The Old School Walk in Horsham

[@mttfboy]

Sometimes it's good to go down memory lane, it reminds us of when life was simple and not so complicated. Thanks for the lovely walk Richard. :)

[@aabb55777]

Funny. I went home to Germany and walked the section from home to primary school and from home to the Middle School. It was comforting to see a letter box still at the same old place.

[@RichardVobes]

My pleasure 😊

[@borderlands6606]

Some years ago I visited my youthful haunts, having lived all over the country. I came across a rural bus shelter where my first girlfriend and I used to meet up, decades ago. It looked exactly the same. Standing inside again, was like being plugged into the mains. How strange that an old bus stop can evoke emotions we thought had vanished into history.

[@JustAllianzed]

i will miss this school now that im leaving

[@katherinekinnaird4408]

Thank you Richard. This made me think back to my walks to school. Good memories. God bless you all. Happy New Year.

[@RichardVobes]

Happy new year!

[@izzywizzy2361]

Oh my goodness! I grew up on Merryfield Drive, you walked past my old house! I remember the sweetshop very well and I used to go to the hairdressers on the other end of the parade of shops. My mum used to send me with her wheeled trolley and a shopping list with the money in an envelope to fetch the veg from the greengrocers there and he just used to tip the potatoes into the bottom and other things were in paper bags that she used to carefully save. They would give us cherries and grapes when they were going over. Then we would go down to onion island and the red river to play. I still dream about it now about 50 years later!

[@stellahammond437]

I went to Junction Road Primary School in Burgess Hill. If I was up early, I would walk the mile to school along Leylands Road and spend my penny halfpenny bus money on sweets bought at the sweet shop opposite the school. I live in Melbourne, Australia, and the only time that I have been back to England in 2003, I walked the mile to the school, but the sweet shop had gone and was replaced by a florist! I love watching your Sussex KZbins as sadly there is little likelihood of me ever to be visiting England again. I lived in Burgess Hill from 1957-1963. I'm 70 now.

[@leighlawson4854]

The sweet shop/newsagent was indeed where the estate agent is now. Called Fourboys when I was a child. Later it was run by Mr Boxall who then moved down to Worthing and ran a newsagent in Broadwater close to where I now live. It's lovely to see The Coot, the green and the pond again. I watched it all being built in the 1950s including our own house in Merryfield Drive. There was an old barn opposite the pond but although residents hoped to save it for a community centre, it was demolished in 1956.

[@Stringtrees]

It is always interesting to go back to childhood haunts. I grew up in Essex and my Mother still lives in the house I grew up in though that is coming to an end soon. I have also been in a nostalgic and sometimes wistful frame of mind knowing that soon, the house will be owned by strangers and I will no longer have reason to go there having moved to Sussex over 34 years ago. Of course the area has changed so much since I was a kid and I often think of The Beatles "In My Life" with some changes being "forever not for better". Fields built on cars seemingly parked permanently on pavements that could once be walked on. On a happier note, the land with the pond, near the Coot, has been purchased by the householders all clubbing in. To prevent it being built on ( very wise move I think ). I've played a few gigs in the Coot over the years too.

[@RichardVobes]

It is a shame when someone else lives in 'your' house!

[@paulwells5038]

Hi Richard thank you for this video, it brought back so many pleasant memories, I was born a few years before you onto Farthings Farm further up Guildford Road this was farmed by my Grandfather. When he died my grandmother rented the farm to Mr J Wells and his son Reg who already rented Hills Farm, which backed onto Hillside. My immediate family moved away from Horsham in 1958 but we still have many relatives in Horsham so are regular visitors back to Horsham. In 1972 (ish) I was between jobs and contemplating my future career when Reg Wells offered me a few weeks work on the farms, saying I could live in the cottage adjoining Hills Farm (The one in which you cut your teeth on action filming) I stayed about 7 or 8 months in the end. I used to deliver vegetables to Arunside school and sometimes was called upon to pick up Reg’s children who also attended Arunside I offer you my apologies because I probably used to wake you each morning at about 06:30am when I would drive down the farm track alongside the cemetery in the Wells’ Bedford Lorry taking out the first deliveries of the day. I used to return at about 9am when Mrs Wells would give me the most amazing, cooked breakfast. PS when my Grandmother moved out of Farthings Farm she bought a bungalow near the Cootes Arms just opposite the parade of shops so I too have got fond memories of those shops and the friendly sweet shop owner.

