In memory of …
Hamlyn Whitty
1938 - 2023
Fletching Church was simply packed on Friday 21st April, with family and friends from near and far, to say a fond farewell to Ham Whitty, who died aged 85 on the 28th March. He had – as his daughters put it – had a really good innings.
He was born in Haifa, Israel, where his father, an inspirational, much-loved and highly decorated officer, was serving with the Royal West Kents. War broke out, and sadly his father was killed in action when Ham was only 4. After this, his mother returned to the family home in Seaford with her two little boys.
Ham enjoyed school, where he excelled on the sports pitch - in particular at cricket. After Sandhurst, he joined his father’s regiment. He loved army life with the Royal West Kents, serving among other places in Hong Kong, Canada, Kenya and Cyprus.
On leaving the army in 1969, he met Mary. They were soon married, and Ham embarked on civilian life. After a spell at ICI which he loathed, he qualified with the ISVA and whilst with John D. Wood sold the first million pound London house – to the notorious Christine Keeler. He also worked in shipping for United States Lines, and later for International Military Services, before returning as CEO of the ISVA for his last 10 years before retirement.
Ham and Mary came to live in Piltdown in 1978 with their two daughters, settling in Mary’s childhood home on the golf course. In the years that followed – especially after retirement - he contributed a very great deal to the parish and beyond, often as founder or chairman of committees, be it the Wealden Branch of his old regiment, the Fletching branch of the Royal British Legion, the Prince’s Trust, the Army Benevolent Fund or the Friends of Fletching Parish Church – always bringing his steady and unassuming qualities to bear, with his instantly recognisable smile and twinkly, welcoming manner. He was also a governor of Fletching School and did 10 years’ Witness Service at Lewes Crown Court.
He and Mary – both so athletically gifted – shared a passion for golf. He had represented the army at cricket as well as golf and continued to play into his 80s and to be famed for his smooth and elegant swing. His love of cricket was also life-long. He played four times at Lords; he played for MCC, Free Foresters and Sussex Martlets. He also qualified as a rock climber in Snowdonia, parachuted for the Canadian Army, and tobogganed down the Cresta Run five times.
Ham was a true gentleman on and off the pitch. There was never any fuss, but he was always a faithful friend, and always so interested in people. His was a calm and supportive presence - he was a kind and loving husband, father, grandfather and uncle; tragedy had struck again with the death in 1984 of his brother Ken, the father of four young children. These family losses are perhaps what made Ham so deeply considerate of the needs of others.
Ham and Mary were married for 53 years, and their enduring devotion was rock solid. The lively and touching eulogy given by their daughters Catherine and Joanna at the funeral was sure testament to how dearly Ham was loved - as were the readings, including that movingly read by his nephew Professor Chris Whitty. And who will ever forget the tribute of Poppy (9) and Milly (7) to their Grandpa? It was, as Mary wanted to give him, the send-off Ham deserved.
William
“known as Henry”
Bradford
I am writing to let you k now of the sad loss of my twin brother Henry who died in January.
We were born on 14th March 1933, Henry being the oldest twin, lived in Fletching for most of his life until he retired at the age of 65 to live in Uckfield.
We were born in Fletching and lived at various places in the village. Henry and myself were identical twins and when we were younger we caused lots of mischief, especially at school to fool the teachers we swapped places and pretended to be each other. Even as we got older people could never tell us apart and we were often known as ‘Jim Henry’.
We both started work at Atheralls Farm just before our 15th birthday and carried on until we were called up for national service. Unfortunately, Henry broke his leg playing football and spent the whole time in the cookhouse. Once our service had finished we came back to Atheralls where Henry took over the role of Herdsman until he retired at the age of 65.
He met his wife Barbara who was a local girl and they married in 1956. They had two children, Stephen and Anita. He played cricket and football for the village and was also involved in the bonfire society.
He was a great gardener and loved growing his flowers and veg. After he retired, he made his home in Uckfield where he spent many a day with his loving family, his grandchildren and his great grandchildren. He enjoyed the simple life and was never happier than when he was with his family.
Sadly, his wife Barbara passed away in 2017 after 61 years of marriage but his family kept him going. Unfortunately, in his later years1, bad health caused him to move to Parris Lawns where he continued to laugh and joke with the staff and still had a quirky sense of humour. As he loved watching sport, the staff used to pop in to find out the scores etc.
