April 2017
© Steve Alton
LOCAL BUSINESS DIRECTORY & COMMUNITY NEWS Call 01342 300152 to advertise
SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BUSINESSES
Stockists at Forest Row of ...
... HardiePlank® Exterior Composite Cladding
...Trex® Composite Decking Forest Row RH18 5EL 01342 822191
East Grinstead RH19 1BY 01342 317470
Haywards Heath RH16 1QW 01444 413413
Crowborough TN6 2QS 01892 652725
Open: Monday - Friday 7.30am - 5pm Saturday Closed
Open: Monday - Friday 7.30am - 5pm Saturday 8am - 1pm
Open: Monday - Friday 7.30am - 5pm Saturday 8am - 12.30pm
Open: Monday - Friday 7.30am - 5pm Saturday 8am - 12.30pm
www.mstc.co.uk Call Mid-Sussex Timber Sales on 01342 822191 or Order online at mstc.co.uk
15 OFF %
DISCOUNT VOUCHER
RETAIL PRICE FOR ALL STOCKED PRODUCTS
Name:
Email :
One voucher per customer. Restrictions apply: see instore for details. Voucher must be presented at one of our showrooms at time of purchase. Not to be used in conjunction with any other offer. Excludes online pricesEand n q uMakita i r i e s : Power 0 1 3 4 2Tools. 300152 This voucher cannot be used against payment by account customer. Voucher valid between 1st and 30th April 2017. Please mention us when responding to adverts
2
S U P P O R T I N G LO C A L B U S I N E S S
We are a professional family business with 40 years experience. Our services are cost-effective with references. Our Roofing Services
• Roof tiling works, renew/repair • Flat roofing works, renew/repair • Sheet roofing, renew/repair • Chimney repair/remove/rebuild • Guttering replacement/Fascias • Asbestos removal
“Mr Nash carried out a series of works projects that included roof tile and guttering replacement; application of hanging tiles to the rear of the property and groundworks/erection of a shed and patio area in the rear garden. “The works were finished to schedule, for reasonable fees and to a good standard. I was very pleased with the results. Throughout the contract, Mr. Nash and his colleagues behaved with care and consideration for both myself and my neighbours and were extremely professional in their conduct. “As a shareholder and director of a business for 10 years that was highly customer focused, I would have no hesitation in recommending Mr Nash for future projects. I found him to be organised, methodical and communicative about the progress of works with both the client and his staff and he managed the projects in a most professional manner, to budget and to time.” — Dr. C Scott
For a free quotation call the hotline:
07772 761752 / 01342 850415 3 www.adnroofing.co.uk Visit: w w w.ashdownforestliving.co.uk Please mention us when responding to adverts
4
Enquiries: 01342 300152 Please mention us when responding to adverts
S U P P O R T I N G LO C A L B U S I N E S S
Dear Residents, Whats inside this month Welcome to the April issue. As this goes to print our fingers are crossed for wonderful Spring weather coupled with a sea of beautiful bluebells in the woods to delight the senses. This month a Conan Doyle themed magazine seems to have come to fruition as the prelude to the all new Crowborough Community Festival which takes place next month. We hope you enjoy the articles.
Recipe
Dame Vera Lynn
We are very proud to be able to bring you a feature about Dame Vera Lynn for which we interviewed her daughter. As well as being a national treasure we all know and love, she also lives in Sussex close to the Ashdown Forest area. We hope you enjoy it. We must give our huge congratulations to Forest Row man Daryl Farmer who completed his solo row across the Atlantic! See the photos of his arrival in Antigua.
A New Play, Murder by Proxy, “by” Conan Doyle
Puppet Passion
Solo Row Across the Atlantic: DONE!
Conan the Great
Thank you for supporting our many local businesses, please do mention us when you call. Please drop us a line with any local news that would be of interest, especially if you are a local charity or community group. All the best, Tally & Chris Ashdown Forest Living To advertise call 01342 300152 info@ashdownforestliving.co.uk www.ashdownforestliving.co.uk FOLLOW US ON TWITTER
Keep this directory handy for when you need it
Although this publication does not vet advertisers, a number of complaints will mean that businesses will be barred from further advertising.
Lorrie Brown - A Salute to Vera Lynn
Exploring our Lost World
Sincerely Yours: The Vera Lynn Story
Ashdown Forest Living Notice: Ashdown Forest Living prints various articles, features, and advertisements. Although these appear in Ashdown Forest Living, any opinions expressed are the opinion of the author, these are not necessarily the opinion of the publisher. © Copyright Ashdown Forest Living 2017. The contents of this publication are written specifically for our readers, no part may be reproduced elsewhere without express and prior permission. Visit: w w w.ashdownforestliving.co.uk Please mention us when responding to adverts
5
T IM E S G O N E B Y
F O R E S T R O W - C .1 9 2 0
A R A R E V I E W O F T H E A 2 2 AT W YC H C R O S S A R O U N D 1928
6
Enquiries: 01342 300152 Please mention us when responding to adverts
S U P P O R T I N G LO C A L B U S I N E S S
Nick & Diana. Murrayfield, Edinburgh.
Have a newly built apartment, prefer neutral tones and enjoy cosy nights in with a movie.
£250 off
Big Softie corner sofa in Sahara Chalk
The Estate Yard, Eridge, Nr Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN3 9JR
Call us on 01892 572 309 or visit sofasandstuff.com
Let’s design together
Blackland Farm Activity Centre, West Sussex • Kayaking • Rock climbing • Archery • Zip wire ...and much more.
Midnight, Saturday 20 May 2017 Sovereign Centre, Eastbourne
5 Mile 10 Mile WALK
WALK
15 Mile NEW
URBAN TREK
Come and join us for fun-filled activity days.
01342 810493
blackland@girlguiding.org.uk www.blacklandfarm.org.uk
BOOK IN SMALL GROUPS FOR THE EASTER HOLIDAYS We do birthday parties too!
SIGN UP NOW
www.nighttoremember.org.uk/cth
Registered charity number 306016.
Registered charity no - 256789
Visit: w w w.ashdownforestliving.co.uk
Please mention us when responding to adverts CTH N2R17 63x94 QP Ad AW.indd 1
7
11/01/2017 09:32
Chocolate Scones Makes 14 scones
By Pete Howes, Pastry Chef at Ashdown Park Hotel & Country Club
Ashdown Park Hotel is serving a real treat for chocaholics this Easter, with a special chocolate afternoon tea available on Monday 17th April. Featuring on the menu will be a whole host of tempting chocolate treats, including these delicious chocolate scones, which pastry chef Pete Howes has shared the recipe for.
Ingredients • • • • • • •
390g plain flour 55g cocoa powder 30g baking powder 85g butter 85g icing sugar 285ml (½ pint) milk 55g white chocolate chips
Method
4. Place the rounds on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 10-12 minutes, or until well-risen.
1. Mix the flour, cocoa powder, sugar and baking powder and rub in the butter with your fingertips, until it forms a breadcrumblike consistency.
5. Leave to cool until warm, but not completely cold, then serve with clotted cream and your favourite preserves.
2. Pour in the milk and the white chocolate chips and stir until the mixture comes together into a dough, then rest for 5 minutes. HOTEL AND COUNTRY CLUB
3. Lightly roll out the dough to roughly 1” thick – be careful not to over-roll or knead the dough or it will become too tough – then cut out 2-3” round portions. Repeat until all the dough has been portioned out.
Ashdown Park Hotel & Country Club Wych Cross, RH18 5JR Telephone: 01342 824988 www.ashdownpark.com
8
Enquiries: 01342 300152 Please mention us when responding to adverts
S U P P O R T I N G LO C A L B U S I N E S S
London Temple Garden Tours
West Park Road, Newchapel, Surrey RH7 6NB | Phone: 01342 837 952 The gardens here at the Temple are some 28 acres excluding the buildings, and are traditional English country gardens with wonderful walks through the parkland. We have woodland walks on well maintained and wheelchair freindly paths. with Bluebells, Wood Anemones, not to mention the trees - Oaks, Atlantic Ceders, Lime Trees, and Yew Trees, the list goes on. We are happy to cater for local school groups, youth organisations, senior citizen organisations, W.I’s, horticultural/gardening clubs, religious groups and any individuals with an interest of the above. Find us on the web www.lds.org/placestovisit Follow the London Temple Visitor’s Centre on Facebook
Open all year round
Tuesday - Friday from 9am - 7pm • Free Guided Tours • Free Entrance • Free Parking • Free Buffet Lunch For Groups of 10+ Reservations Necessary
“The walk around the gardens was a revelation in itself, and to be able to do it on such a lovely day was just perfect. We all learnt so much” - Bletchingley Parish Church “Thank you once again for your hospitality, for lunch and for the opportunity to look around your beautiful gardens. The Trees are magnificent and the grounds are very well kept!”
p re rou We vie d w of are wh s,th ou so o an r on po ks li ste to ne d al l
- East Grinstead Horticultural Society
What’s the worst job in the kitchen?
