Hailsham News December 2021

EDITOR’S WELCOME

There we have it, another year nearly gone and we can now all hopefully look forward to a Christmas with friends, family and loved ones after last year’s ‘cancellation’. In the main, I think a lot of us would like to forget the last two years and think ahead of a life without COVID. But, we must remember some of the good things that have happened locally, instead of all the doom and gloom of the pandemic.

Certainly over the last few months, we’ve seen many successful sports stories, events and gatherings take place since we’ve been allowed to meet up again. More recently, I feel residents were actually happy to get together last month for Remembrance. Although we remember those who fell, it was nice to share the moment with the people of Hailsham once again.

In July, we hosted Hailsham Live - it was two years in the making but we eventually pulled it off, and hosted a brilliant day of fun, entertainment and fund raising for charities that had missed out on so much. Plans are now in place for the 2022 event, and we hope to have news for you in the next edition.

There’s so much community spirit at the moment as we approach Christmas, it’s been quite overwhelming. We’ve tried to feature as many good causes, fundraisers and events in this edition, but it’s simply too difficult to highlight everything, so do keep an eye on our website and social media as we will be featuring as many as possible over the coming weeks.

Finally, I would like to personally wish all our readers a Merry Christmas and I really hope you get to spend special time this month with the ones you’ve missed.

CONTACT US

Editor: Paul Gibson

editor@hailsham.news

01323 33 70 70

Features: Viktoria Cowley

viktoria@hailsham.news

01323 33 70 70

Hailsham News is a publication by Regional Media Group Ltd. A Company registered in England and Wales. No: 13746177. We have taken care to ensure that the information in this newspaper is correct. Neither the publisher, nor contributors can take responsibility for loss or damage resulting from errors or omissions. Hailsham News does not endorse the accuracy of the advertisements or the quality of the products/services being advertised. Information provided by businesses and community organisations are provided directly by their own representatives; please direct any queries or comments regarding content directly to the organisation.

©2021: No part of this newspaper may be reproduced in part or whole without express permission of the editor.

Shops and businesses to be consulted on funding to improve town footfall

take a series of improvements around the town centre and industrial estates.

Hailsham Town Council and Wealden District Council has supported the initiative by offering £1,000 each to kick start the project and get the scheme underway.

The Chamber has already identified a number of areas where the town centre could be improved, including the installation of floral planters, grants to local businesses for improving the external decoration of shops, maps to help visitors find local amenities and the provision of street marshals for additional security.

Street wardens, better WIFI and cosmetic changes to the town centre are amongst plans as part of a ‘Business Improvement District’ (BID) in Hailsham.

In recent weeks, Hailsham Chamber of Commerce has been in discussion with Wealden District Council about starting a BID in Hailsham.

The BID company would be funded by means

and the Chamber is seeking the cooperation of the businesses in the town to achieve its goals.

All affected businesses will have a vote to adopt the levy and a successful BID ballot must achieve at least 50% of the number of businesses voting agreeing to the BID, and at least 50% of the rateable value of those voting agreeing to the project.

The establishment of the scheme will mean that the BID company will be able to under-

Causes receive cash boost

Mark Hallett, Chairman of the Chamber, and who is heading up the initiative said: “Until now Hailsham has played very much second fiddle in retail terms to neighbouring Eastbourne and Hastings, and further afield, Tunbridge Wells.”

He added: “The quality of retail offering has been inferior to those neighbours, yet this is confidently expected to change with the greater size and variety of units within the refurbished and expanded Aspire redevelopment.”

There are over 300 BIDs in operation across the country which have apparently proved positive and improved footfall and business for each BID area.

Almost £16,000 was donated to local groups recently thanks for customers of the Coop stores in Polegate and Horsebridge.

The money was raised through the Coop Members scheme and saw the Hailsham Festival receive £4,905, Sussex Community Development Association (SCDA) collected £5,231 and Bushy Wood Scout Group given £5,505.

It was presented to the groups by

Store Manager Lucy Clarke.

Lucy told Hailsham News: “It’s lovely to be able to raise so much money for these three causes. Thank you to all our customers who made this happen.”

The charities chosen for 2022 include the Hellingly Hound Dogs, Hailsham Cricket Club and Little Gems, a group for parents with babies under one year old. and baby gems - a group for parents with babies under one year old.

Winter help for households in need

Residents struggling to feed themselves, heat their homes or pay water bills in East Sussex may qualify for extra financial help this winter.

The Government’s Household Support Fund has allocated £3.9 million to help ease the pressures on hardest-hit residents between November and March.

Anyone who receives a means-tested benefit can apply for help to the borough or district council in the area they live.

Residents who qualify will get support with vouchers to help buy food or with financial payments to help with essential bills.

In East Sussex, the fund will also provide extra resources for the Warm Homes

scheme which can offer free checks, advice and grants for households without the means to stay warm, for foodbanks and other voluntary organisations in the county and for Citizens Advice.

There is also funding for free school meals over the school Christmas holidays and into 2022 for families with children who are eligible and funding to help families that East Sussex County Council is already working with because they are in need.

Carl Maynard, Lead Member for Adult Social Care, said: “We know many of our residents are under extra pressure in meeting bills, keeping well-fed and staying warm this winter.

“This extra money will be very welcome and we’ve allocated it to ease the lives of people who most need a hand. Working with our partners at borough and district councils and the voluntary organisations, we’ll be using this support to make a real difference.”

Anyone who is over 18 and receives a means-tested benefit (including universal credit, pension credit and working tax credit) can apply for help with the costs of food, energy or water to the borough or district council where they live.

For more information, contact Wealden District Council on 01323 443322 or the Warm Homes service for East Sussex on 0800 464 7307.

“Where are you going to put the moorings for boats?”

THE WORRYING QUESTION AS ASKED BY COUNCILLOR GAVIN BLAKE-COGGINS, AS HE TELLS WEALDEN DISTRICT COUNCIL THE DAMAGE THE MARSHFOOT DEVELOPMENT COULD CAUSE...

refusal has meant the development is going ahead.

Major concerns were raised by residents and councillors about the single access to the massive estate via what’s been described as a cul-de-sac, ‘a road totally unsuitable for the expected construction traffic’ and an expected 600 car movements a day when the housing is complete.

During the meeting at the Civic Hall in Hailsham, one local resident Neil Stone was given three minutes to express concerns over the development. In his passionate appeal, Mr Stone said: “This application is corrupt. Paths to be increased ‘where possible’ The only crossing near Mable Way now replaced with a driveway.

Mr Neil overrun by thirty seconds and shouted down by the chairman. Stone continued to complete his point and make his views heard. He was then publicly called “a very rude man”, by Acting Deputy Chairman, Councillor Howell. The meeting was then adjourned for ten minutes for members to ‘cool down’.

Another resident told the committee: “Marshfoot Lane is unsafe for pedestrians as it is, and the developers have been given no orders to correct this. It is a dead-end lane which passes two schools and is only suitable for one-way traffic. An additional 600 cars a day will make life for local residents intolerable.”

Councillor for Hailsham East, Gavin Blake-Coggins said: “Marshfoot Lane is a cul-de-sac, it needs a proper road put in, not just resurfaced. It’s a condensed development of 300 houses, the carbon footprint of that part of town will be increased by 42%.”

He added: “Tonnes of water will fall on the ground where there’s no drainage, it’ll go straight on to the Pevensey Levels. It’s a complete and total disaster - residents in nearby Mabel Lane were given sand bags recently to stop them being flooded. We are going to end up with a town full of pollution, the nearby schools will suffer, I think you should act accordingly.”

Leader of Wealden District Council, Councillor Bob Standley told the committee: “This is the worst site for a development I’ve ever had to consider. If residents parked entirely legally down that lane, HGV traffic will be massively restricted. Anyone buying a property here should consider it carefully, as the clue’s in the name - Marshfoot!”

Other Councillors raised huge concerns about the ability by Southern Water to ensure it can deal with the development and not allow additional sewerage to enter the channel, however, Natural England, primary advisors to the Secretary of State, has no objections over the development.

Councillor Phillip Lunn said: “We have this thing called Westminster, that tells us we have to do certain things. If we don’t build out our quota, then they will put in somebody from Secretary of State, and they will become head of planning, and say go and build this, go and build that!”

Frustrations from the general public over the past four years were recognised by Councillor Neil Cleaver during the meeting. He said: “Thank you to the public speakers - I can see

why they are so cheesed off. It disgusts me nothing has been done about Old Swan Road which will see an increase in traffic, and already suffers raw sewerage on the road when ditches overflow.”

He asked pertinent questions, which were echoed by many other members. “What about the attenuation ponds on other new housing developments locally? These are totally unsuitable and overflow when put under pressure. They are not maintained as promised and are already overgrown. Will this new development be the same?”

The surrounding road network is likely to be another victim of the development with more vehicles expecting to use St. Mary’s Avenue as a route in and out of the estate. “This is also a single passing road and is no better than Marshfoot Lane,” commented Councillor for Hellingly, David White.

Listening to the feedback from the committee, Stacey Robins, Head of Planning and Environmental Services commented: “Natural England are primary advisors to the Secretary of State, and it has no objections about the outline permission, or the drainage issues raised by the committee. If they don’t have concerns - why should we have concerns as a competent authority?”

Summarising the meeting, Chairman Susan Stedman said: “As you know, when we first decided this, none of us liked it. We did not have the support from Natural England to refuse it, and they are the main authority on these sort of applications. I was unhappy

they were unable to support us in a refusal, they think it’s alright, with that backing, I have no option to put this forward for approval.”

Full permission was then given to the development by a majority of 6 to 4.

National England will examine the decision made at the meeting and raise any issues before any papers are issued.

A spokesperson from the Vistry Group, the company behind the development told Hailsham News: “We are pleased Wealden District Council resolved to grant Reserved Matters’ approval earlier this month.”

“Vistry is contributing more than £4million in community infrastructure levy payments, plus £300,000 towards youth space, the Maurice Thornton Playing Field. Improvements to Marshfoot Lane will include footpath improvements, crossing enhancements and road repairs.”

They added: “All residential development at the site is located in flood zone one, the lowest flood risk area, and the finished floor levels of all homes have been set above the 1 in 200 year flood levels.”

“The drainage systems have been designed to allow for 1 in 100 year flood events, incorporating an extra 40 per cent for climate change. The eastern edge of the site has been used for open space and attenuation basins, these combined measures ensure flood risk is not increased elsewhere as a result of the development.”

Climate Central, a non-profit organisation focused on climate science illustrated what areas of the UK are most at risk from flooding. This map shows the area which is expected to regularly fall below sea level over the next 30 years.

News in Brief

Enforcement teams visit HCC

Uniformed Services students at Hailsham Community College recently enjoyed an informative and interactive visit from Gatwick’s Immigration Compliance Enforcement Team.

The officers, one of whom was a former HCC student, explained the many aspects of their role and let students try the various bits of equipment they use, including sitting in the cell van.