Sadly, he did not quite make his 90th birthday which he wanted to do. He will be greatly missed by myself, his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
From James ‘Jim’ Bradford
Hylda Rawlings of Danehill
The Danehill Parish Historical Society recently announced the sad death of its President Hylda Rawlings shortly before her 105th birthday. We include extracts of their tribute to her not only because she was such an interesting person and so much at the heart of preserving the historical records of Danehill but also because we should treasure these records and support those who maintain them. Knowing where our villages have come from is so important in understanding where they are now and how they will develop from here. Our own village History Society had its exhibition in the village on 25th and 26th February and has a really interesting set of pictures and documents showing our village’s history. Here are some extracts from Anne Drewery’s tribute.
“Sometime in the early 1960’s Hylda and her husband, Derek made the decision to move from Crouch End, London to the countryside of Sussex with their daughter, Leonie. ..... While Derek travelled up to the City daily to work at The Bank of England, Hylda threw herself whole heartedly into country life. When Phil Lucas was asked to found a village history society she became its first secretary.
Having found that, to her, Tudor, Medieval and Victorian handwriting was not difficult to read Hylda started on a new hobby, transcribing old documents. However Hylda’s greatest interest became the history of Sheffield Park and its past owners, including the three Lord Seffields. She taught herself, with the help of Judy Brent from the records office, to read Latin so she could translate the early deeds and manorial records of the manor. It was Hylda who discovered boxes containing documents relating to Sheffield Park in the attic of a fifteenth century house in Fletching.
In later years Hylda became the society archivist. She kept the society’s research papers, her own transcriptions and translations, maps of the locality collected by Derek and his collections of slides in her office. She also had an excellent memory for places, events and people so it was Hylda that anyone with a query relating to local history was sent.”
A quite remarkable lady and a long and dedicated life. Her work will have ensured the history of the village and the Sheffield Park estate can be kept for future generations. She will be greatly missed.
Interestingly her work on the history of Sheffield Park links into the similarly interesting history of the Searles estate which features in the next article.
The Death of Lieut. Maryon Wilson
of Searles in 1893
In the 4th February 1893 edition of The Sussex Express the death and funeral of the son of Sir Spencer Maryon-Wilson, Bart was reported. Sir Spencer was the head of the Searles estate which was at the heart of Fletching its people and commerce. It often rivalled Sheffield Park competing in cricket and many other things. Both village pubs were associated with the estates, The Griffin with Searles which had a griffin in its coat of arms and the Rose and Crown with Sheffield Park.
With thanks to Andrew Hudson who brought this to our attention in his regular Village Voice we include some of the report from the Sussex Express. It shows just how important the local big estates were to village life. Employing many local people, owning and running most of the local farms, and providing income and work for many local tradesmen. The Searles estate was broken up in the 1950’s and the house demolished but its impact lives on in the village. Many houses still bear the Griffin to show they were part of the estate.
“An inquest was held on the body of Mr Frederick Percival Maryon- Wilson (youngest son of Sir Spencer Maryon-Wilson) who died on Monday from injuries received by falling upon broken glass in the roof of the conservatory at Searle.”
And later....”The internment took place on Thursday afternoon at the parish church, Fletching, in the presence of a vast congregation. Business was entirely suspended in the village during the afternoon, the shops were closed, and the blinds of private houses drawn, showing that all classes took saddened interest in what was about to take place. The coffin, which was born in a funeral car and covered in beautiful floral wreaths and crosses, left Searles shortly after 2 o’clock. The mourners were Sir S M Maryon-Wilson, Bart (father), Mr S M Maryon-Wilson, Mr G M Maryon- Wilson (brothers) Mr G Maryon-Wilson (uncle), Capt. Taylor (brother in law), Capt. Pocklington, Lady Gifford Etc. There were also twelve commissioned officers, ten non commissioned officers and privates of the 17th Lancers under the command of Major Mortimer Graham Need. Next came Mr E Gilbert, Mr Dixon, Mr Butchers, Mr Taylor, the tenants and workmen of the estate and the tradesmen of the village. The coffin was met at the lych gate by the Rev W F Attenborough (vicar of the parish), who conducted the service.”
Letters were sent from not only the estate workers but village tradesmen and the local shops to the family showing how these large estates and their families were central to village life and financial wellbeing at that time. How different now.
Beryl Browne 1923 - 2022
My mum was born on 2nd October, the third of seven children. She was particularly close to her second eldest sister, Joyce, and they lived together during part of the war. After the war mum and dad moved to Buckinghamshire where my brother Michael and I were born. Michael and his wife emigrated to South Africa in 1970 and I followed in 1971. My mum was on her own by now and she came out to join us but she didn't settle - she missed the English countryside and its changing seasons. She returned to the U.K. and met and married Mick a short while later.