LEVADE SYSTEMS
We will deep clean your oven, hob, extractor and microwave, removing all traces of grease and burnt-on carbon using non-caustic, environmentally friendly cleaners.
Your Stable & Timber Building Manufacturer You won’tLocal find better prices, standards or aftercare, because we pride ourselves in making sure every customer is satisfied. Established 25 years • Based in Ashdown Forest Single Oven £40 It’s a 01342 dirty job! 824117 Call: mark@levadesystems.co.uk Double Oven £55 Why do www.levadesystems.co.uk it Hob £12 yourself? Extractor £12 Range from £75 Aga £115
End of Season BBQ Cleans!
£5 OFF
your 1st Clean quote: AFL
For more information and to book call or Email: info@ovensparkle.biz
! £5 OFFus 01342 604 841 07917 154 426in the kitchen Let do the worst job on receipt
of this flyer We remove all www.ovensparkle.biz traces of oven grease and burnt-on carbon using non-caustic, environmentally friendly cleaners. • Single Oven £40 We pride ourselves on making sure • Double Oven £55 every customer is satisfied. • Hob £12 Call Ian on 01342 604 841 or
• Extractor £12 • Range from £75 • Aga £115
Visit: w w w.ashdownforestliving.co.uk Please mention us when responding to adverts
9
07917 154 426
www.ovensparkle.biz
Quick Quiz
Sudoku
Answers on page 38 1. What colour is Coventry Street on a UK Monopoly board? 2. Where is Sir Isaac Newton buried? 3. In which year was the first ever Academy Awards ceremony? 4. Which Hindu God is the first of the triumvirate (trinity) and is responsible for creation of the world and all its creatures?
© Kevin Stone [www.brainbashers.com]
5. What is the capital of Cyprus? 6. Which artist painted the most expensive painting ever sold at action to date? 7. Which evil mythological creature was part woman and part bird, having a human face and a bird’s wings and claws? 8. After whom was the Teddy Bear named? 9. How many players are there on an American football team? 10. What is the official language of Andorra?
FEET UNIQUE
Mobile Foot Care Service Step into Spring with Happy Feet • • • • • • • •
Routine foot health check Diabetic foot care Toe nail and finger nail cutting and filing Corns Callus Ingrown toe nails Verruca Fungal infection
Contact: Maxine Briggs MCFHP MAFHP Tel: 07711 986776 Member of the Open College of Foot Health Professionals and Member of the British Association of Foot Health Professionals
10
Enquiries: 01342 300152 Please mention us when responding to adverts
S U P P O R T I N G LO C A L B U S I N E S S
Visit: w w w.ashdownforestliving.co.uk Please mention us when responding to adverts
11
CONAN THE GREAT A man whose gift to the world has produced hours of riveting TV and treasured movies! Former Crowborough resident, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is a name recognised the world over but for decades he was overshadowed by his creation, Sherlock Holmes, one of literature's most enduring characters. Conan Doyle himself was a man of many contradictions: romantic, energetic, idealistic and upstanding, he could also be selfish and foolhardy. His life is perfect fodder for a book of its own. And with that in mind writer Andrew Lycett produced a groundbreaking biography about Conan Doyle: The Man Who Created Sherlock Holmes. Better still, Andrew will be speaking at the Crowborough Community Festival next month about him. We are pleased to have a taster Q&A with Andrew about this unique individual: in its infancy - Scotland Yard had only recently set up a detective division. But he liked the pioneering work of the American Edgar Allan Poe and the Frenchman Emile Goboriau and decided to try his hand at an English version.
Conan Doyle had an alcoholic father with no stability at home as a child. How did this affect his adult years? It made for a difficult childhood, with little money to spare. Luckily his wider family paid for him to go to an English Catholic public school, Stonyhurst - with the intention that he would later be able to look after his mother and siblings. As a result of this, he grew up with a very mature sense of himself and his responsibilities.
Why is Holmes such a popular figure, so many years later? First, because he is the central figure in an extraordinarily enduring set of stories. But also because he is such an intriguing character in his own right - the great rationalist who likes to relax by playing his violin, smoking and taking cocaine. And he makes such a good partnership with his sidekick Dr Watson, who provides a human dimension to the stories and establishes the prototype of the double act which has endured at the heart of detective fiction.
What strikes you as the defining experience, which brought Sherlock Holmes to life in Conan-Doyle’s consciousness? Working as a doctor in Southsea in Hampshire in the 1880s, Conan Doyle dabbled in writing a variety of adventure stories for magazines. At one stage he decided he wanted his name on the back of a book. Detective fiction was then
Continues over the page.
12
Enquiries: 01342 300152 Please mention us when responding to adverts
S U P P O R T I N G LO C A L B U S I N E S S
Care in Your Own Home Having your own Personal Care Assistant living with you in the comfort and familiarity of your own home is realistic and affordable. At Domus Live-In Care we provide experienced carers who help with:
• Meal preparation • Domestic support Personal Care
Are you considering care? Companionship • Ongoing or Short Term Support
Our aim is to support you to be as independent as ssistant living with you in the comfort, safety and familiarity of your own home, is a realistic, A local, possible and to maintain your lifestyle and social life. family run al care and allows you to continue to live your life, your way. At Domus Live‐In Care we can service o will assist in the activities of daily living.
For a free consultation call: 01892 512961 info@domus-live-in.co.uk • www.domus-live-in.co.uk
h bathing and dressing)
housework, laundry) nship
Modern, well-equipped ceramics studio in an
on an assessment of your needs and a Personal Care Plan is designed to ensure we meet all your idyllic rural location near Groombridge ts. Our aim is to support you to be as independent as possible and to maintain your lifestyle and For a free consultation and assessment of your care needs please contact us: CLASSES: Daytime and evening classes suitable for all abilities EXPERIENCED POTTERS: Join our friendly “open table”community Tel: 01892 512961 Email: info@domus‐live‐in.co.uk COURSES: Weekend workshops for adults and children For full details visit our website: www.domus‐live‐in.co.uk
us Live‐in Care is part of the Care at Home Services (South East) Ltd group of companies
claystudio@eunicelocher.com 01892 862 540 • www.eunicelocher.com
The Clay Studio, Hendal Farm, Cherry Gardens Hill, Groombridge, TN3 9NU
New Year, You! AprilNew Offers Introductory 10% offOff Introductory 10%
all Cosmetic including Teeth Orthodontic Whitening. + FREETreatments Initial Implant & Adult
SimplyConsultations. quote this advert at the reception inApply one Terms & Conditions of our Terms andOrthodontic conditions apply. Offerbranches. vaiid until 30/04/17 Excludes & Implant treatment
“Creating Beautiful Beautiful Smiles Smiles and Beyond... Beyond...”
Offer valid until 29/02/16 | Excludes Orthodontic & Implant treatment
or A ALLllYYOUR ourGG enerAlDD entAlCARE CAreAND AnD SpeCiAliStATTENTION Attention FFOR ENERAL ENTAL SPECIALIST • Emergencies seen same day
• Hygienists available
•• Private Emergencies seen same day • Hygienists Treatment available • Cosmeticavailable teeth straightening • atPrivate Treatment available • Cosmetic teeth straightening aff ordable rates • Disabled access and facilities available at affordable rates • Disabled access and facilities available available • Cosmetic treatments available •• Dental Dentalimplants implants available • Cosmetic treatments available •• We care for anxious patients • Filler therapy (Botox,etc) etc)available available We care for anxious patients • Filler therapy (Botox, available parking available •• Interest Interestfree freecredit credit available • Free• Free parking available • Cosmetic, Metal Free, White Fillings available upon request For more information or to book an appointment, call us now on For more information or towww.dentistryforyou.co.uk book an appointment, call us now on 0800 158 8000 or visit 0800 158 8000 or visit www.dentistryforyou.co.uk
Some patients may be entitled to free NHS treatment Some call patients bemore entitled to free NHS treatment Please us or may ask for details at reception. Please call us or ask for more details at reception.