Editor’s apology

In last month’s newspaper, we incorrectly reported in an article about the new church path, that it was opened by ‘Reverend Peter Clark’, and not Vicar David Bourne. We apologise for any inconvenience caused by this error.

Free sanitary products

Hellingly Parish Council is working in conjunction with East Sussex Library Service to provide free Sanitary products to help end period poverty.

Packs and products are available at Hellingly Community Hub, The Drive, Hellingly.

Roads and pathways to get facelift thanks to £5.8m fund

East Sussex County Council’s Cabinet agreed a one-off additional funding of almost £6m to improve the county’s roads and pavements.

The highways improvement programme, named ‘Miles Better’ will be spent on improving road signs, lines and pavements and carrying out road patching across the county, including patching work, refreshing lines and road markings, and replacing or updating road signs.

Councillor Nick Bennett, deputy leader and lead member for resources and climate change, said: “The additional money is going to help us further raise the standards of our highway network and improve journeys for motorists, pedestrians and cyclists.”

Catch-up with a free cuppa

Brew Monday is a Samaritans takeover of ‘Blue Monday’ – the third Monday in January, which is often dubbed ‘the most difficult day of the year’.

The Eastbourne and District Samaritans is encouraging people to reach out to a friend, family member or colleague for “a cuppa and a catch-up” in participating cafes across Eastbourne, Hailsham and Seaford. Visit the Samaritans website www.samaritans.org/eastbourne where you can get early access to the 2-4-1 drinks voucher and a list of participants.

Electric Blanket checks return

Following the cancellation of Electric Blanket Testing this Autumn, East Sussex Fire Rescue has announced a date for local residents to get theirs checked. Attendees will not only be able to get their electric blankets tested but they will also be able to get advice and information on home safety, home security, fire prevention and other local services available to them.

The checks will take place on Tuesday 14th December at the Fire Station in Victoria Road between 9:30am and midday.

VE Donations given to Poppy Appeal

Paul Gibson, editor of Hailsham News gave the Poppy Appeal a boost when it was launched last month, with a donation on behalf of Hailsham residents.

A total of £105 was raised following a series of online films to mark the 75th Anniversary of VE Day in 2020. Due to COVID, the planned Hailsham Live event could not go ahead, so Hailsham News produced a series of films highlighting local people, the VE Day story and performances from guests who would have performed at the event.

The Hailsham and District Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal announced the total raised up until the end of November was a massive £21,809.66p.

Pictured from left to right: Paul Gibson, Chairman of Hailsham Royal British Legion Elizabeth Snowden and Reverend Peter Clark.

Care home in crisis as critical staff lose jobs

more than 40,000 staff working in older age care homes lost their jobs when rules came into place on 11th November.

Sarah has worked in healthcare and managed care homes since 1978, and believes serious questions regarding the COVID vaccine have not be answered by the Government, therefore she decided not received the vaccination. She was forced to leave her job last month, leaving the care home (which we cannot name) severely under-staffed by 31%, as other residents were also sacked for being unvaccinated.

She told Hailsham News: “This situation will not improve rapidly and our residents’ care is no longer going to be at an adequate standard. They will be washed, changed, given food and fluids and that’s it. Most of them will remain in bed to be kept safe. This is totally unacceptable, but no one seems

look after more residents. So these people are remaining in hospital beds, therefore bed-blocking, which is going to have a dramatic knock-on effect within the NHS.”

“Many private care homes are likely to go out of business as they rely on new admissions to make money, so with no new income, there’s only one outcome for these establishments.”

Working in a care home has been described as ‘unskilled’ work by the Government and generally attracts a wage of around £9.50£12 per hour.

Sarah added: “How is working in a care home unskilled? It takes a very special person to work in a place where the pressure is so high and the work is so tough. It takes a very skilled person to do this work, and describing our work as unskilled in a total insult.”

residents.

EXCLUSIVE REPORT

New rules came into force recently to stop unvaccinated care staff working on the front line. Paul Gibson reports.

A Registered Care Nurse with more than forty years’ experience approached Hailsham News claiming a local home is now in crisis and fears it cannot fully care for its

The Nurse, Sarah, (not her real name), claims new government rules are putting care home residents at massive risk and won’t receive the care and attention they deserve.

Figures from NHS England suggest 1 in 10 care workers had not received a COVID vaccination by the end of October 2021, and

A cocktail of overworked staff, minimum wages, mandatory COVID jabs and post-Brexit immigration rules has brought the care industry nationally to its knees, with all local homes crying out for new staff to allow them to continue with vital care work.

We spoke to a number of homes in Hailsham who agreed there is a crisis within the industry and the general day-to-day running of a home is becoming increasingly more difficult.

“Where will all this end?”, asks Sarah. “The home I worked in put a stop on new admissions due to fears of not being able to

Nusrat Ghani, MP for Wealden told Hailsham News: “Carers are in the closest proximity to the most vulnerable people in our communities. They have done a remarkable job throughout the pandemic, and I commend all Wealden carers for everything they continue to do to look after our elderly neighbours throughout this difficult time.”

She added: “The Covid-19 vaccine saves lives. It is vital that those most at risk in our society are protected and we need to focus on helping unravel vaccine hesitancy to keep each other safe and prevent avoidable deaths.”

Sharnfold plans turned down

Plans to build 31 homes at Sharnfold Farm have been refused by Wealden planners in a meeting last month.

The development was deferred to committee following concerns in a previous meeting about a barn on the land with Heritage Significance. However, following almost 200 appeals from local residents the scheme has been refused.

Local councillors and residents attended the meeting to appeal against the homes on the site on Hailsham Road next to the popular Sharnfold Farm Shop. The planning committee was told how the site falls out of Wealden’s development boundary and it would cause increased traffic issues in the area.

Developers stated to the committee they were happy to reduce the plans to 25 or 26 homes to hopefully satisfy the local community and planners.

It was stated by the Chairman of the committee, that a fresh planning application would have to made to reflect this in the future.

Sunflowers kicks-off the Christmas spirit

Sunflowers Fete

Sunflowers, the mental health and well-being support group spread some Christmas joy at its successful indoor market.

More than 40 local craft and gift stalls were on offer at the event at the Hellingly Community Hub recently, with a variety of tasty treats, hot drinks and plenty of cake.

Special guests included Mickey and Minnie Mouse and of course the big man himself, which proved extremely popular with local children.

Managing Director for Sunflowers, Charlotte Brazier said: “I want to say a big thank you to all the stall holders who came along to support us, to all of our amazing volunteers who always work so incredibly hard to support our community. Also a massive shout out to our fundraising lead who received a big bunch of flowers at the end for all her hard work organising the whole thing!”

Iconic tree to be saved

health of the tree to help form an opinion on how structurally sound it is.

Experts say that, after taking all of this information into account, it is prudent to reduce the overall size of the tree in order to ensure it can be retained for future generations.

The tree crown will be sensitively reduced using professional best-practice methods to save it in the coming weeks and further details will be posted on the council’s social media platforms.

It is likely that the area around the tree will be cordoned off in the coming weeks while the works are ongoing.

The mature Horse Chestnut tree which has sat in the town centre of Hailsham for more than two hundred years is to undergo vital work to save its future.

The tree, next to the war memorial, is suffering from a particular aggressive fungus, Brittle Cider Fungus, and Horse Chestnut bleeding Canker has also been detected on the stem.

However, the tree’s position sits within various land ownerships including Wealden District Council, so many discussions have taken place within the local councils to agree for the work to be carried out to save it.

State-of-the-art advanced decay detection systems were used to assess the overall

Wealden District Council leader Councillor Bob Standley said, “This is a well-loved tree among the people of Hailsham and an important and valuable part of the town’s heritage.

“Rather than do nothing, the council has used modern decay detection systems and we are now in a position to carry out the remedial works to retain the tree.

“This will maintain the longevity of the tree as opposed to condemning it and eventually having to remove it.

“We are hoping when the remedial works get underway, any disruption to pedestrians and motorists will be kept to a minimum and apologise in advance for any inconvenience.”

Lights switched on in style

Hundreds of residents packed the town centre to see the town’s Christmas lights switched on.

The lights across town were kicked into life by Mayor Paul Holbrook, Deputy Mayor Councillor John Puttick and local resident Lily Clarke.

Christmas carols were provided by local school children along with live performances by students from

Hailsham Community College.

Hailsham FM provided the live music and entertainment whilst Father Christmas took time out from his busy schedule to talk to local children.

Mayor Holbrook said: “It’s so lovely to see Hailsham come together once again and enjoy the carols and music from the children. I’d like to wish everyone in Hailsham a very merry Christmas.”

Freshly cut Christmas trees officially went on sale as Mayor Paul Holbook opened a local outlet - with a chainsaw!

The team from Maybugs join the festivities

Lucky big and small children meet Santa Live music from Hailsham Community College

Special guests Mickey and Minnie

Mayor Holbrook & Cllr Anne-Marie Ricketts

Residents turn out in force to see the switch on

Mayor and Deputy John Puttick with Lily Clarke

The team from Hailsham Lions

Old Oak Christmas Trees, based at the Old

Oak in Arlington opened its doors as it has done for the past 25 years selling trees from 3ft to 15ft.

The majority of these trees are grown by the owners themselves and dug in the last week of November up until Christmas Eve.

Visitors enjoyed live music and singing

Hailsham painted red for hospice anniversary

The town was painted red recently to celebrate a special anniversary of a local hospice which cares for thousands of people each year.

St Wilfrid’s Hospice celebrated its Ruby Anniversary recently and encouraged local businesses, schools and organisations to Paint the Town Red during October, and Hailsham pulled out all the stops and raised more than £5,000 for the hospice.

A huge chunk of that came from a charity raffle and special menu raised more than £2,500 alone. An incredible array of prizes were donated by local businesses and individuals, and the winners were drawn during an online presentation by Bucklers and B12 owner Melvyn Funnell-Strange, accompanied by Mayor Paul Holbrook.

The Mayor was also a crucial part of the local celebrations, by encouraging many local shops to decorate their windows and collect donations, as well as collecting himself for 8 hours in the town centre, raising a grand total of £650 in two very heavy buckets of cash!

An extremely generous donation also came from Hailsham Estate Agents, Crane and Co. A cheque for £2,000 was donated to St. Wilfrid’s Hospice to add to the total by owner Mike Crane.

Hailsham Bonfire Society also put their mark on the occasion by lighting up the town centre one evening with red flares and were joined by local councillors, residents and a number of the society members.

The hospice’s Chief Executive, David Scott-Ralphs said: “The response was truly overwhelming. Around 150 local businesses and 18 schools have got involved. There have been wearing of red caps, special wine tastings, afternoon tea, some wonderful shop window displays and even whole buildings lit up red. Everything has helped to raise either money or awareness of what we do. Thanks so much to every single person who has got behind us this year. From very small beginnings to the work we do now, we are all so grateful.”

St Wilfrid’s, based on Cross Levels Way, Eastbourne supports over 2,300 local people with life-limiting illnesses and their families every year.

