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Issue 32 May 05 - History
Higher Bevendean Heritage
Residents and Tenants Association of Higher Bevendean and Moulsecoomb South, invite you to an evening of Higher Bevendean heritage. Discover the story behind the estate, who built it and who still lives there, on Friday 20th May at 7.30pm at St. Andrews Community Centre. Bring your pictures, share your stories and add your history to to the My Brighton and Hove website. There'll be a resident historian and free refreshments too.

The Air Raid Shelter
Any time we talk about local history, there’s a good chance that the conversation will at some time turn to things concerning the years of World War 2, particularly with older people. However, many of the younger generation also seem to be very interested and often listen intently to stories of things that happened during the war years. Although it is now many years since the war ended, this being the year that we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the cessation of those worldwide hostilities, those years are still remembered. It is indeed a good thing that they are not forgotten and hopefully lessons are learnt by those memories.

Those of us that grew up during the years of war will have memories that have lasted a lifetime about the things that very much affected our early development. In Brighton as in other places throughout the country, particular things remain in our memories, not least the bombings our town experienced, which are recorded in a number of books written by David Rowlands the chairman of the East Brighton Bygones Local History Group.

Of course it is not only those bombings, but many other things that were happening at that time that we can’t forget, the carrying of a gas mask and of course ear plugs every day when going to school, not to forget the going to the trenches every so often. It is fitting that in this year, the anniversary of the end of the war, that the remaining air raid shelter at Whitehawk Primary School is to be opened up as a museum of the war years, with memorabilia of the time. Quite a lot of relevant items and writings have already been collected but other donations of wartime memorabilia would be most welcomed. On May 6th there was an official opening ceremony at the school, at which the Mayor, Councillor Pat Drake unveiled a plaque in the presence of local dignitaries and a number or war veterans.

I’m sure that the memories I talk about are still deep within everybody’s mind that experienced those years, not only those of us that were just kids at the time, but especially the older people who were serving in the armed forces or emergency services. No matter what part of the country folk come from, everyone will have recollections of those traumatic years and even after 60 years can still recall their own individual anecdotes of the time. Here in East Brighton, as a matter of interest, we suffered more from the bombing during the war than any other part of the town, with Whitehawk Road having the first bombs dropped in July 1940 and Marine Gate being the most bombed building. Read about Brighton's Bomb Shelters.

Written by Fred Netley.

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