Hi Mel! I am a newcomer to Denton and am interested to find out all I can about the area. Can you tell me the whereabouts of the school in South Heighton?

It's interesting to see the majority of the children in the photo holding something to do in their hands! From books to knitting and weaving in various stages of completion. Any more photos? Fascinating..I love it!

The school building is now the Village Hall and is located at the bottom of The Hollow, the road which runs down from South Heighton to join the A26.

The Holder family had lived in the Newhaven, Denton & South Heighton area since the 1700's.
They first started working as carters on the Glynde Estate. They moved from South Heighton into Stock cottages which are located on the A26 just past the flint wall near the Railway crossing.
My Grandfather moved into the Railway cottages when he started work for the Railway as a Ganger. His job involved checking the railway line by walking the track from his house to Southease then all the way back to Newhaven.
He worked for the Railway company for 49 years during which time he only took one day off sick due to having developed a large boil on his shoulder where he carried his "keying hammer" which was used to knock in the wedges (known as keys) which hold the rail in place on the sleepers.
Before the 2nd WW the family used water from a well situated near their house until it became unfit to drink and the Railway started transporting the water in Milk churns on the Locomotives that travelled past their house daily.
The majority of children attended South Heighton School during their early years before walking to Council Schools in Newhaven town.

I was speaking to my mother the other day and she said that the groceries were delived to the house by Mr Bannister who owned the shop in Newhaven.
Mr Mitchell delivered the Paraffin regularly. My Grandmother needed to go out one day and because Irene, her Daughter, wasn't very well and rarely left the house (Irene is the one with the dog in the Photo - dogs name was Bob), Grandma told Bob to look after Irene and not allow anyone into the house. Mr Mitchell arrived with the regular order of Paraffin and knocked on the door but Bob, snarling the whole time, wouldn't let him enter. Eventually he left and had to return another day.  When you can actually speak to the senior members of the Newhaven family it's wonderful how they relate some factual and funny stories.

The school photo obviously shows pupils with the results of their handicrafts. Is it possible that some are scrap books holding newspaper cuttings or other items of local interest, if so wouldn't it be nice to see these scrapbooks now with their historical memories?

Is Ernest William Holder the father of Keith Holder - I went to school with Keith. He went onto Lewes Grammar, and later he worked for Bannisters Builders. The last time I saw him was when we were building the houses at the Guinness Trust housing site.

I understand that Keith went to the US and has since died.

Thanks Carol, the other lad we were friends with was George Sims

I think he went to America as well. They lived in Beresford Road on the mount, we used to go to his house and play guitars and banjo. His father ( of the same name ) was an artist, I have two of his paintings. Sorry about Keith, he was a nice lad.

I also went to school with Keith, in the juniors. On leaving school at Easter 1960 I became an apprentice plumber with Oxley and Bennett Ltd. At that time, Southease railway station had three cottages, one detached for the station master and a pair of semi's for the signalmen. Each cottage had a hand pump at the kitchen sink to draw water from a well. I used to cycle out to these houses to repair the pumps when required, new leathers etc. I still remember some of the occupants, one in particular, was an elderly white haired lady spinster called Rosie, her father was a signalman many years before. Rosie, had this pure white hair and would grow it to about sixteen inches in length, have it cut, then it would be used to make judicial wigs. Back to the subject of the water supply, I don't remember these cottages ever having a mains water service. Water was delivered by train in winter when the pipes to the well were frozen. These houses were very basic and came complete with an outside "Elsan" closet, just the thing for the winter.

Keith Holder was my uncle, Ernie my grandfather and Roy my dad.