The History of the Southwick and Shoreham Oyster Fishery by Kim Matthews Monday 14th November at 7.30 pm in Southwick Community Centre Members £3, non-members £5 This illustrated talk describes how hundreds of first-class oyster smacks and fishermen from Essex, Jersey and Sussex battled winter gales, government interference and tragic loss in order to land…
Author: Southwick Society
October Heritage Talk
West Sussex at War 1938 – 1945 by Matthew Jones Monday 10th October at 7.30 pm in Southwick Community Centre Members £3, non-members £5 The talk will focus on the Home Front in West Sussex, drawing on the extensive archives of documents and photographs held at West Sussex Record Office, looking at themes including civil…
September Heritage Talk
Mass Observation: World War II and beyond by Suzanne Rose Monday 12th September at 7.30 pm in Southwick Community Centre Members £3, non-members £5 The Mass Observation Archive is a unique collection of everyday life in Britain and the Mass Observation Project continues today, based at The Keep in Falmer. Suzanne Rose will provide an…
Those Valiant Men
by John Young On 11 May 1956 an RAF Valiant jet bomber crashed on the railway line at Southwick narrowly missing a nearby boys junior school, houses and the busy Shoreham Harbour. Three of the crew were killed but miraculously no local people were seriously injured. It was lunch time and people were settling down…
New Exhibitions
The Manor Cottage Heritage Centre will be re-opening on Saturday May 28th. The museum is open every Saturday morning from 10.30 to 12.30. We have three new exhibitions this year. Southwick’s Royal Connections which will run throught out the season. Southwick’s Miraculous Escape, the day a Valiant jet crashed runs from May 28th to July…
March Heritage Talk
Knepp Castle Estate: Rewilding in Action by Geoffrey Mead Monday 14th March at 7.30 pm in Southwick Community Centre Members £3, non-members £5 The Knepp Estate is at the forefront of the UK re-wilding movement; this talk looks at the historic background to the estate further north up the Adur valley and its current re-wilded…
October Heritage Talk
West Sussex at War 1938-1945 by Matthew Jones Monday 10th October 2022 at 7.30 pm (postponed from March) at Southwick Community Centre £3 for members, £5 for non-members The talk will focus on the Home Front in West Sussex, drawing on the extensive archives of documents and photographs held at West Sussex Record Office, looking…
February Heritage Talk
The Changing Fortunes of Kingston Buci by Trevor Povey 7.30 pm Monday 14th February 2022 at Southwick Community Centre Members £3, non-members £5 A look at the development and redevelopment of agricultural Kingston into an important port and industrial area, and the changes to its character over the years.
January Heritage Talk
A Sussex Farm during the 1950s by Ian Everest 7.30 pm Monday 10th January 2022 at Southwick Community Centre Members £3, non-members £5 To “make hay” and “bring in the harvest” sound like idyllic past times but this talk shows just how tough life was on a South Down farm during the 1950s. The war…
Manor Cottage Christmas Shopping morning
The Manor Cottage Heritage Centre will be open for a Christmas Shopping morning on Saturday 20th November. This will be an opportunity to purchase our new unique Christmas cards designed by local artist Antony Muzzall. There will also be a special sale of second hand local history books. These have recently been donated to the…