AAH August 2018

AUGUST 2018

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BEN’S COLUMN

5

The Frustration of Getting to the Beach

The Mind of a Middle Aged Man in Lycra My perspective on cyclists very much depends on the attitude of the last one I encountered on the road!

The majority go about their business diligently. I live in Ashington and regularly encounter road racers along the A24, with cyclists focusing solely on riding as quickly as possible with minimal fuss.

Horsham Cycling Club regularly ride through the village too on Sunday morning, usually heading down the back road towards Shipley. Presumably because it’s a lovely route, but perhaps also because they’re aware that their presence won’t delay anyone else.

Yet occasionally, you get the MAMIL (Middle Aged Man in Lycra) who saddles up and sets out on a ride in which he’ll dent the hard-earned reputation for consideration that other cyclists have earned.

He’ll ride near the middle of the lane on a key road when it’s at its busiest, pass up any opportunity to briefly pull over and even have a casual chat to his riding partner, two-abreast, pretending to be ignorant of the lengthy queue of traffic behind him as he ambles along the narrow road through Amberley and all the way up the hill at Houghton.

You just know that he thinks he’s making a symbolic statement for two-wheeled enthusiasts everywhere, even though he actually takes his bike out on rare occasions. Usually, he just drives the Jag! “I’ve got just as much right to be here as the thousands of people queuing behind me. Yes, I could pull over and let through these families trying to get to the beach before the traffic at The Witterings gets ridiculous. But I won’t! After all, this is what I live for! If it wasn’t, I’d have joined all the other casual cyclists who are currently riding along the South Downs Way instead.”

Sorry, I got carried away there.

The organisers have seen the natural beauty around the South Downs and Downs Link, even if we as residents have not always fully realised the district’s potential for tourism.

Rather than being detrimental to local businesses, the ride could be an opportunity. For example, Stan’s Bike Shack on the Downs Link in Partridge Green, will operate as a cycling pit stop. No doubt they’ll make a killing on bacon butties!

AUGUST 2018 Ben Morris: Words & Design Toby Phillips: Photography Thanks

Rhiannon Jones, Assistant Curator at Horsham Museum, for Frankenstein text (p31) All four cake makers for additional images (p36-51) Landscape gardener Mark Grainger, who has advertised with AAH since our first edition back in 2011. He is taking early retirement and moving to the West Country. Best of luck Mark!

The focus of this column was meant to be Velo-South, which is a 100-mile cycling event on closed roads. It’s coming on Sunday 23 September and it’s going to cause problems.

There will be lengthy road closures in place as 15,000 cyclists enjoy the Sussex countryside.

It’ll be a real pain in the backside to people living in Barns Green, Itchingfield, Copsale, Maplehurst, Partridge Green, Ashurst and Ashington. But anyone going anywhere that day should check out the route, particularly if you’re heading towards Guildford or Petworth.

Already, the event has attracted criticism, with a County Councillor calling for Velo-South to be cancelled. Cllr Kate O’Kelly’s view is that the event should be an open race, meaning that those who are going to be disrupted by it should at least be allowed to take part.

Indeed, all 15,000 entry places are gone, although applications for a

business challenge are still being accepted.

My initial reaction wasn’t as considered as the councillor’s reasoned response. My opinion was that Velo-South was going to be a bloody nuisance. I’ll be taking my sons to football and rugby that morning and I won’t be able to use London Road.

It is one thing closing roads for the Tour of Britain, with the likes of Mark Cavendish whizzing through Horsham in 2014. But it is quite another to close roads for an event that nobody has heard of, featuring casual cyclists, just one week after the not-wildlydifferent London to Brighton Bike Ride.

However, I’ve had a change of heart.

Perhaps it is an unintentional consequence of trying to avoid major roads, but the route does incorporate some of the most scenic parts of the District and indeed West Sussex.

The idea of the Horsham District being a tourist attraction may be a hard sell for some, but it is an idea gathering momentum based on its proximity to the Downs, its country homes and gardens (High Beeches, Leonardslee, Parham) and its burgeoning reputation for food and drink, notably producers of English Sparkling wines (Nyetimber, Wiston, Bolney).

We also have great town events, including Piazza Italia and AmeriCARna (pushed back to 30 September because it clashed with Velo-South).

So, when other groups and organisations recognise what the District offers and are willing to bring major events here, we should perhaps respond positively and give support.

That’s particularly important when several high-profile cases of criminal activity have led many to question whether Horsham is a good place to live and raise a family anymore.

It is.

Excessive coverage of bad news shouldn’t distort that fact.

So, I hope that Velo-South is a success. I hope it helps raise the profile of our natural beauty and encourages a healthier lifestyle. I hope that next year, it is an open event.

Having said all that, it only takes one MAMIL for me to drastically alter my opinion...

Ben

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CONTENTS 8

News Round-up Big Nibble dates and new sports facilities planned for Bluecoat Sports Centre

21

Business Horsham Forge is finding new customers with its quirky furniture & lighting

27 Art

Jill Coombs is one of the country’s leading botanical illustrators

31

History 200 years after Frankenstein was published, we look back at Mary Shelley’s life

36

Food & Drink

The Pudding Fairy’s quirky cake designs came to the attention of Ed Sheeran

40

Food & Drink

Sugared Pumpkin has a reputation for stunning celebration cakes

44

Food & Drink Incredible attention to detail is behind the bakes

by Hetty’s Cake House

49

Food & Drink Elegance is key when it comes to wedding cakes

by Zoe’s Cake Studio

54

Gardens Sussex Prairie Gardens offers something different to typical English gardens

COVER STORY: AUGUST 2018 Our August cover features Zoe Faiello, owner of Zoe’s Cake Studio, one of four wonderful bakers featured in this edition of AAH. She is pictured with a lavish six-tiered model cake at her Southwater home, where she runs the business.

This was one of two potential covers featuring bakers wearing their own branded aprons, as Caroline Middleton of Sugared Pumpkin also made the shortlist. However, the blinds in the background obscures the AAH logo a bit too much.

Toby was keen for the photo of Jason Saul to be the cover image. However, Ben felt that it wasn’t suitable. Not necessarily because of the gardener’s love of tattoos, but because Jason wasn’t actually interviewed for our article on Sussex Prairie Garden in Henfield. The fourth option features Paul Wightman, owner of Horsham Forge, with his Ford pick-up.

But, in the end, we couldn’t have an edition dominated by cakes and not have one of our bakers on the cover.

AAH: THE TEAM EDITOR: BEN MORRIS editor@aahorsham.co.uk 01403 878026 / 01903 892899 LETTERS: The Editor, AAH Magazine, 2 Viney Close, Ashington, RH20 3PT ADVERTISING: KELLY MORRIS advertising@aahorsham.co.uk 01403 878026 / 01903 892899 PHOTOGRAPHY: TOBY PHILLIPS www.tobyphillipsphotography.co.uk info@tobyphillipsphotography.co.uk 07968 795625 WEBSITE: www.aahorsham.co.uk We publish AAH online every month. You can read archive editions too.

ADVERTISING Eighth Page Advert: £55 + VAT Quarter Page Advert: £110 + VAT Half Page Advert: £185 + VAT Full Page Advert: £310 + VAT Every Sixth Advert is Free For details or an AAH information book email advertising@aahorsham.co.uk or call 01403 878026 ARCHIVE EDITIONS/PHOTO SALES Past editions can be purchased for a cost of £3.

Contact the Editor.

Images can be purchased, either as digital downloads or prints. Contact Toby for details.

