Notes from the Past.... By Robert Piper

With Spring it’s good to have a look into the past. In 1882 it was reported that Tags (sheep) were sold at Horsham Market on the 5th April at 54/6 per head (RPI £348.80), on 13th April 1902 the first cuckoo was heard in Southwater, the Rev Roger baptised Albert Edwards, the son of the village police constable William Edwards and Harriet Eliza.

In April 1912 the vicar held church services over Easter for Men and Lads over the age of 15, which started 7.30pm on a Tuesday and services were held on a Wednesday for Woman and Girls also starting on 7.30pm. Over Easter in 1912 the Boy Scouts from Southwater did a dispatch race from Shoreham to Horsham and back. The troop was helped by Boy Scouts from West Grinstead, Roffey, Shoreham, Bramber, Steying and Slinfold. In 1932 Lady Stirling –Hamilton thanked the village and her small committee for all their work raising funds of £1-10-0 (RPI £111.41) for the distressed Areas in the Midlands, plus the £1-18-0 (RPI £141.12) from the Southwater branch of the conservative and constitutional Assoc, plus the clothing that was sent.

The WI had a talk on how to make a small garden pay by a Miss E More. It was said this had come just in time as it was the start of the growing season. It also should help the branch with its market stall. The branch missed out by one point in getting the WI cup for singing at Bognor. They also looked to set up a saving account at Nation Savings. By April 1942 the WI had a visit to Barns Green and a talk about Russia by a Dr Dyer, which was found to be very interesting.

Also that month it was reported that Mr Leonard Lawrence of Stone Cottage in Worthing Road was fined £2 (RPI £100.27) for speeding in the village on the 10th April. In April 2012 children from the village pre-school planted a tree to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in the county park; some of the children were disappointed that the Queen could not attend this event.