They moved to Fletching in 1972 where they were employed by Mr and Mrs Collum. Mick was the gardener and Mum helped in the house and also with their two daughters.
Mum really enjoyed her years in Fletching and became an active member of the village. She was a member of the W.I. as well as the Forget me Not club and was the instigator of the monthly foot clinic held in the village hall. Mum enjoyed singing in the church choir and then going on to learn how to ring the church bells. Mum and Mick moved to Sevenoaks in January of 2013, and continued to visit us in South Africa over the years seeing her family grow. They always enjoyed family get togethers as well as impromptu visits by grandchildren and greatgrandchildren alike. Mum passed away on Friday 21st October peacefully in her sleep. She was 99 years old and the matriarch of our family. She will be sorely missed.
Denise Smith
My Friend Beryl Browne
I first met Beryl in the early 1980s when I joined Fletching WI. We became very good friends. An abiding memory is of the walks that we did, along with Shirley Hobbs and Pauline Cash. We had many laughs on these walks. John and I also had several trips with Beryl and her husband Mick, including going as foot passengers on the Newhaven – Dieppe booze runs!
Beryl and I were also on the Fletching Footpath Group and had many late evening meetings listening to Roy Lingham and Stan Setford reminiscing about earlier days in Fletching.
Beryl was always looking after me, especially when I walked through to Sheffield Park (where I lived) in the dark. She always offered to ask Mick to get the car out and drive me home. Being me I always refused the offer! That was Beryl to a T, thinking of others.
A good friend sadly missed.
Sonia Harriyott
Jason Lingham
It was so sad to learn that Jason had died, on the 25th July. He was the son of Derek and Ann, the grandson of Roy, the husband of Martina and father of Iona, Erin and Skye. He grew up in Fletching, he was a pupil at the school, a member of the cubs and scouts. His aunt Valerie writes that his funeral was held on 1st August near his home in Hayling Island, and that on the day in true Jason style he arrived and left from the church in a motorbike and sidecar hearse. The Eulogy which we print below was written and read by Jason's best friend Darren.
Jason was born in 1971, the second child of Derek and Ann and younger brother of Marie. He grew up in the Sheffield Park/Fletching village area of Sussex, enjoying life on his parents’ farm and surrounded by his wider family.
I first met Jason when we were 11 years old and started secondary school at Chailey Comprehensive. We were put in class 1A together. Our friendship grew as we found a common interest in sport and we were similar in that our fathers were both farmers. He also impressed me with talk of his version of squash at Fletching primary school. It involved chasing girls, the corner of the playground and kissing! We never did anything like that at my primary school in Barcombe!
During our adventures at Chailey I always thought that Jason would finish his ‘O’ Levels and become a farmer alongside his dad. He had other ideas and signed up to the British Army before he even sat his exams. This helped him to relax in the knowledge that in the November of 1987 he would enter as a Junior Leader.
During his five years in the Army, Jason achieved so much, making lifelong friends and passing tests to gain his car, bike and HGV licences. He loved the travel and the sport that came with Army life. He was awarded medals for active service in Northern Ireland and the first Iraq war, where he drove fuel tankers.
On leaving the Army aged 21, Jason went to Plumpton Agricultural College. His Army nickname ‘Stumpy’ was affectionately adopted by his new friends when he wore an old set of military overalls, forgetting ‘Stumpy’ was still written on them.
Jason’s Army training definitely helped him get his first job in agriculture when he turned up for the interview in a suit and tie; apparently you don’t see many suits on farms! The boss was impressed and he got the job.
After changing jobs and moving to Chichester, Jason was introduced to Martina through a mutual friend. In time they set up home together and lived in Manhood Lane, where Iona came along.
A new job at a compost site on Hayling Island brought with it a tied cottage in poor condition but this didn’t stop Jason and Martina making it a home and adding to their family with Erin, then Skye and Twiglet the dog too.
After being made redundant and then taken on as manager by the new owners of the compost site, the family were able to move into 19 Signal Way. This was their own house and it could finally feel like a family home. Life was busy and new friends were made locally as the girls grew. There were tough times too. Jason lost his dad four years ago but their shared love of tractors and cowboy films continued.
