Allans Mens Clothing Store Petworth

I was very happy to get this picture and write up from the folks at my favourite clothes shop. Allens is located just off the Market Square and stocks some good clothes for the discerning gentleman of fashion. They also provide the soundtrack to Christmas by broadcasting carols from their shop.


45 years ago in 1964 Marion and Fred Sneller and their seven children moved to Petworth and took over Allans, a Ladies Fashion and Haberdashery business based in New Street. The first day’s trading finished with a grand total of £1.87 in the till. The business quickly expanded and at one time the whole family plus several local shop assistants were employed in six different shops occupying four premises in the town. By 1974 the shops which included the original ladies fashions now traded in menswear, children’s clothes, dress fabrics and knitting wools and carpets, curtains and homeware.

Following the death of Fred in 1971 and Marion’s subsequent retirement in 1979 plus various family members moving on to other things, the present business is run by Bob and Dick Sneller although their sister Wendy Reynolds still does all the alterations for the shop. Another sister Jane Welch has just written her mother’s memoirs which Allans have published to celebrate the 45th anniversary.

Archway Cottage Petworth High Street

A charming cottage tucked away behind a gate in the High Street in Petworth.

Claudia Jones Exhibition at the Coco Cafe Sugar Lounge Petworth

The Coco Cafe Sugar Lounge in Petworth doesn't just do chocolate and coffee. They also regularly have exhibitions of art and photos on their walls as well. The latest set is by Petworth resident Claudia Jones, and as Petworth's premier A-list blogger I was at the launch party to see how it all looked.

Claudia grew up in Jamaica and her oil paintings reflect the warmth and vibrancy of the tropics. A big contrast with West Sussex! She started painting in oils at school when she was 6 or 7 and has continued ever since. Her work is on display in several hotels in Negril, Jamaica.

This a detail from a triptych portraying a group of flamingos in a tropical pool. In additions to the oil paintings she also has some interesting screens that enable you to transform your room into a jungle.

And here is the artist herself

The exhibition is on until May 8th and most of the pieces in it are for sale. Claudia has a website where you can see more of her work. www.stargrasss.co.uk

More about the Coco Cafe Sugar Lounge.

Petworth Parking Poser

One of the good things about Petworth is that it has a large carpark right in the middle of town which is free to use and has unlimited parking. I heard that there were plans afoot to start a system where the parking will still be free but there will be a 2 hour time limit.

On first hearing it sounded a bit daft to me. But I listened and it turns out that there is a problem. It seems that a lot of people who work in London have the habit of meeting up in Petworth and sharing a lift either into London itself or to Haslemere or Pulborough stations, where the parking isn't free.

This means that the car park gets full up early in the morning and stays that way until the evening, meaning that people who have business in Petworth itself during the day have a job finding somewhere to park. The limited time rule should make this a bit easier. The commuters would soon work out that they could use the large car park by the Sylvia Beaufoy centre for the same purpose just as easily.

I couldn't help thinking that 4 hours would be a better time limit than 2 hours - there is a lot to see in Petworth and two hours seems a bit of a short period of time.

Anyhow, I don't know how far advanced these plans are and even if they will ever come to anything. If you know more than me please let me know.

Somerfields

How would any of us in Petworth get on without Somerfields? Knowing that a pint of milk or a rasher of bacon is only a short walk away anytime between 7 and 10 is a great comfort. Apart from the banks, the only big chain represented in Petworth.

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.

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.

Plum Gifts Petworth - Christmas Lights

Plum is a gift shop in the High Street in Petworth.

They stock a wide range of interesting gifty items. Their Christmas window was very tasteful in 2008, and they also showed some enterprise in getting a display of  some of their lines in the window of a currently empty shop window by the newsagents - thus doubling their window shopping display area at a stroke!

The photo doesn't really do them justice - my hand was shaking as I took it.  For a better idea have a look at their website. http://www.plumgifts.co.uk/

Switching on the Christmas Lights

The big event in Petworth this week was the switching on of the Christmas lights in the Market Square. There had been lots of rumours going around the town about who the celebrity was who was going to switch the lights on. It had at one point going to be local resident John Sargent - who had agreed to do it long before he became a household name and national treasure. Some people had said it was going to be Michel Pierre White, others thought that some elves had been approached from the Pantomime in Chichester. On the day itself Ricky Gervais was spotted in town and word went round that he was the mystery celebrity. (He has mentioned Petworth in his blog, see Week 40, but doesn't confirm this story.) In the event, nobody could have predicted the actual surprise in store for the people of Petworth, none other than Julie Stardust wife of the actual Alvin Stardust. To get Scrooge from the pantomime at the same time was yet another coup. Speculation on who will be next year's celebrity will probably start as soon as the lights come down again in January. See the lights being put up in Petworth here.

