Ashdown Forest Living Feb Issue

Hammerwood Park Valentine’s Beauty Tips Ashdown Forest Rangers Report Penshurst Place Project Polecat

February 2014

Support your local businesses Call 01342 300152 to advertise

Local Business Directory & Community News

Photo courtesy of Tom Lee ©. Dartmoor Ponies at Old Lodge, Ashdown Forest

Winter Essentials From Mid-Sussex Timber

Spear & Jackson Snow Shovel aluminium Handle & Edge Strip 460mm Long

£14.00 + vaT

Power De-icer 500ml Spray

£2.50 + vaT

Snow & Ice Tyre Grippa

White Granular Salt 25kg

Spray 400ml Can

£5.24 + vaT

£4.16 + vaT

Plastic Snow Scoop with 53” Handle

Holts Screen Wash 1 Litre

CLC Pro-Tradesman Gloves & Beanie Hat

£10.45

£1.70

£9.99 + vaT

+ vaT

+ vaT

Spear & Jackson Telescopic Snow Shovel Aluminium Handle 48” (1220mm open, 36” 910mm closed)

£11.00 + vaT

Plastic Snow Sledge 34” Long 6.5” Deep (inside max. width 14”)

£10.45 + vaT

visit your local Mid-Sussex Timber Branch Forest Row:

East Grinstead:

Haywards Heath:

T: 01342 822191

T: 01342 317470

T: 01444 413413

Station Road, RH18 5EL

Railway Approach, RH19 1BY

College Road, RH16 1QW

www.mstc.co.uk

• February 2014 • Ashdown Forest Living

info@ashdownforestliving.co.uk • tel: 01342 300152

Crowborough:

Ballards Yard, Park Road, TN6 2QS

T: 01892 652725

Roofing

Flat roofing

Flat roof repairs

Testimonial: “It is with pleasure that I recommend Paul and Allzones Roofing Services. We encountered a problem at our residence over the last winter during the large snowfall with an ingress of water in two dormer window areas. We requested quotes from two well known roofing companies and were told we require a completely new roof at an exorbitant sum of money. Thank goodness we had someone refer us to Paul. He identified the problem as being poorly fitted felt and loose tiles which were pushed up by the snowfall & freezing weather. He and his men attended immediately and corrected the situation at a fraction of the cost quoted by the previous two companies It is truly wonderful to meet a tradesman who is not only extremely honest but very proud of the work he performs. I am quite confident that any who employs this company will be very pleased with the final result.”

Yours truly, Richard Reuss Independent Business Consultant Forest Row

FOR WINTER PROTECTION BOOk NOW

ALLZONES BUILDING & ROOFING Dear Sir/Madam, 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 • Full building services For a free & detailed quotation call Paul on:

01342 315338 07581 621410 allzonesroofing@gmail.com

Chimneys

New Boarding / uPVC

Guttering

Please mention the Ashdown Forest Living when responding to adverts • February 2014 •

Index:

Dear Residents, Welcome to the February issue. Spring is almost upon us, thank goodness!

This month we bring you fascinating articles about two iconic local gems of history: Penshurst Place and Hammerwood Park.

With Valentines Day almost here we have inspiring beauty tips to help you along.

We are able to bring a fantastic cycling route for a great family day out (or with friends), see page 28.

Hopefully you can find all the local businesses you need here for your home and garden this coming Spring. Thank you for supporting our local businesses when you can.

Please keep sending through your feedback, it is all welcome.

With Best Wishes, Tally & Chris Ashdown Forest Living To advertise call 01342 300152 info@ashdownforestliving.co.uk

Keep this directory handy for when you need it Follow us on TWITTER

Support Local Business

Accounting/Financial Advisor Pure Finance Services Local Book-keeper Vere Consulting Ltd.

Garden/Landscape/ Exteriors 11 7 11

Antiques Clock Repair John Carpenter

9

Animals National Cat Adoption Centre No More Lonely Pets

23 7

Architects Cowan Architects

17

Blinds/Curtains/ Interiors Penumbra Blinds Curtain Craft Blinds & Curtains

19 40 17

Car Scuffs Sussex 21 Nutley Motor Services Ltd. 21

Care Brooker Care 7 Sussex Health Care Homes 39 Warren Drive Residential Care 15

Carpet Cleaning

Recipes

6

Quick Quiz/Sudoku

6

Chimney Sweeps

Hammerwood Park

8,10

Football Boots Appeal

12

Milborrow Chimney Sweeps 31 Bennetts Chimney Sweep 31

Valentine’s Beauty Tips

12

Pinegrove Pictures

14

Recipes

16

Benjamin Morphew

Ashdown Forest Rangers Report

16

Penshurst Place

20,22,24

Project Polecat

24

Children/Education Gielgood Academy Blackland Farm French Tuition German Tuition

Four False Facts

26

Cycling Days Out

28,30,32

Computer

Protecting Ancient Woodland

34

Computer Studio

Anyone for Tea

34

What’s On

36,38

• February 2014 • Ashdown Forest Living

23 23 23 15

Event Venue Yew Lodge

17

Hair Care The Finishing Touch Eucaderm Hair Clinic

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 2014. The contents of this publication are written specifically for our readers, no part may be reproduced elsewhere without express and prior permission.

9 9 9 9

Cleaning Ovenaid Cleaning ad Supreme Ovens

Although this publication does not vet advertisers, a number of complaints will mean that businesses will be barred from further advertising.

23

13 11

Health/Wellbeing/ Fitness Nordic Walking Hire fitness Lotte Berk Fitness Studio Family Chiropractic Clinic Masters Massage Ali Ward Personal Trainer

11 13 15 13 11 11

LG Burberry Garden Maintenance 35 Richards Fencing 33 Sargents Tree Services 35 JH Vartan 33 Stone Garden Services 33 Swift & Co. 33 V. Cottingham Landscaping & General Building 35 Levade Systems 33

Home Maintenance Services/Products Geoff Boorman Fuels 31 Allzones 3 MARS Joinery 29 Ground Based Guttering 21 Local Carpenter/Joiner 35 Leon Miller Electrical Services 37 Ace Plastering 25 Traditional Builder, Leon Jenner 29 Amber Electrical Contractors 37 Compte Electrical Services 37 AI Plumbing 27 EPH Plumbing & Heating 26 Baileybridge Construction 25 Mid Sussex Timber 2 Templar Property Service 29 MRM Plastering 25 MM Roofing 31

Kitchens Kitchens Bespoke Absolutely Kitchens

27 29

Locksmiths TJN Locksmiths

35

Offices to Rent/Rooms for Hire Horsted Keynes Busines Park 21

s

Pottery Country Traditionals

7

Satellite TV & Aerial Specialist Norsat

19

Solicitors Mayo Wynne Baxter

5

Wine Ashdown Wines

info@ashdownforestliving.co.uk • tel: 01342 300152

7

For business and for you

"RIGHTON s %ASTBOURNE s %AST 'RINSTEAD s &OREST 2OW s ,EWES s 3EAFORD

\ !SHORNE (OUSE \ ,EWES 2OAD \ &OREST 2OW \ %AST 3USSEX \ 2( !"

www.mayowynnebaxter.co.uk Please 1mention the Ashdown Forest Living when responding to adverts • February MWB Ashdown Forest Row Business advert.indd 13/11/2013 2014 16:00•

Jollof rice

Serves: 8 adults Preparation time: 15 mins Cooking time: 30 mins

Probably the most popular dish in the western region of Africa, Jollof rice is a one-pot dish to relish. Its origins are unclear, but it gets its name from the Wolof language where it is known as Benachin meaning ‘one pot’. Each region has its variation on this dish, but the results are always the same - tasty!