Riverview Dental Centre
Eastbourne Dental Care
North Chailey Dental Care
Riverview Dental Centre 01825 724 694 01342 823 004 01323North 735Chailey 005 Dental Care
01342 823 004 724 694 Unit 1, Riverview Business Park, 2 Terminus01825 Buildings, Uppertone Road, Station Road, North Chailey, Unit 1,Row, Riverview Business Park, Eastbourne,Station Road,BN21 North1BA Chailey, Lewes, BN8 4HD Forest East Sussex RH18 5DW East Sussex Forest Row, East Sussex RH18 5DW
Lewes, BN8 4HD
Visit: w w w.ashdownforestliving.co.uk Please mention us when responding to adverts
13
A NATIONAL PROFILE FOR LOCAL RDA CONTINUED As a keen golfer, he served as captain of Crowborough Beacon golf club in 1910, and his wife was Ladies Captain the following year. An amateur palaeontologist, he became interested in searching for local evidence of dinosaurs - to the extent that he was wrongly thought to be involved in the Piltdown Man hoax. Windlesham was where he converted fully to spiritualism during the First World War. He wrote about the vicinity, notably in his 1915 novel The Valley of Fear where the scene of the murder Birlstone Manor was closely based on Groombridge Place a few miles away.
In Conan Doyle’s later life he turned to spiritualism? How did this affect his life and was it complimentary or in conflict with Holme’s logically views? Back in the 1880s Conan Doyle, as a trained doctor, took a scientific approach to investigating paranormal phenomena - as was fashionable at the time. During the First World War his scientific reserve weakened and, wanting to get in touch with friends and members of his family who had died, he became a committed spiritualist. But he always argued - unconvincingly - that his approach to spiritualism was scientific.
Find out more about this fascinating writer when Andrew Lycett visits Crowborough on Thursday 18th May to present an illustrated talk on his book Conan Doyle: The Man Who Created Sherlock Holmes. Part of the month-long Crowborough Community Festival, which starts on Monday 1st May with the Conan Doyle Lost World Fun day.
How did Conan Doyle’s time spent in Crowborough influence him and what was his impression of the town and area?
The venue is Crowborough’s Community Centre and start time is 3pm. The presentation will end with a Q&A session. Ticket price of £5 includes afternoon tea. Recommend pre-booking in advance at www. crowboroughcommunityfestival.org or direct from Crowborough Community Centre 01892 458026.
He came to live at Windlesham in Crowborough in 1907 shortly after his first wife Louise died and he married a younger woman Jean. He loved the area and brought up a new family there (two boys and a girl). It became the centre for much of his activities.
ADVERTISE WITH THE ASHDOWN FOREST LIVING Contact us on: 01342 300152 for more information or visit www.ashdownforestliving.co.uk
14
Enquiries: 01342 300152 Please mention us when responding to adverts
CURTAINCRAFT LTD S U P P O R T I N G LO C A L B U S I N E S S
Bespoke soft furnishings and blinds • Huge choice of gorgeous fabrics • Tracks, poles and fitting
Linwood Fabrics
•
Curtaincraft | Freshfield Lane | Danehill | RH17 7HE
01825 790766 | www.curtaincraft.co.uk Visit: w w w.ashdownforestliving.co.uk
Visit website call us and mention this15 advert for a free estimate Pleaseour mention us when or responding to adverts
Puppet Passion Hartfield man Colin Burnett-Dick found himself in the national papers last month having spent 25 thousand pounds perfectly restoring his recently acquired original Lady Penelope puppet. Here he shares just how he came to have to this most peculiar of passions:
Phobia, what Phobia? The Phobia in my case was Automatonophobia. The fear of puppets, mannequins, ventriloquist dolls and clowns. Why clowns I have never been too sure. I was a very nervous child. I seemed to be scared of just about everything but in particular the irrational fear of inanimate objects coming to life. I would lie in bed at night and imagine my toy soldiers creeping across the cold lino floor to get me. I was not allowed to have a light on and I would lay awake, terrified, until my need for sleep overtook my fear. So, how does a kid with this level of psychoses grow up to be a collector of puppets? Good question, and the answer is, I really don’t know! As I grew my fear slowly became a fascination: maybe I had been cursed by a Chucky type character... By the age of ten I was
holding puppet shows in my father’s garage and charging the local kids threepence a show. I loved my puppets, they were my friends. I talked to them and they talked back. My parents were getting increasingly worried about the overheard conversations when there was no one else in my room but at least, and probably for the first time in my life, I was sleeping at night. Sunday night at the London Palladium. As a special treat I was allowed to stay up and watch the show providing I was all scrubbed up and in my dressing gown ready for bed the minute the show ended. That was when I saw for the first time Ray Allen and his vent doll Lord Charles. I was fascinated! From then on I was totally hooked on Ventriloquism. I followed all the top vents, got pictures of their dummies, read their books, listened to their recordings and studied everything I could find on the subject old and new.
Continues over the page.
16
Enquiries: 01342 300152 Please mention us when responding to adverts
S U P P O R T I N G LO C A L B U S I N E S S
Introductory Care Experience Packages, Short Stay & Suites Available An established, family-owned traditional country home offering relaxed retirement living in superior accommodation with the highest standards of individually tailored 24-hour care, support & customer service.
Warren Drive, Fielden Road, Crowborough, East Sussex TN6 1TP
01892 654586 • www.warrendrive.com
To This
We professionally clean your oven, removing the burnt on grease and grime, using non–toxic, fume free and eco-friendly products in your home. All removable parts of your oven are cleaned Local independent co.
n an Ia ca le e e c g to r W m frid er te ea r ez ac st ou fre b y d te an na I Im
s From Thi
el
Ovenaid will transform your oven...
with our specialist equipment inside our vehicle. The procedure is entirely mess free and your oven will be left pristine and ready for immediate use. It’s no wonder our customers recommend us!
+ Credit cards welcome + Gift vouchers available
01892 54 84 13 07860 95 4 31 0
www. ovenaid.co.uk Ovens • COOkers • AGAs • rAnGes • HObs • MiCrOwAves • FridGes • Freezers • disHwAsHers
Visit: w w w.ashdownforestliving.co.uk Please mention us when responding to adverts
17
PUPPET PASSION CONTINUED
necessarily in that order! Before I knew it I was in my thirties and married with children. All my puppet friends had long gone and my priorities were paying the mortgage and keeping our business profitable. Then a surprising twist of fate happened. I heard on the radio that the ventriloquist doll and my hero Archie Andrews was up for sale. I knew I had to try and buy him! With the support of Pauline, my lovely wife, we set about our quest. We went to the West Country to view him at the auction house and then, even more spurred on, we attended the auction several weeks later and bought him. How lucky am I? One of the most iconic ventriloquist dolls of all time and he is sitting in our living room, well when he is not roaming about the house causing mischief. He really does have an aura about him, which does tend to freak out some of our visitors!
One dummy in particular I was getting more and more fascinated by was a character called Archie Andrews. He was the dummy of Peter Brough and together they dominated the radio scene in the 1950s with a show called “Educating Archie”. It proved to be the starting point for many stars of the future who appeared on the show. Names like Tony Hancock, Julie Andrews and Max Bygraves all appeared as relative new comers. Archie was a cheeky middle class schoolboy and was loved by millions! As the years went by my fascination with all things puppetry took a bit of a back seat as other interests slowly took over such as girls, pubs and music. Not
Since then I have attempted to buy the original Sooty puppet, Harry Corbett’s little bear. During the televised auction at Charles Hanson’s auction house I was verbally abused by Sooty’s friend Sue and squirted with a water pistol by Sweep every time I outbid Sooty’s franchise owner Richard Cadell so I decided to let him go to Richard. My latest acquisition is an original Lady Penelope puppet from the TV show “Thunderbirds”. She is probably one of the most recognised puppets of all time and has now been completely restored and looks stunning! So that’s my story. Is there a moral here anywhere? Probably not. Phobia? What Phobia?
18
Enquiries: 01342 300152 Please mention us when responding to adverts
Want a new outdoor space? S U P P O R T I N G LO C A L B U S I N E S S
Working as a dedicated team, we can provide all the services required to create the garden or outdoor space of you dreams. Specialising in traditional country gardens, or modern town gardens, large or small. We can design any space to suit your individual needs.whether it is a family friendly place to relax after a busy day or an interesting space for parties and play.
