Working for a market gardener in the 1960s

A farm in Peacehaven

I worked for W. Grant Currie Ltd. in the mid 1960s as a market gardener.  There were quite a few of us girls that came from Brighton and travelled to his farm in Peacehaven each day by cattle truck. We were on piece work and had a quota to do each day. When we had done our quota we could go home. As hitchhiking was quite safe in those days, we used to hitch a lift back to Brighton each afternoon, in groups of twos and threes. We would go to Lyon’s Tea Rooms at the bottom of St James’s Street for a lovely tea or coffee, before going home.

Do you remember the old Municipal Market? If you can share your memories, please leave a comment below.

Spotted by the local bobby

In the winter we had to work on other farms around Sussex, sprout picking i.e. Thakeham, Glynde, Telscombe, Southease, Barcombe Mills. We had to come back to the Municipal Market in Brighton by cattle truck from those farms, with all of the sprouts that we had picked. If we saw any dishy looking men on our way back to Brighton we would throw a few sprouts at them. Unfortunately on at least one occasion we were spotted by the local police and made to get out of the truck and pick up all of the sprouts we had thrown, very embarrassing.