At 3pm on Sunday 5th December The Queen Alexandra Hospital Home is to hold its 5th Annual carol concert in the beautiful historic venue of Lancing College Chapel. With performances from Worthing Voices with Cantamus and Messengers Youth gospel choir as well as traditional congregational carols this festive concert is not to be missed.
Tickets are £5 each and all proceeds go directly to QAHH. This is a major event in the charity’s calendar and raises vital funds for ex-Servicemen and women of all ages with physical and/or neurological disabilities. With the support of the local community QAHH provides nursing care and rehabilitation services to enable our residents to live as active, independent and fulfilled lives as possible in a caring environment they can think of as home.
For more information, or to purchase advance tickets, please call the fundraising department on 01903 218444 or email fundraising@qahh.org.uk.
Sussex Living magazine is a free monthly A4 glossy magazine for Mid Sussex with community and lifestyle editorial. We put more copies into Mid Sussex than any other quality publication, paid or free. 19,000 copies are printed and distributed throughout Mid Sussex and the surrounding villages. In the same area, a local county magazine, the Sunday Times and Cosmopolitan Magazine, circulate less than 3,000 copies between them.
Sunday, 31 October 2010
Plumpton Racecourse
Monday’s At The Races Raceday at Plumpton offers an exciting mix of competitive jump racing at one of the UK’s most picturesque small jumps tracks. Plumpton is entering its second year of a five year agreement with At the Races, who broadcast racing to up to 1.9 million TV viewers and 850,000 online users each month in the UK and Ireland, and distributes UK and Irish racing into over 20 countries around the world.
Plumpton will be promoting two recent initiatives at its meeting on Monday, aimed at helping inform and engage racing fans both on and off the racecourse.
Plumpton offers racegoers up to date news from the track in the run up to racemeetings with a general Twitter feed @plumptonraces. It has now also launched a raceday service @plumptonraceday which provides insights from media and racing personalities from the course, details of William Hill’s best backed and other betting updates, paddock choices and negatives, instant winner updates, going reports, jockey changes, and non-runners.
Claire Sheppard, Plumpton Chief Executive said “Twitter is very popular, and is an ideal for racing as on a raceday there is so much new information and opinion. Plumpton is keen to use all means possible to help communicate what we do - Twitter enables us quickly and effectively to give everyone the inside track from the course.”
Racegoers at Plumpton can also now watch Plumpton on Course TV from their I-Phone and Blackberrys, so wherever they are on the racecourse they can keep up to date with racing from Plumpton and the other tracks and the latest betting shows.
An exciting and competitive card of 7 races on Monday starts with the first race at 12.50pm. Full details can be found at www.plumptonracecourse.co.uk or by calling the Racecourse Office on 01273 890383.
West Sussex County Council News: Transport survey to take place in Burgess Hill
A major study of car journeys in and around Burgess Hill is to take place in November.
The roadside surveys will take place over two days at various sites in and around the town.
Where time allows motorists will be stopped and asked a series of questions which will last no longer than two minutes. Where traffic is busy drivers will be given a questionnaire to fill in and post back within two weeks.
The study has been commissioned by a consortium of developers, in partnership with West Sussex County Council, to look at travel patterns around the town to better understand the impact any future developments may have.
Lionel Barnard, West Sussex County Council Deputy Leader with responsibility for Highways and Transport, said: “The surveys will provide vital data on the town’s transport network to help us and Mid Sussex District Council decide major planning applications in the future.
“Any new development can have an impact on traffic. The information will not only help us plan future improvements to roads and transport but it will also enable us to decide what transport schemes developers will be required to provide.”
Every effort will be made to minimise disruption but some queuing on the approaches to survey sites will be inevitable at busy times.
Lionel added: “We realise the surveys may cause some disruption but the information gathered will help shape transport in the town for many years to come, so it’s important as many people as possible take part to give an accurate picture.”
The surveys are being paid for by the consortium of developers.
The roadside surveys will take place over two days at various sites in and around the town.
Where time allows motorists will be stopped and asked a series of questions which will last no longer than two minutes. Where traffic is busy drivers will be given a questionnaire to fill in and post back within two weeks.
The study has been commissioned by a consortium of developers, in partnership with West Sussex County Council, to look at travel patterns around the town to better understand the impact any future developments may have.
Lionel Barnard, West Sussex County Council Deputy Leader with responsibility for Highways and Transport, said: “The surveys will provide vital data on the town’s transport network to help us and Mid Sussex District Council decide major planning applications in the future.
“Any new development can have an impact on traffic. The information will not only help us plan future improvements to roads and transport but it will also enable us to decide what transport schemes developers will be required to provide.”
Every effort will be made to minimise disruption but some queuing on the approaches to survey sites will be inevitable at busy times.
Lionel added: “We realise the surveys may cause some disruption but the information gathered will help shape transport in the town for many years to come, so it’s important as many people as possible take part to give an accurate picture.”
The surveys are being paid for by the consortium of developers.
East Grinstead: Grim Reaper Unexpected Guest at Saw VII Advanced Preview
Guests at the Scott Cinemas Atrium Cinema East Grinstead shared their advanced preview with an unsexpected guest on 28 October.
The Grim Reaper could be seen wandering the cinema and even paced the lenght of the screen a few times before disappearing into the night.
Christoher Wrapson, Manager said: "We thought to add some theatre to the occasion of the advanced preview screening of Saw VII 3D,
we would invite the Grim Reaper".
"Hopefully the customers on the night felt it added to their enjoyment of the film. There were some great reactions at the ticket desk".
There is a possibility he may return for further screenings of the final episode in the cult movie series.
The Grim Reaper could be seen wandering the cinema and even paced the lenght of the screen a few times before disappearing into the night.
Christoher Wrapson, Manager said: "We thought to add some theatre to the occasion of the advanced preview screening of Saw VII 3D,
we would invite the Grim Reaper".
"Hopefully the customers on the night felt it added to their enjoyment of the film. There were some great reactions at the ticket desk".
There is a possibility he may return for further screenings of the final episode in the cult movie series.
Saturday, 30 October 2010
West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service News: Operation Sparkler
West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service joined forces with Sussex Police to launch Operation Sparkler to schools during the week of 18th - 22nd October. During this time officers from both services visited secondary schools in the Arun District area presenting to Year 7 morning assemblies on firework safety and the implications that irresponsible behaviour around fire has on the community.
In addition to the school visits West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service along with Sussex Police will be carrying out joint patrols in the evenings during the Halloween and bonfire/firework period. Officers from both services will be joined by the local PCSO's to target areas in Bognor Regis and Littlehampton that are prone to acts of anti-social behaviour and to engage with local groups of youths to pass on advice and warnings about inappropriate behaviour associated with Halloween and fireworks. During this time Fire Officers teamed up with Trading Standards to visit retail outlets selling fireworks to ensure that they are following the law in selling fireworks correctly.
The schools visited were:
Felpham Community College
Westergate Community School
Phillip Howard School
Littlehampton Academy
Regis School
Angmering School
Westergate Community School Assistant Headteacher, Beverley Good, said of the visit: "Westergate Community School was delighted to take part in the West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service's drive to help children stay safe this autumn, particularly during the Halloween and Bonfire Night period. Students in years 7 & 8 took part in assemblies run jointly by the Fire Service and Police as part of Operation Sparkler which informed them about the importance of making responsible choices at this time of year. The Fire Service also provided lesson plans, posters and a DVD to be used with our older students. We look forward to taking part in similar initiatives in the years to come."
Inspector Rob Moore from Sussex Police added: "Working in partnership on Operation Sparkler has shown some excellent results in reducing the number of damages and disorderly incidents over the Halloween and Bonfire period. Our joint late evening patrols will be completed throughout the week in Littlehampton and Bognor, targeting areas frequented by youths and identified as having had problems in previous years. "
West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service District Commander for Arun, Dave Benham said: "Fireworks can be fun, but can also be dangerous if not handled properly. We urge that the utmost care is taken in their storage, handling and use, whether you are organising a display for the family, friends or the general public. West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service want you to have a safe event and by following some simple do's and don'ts risks can be greatly reduced. "
Fireworks Do's and Don'ts:
- Keep fireworks in a closed metal box and take them out one at a time.
- Follow the manufacturer's instructions on each firework, read them by torchlight - NEVER a naked flame.
- Light fireworks at arm's length using a safety firework lighter or fuse wick and stand well back after lighting.
- NEVER go back to a firework once lit - it may go off in your face.
- Keep a bucket of water handy.
- Used fireworks should be collected after the display with care. Douse with water, bury or place in a metal container.
- Keep children under control and pets indoors.
- Never give sparklers to children under 5, light them one at a time and wear gloves when handling.
- Dispose of sparklers responsibly by placing them, hot end down, into a bucket of sand or water.
Bonfire Do's and Don'ts:
If you must light a bonfire in connection with a fireworks display, then ....
- Site well away from houses, garages, sheds, fences, overhead cables, tree and shrubs AND ALWAYS AWAY FROM FIREWORKS.
- Before lighting the fire, check that no pets or children are hiding inside it.
- Build the stack so that it is stable and will not collapse outwards or to one side.
- NEVER use flammable liquids - paraffin or petrol - to light the fire.
- Don't burn foam filled furniture, aerosols and tins of paint or bottles.
- Keep everyone away from the fire - especially children, who should be supervised all the time.
- For an emergency keep buckets of water, the garden hose or a fire extinguisher ready.
- Pour water on the embers before leaving.
For further fire safety advice please contact West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service's Community Fire Safety Team on 01243 642878 or visit our website www.westsussex.gov.uk/fire
In addition to the school visits West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service along with Sussex Police will be carrying out joint patrols in the evenings during the Halloween and bonfire/firework period. Officers from both services will be joined by the local PCSO's to target areas in Bognor Regis and Littlehampton that are prone to acts of anti-social behaviour and to engage with local groups of youths to pass on advice and warnings about inappropriate behaviour associated with Halloween and fireworks. During this time Fire Officers teamed up with Trading Standards to visit retail outlets selling fireworks to ensure that they are following the law in selling fireworks correctly.
The schools visited were:
Felpham Community College
Westergate Community School
Phillip Howard School
Littlehampton Academy
Regis School
Angmering School
Westergate Community School Assistant Headteacher, Beverley Good, said of the visit: "Westergate Community School was delighted to take part in the West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service's drive to help children stay safe this autumn, particularly during the Halloween and Bonfire Night period. Students in years 7 & 8 took part in assemblies run jointly by the Fire Service and Police as part of Operation Sparkler which informed them about the importance of making responsible choices at this time of year. The Fire Service also provided lesson plans, posters and a DVD to be used with our older students. We look forward to taking part in similar initiatives in the years to come."
Inspector Rob Moore from Sussex Police added: "Working in partnership on Operation Sparkler has shown some excellent results in reducing the number of damages and disorderly incidents over the Halloween and Bonfire period. Our joint late evening patrols will be completed throughout the week in Littlehampton and Bognor, targeting areas frequented by youths and identified as having had problems in previous years. "
West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service District Commander for Arun, Dave Benham said: "Fireworks can be fun, but can also be dangerous if not handled properly. We urge that the utmost care is taken in their storage, handling and use, whether you are organising a display for the family, friends or the general public. West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service want you to have a safe event and by following some simple do's and don'ts risks can be greatly reduced. "
Fireworks Do's and Don'ts:
- Keep fireworks in a closed metal box and take them out one at a time.
- Follow the manufacturer's instructions on each firework, read them by torchlight - NEVER a naked flame.
- Light fireworks at arm's length using a safety firework lighter or fuse wick and stand well back after lighting.
- NEVER go back to a firework once lit - it may go off in your face.
- Keep a bucket of water handy.
- Used fireworks should be collected after the display with care. Douse with water, bury or place in a metal container.
- Keep children under control and pets indoors.
- Never give sparklers to children under 5, light them one at a time and wear gloves when handling.
- Dispose of sparklers responsibly by placing them, hot end down, into a bucket of sand or water.
Bonfire Do's and Don'ts:
If you must light a bonfire in connection with a fireworks display, then ....
- Site well away from houses, garages, sheds, fences, overhead cables, tree and shrubs AND ALWAYS AWAY FROM FIREWORKS.
- Before lighting the fire, check that no pets or children are hiding inside it.
- Build the stack so that it is stable and will not collapse outwards or to one side.
- NEVER use flammable liquids - paraffin or petrol - to light the fire.
- Don't burn foam filled furniture, aerosols and tins of paint or bottles.
- Keep everyone away from the fire - especially children, who should be supervised all the time.
- For an emergency keep buckets of water, the garden hose or a fire extinguisher ready.
- Pour water on the embers before leaving.
For further fire safety advice please contact West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service's Community Fire Safety Team on 01243 642878 or visit our website www.westsussex.gov.uk/fire
Sid Lester at Uckfield's Pamphilion Theatre
Uckfield’s Pamphilon Theatre plays host to old-time vaudevillian and natural raconteur, Sid Lester, as he recreate s (if a tad more arthritically) the finale of his unforgettable 1985 Royal Variety performance on Friday 12th November.
Sid Lester’s Big Night In is one of the top quality rural touring theatre productions that can be seen in Uckfield at the Pamphilon Theatre, the professional drama studio in the grounds of Uckfield Community Technology College in Downsview Crescent.
Irrepressible showman Sid takes up arms against the threat of time, entertaining Uckfield with a tap dance here and a ditty there, intertwined with anecdotes from his many years on stage. Sid may lose track of what is past and what is present; of what is real and what is imagined, but Sid Lester’s Big Night In is funny, moving and evocative, and has a tap routine as good as Fred Astaire or Gene Kelly (if they were in their eightees and living in a council flat).
For tickets (£8/students £4), ring 07785 330631.
Sid Lester’s Big Night In is one of the top quality rural touring theatre productions that can be seen in Uckfield at the Pamphilon Theatre, the professional drama studio in the grounds of Uckfield Community Technology College in Downsview Crescent.
Irrepressible showman Sid takes up arms against the threat of time, entertaining Uckfield with a tap dance here and a ditty there, intertwined with anecdotes from his many years on stage. Sid may lose track of what is past and what is present; of what is real and what is imagined, but Sid Lester’s Big Night In is funny, moving and evocative, and has a tap routine as good as Fred Astaire or Gene Kelly (if they were in their eightees and living in a council flat).
For tickets (£8/students £4), ring 07785 330631.
Champagne and shopping at The Leaping Hare
The Leaping Hare Boutique
set in the beautiful grounds
at Trading Boundaries is having a
Champagne and Shopping Day
on Friday 5th November from 10am - 5.30pm.
Snuggle up with our wonderful new Autumn/Winter collection
of fashion, jewellery, handbags, boots, scarves and gifts.
Enjoy relaxing shopping, a glass of champagne
and the perfect gift beautifully wrapped.
The Leaping Hare Boutique
The Courtyard at Trading Boundaries
Sheffield Park
Nr Fletching, England TN223RB
The Courtyard at Trading Boundaries
Sheffield Park
Nr Fletching, England TN223RB
Visit our new website www.handbagsandcashmere.co.uk
Friday, 29 October 2010
West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service News
A specialist smoke alarm fitted by West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service meant an elderly lady escaped unhurt after a fire broke out in her home in Goring last night.
