My Mum, Edna Hammond, died about 5 years ago. This is all she wrote, I tried to encourage her to write more but she never did, so here it is, a little piece of history that won't be wasted, because I give it to you.
Keith Hollobone, 2002

Edna Joyce Hammond wrote: I lived in a village when I was a small child, so we were mostly unaffected by Government Policy as people in towns were. My Father was a Bookkeeper for a local farmer, huge ledgers of hand written figures, and very long hours.

Looking back, life must have been very uncomplicated compared to now, for we had very little in the way of comfort but I honestly don't remember anyone saying they were 'bored'.

Shopping wasn't uppermost in people's minds, certainly not luxury shopping, that was for the much better off, or a few extras at Christmas. Grocery shopping was for simple things like flour, scrubbing soap, soda etc.

No packet suet then, the Butcher sold that, cutting off as much as was asked for to grate oneself. Candied peel was chopped at home at Christmas or Birthdays for special cakes; my Mother made her own, from oranges and lemons. One had to wash the currants, raisins and the sultanas.

Every Saturday it was my task to take a fruit cake up to the local baker to cook in his huge oven for 6d (about 2 ½ pence). There was one General Store in the village (where prices never changed), where there were fresh sacks holding Rice and Sugar next to Maize and Poultry foodstuff, all with their own scoops ready to weigh up as was asked for.

The Vinegar was in a wooden cask and measured into customers' own bottles. All sorts of useful items hung from the ceiling; not only that but they had whips and tops, and a length of clothes line was measured for a skipping rope.

Tea was sold loose from a large square plywood box, foil-lined (only Removal firms have them now). All this mix brought the most wonderful smells. It's only now looking back I think about mice, anyway most people kept a cat for that reason.

Village children had quite a care-free life really, for one thing, barring accidents, children were safe, as everyone in the village knew them and they knew everyone. Everyone fetched water from a well and toilets were at the bottom of each garden. These were not reasons to grumble because everyone had the same situation.

Families stayed quite close because most young people worked for Landowners or in service, whole families could work for these people in this way.

If one had to go to the Doctor, the nearest one was in Hailsham (about 4 or 5 miles away). He would make up the prescription while the patient waited; otherwise it was a homemade remedy. I think at times like that it must have been rather worrying because one had to pay for the Doctor's service at the Surgery, plus the bus fare (or a very long walk) when the wages were very low.

If it was outside work, then when the weather made work impossible, there was no pay, so illness was a thing to dread, a simple illness could get worse and be fatal in those days because there were not things like 'Antibiotics' and any operation was a dangerous one then, not many people had them anyway, not village people at least.

I was taken as a treat to the Cinema in Hailsham, 'talkies' were new then, but this was my first visit anyway. I was so frightened that I just cried; my Parents must have been furious!!!

'Dicker Day' was then (and still is) a super treat, for we would all go to the 'Michelham Priory Fete' and choose which stalls we could spend our few pennies on. I went to the 'Brownies' there in the Gate Tower by the Moat.

There was a church, a cricket field with a swing and a seesaw in the corner, a school and not forgetting the Blacksmith plus a big Chestnut tree outside the door. On the other side of the road, a sweet shop and of course the village Pub.

During Haymaking my friend Dorothy's father let us ride on the cart-horses to and from the field taking a 'Camp Coffee' bottle full of Lemonade (made from crystals).

On 'Mayday' there would be a Maypole, and we took a bunch of wild flowers tied with ribbon and were given an orange and a small bag of sweets. If you were lucky there was a swing hanging from the old Cherry tree. One year I was ' Maid of Honour' with Jean Butters being the other (I don't remember the May Queens name).

Mrs Newson was the Headmistress, a very distant person. I used to watch Mr Akehurst mend bicycles in his huge shed. Dad said 'Chewing Gum' was made from inner tubes. At that time I thought it was true.

Our Mother must have got fed up with all the Tottle Grass we took home in hot hands from all round the edge of the Cricket field. My Mother helped with the Cricket Teas and used to tell fortunes at the Fete dressed as a Gypsy at 2 shillings (12p) each.

My friend Molly Young was the daughter of a Stable Lad at Mr Horatio Bottomly's stables. They were a large family and not very clean, but I wanted her to come to my Birthday Party. Mum had to wash her and find her a clean dress to wear, but she still gave Grandma fleas.

I remember our neighbour's back garden not having any vegetables in it, only an orange mass of Marigolds, which seemed to me quite sensible and very pretty. I had a small garden plot by the lavatory, it was my Father's, but we called it mine.

Three Aunties named 'Manser' lived off Lower Dicker, up a lane that was named after them (now officially). There were 2 Yew trees, Periwinkle climbing round the fence, and in the lane mauve and white Violets.

People didn't spend a lot on clothes, they were not so fashion-conscious and clothes had to last. So Eastbourne (12 to 15 miles away) wasn't very often visited for that kind of shopping. They went to Hailsham or better still ordered what they wanted from the shop owner Mr Grey, and he would bring a selection in his car.

He was the only person we knew with a car, as people walked a lot more then, not so much for pleasure but more because they hadn't a bicycle, although one or two had motorbikes.

I had an Uncle who was always fiddling with radio valves and bits and pieces that made up a 'Crystal Set' (the first radios), with headphones, so that only one person could hear it at a time.

I don't think there was much choice then (in fact my Father didn't buy a Radio until after 1930, our first luxury). It received just the one programme.

My Grandmother had a Harmonium, which she would play on Sunday evenings for us all to sing. I think that's why 'Abide With Me' always brings a tear to my eyes, as most of her family would get together on that day.

I don't remember ever seeing a Policeman in those days, there really wasn't much crime in the villages, for you were friends and anyway nobody had much worth taking.

There were always Gypsy groups living on the Arlington Road (about 2 to 3 miles away). They came to the houses, selling hand-made pegs. I don't know what else they did to earn money but they never caused any trouble. In those days they seemed to be left alone to stay or drift as they wanted.

In 1929 the farmer sold up and we moved to Eastbourne. We still bathed in front of the fire, and later at the Public Baths (20 minutes each person), but we did have an inside toilet.

The unemployment was still very bad, and I remember seeing long queues to the 'Labour Exchange' (Job Centre). My Father had a job at the 'Belgravia Dairies' (a local company) so we were lucky.

Edna Joyce Hammond