Sussex Local - Findon - July 2018

July 2018

SUSSEX LOCAL

Findon - High Salvington - Salvington - Clapham - Patching

Local news and events through the door to 6,200 homes in this area every month

BUILDING HEROES A future for veterans

WIN TICKETS!

Loxwood Joust with seats in the Pavilion The Searchers in Worthing

HISTORY

Local Truffles

PLUS

LOCAL NEWS School, Charity & Community

GARDENING

Clay Gardens

DINING OUT

The Ivy in the Lanes Brighton, restaurant review

What’s On, Local Walks, Recipe, Prize Crossword, Local Clubs, Gardening, Local Charities, Local Business Directory

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July 2018 Cover image Summer fair kindly supplied by Sheila Mills

Welcome...

It’s July, the month of summer fairs and the start of the school summer holidays. For plenty of things to entertain all the family please see our What’s On guide starting on page 4 with more events on sussexlocal.net Before you reach for the sun cream, read Heather Smith’s health article on page 49.

Many of us are deficient in Vitamin D, vital for the heart and immune system - a small amount of exposure to the sun can help.

Our charity profile this month spotlights “Building Heroes” providing military veterans with skills and connections to begin a new career in construction, page 26.

This month there’s a chance to win a family ticket to the Loxwood Joust, page 16. Watch the gallant knights battle for honour and enjoy all sorts of Medieval-themed fun over two weekends in August. You can also win a pair of tickets to see famed 60s group, The Searchers live in concert at the Pavilion in August. See page 17.

Historian and Findon resident Valerie Martin writes about the much coveted ’black diamonds of the kitchen’ otherwise known as Truffles. See our history article, page 48.

“Don’t despair if your garden is mostly clay” says Andrew Staib in our gardening article, page 36. Plus the month’s key tasks.

Finally, if you’ve ever thought of fostering a pet do read our article from WADARS - page 44.

Enjoy July!

Kris & Jeff

Words of Wisdom “Life is a grindstone. Whether it grinds us down or polishes us up depends on us.”

- L. THOMAS HOLDCROFT Disclaimer - Whilst advertisements are printed in good faith, Sussex Local (Kay Publishing Ltd) is an independent company and does not endorse products or services that appear in this magazine. Sussex Local cannot be held responsible for errors or omissions or claims made by contributors.

The views and opinions of contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher.

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...........................................................................What’s On ........................WIN! Family ticket to The Loxwood Joust ..............WIN! Tickets to see The Searchers in Worthing ........................................................................Local Walks .........................................................Charity & Community .......................................Building Heroes - Charity Profile .................................................................Prize Crossword .................................................................................Recipe ....................................................................In Your Garden ..............................................................................Property ............................................Young Readers’ Puzzle Page ....................................................................Local Schools ......................................................................Local History ................................FVRA & Findon Parish Council News .............................................................Business Directory ...........................................................Index of Advertisers

SUSSEX & CHICHESTER LOCAL 01903 868 474

info@sussexlocal.net www.sussexlocal.net Kay Publishing Ltd PO Box 2237, Pulborough RH20 9AH Sussex Local & Chichester Local magazines are published monthly and delivered free to over 37,700 West Sussex addresses. There are six editions and display advertising starts at just £24 a month per edition. Business Directory adverts £10 per month per edition.

1. Arundel edition - Arundel, Amberley, Burpham, Climping, Fontwell, Ford, Slindon, Walberton & Yapton Total addresses - 6,400 2. Barnham edition - Barnham, Eastergate, Westergate, Aldingbourne, Oving, & Tangmere Total addresses - 5,400 3. Chichester edition - Chichester centre & suburbs Total addresses - 7,800 4. Findon edition - Findon Valley, Findon Village, Nepcote, High Salvington, Clapham & Patching plus Salvington/Selden (south of A27) Total addresses - 6,200 5. Pulborough edition - Pulborough, Bury, Coldwaltham, Fittleworth, Marehill, Nutbourne, Stopham, West Chiltington village and Common. Total addresses - 5,500 6. Storrington edition - Storrington, Ashington, Cootham Thakeham, Sullington & Washington. Total addresses - 6,400 The combined circulation of all six editions is over 37,700 addresses.

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Win a family ticket to the Loxwood Joust Plus pavilion seats to watch a live joust! 4th-5th and 11th-12th August times when crime and punishment was a grim affair, nothing brings that reality to light more than the gruesome and frightening apparition that is the Executioner dressed all in black.

Join the blacksmith to master the art of metalwork, undertake chain-mailing as you create your own jewellery, or try your hand at copper bowl making, whilst younger ones create a badge in pewter and punch their name or initials on to copper charms.

Jousting Knight Lance Clash The Loxwood Joust’s unrivalled programme of mediaeval revelry and mayhem guarantees a fun and educational day out for all the family on the 4th, 5th, 11th and 12th August.

Experience the verve and vigour of a world where lives were harsh and hearts were passionate as you walk through the Living History Village and see the inhabitants go about their daily life. Then in the battlefield beyond, harken to the call of booming cannon fire and the clash of steel on steel as the mighty battle takes place in front of your eyes.

Watch the magnificent fully armoured jousting knights earn honour and valour with the pounding of horse’s hooves, as they present a fast-paced, all action jousting tournament that will always amaze and astound. And explore the Mediaeval Market Place where traders bring their wares to sell just like peddlers of old.

Treat yourself to a meal with The Queen of Loxwood at her sumptuous five course banquet and be entertained by court jesters, live music and riddlers as you dine. Then at the Mead Shack in the woods, sample the ‘Nectar of the Gods’ whilst the Mediaeval Baebes entrance and soothe with magical voices, and the hypnotic belly dancers dance.

Meet the Faerie Goddess, impart your wishes and place her blessing at the Crescent Moon Temple as she brings you closer to the Loxwood nature spirits; and perhaps you will take part in a true pagan ceremony to renew your vows or have a full bespoke handfasting wedding.

Over the bridge dwells the den of the witches where these creatures most foul will lure and beguile you with their spells and incantations. And in mediaeval

Then in the far corner of the Midsummers Meadow nestles the Children’s Kingdom; a festival within a festival, where the Mediaeval Groat is the currency. Here you will find all manner of exciting activities, including have-ago archery, pelt the peasant, face and wound painting, donkey rides, jester school and of course the bouncy castle.

Devilstick Pete Carina Rose

Both adults and children can learn some long sword moves at sword school, and try their hand at hitting the life-size boar and stag as they test their bow skills against the exciting range of targets.

So there you have it, The Loxwood Joust is a festival like no other, as history comes to life each day from 10am to 6pm. Advance tickets are available at www.loxwoodjoust.co.uk

Win tickets to the Loxwood Joust To enter the competition simply answer the following question: Q: In which time period is The Loxwood Joust Set? a) Mediaeval b) Victorian c) Tudor Send your answer and contact details to: Loxwood Joust Competition, PO Box 2237, Pulborough RH20 9AH or enter online at www.sussexlocal.net/features/competitions Winner drawn after 18th July 2018. Please indicate if you wish to remain on our mailing list.

Competition

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Win tickets to The Searchers Friday 31st August at 7:30pm, The Pavillion Theatre, Worthing as they have done throughout a fantastic career spanning 5 decades.

Their special ‘solo’ concert is a highly entertaining show and has been enthusiastically and warmly received throughout the world. Combined with anecdotes and reminiscences, this fully self-contained concert includes all their famous hits, plus many album recordings, B-sides and a selection of other collector and well known favourites.

Don’t miss The Searchers live in concert! www.worthingtheatres.co.uk/show/the-searchers/ The Searchers remarkable career continues. With such classic hits as, Sweets For My Sweet; Needles and Pins; Don’t Throw Your Love Away; Sugar and Spice and When You Walk In The Room, they have contributed enormously in establishing the UK as the world’s leading nation in the music industry.

There is no doubt that the decade that gave us The Beatles as well as The Searchers and many others was very special and will go down in history as being the most imaginative period of music creativity and expression. With total record sales in excess of 50 million, The Searchers still have great appeal to audiences of all ages. They tour the globe as much today

Win tickets to The Searchers To enter the competition answer the question below: Q: Which band came from the same decade as The Searchers? a) The Beatles b) Nirvana c) Spice Girls Send your answer and contact details including phone number to: The Searchers Competition, PO Box 2237, Pulborough, RH20 9AH or enter online at www.sussexlocal.net/features/competitions Winner drawn after 31st July 2018. Please indicate if you wish to remain on our mailing list.

