'During the summer term we had a sports day at school. This was held on the Felpham Recreation Ground - not the present one, but the field to the south of it which extended to the bank of the Rife, where the by-pass now is'... as remembered by Barbara Greenshields (nee Jupp) born in 1924 in The Britannia Cottage, Littlehampton, eldest child of Edith and Horace.

'Mr Phillips reminded us that we must attend the sports even if we weren't taking part as it was a school day, though with so many children around how could he have known who was missing, unless someone told tales? It meant a longer walk for us, past the school, through the churchyard and over the Rife Bridge. I didn't take part in the sports, but dutifully watched the races. Some of the supporters encouraged their favourites with great enthusiasm yelling at them to 'Come on, come on!' and cheering loudly when they were first at the winning post.

Miss Dolly Phillips (Mr Phillips' other daughter) kept a sweet shop near the church which we occasionally visited, when we were lucky enough to have a ha'penny or a penny to spend.

I was saving up for a bike and our summer holidays provided a wonderful opportunity to boost my finances. Day-trippers visited Littlehampton and ladies coming to the 'Brit' (Britannia Inn, run by my grandparents) needed the 'Ladies'. This of course was in the garden, which meant coming over the low wall by the bar steps and through the door to the yard. From here I would escort them to the garden and point them in the direction they wished to go. Usually on their way out they would hand me a penny or, on rare occasions, tuppence.

Bank holiday weekend (it was the first Monday in August then) proved very lucrative. On one occasion a group of young women came in, chatting and laughing, but none of them offered any reward as they went out. By chance Grandma was standing nearby and reminded them sharply that they should pay a penny. 'We only went round there to pull our stockings up.' Retorted one of them as they disappeared out of the door. Grandma was most indignant. So was Nan (Auntie Hilda) when she arrived on the scene. She promptly fetched a piece of chalk and wrote on the outside of the door. 'LADIES ld EACH'. Just then a cyclist came along. 'What?' he called out cheekily as he passed by, 'Are you selling 'em off cheap?'

Later that year on a visit to the 'Brit' there was a junior size bicycle in the yard. It had belonged to Jack Chaston's daughter, Norah who was older than me. I'd seen her riding it alongside her father and felt a little envious, but told myself the bike was really too big for me. But I was growing and the bike was for sale, it would cost five shillings if I'd got enough money saved up and would like to buy it. I counted my savings - yes there was enough, so I paid up promptly and took possession. It was more difficult to ride than Mary's fairy cycle but I practised in the yard, going diagonally from corner to corner and eventually mastered it.

Nan would take us to the Green where I spent many hours riding it. I also rode it up and down the rather stony road by the Fisherman's Hard. The bike stayed at the 'Brit'. I have often wondered why I didn't have it at home. Perhaps my parents thought the roads where we lived (and would later live) were becoming too busy for a small girl to be cycling on.'

I think its still rather nice, in this day of advanced technology, that young children still enjoy learning how to ride a bike, as does my 4 year old granddaughter.