One of my recent history items concerned the inventors of the ‘Eastbourne Chair’, an invalid chair patented in 1899 by Dr Astley Roberts and Fanny Sophia Smith of Eastbourne. It was not difficult to find details about Astley Roberts as he was a prominent local doctor but I couldn’t find any information about Fanny Smith,…
Month: October 2024
The Eastbourne Chair
The Eastbourne Chair was a style of invalid chair invented by a Sussex doctor, Astley Carrington Roberts and Fanny Sophia Smith. They were both named in the patent which was granted patent number 22,790 in 1899. The chair had wheels but also curved rear brackets which made it easier to get up and down stairs. (Easier but…
Ebenezer’s Bonfire Speech – 1894
The Bonfire Season started a month ago with the Uckfield Bonfire Society hosting its parade and displays on 7th September. Tonight (5th October) it is the turn of the Eastbourne Bonfire Society. I have marched with the bonfire boys and belles on many occasions and wish them all luck and favourable weather! My great-grandfather Ebenezer…
The Long Man & Bluebell the Cow
I have always had an affinity for the Long Man of Wilmington. It has been a constant part of my life, and I know that my family, particularly my grandmother, Bessie adored it too. The Long Man was even on my school badge. (Willingdon County Secondary School as it was then) The Wilmington Giant stands tall…
Quirky Sussex History by Kevin Gordon 