What to do: Ingredients: 400g plum tomatoes 1 medium onion roughly chopped 1 red pepper deseeded and chopped 100g tomato puree 1 bay leaf 1 garlic clove crushed ¼ tsp curry powder ¼ tsp dried thyme 700ml reduced salt vegetable or chicken stock 500g easy cook long grain white rice 1 pinch ground black pepper

1. Liquidise the tomatoes, onion and pepper in a blender or food processor. Tip into a large saucepan, then cover and cook over a medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes. Add the tomato puree, bay leaf, garlic, curry powder and thyme. Simmer for a further 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Add the stock or water and bring to boil.

3. Add the rice, stir, then cover and turn down the heat. Allow to simmer over a low heat for about 15-20 minutes, or until the rice is tender. During cooking, check and stir occasionally to make sure there is enough liquid to cook the rice. This is to ensure that the rice does not burn. If there is not enough, add a little extra water.

Tip 1: You could use easy cook brown rice in this recipe, though it will take about an extra 10-15 minutes to cook, so keep an eye on the liquid and top up if necessary.

Tip 2: Serve with grilled chicken, fish or meat and some brightly coloured steamed vegetables or a side salad. To save on time, fresh or frozen vegetables can be added to the pan towards the end of cooking and allowed to steam.

Sudoku

Quick Quiz 1: How many Henry Tudor’s were there on the throne of England?

2: Who wrote the novel ‘Nineteen-Eighty-Four’?

3: Which Bronte sister wrote ‘The Tenant of Wildfell Hall’?

4: In which year did England win the Rugby World Cup? 5: From which country did the Aztecs come?

6: What is the longest river in the world?

7: The Watergate Scandal lead to the resignation of which president?

Answers on this page • February 2014 • Ashdown Forest Living

6: The Nile 7: Richard Nixon 8: 1963 9: Carbon 10:The Mongolians

10:The Great Wall of China was said to keep out which tribes from the north of the country?

Answers to Quiz

info@ashdownforestliving.co.uk • tel: 01342 300152

two George Orwell Anne Bronte 2003 Mexico

9: A diamond is of which basic element?

1: 2: 3: 4: 5:

8: Dr. Who started in which year of the 1960’s?

Country Traditionals The best selection of Polish Pottery

LOVE WINE? ASHDOWN WINES always lists in excess of 150 different wines from around the world. From carefully selected, everyday tipples to the rare & sublime, they will find the perfect wine to suit your tastes.

With PASSION, knowledge and over 21 years experience they give a PERSONALISED service, that often beats even the big names on PRICE. They help their valued customers expand their WINE KNOWLEDGE in a friendly, enjoyable way, making wine INCLUSIVE and never exclusive.

Visit our amazing Pottery Barn at London Road, Forest Row. RH18 5EE

From a one-off meal recommendation to a bespoke list for a whole cellar, ASHDOWN WINES can help you.

Opening hours: 10am-4pm - Thurs/Fri/Sat

For more information feel free to call David Hemsley on: 01342 410 745

Tel-01342 822622

www.countrytraditionals.co.uk

david@ashdownwines.co.uk • www.ashdownwines.co.uk Free local delivery

Do you or a family member need help at home?

Our highly trained, reliable, local Carers come to you.

Brooker Care works on the key principles of trust, respect and quality of life.

From help getting up in the morning to companionship.

For more information on how we can help call Brooker Care on: 01342 311999

The Friendly, Helpful & Professional

LocaL Book-keePers Do you work for yourself? are you on cIs Tax? Is the thought of completing your Self-Assessment Tax Return filling you with dread?

Is your business paperwork stopping your business work?

Are all your financial papers in a box waiting to be dealt with tomorrow?

Do you want to make more time for YoU?

If you can answer “Yes!” to any of the above questions then call: James Dalton at TNMC Business Services

01825 722601 or 07753 821128

Accountancy Services. Book-keeping. Tax Return Preparation.

DOG WALKING & PET SITTING 20 Years Experience Fully Insured - CRB Checked Ad Hoc & Regular Customers welcome

For more info call:

01342 825852 or 07900 223600

www.nomorelonelypets.co.uk

Please mention the Ashdown Forest Living when responding to adverts • February 2014 •

Hammerwood Park Hidden away and little publicised on Sussex’s northern boundary is one of the country’s gems of heritage. It’s a historic parkland at the centre of which is a historic house with an intriguing history and which in the summer welcomes its doors to visitors willing to embrace the extraordinary and a quiet inspiration of stamina.

The origins of the Park are depicted on a map which was part of a wider survey of the area in 1641 and of which copies are in the East Sussex Records Office.

The maps depicted with incredible detail the landscape from the Kent border and Scarlett’s pond down to the river which flows through the valley from East Grinstead and subsequently joins up with the river flowing through Forest Row. This area of the Wealden valleys was renowned for having the woods to power furnaces, rivers to power hammers, and iron ore in the stone below the ground. This combination of resources has put settlements on the map since Roman times with a hammer pond (a pond created specifically for providing power to water-powered forges, blast furnaces, etc.) marked on the map plus a Roman road marked out as running nearby at Holtye.

The maps also indicate a certain magic of the area so wonderfully unchanged with many positions of gates to fields still in the same places as they were hundreds of years ago. A curved field boundary indicates the other natural resource for which this area was prized: as a hunting park.

Approached through three gates, St Anne’s Gate, St Mary’s Gate and St John’s Gate and having field • February 2014 • Ashdown Forest Living

names referring to bishops such as “Buscops Mead”, the area now known as Hammerwood Park, was for centuries steeped in the sacred. A theme possibly to have been built upon by the structure’s famous architect Latrobe, who himself personally carried a long heritage.

Benjamin Henry Latrobe was born in 1764, the son of a minister serving the Moravian Church in London, connected with both with the Wesleys and Methodists and Count Zinzendorf and freemasonry. The late 18th century was an exciting time from which so much of our view of the modern world derives. This was the period of revolution, of agriculture, industry, science, enlightenment and indeed, with the French Revolution of 1789, of society itself.

London of the 1790s was an exciting place to be, a spot for the congregating of the learned, as well as flight from troubles in Europe. Musically Mozart had blazed a trail of fame and Haydn was now resident in London.

Both were freemasons and Haydn stayed in the house next door to Latrobe.

It was from this context that in 1792 the house at Hammerwood Park arose, designed by Latrobe, using local stone.

He would later go on to America in 1795 to become architectural adviser to President Jefferson, working on The White House for President Madison and taking the building of the US Capitol in Washington from its foundations to finished splendour, then rebuilding it again when the British burned it down in 1812. info@ashdownforestliving.co.uk • tel: 01342 300152

GERMAN FRENCH TUITION TUITION Adults & Children

Blackland Farm Activity Centre, West Sussex

Adults & Children

z Kayaking z Rock climbing z Archery z Zip wire ...and much more.

Come and join us for fun-filled activity days.

01342 810493 blackland@girlguiding.org.uk www.blacklandfarm.org.uk

We do birthday parties too!

Blacklan d Farm

Registered charity number 306016.

I teach REAL-LIFE, CONVERSATIONAL German in groups and one-to-one

Exams • Conversation • Business I am a native French tutor.

Home visit & online tuition available

Experienced • Caring • Patient CRB checked.