[@OriginalPoppinus]

Thank you again for doing my childhood walk in High Salvington as it was a period in my life of happiness which was short lived, it was lovely to see yours too, and empathise with you of the poignancy of it all 🙏🏻❤️xx

[@Vaniter]

I was at St John's literally just opposite. Been over a decade since I used to go, have some great memories there, thanks for this mate.

[@MrGreatplum]

Congratulations on 16k subs. Always good to reminisce on a school walk. I’m surprised that the Arun hadn’t flooded over part of the playing fields of the school! My school walks were much less interesting as we lived on site at the schools I went to!

[@RichardVobes]

I cannot remember a time when the Arun flooded while I was at school there. More likely to do so now because of the houses and all the trees that lined the riverbank have gone.

[@gencolley1907]

So many memories i went to school across the road and played in that field

[@michaelwhite8031]

16K subs, well done Richard. Onwards and upwards.

[@RichardVobes]

Thanks - I just spotted that myself this morning. Very pleased. :)

[@shirleylynch4420]

Ah such memories. Our old neighbour was a beer bottle drinker. She would save all the bottles up and give them to us for to take to "the snug bar" where we would get one old half penny a bottle for sweets. (funnily enough Next town to us has just opened up an old fashioned sweet shop. You name it they have It. Treacle balls. Sour plums. Black striped balls etc etc. ). Yes I too walked to school. Those were the days. Thank you for making me laugh at old memories this morning..

[@lionelmarytravels6003]

My junior school was at East Meon. We lived at the old mill in Frogmore and we walked from that point up a footpath, across a field to the road. The school was directly opposite, up on the bank immediately below Park hill. I suppose it took around ten minutes to make the journey. From the school playground we could see our home. Our school dinners were prepared from scratch on the premises and we ate them sitting at our desks. The teachers would sit at a separate table in front of the classroom. Some of the older children, including myself, were given the task of laying the table for them. So naturally, we were taught how to set the cutlery correctly, something I have never forgotten. Sadly, after we left the area, a new school was built in the village of East Meon, but the old place is still there, and although now a private house, is easily recognizable as my old school.

[@RichardVobes]

Oh yes - those days when they cooked the dinners from scratch. How did we let them change that?

[@leighlawson4854]

Goodness, that was almost exactly my own walk to Horsham High School from Merryfield Drive, down Blackbridge Lane and across the Arun where we could get into the school playing field by a little back gate. I can't recognise any of it, there are so many new houses! Interesting to see though Richard, thank you.

[@davidmills636]

Gosh brings back memories - like your friend we lived minutes from my primary school so walked there and went home for lunch each day until my gran was ill and then my mother had to attend to her for a bit, so a lovely neighbour who I called Aunt Jessie (a retired spinster schoolteacher) had me for lunch - she would make me boiled eggs and toast cooked on a toasting fork on her open fire - such happy memories - Thank you!

[@TheRamblingsofBry]

Isn't it amazing what we remember, even tiny details. I would have liked a photo at the end of you as a schoolboy...

[@pg-rd7ik]

I too remember when the now Coop and Pet Store used to be Tanfield Garage. As well as fuel, they used to sell new and used Citroen Cars, Motorhomes, trailers etc., and fit Towbars as well. My walk to school in the late 60s and early 70s was from Littlehampton to Rustington County Primary School (I guess it would have been about a 1.5 mile walk), through long gone corn fields, since built on tracks and so on - which I might add was done in all weathers. Happy days.

[@RichardVobes]

Oh golly - I forgot about the Citroen cars!