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18 Walks

Local Walks - July All walks are led by friendly, trained volunteers - please do check with the organisers for full details and for any last minute changes. Health walks are 30 – 90 minutes, supported by Walking for Health & Horsham District Council. Level 2 & Level 3 are more challenging, for fitter walkers, supported by Horsham District Council Sun 1

10:00 am Fryern Park Meet at Storrington Recreation Ground car park, RH20 4BG. Landscaped pleasure gardens and waterfall Wed 4 10:30 am Horsham Park Stroll Meet at bandstand in Carfax (RH12 1FD) Fri 6 11:00 am Southwater Meet in car park of the Country Park, (off Cripplegate Lane, RH13 7UN) Sat 7 2:00 pm Thakeham Circular Meet in Thakeham Church car park, RH20 3EP. Explores the tracks, footpaths and byways north of Thakeham Village Sun 8 10:00 am Leechpool & Owlbeech Weekend Walk Meet at Leechpool Wood car park, Horsham Wed 11 2.30 pm Horsham Heritage Guided Walks Meet outside the Museum in the Causeway.

Learn more about Horsham’s history Thu 12 7:00 pm Ron’s Evening Walks For experienced walkers over difficult terrain. Very social walk that usually ending in a pub Fri 13 10.00 am Amberley Meet in the Museum car park. Walk in the Arun Valley, visiting the villages of North and South Stoke and their churches Sat 14 8:30 am Washington Common & Ashington Meet at Georges Lane National Trust Car Park, Washington.

A pleasant walk exploring Ashington and Warren Hill Tue 17 10:00 am Warnham Meet at Village Hall car park in Hollands Way, RH12 3RH Some gentle slopes and may be muddy Thu 19 10:30 am Storrington Riverside Walk Meet at Storrington Recreation Ground Car Park, RH20 4BG. Explore Storrington's lovely Riverside Walk Sat 21 2:00 pm Fryern Park Meet at Storrington Recreation Ground car park, RH20 4BG Wed 25 10:00 am Rookwood Golf Course, Horsham Take Robin Hood Lane off the Robin Hood Roundabout on the A24 and follow the signs to car park entrance Sat 28 2:00 pm Sandgate Park & Sullington Warren Meet at Storrington Recreation Ground car park, RH20 4BG Tue 31 10:00 am Leechpool& Owlbeech Woods Meet at Leechpool Wood car park (Roffey End)

3 miles

1.25 hrs

Mick 01903 745971 1 mile 30 mins Wyn 01403 256630 2.6 miles 75 mins Jill 07780 701184 3 miles 1.5 hrs Mick 01903 745971 2.3 miles 1.25 hrs Alex 01403 273751 2 miles 90 mins

Level 2 Health Health Level 2 Health Level 2

Jill 07780 701184 5-6 miles 3 hrs

Level 3

Ron 07933 106663 5 miles 2.5 hrs

Level 2

Margaret 01403 262311 6 miles 2.5 hrs Level 3 Mick 01903745971 2+ miles 1 hr

Health

Emmy 01403 255517 2.5 miles 90 mins

Health

Mick 01903 745971 3 miles 1.25 hrs Mick 01903 745971 4.5 miles 2 hrs

Level 2 Level 2

Michael 07719 467861 3.6 miles 1.75 hrs Level 2 Mick 01903 745971 2-3 miles 1.25 hrs Health Emmy 01403 255517

Arun Adur Ramblers – www.arun-adur-ramblers.org.uk Wed 4 Tue 10 Sun 22 Wed 25

10:30am Devils Dyke - there and back 8 miles Moderate Meet at Arlington Resevoir Car Park 10:30am Findon 5.5 miles Leisurely Meet at Nepcote Green 10:30am Firle 9.5 miles Moderate Meet Highdown Hill Car Park. Breakfast to be taken en route, at Haskins Garden Centre 10:00am Wiggonholt RSPB 4 miles Easy Meet in overflow car park, RSPB Visitor Centre, Wiggonholt

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20 Charity & Community

Sussex Snippets The Group is a club for unattached men and women aged 50+. In its twelfth year, The Group has meetings in Brighton, Burgess Hill, Lewes and Horsham and a diary full of events. Lunches, golf, cinema, galleries, theatre, walks, holidays – just about anything that people like to do and The Group’s diary is emailed to members twice every month. The Group isn’t a dating agency but it is an opportunity for people to meet new friends in a comfortable environment. www.thegroup.org.uk Sussex Police have adopted a new protocol to help speed up the search for missing people living with dementia. The Force is adopting the 'Herbert Protocol' which gives carers, relatives or friends the ability to prepare, in advance, information that officers need quickly when a loved one goes missing. Family or carers of those living with dementia complete a form that records crucial information about the person and should the person then go missing, the form can be handed straight to the attending police officer, along with a photograph. This will provide officers with the most up to date information about the vulnerable missing person, helping to accurately guide their search, and avoid further unnecessary questions for families. www.sussex.police.uk/advice

SUSSEX LOCAL In West Sussex almost 32 per cent of an average household bin is food waste, but did you know that a large proportion of this is ideal for making compost?

If you’re not already an avid home composter and want to do more to reduce your carbon footprint why not get yourself a compost bin? West Sussex County Council is offering their residents a reduced rate on 220 litre and 330 litre bins. Find out more about composting and get your hands on a bin at www.compost4westsussex.co.uk.

Choosing where to eat could be getting easier thanks to a new survey by West Sussex Trading Standards service. Everyone who eats out in West Sussex is encouraged to answer a few short questions about the food hygiene of local restaurants. These include whether businesses should have to display their food hygiene rating, if you would buy food from businesses that don’t display their rating, and if there is a level of hygiene that would affect your decision to buy food from a business. The results will be used to influence local businesses and encourage them both to display and improve their hygiene rating. At the moment it is voluntary to display the food hygiene sticker in England. To find out the scores on the doors for your local food businesses and to answer this short poll please go to www.haveyoursay.westsussex.gov.uk Arundel & South Downs MP Nick Herbert has given his backing to a national ‘Nature Recovery Network’ to link up green spaces and protected areas across our towns, cities and countryside. Mr Herbert launched a new report calling for the creation of the innovative network. The report highlights the positive benefits the initiative would have both for wildlife, through increased green connectivity, and to people as a result of the health benefits arising from a greater exposure to nature.

More families than ever before have registered their new baby with the West Sussex library service. This is thanks to an initiative which encourages the very youngest in the county to join the library by automatically offering membership to babies as part of birth registration appointments. On average 8,700 births are registered each year in West Sussex. Of this, 7,500 (86%) opted to join the library service this year compared with 6,000 (69%) the year before.

West Sussex County Council and Public Health England are urging all adults to make the most of the summer weather and find 10 minutes a day to improve their health. Walking briskly for 10 minutes a day can make a huge difference to your health, both in the short and long term – it gets the heart pumping faster, can make you feel better, more energetic and improve your mood. Public Health England is encouraging adults to download the free Active 10 app to help complete 10 minutes of brisk walking daily. Visit www.nhs.uk/oneyou/active10 to find out more and to download the app.

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Worthing Beach receives top national award Worthing Beach has been recognised as one of the best in the country after winning the coveted Seaside Award for the second year running. Overseen by Keep Britain Tidy, the honour recognises and rewards beaches that achieve the highest standards of beach management and, in the case of bathing beaches, meet the required standards for water quality.

Worthing Beach, a seven mile stretch of shingle, soft sand and rock pools, was one of those to be awarded, meaning it joins the ranks of the best in England.

Hold a Big Get Together St Barnabas House has launched The Big Get Together, its annual summer fundraising campaign which encourages people to get together with friends, family or colleagues, have fun and raise money for charity at the same time. Wendy Bardsley, Community Fundraising Manager at St Barnabas House, said: “It’s really simple. Just get together with friends, family, neighbours or colleagues and hold a barbeque, coffee morning, garden party or try out your own unique ideas. It’s the perfect way to celebrate a loved one on a special date or anniversary.” To find out more about holding your own Big Get Together visit www.stbh.org.uk/tbgt or call 01903 254777.

Worthing Speakers Worthing Speakers, who have been active for over ten years and officially chartered as a Toastmasters club in 2013. Current club president Ellie Henderson said: “When I worked for the Woodland Trust my boss asked me to give a talk to the whole charity – about 200 people. I wanted to say yes but I was worried that I wouldn’t do a good job as I hated public speaking. I had to say no. I joined Worthing Speakers, hoping that I would start to enjoy public speaking.

"I have given talks for work since joining. When you work for a charity, it is important to be able to speak with conviction about your work. I feel a lot more confident doing this now. I also think it adds a lot to my CV, especially now I have almost completed a year as President of the Club." www.worthingspeakers.club

The South Downs Project The South Downs Project is a group of locals who wish to develop the abandoned Shoreham Cement Works. If you care about what happens in the Shoreham Chalk Pit, there is a unique opportunity to make your voice heard. The Project is currently preparing their plan to submit to the Government. It is good timing as the Government are trying to find places to build new homes, the Local Authorities are trying to boost their economies, and the new National Planning Policy Framework promises more power for local people. This is a beautiful part of the South Downs.