DOOR TO DOOR DISTRIBUTION Horsham: Max Paterson, Jacquie Paterson, Dominic Goddard, Kathryn Bland, Lewis Spiller, Richard Judd, Pat Gibbs, The Cocoracchio family, Tom Haylor, George Voisey, Gemma Voisey, Mattie Boys, Katie Drysdale, George Williams, Edward Hitchings, Hazel Garner, Kirsty Pattenden, The Arliss family Southwater: Connor Brown, Jack Taylor Villages: Samuel Dauncey (Mannings Heath); Lynsey Hare (Billingshurst), Adam Browse

(Warnham) Tommy Charlwood (Ashington), Ben Morris (Stands), Mike Hoare (Nuthurst), Connor Wykes (Partridge Green), Oak Tree Farm Care (Maplehurst & Copsale); The Palmer family & Amy Butler (BBH); James Hobbs (Thakeham), Callum Matthews (Storrington) PICK UP POINTS 4,000 more copies are available at businesses, clubs, organisations, and community centres across the district.

Our stands can be found at...

Horsham: Henry Adams (Carfax), Artisan Patisserie (Market Square), Pavilions in the Park, Horsham Museum, Horsham Rail Station, Crates (Carfax) New House Farm, Swan Walk, The Capitol, New Street Butchers (New Street) Village Stands: CoCo’s (Southwater); Billingshurst Leisure Centre, Coco’s (Billingshurst) Barns Green Village Store and Sumners Ponds, Broadbridge Heath Leisure Centre, Bluecoat Sports (Christ’s Hospital).

NOTES: Thanks to Jack Taylor, who has delivered AAH to houses on Blakes Farm Road and Worthing Road in Southwater for a couple of years. Good luck with your exams and your motorcycling!

We welcome Lynsey Hare to the delivery team.

Lynsey is delivering to the Penfold Grange estate in Billingshurst.

We’re still looking for distributors in the villages of Slinfold and West Chiltington. If you would like more details, email editor@aahorsham.co.uk.

LEAFLETS We can deliver leaflets with copies of AAH. Please email editor@aahorsham.co.uk for details and distribution details.

The cost is £40 + VAT per 1,000 copies (£45 for A4 leaflets) SOCIAL MEDIA You can follow Ben and Toby on Twitter @AAHMagazine and @tobyphillips1 AAH is not on Facebook. That’s probably why its share price has plummeted by billions!

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Picture from the 2014 Big Nibble

The Big Nibble will be held in Horsham town centre on Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 September. The two-day event launches the Horsham District Food and Drink Festival, with many foodie events and promotions throughout the district. The Big Nibble includes food markets, displays, interactive shows, live cookery theatre and children’s activities. The cookery

theatre sees chefs from local restaurants and traders from the Local Produce Market sharing tips with the public. Chefs include Ian Swainson from The Pass, Matt Gillan from Pike and Pine and Steven Edwards from etch.

Saturday’s Little Nibble is a great way to engage young people in the joys of cooking. horshamlocalproduce.co.uk

Ashington Festival will be held on Saturday 18 August. The day includes one of the few remaining carnival processions in the district, before arena and stage acts run throughout the afternoon and evening.

However, the village has been rocked by the announcement that there will be no bunting along London Road this year!

Arena acts include Jez Avery and his daredevil show, Warren Calitz and his dog and duck act and entertainer Tom Foolery.

There are many craft and charity stalls, sideshows, Harris’ funfair, flower show, fun dog show, a classic car show with vintage vehicles, car boot sale and more.

In the evening, live bands play before a firework display, sponsored by Charles Muddle Ltd. http://ashingtonfestival.co.uk/sussex/

Plans for a new science park at the former Novartis site in Horsham have been abandoned.

West Sussex County Council attracted national headlines when it bought the site in 2016, with council leader Louise Goldsmith outlining a vision to “create a world-renowned centre of excellence.”

It was hoped that the park would create 1,000 jobs to the town.

However, the science park idea has

Horsham author and Rotary member, John Snelling, has written a book.

Mixed Fruit From a Sussex Tree is a fascinating collection of his stories, essays, poems and plays, with a dash of local history.

In her preface, Christina Maude writes: “Amusing, thought-provoking, puckish and intimate by turns, peopled by types whom we will all know from our own lives, but never stereotypical, this is a quiet celebration of an English life which many of us will recognise with affection and nostalgia without ever wishing to turn back the clock.”

Published by Country Books, the hardback costs £20 from bookshops or from countrybooks.biz

been shelved, leading to criticism of the Conservative-run County Council. It is anticipated that a planning application for a mixeduse scheme combining office space and housing will be made later this year.

The Liberal Democrats have suggested that the council will struggle to recoup the money it initially paid for the site.

NEWS ROUND-UP Concluding the National Treasures series of talks, actor, director and writer Christopher Timothy is at Highwood on Monday 10 September.

After the talks, there will be an opportunity to tour Highwood Mill. All three talks have an arrival time of 10.45am. To book call (01403) 783400 or email jackie.stainer@pmwcom.co.uk

Virginia McKenna OBE, founder of Born Free

Highwood Mill, a retirement development on Horsham’s new Highwood estate, is hosting a free series of celebrity talks.

Actor, author and wildlife campaigner Virginia McKenna OBE talks on Monday 6 August.

On Tuesday 28 August, author and humanitarian campaigner Terry Waite CBE will talk about incredible moments in his life.

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They will run on Tuesdays with a free taster session on 11 September.

Run by a new team of four accredited teachers, the courses are for absolute beginners and people who want to improve their game. Based in East Street, Horsham is one of the country’s busiest bridge clubs with over 300 members. For details visit www.horshambridge.co.uk or email sec@horshambridge.co.uk

ABBA Forever, presented by Sweeney Entertainments, perform at The Capitol, Horsham, on Saturday 22 September. The unique Abba sound is replicated with great attention to detail, using a six-piece band featuring electric and acoustic guitars, keyboards and piano, drums and bass guitar. Two outstanding Abba girls add glitz and glamour.

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Photo: ASA Exhibition 2013

The Association of Sussex Artists’ annual exhibition will be held in the Drill Hall, Denne Road, Horsham, on 17 - 25 August. Ninety years on from its foundation in 1928, the ASA exhibition includes paintings, drawings, pottery, ceramics and sculpture from 150 Sussex artists.

Works are for sale, with prices ranging from £10 for small pottery items to £3,500 for large paintings.

The exhibition is open from 10.30am 5pm daily (closes at 3.30pm on Saturday 25 August) Entry is free. associationofsussexartists.co.uk

TARGET TIMBER SYSTEMS Traditional Values using Modern Methods of Construction Horsham Museum & Art Gallery hosts Christopher Pledger’s new exhibition, Echoes from the Landscape, on 4 August – 7 September.

Christopher is an award-winning landscape, fine art and editorial photographer who specialises in seascapes, nature photography and coastal art. Echoes from the Landscape will showcase his poetic vision of the South Downs and Sussex coast.

Throughout the exhibition, signed framed and unframed prints and coastal art greetings cards will be available to buy. Meet the artist on Saturday 4 August and Saturday 25 August, from 11am – 2pm. horshammuseum.org

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No Jacket Required, the UK's top Phil Collins tribute act, returns to The Capitol, Horsham, as part of their 15th anniversary tour on Saturday 1 September, at 8pm.

The 12-piece band perform two hours of non-stop hits from Phil's award-winning solo career, plus a little Genesis thrown in for good measure. Tickets cost £20.50 from (01403) 750220 or thecapitolhorsham.com

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starting point for flights, with money raised donated to local charities.

