Maureen Burt – maiden name Bird

Date of Birth 14^th August 1938

Place of Birth Kempston, Bedfordshire

Our family moved from Bedfordshire to Fairlight at Easter 1956 into ‘High View’ at the top of Battery Hill. My father became Secretary of the Hastings Car Club and held this position for 13 years. He also ran the Bodiam Hill Climb.

When I was 17 or 18 I used to go to the Pier with friends but my father always insisted on picking me up which was very embarrassing!

When I was told that we were moving to Fairlight, I applied to the Hastings and Thanet Building Society in Hastings to be a cashier but was turned down as they didn’t employ women cashiers!

I then applied to Plummer and Roddis (where Debenhams is in Robertson Street) to be a junior clerk but the money was too low. The Borough Treasurer’s Department initially turned me down for a clerk position but offered me a job as an Accounting Machine Operator at their offices in Wellington Square, Hastings. I was responsible for all Borough workers’ wages. As part of my job, I had to go to the Ladies toilets below the Carlisle pub on the sea front to pay the female staff. (A man from the same department paid the male staff at the Men’s toilets). I also took a taxi to pay the policemen at the Police Station – the current Lansdowne Hotel was the front of the Police Station. It was amazing that, being so young, I was given so much money to carry around!

After a transfer to Hospital Management in buildings behind the White Rock Theatre, I did the stocks at the Royal East Sussex Hospital and was responsible for the hospital staff wages. I was actually told not to get married for two years but I did get engaged after one year! I worked for the Borough Treasurer’s Department for five years.

I got engaged at Christmas 1962 during the bad winter of 1962/63. The snow was so deep in Fairlight that the buses had to stop at Ore and I had to walk from Ore to Battery Hill. On one occasion I walked back with an old lady who lived at the Alms House and there was a breakdown lorry across the road as a car had gone in a ditch. We had to climb over the lorry and jump down the other side but the snow was so deep that we disappeared! Church Farm had a light on outside and and we mistakenly thought we were near home and took a wrong turning down Lower Coastguard Lane. We turned round and then met my father with a large shovel who had come looking for me. It was so icy cold and in those days we wore skirts not trousers! My head scarf was so iced up that it stuck to my head and it had to be warmed up to get it off. Dad also put my feet in hot water.

The East Kent Bus Company ran buses from Hastings to Pett Level and the last bus to Fairlight left Pelham Crescent in Hastings at 10.20 p.m. At Battery Hill George and I would get off the bus after an evening out and the bus continued down to Pett Level by the Rescue Boat Station where it turned round. When it got back to near my house, the bus beeped and picked up George to take him back to Berlin Road, Ore. Jock the bus driver lived at the Coastguard Station.

My brother Roger used to forget his exercise book when the bus stopped to pick him up and the driver patiently waited each time he had to go back to the house to get it.

The field by the layby at the top of Battery Hill was not overgrown in those days and two horses lived in the field. One day George and I were looking at the horses and we heard a hooting sound. I called out ‘Johnny’ and an owl came down from the woods behind the church and frightened the life out of George! The owl was very tame and I have a photo of my mother feeding it. I think it may have come from Mallydams.

I didn’t go down into Fairlight Cove very often but we did used to drink at The Hayloft (now The Cove).

As youngsters we visited Nancy at her sweet shop (now The Coastguards Café). She used to sell bits and pieces but I don’t know if she served drinks as well.

Janet and Sue Sweetman were the daughters of local builder, Reg Sweetman, who had a house in Waites Lane near the Garage.

Janet and Faye Griffen came to my wedding.

Janet, Sue, Faye, Janet Dyer and myself all used to get the bus together.

In July 1963 I married George Burt at Fairlight Church. We held our wedding reception at Fairlight Village Hall (where I had also had my 21^st birthday party).

George lived at No.1 Fishponds Cottage (a tied cottage) with his parents. George’s father was a farm hand on Funnell’s Farm and George used to help on the farm milking cows. After George was demobbed, he did two years’ National Service but during that time, his father died and his mother had to move out of the cottage. When she rang him to tell him about his father, George suggested to his mother that perhaps she should tell him her new address so he knew where to go when he went home!

George bought an A40 van which we took on our honeymoon. It didn’t have any windows as you had to pay extra tax for those.

Our first home was 53 Canute Road in Ore but in 1977 we moved to 46 Canute Road. It was a large detached house that I had always wanted to live in and eventually I did! There was no point in hiring a van as the houses were very close so George set up some scaffolding poles on wheels to transport things like the wardrobe.

George died in 1983 but I stayed on in the house with our sons until 2005 when I moved to St.Leonard’s.

Ore was a really thriving village when I lived there. We had three butcher shops (I used to go to Gray’s owned by Dick Gray), three banks and building societies, two shoe shops, the International store which was a supermarket, George Cornelius’ fruit and veg shop (taken over by Winchester’s) and Britts’ grocer’s shop.

