Tales of olde Sussex

Sometimes I think, when I encounter a beautiful chair like this or some other magical thing, how lovely it would be to wind the clock back to young childhood just for a few hours and to be able to see these things through the eyes of a child not a jaded adult....for is this not the perfect story telling chair?

Surrounded by little wooden stools as it is perhaps you might enjoy a tale such as this.....

In deepest, darkest Sussex down near the coast there lies the small village of Lyminster and besides its church 'tis a bottomless pond, known locally as the Knucker Hole. It's a place to be afeared for many of 'em has perished at the hands of the evil dragon who lives in the depths and made this pond their watery grave. Many souls were lost to this nefarious serpent. Until one day that was a local farmer's lad, Jim Pulk decided to end the monster's reign of terror. Knowing he had not the strength to slay the beast instead he baked him a huge pie. This, however, was not any old meat pie...it was the most delicious pie, but it had a secret....it was full of poison. Knowing how greedy the beast was, Jim called to him from the water's edge and that monster did eat that pie down in one big mouthful and immediately dropped down dead. So satisfied was Jim with his day's work that he did wipe the back of his hand across his mouth...but alas and alack he did then too imbibe poison and departed this earth......

Now it must be a true story for here's the whole tale commemorated in the window by Caroline Benyon in the nearby church and Jim's gravestone is stood next to it. You can even see the knucker hole if you peek through the hedge [it's now a privately owned fishing lake, so nosey parkers like me can't go and have a good old gander!]

The wooden chair is another piece by a local artist, Janine Creaye whose work I've featured before. Poignantly, it's called "Peter's Chair" and is permanently located at the Arundel Wildfowl Trust. Peter was a popular member of staff who sadly died young.

Arilx