Posthumous publication for final book by Chichester historian

Andrew completed the book just before his death from cancer at the age of 72 at the end of July 2023. He had asked his wife Mari to bring it to publication and she has now done so. In Search of Forty Villages along the Sussex Coastal Plain is available from The Novium Museum in Chichester, from Kim’s bookshop in Arundel and from Mari directly via email at [email protected].

The book was going to be In Search of Fifty Villages along the Sussex Coastal Plain, echoing his In Search of Fifty South Downs Villages which came out in 2021. But sadly Andrew realised that time was against him: “He had written 40 and he literally stopped writing and putting it together the week before he died. It was the fourth book that he had written since retirement, well since lockdown really to be honest.”

Andrew had lived in Chichester since 1982, and for almost 30 years was head of sixth form at Chichester High School for Boys. He belonged to the Chichester Local History Society, to whom he dedicated is 2022 book In Search of Chichester. He published In Search of Lavant in 2020.

The two village books came about through his involvement with the HeartSmart walks programme, walks designed to cater for all ages and abilities, offering an opportunity to exercise and meet new people in a safe and friendly environment.

“In retirement he started leading the HeartSmart walks to help people recovering from heart problems but they turned into general walking groups of different lengths and he was very happy to lead those. He was going to all these different villages as part of the walks and so he did In Search of Fifty South Downs Villages.”

In Search of Forty Villages along the Sussex Coastal Plain was the natural successor volume – reflecting a county he loved.

“He was born in London and went primary school in South Yorkshire and then moved to London. He read history at Cambridge and his first job was back up in Yorkshire. We came down to Sussex in 1982.”

Mari is delighted now to have been able to bring his final volume to the bookshelves: “If I had known how much work it was going to be, I might have thought twice but actually our kids would not have allowed me not to do it! Before, he did everything completely on his own though perhaps I helped a little bit with the proof-reading. And then after he died, I really couldn't do anything for six months there was so much to do. I started this in January and fortunately Andy used a typesetter. So Andy had set up some things before we started and these people were very helpful, knowing my situation.”

As for Andrew’s In Search of Chichester book, he said at the time he wanted to write the book so that he could set the record straight about some aspects of Chichester’s past.

“There is so much to tell about Chichester’s history,” he said. “Unfortunately there are also many Chichester myths and half-truths which need to be challenged and put right. That is why the book is sub-titled Fifty Questions in search of Fifty Answers. Each article raises an issue upon which the golden light of truth still needs to be shone. It is too easy to accept as fact some incorrect assertion simply because, down the years, it has lazily been repeated in book after book.”