From the rugged life of the Falklands to comfort of Sussex

SUS-160620-111525001SUS-160620-111525001
SUS-160620-111525001

This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement.

The Falkland Islands were very much on people's minds in 1983. The remote UK colony in the South Atlantic was still recovering from the 74-day conflict that had cost the lives of 910 military personnel and three civilians one year earlier.

For Ivy Hambleton, of Henfield, the war had hit very close to home, as she was born at North Arm, East Falkland, in 1912. In 1983, members of the village’s Darby and Joan Club, wished her a happy 71st birthday.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Ivy’s husband, Harold, was based in the Falklands during the Second World War, serving aboard HMS Protector, and kept a couple of penguin eggs as mementos of his time on the islands.

Speaking to the County Times in 1983, Ivy described life on the islands as “very rugged”, with no electricity, peat bogs providing fuel for fires, and homes lit my candles and oil lamps.

SUS-160620-111514001SUS-160620-111514001
SUS-160620-111514001

When asked if she would ever return to her childhood home, she said: “Given half a chance, we’d go back there tomorrow. We have always had a hankering after going back. It would be a wonderful experience.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Does anyone know if Ivy and Harold ever made it back to the Falklands.

While the Hambleton’s were sharing their tale, students at The Weald were welcoming one of the country’s finest athletes to their school.

Steve Ovett, was there to officially open a £400,000 sports complex and met some former and current Weald students who had started to make their names in athletics.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad
SUS-160620-111549001SUS-160620-111549001
SUS-160620-111549001

Among them was Phillip Timms, who had been named most promising shot-putter of the year in 1983. Then there was Ashley Ward, who held the national schoolboys’ discus record, basketball and netball player Carol Weatherall, and Tracey Jones, national 800 metres finalist.

While they were all impressive young athletes, they had some way to go to match Steve. In 1983, the Sussex-born lad secured his personal best at the 1,500 metres with a time of three minutes 30.77 seconds. It also happened to be a world record.

Our final picture shows the young men and women who were nominated for the Horsham Lions youth award.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The winner was 16-year-old Wendy Jones who was working towards her Duke of Edinburgh gold award and wanted to become a teacher.

SUS-160620-111537001SUS-160620-111537001
SUS-160620-111537001

She won a three-week holiday in Germany.

Don’t miss out on all the latest breaking news where you live.

Here are four ways you can be sure you’ll be among the first to know what’s going on.

1 Make our website your homepage at www.wscountytimes.co.uk

SUS-160620-111514001SUS-160620-111514001
SUS-160620-111514001

2 Like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/wscountytimes

3 Follow us on Twitter @wscountytimes

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

4 Register with us by clicking on ‘sign in’ (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here.

And do share with your family and friends – so they don’t miss out!

The County Times – always the first with your local news.

Be part of it.

Related topics: