Village Living 13 1010

Village LIVING

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October 2010

Lifestyle | Community | Business

Steyning Bramber Beeding Ashington Washington Storrington Henfield Small Dole Ashurst Partridge Green

Happy Birthday toUs Over the Farm Gate gets baking

Mind Over Matter Hypnosis explained

Grow Your Own Allotment Life in Steyning

Roll out the Barrel

Home made brews for Autumn

WIN! A box of Cute Country Cupcakes We review Tottington Manor, Edburton

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2 • BACK IN TIME

HENFIELD HENFIELD

FREE CUT & blowdry

for all new clients thru’ October 

FREE CUT & BLOW DRY for all new clients Please mention offer on booking & bring this voucher with you to the salon.

Offer valid until 31st October, 2010

www.hairandcompany.co.uk Village Living 13 1010 AW.indd 2

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3 • BACK IN TIME

Contents 5

Welcome to October

6-7

Village News & Diary

9

Matt Cowan’s garden Diary

11

Happy Birthday to Us gARDEN DIARY 9

Over the Farm Gate gets baking 13-14

And Relax...

Under Chris Jones’ spell

16-17

grow Your Own Allotment Life in Steyning

18-19

Tottington Manor – New Owners, New Look

21

From The Sylvan Oak kitchen

23

Sussex in Season: Designs on our Pumpkins

25

Drink Local: Roll out the Barrel

RESTAURANT REVIEW 18

Village Living gets a home brew going 27

gardening: Thinking Big from the Big Plant Nursery

29

Talk Money: with Claire Cook

THE SYLVAN OAK RECIPE 21

Where Can You Find Village Living?

Village Living Magazine is delivered to 10,000 homes and businesses in across 10 villages.

Editorial & advertising enquiries Melissa Love 07976 917363 melissa@villageliving.biz

Find us in Steyning, Bramber, Beeding, Small Dole, Henfield, Ashurst, Partridge green, Washington, Ashington, Storrington as well as selected outlets in Worthing & Shoreham.

Production Toni Barrington The Magazine Production Company 01273 467579 production@villageliving.biz

We are increasing our circulation every month, so if you didn’t receive a copy through your letterbox, you will do very shortly.

© 2010 Village Living

Village Living is published monthly by Big Picture Projects.

Cornerways, Pound Lane, Upper Beeding. BN44 3JB 01903 814092 www.villageliving.biz

Village Living is an independent magazine and does not endorse the products or services that appear in the magazine.

Opinions expressed in the magazine do not necessarily represent those of the editor or of Village Living magazine.

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Happy Birthday to Us

I

t’s hard to believe that Village Living is a year old. With 12 issues under our belt and such a warm welcome over the past year, I’d like to thank you all for your kind comments and willingness to get involved with the magazine. It’s been so much fun and we’re looking forward to a bigger and better year ahead.

We’ll be celebrating all month and you’re invited. Join us for our Village Living birthday lunch on Wednesday, 20th October, at the Sylvan Oak, where talented chef & owner, Sinan Kalan, will be cooking as a special birthday menu.

It wouldn’t be a birthday without a cake, or two. Lucky for us, Over the Farm gate, the farm shop on Steyning’s doorstep, was happy to help out with their signature Cute Country Cupcakes (page 11).

I thought it was about time to get know our resident hypnotherapist, Chris Jones, who asked me to close my eyes, relax... and where was I? Find out what I got up to under his spell on page 13.

Melissa

Village LIVING

Don’t miss our first Village Living Lunch Club event at the Sylvan Oak, Findon, on Wednesday, 20th October. Join us for a spectacular 3-course menu birthday menu which makes the most of seasonal autumn ingredients. Pigeon, wild mushrooms and blackberries are all on the menu with matching wines available for each course. £25 per head for 3 courses and a glass of champagne.

Book your place on 01903 873385. www.sylvanoak.co.uk

Congratulations: to Moira Millerchip of Steyning who won August’s case of Hepworth Ales and Julie Krysik of Henfield who won a Hotel du Vin wine tasting session.

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Village Living • October 2010

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6 • village news

THE HEAT IS ON FOR WEST SUSSEX CHEFS

Reader’s Letter

V

oting for this year’s Sussex Food and Drink Awards has reached the half way stage and with over 1,400 votes already registered, the heat is on as organisers announce the shortlist for the Sussex Young Chef of the Year category.

West Sussex is leading the way with four of the region’s most talented young chefs nominated for this coveted prize, including: 23-year-old Hanna Payne from Whites Bar & Kitchen in Steyning and Steven Edwards, 24 years old, from The Pass at South Lodge Hotel.

Voting continues in all categories at: www. sussexfoodawards.biz

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I

very much enjoyed your article about your new chickens, and I wanted to share my experience of taking on ex-battery chickens as pets.

Websites can be off-putting, making you believe that the hens will be skinny, bald, with various health problems and will sit motionless in the run for the rest of their lives.

I have had my four girlies, Henrietta, Emily, Flora and Pippa, and they are just as wonderful as ‘posh’ chickens.

They were fourteen months old, having spent their entire lives in a battery cage, between four and six of them, squashed in something no bigger than an A3 piece of paper. None of them had any health problems. From the moment they arrived, they were exploring and flapping about, scratching the earth for worms and doing all the things the websites said they wouldn’t do. They are even happy to be picked up and cuddled. I paid just £1.50 each for my chickens, such a small amount for a beautiful living creature. It still brings a tear to my eye to see them lying on the lawn enjoying the sunshine, just where they should be.

Kindest regards, Lucy Poole, Steyning

16th Birthday Triumph for Local Pilot

O

n the 8th of September, James Grantham soared into the air for his fi rst solo flight in a glider at the Southdown Gliding Club, Storrington. James, who is a student at Steyning Grammar School, has been training as a glider pilot since 2008 and was itching to fl y on his own, but UK aviation laws prevented him from flying a glider solo until he was 16. After his solo fl ight, James said “It was a bit peculiar at first to be on my own but was it was absolutely fantastic.” Southdown Gliding Club is one of the largest and best equipped voluntary-run gliding clubs in Britain. It has 250 members and over 50 gliders based at its airfield at Storrington. For more information visit www.sgc1.co.uk or call 01903 742137.

www.villageliving.biz | tel: 01903 814092

17/09/2010 16:55

7 • VILLAgE BACK IN DIARY TIME

Village Diary Village Diary is a great way to publicise an event in your village. Charitable & not for profit events are listed free of charge. A small charge applies for commercial listings. Don’t forget to visit www.villageliving.biz to submit your own listing online.

FARMERS’ MARKETS Ashington Farmers’, Artists’ & Makers’ Market – 1st Fri of month. 9.30 – 13.30. Methodist Church, London Rd Horsham – Every Sat. 9.00 – 16.00. Carfax, Town centre Pulborough – Last Sat of month. 9.00 – 12.00. Village Hall Shoreham – 2nd Sat of month. 9.00 – 13.00. East Street Steyning – 1st Sat of month. 9.00 – 13.00. High St car park West Chiltington – 2nd Sat of month. 9.00 – 12.00. Village Hall Worthing – 4th Sat of month. 9.00 – 14.00. South Street Square

A TRULY SCRUMPTIOUS AFFAIR APPLE DAY AT WEST DEAN GARDENS: 2ND & 3RD OCTOBER Admission to the Apple Affair is £7.50 for adults plus concessions. The event is open between 10.30am and 5pm.

Both West Dean College and gardens will be open during The Apple Affair. Visitors can take a peek inside the glorious flint-faced mansion and beguided around the State Rooms, then see a display of over 100 varieties of apples grown in the Victorian walled kitchen garden plus much more apply fun!

This is a family event for all ages, with stallholders offering an array of apple based foods and drinks to taste and buy, as well as activities for the children including a bouncycastle, apple bobbing, and the ever popular Big Draw drawing competition.

EVENTS FRIDAY, 8TH OCTOBER Henfield Camera Club Talks. Henfield Hall. 8.00pm start Don Mitchell, ARPS, “I’ve been digitised – well almost!”.

A photographer with many years of experience and a great sense of humour, so it promises to be an entertaining evening!

TUESDAY, 12TH OCTOBER Charity Fair. Elizabeth Finn Care South of England Showground, Ardingly.10am – 4pm Over 55 Stalls, The Beauty Box, Cafe. Entrance: £4 to include raffle ticket. For information ring: 01342 850474 WEDNESDAY, 13TH OCTOBER Storrington Film Night by the Rotary Club of Storrington Sullington Parish Hall. 7.30pm. Tickets £5 from ‘The Card Centre’ in Storrington and on the door. Please contact Ken Collins on 01903 740745, or Malcolm Bennett on 01798 812407 14-16TH OCTOBER Henfield Theatre Company presents “My Boy Jack”

by David Haig, and directed by Jane Haines, at 7.45 pm at The Henfield Hall, Henfield. The moving account of Rudyard Kipling’s

successful endeavours to secure his son Jack’s place in the front line at the beginning of World War I. Tickets available from 21st September from the box office at Henfield Furnishings, High Street, Henfield, West Sussex, BN5 9DB (tel: 01273 492204).

FRIDAY, 8TH OCTOBER Henfield Camera Club Talks. Henfield Hall. 8.00pm start Club member Alec Pelham is showing us his “Indecent Exposures” – a talk and demonstration on the use of HDR techniques.

More details are available from David Barrett – david.smalldole@btinternet.com SATURDAY, 23RD OCTOBER Rotary Club of Storrington Jazz Evening.

Pulborough Village Hall. 7.30pm The Tailgate 6 – traditional, Dixieland, New Orleans Splendid foot tapping jazz including lots of old favourites. £12.50 including supper. Licensed bar. All proceeds to charitable causes supported by Rotary. Tickets available from: guy Leonards – 17 High Street, Storrington, Jan Taylor – 01403 790012, Sue Worthington – 01903 247664 TUESDAY, 26TH OCTOBER The Mary How Trust Film Society.

West Chiltington Village Hall. 3pm & 7.30pm.

The ghost (15), written by Robert Harris and directed by Roman Polanski, starring Ewan Mcgregor, Pierce Brosnan, Kim Cattrall.

Bar, raffle, refreshments and ample free parking. Tickets £5.00.

Ticket hotline: 01798 877641. Tickets from guy Leonard Estate Agents of Pulborough & Storrington. The Card Centre, Storrington High Street. Please contact Stuart Trownson on 08452 410956. stuart.trownson@maryhowtrust.org.

FRIDAY, 29TH OCTOBER Pumpkin Ball Upper Beeding Village Hall. 4.40pm - 6pm.

Annual disco with children’s entertainer Tomfoolery providing music and games. Fundraising event for Beeding and Bramber Pre-School Playgroup. Tickets available from Beeding and Bramber pre-school prior to the event or on the door. Children must be accompanied. £3 per child – adults free. Under 9’s only.

Contact Mia Pullen. 01903814856. www.beedingandbramberpre-school.net SATURDAY, 30TH OCTOBER Insight into Depression Ashington Parish Church, Church Lane RH20 3JX. A teaching day for anyone wanting to understand more of what some describe as ‘one of the darkest winters of the soul’. Open to both those who help others and those who would like to come for themselves. Not suitable for those who have had a recent major trauma or who are currently suffering severe depression. 9.15 to 4.30, £20 per person including refreshments and notes. Application form and any queries from Jimmy girling. jimmyanddiane@onetel. com or 01903 892900.

SATURDAY 30 OCTOBER 2010 Steyning Museum Coffee Morning The Penfold Hall, Church Street, Steyning.

10.30am -12 noon. Cake Stall, Bric-a-Brac Stall, Raffle. Admission £1.00. All welcome.

www.villageliving.biz | tel: 01903 814092

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Village Living • October 2010

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VillageLiving_1209_3:170 x 240mm 11/11/2009 16:44 Page 1

8 • BACK IN TIME

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An historic building like Sussexdown also offers beautiful surroundings with landscaped gardens and lovely views. This is country house living, with ongoing care for total peace of mind.

We’d love to tell you more about how we can help you and your family to arrange your care needs. Please call Sussexdown Home Manager Sue Bush on 01903 744221 for an informal chat, to order an information pack or arrange a visit.

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9 • gARDENINg DIARY

Matt Cowan’s

Gardening Diary L

ike most gardeners who have a real passion for the subject, Matt Cowan’s apprenticeship began at home, helping his mum with the family vegetable plot. Even at 17, Matt was enterprising, putting his mum’s mower and shears in the back of the car and knocking on doors to drum up gardening work.

Before long, Matt had graduated to working outdoors on large estates, including one of England’s better-known stately homes, Longleat. “I loved working outdoors,” Matt tells me, “but Longleat was a real highlight. My duties included feeding the animals, including the lions.”

One of Matt’s particular passions is growing fruit and vegetables, and on the day I meet him, he is at his well-tended organic allotment in Upper Beeding, starting to get the plot ready for autumn and winter.

Matt’s got plenty of experience in this area. “I started an eco-cooperative in Brighton with a group of friends.

We combined 8 allotment plots, planted them out and worked them together to provide food for all of our families and friends. It gave me a real passion for growing things and a productive outdoor way of life.”

A corporate stint in London followed, but it’s clear that Matt’s heart wasn’t it in and a redundancy earlier this year gave Matt the push he needed to get back into gardening, offering all the usual general gardening services, but specialising in practical garden solutions which are also ecologically sound.

“My approach is four-fold,” explains Matt. “Leisure, Food, Ecology & Biodiversity. A garden should be a place to relax, grow food, even if it’s just a few herbs, use as many recycled and non-toxic materials as possible and be a haven for beneficial insects and other garden wildlife. I’m really looking forward to helping local people achieve this.”

Matt leaves me with a tiny potted sapling from a nearby oak tree and tells me I can expect big things from it. I’m not in the least surprised.

Matt’s Jobs for Autumn raking out moss, • Reinvigorate lawns now by eeding. aerating, top-dressing & re-s or dead head • Don’t over-tidy the garden als will need everything as beneficial anim the winter and for n somewhere to settle dow d. foo birds will still need

ure on patches that • Sow field beans as green man end of the winter. the at in dig are now bare and Try making leafmold in • There’s plenty to compost. ch space and rewards bags – it doesn’t take up mu a rake! you for your hard work with

www.villageliving.biz | tel: 01903 814092

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Village Living • October2010

17/09/2010 16:55

10 • BACK IN TIME

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17/09/2010 16:55

• HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US 1111 • BACK IN TIME

Over the Farm Gate Local farms shop celebrates a birthday with Village Living

W

ith Village Living’s first birthday looming, the hot topic of conversation in our office was where to get the cake.

It didn’t take long to settle on a box of Cute Country Cupcakes from Over the Farm gate farm shop and butchery at gatewick Farm, just outside Steyning.

These fluffy, buttery treats are the handiwork of Sara Strivens, who helped launch Over the Farm gate nearly a year ago, with husband Keith and a fair number of other family members and friends who have all contributed to the success of the new venture.

As with many farms, the business is truly a family affair, with Sara, Keith, daughter Rebecca, sons William and James and Sara’s mum Judy, all working in the shop or on the farm along with Keith’s dad, Clifford, whose nearby farm supplies meat for the butchery as well.

These days, Sara tells me, she is most often to be found in the kitchen, baking batches of cupcakes, pies and sausage rolls by the hundred.

Nearly everything in the shop is hand-made in Sara’s farmhouse kitchen.

From the sought-after sausage rolls (favourites include pork & stilton) to the

gleaming jars of pickles and preserves, over half of the stock on display carries the distinctive Over the Farm gate label. Most importantly, the meat sold in the shop is raised and butchered on the farm and Keith, along with his dad, is passionate about their growing beef herd.

“We used to rear calves from dairy stock,” Keith explains. “Now we’ve introduced our own rearing program, using our Aberdeen Angus bull with some traditional local breeds, like the Sussex, to produce some exceptional meat.” But it’s the free range pork that Over the Farm gate is best known for and I can certainly vouch for the quality of the handmade sausages, which are hotly fought over in our house.

Demand is such that the farm now boasts a ‘maternity field’ where there is usually one sow pregnant or looking after a new litter. They are the slowgrowing but ever-so-tasty gloucester Old Spot, the breed of bacon connoisseurs everywhere. Southdown lambs are also raised on the farm and can be seen gamboling up and down the fence next to the shop.