Crews from Worthing Fire Station were called to the bungalow at Sea Place just after 11pm on October 27.
Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus entered the smoke-logged bungalow and immediately assisted the owner, a 94-year old lady, out to fresh air and safety. The crews quickly extinguished the fire, which started in a light fitting in the living room.
Fortunately, because West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service had carried out a Home Fire Safety Check at the property in April, the bungalow was subsequently protected by a Careline System with a specialist 'Firelink' smoke alarm. This meant that an operator at a 24-hr monitoring centre was automatically alerted to the fire and could place the 999 call to the Fire Service.
Jackie Boyle, Community Fire & road Safety Officer for West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service said:
"This early alert received through the Careline system has made all the difference. This incident again highlights the value of the Home Fire Safety Checks we carry out. For most people a standard smoke alarm gives them the protection they need, warning them of a fire and giving them time to leave their home safely.
"However, there are some residents who may need a little extra assistance, those who have mobility problems or perhaps a disability, which means they can't make such an easy escape."
"We are continually working with our partner organisations to make sure that we are prioritising those people who would benefit most from our Home Fire Safety Checks so we can fit these specialist alarms where appropriate."
To find out if you, or a relative or neighbour, may be eligible for a Home Fire Safety Check call 0800 3286487 or visit www.westsussex.gov.uk/ fire
Crews from Worthing Fire Station were called to the bungalow at Sea Place just after 11pm on October 27.
Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus entered the smoke-logged bungalow and immediately assisted the owner, a 94-year old lady, out to fresh air and safety. The crews quickly extinguished the fire, which started in a light fitting in the living room.
Fortunately, because West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service had carried out a Home Fire Safety Check at the property in April, the bungalow was subsequently protected by a Careline System with a specialist 'Firelink' smoke alarm. This meant that an operator at a 24-hr monitoring centre was automatically alerted to the fire and could place the 999 call to the Fire Service.
Jackie Boyle, Community Fire & road Safety Officer for West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service said:
"This early alert received through the Careline system has made all the difference. This incident again highlights the value of the Home Fire Safety Checks we carry out. For most people a standard smoke alarm gives them the protection they need, warning them of a fire and giving them time to leave their home safely.
"However, there are some residents who may need a little extra assistance, those who have mobility problems or perhaps a disability, which means they can't make such an easy escape."
"We are continually working with our partner organisations to make sure that we are prioritising those people who would benefit most from our Home Fire Safety Checks so we can fit these specialist alarms where appropriate."
To find out if you, or a relative or neighbour, may be eligible for a Home Fire Safety Check call 0800 3286487 or visit www.westsussex.gov.uk/ fire
Brighton Centre: Here come the girls ...
Following a sell out and acclaimed run in 2009 the most fabulous girls night out, Here Come the Girls, comes to the Brighton Centre on Saturday 27th November 2010 – just in time to get into the Christmas party mode.
The brainchild of Lulu, this year’s show welcomes back pop diva and star of Channel 5’s Don’t Stop Believing, Anastacia, and introduces British soul singer and star of M People, Heather Small to the sisterhood.
A favourite with fans young and old, the music extravaganza mixes high-octane, high camp, get-up-and-dance, feet-just-can’t-keep-still songs, against a backdrop of breathtaking glamour and fun, fun, fun! It’s a night out never to be forgotten – the must-see show signals the beginning of the party season and the dawn of Woman Power!! With a brand new £1 million stage set, new songs and routines, a new 7 piece band, the show will be sure to get you dancing in the aisles.
Here Come The Girls is centred on the three superstar voices - Lulu, Anastacia and M-People’s Heather Small - each with their own unique sense of style, humour and musical heritage. Celebrating all that it means to be a woman we defy anyone not to dance!
“I am so excited about being a part of this fabulous show; all the music, glitz and glamour is right up my street and to be performing with Lulu and Anastacia will be fantastic. I was sat in the audience on the last tour and had such a brilliant time with my friends that I can’t wait to be up on stage with the girls this time round.” commented Heather Small.
So don’t be a party pooper, put on those glad rags and book your tickets now at www.brightoncentre.co.uk.
The brainchild of Lulu, this year’s show welcomes back pop diva and star of Channel 5’s Don’t Stop Believing, Anastacia, and introduces British soul singer and star of M People, Heather Small to the sisterhood.
A favourite with fans young and old, the music extravaganza mixes high-octane, high camp, get-up-and-dance, feet-just-can’t-keep-still songs, against a backdrop of breathtaking glamour and fun, fun, fun! It’s a night out never to be forgotten – the must-see show signals the beginning of the party season and the dawn of Woman Power!! With a brand new £1 million stage set, new songs and routines, a new 7 piece band, the show will be sure to get you dancing in the aisles.
Here Come The Girls is centred on the three superstar voices - Lulu, Anastacia and M-People’s Heather Small - each with their own unique sense of style, humour and musical heritage. Celebrating all that it means to be a woman we defy anyone not to dance!
“I am so excited about being a part of this fabulous show; all the music, glitz and glamour is right up my street and to be performing with Lulu and Anastacia will be fantastic. I was sat in the audience on the last tour and had such a brilliant time with my friends that I can’t wait to be up on stage with the girls this time round.” commented Heather Small.
So don’t be a party pooper, put on those glad rags and book your tickets now at www.brightoncentre.co.uk.
A night at the opera … is closer than you think
The Picture House Uckfield is bringing live theatre and opera within the reach of everybody – with live streamed performances in its historical boutique cinema in East Sussex.
“Bringing live theatre and opera to Uckfield has gone down a storm,” says Kevin Markwick, owner of The Picture House Uckfield, which has been in the Markwick family for nearly 50 years. “We have taken care to make the atmosphere at the cinema very special when people come in for a live streaming and we also have a drinks licence, so customers can relax with a glass of wine beforehand or during the interval.”
The Picture House Uckfield has been showing films continuously since 1920 and is thought to be the third-oldest cinema in the UK. The venue combines traditional cinema-going with the latest technology; all three of its screens are digital.
“We are extremely proud of our history as a cinema but have always strived to move with the times and offer customers something a little different,” says Kevin. “Live theatre and opera streamings – brought to the cinema by the miracle of satellite - is one of our latest ventures and they have been very well received.”
Customers have recently enjoyed performances of Cosi Fan Tutte, live from The Royal Opera House in London and Stephen Fry in conversation, live from The Royal Festival Hall.
“Our aim is to make theatre and opera and other events accessible to people locally,” says Kevin. “Not everyone can afford the price of tickets for events in London or want to make the journey up to the capital. Our performances have been proving popular with a variety of people – from older customers who love live theatre but don’t want to face a journey to The West End, to couples who are arranging their lives round babysitters and simply can’t spare the time it takes to travel up to London.”
Future performances at The Picture House Uckfield include Giselle, live from The Royal Opera House; Verdi’s Don Carlo, live from the New York Met; and Hamlet, live from The National Theatre.
The venue has also introduced a series of Q&A sessions with well-known directors and screenwriters and recently enjoyed the company of Oscar-winning Julian Fellowes – who spoke to a fascinated audience after a screening of his latest film ‘From Time to Time’.
In the meantime, The Picture House Uckfield wants to know what developments customers would like to see next at the cinema. Cinema-goers are invited to fill-in a short questionnaire at: www.surveymonkey.net/picturehouseuckfield. There are three pairs of tickets to be won.
Mid Sussex Camera Club
The Mid Sussex Camera Club held its 1st monthly photograph competition of the new season on Monday 18 October at the CVS Centre in Burgess Hill.
As usual the event was very well attended on the night and there were plenty of entries to be judged by David Eastley. There are 2 classes of entry, intermediate and advanced showing prints and projected images.
After a hotly contested first round the top three standings in each category are detailed below.
Prints (advanced class)
Keith Brooks 37pts
Neil Leighton 37pts
Alec Pelham 37pts
Projected Images (advanced)
Charles Hobley 36pts
Norman Axtell 35pts
Keith Brooks 34pts
Mervyn Seltzer 34pts
Prints (intermediate class)
Ray Gray 40pts
Alan Farrant 35pts
David Waterhouse 35pts
Projected Images (intermediate)
Helen Wiggins 38pts
Viv Nicholas 37pts
Ray Gray 36pts
Congratulations to all entrants for making the evening such a success.
For more information on the Mid Sussex Camera Club please visit our club website at http://www.midsussexcc.co.uk
As usual the event was very well attended on the night and there were plenty of entries to be judged by David Eastley. There are 2 classes of entry, intermediate and advanced showing prints and projected images.
After a hotly contested first round the top three standings in each category are detailed below.
Prints (advanced class)
Keith Brooks 37pts
Neil Leighton 37pts
Alec Pelham 37pts
Projected Images (advanced)
Charles Hobley 36pts
Norman Axtell 35pts
Keith Brooks 34pts
Mervyn Seltzer 34pts
Prints (intermediate class)
Ray Gray 40pts
Alan Farrant 35pts
David Waterhouse 35pts
Projected Images (intermediate)
Helen Wiggins 38pts
Viv Nicholas 37pts
Ray Gray 36pts
Congratulations to all entrants for making the evening such a success.
For more information on the Mid Sussex Camera Club please visit our club website at http://www.midsussexcc.co.uk
Thursday, 28 October 2010
David Dimbleby launches South Downs Society project
David Dimbleby, Vice President of the South Downs Society, today launched the Society’s National Park public consultation exercise.
“Thousands of people care passionately about the South Downs and would like to help shape its future,” said David. “As the National Park Society for the South Downs, one of our jobs is to give a voice to all those who love the Downs. Please get in touch with the South Downs Society and let us know what you think.
“The National Park covers a huge and varied area,” continued David, “from the white cliffs in the east, along the spine of chalk all the way to Winchester, and up into the heathlands around Petersfield and Midhurst and further north. Where are your favourite places on the Downs, and what makes them special to you? What changes would you like to see throughout the South Downs? Perhaps you know of a site where habitat restoration is needed urgently, or where a new path would open up a whole new area of the Downs. If so, get in touch.”
The The National Park Authority has asked the Society to help gather this information, and it will be presented to the Authority in the spring. Comments should be submitted through the Society’s website at www.southdownssociety.org.uk, or posted to the South Downs Society, 2 Swan Court, Station Road, Pulborough RH20 1RL.
The Society is one of a family of National Park Societies representing the public’s views to and supporting National Park Authorities up and down the country. It has over 2,000 members living inside and outside the National Park. As well as championing the South Downs, the Society organizes hundreds of walks and events to help people learn more about the heritage of the South Downs.
Rushfields Farm Shop is open for business
Rushfields Farm Shop
Rushfields Plant Centre
Henfield Road, Poynings, West Sussex BN45 7AY
01273 857445
www.rushfields.com
Rushfields Plant Centre
Henfield Road, Poynings, West Sussex BN45 7AY
01273 857445
www.rushfields.com
Over 1,500 people visited Rushfields Farm Shop’s Opening Day on Saturday 23 October, hearing a speech by Cllr Garry Wall, Leader of Mid Sussex District Council, and enjoying a free hog roast, kids pumpkin give-away and tastings from some of the county’s finest food and drink producers.
Town Cryer of the Year, Angela Standing, called crowds to the formal opening ceremony and led a toast to the success of the shop with Sussex bubbly from Bolney Vineyard.
As he cut a ribbon to open the shop, Cllr Wall said: “This is one cut I’m very happy to make this week! It’s terrific to see a long-standing family business like Rushfields continuing to innovate and invest in new ideas. It’s important to support our local farmers and producers and I wish the farm shop every success.”
Several other councillors from Mid Sussex and Brighton & Hove attended the event along with crowds of local people and visitors from Brighton & Hove – as this is the nearest quality farm shop to the city, on the Henfield Road at Rushfields Plant Centre, near Poynings.
Local resident Paula Seager, who runs the Sussex Food & Drink Awards: “Despite the current economic climate, there is increasing demand for locally-sourced produce and we are fortunate to have a wealth of wonderful food and drink here in Sussex. Rushfields Farm Shop offers an excellent range at good value and promises to be a great new outlet for local people.”
Rushfields Farm Shop has been purpose built as a large, barn-style shop, traditionally constructed with Sussex oak timbers by conservation craftsmen. Owners Pam and Colin Langridge have made Sussex a huge focus for the shop and have tried to stock everything that is great about Sussex, with a top quality butchers, selling meat so local that you can see it grazing on nearby fields, ably managed by butcher Paul Channon. It also sells classic Sussex cheeses from local dairies, including the High Weald Dairy, local sauces and chutneys from Sussex Valley, local chocolate from Cocoa Loco and will shortly stock local wines and ales as well.
Shop manager Rachel Fletcher said: “The shop offers more than most farm shops because you can buy everything you need to eat or drink there, including staples such as bread, milk, butter and vegetables – and all at reasonable prices - so local food lovers have welcomed it with open arms.”
PAVILION ICE RINK TO DAZZLE BRIGHTON THIS CHRISTMAS
The Royal Pavilion’s first ever outdoor real Ice Rink opens its gates on November 13th to January 16th and promises to dazzle Brighton this Christmas, providing a superb experience for people in the city, as well as attracting thousands of visitors from elsewhere.
The only rink in the country with its own pre-school crèche, beginners’ area and ‘penguin’ skate aids especially for youngsters, it will be the Christmas rink for families to visit outside of London.
Shella Parkin of Laine Ltd, behind the attraction, said: “We’re really excited about bringing a real ice outdoor rink to Brighton for Christmas 2010. We hope to create a genuinely festive experience with a traditional feel, raising the bar for rinkside dining and going out of our way to make children and families feel welcome”.
It is also the ultimate place for friends and workplaces to hold Christmas parties, with the fun of skating coupled with a stylish, quality covered restaurant and bar created by Due South, offering delicious food, ranging from warming pies and soups to full Christmas banquets, using the best of local, Sussex produce.
With the former Royal pleasure palace as backdrop, the 700 square metre rink has space for 200 skaters per session and the team behind the scheme, who are working with the Royal Pavilion and Brighton & Hove City Council, anticipate thousands of visitors.
“We are so excited to be bringing such a fantastic attraction to Brighton and such is the enthusiasm for the ice rink, that we are urging people to book in advance at Ticketmaster to avoid disappointment – tickets are on sale now,” continued Shella Parkin.
Royal Pavilion Ice Rink tickets cost from £9.50-£11 for adults and from £6.50-£7.50 for children under 12 and the one-hour skate times run from 10am to 10.15pm daily, on sale online at www.ticketmaster.co.uk or by calling 0844 847 2352.
Known for its commitment to locally sourced ingredients, Due South’s fully licensed rinkside restaurant, open 9am to midnight, will serve passing customers with warming, seasonal dishes including Castle Farm steak & real ale pie, Honey roasted ham hock with buttered mash and a rich organic cider sauce, South Downs venison curry with rice and poppadom, seasonal fruit crumbles, cakes baked daily and luxurious ice creams. It also offers scrumptious party menus and Christmas dinners – pre-book by calling 01273 821 218.
