By Phil Dennett
The editor strung four headlines across the paper. They were two plugs for films, dancing at Cuckfield, and elections.
There were often long queues to get into film shows. The Yukon gold rush came to the Picture Theatre in Haywards Heath with the film “The shooting of Dan McGraw. 11 miles down the rail track Douglas Maclean was being more positive in “Never Say Die”, described by the paper as “clean, swift wholesome fun.”
Which probably applied also to Miss Grey’s pupils in a dancing display at Queen’s Hall, Cuckfield described as “all very amusing.” The Hall is still in use.
Less of a thrill for most people were Haywards Heath, Burgess Hill, and Cuckfield urban district council elections. One of the winning candidates Harold Edgar German, gave his name to the Edgar German Cup, still played for by footballers in the Mid Sussex League. Another candidate, long serving Thomas White, was 86.
An advertisement extolling the virtues of number “232” flannel trousers said enigmatically that a “certain well-known peer” was never without them. Paper owner Charles Clarke did very nicely out of a half-page advertisement for Armstrong Siddeley cars at the Coventry Motor Engineering Works in Haywards Heath. The previous week he had devoted the entire front page to block prints of 11 cars from Moody’s of Hove. He knew where the money was.
The Haywards Heath Infant Welfare group reported a fall in the birth rate, but no-one at the meeting volunteered to help rectify the situation. Easter Monday was certain to attract huge crowds to the spacious Victoria Pleasure Gardens with its lakes and novelty electric roundabout. It became an industrial estate.
At Hurstpierpoint College 14-year-old LG Garrett broke a record set in 1864 when he threw a cricket ball 109 yards and a foot. A letter signed only RMG said the St Wilfrid’s Church choir had “improved wonderfully of late”.
A big fire at the house called Mansfield in Haywards Heath threw the spotlight on the need for a better Haywards Heath fire service. Highlighting the issue one writer signed his letter One Prepared to Pay.
Haywards Heath were Mid Sussex League Football Champions-elect leading by 10 points despite a 2-1 home loss to nearest challengers Portslade Gas Works.
I don’t know what they were expecting, but an advertisement boldly headed Just the Goods for Easter featured toilet sets for eight and six pence and toilet pails for five and eleven pence.
This article was recorded for listeners of the Yews Talking News service for blind people and those with impaired vision in the Mid Sussex area. Anyone interested in receiving the recordings or assisting with the reading or recording of programmes may contact Malcolm Hulatt @ Malcolm@hulatt.net, Telephone 07770 543454 .