This article was first published in the West Sussex Gazette on October 8th 1992

A Goring reader wrote-in, 'Your articles about old Tarring certainly set my memory going,' and sent in some of her own most interesting details of her childhood and the inter-war years, but declined to be named. So I shall respect her wishes and suffice to say that she is from a well-known family who owned several clothing and haberdashery shops in Worthing, and used to teach at the Broadwater Baptist Sunday School.

'I was born in the first house on the right in Browning Road, a big semi-detached, which was the first one to be built on the south side by Mr Adams who lived opposite and Mr Ernest Child, who, with his family, lived in the other semi next door.

'A great deal of the building around there and in Heene Road was built by them. 'Eventually, Mr Adams moved to Findon, and Mr Child into one of the houses on the south side of Parkfield Road.

She remembers well the local shops in Tarring Road for they were 'well patronised by our family.' Round the corner there was a small garage -- Perkis & Hayes -- where a tyre and exhaust centre is now. 'When my mother bought a car, we bought petrol there for 1/6d a gallon!' (7 pence in today's money)

'There was also a greengrocers owned by a Mr & Mrs Bridger. She was quite a formidable lady and Mr Bridger was well known on the Worthing Football Ground in Pavilion Road, where he peddled fruit and monkey nuts, etc.,during the matches.'

Recalling a strip of open land, on the north side of Tarring Road before the row of shops was developed, with more than a tinge of sadness she continued, 'I remember how upset we were when the long line of trees disappeared from the north side of what is now New Broadway, because there was a little path under them above the wall which we as children invariably used to go, either to school in St. Dunstan's Hall, St. Dunstan's Road, or to visit my grandfather and aunts in Woodlea Road, passing the little Baptist Chapel in Canterbury Road on the way.

This was not the only way to get to her grandfather's house, an alternative route crossing the railway 'was over Jacob's ladder and through the twittens, with market gardens on either side, coming out at a little shop facing Parkfield Road, and being very sure to put a pebble into a hole in the wall on the left just before we got there. It was unlucky to forget!

'From there we were able to walk along Parkfield Road and through my grandfather's very large garden(now Parkfield Court), which led to the back of his house. I learned to play tennis on the two grass courts in his garden, and also to ride a bicycle around its wide paths.

'The rest of the garden was full of fruit trees and vegetables and hundreds and hundreds of chicken, looked after by one of my aunts, the eggs being sold to local retailers and private customers.

'Jacobs ladder and the twittens were also used to begin a walk to High Salvington and the Downs. There were more twittens on the opposite side of the road by the Priory(now running alongside Tarring Recreation Ground) and then through a big recreation ground north of Littlehampton Road, passing near John Selden's birthplace(now demolished), into Half Moon Lane and then on to Mill Lane, Honeysuckle Lane and the Downs.

'Many long walks and family picnics we had up there when no one thought twice about walking anywhere!

'Fields, to the west of Tarring church with its crooked spire, were a favourite place for walks for my friends and I on summer Sunday evenings after church, while the pond there was a happy hunting ground for newts and tadpoles.

'Before going to St. Dunstan's, I went at the age of five to a private house in Ripley Road, where two ladies called the Misses White taught the three R's to a few children, and I was taught to read from the authorised version of the Bible!

'I walked there across fields and open spaces(now West Avenue and Reigate Road), passing the West Worthing Tabernacle, and quite often there was a fair on that open space which was a great excitement and attracted crowds.

'On non-school days we would sometimes walk on into Goring Road, which then was a mere lane lined with trees and often flooded. Or we would walk down Wallace Avenue, not made up and just a rough lane, to a beach hut where many holiday days were spent.

Worthing was a very different place in those days, and in this lady's opinion it deteriorated sadly as it grew, 'so I was glad to leave it when I married and lived in one of the new houses in Ilex Way, built in the grounds of Goring Hall.

'But I have happy memories of those 'safe' days in Browning Road, where, with other children in the road we could play rounders, etc. quite happily in the road with no fear from traffic or child-snatchers!

'I thank God always for my happy childhood.'