Glimpse history through old images of East Sussex, England, UK
I’ve set up several pages dedicated to the cities, towns, and villages of East Sussex.
If you’re interested in seeing old photos, maps, and film of a particular place in the county, here are the links to those pages:
Now on to some old film footage of places in the county which aren’t labelled for a specific location, where I haven’t yet found enough material for a separate page, or where the footage covers more than one location.
Battle
Bexhill-on-Sea
Chailey School
Part of a 1945 newsreel about different items, we see the Queen and Princess Elizabeth during a Royal Visit to the Chailey School for children with disabilities.
I’ve set it to start at 0:21 when the reel moves to the school.
Front Page Occasions (1945) – British Pathé on YouTube
Crowborough
Eastbourne
Hailsham
Hastings
Horam
Brenda was a 30 year old warhorse when, in 1935, she was taken on a 500 mile ride around South East England to raise money for the Royal Veterinary College Hospital.
The ride started from Horam in East Sussex. You can glimpse various buildings in the background.
500 Mile Charity Ride News In A Nutshell Aka Five Hundred Mile Charity Ride (1935) – British Pathé on YouTube
Itford
Gliding contestants at the first British Gliding Competition in 1922 included Mr. Fokker, Capt. F. W. Merriam, and Mr. F. P. Raynham.
1st British Gliding Competition Aka First British Gliding Competition (1922)- British Pathé on YouTube
Lewes
Lewes Farm
In 1929, Cabinet Ministers and Labour Leaders visited Mr Vaughan’s model farm near Lewes.
Down On The Farm (1929)- British Pathé on YouTube
Newhaven
Pevensey
Rottingdean
Rye
Seaford
In this black and white silent footage from 1929, we see the forces of Greyland landed by HMS Iron Duke at Seaford, which presumably is the scene with the spectators standing on the beach.
After that, the soldiers start their manoeuvres out in the nearby rolling countryside.
DEFENCE: Army manoeuvres in East Sussex (1929) – British Pathé on YouTube
Army Horse Wrestling 1935
In 1935, at the camp of the 23rd London Regiment near Brighton, the soldiers were filmed enjoying a horseback wrestling match, which ends when both men fall to the ground.
Troops wrestle on horseback (1935) – British Pathé on YouTube
Landgirl 1946
19 year old Daphne Perry started her working day at 5 a.m. as mobile milk maid, travelling to the farm by bicycle.
World War II had just ended the year before, and men were returning home. But many agricultural workers decided they no longer wanted the long and difficult days required by the industry. So farmers were still struggling to find enough staff.
The Women’s Land Army therefore organised a scheme to help give male agricultural workers one day off a week, secure in the knowledge a trained and skilled replacement would cover the work that day. The farmer would pay the War Agricultural Committee, who in turn paid the mobile worker.
Early One Morning (1946) – British Pathé on YouTube
Horseback Policeman 1949
PC 51 Henry Poole worked alone at a police hut in the middle of the Sussex Downs. Nearby was the stable for his Irish Bay gelding, Thomas.
At Beachey Head he helps two boys away from the cliff top – clearly having been placed there for the camera!
As a Downs ranger as well as a policeman, his job entailed rounding up stray cattle and getting them back to their farms. He also gets sheep back on their feet to save their lives.
PC Poole even supervises the local sheepdipping to check that the process is done correctly, issuing the required certification at the end.
When he comes across stray and exhausted homing pigeons, he collects them and contacts the registered owner.
Sussex Downs Ranger (1949) – British Pathé on YouTube
More about East Sussex
- Old Images of Wannock, East Sussex
- Old Images of St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex
- Old Images of Crowhurst, East Sussex
- Old Images of Rottingdean, East Sussex
- Old Images of Pevensey, East Sussex
- Old Images of Hailsham, East Sussex
- Old Images of East Sussex, England
- Old Images of Winchelsea, East Sussex
- Old Images of Newhaven, East Sussex
- Old Images of Lewes, East Sussex
- Old Images of Crowborough, East Sussex
- Old Images of Battle, East Sussex
- Old Images of the Pestalozzi Children’s Village, Sedlescomb
- Old Images of Rye, East Sussex
- Old Images of Seaford, East Sussex
- Old Images of Sidley Green, East Sussex
- Old Images of Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex
