LETTER: Town was a nicer place in the 1960s

First stop was the Carfax where we purchased ‘Pages Perfect Pork Sausages’ and then on to the open air market for our fresh vegetables. That was where Waitrose is now. Next was George Pearce the butcher in East Street for our Sunday roast. George had played cricket with my father and always gave us a wink as he wrote the price on the back of the packet. I never knew if we got a good discount or he was just being friendly.

Back to the Carfax and Stan Parsons Newsagent shop. What a wonderful person. A councillor for many years who really cared for the town and the people in it. Many called him Mr Horsham. What a contrast to the councillors we have now. In the North Horsham development debate three or four of those actually voted against the wishes of the people who had put them into power. Its difficult to believe. They have also threatened to close the Indoor Bowls Club. Its one of the best facilities in the South of England and has 400 members. Stan Parsons must be turning in his grave.

On leaving the Carfax we went back to West Street and into Wakefields café for a coffee and Belgian bun. Delicious.

At that point I awoke to the noise of the first aircraft from Gatwick on the new flightpath. It was 6am and I lay there listening to them. Sleep was impossible as it had been morning after morning since the experiment began.

What with no parking charges, friendly shop keepers, councillors you could trust and the possibility of a lie in occasionally, Horsham was a much nicer place in the 1960s.

Beam me back please Scottie.

David Ashby

Old Millmeads, Horsham