There used to be a hall in Grove Road, Ore (since demolished) where the Brownies met. I knew Brown Owl as my sons used to go to Cubs and in 1983 she wanted to raise money for the Brownies. I held Tupperware parties and agreed to hold one at the hall to help with their fund raising. One of the ladies who came to the party was just on holiday and therefore wanted to take her order with her. Normally I would place an order and then deliver it when it came in but as she had placed quite a large order, I agreed to let her have the demonstration Tupperware which she was happy with. Her name was Margaret Thatcher!

JEAN  RAMSAY AND DANIELLE CHRISTINE COLLINS

Jean:  I trained at the Royal East Sussex Hospital as a nurse.  I worked at St. Augustine’s Nursing Home, then I went to work at the Sussex Private Clinic, St. Leonard’s.  Nurse training in January 1960.  As Staff Nurse on Eye Ward and Night Sister at the RESH.  Then to St. Augustine’s in 1971 until 1980 and after I worked at the Sussex Private Clinic where I stayed until Clinic closed in 1998.

Danielle worked alongside Jean at SPC.  I moved from London nursing and was posted to SPC.  

Both lived in Fairlight for many years.  Jean moved to Fairlight in 1972.  Danny in Fairlight for 35 years. Initially in St. Matthews Drive, moving to Fairlight, prompted by Jean, to Primrose Hill.

Jean First memories of living in Fairlight – still very much a village – no in-fill building, mostly original large plots.  The house had only been used for holiday accommodation. We totally refurbed the house. Elderly population then, not many children.  There were a lot of Colt bungalows – wooden houses – a company in Bethesden, Kent that sold these structures.  Some still exist.  Colt houses do need a lot of maintenance – painted every couple of years.  Jean’s house was built in 1932 part of Waites’ estate – 2 thirds of an acre plots.  Everyone’s house built about 1930s. As people got older they sold land and then infilling began.   Danielle came to live in Fairlight and said it was quite villagey, very community, no street lights and skies were stunning and near to the sea.  Colt houses still in – Rockmead Road, and Clinton way.  

Jean:  Shops: Fairlight post office, The Woolpack near the circle run by 2 ladies who did knitting, making things from materials.  They would put on a show every year – by Patent wools.  They would bring all the clothes  you could knit and got villagers to dress up in these clothes –  they put on an knitting exhibition with models, Circle Shop – people ran it did home delivery, Avenue Stores (corner of The Avenue and Lower Waites Lane) Griffins Farm shop as you went to Pett Level on the right, and Wakehams on left side, Market stores in Pett Level, Staffords and petrol station which is now Alldays ,the Co-op. Another little shop on the opposite side to Staffords was called Uncle Tom’s Cabin, a little food shop and then farther on righthand side was the Windmill Stores (now a block of flats). Everyone used the garage for petrol and it was served to you – not serve yourself.  Servicing was done as well.  Sue, Garage owner’s wife, had a hairdressers at the back of the garage!!   

Memories of problems with cliffs – there weren’t problems initially.  On Sea Road – they were beginning to crumble in the  early 1970s.  ‘Greengates’ – Jean looked at this property.  (My parents were living in Gorsethorn Way)- Covehurst on Rockmead – had asbestos, ‘Fairview’ (a wreck) and ‘Greengates’ which was lovely  – lovely garden and cliff!. Only 3 houses for sale then. My mother said no way her grandson was going have a garden that went off a cliff – after much persuasion we bought ‘Fairview’.  They moved ‘Green gates’ nearer road on rollers!! Also ‘Greywings’ was moved on rollers.  ‘The Arc’ completely disappeared down the cliff!  You could walk the whole of Channel Way right down to Pett level over cliffs.   There was a footpath at bottom of Briar Close that went up between the two houses (Two boys) into Cliff Way..  

Jean heard this from a patient at SPC – an elderly lady who, as a child, used to come down in the summer to stay in The Haddocks (Coastguard cottages) Her father, she said, dug stream lane out and carried stones from the beach up the cliff on a ladder with a big basket on his back and laid the lane with the stones over several years.  His name was Drake.   Stream Lane is an ancient path.  It was one of the old walkways and he dug it out for vehicle access.

Jean: Coronation memories  I was living as a schoolchild in Dartford – my parents had a TV for this.  I had a friend who came to stay for the day to see it.  It went on all day!  on TV.  She came from a Colonial family (having lived in South Africa and a great royalist) and every time the National Anthem was played she would leap up and stand to attention.  My mother made us both dresses one was red with white stripes and the other was blue with white stripes – very patriotic for the Coronation.  