To have your say and to find out more then please visit www.southdownproject.com

First lady President of Probus Club Probus Clubs have traditionally been all male and Worthing Probus Club was no exception. The Club was founded in 1973 but four years ago the members voted to become the first mixed club in Sussex and Gillian Vernau was the first woman to join along with her husband Brian. Gillian is now President of the club. Gillian said “It is a great honour to be elected the first lady President of Worthing Probus Club and I am really looking forward to my year.”

Worthing Antique, Arts & Collectors Club The Worthing Antique, Arts & Collectors Club is celebrating their 50th anniversary this year. They meet at the Worthing lecture theatre below the main library on the first Tuesday of the month. Each month they invite a guest speaker. This year they have three speakers from the BBC's Antique Roadshow, Ronnie Archer - Morgan, Christopher Payne & Fergus Gambon. They welcome new members or you can just come to the talks that are of interest to you for £5 per person, or if you wish to join £30 per year. For more information you can call 07984 403890 or email worthingantiqueclub@yahoo.co.uk

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Home Start launch Sunflowers Home-Start has responded to Adur families requiring a supportive environment for their children with special needs to come together, play, have fun and share information. The unique characteristic of the new group is that young children do not have to have a formal diagnosis to attend. Parents will benefit from peer support as well as the opportunity to use a listening ear with Home-Start staff and volunteers to offer support and guidance. The Sunflowers Group is being held on Monday mornings from 10-11.30am during term-time at Kingston Buci Children and Family Centre which is fully accessible. If you are interested in attending and would like to know more please call the office on 01903 889707. If you would like to support the charity, you can donate, hold an event or volunteer and join the energetic team.

Findon Swimmers fundraise Dear Editor, I recently began my journey as a masters swimmer, after years of not competing, following inspiration from my mother. We both swim for a club in Sussex, Mid Sussex Marlins. In June we will be competing in the British Masters Championships in Plymouth, swimming individual and team events for Mid Sussex Marlins. This year my mother, Sally will also be competing in the European Championships in Slovenia, aiming to gain a European Long course title.

As Masters Swimmers we cover all our own expenses.

As you can imagine, competing on a international stage for your country is extremely costly, especially as we look ahead to the World Championships, which will be taking place in South Korea, in August 2019.

I have now set up a fundraising page, backed by the club: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/lisa-mills-1 I would greatly appreciate any support, and sponsors which will help me in raising vital funds. If you have any questions, or would like further information please contact me via the Just Giving page.

Yours, Lisa Mills (Findon resident), by email

“Mumpreneur” reaches finals of National Business Awards

Local mum, and business owner, Tanya Fish, has earned herself a place in the final line-up of The Mpower National Business Awards. These are prestigious awards celebrating parents throughout the UK who manage the difficult task of juggling business with family life. Founder of Octopus Learning, mother of two and primary school teacher from Worthing; Tanya has developed engaging, educational subscription activity boxes for ages 2-5, linked to the Early Years Curriculum. Tanya has been shortlisted for the Social Impact category. Tanya, who lives in Findon is also in with a chance of winning the title of Mpower Woman Of The Year 2018, which will be awarded to the mum who is an inspiration to all women in business.

Is Equity Release a solution?

By Richard Cohen FPFS ACII MCSI Chartered Financial Planner I often meet people who consider their home to be a key part of their retirement planning, usually by downsizing. The reality is, in the past fifteen years dealing with clients approaching or passing retirement I can only think of one who has downsized, realising a significant amount of money, i.e. equivalent to at least one year’s income requirement.

Moving home is a relatively expensive transaction taking into account stamp duty, estate agent and legal fees and therefore many decide it is not worthwhile bearing in mind they will have to leave the home they love. For those who do proceed, whilst they may move to a smaller property, typically this is in a better area or is not to their liking so they have reinvested realised funds into the new property.

So where does this leave someone who has banked on their home forming part of their retirement plan?

Equity release by way of a lifetime mortgage can, for some people, be a solution. At its simplest you remain in your home and receive a sum of money, which is repayable when you are no longer able to live there, due to death or infirmity. At that time you or your estate must pay back the original amount

borrowed plus the accumulated interest. Due to the effect of ‘compounding’, this means paying back substantially more than you originally borrowed.

However, even taking this into account it is often still more cost effective than downsizing.

In the 1980s the lifetime mortgage market gained a bad name but standards have improved with organisations such as the Equity Release Council in place to ensure advisers and lenders are adhering to robust guidelines. A typical lifetime mortgage will have a “no negative equity guarantee” meaning you or your estate will never have to pay back more than the value of your home and guarantees that you can remain in your home for the whole of your life. There are even products that let you pay the interest as you go to avoid the effect of compounding.

Equity release certainly isn't for everyone, but it should certainly be considered by the property rich and cash poor. It's a complex area that is best dealt with by a suitably qualified independent adviser who is ideally a member of the Equity Release Council.

For more details visit www.nsurefinancial.co.uk or to arrange a free review please call 01903 821010

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26 Charity Profile

Building Heroes Constructing a future for veterans

by Lynn Smith There are approximately 120,000 unemployed military veterans of working age in Britain today; fit and healthy ex-servicemen and women who, having served their country, have a great deal to offer a civilian career.

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A converse statistic is that the UK construction industry is facing a 230,000 person skills shortage – the highest since 1998.

Since 2013, registered charity Building Heroes has provided military veterans with a rapid transition into a new career in construction by equipping them with a broad range of trade skills and connecting them with a network of employers.

Building Heroes was the brainchild of Brendan Willliams who, after 25 years at leading global investments banks – and ending up as Chief Operating Officer - decided it was “time to give something else a go.” Now the charity’s CEO, he started the charity with his brother-in-law, a Master Builder, who was delivering construction skills training skills at the Queen Elizabeth Foundation in Surrey.

Through them he engaged with some of the wounded veterans using the facilities at the military rehabilitation centre at nearby Headley Court. It became clear that, whilst there were charities supporting those that were wounded, injured or sick, there was no opportunity for ex-service personnel to take a rapid transition pathway to careers in construction.

The charity opened in a dedicated skills centre in Cuckfield but, since May of this year, has been working in partnership with Chichester College - delivering an intensive five week Foundation Property Maintenance Course at the Brinsbury campus near Pulborough. Veterans and service leavers attending the course stay onsite during the week and are able to use the gym facilities provided by Billingshurst Leisure Centre. Attendees are enrolled on a Level 1 qualification in Construction Skills and assessed on a range of skills. In addition they receive a Level 1 Health and Safety in the Construction Environment and a Construction Skills Certification Scheme (SCSC) card, which is essential for working in the construction industry.

What happens after the course will depend upon an individual’s personal situation and their career ambitions. Building Heroes aims to support individuals in their career in the building trades, or onto continuing training, providing guidance and advice appropriate to individual needs.

Brendan Williams has been responsible for driving the charity forward to its current position as a recognised and effective career change option for veterans and service leavers.

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In 2017 Building Heroes trained 150 veterans and service leavers, with over 90 per cent of them progressing into employment, self-employment or further training. Having opened two more delivery centres last year – at Reaseheath College in Cheshire and Colchester Institute in Essex Building Heroes is on target to deliver 250 training places this year and wants to expand their programme nationwide aiming to achieve 1,000 places a year and have nine delivery centres by 2020.

Building Heroes goal is to provide a rapid transition pathway for all military veterans and service leavers who wish to pursue a career in construction. The charity offers its programme free of charge to all ex-service personnel, irrespective of how long they have served or when they left the services. With 120,000 unemployed veterans in the UK today and up to 14,000 leaving the Armed Force every year, the charity is keen to support those who have served their country and help them find new careers in ‘Civvy Street’.

Building Heroes is fortunate as its college partners have access to government funding, which pays for the five weeks skills training. However, the charity remains responsible for costs such as welfare, accommodation and workwear - which amounts to around £1,250 a head. The support the charity offers is vital to help the beneficiaries attend regional centres and achieve a high rate of positive outcomes, and Building Heroes seeks to raise money through a combination of grants, sponsorships, donations and fundraising activities.

