This meeting held on the 13th March was advertised as "Edwardian Pleasure Gardens of Sussex". Unfortunately, the Speaker, Mark Dudeney went down with 'flu, and Alan our Treasurer stepped in at short notice to offer another of his splendid talks supported by slides from his vast collection of postcards. We hope to re-arrange the talk on Pleasure Gardens for some time later this year.

There have been over 39 photographers or publishers of postcards producing views of Henfield in the 20th century, of which 22 can be identified by name. Alan started his talk by showing the earliest known postcard of Henfield, a photographic view of the High Street by an unknown photographer, which was posted in May 1902. The Mezzotint Co. of Brighton produced at least 110 black & white and coloured printed cards of the village dating from the 1905-1912 period. The cards shown included children playing marbles in the Nep Town Road outside of Mr. Wright's corner shop, the Post Office, and a view of Henfield Common showing Lavender Cottage and the quoits pitches in front, and the finish of the Henfield Telephone line also at the back of the common close to Lavender Cottage. Some of the Mezzotint cards were produced from photos taken by the Henfield photographer and chemist, Mr. E.L. Merrett, these included one of St. Elizabeth's Rest Nursing Home in Cagefoot Lane which operated from c1865-1920's, and one of the "Postmen and Auxiliaries Resting on the Sabbath".

A.H.C. Corder of Brighton produced at least 11 cards of Henfield including views of the windmill on the Lydds, Broadmere Common, Church Lane, and the High Street, etc. These are photographic cards and date from the 1906/07 period. Another Brighton photographer, R. Janeck, produced cards of Henfield during the 1908/10 period. These featured May Day celebrations in 1908 and 1910, and a number of uncaptioned cards of properties and people. The Press Photo Co. of Brighton also operated during this period and as well as views of the village they produced about 8 cards of the floods on the brooks which occurred in 1909.

The Haywards Heath photographer, F. Douglas Miller, produced at least 19 postcards of Henfield dating from the 1910-1914 period. Examples of his work shown included one of the memorial procession on the way to the Church to mark the death of King Edward VII in May 1910, the Old Toll House at Crouch Hill half-mile north of Henfield, and one of the footpath leading to the girls' school. About 6 postcards of Henfield were included in the Brighton Palace Series which also incorporated views from other Sussex villages. These were colour printed cards produced by the Pictorial Centre of 7 Grand Junction Road, Brighton, and dated from c1911.

The Collograph Co. of Hove published at least 4 views of Henfield. These were printed cards with floral borders. Views included Barrow Hill, Nep Town Road, and The Cat House. These again date from c1910. As previously mentioned, Mr. E.L. Merrett of Henfield who run the chemists and post office from c1899-1914 was also a photographer. He produced in excess of 32 postcards of Henfield and also travelled north to produce postcards of Cowfold, West Grinstead, Partridge Green and other villages. Examples of his work, which usually also included his dog Bruno, included the stoolball club group in c1912, views of the South Downs, ice skating on the brooks and one of a number of postcards showing the Cowfold Lodge fire in 1908. There were possibly at least 62 views of Henfield taken in the 1912-1914 period by C.V. Travers of Hove. This photographer travelled all over Sussex and all the cards are numbered. A.H. Homewood of Burgess Hill produced a few sepia postcards of Henfield which were sold at Mr. Tyler's shop in the High Street. These include views of the Church, Broomfield Road, and Wakelands, an old cottage which stood on the site of Byways on the corner of Windmill Lane.

George Banbury of Haywards Heath produced postcards covering mainly the northern part of Sussex from Cross-in-Hand in the east to Rusper in the west. Three examples of his work covering Henfield are known to exist but in all probability there are others. He used to cycle around the villages to take photos and his bicycle quite often appears in the photos. His postcards date from the c1911-1920 period. W.J. Drewett who was a photographer based at Steyning and Storrington at different periods between c1902 and c1939 tended to cover the southern area of Sussex, south of the A272. His Henfield cards date from the c1917 period and he produced at least 19 postcards of Henfield. Examples of his work shown included Cutlers Croft in Nep Town road, Barrow Hill, and the Cat House. He also produced a good selection of views of the High Street.

Edward Pattenden who had what is now Stokes Shop in the High Street, sold three series of postcards over the years between c1914 and 1920: a colour printed series of which probably 6 were produced showing views including Hacketts in Upper Station Road, and Potwell in Cagefoot Lane; a dark sepia series of at least 7, which included a view of London Road without any housing; and a colour and black and white series of at least 18 views around the village.

After the first world war in c1922, Dean Millar and Wiles of Brighton produced a series of at least 36 views of Henfield. The examples shown included Haymaking at Brookside Farm, The Gardeners Arms pub, and views of the 1923 May Day celebrations on Henfield common, where many of the children have been identified.

In the 1920s and 1930s, Harold Camburn of Tunbridge Wells produced in excess of 71 views of Henfield which were sold at the Post Office. He travelled around on a motorcycle and sidecar, which often featured on the postcards. A great number were taken of the High Street at various points, but on the whole most of the village was covered. The views shown included Hollands Road, Church Terrace, and Upper Station Road. Also in the late 1920s, postcards were published by Hamiltons of Brighton, and the Photochrom Co. of London and Tunbridge Wells. Another local photographer, Hall of Steyning, specialised in producing postcards of events rather than street scenes. In 1927 he took at least 6 photos of the children's pageant in aid of the Church Tower Restoration Fund and in 1934 at least 17 of the May Day festivals.

After WW2, in c1946, Marjorie Baker of Henfield took at least 10 photos which were sold as postcards at G. Stringer's shop (now Stokes). She also took views inside the Church which were also made into postcards. In the 1950s and 1960s, Shoesmith & Etheridge of Hastings, E.A. Sweetman & Son Ltd. of Tunbridge Wells, and Francis Frith of Reigate produced in excess of 67 postcards of the village.

In all it is estimated that between 1200 and 1500 postcards were produced of Henfield in the 20th century. The talk featured just 90 examples of them.