Winter of 1962/63  Jean was living in Nurses’ Home at RESH working nights at St. Helens Hospital. The ‘buses didn’t run so we walked from RESH to St. Helens in the snow to do 12 hr shift.  Dreadful – There was an epidemic of ‘flu over this winter. There were power cuts all the time – lifts weren’t working. St. Helens had three floors.  A lot of staff at St. Helens were pupils in training as SEN, RESH was SRNs in training so had set wards. One nurse on each ward and auxiliary between wards. 21 bedded wards night shift. If someone died, as lifts weren’t working, we would carry the body in a canvas bag down three flights of stairs – then outside walking down the path to the mortuary in the snow with a Tilly lamp plus the canvas bag! –  the mortuary was so full that when you opened the doors there were bodies on the floor and you had to push the body in to make room.  It was a traumatic time.  We all had starched uniforms, sleeves, and hats with cardboard inside and the starched hats would catch in the curtains round the beds! 

Sheila Rosemary Rita Burgess (`maiden name: Wenham)

Born: 75a Middle Road, Ore 1933

We moved several times as we were bombed out of original house in Middle Road and moved to another house in Middle Road.  We went to stay in the Cemetery for six weeks (in the Lodge) with our aunt whose husband was the foreman in the Cemetery.  Our father was in the Army at the time.  Then we got a little house in Old Top Road, then we had a house in Grove Road until I was married.  Married – 2nd April, 1955.  I have been a widow for nearly 26 years.  I was born at home.  In those days we lived with mum and dad, and in the other part of the house our aunt and grandfather lived in same house.  Our aunt was evacuated.  War came… Grandfather died and mum and dad had another house and Gill came along.

Gillian Rose Burdett (Maiden name Wenham)

Dob 14.9.38

I was born in my grandma’s house in Ashburham Road.

I remember going to the Glen with our mother – the entrance was at the lower end of Fairlight Road in those days.  Before the houses were built there was a big house owned by Major Sayer Milward – where my mother was working as a domestic.  When they realised I was coming, all clothing was knitted for me a new baby.  This house was then demolished.  There used to be a little hut at the entrance to the Glen selling lemonade and ice cream.  This area always belonged to Sayer Milward’s.  The estate was then sold to Hastings Council, but they didn’t buy the paths.  The Council then made new rights of way, this didn’t include the waterfall and beautiful areas.  Waterfall, bluebells – a lovely walk.  Once the Council took it over they put a cinder path in that didn’t take in the beautiful waterfalls etc. It was closed off.  

Uncle George lived in a house where the Cove is (it was called the Barn) where the hairdresser’s is now.  It was a barn in those days.  In the 1950s we would go to see him but used to wonder where they slept as it appeared to be one big room.  (George Glazier – was our mum’s brother).  Before this they lived in Rosemary or Peter James Lane – we used to go for Sunday Tea.   There were chickens and birds in the house.  Then they moved to Pett – a few relatives still live in Pett now.  Our mother’s grandparents (Glazier) her grandmother was Foord and they lived in Chapel Lane and Mother’s great grandmother was called Wilson. Still have photographs of ancestors painted on hardboard – our Great great grandmother.  Grandmother died at 49 and looked 80!  She wore high black necklines, long black skirts. (lived Chapel Lane, Guestling). Our mother did not travel any further than Guestling to Ore.  Records show our mother and father never left the area.   The barn – was a big open room – cattle barn.  Uncle George worked for the pub as odd job man.  The barn went with the job.  The pub has been there a long time – cove hotel.  Upstairs they had a ring thing that you had to swing and hook it over the nose of something like a bull head on the wall (game).  Just Aunt and uncle lived in the barn. They had six children who all married. Eldest son Bert, George was killed at Dunkirk.  Betty was a twin – but twin was lost.  Two more sons who were younger and Gordon still alive and lives in a caravan at Shearbarn.  Betty Glazier (had two daughters) and used to live in Coastguard cottages.  Her husband was Auxiliary Coastguard – and they lived there for many years.  We visited there and took the dog for a walk.  Fairlight was cut off regularly every year.   Mother had Harry – when Harry was 12 he left home and came to live with grandmother in Chapel Lane and worked on the Farm – he was killed in 1st World War.  Gill’s son was in territorial army – He has been to the War graves in France and our father’s father was killed in 1st world war – Uncle Harry was killed in 1916 at Battle of the Somme.  Gill’s son has been to France and put crosses on graves of Mother’s family.  Gill’s son found all the details and put a cross on each of the graves and takes a party each year to the War Graves in France.  