The event is weather dependent so check the Wisborough Green Charity Hot Air Balloon Festival page on Facebook for updates and for details on booking a flight.

Image: Chris Woolgar

The annual charity hot air balloon festival in Wisborough Green is scheduled for Sunday 2 September.

The event has been going for more than two decades, with about 25 balloons setting off.

The village green is used as the

The Big Children’s Festival, which includes Horsham’s Got Talent, is scheduled to be held at Horsham Sports Club, Cricketfield Road, Horsham, on Sunday 26 August, from 12 – 8pm. The festival is a celebration of youth in its most fun form with inflatables and rides alongside fun activities including dance workshops, woodcraft, archery, an art corner and more. For ticket information visit horshamsportsclub.com

The 15th annual Horsham Beer Festival will be held at the Drill Hall, Denne Road, Horsham, on Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 September. There are three sessions: 12 - 4pm and 6 - 10pm on Saturday and 12 - 4pm on Sunday.

Tickets cost £7 per session and the price includes a festival glass. Hot and cold food will be available along with live entertainment.

Tickets sell quickly and are only available from The Beer Essentials in East Street, Horsham. thebeeressentials.co.uk

Little Barn Owls will be opening at Farlington School on 3 September. This will be the third Little Barn Owls nursery in the area and will include forest school sessions and a small farm school area.

Registration is open for children aged 0 to 4 years. Hayley Peacock opened Little Barn Owls in 2010 and the business has grown in popularity thanks to its focus on outdoor learning. littlebarnowls.co.uk

The sixth Floral Fringe Fair attracted 7,000 visitors, making it the most successful event to date. In 2019, the fair will re-locate to Leonardslee Gardens in Lower Beeding on 1 – 2 June.

The gardens, scheduled to re-open in January 2019, will provide the perfect venue for the fair, which is all about plants, gardening and outdoor life.

For information visit facebook.com/floralfringefair

Picture from the 2014 Horsham Beer Festival

NEWS ROUND-UP

Image: Ian McBean

Louise Higson of Farlington and Hayley Peacock

NEWS ROUND-UP An proposal to expand sports facilities at Bluecoat Sports Centre has been submitted to the council.

Christ’s Hospital School and its associated charity, Bluecoat Sports, hope to develop a six-lane synthetic athletics track along with a 3G pitch, new outdoor fitness facilities, with significantly increased indoor fitness facilities. The proposal comes after a major gift pledge from an Old Blue (former pupil).

Christ’s Hospital is in discussions with Horsham District Council about co-sharing the running track, making it available for wider use. Headmaster Simon Reid said: “Over the last few years we have been developing our sports facilities. This will enhance our provisions even further. This will be an outstanding sports facility and one that will be accessible for the whole community to benefit from.� bluecoatsports.co.uk

TOOVEY’S Boogie Woogie pianist Ben Waters hosts Picnic in the Park on the Recreation Ground at Coolham on Saturday 11 August, with support from Coolham Live Music Club.

The line-up includes Crossfire (featuring Alice Armstrong and Marcus PraestgaardStevens), Elles Bailey Trio and the Ben Waters Band (featuring special guests Kiki Dee and Carmelo Luggeri).

Tickets cost ÂŁ25 from http://benwaterspicnic.com/coolham/ On Saturday 22 September, Coolham Live Music Club welcomes Northsyde, a fourpiece blues/rock/soul band. The evening opens with a set by young guitarist Marcus Praestgaard-Stevens and his band Crossfire, with Alice Armstrong on vocals. coolhamlivemusicclub.com

The Refill Campaign is coming to the Horsham District. The campaign was launched in Bristol in 2015 and there are now over 10,000 Refill Stations around the UK. The idea is simple - promote refilling a water bottle to cut the number of plastic bottles thrown away.

Kinder Living have agreed to be the official local partner of the Refill campaign and has taken on the challenge of recruiting businesses to become Refill Stations and encouraging homeowners to make more sustainable choices. Each participating business displays a ‘Refill’ sticker in the window and there’s a free App, which shows where stations are located. Any business wishing to take part can email refill@kinderliving.co.uk https://www.refill.org.uk/refill-scheme/ refill-horsham-district/

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NEWS ROUND-UP

14

The West Grinstead & District Ploughing and Agricultural Society hosts its annual Ploughing Match at Priors Byne Farm, Bines Road, Partridge Green, on Saturday 15 September, from 9.30am.

Established in 1871, the society promotes the interests of the farming community and has been holding shows for over 125 years. More than 50 farmers will be ploughing in all kinds of methods, with modern and vintage tractors alongside horsedrawn and steam ploughs.

Other highlights include cattle and sheep shows, ferret racing, terrier racing, clay pigeon shoot, tug-o-war, bale hefting, gun dog show and local produce stalls. Tickets £6 (U14’s free). westgrinsteadploughing.co.uk

Horsham Rugby Club will host Latitude 51, a musical event for all the family, on Saturday 25 August, from 2 - 10.30pm.

The event includes live music from an Olly Murs tribute act, Blobbie Williams, Beyonce tribute Yonce and Abba Fever.

John O’Sullivan (pictured, left) is compere and children’s entertainment includes a Punch and Judy Show, magic show, inflatable zone and fair rides. There will be food stalls and a licensed bar.

Tickets cost £20 (teenagers £10 and children U12 free) from The Candy Box in Horsham or eventbrite.co.uk

Horsham-based video production company Silvertip Films will host the district’s first ever film festival as part of the Horsham District Year of Culture 2019.

They want to showcase local talent in four categories: Best comedy, best drama, best animation and best documentary. A special Your District award will be presented by the judges to the film that showcases Horsham’s places, people or culture.

The judges will be looking for good storytelling, shot selection, acting and use of location. The nominees will be celebrated at an awards night at Christ’s Hospital Theatre. The festival will be divided into two categories: Over 18’s and Under 18’s. For entry details visit silvertipfilms.co.uk

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St Mary’s House, Bramber, hosts Larks and Magic – The Story of E Nesbit, on Saturday 3 September, at 3pm. Edith Nesbitt is famous for classic books including The Railway Children and Five Children and It. This one-woman show, performed by Alison Neil, offers an entertaining account of her life, larks and enduring magic. Tickets cost £22.50.

On Saturday 6 October, international concert pianist Phillip Dyson performs a programme of piano classics including Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata. Tickets 27.50.

For tickets visit stmarysbramber.co.uk

Join St Catherine’s Hospice on Sunday 14 October for a challenging hike through the Sussex countryside. The full hike is 13 miles, with nine and four mile routes also available, making this a family friendly event, suitable for dogs. The route takes in historic landmarks including Balcombe Viaduct, Ardingly Reservoir and Wakehurst Place Seedbank. Registration is £8 for adults (£10 on the day) and £5 for children. Registration on the day opens at 9am at Victory Hall, Balcombe, where the walk begins. Register online at stch.org.uk/slh

St Mary’s House Music Room pictured in 2016 for AAH

NEWS ROUND-UP

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Pulborough’s Harvest Fair will be held on East Glebe Field on Saturday 23 September, from 11am - 5pm.

The fair celebrates the best of local food with stalls selling Sussex food and drink produce. There are country crafts, farm animals, farming equipment, arena displays, competitions, Teddies on a zip wire, historic pictures, traditional funfair and more. Organised by Pulborough Community Partnership. For more details, visit the ‘Pulborough Harvest Fair’ page on Facebook.

