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This article was first published in the West Sussex Gazette on July 31st 1997. | 
Hospital Sunday: St Bartholomew's Church, Rogate in the early 1920s. The banner (left) is that of the Ancient Order of Foresters (Court Wyndham). A white-capped AA or RAC patrolman (centre) stands with hands on hips, while above him an old-fashioned ambulance is parked next to the church boundary wall.
| When a Sussex reader said he had an old Rogate picture, I was to discover a few more photos of interest tucked away in his homely abode, including an early bus picture and another of a football team in which his father-in-law played.
The reader I refer to is Edwin Funnell (66), born and brought up at Rogate in West Sussex, the son of farm labourer George Funnell. 'Father always took the WSG for as far back as I can remember.'
Edwin's maternal grandfather, Edwin Penfold, was also a farm labourer but despite being unable to read or write he also took the WSG. 'My grandmother would read it out to him each week.' To maintain continuity of work he moved from farm to farm around the county, being employed by different farmers. For pleasure 'he liked his clay pipe and enjoyed a pint.'
When Edwin (junior) decided it was time to settle down he enlisted the services of a marriage bureau, who introduced him to Worthing girl Vera Pelling. They married in 1967 and lived in Rogate for eight years before moving to Worthing in 1975. Edwin was very involved with Rogate Church, being a server there for 34 years and a sidesman for 27 of them.
Vera's father John was a bus driver and used to drive some of Worthing's unique Tramocars in the late 1920s and early 1930s. In his spare time he was a keen footballer, and a treasured memento of those days is kept by Vera in the form of a team photo from around 1930.
To this day, Edwin (junior) continues to maintain the family tradition of subscribing to the WSG, the third generation to do so, just like his parents and grandparents before him.
This article was first published in the West Sussex Gazette on July 31st 1997. | 
Cupwinners: Probably Worthing's Silverdale team around 1930.
Back row l to r: F Pullen, G Northcote, A Longstaffe, C Steele, J Squires, B Philips, T Smith, R Johnson, T Herbert senior.
Middle row l to r: R Viney (secretary), A Johnson, G Johnson, F Gammons (capt), A Carmichael (president), C Trott (v capt), John Pelling, J Jupp, T Herbert.
Front row: J Herbert, E Duke, R Northcote.
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