In an interview in 1993 Donald Haffenden recalled how some of the outskirts of Tarring, in particular in the Littlehampton road area, were during the 1930's and 1940's. From his account we can realise just how much has changed.

'I was born on 4th January 1937 in Rusper Road, Tarring in a new bungalow called 'Wilmayton' (the initials of my mother, my father and my brother). It was just a small cul-de-sac then with four bungalows in it and a nursery at the end, just off the north end of Ringmer Road.

My earliest memory was of Littlehampton Road where my maternal grandparents had a market garden and a pig farm, near Belmont Nurseries (which is a flower shop now). I can remember going with my grandfather to Steyning Market. My uncle used to live next door to them and had three daughters, Granny, Catherine and Margaret. I can remember my uncle used to have to dig a cesspit out the back for the toilets because there used to be chemical bucket toilets there.

Where the Sussex Yeoman is now it used to flood across in the winter. It used to be open land and woods and belonged to a Mr Somerset. There was a little farm called Nowlands Farm as well where we used to go climbing. From Nowlands Farm you could walk up to Durrington through the fields. There were a lot of other farms nearby, but I can't remember now what they were called.

There was a big farm I remember called Millers Farm, which we used to cross, to get to a pond called Somerset Pond. There used to be boating there and fishing, but if you got caught the game keeper would chase you off.

One house I can still remember, which is still there today is on the Littlehampton Road near the North Star public house and it's got a big fronted glass window.

In Durrington Lane there were two cottages either side and the rest was all open ground with market gardens until you got to Littlehampton Road going west where there were six cottages (where my uncle and grandmother and grandfather used to live).

Littlehampton Road was very narrow, with trees all down one side, which we used to climb to get sloes and damsons out of the hedgerow. It was like the small roads across the downs, with passing places.

Where Durrington High School is now in Littlehampton Road there used to be open fields and I can remember, during the war, anti-tank guns and soldiers in it. We used to go over and see the soldiers, climb up on the tanks and slide down the tank shute with all our friends from Ringmer Road. I remember seeing enemy aircraft going right up over the town, but I can't remember what happened about it as it was so many years ago. I used to go up through one of these fields and there used to be a pond there.

On VE Day we had a big street party in our road with all the relations and family friends. I've got a photograph of it somewhere and I know most of the people on it. Most of them are still around. One of my best friends is on there.

We were quite a close knit community. All the boys and girls used to go out together. I still see quite a few of them, but as I went into the forces I lost touch with some people. As I said to a friend of mine the other day, we should have a get together one day to see how many people we know - a 'Rusper reunion'.

My grandfather was a blacksmith and had a workshop (the largest one) in Tarring Road, in a yard called The Forge. It is still there now but is called Cedar Garage. I can remember all the workmen who used to be in the other workshops. There was a carpenter called Mr Worthington who was the wheelwright and used to make the spokes for cart wheels for my grandfather, who used to make the outer ring himself. Then there was my uncle who was a plumber, and a chap who used to have horses, Mr Kenwood, who moved eventually to Arundel.

I can remember one time when a horse kicked my grandfather, and he couldn't sit down for the rest of the week. That's one of those childhood memories that you never forget. I can also never forget the smell in the workshop - that burnt horsy smell as my grandfather used to shoe the horses. He did a lot of work for the dairy, which used to be in Elm Grove.

There was a garden at the yard where I used to play. From this yard, you could see right across the railway yard to St Dunstan's Road. To get to my grandfather's workshop I used to cross the railway where the ladder at Elm Grove is now, to get to the allotments. There was a crossing gate then where you had to open the latched gate, make sure nothing was coming, quickly go across and shut it again after you. Just before the allotments there used to be a pond, I think it was called Lincet Pond.

My father used to be a private chauffeur for a lady called Mrs Dolling who lived off of Grand Avenue in a big house (now flats). She had such a big garden she had fish in there and used to ride a three-wheeled bike to go round the garden. The garage of the house is still there with a cottage over the top. I can remember that very well as I used to go and play there every day when I went down with my father.'

I wonder what people nowadays would make of someone getting around his or her garden by bike! I suspect Mrs Dolling must have been quite eccentric.

Donald Haffenden sadly died on June 19th 1995.