DENTON & MOUNT PLEASANT

Interesting pictures of Denton village during 1960's circa. The third picture would appear to have been taken from Mount Pleasant, as it's taken from elevated ground looking down on Denton houses. There was an explosion of bungalow development towards the latter 1960's era, swelling the boundaries of the old village. The Hatchery was demolished and further houses built into a close area just along from the 'FLYING FISH' pub  which is shown in the picture with severe floooding in evidence on the road. This was quite a common occurance, the poor old pub used to suffer being flooded until drainage works took place to remedy the problem. The second picture shows a house on Denton Road, where there used to be a small macack monkey that appeared in the hedge along the wall, obviously a pet but was quite novel when we used to visit the old sweet shop further along the road.

The picture looking down on the poppy field at Denton was taken standing in Fairholme Road up on Mount Pleasant. RB

The grey coloured semi must be where I lived in Wellington Road, I must know you Chris you keep cropping up,  I sang in the choir and went to the scouts in the mid to late fifties, do you remember the Thorpe family who lived next to the sweet shop?

Hello Terry, we worked for Bannisters Builders as Chippys, Your Dad worked in the office, which was in the High Street by Barclays Bank. I remember the Thorpe family, I think Archie was the father, also Sid and Maurice? My Dad Oscar built the paddock at the end of Wellington Road about 1964. I remember The Flying Fish flooding on a regular basis and they had the old Southdown bus seats in the main bar, I used to collect Mum's Weights cigarettes from the side door.

Hello Steve, I often think about the times at Denton and at Bannisters. I have often thought about organising a reunion of old Bannisters employees. I wonder how many of them are still about, are you still local ? I am in Hastings. 

Hello Terry, it sounds as if our paths probably have crossed over the many years we both have lived in this area. I used to live up on the 'MOUNT' as we called it in Arundel Road from 1950's to 1980, we obviously all remember these past times with affection as the years tick past !! ( As we witness the constant changes, not all for the better! ).

What a shame they didn't create a village pond, rather than the drainage works, to prevent the regular flooding of the Flying Fish.

Hello to Terry and Chris, I saw you had both worked for Bannisters and wondered if you knew my Dad George Sloane. He sadly died in 1962 but had worked as a painter and decorator until a few months before his death. No such thing as a works van then, he went everywhere on his bike with paint and brushes on the handlebars. How times change.

I remember working with George on Oxley & Bennett Builders, when we done the electrical second fix, a charming man.   John -- Editor.

Hello Brian, I also knew your dad George, as a painter. At the time I worked for Oxley and Bennett. If my memory is serving me right, you and your family, lived in Meeching Road, next door to my grandparants who lived at No 54. Your mum and dad were very nice people, also remember brother Alan, as an old "salt". He may know the answer of a question I have on the notice board refering to Patrick Franklin as the three of us often enjoyed a pint together.

Hi Colin, yes it was Oxley & Bennett he worked for, I'd forgotten. I used to be great friends with Tony Brandon from No 54 who later joined the RAF, sadly we lost touch and I have often wondered where he ended up. Do you know? My brother Alan was still in the town last time I saw him but doesn't subscribe to this website. Great to hear from you, regards Brian

Hi Brian, Tony, on leaving the RAF, joined the Police Force for a while. The last I heard of him and this was many years ago, he was living at Shoreham? He would be about 69/70 now.

Brian, I can just remember your dad, he used to work with Harold Lower, who was the painter foreman at some time, and Brian Godfrey. They used to get such a fantastic finish to the work.I started work in 1961 as an apprentice carpenter so used to get all the good jobs like priming the joinery, getting instruction from everyone and being told that priming was the most important part of painting.  I can remember thinking 'well why am I doing it then?' Another good job was creosoting, in the sun with no protective clothing, the stuff used to burn like mad when the sun shone. All good experience for the future though.

Hi Terry, thank you for the memories, thinking about the Flying Fish, I remember my Mum telling me about her life in the 20's when she sang in the choir at Denton Church, the same time as Ralph Reader was in it. I much later joined the Scouts in the hut near the town bridge which was the Ralph Readers Own troup. Small town, small world eh?

Hello Brian, I was looking through some old things and I happen to have found a lighter that had some inscriptions on it. With some searching and a little help from g**gle I'm led to believe it may have belonged to your father. Do you think you can help me identify this lighter? Thank you for your time. Joe Z

Found this page in a roundabout way. My parents had a static caravan on the Hampden Vale site. I remembered the Owner's name was Oscar and having seen Steve Walser's comment above jogged my memory of surname (heaven knows how I remembered from early childhood) Had many a happy holiday there in the 1970s and recall in I would guess about 1976 or 7 a fire at the paint factory that was on the other side of the cliff. Fortunately, it was a warm night and everyone was up and out of their caravans in case we had to beat a hasty retreat. I remember walking round the site to the ponds in the early hours. Some of the pots of paint went up like missiles and were found as far away as Seaford beach. Happy days eh!! 

The other partner/owner Gail, was Ron Bassett a local builder. I had the pleasure of completing the first phase of the electrification of the caravan site in the 1970's. 

John  -- Editor