WIN! a box of Cute Country Cupcakes Send your name, address and telephone number to info@villageliving.biz or to the address at the front of the magazine

“It made sense to take advantage of our location,” Sara tells me. “We’re a real working farm and people probably didn’t realise that before the shop opened.” Indeed the farm and shop is handily located on the Steyning bypass and the distinctive hand-painted sign has been attracting customers in increasing numbers in recent months.

It’s a great way to celebrate a first birthday. From one local business to another, we salute you!

Taster Day – 14th November. Try turkey, sauces, chutneys, sausages & much more Over the Farm Gate, Footings, Gatewick Farm, Steyning BN44 3SF01903 812241 www.overthefarmgate.com www.villageliving.biz | tel: 01903 814092

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Village Living • October 2010

17/09/2010 16:55

Chalcraft Funeral Directors circa 1870

Long established & family owned business, dedicated to making traditional funeral services as personal & special to you as possible . . .

Chequers Yard High Street Steyning 01903 812656 info@chalcraftfunerals.co.uk www.chalcraftfunerals.co.uk Village Living 13 1010 AW.indd 12

17/09/2010 16:55

BACK IN TIME 13 • CHRIS JONES

And Relax...

Editor, Melissa Love, falls under the spell of Chris Jones

I

’ve been eagerly reading Chris Jones’ column about the benefits of hypnotherapy for over a year now, but it’s been more of a vicarious pleasure. After all, I’m not mortally afraid of spiders, or a desperate-to-quit-smoker or even prone to panic attacks, but I’ve got to admit I’m curious, so I’ve booked myself in for a session of relaxation techniques.

On the day I’m scheduled to meet Chris, it’s a busy Monday morning in September. As I’m driving over to Chris’ consulting rooms in Storrington (which are pleasingly called Serenity), I’ve got to admit that I’m not really in the mood.

It’s back-to-school week, always a flash point in our house, work has piled up over the school holidays, we’re moving house shortly and hang on, suddenly I’m sounding exactly like someone who needs a bit of relaxation to cope with the daily grind.

I’m pretty sure Chris’ techniques aren’t of the ‘look into my eyes’ variety and indeed, he’s quick to reassure me that the solutions he is able to provide come from within rather than the hypnotic suggestions of popular myth. Still, I know that it can happen from personal experience. By chance, I was picked out of the crowd during

university freshers’ week by a stage hypnotist and before I knew it, I was barking like a dog and eating a lemon as if it was a juicy peach, known forever after during my university career as ‘the lemon girl’. According to Chris, only a very small percentage of the population is as suggestible as I am. I don’t know whether to be flattered or embarrassed.

Understandably, I’m wary.

In fact, Chris has been practising hypnotherapy for the past 5 years.

Inspired by his own experiences with many of the conditions that he now treats, he decided to study for his qualification after a previous career in retail management.

“I’ve always been fascinated by the power of the mind and hypnotherapy is a perfect way to study this and help people deal with problems in their life.

The interaction between the conscious and the subconscious mind is fascinating and by understanding how they work together, we can solve many everyday psychological problems”.

I don’t have any obvious hang-ups to deal with, but a technique I could use to remain calm during stressful situations would come in pretty handy. I start by my making myself right at home in the comfy consulting chair and Chris asks

The interaction between the conscious and the subconscious mind is fascinating and by understanding how they work together, we can solve almost any psychological problem me to close me eyes and relax. Cleverly, he kicks off by suggesting that I’m probably noticing the birds outside and then the patterns I might see when I close my eyes. As he touches on each possible distraction, it’s as if they melt away and I’m able to move onto the next step.

Now we’re ready to go to my ‘special place of relaxation’; somewhere I can visualise in my mind where I can be totally relaxed. Chris had already asked me what that place might be before we started the session and I had chosen the predictable but hopefully effective fantasy of a golden sandy beach. Interestingly, as soon as Chris asks me to go there in my mind, up pops my subconscious and suddenly I’m visualising my bedroom instead. Once I get over the surprise of being highjacked by some sort of subconscious alter ego, I start to mentally enjoy my safe place and Chris is telling me to relax even more and let my limbs grow heavy... and my eyelids grow heavy... and all of a sudden I feel as if I’m floating and having some kind of weirdly lovely out-of-body experience.

www.villageliving.biz | tel: 01903 814092

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Village Living • October 2010

17/09/2010 16:55

CHRIS 1414• •BACK INJONES TIME

Willow Herbal Clinic

I can still hear Chris’ voice and do what he’s telling me, but I’m so relaxed that I don’t think I could lift a finger if I wanted to. We conclude our relaxation exercise (he gives me a physical gesture or ‘anchor’ to use recall this state of relaxation when I’m feeling stressed) and then decides to find out if I’m really as suggestible as I used to be.

He starts by asking me to visualise my hand in a bowl of icy water and to my astonishment, my left hand begins to feel numb and noticeably colder than my right hand. Next he asks me to lift both hands and tells me that a tap on both palms will release my body’s energy. Tap-tap and sure enough, my hands are drawn together by the force flowing between them. As this is happening, I fleetingly wonder if I could resist, but the thought passes almost instantly.

Chris starts to bring me out of the hypnosis. It takes just seconds, and I’m perfectly aware of what’s going on, but once I’m ‘back in the room’ so to speak, I’m conscious of that state of relaxation being much more easily accessible than it was before, waiting for me just under the surface of my waking consciousness, whenever I need it. I can’t explain how or why I know it’s there. I just do. Blimey, job done, I suppose.