Only 50 minutes on the train from London, Brighton is Christmas shopping heaven with the independent shops of The Lanes and North Laine on the Pavilion’s doorstep, and Churchill Square shopping centre just five minutes’ walk away.
For tickets for the Royal Pavilion Ice Rink, please visit: www.ticketmaster.co.uk, call: 0844 847 2352 or book in person at Ticketmaster ticket centres.
All England Polo Club, Hickstead
Opening Weekends: 30th - 31st October & 6th - 7th November
The All England Polo Club is renowned for introducing both accomplished riders and absolute non-riders to the polo world, and boasts the best arena polo facilities in the country!
Hickstead’s All England Polo Club will be hosting two opening weekends on 30th - 31st October and 6th - 7th November. The open days provide the model opportunity to ease gently back into the arena season, and whether you'd like to play, watch or simply enjoy the fantastic clubhouse restaurant, the more the merrier! We are very much looking forward to catching up with some regular faces, and to welcoming in some new! Chukkas of course are entirely free of charge at these opening events, the Hickstead team will all be on hand to answer any questions relating to the polo school, instruction and polo taster courses, membership, pony rentals, livery and so forth, and our plans for the coming winter months will be unveiled.
Further, do not miss our ‘First Lesson Special’ polo school offers as part of which we are offering new clients the opportunity to enjoy a ‘Discover Polo’ lesson at the reduced rate of £75.00, or only £60.00 for juniors.
Admission to all tournament fixtures throughout the arena season is entirely free of charge and everybody is welcome… so come and share in the Hickstead polo experience; we guarantee your winters will never be the same again!
For further information please contact the Polo Secretary on 01273 834315, email polo@hickstead.co.uk or find us on Facebook at the All England Polo Club Hickstead http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=2399757914.
Wednesday, 27 October 2010
Balcombe History Society
Thursday 11 November, 20.00
Balcombe History Society,
Victory Hall, Stockcroft Road,
Balcombe, RH17 6JN
ALAN READMAN: “West Sussex at War – The Home Front 1939-45”
Pictures and films.
Alan Readman is the County Archivist at the West Sussex Record Office, Chichester.
Tickets at the door are £1 for members and £3 for visitors.
Refreshments provided and everyone is welcome.
Balcombe History Society,
Victory Hall, Stockcroft Road,
Balcombe, RH17 6JN
ALAN READMAN: “West Sussex at War – The Home Front 1939-45”
Pictures and films.
Alan Readman is the County Archivist at the West Sussex Record Office, Chichester.
Tickets at the door are £1 for members and £3 for visitors.
Refreshments provided and everyone is welcome.
Promote your property services in South Downs Living
Take a look at South Downs Living magazine.
A quality, monthly lifestyle magazine available FREE from over 100 selected shops, restaurants and businesses in Mid Sussex.
19,000 copies distributed every month to our 50,000 strong readership.
The perfect platform to promote your property services? We think so – which is why we are growing our PROPERTY SECTION, offering:
· High level promotion with contents listing and cover flash
· Estate agents, design and building companies, legal and
financial services providers
· Display advertising and advertorial
· Supported by informative and entertaining editorial
We also regularly feature news and events, homes and interiors, gardening, beauty, fashion & style, community care... and many more every month!
To produce a great magazine, we think it’s really important to balance advertising with good editorial content – that’s why South Downs Living has more independent editorial than any other local glossy magazine in our area. Our readers love reading about local history, inspirational people, walks and cycle rides in the South Downs, landmarks and the beautiful countryside we live in. There’s something different every month.
Our December issue is now in full production. Call our sales team on 01273 842550.
A quality, monthly lifestyle magazine available FREE from over 100 selected shops, restaurants and businesses in Mid Sussex.
19,000 copies distributed every month to our 50,000 strong readership.
The perfect platform to promote your property services? We think so – which is why we are growing our PROPERTY SECTION, offering:
· High level promotion with contents listing and cover flash
· Estate agents, design and building companies, legal and
financial services providers
· Display advertising and advertorial
· Supported by informative and entertaining editorial
We also regularly feature news and events, homes and interiors, gardening, beauty, fashion & style, community care... and many more every month!
To produce a great magazine, we think it’s really important to balance advertising with good editorial content – that’s why South Downs Living has more independent editorial than any other local glossy magazine in our area. Our readers love reading about local history, inspirational people, walks and cycle rides in the South Downs, landmarks and the beautiful countryside we live in. There’s something different every month.
Our December issue is now in full production. Call our sales team on 01273 842550.
West Sussex County Council News
The introduction of a daytime parking ban outside the Pentecostal Church in Leylands Road, Burgess Hill, will be discussed at the next public meeting of South Mid Sussex County Local Committee.
A report to the Committee from West Sussex County Council’s Highways Team says parking inhibits the free flow of traffic in the area and causes congestion at peak times.
The report proposes:
· Extending the existing No Waiting at Any Time restrictions along the whole south side of Leylands Road between its junction with London Road and St Johns Avenue.
· Introduce a Prohibition of Waiting between 8am to 6pm Monday to Saturday for a length of 25m (24 yards) on the north side of Leylands Road.
· Introducing a parking bay for disabled persons for a length of 15m on the north side of Leylands Road.
· Extending the existing No Waiting at Any Time parking restriction on the south side of Leylands Road into St Johns Avenue for a length of 14m (15 yards) on both sides of the road.
The proposed restrictions, says the report, are designed to address complaints of:
· Congestion caused by parking in Leylands Road.
· Safety concerns relating to the junction of Leylands Road and London Road.
· Parking causing restrictive exit visibility and accidents when drivers leave St Johns Avenue.
Colin Wilsdon, Committee Chairman, said: “We have already highlighted the need for parking restrictions on Leylands Road because it causes severe congestion and is a safety hazard.”
The meeting is being held on Wednesday October 27 at the Club Suite, Hurstpierpoint Village Centre, Trinity Road, Hurstpierpoint, starting at 7pm.
A report to the Committee from West Sussex County Council’s Highways Team says parking inhibits the free flow of traffic in the area and causes congestion at peak times.
The report proposes:
· Extending the existing No Waiting at Any Time restrictions along the whole south side of Leylands Road between its junction with London Road and St Johns Avenue.
· Introduce a Prohibition of Waiting between 8am to 6pm Monday to Saturday for a length of 25m (24 yards) on the north side of Leylands Road.
· Introducing a parking bay for disabled persons for a length of 15m on the north side of Leylands Road.
· Extending the existing No Waiting at Any Time parking restriction on the south side of Leylands Road into St Johns Avenue for a length of 14m (15 yards) on both sides of the road.
The proposed restrictions, says the report, are designed to address complaints of:
· Congestion caused by parking in Leylands Road.
· Safety concerns relating to the junction of Leylands Road and London Road.
· Parking causing restrictive exit visibility and accidents when drivers leave St Johns Avenue.
Colin Wilsdon, Committee Chairman, said: “We have already highlighted the need for parking restrictions on Leylands Road because it causes severe congestion and is a safety hazard.”
The meeting is being held on Wednesday October 27 at the Club Suite, Hurstpierpoint Village Centre, Trinity Road, Hurstpierpoint, starting at 7pm.
Bluebell Railway Discount for Cinema Members
Scott Cinemas @ The Atrium East Grinstead are very proud to announce that the Bluebell Railway is the latest addition to their member benefits package.
New manager Christopher Wrapson said, “I am very proud to have the Bluebell Railway now offering The Atrium cinema members travel on the railway for only £9.50”
Mr Wrapson commented on what this meant to him personally: “I remember visiting the Bluebell railway several times a year as a kid and was always delighted by the magic and adventure of travelling on well preserved steam trains.”
The Cinema boasts hundreds of members that can sign up for either a single membership for £15.00 per year or a Joint membership for £25.00 per year, there are other benefits offered to members including reduced ticket prices, and complimentary hot drinks as well as discounts at other businesses in the community.
Caroline Collins from the Bluebell Railway’s Customer Service Team said of the new tie up with the cinema... “The Bluebell Railway is delighted to be able to offer discounts to members of Scotts Cinema Club and we look forward to welcoming them to the Railway. We hope that as many people as possible will visit the new station site at East Grinstead, during the open weekend 6th/7th November, where they will be able to see all the different services the Railway can offer and learn more about the project to re open the line between Kingscote and East Grinstead.’
“I hope our members will be encouraged to support the Bluebell Railway and also that we can entice some new members to join at the Atrium Cinema” said Wrapson.
New manager Christopher Wrapson said, “I am very proud to have the Bluebell Railway now offering The Atrium cinema members travel on the railway for only £9.50”
Mr Wrapson commented on what this meant to him personally: “I remember visiting the Bluebell railway several times a year as a kid and was always delighted by the magic and adventure of travelling on well preserved steam trains.”
The Cinema boasts hundreds of members that can sign up for either a single membership for £15.00 per year or a Joint membership for £25.00 per year, there are other benefits offered to members including reduced ticket prices, and complimentary hot drinks as well as discounts at other businesses in the community.
Caroline Collins from the Bluebell Railway’s Customer Service Team said of the new tie up with the cinema... “The Bluebell Railway is delighted to be able to offer discounts to members of Scotts Cinema Club and we look forward to welcoming them to the Railway. We hope that as many people as possible will visit the new station site at East Grinstead, during the open weekend 6th/7th November, where they will be able to see all the different services the Railway can offer and learn more about the project to re open the line between Kingscote and East Grinstead.’
“I hope our members will be encouraged to support the Bluebell Railway and also that we can entice some new members to join at the Atrium Cinema” said Wrapson.
Tuesday, 26 October 2010
Lindfield Horticultural Society
Wednesday 10 November 7.30pm
King Edward Hall, Lindfield
A short AGM followed by a talk at 8pm from Graham Gough entitled ‘A Nurseryman’s Lot’.
Graham Gough is the founder/owner of one of the finest small nurseries in the UK – Marchants Hardy Plants at Laughton in East Sussex. This promises to be a really special evening for keen gardeners.
Admission charges for this talk are £1 for members and £2 for visitors.
Everyone welcome to both events but only members can vote at the AGM.
www.lindfieldhorts.org.uk
King Edward Hall, Lindfield
A short AGM followed by a talk at 8pm from Graham Gough entitled ‘A Nurseryman’s Lot’.
Graham Gough is the founder/owner of one of the finest small nurseries in the UK – Marchants Hardy Plants at Laughton in East Sussex. This promises to be a really special evening for keen gardeners.
Admission charges for this talk are £1 for members and £2 for visitors.
Everyone welcome to both events but only members can vote at the AGM.
www.lindfieldhorts.org.uk
Euphonium Recital at Danny House
Dr Neal Corwell, who served as featured soloist with one of the premier service bands in Washington DC from 1981 to 1989, recently rejoined the military and is now once again playing euphonium and herald trumpet as a member of the armed services.
During the intervening years in the civilian world, he earned his doctorate in music from the University of Maryland (1977) and made his living as a freelance musician, appearing overseas and all across the United States as guest euphonium solo artist and composer at numerous events each year.
Dr Corwell also was an adjunct faculty member of both Frostburg State University and Shepherd College for several years, teaching low brass and electronic music. He continues presenting recitals and master classes across the globe and remains active as a composer and recording artist.
Wed 10 Nov 19.30
Great Hall
Danny House, Hurstpierpoint
Free admission
Donations will be gratefully received on behalf of Help for Heroes
During the intervening years in the civilian world, he earned his doctorate in music from the University of Maryland (1977) and made his living as a freelance musician, appearing overseas and all across the United States as guest euphonium solo artist and composer at numerous events each year.
Dr Corwell also was an adjunct faculty member of both Frostburg State University and Shepherd College for several years, teaching low brass and electronic music. He continues presenting recitals and master classes across the globe and remains active as a composer and recording artist.
Wed 10 Nov 19.30
Great Hall
Danny House, Hurstpierpoint
Free admission
Donations will be gratefully received on behalf of Help for Heroes
CTC Accolades honours dedication of staff across West Sussex
The dedication of adult social care staff representing the breadth of independent sector organisations across West Sussex was celebrated at a special awards ceremony recently.
More than 50 special guests attended the Care Training Consortium Accolades, now in its second year, to pay tribute to 11 winners and two runners-up.
The event is aimed at honouring extraordinary individuals and organisations that provide social care services to residents of West Sussex, in particular those who exemplify the long-term commitment that characterises many social care providers.
“People were amazed at the stories (of the dedication and commitment of the finalists) which we shared with them at the audience at the event,” said CTC service manager, Dr Sue Craig.
“Everyone in social care is especially busy but we cannot afford not to celebrate the achievements of those who go the extra mile.”
Awards roster - CTC Awards 2010
Excellence Award
Karen Halford ) joint winners
Anna Cavell )
Young Learner Award
Hayley Crosby - winner
Individual Student Achievement (children & young people’s services)
Laura Rogers - winner
Individual Student Achievement (adults and older people’s services)
Tracey Tyler – winner
Sally Ray – runner up
Outstanding Performance in the Workplace (supported living services)
William Cochrane - winner
Outstanding Performance in the Workplace (adults and older people’s services)
Christine Taylor - winner
The Chair’s Award for Endeavour
Victoria Robery ) joint winners
Kim Taylor )
The Life-Long Learner Award
Sandy Anthony – winner
Brenda Subramaniam – runner up
A special award was also made to Sussex Health Care winner of the “Social care organisation/setting awards - Leading on Learning” category.
Professor Nick Bosanquet – professor of Health Policy at Imperial College, and special advisor to the Health Select Committee House of Commons (2000-2010) – also paid tribute to the finalists at the event held at the Arundel Wildfowl and Wetlands Centre on October 14.
More than 50 special guests attended the Care Training Consortium Accolades, now in its second year, to pay tribute to 11 winners and two runners-up.
The event is aimed at honouring extraordinary individuals and organisations that provide social care services to residents of West Sussex, in particular those who exemplify the long-term commitment that characterises many social care providers.
“People were amazed at the stories (of the dedication and commitment of the finalists) which we shared with them at the audience at the event,” said CTC service manager, Dr Sue Craig.
“Everyone in social care is especially busy but we cannot afford not to celebrate the achievements of those who go the extra mile.”
Awards roster - CTC Awards 2010
Excellence Award
Karen Halford ) joint winners
Anna Cavell )
Young Learner Award
Hayley Crosby - winner
Individual Student Achievement (children & young people’s services)
Laura Rogers - winner
Individual Student Achievement (adults and older people’s services)
Tracey Tyler – winner
Sally Ray – runner up
Outstanding Performance in the Workplace (supported living services)
William Cochrane - winner
Outstanding Performance in the Workplace (adults and older people’s services)
Christine Taylor - winner
The Chair’s Award for Endeavour
Victoria Robery ) joint winners
Kim Taylor )
The Life-Long Learner Award
Sandy Anthony – winner
Brenda Subramaniam – runner up
A special award was also made to Sussex Health Care winner of the “Social care organisation/setting awards - Leading on Learning” category.