A well designed outdoor space will enhance your home! Please call, Lawrence & Lamont & G. Weller Groundworks. Initial consultation is free, Garden Design Bonnie Lamont 07786246530 / 01342 825414, bonnielamont @aol.com or for groundworks call Gareth Weller on 07903 860306 / 01892 770114, www.gwellergroundwork.co.uk Visit: w w w.ashdownforestliving.co.uk
19
Please mention us when responding to adverts BORDER DESIGN • GARDEN/PLANTING PLANS • MAINTENANCE ADVICE • PATIOS • ALL GROUNDWORKS • ALL ASPECTS OF LANDSCAPING
Does Your Mum or Dad need a little extra help? • • • •
Professional Carers CQC Registered Fully Insured Fully Trained
“Do not cut corners; why let the ones you love be cared for by someone that is not”
Nevill Estate Yard, Eridge, Tunbridge Wells, TN3 9JR
01892 543233
Call award-winning BROOKER CARE LTD for an informal chat on: 01342 311999
www.thepianoshopkent.co.uk
GERMAN FRENCH TUITION FOR ALL Adults & Children
PianoShopWT180.indd 1
04/01/2017 16:06
I teach REAL-LIFE, CONVERSATIONAL German in groups and one-to-one EASY - FUN For more info call:
01342 811099
www.easygermanlearning.co.uk
9 9 9 9 9 9
Oak Garages Oak Carports Oak Garden rooms Oak Home offices Oak Pool houses Oak Porches
9 9 9 9 9
Oak Conservatories Oak Orangeries Oak Barns Oak Workshops/Commercial Design & Planning services
For more information call: 07766 188841 www.imperialframing.co.uk enquiries@imperialframing.co.uk ImperialFramingLtd Based in the Ashdown Forest Area
20
• Patient, experienced native speaker • All levels welcome • GCSE or A level coaching & booster holiday sessions • Competitive rates
01342 850733
Testimonial “It was a real pleasure to have Lewis and Phil constructing our oak-framed garage and Imperial Framing has our highest recommendation. Not only were they extremely hard working, conscientious and diligent but also highly-adept in their traditional skills, concerned to provide value for money and committed to achieving a fabulous result.” Sally and David Lamb Enquiries: 01342 300152 Please mention us when responding to adverts
S U P P O R T I N G LO C A L B U S I N E S S
Hedge Cutting • Tree Surgery
PGH
L.G. BurBerry
All interior and exterior painting Fully insured • Free quotes
Fencing • Garden Maintenance Hard/Soft Landscaping
Decorating Services
Contact Phil Horscroft for a free quote
Established for over 30 years, Fully Insured, friendly & reliable. For a free quote call Lloyd on 01825 712717 or 07754 585518
J&V
Carpentry Est.1984 Services • Built in cupboards & shelving • Wardrobes • Door hanging and locks • Window fitting • Rot repairs & 2nd fix • Plus all joinery undertaken
01825 766288 07903 265666
julvin320@gmail.com
DOMESTIC 07765 852231
HEATING OIL
philiphorscroft@hotmail.com
139 Hamelin Court, Pipersfield, Ridgewood, Uckfield
365 DAY SERVICE DOMESTIC HEATING OIL
CGM Garden & Property Maintenance Services If you are DIY shy
from
365 DAY SERVICE from
GEOFF BOORMAN FUELS
Edenbridge 863834 YOUR PERSONAL01732 OIL COMPANY
Chris is your guy
Tunbridge Wells 01892 522322 East Grinstead 01342 349427
Small tankers with extra long hoses available
07756 587047
TuNbRIDGE WELLS 01892 522322 sales@geoffboorman.co.uk
Chris.g.moore@hotmail.co.uk
Full range of Stunning Awnings to enhance your home & garden • Electric, easy-to-use Awnings • Canopies • Glass rooms • Friendly & Professional Service • Trading for 27 years
VIEW OUR FULL RANGE AT OUR NEW SHOWROOM - PRE-BOOKING ESSENTIAL Penumbra Blinds and Solar Control Ltd Unit 2 Albans Farm, Romford Road, Pembury, Kent TN2 4BB. Tel : 01892 825522 • www. penumbrablinds.com Visit: w w w.ashdownforestliving.co.uk Please mention us when responding to adverts
21
WHERE SERVICE MATTERS
Geoff Boorman Fuels Freepost SEA5895
Careful polite drivers
Free quotes & advice No job too small
SMALL TANKERS WITH EXTRA LONG HOSE AvAILABLE
YOUR PERSONAL OIL COMPAN
sales@geoffboorman.co.uk
Gardening • Decorating General DIY
CAREFUL POLITE DRIvERS
Coming soon to Crowborough's Community Festival
A NEW PLAY - MURDER BY PROXY "BY" CONAN DOYLE A Little Taster
BACK FROM THE DEAD TO SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT
Be prepared to have your caged rattled. A new work written in the name of Conan Doyle is set to upend any Sherlockian preconceptions you may have.
Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle was an ardent spiritualist who believed in life after death. Only right then, that he should come back and tell us what he found out.
Holmes & Watson are holed up at 221B Baker St. The drugs aren’t working and Sherlock is on the point of insanity. He’s convinced that Doyle is out to kill him. At first, the good doctor tries to pacify him, but as the action unfolds he finds that he, reasonable man though he is, as the real writer of the stories, is even more angry than Holmes. He plots their revenge. As befits the ‘master’, is this the perfect crime it should be? Can the characters kill their creator, and get away with it?
AN APOLOGIA FROM CONAN DOYLE I have written a play, Murder by Proxy, and I would like to tell you something about it by way of an apology. Sherlock is the man I would like to have been, Watson much more how I saw myself. Although I didn’t appreciate it at the time, I treated them both pretty shabbily which, as I have learned through divine grace, is what we tend to do down here on earth - at least to anything we think we control.
WE ARE HIS CHILDREN, BUT WE ARE MONSTERS TO HIM NOW. What is the relationship between author and character? Who owns who, and who has the final say? Are his children purely the fruit of his imagination, or could they be buds of another pod?
So Sherlock I made strong where I was weak, and weak where I fondly imagined I was strong. I made him cold, condescending, and calculating. Solving his many cases through extraordinary powers of observation yoked to ruthless logic. But a loner and a drug addict. This, I flattered myself, enabled me to present an intellectual omniscience to the world, which I could combine with Watson’s warm and open-hearted clubbability, which I felt was so much closer to my own personality. Continues over the page.
22
Enquiries: 01342 300152 Please mention us when responding to adverts
S U P P O R T I N G LO C A L B U S I N E S S
Your Local Satellite TV, Aerial, CCTV & Data Networking Specialists
Satellite
Aerials
CCTV
Data Networks
10% off any aerial work with this advert! Visit us at: www.norsat.co.uk
CS515 Kitchens B Comp Slip.qxd
27/4/09
11:52
Page 1
Call us on: 01342 349440
This Kitchen company, based in East Grinstead, is the brainchild of Rachael Workman who has been a kitchen designer for over 20 years. Six years ago she decided to set up a ‘one stop shop’ to help clients create their perfect kitchen, that suit their budgets and she has not looked back. Rachael has found that being a female designer gives her an edge: “I design from a practical view point. Most people who use kitchens are women and I can relate to the need to balance aesthetics with function”. She works to her client’s budget requirements and is always testing new products and materials to see what works, saving time and money for her customers. Kitchens Bespoke can also attend to lighting, decoration, flooring and building works if necessary. The word ‘bespoke’ refers to the design process itself and Rachael says that her kitchens are more affordable than you might think. Rachael can design a kitchen that fits you. With her expertise the kitchen you have only imagined can become reality. Call Rachael for a free quotation & advice call on 01342 313133 Visit their showroom: 88 London Road, East Grinstead www.kitchensbespoke.co.uk Visit: w w w.ashdownforestliving.co.uk Please mention us when responding to adverts
23
A NEW PLAY, MURDER BY PROXY, “BY” CONAN DOYLE CONTINUED
NOTHING SO DECEPTIVE AS AN OBVIOUS FACT But despite the variety that I was able to add to plot or story, to means or method, to status or situation I soon became bored with the predictability that I had invested in my hero and his loyal sidekick. I knew the warning signs. Boredom in the writer, boredom in the reader. I felt like the man who sets the Times crossword. He is aware the problems he contrives give endless pleasure to others. But knows there is none for him. He already knows all the answers.
destiny and, as much as I resented him, he was the ghost inside of me. And even though, at the time, I could not see how Sherlock and Watson were central to the meaning of my life, and the message I have to bring you, I know now. That message is: You cannot love what you control and you cannot control what you love.