EASY - FUN For more info call:

Christine 07957 418008

www.easygermanlearning.co.uk

www.sussexfrenchtutor.co.uk

01342 811099

christine@sussexfrenchtutor.co.uk

Clock Repair JAntique W Carpenter & Restoration

J W Carpenter

Specialist in the repair & restoration of antique clocks & barometers Over 25 Years Experience Turret/Public clocks serviced & overhauled John Carpenter C.M.B.H.I. Tel: 01342 458475 76 High Street, East Grinstead (by appointment please)

www.antiqueclockrestore.co.uk

Please mention the Ashdown Forest Living when responding to adverts • February 2014 •

Latrobe’s ideas for the house at Hammerwood, built for John Sperling about whom we know little other than a hint of Moravian connection, clearly changed as he considered the site of the house in the landscape. A drawing held in the V&A drawings library shows the house with a less ostentatious central block, and it was that design for the centre of the house which was to be built the following year in 1793 on a different site in Forest Row, Ashdown House - now a preparatory school.

The parklands at both Ashdown and Hammerwood are different but bear similarities, designed

by Latrobe to make the best use of natural features in the spirit of Humphrey Repton (the last great landscape designer of the 18th Century) who we know to have been a good friend of the architect.

The house at Hammerwood went through a history of ownerships in the following two centuries: a banking family and then another affected by the heir being killed in the World War One in 1915. The 20th century saw turbulence and decay, use by 200 troops billeted there in World War Two, and conversion into flats.

10 • February 2014 • Ashdown Forest Living

The following period in the 1970s was perhaps its most mysterious, falling into dereliction whilst providing the backdrop for a film about its then infamous owners, the heavy metal rock band, Led Zepellin. With their song “Stairway to Heaven”, however, the connection of the house with the sacred was not lost. And the antics of the modern Gods of Excess, renowned for use of mind altering substances, whose followers at festivals became transformed into a worshipping frenzy, were to echo the spirit of the plaques Benjamin Latrobe nearly 200 years before, had incorporated into the house.

Hammerwood’s temples bear plaques introducing Bacchus, the Greek god Dionysus; the house is in fact the first of Greek Revival architecture to be built in England.

Thanks to the rock band focusing on business elsewhere, the house became

neglected and derelict. This dereliction provided a release for the house which perhaps would otherwise have been ruined by property development and continued use as flats! The Pinnegar family were to take it on and through over a 30 year period have celebrated its heritage in all its forms, restoring it to the extent that resources allow, enabling it to live as a backdrop to fashion shoots and films, promoting music and concerts with performances of the highest standards, and giving opportunities to volunteers, educational visits from schools and opening it to the public with guided tours in the Summer.

And most importantly preserving this important part of local heritage and architecture for future generations.

Please email antespam@gmail. com if you would like to be kept informed of concerts at the house. Public opening is at 2pm on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons for the tour from June until the end of September.

Benjamin Henry Latrobe

info@ashdownforestliving.co.uk • tel: 01342 300152

HAIR LOSS? HAIR & SCALP PROBLEMS?

Eucaderm hair treatments, based on 30 years of research.

Hundreds of clients helped: “I had started to develop thinning hair. After a few treatments, new hairs are growing & the condition has improved dramatically. My confidence is returning. I can’t recommend Eucaderm highly enough!” - A.L., T. Wells Call Lucy Watts for a friendly, no obligation chat on 01892 532667 (Based in Tunbridge Wells) www.eucadermtwells.co.uk BESPOKE OPTIMUM HEALTH PLANS FOR ALL LEVELS OF FITNESS

07961 402114

Call Halina on or email AshdownNordic@gmail.com www.nordicwalking.co.uk

THE HOLISTIC APPROACH TO LIFESTYLE, NUTRITION & EXERCISE Call now and book your FREE FITNESS ASSESSMENT and set your personal goals award_pt@btinternet.com

STRESS MANAgEMENT

Courses now available in Ashdown Forest

WEIgHT MANAgEMENT

Indoor & Outdoor

ALI WARD 07950 328344 BSC (Hons) Qualified & Insured

HIgH PERFORMANcE TRAININg

Thai Yoga & Deep Tissue Massage For improved posture, pain relief and relaxation.

www.mobilebodyworks.co.uk Paul Masters 07961 564163

Accountants and Tax Consultants Experienced accountants providing small businesses and individuals with a tailored service, including:Accounting Systems, Bookkeeping, Budgeting, Capital Gains, Company Secretarial, Management Accounts, Payroll, Self Assessment, Statutory Accounts, Tax & VAT. For a free, no obligation, quote or informal chat please call or email to discuss your requirements.

Tel: 01444 831886 email: info@vereconsulting.co.uk website: www.vereconsulting.co.uk Teagues Barn, Lewes Road, Scaynes Hill, Haywards Heath RH17 7NG Please mention the Ashdown Forest Living when responding to adverts • February 2014 • 11

Football Boots Appeal Crowborough based, Sasha Paige Children Foundation is currently working on a project in a remote village of Zambia (in Southern Africa) to try and provide meaningful and fun activities for young orphaned & homeless teenagers, who currently feel they have nothing to live for and engage in dangerous activities like drug taking, petty crime, street begging etc.

We have formed a football team which has proved to be very popular and helpful to these lads. We are therefore appealing to the local public, local football clubs, schools and families who may happen to have old football boots they no longer need, to donate these to our charity. The football team provides an escape route for them to forget about their problems and just enjoy sharing the love of the game with other teenagers who are going through the same experiences as them.

For donations kindly contact Linda at The Sasha Paige Children Foundation on 07557669201.

Quotes “And in the end, the love you take, is equal to the love you make.”

Paul McCartney “A simple ‘I love you’ means more than money.”

Frank Sinatra “Love is absolute loyalty. People fade, looks fade, but loyalty never fades. You can depend so much on certain people; you can set your watch by them. And that’s love, even if it doesn’t seem very exciting.”

Sylvester Stallone 12 • February 2014 • Ashdown Forest Living

Need some help for Valentines

Beauty?

Here are some ‘Best Friend’ tips from the Finishing Touch Salon team:  If Winter’s making your skin look dull, a massage is a really effective way of breathing new life into your body by getting your circulation going, it brings fresh, oxygenated blood to the skin and helps flush out toxins. You’ll feel like new!  False lashes are the ‘thing to do’ in beauty this year. If you can’t do it for Valentines, then when?  Get a deep red lip liner, purse your lips, gently and lightly put just a little red on your lips just near the mouth opening, then put your usual lipstick on. This gives the effect of your ‘actual’ lip colour being a deep red and is a very subtle lipstick trick to give you a healthier look. It may not work with every lipstick colour but it will with most. This was taught to me by a top Parisian make-up artist - take my word for it.  If the winter weather is making your hair a frizzy nightmare you’re not alone- so many of us are in your boat! Moroccan Oil frizz control is a BRILLIANT product- just a light spritz when your hair is damp, works wonders.  Avoid parabens and SLS (sodium laureth sulfate) which are bad for your hair and scalp, especially if you have sensitive skin. Moroccan oil is a lovely range of haircare products that are free of these toxins.  Don’t overlook your feet, give yourself a quick pedicure or at least exfoliate and tidy nails, etc. perhaps rub a little sweet scented oil (or cream) on the soles.

Feel free to give the team at The Finishing Touch a call on 01342 826005 (see ad opposite) or pop in for a free consultation!

info@ashdownforestliving.co.uk • tel: 01342 300152

GET FIT & HEALTHY IN THE COMFORT OF YOUR HOME GET FIT IN THE COMFORT OF YOUR OWN HOME

Michael Wall, established his Hire Fitness business 5 years ago & has since built up a large portfolio of clients in this area.

The Finishing Touch Make a Statement, style isn’t expensive, it’s Priceless! complimentary consultations are available with our experienced team, simply pop in or call us to arrange your appointment

01342 826005 2 Ashdown court, Lewes Road, Forest Row, Rh18 5e7

www.finishingtouchsalon.co.uk open: Mon - sat 9am-7pm

People are increasingly choosing to hire fitness equipment in their homes for People are increasingly choosing to hire in their homes many reasons, many reasons, mostforoften for convenience & lack of time or inclination to go the gym. Parents can also look after their children whilst they exercise. The Power Plate is a popular model, it can burn up to 350 calories in 10 minutes. Other benefits include cellulite busting, improved blood circulation, stronger bones but most of all – improved toning! All Hire Fitness models are of the highest quality and the range includes treadmills, bikes, cross-trainers, rowers & cavitation machines.