Professor Nick Bosanquet – professor of Health Policy at Imperial College, and special advisor to the Health Select Committee House of Commons (2000-2010) – also paid tribute to the finalists at the event held at the Arundel Wildfowl and Wetlands Centre on October 14.
West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service News: FireBreak
"I will never forget any of you" that is what one student declared to firefighters after graduating from the latest FireBreak course at Crawley Fire Station on Friday (October 15).
Ryan McCoy, from Hazelwick School in Crawley, was speaking at the Pass Out ceremony where he and ten fellow students performed a fire drill, proudly demonstrating the new skills they'd learned to their invited family and friends.
FireBreak is an innovative youth programme run by West Sussex County Council's Fire & Rescue Service and is aimed primarily at young people between the ages of 12 and 14.
Students attend the station over five consecutive days, working alongside firefighters on a structured programme of events that combine classroom-based activities and practical training designed to help reduce negative influences, promote social awareness, teamwork and self-discipline.
Ryan was one of two students to receive an additional award in recognition of an outstanding contribution to the team during the week.
"The Instructors really took me under their wing and it has helped me start to realise what the big world is all about. It's also taught me to relax more, get along with people and listen to what other people have to say. I just want to thank the instructors for everything, I will never forget them." Ryan said.
The ceremony was attended by students' family and friends, including Ryan's mum Sandra who said after the ceremony:
"I think the FireBreak scheme is a fantastic idea that more young people could benefit from. I'm really glad Ryan participated and I've definitely noticed a change in him as the week has progressed."
Certificates were presented on the day by Assistant County Fire Officer Lee Neale, who said:
"FireBreak is a very demanding course but by working with the students every day our Instructors were able to gain real momentum in building the confidence and discipline the students needed to tackle the challenges they have faced. All the students can be very proud of their achievements this week, they have risen to the challenge with real commitment and determination."
The students were from:
. The Forest School
. Hazelwick School
. Imberhorne School
. Muntham House
. Oriel School
. Sackville School
. St Wilfrid's Catholic School
. Tanbridge House School
. Thomas Bennett Community College
Ryan McCoy, from Hazelwick School in Crawley, was speaking at the Pass Out ceremony where he and ten fellow students performed a fire drill, proudly demonstrating the new skills they'd learned to their invited family and friends.
FireBreak is an innovative youth programme run by West Sussex County Council's Fire & Rescue Service and is aimed primarily at young people between the ages of 12 and 14.
Students attend the station over five consecutive days, working alongside firefighters on a structured programme of events that combine classroom-based activities and practical training designed to help reduce negative influences, promote social awareness, teamwork and self-discipline.
Ryan was one of two students to receive an additional award in recognition of an outstanding contribution to the team during the week.
"The Instructors really took me under their wing and it has helped me start to realise what the big world is all about. It's also taught me to relax more, get along with people and listen to what other people have to say. I just want to thank the instructors for everything, I will never forget them." Ryan said.
The ceremony was attended by students' family and friends, including Ryan's mum Sandra who said after the ceremony:
"I think the FireBreak scheme is a fantastic idea that more young people could benefit from. I'm really glad Ryan participated and I've definitely noticed a change in him as the week has progressed."
Certificates were presented on the day by Assistant County Fire Officer Lee Neale, who said:
"FireBreak is a very demanding course but by working with the students every day our Instructors were able to gain real momentum in building the confidence and discipline the students needed to tackle the challenges they have faced. All the students can be very proud of their achievements this week, they have risen to the challenge with real commitment and determination."
The students were from:
. The Forest School
. Hazelwick School
. Imberhorne School
. Muntham House
. Oriel School
. Sackville School
. St Wilfrid's Catholic School
. Tanbridge House School
. Thomas Bennett Community College
Monday, 25 October 2010
Piltdown Man
by Rupert Taylor
The clandestine activities at an old gravel pit on a warm June day in 1912 attracted enough local curiosity for the Piltdown police constable to be informed.
The bobby later went to the clerk to the magistrates at Uckfield, Mr Charles Dawson, and reported: “Three toffs, two of them from London, have been digging like mad in the gravel at Barkham and nobody could make out what they were up to.”
Dawson himself had been one of the gentlemen sweating away with picks and shovels, but perhaps because the solicitor and keen amateur archaeologist was on the brink of the sort of momentous discovery he had always dreamed of he did not reveal his involvement. Instead, he said the men were probably merely harmless enthusiasts looking for flints in the area and enlisted the constable’s help, explaining where flints might be found on his beat and asking him to report anything he might discover digging then continued without interference from the police or nosey rustics until winter flooding brought work to a halt.
The expenditure of all this energy in a remote corner of Sussex had its roots four years earlier when Dawson had visited the gravel pit, which supplied the materials for mending the local roads, and was handed a portion of human cranium of unusual thickness by a workman. It was not until some time later that Dawson discovered a second ad larger piece of the skull on one of the rain-washed spoil heaps and soon afterwards a portion of hippopotamus tooth.
This sparked a thorough probe by Dawson and his fellow ‘toffs’: Professor Arthur Smith Woodward, the industrious and humourless keeper of palaeontology at the British Museum, and Teilhard de Chardin, a young Frenchman soon to be ordained as a priest whose interest in archaeology while studying at Hastings had led to his friendship with Dawson.
Various other big noises from the world of archaeology, geology and anthropology joined them that summer and autumn, during which time further pieces of skull were found plus, most exciting of all, a section of jaw bone. They lifted the veil of secrecy that December when Nature reported: “The fossil human skull and mandible to be described by Mr Charles Dawson and Dr Arthur Smith Woodward as we go to press is the most important discovery of its kind ever made in England. The specimen was found in circumstances which seem to leave no doubt of its geological age …” Nature also asserted that the only real ancestor of modern man was represented by the remains found in Sussex. “…Dr Smith Woodward inclines to the theory that the Neanderthal race was a degenerate offshoot of early man while surviving modern man my have arisen directly from the primitive source of which the Piltdown skull provides the first discovered evidence.”
The Manchester Guardian was the first to break the news of the discovery to the public at large with a headline less conservative than Nature: “The earliest man? A skull millions of years old. One of the most important of our time.” Eoanthropus Dawsoni – Dawson’s Dawn Man, the 600,000-year-old missing link between man and his ancestors, had arrived.
A reconstruction of the skull was made, and caused great excitement and some confusion particularly as the skull was shaped as in a modern man while the jaw was as in a modern ape. Piltdown became a place of pilgrimage for motor coaches laden with natural history societies; penny postcards of the diggings went on sale; the village pub changed its name from The Lamb Inn to The Piltdown Man. They even scheduled the site as a national monument.
But from the outset there were doubts about the authenticity, doubts that grew as the years went by and further discoveries of man’s origins were made elsewhere in the world. Four decades after Piltdown Man first surfaced, he was subjected to a stringent series of chemical and mechanical tests. The British Museum’s report of the investigation, issued in 1953, was damning. It stated that the jaw belonged to a modern ape, the teeth had been deliberately worn down, that fluorine tests revealed most of the skull fragments to be modern, that the black coating on the bones (described by Dawson as ‘ferruginous’, or iron stain) was in fact a paint-like substance and the coating on the mandible was superficial to make it resemble the cranium. All an unscrupulous and skilful hoax.
But who was the culprit in this forgery that fooled the experts for so long, that brought a motion in the House of Commons on November 25th, 1953, “That this house has no confidence in the Trustees of the British Museum because of the tardiness of their discovery that the skull of the Piltdown Man is a fake.”
Was it the jovial Dawson, who had died at his Lewes home in 1916 at the age of 62? He was the prime suspect, of course, on the grounds of increasing his own fame, but he was not skilled enough and would have risked early exposure and ignominy.
Ronald Millar, in his book The Piltdown Men, points the finger of guilt at the Australian-born Sir Grafton Elliot Smith, an accomplished human anatomist and expert on prehistoric and ancient human skulls, who would have loved a chuckle at the expense of stick-in-the-mud palaeontology and anatomy. Did he slip down to Sussex and plant bits and pieces for the gullible enthusiasts to seize from the dirt with such delight? Perhaps it was an elaborate prank that got out of hand.
In 1978 Nature published an account of a tape recording made before his death that year by Professor James Douglas. According to him, the hoax was perpetrated by his former colleague Professor William Johnson Sollas, who worked at Oxford University from 1897 until his death at the age of 87. The hoax was aimed at Sir Arthur Smith Woodward with whom he was having ‘a bitter feud’.
An old blacksmith’s story of the truth behind Piltdown may be an insult to science but is worth recording as a postscript to a whole episode that was an insult to science. A transcript of the statement made in 1953 by Albert Dudeney was published by the Sussex Archaeological Society in 1980. He claimed that the skull which had foxed everyone may have belonged to a deformed villager from Newick, near neighbour of Piltdown.
Dudeney’s mother worked as a maid at Newick’s Bull Inn where she became friendly with the ostler, a man “who was afflicted. He was much more monkey than man, but very intelligent – he had a face like a monkey, his arms were long and thin and he walked with an animal gait.” One afternoon, the ostler invited the young maid to visit his cottage. He pulled aside a blind and “there was a monkey as big as a man chained to the wall.” The ostler said it was his brother, that he could not talk and that only his mother could manage him. Soon afterwards this unhappy creature died. When the maid asked what had happened to the body, the ostler replied: “It’s a secret. I mustn’t tell you. You see, you can’t bury a monster in hallowed ground because a monster has no soul.”
It later transpired that in years gone by they used to bury horses at Piltdown – “an appropriate place to bury a monster.” Old Albert Dudeney had put two and two together. He might have made five, but his final theory is as good as any on the whole enigma of Dawn Man: “If that monkey had been born in the wilds it would be all animal, but as it was born of a woman there would be a certain amount of human in it and that might put the scientists off the track.” ■
Rupert Taylor: Sussex Scandals, Countryside Books,1987
(reprinted with kind permission)
The clandestine activities at an old gravel pit on a warm June day in 1912 attracted enough local curiosity for the Piltdown police constable to be informed.
The bobby later went to the clerk to the magistrates at Uckfield, Mr Charles Dawson, and reported: “Three toffs, two of them from London, have been digging like mad in the gravel at Barkham and nobody could make out what they were up to.”
Dawson himself had been one of the gentlemen sweating away with picks and shovels, but perhaps because the solicitor and keen amateur archaeologist was on the brink of the sort of momentous discovery he had always dreamed of he did not reveal his involvement. Instead, he said the men were probably merely harmless enthusiasts looking for flints in the area and enlisted the constable’s help, explaining where flints might be found on his beat and asking him to report anything he might discover digging then continued without interference from the police or nosey rustics until winter flooding brought work to a halt.
The expenditure of all this energy in a remote corner of Sussex had its roots four years earlier when Dawson had visited the gravel pit, which supplied the materials for mending the local roads, and was handed a portion of human cranium of unusual thickness by a workman. It was not until some time later that Dawson discovered a second ad larger piece of the skull on one of the rain-washed spoil heaps and soon afterwards a portion of hippopotamus tooth.
This sparked a thorough probe by Dawson and his fellow ‘toffs’: Professor Arthur Smith Woodward, the industrious and humourless keeper of palaeontology at the British Museum, and Teilhard de Chardin, a young Frenchman soon to be ordained as a priest whose interest in archaeology while studying at Hastings had led to his friendship with Dawson.
Various other big noises from the world of archaeology, geology and anthropology joined them that summer and autumn, during which time further pieces of skull were found plus, most exciting of all, a section of jaw bone. They lifted the veil of secrecy that December when Nature reported: “The fossil human skull and mandible to be described by Mr Charles Dawson and Dr Arthur Smith Woodward as we go to press is the most important discovery of its kind ever made in England. The specimen was found in circumstances which seem to leave no doubt of its geological age …” Nature also asserted that the only real ancestor of modern man was represented by the remains found in Sussex. “…Dr Smith Woodward inclines to the theory that the Neanderthal race was a degenerate offshoot of early man while surviving modern man my have arisen directly from the primitive source of which the Piltdown skull provides the first discovered evidence.”
The Manchester Guardian was the first to break the news of the discovery to the public at large with a headline less conservative than Nature: “The earliest man? A skull millions of years old. One of the most important of our time.” Eoanthropus Dawsoni – Dawson’s Dawn Man, the 600,000-year-old missing link between man and his ancestors, had arrived.
A reconstruction of the skull was made, and caused great excitement and some confusion particularly as the skull was shaped as in a modern man while the jaw was as in a modern ape. Piltdown became a place of pilgrimage for motor coaches laden with natural history societies; penny postcards of the diggings went on sale; the village pub changed its name from The Lamb Inn to The Piltdown Man. They even scheduled the site as a national monument.
But from the outset there were doubts about the authenticity, doubts that grew as the years went by and further discoveries of man’s origins were made elsewhere in the world. Four decades after Piltdown Man first surfaced, he was subjected to a stringent series of chemical and mechanical tests. The British Museum’s report of the investigation, issued in 1953, was damning. It stated that the jaw belonged to a modern ape, the teeth had been deliberately worn down, that fluorine tests revealed most of the skull fragments to be modern, that the black coating on the bones (described by Dawson as ‘ferruginous’, or iron stain) was in fact a paint-like substance and the coating on the mandible was superficial to make it resemble the cranium. All an unscrupulous and skilful hoax.
But who was the culprit in this forgery that fooled the experts for so long, that brought a motion in the House of Commons on November 25th, 1953, “That this house has no confidence in the Trustees of the British Museum because of the tardiness of their discovery that the skull of the Piltdown Man is a fake.”
Was it the jovial Dawson, who had died at his Lewes home in 1916 at the age of 62? He was the prime suspect, of course, on the grounds of increasing his own fame, but he was not skilled enough and would have risked early exposure and ignominy.
Ronald Millar, in his book The Piltdown Men, points the finger of guilt at the Australian-born Sir Grafton Elliot Smith, an accomplished human anatomist and expert on prehistoric and ancient human skulls, who would have loved a chuckle at the expense of stick-in-the-mud palaeontology and anatomy. Did he slip down to Sussex and plant bits and pieces for the gullible enthusiasts to seize from the dirt with such delight? Perhaps it was an elaborate prank that got out of hand.
In 1978 Nature published an account of a tape recording made before his death that year by Professor James Douglas. According to him, the hoax was perpetrated by his former colleague Professor William Johnson Sollas, who worked at Oxford University from 1897 until his death at the age of 87. The hoax was aimed at Sir Arthur Smith Woodward with whom he was having ‘a bitter feud’.
An old blacksmith’s story of the truth behind Piltdown may be an insult to science but is worth recording as a postscript to a whole episode that was an insult to science. A transcript of the statement made in 1953 by Albert Dudeney was published by the Sussex Archaeological Society in 1980. He claimed that the skull which had foxed everyone may have belonged to a deformed villager from Newick, near neighbour of Piltdown.
Dudeney’s mother worked as a maid at Newick’s Bull Inn where she became friendly with the ostler, a man “who was afflicted. He was much more monkey than man, but very intelligent – he had a face like a monkey, his arms were long and thin and he walked with an animal gait.” One afternoon, the ostler invited the young maid to visit his cottage. He pulled aside a blind and “there was a monkey as big as a man chained to the wall.” The ostler said it was his brother, that he could not talk and that only his mother could manage him. Soon afterwards this unhappy creature died. When the maid asked what had happened to the body, the ostler replied: “It’s a secret. I mustn’t tell you. You see, you can’t bury a monster in hallowed ground because a monster has no soul.”