Melvyn Funnell-Strange from B12 and Mayor Paul Holbrook prepare to draw the raffle

Bloomfields Florist

Mike Crane presents the cheque to St. Wilfrid’s Hospice

Butler & Sons Funeral Directors decorated their shop front to celebrate the cause

Hailsham Bonfire Society light up the war memorial

Police target knife crime in Hailsham

Hawthylands and other xmas lights

criminals involved in knife crime.

High visibility and plain-clothes patrols have been taking place at trouble spots around town including Western Road Recreation Group, James West Community Centre Park, Gleneagles and Mortain Park to engage with park users, speak to locals in the area around the work being conducted and to raise awareness of the dangers of knife crime.

The Hailsham Neighbourhood Policing team conducted stop and searches against habitual knife carriers and previous offenders, and searched scrubland for discarded weapons or knives being hidden there. It’s all part of Operation Sceptre which has seen an increase in patrols around Wealden.

Your Christmas Recycling and Rubbish Collections

Seasons Greetings

 Please ensure that your bins are put out at the edge of your property by 7am on the day of collection.

 Extra recycling can be put out in non-black plastic bags next to your recycling bin.

 Place your Christmas cards and wrapping paper in your recycling bin (except foil and glitter).

  If you do not have a garden waste collection service, you can recycle your real Christmas tree at your local Household Recycling Site. Check

HailshamEvents

HELLINGLY COMMUNITY HUB: Jen 4 Pilates. Mon 6.30pm & 7.30pm; Thu 7pm; Fri 9.30am. 07958 519168; jen4pilates@ aol.com

Mission: FIIT. Zumba with Keira. Mondays 10.00am-10.45am; Tuesdays 6.30pm-7.15pm; Fridays 11.00am-11.45am. To book: mission.fiit@hotmail.com; 07786 343361. 10% of all Zumba fees will be donated to The Brain Tumour Charity.

Rhymetime & Storytimes. Thu 2 Dec & Thu 16 Dec, 10-10.30. For babies, toddlers and their families. The lively sessions will include sharing and performing suitable rhymes and stories for everyone to enjoy. Contact Rachel Gunn on Rachel.Gunn@eastsussex. gov.uk.

Young at Heart Club Coffee Morning. Every Monday 10am-12pm. This is an informal club, come along have a chat, meet others, Dementia support, Sunflowers Mental Health & Well-Being, play table tennis and mini-badminton, and lots of other activities.

HELLINGLY C.P SCHOOL:

Christmas Wreath Making. Thu 9 Dec 6pm£30 per person – All profits go to The PTA.Includes mince pie, mulled wine or soft drink. All materials included bring any decorations you’d like to add and a pair of sharp scissors. Contact lucy@floristonthefarm.co.uk.

Are you holding a charity or non-profit event? Then simply email the details to editor@hailsham.news for a free listing.

THE HAILSHAM CLUB: MUSIC. 12 Days of Christmas Sing-a-long, Sat 4 Dec, 8.30pm

Lou Taylor’s Soul Train, Sat 11 Dec, 8.30pm. DJ Duggy, Christmas Eve, 8.30pm. Reload, New Year’s Eve, 8.30pm.

ENTERTAINMENT. Bingo, Thu 2 Dec, 2pm. Knit & Natter, Every 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month. Christmas Draw, Fri 17 Dec,

8.30pm. Christmas Meat Draw, Sun 19 Dec,

8.30pm. Christmas Poker Tournament, Fri 10 Dec 7.30pm - wear Xmas hat and get extra 2000 chips. Call Fred on 07786 120462

HAILSHAM CIVIC HALL:

Charity Youth Boxing Show. Glove Up For Good. Sat 4 Dec - 1pm, Kids Demo; 6pm Full Contact Adult Boxing. Contact: 07375 140359, or send an email to: gloveupforgoodevents@gmail.com

FRIDAY NIGHT PROJECT: Tobogganning-Ringo. Knockhatch Ski Centre. Fri 3 Dec, 7pm-8.15pm £2.00.

Knockhatch Adventure Park. Fri 10 Dec, 5.45pm-8.15pm, £3.00.

Christmas Party inflatables. West Community Centre, Brunel Drive. Fri 17 Dec, 7.15pm9.15pm, £6.00. Battle zone, disco dome & pizza, James and crafts.

HAILSHAM EAST COMMUNITY CENTRE: Community Kitchen & Fridge. Coming soon –stay tuned for updates. Reducing food waste and empowering communities.

4-day Holiday Food & Fun Club. 20-23 Dec (for children in receipt of free school meals only) Activities include: Lego Workshop, Forest School and Cookery. Contact Lucy.vale@ sussexcommunity.org.uk

Join Befriending Together. Providing a weekly phone call or visit provides a form of comfort, connection & community. If you can spare an hour a week, please consider supporting our telephone befriending project. Your free hour could be life changing for someone! Contact: 01323 440548 / 07920 526226; hailsham@sussexcommunity.org.uk

HAILSHAM COMMUNITY HUB:

Die-Cut Christmas Card Making. Thu 4 Nov to 9 Nov 10am-noon. Make a beautiful die-cut Christmas card. Session is free with all materials provided. Booking essential: hailsham@sussexcommunity.org.uk

Christmas Card Making. Wed 1 & Wed 8 Dec, 1pm-3pm. Fun, FREE and creative up-cycling Christmas gift crafting. All materials provided to make some amazing and unique gifts. Upcycling Christmas Gifts - Let’s get Crafting for Christmas! Booking essential: hailsham@sussexcommunity.org.uk.

CHRISTMAS EVENTS

East Sussex School of Circus Arts

Christmas Market. Sat 4 & Sun 5 Dec – 10am-4pm. Soak up the Christmas market atmosphere as you browse many stalls offering a wide range of Christmas gifts and decorations. There will also be festive food and drink. It’s a great way to start the festive season.

Christmas Evening Shop. White Hart Public House, Horsebridge. Thu 9 Dec 6pm-9pm. Girls bring your girls (or partners or just their wallets) for prosecco/ mulled wine warm mince pies and enjoy a range of stalls from our local small businesses.

Christmas Tree Festival at Hellingly Church. Fri 10, Sat 11 & Sun 12 Dec. Church open on Friday and Saturday between 10am and 5pm and on Sunday between 12.30pm and 5pm. Refreshments available. Free admission but donations welcome.

Christmas Fair by Glove Up For Good. Hailsham East Children’s Centre. Sat 11 Dec 12pm-4pm. Enjoy festive food and drink, kids’ funfair, many local stalls, nativity panto with music singing and dancing held by our very own kids at the club, And why not have a last minute chat to Santa at our Santas Grotto! Free entry. Contact 07375 140359; gloveupforgoodevents@gmail.com .

Christmas Carol Service. Glyndley Manor. Mon 13 Dec - 7pm. Free Event followed by mince pies and refreshments.

HailshamArts

Tips on becoming a better author

The saying ‘everyone has a book in them’ is usually true and those who have yet to write one should give it a try. Local author Tony Flood offers some vital tips on how to write a better book...

Instead of putting it off, just sit in front of your laptop or computer and type a few paragraphs – even if you think it’s naff.

You can always make amendments later. Indeed, at some stage you will need to edit your own work by correcting literals, repetition and cutting out unnecessary detail that does not further the plot or develop characters.

Getting input from other people can be a tremendous help as I found when I wrote my fantasy adventure Secret Potion. My wife and fellow author Heather, who loves Harry Potter, came up with some very helpful suggestions.

And when I wrote my crime thrillers Triple Tease and Stitch Up! Killer or Victim? I received guidance from the Boys In Blue about police procedures.

Before giving some tips on writing, let me first reassure those who fear they do not have the know-how, or the budget, to get a book published.

You can self publish it as both a paperback and an e-version through KDP Amazon for zero cost! They will deduct the printing costs and their commission from the retail price, with the author receiving the remainder.

Getting the formatting and cover design right are very important. Two good examples of this are Secret Potion and Stitch Up! - Killer or Victim?, the e-versions of which are available on Amazon.co.uk for just £1.99 each. They also show how books should be structured and grab reader’s attention from the start.

Authors would be wise to engage an expert to format the book for them and a designer to come up with a suitable cover.

I can recommend James Harvey and Emmy Ellis who both did excellent jobs on Stitch Up! - Killer or Victim? James and Emmy are available at: James Harvey - Badgoose Publishing www.soulsong. co.uk and Emmy Ellis https://studioenp.com/

Here are my writing tips to get your book published: Hook your readers: Try to have a ‘hook’ at the start of each chapter to capture readers’ attention.

If you are writing an autobiography, do NOT begin it on the day you were born, but with a memorable, dramatic or amusing story from your life.

Information dumping: Many writers fall into the trap of giving too much background detail early on. It is better to drip feed information about characters and their backgrounds in small doses.

Develop your characters: If you don’t develop your characters sufficiently, some of them may appear to be bland. So describe their looks and charactisics.

Use lots of quotes: Quotes from your characters help to keep readers interested. But the quotes have to be realistic - otherwise the characters and the story can lack credibility.

Avoid repetition: Make sure you don’t repeat the same word or phrase. Words like ‘that’ have a nasty habit of creeping in many times. Some ‘experts’ advise writers to stick to using ‘said’ to carry dialogue and thus avoid detracting from what the character is actually saying. But I believe it is more interesting to sometimes opt for ‘declared’, ‘gasped’, ‘lied’ or ‘shouted’.

Use your imagination: Don’t let your storylines or characters become dull. It can help to use the five senses - sight, sound, smell, taste and touch.

Edit your own work: Do this by cutting out unnecessary detail that does not further the plot or develop the characters. Minor characters such as a ticket collector at a railway station do not need to be described if they have nothing to do with the plot.

Grammar and phrases: Some writers come up with great stories but their grammar needs improving - for example, they omit quotation marks or comas and apostrophes. Comas are vital to show where pauses come. Ask someone suitable to copy edit the finished story to eliminate typos and spelling mistakes, etc.

Structure and point of view: Make sure your story has shape and structure. It is usually best to write from the point of view of the main character in the ‘third person’ (unless it is an autobiography and you need to use ‘first person’). Readers can find it confusing if the author writes from Mary’s point of view and then switches to Jane’s point of view. But if your main character does not appear in a particular chapter, then make that chapter from someone else’s point of view.

If you need further help, Heather and I can provide mini workshops to groups and organisations. Just email me at: tflood04@yahoo. co.uk

TALKS AND WORKSHOPS

Tony Flood, the chairman of Anderida Writers and a former Fleet Street journalist, is willing to provide mini-workshops on creative writing for groups and organisations. He is also available to give talks about the many showbiz and sports stars featured in his celebrity book My Life With The Stars - Sizzling Secrets Spilled! Tony can be contacted by email at tflood04@yahoo.co.uk

School pupils insired by author visit

responding brilliantly and engaging superbly! There are certainly some budding authors in the making.’