MIXED FRUIT from a SUSSEX TREE John Snelling

Horsham author and Rotary member, John Snelling, introduces a fascinating collection of his stories, essays, poems and plays, with a dash of history and Sussex.

Christina Maude writes in her Preface: Amusing, thought-provoking, puckish and intimate by turns, peopled by types whom we will all know from our own lives, but never stereotypical, this is a quiet celebration of an English life which many of us will recognise with affection and nostalgia without ever wishing to turn back the clock.

MIXED FRUIT from a SUSSEX TREE Published by Country Books (ISBN 978-1-910489-52-9) Hardback can be obtained for £20 from bookshops or from www.countrybooks.biz or www.sussexbooks.co.uk

NEWS ROUND-UP

Direct from China, the legendary Shaolin Warriors come to The Capitol, Horsham, on Sunday 23 September, at 7.30pm. Shaolin Warriors – The Legend Continues, features thrilling martial arts prowess alongside the enlightening Zen. A strength-through-adversity story is told, following the journey from two children’s initiation into a historical monastery to achieving fully-fledged warrior status. Tickets £26 from (01403) 750220 or visit thecapitolhorsham.com

Fact Not Fiction Films has cast Ian McElhinney (Game of Thrones, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) and Laurence Olivier Award nominee Elaine Paige OBE in its new short film, Missing a Note.

Directed by Beth Moran (pictured above, whilst filming a documentary with the Thunderbirds demonstration squadron), Missing a Note follows striving opera extraordinaire John O’Connell who, after retiring from a successful singing career, takes up examining to continue his love of singing. As young Molly Groves embarks on her first singing exam before the retired legend, John’s diminishing memory means Molly is in for a few puzzling surprises in this charming short drama.

The role of Molly has been cast to young actress, Darcy Jacobs.

The film is searching for funding donations at missinganote.com

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Image courtesy of Horsham Museum & Art Gallery

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There has been a strong public response to the History article on the Henderson family in July’s AAH, featuring photographs of Japan.

The museum has now decided to exhibit the photos once again. Lost World runs from 20 August - 20 October. The museum has four albums of photos taken in 1874-75, illustrating the travels of Robert and Emma Henderson in India, Singapore, Borneo, Siam, China, Japan and America. horshammuseum.org

Vélo South – a major new 100 mile cycling event on closed roads, comes through the Horsham District on 23 September.

Goodwood Motor Circuit will welcome 15,000 cyclists for the start, with the course taking in parts of the South Downs and the villages of Pulborough, Ashington, Wiston, Partidge Green and Horsham.

The event has proved controversial, with some West Sussex County Councillors calling for the event to be cancelled. Many roads will be closed and it will undoubtedly prevent people from getting around, as well as impacting some businesses.

However, the event has been defended for promoting a healthy

lifestyle, generating tourism and raising funds for good causes.

General and fast track entries have sold out but you can still secure a place via an official charity or by entering a company team in the Business 100 challenge. velosouth.com

St Catherine’s Hospice’s Dragon Boat Festival returns to Tilgate Park on Sunday 9 September, from 9.30am.

The event, sponsored by Vines of

Gatwick, sees 40 teams from local businesses compete to become Dragon Boat champions. There will also be fête games and live music.

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BUSINESS

21

FORGING A FUTURE WITH

FUNKY FURNITURE Top: Paul Wightman at Horsham Forge: Bottom: The forge offers a range of furniture designed and built in-house

Horsham Forge initially operated as conventional fabricators and repairers. Recently, the business has been creating unique furniture and lighting to broaden its customer base. AAH met founder and owner, Paul Wightman...

How long have you been in business?

We started in 1991, renting a unit from Hillier’s Garden Centre. It was touch-and-go for Horsham Forge in the early days, as people didn’t know about us. We’re at the back of a garden centre in a small town and we didn't even have computers back then, let alone social media, so it took a while to build a reputation through word of mouth.

Why choose a low-key location?

We couldn’t afford to be on the High Street as the rates and insurance are too high and we require a lot of space because of the machinery.

What machinery do you have?

I started off with a budget of about £500 and bought tools from G&M Tools in Ashington. Now, we have incredible machinery capable of creating intricate patterns and letters in one inch thick steel as well as industrial lathe machines. We have everything you need for forging, cutting and shaping. It’s not just someone hammering on an anvil.

What sort of things do you work on at the forge?

You never know what the day will bring. We work on anything that can be fabricated, shaped, welded or repaired. We work with sheet metal, glasswork, wood, copper and other materials. Common items include gates, railings, weathervanes, lamp shades, fire baskets, chairs, tables and lights. We realised early on that bigger companies that deal with fabrication or metal sheeting don't want the public coming back for minor repairs. They’re not set-up for

it, so there has always been a place for a local forge.

Is there anything you don’t do?

I am not a farrier! We have had people ask if they should bring their horse round the back or through the garden centre! The farrier and blacksmith trade separated about 50 years ago and few blacksmiths will shoe a horse. We’ve also had people sit down at one of our tables and

order a coffee, as we have a coffee sign in the corner, just as an example of our work. Usually, they see the funny side before leaving!

What items do people want repairing?

We see all kinds of interesting items come into the workshop.

We’ve just taken in an old Victorian street lamp and a vintage wine rack that needs

restoring. Sometimes, people bring in old wheelbarrows and we have to explain that it’ll cost more to repair than it would to buy a new one. But some items have sentimental value.

Upcycling is popular, but people aren’t always aware of how much time is required to repair these old items. We always provide an estimate, so there are no shocks!

22

“Pete Barnes, affectionately known as Metal Bender, makes a lot of the pipe men and motorbike lights.”

Do you make your own items too?

We’ve always made things like gates, pokers and railings. It’s hard when people can buy a massproduced item that is good enough for their needs for perhaps a third of the price elsewhere. Still, there will always be people who appreciate the weight, structure and quality of handmade, made-to-fit items. It’s like a music enthusiast who becomes an audiophile, insisting on the best sound reproduction so the music they listen to is as good as it can be. Whilst for others, a regular set of speakers will do.

Award-Winning Farm Shop New House Farm Shop and Tea Room is located in a beautifully renovated 16th Century barn, hidden in a quiet spot on the edge of Horsham. People come from all over to enjoy our cafe and locally sourced produce.

Is that your main source of business?

The most successful part of the business has been shop fitting for corporate clients. Different designs are used by fashion retailers to

make shops stylish and attractive, and that has kept us busy. Some of that work has been local; we fitted out the tables for Mungo’s Bar in Horsham. We also work with two national retail companies but it’s a tough time for fashion outlets and that’s had a knock-on effect. When orders started drying up, we considered other ways to generate business.

What was the result of that?

We now make lighting and rustic wood furniture. Pete Barnes, who is affectionately known as Metal Bender, makes a lot of the pipe men and motorbike lights. He loves making them and has helped grow our profile too by posting photos on social media. People are fascinated by them!

Strawberry Fields Tea Room Our tea room was voted Best Tea Room in the Sussex Life Food and Drinks Awards 2014.You can enjoy cakes and sandwiches, paninis and Ploughman’s Also, don’t miss our Full English Breakfast (Served until 12pm).

Local Food and Drink Produce

Tea Rooms and Farm Shop open 7 days a week www.newhousefarmshop.co.uk 01293 851890 New House Farm, Old Crawley Road, Horsham, RH12 4RU Open Every Day from 10am - 5pm

Examples of Pete Barnes’ work at Horsham Forge

Our locally sourced produce include fresh fruit and veg, freshly baked bread, fresh meat from local farms, beers and gins by local brewers, wines from the Bolney Estate, Sussex cheeses, greetings cards and great gifts!