In March of this year, Building Heroes held a Dinner Dance at the Langstone Hotel in Hayling Island; having successfully raised over £7,000 the dinner dance is set to become an annual event. A Beer and Blues Festival, organised by the Chairman of the charity’s Trustees – Pete Bradbury - at The Sloop Inn, Scaynes Hill, held over the May Day Bank Holiday raised £2,000 from the sale of raffle tickets and entry donations, and helped to build local awareness of the charity. Amongst other activities coming up this year is the charity’s third annual golf day, taking place on Thursday 12th July at the London Golf Club, Kent there are still team spaces and hole sponsorship available, and details are on the website. Then on 9th September there is a Biathlon, to be held and run by with Billingshurst Leisure Centre.

In common with most small charities, Building Heroes greatest challenges centre around increasing their public profile and raising funds essential to support their beneficiaries. There is not an infinite pot of funds available and Building Heroes is in competition with larger, more well known charities for a slice of the pie.

through the door Building Heroes has three full-time and five part-time staff members; six of whom are salaried. Although the CEO and Office Manager donate their time – as do the Board of Trustees.

The charity is keen to hear from anyone who would like to become a volunteer and help raise its profile in the local area. Although, over the last ten months, the charity reports an increase in support from local groups and associations – for instance, a fundraiser held by The Weald Lace Makers group raised £450.

Volunteer roles encompass a range of skills – such as helping out at events, contacting potential supporters, organising community events and monitoring collection boxes.

The charity’s success at tackling unemployment amongst Military Veterans by offering them a seamless transition to a new career in construction can best be illustrated by the testimony of someone who has benefited from Building Heroes training scheme.

Nathan Blewer was a Tank Commander with the Royal Tank Regiment who, when he was given a medical discharge after thirteen years service, was keen to learn a trade - “Unfortunately,” Nathan says “Tank Commanding isn’t a requirement in Civilian life” - and decided to train as an electrician. However, after completing the Building Heroes Programme and Level 2 & 3 City & Guilds electrical course, he has refurbished a house from plumbing, electrics and

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central heating to plastering and kitchen and bathroom fitting, using skills he learned on the course, and works for a local building contractor. Having multi - trade skills has allowed Nathan to carry out a wider, broader scope or work, and has meant that he hasn’t had to rely on other trades either prior to or post installation work.

“The course,” Nathan says, “not only gives you a new skill set, it also helps you decide on a specific direction to train in, equally importantly it also gives you confidence to try something that you wouldn't have before.

“It is all about having confidence, confidence to try something new, and then more importantly confidence to get out and do it for a paying customer.”

You can find out more about Building Heroes by calling 01798 874521, emailing info@buildingheroes.org.uk or checking out www.buildingheroes.org.uk

SUSSEX LOCAL

30 Legal

Common Law Marriage “It’s not a real thing,” says Emma Wells MIPW Will Writer Contrary to popular belief, there is no such thing as a ‘common law marriage’ or the more popularly banded about term ‘common law wife’.

In England and Wales only people who are married or those in civil partnerships can rely on the laws about dividing up finances when they die, or if they separate.

If your partner dies and you were not married or in a civil partnership and they haven’t made a Will, you have absolutely no automatic entitlement to inherit anything from them. This even includes the family home where you live if it is in your partner’s name and even if you own it jointly as ‘tenants in common’ their half doesn’t automatically become yours. You would be left to make an application to court for provision from the estate as a dependant, these applications are uncertain and can be expensive.

Whilst we understand that marriage or civil partnerships aren’t for everyone, planning for the inevitable should be. For most people a straightforward Will is all that is required to cover the distribution of their estate which means that for £150 you can ensure that your partner will inherit what you would want them to when you die.

Whilst finance and inheritance might not be the most

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romantic of reasons to get married they are very sensible reasons to do so and a simple way of ensuring that you benefit from the now transferable £325,000 inheritance tax threshold known as the nil rate band. Currently a husband, wife or civil partner can leave everything to their legal partner without the estate paying a penny of tax regardless of how much the estate is worth. On the contrary, anything left to an unmarried partner over and above the nil rate band – suffers tax at 40%. You only have to have a quick look at house prices in the South East to see that a great many people will be facing paying at least something to the taxman.

According to the ONS in 2016 there were 3.3 million cohabiting couples in England and according to a 2014 you.gov survey at least 62% of people have not written a Will. Whatever way you look at it that is a huge amount of unnecessary tax that will have to be paid and an even bigger amount of entirely avoidable stress that dying without a Will can cause to those left behind.

For more information regarding writing your Will or for expert tax planning advice please contact Nsure Estate Planning Services on 01903 821010 or via email at Emma.wells@nsure.co.uk

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SUSSEX LOCAL

32 Crossword

Prize Crossword Win a ÂŁ20 voucher for The Village House, Findon

Findon July 2018

May 2018 answer below:

Winner: Anthony Dole from Findon. Congratulations and thank you to all who entered.

Finish the crossword and fill out the box below with the letters from the shaded squares. Work out the anagram

Down

Across 1 4 9 10 11 12 14 15 17 18 20 21 22

Bring into action (6) Spectator (6) Movement of vehicles en masse (7) Useful (7) Opposite of outer (5) Put into service (5) Number of deadly sins (5) Standpoint (5) Colour of snow (5) Outline; silhouette (7) Person proposed for office (7) Oppose (6) Six-legged arthropod (6)

1 2 3 5 6 7 8 13 14 15 16 17 19

Nitty-gritty (6) Mapping out in advance (8) Proposal (5) E.g. a resident of Rome (7) Predatory canine mammal (4) Actually (6) Accomplishment (11) Forbearance (8) Earnest (7) Seem (6) Turn down (6) Adult human female (5) Chances of winning (4)

Name: ...............................................................................................................

Full address: .................................................................................................... ..........................................................................................................................

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

Email:................................................................................................................

Phone:...............................................................................................................

Mobile: .............................................................................................................

Answer from yellow box: .................................................................................

Send the word above to: Sussex Local Crossword, PO Box 2237 Pulborough, RH20 9AH or enter it online at our website www.sussexlocal.net/crosswords Closing date: 31st July 2018.

THE VILLAGE HOUSE FINDON

Where great food and hospitality is our speciality WIN a ÂŁ20 food voucher www.villagehousefindon.co.uk

01903 873350

Sussex Local & The Village House may wish to keep in touch with occasional information and offers. We will never share your details with third parties.

Please tick if you would like to receive such information.

Business 33

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Worthing Independent Network Join the fun breakfast networking group and grow your business We like to make sure our members get ‘value for money’ so breakfast is £10.00 and our annual membership fee is just £25.00.

Are you running or working in a local business? Fancy breakfast with a fun group of people? Why not try out Worthing Independent Networking.

We are a group of like-minded, local businesses who meet every other Tuesday for breakfast at The Dome in Worthing. We have been up and running for over 8 years and our committee is made up of members who give up their time for free to run the meetings and expand the network. We don’t have targets, we don’t push for leads but we do business in a natural and communicative way.

Our membership is capped at 40 people and the group is a ‘lock out’ allowing one type of business in the membership. Our website gives you details of the type of businesses not already registered with us.

We always make time in the meetings for 1 to 1 networking but also, we interchange presentations from members with fun activities including topics such as marketing, communication and goal setting.

This fee covers marketing of the group and we spend wisely by attending the ‘Better Business Show’ in February held by Worthing and Adur Chamber of Commerce, local advertising and local marketing events.

Check out our website at www.winworthing.co.uk where our members are listed and also our Facebook page at Worthing Independent Network where we post our latest information and activities.

We like to think that business can also be social, so we hold an informal BBQ in the summer and a Christmas celebration at a Worthing based eating establishment. Significant others are also invited at reduced rates.

Why not come and see how we can help you, we love meeting new people, you can come for one meeting just to see if you like us. Contact us at winworthing@gmail.com or visit our website for more details winworthing.co.uk.

Become a WINner  Breakfast

WORTHING INDEPENDENT NETWORK www.winworthing.co.uk

with local business owners & professionals  Bi-weekly meetings at the Dome in Worthing  £25 annual fee for membership  Fun, friendly, focused, informative meetings  Non-profit based with social activities

34 Recipe

Mince Beef Coconut Stir Fry Quick, easy & super tasty Ingredients (serves 4) •5cm piece of ginger, finely chopped •Coconut oil (however olive oil is fine) •500g of lean minced beef (Village Larder stock SK Hutchings meat) •3 teaspoon oyster sauce •3 teaspoon soy sauce •½ a tin of coconut milk •1 bunch of spring onions, cut into 2 inch pieces •1 fresh red chilli, finely sliced, seeds removed if preferred •500g fresh mixed veg, carrot, peppers, broccoli cut into bite size pieces •Serve in baby gem lettuce leaves (and/or noodles) and scatter with toasted nuts and seeds

SUSSEX LOCAL Method: 1) Put 1 tablespoon of coconut oil into the frying pan on a medium-high heat. Add the mince, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, followed by the ginger. Stir-fry for 8-10 minutes to crisp up and get golden brown.

