As I said earlier in one of my other stories, my grandfather Kennedy Larbey worked for Mr West of Midhurst Road, wrote George Larbey. The West's lived in the farm there up until around the 1980's when it was sold and turned into a housing estate.

Granddad Ken and his family prior to that lived in Southwick, West Sussex, where he worked as a farrier in a racing stables. Why he chose to move from a racing stables to Westy's, which must have been a far more inferior job, I have no idea. (But ours is not to reason why) He did, and that was that.

A date was set for the move. Let's make no mistake, a move from way down on the south coast to Fernhurst with no less than eight children, and presumably a fair amount of furniture. With eight kids you had to have a bit, one way or another, and the move would have been no mean task in 1910.

The furniture was put on the train, as were Ken, Annie, eight kids, and, knowing my grandmother, most certainly a cat or two, and also knowing what we know now, their eldest child Marion, 20 years old suffering from consumption. (She died the following year.)

They headed for Midhurst station where everyone and everything was off-loaded on to the platform. What chaos! And at least 5 more miles to go.

A family meeting was convened, chaired as one might say undoubtedly by my grandfather. It was decided Mr West would have to be informed and Uncle George and my dad Vic were elected to do the informing.

They would have to walk the 5 or so miles and find the said man, give him their father's regards, and tell him they were awaiting his pleasure. (Or words to that effect.)

They set out. Uncle George would have been nineteen and dad thirteen. Neither over tall, George would have been his full height about 5ft, dad much shorter, fully grown he was less than 5ft, so their little old legs would have gone 13 to the dozen up over North Heath and down Henley Hill as they made their approach on Fernhurst.

They found West's farm, couldn't really miss it as it was on the Midhurst Road. They were told. 'Mr West is at work spreading manure in yonder field. I think they said manure, it may have been dung, and it may have been_ _ _ _.

No, let's give them the benefit of the doubt, anyway he was not there and the two brothers had to find him. Going by Mrs West's directions they eventually found him, she was right he was dung cart spreading in yonder field.

He had a horse and what is called a 'Dung Pot'. A dung pot being a small cart not much bigger than a trap, the only difference being one could tip a dung pot reasonably easy as the dung was loaded over the wheels evenly so when a pin was removed it would have been precariously balanced making it easy to tip. (Ah they had brains in those day too.)

Mr West made it quite plain the Larbey family's dilemma was not too high on his lists of priorities at that time of the day, and also made it clear 'They can bloody well wait there on Midhurst station platform until I've finished my day's work,' and continued spreading.

Dad did tell me how long they had to wait, but I suspect the length of time increased as the years went by, and as it is over 90 years ago (in the opening years of the 20th century) it happened it might have run into days by now.

But apparently it was some time when Westy mellowed and said, 'Come on climb up on the cart you lads and lets pick up the old man,' and they headed for Midhurst, dung pot and all.

'Well there's no point in cleaning it out I shall need it again tomorrow'

Quite right Mr West.