Here is a Testimonial from one of Michael’s happy customers: ‘After 12 weeks use of the Pro Plate, I had a noticeable improvement in the toning of my tummy, bottom and legs. I haven’t felt so good for as long as I can remember!’ Julie, West Sussex For more information call Michael at Hire Fitness (Open 7 days 8am to 9pm): on 0800 707 6624 or 07932 139386 or email on mwall@hirefitness.co.uk www.hirefitness.co.uk

Suffering from aches & pains?

Do you suffer from Back pain?

Migraines or Headaches?

Neck pain? Leg pain? Shoulder pain?

Arm pain? Arthritis?

We give effective, friendly care...

‘I had been off work for 13 months and I am now fully back to work and able to return to some of the sports which I hadn’t played since the prolapsed disc first occurred…’ M.F. Dr. Teresa White

Free Parking • Affordable Prices • Friendly Service Old Station House, London Road, East Grinstead, RH19 1ET Tel: 01342 315298 Website: www.familychiropracticsussex.co.uk Please mention the Ashdown Forest Living when responding to adverts • February 2014 • 13

Hair &Beauty By

Sue Harrison

Bringing Cinema to Crowborough!

Last month saw the launch of the brand new ‘Pine Grove Pictures’ for the people of Crowborough and surrounding areas. A diverse range of films to suit all tastes will be available to view each month in Crowborough Community Centre’s main hall.

The group’s aim is to provide a sociable atmosphere where high quality films can be viewed. Bar and snacks will be available an hour before the film starts (7pm for 8pm start).

Here are the next couple of films to be shown:

14th February North by Northwest Cerificate PG The Hitchcock spy thriller.

14th March, Philomena Certificate 12A A world-weary political journalist picks up the story of a woman’s search for her son, who was taken away from her decades ago after she became pregnant and was forced to live in a convent.

For more information see: www.pinegrovepictures.org.uk or find them on Facebook.

14 • February 2014 • Ashdown Forest Living

I have been trying to grow my hair for ages and hoped to have lovely long hair by Valentine’s Day but it never seems to be past my shoulders. I see people with long hair right down their back, why is this?

Hair grows in a cycle, actively growing then into a changing stage before falling out so a new hair can grow underneath. Each hair follicle works individually otherwise at one point we would all be bald.

The active growth stage varies on average between 1 to 7 years. The people that have really long hair have the growth stage closer to 7 years and others the active growth may only be around one year. As your hair does not seem to grow past the length of your shoulders then you have a shorter growth cycle. If you really want long hair then hair extensions can be great fun and you can have temporary clips-ins or a more permanent bonded into the hair for a very natural effect. Just remember gorgeous hair can be short, shoulder length or long. Happy Valentine’s Day! My skin is dull and I’m told that I should I exfoliate my skin, will this really have a improvement?

Yes it will for several reasons.

The skin is the largest organ in the body and should be looked after with care. The skin is in layers, fresh skin cells grow underneath and work their way up to the surface gradually changing in shape and texture so that the old dry ones brush off every day. Exfoliating will sweep away the old loose skin cells revealing fresher smoother skin. By removing these loose dry flaky skin cells it will also allow your skin creams to absorb better. Exfoliators come in a liquid or cream form, and according to the brand, it will vary as to how often and how you are recommended to use them.

Sue Harrison is an Independent Salon Advisor to Finishing Touch - in Forest Row. If you would like your hair and beauty questions answered please email shhairandbeauty@gmail.com info@ashdownforestliving.co.uk • tel: 01342 300152

Facebook.com/ComputersEG

@ComputersEG

Please mention the Ashdown Forest Living when responding to adverts • February 2014 • 15

Slow cooked lamb, leek & lentil bake Serves: 4 adults Preparation time: 20 mins Cooking time: 1 hr 25 mins It takes about 20 minutes to put this casserole together, then you can enjoy the mouthwatering aromas as it slowly cooks.

Ingredients:

What to do:

1 tsp vegetable oil

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, fan oven 160°C, gas mark 4.

350g lamb neck fillet trimmed and sliced

2. Heat a large flameproof casserole dish on the hob and add the vegetable oil. Add the lamb chunks, letting them sear and brown before turning them over. Cook for 3-4 minutes until browned on all sides.

1 large onion sliced 1 leek sliced 2 carrots sliced

3. Add the onion, leek, carrots, lentils, peas, stock, tomato puree, cumin and paprika. Season with some pepper and stir well. Bring up to the boil, then remove from the heat.

100g dried red lentils 50g frozen peas 750ml reduced salt vegetable or chicken stock 2 tsp tomato puree 1 tsp ground cumin

4. Arrange the sliced potatoes in an overlapping layer to cover the surface of the lamb mixture. Cover and bake for 1 ¼ hours, removing the lid for the final 30 minutes to brown the potatoes.

Tip 1: Dried red lentils don’t have to be pre-cooked as they soon become tender.

1 tsp ground paprika 1 pinch ground black pepper 400g potatoes peeled and thinly sliced

Tip 2: The cumin and paprika add extra flavour and spiciness, though you could leave them out if you prefer.

Ashdown Forest Ranger’s Report On Christmas Eve normally we have a quiet day and 4pm I was wandering around Crowborough doing my go home at lunchtime - I planned a bit of last minute shopping - it all seemed a bit unreal.

1.75 miles/3km shopping in the afternoon. I got as far as Duddleswell We were lucky, 2 very large beech trees were blown that morning and was confronted with five large trees over but Ridge they didn’t do any damage and according in the Linton’s road. So three us aided

by Colin From carofpark cross the Lutman’s road (with care) into to a theseat localonto paper we cleared 25 trees (but I wasn’t 135park HP tractor got twoonly). work. The traffic was car (summer Walk out ofbusy, the rear past counting). 3 weeks later we are still clearing storm everyone was going somewhere in a hurry, the roads a grass path and in about 50m turn left onto a ride. Remain on were flooded and reports of more fallen trees across damaged trees. They are a priority for us because this gently descending ride, ignoring that bears offRangers carry out tree surveys the Forest were coming in. The police and ESFRSanother were of public safety. right, about 400m. on thefor Forest but luckily there were no accidents or throughout the year, trees near roads, property and car injuries. A diesel spill from damaged oil tanks added to parks are monitored and last month, while it is too wet theboth problems in Legsheath especially with all the On left and right areLane, linear quarries, to get onto the Forest we carry out tree safety work. surface water on the roads.and The trees.

Environment Agency now filled with scrub Such were called in to contain it. Then it was all over. By Mike Yates, Ashdown Forest Ranger

quarries dot the Forest landscape and provided stone for roads. Typical heathland 16 • February 2014 • Ashdown Forest Living info@ashdownforestliving.co.uk birds such as nightjar, stonechat, tree pipit

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Quotes “I love you not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you” Elizabeth Barrett Browning

18 • February 2014 • Ashdown Forest Living

“My bounty is as boundless as the sea, My love as deep; the more I give to thee, The more I have, for both are infinite.”

Shakespeare

“Keep love in your heart.

A life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead.”

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info@ashdownforestliving.co.uk • tel: 01342 300152

Your Local Indoor & Outdoor Blinds & Awnings Company Penumbra Blinds & Solar Control Ltd are specialists in design, manufacture, supply and installation of a huge range of internal & external blinds & awnings.

