Worthing and the Glasshouse Industry

Worthing Meeting Centre

Worthing Heritage Festival Event
Early evidence of market gardening in Worthing can be seen on Phillip’s map of 1814, and it was in these gardens that the first greenhouses appeared in the 1830s. From these modest beginnings, a major pioneering industry developed, which employed hundreds of people, and greenhouses appeared all over the town.

The Worthing GIasshouse Industry was very important to the local economy for over 70 years, yet most people in Worthing today have no idea it ever existed. My talk outlines the story of this fascinating industry, how and why it all started, the challenges faced by the growers over the years and how and why it declined. Many people have ancestors who worked in the industry so this should be a subject of interest to both family and local historians.

Over the years, I have been very fortunate to interview some of the descendants of the pioneer growers, and I am indebted to them all for sharing their precious memories and wonderful photos, which form a substantial part of my talk.

History above Your Head – The Origins and Oddities of English Inn Signs with Quiz

History above Your Head – The Origins and Oddities of English Inn Sign with Quiz

Having set up a training business delivering programmes to a wide range of organisations all over the country and abroad, he qualified as a performance coach and a counsellor. Now retired he combines his lifelong passion for history as a speaker to WI’s, Probus, U3A’s, churches and other charitable groups.

Inns were rarely named by accident but were inspired by religion, royalty, heroes and the occasional scandal. This highly visual talk, with a quiz, explains how inns signs originate and traces their development from the Romans to the present day.