The Paralympic flame being carried in. In 2012 the Olympic torch was paraded through Crawley, so could we do something like it for the Paralympics? The members of Crawley’s Access Group (TAG) thought it was worth a try. Council officers agreed and the answer was – YES! The British Paralympic…
The Diaries of Mr G F A & Mrs M Hart of 7 Fir Tree Close, Langley Walk, Langley Green, Crawley 1964-1967 and 1973-1981 The covers of the diaries changed through the years. The diaries are all hardback. They are published by the Boots Pure Drug Company Limited, and all…
Rosemary as a child and her Mum, Dorothy Harris. In May 1945, Crawley in common with towns and villages throughout the land, heard a new and wonderful sound. Older people heard it with disbelief and children were woken so that they might hear it for the first time. It was…
Saturday 20th July – Saturday 31st August Available during museum opening hours 10.30 – 16.00 every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday Alice in Wonderland display in the Learning Space. Join us at the Crawley Museum this summer holidays for some totally crazy family fun! Travel down the rabbit hole and…
A hand-written version of the following account is now in the Crawley Museum collection, courtesy of a donation by Nadine Hygate. It was written by William James Denman (1877-1945), a renowned Crawley figure: head postman, local councillor, JP, tireless committeeman, supporter of local sports and social organisations, and prolific journalist…
Leonard ‘Len’ Hurst, was born in Kent, on the 28th December 1871. As a brick maker by trade, Len didn’t make much money and quickly moved into running professionally, winning his first race at the age of 15. He retired from running in 1908 at the age of 37, using…
Imagine a solid sphere of iron hurtling towards you at 250 mph! Welcome to historical warfare! Among the exhibits at Crawley Museum is what appears to be an English civil war cannonball. It’s a 3.1 lb hunk of metal, which is now pitted and rusted, held together by wire, but…
Ifield Mill, A Survey by J. Gibson-Hill and E.W. Henbery In 1975 I was fortunate enough to spend the summer with a friend, Keith Young, working with archaeologist John Gibson-Hill. I was reminded of this the other day when, whilst having a clear out at home, I found a little…
The author in 1965 (© CC BY-SA 4.0 – David Stoker)I recently returned to Crawley for the first time in more than a decade, to attend the cremation service for an old friend, Don Nunn. At the ceremony I met several other friends from my school days and afterwards we…
“Now boys with squibs and crackers play, And bonfires blaze turns night to day.” ‘Poor Robin’s Almanac’ dated 1677 For many people today, Bonfire Night or Guy Fawkes Night means a chance to get together to watch fireworks, and perhaps attend a bonfire party somewhere in the community. The…
