Arundel Museum

Good Old Bad Old Days

During the evening of 19 November, Chris Hare gave Society members and friends a most interesting and entertaining talk about the Sussex of Lawrence Graburn.

Lawrence Graburn was a Sussex farmer who lived at Wepham, near Arundel. When he retired in 1940, he devoted his life to recording the natural history, local history, and folklore of the area.  From the early 1950s until his death in 1965, Graburn wrote a popular weekly column in the West Sussex Gazette, under the pen-name Newell Duke, in which he brought alive the customs and traditions of rural life.

Our speaker, Chris Hare, is an ex-lecturer at Sussex University, and the author of a number of books on Sussex Local History.  He has recently produced a new book, Through the Hard Times and the Good: An Oral and Social History of Worthing, based on reminiscences of those who lived in the town from the 1930s, and the archives of Guild Care.  It is a quality hardback book, costs just £10 including a DVD, and can be ordered through any public library in West Sussex.

Martyn Must      

Arundel was well known for shipbuilding from the Middles Ages to the 19th century, and the exhibition displays several models of ships built or used in Arundel.

The exhibition also illustrates the design and construction of Ships through the Ages, and to this end includes many models not previously displayed.

The amazingly detailed models were individually designed and made by Tony Pudwell.  Tony made his first ship model at the age of fourteen.  Each model was individually designed and built.  Having researched the ship, he produced a scale plan, then constructed the model using scrap wood and other materials.  His largest model took over a year to complete in his spare time.

Hallowe'en Party

Terry Bedford arranged a Hallowe'en Party at the St Mary's Gate Inn on London Road during the evening of Saturday 31 October.  This event, in support of the Museum Society, included a three course supper:

• Pumpkin Soup from the Witch's Caldron
• Witch's Fingers and Mash (Bangers and Mash)
• Spider Pudding (Profiteroles)

There was a prize for the best Hallowe'en hat, and Sussex Paranormal Investigation gave a presentation including video and photos of Oliver, the ghost in Room 6 (Oliver's Room).

Thanks are due to Terry Bedford, landlord of the St Mary's Gate Inn, for supporting the Society again by donating all ticket profits to the Museum's funds.

Report and Photographs by Martyn Must      

Evening at the Muse

On 30 September, members of the Society enjoyed a sociable evening at the Muse in Tarrant Street.  Numerous tapas dishes were provided for our sustenance.  Bill Beere organized a pub style quiz to challenge our grey cells, with prizes generously donated by the Muse.  Bill also won the 50:50 raffle.

Mavis Gillies, one of our members, organized the event which made over £135 for Museum funds.

Report and Photographs by Martyn Must      

During the afternoon and evening of Saturday 5 September at Arundel's Priory Playhouse, Rosemary Hagedorn completed the story of Arundel from the Iron Age to the 20th Century over eight hours, entirely from memory.  She spoke for a total of 6½ hours, only taking 10 minutes breaks between sessions, and a half hour supper break:

• 1.30 - 2.30pm        Arundel 0 - 1000
• 2.30 - 3.30pm        Conquest and Control
• 3.30 - 4.30pm        Medieval Arundel
• 4.30 - 5.30pm        Fitzalans to Norfolks
• 6.00 - 7.00pm        Civil War and After
• 7.00 - 8.00pm        18th Century Arundel
• 8.00 - 9.00pm        Victorian Arundel
• 9.00 - 10.00pm      20th C - All Change

Rosemary has lived in Arundel for forty years and in that time has become a local history addict.  She has been a member of the Museum Society for many years and is currently Vice-Chair.  You may have come across her giving lectures or leading walks around Arundel.

She did the talkathon to raise money for Arundel's new museum.  We have the site, we have the planning permission, we are fundraising ike mad - but we need money right now to pay for development work.  Rosemary cannot bear the thought that over forty years of dedicated work to build up the museum collection and create and run our local museum might go to waste because we have lost our home.

The Annual Festival Waiters Race took place up and down the High Street.  This year it was for teams of two - it was a three-legged race.  This added some spectacle to proceedings.  But one team could not keep their footing, ending up sitting on the road, fortunately without injury.  It was won by one of the teams entered by Grounds.  The event started and finished more or less on their doorstep.  Did being on home territory help?

The Football Club hosted The Annual Marbles Championship.  This event was sponsored and organised by Will Harvey of Loose Marbles in the High Street.  About half a dozen teams played each other, and in the end the team from the Kings Arms was declared the winner.  They were presented with the trophy by the Mayor, Councillor Mrs Wendy Eve.

Unfortunately two members of the team were too shy to appear in the celebratory photograph.

Inns and Taverns of Old Arundel is a new book by Rupert Brooks.  It was launched at a book-signing at the Norfolk Arms Hotel on 31 August 2009.

The book is a detailed, illustrated account of the inns and taverns that once existed in Arundel.  There were some 40 named ale and beerhouses, of which only seven have survived.  The book is a detailed exposition of where these old houses can still be found, what they were called in their heyday, and who the publicans were.  Anecdotal reminiscences of the past and recollections of how the old premises looked have helped to create the atmosphere of these drinking places.  The book includes photographs of the present sites of the beerhouses together with photographs from late Victorian times.

