18th May, Patcham Library
The Community Centre in Ladies Mile Road, Patcham is playing a major part in the local scene during Brighton Festival. It is hosting the Patcham Open House, artworks to see and buy, weekends during May. Also the free showing of Ken Loach’s documentary ‘Spirit of 45’ on Sunday 21st May, 3-5pm. In addition, the Patcham Local History Group is holding a special exhibition celebrating All Saints Church and Patcham 1650-1900.
Patcham has deep roots and the exhibition offers the chance to sneak a peek at the past lives spent in some of the village’s lovely old buildings. Such as Ann Gubby, who married John Blundell at All Saints in 1663 and lived in a cottage at the bottom of Church Hill bearing seven children, until John’s death in 1676. Ann remarried, to John Coates, and bore a further four children. Sadly, she did not survive the birth of her eleventh child and her burial is recorded in 1684. One of her children, James Blundell, lived at 106-108 London Road, now the village bakers and estate agents. The Group follow the inheritance of the cottage and its 2 1/2 acre croft through to Anne and on to Katherine Newman, who it seems mended church surplices for 2s 6d to supplement the family income. We also learn who owned 110-112 London Road, now RT Williams, and that it maximised upon its prime position on the highway to London by being an inn for centuries.
As well as a fascinating glimpse into the lives and livelihoods that make up the patchwork of the past, the exhibition also celebrates All Saints Church.
The ancient and lovely All Saints Church has roots in Saxon times and continues to play a central part in village life. The next project is to restore the original flint walls and remove the Victorian cement rendering which, contrary to their intention, is causing severe damp. The exhibition traces the changes and ‘improvements’ such as the addition of a spire to replace the preceding tower, and more.
We are very lucky so much of the old village survived and lucky too to have people like Elizabeth Dwiar and her fellow-stalwarts of the Patcham Local History Group to bring so much of the history of the village back to life again for us. Not to be missed!