[@turbostream7925]

Nice to stroll down memory lane once in a while, it reconnects you to a past life. I sometimes cycle past my 1st primary school, it still stirs a bit of anger to the awful teacher who bullied me each day. So much so my mum got me moved to her school where she taught. Thanks for sharing Richard.

[@RichardVobes]

Those rotten bully teachers!

[@jackielowe7377]

Ooo mixed memories of school walks for me as I didn't enjoy school much. Infant and primary were short walks of minutes but the walk to Hazel Grove Comprehensive School was just under 2 miles each way. I used to stop of for 'sweets of sustenance' to keep me going. At one point the walk went past a field and I remember being amazed at seeing the tracery of tree branches against an inky dark sky. But I have never forgiven myself for stopping off for sweets on the way home one time when my best friend was anxious to get home. Her older brother was missing and had not come home the night before. She was so worried and I had thought to calm everything down and make things normal but we should have run all the way home and not stopped. Her brother had been found dead. He was in the middle of taking o'levels and worried about exams and had walked into Disley tunnel and been hit by a train. After that it all changed, Marian moved schools and we moved out to Poynton which meant I now had a bus ride and a one and a half mile walk on my own.

[@ginaoneil9565]

Lovely! For me it was a quarter of Cola Cubes! I used to have an awful walk to school, but those days are long gone and they were not fond memories. Great to see where you used to go to school though Richard.

[@wombat1238marsupial]

Back in the day we also had a shared line. It seems unbelievable now that they existed. Great video, we had a sweet shop run by a Mrs. Ware, who seemed as old as Noah at the time weighing our sweets out for my sister and I😊😊

[@RichardVobes]

Shared lines - they were mad!

[@lynettecoates4272]

Hi Richard, enjoyed watching this video as I have walked and lived all round Horsham!! The pond opposite the coot pub in Merreyfield Rd has now recently been bought by the residents who now own the land in front of their houses to avoid any houses being built where the pond is....! I lived in Ewell in Surrey as a child and used to have to walk 4 mile to school and back each day!! I must go back and walk it again!! Lynette x

[@RichardVobes]

That's great news that they bought the land.

[@juggy666]

Lovely to see familiar parts of Horsham!

[@RichardVobes]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@brendanbourke5330]

The field next to the school was called Shandys to us locals on the needles estate.

[@wattck]

Strange going back sometimes. Always a good thing, but now and again you might wish you hadn't, I think it depends upon the rate of change between last visit and latest visit. Enjoyed this reminiscence. My schooldays I always got to school and back by myself. Primary school on the bus because it was a longer journey and we had season tickets, we also came home for lunch because there was no canteen. Secondary School mostly cycled but had school dinners so just once each way every day. Buses to Primary School had a mile of seaside thrown in every journey.

[@michelledurrant4896]

@Leigh Lawson Hi Leigh! (“Lidge”) You escorted Debbie and me to HHS on our first day at the school. It was like a mini adventure to go down into that corner, off Blackbridge Lane, cross the river and come up over the hockey pitches to see the school for the first time. 😊

[@peterpearce2011]

Thanks Richard, it made me think back to my school days. I use to cycle to school. I was in many different schools in different towns, as my parents kept moving.

[@RichardVobes]

I don't know why we didn't cycle to school - perhaps the roads were too dangerous.

[@davidkitchen7941]

A real step back into your early years. I did something similar using google earth street view for my walk to school in Wellington, Shropshire back in the 1950's.

[@MrNas42]

That was great! My walk to primary school was slightly shorter, via a twitten, the Goring Road and Clive Avenue, to West Park School. Had a choice of three sweet shops too!

[@RichardVobes]

Three sweet shops! You lucky devil.

[@welshmanjasonpatrick8607]

Very interested back in time old school walk nice looking back in time

[@laurencenabbs4535]

It's interesting to take a trip back in the past. You seem to have lived in a nice place. I want to do the same thing, but my school was in London and haven't had a chance to revisit London yet. Nice blue sky on your walk. At the moment I am stuck in a place but hope to live in Dorset, it looks nice. Nice walk and talk, take care.

