Police Constable Archie Greenshields remembers what life was like when he had to move, with his wife Barbara and young daughter Julia, from Littlehampton to Rustington in 1949: -
   
Our move was, to me, an indication that my work and confidence had been noticed and considered worthy enough to work solo. Admitted, it was a two man beat, and no doubt the senior constable, Joe Coopey, had been given instructions to help me along if and when needed. Sergeant Day, who had been issued with a motor cycle, was in charge of all the surrounding detachments and I had worked under his command before.

Our cottage was an Edwardian terrace building in the village centre close to the shops, church and bus stop. The cottage comprised of two rooms and a small kitchen downstairs, two bedrooms, plus a small box room, on a mezzanine floor. The drawback was that there was no hot water system and only an outside toilet. We knew there would be problems, with our young baby to bring up, but it was a house and we had it to ourselves (having spent the first part of our married life living with Barbara's Aunt Hilda).

Barbara faced these obstacles with great fortitude and still looks back on those years with pride. Whenever she hears grumbles of dissatisfaction from some of the modern generation, it causes her to expostulate. Not only did she cope, but she ran our home like clockwork. At the same time she attended to the many callers, taking telephone messages about lost children, crimes, and the many facets of life that are brought to the attention of a country policeman. All of which, I might add, was without previous experience of acting the part of the country policeman's wife.

Joe Coopey and his wife, Emmy, were a very friendly couple, Joe proving to be a great colleague to work with and I very soon settled into the new routine. The duties of a two-man detachment were much easier to work than on a single beat, where duties varied from day to day. Our duties alternated week to week and were from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. with an hour for lunch, and the next week from 6 p.m. until 2 a.m. Sometimes there was a slight variation to give reasonable cover of the beat on each other's rest days.

The people of Rustington were generally law-abiding and complaints of crime were infrequent. I got to know quite a few people in this village, for that is what it was in those days, whereas now it has been built up more than Littlehampton.

After I left Littlehampton, I had given up some sporting activities that I had begun there. I discovered that I had an aptitude for long-distance running and had entered in the mile events at the annual sports that had begun again. One year I came second in the inter-divisional mile event and at another meeting represented Littlehampton in the medley relay.

I also took an interest in small bore rifle shooting and won a silver spoon on one occasion which my daughter, Julia, used to dig in the garden with, and buried it without trace! Rustington Home Guard Rifle Club, who used the range in Arundel Park, once invited me to fire with the full-bore .303.

I was approached by Sergeant Kennett of the Traffic Section, to see if I would join a team he had put together to enact road safety demonstrations, which he held at various gymkanas. I had to agree to act the fool on a pedal cycle that involved carefully orchestrated accidents with cars, and demonstrate the wrong and the right way in differing situations. Often I returned both from the rehearsals and the events bruised and knocked about, but revelled in some small way from the limelight.

On 19th April 1951, our twins, Barbara and Jane, were born in our small cottage. We had very little time to prepare for them, as it was barely a month before the expected birth that the visiting midwife announced, to Barbara's great surprise, 'I can feel another little head in there!'

Luckily I had the day off and was able to assist as far as possible, with boiling water etc. and doing all the things the father was supposed to do, which in those days was not much. Barbara remembers little of the anxious moments there were, but at one time problems did occur. It is quite unlikely that a birth of this nature would be permitted in such conditions today, I am glad to say.

It would be true to say we were quite happy there, but the new babies accentuated the problems with the lack of adequate washing facilities. There was still only the one small cold water tap for our supply, and any hot water required for baths, domestic washing and laundering had to be heated on the gas stove. In addition there were no power points in our home for electricity supply. This meant that the small Hoover single-tub washing machine that we had purchased after the birth of the twins, was operated from the ceiling light.

I had, by this time, received the news that my probationary period had been completed and I passed the first hurdle. At last I decided I would make an application for improvements to our living conditions. And not before time, I may say. I submitted a report requesting that a small gas water heater be installed at a point near our water supply. Within a few days I received a visit by the Chief Constable, who seemed so surprised by the lack of facilities within the house and asked how and where we bathed.

Little Julia was not at all put out on this auspicious occasion and insisted she be told, 'Who is that funny old man, Daddy?' A short while afterwards I received information from the Assistant Chief, Mr Goodbourne, that the authority had agreed to install a small gas heater.

I found myself busy attending to all types of incidents, ranging from child cruelty, suicides and sudden deaths, one if which was of a recluse who hardly anyone ever saw, and even a minor case of sacrilege. Joe and I managed the village affairs without little cause for outside help. I thought that I would like to remain at that detachment for a while longer.

However, it was not to be as, at the end of November 1952, I received a call from Littlehampton Headquarters that new houses had been built at Horsham and Worthing. In consequence of the lack of facilities in Church Road, I was asked if I would like to take one of them, and could choose where. Knowing how little one's real needs or requirements were considered, I gave no choice of location and, after discussion with Barbara, accepted the offer. As a result we were told to move to 32 Roedean Road, Worthing and took over on the 19th December 1952.

Archie and his family remained in Worthing until 1960 when they were again moved on, this time to Petworth.