23

Nick Watts at Horsham Forge

Paul Wightman often makes deliveries in his Ford van

BUSINESS

“There will always be people who appreciate the quality of handmade items.”

Are they unique items?

You can find similar looking items on eBay, but they do not have the same quality. If you want something unique, bespoke and built with quality, then Pete’s work is perfect. We also made lamps out of deactivated shotguns, with the trigger operating as a switch, and fire pits from stainless steel washing machine drums. Another of Pete’s creations is a metal spider made from spoons!

You’re making furniture too?

We have a selection of stools, tables and chairs, but we are still learning what our customers like and what sells.

Our drain cover table is a prime example, in that we’ve displayed the table for six months and have only sold one. Everybody who walks through the door loves it, but buying it is another matter!

Why are people not buying items they love?

Very few people are lucky enough to have the space for such things. We have a beautiful dining room table that attracts a lot of attention, but most people only have space for a four-foot table in their kitchen, or a breakfast bar.

You see lovely, bespoke tables going into huge homes on TV programmes like Grand Designs, but it is the smaller items that sell better.

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Dan Wightman at Horsham Forge

24

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Is there a throwaway culture when it comes to furniture?

Many people don't want items for life, which is why retailers like Ikea do so well. People want to change furniture every few years to keep up with the latest styles and technology. I don't understand that stance myself, but that’s the reality. However, making the furniture has helped us keep our heads above water and has revitalised our desire to design and create unique items for our customers.

What other unusual projects have you been involved in?

Our remit is so wide that we can take on anything. We made a huge steel structure for a scale model of a grabbing machine which picks up items on the ocean bed. We love a challenge at the forge!

Monza Sport is an approved service dealer for Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Abarth and Subaru, offering the highest levels of customer satisfaction.

At Monza, we offer servicing & MOTs, parts and tuning services, aircon re-gas, tyre fitting and 4 wheel laser alignment. We have special labour rates for older cars and offer courtesy cars to our customers.

We have a vastly experienced Service Manager in Keith Avey and one of the country’s best technicians and diagnostic experts in Kevin Riddles. On four occasions we’ve topped the JD Power customer satisfaction surveys for Alfa Romeo. (*No.1 out of 165 Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Chrysler Jeep dealers for customer satisfaction in the UK, Jan - Mar 2018)

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What are your future plans?

I reached official retiring age this year and I've had letters telling me about my winter fuel allowance! But I have no interest in stopping. I like to play around with cars and have an American style pick-up truck that I will be taking to Americarna in Horsham. I use the van for deliveries too, which people always enjoy. That’s something else that we do that’s a little unusual!

INTERVIEW: BEN MORRIS PICTURES: TOBY PHILLIPS

Visit Horsham Forge at Hillier Garden Centre, Brighton Road, Horsham. Open Tuesday - Saturday.

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ART

27

IMITATION OF LIFE

Jill Coombs: 30 Years as a Leading Botanical Artist My journey started... with studying ceramics and textiles at Art College. It was there that I first came across botanical illustration, in a book at the library. The idea of being a botanical artist appealed to me, but it took a long time to happen.

I worked for an industrial design company and later, after I married and had children, became a teacher at Hazelwick School, Three Bridges.

One day, flicking through a brochure for field study centres, I came across a course in botanical illustration.

It leapt off the page.

Things took off... when I attended the course, at Flatford Mill. The tutor was Mary Grierson, artist-in-residence at Kew and one of the leading botanical artists in the world at that time. I loved the course, and met people who became friends for life. I was hooked!

Mary was very encouraging about my work and suggested I should show my

work at the Royal Horticultural Society’s botanical art exhibition. At my first year of exhibiting, I won a silver gilt medal and followed that with gold the following year. Thanks to my success there, I applied for a position at Kew Gardens. I was awarded three golds for subsequent RHS exhibits and was the society’s Orchid Artist for 1981, which meant I painted all the prize-winning orchids.

At Kew Gardens... the herbarium is filled, from floor to ceiling, with pressed plants from every corner of the world.

My first job there was working on the flora of Iraq. It was a country I hadn’t visited, but they had every plant I needed. Everything in the herbarium racks was brown, dry and unpromising, so I drew them all in black-and-white.

We would boil the flowers for just a few seconds and they would soften up and miraculously expand to make them reasonably life-like. I completed 21 illustrations on the flora of Iraq and Poppies are one of Jill’s favourite plants

28

â&#x20AC;&#x153;A botanist must identify a plant from your drawing, so the colours and details need to be accurate.â&#x20AC;? later worked on plants from East Africa and Egypt. I considered it a great privilege to work at Kew for over four years.

The origins of botanical art...

Jill has recently been drawing wild meadows, but old habits die hard!

Below: Examples of Jillâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fruit and vegetable illustrations

I drew illustrations... for a book of plant portraits, written by gardener Beth Chatto. The book included

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an intense form of copying! If you are drawing for a scientific publication and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not right, they will tell you to do it again.

A botanist must be able to identify a plant from your drawing, so the colours and details need to be accurate and everything must be measured carefully. It is a terrific discipline for an artist to spend so much time simply gauging scale!

I love painting all plants, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve often returned to irises, as I love its delicacy and colour. The poppy is another favourite as it has wonderful texture and seems to dance across the paper.

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go back a long way, as itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a very scientific art form.

Joseph Dalton Hooker drew the specimens tha Charles Darwin collected on HMS Beagle and wealthy English estate owners would send people all over the world to collect plants and seeds and they would draw them in flower.

Even since the dawn of photography, botanical illustrators are needed, as a photo cannot capture all the elements of a plant. A photo can capture the wrong colour, and a botanical illustration will include a dissection of seeds drawn from under a microscope. My work will often incorporate three different pictures on one sheet.

Botanical art is essentially...

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ART

about 80 images, all produced from live specimens. I visited her house in Essex several times and found it most enjoyable.

During my 30 years as an artist, I’ve painted orchids for Country Life, drawn for commemorative plates depicting Queen Victoria’s favourite flowers, and illustrated a cookery book. I was also member of Chelsea Physic Garden’s florilegium society, which was approached to produce drawings for Prince Charles’ Highgrove estate. There was about 70 illustrators from all over the world

involved in the project, so I felt honoured to be amongst them.

I still teach... although only occasionally now.

Earlier this year, I held a course at the Sussex Wildlife Trust’s site at Woods Mill, Henfield.

Recently, I’ve been painting plants in their natural habitat, often depicting wild poppies, thistles and the long grass in my garden.

This is something of a departure for me. They’re not botanical in

style, but I’m finding that old habits die hard! I still want everything to be correct in terms of colour and scale!

People tell me I should paint more loosely and be more abstract, but I can’t help but include details.

I’m still involved with a florilegium group at Nymans Gardens. We’re currently recording Chilean plants as that’s a focus of the head gardener.

Over the years, I’ve been involved in solo and group exhibitions and I continue to be an active member of the Association of Sussex Artists

29

(ASA) which hosts its annual exhibition at the Drill Hall, Denne Road, Horsham, in August.

INTERVIEW: BEN MORRIS PICTURES: TOBY PHILLIPS Jill Coombs will be exhibiting two pieces at the Association of Sussex Artists’ exhibition in Horsham on 17 - 25 August.