In only just over 8 years of my poetry involvements I have been quite prolific and have written over 500 poems, had ten books published, (listed at end), been a multi-credited, competitions and awards winning poet, with my poems read out, some by me, on BBC Radio, National Radio that broadcasts internationally, and several other local radio stations too. Many of my poems have been published, with articles, in The Daily Mirror & Daily Mail,and magazines etc, alongside lots of my poetry reading events I can be hired for. All of this promotes, and donates from my books sales, to the charity Help for Heroes that cares for our wounded service personnel.

Anyway to spare my blushes, here is my “popular at mt Readings” poem “Kiss”, (we all like a kiss) that was read out on National Radio Station Magic FM by Lynn Parsons.

Kiss

A quiet, simmering, burning fuse Maybe oh so easy to miss, As with a soft awakening To someone you’d love to kiss. So the signs of any recognition Or consent given from your muse, Are sought for their confirmation You are the one they choose.

Thus with heartbeats all a flutter You slowly pucker up to brush, That alluring sirens ready mouth As you prepare to make them blush, With that soft sweet sensation Now blowing bubbles on your lips.

So you lean closer in together Lest this precious moment slips. Eyes tight shut to keep out the world From your very own embrace, Your bodies pulse fast and close So you are now lost in space. With bright stars and planets forming Brilliant lights across the sky, And transform your understanding That you’ve just learnt to fly.

All ten of my books: Poetic Views of Life, More Poetic Views of Life, Reviews of Life in Verse, Life Scene in Verse, Life Presented In Verse, Poet Reveals All (in your world), Poet Reflects Your World, Poetic Seeds to Fruition, Our World in Verse, Laurie’s Bundle of Poetic Humour

These all ensure my donation to the excellent charity I support, promote and donate to, that being Help for Heroes.

Children enjoyed finding out about the different books he had written and sharing ideas for new stories.

‘It has been great to be back in schools in my home county and sharing what I have learnt about writing with the children,’ said Steve. ‘The children have been

Pupil Isaac said, ‘When Steve visited my class, he taught us how to write like a true author! I wrote 2 paragraphs about being transported to a mythical land.’

Steve’s workshops and presentations have given a new lease for life into the children’s writing and is fully supporting the school’s priorities in ensuring children have a love for writing.

My first 3 books are only priced £4.99 each, with my 4th and 5th bigger books at £6.99. My new 9th, 8th, 7th and sixth books, all bigger are still £9.99., wih my “Best Of” tenth at only £7.99 and are for sale on Amazon, book stores or preferably from me at lw1800@hotmail.co.uk or 07967 355236

I have a Facebook page “The Psychy Poet Laurie Wilkinson”, and a website www. lauriewilkinson.com.

Steve Clifford, local author, visited Grovelands Community Primary School and spent the week sharing his love for writing and inspiring young writers.

Make ‘weigh’ for Hailsham’s zero-waste store

We’ve been told for years how much we need to reduce our waste and reuse as much as we can and where we can’t reuse, we must recycle. With COP-26 just having packed up it’s been the hottest topic of conversation for the last few weeks.

Viktoria Cowley hot-footed it down to Simply Weigh to find out how it all works...

Based in St Mary’s Walk, Simply Weigh is a bright and modern shop with aesthetically pleasing presented tubs, bottles and jars of products. The only exception to this type of shopping is that you don’t select the entire unit unlike a conventional shop.

In preparation for your shop, at home, when you’ve run out of a particular item, just put your empty tubs/jars/ bottles to one side and then take them down to Simply Weigh. Then fill them up from the units provided, in whatever quantity you need.

Like the title suggests, the process is simple: the vessel you use is weighed, you then pop the quantity of whatever product you need in the empty vessel, and it’s weighed again with the original weight taken off giving you the price of just the product you’ve selected, so whether you have a plastic or glass container it will not cost any more. I’d been collecting empties for the last few weeks and put them aside. One advantage to doing this is that the containers become your aide-mémoire, thus negating the need to write a shopping list.

Of course, the biggest advantage – not only to the user, but to the planet – is the one-use plastics, the original products are sold in, now become reusable containers, so whatever the quantity of containers you fill up at Simply Weigh, are that many containers not being thrown away. Most of us are pretty good at recycling, with the fortnightly green bin collection, however, we must remember that no matter how good we are, a lot of resources are still used in getting our recycled items through the system, melted down and reconstructed into new items. By reusing them, this process is by-passed completely.

I was surprised at how much range and choice there was for each item. I was expecting there to be only one choice per product, but things like shampoo and conditioner, handwash and fabric conditioner – there were at least 6 choices per product.

I was surprised at how many products you can get into

one shop. All products are the very best of quality, most of them being organic, gluten free, vegan-friendly where possible. The range of products was incredible, from the expected dried cupboard ingredients: herbs, spices, rice, flour, cornflour, to the unexpected: dried fruit, Christmas and gift items, toothpaste and toothbrushes, to the really surprising: cleaning products including handwash, shampoo, conditioner, washing liquid and toilet cleaner and much, much more.

Is it really worth it?

The bottom line is, for the sheer fact reusing is always going to be better than recycling and we have these amazing products that cater for people who want organic products, are gluten intolerant and are vegan friendly, this is Simply a Weigh of Life and cannot recommend it enough.

It may take some getting used to as taking our empty containers into a shop feels rather strange, but Katrina is very experienced, and you’ll soon enjoy the personal shopper experience. I can see this becoming a mainstay and we need to embrace this way of life and get on board with reusing first.

I love being greener and adopting this reusable approach, however, it’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea.

Katrina will put you right at ease, she’ll explain the process and recommend and explain each product if you need help. Nowhere else can you get the personal shopper experience.

I know you want to know what was on my shopping list, what I thought of it and what did I think of the quality and price? And the big question: is it really worth it?

For a full breakdown of what I bought, the prices and what I thought of each product, see the full article on https://hailsham.news.

The countdown is well and truly on...

As we immerse ourselves into Christmas shopping for our loved ones, it’s important to remember to shop locally.

Viktoria Cowley is geting excited ahead of the big day...

We ran a large promotion in last month’s edition about the importance of shopping locally and at Christmas time it’s even more important, least of all the warm feeling you get when you know you’ve helped a small independent business.

We’re so fortunate that Hailsham has the vast range of shops it does and each one of them is so focused on customer service from helping you choose the perfect gift for your special someone to sourcing that perfect gift if it’s not in stock, so it’s not just a shopping trip but more of an experience, meaning it’s pleasurable for you - the shopper - knowing you’ve invested your money into a worthy business.

When you’ve had your fill of turkey and trimmings this Christmas and you’re done opening your gifts, you’ll be looking for some-

ON THE HIGH STREET

thing to carry you through the New Year and beyond. Instead of setting an unrealistic resolution that’s sure to fail why not simply vow to use your local shops more often?

It’s been proven that if every adult in a town the size of Hailsham spent just £5 a week with local shops and businesses instead of using the big brand giants, it would be worth almost £84,000 a week – that’s a whopping £4.3m a year that would go directly back into the town’s economy.

By doing this you’d be directly supporting local businesses, keeping your money local and promoting local produce, reducing your shopping miles and your carbon footprint.

Here are some more fantastic local businesses in Hailsham. Make sure you give them a visit sometime and show them your support!

Ms Match. Well, not strictly speaking on the High Street, nestled in the picturesque St. Mary’s Walk, MsMatch is a unique clothing shop as well as stockists for all gifty items, curios, ornaments, incense and, by their own definition, “crazy, unusual stuff” that you just don’t find elsewhere.

A family-owned store which offers an extensive range of household decor, clothes, quirky gifts and much more. With over 40 years of experience in retail, providing customers with an enjoyable buying experience and finding their perfect item.

ONLINE

Purple Scents. Suppliers of Scented Wax Melts & Burners, Incense & Diffusers. An example of a brilliant business created during lockdown. Mum-of-three, Sarah, started Purple Scents when her youngest daughter started school and found that owning her own business and creating and experimenting with products and scents was very satisfying.

Check out Sarah’s website at https://purple-scents.co.uk/ Contact Sarah on Facebook.

Dr. Marta Kryczka, an Aesthetic

Practitioner at Unique Smile in Hailsham, feels very lucky to be here having suffered from leukaemia in 2008 and, had it not been for a bone marrow donor match, she most certainly wouldn’t have survived. It’s only really in the last few years that we’ve been told how important being a blood donor and organ donor is, so much so that nowadays you must go out of your way to ‘Opt Out’ if you don’t want to leave a legacy to others. However, you can sign up to be a living donor and it’s not as well known about.

DKMS is the international non-profit organisation dedicated to the fight against blood cancer and blood disorders based in Tübingen, Germany, with entities in the US, UK, Chile, Poland, India and South Africa. DKMS stands for ‘Deutsche Knochenmarkspenderdatei’, or German Bone Marrow Donor Centre.

Simply put, a donor will register painlessly with a simple saliva sample, very similar to the current Covid-19 lateral flow test. The sample is then held on file, and you’ll hear nothing further until you’re needed.

This is exactly what happened to business owner, Marta, based in Freedom Leisure. She reflects on the opportunities of a second chance at life if it were not for the kindness of a German donor.

Please tell me a bit about your business I run a high-quality service providing injectable aesthetic procedures like cheek augmentation, lip enhancement and anti-wrinkle treatment. I provide the treatment for hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating) and bruxism (nocturnal teeth grinding). The principle of my business is to educate patients about extrinsic aging factors, for instance, sun exposure or smoking, which could be modified and improved skin condition as well as general health.

Tell me a bit about yourself.

I’ve been working as a dentist for 10 years and I completed the Master of Science Orthodontics Course in Austria, where I learnt more about craniofacial develop-

ment and facial proportions. I’m also participating in Level 7 Facial Aesthetic Injectable Treatment in London to provide high-quality and first, safety aesthetics treatment for my patients. ‘Primum non nocere’ is my leading motto in a daily working routine.

With your qualifications and knowledge of the facial anatomy, do you think this gives you a better understanding when it comes to your aesthetic procedures?

Yes, definitely. I am more qualified than most, but I hope this helps in the trust people will have in my work. I’m very passionate about this, but it’s not just for the money. My job is to enhance facial features, improving that person’s self-esteem and, in turn, their mental health.

Who makes a good candidate for your processes?

My business strategy is to administer the treatment in a gentle way, which makes the natural ageing process less visible and makes the skin look fantastic. I believe that for many cases the rule ‘less is more’ work perfectly and the spectacular effect could be achieved with a reasonably small amount of premium product.

Tell me more about how important it is for people to be aware of the DKMS register. I would like to take this opportunity to encourage the local community to register on www.dkms.org and become potential bone marrow donors. It’s important to me as I’m a leukaemia survivor and I’m still alive only thanks to my German donor, who saved my life in 2008. Although life after transplant is complicated (I had thyroid cancer in 2020 due to severe radiotherapy against leukaemia), I remain positive and active by taking care of my patients and playing with my 4-year-old son, Adam. The thirteen-year period after transplant was the most wonderful time in my entire life and I hope others could also be saved by raising awareness.

