Barcombe couple celebrate 70 years of marriage

Today, Tuesday, March 22 marks the 70th wedding anniversary of John and Rosemary Brown, now of Barcombe, but formerly of Lewes and then Malaya (Malaysia.)

John (born in Brighton in 1926) moved with his parents and sister to his grandparents’ farm, at Landport Farm, Lewes, in 1937 when part of the farm was compulsory purchased to build the Landport estate.

Rosemary (née Philcox) was born in Albion Street, Lewes in 1929 and moved with her parents and brother Richard to Gundreda Road, where her father, who started the building firm Philcox Bros with his brother Harry, had built a house.

Before they met in 1948 John worked with Harrisons Engineering in Kuala Lumpur before the Emergency where insurgents turned on the government and European employers.

Rosemary’s life was dominated by horses at a time when Lewes was a vibrant horseracing town.

She was friendly with trainers, Tom Gates and Matt Feakes and rode out with professional lads on the Downs. She also kept pigs next to Baxter’s Field and used to collect pig swill with her moped and trailer.

Rosemary also took a secretarial course and, as a talented pianist, studied for her LRAM (Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Music.)

Daughter Jane Lee said they met when John was home on leave.

“Rosemary knew the family through tennis at the Southdown and the Young Farmers clubs. She had danced with John’s father at an NFU dance and wondered, in later years, if they had in fact been set up on a blind date!”

John asked for his leave to be extended and six weeks later he proposed to Rosemary during a stroll on the Downs between Cuckmere Haven and Seaford Head,

The couple married on March 22 at St John’s Church, Southover attended by bridesmaids Jill Feakes (daughter of trainer Matt Feakes) and niece Penelope Philcox. As they did not live in that parish, Rosemary kept a suitcase at a friend’s house in St Pancras Road.The reception was held at Southover Grange. The couple then sailed to Malaya on the RMS Chusan where they spent nine years and welcomed their three daughters into the world.

In Malaya Rosemary played an active part in local life joining the Red Cross and Malayan RSPCA. She played the piano at the Sungei Buloh Leper Settlement and at a local ballet school. Meanwhile her father regularly sent them copies of the Sussex Express to keep them up-to-date with home news.

John discovered that Rosemary’s life involved her animals including dachshunds, cats, ponies, guinea pigs, rabbits, tortoises, a mynah bird, budgerigars and even a monkey.

The couple returned to Lewes in November 1960 at the time of major Lewes Floods. Their son was born in 1961. Rosemary kept ponies at Landport Farm where she gave lessons to pay for their upkeep.

Wanting a large garden, they moved to Barcombe, where John kept family and friends well supplied with home-grown vegetables and fruit. He still keeps the family larder stocked with home-made crabapple jelly.

His farming and engineering background led him to develop considerable skills and he became a master of DIY, on hand for the family to make, mend and fix everything. Many achievements include making cots and toys and a highlight was a playhouse he built in the traditional Malay style.

The couple worship at St. Mary’s Church, Barcombe where, for many years, John was a member of the PCC and Rosemary church organist. Jane says they play a huge part in the lives of their four children, eight grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

They have a shared love of music, children, walking and animals. Despite both having been seriously ill with Covid they still walk twice a day unless the weather is bad.