2) Now add the oyster sauce and mixed veg, stir fry for a further 2 minutes before adding half a tin of coconut milk, bring the pan to a boil for 2 minutes and then return the heat to medium and reduce the sauce by half 3) When you feel you have 2 minutes left add the soy sauce, spring onions and chilli 4) Serve in baby gem lettuce leaves or add quick cook noodles and scatter with toasted nuts and seeds Recipe kindly supplied by Village Larder, Squires Garden Centre Squires Garden Centre, Washington or Old Mill Drive Storrington every Thursday. Follow Hollie on Instagram and Twitter @village_larder

Restaurant Review

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The Ivy in the Lanes, Brighton

35

The Ivy, Ship Street, Brighton

Review by editors Kris & Jeff Situated in the imposing building of the old post office in Ship Street, the Brighton Ivy is the group's first coastal venue. We were warmly greeted on a balmy June evening and shown to the gleaming American style sit-up bar where we enjoyed Champagne, spiced olives and smoked almonds.

The restaurant is decorated in a tropical art-deco style with huge arched mirrors, large gold and glass light fittings and vivid jungle-themed wall paper. Modern prints in highly polished frames sit alongside abstracts of leaves, butterflies and prints of wild birds.

It was busy with every table in our view occupied and the low buzz of chat from other diners and the soft lighting made for a very pleasant ambiance. The staff are all friendly in a natural rather than an obsequious way and it was easy to chat, or not, to them.

The menu is mostly classic restaurant fare including steaks, fish, salads and not forgetting the famous Ivy Shepherd's pie. There is an extensive wine list, with vintages from 2011 and plenty of choice - prices start at £20 up to £200+ per bottle.

My starter was four seared, succulent scallops with a sweet pea and broad been purée topped with flaked shallots. The scallops were thick and juicy and the purée had a zesty lemon tang. Jeff opted for the Steak tartare, an incredibly neat little package topped with a perfectly runny rich yellow egg yolk expertly dissected of its white. The meat was tender, flavoursome and topped with a layer of chopped parsley.

For a main course I chose the special pan-fried halibut which came with a grapefruit and red onion dressing and watercress garnish. The fish was tender and sweet with a crisp skin and the tangy dressing complemented it perfectly. Sides are extra and I chose olive oil mashed potato and spinach with pine nuts. I absolutely Chicken salad loved the bold flavours - delicious.

Jeff chose the chicken salad which was a surprisingly large dish.

Generous cuts of juicy, lightly grilled chicken lay on a varied salad, decorated with pomegranate and mustard seeds. A separate thick and creamy lemon

dressing was on the side, as well as a pewter mug of chunky chips dressed with a salty truffle and parmesan oil. Jeff finished his salad but couldn't quite manage all the chips.

Alongside this excellent food, we enjoyed a crisp, dry Grenache Blanc from the Languedoc region of France which was smooth and fresh.

Loos can tell you a lot about a venue and it is no exaggeration to say that the Ladies at the Ivy in the Lanes is genuinely impressive. There is a central, pink suede circular seating area, the wallpaper is black with vibrant roses and exotic green and red birds. Long fringed palms, arched mirrors and diamond shaped glass wall lights keeps the art-deco theme. Cubicles all have their own marble sinks with gold furnishings and of course there is an attendant.

Could we manage dessert? Well yes of course... I chose the apple tart flambé as it's always fun to set fire to food intentionally and our server performed flambé the task with aplomb. The tart base had the delicate taste of quality French pâtisserie and the soft, thinly sliced apple was enhanced by crunchy pieces of toffee. It was served with vanilla ice cream which melted into the warm calvados used for the flambé - delectable.

Jeff liked the sound of the Cappuccino cake. Which was a large wedge of dark chocolate cake, with smooth milk foam (hence the Cappuccino reference) topped with a rich, dark chocolate sauce. The components of this dessert had been carefully crafted to be eaten all together and when doing so it worked perfectly.

We were very impressed with the Ivy in the Lanes, the decor, the food and great service - attentive but not overbearing. Our bill was £137 which included the Champagne, wine, water and coffee. They also serve breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea and have set menus from £16.50. The venue would look equally spectacular in the daytime. Full menus, prices and opening hours: theivybrighton.com or 01273 082200

SUSSEX LOCAL

36 Gardening

In Your Garden Monthly gardening ideas and tasks

by Andrew Staib, Principal Designer of Glorious Gardens Clay Soils: Make clay your best friend When I visit people in their gardens for a design consultation they often look at me with despair in their eyes, and apologetically admit they have clay soil. For most people clay soil is the bane of their gardening lives, limiting the type of plants they can grow, flooding in the Winter and cracking up in the Summer.

But do not lose hope! There are ways to work with clay and get the best out of it, as well as skirting round the problem.

What actually is clay?

You know if you have clay soil if you take a clod of earth from your garden and roll it into a sausage shape between your hands. Rather than it crumbling, if it keeps it’s shape and doesn’t crack, you have clay.

If you then rub it and it becomes shiny, congratulations, you have heavy clay!

Clay is made up of minute particles that are many times smaller than a grain of sand. They have a thin plate like structure so you can imagine bread slices stacked on each other held in place by electromagnetic forces. Therefore they have a greater surface area then the surrounding soil. These particles easily stick together and tend to form great lumps as you will know when you put your fork in the soil in Spring and a great clod comes out in one go.

Soils with 30% minimum clay particles are considered clay soils. They are very easily damaged.

Even walking on them a few times over Winter can compact them and make it hard for the gardener to then achieve a light, fluffy, workable soil.

Because they hold water, like a clay vase, they tend to get waterlogged easily. Who hasn’t lost free draining plants like Lavender over the Winter or waited for their Tulips and Alliums to come only to find rotten bulbs.

They are also slow to warm up in the Spring because they are still wet and their drainage can be painfully slow. On the plus side, because the clay is negatively charged it attracts and holds positively charged substances like potassium, magnesium and calcium, compared to a sandy soil which you have to continually top up with fertilisers. Clay can be either acidic or alkaline.

Working with Clay The best way to break down clay is what farmers have done for centuries. Turning up the clods in Autumn and then letting the frosts break down the lumps.

Once clay breaks down and plant material is added it has a greater tendency to keep aerated and looser.

through the door Flocculation, where you add lime to the soil, is a chemical process which helps the clods of clay break down (don’t use at the same time as manure as you can then create ammonia gas).

Once with a client the clay was so heavy we removed the entire clay content down 40cm.

After seeing 100 tonnes of clay removed and bringing in better top soil I will think twice about doing this again - but it did work and all the drainage problems were resolved. This would especially work if you had a small bed and you were desperate to grow free draining plants.

In the past we were encouraged to add grit or pea shingle to the clay. According to the RHS you would need to replace 50% of your soil with grit to make it properly workable. Obviously this is not going to be possible with most people’s gardens let alone factoring in the environmental impact.

Elevation is a solution that works well. There is the NoDig method where rather than rotate the clay, you leave it in place and each year you add a generous layer of compost on top of the clay. Over time you build up the level of workable soil without disturbing the clay.

Gardening

37

Raised beds - this is avoiding your clay altogether and building raised beds of brick, wood or stone. It works especially well for vegetable patches and at a raised height of 40cm you can hand select exactly the type of soil you want.

Also a thick mulch around your plants in Summer can prevent your clay drying out too much (which creates those famous cracks in the ground).

Lawns can become waterlogged with resulting moss domination but golf courses get around this problem by simply adding 15cm of sharp sand on top of the clay, then laying the lawn!

Using the Right Plants Obviously clay occurs naturally so there are vast plant communities that happily live in clay which the gardener can select from.

Because the clay is rich in nutrients and holds moisture in Spring and Autumn there are many plants that thrive.

Early season vegetables struggle with the water logging in early Spring, but main crop vegetables can really thrive: potatoes, leeks, brassicas, pumpkin and squash, lettuce and chard. Soft fruit like strawberries and raspberries not so well.

Woody fruit trees like apples and pears and generally most shrubs can live in clay, especially the larger wonder ones like Spirea and Ribes sanguine.

SUSSEX LOCAL

38 Gardening Some medium sized plants they enjoy soil are Rodgersia, carex, Moilina, Ligularia, Hostas and Iris.

Some ground cover examples are Bergenia, Alchemmila, Pulmonaria and Phlox.

In terms of climbers Clematis and Honeysuckle are happy in clay. Suitable bulbs are Daffodils ad Snowdrops but not Alliums or Tulips. Roses love the nutrients in clay and really thrive, as do wisteria hysteria, clematis and honey.