Since that day, I’ve thought a lot about my session with Chris and I’ve wondered if it’s something I could have achieved on my own? Possibly, with a some peace and quiet and a bit of time on my hands. But really, how often do we take the time to examine our subconscious mind for clues to our conscious behaviour, never mind using hypnotherapy techniques on ourselves. Never, I suspect most of us would say, and more’s the pity. If I wasn’t convinced of the power of hypnotherapy before, I certainly am now, and there wasn’t a lemon in sight.

For more information about Hypnotherapy, please contact: Chris Jones, HYPNOTHERAPIST & NLP Master-Practitioner. www.chrisjones.uk.com 01903 745606.

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The stress response is a valuable protection mechanism, designed to safeguard our bodies in times of threat. Once initiated, ‘stress’ hormones are released which provoke a number of responses designed to help the body mobilise defensive mechanisms. If the stressful situation is very intense, or continues over a period of time, the effects of these responses can adversely affect a person’s health, leading to adrenal exhaustion, impaired immune function, chronic anxiety and eventually chronic exhaustion.

The obvious answer is to remove the source of stress, but we all know in today’s fast-moving world, that’s not always possible. The herbal approach seeks to reverse negative effects of stress on the body, while also raising a person’s tolerance to future stress.

Herbs known as adaptogens improve immune function, support adrenal gland functions, strengthen the nervous system and establish greater levels of endurance and stamina. By restoring vitality, energy is increased and resistance to disease is enhanced.

Herbal stress relief Try drinking chamomile tea on a regular basis to relieve stress. This fragrant brew has many beneficial effects on the digestive system and is also mildly sedating. Infuse 3 heaped teaspoons of good quality chamomile to 300mls/mug of boiling water and infuse for 5-10 minutes. Strain and drink 3-4 times a day.

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October 2010 • Village Living

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www.villageliving.biz | tel: 01903 814092

17/09/2010 16:55

Tottington Manor HOTEL & RESTAURANT

Edburton, near Henfield West Sussex. BN5 9LJ

Here for you...

•

Traditional fare

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Local fish dishes

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Children’s Menu

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Village Living 13 1010 AW.indd 15

17/09/2010 16:55

16 • THE gOOD LIFE BACK IN TIME

Growing Your Own Allotment life in Steyning

C

hez Village Living, we’re right in the middle of ‘harvest’ time.

I use that term loosely because our two lovingly-tended raised beds haven’t really yielded much in the way of serious sustenance for our family this year. There was a brief glut of new potatoes in June and the children enjoyed scoffing peas straight from the vine so much that none actually made it to the dinner table. At the moment, we’re currently overloaded with spring onions, but believe me, there’s a limit to how many spring onions one family can get through.

And that’s about it, because embarrassingly everything else died or got eaten. To be fair I wasn’t the only grow-your-owner who got caught out this year when I lost all of my tomato and pepper plants to that freaky late frost in May, but my failure to deliver the bounty I had been promising has not only led to a certain amount of ridicule from my own family, but made me painfully aware that enthusiasm is no replacement for expertise.

So I’m down, but I’m not defeated and I’ve come to have a look around Rublees Allotments in Steyning to try to pick up a few tips from the experts.

Rublees is one of two allotment sites in the town and is one of the oldest pieces

October 2010 • Village Living

Village Living 13 1010 AW.indd 16

There is plenty of advice and support from more experienced growers to be had and the Association helps foster an active social life at the site

of common land in the area historically used to cultivate food, appearing in parish records as early as 1544. It’s a strange name and local historians think it might be a derivative of ‘rubble fields’, an old term for fallow arable land, which it undoubtedly was before villagers began to tend it.

These days you can hire your own little slice of agricultural heaven for only £22 a year. I say ‘little slice’, but actually a standard allotment is the size of half a tennis court or as custom would have it, 5 rods in length and 1 rod wide, a ‘rod’ being 16 feet, four inches, the length

of the ‘rod’ used to drive the lead horse on a traditional plough. Any way you measure it, it’s quite a size and wouldbe allotment holders would be well advised to consider if they have the time and the commitment to care for their plot properly.

The Steyning Allotments Association has already thought of this and has a number of smaller 4 metre by 1 metre strips for aspiring allotment holders to try their hand at whilst on the waiting list. More importantly, there is plenty of advice and support from more experienced growers to be had and the Association helps foster an active social life at the site, organising annual barbeques and seed swaps and, more practically, securing generous discounts in local gardening shops and wood merchants.

www.villageliving.biz | tel: 01903 814092

17/09/2010 16:55

17 • BACK IN TIME

Shelley Marks-Thomson, Chair of the Allotments Association, tells me “gardeners are real sharers” and she’s right. I can see the evidence everywhere I look. Surplus produce is left at the foot of every plot for others to take and there are communal points where unwanted pots, tools and other bits and pieces can be left for other gardeners to use.

Shelley herself has three adjacent plots and I can imagine tending them is probably a full-time job in itself. “It keeps me very busy indeed,” she confirms. “But I absolutely love being up here, working outdoors and at the same time, growing more than enough to feed my entire family. It’s become more of a passion than a hobby”.

I think Shelley has hit the nail on the head. It’s obviously just as much about the process of growing and working alongside like-minded people rather than the end result, which might be where I, with my slapdash approach to weeding and watering, might have been going wrong.

