Bill Lindfield's Memories
William Lindfield 23.3.1927 - 28.11.2011A tribute page with Lancing & Sompting Pastfinders
Mike Tristram, managing trustee for Sompting Estate, who took the photo of Bill Lindfield at Lychpole Farm on the right, learned much about the landscape he was to manage, from Bill's memories of Sompting decades ago.
Born and bred in Sompting, Bill left school at the age of 14 to work with his father Bill senior and grandfather Jack Stoner on St John's Farm in the Cokeham part of Sompting. His youthful memories are of time on the farm in Sompting with his cattle and as a carter driving his much loved horse, “Old Blossom”.
Bill worked for the War Agricultural Committee at Lee Farm on the Duke of Norfolk's estate between 1947-1950. Lee Farm was a substantial arable farm in a valley straddling the parishes of Clapham, Patching, Angmering and Storrington. It was farmed with Cobden Farm, Sulllington, and together extended over 2000 acres. It had been used as a training ground for the Canadian Army during the Second World War and immediately afterwards returned to agricultural use under the War Agricultural Committee before returning to private ownership in 1950.
He then served as a career soldier in HM Forces making Sergeant-Major, and married Hilda Jackaman in 1949, with whom he lived to the end of their lives in Halewick Lane, Sompting.
During his later life Bill shared widely his deep affection for Sussex as a broadcaster, writer, raconteur and poet. He was a much loved member of Lancing & Sompting Pastfinders local history group from its early days, leading the group on journeys through Sompting's memory lanes. Click here to read his Obituary published in 'Retrospecs'.
A Memoir of Sompting Past: 'The Last Cowboy'
Bill regularly talked about the “old days” in the Village, writing his memories in a book "The Last Cowboy" - which takes its title from an incident where he had to lasso an out-of-control bull.
Bill started to write the book about 1985. He wanted to share his Sussex roots with his family and others. Pastfinders members obtained a grant from WSCC in 2007 to have it retyped. A small number of copies were self-published and a few copies printed for Bill's family and friends.
Wider publication as a physical book remained unviable because of its length. Towards the end of Bill's life Mike Tristram discussed with him the possibility of publishing his writings online, and sharing more widely his cassette recordings. Bill was pleased to support both ideas which through Lancing & Sompting Pastfinders have now come to fruition.
Click here to read 'The Last Cowboy'
The volume on the link above is the first, unillustrated edition. A second edition is in progress which will include illustrations in particular from Bill's own collection of old photographs.
Click here for Ernie Wenborn's map of places in the book
Bill Lindfield's PoetryBill Lindfield also captured an era, and a way of looking at life, in his Poetry on a number of occasions, the last, memorable, time being in the Sompting Downs Barn on 2 August 2011.
Click here to read Bill Lindfield's Poetry
NB The above link is to the first edition. A second edition is planned for which we hope to find some or all of the missing numbered poems, in tape recordings made by Bill, together with appropriate illustrations. Most importantly these recordings of Bill reading his own poetry will allow you to hear them as they should best be heard, in his own voice, on links from this website.
Bill's Poems in his own Voice
With thanks to Ray Hamblett for digitising the tapes
No. 37 The Cavings Boy - cavings was the short straw and chaff that was separated from the grain by the threshing machine and had to be swept away for use as animal feed
Bill's stories and sayings in his own VoiceWith thanks to Ray Hamblett and Brian Drury for digitising the tapes
Bill's secret wartime hideout discovery
with thanks to Bob Brown
Copyright
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