[@RichardVobes]

Thanks very much - it was a good day for filming.

[@barryrice4957]

I walked to school the whole time. The infant and Junior schools were miles away.

[@oldschoollondoner4674]

Slightly off topic, but i remember reading about when Buffalo Bill and and his wild west show came to Horsham in that vacinity Richard, the show performed in Jews meadow, now known as Merryfield way, way back in 1903. The travelling show arrived on 3 special trains that delivered 500 horses and 800 people, the show had cowboys and real native American Indians - must have been very spectacular indeed.

[@RichardVobes]

Wow! I must look into that - thanks.

[@andrewnorris1]

I also would have to walk some distance to get to a phone. Tell that to the kids these days and the wouldn’t believe you! And my favourite corner, sweetshop was later demolished. Ah, sweet memories.

[@MrAg272]

G'day Richard. I am going through different years of your Vlogs. This one popped up. Before my family emigrated to Australia, I went to a primary school in Welton Lincolnshire. That was back in 1966. I walked to school it being a small village back then. What will it be like there in 2021? Would I see anything still there from my time? The Old School walk, yes I would love to do that one day in Welton.

[@PortsladeBySea]

My parents bought a newly built house on a Taylor Woodrow estate in Wokingham, Berkshire, when I was 7 years of age. My first “job” was going around, with my mates Steve and Alan, collecting Corona and Tizer bottles, which each had a 2 1/2 pence deposit. I would take my Mum’s shopping trolley, collect the bottles, and then take them to our local newsagent. It was both a highly profitable and ecological thing to do and the workmen were pleased to get rid of the bottles as they could not be bothered to take them back and did not want them to get broken, as the glass could easily injury them, or their workmates. Unfortunately with the introduction of plastic bottles, and tin cans, my job came to an end. Funny to think that now governments across the world are bringing back bottle deposit schemes to help reduce the dreadful plastic pollution. According to the World Economic Forum by 2050, at current rates of pollution, there will be more tonnage of plastic in the oceans of the world rather than fish! 2,30,000 tonnes of plastic is dumped into the Mediterranean Sea every year. Egypt, Italy and Turkey release the largest amounts of plastic in to the sea mainly due to large coastal populations and huge amounts of ‘mismanaged’ waste 🤭

[@iandance8591]

I used to live in the house just past those double red garages in hillside , I think it was the first one on the right,it was called Hunters, and I lodged their when I was in my mid 20s in about 1993 for about 18 months. it had a nice walnut tree in the front garden . You were right about the shop down Maryfield drive, it was a sweet shop . Thanks for sharing Richard, it's a reminder to me how quickly time has passed 👍

[@RichardVobes]

Time does pass so quickly. Thanks for confirming the sweet shop.

[@CharlieCooper3101]

Thankyou Richard, a nice little adventure of the trip you used to take to school, I bet it brought back some memories didd'nt it ? I remember my trip to my primary school it was about a 10 minute walk from where I lived. Remarkably I'm still living in the same house 29 years later and still from time to time walk to it and past it. My secondary school however was a different story. Thanks for sharing :)

[@RichardVobes]

I hated my time at secondary school and I couldn't wait to leave.

[@denniskavanagh3075]

I went to 3 different schools between the ages of 4 and 17, I had a short walk to get to the first, I cycled to the second, and to the third school I again cycled until I was 16 when I was able to go on my motor bike, a BSA Bantam and I always went home for lunch or dinner time as we called it them days!!

[@RichardVobes]

Sounds like fun on your Bantam.

[@richm2835]

Brought back some memories there Richard , 2p for the phone box , party lines shared with others if you had a house phone , and buying a quarter of sweeta from the shop , usually in a paper bag. I remember buying black boiled sweets like fruit pastilles called kop kpps , if I remember correctly.

