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1917: Children can't play in the streets


This being National Baby Week, (be Rev. S Maddock preached a most in interesting sermon in the Congregational Church on Sunday evening, heading it 'The Wealth in the Cradle'. Mr Maddock drew attention to the lack of a playing field or a recreation ground for the children of Cuckfield


An American lady visiting England once asked: 'Where do your children play?' She could ask the same question in Cuckfield. It is strange at least in a town of the public spirit and wealth of Cuckfield that while they had golf links they had no public cricket ground.


Mothers in Cuckfield and Balcombe had said to him 'The children are forbidden to play in the streets and they must not trespass in the fields'. London boys were better provided for in the matter of cricket and other field games than several towns and villages in Mid Sussex.


Mid Sussex Times, 3 July 1917


Photo from Cuckfield CC: https://cuckfield.play-cricket.com


Contributed by Malcolm Davison.



Visit Cuckfield Museum for ‘Horsepower – Before machines altered the pace of life forever’ display and much, much more. Follow the link for details https://cuckfieldmuseum.org/

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