There was a time when we could not go over to Fairlight in the War as it was heavily mined in the cliff and there was barbed wire.  When they came to clear the mines, the cliff had moved and the plans were all wrong!!  There were several explosions.  Our brother was a bit mischievous and they would get birds’ eggs.  We were told Don’t go to Fairlight because of the danger.  They would take a frying pan, a few sausages, bit of lard and bottle of water and they would camp up Fairlight.  The bomb squad were billeted in Ore and my friend met one and married him.  They were some months clearing mines.  No accèss to Fairlight Glen then.  Lovers’ seat was there then, but not there any more.  It was called this as a girl was jilted and she threw herself over the cliff (not sure if true) At Ecclesbourne, there were houses and a cafe. You could walk from Firehills right through to East Hill. We would go to the sand quarry and kids would play all day round there on school holidays – didn’t go out spending large amounts of money on them. Cricket and rounders were played.  There was a building there with a gun on it (pillbox) when children were small.  My eldest son was always in there.  There was quite a hill there and kids would slide down the hill.  

Sheila – When we went to Christ Church Sunday School every year they had an outing to Crowhurst; I mean we thought we were going miles you know and our dad used to say ‘Have you got your passport and don’t fall in the treacle mine!’ he used to say. Gill – we used to believe there were treacle mines out there but we never found them! Sheila – there was this little river and they all had these long tables with all the food – there was cups of tea – you didn’t get lemonade or stuff like that; you had a cup of tea and sandwiches; and there was this river and it always seemed a fine day and all the boys used to play in this water and they got soaking; then we all had to come home on a bus; but we had races and games and all that sort of thing. I can’t remember quite where it was but I know it was in Crowhurst. Gill went to Sandown School and she went – they used to have 14 buses and they were all up the road. Gill – yes Alfred Road – the whole school went and the canteen provided a packed lunch and there was always something that cropped up. First time we went, we stopped at Blue Boys on the way to London, and this boy went ‘I am Tommy Walls and I can fly.’  He jumped out of a tree and that was the end of him. Another day two boys disappeared – they followed the elephant and were taking the elephants back to their house and course we were about three hours at London Zoo while they were searching for them! Honestly the Headmaster and Headmistress were wonderful to take us because all those children and we only had one teacher on each bus!

Sheila – We used to play up at Down Farm before it was built. There was a big house there with a horse and a pond that stood outside and would bite you. Gill – the horse was tied up but you were always very dubious about shall I go past it or shall I not go past it? Sheila – he belonged to Johnny Brown’s grandad didn’t he? Henry Brown. Yes the Whitemans had the farm up there. Johnny Brown was our brother’s friend and it was his grandfather. He had pigs didn’t he? And he used to go around collecting all the pigwash – a bin full of scraps. Johnny’s dead now. Gill – and they used to live at the bottom of Fairlight Road. Sheila – in Providence Row. Gill – and when the horse was out we were all a bit dubious – shall we pass that horse or shall we not? Sheila – and I was in school with their daughter. Gill – there used to be allotments up there and I don’t like to say it but we used to go in there and pick the raspberries.

Sheila – Our Uncle Alf used to belong to the Winkle Club and he got us tickets didn’t he? Gill – and we used to dread it every year! Sheila – Rita, his daughter, was our cousin and I was very friendly with her and she lived opposite us. She said ‘Oh I’ve got tickets for the Winkle Club’. Oh crikey! Mum said ‘You go with Rita you’ll be alright’ but we were frightened to death and we were scared of the boys – they were a bit rough (I know we had a brother but we kept him in place!) They would do all sorts of things; they’d have a big table with wallpaper on it, slapping all this paste on it then putting it all over themselves; these were the fishermen. They thought it was entertainment but it wasn’t quite what we were used to. Gill – we were a bit more refined in Ore!

We used to go out to Pett Level and make a day of it. Bus numbers were no.11, no.22, no.8, no.6. The East Kent Company bus was called the Rye bus – it never had a number -it was the red bus. It was always on time – never ever say the bus was late – 9 o’clock it used to be at The Miller’s Arms which is in Winchelsea Road. We used to have to get off the bus there and go through the alleyway to the back of our house in the pitch dark and running like mad. You could set your clock by that – never ever late the Rye bus. It was a wonderful bus service it was. Sheila – there was a no.35 and a no.51 went over the West Hill; and a no.11 and no.9 went up Clive Vale and a no.3 and no.6 went up Mount Pleasant. Gill – I don’t think many of the buses went over to Fairlight up here. Sheila – that would have been the red one – the East Kent. The other company was the Maidstone and District. Gill – yes Maidstone and District.

