LETTER: View from east side of Denne Hill

I am sure I will not be the only reader to write and point out the error in your description of the view from Denne Hill in 1950 in the photo provided by John Watling, who was a close neighbour of mine in the days of our youth in the 1940s, in your issue of September 26.

By The Newsroom

Published 5th Oct 2013, 09:00 BST

The church spire seen in the picture is that of St Mark’s Church and not St Mary’s. The white building to the left of the church is the old Odeon Cinema and the white roof below and to the left that of the old Southdown bus garage in Denne Road which means that St Mary’s would be further to the left and out of sight from where the picture was taken. The 1950 picture was taken from the eastern side of Denne Hill where there was then a clear grassy slope which was at that time the site where we used to go sledging in winter – a much steeper slope than the currently used slope by Tower Hill – and one had to roll off the sledge at the bottom before it crashed into the iron fence when conditions were icy.

Subsequently the trees which are now being removed were planted and a fire break cut across the slope which altered the whole view of the town from that side of Denne Hill.

RON GLAYSHER

Pollards Drive, Horsham

Southdown