[@sticehurst369]

My walk to Denne Park to school each day is still at the front of my mind. Annoyingly some of the roads that were so familiar through the town centre no longer exist, a massive big multistory car park splits what was the main road, in half. The walk down Denne road is still pretty much the same though apart from now I can see over the walls, they seemed so high at the time. Nice to see such familiar roads and sights in your video

[@suznet]

My junior school field was just over our garden wall, when I first started I went home to use the toilet & my older brother had to fetch me back to school. 🤣🤣🤣

[@RingerLuca651]

Haha sounds fun!

[@Hellyers]

We spotted you filming this video!! At 4:23 you can just about see a white van dissapearing into the distance... and if you listen very carefully you may be able to hear me shouting to my wife: "that was Richard Vobes by the post box!"

[@RichardVobes]

How splendid!

[@curryboi92]

I use to live in Blackbridge lane I went to St Johns School which was opposite arunside

[@RichardVobes]

I don't remember St John's at all funnily enough.

[@curryboi92]

@@RichardVobes I think it got moved if I'm right it use to be down by St Mary's church

[@leighlawson4854]

@@RichardVobes I don't remember Arunside or St John's, but they were both apparently there by 1967 and I was at the High School till 1969. I crossed the river amongst trees to get into our school grounds, so maybe I didn't notice Arunside, but I don't recall St John's being built even though it must have backed onto our playing field.

[@blinkinyourarea244]

That is literally Arunside omg - the primary i attended was right opposite - St Johns! As a matter of fact, I used to walk around 2 miles just to get there, and 2 miles back XD. Was a long walk!

[@charliemale3674]

Shandys field was next door I left in 82, we lived in Middleton Rd i went home for lunch sometimes Teachers at arunside 75 to 82 Mr Morris was headmaster Mrs roo Mrs hives Mr Pearson Mrs morris Mrs Thomas My mum taught cycling proficiency Memories..... pink custard....semolina......trips to London Good Memories

[@RichardVobes]

Mr Pearson was the only one left then, after I left in 1974.

[@clownu8nt]

I remember Charlie....you used still my lunch ...plays the guitar very badly...and a dodgy sparky 😂

[@antoneydilley1670]

Come back to Horsham there are so many things about the place that have not been shown I've lived here all my life moved out & definitely came back lovely place to be I know this is a response much later and than the post,but it is beautiful nice post interesting Tanfield Garage was a petrol station & was at one point a Citron dealership at the same time I was a child then now it's a co-op & pet store.

[@caveweta]

Happy days Richard

[@RichardVobes]

Overall, I didn't like school - at least not secondary school.

[@jeanblemings5352]

Funny I remember walks to my infant and junior CofE school much better than my journey to secondary school though I did walk to both. My first school St Andrew's in Hove has since moved to the other side of the churchyard of the associated church and out of the main shopping street - George St. A big area of the churchyard where we used to play is now tarmaced over for a car park and a Tesco store. We lost a guinea pig school pet under a tombstone once when it escaped and we used to dare each other to go to an overgrown part of the graveyard and touch the 'angel with the black leg' grave statue! I also remember the old Hove Town Hall I used to pass burning down - an red sandstone gothic building replaced with 1960s brutalist style concrete which I still also quite like though a real contrast in architectural style.

[@johnbyrne2756]

A POINT OF MINOR INTEREST (hopefully!)... Harking back to the late Edwardian era of Antarctic pioneering exploration. Captain Scott was a true explorer. Both his DISCOVERY & TERRA NOVA expeditions were funded by the Royal Geographical Society, who demanded that he collect samples of geological interest. On the other hand both Ernest Shackleton and Roald Amundsen were deemed mere adventurers -- their only target was to be first to conquer the South Pole. It was largely this demand on Scott's team that was to lead to its demise, as much time was wasted in fulfilling this promise, refusing to ditch the 3 stone weight even when they were at death's door. A very sad story of misplaced loyalty. Anyway the point of this is that you are an Explorer Richard and as such are in excellent company!

[@lanceg2215]

Hi Richard. Great memories at Primary School huh. I went to Chesworth Primary. I then followed on to Forest Boys. Can i ask why you went on to Forest and not Tanbridge?

[@RichardVobes]

I have no idea why I went to Forest Boys - I wasn't given an option.