THE OBSERVATION OF TRIFLES So, I began to pose myself questions to which there is no answer,“Where have we come from?” and “Why are we here?” What I did not know then, as I do now, is that we cannot control our destiny. The Sherlock stories, which I dismissed as trifles, were to be my life’s work. The things I considered important, overlooked. I may have felt shackled to Sherlock but whenever I tried to break free of him, I was hauled back, the public’s appetite for Sherlock was too strong. He was my
You can see this new play “Murder by Proxy” at All Saints Church Halls, Chapel Green, Crowborough,TN6 1ED on 16th, 17th & 19th May. Bar Opens 7:30pm. Tickets £5 on the Door or from TicketSource.co.uk. Find out more at www.murderbyproxy.co.uk.
Rangers Report My name is Glen Poland and I have been employed as the Deer Programme Coordinator for Ashdown Forest.car This is an exciting programme, From Linton’s Linton’s car park park cross cross the theroad road (with (withcare) care)funded into intoRidge Ridge Countryside Stewardship car park parkthrough (summer (summerthe only). only). Walk Walkout outofof the therear rearpast pastaScheme, a seat seat onto onto a grass grass path path and and in inabout about 50m turn turnleft left onto onto aaride. ride. Remain Remain and is the first of50m its kind in the country. I am onon this gently gently descending descending ride, ride, ignoring ignoringanother another that bears bears offoffof employed by the conservators, withthat the support right, for right, for about about 400m. 400m. Natural England, the Forestry Commission and the Deer Initiative. Our main objectives for managing On both left and right are linear quarries, deer onscrub Ashdown ForestSuch are to ensure the deer now filled with and trees. quarriespopulation dot the Forest landscape and is kept healthy by controlling numbers; providedthis stonewill for reduce roads. Typical heathland grazing and browsing competitive birds such as nightjar, stonechat, tree pipit allowing natural plant communities to flourish and
will lessen the risk of undernourishment in the deer population. With plant communities beginning to respond to the effect that deer culling has had in some areas, we hope to see a diverse array of bird and mammal species that rely on the under-storey start to make more of an appearance in the future.
1.75 miles/3km miles/3km
and woodlark usually breed in this area and the ride edges in particular are one of the best places on the Forest (indeed in Sussex) to see, in May, the yellow flowers of the small spiny shrub, petty whin.
It is hoped that venison will be on offer here at the Forest Centre from November 2017; the money will be put back into maintaining the forest. For more details please phone James or Glen on 01342 823583.
24
Enquiries: 01342 300152 Please mention us when responding to adverts
S U P P O R T I N G LO C A L B U S I N E S S
B W Patience & Sons
TREE WORK & GROUNDWORK Established since 1960.
NEED LOGS? HOME DELIVERY AVAILABLE.
The one stop shop for all your oak needs!
;Roadside and garden trees, lop top & fell. ;Flail Hedge Cutting and Scrub Cutting. ;Stump grinding, ditch cleaning.
01825 712971 • 07860 562654 bwpatienceandsons@gmail.com
ESCC APPROVED CONTRACTOR • 10 MILLION INSURANCE
Alfie the Ashdown Forest Aardvark Last months alfies were on pages 6,12,18 and 24
• Oak Sleepers • Reclaimed Tiles •Reclaimed York Stone •Reclaimed Flooring •Architectural Antiques •Antique Garden Items
Win £10
•Oak Beams •Kiln Dried Oak Planks •Oak Flooring •Oak Skirting •Custom Oak Mouldings •Architctural Ironmongery
Call 01273 517013 or visit www.oakandreclaim.com
The name of the game is to locate the 4 Alfie’s hidden on 4 pages in the magazine.
Unit 1 New Road Newhaven East Sussex BN9 0HE Sales@oakandreclaim.com
Ages 4 -13. Let us know the page numbers, enter online: www.ashdownforestliving.co.uk or email: info@ashdownforestliving.co.uk. Closing date: 19/04/17
Absolutely
Kitchens
Bedrooms
Bathrooms
Kitchens - Fitted or Supply Only - All Budgets & Styles Worktops - Laminate, Wood, Solid Surfaces or Granite Doors - for Kitchens & Bedrooms, any size, Vinyl or Wood Appliances - Integrated & Free Standing Bedrooms - Fitted • or Supply only - Traditional or Modern Bathrooms - Shower Rooms - Ensuites - Cloakrooms Walk-in Baths & Showers - Bath removed & Walk-in Showers fitted at sensible prices
On the hill-top in the distance is Gills Lap Clump, the Galleons Lap of the Winnie-the-Pooh books. One old nameor forSmall the Clump The Large jobs was undertaken with the same enthusiasm Camel’s Hump, from the shape formed by the silhouettes of its pine No High Pressure Sales - No Minimum Order Charge trees. In the 1920s, when the picture (left) was taken, there were Day Time Plan & Design Service very few trees on the surrounding FREE slopes,Evening just openorheathland.
of cricket the above be supplied and/or fitted Cross the drive and walk to the rightAny of the pitch.can Where the ride divides, bear right, leaving the pitch, and bear right within 3-5 weeks if required. at the next divide after 300m . The ride descends more steeply and swings right and downhill into woodland and to a bridge over a stream .
Tel: 01342 - 713400 • 01444 - 411172
This area is known as Tabell Ghyll. Its woodland is most unusual for the public part of the Forest with its many large trees, especially beech, and several hectares of planted sweet chestnut Visit: w w w.ashdownforestliving.co.uk coppice. The area was sold off from the Please mention when adverts commonusland of responding the Forest into1693 and only ‘returned’ during World War Two in
www.absolutelykitchens.co.uk • Ask@AbsolutelyKitchens.co.uk
25
© Liz Mills
DAME VERA LYNN Last month the nation’s sweetheart and fondest national treasure Dame Vera Lynn reached her milestone 100th birthday. We all witnessed the many celebrations, from TV programmes about her life, to a London Palladium tribute show attended by Her Majesty the Queen and a newly released album, toping it off was a 350-foot image of her projected onto the White Cliffs of Dover! Accolades and congratulations have flooded in from around the world. lands as distant as Uzbekistan and Hawaii. And from children as young as 8, whose grandparents’ records of Dame Vera’s music strike a deep chord with them, with a subsequent embracing of fanhood! Even 19/20 year-olds from Germany write in; and Dame Vera chooses to answer them all, insisting on personally signing each letter.
Dame Vera lives here in Sussex, in Ditchling, not half an hour from the Ashdown Forest. We are truly honoured to have been able to talk to her daughter, Virginia, to get a glimmer of insight into the life of an icon. With a stellar musical career that has spanned nearly a century, Dame Vera Lynn’s crossgenerational appeal, even to a 21st century audience, knows no match. The words of her songs, perhaps because they are sung with such pure, timeless emotion, seem to tug on the heartstrings of the young and old alike. This is best demonstrated by the continuous flow of fan mail, which Virginia tells me is daily received from
How, I asked Virginia, can she get around to giving such individualised attention to her fans at an age when movement and energy are elusive. ‘She’s just grateful that people are still listening to her music. She’s very excited at having a new CD, reaching such a milestone while still being productive.’ Continues over the page.
26
Enquiries: 01342 300152 Please mention us when responding to adverts
S U P P O R T I N G LO C A L B U S I N E S S
V COTTINGHAM
V COTTINGHAM GARDEN MAINTENANCE
General Building. Landscaping Property Maintenance Established 1996
We provide a complete service to care for all of your gardens needs • Regular maintenance • One off visits • Hedge cutting • Pruning • Mowing • Lawn care • Garden Clearance • Experienced & reliable
PROPERTY SOLUTIONS PROFESSIONAL SERVICE Contact Vince on
GARDEN SOLUTIONS PROFESSIONAL SERVICE Contact Vince on
07702 723493
E-mail: vince@vcottingham.co.uk
07702 723493
Please visit our website for more information www.vcottingham.co.uk
New Amber ad 90x128 12-05-16_Layout 1 01/06/2016 09:42 Page 1
E-mail: vince@vcottingham.co.uk
An NIC-EIC approved contractor completing work for clients ranging from domestic users, commercial and industrial customers to building contractors and insurance providers. Our work ranges from one-off projects to longterm working partnerships. Quotations are available (free) upon request without obligation, and are carried out by qualified electricians. Our advice, design and cost is tailored to a clients’ requirements ensuring compliance to regulative standards.
24 Hour emergency service Testing and inspections Additional power and lighting Fuseboard upgrades Rewiring New builds and extensions Emergency lighting and fire detection
Offices at Crowborough and Plumpton Green.