I ask for a few tips from neighboring allotment holder, Hilde Morris, who also has a thriving plot, with a healthy crop of broad beans (no black fly), vibrant looking tomatoes (no blight) and dozens of plump courgettes with delicate yellow flowers. I’m jealous.

She recommends climbing beans of all varieties instead of trickier peas, as well as potato and onion sets, which tend to take care of themselves as long as they are watered regularly.

Beneficial plants, which attract ladybirds and other pesteaters, also take some of the work out of pest-control as well as providing a cheerful splash of colour.

With a lottery grant underway to fund a community hut and more robust fencing to keep out wildlife, allotment holding is much more sociable than I’d expected. With some expertise on hand, perhaps my humble vegetable patch might have been a bit more successful. In the meantime, I’m sure I can pass off the courgettes Hilde has thoughtfully given me as my own...

For more information about the Steyning Allotments Association, contact Shelley Marks-Thomson on 01903 814036 or Membership Secretary, Hilde Morris on 01903 812472.

Having a Will may not be enough to provide for your family!

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Southern Legal Service 0810HPV (64x190).indd 1 Village Living 13 1010 AW.indd 17

Village Living • October 2010

03/08/2010 10:21 17/09/2010 16:56

18 • RESTAURANT BACK IN TIMEREVIEW

Tottington Manor Edburton

ning lly & Judy of Stey Friends Helen, Sa

A

birthday lunch seemed like the perfect excuse to take a look at the newly reopened Tottington Manor, near Edburton. Having heard the restaurant was under new management and refurbished to boot, we were very keen to return to what has to be one of the most stunning restaurant locations in Sussex. Nestled in the South Downs, Tottington Manor is a small but perfectly formed country pile, parts of which date back to 1604, according to their very informative website.

On the day we visited, the weather was glorious and we gladly accepted a table by the window, with panoramic views of downland and grazing sheep to enjoy. The new decor is very smart with crisp white tablecloths, fresh flowers and a light and airy feel. We got down to the serious business of browsing the menus – not one but two. There’s an a la carte menu of classic dishes (What grandma Cooked) and there’s a dedicated fish menu which is a little more adventurous.

In the interests of thoroughness, we plumped for fishy starters from one menu and meaty mains from the other.

Two of us had the lobster and crayfish salad to start to forestall any protests about sharing. It’s hard to go wrong with lobster and indeed it was delicious with a very tangy sauce. The October 2010 • Village Living

Village Living 13 1010 AW.indd 18

third of our party had large crevettes wrapped in smoked salmon, which were so spectacular-looking that we suffered a few pangs of regret even with a plate of lobster in front of us.

Onto the main courses and one of the more virtuous of us, had a second starter of bubble and squeak with poached egg, while the rest tackled a medium rare rib-eye steak with a creamy mash, and saddle of lamb stuffed with pistachios and apricots.

Between us we were also served a huge dish of al dente vegetables. Whilst perfectly cooked, our only quibble, and not much of one, was that the main course portions were overly generous,

not leaving quite as much room for a dessert as we’d have wished.

Reader, we bravely managed two.

Raspberry jelly with fresh fruit, the pear and apple mousse and three spoons of course. Both were absolutely delicious and the highlight was a fancilydecorated birthday plate which made the recipient feel very special indeed.

With this kind of attention to detail, it’s not surprising that the restaurant was busy.

We had a chat to Sara, the general Manager after our lunch, complimenting her on the meal. She has been there 25 years and feels the restaurant now looks as it was always

www.villageliving.biz | tel: 01903 814092

17/09/2010 16:56

Tbl 4

Tottington Manor 1Sep’10 1.12

Apple & Mango Juice Crevettes 2 x Lobster Salad Stuffed Lamb Ribeye Steak Mini Bubble & Squeak Rhubarb Sponge Raspberry Jelly Latte Americano meant to look and she also told us that all of the bedrooms have been refurbished. Tottington also has a separate bar area and menu and a very pleasant outside terrace, and wellequipped children’s play area.

We had a beautiful lunch, thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and would certainly recommend revisiting Tottington Manor if you haven’t been for a while. If you’re trying it for the first time, you won’t be disappointed.

2.40 7.00 16.00 12.00 17.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 2.50 2.20

Total

74.10

www.tottingtonmanor.co.uk tel 01903 815757

Find out more about Tottington Manor at www.tottingtonmanor.co.uk or call 01903 815757 to make a booking.

ARE YOU PREPARED IF YOU SUFFER FROM STRESS? Do you know how to recognise it?

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Village Living 13 1010 AW.indd 19

Village Living • October 2010

17/09/2010 16:56

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09/09/2010 14:57 17/09/2010 16:56

Ingredients: 1kg boneless Rib Eye with the centre eye separated and the flank short rib in strips 1 carrot diced 1 stick of celery diced 1 small onion diced 2 garlic cloves crushed 350ml red wine 150ml port 2 tbsp tomato puree 4 sprigs of thyme 500ml chicken stock

Italian style Roast Rib of Beef

Method: 1. Brown the short rib in a frying pan and transfer the ribs to a shallow baking dish in a single layer. Add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic to the empty pan and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until very soft and lightly browned.

Add the wine and port, tomato paste & thyme sprigs and bring to a boil over high heat. Pour the hot marinade over the ribs and let cool.

Cover and refrigerate overnight, turning the ribs once.

2. Transfer the ribs and marinade to a large, ovenproof casserole with lid. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Cover and cook in the lower third of the oven for 2 hours at 180c, until the meat is tender but not falling apart.