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Please mention the Ashdown Forest Living when responding to adverts • February 2014 • 19

Penshurst Place Visitors to Penshurst Place are well advised to take a few moments before entering this magnificent 14th Century country house. Because here is living, breathing history covering more than six centuries of turbulent English life yet remarkably it has been in the hands of the Sidney family since 1552.

That is what gives the house its sense of enduring permanence.

Just 10 miles from Ashdown Forest, you really are stepping back in time. The house occupies a commanding position over the River Medway and it has stood guard over the ancient Kent village of Penshurst since building began in 1341.

Arrive in the quiet of morning and you can feel history coming alive around you. Once this was a place where kings came to play and to hunt, politicians visited and literary giants were inspired to write in homage. Today it is an elegant family home beloved of tourists and local people. It has also formed the backdrop to popular films including Anne of a Thousand Days and The Other Boleyn Girl and TV programmes such as Merlin and the BBC adaption of Shakespeare’s Henvy V, The Hollow Crown.

at Penshurst while courting Anne Boleyn, who lived nearby at Hever Castle, her childhood home. It is said that Henry proposed to Anne there, under the ancient Sidney oak tree that is believed to be more than 1000 years old and still clinging to life. The Tudor trail between the two properties remains today and is a popular historical route for walkers and cyclists.

In 1552 the house was gifted by Henry’s son, King Edward VI, to Sir William Sidney, his first steward.

William’s son Henry grew up with Edward and legend has it that the 15-year-old Edward died in Henry’s arms.

Penshurst has remained in the Sidney family to this day and subsequent occupants have included influential literary and political figures, such as the Early Renaissance poet Sir Philip Sidney.

This family connection is what gives Penshurst the sense that it perfectly belongs in the space it occupies. Over the years changes and alterations have been made that blend effortlessly into the original building.

It might be stretching the point to say it has a bloody past but in 1521 King Henry VIII seized Penshurst Place after he had the Duke of Buckingham, its then owner, tried for treason and beheaded.

Today the house is widely acknowledged to be the most beautiful example of a defended manor house. The imposing property stands proudly with its towers, battlements and chimneys casting a protective shadow over the rolling Kent landscape.

Henry used the house as a hunting lodge and stayed

Outside the formal gardens embrace Penshurst

20 • February 2014 • Ashdown Forest Living

info@ashdownforestliving.co.uk • tel: 01342 300152

Quotes That man is a success who has lived well, laughed often and loved much.

Robert Louis Stevenson We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me.

Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful, that’s what matters to me.

Steve Jobs

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Please mention the Ashdown Forest Living when responding to adverts • February 2014 • 21

Place, gently framing the wonderful building with a variety of landscapes. Follow the gently sloping Lime Tree walk to access the house or detour through the wooden door in the walled garden to find a vista of orchards, topiary, fountains and object d’art. The grade 1 listed 11-acre walled gardens are amongst the oldest in private ownership, and have remained close to their original Elizabethan design. A series of self-contained ‘rooms’ providing colour and interest for much of the year are divided by more than a mile of yew hedging.

As you venture further through the gardens you reach the Italian Gardens where the magnificent south side is revealed, a scene that has remained largely unchanged for hundreds of years.

Now let us step inside. Current incumbents, Philip Sidney, 2nd Viscount De L’Isle and his wife Lady De L’Isle inherited the estate in 1991, which was by that time in good working order thanks to the efforts of his father, William Sidney, a leading figure politician who served in Churchill’s government and who saved Penshurst from potential ruin after it suffered bomb damage in the Second World War. The property was built in 1341 by Sir John Pulteney, who was at the time the Mayor of London and an influential wool merchant and financier. Over the past six centuries many additions have been made to the medieval architecture.

The original building comprised the H-shaped block of the present house, a great hall with a two-storey cross-wing at either end. This layout would have formed the centrepiece of a larger manorial complex.

Sections of the original building have been rebuilt but several elements remain intact including the magnificent Baron’s Hall and West Solar.

22 • February 2014 • Ashdown Forest Living

On entering the Baron’s Hall it is easy to get lost in the scale of the original architecture. The vast, stone-flagged interior is illuminated by tall windows with ornate tracery arches and covered by a vast open-timbered chestnut roof of a single span with magnificent carpentry displayed in the carved supporting figures.

In the middle of the hall is the original open hearth and at one end, a timber screen to the passageway and Minstrels Gallery. At the other end of the room, there is a dais for a high table and an open stone stair leading to the withdrawing apartments upstairs.

Today visitors love the sense of peace and grandeur of this room, so it is easy to forget that this would once have been the beating heart of the house packed with people and their animals.

You only need to close your eyes to imagine Henry VIII holding court here as he fed copiously from tables filled to groaning with the fruits of his hunt and vegetables from the gardens. The sound of minstrels singing and playing, tapestries hanging on the wall, the fire roaring away and elegantly dressed couturiers attending to the King, would have made this room the centre of power in medieval England.

Above this room lies the The Queen Elizabeth Room where Lady Mary Sidney nursed Queen Elizabeth through smallpox, unfortunately catching the disease herself and being badly disfigured by it.

From here you can access the Tapestry Room, the Page’s Room and The Long Gallery. One of the great features about this house is that it also has a wonderful collection of furniture, tapestries, armour and artworks brought in by the Sidney family over hundreds of years.

info@ashdownforestliving.co.uk • tel: 01342 300152

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FM<EJ :FFB<IJ 8>8J I8E><J ?F9J D@:IFN8M<J =I@;><J =I<<Q<IJ ;@J?N8J?<IJ Please mention the Ashdown Forest Living when responding to adverts • February 2014 • 23

Inside the house it is possible to see the evidence of occupation over its 670-year history both in terms of architectural detailing and internal furnishings.

The house and gardens are open weekends only 15th February until 30th March.

From 31st March to 2nd November, daily opening hours are 12noon - 4pm (house and toy museum); 10.30am-6pm (gardens).

Admission (house and gardens) adults £10, children £6.50.

Penshurst Place, Tonbridge, Kent TN11 8DG. For further information visit www.

Penshurstplace.com or telephone 01892 870307.

Project Polecat Polecats are members of the Mustelid family, which includes otter, stoat and pine marten. They have a long thin body and are generally dark in colour, but their most distinctive feature is the bandit-like black mask that runs across their eyes, highlighted with white on the forehead and muzzle.

Polecats were once a common feature of our Sussex countryside, but persecution from game keepers caused their population to plummet and they became extinct in much of England. Conservation efforts, along with an increase in rabbit numbers, have allowed the polecat to recover somewhat.

The 2004 – 2006 national polecat survey found that polecats had made it back into Sussex after an absence of over a century, however they are still very rare and it is difficult to know the true extent of their recolonisation because the population is not pure.

Ferrets were domesticated from polecats more than 2000 years ago in Southern Europe to hunt vermin. As polecats are their sole ancestor, they are still extremely genetically similar and can cross-breed to create polecat-ferret hybrids.

Polecats are mainly nocturnal and unfortunately most sightings in Sussex are of dead animals at the side of the road. However there is one benefit to this type of record as the animal’s DNA can be tested.

There is a high occurrence of polecat-ferrets in Sussex, which means that this time the Vincent Wildlife Trust 24 • February 2014 • Ashdown Forest Living

is looking for a good sample of polecat/polecat-ferret carcasses for the survey so that they can analyse polecat purity within the county.

If there are any sightings of polecats, polecat-ferrets or feral ferrets in the Ashdown Forest area please contact the Vincent Wildlife Trust on 01531 636441. If you come across a polecat carcass and are prepared to collect it, please freeze it and contact the Trust who will arrange for a postage box to be sent to you for the body to be returned, free of charge.