It later transpired that in years gone by they used to bury horses at Piltdown – “an appropriate place to bury a monster.” Old Albert Dudeney had put two and two together. He might have made five, but his final theory is as good as any on the whole enigma of Dawn Man: “If that monkey had been born in the wilds it would be all animal, but as it was born of a woman there would be a certain amount of human in it and that might put the scientists off the track.” ■
Rupert Taylor: Sussex Scandals, Countryside Books,1987
(reprinted with kind permission)
Tuesday Night at the 3 Amigos @ the Vinyard Lodge, Hurstpierpoint
Subject: Tuesday Night 26th October.
Don't forget Sam & Simon Nixon are playing tomorrow and singing for YOUR supper. Book a table or you may be disappointed!
Don't forget Sam & Simon Nixon are playing tomorrow and singing for YOUR supper. Book a table or you may be disappointed!
Keymer Church Christmas Fair
Keymer Church Christmas Fair will be held on Saturday 6th November at 10am-noon in the Keymer Church Hall. There will be all the usual stalls - Bottle, raffle, gifts, cakes, books, toys, tombola, stationery and more. Entrance is free so come along and get some early bargains for Christmas. All proceeds to church and hall funds.
Contact Jane Sharman on 01273 845194
Contact Jane Sharman on 01273 845194
Come and see The Desperate Hurstwives
St Lawrence CEP School PTA invites you to a fabulous evening
of dinner and cabaret with
The Desperate Hurstwives
and special guest, Lorraine Bowen.
Saturday 13th November, 7.30pm
Village Centre, Hurstpierpoint,
There will be a licensed bar.
Tickets (£15 per person, including dinner) from Vanilla (40 High St) and the school office (please avoid peak times). Help us to raise funds towards the school building works.
of dinner and cabaret with
The Desperate Hurstwives
and special guest, Lorraine Bowen.
Saturday 13th November, 7.30pm
Village Centre, Hurstpierpoint,
There will be a licensed bar.
Tickets (£15 per person, including dinner) from Vanilla (40 High St) and the school office (please avoid peak times). Help us to raise funds towards the school building works.
Sunday, 24 October 2010
Art at the Heart, Henfield
Henfield artist Alex Dury and two other local artists begin an exhbition at The White Hart in Henfield High Street this week.
The show, which opened on Thursday night (October 21) runs into the New Year in one of the restaurant areas.
Then a dedicated gallery will be created in the function room.
Landlord Gyles Culver says: "We are proud of our cultural contribution to life in Henfield, with previous art exhibitions and music events having been so successful.
"This is a way of providing a showcase for local artists."
Alex Dury raised more than £6,000 for the Trevor Mann Baby Unit at Brighton's Royal Sussex Hospital with the auction of 12 paintings (one per hour) done on the South Downs during the Summer Solstice, June 21. His paintings were displayed at The White Hart during the auction period in July and August.
This week's White Hart exhibition features the work of Alex's fellow artists Lawrence Prentice (etchings) and Mirja Oksanen (lino cuts).
Says Alex: "The White Hart has been the focus for a lot of artistic endeavours, including live jazz, and we are delighted that Gyles is giving local artists the opportunity to display their work on a long-term basis.
"Diners can appreciate our work while they are eating in that part of the retaurant and in the new year the dedicated art gallery will be somewhere for people to look at art in really pleasant surroundings while having a drink."
The White Hart is a fund-raiser for HART (Henfield Area Response Team) and has fortnightly Tuesday quiz evenings. The next is at 8.30pm on Tuesday November 2.
Details: The White Hart on 01273 492006 www.whitehart-henfield.co.uk
The show, which opened on Thursday night (October 21) runs into the New Year in one of the restaurant areas.
Then a dedicated gallery will be created in the function room.
Landlord Gyles Culver says: "We are proud of our cultural contribution to life in Henfield, with previous art exhibitions and music events having been so successful.
"This is a way of providing a showcase for local artists."
Alex Dury raised more than £6,000 for the Trevor Mann Baby Unit at Brighton's Royal Sussex Hospital with the auction of 12 paintings (one per hour) done on the South Downs during the Summer Solstice, June 21. His paintings were displayed at The White Hart during the auction period in July and August.
This week's White Hart exhibition features the work of Alex's fellow artists Lawrence Prentice (etchings) and Mirja Oksanen (lino cuts).
Says Alex: "The White Hart has been the focus for a lot of artistic endeavours, including live jazz, and we are delighted that Gyles is giving local artists the opportunity to display their work on a long-term basis.
"Diners can appreciate our work while they are eating in that part of the retaurant and in the new year the dedicated art gallery will be somewhere for people to look at art in really pleasant surroundings while having a drink."
The White Hart is a fund-raiser for HART (Henfield Area Response Team) and has fortnightly Tuesday quiz evenings. The next is at 8.30pm on Tuesday November 2.
Details: The White Hart on 01273 492006 www.whitehart-henfield.co.uk
West Sussex County Council News
Road closure in Haywards Heath starts next week.
Borde Hill Lane and Stonehall Lane in Haywards Heath will be closed for five days from Monday October 25 to carry out road maintenance.
The £20,000 West Sussex County Council scheme will include road repairs, drainage work, bridge inspection, making new road markings and tree felling, in the roads between Hanlye Lane, Cuckfield, and Balcombe village.
The scheme is scheduled to take up to five days to complete, weather permitting. It will be carried out Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm.
Access for residents and businesses will still be available.
Borde Hill Lane and Stonehall Lane in Haywards Heath will be closed for five days from Monday October 25 to carry out road maintenance.
The £20,000 West Sussex County Council scheme will include road repairs, drainage work, bridge inspection, making new road markings and tree felling, in the roads between Hanlye Lane, Cuckfield, and Balcombe village.
The scheme is scheduled to take up to five days to complete, weather permitting. It will be carried out Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm.
Access for residents and businesses will still be available.
The Sportsman at Goddards Green: British Pub Week
We are pleased to inform you that we are holding several events during British Pub Week (30th October – 6th November) with event details as follows:
Saturday 30th October Halloween Night – music from 830pm
Live Local Band - Apocalypse Cow
Regular dinner bookings available 6.00pm – 9.00pm
Sunday 31st October – Halloween Lunch
Why not join us in the warmth of your local for Traditional Sunday Lunch
served by our New Head Chef James Villiers. Lunch served 12.00noon – 7.00pm
Monday 1st November – Quiz Night with Jon Hill
Our popular quiz, coupled with Curry & Pint night at £7.95 is a great night out with friends, with a meal & pint all for under £10! – Quiz only £2 per person entry
£100 rollover CASH JACKPOT must be won !
Come on…. You’ve got to be in it to win it!
Saturday 6th November from 730pm
Guy Fawkes Bonfire Night with fireworks display and BBQ for the Celebrations.
Ticket prices
£12 for adults, £6 for children (up to 10yrs) and under 5’s free
There will be a BBQ which will be included within the ticket price.
We would like to offer all our Neighbours a discounted ticket price for this event of
£10 per adult and £4 for children.
To take advantage of this offer and support “Your Local” during British Pub Week, please call in and present the letter to a member of staff who will organise the tickets for you.
Further into November, we will be holding a Beer & Wine Tasting Evening on Tuesday 16th November with local suppliers South Downs Cellars, Darkstar & Harvey’s Brewery amongst others. It is a FREE event, so please call or pop in for details so that we can estimate numbers attending.
We look forward to seeing you soon, warm regards towards the Festive Season!
Matt, Tasha & all the staff.
The Sportsman
Goddards Green
BN6 9LQ
01444 233460
www.thesportsmanpub.com
Saturday 30th October Halloween Night – music from 830pm
Live Local Band - Apocalypse Cow
Regular dinner bookings available 6.00pm – 9.00pm
Sunday 31st October – Halloween Lunch
Why not join us in the warmth of your local for Traditional Sunday Lunch
served by our New Head Chef James Villiers. Lunch served 12.00noon – 7.00pm
Monday 1st November – Quiz Night with Jon Hill
Our popular quiz, coupled with Curry & Pint night at £7.95 is a great night out with friends, with a meal & pint all for under £10! – Quiz only £2 per person entry
£100 rollover CASH JACKPOT must be won !
Come on…. You’ve got to be in it to win it!
Saturday 6th November from 730pm
Guy Fawkes Bonfire Night with fireworks display and BBQ for the Celebrations.
Ticket prices
£12 for adults, £6 for children (up to 10yrs) and under 5’s free
There will be a BBQ which will be included within the ticket price.
We would like to offer all our Neighbours a discounted ticket price for this event of
£10 per adult and £4 for children.
To take advantage of this offer and support “Your Local” during British Pub Week, please call in and present the letter to a member of staff who will organise the tickets for you.
Further into November, we will be holding a Beer & Wine Tasting Evening on Tuesday 16th November with local suppliers South Downs Cellars, Darkstar & Harvey’s Brewery amongst others. It is a FREE event, so please call or pop in for details so that we can estimate numbers attending.
We look forward to seeing you soon, warm regards towards the Festive Season!
Matt, Tasha & all the staff.
The Sportsman
Goddards Green
BN6 9LQ
01444 233460
www.thesportsmanpub.com
Lewes: Ecology into Art
" Ecology Into Art"
An exhibition by Lil Tudor-Craig
Linklater Pavilion, Lewes Railway Land, Railway Lane, Lewes, E. Sussex BN7 2RF
14th - 28th November 10.00- 4.00
This is the opening exhibition at this new centre for environmental education.
Lil explores and celebrates the natural world of the British Isles through painting. Each painting shows a particular place at a particular time of year, with some of the creatures which would be found there at that time. Some of the paintings are concerned with the beauty of often overlooked simple places such as reedbeds, brambles, nettles, field corners and thorn thickets with the incredible diversity of species that live there.
An exhibition by Lil Tudor-Craig
Linklater Pavilion, Lewes Railway Land, Railway Lane, Lewes, E. Sussex BN7 2RF
14th - 28th November 10.00- 4.00
This is the opening exhibition at this new centre for environmental education.
Lil explores and celebrates the natural world of the British Isles through painting. Each painting shows a particular place at a particular time of year, with some of the creatures which would be found there at that time. Some of the paintings are concerned with the beauty of often overlooked simple places such as reedbeds, brambles, nettles, field corners and thorn thickets with the incredible diversity of species that live there.
Saturday, 23 October 2010
Dear Editor ...
by Lisa de Silva
The Reverend James Price Bacon-Phillips, was a compulsive ‘Letter to the Editor’ writer whose authority and expertise on a whole host of subjects meant that his name was frequently quoted in journals and magazines across the globe.
Born in 1857, Bacon-Phillips became Rector of St George’s Church in Crowhurst in 1889, at the age of 32 years old. A man of immense compassion and charity, he soon earned the name The Tramps’ Parson. It was his desire to bring more justice to the lives of the poor that was the initial motivation for writing letters to newspapers.
“I took to it regularly in 1892, dealing with the subject of witnesses being bullied by counsel in the courts,” he once explained, going on to point out, “I have strongly defended little children, tramps, the aged poor, cabmen, busmen and animals, particularly horses.”
However, it wasn’t just the humble and illiterate that were the subject of his pen. Over the course of his lifetime, his published letters were thought to run into tens of thousands, covering every topic under the sun. This earned him a second nickname: The Prince of Newspaper Letter Writers. Well known to all the editors on Fleet Street, they knew that any submission with his name on it would be worthy of their attention.
Bacon-Phillips also had the honour of provoking a record response to his letter to the Daily Telegraph on the subject of Curfew bells, which were rung nightly in towns to call for all lights to be extinguished, as a fire precaution.
As his fame spread, a reader of the News Chronicle once asked the editor just how many subjects Bacon-Phillips was qualified to give ‘expert’ opinions on. The response was short and succinct: “Many – and varied.”
Bacon-Phillips retired from St George’s in 1917 and moved to Burgess Hill. He became a familiar figure walking the Sussex countryside, which he loved. “I walk ten miles a day. I am old-fashioned. To me walking is a pleasure and a mental and physical stimulus.”
It was on these walks that he often met the many hundreds of tramps travelling between the workhouses of Brighton and Cuckfield. During the early 20th century state payouts had not yet been introduced to help the needy and Bacon-Phillips would often give these men much appreciated support in the form of pipes, tobacco and vouchers which they could exchange for food and tea.
Ever mindful of helping those less fortunate than himself, in 1922 he set up a charity to buy Christmas gifts for the poor, from the invested income of Brook Field, formerly glebe land, which he bequeathed to the cause. On a more personal note, he dedicated two windows in St George’s church, Crowhurst, depicting love and purity, to the memory of his much-loved wife, Mary Elizabeth.
Bacon-Phillips died in 1938 at the age of 81 years old. His keen intellect and compassionate nature leave a valuable legacy in the lives of those he touched along the way. ■
With kind permission from:
From Pyecombe to Cuckfield by Mark Dudeney and Eileen Hallett, Mid-Sussex Books, 1999
The Reverend James Price Bacon-Phillips, was a compulsive ‘Letter to the Editor’ writer whose authority and expertise on a whole host of subjects meant that his name was frequently quoted in journals and magazines across the globe.
Born in 1857, Bacon-Phillips became Rector of St George’s Church in Crowhurst in 1889, at the age of 32 years old. A man of immense compassion and charity, he soon earned the name The Tramps’ Parson. It was his desire to bring more justice to the lives of the poor that was the initial motivation for writing letters to newspapers.
“I took to it regularly in 1892, dealing with the subject of witnesses being bullied by counsel in the courts,” he once explained, going on to point out, “I have strongly defended little children, tramps, the aged poor, cabmen, busmen and animals, particularly horses.”
However, it wasn’t just the humble and illiterate that were the subject of his pen. Over the course of his lifetime, his published letters were thought to run into tens of thousands, covering every topic under the sun. This earned him a second nickname: The Prince of Newspaper Letter Writers. Well known to all the editors on Fleet Street, they knew that any submission with his name on it would be worthy of their attention.
Bacon-Phillips also had the honour of provoking a record response to his letter to the Daily Telegraph on the subject of Curfew bells, which were rung nightly in towns to call for all lights to be extinguished, as a fire precaution.
As his fame spread, a reader of the News Chronicle once asked the editor just how many subjects Bacon-Phillips was qualified to give ‘expert’ opinions on. The response was short and succinct: “Many – and varied.”
Bacon-Phillips retired from St George’s in 1917 and moved to Burgess Hill. He became a familiar figure walking the Sussex countryside, which he loved. “I walk ten miles a day. I am old-fashioned. To me walking is a pleasure and a mental and physical stimulus.”
It was on these walks that he often met the many hundreds of tramps travelling between the workhouses of Brighton and Cuckfield. During the early 20th century state payouts had not yet been introduced to help the needy and Bacon-Phillips would often give these men much appreciated support in the form of pipes, tobacco and vouchers which they could exchange for food and tea.
