Goring keeps its identity

Goring - a village?

Most of the history seems hidden away under the modern development to the area, but there are fascinating facts to be gleaned and interesting characters around.

One piece of information not many people know about is the name change from Goring to Goring-by-sea. The railway was the cause of the switch which took place on July 6. 1908. when confusion between this community and one in Oxfordshire of the same name lead to the alteration.

Active Resident's Association

"When we first came there was nothing here where we live in West Park Lane. There were cornfields all around here. The population has grown a lot. Now there is a growing yacht club and people come down for the windsurfing and the jet-skiing."

Mrs Spark has been secretary of the residents' association for 39 years, which aims to preserve the amenities and to promote community spirit.

With 2,300 members, the group has impressive support and is a very active group, organising outings, lunches and guest speakers. Forthcoming talks include one on the work of a magistrate and another on the Yemen.

"We look after the civic side of local life as well as the social side. We deal with any matters of topical interest - roads. pavements, planning applications. One of our big concerns at the moment is weeds on the pavements. Have you seen the size some of them grow to?

"We have a good relationship with the local borough council and each month a different councillor for the area comes to our meetings and speaks about a particular question that we have posed".

Looking after village interests

"People do tend to treat it as a separate part of Worthing and say that they are going off into the town, even though they are joined to it. In any ward you are always going to have have local problems. As a community which runs along the seaside there are issues about pollution and the seafront.

"It is a nice spot to live and work in, and we want to make sure that we keep it that way"

Many changes since 1910

"It wasn't as it is now, it wasn't just a part of a town. It really was a village. you knew everyone else around and there were not that many houses".

Things were different in her day. At school she said: "You had to learn as well as fool around.". She remembers her headmaster Mr Cartwright and said: "When you saw him you had to behave". Mabel recalls when the village became part of Worthing in the 1920s. "Before they took us in we had no street lights and no good roads. In a way we were pleased to be part of Worthing but in another way we just became part of a big town. But at least things did start to improve afterwards".

The Bible Garden at St Mary's

She owned the bookshop in Goring Road for 48 years and has been active in the community life for many years. She is affectionately known as 'as a piece of Goring furniture'. A spritely 9l-year-old, she still attends the St Mary's Church, but her given up other groups. "I think 90 is a good age to stop these things, but that doesn't mean I don't still take an interest."

She still manages to tend to her garden and grows figs by her garage, but says you need to take an aspirin to look at her garden at the moment.

Kel was founder of the Bible Garden at St Mary's Church, home to 34 plants mentioned in the Old Testament. The garden was started ten years ago and she did all the research.

Also in the garden is a sculpture by Mrs Rosalind Hore, the vicar's wife. She has been an art teacher all her life and has managed to combine her two roles with her work.

"As part of a parish mission called Stepping Stones, I decided to do something special and made a seated figure of Christ with his arms outstretched titled Come Unto Me. We put stepping stones in the grass leading up to him."

The mural by Hans Feibusch

Reproduction of the Sistine Chapel ceiling

"We took a trip to Rome and saw the original ceiling being cleaned and I got the idea to paint it at my parish church, so of I went."

Mr Bevans is a signwriter by trade but painting the ceiling has been the biggest job of his life.

"It was neck-breaking - once is enough. Looking back it seems like a dream and I think how on earth did I find the time to do that.

"The actual painting of it was relatively easy. It was getting the perspective right that was difficult. I had to do a six foot drawing with all the measurements. Once I got the structure right it was just a case of filling in the gaps.

"I was able to match up the colours by buying books about the restoration work on the original ceiling. We didn't paint fresco because of the structure. Instead we painted with acrylic on white walls which gave a fresco finish."

The longest avenue of ilex trees in the world

The Ilex Conservation Group was set up in 1983 to protect the avenue of more than 450 ever-green oaks.

It stretches about a mile from Sea Lane, Goring, to Sea Lane, Ferring. It was originally an approach drive to Goring Hall, a private residence which has now become Goring Hall Hospital

The trees appeared as an established feature on the Ordnance Map of 1879 and were planted by David Lyon who owned the surrounding land.

Worthing Borough Council holds the whole avenue in trust as charitable land to be preserved for the benefit of the public as a public walk and pleasure ground in perpetuity.

Natalie Cropper is secretary of the conservation group and lives in Ilex Avenue. "The object of the Ilex Conservation Group is to secure the conservation and preservation of the beauty and present character of the avenue, together with its environs and in particular the area known as the Goring Gap, and to protect the essential character of Sea Lane, Goring, and environs."

Website for the community

The site includes information on local groups, tide times and water quality as well as local news in the Village Diary.

More than 100 visitors look at the site each week and Mr Waller is hoping that it will build up into a comprehensive picture of community life.

The Old Courthouse

"There are cellars under the house which could have been used as a dungeon. When we moved in here 18 years ago we were given the deeds. but they didn`t go back that far"

She showed me that the original house has been added onto. Behind one of the pictures someone has written the date September 25, 1884, although no one knows its relevance.

An active and independent community

It may have officially become part of Worthing, but there is a definite active and independent community at Goring.