Electrical installation, testing and maintenance
Tel: 01892 664065 or 01273 890010 info@amberac.co.uk www.amberac.co.uk
Admin office: Amber AC Ltd, Unit 3 Plumpton Green Studios, St. Helena Lane, Plumpton Green, East Sussex BN7 3DQ Visit: w w w.ashdownforestliving.co.uk Please mention us when responding to adverts
27
VERA LYNN CONTINUED
And listen they do, her newly released album, produced by Decca, is currently at number 2 in the album chart on Amazon (behind Ed Sheeran). It makes me wonder if there will ever be another centenarian who can claim such an achievement. Virginia tells me she came up with the idea, ‘Decca liked it, and they re-orchestrated the songs with
guest vocals from singers such as Aled Jones and Alfie Boe.’ And how does a performer such as Dame Vera continue to retain her relevance in today’s world of celebrity-worship and celebrity here one day, gone the next? Perhaps because she’s never shunned her humble beginnings or pretended to be anyone than who she is. Her genuine, unfiltered voice touches the spirit, transcending class, age and even musical tastes, leading the likes of Paul McCartney to comment, ‘She’s like family! Even though you’ve never met her, there’s a bond with her.’ Virginia confirming this view offers, ‘Mummy has always been very down to earth. Like me, she can’t put up with people who aren’t sincere, she doesn’t likes airs and graces. The world of so-called celebs....one doesn’t always have to be in the news!’ Dame Vera is a working class girl from the East End of London who became the voice of a nation. She started her career at the age of 7 when her mother, noticing her special voice, ‘put her on the stage’... She was singing in working men’s clubs all over London, leaving school at the age of 11 to become a full time performer. Virginia explains that later she went on tour as a young teenager with Mrs Harris’s Cracker Cabaret Kids, eventually taking over the reins and running the troupe herself at the tender age of 16! ‘Her responsibility and drive was something innate to her. You’re either born with it or you’re not.’ And the great Tim Rice echoes this idea of responsibility for her performance: ‘The key thing is that she understands exactly what the song needs to communicate, she understands exactly what the song has to get over.’ Some years later as a young singer she considered formal training to increase her range. This was slapped down by the singing teacher with a declaration of ‘No, I can’t train that voice, it’s not a natural voice.’ But happily the young Vera’s world didn’t crumble and her career simply went from strength to strength. As Virginia says, ‘She knew what she was good at, what her forte was, and she would not allow anyone else to change it. She knew what people wanted.’ Continues over the page.
28
Enquiries: 01342 300152 Please mention us when responding to adverts
S U P P O R T I N G LO C A L B U S I N E S S
SUSSEX MOBILE WELDING Commercial & Residential
welding processes • A range of fully mobilee & installation tur fac • design, manu , experienced, • reliable, highly skilled es rat e competitiv
No job too small
For more information call
Ben Floyd MMA, TIG, MIG Oxy-Acetylene on: 01825 733435 or 07825 166579 www.sussexmobilewelding.com
SmallWorks I can do that annoying little job at a reasonable price most types of internal and external work allied to construction undertaken locally
07720624803
Blinds & Curtains *Made to Measure*
Contemporary
- Traditional
Your LOCAL Choice at the Best Prices! For FREE Home Visits and Advice, Estimates & Fitting
Buy Direct and Save £££’s Please call for an appointment
Elizabeth Designs
01342 301060 Visit: w w w.ashdownforestliving.co.uk Please mention us when responding to adverts
29
VERA LYNN CONTINUED
struggles and eventual triumphs, as embodied by her role in the war, best represents our collective connection to our country and gives her the timeless sentiment we crave. Virginia explains, ‘The military still look to her as part of it. Because of what she did in the war, she was so involved. That’s what resonates with the British public and why she was voted the person who “most represents the spirit of the last century” in 2000.’ The other quality that is undeniable is that Dame Vera has spent her life helping others. She was the voice of an era when entertainment was vital to boost morale and keep the troops’ and their families’ spirits up. Into the present when she continues to help families of young children with cerebral palsy, her efforts for others are neverending. Of her milestone Dame Vera herself said, ‘To have reached my hundredth year is in itself an achievement – with all the many memories that one collects over the years, the different places and the wonderful people one meets and the many, many fans from across the world who have supported me.
And what is her secret to staying on the ball in her twilight years? ‘She has her own opinions and retains a great interest in subjects she enjoys. If she hadn’t been a singer, she would have been an archaeologist. She watches Time Team, and reads about discoveries. Of course she also would have liked to have been an opera singer too in a parallel life! She also has a real passion for her charity’s work, and has always been very involved with military charities: the British Legion, Gurkhas, etc. (helping the latter to have a retirement fund). Also her children’s charities which particularly assist children with cerebral palsy.’ Most notably in the local area is the Dame Vera Lynn Children’s Centre in Cuckfield.
‘I can’t believe everyone went to so much trouble to wish me a happy birthday – I feel incredibly humbled by it all but most of all I am delighted that it is helping to raise vital funds for my charity.’ Her personal celebration highlight? A big family birthday party at home, Virginia explains ‘We have a huge family, but some of them can’t come to the March party, so we’ll be having another celebration later on in the year!’ As her daughter, I ask Virginia to sum up in a few words her mother’s greatest inspiration to her personally: ‘Be yourself, don’t try to be someone else you’re not, say what you think, and be definite, without treading on toes.’ I don’t know about you but I personally feel I should put this advice in a frame and place it on my living room wall!
Indeed on Chris Evans’ Breakfast Show, asked if she had any advice on getting older, Dame Vera offered: ‘Be active to your full capabilities, keep interested, read books, watch television and try and keep in touch with life and what people are doing, seeing and enjoying.’
In typical fashion, on her special birthday, Dame Vera asked for charity donations rather than gifts for herself. For more information about Dame Vera Lynn Children’s Charity please visit www.dvlcc.org.uk/donations.
The British spirit of World War Two continues to define our country, even into the 21st century. I wonder if Dame Vera, as a symbol of our fears,
30
Enquiries: 01342 300152 Please mention us when responding to adverts
S U P P O R T I N G LO C A L B U S I N E S S
DESIGN AND BUILD
Providing a turnkey solution for all of your refurbishment needs:
Concept, Design, Drawing, Structural Engineering
Interior design
Home entertainment
Architectural design & planning permission
Structural engineering & building control submission
Planning & Building Regulations, Permitted Development
New Builds, Extensions, Project ManagementLoft & Garage Conversions, Bathrooms Refurbishments
Loft and outbuilding/garage conversions
Kitchens
Bespoke Kitchens, Bathrooms, Garden Rooms, Orangeries Refurbishment & extensions Landscaping
Equestrian construction
Services available from a couple of hours advice, to full scale design & build projects
Curtains & blinds
All projects are personally overseen by Sue Risley who provides exceptional attention to detail. All projects are based on a fixed price
www.baileybridge.co.uk Baileybridge is run by817 Sue Risleyor who has over 25 years experience in the field. Sue provides exceptional attention to detail and is 01825 700 email enquiries@baileybridge.co.uk personally involved with all projects. We work to any budget and always provide stunning results.