Ever mindful of helping those less fortunate than himself, in 1922 he set up a charity to buy Christmas gifts for the poor, from the invested income of Brook Field, formerly glebe land, which he bequeathed to the cause. On a more personal note, he dedicated two windows in St George’s church, Crowhurst, depicting love and purity, to the memory of his much-loved wife, Mary Elizabeth.
Bacon-Phillips died in 1938 at the age of 81 years old. His keen intellect and compassionate nature leave a valuable legacy in the lives of those he touched along the way. ■
With kind permission from:
From Pyecombe to Cuckfield by Mark Dudeney and Eileen Hallett, Mid-Sussex Books, 1999
Village market set to open in Ditchling
Kate O’Sullivan who has run the village market in Hassocks for the past year is set to launch a Ditchling village market in coming months – with the help of HKD.
Dates will be announced when a location has been finalised.
“Over the last year I have had the opportunity to see first hand the relevance of a relatively small village market for the community and local traders. I am looking forward to bringing a market to Ditchling that can provide a useful, accessible and inspiring addition to the village calendar. HKD Transition members have been pivotal in this,” says Kate.
“For me a successful village market needs to be sustainable not just economically but in terms of Transition.
“In time there is a chance to encourage, motivate and facilitate change in how trade is mediated and delivered. This is an extremely exciting opportunity for all the players involved to express their views and concerns, both community and traders.”
Kate says she hopes to bring the basics to the village monthly – local and seasonal vegetables, bread, eggs, cheese, meat, honey, fruit/juice, cakes/pastries, preserves/oils and local craft and more.
“I hope that community groups and individuals will use the market as a platform for local causes and charities and we will encourage musicians and other performers to help us make market day fun and diverse,” she adds.
HKD members are meeting with Kate O'Sullivan to discuss the development of the village markets on Monday 25 October at 7.45 pm. If you'd like to attend please call Sarah Furey on 01273-831446 for more details.
The HKD Food Group is researching local producers as part of its decision to produce a local food guide. You can help with the guide. If you or a neighbour are small/micro producers, who sell eggs, jams veg etc from their gates please let the food group know their whereabouts for inclusion in the guide.
Dates will be announced when a location has been finalised.
“Over the last year I have had the opportunity to see first hand the relevance of a relatively small village market for the community and local traders. I am looking forward to bringing a market to Ditchling that can provide a useful, accessible and inspiring addition to the village calendar. HKD Transition members have been pivotal in this,” says Kate.
“For me a successful village market needs to be sustainable not just economically but in terms of Transition.
“In time there is a chance to encourage, motivate and facilitate change in how trade is mediated and delivered. This is an extremely exciting opportunity for all the players involved to express their views and concerns, both community and traders.”
Kate says she hopes to bring the basics to the village monthly – local and seasonal vegetables, bread, eggs, cheese, meat, honey, fruit/juice, cakes/pastries, preserves/oils and local craft and more.
“I hope that community groups and individuals will use the market as a platform for local causes and charities and we will encourage musicians and other performers to help us make market day fun and diverse,” she adds.
HKD members are meeting with Kate O'Sullivan to discuss the development of the village markets on Monday 25 October at 7.45 pm. If you'd like to attend please call Sarah Furey on 01273-831446 for more details.
The HKD Food Group is researching local producers as part of its decision to produce a local food guide. You can help with the guide. If you or a neighbour are small/micro producers, who sell eggs, jams veg etc from their gates please let the food group know their whereabouts for inclusion in the guide.
HKD Transition – now we are formal
HKD (Hassocks, Keymer & Ditchling) has been formally established with a constitution and management committee agreed and elected at its first annual general meeting held in September.
The meeting, at Adastra Hall, was well attended with a unanimous decision to back the draft constitution put forward by the steering group.
Juliet Merrifield was elected Membership Secretary and Cynthia Taylor Treasurer.
Other members of the Management Committee are: Chris Thomson, Gerald Fleuss, Sarah Furey, Astrid Stubbs and Chris Handel.
The meeting, at Adastra Hall, was well attended with a unanimous decision to back the draft constitution put forward by the steering group.
Juliet Merrifield was elected Membership Secretary and Cynthia Taylor Treasurer.
Other members of the Management Committee are: Chris Thomson, Gerald Fleuss, Sarah Furey, Astrid Stubbs and Chris Handel.
Humanity at Heart at home and abroad
Michelle Ellel from Humanity at Heart in Hassocks explains why the shop in no ordinary charity but a vital contributor to recycling in the area.
At the Humanity at Heart Charity Shop, No 28 Keymer Rd, Hassocks, we acknowledge that our main aim is to raise as much money as possible to support our projects in Romania. Our work with poor communities and the elderly is vital in order to give these marginalised people hope, as well as some practical and material support.
However, we also value the importance of our position in the village and consider how we can contribute to village life, so we hold special events that not only raise funds but contribute to the enjoyment of local people. Recently we hosted a late night shopping event with a fashion show that was enjoyed by everyone.
We take part in village initiatives when possible and open at the Christmas late night event, providing drinks and snacks to say thank you our customers.
Recycling is very important to us and although we try to sell as much as we can of the donated items we recycle the metal, paper and textiles that do not sell. In a way we also recycle plants! All those excess seedlings, self seeded plants and things you no longer want can be brought in and sold on a Friday at our plant sales.
Recently we decided to try ‘recycling’ vegetables! Not the left-overs from your shopping but from your gardens and allotments. We have had an excellent response to our appeal and have been donated peas, courgettes, tomatoes and beans to name a few. These items are sold on a Friday along with the plant sales and ensure that as little as possible goes to waste.
A new initiative we would like to try is a Swishing party. The idea is that you bring two items of clothing and exchange one item with others who attend and leave one as a donation to the charity. I would be interested to hear what you think of this idea.
We are very keen to reduce the use of plastic bags and we encourage you to bring your own bag whenever possible, or purchase one of our cloth bags or a newspaper recycled bag that we have bought from a project in India.
Contact Michelle at michelle@humanityatheart.org.uk
At the Humanity at Heart Charity Shop, No 28 Keymer Rd, Hassocks, we acknowledge that our main aim is to raise as much money as possible to support our projects in Romania. Our work with poor communities and the elderly is vital in order to give these marginalised people hope, as well as some practical and material support.
However, we also value the importance of our position in the village and consider how we can contribute to village life, so we hold special events that not only raise funds but contribute to the enjoyment of local people. Recently we hosted a late night shopping event with a fashion show that was enjoyed by everyone.
We take part in village initiatives when possible and open at the Christmas late night event, providing drinks and snacks to say thank you our customers.
Recycling is very important to us and although we try to sell as much as we can of the donated items we recycle the metal, paper and textiles that do not sell. In a way we also recycle plants! All those excess seedlings, self seeded plants and things you no longer want can be brought in and sold on a Friday at our plant sales.
Recently we decided to try ‘recycling’ vegetables! Not the left-overs from your shopping but from your gardens and allotments. We have had an excellent response to our appeal and have been donated peas, courgettes, tomatoes and beans to name a few. These items are sold on a Friday along with the plant sales and ensure that as little as possible goes to waste.
A new initiative we would like to try is a Swishing party. The idea is that you bring two items of clothing and exchange one item with others who attend and leave one as a donation to the charity. I would be interested to hear what you think of this idea.
We are very keen to reduce the use of plastic bags and we encourage you to bring your own bag whenever possible, or purchase one of our cloth bags or a newspaper recycled bag that we have bought from a project in India.
Contact Michelle at michelle@humanityatheart.org.uk
Friday, 22 October 2010
Star Quality at Ockenden Manor
by Nicole Tata
Discover Michelin-starred dining in historic surroundings at Ockenden Manor, hidden away in the pretty village of Cuckfield.
Steeped in 500-year-old history, this recently refurbished cosy country house hotel is set in nine acres of beautiful Sussex countryside offering 22 rooms of pure luxury and an award-winning restaurant. And that’s not all. “We’re in the middle of building our new Spa which will be situated in the walled vegetable garden,” beamed Adam Smith, General Manager. “By 2011 we’ll be able to offer swim, sauna and treatment facilities to all our customers, and eight additional luxury bedrooms.”
The star attraction, though, is the restaurant: Ockenden Manor has one of only two Michelin-starred restaurants in Sussex. Head Chef Stephen Crane is a master of modern French cuisine, creating inventive and complex dishes that dazzle the palate using only the finest, freshest local ingredients.
Restaurant Manager William Spalla is the star in the dining room. His easy Italian charm puts his customers at ease while his operation runs like clockwork: one mouthwatering epicurean delight after another is served with impeccable attentiveness and a quiet confidence that comes from the knowledge that every dish will be faultlessly executed.
William chose Grilled Scallops as a starter for me, and the Ballotine of Salmon for my partner. We ate slowly, letting every nuance of flavour and texture play on the tongue. “May I suggest a little foie gras with toasted brioche for in between, accompanied by a South African Muscadel?” William must have known what he was unleashing. “That’s outrageously good,” was all my other half could utter.
Next came an equally ‘outrageous’ Honey Roast Gressingham Duck Breast with Chicory Tart, Creamy Cabbage and Smoked Bacon, and Ditchling Lamb with Baby Spinach, Fondant Potato and French Beans Provencale. “A nice glass of Barbera with the duck, madame? It’s from Piedmont, like me.” William was in his element, ever the consummate host, demonstrating an awesome knowledge of the culinary arts while showing off the restaurant’s impressive wine list.
I’m a dessert girl, for my sins, which is why the Pistachio Crème Brulée with Rasperry Sorbet and Warm Dark Chocolate Emulsion proved the highlight of my evening. My partner oohed and aahed over the Warm Apricot Clafoutis with Toasted Almonds and Natural Yogurt Ice, ignoring the shin taps I daintily administered under the table.
Coffee and petits fours later, we enjoyed our new-found ‘gourmet’ status, having been treated to what must surely count as the finest food in Sussex.
Ockenden Manor
Ockenden Lane, Cuckfield,
Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH17 5LD
Tel. 01444 416111
www.hshotels.co.uk
Discover Michelin-starred dining in historic surroundings at Ockenden Manor, hidden away in the pretty village of Cuckfield.
Steeped in 500-year-old history, this recently refurbished cosy country house hotel is set in nine acres of beautiful Sussex countryside offering 22 rooms of pure luxury and an award-winning restaurant. And that’s not all. “We’re in the middle of building our new Spa which will be situated in the walled vegetable garden,” beamed Adam Smith, General Manager. “By 2011 we’ll be able to offer swim, sauna and treatment facilities to all our customers, and eight additional luxury bedrooms.”
The star attraction, though, is the restaurant: Ockenden Manor has one of only two Michelin-starred restaurants in Sussex. Head Chef Stephen Crane is a master of modern French cuisine, creating inventive and complex dishes that dazzle the palate using only the finest, freshest local ingredients.
Restaurant Manager William Spalla is the star in the dining room. His easy Italian charm puts his customers at ease while his operation runs like clockwork: one mouthwatering epicurean delight after another is served with impeccable attentiveness and a quiet confidence that comes from the knowledge that every dish will be faultlessly executed.
William chose Grilled Scallops as a starter for me, and the Ballotine of Salmon for my partner. We ate slowly, letting every nuance of flavour and texture play on the tongue. “May I suggest a little foie gras with toasted brioche for in between, accompanied by a South African Muscadel?” William must have known what he was unleashing. “That’s outrageously good,” was all my other half could utter.
Next came an equally ‘outrageous’ Honey Roast Gressingham Duck Breast with Chicory Tart, Creamy Cabbage and Smoked Bacon, and Ditchling Lamb with Baby Spinach, Fondant Potato and French Beans Provencale. “A nice glass of Barbera with the duck, madame? It’s from Piedmont, like me.” William was in his element, ever the consummate host, demonstrating an awesome knowledge of the culinary arts while showing off the restaurant’s impressive wine list.
I’m a dessert girl, for my sins, which is why the Pistachio Crème Brulée with Rasperry Sorbet and Warm Dark Chocolate Emulsion proved the highlight of my evening. My partner oohed and aahed over the Warm Apricot Clafoutis with Toasted Almonds and Natural Yogurt Ice, ignoring the shin taps I daintily administered under the table.
Coffee and petits fours later, we enjoyed our new-found ‘gourmet’ status, having been treated to what must surely count as the finest food in Sussex.
Ockenden Manor
Ockenden Lane, Cuckfield,
Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH17 5LD
Tel. 01444 416111
www.hshotels.co.uk
Events at Walstead Place Care Home:
Fireworks – 29th October
Quiz night – 12th November 2010
Christmas Party – 11th December
Christmas Carol Concert – 14th December – 7.00pm
Christmas Panto – 22nd December - Winter Wonderland – 6.30pm-7.30pm
Walstead Place (Caring Homes)
Walstead
Lindfield
West Sussex RH16 2QG
Tel. 01444 483885
Quiz night – 12th November 2010
Christmas Party – 11th December
Christmas Carol Concert – 14th December – 7.00pm
Christmas Panto – 22nd December - Winter Wonderland – 6.30pm-7.30pm
Walstead Place (Caring Homes)
Walstead
Lindfield
West Sussex RH16 2QG
Tel. 01444 483885
Hundreds hit the track in a ‘tache in Hospice Run
Over 500 runners lined up at K2 on Sunday 17th October for this year’s Crawley 10k, held in aid of St Catherine’s Hospice and sponsored by Gatwick Honda.
And a large number of these were sporting a fine array of facial hair as they took up this year’s theme to raise cash in your ‘tache for the local hospice.
All those who took part are invited to tag themselves – and their ‘tache – in the event photographs at www.facebook.com/stcatherineshospicecrawley
The course took a scenic, sunshiny route through Tilgate Forest before looping back to the K2 track where the Mayor Councillor Lee Burke was on hand to award the winners’ trophies.
Leigh Packer was first to finish the race, as he did in 2009 and ladies winner Julie Briggs also scooped the top spot for the women for the second year running.
The category winners are:
Overall male winner: Leigh Packer, 36.09
Overall female winner: Julie Briggs, 39.41
Junior male winner (under 20 years): Michael Hobbs, 39.44
Junior female winner: Itzel Beceque, 55.31
1st male over 40 years: Graham Bull, 40.17
1st female over 40 years: Julie Briggs, 39.41
1st male over 50 years: Walter Hill, 41.06
1st female over 50 years: Maggie Statham, Oxted Runners, 47.51
1st male over 60 years: Michael McKechnie, 51.39
1st female over 60 years: Sue Garner, 51.50
Team: K2 Running Club Team A
Jen Wickham, event organiser for St Catherine’s Hospice says, “We’re delighted with the turn out on the day and hope the event will bring in £20,000. We rely on the generosity of local people to ensure we can provide end of life care across the region, so it was great to see so many teams turn out in a ‘tache and it gave the day a real buzz.
“We’d like to thank our sponsors Gatwick Honda, Wall to Wall Communications for the radio equipment, K2, Lifecare medics, Sport Systems for the results and all our volunteers and marshals.”
