There are villagers who still remember when there were three shops and they went to the village school – but the school shut its doors four decades ago and it is 18 years since the last shop closed.

Betty Simmonds (91) still lives in the Hazel View cottage where she was born.

"The village has changed so much," she said. "We used to play in the road with our hoops – you couldn't do that now because of all the traffic. I went to the village school, which was a very good school."

In those days there were two grocery shops, she recalled, including Randalls, now a private home called The Store House.

"My father used to work there and I used to go and help him when he made the dough and baked the bread at the back of the shop."

"Mostly people married and stayed in the village in those days," said Miss Simmonds. "Now they go further afield, but there are a lot of lovely people here now who do a lot of good things for Lodsworth."

David Bayley was born almost exactly 70 years ago in the family home at the bottom of School Lane. He walked the 50 yards to Lodsworth School. Later he joined the building firm, Bayley Bros in Lodsworth, that his father and uncle had founded in l937.

He remembers when there were three shops in Lodsworth, including a boot mender and three different places to buy petrol.

There was a beerhouse in the centre of the village, owned by Friary Brewers, as well as The Hollist Arms across the road.

He wouldn't dream of leaving Lodsworth and in 70 years he has moved only from the bottom of School Lane to the top where the family business used to be.

"It's a lovely, lovely place, you couldn't find a better place to live and most people are very friendly," he said. "But it's not like it used to be when you knew everybody and we all played in the village football and cricket teams against all the other villages – now they come from all over the place to play in the teams."

And those friends David grew up with, he says, were not fortunate enough to be able to afford to stay in a village where the cost of the picturesque cottages has sky-rocketed.

But those who have lived here for the last two decades all agree Losdworth has undergone a major transformation.

Suddenly there are dozens of young children, younger families have moved in and everyone wants to be part of the community.

They have built themselves a brand-new village hall, a new playground and now they are even planning to bring back the village shop.

It's somehow not surprising Lodsworth found itself among the top villages in a Countryside Agency document assessing village life, where Lodsworth was told it was 'vibrant'.

"There has been a real metamorphosis," said George Bristow, who moved to Lodsworth with his wife Juliet 15 years ago.

Five years ago he fulfilled a burning ambition when he gave up his sales recruitment agency to become landlord of a pub – The Hollist Arms – which attracts customers from miles around and where more than 600 meals are served up from the busy kitchen.

Like many who have moved into Lodsworth, he has flung himself into village life, serving on the parish council, the fete committee and the village shop group.

"It's a beautiful part of the world, it's commutable from London and with modern technology people can also work from home," said George.

It has meant the average age in Lodsworth has dropped dramatically. There are many young families and an energy to keep Lodsworth on the map. In fact it was one of the first villages in the area to get broadband.

Although villagers were told they didn't have a hope as they needed too many signatures, in just two weeks they had 200 households on board and shortly afterwards the technology arrived which made it possible for some to stay at home to work.

"Lodsworth has great community spirit," said George. "Everyone supports everyone else's events and the community gets together for the big annual summer fete which raises money for the recreation ground, village hall and the church as well as other good causes."

In 2000 the revived community spirit saw a brand-new £365,000 village hall spring up on the edge of the recreation ground.

Today's chairman of the village hall committee, Martin Lester, is justly proud of the facility which Chichester District Council says is the best for miles around.

Much of the credit for the project goes to John King, who got it off the ground after a parish referendum in l997 decided in favour of building a new village hall and sports pavilion.

The decision to abandon the old hall, which had succumbed to the rigours of time, sparked some protest in the parish.

"It took a long time, and at the start some people were against it, but when it opened everyone thought it was the best thing since sliced bread," said Mr Lester.

Villagers raised more than £65,000 in a year from a series of events and funds were boosted by the formation of the 200 club and large individual donations as well as the sale of the old hall site for two hew houses.

And in January, 2000 the hall opened its doors to a new chapter of village life.

On the recreation ground in front of the hall are cricket, football and stoolball which has been played in Lodsworth by Wilma Newell and Vera Baker for more than 50 years. Wilma also runs the lottery which still helps to boost recreation hall funds.

Beside the hall is a beautifully-maintained tennis court and the club has a flourishing membership.

There is also a new playground which opened last November and was a community effort masterminded by Miranda Gore-Browne who coordinated fundraising of £40,000 for the project.

Inside, the hall is home to the River Lod mother and toddler group, ballet classes, yoga, badminton and the popular monthly over-50s lunch club.

"We have put in a large cinema screen for film evenings and have a
new sound system, too," said Mr Lester.

"People hold weddings and other functions in the hall and it is used for public inquiries and other business functions."

Lodsworth was also the first village in Sussex to launch its own Heartstarters scheme.

Aimed at bridging the time gap between the emergency call and the arrival of ambulances, 40 Lodsworth villagers trained in the use of a portable cardiac defibrillator.

The latest project is to reinstate a village shop in the car park at the Hollist Arms. The Lodsworth Larder will cost around £130,000 to build and is planned to open its doors within a year after a public meeting gave it overwhelming support.

Lodsworth and District Garden Club organises open events and holds its annual show and the village even has its own habitat group.

"During 2006, with encouragement and guidance from the South Downs Joint Committee, 15 volunteers carried out a survey of the parish to record its topography," said Jamie Brooks-Fisher.

"We all agreed the exercise was not only educational, but led to an even greater appreciation of our beautiful countryside and we are now taking a closer look at the flora and fauna in the parish."

There are businesses at either end of Lodsworth, with the headquarters of the Sofa Workshop in restored farm buildings at one end and six industrial units at Langham stables at the other end.

They are home to thriving enterprises such as Lodsworth's own micro-brewery, Langhams, with its Hip Hop (to be found in The Hollist Arms), Half Way to Heaven and Sundowner beers, as well as Lodsworth villager Gilly Smith's Ponylines Team Clothing promotional wear.

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