In short, don’t let clay get you down. There are interesting ways to work with your soil without having to move house. And if you fancy a trip to Devon you can check out RHS Rosemoor Garden in Great Torrington which is built on clay and you will see what can be grown there. Hyde Hall Gardens in Essex is another heavy clay garden.

Places to visit The National Garden Scheme is still running.

Founded in 1927 the scheme encouraged people to open up their gardens to the public to raise money for the newly formed district nurses role in poor urban areas. It has moved on since then, from “a shilling a head” to raise over 20 million pounds for a variety of charities in the last 10 years.

If you go to the NGS website and type in ‘Sussex’ the dates you are free and you will find 36 gardens that are opening their gates in July though each garden is just open for a day or two only. Most serve tea and cakes.

July tasks  Deadhead perennial flowers as they will often create a new flush of buds as you inhibit the energy of the plant going into seed production. Plus the first flush of Hybrid and Patio roses may have finished so deadhead them back to a couple of new, outward facing buds  Bring any tender plants out from your conservatory now and let them get a good dose of sun now as who knows how long it will last!  Make sure any ponds don’t get swamped with blanket weed  Cut back any shrubs that flowered in June e.g.

Wigelia, Choysia and Philadelphius  Water any new plants that went in this year as they will dry out much faster than established plants as their roots are not as plugged into the surrounding soil  Keep pinching out side shoots on your tomatoes  Keep sowing salad for a continuous crop

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39

SUSSEX LOCAL

40 Property

The good old days?

By Chris Ennis FRICS I have reached one of life’s milestones recently – to my astonishment I find that I have been in the property business for more than 44 years – initially working in an estate agency then, after qualification in 1979, as a surveyor.

The years roll on, and I have given thought to the things I remember from those early days. I was reminded only recently when, during a survey of a house, I warned the lady owner that I was about to “pull the chain” (to test sanitary fittings). She rightly pointed out that there are very few of the old highlevel flushing cisterns remaining, and youngsters wouldn’t know what I was talking about. Do you remember the very imperious-sounding names of these old cisterns, like “The Viceroy” and “The Burlington”, many of which were rusty and noisy? Few properties were insulated, timber window were invariably rotten and draughty.

There are many phrases and things that probably wouldn’t mean much to today’s youngsters. We might frequently use the term “spend a penny”. Do you

Stop!

remember the big brass locks on the public convenience toilets – the ones with a large sliding knob on the front face? Public phone boxes with press buttons A and B? An open coal fire, might heat a small house but many of today’s kids wouldn’t know what a ‘coal bunker’ was.

I remember the “rag and bone” man collecting scrap metals on a cart. I recall that my first small car (a Morris 8), had a “side valve’ engine. In youthful optimism, I stripped the engine out for repair and couldn’t get it back together again. Shame …if I still had the car, it would be worth good money now.

Petrol was three shillings a gallon (that’s 15p) and I never did fill the fuel tank up…..couldn’t afford it!

Time marches on, and in the future today’s young people will wonder what we did before electric cars were invented. They will accept the ever-burgeoning wind farms, and solar voltaic panels will become the norm. Draughty windows will be a thing of the past; chimneys will be a rarity, I guess I am sounding like a bit of a dinosaur as I struggle to master the new ‘Windows 10‘ on my computer.

Chris Ennis FRICS is a Chartered Surveyor Tel: 01903 261217 visit www.propdoctor or send an email to: surveyor1@talktalk.net

“Call me before you buy your dream home”

To make sure your dream home doesn’t hide any nasty surprises!

Shockingly, many people do not obtain a professional survey before buying a house. This can result in future misery and thousands of pounds of repair work.

I will report on the current condition of a property and also forewarn you of any major problems which may arise. I am a fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, and have over 30 years local experience.

Based in High Salvington, I pride myself on my speedy and personal service. Feel free to call me for an informal chat.

Chris Ennis FRICS 01903 261 217 07703 131 686 www.propdoctor.co.uk

- Homebuyer reports - Probate valuations - Defect diagnosis - Pre-sale inspections - Condition reports - Building surveys

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Property Services

41

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SUSSEX LOCAL

42 Puzzles

Young Readers’ Puzzle Page Wordsearch - Dinosaurs

Anagram

Find the listed words in the grid. Words may be hidden horizontally, vertically or diagonally and in either a forwards or backwards direction.

Trace the lines connecting the circles to find out what the 2nd word is

CLAWS FOOTPRINT REPTILE

DIPLODOCUS EGG FOSSIL HUNTING SCARY T REX

EXTINCT JURASSIC TEETH

Sudoku

Maze Help the hungry mouse reach his tasty cheese! Start at the arrow on the top of the maze.

Answers can be found on our website after the 1st of July www.sussexlocal.net

Place the numbers 1 – 6 once in each row, column and 3x2 bold-lined box

To sponsor this feature please contact us on 01903 868474 or email info@sussexlocal.net Sponsor for just £25 per month plus a monthly prize

Schools

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Findon Vale School Year 6’s finale Year 6 are looking forward to an action-packed finale to their time at Vale School. After working so hard towards academic success earlier this term, the children are taking part in a range of exciting activities.

First is a week dedicated to Design and Technology: the children work in teams, using their knowledge of forces and their woodworking skills to create a moving vehicle. The week culminates in a Robot Wars race! Staying with Design and Technology, each class then plans, creates, budgets, cooks for and manages their own pop-up cafe for parents, teachers and school governors.

This year the children have devised the intriguing themes of disco, the Wild West and an enchanted garden. It gives the children a valuable insight into the working world and they enjoy the satisfaction of working on a project for a real customer base. An experience they won’t forget!

43

through Bikeability, helping them to develop their road awareness and confidence. This helps to prepare those children that will be cycling when they move on to secondary school in September.

In contrast to the sunshine, an expert visits us with an inflatable Science Dome where the children will be plunged into darkness as they gaze in wonder at the constellations projected onto the sides.

The children are enthralled by the enthusiasm and the knowledge imparted to them.

School production As the term proceeds, rehearsals for our final production take centre stage; auditions have been held, roles cast and lines are feverishly being committed to memory. This year’s fun comedy will involve all 95 children, singing, acting, dancing and providing essential backstage support.

Cycling skills

It’s going to be a wonderful celebration of 7 years of learning and friendship and a chance to appreciate their primary school experience.

Out in the sunshine, year 6 have been practising their cycling skills, with experienced trainers leading them

Vale School, Vale Avenue, Findon Valley. 01903 872 322. More information at www.vale.w-sussex.sch.uk

SUSSEX LOCAL

44 Pets

Could you become a volunteer animal fosterer for Wadars? Donate your time to looking after animals Wadars animal rescue charity is based in Ferring, and each year rehomes more than 300 dogs, cats, rabbits and other small animals. Last year the charity also rescued more than 1,200 birds and other wildlife.

The charity is currently appealing for people to come forward to be volunteer fosterers for dogs, cats, and other small animals such as rabbits and guinea pigs.

Tracy Cadman, Wadars Operations Manager, commented; “Currently, as we are developing the facilities on our site, Wadars animals are cared for in commercial kennels and catteries or with our fantastic team of volunteer fosterers until suitable homes can be found.”

“People who foster animals for us don’t necessarily have huge houses and acres of land! What matters most is that they have the dedication, time and commitment to improve the welfare of animals. By offering a temporary home, where an animal can receive the care it needs, fosterers play an important role in the rehabilitation of pets who are looking for new homes. If anyone is interested in finding our more about fostering animals for us, we would welcome a call from them so that we can discuss it in more detail.”

How does animal fostering work?

Once you have had an initial chat with a member of the Wadars team, an Animal Rescue Officer will check that everything is in place for you to foster.

In relation to fostering cats, you will need a ‘spare’ room where cats in need of emergency housing can be cared for until they are found a permanent home, or until they can be safely integrated you’re your own pets. Some foster carers have stables, outbuildings, kennels or cattery units, built to house specific animals.

Wadars will supply and pay for any animal related expenses, such as veterinary treatment and equipment (i.e. cages), food, litter for trays etc, but it is essential that the fosterer has their own vehicle to transport the animal to the designated vet when needed.

Who can foster for Wadars?

Whilst qualifications are not necessary, experience of caring for a pet, or previous fostering experience is preferable.

Different fosterers can offer different areas of expertise, matched to the needs of individual animals. For example, some animals may be traumatised, elderly or sick and need specialist care. Others may need a stable environment in which to develop social skills and receive some basic training before they can be considered for re-homing. Animal fosterers help to observe and evaluate the behaviour and progress of animals they look after to help Wadars make sure the pets are placed where they will fit in and lead happy lives.

