Ovingdean's oldest resident

Peartree Cottages c1910

From the private collection of Miss Laurie Hollands

Farmhands at Ovingdean, William Hollands (Laurie's father) is 1st left

From the private collection of Miss Laurie Hollands

The 'Dudeney girls' at the entrance to Grange Farm Ovingdean

From the private collection of Miss Laurie Hollands

L-R Daisy Noakes, Jennifer Drury and Laurie Hollands. Pictured in 2000 at the launch of the oral history book. Laurie and Daisy first met in Ovingdean in the early 1920's

Photograph by Tony Mould

Miss Laura Hollands

By Jennifer Drury

I interviewed Laurie Hollands in 2000, for an oral history project in Ovingdean village. The project formed part of the millennium celebrations in the village and subsequently a book was published containing extracts of the interviews. Laurie is the oldest village resident and the only person still living in Ovingdean who was actually born there: she will be 94 this year.

Excellent memory at 89 years old
At the time of our interview Laurie was almost 89 years old, but her memory was very good and her village reminiscences fascinating to listen to. Laurie's father worked for William Cowley at Grange Farm in Ovingdean and in 1911 she was born in one of the very small farm cottages. 'Peartree Cottages' so called because of the large tree which grew at the end of the terrace, belonged to the farm and housed some of the workers.

Peartree cottages c1800
It is impossible to date the cottages accurately, but they are on the 1839 map of the area and were probably built in the early 1800's. Unfortunately 'Peartree Cottages' were demolished in a road widening project in the early 1930's and so became just one more victim of the cult of the motor car! In her interview, Laurie talked about her early days:

Born in Ovingdean in 1911
"I was born in the village in one of the farm cottages in 1911. Father came to live in Ovingdean because he got a job at the farm driving the engine for the threshing on the farm. The family was my mother and father, my brother Percy, my sister Vera, and I had a little brother who died with paralysis. We lived in the farm cottages on the corner by the farm but of course they were knocked down. Our cottage was the one right on the corner and if people wanted to go up the road they would say 'up at Hollands' corner'.
Church every Sunday
We used to go to church every Sunday when we small; Mother used to say, 'You must be good and you must be quiet'. We used to wear our best clothes for church but sometimes we used to put our best things on in the week but Father couldn't bear it - he used to like us to keep them special for going out anywhere or if we were asked out to a party.
Christmas parties
The rector then was Mr. Anderson, he was a stout chap. I remember going up for the Sunday school treat we used to have in the field in the summer. At Christmas we used to have a party in the big dining room at the Rectory. It was the same down at Grange Farm; they always used to give the children a Christmas party with games like 'Postman's Knock.
The Mother's Union
The church had a 'Mother's Union' - I remember going with Mother and sitting on her knee. It was run by Mrs. Field the widow of a clergyman, she lived in a funny little corrugated house. It was built for the village teacher but there weren't enough children to go there and so the school closed. So Mrs. Field and her daughter came to live there, she was a widow. I remember one of her songs was 'Tell me the old, old story' and I remember sitting on Mother's knee and eating a bun and having a cup of tea.
Not many children in the village
She also used to take us for Sunday school tea and I always remember at harvest time she loved us to sing 'Fair wave the golden corn'. There weren't many children in the village when I was young; there was us four - but not many more. I remember there were one or two Dudeney girls, (see right) and several Cousins children, their father was head gardener at the School."

Bungalow like a doll's house
Today Laurie still lives in the small bungalow that was built for her mother and herself in about 1932. It stands high on Ovingdean Road and commands the sort of view over the fields surrounding the village that is just beyond price. The bungalow is like a doll's house and as Laurie has not had any major refurbishment done it is almost as it was when she first moved in. Sitting talking to Laurie about the village as it was so many years ago, it felt as if I had been transported back in time.

Footnote: Sadly, Miss Laurie Hollands died in June 2006.  She was the last of the 'old village' community.  Although Laurie had humble beginnings, she was always a real 'lady'.  She kept her small bungalow as clean as a pin and when I visited her I was always treated to small homemade cakes and the best china.  To the end of her days she maintained the good manners and standards she had been taught at the beginning of the last century.  She is very much missed.
Jennifer Drury. August 2006

'In Living Memory: An Oral History of Ovingdean Village' edited by Jennifer Drury and published by Ovingdean Millennium Association, is available in Brighton Library.