This article was first published in the West Sussex Gazette on 1st October 1992.

Last week, through Ted Howell, we looked at the Howell family and their involvement in the licenced trade; and now we look at how another branch of the same family followed a similar pattern.

Through information supplied by Ted's second cousin, Maurice Howell, born at The Railway Hotel, Chapel Road in 1924 (now The Lennox Hotel), a fascinating network of local connections becomes apparent.

Originally, Maurice's grandfather had tenancy of The Railway Hotel in the early part of this century, until his son Frank took over on coming home from the Great War.

During that war, Frank's wife Bessie kept The Fountain Hotel, Chapel Road going while her husband was away in the army driving an ammunition lorry in the Sussex Yeomanry.
After the first world war, they left 'The Fountain' and took over The Railway Hotel on his father's retirement, leaving Maurice's grandfather free to travel Europe.

Not far from 'The Railway' stood an unusual landmark which Maurice remembers: a first world war tank left by the bottom of Broadwater bridge for many years. And he recalls horses stabled under the same bridge.

The family doctor and great friend was Dr Crabtree who lived in the large house which occupied the site where the Odeon Cinema was built, the picturehouse itself falling prey to a local developer who built the Montague Shopping Centre in recent years.

Several hotel guests have stuck in Maurice's memory: film Star George Arliss stayed at 'The Railway' in the 1930s; during the second world war, a retired gentleman officer by the name of Lord Lovat who held high rank in the Commandoes stayed there; and after the war came a gentleman character who lectured at the Pier Pavilion -- 'had a golden eagle which was kept in bottle stores.'

Staff at 'The Railway' included Queenie Cameron (waitress), Elsie Byford (cook), Daisy Adsett (head barmaid), Mrs Smith (chambermaid), and Mrs Novelle (kitchen help).

The Howells ran the hostelry from the end of World War I until 1956 when Frank died. Frank's elder brother, Harold, had another Worthing pub for many years -- The Downview Hotel.

Maurice's schooldays began at Glenster House in Oxford Road, Worthing before moving on to college. At one time he was tutored by a cousin of Mr Attlee, the leader of the Opposition.

During World War II, Maurice was in the Home Guard, located at Muir House, Broadwater.

Adjoining The Railway Hotel is a garage which at that time belonged to the brewers -- Kemp Town Brewery -- and was leased to a Mr Briggs.

When he died in 1951, Maurice took on the garage himself, until five years later when both hotel and garage passed into other hands following the death of Maurice's father.

In its heday, as Maurice recalls, the Railway Hotel had a lovely large garden, where on many occasions he took tea on the lawns, while a wall surmounted by railings and screened by a hedge was a convenient place for passers-by to rest their laurels -- mainly older men, for the

Employment Exchange was just across the road in those days.