Born in 1908, Olive Hewitt, who later married a Sharman, soon gained notoriety as rather a tomboy and genuinely earned the nickname 'Tom'.

'When I was at school and the inspector came, we all roared with laughter when he walked through the classroom and opened the left-hand door and quickly closed it again.

He was in the books' cupboard.

This man was laughing when he came out; but later on we had a very dull one, who called out 'Tommie Hewitt'. I immediately stood up and he said 'sit down girl'. Again he repeated it and of course I stood again and he was very cross. Then Miss Card explained, I was always called Tom. He just hadn't let her explain.

Also he insisted I must have my left hand tied up to make me use the right one. I did no writing for two days. I know it was very pig-headed of me but I'm still a South Paw or what country people called 'cack-handed'. We were lucky with our teacher. Miss Card was so understanding and helpful and taught us, those who wanted to learn, many things that have helped me over the years and given me a love of Books, Poetry & Nature.

I can recall many sights that my grandchildren will never see. A Stone Breaker sitting by a wheelbarrow full of large stones, with a large hammer, breaking the stones into small pieces to fill holes in the country roads. This was when I was small.

A Chair Mender at Hove, who sat on the kerb and mended cane or willow chairs and stools. A Doormat and Umbrella Mender, who mended the thick cocoanut door mats outside your own home and put new spokes on umbrellas.

The Water-Cart Man, who on very hot dusty days came round with a horse, and who pulled a large iron tank with water in and a lever to shoot water out of holes in the tank. The Tree Fellers who worked in our woods and took high tree trunks through the lanes, chained to huge flats and pulled by a team of Shire Horses.

The Sweep, the Circus with the cages of animals going slowly through the town and seeing our first elephants. About the last of the old Dancing Bears and its master. The old bear died in someone's barn a few days after. I wonder what new wonders the modern day children will see today?'