For a full list of winners follow the Crawley 10k link from www.stch.org.uk
And a large number of these were sporting a fine array of facial hair as they took up this year’s theme to raise cash in your ‘tache for the local hospice.
All those who took part are invited to tag themselves – and their ‘tache – in the event photographs at www.facebook.com/stcatherineshospicecrawley
The course took a scenic, sunshiny route through Tilgate Forest before looping back to the K2 track where the Mayor Councillor Lee Burke was on hand to award the winners’ trophies.
Leigh Packer was first to finish the race, as he did in 2009 and ladies winner Julie Briggs also scooped the top spot for the women for the second year running.
The category winners are:
Overall male winner: Leigh Packer, 36.09
Overall female winner: Julie Briggs, 39.41
Junior male winner (under 20 years): Michael Hobbs, 39.44
Junior female winner: Itzel Beceque, 55.31
1st male over 40 years: Graham Bull, 40.17
1st female over 40 years: Julie Briggs, 39.41
1st male over 50 years: Walter Hill, 41.06
1st female over 50 years: Maggie Statham, Oxted Runners, 47.51
1st male over 60 years: Michael McKechnie, 51.39
1st female over 60 years: Sue Garner, 51.50
Team: K2 Running Club Team A
Jen Wickham, event organiser for St Catherine’s Hospice says, “We’re delighted with the turn out on the day and hope the event will bring in £20,000. We rely on the generosity of local people to ensure we can provide end of life care across the region, so it was great to see so many teams turn out in a ‘tache and it gave the day a real buzz.
“We’d like to thank our sponsors Gatwick Honda, Wall to Wall Communications for the radio equipment, K2, Lifecare medics, Sport Systems for the results and all our volunteers and marshals.”
For a full list of winners follow the Crawley 10k link from www.stch.org.uk
Thursday, 21 October 2010
Hickstead: The perfect gift for equestrian fans
What better Christmas gift for equestrian fans – or anyone interested in the history of the sport – than “Hickstead, a Golden Celebration”, a frank account of the venue’s first half-century and how it helped rocket showjumping into the public eye.
The book, written by ex-Daily Telegraph equestrian correspondent Alan Smith and with a foreword by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, tells from the inside how the late Douglas Bunn turned a muddy Sussex field into the world’s greatest, permanent, outdoor equestrian venue.
This 168-page glossy hardback contains numerous photographs of Hickstead’s greatest historical moments as well as a unique insight into the Bunn family’s archives. There are, too, comments from present and retired riders about the venue’s importance to the equestrian world, together with chapters on dressage, polo and showing and a glimpse of the family’s plans for the future.
“Hickstead, a Golden Celebration,” price £25 plus postage and packing, is available through the Hickstead office, telephone 01273 834315, or visit its website, www.hickstead.co.uk
The book, written by ex-Daily Telegraph equestrian correspondent Alan Smith and with a foreword by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, tells from the inside how the late Douglas Bunn turned a muddy Sussex field into the world’s greatest, permanent, outdoor equestrian venue.
This 168-page glossy hardback contains numerous photographs of Hickstead’s greatest historical moments as well as a unique insight into the Bunn family’s archives. There are, too, comments from present and retired riders about the venue’s importance to the equestrian world, together with chapters on dressage, polo and showing and a glimpse of the family’s plans for the future.
“Hickstead, a Golden Celebration,” price £25 plus postage and packing, is available through the Hickstead office, telephone 01273 834315, or visit its website, www.hickstead.co.uk
Staplefield Charity Auction
Local artist Chuck Goodwin has generously donated the offer of a portrait in oils on canvas to the forthcoming charity auction of goods and promises at Staplefield village hall, West Sussex on Saturday 30 October in aid of the Kempe wall paintings appeal and St Mark’s Church. A portrait by Chuck Goodwin usually costs several thousand pounds and it is thought that this lot could be the star attraction of the auction. Lord Snowdon, Minn Hogg and Sir John Sorrell CBE are some of his previous sitters. The portrait will include a number of sittings either locally, in his London studio or Chuck Goodwin will work from photographs. More information about Chuck Goodwin can be found at www.chuckgoodwinportraits.com. Past sitters have included dogs, riders and horses as well as people.
Chuck Goodwin says, “It will be interesting to find out who or what my sitter will be. I try to reflect the interests and experience of the people whom I paint. This gives an added depth to the work and is why a painting has the potential to be significant and powerful.”
Jonathan Pratt Auctioneer and Managing Director of Bellmans Auctioneers will be the auctioneer at the Auction on Saturday 30 October in the Staplefield Village Hall in aid of the Kempe wall paintings appeal. Jonathan Pratt is well known from his appearances on Bargain Hunt and The Antiques Road Trip. Viewing for the Staplefield Auction will be 10 am – 1pm and the auction will begin at 3pm promptly on Saturday 30 October. Refreshments will be available throughout the day including wine and beer. There will be no admission charge and no commission charges. Catalogues will be on sale on the day. For a chance to preview some of the items please visit Bellmans website at www.bellmans.co.uk. Commission bids may be left on Saturday morning in the village hall – if anyone wishes to leave a bid for an item but is unable to be present on Saturday afternoon. Prices should range from pocket money prices upwards and everyone is welcome.
Elspeth Montgomery, one of the organisers of the auction comments; “This will be a fun event, with no previous experience of auctions or bidding necessary. Christmas is not far away and we guarantee to offer some really unique and colourful gifts. Who could resist the chance of a ride in a vintage car, a meal at Ockenden Manor or a special holiday week in Cornwall?”
The auction will include a choice selection of goods ranging from a new Blackberry phone through to silver vases, a collectable old microscope, a Victorian coffee grinder, a Sony cam corder, vintage clothing for men and women, car memorabilia, collectable china, tea and dinner services, household goods, glassware, furniture, rugs, mirrors, toys such as a large collection of Hornby railway track, trains and equipment, a base guitar, books and pictures such as numbered prints from Christies Contemporary Arts Department, original oil paintings and watercolours, as well as more unusual goods such as a Faradic Muscle Stimulator and a double umbrella.
Other promises include the use of a holiday home in Cornwall for a week, the chance of a box at Glyndebourne, tickets for the English National Opera, a ride in a vintage car, a meal at the new Marco Pierre White restaurant in Maresfield, meals at the Cuckoo and Ockenden Manor in Cuckfield, a day’s organisational consultancy! A service offering expert advice, practical help and support to those who prize their possessions and need help managing them, courtesy of Susanna Hammond and info@sortedliving.co.uk, www.sortedliving.co.uk, a dinner party cooked in your own home for up to 12 people – cooked by a professional cook, vouchers for fashion group Nielson, a bee-keeping lesson, micro-chipping for pets, a round of golf at Cottesmore Golf Club, fitness and training sessions at New Barns Gym and a car valet.
An interesting silver round box and cover has also been donated to the Kempe wall paintings appeal. The pot is about 6.5cm high and 9.5cm diameter and is by the Guild of Handicraft (1904) in an Arts and Crafts style. The lid has an embossed daisy design and it is inlaid with cabochon chalcedony on the lid and rim. The pot will be auctioned at Bellmans Auctioneers in its forthcoming silver sale on Thursday 4 November, with an estimated sale price of £600 -900. Jonathan Pratt says, “This is a beautiful piece of silver and it is in excellent condition.”
Throughout 2010 the village of Staplefield has been working to raise money to conserve and restore the paintings in St Mark’s Church. The village has fewer than 300 households. Fundraising efforts have been very successful and the 30 October auction will be the final event of the year. The work on the paintings will begin in November and completion is planned for 10 December in time for the Christmas Carol Service.
The wall paintings in St Mark’s by Charles Eamer Kempe are of stylised angels and trees with biblical text. They are of great importance as there are only three known examples of Kempe wall paintings. The others are in Castle Howard (1882), Yorkshire and in Wightwick Manor, (NT) in Staffordshire (1888). The Staplefield wall paintings are therefore the earliest by far and the only ones in a Parish Church. They originally cost £74. 18s. 0d. Sir Roy Strong, former Director of the Victoria and Albert Museum supports the Staplefield fundraising and has said “Who can bear to loose this pretty, Victorian, ecclesiastical arcadia? May it flower and fruit in all its pristine glory again.”
Chuck Goodwin says, “It will be interesting to find out who or what my sitter will be. I try to reflect the interests and experience of the people whom I paint. This gives an added depth to the work and is why a painting has the potential to be significant and powerful.”
Jonathan Pratt Auctioneer and Managing Director of Bellmans Auctioneers will be the auctioneer at the Auction on Saturday 30 October in the Staplefield Village Hall in aid of the Kempe wall paintings appeal. Jonathan Pratt is well known from his appearances on Bargain Hunt and The Antiques Road Trip. Viewing for the Staplefield Auction will be 10 am – 1pm and the auction will begin at 3pm promptly on Saturday 30 October. Refreshments will be available throughout the day including wine and beer. There will be no admission charge and no commission charges. Catalogues will be on sale on the day. For a chance to preview some of the items please visit Bellmans website at www.bellmans.co.uk. Commission bids may be left on Saturday morning in the village hall – if anyone wishes to leave a bid for an item but is unable to be present on Saturday afternoon. Prices should range from pocket money prices upwards and everyone is welcome.
Elspeth Montgomery, one of the organisers of the auction comments; “This will be a fun event, with no previous experience of auctions or bidding necessary. Christmas is not far away and we guarantee to offer some really unique and colourful gifts. Who could resist the chance of a ride in a vintage car, a meal at Ockenden Manor or a special holiday week in Cornwall?”
The auction will include a choice selection of goods ranging from a new Blackberry phone through to silver vases, a collectable old microscope, a Victorian coffee grinder, a Sony cam corder, vintage clothing for men and women, car memorabilia, collectable china, tea and dinner services, household goods, glassware, furniture, rugs, mirrors, toys such as a large collection of Hornby railway track, trains and equipment, a base guitar, books and pictures such as numbered prints from Christies Contemporary Arts Department, original oil paintings and watercolours, as well as more unusual goods such as a Faradic Muscle Stimulator and a double umbrella.
Other promises include the use of a holiday home in Cornwall for a week, the chance of a box at Glyndebourne, tickets for the English National Opera, a ride in a vintage car, a meal at the new Marco Pierre White restaurant in Maresfield, meals at the Cuckoo and Ockenden Manor in Cuckfield, a day’s organisational consultancy! A service offering expert advice, practical help and support to those who prize their possessions and need help managing them, courtesy of Susanna Hammond and info@sortedliving.co.uk, www.sortedliving.co.uk, a dinner party cooked in your own home for up to 12 people – cooked by a professional cook, vouchers for fashion group Nielson, a bee-keeping lesson, micro-chipping for pets, a round of golf at Cottesmore Golf Club, fitness and training sessions at New Barns Gym and a car valet.
An interesting silver round box and cover has also been donated to the Kempe wall paintings appeal. The pot is about 6.5cm high and 9.5cm diameter and is by the Guild of Handicraft (1904) in an Arts and Crafts style. The lid has an embossed daisy design and it is inlaid with cabochon chalcedony on the lid and rim. The pot will be auctioned at Bellmans Auctioneers in its forthcoming silver sale on Thursday 4 November, with an estimated sale price of £600 -900. Jonathan Pratt says, “This is a beautiful piece of silver and it is in excellent condition.”
Throughout 2010 the village of Staplefield has been working to raise money to conserve and restore the paintings in St Mark’s Church. The village has fewer than 300 households. Fundraising efforts have been very successful and the 30 October auction will be the final event of the year. The work on the paintings will begin in November and completion is planned for 10 December in time for the Christmas Carol Service.
The wall paintings in St Mark’s by Charles Eamer Kempe are of stylised angels and trees with biblical text. They are of great importance as there are only three known examples of Kempe wall paintings. The others are in Castle Howard (1882), Yorkshire and in Wightwick Manor, (NT) in Staffordshire (1888). The Staplefield wall paintings are therefore the earliest by far and the only ones in a Parish Church. They originally cost £74. 18s. 0d. Sir Roy Strong, former Director of the Victoria and Albert Museum supports the Staplefield fundraising and has said “Who can bear to loose this pretty, Victorian, ecclesiastical arcadia? May it flower and fruit in all its pristine glory again.”
"Giants of Steam" at The Bluebell Railway
The Bluebell Railway will be holding it's annual "Giants of Steam" event starting on Friday 22nd October running through to Sunday 24th. There will be an intensive steam train service throughout all three days
All available engines will be in steam as well as visiting engine 30777 Sir Lamiel. As well as the larger locomotives in steam, there will be Carriage Shed Tours, a Stationary Engine Display at Horsted Keynes and Brake Van Rides down the old Ardingly branch line.
The 473 Bus service will run from East Grinstead to Kingscote where it will be possible to travel in the beautifully restored Observation Car on the shuttle to view the south side of the Imberhorne Tip that has to be completely removed before the railway can connect with East Grinstead.
There will be Pullman cars and the Northern Directors Saloon for First Class passengers to ride in. On Sunday, there is a Vintage Bus Service from Brighton to Sheffield Park.
For further information please call Customer Services on 01825 720800 or go to www.bluebell-railway.com
All available engines will be in steam as well as visiting engine 30777 Sir Lamiel. As well as the larger locomotives in steam, there will be Carriage Shed Tours, a Stationary Engine Display at Horsted Keynes and Brake Van Rides down the old Ardingly branch line.
The 473 Bus service will run from East Grinstead to Kingscote where it will be possible to travel in the beautifully restored Observation Car on the shuttle to view the south side of the Imberhorne Tip that has to be completely removed before the railway can connect with East Grinstead.
There will be Pullman cars and the Northern Directors Saloon for First Class passengers to ride in. On Sunday, there is a Vintage Bus Service from Brighton to Sheffield Park.
For further information please call Customer Services on 01825 720800 or go to www.bluebell-railway.com
The Kayak Challenge – Hope and Endurance
The Kayak Challenge is completed! The ladies from Sussex paddled their way to France from Dover in 5 hours 48 minutes, shaving 1 hour 12 minutes off their target time! On Tuesday 21st September 2010 the weather was perfect for the crossing, light winds and calm seas. Jenny Cradock and Angela Gates started their paddle marathon early that morning. Sea mist prevented them from seeing France for a good few hours into the trip but this soon cleared and it wasn't long before they got their first glimpse of their destination.
Angela, a youth instructor for West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service, said “All our training and preparation paid off, being able to paddle 3 to 4 knots continuously. The support boat was excellent - guiding us across the busy shipping lanes, letting us know when we needed to dig deep and pick up the pace to steer clear of the traffic”
Jenny explains “The challenge was at it’s toughest in the last hour, France was almost in touching distance, every paddle stroke taking us closer. My mind was fixed on all the families that would be helped through the charity by the money being raised. The elation that we both felt at the end of our crossing made all the hours of training at the gym and in the kayak worth it!"
Without all the support from friends, families, colleagues and local companies this challenge would not have been possible. The ladies are still collecting money through their justgiving web sites if you would like to follow their progress log on www.justgiving.com/jenny-cradock or www.justgiving.com/angela-gates.
