Forgotten Horsham favourite

New Year’s Eve 2024 will mark 100 years since the birth of one of Horsham’s most famous residents – Tony Wales.

Sadly, an ever dwindling number of people remember this avid local historian who was also a major influence in preserving Sussex folk songs.

One of Tony’s earliest jobs was in a record store where he grew an interest in American blues music and traditional jazz.

He became involved with the Horsham branch of the International Friendship League and their speakers would occasionally provide music from other countries.

This inspired him, armed with a tape recorder, to seek out songs from folk around Sussex.

By 1956 Tony and fellow Horsham resident, guitarist Peter Baxter, pulled together 19 songs for the New York-based Folkways records label, the first time Sussex material had been recorded on vinyl.

In 1958 Tony started the Horsham Songswappers folk club, reckoned to be the first organised folk song club in Sussex.

Along with others, he also organised two Horsham Folk Festivals in 1961 and 62.

Combined with this love of local music was a passion for Horsham history and that of other parts of Sussex.

In total Tony had around 20 books published, such as An Album of Old Horsham and Horsham Then and Now. He also compiled collections of Brighton, Littlehampton and Bognor Regis postcards as well as other more general Sussex history books.

In his later years Tony moved down to Worthing and passed away in 2007. In its obituary, The Guardian wrote that “he treated everybody he met with dignity and courtesy.”

Horsham Museum holds various artefacts relating to his life, including a record, history books and notebooks.