I had to wait until 2 years had passed after the transplant, and those 2 years went by so slowly but when they did, I applied to meet my donor. He had given me my life back; a second chance and I was so grateful to him for that. When we met it was a very emotional time. That was 13 years ago and we’re still in contact now!

Dr. Marta can be found in her clinic in Freedom Leisure. For more details about Unique Smile, or to enquire into treatments, see Marta’s advert on Page 18, or visit at www. theuniquesmile.com.

Support a small business this December

When was the last time you consciously went out of your way to buy something from a small business – maybe a local bookshop, independent retailer or gift shop perhaps?

During the darkest days of the pandemic, there was a real push to encourage us to buy locally to minimise travel. During this time, many small independent businesses stepped up and went the extra mile to help us by offering takeaway, click and collect or delivery services.

But now, as the economy recovers, will we revert to our old habits, simply because of convenience or cost factors as budgets are squeezed? It will be a huge shame if that does happen, as the decisions that we, as purchasers make, have important implications for the circulation of wealth within our communities, the long-term sustainability of businesses and of course local jobs.

Small Business Saturday UK is a grassroots campaign which highlights

small business success and encourages us to ‘shop local’ and support small businesses in our communities. In 2020, a record £1.1 billion was spent in the UK with small businesses on Small Business Saturday, with 15.4 million people choosing to shop small. The day itself takes place on the first Saturday in December each year – this year it falls on 4 December.

So, let’s all send out a ‘big thank you’ to small businesses for the important role they play here in Hailsham, not to mention the employment they offer local people. If there is one thing you do this week, go find your favourite small business in Hailsham or its surrounding villages, buy something from them and tell your friends!

And, how could I not mention the ‘Shop & Dine Well in Wealden’ campaign? Give you favourite small businesses a shout-out on its Facebook (@ShopDineinWealden) or Twitter (@ShopDineWealden) channels and share the love!

Joanne Rogers, MD, Prowse & Co. Ltd

Court rules Ersham Road development must pay £3m CIL contributions

A High Court judge has backed Wealden District Council in its fight against a development of 169 affordable homes on the outskirts of Hailsham.

A ruling by High Court judge The Hon Mrs Justice Thornton vetoed plans by housing provider Stonewater, for the new houses and flats on land at Oaklands, Ersham Road, to be 100 per cent affordable housing. Affordable housing is accommodation for sale or rent, for those people whose needs are not met by the market and who are on the council housing register.

The decision is a victory for Wealden District Council which had pursued what is being widely seen as a test case in the country. The Council argued that if all homes on the site were made affordable, the developers would qualify for Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) relief.

This would mean funds paid by developers to contribute towards providing much needed facilities in the area – like schools, medical facilities and transport infrastructure –would not have to be paid. The CIL payment for the Ersham Road site is worth in the region of £3 million to the Council, providing the developer builds the appropriate mix of affordable and market rate accommodation.

Cllr Ann Newton Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Planning and Development said:

“This is a welcome decision by the court. Our approach has always been to secure a range of accommodation in our developments and this is reflected in our policy securing for 35 per cent affordable housing of qualifying dwellings.

“A greater proportion of affordable housing cannot be provided at any cost, not least to achieving mixed and balanced communities without key infrastructure.”

Planning permission for 169 new homes on the site was originally granted by the Council in May 2020, on the grounds that 35 per cent – 59 homes – would be affordable housing. The site was later acquired by Stonewater, which then wanted to proceed with delivering all 169 homes as affordable ones; making them eligible for Community Infrastructure Levy relief and avoiding any infrastructure costs. That outcome did not accord with the original permission, nor how it had been assessed and determined.

Going forward, any developer who wishes to provide more than the policy requirement affordable housing must declare this in order that planning applications are considered transparently.

When will Father Christmas visit your road this December?

Sunday 5th December 2021

Gleneagles Drive (BMW end), The Belfrey, Turnberry Drive, St. Mellion Close, Mountain Ash Close, St. Boswells Close, Melrose Close, Pitreavie Drive, Dunbar Drive, Woburn Close, Holyhead Close, Wentworth Close, Sunningdale Close and St. Andrews Close.

Monday 6th December 2021

Lansdowne Drive, Lansdowne Way, Paul Close, Lansdowne Drive, Park Rd Dunnock Lane, Warbler Way, Robin Way, Goldfinch Lane, Siskin Road, Dunnock Lane and Goldfinch Lane.

Tuesday 7th December 2021

Fiennes Road, Dacre Road, Queens Road, Buckwell Rise, Fiennes Road, Fairlaws Drive, The Ridgeway, James Avenue, Moncuex Road, Fairlaws Drive and Bagham Lane.

Thursday 9th December 2021

The Stiles, St. Marys Avenue, Greenacres Drive, Market Place, Observatory View, Swan Road, Howard Close, Swan Rd again, Pelham Cr, Archery walk, and The String Walk.

Friday 10th December 2021

The Drive, Chichester Road, Buckle Gardens, Malthouse Road, The Drive, Houghton Way,

Bradley Drive, Reid Crescent, Rickard Gardens and Mannington Road

Saturday 11th December 2021

Harebeating Drive, Hawkstown Gardens, Hawkstown View, Harebeating Drive, Falcon Way, Hawkstown Crescent, Harebeating Drive, Harebeating Crescent, Oak Tree Way, Harebeating Crescent, Harebeating Drive, Quinell Drive and Hewlett Drive.

Sunday 12th December 2021

Field Close, Cuckmere Close, Sheppy Walk, Lona Close, Shetland Close,Anglesey Avenue, Lundy Walk, Solent Crescent, Anglesey Avenue, The Paddocks, Rockall Drive, Stroma Gardens, Anglesey Avenue and Arran Close,

Monday 13th December 2021

Summerheath Road, Beuzeville Avenue, Green Grove, Hawkins Way, Beuzeville Avenue, Rope Walk. Summerfields Avenue, Woodpecker Drive, Sussex Close, Western Road, The Diplocks, Western Road and Bramble Drive.

Wednesday 15th December 2021

Cackleberry Close, Ingrams Way, Arlington Road East, Coopers Way, Blacksmiths Copse, Coopers Way, Millers Rise, Carpenters Way,

Whiffens Close, Meadow Road and The Holt.

Friday 17th December 2021

Hawkswood Drive, Park Gates, Warwick Close, Ashley Gardens, Linden Grove, Arrow Drive, Hastings Crescent, Conquest Drive, Senlac Road, Reef Way, Bowline Drive, Twine Close and Weavers Lane.

Saturday 18th December 2021

Medway, Solway, Fairisle Close, Medway, Moray walk, Cromer Way, Anglesey Avenue, Goodwin Close, Portland Close, Brunel Drive, Telford Lane, Trevithick Path, Hedley Way and Gourney Road.

Monday 20th December 2021

The Grove, Gilbert Way, Sycamore Drive, Beechwood Close, Holly Close,Birch Way, Sherwood Green, The Avenue, The Drive, Windsor Road, Ersham Road and Knights Gardens.

Tesco store: Wednesday 8th, Thursday 16th and Sunday 19th.

To donate to the Hailsham Rotary for their on-going work on making sure these visits happen, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/hailshamrotary

FASCIA BOARDS AND SOFFITS

Built to last, our fascia boards provide exceptional protection from the elements for your home.

Using the highest quality UPVC, once installed, unlike timber they never need treatments or coatings.

An attractive, weather resistant solution for replacing rotten timber cladding, concealing problem areas of brickwork or adding an interesting new feature to your property. Available in a choice of colours to suit your property.

Hailsham based Manufacturers and Installers of high quality made to measure UPVC windows and doors

Supplying direct to the trade and public, all our products are compliant with Pas 24, Part Q regulations and are CE marked

and redirecting rainwater. They are designed specifically to reduce erosion of the base of a building by guiding water to a drain or safe area. Available in a choice of style and colours to suit your property.

As well as our extensive range of UPVC in White and Anthracite Grey, we can also supply: UPVC and Composite Doors

Timberlook Flush Windows

Aluminium Bi-Folds, Sliders, Windows and Doors

Roof Lanterns in Aluminium and UPVC

Glass Roof Lanterns

Commercial Products

Fascias and Soffits

SchoolReports

Would you like your school, college or nursery to appear in these pages? If so, just email editor@hailsham.news.

Historic photograph recreated to celebrate Pavilion centenary

Year 5 pupils from Grovelands

Community Primary School enjoyed a visit to the Historic Hailsham Pavilion, as part of their local history topic last month.

The trip also involved touring historic landmarks around Hailsham town. On arrival, the children were impressed to discover that the cinema was recently ranked at Number 5 of all the Cinemas in the UK in a Timeout poll.

The visit began with a reconstruction of a photo with a group of children from a mixed age visiting the cinema back in 1924. The 91 Grovelands’ children were excited to think that their picture might be recreated by students in 2124!

After the photo, the children were told about the history of the Pavilion by Gareth Jones, former History teacher and now

the Pavilion’s Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Gareth’s talk was followed by the screening of a short film about the restoration of this Art Deco gem in the heart of the town.

Next, the young learners toured behind the scenes, visiting the greenroom where they marvelled at the celebrity posters of former performers.

The projection room filled the children with awe and wonder and they even got to open and close the curtains! They spent time sketching the amazing Art Deco features.

Everyone involved agreed that the day had been a great success. The Pavilion staff, headed up by General Manager Paul Nunney, are hoping that other schools in the area will take the opportunity to visit in the near future.

Hawks Farm Academy marks special occasions

It’s been a jam packed November for Hawkes Farm Academy. The month has been spent raising awareness for various causes and the children have thoroughly enjoyed becoming more knowledgeable and involved in the appeals we have brought to them.

To start the month off, they began collecting Shoeboxes filled with goodies and essentials for those who are in need of an added bit of joy around Christmas time. The boxes that have been brought were all

been beautifully wrapped, showing the care and thought has gone into helping those who unfortunately need it.

For Remembrance Day, the Class Ambassadors, who were elected by their peers at the end of the last term, carried out their first responsibility and did an excellent job.

After school, the children stood out at their stall, come rain or shine, for our Poppy Appeal, raising money for the Royal British Legion. The children took their role very seriously and did a fantastic job, meeting and greeting families while managing the chari-

ty boxes with huge smile on their faces. Monday 15th November was the start of Anti-Bullying Week. It was also Odd Sock Day to mark the occasion. This day was organised by the Anti-Bullying Alliance and is designed to celebrate individuality and our uniqueness.

We had many colourful and whacky combinations of socks; they do not do things by halves here at Hawkes Farm! While this was a brilliant way of raising awareness, we didn’t stop there. We wanted to ensure children were understanding the purpose

of Odd Sock Day so they attended various assemblies aimed at anti-bullying.