The "Hope and Endurance" Ocean Kayak 2010 Malibu Two NZ is now being sold with all the proceeds going to the Sussex Snowdrop Trust. If anyone is interested in purchasing her please email; jennycradock@hotmail.com
Angela, a youth instructor for West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service, said “All our training and preparation paid off, being able to paddle 3 to 4 knots continuously. The support boat was excellent - guiding us across the busy shipping lanes, letting us know when we needed to dig deep and pick up the pace to steer clear of the traffic”
Jenny explains “The challenge was at it’s toughest in the last hour, France was almost in touching distance, every paddle stroke taking us closer. My mind was fixed on all the families that would be helped through the charity by the money being raised. The elation that we both felt at the end of our crossing made all the hours of training at the gym and in the kayak worth it!"
Without all the support from friends, families, colleagues and local companies this challenge would not have been possible. The ladies are still collecting money through their justgiving web sites if you would like to follow their progress log on www.justgiving.com/jenny-cradock or www.justgiving.com/angela-gates.
The "Hope and Endurance" Ocean Kayak 2010 Malibu Two NZ is now being sold with all the proceeds going to the Sussex Snowdrop Trust. If anyone is interested in purchasing her please email; jennycradock@hotmail.com
Wednesday, 20 October 2010
Balcombe: Road to victory
by Ruth Lawrence
Joan Dutton swung open the heavy oak door to The Victory Hall in the village of Balcombe and invited me inside. I’d read about these murals, seen a few sketches, researched their history, but nothing had prepared me for them in the flesh.
I managed a long drawn out “wow” as I looked up; towering above were life-size figures painted in those beautiful muted chalky colours so evocative of the 1920s. Soldiers, living, dying, fighting and suffering filled the walls to the left, while to my right a peaceful pastoral scene was in stark contrast to the horrors across the room.
Joan, one of The Victory Hall Management Committee and a mine of information, smiled, clearly used to seeing this reaction to the figures She darted ahead and flung back the curtains so I could, with her help, decipher the story unfolding above me.
The artist was Neville Lytton, son of the 1st Earl of Lytton and an officer on the Western Front, who had seen active duty at the Somme and Amiens. Originally he trained as an artist in Paris at the Ecole des Beaux Arts and became a war correspondent, becoming the head correspondent of Allied Press.
His experience of warfare became obvious as soon as I began to examine the first fresco on the East Wall. There is an immediacy and palpable sorrow in these scenes: four soldiers bear a dead comrade on a stretcher, a man stoops to offer comfort to a fallen soldier, a bandaged prisoner of war stands beneath bomb shattered trees. The mine-shafts of Flanders are depicted as ghostly outlines in the background and fresh-faced recruits march optimistically forward to the right of the scene.
On the South Wall the horror of warfare is shown in brutal honesty. A new recruit beckons his companions to the Front, while underneath him lies a wounded man and another crumpled in death. A soldier is shown locked in hand-to-hand combat with his German counterpart; his fingers sink into the man’s neck. This is the reality of battle beyond the rhetoric: struggle, suffering and death. German soldiers are shown in surrender, their hands raised, while the next tableau shows the surrender of total exhaustion. A single soldier stands above a huddle of fallen men, the wounded and dying surround him. His hands held palm up in a symbolic gesture as if to say: why this? It is a powerful image of ultimate despair and I found it deeply moving.
Neville himself was wounded in war and having helped recruit local boys into the regiments; he must have felt a heavy responsibility towards the generation of young men altered forever by their experience in the trenches.
To either side of the stage are two female figures, Dolor and Spes (Sorrow and Hope), symbolic of the despair of war and hope for peace. Dolor is depicted in darker tones while Spes is lighter and more radiant.
It is now that the frescos turn towards peace: the North Wall is filled with figures of local people in contrast to the anonymous soldiers. A kneeling woman holds out her arms to a returning soldier; she is modelled on Neville’s second wife Alexandra, better known as Sandra. A soldier sits cross-legged as he is reunited with his children, probably modelled on those of Neville’s close friend, Charles Geoffroy-Dechaume. A group of peasant women stand together, watching the scene of reunion.
The next tableau is perhaps most symbolic of Neville’s hope for the Britain of the future: a country at peace, healed and united in rebuilding for the next generation. A large Sussex oak shelters a group; two plasterers who lived in Balcombe are shown with their tools of trade. Lady Denman, who partly funded the building of The Victory Hall in 1923, is shown discussing plans with her Clerk of Works, John Bond. On the other side of the tree is Dennis Brown, a famous consultant at Great Ormond Street Hospital. It transpired that an elderly resident of Balcombe had trained under him and recognised his portrait on the panel.
In front of the distinct outline of Chanctonbury Hill, a figure dances away from the viewer. She is assumed to be Lady Wentworth, Neville’s first wife, who he divorced in 1923. The figure playing the flute is Neville himself; he used to play the instrument in the trenches as he found it had a calming effect on the men. Playing a guitar is Neville’s second wife, Sandra and one of their numerous spaniels. Two children beckon a symbolic grieving mother and behind stand a couple. The man was Charles Geoffroy-Dechaume, who spent three days wounded in no-man’s land with a leg that turned gangrenous and was later amputated. Charles married and recently his son, now in his eighties, saw the portrait of his parents for the first time.
The paintings themselves use a ‘true fresco’ technique, where paint is applied to wet plaster and binds to it as it sets. They then become part of the fabric of the building as opposed to simply applied to the surface and this gives them an unexpected depth and richness.
As I walked round the hall again, the figures came alive as Joan described the characters and their relevance to this part of the world.
Lady Denman, daughter of Lord Cowdray, was given Balcombe Estate by her father when she married. He taught her estate management and how to modernise the workers’ cottages. Apparently, he was a great teacher and she an eager pupil who was willing to learn. After the War, she wanted to make a memorial to the dead and the living who had fought and returned. Her input and enthusiasm ensured the completion of The Victory Hall in 1923 and she had all the names of the fallen and surviving servicemen honoured on a large oak panel at the Hall entrance.
Far from being a stuffy aristocrat, Lady Denman became National President of the WI and an authority on family planning. She was an integral part of the community and in the fresco is depicted in a characteristically humble manner as a solid supportive figure in the background.
Neville Lytton was 45 when he completed the frescoes. Although a highly accomplished artist, he was also a champion tennis player, winning a bronze medal in the 1908 Summer Olympics. I discovered an article he had published in the New York Times in 1914, promoting the benefits of combining exercise and art: “It is too bad that athletes and brainy people specialise along one line! If they would only combine body and mind – how much better it would be for the community.” He seemed to embody this combination of opposites as the soldier who played the flute in the trenches and the artist who won medals at tennis.
His talent ran in the family; his siblings included the suffragette Constance Lytton, Betty Balfour, sister-in-law to the Prime Minister and Emily Lutyens, wife of Edward Lutyens. He exhibited his art for 40 years at the prestigious Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool, the Royal Academy, the Beaux Arts Gallery and the Royal Society of Portrait Painters. He fathered four children from his two marriages and lived until 1951.
The Victory Hall frescoes are testament to his vision of a more equal society, where the arts could help to heal the scars of war. Where he wrote about his time in the war, he championed the “uncommon virtues of the common man”. As a country landowner, he realised he was no more important than the farm labourers he had taken to war in 1914. It was this sense of humility that inspired the wide vision portrayed in the frescos: he depicts all figures equally – it is literally and metaphorically the bigger picture. It brings actual people who lived and worked in this community into the larger story of a nation at war and the yearning for a peaceful future. Lady Denman commissioned the frescos and it was a combination of her enthusiasm and Neville’s talent that ensured their completion.
The Victory Hall is panelled with Balcombe oak; the building is literally lined with locality. It is now host to numerous activities and is an essential space for the community. On the wall is a Millennium Map which, following the example of the frescos, depicts real people from the village in their daily roles. This concept ties people to their surroundings and makes for a powerful sense of belonging.
Looking at the people on the map, then back to the life-size figures above was a moving experience.
The frescos appear particularly relevant today; the images we receive on television of our fallen soldiers seem eerily reminiscent of these scenes. Neville Lytton painted a message of hope to counter the effects of war, the cycle of life and death played out in an English village, then as now. ■
The Victory Hall
Stockcroft Road, Balcombe,
Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH17 6HP
Joan Dutton swung open the heavy oak door to The Victory Hall in the village of Balcombe and invited me inside. I’d read about these murals, seen a few sketches, researched their history, but nothing had prepared me for them in the flesh.
I managed a long drawn out “wow” as I looked up; towering above were life-size figures painted in those beautiful muted chalky colours so evocative of the 1920s. Soldiers, living, dying, fighting and suffering filled the walls to the left, while to my right a peaceful pastoral scene was in stark contrast to the horrors across the room.
Joan, one of The Victory Hall Management Committee and a mine of information, smiled, clearly used to seeing this reaction to the figures She darted ahead and flung back the curtains so I could, with her help, decipher the story unfolding above me.
The artist was Neville Lytton, son of the 1st Earl of Lytton and an officer on the Western Front, who had seen active duty at the Somme and Amiens. Originally he trained as an artist in Paris at the Ecole des Beaux Arts and became a war correspondent, becoming the head correspondent of Allied Press.
His experience of warfare became obvious as soon as I began to examine the first fresco on the East Wall. There is an immediacy and palpable sorrow in these scenes: four soldiers bear a dead comrade on a stretcher, a man stoops to offer comfort to a fallen soldier, a bandaged prisoner of war stands beneath bomb shattered trees. The mine-shafts of Flanders are depicted as ghostly outlines in the background and fresh-faced recruits march optimistically forward to the right of the scene.
On the South Wall the horror of warfare is shown in brutal honesty. A new recruit beckons his companions to the Front, while underneath him lies a wounded man and another crumpled in death. A soldier is shown locked in hand-to-hand combat with his German counterpart; his fingers sink into the man’s neck. This is the reality of battle beyond the rhetoric: struggle, suffering and death. German soldiers are shown in surrender, their hands raised, while the next tableau shows the surrender of total exhaustion. A single soldier stands above a huddle of fallen men, the wounded and dying surround him. His hands held palm up in a symbolic gesture as if to say: why this? It is a powerful image of ultimate despair and I found it deeply moving.
Neville himself was wounded in war and having helped recruit local boys into the regiments; he must have felt a heavy responsibility towards the generation of young men altered forever by their experience in the trenches.
To either side of the stage are two female figures, Dolor and Spes (Sorrow and Hope), symbolic of the despair of war and hope for peace. Dolor is depicted in darker tones while Spes is lighter and more radiant.
It is now that the frescos turn towards peace: the North Wall is filled with figures of local people in contrast to the anonymous soldiers. A kneeling woman holds out her arms to a returning soldier; she is modelled on Neville’s second wife Alexandra, better known as Sandra. A soldier sits cross-legged as he is reunited with his children, probably modelled on those of Neville’s close friend, Charles Geoffroy-Dechaume. A group of peasant women stand together, watching the scene of reunion.
The next tableau is perhaps most symbolic of Neville’s hope for the Britain of the future: a country at peace, healed and united in rebuilding for the next generation. A large Sussex oak shelters a group; two plasterers who lived in Balcombe are shown with their tools of trade. Lady Denman, who partly funded the building of The Victory Hall in 1923, is shown discussing plans with her Clerk of Works, John Bond. On the other side of the tree is Dennis Brown, a famous consultant at Great Ormond Street Hospital. It transpired that an elderly resident of Balcombe had trained under him and recognised his portrait on the panel.
In front of the distinct outline of Chanctonbury Hill, a figure dances away from the viewer. She is assumed to be Lady Wentworth, Neville’s first wife, who he divorced in 1923. The figure playing the flute is Neville himself; he used to play the instrument in the trenches as he found it had a calming effect on the men. Playing a guitar is Neville’s second wife, Sandra and one of their numerous spaniels. Two children beckon a symbolic grieving mother and behind stand a couple. The man was Charles Geoffroy-Dechaume, who spent three days wounded in no-man’s land with a leg that turned gangrenous and was later amputated. Charles married and recently his son, now in his eighties, saw the portrait of his parents for the first time.
The paintings themselves use a ‘true fresco’ technique, where paint is applied to wet plaster and binds to it as it sets. They then become part of the fabric of the building as opposed to simply applied to the surface and this gives them an unexpected depth and richness.
As I walked round the hall again, the figures came alive as Joan described the characters and their relevance to this part of the world.
Lady Denman, daughter of Lord Cowdray, was given Balcombe Estate by her father when she married. He taught her estate management and how to modernise the workers’ cottages. Apparently, he was a great teacher and she an eager pupil who was willing to learn. After the War, she wanted to make a memorial to the dead and the living who had fought and returned. Her input and enthusiasm ensured the completion of The Victory Hall in 1923 and she had all the names of the fallen and surviving servicemen honoured on a large oak panel at the Hall entrance.
Far from being a stuffy aristocrat, Lady Denman became National President of the WI and an authority on family planning. She was an integral part of the community and in the fresco is depicted in a characteristically humble manner as a solid supportive figure in the background.
Neville Lytton was 45 when he completed the frescoes. Although a highly accomplished artist, he was also a champion tennis player, winning a bronze medal in the 1908 Summer Olympics. I discovered an article he had published in the New York Times in 1914, promoting the benefits of combining exercise and art: “It is too bad that athletes and brainy people specialise along one line! If they would only combine body and mind – how much better it would be for the community.” He seemed to embody this combination of opposites as the soldier who played the flute in the trenches and the artist who won medals at tennis.
His talent ran in the family; his siblings included the suffragette Constance Lytton, Betty Balfour, sister-in-law to the Prime Minister and Emily Lutyens, wife of Edward Lutyens. He exhibited his art for 40 years at the prestigious Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool, the Royal Academy, the Beaux Arts Gallery and the Royal Society of Portrait Painters. He fathered four children from his two marriages and lived until 1951.
The Victory Hall frescoes are testament to his vision of a more equal society, where the arts could help to heal the scars of war. Where he wrote about his time in the war, he championed the “uncommon virtues of the common man”. As a country landowner, he realised he was no more important than the farm labourers he had taken to war in 1914. It was this sense of humility that inspired the wide vision portrayed in the frescos: he depicts all figures equally – it is literally and metaphorically the bigger picture. It brings actual people who lived and worked in this community into the larger story of a nation at war and the yearning for a peaceful future. Lady Denman commissioned the frescos and it was a combination of her enthusiasm and Neville’s talent that ensured their completion.
The Victory Hall is panelled with Balcombe oak; the building is literally lined with locality. It is now host to numerous activities and is an essential space for the community. On the wall is a Millennium Map which, following the example of the frescos, depicts real people from the village in their daily roles. This concept ties people to their surroundings and makes for a powerful sense of belonging.
Looking at the people on the map, then back to the life-size figures above was a moving experience.
The frescos appear particularly relevant today; the images we receive on television of our fallen soldiers seem eerily reminiscent of these scenes. Neville Lytton painted a message of hope to counter the effects of war, the cycle of life and death played out in an English village, then as now. ■
The Victory Hall
Stockcroft Road, Balcombe,
Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH17 6HP
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