Sheila – I remember Montgomery, Field Marshall Montgomery, coming. Gill – I remember seeing Montgomery sitting in an open top car with a beret on coming up through Ore and we all had to go to the bottom of the road to wave to him. Sheila – do you know where ESK is in Cambridge Road? Well that was a cinema, the Ritz cinema, and all the kids had to go in there; just after the war, him and Churchill went all around the country and he was on the stage talking to all the children and we saw him come out and they used the cinema. We used to go too to the ABC – ‘We are the miners’.  Gill – This man – when I used to work at MK Electrical factory, this man said to me one day ‘You’ve been right through my front door (he was a porter or something at the factory). I said ‘I don’t think I have’. ‘Oh yes you have’ he said ‘Everybody in Hastings has been through my front door’. He said when they took it off this door and put it in the skip he retrieved it this great thick glass door from the Ritz and put it on his front door. Everybody must have seen who was coming through the door and that. He said ‘You’ve been through my front door!’

Rick Boston posted a message on Facebook in December 2021 recalling some of his memories of living in Pett. He and his family moved to Australia about 1970 and he now lives in Adelaide. Fairlight History Group contacted Rick and he and his sister Sheila have sent us many recollections of their past.

Picture of (a young) Harry Boston with his bread van, notice the plain Senior Service in his hand. That was a cigarette brand, most returned soldiers smoked as they were supplied with tins of 50. Spoils of War

I was born at Fernbank Nursing Home on 26/12/49, I was on my way on Christmas Day but Mum refused to let me out until she had her Christmas Dinner! Remember, these guys had just come through WWII and rationing was still in place. Mum, Edna, was living with her parents Les and Edna Banger at “The Hundreds”, just off to the left before the steep drop down Chick Hill. We moved to a cottage opposite the “Royal Oak” called Jasmine Cottage, it was the right-hand one. We moved to “The Chalet” behind “Wandon”, where two old ladies lived. Also, this was behind Pett Primary School where I began my education and not far behind where the Pett Village Hall used to be…can tell you lots of stuff about that! They closed our lovely Primary school and sent us all off to Guestling C of E school, including the kids from Fairlight, that could have been around 1959??

“The Hundreds” was a magnificent property in its day. Grandad used to grow Ailsa Craig tomatoes in green-houses on the land that I believe is now full of houses? Anne Constable had the first house at the very top of the Property, next to Varians, and had a very steep access from the top of Chick Hill. People used to drive down from London and places on the week-end to buy his tomatoes and Dad (Harry) used to sell them from his bread-van. Interestingly, I have managed to source some Ailsa Craig seeds and currently watching them grow….just want to taste one again before I die.

Certainly remember the Dunlops, old Will who married a younger lass named Ann. Andy Dunlop and “Little Buds”, a modern house in our times, could have been my father in different circumstances apparently. Will used to drive his sheep up from the lower lands, just him and a dog, and was instigator of Rye Old Scholars Association which still exists in a modernised form to incorporate Rye Secondary Modern and all the other changes. Tim Rothwell’s father was a headmaster in those days.

I was pretty sure Granny’s name was Edna, same as my mum’s, but I have a “thing” about keeping Facts intact. Yes, her and Les worked in the Theatre, and she had an amazing Grand Piano in the lounge that looked over the English Channel. She did play the organ at Pett Church. She didn’t encourage me to play although I did “tickle those ivories” as a kid.

I remember “Mr Wells” and his fish deliveries, “Henry King and Feist” bread, Brian Austin who delivered milk….my sister and I helped him for a while when we were kids….wouldn’t be allowed now! Joe Goldsmith, I think his wifes’ name may have been Linda, they had a shop on the left side of the road at Pett Level just before the road curves left to follow the coast. Bill Perry, if he is still in Pett, and I delivered papers for Joe on Saturdays and Sundays as he had a paper-round associated with the shop. Joe also ran a youth club at the old village hall which was a great success. We also had ice-cream deliveries, ding, ding, dong, and I remember standing on the low concrete wall at Pett School to get one, I think they were “Walls” and cost3d. We also had a fish and chip van, I guess he only called on Fridays?? It was called “Gay Adventurer” or similar and was the highlight of the week if we could afford them! He parked at the Royal Oak.

The old Village Hall also used to cater for dinners for us kids at Pett School and we had our Christmas Parties there with film shows. We lived behind there later on before I moved on.

I checked out the website. I was trying to work out Vic Glazier when I saw he had a brother Bert.  Check it out but I think Bert lived in one of the council houses down Elm Lane known as “The Glebe”. He had a daughter, Mary, who was a thalidomide child who used to thump around on one artificial leg and had all her fingers together on one hand with one nail for the lot. Amazing for a young person like I was then!