Jason has been taken from us far too early. He should have had more time to enjoy being a husband, father, son, brother, uncle and friend.Moretimefor familywalkswithhisnewdogDaisy.Days out at Goodwood races with family and friends. Football matches, motorbike rides, tough mudders, those old cowboy movies, chocolate, school and Army reunions and poker nights with his mates. But most importantly, seeing his girls grow up and achieve their dreams. He loved you three so much. I will never understand why he cannot still be here with us now.
Back in May, when Jason was in Portsmouth hospital he would introduce me as his ‘best mate’ to the doctors and nurses. It made me feel extremely proud. It has been my honour and privilege to be able to call Jason my best friend and to speak to you all today. He amazed me with his strength and positivity over the last two years. Twenty-six years ago tomorrow, Jason stood with me as best man at my wedding. I was so pleased to support him in the same way when he married Martina in hospital on 1st June this year.
Thank you for giving me this opportunity to reflect on Jason’s life. I’m sure we will all remember him for his kindness, distinctive laugh and cheeky smile. All I am able to say now is rest in peace matey. We will all miss you.
Darren Parnum
1 August 2022
In memory of Nina Berry
9th July 1945 - 10th February 1921
We were honoured to host a Celebration of Life evening for our wonderful friend and neighbour Nina Berry on Wednesday, 18th May 2022, attended by over 150 guests.
Nina built her home three doors away from Trading Boundaries around the same time we were finding our feet here in the late 1990s. By the time we launched our live music concerts, she had opened up her home as a B & B. Over the years many of our musicians and guests experienced her warm welcome and became regular visitors. Some bands, including Steve Hackett, even used her peaceful space for pre-gig rehearsals and Nina would often persuade them to play for her again over breakfast!
Nina’s enthusiasm for life was infectious, and it was wonderful to meet so many more of her friends; all drawn together by this extraordinary lady.
Our hearts go out to her daughters Jo, Charlotte and Justine and all who loved her.
“Only when you drink from the river of silence
shall you indeed sing.
And when you have reached the mountain top,
then you shall begin to climb.
And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance.”
Kahlil Gibran ‘On Death'
by Tracy Thomson, Director, Trading Boundaries
John Richard Heasman - Johnny
27th November 1946 ~ 21st March 2022
His many friends in Fletching were very sad to learn of the death of John Heasman o n the 28th March, 2022. His funeral took place in Fletching Church on the 22nd April. We send our sincere condolences to his family and in particular his sister, Hilda Bradford. Hilda has written the following tribute to her brother.
John Richard Heasman was born at Chestnut Cottage and lived in Fletching the whole of his life. He worked in and around Fletching until he retired. Johnny was a great sportsman but his first love was his garden. There he not only grew flowers, but also every vegetable available, so many that he frequently gave them away to his friends and his family.
Johnny was often to be seen in Fletching walking with his pet Spaniel, Sally. Years ago, when Johnny smoked a pipe, Sally would grab it from him and walk around with it in her mouth. He also had another pet, a Parrot called Billy, and it too went around the Village with Johnny, sitting comfortably on his shoulder.
Johnny was a quiet and generous person, very well loved and he will be sadly missed by all who knew him.
Hilda Eileen Bradford
Remembering Liz Peck
From her birth Liz had health problems, but made full
use of her time on this earth.
From her happy days at Fletching - playgroup, school, brownies, guides - through major heart surgery - after which she asked if she would be fit to run the marathon next year!
Coming into lighting design by default, but making a huge success of it - her many awards included one for The Heritage of Light, and her last - The Iron Bridge - for which she received both a
National and International award.
Life is not counted by the years you lived, but the love you gave and the things you did.
Viv
1946 – 2021
It is with great sadness that I write to tell you of the passing of my Mum, Viv. She died at the Princess Royal Hospital, Haywards Heath, on the 27th November, 2021 after a stay of less than a week. Her health had not been good for the last two years and she had been in and out of hospital all too often.
Vivien Bessie Puttick was born on the 12th April 1946 and was brought up in the small village of Firle. She moved to Fletching in 1966, living first at 19 Cherry Cottages, where Ian, Shawn and I were born. When Paulette came along we all moved to Chestnut Cottages, living first in No. 8. Once we children had all grown up and left home, she and Martin were able to move to No. 2, a smaller house.
Mum was very well known in Fletching village as she had worked very hard to provide for us kids and to create a stable, caring home in which to bring us up. She could turn her hand to many things, including housework and even pheasant plucking!
Viv’s funeral took place on the 16th December 2021 at Wealden Crematorium, Horam. Her ashes will be brought back to be buried at Fletching church. As well as her four children, Mum has left behind Martin, her husband of 34 years, who happily took on the four of us when we were in our early teens.