Not only did we have Odd Sock Day that week but we also ended the week with Children in Need. To raise awareness and money for this amazing cause, children came to school in mufti.

Many children enjoyed wearing their comfy clothes but we also had lots of dedicated ‘Pudsey the bears’ around the school, brightening up the corridors and classrooms. Great effort by the children and even the staff!

Town remembers fallen at busy ceremony

Crowds gathered in Hailsham to pay their respects at the Remembrance Sunday parade and ceremony.

The sun shone for the event which, for the first time, was organised by Hailsham Town Council after taking on the responsibilities from the Royal British Legion.

An estimated 2,000 residents attended the ceremony led by Reverend Peter Clark and Chairman of the Hailsham Branch of the Royal British Legion, Elizabeth Snowden.

For the first time in known local history, the 11am chimes and Last Post was delayed due to numerous medical incidents in the parade and crowd in short succession.

These were swiftly dealt with by medical teams on scene, and the two minutes’ silence then commenced after a ten-minute delay.

During this time, poppy petals were sprinkled over the war memorial by members of the Royal British Legion.

East Sussex Deputy Lieutenant Mrs Amanda Hamblin attended the ceremony and was escorted by Hailsham Town Councillor for Magham Down, Chris Bryant.

Wreaths were laid by Mayor of Hailsham Paul Holbrook, John Harrison from Town Council, Councillor Gerard Fox on behalf of East Sussex County Council, Wealden District Councillor Nigel Coltman and Councillor Neil Cleaver for the Hailsham Liberal Democrats,

All of the armed forces, emergency services, cadet groups with local charities and groups were all represented and laid wreaths at the memorial.

Although this year’s responsibilies fell upon the Town Council, the Royal British Legion Hailsham branch were heavily involved in making sure the parade was carried out with precision. Parade Marshal Steve Leonard took charge and ensured proceedings went as smooth as possible.

Mayor Hailsham, Councillor Paul Holbrook told Hailsham News: “The Remembrance Service was an opportunity and a time for us to reflect and remember the sacrifices made both in the past and in current conflicts and thank them.”

He added: “It is important that as a community we continue to remember those who lost their lives for their country and the Act of Remembrance continues to be of great significance to the people of Hailsham, including the members and staff of the Town Council.”

“It was a privilege for the Town Council to be able to partner with the Royal British Legion Hailsham & District branch in terms of organising the event this year. I’m extremely grateful to residents for attending on Sunday, ultimately contributing to the success of the event.”

The full parade and ceremony can be watched on YouTube or Facebook by searching ‘Hailsham News’.

Around 2,000 residents attended the event. Image taken from The Crown Pub.

Chairman of Royal British Legion Hailsham Branch, Elizabeth Snowden addresses the crowd at the memorial.

East Sussex Deputy Lieutenant Mrs Amanda Hamblin escorted by Councillor Chris Bryant.

Hailsham Army and Air Cadets took key role in the parade as well as collecting for the Poppy Appeal locally.

Photo by Paul Roberts

Trusted to care Award

winning care homes

Our highly trained care home teams are specialists in residential, nursing, dementia and respite care, so whatever your needs and personal preferences, we’re here to help you and your family at every step of the journey.

If you’re considering care for yourself or a loved one, call 01323 887610 or email karen.milligan@careuk.com

Parade Marshal Steve Leonard from the Royal British Legion

Representives from all the armed forces attended the ceremony

Revenend Peter Clark hosts the welcome and introduction

Search is on to find new Town Crier for Hailsham

One of Hailsham’s longest-serving town criers is preparing to retire after 12 years in the post.

Geoff Rowe, who was appointed to the role in 2009 and is a former town councillor and mayor, has decided to retire and wishes to step down to allow someone else the opportunity to step into this prestigious position.

“After 12 years serving as town crier to Hailsham, I have decided to retire as age has caught up with me,” Mr Rowe said. “These have been very happy times and I’ve enjoyed all of the shouts I have done.”

“I’ve met criers from other towns and learned something from many of them. Many people from Hailsham have expressed some enjoyment from the shouts and the town has even been publicised abroad because of them.”

Mr Rowe added: “The town is now looking for a new crier and this is an appeal for somebody to take on the role. You’ll need to be fit, have a loud, clear voice a sense of fun, and be prepared to shout at different times in the week. And, not forgetting, an understanding and supportive partner!”

“I hope there is a suitable candidate who can spread the good word loud and clear and give the town and its events the publicity they deserve. But it is their role to develop the post as he or she thinks fit.”

The Town Crier assists the Town Council to promote important community events such as the Christmas Lights Switch-on, Christmas Market and other special markets by crying in the town centre before and during events.

Subject to availability, the town crier can, like the Town Mayor, also be hired by individuals, groups, schools or commercial ventures for events and official openings, as well as charity events.

Town Clerk John Harrison said: “There are currently just over 200 town criers in the UK representing towns and cities, communicating in the oldest method available, by word of mouth. I am pleased that Hailsham is one of these and is able to enhance the image of our market town by appointing town criers and fulfilling their important duty, acting as ambassador of good will for Hailsham.”

“In his 12 years as Town Crier, Geoff Rowe has dedicated a lot of his time to the role, which has included helping with a number of mayoral events, specialist markets and official openings, as well as our annual bonfire night and Christmas celebrations. He has represented the needs of the local community admirably, and we’ve been very fortunate to have him as our Town Crier and loudest citizen for so many years!”

Mr Harrison added: “We look forward to welcoming applications for the new Town Crier. All that is required is a big voice, courteous behaviour, strong connections to the town and a willingness to come and support its events.”

Travel expenses will be paid for any events that have been organised by the Town Council that require travel.

The Town Council is looking for someone who has a good knowledge of Hailsham and understanding of the town and its history and heritage, the ability to point visitors in the right direction for local events, businesses and amenities, have a friendly, courteous and approachable personality, and a loud, clear voice without the need for amplification and good appearance.

Depending on the numbers interested in the position, the successful candidate will either be appointed following an interview by the Town Clerk and councillors, or via a crying competition.

Main photograph by Ray Beckwith, 2011.

If you are interested in applying to become Town Crier for Hailsham, please write to: John Harrison (Town Clerk), Town Council Offices, Inglenook, Market Street, Hailsham, BN27 2AE, or give the office a call on 01323 841702.

Diplocks litter disgrace

Volunteers spend own time clearing up after lazy, inconsiderate fly-tipping and littering on new pathway

Hundreds of items including alcohol cans, mattresses, trollies, TVs, needles and knives were just a few of the items found by volunteers during a recent community litter pick.

Volunteers discovered a disgraceful amount of litter during the two-hour pick on the newly-laid path from the Diplocks housing estate to the nearby industrial estate.

The joint clean-up operation by Waterweek, the Wealden Wombles and Hailsham Active saw more than 20 volunteers trawl the stream and pull litter from the bushes in an attempt to clear up after people who dump rubbish nearby.

More than 50 cider and lager cans were recovered from one bush alone and among the haul collected during the morning was a large 10-inch knife, needles, bed mattresses, supermarket trollies, carpets and home entertainment equipment.

The path was recently created as part of an initiative by East Sussex County Council to upgrade local byways and make them useable for the general public.

The team organise regular litter-picks around Hailsham and Hellingly, and target trouble areas such as river banks alleyways and parks where people are likely to

All litter bagged-up by the team is collected by Wealden’s contractor Biffa, shortly after each pick.

A spokesperson from Wealden District

Council told Hailsham News: “People enjoy doing their bit for the community and we are very happy we can help to facilitate that. We are incredibly grateful to all our litter-picking volunteers in Wealden who, alongside our Street Cleansing Team, help to significantly reduce the amount of litter in our beautiful district.”

Bin bags, bag hoops and littler pickers have been donated by Wealden District Council to assist the teams in their quest to clean up the towns streets and alley ways.

Hailsham Independent Town Councillor Ross Newark who regularly joins the litter picks said: “It’s my goal to inspire people to care for the environment and participate in local community projects. Litter picks like the recent Diplocks stream clean al low my daughter Ferne, and son Oakley to get involved with like-minded, community focused individuals.”

He added: “This was the third Waterweek 2021 stream clean that was organised in conjunction with Hailsham Active and it’s made a huge difference to the wildlife and residents in the area. Our hope is to continue inspiring others to care for their local patch and keep Hailsham free from litter.”

Action has been taken by the authorities to crack down and target those fly tipping and littering in the area.

Anyone wishing to join the Wealden Wom bles can contact them via their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ groups/912111862693384.

Independent Councillor

Ross Newark cleans the Diplocks stream

Hailsham FM presenter

Tim Fox digging deep in nearby hedges

A haul from just one bush

Volunteers discover only one item of use - a large builders bag

Lazy fly-tippers dump electrical goods in hope they will just disappear!

Worrying find - a large kitchen knife disgarded in nearby bush

Stevens and Carter receive highest rating honour

Stevens and Carter attained the high standards necessary to be awarded with the property industry’s most prestigious mark of excellence, the Best Estate Agents Guide GOLD winners.

On Wednesday 3rd October, over a thousand of the UKs leading Estate Agents, Letting Agents and suppliers gathered for the biggest Estate Agency event in the country, where the results of this years’ Best Estate Agent Guide Awards were announced.

Over 15,000 Estate Agencies are included in the assessment conducted by The Property Academy supported by the leading Portal Rightmove.

Each office is scored against a unique set of criteria looking at marketing, customer service and results. There is a whole of market assessment using a combination of data analysis, mystery shopping and a website review to identify the BEST Agencies in the country.

Stevens and Carter is delighted to be recognised for their dedication to providing the very best levels of service and results. Sales Manager Sam commented: “I am so proud of our team, we set our standards so high to ensure we are consistently going above and beyond to help our clients, and in turn delivering the absolute best possible results each and every time.”

Semi - Rural Location, sizable mature rear garden, indoor swimming pool, extended 1920’s House, four reception rooms, two bathrooms, an office, driveway with parking leading to an attached garage parking. Offers, excellent potential, five double bedrooms. CHAIN FREE.

Situated on picturesque New Pond Hill is this substantial 1920’s built detached house located within a sizeable mature plot affording a favoured southerly aspect. Although this very attractive home is presented in good order it does, in our opinion, require some re-styling therefore offering an excellent opportunity to any discerning buyer looking to create their ideal home.

POND HILL

Internally it is arranged downstairs with an entrance porch, hall, lounge with additional snug area, kitchen with door to utility room, study, dining room, a family room, further office and a cloakroom. On the first floor bedroom one benefits from a dressing area with door to an Ensuite bath/shower room, there are four further double bedrooms, a family bathroom and a WC.

Externally, there is a sizable mature rear garden affording a private and favoured southerly aspect being laid mainly to lawn with a patio area and various trees & shrubs. There is also an indoor swimming pool in the rear garden whilst to the front of this charming home is a driveway leading to an attached garage.

WAY

Modern House, well presented, driveway & garage, remainder of warranty, ensuite shower room, built-in wardrobes, kitchen-diner, close to town, favourable location.