Pett Primary School ~ it was probably known as Pett Church of England Primary School in those days, always shortened to C of E. Henry VIII influence? I started out here. M/s Bright was the Head-mistress and M/s Coats was the primary teacher. It had a large room divided by a folding door, the “big kids” on one side and us “newbies” on the other. The only time that door was opened was when, I presume, one of the teachers was ill and one had to watch the rest of us. We had to walk everyday up to the Village Hall for lunch, it wasn’t very far. Meals were brought in in cannisters and dished out, I don’t remember it being particularly bad, however to this day I cannot stomach prunes or frogs eggs! The highlight was when the ice-cream man occasionally called and we would run out and stand on the low concrete wall. I think it was Walls ice-cream and cost a 3d “joey”. This school eventually closed and we and the Fairlight kids had to go to the new Guestling School. The last time I remember this school was when Mr and Mrs Hyde and their son, Richard, lived there. We used to enjoy playing in the above-ground air-raid shelters, but it looks like they no longer exist.

Guestling C of E School ~ This was a great school with lots of space and 4 classrooms. The Headmistress was Ethel May Kent and the Senior Master was Mr Fraser, who lived at the top of Chapel Lane and smoked a pipe, the primary teacher was M/s Harmer and my teacher was M/s Moor, not sure of the spelling, they propelled me to Rye Grammar School.

The Scout Hut ~ Opposite the top of Chapel Lane was a large wooded block. I think it belonged to Mr Dicker who was a Business Man from Hastings who ran earth-moving machinery?? He was our Scout Master. There was a large hut in the middle and I first started there as a cub. Our Akela was Mrs Ashby who lived down Rosemary Lane and had a son called Frank. Great memories of that place. Mr Dicker taught us how to sharpen axes and cut down trees and make bivouacs…probably wouldn’t be allowed today!

Pett Church ~ used to listen to the boring single bell every Sunday but never went there until later in Life. Our Vicar, Mr Parkins, was a “fire and brimstone” preacher, my Granny, Edna Banger, played the organ and everything was pre-ordained from a book…I think it was called the Book of Common Prayer. Anyway, I didn’t keep going and became a Baptist many years later. I cannot forget the daffodils out the front. My friend, Glenn Butler was buried there but they didn’t let me go to his funeral. He was killed by lightning around 1962 at Rye Secondary Modern School because he didn’t get out of the swimming pool early enough. That pool was the most awful cold place I could imagine. Since I have Reynauds it affected me greatly, after a couple of times I never went back again. I taught myself to swim after I came to Australia in 1970.

The Vicarage ~ Used to be an annual Fete there every year. Pony rides for the kids and side-shows..throwing hoops over a prize, darts at envelopes, coconut shy and a fellow who had a twisty wire you had to negotiate with a loop on a stick, if you touched the wire a bell would ring and you lost. I think they had a jumble sale there as well.

The Cedars ~ I don’t know what the purpose of this was but they used to have a BBQ every year. As a kid, I loved the smell of the smoke and the cooking but I can’t remember what we had to eat!

The Flower Show ~ Held at the Recreation Field. The blokes would erect a large marquee before the event. When they went home, us kids used to crawl under the side curtains and admire the huge new world inside. There were cakes, flower-arrangements and other stuff and the cakes were put on sale after they were judged. That’s when I found out what a beautiful sponge cake could taste like. At 72 I am still aspiring to create one!

The Royal Oak ~ In my day was a shop that sold everything we needed. It was owned by Mrs. Morris and, although I don’t remember a Mr. Morris, I was told he planted the oak tree out the front. Mrs Jordan, of Brambletye, worked the shop. In those days I could memorise a list of 10 things to buy without writing them down.

 Hop Picking ~ A bus used to pick up a lot of ladies from the front of Jasmine Cottage to go hop picking. I didn’t understand what it was all about but it seemed to be an important time as everybody seemed happy. I now understand of course. Hop-pickers, I don’t know where they went but I believe hop-fields were pointed out to me in Icklesham in later years.

Guy Fawkes Night ~ John Foster and I used to go around collecting material for burning with a large cart that should have probably been pulled by a horse. One of the farmers allowed us to build a huge bonfire in his field, adjacent to the Rec Ground, and it was a major event. Can’t remember who was there but it was a few and we all enjoyed the fire-works.

Carol-singing ~ A few of us gave this a go for a year or two, I just remember it being very cold! The Salvos brass band used to give us a “recital” in front of the Royal Oak during this period.

When Google Maps unfolded, I checked out a few things. Chick Hill (1 in 4) fascinated me. A friend of mine died there when somebody gave him a 3-wheeler and, supposedly, he rode it down the hill. He was found dead in the canal and they reckoned he went over the fence, hit a pipeline that was crossing the canal and they found him face-down in the water the next day.

Also, I remember 2 accesses to The Hundreds and a small building that I think Mr. Watson? used to garage his vehicle. I checked it out today and see that the building still exists. Now the lower road went to the farm, and it would have been Dunlops, we could also access The Hundreds from there somehow but I can’t remember how. It looks like the original road must still exist and that should not be a problem. Now, the disputed road would have provided access to the fields.

