Simon’s passion for the history of East Grinstead came pouring through having spent some 20 years in promoting the town, 17 of which were spent as Tourist Officer and the last three organising the new East Grinstead Museum which is 10 years old this year.
He described the £5 Town Tours of East Grinstead with stories related to the buildings as being much more fun than dry dates! At Halloween ‘somebody’ becomes Professor Mordaunt Skull and this has proved to be such a draw that the last time they had 300 people blocking the street, which was not popular with the police! Spookiness seems to have a lot of appeal!
East Grinstead owes its existence largely to it’s location half way between London and the South Coast with coaching inns of which there are just 2 left and also a lot of breweries of which there are none left but were responsible for fuelling ‘affrays’ in the night. Visiting The Dorset Arms (yes another one) you can still see where the stables were to take you back to the period and of course all the houses in the High Street are the same type of timber framed buildings (much like those in Hartfield)
The burning of the 3 martyrs in 1556 due to the return of religious intolerance when Catholicism was trying to regain a foothold is probably one of the more disturbing happenings that occurred in East Grinstead and Simon told us of the existence of a room in the basement of one of the shops on the High Street carved out of sandstone that reputedly held the 3 martyrs on their last night on this earth. Another High Street shop was found to have a cork lined secret room, which had been used as a cool room for a butchers shop, but these real items can be used to great effect in the ghostly tour!
We were treated to a few snippets of information and comments about the town that are part of Simon’s researches for a new book. Articles that had been written from far away places like Singapore reporting on many and various happenings in East Grinstead a long time ago such as receiving television broadcasts from Alexandra Palace back in 1937.
A brand new venture they are working on at the museum is the inclusion of the Archibald Mcindoe archive an important aspect of the wartime activity of the town and the Queen Victoria Hospital developing in particular plastic surgery for the terrible burns received by the many young RAF fliers who became known as the “Guinea Pigs.”
Simon’s enthusiasm bubbled over with stories of his grandfather’s exploits after returning from the First World War, with one arm, to become a car salesman – and demonstrator! His grandparents lived opposite where the museum now stands so it is a special location for him.
Several entertaining anecdotes of life related to museum visitors wound up an enjoyable and ‘live’ talk. Those of you who were there will surely remember the American Methodist University visitors who brought their own sticks all the way from Minneapolis to play “pooh sticks” and their amazement at pine cones having never seen a pine tree! They couldn’t believe their eyes when they were taken to the Gallipot for lunch where there was a fire burning on the hearth in a wooden building so old!
As a final reminder you are encouraged to visit the museum which is located on the old market site in Cantelupe Road, East Grinstead just off the High Street opposite the row of timber framed houses and close to the section known as Middle Row. Telephone 01342 302233. The website is http://www.eastgrinsteadmuseum.org.uk/
We are hoping to arrange an East Grinstead walk with Simon for our members in the summer so keep reading the emails! Chris