Telephone 01825 714 922 : www.baileybridge.co.uk : email: enquiries@baileybridge.co.uk
MOTOR SERVICES
MOTOR SERVICES
MOT • SERVICING • REPAIRS
MOT • SERVICING • REPAIRS COMPUTER DIAGNOSTICS • ALL MAKES & MODELS UP TO 3.5T COMPUTER DIAGNOSTICS INCLUDING HORSE BOXES • COURTESY CAR AVAILABLE FREE COLLECTION/DELIVERY WITHIN 10 MILES
ALL MAKES AND MODELS UP TO 3.5T INCLUDING HORSE BOXES COURTESY CAR AVAILABLE
Gareth Smith 07500 963 711 • 01825 712 326 gbamotorservices@gmail.com
FREE COLLECTION/DELIVERY WITHIN 10 MILES
1 Park View, Picketts Lane, Nutley, TN22 3EG
Gareth Smith
07500 963 711 01825 712 326 gbamotorservices@gmail.com 1 Park View, Picketts Lane, Nutley, TN22 3EG
Visit: w w w.ashdownforestliving.co.uk Please mention us when responding to adverts
31
‘Sincerely Yours: The Vera Lynn Story’ An award-winning Vera Lynn tribute will be coming to Chequer Mead, East Grinstead, this June. Lorrie Birtles has been performing a tribute show to Dame Vera Lynn for over 25 years and in 2013 she was honoured for her achievement by the Agents Association and named UK No.1 Vera Lynn Tribute. As well as her tribute act, Lorrie has been working with Dame Vera’s charity for the last 2 years and in that time has raised £2,000 from collections at the end of her shows. Lorrie says, ‘It’s a great honour to be working alongside Helen and the rest of the volunteers; the work they do is so important.’ After Dame Vera heard of the award, she invited Lorrie to meet her at her home. Lorrie says, ‘It was both a dream and terrifying. I have been performing the songs of this great lady for over 25 years, I have performed in football stadiums to 33,000 people and
sung in some of the country’s finest theatres, but this was the most nervous I have ever been. In the end she was a perfect host. As soon as I entered the room she gave me a hug and congratulated me on my award. She was just so happy that I was keeping her music alive. We sat and talked for 3 hours about her time entertaining the troops and especially about her time in Burma; she had a very strong connection with the troops there and she was so proud to have been allowed to go out and entertain them.’ Lorrie is now taking the next logical step and this month begins a tour of a show that she has devised with her husband and co-producer Gary Birtles. As Lorrie explains, ‘2017 is Dame Vera’s 100th birthday and the nation is going to be honouring all her achievements from her life. During my show we talk about the work she did during WW2 so the next logical step was to tell people about her life and what shaped
her into becoming the Forces’ Sweetheart. She started her career singing in the dance bands and that is where we will start. We will be performing on stage with a live band and singing many of the songs she would have sung in her early days, then moving on to her time entertaining the troops and hosting her own radio show Sincerely Yours, which is where the title of the show comes from. Also on the bill will be support by another wartime favourite, George Formby, performed by one of the country’s leading tribute acts.’ ‘Sincerely Yours: the Vera Lynn Story’ will appear at The Chequer Mead, East Grinstead, on June 29th at 2:30pm. Tickets are available from the box office on 01342 302000 or via www.chequermead.org.uk.
Lorrie Brown - A Salute to Vera Lynn
32
Enquiries: 01342 300152 Please mention us when responding to adverts
S U P P O R T I N G LO C A L B U S I N E S S
Visit: w w w.ashdownforestliving.co.uk Please mention us when responding to adverts
33
EXPLORING OUR LOST WORLD We are very lucky to live in a truly beautiful area, appropriately named the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty; a historic countryside of rolling hills, small irregular fields, abundant woods/hedges, scattered farmsteads and sunken lanes.
To kick it off, a Lost World Fun Day will launch Crowborough’s first ‘On Top of the Weald’ Community Festival for the wider community to participate in the project. This will include street theatre, the ‘Iguanodon Restaurant’; workshops by Dinosaur Roar’s author Paul Stickland, dinosaur-themed videos and a school art exhibition and competition will be just some of the day’s attractions.
Which is it why we take great pleasure in letting you know that Lottery funding has just been secured to enable primary school children in the Crowborough area to participate in earth science workshops, giving the opportunity to handle geological materials including fossils and use a locally abundant material, clay, in art workshops.
The project is coming to fruition through a team effort which includes the Crowborough Festival Association, High Weald AONB Partnership, heritage experts, education providers, performance artists and local primary schools.
Classes will also go on a Lost World Quest, walking to nearby green spaces to discover more about the area’s rocks, fossils, dinosaurs and modern-day reptiles and their habitats.
Festival chairman, Denis Hart said: “The Lost World Quest will be lots of fun with children taking on the roles of characters in the Lost World book - zoologists, botanists, reporters, scientists and adventurers to explore our local countryside. Carrying out the quest will develop skills in role-playing, map-reading and heritage recording."
The project is named the Lost World after Crowborough's most famous resident, Conan Doyle's 1912 novel, wherein a expedition to a plateau in the Amazon basin of South America found living prehistoric animals. Doyle himself was a great one for fossil hunting in this area. The project will also raise awareness of the works of lesser-known residents including Charles Leeson, a Victorian meteorologist whose promotion of the area’s climate and topography influenced the town’s development as a Victorian health resort; Gideon Mantell, a local dinosaur hunter; and Richard Jeffries, a nature writer who visited the area to benefit his failing health.
This also sees Crowborough celebrating its location on the highest ridge of the AONB (the Scotland of Sussex). The project is a great opportunity for the community to find out more about what lies beneath the town’s rolling hills and how that geology has created the area’s internationally valuable habitats of heath, sandrock and wooded gills.
An artist’s impression of the Weald during the Cretaceous period
A dinosaur cast Copyright High Weald AONB Partnership.
34
Enquiries: 01342 300152 Please mention us when responding to adverts
S U P P O R T I N G LO C A L B U S I N E S S
MRM Plastering
and Building Services • Plastering, rendering, screeding, dry lining etc. • Skimming over artex. • Tiling. • Patios. • General building work.
Fully Qualified & Insured. Friendly & reliable
Fast, reliable, quality service For free quotes or advice
• Lawn mowing • Hedge cutting • Tree Work • Fencing • Clearance
For a free quote call Samuel Roff
Mob.07798664293 info@mrmservices.co.uk
07809 324148 • 01825732200 sfrgardenservices@gmail.com www.sfrgardenservices.co.uk
Local Gutter Cleaning Weatherproof/Waterproof Your Home
Ground based Gutter Cleaning are local leading specialists in gutter cleaning. By using a ladderless, GutterVac system, we ensure that your gutters are left clear of debris!
J.H. Vartan Tree Stump Removal Any STump RemoVed
• Reliable, Clean, Friendly • We will beat any sensible local quote • Fully Insured.
Removing Tree Stumps Since 1985
For more info and a free no obligation quotation call:
Call Jonathan on
01342 824 648 or 07973 289 103 Visit: w w w.ashdownforestliving.co.uk Please mention us when responding to adverts
07831 298 967 / 0800 1954 352 www.groundbasedguttercleaning.co.uk
35
What’s On in April
If you would like your event on these pages email info@ashdownforestliving.co.uk for information
SATURDAY 8TH APRIL
at the meeting. At 2pm, Crowborough Community Centre, Pine Grove, Crowborough,TN6 1FE.
Crowborough Choral Society 50th Anniversary Concert. The St John Passion by J. S. Bach with two choirs, professional soloists and Sussex Sinfonia, at 7pm at All Saints Church Centre, Chapel Green, Crowborough, TN6 1ED. Tickets £15 from www.crowboroughchoral.com, Tester & Jones, Crowborough Shoe Repairs and choir members. This event is kindly sponsored by Tester & Jones. Email: bev@bjworthington.plus.com. Phone: 01892 664823.
SATURDAY 22ND APRIL Bowls Open Day. Come and play bowls, in the heart of Ashdown Forest. Isle of Thorns open day is a fun event for all. We are right next door to Cats Protection Centre.11am - 1pm & 2pm - 4pm, Isle of Thorns Bowls Club, Lewes Road, Chelwood Gate, RH17 7DE. SUNDAY 23RD APRIL
SATURDAY 8TH APRIL Forest Row, Choral Society Spring Concert. A choral concert featuring Fauré’s Requiem and excerpts from Cherubini’s Requiem. Conducted by Tom Scratchley. Soprano Soloist: Eloise Irving, Bass Soloist: Andrew Jacques. At 7:30pm, Holy Trinity Church, Forest Row RH18 5AF
Nutley Bowling Club We are holding our first open day of the season at Littlemead, High Street, Nutley. We are a very friendly club and you will be made most welcome. You do not need to have been a bowler as there will be someone to provide tuition. All we ask is that you bring along a pair of flat shoes. At 2pm, Littlemead, High Street, Nutley.
WEDNESDAY 12TH APRIL
FRIDAY 28TH APRIL
Lindfield Horticultural Society: “Alstroemeria” - a talk by Ben Cross. A 4th generation grower, based in Walberton, near Arundel, Ben’s family roots started way back in 1936 when his great-grandad worked on the Land Settlement Association down in Sidlesham near Chichester. Ben now grows and harvests over 40 varieties of British Alstroemeria all year round and will tell us all about it. Entry £1 members, £2 visitors. All welcome. 8pm, King Edward Hall, High Street, Lindfield.
Claire Martin & Joe Stilgoe. An intimate evening with the delectable Claire Martin ‘One of the world’s top jazz singers’ (Jazz Times USA) with brilliant piano virtuoso Joe Stilgoe. Claire will be singing beautiful songs from the Great American Songbook. Tickets £20 from www.wegottickets.com. At 8pm (doors open at 7:30pm), Frant Church, High Street, Frant, TN3 9DX. SATURDAY 29TH APRIL Nutley Horticultural Society Bring and Buy Sale. 12pm in the Church Hall, Nutley, to raise funds for the Nutley Horticultural Society. Please bring your potted up plants to the church with species and if possible variety labels stuck in the pots from 9:30am onwards on the day. For further information please ring Claire Sullivan on 01825 712316 or ask any committee member. Plants will be priced by the helpers on the day. Teas and a raffle. 10am to 12pm, Nutley Church Hall.