Just on the Royal Oak at this time. I was always told Mr.Morris planted the oak tree opposite. Mrs Morris ran a shop out of there with the help of Mrs Jordan of Brambletye….thank you to various people who aided my memory. There was a dirt road in front of the shop but seems to have been reclaimed? There was also a seat under the oak tree. I see there are plans a-foot for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. I presume the original seat must have died or been removed?

My sister just reminded me about the Rag ‘n’ Bone man with his horse and cart, apparently his horse stood on her foot!

There used to be the Pig-Swill truck going past down Elm Lane. I presume it was going to Lunsford Farm and they had pigs??

We had a travelling barber, Reg Potter, who always got around on a bike with a little brown case on the back. When he started he used scissors and hand clippers but I remember when he got electric clippers which he plugged in to our light socket. My parents told me he was shell-shocked from the War and always needed to be outside and free, PTSD these days.

Doctors used to come to your house. How we contacted them I don’t know but there were always people with phones who would help, plus the phone-box at the Post Office, near the Church was a long walk away by our modern standards.

Rick Boston. Richard Henry Boston, son of Henry Joseph Boston and Edna Frances Boston,nee Banger, (pronounced bainger)’

Now memories from Sheila Boston

Didn’t Mum and Dad live for a while with Lucy Cox, just over the road from The Hundreds?

So, don’t forget to tell them about the coal cellar and about our outside bucket loo, no running hot water and mum boiling water in the copper so they could have a bath, while we got to stand in the sink!

Local deliveries? Brian Austin, the milkman. Joe Goldsmith

Then there was Mrs Jordan at the shop (where the pub now is), Mrs Thomas at the Post Office and Mr & Mrs Digby at the shop next door.

Mr Parkinson, our horrible vicar! 

My favourites would be Fred Vahey, who used to do the thatching, and Mrs Head, who brought her horses along to the village fete.

Another slip-up was me saying the Sacred Heart School was at Mt Pleasant – it was actually on Old London Road, just down from Fernbank Nursing Home (where we were all born in those days). It was run by nuns, but I believe that is no longer the case. I was one of only four non-Catholics at the time and was given a great education that got me through to Rye Grammar.

If Tim Rothwell wants any more reminiscences of Rye Grammar 1965-71 I’ll be happy to oblige.

I believe you’re right that Alan Shearer was Lorna’s father.

Sinden and Emary are names I remember, but more than likely from school or just from parents’ general conversations. Dad’s bread-rounds encompassed Pett and Fairlight, but Fairlight wasn’t somewhere us kids would normally go. Once I got to my teens, I used to hive off to Rye on my bike to catch up with school-friends. I went to Rye Grammar with Lorna Shearer and Gail Nesbitt who were from Fairlight, also Zofia Sleziak (primary school – Sacred Heart at Mt Pleasant). Mum was really keen to buy a house in Fairlight called “Rosemary Corner,” but it was quite close to the cliff. Rick and I have wondered if it’s still standing.

Brian Austin was the milkman back in around the late ’60’s. I helped him at the weekends/holidays over the course of a year or so, then went on to help Joe Goldsmith deliver the Sunday papers for a while around 1970.

As for the Royal Oak. When we were kids (1950’s) it was a small shop run by Mrs Jordan, which is where I always spent my threepenny-joey pocket money on flying saucers, Trebor chews, bananas etc. There was also Mrs Broad’s shop, just along the Canal Bank at the bottom of Chick Hill. Dad used to drop the orders off and then pick them up later.

For sure we remember Whiteman’s butchers. That was either my or Rick’s job on a Saturday morning – 10 bob wrapped up in the shopping list, half a leg of New Zealand lamb, Danish short-back bacon and sausages. I can see his face quite clearly and I remember he always wore a hat.

Yes, Elm Lane led to the Lovejoy’s farm. The children were David, Robert and Sally.

There was another door-to-door salesman who sold vacuum cleaners and various things, but for the life of me I can’t remember his name.

I also mentioned to Rick about the local taxi driver, whose name has just come to me, Mr Morris. Anne (Constable) corrected me on the taxi-driver – his name was Ken Maitland. Think he lived close to Mrs Gillian Rootes’ beautiful big house, just down the road from the Dunlops.

Rick and I also used to do little gardening jobs for Mrs Wheeler (lived next door to Mrs McGowan – adjoining cottages just up the road from Jasmine Cottage). She’d give us 2/6d, a glass of orange and a piece of cake!

Another thing I remember is going somewhere over the fields beyond the cricket pitch to a real little hide-away we called Floating Island. In hindsight, I guess it was just a place where the water level fluctuated but we were quite intrigued by it at the time. Another great stomping ground was Toot Rock, down at Pett Level (where I learned some awful graffiti which got me into trouble!) Talking of cricket, we often used to do the scoreboard for the cricketers. I played in the stoolball team (pretty badly!) and spent years as a Girl Guide in the local troop run by Mrs Davies from Guestling. Another great part of summer was the annual Flower Show.

