Hello, my name is Giles MacEachern,
 
I am contacting you with some of my brief memories of growing up as a child in Sutton. After going on your site and seeing the lovely photos, it brought back to me my own memories of my childhood.
 
Having moved from Kirdford, we lived at number 6 Greenfields, my Mother Janet was a single parent, bringing up my sisters Lucy, Claire and myself. Lucy was the oldest, I was the middle child and Claire the youngest.
 
My Mother was born in Sutton, in the house that is at the bottom of Sutton Hill on the road to Petworth.
At that time the house was my Mums, Grandmother's house.
 
We were very lucky children back then, as our Grandmother Gladys Turner and our Grandfather Tom Turner, lived only one door away from us, at number 4 Greenfields.
 
At Beckhall near The White Horse Inn, lived Mrs Richards.
Our Auntie Pat worked for her, living with our two Cousins, Julian and Eugene, in a bungalow owned by Mrs Richards and almost adjacent to her big house.
 
Up Glatting Lane, is Salters, where our other Auntie and uncle lived, Sue and Dave Diaper, with their children, our Cousins, Samantha, Darren and Mathew. Our uncle Dave worked for Britax in Chichester.
 
At Sutton end, lived our wonderful twin Aunties, Nancy and Ada, they lived in Sutton End Farm. I remember one very snowy Christmas, Mr Dallyn pulling us all on a trailer with his tractor, down to Sutton End Farm, for the family Christmas party with all the family there. All our Uncles and Aunts, who lived outside the village and my favourite Aunt of all being there. Auntie Evelyn, she was simply the best, she had us all playing games she had invented. In 1987 she had her book of memoirs published, 'A Shepherds Daughter' by Evelyn Pentecost.
 
The old shop in the village at the foot of the hill from the church, was run by Mr and Mrs Harland in the very early seventies. Mr and Mrs Neal owned the farm leading up to Greenfields estate. The estate had a large playing green, with two child swings on it. Auntie Bridge as we called her and our Grandfather Toms Brother Frank, lived in the two Bungalows. At number 5 it was first the Hollingworths then the Dudmans. At number 7 was Doreen Ashton, then number 8 was Harry and Daphnie Spriggs, who used to deliver the papers.
 
As schoolchildren my sisters and I went firstly to Duncton Primary School, then onto The Herbert Shiner School in Petworth.
Life seemed so much more carefree and simple back then, surrounded by family and the wonderful, beautiful Downs.
 
Now I live well over a 100 miles away in Swindon, with my Wife and my Son and his Wife, who live just up the road from us.
Our Daughter lives in Devon with her partner.
 
I wanted to share some memories, due to a neurological condition which is slowly robbing me of them.
 
My Mother passed away last year in February 2025 and in November 2025 I also lost my Dad, Keith, who although not our biological Father, was to myself and his many Grandchildren, an incredible man.
 
I also lost my very loveable and loyal service dog, Nellie, who had saved my life for fifteen years, after I had suffered several strokes.
 
Looking at the old photos of Sutton, just made me want to be back there, to be a child again, walking through the cornfields at the back of our house, our Mother scolding us from the Kitchen window with the Archers or Jimmy Young blaring out on the radio in the background.
 
If I had a time machine, I think I would go back, sit in the bus shelter near the White Horse pub and watch the village unfold, maybe catching sight of Myself, when with a stick in hand that had the shape of a gun, turned Myself, my Sisters and Cousins, into Cowboys and Indians.
 
Thankyou for taking the time to read this
 
Many Kind Regards
 
Mr Giles MacEachern
Saturday, 24 January, 2026