Royal visit 1932

Another of my Chailey contacts has sent me further information about the Royal visit to Chailey in 1932 by the Prince of Wales. Graham Johnson writes:

The visit took place on 19th July 1932 and was primarily to open the new buildings (now converted into private dwellings) at what became known as St. Georges. At the time, the President of Chailey Branch was Mr R. C. Blencowe and the Chairman was Captain C. H. Cotesworth. They approached Mrs Kimmins (head of the Chailey Craft Schools) and offered the services of the Legion as a guard of honour. This was agreed and in order to present a goodly number, Newick Branch was asked to take part as well. It was hoped 40 or so members from both branches would take part together with representatives from the County Committee plus the County Standard . They were allocated a space 20 yards by 3 yards just within the gates and formed up at 3-00pm with all men wearing their medals and British Legion badges.

So I'm guessing that the tall man speaking to HRH is Charles Cotesworth as Robert Blencowe would have been 74 at the time and the man in the photograph is clearly younger than that.

Chailey veterans 1932

Here's a close up of the main body of men from the 1932 photograph. Click on the image for an enlargement of it. My thanks to Tom Cornford's son Stan for sending this to me.

Chailey Mill 1932

Here's an interesting photo taken in front of Chailey Mill in 1932. That's the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VIII wearing the straw boater, but who is the man he's speaking to, and who are the other veterans?

Tom Cornford MM, his head slightly bowed, is the veteran standing in the front row directly under the flag of St George (and indicated by the arrow), but who are the other men? The mill had been damaged in a storm either the previous year or shortly before that, hence the reason it has no sails.