By the time the Rev. Appleton (1949 - 1953) arrived in Brook he had already retired once and was titled ‘priest in charge.’  We are told that he was a favourite with everyone. His family lived at Buddlebrook, Brighstone and he later lived at The Lodge in Brightone, until he died in 1963.  

Supplies were short after the war and his great nephew remembers as a child, ‘being very impressed by a device which Fred and his elderly sisters had for splitting matches lengthwise - so one match became two!  Fred had the room at the top of the house and he used to sit there with his telescope watching the ships coming up to the Solent entrance.

We used to attend the church where he conducted services, even though he was profoundly deaf.  The congregation would be in one part of the service and Fred, quite oblivious to this, would be in another!