Notes from the Past
Now we have got over the Queens Platinum Jubilee, it is interesting to just look back to 6th June 1892 when the church had a double wedding of Mr & Mrs Sayers daughters of Easted Farm. They were married by Rev Andrewes; Miss Alice married Mr Hewitt and Miss Emily married Mr Charman. The choir gave Mr Charman a clock for all his hard work in the choir, and the new Mrs Emily Charman was given an album from the children of the Sunday School and members of the stool ball team. On the 24th July that year, the Sunday school and choir outing was to Brighton and the Dyke; it was said that it was much better than the trips to London, as they were able to travel by train and return home by 9pm.
On June 26th 1902, the village was told that due to illness the king’s coronation was postponed, but it was decided that the men’s dinner and the women and children’s tea party would go ahead. The church held an intercession service for the King on what would be his coronation day.
At the August bank holiday 1912, the village had its summer flower show with the usual sports, dancing, etc. which was held in the vicarage garden in the afternoon and evening. The committee said that they were grateful for any gifts of cake for the event. The summer jumble sale raised £5-16-3 (£731-71 RPI) of which £3 (£365 RPI) went to the Sunday school and £2-14-3 (£332-25 RPI) went to the mothers meeting group.
In the summer of 1922, the outdoor fete and sale of work raised £122-2-7 (£7396-96 RPI) of which £87 (£5267-54 RPI) was put into the New Parish Hall account in the post office. Over 360 people came to the fete and danced until 10.30pm.
The August bank holiday in 1942 the Home Guard held a dance in the village hall which raised £10 (£502 RPI) to go towards their funds. Also that month, an advert came out in the paper looking for a woman over military age to be a live-in house keeper at Fryern House, Worthing Road (Brookfield). The WI put on its industrial show, which covered everything from gardening, honey and rabbit ready for the table. The show raised £30 (£1506-09 RPI) which was split between the village hall and the village nursing assoc. Mrs Burkinyoung of Worthing Road said the village had raised £30-0-7 (£1506-61 RPI) for the red cross; this was one of the largest amounts from the villages for the towns red cross fund which stood at £338 (£170088-13 RPI).