[@royedwards8713]

nice to watch , and yes i collected pop bottles to get the deposit back, happy new year

[@Ferda1964]

Richard do you plan to edit the old 8 mm footage to make a video montage of those films

[@RichardVobes]

Probably not - I cannot play the footage at the moment.

[@imranzazai7404]

Very nice place.

[@RichardVobes]

Yes, thank you

[@lindagates9150]

I just had an an idea for another show. Were you ever a Boy Scout. If you were you could show the place where the meetings were held the sites where you went tenting, went to a jamboree or other places that were a part of that activity and if you were like me the place you didn’t want to get in the canoe,

[@RichardVobes]

Good idea - but alas I never was a boy scout :)

[@lindagates9150]

@@RichardVobes okay choir boy Theatre as a youngster First paying job while in school Where you met the lovely Julia Where you and your school mates met for an evening out when you were a bit older Where you watched films as a child, teenager, adult Okay I will 🛑 stop for today still have my green thinking hat on keeps my brain warm.

[@cloulds4184]

Not that long ago I used to go there

[@johnbyrne2756]

OFF THE BORDER (verse 5 of ???) When the Bald Explorer pitches up In a border town near you Get out and give the man a wave his vigour to renew Observing social distancing as he goes gamely by And don't forget that bag of oats his horse to satisfy! JB20

[@RichardVobes]

That poor horse of mine! :)

[@andyalder7910]

Would you walk my old route to school please; it's in Ipswich.

[@RichardVobes]

Maybe - one day when we are out of our Tiers! :)

[@lindagates9150]

The post box seems so small and that it would be to small to put packages in . here we have little post offices in the pharmacies dotted around the city I haven’t been in the main office for so many years. I am glad to see that you didn’t have to walk up hill both ways! My thinking cap hasn’t come up with any ideas yet for other videos you latest certainly is a good one I enjoyed the tale of your sweet shop as it reminded me of my grandfather giving me a quarter an extra ten cents wealth indeed beyond his normal practice . we had a shop in the Tooles home two blocks from our house that an assortment of candy, root beer and lime Ricky my favourite sugary drinks at the time twenty five cents would buy a small bag of candy a small packet of potato sticks and a bottle of lime Ricky and you would get some pennies change. I must have looked sad when I took my wealth to buy a bag of candy as mrs Toole asked me what was wrong. I told her that Grampy said that I could not spend all my money in one store and that I could not buy everything I wanted.

[@RichardVobes]

Our postboxes were only ever designed for letters really. Thanks for sharing your own story too.

[@lindagates9150]

@@RichardVobes my inner editor has chastised me, and I agree with her my use of certain words didn’t(or is it doesn’t )convey the story in the way it was intended. I have been commenting for less than two months and I have no idea if it is possible to edit my work to make clarifications and sprinkle some commas where they are perhaps needed. I say perhaps because inner editor and I do have our disagreements.when I text my son I put in a lot of commas because he likes them, he told me that they are needed for clarity. I have been texting for about two months also, learning the codes has proven not to be the problem I anticipated , as I now know what ROFLOL means, plus a few others. There I have just finished as I have added a few more commas to this comment. Ignore the implied cry for help, you are a busy man. Thank you for all the work you do . When Grampy gave me the quarter he said don’t spend it all in one store he didn’t tell me that I couldn’t buy what I liked.

[@johnbyrne2756]

ON THE BORDER (verse 22 of ???) A slowly setting Solstice sun was swallowed by the sea Extinguished were its crimson embers quite remorselessly But eight the hours 'tween dawn and dusk on that brief winter day From spring and autumn equinox the equal point midway. JB20

[@coliniancooke8848]

Hence ? Didn't you mean since ?

[@johnbyrne2756]

There is only scant evidence That the School Explorer said hence You must therefor convince That he meant to say since As for me I'll remain on the fence! JB20

[@lanceg2215]

Hi Richard. Great memories at Primary School huh. I went to Chesworth Primary. I then followed on to Forest Boys. Can i ask why you went on to Forest and not Tanbridge?