3. Transfer the meat to a clean shallow baking dish, Strain the sauce into a pot and skim off as much fat as possible and reduce to a sauce consistency. Place the short ribs back in to sauce and keep warm until ready to serve.

4. An hour before serving, season the eye of the rib and sear on a cast iron pan with butter.

Transfer to oven at 180c for half an hour for medium rare, then take out and rest for 20 mins in warm place before slicing.

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Village Living 13 1010 AW.indd 21

Village Living • October 2010

17/09/2010 16:56

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Prestige AutoTech B5 QP 1010.indd 1 Village Living 13 1010 AW.indd 22

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10/09/2010 10:32 17/09/2010 16:56

23 • SUSSEX IN SEASON

Designs on our pumpkins Nick Hempleman Owner of The Sussex Produce Company, award winning produce store in Steyning, West Sussex.

H

alloween wouldn’t quite be the same without the menacing orange glow of a carved pumpkin and despite their association with America, it was here in Britain that the tradition began.

As is the case with many great British inventions appropriated by the Americans, they have simply done it a bit bigger and better. The electric light bulb (invented by British man Sir Joseph Swan rather than the American Thomas Eddison) and the radio (Denbighshire lad D.E. Hughes vs. American Mahlon Loomis) are inventions that admittedly have had a greater impact on the world than ‘jack o’ lanterns’ but we have been proudly doing it for centuries.

There is however a slight problem with our claim to the carved

Halloween wouldn’t quite be the same without the menacing orange glow of a carved pumpkin pumpkin and that is whilst we were carving vegetables, it was turnips, manglewurzels and swedes. Perhaps this rather nicely mirrors our other ‘lost’ inventions. We may have designed the computer but who could refute that the Americans have done a rather better job with their Apple Macs?!

We are growing a wide selection of pumpkins again this year. Mars is a

excellent carving variety as it reliably grows in a rounded uniform shape but Atlantic giant grows the largest and for eating you should really go for Crown Prince which is head and shoulders above the rest in terms of taste.

Pumpkin carving is a fun and cheap rainy day activity for kids and again this year we are running our pumpkin competition. Pop into the shop for an application form. To go with the competition, for the first time we are also stocking a fantastic pumpkin carving kit. Previously all the ones I have seen have been too flimsy but this one is far more substantial and allows you to make the most amazing and professional designs – although be careful. Sometimes the best designs are copied by Americans!

Monthly offer: Buy a pumpkin and a carving kit and save £1 Name: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................

Postcode: ..........................................................................................................................................................................................

Name and postcode is used for marketing analysis only. You will not receive any marketing form us as a result and we will not share your details with anyone else. This offer is subject to availability and is vaild only for the month of October 2010 with an accompanying coupon.

www.villageliving.biz | tel: 01903 814092

Village Living 13 1010 AW.indd 23

Village Living • October 2010

17/09/2010 16:56

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Village Living 13 1010 AW.indd 24

China, etc. Ice Cream Bike Gorgeous Cakes, Bunting...

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17/09/2010 16:56

25 • DRINK LOCAL

The Big Brew Off BeerMatt & Melissa go head to head, but who will emerge victorious?

I

t was inevitable really. I prefer Champagne festivals and Matt sticks to beerfests. I like lager and he likes his pint of bitter. Sooner or later, we were going to have to get something proper to argue about and a beermaking challenge sounded like just the level playing field we needed. And to give the exercise a truly competitive edge, we’ve decided to show both beers at Matt’s next beer festival in October and let the public decide.

But is a playing field ever really level?

I volunteered to collect the equipment from specialist home brewing shop, Brew at Home in Worthing, with the idea of picking up a bit of specialist advice from shop manager, Melvin North, at the same time.

The shop, situated in West Worthing, is fascinating. It’s got everything an aspiring home brewer could want, from Belgian fruit beer kits to proper mashkits for Yorkshire bitter. There are even sacks of malt, barley and hops for the real purists. Intriguingly, I discover that home winemaking doesn’t require any actual grapes and that you can buy kits containing concentrated grape

juice and everything else you need from some of the big name Australian winemakers. Working out at just over £1 a bottle once the wine is made, it’s tempting...

But where were we? Ah yes, back to the beer. I choose a St Peter’s Ruby Red Ale kit from Suffolk and a Woodford’s Wherry Norfolk Ale for Matt. The beers are both true bitters and should be easy to compare. Fair’s fair. But I’ve got a bit more time on my side than Matt, so with a bit of luck, my ale should be slightly more mature and silky smooth, having had longer to rest than Matt’s.

At least that’s the plan. I leave the shop with a reasonably priced Home Brew kit (£70), which says on the box the kit contains everything I need to make 40 litres of quality beer.

What the box actually contains is the brew pot (a big plastic bucket), a pressure barrel (a big plastic barrel) and a few other plastic....thingamabobs and thankfully, a detailed set of instructions.

It turns out to be easier than putting together a set of Ikea furniture. I mix my cans of malt and barley (which looks and smells like treacle), my yeast and

my 40 litres of water. Job done, for at least a week.

Within a couple of days, my pot is fermenting nicely and when the time comes to siphon my beer into the plastic barrel where it’s going to mature, after a few false starts and a mouthful or two of beer (it’s tasting pretty good even at this stage, Matt – be afraid), I manage to get the liquid where it’s meant to be.

A quick rinse of the equipment and off to Matt’s house to drop it off. Now I really hope I remembered all of the important thingamabobs... Best of luck, Matt. You’ll need it.

