This article was first published in the West Sussex Gazette on 2nd September 1993

Both Goring and West Worthing must have provided an idyllic setting for the middle-class family holiday in the 1930s, at a time when there were still green fields and areas of natural environment where wildlife cohabited alongside man before his intervention became oppressive, and before Goring became the modern bungaloid suburb of the neighbouring town of Worthing that it is today. Even though Goring's eastward expansion had begun to link up with West Worthing's growth westward, the area was still ideal for a leisurely spell with many a holiday home based between the freedom of the open sea and the grassy slopes of the South Downs where sheep grazed and birds sang.

Nostalgic memories of pre-war family holidays there have been sent in by Peter Standley of Lewes, memories that will evoke feelings of wishing it was still yesteryear (in some respects).

It was in a somewhat roundabout fashion that he learnt of the existence of Remember When: a copy made its way across towards the west of the country; from there its direction was reversed and sent to East Sussex; before Peter penned his own early recollections and posted them to me at Worthing for incorporation into an article for all to enjoy, his letter beginning: 'My brother sent me a copy of the Worthing News from Cheltenham (I don't know how he obtained it) to ask whether I remembered the Tramocars ---- I did.'

His connection with Worthing started in the 1930s when his parents began renting suitable houses in West Worthing for a summer vacation from the family home in London during the whole of August each year, motoring down to the coast in the family car --- a 25 horse power Vauxhall saloon.

They enjoyed boating on the sea and had their boat, which they used on the Thames, sent down to Worthing each summer.

'Our dinghy was collected from the river at Datchet near Windsor,' Peter recalled, 'and delivered to the beach at Worthing by the Great Western Railway ---- cost 10 shillings.' (50p in today's money) 'Mother liked it down there. I remember Mill House in Mill Road was one of our holiday spots,' he wrote, 'the house then belonged to a doctor.'

And he went on to divulge some antics that went on there. 'The garden was very overgrown and the only place from which my brother and I were able to have a view of the neighbours' garden was by perching on the toilet in an upstairs lavatory and peering through a small window.

'After hearing a commotion in the neighbours' garden one day, my brother and I rushed to our vantage point. A motor mower had been delivered, quite a novelty then, and the salesman was demonstrating to the householder how easy it was to use by persuading various members of the staff to 'have a go'. The maid, chauffeur, cook and gardener all went up and down the lawn in some fashion before the 'Guvnor' was finally coerced into trying it. He gripped the handles firmly and set off down the lawn in a cloud of blue smoke, only to disappear into the shrubbery at the far end of the lawn as he was unable to turn or stop it!'

During their leisurely sojourn Peter and his two brothers and sister enjoyed a variety of pursuits from canoeing and sailing off the beach, to horse riding and exploring the slopes of the Downs.

Having rented houses, including The Firs in Sea Place, Goring for several seasons, his father finally bought a bungalow which had a large room in the roof ---- 'Southbank' in Lancaster Road, just off Sea Place --- paying £1100 for it at pre-war prices.

Mr Standley said, 'Father engaged a delightful handyman to look after the garden when we were not there ---- a Mr Waldron Mutters. I remember when we went down to the bungalow for weekends in the summer, old Mutters would be there and would say to my mother 'Mind the Goosey'. The Goosey was a large bunch of flowers on the front doorstep, picked from his own garden.'

What is now a large petrol filling station, car showroom and workshop at the junction of Sea Place with Goring Road was a much smaller affair in those days, where Mr Standley recalls using a novel device for inflating tyres by means of a compressor.

'I remember going to the garage with my friends on bicycles to blow up our tyres. I think that the blowing up of pneumatic tyres as we know it was something quite new then as we were warned by the proprietor to be careful ---- but there were still some disasters and several burst tyres!'

Some houses were being built in Goring Road at the time and Peter recollects: 'A salesman sat in a small shed reading his newspaper, all day and every day, waiting to show round prospective customers. I clearly remember the large sign with the purchase price of £350 each and it also stated the deposit necessary but I cannot remember whether it was £25 or less.

'At the southern end of Sea Place our good friend Mr Hook kept his 'Beach' stores where he supplied absolutely everything and even came up to the bungalow to take orders for delivery! Ambitious Hook spoke of wanting to open stores all along the coast.

'It was all very friendly and great fun and we were fortunate enough to have a beach hut and two boats, and I have very many happy memories of it all.'

When the war came, the family found it difficult to get down to Worthing from London, and so Peter's father sold the bungalow.

'I returned on a visit to Worthing to Mr Hook's emporium and was looking through his stock, which at that time was pretty limited. I perused his display of postcards of Scenes of Worthing, which were all pre-war stock. I picked one up depicting a scene on the beach just beyond the store, it was of a lady resting against a boat and reading a book.

'It turned out to be my mother, and our old boat!'