It is a hardbound, 88-page book, and includes 54 photographs.  It is published by Phillimore.  It costs £14.95.  It is available for sale at the History Store, at Larkins in Tarrant Street, at Arundel Tourist Office, or by contacting the author at rupert_brooks@btconnect.com.

Rupert Brooks is generously donating all profits from sales to Museum funds.

On 26 August, as part of Arundel Museum Society's contributions to the Arundel Town Festival 2009, Rupert conducted a walkabout entitled Ale and Beerhouses of Old Arundel.  This started at the History Store, covered twenty four of the locations covered in his book, and ended at the St Mary's Gate Inn in time for lunch, liquid or otherwise.

BBQ at St Mary's Gate Inn

Terry Bedford welcomed Society members to a barbecue at St Mary's Gate Inn on Thursday 13 August.  The meal was well received, and we were again entertained during the evening by Nick Lipton who played a selection of tunes on his saxophone.

Report and Photographs by Martyn Must 

Pétanque

A few of us enjoyed two evenings of pétanque at Arundel Football Club on Thursdays 21 May and 18 June 2009.  Overall attendance was a little poor, especially as the weather was fine on both evenings.  But judged on fun they were good evenings, and many of us ended up in the bar for a drink afterwards.

The final pétanque evening on Thursday 16 July was much better attended, with over 30 people playing or spectating, most of whom retired to the club house to enjoy a fine, generous fish and chip supper delivered by Trawlers.  Just in time too, because the heavens opened soon after the games finished.

Altogether, the three evenings made over £200 towards Museum funds.

Martyn Must      

Everyone was welcome at our Spring Market on Sunday 10 May at the Norfolk Centre.  It featured stalls manned by members of the Museum Society: book, bric-a-brac, plant and tombola stalls.  And there were stalls for other groups, charities, and sellers more usually seen at the Arundel Farmers' Market.  There were also refreshments for sustenance.  Over £700 was made towards funds for the new museum.

Legionary Lucius Julius Hipponicus of the Second Augustan Legion (aka John Smith, Curator of Bignor Roman Villa) was on parade outside.  He showed off Roman arms, armour and artefacts, and answered questions about Roman life.  Children were able to don a Roman helmet and learn Roman army drill.  His visit was in conjunction with the new Roman Remains exhibition over the road at the History Store.

Report and Photographs by Martyn Must 

Until Tuesday 5 May, the Museum hosted an exhibition describing the history of the Port of Arundel from its foundation in 1071 to its decline in the early 20th century when it was finally transferred to Littlehampton.

Arundel was well known for shipbuilding from the Middles Ages to the 19th century, and we exhibited ten large ship models, including several ships built or used in Arundel.  These amazingly detailed models were individually designed and made by Tony Pudwell.

Tony Pudwell made his first ship model at the age of fourteen.  Each model was individually designed and built.  Having researched the ship, he produced a scale plan, then constructed the model using scrap wood and other materials.  His largest model took over a year to complete in his spare time.

From Saturday 9 May, a new exhibition shows where Roman Remains have been found in and around Arundel.  If you thought that Arundel was a Norman town, think again.  You may be surprised at how much evidence of Roman occupation there is.  The Romans had three villas here, and numerous finds show that there was a busy Romano-British settlement in Arundel Park.

Roman Remains has enabled us to bring some of our interesting finds out of storage, and show the location of finds and a selection of pottery, building materials and other artefacts, including a rare blade from a gladius (the Roman short sword).

Roman Villas - What Are They?

John Smith gave a very interesting talk on Roman Villas to the Society on Thursday 23 April at the Norfolk Centre.  He is Curator of Bignor Roman Villa, just to the North of us here in Arundel.  However, as well as Bignor, his talk covered other villas that he was familiar with in the South of England, and he touched on the Roman history of Arundel.

Gordon Sawyer 

The New Museum Appeal was launched on 18 April 2009 with a visit to the Museum's temporary home by local MP Nick Herbert and Deputy Mayor Anne Harriott.

The photograph on the left is taken outside The History Store, and shows Nick Herbert (centre) examining plans for the new museum with Anne Harriott and Graham Whitehouse of GWP Architects, Burgess Hill.

A report on the launching of the Heritage Centre Appeal was published in the West Sussex Gazette of Wednesday 29 April 2009.  Please click here to read the full item.

Ale and Beer Houses of Old Arundel

On Thursday 26 March, Rupert Brookes gave an illustrated talk at the Norfolk Centre on his research into the numerous ale and beer houses that existed in Arundel in the past.  Look out for his book that is soon to be published by Phillimore.

Guided Walk Covering the Civil War

Imagine spending Christmas trapped in Arundel Castle for three weeks with food, water and firewood running out, and 10,000 enemy troops making sure you stay put and keep your head down.  That was what the Royalist forces faced in the Civil War siege in 1642-43.

On Saturday 7 March, 20 people found out what happened on a fully subscribed guided walk and talk led by local historian Rosemary Hagedorn.  The only criticism was that it was so interesting that it could have been longer.