Some fostered pets are not suitable for homes where there are young children, while others may not mix well and need to be the only pet. If you live in rented accommodation Wadars will need written confirmation from your landlord to approve fostering of animals in your home.

Tracy concluded; “The fostering of animals from home is an extremely rewarding but time-consuming job. As with all animal-related experiences, there are happy endings and sad stories, but if you can commit to this you will have made a real difference.”

For further information or to apply to be an animal fosterer, please contact Wadars on 01903 247111.

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Pets

45

SUSSEX LOCAL

46 Legal

Should divorce be easier to obtain?

By Karen Fleming, Fleming & Co Tini Owens desperately wants a divorce. She has been unhappy for many years and is locked in a loveless marriage. After 4 decades and the children all grown up, she issued divorce proceedings on the grounds of her husband’s unreasonable behaviour, four years ago. Hugh Owens defended it. This has led to several Court hearings.

Normally when the Court send a Divorce Petition to the Respondent, he or she can deny the particulars of bad behaviour, but still allow the petition to go through. In the Owens case the husband defended the petition, maintaining that the allegations of behaviour were insufficient.

A District Judge agreed with him, refusing the divorce, saying that the wife’s allegations were “of the kind to be expected in the marriage”. These included that Owen was insensitive in his manner and tone and that Tini was constantly mistrusted and felt unloved.

The Court of Appeal agreed that in law the marriage had not broken down and recently the parties went to the Supreme Court and their decision is still awaited.

This situation is incredibly unusual because in most cases neither party contest the divorce.

(c) Litho Printers

The Owens divorce would probably therefore have been allowed, by the Court, if Mr Owens had not contested it. This does, it could be argued, make rather a mockery of the system.

The Supreme Court is likely to follow the two lower Courts, but may well recommend change.

A huge school of thought maintains that when one party is unhappy in a marriage and wishes to end it, it should be a far simpler process than having to prove one of the five facts.

Once the Owens case is decided and in the press, I will prepare another article. Watch this space!

Karen Fleming. See: www.flemingandco.co.uk or email karen.fleming@flemingandco.co.uk t: 01903 446698

Finance 47

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5 Top Tips for Planning Your Financial Future

By Ivan Lyons, MD Investment Solutions, Worthing What kind of retirement do you want? Spending some time working out a plan of action is important as there are options open to you and the decisions you make today can affect your future.

Our Five Top Tips to help you get started include: 1. Your retirement journey Whatever stage of planning you’re at, spending an hour now to check you’re on track for the retirement you want could make a big difference later on. The first step is setting yourself a retirement target – once you have worked out how much you want to live on in retirement, you can start planning around it. If you haven’t already done this, we can help, a great place to start is www.changeyourlifeinanhour.co.uk 2. Make use of the help available to you To help you understand your choices there’s a lot of support available online and in person. Do your homework and read all the information offered by Investment Solutions and other websites – www.gov.uk/plan-retirement-income, on the Government’s website is also a good place to look. If you take a look at our website - there is a wealth of information, together with guides and help tools. www.investment-solutions.co.uk 3. Plan the retirement you want It’s important to focus on the sort of life you would like in retirement first – and then find the retirement solution to fit it. You can fund your retirement with more than just your pension savings, so consider all of the options and don’t forget to include the State Pension. The State Pension is based on your National Insurance contribution and you are entitled to it when you reach your State Pension age. Find out more at www.gov.uk/new-state-pension.

4. Tax relief benefits The Government will normally give you tax relief that helps increase the value of your plan. If the basic rate of tax is 20%, for every £80 you pay into your plan each month, the Government will automatically top up your pension with an additional £20. If you are a higher or additional rate tax payer, you may be able to claim additional tax relief via your tax return. You can normally get the same tax relief if your employer makes workplace pension contributions out of your pay before deducting tax.

5. Keeping track of your pension savings Finding a pension you’ve lost track of may be as easy as making a quick phone call:

 If you can remember the pension provider, call them directly

 If you can’t remember the provider, but paid in through a company pension scheme, call the Company and they should be able to help.

 If you can’t remember any details, contact the Pen-

sion Tracing Service (03456 002537) who may be able to help, although there could be a charge. www.gov.uk/find-lost-pension

We hope these Five Top Tips are helpful in planning for your retirement. The tax treatment depends on your individual circumstances. Your circumstances and tax rules may change in the future. The value of an investment is not guaranteed and can go down as well as up.

The value could fall below the amount(s) paid in.

Need advice?

At Investment Solutions, we are an Award-winning Chartered Firm of Independent Financial Advisors.

Contact 01903 214640 or see www.investmentsolutions.co.uk. The information in this Article does not constitute advice. Please remember that past performance is not necessarily a guide to future returns. The value of units and the income from them may fall as well as rise. Investors may not get back the amount originally invested.

SUSSEX LOCAL

48 Local History

Farming Local Truffles by Valerie Martin Ardent readers of my page in the Sussex Local with long memories may recall that in August 2008 I made mention of a local woman named Mary Hack. For the benefit of new readers I will deviate and recap......

Assume a certain amount of time looking say 4, 5 or 6 hours and having to return perhaps another hour.

This allows us to draw a set of rings around Patching Church.

The truffle lady - Mary Hack

Assume a dawn to dusk schedule during best foraging times, perhaps through to January dictates day length and effectively eliminates crossing over from the church to the east side of Long Furlong.

Around the year 1880 (the exact date is lost in the mists of time), this old Irish woman led all of her neighbours a fine old dance. She would depart from her Patching cottage with her basket and disappear round the corner, passed the church and over the Downs by many a devious route.

The mysterious Mary Hack

We know it was light when she returned since people saw her returning. Other clues, beech or oak roots, truffles prevent or reduce local ground coverage due to a chemical, also drying soil and of course the spoor smells I have noted many times that may fall within those circular areas. Maybe shallow soil on chalky substrate. There are even some areas whose names persist into present day that indicate Beech copses etc. I think it possible to fill the circles with areas most likely to contain all the right conditions and I would be fairly certain that the ground conditions have not changed overly since that previous OS map was drawn.

Eliminate any areas obviously not suitable such as perhaps any areas of overly dense woodland. Then on top of that, train a dog to respond to the truffle smell and concentrate in those areas with highest probability. Who knows, its a pleasant set of information to ponder.

Throughout her lifetime, no one seems to have been capable of tracking her during the expeditions. Her pastime was a strange one to behold. She spent her days searching for the fleshy subterranean fungi under the beech trees on the local downland. When she had harvested sufficient truffles, she carried them back to the community to sell and make herself a profit. She never divulged where she found her precious wares and upon her death the secret, alas, died with her.

Martin Flexman’s truffle theory Following the publication of my original description I posed the question as to whether truffles still existed in Patching. Surprisingly I heard from a Storrington gentleman with some novel ideas...

Martin Flexman wrote his thoughts on endeavouring to find the secret lair for these delicacies collected by the old Irish woman...

"Given how far an elderly lady could walk, assuming a certain amount of time to effectively lose any followers, say perhaps an hour, the woods from Patching heading west into Angmering Estate must be at least a 10 minute walk up past the church to the woodland edges.

Best regards, Martin" Conclusion I was very impressed that Martin had done his homework and now ten years on I am still waiting for him to use his expertise and go walkabout and locate for me a crop of some native truffles.

Truffle facts - when, where and how much?

Truffles were heard of 4,000 years ago in ancient Mesopotamia......used in a form of soup.... and in Victorian times Mrs Beeton wrote of them and so they do continue to grow in popularity from century to century. I usually think of truffles as coming commercially from France and it is indeed exciting to think they could be so near to home for me as Patching.

Where is the best location to find truffles? Answer: they can pop up anywhere North Africa to Finland.

Let us get down to brass tacks... how much is a truffle worth? Most weigh some 30 - 60 grams. The price for a kilo of English truffles at the time of writing might be as much as £400. Drought in Europe has even risen the price to £800 - 900. per kilo. Prices only go up and not down.

Happy truffle hunting...Valerie.

through the door

Health & Beauty 49

Vitamin D

By Heather Smith, Personal Trainer, Fitbiz Training The sun seems to call us outside in the summer, our bodies seem to instinctively know that getting the sun on our skin is a good thing.

And good it is. The sun allows our bodies to produce vitamin D, which despite its name, acts more like a hormone. It’s one of the most important nutrients for keeping us healthy in every way possible, from immune system function to mental health to heart health. It’s also unfortunately something which a huge percentage of us are deficient in.

which explains why we tend to feel a bit tired, fed up and start to crave more sugary foods (for the serotonin release which vitamin D would otherwise promote) around December / January time.