Find out more about the event on the advertisement on Page 28.

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HISTORY

31

MONSTROUS FEAT

How Teenager Mary Shelley Wrote Frankenstein Mary Shelley began writing her debut novel 200 years ago in 1816, when she was only 18years-old. Two years later, Frankenstein was published.

It tells the story of scientist Victor Frankenstein, who builds a living creature from human body parts. The book follows his efforts to destroy his creation, with the tale unfolding through a series of letters and first-person accounts from Victor, Robert Walton and the Monster himself.

The Monster begins life innocent and uneducated, and

over the course of a year educates himself by reading books. He is gradually beaten down and corrupted by the treatment he receives from others.

Mary’s husband, Warnham-born poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, wrote in a review of Frankenstein: “In this, the direct moral of the book consists. Treat a person ill and he will become wicked. Divide him, a social being, from society, and you impose upon him the irresistible obligations malevolence and selfishness.”

Inspired by the Ideas of Re-animation Mary Shelley (née Godwin) was born on 30 August 1797, the daughter of philosopher William Godwin and famous women’s rights advocate and author of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, Mary Wollstonecraft.

Sadly, her mother died of septicaemia 10 days after her birth.

Was Frankenstein a Poet’s Work?

Mary Shelley published her novel in a time when women were not considered the intellectual equal of men.

The first edition of the novel was published anonymously, but included a dedication to William Godwin (pictured, right), leading many to suspect that the author of the well-reviewed Frankenstein was someone connected to him.

Nobody appeared to suspect that it was his daughter.

Mary conceived and wrote the story, but her future husband, Percy Shelley, served as a sounding board and advisor.

Various writers and academics have argued that it was Percy who wrote Frankenstein. The

reasoning behind this argument is that a woman with Mary’s lack of formal education could not possibly write a masterpiece.

However, this view is not widely accepted.

Mary was an inquisitive woman, who grew up surrounded by intellectuals and great thinkers.

The acolytes of William Godwin included physicians and anatomists as well as writers, poets and philosophers.

Mary was so affected by listening to Samuel Taylor Coleridge read his poem, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, that she could recall it until adulthood.

Coleridge’s influence can be seen in linguistic and stylistic aspects of Frankenstein.

Mary’s novel may also have been inspired by scientific and medical experiments of the early 19th century, that saw scientists and doctors investigating methods

for bringing people back from the dead.

There was thought to be a distinction between ‘incomplete’ and ‘absolute’ death. Scientists believed that revival might be possible with electricity.

Mary Shelley’s own mother (pictured above) leapt from Putney Bridge into the Thames in the depth of depression. Having been rescued, she complained: “I have only to lament, that, when the bitterness of death was past, I was inhumanly brought back to life and misery.”

Mary Shelley includes several episodes of fainting and revival within Frankenstein, reflecting the view that death was a spectrum, rather than a black and white state.

32 Frankenstein Castle Provides Inspiration

Mary Elopes with her Married Poet

Following their elopement, Mary, Percy and Claire Clairmont travelled around Europe.

It is thought that the trio may have visited Frankenstein Castle near Darmstadt, Germany. The castle may have partly inspired Mary’s gothic masterpiece.

Although the name Frankenstein is now synonymous with Mary’s monster, it was a very ordinary name for a German castle as it means “stone of the Franks.”

Frankenstein Castle was the birthplace of the infamous alchemist Johann Konrad Dippel, whose experiments centred around his quest for the “elixir of life” and his experiments on animals and corpses.

Percy Bysshe Shelley (right) was born in Warnham and his father, Sir Timothy Shelley, was MP for Horsham from 1790-92.

Percy gained fame as a romantic poet and was a proponent of the “free love” movement. A great admirer of William Godwin, he pursued acquaintance with the philosopher, before making friends with the young ladies of the house.

Shelley was, however, already married to his childhood sweetheart, Harriet Westbrook.

Although the couple lived separately, the marriage had produced two children.

When Mary was four, her father remarried. In 1814, Mary wrote that her stepmother was “a woman I shudder to think of.”

However, she formed a close relationship with Claire Clairmont, her stepmother’s second child. The two even competed for the affections of the handsome poet, Percy Bysshe.

Percy turned his attentions to the pretty, teenage Mary, and the couple fell in love. They conducted secret meetings in the churchyard of St Pancras, where Mary’s mother was buried.

Then, when Mary was 16, she eloped to Switzerland with the

‘Mary eloped to Switzerland with the poet, despite her father’s objections to her married suitor.’ poet, despite her father’s objections to her married suitor.

They were accompanied by Mary’s step-sister, Claire, who spoke French.

Mary and Percy Shelley married in 1816, after the suicide of

These engravings from Luigi Galvani’s 1791 book De Viribus Electricitatis in Motu Musculari depict his experiments on “animal electricity.”

Shelley’s abandoned wife, Harriet. Shelley’s lifestyle was considered so disreputable that he and Mary were not granted custody of the two children from his first marriage.

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HISTORY

33

‘Dr John Polidori’s short story The Vampyre inspired a whole subgenre of fiction, film and television.’

Lord Byron Joins the Group in Italy Two years later, during the summer of 1816, the trio (now expanded to a quartet following the birth of Mary and Percy’s son William) spent six weeks touring Europe.

They stayed at Villa Diodati near Lake Geneva, the rented summer home of poet Lord Byron.

Byron, along with his friend Dr John Polidori, Mary, Percy and Mary’s step-sister Claire Clairmont, spent many weeks together.

Due to the inclement weather, they spent their evenings writing, talking, and discussing scientific and philosophical theories, including questions around the nature of life and death.

One evening, Byron suggested that each of them write a ghost story of their own to share with their peers.

However, Mary struggled to find inspiration.

She, more than anyone else in the party, would have the greatest comprehension of what it meant to create life. Although young, she had already given birth twice and suffered through the loss of her premature daughter, who lived for less than two weeks.

One night, Mary had a terrifying dream that inspired her to begin writing a story, which would become Frankenstein.

The romantic entanglements and Mary’s jealousy of the time that Claire and Percy spent together may also have inspired her story about men and their creation of monsters.

It is interesting to note that, of the five stories begun at the Villa Diodati, only two were completed.

They were not written by the established authors, Shelley and Byron, but by the novices, Mary and John Polidori.

Mary’s tale about Victor Frankenstein’s creation endures and Polidori’s short story The Vampyre inspired a whole subgenre of fiction, film and television.

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34 A ‘Great Work of Science Fiction’ Frankenstein was published 200 years ago, yet its popularity and cultural impact has never waned.

Considered to be one of the earliest science fiction novels, Mary’s story has been adapted for magazines, comics, plays, films and television.

It is remarkable that the debut novel of a teenager has been so successful and that its popularity has endured for longer than the work of her husband and friends, whose recognition exceeded Mary’s during her lifetime.

The novel itself begins when explorer Robert Walton writes to his sister to describe how he met Victor Frankenstein in the Arctic. He befriends Victor, who shares the story of his life.

Victor describes his idyllic childhood and caring family and how at university in Ingolstadt, his interest in science becomes an obsession. Using dead bodies to experiment on, he

creates a monster made of body parts. Victor brings life to his creation, but is horrified by the Monster and abandons it.

When Victor receives word that his brother William has been murdered and a family friend has been accused of the crime, Victor believes the Monster is to blame. When he meets the Monster in the Swiss mountains, the Monster tells how he has been made monstrous by society’s treatment of him.

He asks Victor to build a female companion to assuage his loneliness, and Victor agrees.