Horse Guards Hotel Tillington

The Horse Guards is without doubt one of the best pubs in the Petworth area. It is just outside the town, along the A272 exactly the other side of Petworth Park.

The food is excellent, but unlike a lot of pubs with good food it is still basically a pub with a bar you can stand at and have a drink.

Find out more at their website.

Horses and Carts in Petworth Park June 2008

I came across this short clip of some horses and carts I saw one Sunday afternoon in June in Petworth Park.

I don't know what the event was or anything about it. Please let me know if you do!

The Past and Present Shop Petworth

Petworth has a wealth of interesting and unusual shops, and the High Street is one of the best places to find them. I suppose at a push you would have to describe the Past and Present shop as an antique shop, but it has more of the atmosphere of a scene from a novel by Dickens.

Tiffins Petworth

Tiffins is a tea shop down the High Street in Petworth. It has recently been taken over by a new person, who I think you can see looking out the front door in the picture. I haven't been in since the changeover but I have noticed that there are more customers in there when I go by so I imagine that the change has been for the better. It was quite okay before anyway. It is quite a small place so it doesn't take many people to fill it up.

(I have just walked by on a wet Saturday afternoon and it was full to the brim with happy looking customers. I will try and get in there to give it a proper review soon.)

Tiffins has a much fuller menu and more tables, but the Coco Café Sugar Lounge is another place you can get a cup of tea in Petworth.

St Marys Church Petworth

You can't really miss St Marys on a visit to Petworth as it is on high ground and the tower is visible from many points around the town.  It is particularly nice to approach it up Lombard Street from the Market Square.
Petworth doesn't really have any picturesque churches.  St Marys is arguably the most gruesome of the three, though the catholic church gives it some competition.  An incongruous 1950s tower on a much older building gives a discordant blend of brick and stone.  It probably looked a lot better with the old tower.  I will see if I can discover the reason for the change.
The interior is much more interesting with lots of plaques commemorating local worthies.  The one I find most intriguing is the one to a Victorian organist called George Frederick Handel Turner.  I suppose having been christened with a name like that you really have to become a musician.
Although visually unappealing the sound of the bells is very nice both on Sundays and during the regular practices during the week. 
The other great redeeming feature is that it is a great community centre and facility for local people.  It regularly hosts concerts and events and is one of the main venues for the Petworth Music Festival.

Lord Egremont Memorial Junction of East Street and Church Street Petworth

This amazing wrought iron memorial was designed by Sir Charles Barry, the architect of the House of Commons. It was erected by the town to thank Lord Egremont for laying on gas lighting for the town.

The rather striking Georgian building to the right in the picture is today an antique shop but was at one time the studio of the artist Turner.  It was also a library at one stage.

The memorial is decorated for Xmas as part of the general Petworth lighting. For some reason this has been turned on before the rest of them so here is an entertaining video of them in action for people who can't get to see them in person. (Best played with the sound down.)

Putting Up the Christmas Lights in Petworth November 2008

The Christmas lights in Petworth are put up by volunteers from the town.

Here are the lights being put up in New Street between the Red Lion and Artful Teasing on November 2nd 2008.

This job is done on Sunday mornings in November in time for the fair held in the Market Square in November. The lights are officially turned on by a celebrity on the evening of the first Saturday in December. There are stalls in the square and most of the shops stay open late and put on special displays. All in all it is a very enjoyable day.

Biggest Problem in Petworth - Lorries and their SatNav

There isn't really any reason for big lorries to come through Petworth. It is just as quick to avoid the town whether the destination is Chichester or further west. The trouble is that the Satnav that the lorries use doesn't seem to take account of the narrow streets in Petworth. As a result there are regular instances of lorries getting stuck or even demolishing ancient buildings. This Tesco lorry got stuck in between Artful Teasing and the Cannon Gallery (Now Giovanna Ticciati). I don't know what the answer is, but I hope someone comes up with a solution soon, or Petworth will become a tourist attraction for people who like seeing lorry crashes.

Catholic Church Petworth

The catholic church in Petworth is built in a very old fashioned style but was actually constructed in the thirties.  Even now it still looks a bit odd as a result, though no doubt another century on and it will look very traditional.

It is located in an out of the way part of the town and its churchyard is separated from it.

I wouldn't describe it as a building of any architectural interest but the flower beds are well kept and very nice to look at.