Our next meeting is on Friday 1st August 2025, 7:30pm at Ferring Village Hall. The talk is titled “Pioneers of Worthing”, a talk about the people who shaped the built environment of our town. It showcases 13 individuals who contributed significantly to the buildings of the past and those still standing and whose influence ensures today. The speaker is Susan Belton, from The Worthing Society.
Our next meeting is Friday 2nd May, 7:30pm at Ferring Village Hall, when Pete Coe will be giving a presentation on wartime Ferring.
Friday 1st November – Ferring History Group meeting – A History of Shoreham Airport with Peter Fellows. There will be an opportunity to renew your membership for 2025. Tickets for the Christmas Social will also be available.
Saturday 2nd November – Almost Nothing But Blue Ground Performance Lecture at Ferring Village Hall (3:30 – 4:40pm) – Matthew Bennington and Tom Pope have been researching the life and work of Anna Atkins – the first ever person to produce a book of photographic images. There is a connection to Ferring here – Anna Atkins was assisted by Anne Dixon, the wife of the Ferring Vicar Henry Dixon (vicar of Ferring from 1832 to 1870). This talk is free, but you need to book a ticket online at https://www.eventbrite.com/o/brighton-photo-fringe-and-almost-nothing-but-blue-ground-91924296093
Saturday 16th November – Ferring Village Hall Centenary Day. Ferring Village Hall was officially opened by Georgiana Henty on Friday 14th November 1924. We intend to celebrate the centenary of this event on Saturday 16th November. At 10:30, there will be two talks by Simon Cornish. The first will be a talk on the early history of Ferring Village Hall, and after an interval (coffee, tea and biscuits available) there will be a repeat of the Ferring From The Air presentation, charting the development of Ferring since the 1920’s using aerial photography. There is no charge for this – simply turn up.
Saturday 7th December – Ferring History Group will have a stall at the Christmas Market held at Ferring Village Hall (2:30 – 6:30pm). An ideal opportunity to come along and renew your membership. Any remaining tickets for the Christmas Social will also be for sale.
Friday 13th December – Christmas Social (ticketed event) and Oh We Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside with Ian Gledhill. Tickets available from the November meeting onwards from Simon Cornish.
We have the following events planned in the near future :
Friday 1st November – A History of Shoreham Airport with Peter Fellows – Ferring Village Hall, 7:30pm
Our next meeting is a presentation called “Ferring From The Air” by Simon Cornish.
We will look at aerial photos from the late 1920s to the present day, and see how Ferring has developed.
Join us for a fly around Ferring – Fasten your seatbelts !
Pete Coe, and his army pal Graham Cosham led a team of volunteers to prepare the Pillbox for active service. The bricked up southern embrasure was opened up, and a steel frame and removable plate fitted. Holes were drilled in the east and west embrasures for ventilation. The door was painted in anti-vandal paint, and a new set of steps has been installed internally.
Photos by Mary Coe.
Elaine Hammond from SussexWorld was onhand to report on this event. To see her report and video, please click the following link https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/people/historic-day-at-ferring-pillbox-as-southern-embrasure-is-opened-up-for-the-first-time-in-around-70-years-4621053?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0EcrFOQxBYNusruy3U-DJbnt6FUAHe74_Yadh7YY7BDq7lJwuO2O7OBAk_aem_AcI5i_3eCTVoUxvrRMYuV5Wrgkwm9kU7C-FTfz8OS-ihTYVbx8WyBUn3NyjiMJOiqeE2y44CGDqpetYMsK_eCDZB
Our second meeting of 2024 is on Friday 3rd May, 7:30 pm at Ferring Village Hall. James Sainsbury, Worthing Museum’s archaeologist returns to talks about “Some new discoveries on our Downland”.
FERRING HISTORY GROUP
The 2024 Annual General Meeting will be held at 7.30 on Friday 2 February, in the Village Hall.
AGENDA
1. To approve the minutes of the 2023 AGM (see below)
2. To receive the Chairman’s report
3. To receive the Auditor’s Annual Financial Statement (see overleaf)
4. To elect officers and other Committee members
The following have agreed to stand: Chairman – David Garnett, Secretary – Simon Cornish, Treasurer – Stephen Abbott; other Committee members: Ed Miller, Helen McCutchan, Pete Coe, Kevin Lee, Michael Quigley.
Other nominations and volunteers most welcome.
5. Any other business
Ed Miller (Secretary) 29 January 2024
Minutes of the Annual General Meeting held on 3 February 2023
1. David Garnett took the Chair and welcomed members to the AGM.
2. The minutes of the 2022 AGM had been circulated and were agreed.
3. The Chairman reviewed the past year as one of well-attended meetings with good speakers and some good walks and visits. The website was well stocked and the Magazine much enjoyed. Membership had reached 166 and over 100 members had already renewed for 2023. He thanked them for their support and thanked all Committee members for all their work during the past two years.
4. Stephen Abbott then presented the Annual Accounts for 2022, audited by C Hawes ACMA. (these also showed the account for 2021) Subscriptions collected in 2022 were up, at £1,295, with another £126 in admissions. Expenditure overall was £105 less than income – the main items being for printing the Magazine, speakers’ fees and the hire of the Hall, and the Group had a credit balance of over £2,700 at the end of the year. There were no questions and the financial report was accepted with thanks.
5. Nominations were then invited for officers and Committee members. Proposed and elected en bloc were: David Garnett, Chairman; Ed Miller, Secretary; Stephen Abbott, Treasurer: other Committee members: Pat Attree, Tim Baldwin, Simon Cornish, and Helen McCutchan.
6.There was no other business.
Ed Miller (Secretary) 6 February 2023
