Steyning Museum Web Guest Book

contact@steyningmuseum.org.uk

FROM: COLIN
Inverness, Scotland
April 2008

Thanks for assistance above and beyond . . .

My great-grandmother, Ellen Verney, was buried in Steyning
Churchyard. As I live near Inverness (rather a long way from
Steyning) one of your volunteers was kind enough to find the stone,
and take photographs of it which were emailed to me. This will help
me fill in some gaps in my family history. Many thanks, and a
donation cheque is on its way. . .

REPLY:

It was a pleasure to be of help and to know that your family history in relation to Steyning is progressing well. Thanks for recognising our needs as an entirely voluntary and self-funding museum. Your donation really will be very much appreciated.

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FROM: THE VIRGOE FAMILY
Welland, Ontario, Canada
October 2007

You have a terrific website. I stumbled upon it by accident whilst wondering what my Grandmother's birthplace looked like. (Amelia Rose Virgoe nee Ives b1878 Steyning d1953 Toronto, Ontario.) I'll continue to visit and hopefully one day in person. Thank You for your time and effort.

REPLY:

It's great to receive a message like yours. It makes the website seem all the more worthwhile. We look forward to seeing you at the museum in the near future!

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FROM: CAROLINE
Mercer Family
September 2007

Thank you very much for your email in reply to my query regarding Frank Mercer who lived at 'Clovelly', Steyning in the 1920/30s.

Your information has been helpful and spurred me on with my research. Thank you again for your help. I am posting a cheque by way of a small contribution towards museum funds.

REPLY:

Thank you very much for your contribution. We are a voluntary organisation and rely entirely on the generosity of visitors and friends.

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FROM: PEGGY
Ontario, Canada
August 2007

Thank you so much for taking the time to look up the valuable information about the Oakshette family. It has added some more knowledge for us. We so appreciate your effort.

REPLY:

Glad we could help!

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FROM: CHARLEY
Lancing, UK
August 2007

Hi, well fingers crossed I am buying a wacky, wonderful cottage in Steyning and being an archaeologist and lover of history I shall want to find out as much as possible about its history and dwellers, so shall be popping in next week to start my investigations! Your site looks most captivating, well done, kind regards.

REPLY:

Good luck with your purchase and we hope to see a lot more of you at Steyning Museum in future.

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FROM: DARYL
Canada
July 2007

A few years back I recall reading on a tablet mounted at a small intersection near the edge of the village along Mouse Lane en route to Wiston House a very moving short poem recalling memories of the serenety of the local landscape in comparison to the awful conditions in the trenches of Flanders during WW I.

I can't recall the title, but would very much like to receive a copy.

REPLY:

The tablet you mention had an accident with a reversing lorry a couple of years ago. It is now mounted safely (with its crack!) at the museum entrance. A new tablet has been installed in Mouse Lane.

You can see a picture of the new tablet on the Chequer Inn web page:

http://www.chequerinnsteyning.co.uk/

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FROM: LINDA
Shiels and Read Family
October 2006

Fortunately for our family we discovered that we had relatives who originated from Steyning back in the 16, 17 and 1800's. What a joy when we visited the museum to discover so much information contained in one building. I would like to thank Chris Tod the curator for his enthusiastic help and for getting lots of details out for us when we visited. We had a thoroughly good day but with hindsight we should have visited for about a week. Everyone there was so friendly and helpful and full of information which they were happy to share. Needless to say we shall be returning as soon as we can.

REPLY:

It was a pleasure to be of help. We look forward to seeing you again.

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FROM: PETE
Worthing, UK
March 2006

I have always loved the history of the Steyning area, and enjoy visiting whenever I can. To think that Steyning was a flourishing port in Anglo-Saxon times, and important enough for Alfred the Great's father to be buried there (before being moved to be reburied at Winchester), is quite something. Steyning Church, with its fabulous Norman architecture, is a real gem - and looks as though it were constructed only yesterday. Bramber is naturally very much a part of Steyning. What a picture it must've been, when the castle was at its height (literally!) and ships docked at the busy ports of Steyning, Bramber, Shoreham and even Botolphs, before the silting began. I'm sure much is still hidden somewhere beneath this historic part of Sussex, and more and more history comes to light with each new generation.

REPLY:

Everyone involved with Steyning Museum will agree with you. Local history is all around us and it's part of what we treasure about being here. Thanks for your picture of times past. You will have us all 'building castles in the air' for a few moments.

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FROM: RUSSELL
(previously of Shooting Fields)
Christchurch, New Zealand
March, 2006

I am delighted to have discovered this web site.

I moved with my family of 4 from Steyning to Christchurch, New Zealand as a child (9 years of age) in 1955. Apart from occasional visits home to Steyning I like to search the internet for news about the town and the surrounding villages where I spent my early childhood. Sadly my Dad (Harry Phillips) died aged 86 last July, throughout his life we always enjoyed reminiscing about our family and the great times spent walking our dog across the beautiful south downs. Dad played football for Steyning Town in the fifties and also turned out for the cricket team. Mum (who is 87 this year) also played stoolball for Steyning during the early fifties.

We still have family who live in Beeding, Steyning and surrounding area and always enjoy our visits. Unfortunately on every occasion we have never been to visit the Museum but will most definitely will do so next time we visit.

I enjoyed reading details about Potters Museum which my brother Adrian and I spent many a happy hour at when we were little. I dare say there's a newspaper clipping somewhere of my Cousin Judy Yardley and myself who won the fancy dress at bonfire night probably about 1954?

Many thanks for a walk down memory lane.

REPLY:

The Stewards at the Museum will certainly be pleased to see you and may even have memories to share. Ask to see some of the archives, particularly the newspaper cuttings and photographs. There is bound to be something special for you and maybe even that picture of your cousin. Thanks for a wonderful email.

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Steyning is a lovely place, spent many of my school holiday years there, coming to Steyning in March, hope to visit the museum.

We're sure you will enjoy your visit to Steyning. It is probably still very much as you remember it. The museum stewards will be pleased to welcome you. Do ask the stewards if there is anything of particular interest. Some of them have a lifelong connection with the town and may be able to share memories with you.

A very enjoyable read, and I must say Steyning is a beautifull place as I spent 16 years of my childhood on holiday there.

Thanks for your note. It sounds as though you have happy memories of Steyning. You must come back for a 17th holiday some time.

It's great to get some feedback. The extension pages (two now) are thanks to Tony Kitson and his digital camera.

What an excellent site - Congratulations. It really is very comprehensive and so attractive to read/see. I'm sure it has taken a lot of work - but it is well worth it.

Congratulations . . . the page is delightful and should bring even more people to your lovely museum and beautiful Steyning . . . .

At the risk of clogging up your Guest Book with congratulatory messages I can not let the moment of the start of the website go by without telling you my opinion of it in superlatives - it is technically and artistically a superb creation with immediately relevant links logically and visually inviting and easy exploration to information about, inside, and of the world around the museum and further. It also says a great deal for the quality of the ideas of the people running the museum. CONGRATULATIONS.

I have just looked at the Steyning Museum website. Congratulations on an easy-to follow site with beautiful illustrations. I loved the first one with the assembly of views of Beeding, Bramber and Steyning. We always appreciate it when Beeding is not left out!