Brighton & Hove

Pantomime is an enduring and peculiarly British institution, yet its beginnings go back a very long way and are in fact anything but British!  In his talk, Ian Gledhill looks at the origins of panto and examines many of the traditions (and superstitions) that have become attached to it over the years, interspersed with personal anecdotes from years of working and appearing in pantomime.

As a former manager of the Newhaven Fort from 1987 until 2001, Ian Everest’s talk will cover its origins and military history, and the trials and tribulations of converting this Scheduled Ancient Monument into a popular visitor attraction.

The first ‘professional’ paid police officers in Sussex appeared in 1836, with Hastings, Arundel and Chichester setting up rudimentary Forces.  By the 1880’s the whole of the County was patrolled, when the County Borough’s had their own Forces, and the rural areas covered by the West Sussex Constabulary and the East Sussex Constabulary.

Only in 1968 did the remaining five forces combine to form Sussex Police.

Mike Scott Rumble’s talk will look at the history of the Forces and include some of the more notable crimes investigated over the years including the murder of the Chief Constable of Brighton in 1844, the Brighton Trunk Murders in 1934 and some more recent crimes that have hit the headlines as well as looking at the advances in transport, communications and crime detection.  The speaker joined Sussex Police that year as a sixteen year old Junior Cadet and stayed for another 32 years! 

“The Argus” – the regional newspaper for Brighton and Sussex (formerly the “Evening Argus” has been published since 1880.  Thousands of photographs have featured in the newspaper over the years capturing local events, people and places.  There is now an Argus Photographic Archive which contains many of them.

Andy Garth will tell us more about the Archive and the collection of photographs illustrating our local history.

Kevin Newman will present a light-hearted talk looking at the sillier side of Sussex over the centuries, from foolish females and fellas to daft deaths our ancestors made.  The audience will hear about our silliest sheep rustler, the attack on Christmas in WW2 by a member of the RAF and the safest pub to be in during a part of the Battle of Britain.

Robert Jeeves will be showing 100 or so fine scenes of Brighton and Hove’s past from his extensive personal collection of pre-1920 postcards. 

The diaries of Nicholas Oxley, an East Sussex farmer, cover the period 1814 - 1815 and 1816 - 1823.  A SFHG project led by Mick Henry to transcribe the content has resulted in their publication by the Sussex Record Society.

The diaries provide a valuable insight into rural life in Sussex.  In his talk, Mick will present what one farmer, Nicholas Oxley, thought about his workers, also describing what an ag lab (agricultural labourer) actually did in Georgian Britain.  Mick will also highlight the work undertaken by SFHG members and the next stage of the project.

A lot of us have in our possession something that has been passed down to us from previous generations.  It may be a family bible, a humble postcard, a cherished picture, a piece of craftwork, or even an everyday item; something that triggers memories of our family’s past.

This is an interactive meeting where members are encouraged to bring along an heirloom and share the story or stories surrounding it.  It is a perfect opportunity to share knowledge or ask questions.  

Sussex has many underground military sites that remain in place despite their original use having long since passed.  Stewart Angell will take us on a journey to discover WW1 and WW2 sites through to modern nuclear bunkers positioned around Sussex.

Researching the lives of our ancestors can unearth some unexpected stories.  Sue Burgess will tell the story of “mad and/or errant John and his great nephew Clement”, the result of her own investigations into her family’s past.