Petworth Cottage Museum
The First Twenty Years
In 2016 we were able to stage an exhibition to celebrate twenty years of the museum. Extracted from the Petworth Society's scrapbooks of cuttings, the pictures and transcripts collected here occupied three sides of the exhibition hall. Five years on we cannot stage another physical exhibition but we can show these cuttings here. Unless otherwise stated the cuttings are all from the Midhurst & Petworth Observer. Click on the pictures to enlarge.
24 Wind
and rain fail to put a dampener on fundraising events
31st May
2007
Just one word sums up the bank holiday weekend. Soggy. But the rain, wind and wintry temperatures failed to achieve a washout of events in the Midhurst and Petworth area, and village fete organisers at Bignor Park and Lodsworth counted the cash in thousands of pounds. Joanna, Lady Mersey, who hosted the five-hour Bignor fete on Sunday, estimated proceeds in the region of £11,000 to be shared between the downland churches of Barlavington, Bignor, Burton, Coates and Sutton. She said: “It's an amazing total. We had fewer people than usual, about 800, but they braved the elements and must have spent extra money. Staff from the South Downs Joint Committee roasted three sheep for our cold and hungry visitors. I needed two hot baths afterwards to warm up,” she added. No activity, not even the balloon race was cancelled, and bedraggled dogs put on a brave show to win rosettes for their weather-impervious owners. “But,” Lady Mersey said: “our ice cream stall only made £1!”. Also on Sunday Petworth residents went ahead with their programme to open 14 gardens and ten allotments in aid of the cottage museum. Organiser Ann Bradley said: “We have never had such a rotten day for the event and it obviously did affect the number of people who came. We have never attempted to do anything in conditions like that before! I would like to applaud the garden owners and particularly the allotment holders who were joining in for the museum for the first time.” Visitors were able to seek refuge in the United Reformed Church, where there was a flower festival and teas were being served. The church elders also made room for stall holders who would otherwise have been left out in the cold. It is not yet known how much was raised for the museum. Spirits refused to be dampened at Lodsworth's village fete on Monday. despite fewer people than usual, an estimated £7,000 was raised, to be shared between the recreation ground, the village hall, the church and village clubs and organisations. Reba Weller, one of the organisers said: “In weather like that the great British sense of adventure comes out! Some things like the silent auction and some children's activities were moved into the hall but a lot was going on outside. It was chilly but all those who were there were willing to have a go at everything, even if they did have to go home to put on an extra layer of clothes.” Monday's Thai festival at the Hamilton Arms, Stedham for the Mudita Trust for the prevention of child prostitution in Thailand, raised between £5,000 and £6,000. Mudita Karnasuta, who runs the pub and founded the trust said it was the worst weather the event had encountered in 15 years and takings were inevitably hit. “Normally we raise about £10,000 but in the circumstances the turnout was good,” she added.
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