Storrington Museum Update

It’s been a busy summer for Storrington Museum, with the launch of the new temporary exhibition, and fun family activities.

In August the Junior Botany and Archaeology days were well received, and the exhibition and open day on 100 years of Guiding generated much local interest.

At the end of July the museum committee arranged a visit for a walk around Steyning to see places and hear about the dastardly deeds and scandal that happened in and around the town in days gone by.

Alan Spencer said: “At the pre-arranged time of about 2 o’clock, about 15-16 of us, very excited attendees, met with our local expert tour guide, Dr Janet Pennington (photograph on the right), in the Steyning Centre car park, anxious to hear about what secrets, this little town had hidden in its murky past. “We had a short historical introductory background by Janet before we set off on our walk.

Our first stop was to see the modern sculpture of St Cuthman, at the entrance to the Centre car park, erected to celebrate the 2nd millennium. Of course as is usual with these things, the local village hooligans had a field day at defiling the sculpture. But it seems to be in good shape now.

“St Cuthman was a good Christian man who ferried his disabled mother in a wheelbarrow from Bosham but when the ropes he was using to pull wheelbarrow broke, he was in Steyning, so he stayed and built his church.

“On and on we went around the town, being told lots of stories and shown various places of peculiar activities, which was told by Janet in a very interesting and amusing fashion, we were all fully engrossed, the time just flew by.

“So after a very interesting 21⁄4hrs, we found ourselves in the Chequer’s Inn car park, for Janet to relate to us her last story about a local chap who was engaged in sexual activity with a horse and was hanged. I pity the poor horse, I don’t know perhaps the horse enjoyed it.”

A visit to Rustington Church and talk by local historian Mary Taylor is planned for Wednesday September 22. Meet at Rustington Museum, cost £4.50. For more details and to book contact Rene Harwood on 01903 745756.

Sunday October 11 is Family History Day at the Old School, School Lane. Admission £2, children under 11 free.

More details about forthcoming events from the museum on 01903 740188, visit the website - www.storringtonmuseum.org or find us on Facebook.

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