THURSDAY 13TH APRIL Groombridge History Group. Guest speaker Ian Everest presents a year in the life of a Sussex downland farm in the 1950s. An age when twenty men were employed on the 1,000 acre farm, increasing to forty at harvest time. All welcome - £2.50. Members - £1.50. 8pm, Groombridge Village Hall. THURSDAY 13TH APRIL Ashdown Forest Decorative and Fine Arts Society: The Elgin Marbles: a History of Meaning. Alan Read outlines how since their removal from the Parthenon the meaning and significance of the Marbles has dramatically changed from being architectural decoration to disputed cultural objects. He examines the response to them during their time in Britain, from the original controversy over their purchase to the debate surrounding their restitution to the new Athens Acropolis Museum. Refreshments. Members free of charge, visitors £6 or free if joining the society
SATURDAY 29TH APRIL HoneyLeaf Creative Writing Workshop - Writing the Body. Our bodies hold so many experiences and memories. Get ready to explore. Whether you are new to writing, returning after a break, or a regular, the workshops will get your ideas and words flowing onto the page. Saturday mornings at the Bookshop in East Grinstead: £20 per workshop. To book, email: hello@honeyleafwriting.com, 10am - 12pm, The Bookshop, 22 High Street, East Grinstead, RH19 3AW.
36
Enquiries: 01342 300152 Please mention us when responding to adverts
S U P P O R T I N G LO C A L B U S I N E S S
Nutley Motor Services Ltd Est. 1986
• Mot Testing Station • 4x4, Sport,Classic, Family & Light Commercial Vehicles • Latest Vehicle Scanning, diagnostics & Service Resetting • Tyres, Batteries, Exhausts • Full Service Facilities • Air Conditioning Servicing • Four Wheel Laser Alignment
For all your vehicle requirements
TEL/FAX: 01825 712382 High Street, Nutley, TN22 3LP info@nutleymotorservicesltd.co.uk
BOLTON BUILDINGS
Sheffield Park 01825 722600
www.boltonbuildings.co.uk
Design, Drawings, Planning Support. Uniting technology with tradition
Bespoke Timber Garages and Carports
Visit: w w w.ashdownforestliving.co.uk Please mention us when responding to adverts
37
What’s On in April
If you would like your event on these pages email info@ashdownforestliving.co.uk for information
MONDAY 1ST MAY
SATURDAY 6TH MAY
Mayday Walk in aid of the RNLI. Come and join us for a walk of either 2 or 5 miles from Ashurst Wood. Please get sponsors or make a donation to the RNLI on the day. Light lunch available in the hall afterwards. 10:30am for 11am start, St Dunstan’s Church Hall, Ashurst Wood RH19 3QT.
East Grinstead Beekeepers Association are running their annual Beekeeping Taster Day on at Turners Hill. Spend a day learning about honeybees, beehives and products of the hive. You can even handle some bees - all for £70, lunch and materials provided. Course attendees also get £10 off full membership if they join EGBKA. To book a place or to find out more contact education@egbka. org.uk or 07809 450666.
MONDAY 1ST MAY Groombridge May Fair is a traditional family fun day. Sweetheart Swing duo will be entertaining whilst children can enjoy inflatables, coconut shy, crockery smash, face painting, obstacle course, fun competitions, teacup rides and lots, lots more. There will also be hog roast, BBQ, vegetarian curries, crepes, ice cream, candy floss, popcorn, beer and Pimm’s, tea and cakes galore. All raised proceeds are for Groombridge Primary School. www.groombridgemayfair.co.uk. 12pm - 4pm, Groombridge Village Hall, Car Park & Recreation Ground, Station Road, TN3 9RB.
Quiz Answers
1: Yellow which sold for $106.5 million in 2010) 2: Westminster Abbey 7: Harpy 3: 1929 8: President Theodore 4: Brahma Roosevelt 5: Nicosia 9: Eleven 6: Pablo Picasso (‘Nude, Green Leaves and Bust’10: Catalan
Solo Row Across the Atlantic: DONE! seen undertaken and completed by a local person and may very well remain so in the years to come.
© Ted Martin
We would like to encourage our readers, if possible, to make even a tiny donation to Daryl's chosen charity, the East Sussex Wildlife Rescue, in acknowledgement of his incredible feat and also because this is a wonderful small charity that carries out life-saving work for our local wildlife. You can also be assured any donation will be well spent on the charity work itself. www.gofundme.com/rowers-ark. Congratulation Daryl! After 96 days & 13 hours we are happy to announce that at the end of last month, Forest Row man Team Rowers Ark, Daryl Farmer crossed the finish line of the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge 2016. Daryl's arrival also marked the finish of the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge 2016. © Ted Martin
Daryl has survived this most perilous of journeys both physically and mentally. Besting the worst of old mans sea's trials, all on his lonesome. There were highs and lows but he made it. Over all our years of publishing this is the hardest challenge we have
38
Enquiries: 01342 300152 Please mention us when responding to adverts
S U P P O R T I N G LO C A L B U S I N E S S
Award Winning Care Homes
Care homes for people with learning and/or physical disabilities, neurological conditions, acquired brain injury and autism:
Sussex Healthcare is an award winning group of care homes providing over 30 years of healthcare in Sussex. The Group operates 20 homes, predominantly in the West Sussex area, providing over 600 placements, incorporating specialist care provision as well as care for older people. Care for older people: Clemsfold House Forest Lodge Horncastle House Kingsmead Care Centre Longfield Manor Rapkyns Care Home Upper Mead
Horsham Nutley Sharpthorne Horsham Billingshurst Horsham Henfield
01403 790312 01825 712514 01342 810219 01403 265335 01403 786832 01403 265096 01273 492870
Beechcroft Care Centre and Hazel Lodge
East Grinstead
01342 300499
Beech Lodge and Oak Lodge
Horsham
01403 791725
The Granary
Horsham
01403 327500
Horncastle Care Centre
Sharpthorne
01342 813910
Kingsmead Care Centre
Horsham
01403 265335
Kingsmead Lodge
Horsham
01403 211790
Norfolk Lodge
Horsham
01403 218876
Orchard Lodge and Boldings Lodge
Horsham
01403 242278
Rapkyns Care Centre (The Grange)
Horsham
01403 276756
The Laurels
Horsham
01403 220770
Rapkyns Care Home
Horsham
01403 265096
Sycamore Lodge
Horsham
01403 240066
White Lodge
Croydon
02087 632586
Wisteria Lodge and Stable Lodge
Nutley
01825 713082
Woodhurst Lodge
Crawley
01444 401228
STOP PRESS: Brand new purpose built facilities now available to view for anyone wishing to arrange a visit. The service provisions include specialist care facilities for people with acquired brain injury, profound learning and physical disabilities and residential services for people with Autism.
Great care starts with great people – are you one of them? Due to expansion, Sussex Healthcare has fantastic opportunities to become part of a leading healthcare company that provides exemplary care to the service users in a positive and friendly environment.
If you are thinking of a career in care please visit our website www.sussexhealthcare.co.uk and submit your CV to recruit@sussexhealthcare.co.uk stating the position you are interested in working in.
To find out more about our homes and the services we offer, contact: Corrine Wallace Director of Operations
01403 217 338
Visit: w w w.ashdownforestliving.co.uk
39
Please mention us when responding to adverts enquiries@sussexhealthcare.co.uk | www.sussexhealthcare.co.uk
QUALITY COMPOST PRODUCTS
At KPS we make our own high quality compost from recycled green waste. Made to British Standards and certified by the Soil Association, they are high quality products, great to give your garden that extra boost.
FINE COMPOST • BLENDED TOP SOIL • MUSHROOM COMPOST WOODLAND MULCH • PINE BARK SOLD IN CUBIC METER BAGS OR LOOSE LOADS, DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR
Additional Services:
..............................................................................
All aspects of Tree Surgery • Fencing Soft Landscaping • Garden Maintenance Firewood Logs Curb Side Green Waste Collection
AN ESTABLISHED FAMILY BUSINESS, FOR OVER 35 YEARS
CALL
01444 831 010
EMAIL COMPOSTING@KPS.UK.COM • WEBSITE WWW.KPS.UK.COM