Mystery of the missing plaques

Most people like a well written mystery story, where they can try and work out the ending. In real life, mysteries can be far more frustrating and sometimes without an ending. This seemed to be the case when two plaques were removed from a gate at Chesworth Farm during the riverside fields’ project.

The plaques were fascinating as they referred to Pops and Jinks and commemorated the lives of Frank and Eileen Dunn.

Despite a great deal of effort over a period of several weeks last summer, the attempt to make contact with any local family or find out who were Pops and Jinks failed. It looked like we’d never know. Then out of the blue, there was a knock on the door of the Head Countryside Warden’s home and there, standing on the doorstep, was a lady, who wanted to know what had happened to the plaques.

It was Kate, one the daughters of Pops and Jinks, who left Horsham some time ago. She’d been asked to call in at the Farm to lay some flowers from her youngest son’s wedding in memory of his grandparents. The plaques had been fixed to the gate in memory of her parents and she thought that the plaques might have been lost or destroyed. She was delighted to discover that the plaques had survived.

Last week, Frank and Eileen’s two daughters, Judi and Kate, together with their husbands returned to Chesworth Farm and the plaques were placed in a prominent position on the boardwalk in the riverside fields. It was also a time to reminisce about the family’s time in Horsham from 1966 onwards and even meet some acquaintances from the past. It was a lovely afternoon and the mystery was solved at last.

Pops and Jinks are remembered on August 11, their wedding day, every year in the Memorial Book at St Mary’s Church but, more importantly, their memorials are back in their rightful place on the Chesworth Farm that they loved.

Story and pictures contributed by the Friends of Chesworth Farm