If you do not want to collect the carcass please consider photographs: ideally one of the full body, including paws, and a close-up photo of the face. If it is not possible to take a photo please note down the coat colour.

For more information visit: www.sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk.

info@ashdownforestliving.co.uk • tel: 01342 300152

Baileybridge provides a turnkey solution for owners of residential properties.

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Our workforce is employed by the Company. Our architects are Members of the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT).

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Please mention the Ashdown Forest Living when responding to adverts • February 2014 • 25

4 False ‘Facts’ Everyone Knows...

Glass Is a Slow-moving Liquid.

As kids we’ve all been told that the explanation for how the glass in the wavy, uneven windowpanes is because it’s slowly flowed downward over time, as glass is basically a ‘liquid’.

Rather than the slow drip of time, the reason old glass windows aren’t perfectly even and clear is because of how they were manufactured.

Until the mid 1800s, most window glass was made using a process called the crown method. The glass was blown, flattened, etc. yielding a sheet that was pretty cheap to produce. It was rippled and thicker in some places.

In other words, the windows looked that way when they were installed, and they look that way now... No downhill flow is involved.

Glass is actually a solid.

People Thought the World Was Flat Before Columbus.

Christopher Columbus and his crew may have had a lot to be worried about as they set sail to find the ‘East Indies’, but falling off the edge of the planet was not one of them.

People have known since the logicspawning age of the Greeks that we live on a big globe. There were lots of obvious clues, for instance, the way ships sailed over the horizon. A mere ‘scientifically inclined’ mind could work this out.

People did, however, believe the earth was the centre of the solar system... which we now know is not so.

Different Parts of Your Tongue Detect Different Tastes.

Many of us think different parts of the tongue are tuned to detect different tastes. The tip of the tongue is for sweet, the sides are for salty, bitter’s in the back, and in between is the sour zone. This “fact” was the prevailing notion for many years. It has persisted in spite of millions of children saying they could taste the sugar/ salt, etc. ‘all over their tongue’ in Science class.

It now turns out that most people can sense different tastes all over their tongues!

26 • February 2014 • Ashdown Forest Living

Mount Everest is the Tallest mountain on the planet.

Mount Everest is one whopping huge mountain, but is it the tallest in the world?

No. A mountain is highest in regard to how far it soars above sea level. But technically it is tallest from base to summit. And Mauna Kea in Hawaii beats them all for being the tallest.

Here’s the lowdown: Above sea level, Mauna Kea (in Hawaii) is only 13,799 feet (4,206 meters).

But when you count the enormous portion of it that’s underwater, it’s 33,465 feet tall (10,200 meters). Everest is only 29,029 feet (8,848 meters) above sea level (with none of it below sea level).

info@ashdownforestliving.co.uk • tel: 01342 300152

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Kitchens Bespoke, based in East Grinstead, is the brainchild of Rachael Workman a designer for over 17 years. Three years ago she decided to set up a ‘one stop shop’ to help clients create their perfect kitchen 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 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 may think. An expensive look doesn’t have to cost a fortune.

Rachael can design a kitchen that fits you. With your needs and her expertise the kitchen you have only imagined can become reality.

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Alfie the Ashdown Forest Aardvark Last month Alfie was on pages 12, 16,18, 22

The name of the game is to locate the 4 Alfie’s hidden on 4 pages in the magazine.

Ages 4 -13. Let us know the page numbers, enter online: www.ashdownforestliving.co.uk or email: info@ashdownforestliving.co.uk. Closing date: 19/02/14

er nt ow pme P ui st te Eq La ing st In sh Ju Flu

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Please mention the Ashdown Forest Living when responding to adverts • February 2014 • 27

Cycling Days Out Cuckoo Trail & Extension to Eastbourne

With the milder weather soon to be upon us, this will be the perfect Spring bike ride. It starts not far from the Ashdown Forest at Heathfield and runs to Polegate (or Eastbourne). It runs along the path of the old Cuckoo Line railway and was called the Cuckoo Line after the tradition that the first cuckoo of Spring was heard at Heathfield Fair.

The outstanding feature of the Cuckoo Trail is the sheer length of this hardsurfaced, off-road trail, especially now that the trail has been extended to reach Hampden Park Station in Eastbourne. Families might prefer to start at Polegate if they want a nice, easy level section. You’d be well advised to cycle north first, to ensure a nice easy run back - the directions are laid out in this way but can easily be ‘reversed’ if needed.

For cyclists who enjoy off-road riding and the chance to explore there are optional loops to Abbot’s Wood and Michelham Priory - note: directions for the loop not given in this extract.

Distance: 22km/13.5 miles Maps: OS Explorer 123 (links up with NCR 21) Parking Shinewater Park, Eastbourne: easy roadside near Shinewater Park.

Polegate: easy roadside on Levett Road.

Old Loom Mill Craft Centre: car park if you’re using the cafe or buying crafts.

Hailsham: free car park off South Road is directly on the Cuckoo Trail.

28 • February 2014 • Ashdown Forest Living

info@ashdownforestliving.co.uk • tel: 01342 300152

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Improving your home at sensible prices or email: ask@absolutelykitchens.co.uk Please mention the Ashdown Forest Living when responding to adverts • February 2014 • 29

you could join the Cuckoo Trail extension to Polegate. I suggest that from the entrance on Fletching Road, you head off R on the gravel cycle path. The park’s level paths are ideal for little kids who are learning to ride. Join the tarmac cycleway that stretches the length of the park.

Food and Drink On Abbot’s Wood/Michelham Loop Yew Tree Inn, Arlington Village: classic country pub, large garden with climbing frame, T 01323 870 590. Arlington Tea Gardens: open Wed – Sun 10am – 5pm, Fri 11am – 5pm, T 01323 484 549. Old Oak Inn, Arlington: open all day at weekends. Climbing frame for kids. T 01323 482 072 Directly on the Cuckoo Trail Old Loom Mill Craft Centre and Tea Room: BN26 6QX. Open 9am – 5pm daily. Outside terrace with views to the Downs and somewhere for kids to play.

Picnic tables here and there, notably at Hailsham Common Pond.

Within throwing distance Cuckoo Rest, Hellingly T 01323 440 745; Wessons Cafe, Horam, Open Wed – Sun. T 01435 813 999; The Horam Inn, Just off NCR 21.

T 01435 812 692; Horam Manor Farm, behind Merrydown T 01323 840 889; Runt in Tun Pub T 01435 864 284.

Points of Interest Abbot’s Wood Coppicing hazel and hornbeam 30 • February 2014 • Ashdown Forest Living

for firewood has helped make this Forestry Commission woodland an important site for butterfly and dormouse conservation.

Informal cycling is permitted on forest roads but please respect the environment.

Michelham Priory This tucked away, yet interesting, historic building is owned by Sussex Past which dates from 1229. Extensive gardens. Nature Trail. Restaurant.

Shinewater Park, Eastbourne to Polegate (5km/3 miles) We’ve started with this extension.

This is a small park with a play area and a couple of small fishing lakes. It has limited facilities but provides a good base to set out from. There’s plenty of roadside parking hereabouts.

To reach Shinewater Driving from Polegate on the A27, turn R at the roundabout onto the A22. Go SA at the next roundabout, staying on the A22 and look out for the lakes on your left. Go L at the next roundabout just after the lakes. Turn L after The Mill pub into Larkspur Drive and you’ll soon see the park entrance on your left.

S There are several ways that

2 Zip through the tunnel under the A22 and you will see a sign R for the Cuckoo Trail/ NCR 21.

It’s 2.5 miles to the Cuckoo Trail from here. Cross the humpback bridge over the water and ride on. At the fork, go R following the Cuckoo Trail sign up the slope. For a short stretch, the Cuckoo Trail runs alongside the A22 but don’t be put off: once over the bridge, the path runs at the bottom of an embankment.