The family has received many cards and messages which have shown us how liked and loved she was by so many people. We were all touched by your kind words and memories.
Anthony Bishop
Gavin Gaunt
It was with great sadness that we learned of the death of Gavin Gaunt. He had been very ill for some time and died peacefully on the 5th October at the age of 92. He and Gillian lived on the golf course, both being very active members of Piltdown Golf Club.
Gavin’s funeral is to be a private one and we send our very sincere condolences to Gillian - his wife of 66 years - and their five children, their grandchildren and their great grandchild.
Mary Butterfield and Gabriella Bullock
June Horscroft
The whole village has been united in sadness that June has died. At the age of eighty one, she passed away on Thursday, 30th September, at the Princess Royal Hospital, with her five sons by her side.
There will be a funeral service in Fletching Church on Wednesday, 27th October at 11.30 am, followed by a private cremation at Wealden Crematorium.
June was deeply loved by all, such a lynchpin in the village. She and Brian were a unique and special part of Fletching - they made it a better place. It is less than a year since Brian died, and as you may have read in the magazine at the last match of the season on the Recreation Ground, the whole cricketing community of Fletching gathered in his honour, with June and all the family, at a ceremony to dedicate a newly-planted tree to his memory.
We offer our heartfelt sympathy to Mark, Grant, Ali, Andy and Clive, and to their families, for their great loss. Their parents will live on in village memory and legend.
In a future edition we will publish a tribute to June’s life.
Gabriella Bullock and Mary Butterfield
Anne Bishop
We were sorry to hear that Anne Bishop had died, on September 6th 2021. Very many will remember her, as Head of Fletching School for 17 years from 1982. We are grateful to Sue Bailey for the following.
Editors
Anne Bishop came to Fletching school in 1982. She had previously been the Deputy Head teacher in High Hurstwood and was delighted to become a Head Teacher of a small village school. Although being a Head Teacher did not mean, for her, having to leave the classroom and teaching. She felt that it was important to keep teaching and spending time with the children, so she split her day between teaching and her administrative work as Head. Being the Head of a small school involved a lot of tasks, from meeting the requirements of Ofsted to sorting out the boiler, or making the fabric brooches for sports day. It also meant regular encounters with the milk lorry in the lanes on the way to work and the occasional near miss. Anne was Head at the school when the Garden Trail was instigated. Anne was an ardent supporter of the small village school and was instrumental in setting up the East Sussex Federation of Small Schools. In 1999, as the century drew to a close, she retired from Fletching. Her retirement gift of a picture of the school took pride of place in her sitting room aa a fond reminder of the school and the village.
Sadly, Anne died in the Royal Sussex Hospital in Brighton on September 6th 2021 after an emergency operation. She is survived by her husband Peter, her two children Mark and Helen, and four grandchildren who all took part in her Memorial Service at the Haywards Heath Methodist Church on October 1st. Several ex- members of staff from Fletching school also attended.
Sue Bailey
Una Whitehead
It is with very great sadness that we report the death of Una Whitehead, on the 2nd September, at the age of 94, after a short illness.
Una came to live in Sheffield Park in 1991 with her husband David Pountney - the first occupants of the newly-furbished apartments in Sheffield Park House; theirs was the very large ground floor apartment, remarkable for the bookcase and doors which were part of the Library of the original Mansion, and for its beautiful view over Sheffield Park Garden to Fletching. David knew he hadn’t long to live and he wanted to be sure that she would be safe when she was on her own. Una was one of the kindest, sweetest souls, diminutive in stature, with a soft Scottish accent and a twinkly smile,and always immaculately turned out. David was a quiet, gentleman; in his latter years when he was not in good health, Una used to drive and she always stopped at Shepherds Wood, Mary Butterfield’s house at the NT entrance to the Park, so that Mary could bring her dog out for David to stroke and talk to. David loved dogs.
Una and David celebrated their Silver Wedding at Ashdown Park Hotel. When she was widowed Una took more part in village life. She joined the W.I., and as she had a wonderful gift for the piano she very often played for their social events. On one occasion she threw her apartment open to friends as well as Members of W.I.
Mary Butterfield recalls, “None of us have forgotten that occasion because when we arrived back at our homes the telephone was ringing, or husbands were there, urging us to watch the Television News. We did: it was the 11th September”.
Una was a much-loved member of the church congregation. Gabriella Bullock remembers when her youngest daughter was still little, and had joined the church choir. Una used to collect her on Sunday mornings – driving a beautiful old Jaguar, in which it was a wonderful sight to see them setting off: two tiny people seated side by side, two happy faces.
