Fun during a chilly winter 20 years ago

It may have been a bit chilly but that didn't stop members of the Manor Theatre Group hitting the streets in January 1997 to promote their panto, Babes in the Wood.
By The Newsroom
Published 13th Jan 2017, 14:18 BST
Updated 13th Jan 2017, 14:27 BST
Horsham School of Dancing 1997Horsham School of Dancing 1997
Horsham School of Dancing 1997

In the tradition of all good pantos, this telling of the rather depressing old story was something of a muddle and included characters from other tales.

Alongside 10-year-old Tom Champion and Lucy Swaffer, 7, as the ‘babes’, were Samantha Bourne as Maid Marion and Roger Kidd as the Sheriff of Nottingham.

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This selection of pictures was published in the County Times on January 10 1997 – and one of them had clearly been left over from Christmas. It showed the tots of Millais Day Nursery performing their nativity play for the 60 proud parents and grandparents who watched them with pride.

Babes in the Wood 1997Babes in the Wood 1997
Babes in the Wood 1997

It’s hard to believe the little angels in the picture are now in their 20s!

Over at The Weald school, the theme was repetition as youngsters raised money for the County Times Children’s Christmas Appeal . They bounced on pogo sticks, played 100 notes on a trumpet, attempted 100 sums in a minute and even raced to pick up 100 pieces of litter.

There was more fundraising at the Horsham School of Dance, where the children raised £430.88 by showing off their talents in a dance display at the Holbrook Youth Centre.

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Our final picture was published as a look back at a rather special moment from 1996. It showed the men of Horsham FC celebrating their first major triumph for two decades – the Division 3 title and, of course, promotion!

Do you recognise anyone in these pictures?