Historic backdrop found in a garage

'I was amazed to find this piece of operatic history in relatively good condition,' he said.

'The backcloth would have been painted by hand and it is remarkable how the colours have remained so vivid.

'The piece gives us a snapshot of what this production must have been like when it was first shown to audiences almost 70 years ago and how opera design has changed over the years.'

The 1938 production at Glyndebourne was the first professional British performance of Verdi's Macbeth, conducted by Fritz Busch and produced by Carl Ebert, with Francesco Valentino in the title role and Vera Schwartz as Lady Macbeth.

The backcloth will now become part of Glyndebourne's archive collection which includes costumes, original designs, letters, photographs and recordings.

This year marks Glyndebourne's third new production of Verdi's Macbeth, a central work in its long history.

IT JUST shows, it doesn't pay to go adventuring.

Author, Donald Maxwell was sitting quietly in a Lewes hostelry when a friend burst in and talked him into trying to find the Iron 'river' between Barcombe and Uckfield.

The river bore its name because of the many blast furnaces that used to line its banks when East Sussex was the Black Country of the south.

The two drove off to find the river.

They found its southern end easily enough at Barcombe Mills.

But things then became complicated. The northern end was said to be near Isfield.

Quoting from Mr Maxwell's A Detective in Sussex: 'We started off in high hopes, although it was now getting dark, but seemed to get hopelessly lost.

'Also, we got mixed up with a party of convivial people from Brighton '“ I think on a treasure hunt '“ and found ourselves in Uckfield.

'However, when Brown asked the policeman on point-duty if he knew the whereabouts of the Iron River, he looked rather amused.

' "Never heard of it,'' he said.

' "I should advise you to get home again before it's dark.'' 'Quite unabashed, we started off again and, by some chance, came back into Uckfield.

' "We will ask this point-duty man,'' said Brown.

'Alas, it was the same man. He pulled us up and asked where we were trying to go.

' "To the Iron River,'' said Brown.

' "Now, look here,'' said the policeman in a fatherly way. '"This treasure hunting is all very well. There ain't no golden treasure here, sir, nor iron rivers.

' "You get home, or you may get your licence endorsed.''

'It is so easy to be misunderstood.'

CRICKET has always been important to Ringmer.

One of the village's most famous cricketers of the past was Frederick Parris.

In 1894 Fergie, as he was known, made his mark. Playing for Sussex against Gloucestershire, he bowled W G Grace out in both innings.

The great man was so impressed he gave Fergie 20 to buy a souvenir of the occasion. The Sussex bowler bought a gold watch which he had suitably engraved.

The watch did not come up at a Wallis and Wallis sale in Lewes last month but other effects did, including a printed souvenir scorecard of that match, a print from a photo of Parris, and a large photo of the Sussex XI taken at Trent Bridge in 1892. The lot made 1,000.