The Henfield Wanderer

10/06/2026

If you're in town for the annual Festival of Gardens & Arts this weekend, why not pop into Venue 32 - The Henfield Club - and see prints by meself and Will Green on both days, and quilts by Suzanne Fisher on Sunday. I've attached a little preview of the prints of my paintings to this post - by way of a taster... Sound on!

05/06/2026

'Mazurka d'Auvergne'. When not wandering around the village, I'm usually making music of some kind or doing some drawing or painting, as well as getting involved with Henfield history - and photographing it. I came across a video I made one spring morning a few years ago In my back garden. It seemed a suitable tune for a spring morn. I hope you like it. The guitar was made by my old friend in Ditchling - Ian Chisholm. I'm playing the tune as a waltz - strictly speaking, a mazurka is more accentuated - but I don't care!

05/06/2026

Two matching portraits now face each other on the north wall of the Henfield Club bar. I painted Mike Marshall, a Royal Engineers veteran last year, and the portrait was hung on the right, facing left. Mike has come to the Remembance Sunday event, with the RE banner, for many years. In the opposite corner, facing right - and Mike - is my portrait of Ian Tredgett, a veteran of the Royal Artillery Missile Regiment. This was hung a day or two ago. I've chatted to both Mike and Ian - lovely men with many stories to tell of life in 'the mob'. Ian has led the Sunday church parade for the British Legion for many years, and hopes to do so this November.

24/05/2026

24/05/2026

A day for wandering into the garden and a comfy chair, with a lager, a paper and a book. The book is an anonymous novel from 1958 called “A Room In Chelsea Square “, and brings back fond memories of the author - one Michael Nelson who lived in Weavers Lane and presided over uproarious sessions in the Gardeners Arms. Why anonymously? The book was the first novel set in London’s gay scene, which Michael knew, being gay (and married to his beloved Rachel). But at that time, being gay could bring unwanted attention from the law… Whatever - MN was a kind, funny and generous person - and many of us had fond recollections. Cheers Michael! 🍺🍺🍺

23/05/2026

I was going through my old sketchbooks from 30 or 40 years ago, and came across this pen & ink drawing of the Cat House - March 1997! A few details have changed, but it's essentially the same view up Church Terrace.

11/05/2026

Not a great day for strolling through the fields, so I thought I'd post part of the 1897 OS map of the village - just for interest. It's always interesting to see the extent of the village 130+ years ago. I've cleaned it up by taking out the field acreage numbers and the field links markers, which tend to clutter it all up.

09/05/2026

As a postscript to my recent post, here's a video shot of the Downs from east to west, taking in the D**e and Truleigh Hill. The track on the left rises up to South View. The right-hand track drops down to Dunstalls.

09/05/2026

A very pleasant wander this afternoon, through the churchyard, past the Tanyard field, down Blackgate Lane and along Neptown Road to Mill End. Down Windmill Lane as far as the old sandpit gate - and then a track on the left takes you to a great viewpoint where you can see the expanse of the downs from the D**e to Truleigh Hill to (nearly) Chanctonbury. I've just bought a compact folding chair, so was able to sit and enjoy the view for some time. A footpath to the left brings you up to South View - and thence to the High Street - and the Club! My pint of Downlands never tasted better!

08/05/2026

"Elegy For A Lost Year" - a film I made in late 2020 from still photographs of Henfield taken on solitary walks during the 2020 lockdown. The music - for piano and 'cello - was written by me for the video, and is suitably thoughtful in mood...