As you climb the next hill, views towards Willingdon and the South Downs open up. This stretch along the A22 is fairly new and does the handy job of linking the Cuckoo Trail with town and coast.

Turn R, following the Cuckoo Trail sign. Ride on the compacted gravel path. Follow the NCR blue signs to link you with the next stretch of the Cuckoo Trail.

Go L, then R into Aberdale Road, then L onto the cycle path running alongside the busy Pevensey Road. Cross at the pedestrian crossing and continue on the cycle path to your left. Turn R along Levett Road.

3 Polegate to Hailsham (4km/2.5 miles) This is one of the access points to the Cuckoo Trail in Polegate.

Others may be found at School Lane, Otham Court Lane and Sayerland Lane.

From this access point, ride this tarmac path beneath the trees. (At the fork, turn L to leave the trail for the centre of Polegate.) Cycle R

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Please mention the Ashdown Forest Living when responding to adverts • February 2014 • 31

for Hailsham. Pass a picnic table on your left and then cross the bridge over the non-stop A27 and cycle SA. Optional loop

Cuckmere. Follow the NCR 21 and Cuckoo Trail signs SA. Notice the intricate metal sculpture on Cattle Creep Bridge.

This is where the Optional Loop to Abbot’s Wood separates from the Cuckoo Trail. Turn L if coming from Eastbourne, R if coming from Heathfield.

Pedal up a gradual but long climb. At the top, cycle through the tunnel. To your right, notice the first exit for Horam. The next exit is better for the town centre and camping. Ride onwards.

Continue SA. Along the Cuckoo Trail, look out for various sculptures and features relating to local points of interest, safe road crossings, access points and seating, all designed as part of a project aiming to draw our attention to the ‘travelling landscape’.

At Downline Close, cross the road, with care, and ride SA on a tiny stretch of brick path. (To head into Horam or use the public toilet (portaloo!), ride L and then R into Hillside Drive.)

4 Look out for the gate on your right which leads to the Old Loom Mill Craft Centre and Tea Room – ideal if you fancy a quick stop. Otherwise, ride on.

The tarmac path reaches a gate with several small sculptures as you reach Freshfield Close. You are now in Hailsham. Cyclists must dismount for this short stretch of footpath. Ride SA down Freshfield Close.

Turn R into Lindfield Drive, following the brown Cuckoo Trail sign. Turn L, still following the brown signs, along Station Road.

Pass Hailsham Common Pond with picnic tables and bike racks on your right. Be careful here: this is a busy stretch of road but children could push along the pavement. At the top of the road, you are in Hailsham town centre. (Follow the main road round to the right to find various eating places.)

Turn L into the car park, following the brown Cuckoo Trail sign.

5 Hailsham to Horam (9km/5.5 miles) Turn R through the underpass. Cycle along the tarmac path through a brick tunnel. Ride up the slope and continue SA, forking L through the metal arch. The school playing fields should be on your right. At the road, cyclists must follow the road R, leaving the footpath to the pedestrians. Turn L back onto the cycleway at the base of the road. Pass under a couple of bridges and come to a T-junction of tarmac paths.

7 Horam to Heathfield (4km/2.5 miles) Otherwise, to continue on the Cuckoo Trail to Heathfield, follow the blue NCR 21 sign SA along the tarmac path. (For Merrydown Cider and the Hidden Spring Vineyard, follow the sign up the hill on the R fork.) For the Cuckoo Trail, ride SA on the L fork.

Climb another hill, go across Hendalls Farm Bridge and keep pedalling. On the approach to the road crossing, follow the NCR 21 sign up and across the bridge. Climb another long, steady gradient. When you cross Maynards Green Bridge, you’re almost at the top! (Notice the wooden waymarked footpath on your right? This leads a short distance to the Runt in Tun Pub: a nice handy place to stop!) Alternatively, near the top of the hill, there’s a handy bench and picnic table.

At the end of the tarmac path, cross the busy road to go R, following the brown Cuckoo Trail and NCR 21 signs.

Go down the slope between the metal railings, cross Ghyll Road and continue on into Heathfield. See the metal cuckoo sculpture as you reach the end of the trail.

Extracted from ‘Cycling Days Out - South East England: Traffic-free Family and Leisure Cycling in Kent, Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire’ by Deirdre Houston. Published

by Vertebrate Graphics Ltd.

6 To stay on the Cuckoo Trail, ride to your R following the wooden Cuckoo Trail sign.

The trail runs between houses along the top of a small embankment. Cross the Upper Horsebridge Road at the pedestrian crossing and ride on.

Countryside views open up along this stretch of rural path. Pass Hellingly Station, now a private dwelling, and Hellingly Millenium Arboretum.

Signs warn of a steep descent, probably because there’s a road at the base. The road leads into Hellingly. Continue straight back up the small slope to cycle onwards. Cross the bridge over the River 32 • February 2014 • Ashdown Forest Living

info@ashdownforestliving.co.uk • tel: 01342 300152

TRENCHER & MINI-DIGGER GILES SWIFT

Levade SyStemS

Your Local Stable & Timber Building Manufacturer Established 23 years • Based in Ashdown Forest Call: 01342 824117 mark@levadesystems.co.uk

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Tel: 01892 864754

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Stone Garden Services

Your local garden company offering an extensive range of services to Private and Commercial clients, Lawn Care, Hedge Trimming, Beds and Borders, Garden Maintenance and much more.

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J.H. Vartan Tree Stump Removal Any STump RemoVed

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Please mention the Ashdown Forest Living when responding to adverts • February 2014 • 33

Protecting Ancient Woodland The Chief Executive of the Sussex Wildlife Trust Dr Tony Whitbread wrote to the The Secretary of State for the Environment, Owen Paterson last month inviting him to visit this area to gain a fuller understanding of ancient woodlands and why they are so important.

Anyone for Tea? ‘There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.’ - Henry James

His invitation was sparked by biodiversity offsetting discussions before the last election, now becoming a major element of the Natural Environment White Paper. Biodiversity offsets are conservation activities that are designed to give biodiversity benefits to compensate for any damage done to nature.

In a recent blog, Dr Whitbread agreed that while biodiversity offsetting was a good idea in concept, it could be open to abuse and warned of the dangers to irreplaceable habitats.

He concluded that the whole idea of trading nature may be unworkable.

In his blog he explained: ‘Biodiversity offsetting should not turn an unacceptable development into an acceptable one; irreplaceable habitats should not be lost in the hope that a poor copy might be built somewhere else, and this should not just become a licence to trash.

‘Ancient woodlands are some of our most cherished, irreplaceable habitats. They are at least 400 years old; indeed many may date back to the Ice Age. They are living ancient monuments, stores of historical information and homes to plants and animals that simply won’t flourish if you plant a copy somewhere else.’

For more information visit: www.sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk

Here are some independent tearooms in the Ashdown Forest area, when nothing but a good brew while out and about will serve: St Ives Tea Garden, near Hartfield, a flower-filled tea garden has beautiful views and strutting peacocks. Open daily, 11am-6pm, T: 01892 770589.

Piglet’s Tearoom and Garden, Hartfield (no savouries) great for a ‘’a Little Something!” – Smackerels, Tigger’s Treats, 100 Aker cakes, Whatnots and Etceteras. The website reminds potential customers that it’s “thirsty work hunting for Woozles!” T: 01892 770456.

Duddleswell Tea Rooms, handily located on the Forest, has been serving tea since 1936 in a building that was extended in the 1800s from a cottage built in 1658; run by siblings John and Tanya. T: 01825 712126.