Try our beers at BeerMatt’s next festival on the 1st & 2nd of October at the Martlett’s Hall in Burgess Hill. For further details, visit www.beermatt.co.uk.

Shop for home brew kits and equipment at Home Brewing, 2 Gratwicke Road, Worthing, BN11 4BH. Tel 01903 233832. www.brewathome.co.uk.

www.villageliving.biz | tel: 01903 814092

Village Living 13 1010 AW.indd 25

Village Living • October 2010

17/09/2010 16:56

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Village Living 13 1010 AW.indd 26

F 17/09/2010 16:56

27 • gARDENINg

Colour Me Autumn

I

t’s been a great year for gardeners – a long hot spring to jump start young plants and plenty of summer rain to keep lawns lush and green and late flowering plants going. If you’ve been enjoying some summer blooms, there’s plenty you can do before winter sets in to prolong the season with some wellchosen bursts of fiery autumn colour.

But don’t always think flowers; think leaves.

The ubiquitous Japanese Maple family (Acers) does well in the UK and comes in nearly all the colours of the rainbow.

For true fire engine reds, try ‘Bloodgood’ (Acer Palmetum), for burnt oranges and delicate pinks try ‘Chishio’ and for bright golds, ‘Seiryu’ is particularly striking. My favourite buttery yellows come from another family of plants, the ‘gingko’.

There’s just enough time to get one in the ground and established before it gets too cold.

If you’re thinking about colour, you should also be thinking about the condition of your soil. A soil which is too alkali can leach colour and shorten your

If you’ve been enjoying some summer blooms, there’s plenty you can do before winter sets in to prolong the season with some well-chosen bursts of fiery autumn colour.

But don’t always think flowers; think leaves.

autumn display considerably. If you’re worried, now is the time to lay organic matter to improve soil. After recent heavy rains, a layer of good heavy mulch will hold moisture and surpress weeds.

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Friendly, expert advice Village Living 13 1010 AW.indd 27

When you’ve planted your autumn favourites, all you need to do is sit back and pray for sunny days and cool nights.

Clear, dry conditions encourage trees to produce just the right chemicals for spectacular colour displays. In preparation for a long cold winter, they take all of the nutrients they can out of their leaves before they drop, leaving the brilliant colours behind. Their loss is our gain.

www.bigplantnursery.co.uk 17/09/2010 16:56

www.sussexdoors.com Design your own door online and receive a large discount

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                   September 2010 • Village Living

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Ta

29 • TALK MONEY

Talk Money Claire Cook

from independent mortgage and financial advisers Talk Money, gives essential advice...

Finances – making sense of the minefield

T

he first thing I do when dealing with new clients is ask them what mortgages, policies and pensions they already have in place. The question is often answered with “I have a few policies and plans but I can’t remember what they do”. Then it will normally be the case of being handed a dusty pile of old papers which normally mean nothing to the person who owns them!

Life company paperwork is often difficult to understand so it is not surprising that people lose track. This is where I can help. As an independent adviser, I can obtain information and updates on all of your current plans.

My job is to take this dusty pile and make sense of it. Once it has all been

summarised in a simple format we can make sense of exactly what you are paying for and what it is doing for you.

Do your plans fit your current situation?

Are you throwing money down the drain paying for something you simply don’t need any more? Situations and policies change, so it is always worth a review.

One area people really don’t understand (or don’t want to) is pensions. Please read on! If you have ever taken out a pension or opted out of SERPs (or State Second Pension) there are many of you who will be in old fashioned plans, paying high fees to your provider and not reaping the rewards. High fees combined with low performance mean that your pension plan could be going nowhere. This really does have an impact on the income you will receive in retirement.

A phrase I often hear is “my pension is frozen”. When people say this they really mean that they don’t pay into their pension any more. Please don’t forget that the company still has a lump sum of your money, this needs looking after. A simple review can reap rewards in years to come.

I believe that people really do lose touch with their fi nances, this is easy to do in the rush of modern life. This is

why our online client system has been developed. The system enables us to keep your policies up to date at the touch of a button. We can see clearly where you stand, and any areas which need attending to. From your point of view, if you like to deal online, we can provide you with access to your own client file. This is a central point containing clear information on all of your plans, pensions and investments.

Values are updated, and relevant paperwork scanned. Believe me, once your finances are on the system you will never lose touch again. If you don’t use a computer, this is not a problem, we can provide all of the same information in a paper format.

If you would like me to make a full review of your finances, then please call me on 01273 224667.

I am an independent financial adviser. I offer a free initial consultation to new clients and home visits if required.

Buy to let mortgages are not regulated by the Finanicial Services Authority. Talk Money is a trading style of Best Practice IFA group Ltd, which is Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Services Authority. If you prefer to pay a fee for advice this option is available, the exact amount of the fee will depend on circumstances but we estimate it will be 0.5% of the loan amount. Where a rate is quoted the rate will depend on individual circumstances and not all borrowers will qualify for acceptance of the loan (or similar).Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.

Independent Financial Advice for an Independent You For a free initial mortgage health check talk to us on 01403 330822

Mortgages Investments Pensions Insurance

e info@talkmoney.co.uk w www.talkmoney.co.uk

| the tel: 01903 814092 Village • October 2010the exact Talk Money Limited is trading style of Best Practice IFA Groupwww.villageliving.biz Ltd, which is Authorised and Regulated by Financial Services Authority. If you prefer to pay aLiving fee for advice this option is available, amount of the fee will depend on circumstances but we estimate it will be 0.5% of the loan amount. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.

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October 2010 • Village Living

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