Old Hollington Church

As a lad I was in the Church in the Wood choir. After a few years I was one of those who took on the task of pumping the organ. Behind the organ in the side was a handle in a perpendicular slot with a weight on a piece of string hanging out of a small hole beside it. As the organ was pumped the weight lowered on the string until it reached a mark, above which it should not go whilst the organ was working. If it did or the organist wanted more air pumped in he would whisper (in a rather loud voice) 'more wind' and we had to start pumping again. it was hard work but at half-a-crown a wedding, big bucks!

On a recent visit to Hastings I went to the church and had a look round. Although it now has electricity the organ pump was still in place, tempted as I was I did not pump it!

I was married at this church in 1975 that was a popular venue even if the people did not live in the close area. At the time I did not know that my relatives of two hundred years before had been members of the congregation and were also Christened, married and buried in the same place