Petworth Boys School

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A plaque near the Stonemason's arm records what must have been the most tragic event in the history of Petworth. On September the 29th 1942 a bomber dropped 4 bombs onto the school killing 28 of the pupils and several adults including the headmaster.

There is a very moving eye witness account here.

http://www.gravelroots.net/history/ww2.html

The military purpose of the raid is not known, and it is likely that it was simply a mistake or a case of a bomber getting rid of its load of bombs before returning home.

Candle Cottage Petworth

This interesting building is set back from the High Street.  It is such an unusual shape that there must be some history to it.  If anyone knows please let me know.

Open Space by HSBC Golden Square Petworth

Someone has removed the wild vegetation from the area in front of HSBC in Golden Square. This photo taken in January shows the bare soil left afterwards.

I don't know what the plan is, so I will keep an eye on it and add pictures as it develops. I hope they don't just let the weeds grow back.

The Surgery Petworth

In its new custom built building and nice sized car park, the surgery is an asset to the town.

http://www.petworthsurgery.co.uk/

The Star Petworth

The Star is the main pub in the centre of Petworth. It is very much a locals pub with darts and quiz nights. It does food during the day and has a good selection of beers. It has a page on http://www.pubsulike.co.uk/ which makes it seem a bit bigger than it actually is, but has some nice photos of the interior.

The current landlord is quite active in organising entertainment with quizzes and darts tournaments and the like.

Update 30.3.09 First full day after the clocks have gone back. I was wandering past the Star this evening and it was full of people enjoying coffee and pastries, presumably enoying the extra daylight in the evening. It is good the way in the last few years pubs have branched out into offering all sorts of catering options. So if you are in the Petworth area early in the evening, here is somewhere you can get a snack.

Petworth has a new vicar

Petworth' has a new vicar, the Rev Tim Wright. He takes over St Mary's Church today, along with St Bartholomew at Egdean today.

He is 55 and married to Deborah with three children.

Artful Teasing Refurbished

Artful Teasing have re-opened after their refurbishment with a much lighter and cleaner look to the shop. It looks like they have dropped a few lines and are concentrating on their own skin care products more.

Artful Teasing Petworth Website

Beat the recession? Yes we can!

There isn't much we can do about the recession, but somebody is trying. The Yes We Can Sussex website encourages you to shop locally and support local businesses. It is a simple idea - they run a mailing list where local businesses can advertise what they are doing and any offers they have on. It seems to be free at the moment. And that seems to be it. I have just signed up for it and I think it is only just starting, but it sounds like something we should all support.

The nearer home you spend your money, the more likely you are to see it again after all.

Sign up here http://www.yeswecansussex.co.uk/

I don't know anything about this apart from what is on the website itself - I will try and find out more.

The Petworth Club

There are a few places you can get a drink in Petworth, but unless you are a local you won't get into the Petworth Club. You might not get in if you are a local - I have never crossed the threshold. But down cobbled Lombard Street is a discreet door that leads downstairs to a drinking club. I doubt that any visitor to the town ever picks up o the small lamp marking it and I am sure that there are people who have lived here for years who have never noticed it.

Rugs of Petworth

This shop opened last year. It is a rug shop, and it is based in Petworth, so the name seems quite appropriate. They sell high quality rugs, and also offer an amazing computer based service whereby you can have a design created on screen and made into a rug. The picture is their Christmas window.

Find out more at their website http://www.rugsofpetworth.co.uk/

Giovanna Ticciati

Giovanna Ticciati is situated in New Street and is a very minimalist outlet selling contemporary art and design.  The wide windows open onto possibly the least cluttered shop in Petworth.

Minimalism is certainly the order of the day here, even at Christmas.  This was their Christmas decoration.  All of it.  A statue of an angel, which had been in the window before Christmas, wearing an Ipod.   It made a bit of a stir, including a mention on Ricky Gervais'  blog.

As you might imagine, the website is quite stylish.

http://www.giovannaticciati.com/

Snow in Petworth January 2009

Being protected by the Downs Petworth wasn't as badly hit by snow as many parts of the country, but nonetheless did get a reasonable dusting.  It was all gone pretty quickly but here are a few pictures to remind you of it.  All the experts are saying that this weather only happens every 18 years so it might be a while before we get any more.

Look closely and you can actually see the snow falling in this view of East Street right by the Tudor Rose antique shop.

The Shimmings valley with a thick layer of snow just before dawn.

New Street, view from the Red Lion across to Artful Teasing.

Coco Café Sugar Lounge Petworth

The Coco Café Sugar Lounge is a delightful shop, the sort of shop that thrives in Petworth. One of the great things about Petworth is that it is too small to be of interest to national chains, but is still the home of interesting outlets like this one. Other examples are Guilt, Courtyard and Artful Teasing - all of which stock goods that you can't easily get on the standard high street.

It sells chocolate and sweets, but all interesting and unusual brands that you wouldn't find in a newsagent. Some of them you may have heard of, but some are really small chocolatiers that I frankly don't know where else you would find them. For instance, they stock the local chocolate produced by the Chocolate Alchemist.

You can also have a cup of coffee there if you are lucky enough to get in when one of the few tables are free. If you want a more traditional café with more seating space look for Tiffins.

They are good at promoting themselves too.

And they have a website coco cafe sugar lounge petworth.

Check out the Chocolate Alchemists website.

12.4.09 Update - they have opened up some more floor space now so there are a couple more tables.

They also do art exhibitions, for example Claudia Jones at the Coco Cafe Sugar Lounge Petworth.

Hoar Frost Petworth 10th January 2009

On the 10th of January Petworth woke up to hoar frost. This rare event only happens on cold clear nights. Heat losses to the sky cause objects to become colder than the surrounding air and crystals of ice form directly on their surface.

The tree outside St Marys Church.

The graveyard of St Marys Church.

The Shimmings valley. The sun trying to shine through the fog.

Spiders web revealed in Hoar Frost.