Realising the consequences, Victor tears it to pieces, with the Monster taking revenge by killing Victor's best friend and new wife.

Victor hunts the creature and chases him to the Arctic.

The last section of the book returns to Robert Walton, who recounts Victor Frankenstein’s death from exposure. Walton notes that the Monster, truly alone following the death of his creator, has headed out to seek his own death.

An illustration from the 1831 published version of Frankenstein

Mary Returns After Husband Drowns

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The Shelleys continued to travel and Mary had to accept her husband’s flirtations with other women, including her step-sister.

The couple suffered numerous setbacks throughout their life together. They struggled financially, with Percy borrowing large sums of money to maintain their lavish lifestyle.

By 1819, Mary had given birth to three children, but all had died, sending her into a depression.

Only the birth of her fourth child, Percy Florence, began to lift it. In the summer of 1822, Mary’s life was once more marred by tragedy. Percy Bysshe Shelley went sailing with two other men, despite severe weather warnings. The boat capsized and all three men drowned.

Mary returned to England.

She became a prolific writer, translator and essayist. She wrote five further novels: Valperga (1823), The Last Man (1826), Perkin Warbeck (1830), Lodore (1835) and Falkner (1837). She also wrote a novella,

travel books, biographies, short stories and poems.

When Sir Timothy Shelley died in 1844, Percy Florence inherited Field Place in Horsham.

However, he hated Horsham and its people. Mary followed her son around coastal towns, eventually settling in Bournemouth.

When she died in 1851, she was buried with Shelley’s heart.

Text courtesy of Rhiannon Jones, Assistant Curator at HDC’s Horsham Museum & Art Gallery. Images courtesy of Horsham Museum, which is hosting an exhibition to mark 200 years of Frankenstein. It runs until 6 October. horshammuseum.org

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36

Quirkiness Meets

FRENCH Examples of work by The Pudding Fairy

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Laure Moyle: The Pudding Fairy I have always loved baking.

At the age of 14, I worked weekends at my local patisserie in Beaujolais, France.

light texture and are not suited to heavy icing. So, after six months, I made the decision not to use icing.

I arrived in England in 1996, initially working at Maison Blanc in Chelsea. Eventually, I moved into hospitality and then digital marketing. My head office was in Windsor but I also ran teams in Atlanta and Ireland. It was hard balancing work with a young family at home.

It was a risk and I feared I’d never be asked to make a cake again!

As it transpired, people started contacting me precisely for that reason.

One day, I was stuck in traffic on the M25. There had been a terrible accident and it dawned on me that, had I set off a few minutes earlier, I might have been involved. I thought, ‘Would I want to be remembered as a super mum who studied website data?’ I also felt I should demonstrate to my children that it’s important to do something you’re passionate about.

Whilst working in the corporate world, I was still baking regularly.

I even applied for MasterChef.

But it wasn’t until 2014 that I launched my own business as Pudding Fairy.

On many occasions, I have seen cakes that focus on style over substance. They may have intricate icing work, but the flavours are not of the same high standard. My cakes have a very

I developed a following among people who like patisserie and chocolate cakes. Even just a few years ago, there weren’t many options if you didn't want a cake loaded with sugary icing. That has now changed. TV shows like The Great British Bake Off have changed perceptions and encouraged people to be more creative. Video tutorials on social media have also broadened the knowledge of bakers.

CAKE MAKERS

37

Laure Moyle prepares a cheese-themed cake

Church Street, Warnham RH12 3QW

“I made lightsabers made of 500g of solid chocolate as wedding favours for a Star Wars fan.”

In terms of recipes, my popular flavours include strawberries and cream and my lemon zing cake.

This includes lemon and creme fraiche sponge with lemon curd, lemon syrup, lemon meringue and Limoncello, so it has a fruity, refreshing taste.

Chocolate and salted caramel and white chocolate and raspberry cakes are popular too.

I also have a gluten-free carrot, pineapple and coconut cake which always receives great reviews. I often incorporate organic edible flowers, so everything on the cake can be eaten.

Chocolate features heavily in my work. I've made boxes with chocolate panels, with a chocolate bow concealing a cake. I’ve also made a chess board with figures hand-crafted

in chocolate. Recently, I made lightsabers with a handle made of 500grams of solid chocolate, as wedding favours for a Star Wars fan. You never truly master chocolate though, as there is always something else to learn.

When you speak to customers, you usually develop an idea as you learn about them and their story. One couple asked me to design a wedding cake based on their love of films, with references to Spiderman, Harry Potter, Shaun of the Dead and Beauty and the Beast. The more complex characters need casting, which is expensive and time consuming, but can have great results!

There is an artistic element to some of my work. One recent example was a cake made to resemble a cheese tower for a birthday celebration. I did a

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38 Examples of cakes made by The Pudding Fairy, including a 27th birthday party cake for Ed Sheeran and his friend

“I received a phone call out of the blue, asking me to make a cake for Ed Sheeran's 27th birthday.” similar thing with a pumpkin cake, which was placed amongst real pumpkins at a Halloween party. Some of the guests thought the birthday girl was cutting into a raw pumpkin! It's all about giving people memories and by remembering the cake, they will remember the day.

I received a phone call out of the blue, asking me to make a cake for Ed Sheeran's 27th birthday party. He is depicted drinking under a beer barrel and his best friend, who he was sharing a joint party with, was slumped on top of the barrel!

Because I work with chocolate a lot, I work very close to deadlines. I can't bake on Monday and stack tiers on a Tuesday, because by Saturday they’re going to be soggy!

These are patisserie cakes, so I usually bake on a Thursday and

allow a day for the cake to set before adding the final elements on a Friday night before the wedding or event. There is very little room for error.

I think my customers tend to be people who want a cake to be a showpiece of the wedding and are willing to put aside a good budget for it. It’s true that I do love quirky ideas, but the cake still needs to be elegant and most importantly, it must taste good!

INTERVIEW: BEN MORRIS PICTURES: TOBY PHILLIPS/ THE PUDDING FAIRY Pudding Fairy is based in Ashington and more images are available on her Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.

Contact Laure on 07766 188219 or visit puddingfairy.com

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40

Hand-crafted CELEBRATION CAKES I was working for the marketing department of a confectionery firm, but was made redundant the day before starting maternity leave with my first child.

I made a Lighting McQueen cake for my eldest son’s second birthday. I’d enjoyed baking for a while, but this was a more ambitious project as he loved Cars and his party was themed around the film. I posted pictures of the cake online and soon my friends and family were making requests.

I was fortunate in that I met someone at an NCT (National Childbirth Trust) group who was looking for someone to make a bespoke birthday cake. At that time, I didn’t have an online presence or established business, so she was understandably reluctant about

Caroline Middleton: Sugared Pumpkin using me. However, I made her four chocolate cupcakes to demonstrate that I had the skills!

She's now a good friend and one of my regular customers.

As more requests came in, I decided to register as a business.

Sugared Pumpkin was officially born in 2016. I didn't want to return to full-time work, as I wanted to be there for my two boys when they needed me.

Baking meant I could be flexible and work around them. I still do a lot of my work after they’ve gone to bed.

I'm best known for creating celebration cakes for birthdays,

christenings, anniversaries and other special occasions. I tend to avoid weddings as that market is very well catered for locally. I have some corporate clients and recently made a cake for Yazoo to mark the launch of its new chocolate mint flavour milkshake.