Situated within the favoured Burfield Valley development, we are pleased to offer this beautifully appointed semi-detached two double-bedroomed house complete with driveway and garage.

Inside it is arranged thus; entrance hall, kitchen-diner, lounge, stairs to the first floor landing, main bedroom with built-in wardrobe and Ensuite shower room, second double bedroom also with built-in wardrobe, family bathroom and hall storage cupboard. To the rear is a garden with patio and lawned area while to the front is a driveway and garage.

NEW

Offers in Excess of £1,000,000 RIGGERS

Offers in Excess of £275,000

put their best foot forward to sup port a national mental health charity and raised over £1,000.

Team members and residents at Care UK’s Bowes House, on Battle Road, stepped up to complete the ‘100 Miles for Mind’ challenge. Walking over 1306 miles over the course of a month, ‘Team Bowes’ raised £1056 for Mind, a nationwide mental health charity dedicated to offering information and advice to people with mental health problems.

To the celebrate the achievement, the team hosted a celebratory lunch in the home’s very own pub, Lyns Tavern. Residents and team members enjoyed a tasty buffet lunch prepared by the home’s chefs.

for Mind. I enjoyed the 100 miles challenge, especially walking with the team. Afterwards we enjoyed a buffet lunch to celebrate our achievements for such a worthy cause”

Ryan Harris, Home Manager at Bowes House, said: “Here at Bowes House, we love supporting local charities by raising funds in enjoyable ways. Walking is a great way to stay fit and active, especially for older people, and when the steps are for a good cause it was certainly easier to stay motivated. We are thrilled to be supporting Mind so they can continue their much-needed work in the community.

“I am really proud of the team and the residents for all their hard work and dedication to complete the challenge.

Supporting the Community with vital skills and invaluable resources

PACE Sussex Clubs for Young People. Involve, Enjoy and Achieve. Welcome young people aged 12-18 free of charge!

Struggling at School? Want to boost your confidence? PACE is a 12-week project guided by you for you. 4-6pm Tuesdays at Hailsham East Community Centre. To find out more, book a place or refer a young person contact shannon@sussexcommunity.org.uk

SCDA Befriending have a support network so if you’re feeling lonely, isolated or disconnected from your community, they have trained volunteers ready and willing to keep you connected with a regular friendly telephone call.

Volunteers are always required and there is a process to ensure the right match of Befriender is made to best assist the Befriendee. Face to face meetings will be available when restrictions allow.

SCDA Crochet & Chat are available for if you would like to learn a new skill and join a friendly and supportive group. Learning together, sharing ideas and good conversation in a relaxed and fun environment. All materials are provided but booking is required.

SCDA Seeds & Weeds have a Community Allotment in Battle Road and are appealing for help for erecting their polytunnel. This helps, not only with the flourishing gardener, but also with social contact, wellbeing, exercise. If anyone would like to assist building this structure, it would be very much appreciated by the SDCA team. Please get in touch for more details.

Having recently moved to their North Street location, the Sussex Community Development Association (SCDA) has a bright and airy premises with an open-door approach. Viktoria Cowley catches up with Julie Hollister and Lucy Vale to see what the team are up to.

Established in 1997, the SCDA works across East Sussex, supporting community-based projects aimed at tackling loneliness and social isolation, improving health and wellbeing, increasing economic stability and addressing the needs of those most vulnerable in the community.

I sat down with Julie and Lucy, part of the SCDA team for a chat and a mince pie which allowed them to relax for an hour out of their hectic day. And then the masses of information poured out!

To say it’s a busy hub is a huge understatement. Just talking with the team it’s clear how passionate they are about the charity and how helping people is in their makeup. Again, the Covid-19 pandemic has interrupted their ‘business as usual’ approach as they weren’t able to meet the people who needed them most face-to-face in 2020.

However, they were determined to continue delivering their services despite the challenges they faced and with the facility of Zoom they were at least able to connect and chat virtually, over the internet.

A year after the pandemic struck and it had been reported to them by various people that it had been “a life saver” and had they not offered the online services “I don’t know how I would have coped”.

SCDA offer courses and classes which vary throughout the year depending on funding and time of year. One of their services, however, is always in need of volunteers and that’s the befriending service.

This simply involves either phoning or visiting someone in need of social contact, talking about hobbies, families, in fact, any subject which makes them feel better connected.

They may wish to play a game of cards or chess – so if you have an hour to spare a week, the team will carefully pair you up with someone who has similar interests to your own.

The team’s aims are:

• Engage with users and local communities to identify gaps in services and development of new projects to meet community needs

• Offer a range of integrated and holistic approaches to service delivery for those most vulnerable in our community

• Support of effective partnerships between voluntary, statutory and private sectors to address identified community needs

Residents can also take part in street learning, which includes free local courses in English GCSE, Maths GCSE, drawing, pizza and bread making, healthy eating on a budget, English for speakers of other languages and money matters.

For more information, call the team on 01323 440 548 or 07920 526 226. You can also email hailsham@sussexcommunity.org.uk.

Volvo XC40 Recharge Tried and Tested

BY PAUL GIBSON

The topic of emission-free driving couldn’t be any hotter as it is right now - the demand of electric vehicles has never been greater.

It seems as if almost all car manufacturers have an electric offering, even the likes of Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Aston Martin are all ditching the dirty combustion and diesel engines for battery-powered models.

As the race is well and truly on to get you behind the wheel on an EV (Electric Vehicle), I take a look at the first offering from a company that boasts ‘nobody shall be seriously injured or killed in a new Volvo’.

The XC40 is a model the manufacturer announced in 2017, and it couldn’t sell enough of them soon after it was launched. The compact SUV offered all the safety you’d expect along with incredible looks and versatility. It was the ‘affordable’ option for small families and those looking to stand out amongst the vast array of SUVs from Europe.

Two years later the XC40 had established itself, Volvo announced the full-electric ver sion, the XC40 Recharge, which promised a range of up to 250 miles, which at the time was very impressive indeed, and still is to some extent.

Caffyns Volvo in Eastbourne were keen for me to find out what the XC40 can offer cus tomers looking to cut their carbon footprint. At first, I was slightly hesitant as I don’t have recharging facilities at home and travel around 200 miles in a normal week.

The brochure says the vehicle should offer a range of 259 miles on a full charge, but that can obviously depend on a number of factors, including cold weather, hard acceleration, usage of air conditioning amongst many others, so I initially took the figure with a pinch of salt.

I had a family outing planned the day after collectiog the car to Central London, so I had to carefully plan my journey and figure out if I’d need to be looking for charging points whilst in the city. Initially, with the promised range of car, and Westminster being around 70 miles away, it shouldn’t

have a problem, and in theory, would only use around 60% of the battery.

Town driving is really when the battery takes a battering as it were - it seems to radically decrease before your eyes introducing that ‘range anxiety’ we all hear so much about these days. Driving an electric car is a totally different kettle of fish as you start to learn that the battery gets recharged when you’re not accelerating, using brake regeneration to put some juice back into the car.

Via the large central infotainment screen, you can select one pedal driving. This is an incredible way to use that regeneration of power and almost makes the brake pedal useless. In the four days I had the XC40, I think I touched the brake pedal a handful of times. Not only does this reduce your maintenance costs (brake pads, discs etc), but also makes you plan ahead during your drive and in return, you get free electric!

Hailsham isn’t known for it’s car charging locations, so this is where the real homework began for me. It seems as if there’s a good number located around the town, but the real issue I see is the speed they charge.

One of the fastest I could find was a 22kw charger at the Hellingly Community Hub which was easy to set up as a first time user and worked on a pay as you charge basis.

To get a full charge here would mean a 4-5 hour visit, so it’s good for an overnight charge of if you’re really desperate for some range.

Continued from previous page.

A very popular site in Hailsham are the four charging points at the Tesco superstore in North Street. Continued on next page.

These are a great feature but again, only offer a very basic, slow charge. My 30-minute visit resulted in a 5 mile top-up - but, it’s free so you cannot complain too much. Anyway, back to the Volvo. My test vehicle was the XC40 P8 First Edition, basically the top of the range model, starting at a rather eye-watering £59,950. The First Edition is a special model and equipped with basically every option available (except a tow bar) and produces an incredible 408bhp. If you’ve never driven an electric car before, especially one with 408bhp, you will never understand how it’s possible to put so much power down, so quickly! This thing will leave many sport cars literally standing at the lights (not as if I drive like that)!

As you would expect from any new Volvo, the build quality is second to none. This is why you’re paying a fair chunk more than equivalent vehicles. The XC40 is a solid car, built to last and has been well thought out. The digital dash gives all the info you need at a glance, although I’d say the menu on the main central screen can seem a little cluttered, until you get to know your way around the system.

Boot space is generous at 452 litres with a hand compartment under the boot floor to

view, adaptive cruise control, satellite navigation and climate control is just touching the tip of the list of equipment in the XC40, again, warranting the £60k price tag. But, if you want any car these days, fully loaded with options, then that’s the price you’re likely to pay anywhere.

Driving the XC40 Recharge is a faultless experience. It’s difficult to get used to having so little to do, to get going. Due to the keyless system, you simply get in, move the shifter to drive and off you go in pure silence. There’s no ignition button, no bings and bongs, just simply get in and go. The suspension is soft during motorway driving, but can be a bit thumpy when negotiating some of the pothole littered roads locally.

The main competitors I feel to the XC40 Recharge would be the Audi Q4, BMW iX3

driving enjoyment, the XC40 will be a hard one to beat.

You can take a test drive and see more of the XC40 Recharge at Coffyns Volvo on Lottbridge Drive, Eastbourne. Call 01323 344510.

FACTS AT A GLANCE

Model: Volvo XC40

Base price: £59,950

Model as tested: P8 Recharge First Edition

Engine: Electric 300 kW

Power: 408bhp

Range: 260 miles

0-60mph: 4.9 seconds

Emissions: 0/km Tyre

Air conditioning and servicing Car Maintenance

South East is deadliest region for road traffic fatalities

and other road safety groups to reduce the number of casualties, there are still a large number of major incidents occurring, relative to the amount of traffic on the UK’s roads.

Jeanette Whyman, Serious Injury Lawyer from Wright Hassall commented: “Despite the significant decrease in traffic in 2020, we are still seeing a considerable number of serious injuries on our roads, often resulting in people needing compensation for their life-changing injuries.

Latest data shows the South East leads other UK regions with the highest number of road traffic fatalities.

According to the latest government road safety data, there were 1,398 South East road traffic casualties in 2020 – a 9% decrease from the previous year, despite a regional reduction in car traffic vehicle miles of 23% due to the pandemic and resulting lockdowns.

However, the region also recorded the highest number of deaths with 239, whilst the North East was statistically the safest region, with 63 road traffic fatalities recorded that year.

With Road Safety Week commencing from the 15-21 November, these statistics show that despite the best efforts of government

“To give you a better understanding of how widespread road safety issues are in the UK, we have offered a regional breakdown of the latest government data, which details the situation on our roads and shows the need to seek expert legal advice if you are involved in any such incident.

