NEWS ROUND-UP

Announcements & Events from across the Horsham District

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Ben Wilkinson at The Pass, at South Lodge Hotel, Lower Beeding, has received a Star in the Michelin Guide, announced on 27 March.

Michelin’s critic wrote: ‘It’s a long way from Keswick to Horsham but, in making the move, the eponymous chef has brought life back to The Pass at South Lodge, one of the finest country house hotels in this part of the world.

Ben Wilkinson is an intelligent and skilful chef who runs a calm, focused kitchen; sit at the high-topped tables to watch him and his young team prepare and then proudly serve a tasting menu of appealingly understated dishes. The flavours build as the menu progresses, and the suggested wine pairings are the way to go. Affable service adds to the experience.’

The restaurant was also recently recognised with three AA Rosettes. To book, visit: exclusive.co.uk/south-lodge/food/the-pass/

Restaurant Interlude, set within the 240 acre, Grade I listed Leonardslee Lakes and Gardens in Lower Beeding, is also celebrating, having retained its Star for a fourth consecutive year. Michelin’s critic wrote: ‘Both the Executive Chef and the Head Chef hail from South Africa, but the surprise tasting menu keeps its focus firmly on the local area, with produce foraged from the garden or sourced nearby. To book, visit: restaurant-interlude.co.uk horsham.gov.uk/coronation

The inaugural Henfield Artisan Market (HAM) will be held in Coopers Way car park, BN5 9EQ, on Sunday 9 April, 10am – 2pm. HAM offers local food and drink, as well as quality crafts, and will be held on the second Sunday of each month. Traders at the first market include Sussex Bee Farm, Cabin Pressure Spirits (pictured above), High Weald Dairy, Calcot Farm Produce, Inky Kat Studio, Olives and Things, Joe’s Chilli Sauce and Cherryonthetop. HAM is a non-profit initiative from Henfield Community Partnership, with support from Horsham District Council.

Horsham celebrates the Coronation of King Charles III on Saturday 6 May and over the Bank Holiday weekend. Activities include a small funfair in Horsham Park on 5 – 8 May, big band sounds in the park and a Street Party on Sunday 7 May, with live music, street food and royal-themed entertainment. Horsham Museum will also host themed crafts. License fees for street parties have been waived for the weekend and grants of up to £200 have been offered by the Council to support the celebrations.

The Shipley Arts Festival returned to the Lackenhurst estate in Brooks Green on 17 March to launch a new series of concerts. The 2023 festival began with the Stradivarius Piano Trio (Maria Marchant, Jonathan Few and Andrew Bernardi, pictured above) performing music by Beethoven, Dvorak and Piazzolla, as well as Nigel Hess’s theme to Ladies in Lavender. The evening, hosted by Lady Louise Burrell, raised funds for Friends of Sussex Hospices. The next concert will be held at Shipley Parish Church on Sunday 30 April. bernardimusicgroup.com

Dr Maggie WeirWilson has published a new book, Growing Together: Horsham’s Town Allotments.

The local historian is an allotment holder and has spent much of the last two years researching the history of the town’s allotments, set in the context of the UK’s battle for the right to establish and hold allotments. The book costs £16.99 from Waterstone’s Horsham and online retailers.

Horsham District Council have unveiled a wooden shepherd to look over the flock of carved sheep at The Human Nature Garden in Horsham Park. The shepherd was carved by Pixie Mushrooms Sussex Chainsaw Carvings and funded by grounds maintenance contractors, idverde. The garden’s original shepherd sculpture, Ted, was carved by Dave Lucas of The Woodland Centre Chainsaw Carvers in 2012. Ted had become a little weathered and the new carving takes his place, alongside the original sheep and sheepdog, Treacle.

Muse Developments has submitted a planning application to Horsham District Council as it moves forward with plans to build 260 homes at Larksfield Place, on the former Novartis site. Outline planning consent was granted in 2020, and the 18-acre site will be delivered in partnership with West Sussex County Council and Muse’s sister company, Lovell Partnerships. If the application is successful, homes would be set within tree-lined avenues of blue cedars, with outdoor spaces provided. The 1930s art deco building will be preserved and converted into a collection of apartments. Of the 260 homes, 91 will be ‘affordable’ and there will be ground floor space for independent traders and community groups. horshamenterprisepark.co.uk

Cisswood House Hotel in Lower Beeding is being used by the government to house refugees. Royal Hotels UK Ltd, The hotel’s management company, announced earlier this year that it had ceased trading and that steps were being taken to place the company into voluntary liquidation. Since the hotel’s sudden closure, it has been procured by the government to house asylum seekers while their needs are assessed. Lower Beeding Parish Council has reported that several families of different nationalities are now staying at Cisswood House.

Horsham District

Council has launched a new round of LEAP small business grant funding for local businesses. Grants of up to £2,000 are available for businesses based in the Horsham District with less than 20 fulltime employees and that are registered with Companies House or HMRC. Applicants must submit a business plan with their application and contribute 25% of the project cost. Funds are being allocated on a first-come first-served basis, so get your application in quickly. Past recipients of LEAP funding include Silvertip Films (pictured, inset), which used the grant to produce demonstration videos, and Shelley’s Venue Decoration, who bought uniforms and blossom trees. horsham.gov.uk/business/business-funding/ leap-business-grants

Gatwick Airport has launched a second round of its call-out for deserving local causes. The Gatwick Foundation Fund has £33,000 available for Sussex projects and is asking groups needing some support to apply by 5pm on Friday 5 May. Every year, there are three rounds of grants totalling £100,000, which are made available to beneficiaries in Sussex. Past recipients include The Posh Club (pictured, inset) sussexgiving.org.uk

There will be a public exhibition concerning the development of a Centre for Horsham Energy Recovery (CHER) at Tanbridge House School, Farthings Hill, Horsham, on Saturday 22 April, 10.30am - 3.30pm. It is an opportunity for the community to find out more about how the facility would work and about Qair, which has taken on the development from Britaniacrest. The proposed incinerator would be located in North Horsham as part of the Mowbray Village. The proposed site could include a 95m stack and receive 230,000 tonnes of waste per year. Construction work is due to begin in the summer. For more details, see advert on the next page. cher.energy

ABC Animal Sanctuary at Juggs Lane, West Chiltington, RH20 2JS, hosts a Spring Fair on Sunday 23 April, 12 – 4pm. It is an opportunity to meet the animals and volunteers, with children able to groom a pony. Face painting, music and local stalls. The sanctuary takes in cats, pigs, equines, donkeys, birds, goats and other animals and relies on volunteers and donations to operate. Entry £5 (U14s free). abcanimalsanctuary.co.uk

Parham Races will be held at Parham Racecourse, Hurston Lane, nr Storrington, RH20 2ER, on Saturday 22 April.

The day includes races over fences, as well as the Bellman’s Dog Show, local food and drink produce, falconry, dog and sheep show, terrier racing and CLCH hounds. Picnics allowed. Tickets £13 (children free). Gates open at 10.30am with arena displays from 11am and racing from 12.30pm. parhamraces.com

Sussex Cricket has announced the launch of the Sussex Women’s Premier League for the 2023 season. The inaugural Premier League will comprise Bells Yew Green, Brighton & Hove, Burgess Hill, Eastbourne and Horsham, with a further 10 teams making up the second division.

The structure has been created to continue the growth and development of women and girls’ cricket in Sussex, whilst also aiming to improve the standard and increasing opportunities. The objective will also be to grow the Premier League over the coming years and continue to