At that time Ernie Moore had been church organist for 60 years; after he died (dropping dead in the High Street on his way home from church), for a long period Una gamely played the organ at church services. Una and Derek Whitehead (our former priest who had never married) delighted and surprised everyone when they married in their late 70s. Una always called Derek her toy boy as he was just a very little younger than she (and only the smallest bit taller). They lived happily together at Sheffield Park until Derek died, in 2013.
Eventually – so much missed by her Fletching friends - Una returned to her native Scotland where she was beautifully cared for in a home, and where her nephews and family spent much time with her. She was still playing the piano only a few weeks before she died.
Her wish was to have her ashes interred alongside Derek’s, and her nephews would so much like those who loved her to be there for this Service for which no date has yet been confirmed.
Lisa Buchanan, Mary Butterfield and Gabriella Bullock
Jason Tidy
The first time I met Jason Tidy was in the Rose and Crown where I saw this giant sat at the bar, pint of lager at his elbow, and deep in concentration on the Times Crossword. I had to wait for the seldom known event that he was stuck on an answer before I could engage him in conversation.
Some time later he took on the Village Stores, which he renamed “Mr T's". There I had occasion to have many conversations with him and other villagers at the impromptu “coffee mornings" that often sprang up. Sometimes the conversations were hilarious, sometimes more along the lines of “putting the world to rights”, but always aided by his excellent coffee, and sometimes cake, and Jason’s inimitable sense of humour. I can still hear that laugh. Indeed, we could all still hear that laugh at Jason’s wake as Darren (his brother) has the same laugh. It was comforting and disconcerting all at the same time.
In 2017, Jason happened to mention, when I was in the shop, that he was very keen to visit Cuba, and because of some judicious buying he had saved enough air miles to pay for his flight, and business class at that! I said that I had always wanted to go to Cuba and after some discussion we agreed that we would travel together. When I informed Mrs Hollings of our plans she said that it was a destination on her to do list, so I had to go back to Jason and ask if it was okay if I brought my wife! Fortunately, as expected, he charmingly said, “of course". In the event, the three of us set off (with Jason turning left on the plane) for a wonderful week of cigars, rum and banter. Jason was unfortunately struck down with an attack of gout brought on by a meal at Ernest Hemingway’s favourite bar in Havana (which seemed appropriate) and Judi and I reluctantly left him at the hotel whilst we went to visit a sugar cane plantation and a distillery. Judi was concerned that he would be lonely and unfed as he was confined to his room. When we returned and went to check on him, a pretty nurse was leaving the room and Jason was sitting on his balcony, cigar in hand, bottle of rum on the table, explaining that the nurse had been checking on him throughout the day, had given him medication and he was expecting his dinner shortly, at which point a waitress arrived with a trolley full of delicious food. Jason explained that the Cuban approach to treating gout was rest, medication, cigars, rum and good food, but no red meat. He made a full recovery and was well for the rest of the trip.
When it was time to leave, he was unwell in the queue to go through passport control at Havana airport, and once again a pretty nurse rushed to his aid. He was placed in a wheel- chair and given priority clearance through passport control, security and customs. We met him in the bar on the other side, and then I took him to the duty free shop as the wheel- chair meant he could carry more rum and cigars! To onlookers it must have appeared like Lou and Andy from Little Britain as Jason would ask for cigars and bottles of rum from the top shelf and then demand that they be put back because he'd seen something else.
During Jason's time at the shop, John Hawkins, or to give him his professional title, "John the fishman" used to come every Friday with his van to sell fish. Every week Jason was in tears of laughter as John tried to manoeuvre into his parking space with the noise of crashing gears.
John retired this year on Friday 13th August but sadly died a couple of weeks later.
Jason will be missed by the Dotties and Sussex Farmers Cricket Clubs for his excellent post match spreads, and remembered in particular for the drinks interval for the Dotties v Armadillos match when he came out with pineapples filled with pina colada, Cuban style. When the soccer World Cup was on and England were playing Sweden, Jason fetched up at Fletching Rugby Club with a Smorgasbord that the Swedish Ambassador would have been proud to serve at a G7 summit.
He will also be missed by the school children, as Mr T's was effectively the tuck shop. He also sponsored the Fletching Falcons kit car team and the Fletching Falcons junior cricket team, the stumps for which still appear every cricketing day for all matches at Fletching.
David Hollings