“Although the latest figures show a decline in the number of road traffic casualties, this 9% reduction must be taken in context against a regional drop of 23% in car traffic vehicle miles.

“This shows major road traffic incidents are still a regular occurrence, which unfortunately means a lot of innocent victims will have their lives negatively impacted as a result. And ultimately, if it wasn’t your fault, then you shouldn’t be left to bear the emotional or financial consequences.”

Would you like your sports club or team to appear in these pages? If so, just email editor@hailsham.news.

Bowling Club holds end of season awards lunch

bowls equipment, tables and chairs, and lots of other jobs that needed to be done. John also said without these volunteers Hailsham Bowling Club wouldn’t be the fun and sociable club that it is. He then went on to announce the winners of our various competitions, with the two individual titles of Men’s Champion and Ladies’ Champion being won by Mike Cooke and Sally Pulling respectively. All of the winners were presented with their trophies by Club Chairperson Dave Sykes. The club held its annual Open/Recruitment Day at the end of last May and twenty-five new members joined the club as a result. Considering the recovering situation from the pandemic, this number of new members was extremely gratifying and reflects the attraction of bowling for all ages and the reputation of Hailsham Bowling club. We have been particularly pleased with the way the new members this season have been assimilated into the Club, with some taking on roles in the running of the Club and some doing extremely well in the competitions, even winning some of the trophies.

New pitch for girls football

A small community football pitch is to be created at the Hailsham Country Park to support and grow Girls’ football in the town.

The Town Council’s Assets Management Committee approved the decision to create a the pitch including the installation of permanent goal posts.

Councillor Trevor Powis, chairman of the Town Council’s Assets Management Committee, said: “We are pleased to have supported the Hailsham United team and Hailsham Active’s ambitious plan to increase sports participation in the town.”

end of season lunch and competition awards ceremony at the Langham Hotel in Eastbourne last month. Approximately fifty members and guests were on hand to enjoy a lunch and participate in the end of season award prize giving.

There was a total of fourteen different awards presented to the winners of the various internal club competitions run over the course of the recently completed season.

virtually full fixture list being played despite the early restrictions on social distancing still being in place. Internal competitions started late but were able to be completed. The season culminated with our Finals Weekend when the finals of all our internal competitions were played.

John Mack, the Club’s Competition Secretary thanked those members who made and prepared food on competition days, put out

Juniors selected for county cricket training

For those interested in trying our sport, we will be represented at the “What Can I Join in Hailsham” event on 29 January 2022 in St Mary’s Church or contact Membership Secretary, Joe Winslett, on 07855 339017, or email members.hailshambc@gmail.com.

Pictured are, left to right, Club Chairperson Dave Sykes, Ladies’ Singles winner Sally Pulling, Men’s Singles winner Mike Cooke and Competition Secretary John Mack.

East Sussex League Round-up

East Sussex Premier: As winter arrives, the weather is beginning to have an effect on East Sussex League football with Crowhurst taking advantage of Bexhill Town’s postponement on Saturday 27th November to move three points clear at the top of the Premier Division after a 6-0 win against lowly Wadhurst. Punnetts Town currently sit third in in the table, whilst at the bottom, Robertsbridge United are still looking for their first points of the season.

for the Sussex Country Cricket Club pathway winter training, this is after a big change of focus from the County.

The County is now streamlining the training it offers and has hugely reduced the number of boys and girls it has selected.

Connie Filtness (top right), Sophie Beck, Romilly Smith, Daisy Lawrence, Billy Car penter (top left), Fraser Widdop, Ollie Cole, Beth Gander, George Bailey and Sam Knight have worked extremely hard for the call up.

Since the season finished in mid-Septem ber, the club has been busy training, and up skilling seven of its coaches ready for the

please get in contact. Boys & girls aged 4-15

Division One: Rye Town continue at the top of Division One, despite two defeats in the last month, away to J.C Tackleway and Bexhill Amateur Athletic, but just two points separate the top three with Bexhill AAC and Sidley United Reserves also in contention.

The biggest win of the month came in an all-Hastings affair with J.C Tackleway beating Peche Hill Select 8-0 on the 20th.

Division Two: Herstmonceux continued their upturn in form over November, now sitting 4th in the table, but the surprise result came on the 27th, when Catsfield, beaten 8-1 by ‘Ceux at the end of October, upset league leaders Northiam 75 Reserves in a 2-1 win to move into fourth. Westfield Reserves continue to sit second, but it is still all to play for, with just five points separating the top five teams in the table.

Division Three: It is also very tight in Division

“The Town Council is confident that the creation of the football pitch will enable a girl’s team, which otherwise could not have played, and therefore provide considerable social benefits for the community and fulfilment of another key objective –helping more people to enjoy getting and staying active.”

As a youth football club dedicated to the development of young, local players, Hailsham United has maintained a steady growth rate since forming in 1982. Currently, its numbers exceed 240 registered players between the ages of 6 and 16 and has over 25 FA qualified coaches within the club.

Three, where Hailsham-based Welcroft Park Rangers sit second after a fine month, including a 6-1 win against Icklesham Casuals and an extraordinary 8-3 win away to Mountfield United. Leaders Ninfield suffered a reverse last time out, losing 4-1 at home to third placed AFC Hollington. The victory for Welcroft against Icklesham at The Beaconsfield saw a red letter day for prolific striker Jamie Bundy, who took his goal tally to 100 goals in just 61 games for Welcroft.

Division Four: Hastings Comets currently sit top of Division Four, with a 10-1 victory at home to Sedlescombe Rangers Development rounding off November for the Comets. Ticehurst, who lost 2-1 away to Battle Town Thirds sit second, whilst two Eastbourne clubs, Sovereign Saints Reserves and Parkfield, are locked together for third, with both sitting on 18 points - Parkfield winning their encounter on the 27th by a comfortable score of 4 goals to nil.

Division Five: Completing the roundup in Division Five, Westfield Thirds are beginning to pull away at the top of the table, although did suffer a surprise 4-7 defeat at home to Burwash earlier in November. Welcroft Park Rangers Reserves sit sixth in the table, with Herstmonceux Reserves in fourth, but Crowhurst Reserves are the side in form - scoring an incredible 20 goals in their last two games, with a 13-1 win against D&S Hastings Youth, and a 7-1 win at home to Hastings Comets Reserves. By Stuart Fairway.

SPORT

CRICKET STARS IN THE MAKING

Full Story Page 38

Stringers beaten by second place Roffey

Hailsham Hockey round-up

BY STUART FAIRWAY

A bitterly cold afternoon at The Beaconsfield saw the Stringers beaten 4-1 by high flying Roffey.

Hailsham started on the front foot, getting into the Roffey box within the first 30 seconds, but found themselves behind on 2 when a partially cleared Roffey corner was tucked home by Jamie Wanstall.

After Archie Guest had come close from a free kick which found its way to the far post, the Stringers made amends on the 10 minute mark when a Harry Hughes free kick led to a corner which was nodded home by new signing Jack Nicholas for a goal on his Hailsham debut.

Unfortunately, for the Stringers the scores would stay level for all of a minute, before Wanstall added his second with a hooked effort from the edge of the box.

The Stringers survived a scare on 22 when Wester Young made a fine stop to deny a one on one opportunity, and could have levelled on 24, with Rhys Taylor unfortunate to see his bullet header deflected wide, with

the resulting corner again turned around the post.

On 31 though a break from the visitors saw a cross from the left that resulted in a penalty, despite no visible appeal from the away side, with Young going the right way but just unable to keep Josh Neathey’s spot kick out, before a fourth arrived for Roffey five minutes later when Neathey reacted quickest to smash home at the far post.

With Roffey on top, Hailsham did have one further opportunity before the interval, with Ellis Webster’s shot from out wide finding the side netting.

The Stringers came out early for the second half and immediately showed intent to improve, with Joey Pout’s effort from range dipping wide inside the first minute of the second period, whilst sub Jacob Feasey would also shoot just the wrong side of the post after meeting Webster’s free kick on the edge of the box.

The Stringers came even closer on 63, after a fine run from the tireless Rhys Taylor, one of the few bright sparks for Hailsham throughout, was cut back for Jack Grey to graze the

upright from just outside the area. Roffey continued to probe, with Young making a couple of good stops as time ran out for Hailsham, whilst the wind became an increasing factor with both sides frequently finding touch rather than the intended target. Ellis Webster’s injury time dismissal saw the Stringers reduced to ten men late on. For the Stringers there is now a blank midweek, before the visit of another of the league’s top sides, Shoreham, on Saturday 4th December at 3pm. The Under 23’s meanwhile will be in action on Thursday night, going to Eastbourne Town in the Sussex FA U23 Cup, whilst the Under 18’s are back at The Beaconsfield on Sunday 5th December against Eastbourne United (11am, Free Entry).

Stringers; Young, Guest (Sparks 75), S Pout, Nicholas (Feasey 50), Thomsett, S Townsend, Hughes (Z Masterson-Pipet 59), Grey, Taylor, J Pout, Webster

Unused; J Masterson-Pipet, Turner

Attendance; 59

After the last two seasons being disrupted by Covid lockdowns and England Hockey taking the opportunity to restructure all of the leagues, Hailsham has so far seen varied results across their teams.

Mens 1sts found that despite a good start to the season November has not been so kind and they have suffered a couple of large losses. They now sit 10th in their league. Goal scorers for them have been Josh Smith-Jones and Alex Smith.

Mens 2nds have fared slightly better and have won 1 and lost 2. One of the games they lost being very close. Notable scorers have been Freddie Cable (including 4 in one match), Sam Rham, John Bartlett, Yousif Maroki, Jon Viveash-Green and Baily Ross. They now sit 8th in their league.

Ladies 1sts have won two games and lost 1. They sit 5th in their league All games closely contested with no more than two goals difference in the results. Goal scorers were Susie Smith, Katie Bates, Natalie Hayes, Sophie Cable, and Sue Cable adding another to her record as the clubs all time top scorer. Sophie and her brother Freddie are following in their mothers’ footsteps.

Ladies 2nds have only played two games this month winning 1 and losing the other. They also sit 5th in their league. Scorers have been Lacie Watterson, Claire Duff and Ciara Buckley.

Ladies 3rds have maintained their good start to the season winning two out of three games. The game they lost was to the leagues runaway leaders. They currently sit in 3rd in their league. Their scorers have been Breeanne Begg, Rachael Forss, Nikki Ouzman, Jackie Baxter, Alison Headey, Alisha Gurr and Celia Hoad

Hailsham juniors side named The Millers have so far won 3 of their 5 games and sit 3rd in their league. Notable scorers are Freddie Cable and Connor Agnew with a hat trick each.

Hailsham Hockey Club has a thriving junior section with members aged 6+ with coaching and training taking place mid-week at Hailsham Community College. Please contact the club at info@hailshamhockey.com