There has become a lot of worry about exposure to the sun without sun cream or being covered up, but actually, for someone who is not at a high risk of skin cancer, the benefits of the right amount of sun outweigh the risk.

This is partly due to the UK’s position on the globe (we don’t get a huge amount of sun all year round), partly due to our indoor lifestyles and partly due to the excess body fat some of us carry. Vitamin D is fat soluble, which means that the more body fat you’re carrying, the more vitamin D you’ll need.

If you’re not at a high risk of skin cancer, you can relax more than the current guidelines suggest and enjoy some time in the sun without sun cream. The right amount of exposure to the sun depends on your skin type and how easily you burn, as well as the strength of the sun. The time can vary between a minute and an hour, before you’ll want to either go inside, cover up or put on some sun cream.

We store vitamin D in our liver, and if we’re fully topped up, our stores can last for up to 3 months;

Heather Smith is a fat loss specialist Personal Trainer. www.fitbiztraining.co.uk

DURRINGTON St

Symphorians Church Hall, New Road Mon 9.30 AM

WORTHING Charmandean Centre

Tues 9.30 AM & 11.30 AM (Forest Road off A27)

FINDON All Saints Church Hall Cissbury Drive Tues 7 PM

WORTHING Emmanuel Church Hall Heene Road Entrance Wed 9.30 AM

Sarah: 01903 218261 / 07769 611034

50 Parish Council / FVRA News

SUSSEX LOCAL

Findon Valley Residents’ Association (FVRA) Residents Surgery Saturday 7th July 10am – 12 noon, Residents’ Surgery in the library.

FVRA 2019 Calendar Photographs We are still waiting for your best shot. Send us your photographs reflecting ‘Life in Findon Valley’ - past or present. 12 photographs will be selected.

Photographs must be Landscape View, with title and you must state the location. You must include your name and contact details. You can email to 2019calendar@findonvalley.org or deliver in person to Curtis & Son, Kings Parade. All entries must be received by 31st July 2018.

Proceeds from the sale of these calendars will be donated to Chestnut Tree House Children’s Hospice.

Join our committee!

Do you care about our roads, pavements and street scene? We need a volunteer to be our Highways Officer. Interested?

Trustees are also required, to ensure that the committee carries out its function in the best interest of FVRA members.

If you are interested in either of the positions then contact Maggie Winter on 01903 263038 or email chairman@findonvalley.org to apply.

Arts & Crafts Group Please note the Saturday crafts group now meets in All Saints Church vestry at 2pm whilst the Monday Arts Group continues to meet in the Free Church.

Friends of Durrington Cemetery Organised by Lorraine our environmental officer and supported by WBC a public meeting was held on the 23 June at All Saints Church, Cissbury Drive for anyone interested in setting up a “Friends of Durrington Cemetery group”, further details next month.

Litter Picking A further litter pick is planned for The Gallops and we welcome any suggestions for other problem areas.

Please contact lorraine.taylor@findonvalley.org General Data Protection Regulation On the 25th May the new data protection legislation came into force across Europe. In response to the regulatory changes, we have updated our privacy notice which will be available on our website www.findonvalley.org with a hard copy in the library. www.findonvalley.org

Findon Parish Council

In response to a question, it was explained that another village had trialled fixing potholes themselves but had handed the work back to West Sussex County Council (WSCC) at the end of a two year trial period.

WSCC was also looking at other (c) Sheila Mills ways to tackle pot holes.

Co-option of a new Parish Councillor Mark Robinson was co-opted and joined the meeting.

Dog fouling It was reported that no dog fouling cases had been identified since the March Council meeting.

Public Questions David Hutchison requested a breakdown of the Phase 1 improvement works carried out by WSCC/ contractors as part of the Traffic, Environment and People initiative as these were required prior to Phase 2 improvements.

He also requested a copy of the Road Safety Audit carried out by WSCC regarding the A24 bus stop suspension/re-instatement to include the initial design and the designer’s response to the Safety Audit.

He also explained that a party wall notice should be served on FPC by the Findon Village Hall Trust for the FPC to comment on regarding the planned extension and boundary wall. www.findon.arun.gov.uk

Edited extracts from the draft minutes of the Annual Parish Council meeting held on 14th May 2018 Prior to the meeting a presentation was made to Jan Mackerell in recognition of her 20 years service on the Parish Council and to Findon.

Appointment of Chairman There being no other nominations, Cllr Smith was appointed Chairman of Findon Parish Council for the ensuing year and signed the Declaration of Office.

Chairman’s Announcements Del Henty had resigned from Findon Parish Council (FPC) after five years of service to Findon. Mr Henty had been Chairman of the Planning Committee, and would continue to support the Open Spaces Volunteers.

The bus stop laybys suspended in April 2016 would not now go ahead due to the design and layout failing a Road Safety Audit (RSA). Comment was made at the meeting that FPC was unaware of the RSA outcome, which was especially disappointing as the laybys had been used for many years prior to their suspension.

Pot holes An amount of £1.05m had been received from government to tackle the pot holes in West Sussex and roving gangs were in place to carry out the work.

Business Directory 51

through the door

Business Directory Advertisers call 01903 868 474 or email info@sussexlocal.net or book online at www.sussexlocal.net. 3cm box ÂŁ10 + VAT per month (including design) min 6 months. Any category Accountants

Building / Carpentry

Carpet Cleaning cont.

Aerial & Satellite

Chimney Sweeps

Bike Shops

Carpet Cleaning Your advertisement here

ÂŁ10 a month plus VAT - includes design Book and pay online at www.sussexlocal.net or call 01903 868 474

SUSSEX LOCAL

52 Business Directory Chiropody

Computer Services

Electricians

Computer Services cont.

Drainage

Exterior Cleaning

Your advertisement here

Fencing

Clearance

ÂŁ10 a month plus VAT - includes design Book and pay online at www.sussexlocal.net or call 01903 868 474

Clock Repairs

Electricians

Business Directory 53

through the door Garden Services

Hair Dresser

Handyman / Property Svs

Groundworks Locksmiths

Gutters & Fascias

Painting & Decorating

SUSSEX LOCAL

54 Business Directory Pest Control

Plumbing / Heating cont.

Plumbing / Heating cont.

Plastering

Private Hire / Taxi

Roofing

Plumbing / Heating

through the door Roofing cont.

Security

Soft Furnishings / Curtains

Business Directory / Advertiser Index 55 Tree Surgery

Bathrooms Bathe in Safety Blinds Direct Blinds tensARC Business Networking Worthing Independent Networking Car Dealers Clarion Cars Car Servicing Keen & Betts Stedmans Garage Carpets & Flooring Carpets & Vinyls Direct Wall Bros Cleaning Miss Mop Ltd Molly Maid Computer Services The Laptop Workshop Vipernet Technology Services Conservatories and Garden Rooms Greenspace (UK) Limited Courses The Arts College Domestic Appliances Carters Domestic Appliances Drains Drainjet Elderly Care Clapham Village Care Home Fostering & Adoption West Sussex County Council Fostering & Adoption

7 20 5 33 9 19 56 12 27 39 39 12 12 43 8 2 38 28 22

Funeral Director AG Morriss Funeral Service Furniture CFS Furniture Furniture Restorers Barcombe Wood Finish Ltd Garden Design Earth Architecture Glorious Gardens Greenacre Garden Design & Build Garden Machinery Servicing Findon Garden Machinery Home Entertainment Bowers & Wilkins Horse Manure Sussex Manures Ltd House & Rubbish Clearance Regan and Carter Independent Financial Advisors Investment Solutions Wealth Management Ltd Nsure Financial Services The Mellor Practice Jewellers Alexander Jewellers Ltd Kitchen Doors Dream Doors Kitchens, Bathrooms, Bedrooms Dovetail Kitchens Osteopath Rebecca Wangi Osteopath Oven Cleaning Oven Cleaning King Ovenu Personal Training KL Personal Training Picture Framers Nicholas Gentle Picture Framer Property Maintenance Valentine Property Maintenance Pub/Restaurant The Village House Hotel Slimming Slimming World Findon Solicitors Fleming & Co Miller Parris Solicitors Surveyors Property Doctor Surveys Tennis Club Storrington Lawn Tennis Club Tiles J W Ceramics (Worthing) Ltd Tree Surgeon Ashwood Tree Surgery Vet Arun Veterinary Group Crossways Animal Care Ltd Visitor Attraction Amberley Museum West Dean Gardens Will Writing Nsure Estate Planning Services Limited Windows Doors Conservatories Attwater Home Improvements Unbeatable Conservatories Ltd

30 26 29 38 36 37 37 13 36 39 47 25 46 30 21 41 49 34 34 49 29 34 6 49 46 17 40 11 41 37 59 45 8 15 31 41 23