The Junction Inn Tearoom, Groombridge, the tearoom adjoins the pub and was built to house the navvies who built the Spa Valley Steam Railway, opposite. Its cheerful decor pays homage to its railway origins. T: 01892 864275.

Sharpthorne Organic Café is a social enterprise that sources ingredients locally and trains adults with learning difficulties in cooking and waitressing. It sells a wide range of wheat and gluten-free and dairyfree meals. T: 01342 811321.

Penshurst has two: Quaintways Tea Rooms, T: 01892 870272, and Fir Tree House Tea Rooms T: 01892 870382 , open Wed-Sun 2.30pm-6pm and Bank Holiday Mondays.

Feature brought to you with thanks to the High Weald AONB.

34 • February 2014 • Ashdown Forest Living

info@ashdownforestliving.co.uk • tel: 01342 300152

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Please mention the Ashdown Forest Living when responding to adverts • February 2014 • 35

What’s On in February Saturday 8th February Mansion Market: Find the perfect gift for your Valentine amongst the beautiful, creative ideas and delicious food offered by friendly stallholders in and around an historic 18th century mansion. Kidbrooke Park, Priory Road, Forest Row, 11am - 4pm. Fee admission and parking.

Saturday 8th February The Forest Row Orchestra. The program includes the Barber of Seville Overture, Tchaikovsky Elegy for Strings, Beethoven Minuets and Haydn’s symphony 94 (Surprise). At 11 - 1pm, tickets £6, £1 for children on the door or from Jill Sharp 01342826848. All profits to the RNLI. Saturday 8th February Penshurst Choral Society’s concert. Haydn:Nelson Mass, Stanford: Jubilate Deo, Mozart: Piano Concerto.

K 414 in A Major. Conductor: Dan Gillingwater, Piano soloist: Anthony Zerpa Falcon. Holmewood House School. Langton Green, TN3 0EB. Tickets £10 on the door.

Saturday 15th February Nearly New Sale at St Mary’s, Crowborough, 10-11 am.

Saturday 15th & Sunday 16th February West Hoathly Local History Archive Exhibition of old photographs, maps, documents, artifacts, parish registers & recorded reminiscences. Special exhibit on the First World War. Come and see the whole collection. Bring any items of interest. Research your family history & maybe meet some old friends. Teas and raffle. West Hoathly Village Hall. 10am - 5pm.

2011). See our website for details and a sample menu.

Felcourt Road, East Grinstead, RH19 2JX. www. yewlodge.co.uk. Call: 01342 870003.

Thursday 27th February World Music II: An interesting and varied programme of music from the four corners of the earth including: China, Russia, New Zealand, Mauritania, Bolivia, Israel. 2pm at the Methodist Church, Perrymount Road, Haywards Heath RH16 3DN. Entrance £1 including tea and biscuits.

Monday 3rd March Travelling Trends Fashion Show: high street clothes, all prices slashed, bargains galore. Don’t miss out, come along to this event and enjoy an evening of fashion and fun hosted by travelling trends.

Help to raise much needed funds for Ashurst Wood Community Pre-School. £5 including 1 free drink on arrival. Doors open 7pm for 7:30pm start. For tickets call 07917 414031, at Ashurst Wood Primary School.

Saturday 8th March The Big Quiz by the Crowborough Lions Club.

Team prizes, 1st: £150, 2nd: £75, 3rd: £25. At 7:30pm.

Maximum 8 per table, £7.50 per head includes a Hot Chilli Supper (vegetarian by order). Licensed bar.

Advance tickets sales only. Crowborough community centre. Available from Colin Henderson on 01892 668044 or email colinhenderson@myway.com.

Sunday 9th March Yew Lodge Wedding Fair. Free admission & car parking. 12 noon - 4pm. Felcourt Road, East Grinstead, RH19 2JX. www.yewlodge.co.uk. Call: 01342 870003.

Friday 14th March

Sunday 23rd February Yew Lodge Traditional Sunday Lunch. Our popular lunches continue to be held on the last Sunday of the month – the next date is 26 January. The price of a two course meal, plus coffee/tea & mints is an allinclusive price of £25 per adult and £15 for children (this is a small increase – the last one being January 36 • February 2014 • Ashdown Forest Living

If you would like your event on these pages email info@ashdownforestliving.co.uk for information

Ashdown Rambling Club’s annual Sybil Martin Memorial Lecture. This year the Club welcomes Colin Snook who will be giving an illustrated talk entitled “Oh, Get on With It!”, a fascinating account of his 4000 mile, 347 day charity walk around the coastline of Britain. Colin’s talk starts at 8pm, with

info@ashdownforestliving.co.uk • tel: 01342 300152

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24 hour emergency response: 07834 828459 Please mention the Ashdown Forest Living when responding to adverts • February 2014 • 37

What’s On in February doors open from 7.30pm. All are welcome. Tickets at door, club members £1, non-members £2 including refreshments. For further information please email barrtim_lesley@hotmail.com or phone Tim on 01342 321842. at the Meridian Hall, East Court, East Grinstead RH19 3LT. Saturday 15th March Chelwood Gate Village Market: come along to our Spring market. Not only do we have lots of local produce on offer, but craft stalls, tombola and hot snacks at our café. Do come along and enjoy this friendly event. Village hall and marquees, Beaconsfield Rd, Chelwood Gate. 10am to 2pm.

Wednesday 19th March The Loiyangalani Trust presents: Emma Johnson’s Clarinet Recital. Emma Johnson is one of the top clarinet players in the world. Accompanied by the acclaimed pianist, John Lenehan, she will be giving a

If you would like your event on these pages email info@ashdownforestliving.co.uk for information

recital in aid of the Loiyangalani Trust. At 8pm, tickets £17.50. Chequer Mead Theatre, call: 01342 302000.

Saturday March 22nd Alice`s Adventures in Wonderland: a brand new adaptation by Box Tale Soup. Yu will be invited down the rabbit hole into a timeless world of beautiful paper puppets and wondrous fantasy. The show is for all ages and is `magical, intelligent, engagingly acted and thoughtfully structured.. a whirlwind of puppetry and physically dynamic acting’, a sell out at last years Hastings Literary Festival not to be missed. Adult £6 Child £4 Family £20 a family treat on the day before Mothers Day suitable for all ages 5 plus. Hartfield Village Hall on at 3pm. Tickets from Caroline Tully 01892 770730,www.boxtalesoup.co.uk.

1st Friday of the month Ashurst and Blackham Youth café and Sports club, 7-9pm, school yr 6 upwards, Ashurst Pavilion.

Quote of the month

Something my mum taught me years and years and years ago, is life’s just too short to carry around a great bucket-load of anger and resentment and bitterness and hatreds and all that sort of stuff.

Kevin Rudd

Top Tip for Mothers this Valentines Valentines Day for the family...

As we all know, we mothers often end up sacrificing alot for our children and family.

However this Valentines Day take a couple of days beforehand to steal snippets of time to pamper yourself with some new make-up, beauty treatments (either at the salon or at home), new hair style, etc. The 14th is a good excuse for a little ‘me’ time, if ever there was one!

38 • February 2014 • Ashdown Forest Living

Since February is the month of hugs and kisses it’s the perfect time to ‘show a little love’ to our family, friends, etc. What a great excuse for a little ‘come together’ time to have a family group bear hug, play your favourite board games, make & swap friendship bracelets, show a little extra love to your pets, etc. If you need an excuse, you’ve got one on (or around) the 14th! (Suggestion: leave the Valentine’s day evening free for the adults, however...).

info@ashdownforestliving.co.uk • tel: 01342 300152

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www.sussexhealthcare.co.uk Please mention the Ashdown Forest Living when responding to adverts • February 2014 • 39