Another object from our collection. This is a decorative hair comb from a collection donated to us by Ruth Coste. It belonged to her grandmother. Ruth’s brother was Frank Wyatt, who worked at Tilgate Park. What would you write on a label for this one? Here are some suggestions from…

Another object from our collection. It’s some household soap. Comments on our social media included: “Monday is wash day. The day the housewife did the laundry with her bar of Fairy soap.” “Mum used to shave flakes off the bar to put in the boiler with the washing.” “These blocks…

There has been a primary school in West Green since 1824. When the New Town was built, so was a new primary school. A temporary building was built in 1950, and the permanent buildings followed soon after. Here are some photographs from our archives of the New Town school. For…

Another object from our collection. It’s a school milk bottle! Do you remember these? People on our social media did, and not everyone had happy memories. People’s comments included: “Yuk! Hated by millions” “Stomach clenching time” “on the positive side was that the older we got the less we were…

By David Stoker My family and I arrived in Crawley when I was three and a half years old. Our previous home had been a cramped second floor garret at 208 East Lane, Walworth, just off the Old Kent Road. It was the period leading up to the great London…

Another object from our collection. This is the first aid box that belonged to the last gate keeper at the Horsham Road crossing. What would you write on a label for this one? Crawley’s Collections Revealed – label an object!

What’s in a name of a street near to you in this town? In Southgate seventeen occupations are renowned There’s a baker, but no butcher or candlestick maker The closest being a chandler, and not a muck raker Loriners produced all sorts of items to fit on horses Saddlers provided…

As May 1st is International Workers Day, here are some old photographs of people working in Crawley from our collection. Richard Cook & Workers Hollingdales Shoe Shop Steeles Forge, Balcombe Road Northgate Housing under construction – April 1951 Model of West Green, February 1949 Northgate Clinic Strain Gauge measurement apparatus…