Sheila Boston

We chatted to Vic in October 2020 and he was happy to share snippets of his memories from Fairlight and Pett. We list some of those memories below, in no particular order:

Vic was born just before the war in New Barn Farm, off Rosemary Lane (now known as Low Winters Farm).

When he was five the family moved to Waites Barn Cottage, Waites Lane where he remained until 1962 when he married. Waites Barn Cottage was located next to where Hairbase the hairdresser stands today, but was demolished many years ago and replaced with a new house. He lived there with his parents, his sister, his younger brother (Keith’s dad) and his older brother, Bert.

New Barn Farm had been split into 2 households and was owned by a Charlie Colegate (he was related to the Fields family) and Vic’s family rented one half. They had to leave when Mr.Colegate wanted the farm back.

Vic’s grandparents lived in Lunsford Cottages, Pett and his grandfather worked on Lunsford Farm as a carter.

In 1952, Vic’s first job was with Mark Moon, the milkman. Mark Moon bottled his milk at Whiteman’s farm in Peter James Lane (Winterstow). In later years it was delivered to Pett Road by a firm called T.Bates from Hastings. Vic delivered to addresses all over Fairlight. Keith Glazier’s mum also worked for Mark. Vic recalls that Mark was cricket mad.

Vic remembers that everything was delivered to the door. Some such deliveries in the village included:-

Mr.Wells the local fishmonger. He lived in Battery Hill and had a brick-built cold store in the land opposite his front door. Harry was a baker who worked for the Co-op. There was another bakery called ‘Henry, King of Feist’ in Ore.

In the 1940s there was a five bar gate across Waites Lane manned by Jack Haynes. He wouldn’t let people through to the Firehills Estate unless they could prove they had business there. It was a private estate at that time owned by Godfrey Weston Hickman.

Mr. and Mrs. Rimmington ran the Woolpack Shop and when they were bombed out during the War, they moved across the road.

A bus was owned and operated from the Royal Oak, Pett. Bubbles Turner drove the old bus and the route included driving through Stream Lane. [Pictures exist of the bus parked outside the Royal Oak]

Later the local bus routes were operated by the East Kent Road Car Company (East Kent). They had a conductor to take the money and their buses were painted red and cream. The East Kent bus to Fairlight was the 128.

In 1951/2 Vic was on a full bus attempting to go up Battery Hill. Just before Peter James Lane everyone had to get off the bus and push as it couldn’t get up the hill. Apparently this was a frequent occurence

Vic’s father in law, Mr.Osborne, helped to build the steps down to the beach in Fairlight – they accessed the beach from the sea.

Vic remembers that a Jack Morton managed a pumping station that pumped water to Gorsecliffe. There was a big water tank at the top of Fyrsway. There was a large brick-built, open-topped water tank on the left by the Circle. Vic remembers sailing boats on the tank as a child.

A wheel from a crashed RAF plane was found on the beach at Pett Level. The RAF came and took it away to a museum.

In 1951 the Fairlight Youth Club joined with other youth clubs to re-enact the Battle of Hastings at Arundel Castle in front of the then Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II). Vic gave all the paperwork to Hastings History House.

There were many small local builders, such as Stan Dyer, Reg Sweetman, Barden & Sons Ltd, J.J. Hills, T.E. Relfe, Colegate & Sons, etc. Reg Sweetman’s company was based where Just Property is now and their shed was where Hair Base is now. Reg built many houses in Fairlight Cove and Council houses in Elm Lane, Pett after the war.

Vic’s grandfather, Harry, was listed in 1911 as a ‘well sinker’.

A Lady Tyrwhitt Drake lived in Channel Way and owned a zoo in Maidstone. She drove a Rolls Royce. [nb There is now a Tyrwhitt-Drake collection of carriages on display at Maidstone Museum].

There was a café opposite the Circle shop and a working men’s café on the corner of Farley Way opposite Pixie Wood. [Pixie Wood was a family run tea-room for many years]

Vic’s sister lived at Coastguard Cottages on the Firehills for 50 years.

The car park opposite The Smugglers at Pett Level was a lovely green and the first Pett Flower Show was held there.

A Miss Barry lived at Waites Farm and during the war, she worked as a medic.

Mr.and Mrs.Sandford ran the shop in Lower Waites Lane before the two ladies ran the butter shop.

The Pett Level Chronicles were started by Mr.Seaton who owned Pett Level. He lived opposite Tonge House at Cliff End and possibly built the Smugglers pub.

The Gosticks ran the Smuggler and owned considerable land at Pett Level.

Pett Garage was run by Jimmy Goodsell. [nb. The garage was located where Tic Toc is today]

By Karen and Paul Draper, October 2020