daily Mail fame). Then on the 30th March 1921 the Harmsworths put the farms up for sale again (the sale included Waite’s Farm, Wakeham’s Farm, Chisholme Farm, now known as Little Stonelink, Lower Stonelynk Farm and other lands) and it was the people who acquired Waite’s at this sale who started the development that became known as Fairlight Cove. Thus the modern Fairlight was born. Subsequent boundary changes have reduced the size and shape of Fairlight Parish to where we are today.
The exhibition was held on Saturday the 12th of August and was very well attended (see photo below). The exhibits covered the history of the village, from before the 1917 sale and right through until the post-war period. Many maps at key stages of the Cove development showed the gradual onset of the building. The maps were complemented by enlarged extracts from the various land sale catalogues and a collection of local photographs. These were displayed on multiple boards in the centre of the hall (kindly loaned to us by Fairlight Art Club) and the display was further enhanced by many framed pictures, maps and photographs lent to us by David and Sarah Kowitz of Fairlight Hall from their private collection.
The exhibition also included a collection of the illustrated sale catalogues from 1917, 1920, 1921, 1936 and 1937 (These were kindly loaned from the private collections of Mr Dymott and Mr and Mrs Bridges).
Ever popular, were the three albums held by the FRA on behalf of the former members of the now disbanded Fairlight branch of the Women’s Institute. The albums, put together privately by some of the members of the WI from paper cuttings, photographs, tickets, specially written articles, etc., display a fascinating story of our village since the war. (the albums were privately assembled by WI members in their own time outside of the auspices of the WI and thus we have been able to retain them in Fairlight for future generations to share).
The 12th August Exhibition Diane, Emilie and Bertrand Masure
held at the village hall with Haydon Luke and Paul Draper
The 1917 sale was put together on behalf of William Noel Lucas-Shadwell, the last of the male line of Lucas-Shadwells who owned Fairlight Hall and a substantial portion of the lands, farms and houses from Martineau Lane east to Rye Harbour. Noel had inherited the Estate when his father, William Peter Lucas-Shadwell, died in 1915. (See my earlier articles in Fairlight News for expanded details of the family). Thus, it was with great delight that we welcomed Diane Masure, the great granddaughter of Noel, to our exhibition. Diane and her husband travelled overnight from mid France with one of their children to attend the exhibition and meet people from Fairlight. Noel was the last of the English line, but he had five daughters with his French wife, Marie Therese, and they were brought up mainly in France, although Noel travelled a great deal at this time. Today there is a large expanded family in France, all of whom are directly descended from William Noel Lucas-Shadwell, but none of them bear the original family name. Diane has been studying her family history with other members of the family and was delighted to be invited to Fairlight.
We hope that the story gives you some idea of the FRA and its activities on behalf of the people of Fairlight Parish in 2017
By Paul Draper.