Newsletter No.10

by Tricia Leonard

East Brighton Bygones Local History Society

"Newsletter"

Issue No 10 April 2009

Introduction

Well, here we are again at our AGM, so another year has passed. Our membership is sitting at a healthy 32 - 10 of which joined during the last year.   We are still adding items to our growing website, which at the time of writing this, has over 77 articles in the 3 'Our Histories' sections. We shall be looking at some of these today. We are hoping to encourage more of you to help us edit and add more of your own personal collections to the site as soon as possible.
We are planning one, or maybe more Summer Outings.  Perhaps as a group coach trip, so where shall we go?

News of members
This is Tricia penning our newsletter this month, I have been drafted in at short notice to prepare this as Vic has been taken ill, he is out of hospital this week and at present we are not sure whether or not he will be fit enough to attend the AGM.  I'm hoping he is at home resting.  All our wishes for a return to good health are on their way to him.

We would all like to pass on our congratulation to both Charlie and Sheila Coverdale on reaching the wonderful milestone of 54 years of wedded bliss.  Well done!

General news

On Friday 3rd April our Chairman, Bob, along with Charlie and Sheila, Bob and Betty and Norman and Joan attended the farewell do at Whitehawk primary to celebrate Dudley Button's years in the local police and as Site Manager of the school. His family were in attendance and lovely refreshments were provided by the Friends of Whitehawk School, films and DVD's were shown and songs performed by the children. The previous Head, Peter Glue also sent his best wishes.

Hazel Bradley will be bringing to you shortly a small booklet containing contact details to help us all keep in touch with each other, thanks for your work on this, Hazel.

Recent activities
Our March meeting had a slightly unusual format, titled 'History Hurdles'.  We were in the downstairs bar for a change, which gave the session a very different and cosy feel.  We divided into 6 tables of 4 and a topic for discussion was announced.  Then on the jingle of my Tibetan cow bell somebody 'hurdled' from table to table ready for a  new topic This meant that we sat and nattered with a new bunch of people each time and mixed with members that we might not usually sit with. We went through 'Ip Dip', 'Dib Dib Dob Dob', 'Home games and amusements' and many other titles that brought memories flooding back.  Some amusing stories and unknown connection surfaced and I do hope everyone enjoyed it.
In response to the success of this event I would love to organise a 'games session', for one of our meetings.  We could play 'jacks', 'ludo' and my famous horse racing game!  What do you think?

Bob seems to remember seven members attended the March 'Char and Chat' afternoon.  An enjoyable session as always of relaxed chatter.

External contacts
Marlene Oliver from The Manor Road Gym has commissioned Sue Craig as part of Clowd 9 to collaborate on a project with them.  They would like a permanent display of framed photographs to be displayed in one of the newly renovated rooms.  Probably of a sporting nature.  Other local groups such as The Regency Society, BrightonCollege, The Phoenix and both Roedean and St Mary's School will also be contacted and asked if they have any suitable pictures they would be happy to donate.  We will also make contact with The Argus
At present Sue envisages an exhibition, reusing some of our photograph 'sheets' and other items from our Exhibition in the Church.  The 'What's in a Photo' section could easily be recreated.  The public could then vote on their favourite images to be chosen for permanent display.
There are also plans for an audio visual tour which would include projections of images on to local buildings of what was there in years gone by, and hopefully, some very short sound recordings of our members memories .  Maybe we could also involve Screen Archive South East to show some old cine.

Requests for information

As part of today's meeting we plan to show you all the wealth of information we have accumulated on our website.  I have prepared lists of each section for you all to choose sections to view today and to take away and marvel at. We also have quite a number of images on the Bygones computer in the office that are already in approx 23 named folders for many of our members.  These all need a bit of a tidy up - captions, words, stories etc adding to them then they can be put up on  our website and shared with the world.
We would like to make appointments to meet up with members to get this under way.  We can come to you or meet you in the office here, whichever suits you best.  So get your diaries out - we will be in touch!

Members are also able to see any contacts that have been made via our website in the new appendix 'Bygones on the Web'.

Members' Stories

As many of you already know I have been researching my family history and I am very lucky to have a wealth of information which is lodged at the East Sussex Records Office.  I have taken the drastic step of removing my records, on a temporary basis, so that I can spend a bit of time transcribing and delving into them a little more. I am not sure where this 'time' is hiding though!
I thought you would like to share with me one item, beautifully written, that I have found.
It forms part of my Great Great Great Uncle Benjamin Adolphus Clayton's will.  He died in Southwick in 1873.  This is a small extract from just 1 of 5 wills that I have from a similar time period.
He leaves these items to be shared between; his brother James Frederick, a mysterious and unknown lady Mrs Jane Ann Redgell, his son, his daughter and a nephew.  It is a delightful list including 'spoons at Mr Pointers'!

Subject and date of next meeting

The next monthly meeting will be held on 13 May 2009.    Our speaker will be Trevor Povey and his topic "Nuns and naughty boys!" This is about the institutions of Portslade.
We hope Norman Foord will not mind being moved on to June to speak to us about his travels.
As usual the meeting will be held at the Whitehawk Valley Social Centre in Whitehawk Way and will commence at 2pm.
The next 'Char and Chat will be on Wednesday 29th April at 2pm

And finally ......

I must not forget to mention that thanks must go to our very own Mr Chippendale (Vic, of course!).  We now have an all singing, all dancing wheel about trolley.  We can now bring to the meetings our book collection to share with you - or anything else we would like to wheel in to show you!

Best wishes to all from the Emergency Editor Tricia