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Cuckfield Connections
A personal journey of discovery





1846: Treat for local school children at the vicarage
Brighton Gazette - Thursday 30 July 1846 Treat to the National School Children. — On Thursday last the Rev. T. A. Maberly, it being the...
Sep 22, 20211 min read
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1943: Keeping up spirits in wartime
An account in the Mid Sussex Times 28 April 1943 tells of a concert held in Cuckfield to raise spirits. They were royally entertained by...
Sep 9, 20212 min read
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1950s-70s: Jack Norris Snr - with skills admired by pro musicians
The Cuckoo Oh the cuckoo she is a merry bird she sings as she flies And she brings us good tidings and she tells us no lies And she sucks...
Sep 5, 20218 min read
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1957: Cuckfield features in hilarious Pinter play
In 'Victoria Station' a hilarious short play by Harold Pinter, one of his first, which was published in 1957 revolves around a tax...
Aug 27, 20212 min read
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1912: Glorious weather for Cuckfield Band of Hope children's outing to Burgess Hill Pleasure Gardens
Mid Sussex Times - Tuesday 04 June 1912 Band OF HOPE EXCURSION.— The members of the juvenile Band of Hope were favoured with glorious...
Jul 26, 20211 min read
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1866: Commotion at Reading Room session
The first reading and music night for the season was held under the superintendence of the committee on Wednesday last [November 1866],...
Jul 19, 20212 min read
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1891: The challenge facing our brilliant 'singing baker'
Sam Willetts, was known as the 'singing baker' and lived on Cuckfield hill. He spent his life living with the challenges of dwarfism but...
Jul 17, 20213 min read
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1986: Wellie Thrower's Finger
No really, this is for real! It wasn't April the 1st! Please take careful not of this before you next throw your wellingtons - get into...
Jul 5, 20211 min read
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1950s: Cyril's comedy and singing earned a passage to Australia
Cyril Phillips was a man with a moderately good singing voice, amazing memory and a gift to entertain. For a time, we don't know how long...
Jun 22, 20216 min read
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1957: Glamour comes to Whitemans Green
Sussex Agricultural Express - Friday 09 August 1957 Glamour came to Cuckfield Donkey Derby Races on Monday, in the form of lovelies from...
Jun 18, 20211 min read
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1957: Hostility and praise at Cecil Sharp House
Bill Hawkes was the father of 'our oldest paper boy' Charlie Hawkes and was a talented musician performing into his 80s. His recorded...
Jun 17, 20216 min read
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1873: Bear's bullocks and fair pleasure
The Pleasure Fair on Tuesday was but the ghost of former days, the visitors and amusements being equally scanty. Cheap Jack, with his...
Jun 13, 20211 min read
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1863: Great Celebrations as Walter Burrell takes up residence in his ancestral home
Brighton Gazette - Thursday 26 February 1863 CUCKFIELD. RECEPTION OF WALTER BURRELL, ESQ., AND FAMILY. The arrival of W. W. Burrell,...
Jun 10, 20213 min read
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1859: Procession and many toasts at the Harvest Festival
A harvest festival of a new character was celebrated for the first time at Cuckfield, on Tuesday, the 30th ult. Holy Communion was...
Jun 9, 20212 min read
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1871: Mud ankle deep and ice accidents
Since 9 o'clock on Saturday night rapid changes in the weather, together with a variation in the wind, has been apparent in this...
May 30, 20211 min read
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1871: Sergisons host Christmas fun and gifts
Captain and Mrs Sergison of Cuckfield Park have not suffered the first Christmas after their return from India to pass by without a...
May 14, 20212 min read
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1939: Cuckfield UDC Fire Brigade in Action at Victoria Park
Last year I contacted Screen Archive South East to enquire about a film in their catalogue entitled 'Cuckfield Fire Brigade' . The email...
May 6, 20211 min read
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1740: A jig called 'Cuckfield Place'
This is a jig called ‘Cuckfield Place’ from 'The Compleat Country Dancing-Master' printed by John Walsh, London c1740 . There is no...
May 3, 20211 min read
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50th Anniversary exclusive
50 year anniversary of Cuckfield Sealed Knot and Battle of Cuckfield It’s 50 years since the Battle of Cuckfield and the formation of the...
Apr 29, 20214 min read
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1891: Ice skating at Cuckfield
Skaters have had a grand time of it this year, and Brightonians, as may be supposed, have not been behindhand in availing themselves of...
Apr 19, 20211 min read
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