The majority of my cakes are for children and are modelled on film and TV characters. My favourite part of the job is delivering the cake, especially if the child is home and has permission to see it! Bakers will always notice tiny imperfections, but a child just sees an R2-D2 cake and they run around screaming like it’s the most

amazing thing in the whole world!

It’s difficult to make cakes based on characters, as it doesn't take much for it to look wrong. The colours, details and dimensions need to be accurate. I have seen hilarious examples of failed cakes on social media!

Part of being a professional cake maker is the ability to overcome problems and still produce a good cake. You can't present a customer with something that you’re not happy with when your business relies on positive word-of-mouth.

Whilst the look is important, taste is critical. A good cake should deliver on both counts.

My chocolate cake is popular as I use a recipe that is a cross between cake and brownie,

CAKE MAKERS

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Examples of work by Sugared Pumpkin

“You can't present a cake that you’re not happy with when your business relies on positive word-of-mouth.” almost like a mud pie. Off-the-shelf chocolate cake is usually quite dry, whereas mine is moist and delicious. My other best seller is vanilla with buttercream and jam, a classic cake combination.

If you’re making a character cake, you need fondant icing, as you won’t get the desired look with buttercream. I use a premium Swiss brand only available from cake decorating companies, as it tastes better, looks better and is easier to work with. I also have a machine that creates personalised toppings, with text in a range of fonts and sizes.

I've had some bizarre requests. I made a cake for a baby shower of a woman giving birth! Over the past decade, people have become more creative. They look on social media for ideas and request cakes with parts that move or even light up.

Also, the range of cartoons, video games and films children watch and play has grown. They all love different things! I was recently asked to make Minecraft cupcakes, which I had to research as my own sons have never played it.

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CREATED BY LOCAL PEOPLE AAH is an independent magazine, owned and produced by Ben Morris, a life-long resident of the Horsham District.

Since the magazine was first published in May 2011, AAH has been renowned for its colourful features and superb images by Toby Phillips Photography.

We believe that our editorial content is unrivalled in the Horsham District, with colourful features on local businesses and personalities and our brilliant ‘News Round-Up’

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Examples of cakes by Sugared Pumpkin

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“When it comes to creating characters, every individual line and colour must be right.”

The biggest challenge for a cake maker to overcome is pricing.

Some people assume you just throw butter and eggs together, stick it in the oven and out comes a cake, but it can take days. When it comes to creating characters, every individual line needs to be in the right place and every colour must be the right tone.

Every day, I receive enquiries from people who show me incredible cakes they’ve seen on Pinterest and tell me that their budget is £40. You need to charge something for your time, skill, training and experience and you can’t do that at supermarket prices.

I also factor in delivery. I’ve had plenty of practice at transporting cakes safely without them collapsing in the car. Delivering cakes directly can prevent a lot of heartache!

Running the business has been greatly fulfilling. I’m there for my sons and I’m able to use the creative skills I learned studying design at university. It's nice to be able to do something that not only keeps my brain active, but also that I love doing.

INTERVIEW: BEN MORRIS PICTURES: TOBY PHILLIPS/ SUGARED PUMPKIN Sugared Pumpkin is based in Horsham and has a Food Hygiene Rating of 5. Find out more on the Facebook and Pinterest sites.

You can contact Caroline through the website at sugaredpumpkin.co.uk

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Sweet

COUTURE CREATIO Helen Burgess: Hetty’s Cake House

When I was younger, I wanted to be called Hetty, but it never stuck! I finally had the chance to adopt the name when I started my business in 2013. As it transpires, it’s only created problems as customers feel embarrassed when they discover my name is Helen!

I suffered with post-natal depression after the birth of my third child and my doctor recommended that I take up a hobby. I’ve always enjoyed painting and knitting, so it made sense to do something creative.

I also love making puddings and would bake cakes for my

children's birthdays. My family and friends thought I had a flair for it and encouraged me to take the next step. However, I didn't want to launch a business while I was producing cakes of what I considered to be a mediocre level. I wanted to do it properly.

I attended evening courses in Horsham and Crowborough, learning various skills from experienced bakers. Even now though, I don’t considered myself to be a true baker. I know which recipes I like and spent a long time perfecting them.

However, it is the decorative side that gives me the most pleasure.

For me, this is art.

I enjoy making pretty things, I which is why I love working on wedding and Christening cakes, as well as cupcakes and cookies as table favours too. It’s lovely to be a part of somebody’s special day. Nowadays, the cake is a true centerpiece of a wedding and people want something unique or personal to them.

They may see things on my website that they like or they might have their own ideas.

One cake I made recently incorporated silhouettes that told a story of the couple’s relationship. There was a picture of Christ’s Hospital, where they

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met, and additional images of Paris, Chichester Cathedral and The Lion King. Occasionally, a couple don’t know where to begin.

That can be a challenge, but we work through ideas and slowly a design takes shape!

Cake trends come and go.

Currently, we’re seeing lots of rustic, semi-naked cakes that expose the sponge. Royal icing and lace is out of fashion, but metallic colours and fondant icing with decorative sugar flowers are very much in vogue.

When it comes to flavours, my personal favourites include peppermint chocolate, white chocolate and raspberry, carrot and spiced orange, Limoncello drizzle and white vanilla Swiss meringue, which is what Harry and

Engraving Meghan had on their wedding day. I'm working on new flavours as I feel it’s time to offer something different. Even after five years in business, you need to shake things up occasionally.

I entered an international cake competition a few years ago and based my design around Polish pottery, which is an interest of mine. The picture (above) went viral and was viewed thousands of times by people all over the world.

Websites in Poland shared the image and I still receive emails from people in America trying to order one!

I could do without the bother of customers trying to barter me down, which is common in the baking industry. For that reason, I post prices on my website so

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Cupakes by Hetty’s Cake House

“Working from home allows me to do the school run and watch the kids’ sports days.”

people know from the outset how much a bespoke cake costs. There’s no point spending all night baking a cake for less than you’d earn working in a bar. There’s no enjoyment in that.

I love the freedom that the job gives me. I’ll watch This Morning, so Holly and Phil are my work friends! Working from home also allows me to do the school run, watch the kids’ sports days and spend time with them during the holidays. There are days when I work until the early hours of the morning to make up for it, but it’s great to have that flexibility.

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Everyone is very friendly in our little cake community in Horsham. Caroline at Sugared Pumpkin started a private Facebook group for bakers and that's been fantastic. If one of us has an enquiry but is fully booked, they can recommend someone else.

You have to find your niche in this business though. It’s possible to be a Jack of all trades, but that’s not what I want to do. I would like to expand on what I enjoy the most and that’s wedding cakes.

INTERVIEW: BEN MORRIS PICTURES: TOBY PHILLIPS/ HETTY’S CAKE HOUSE

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Working around children isn’t always easy. I used to have nightmares that they would stick their fingers into a cake on the night before a wedding, but it never happened!

Hetty’s Cake House is based in Slinfold. More images are available on the company’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest pages. You can contact Helen on (01403) 790376 or visit http://hettyscakehouse.co.uk

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49

Elegant

BESPOKE BAKING I launched the business in 2016 in the hope that it would steadily grow and perhaps be turning a small profit by the time my youngest child started school. As it transpired, the business grew quicker than expected.

I have long enjoyed baking.

People often said that I should go on The Great British Bake Off. But I’ve never been an avid viewer, which is unusual for someone in my profession. I prefer to bake myself.

Zoe Faiello: Zoe’s Cake Studio Before establishing my own business, there were certain skills I needed to learn. I attended classes on sugar craft and cake stacking, run by a cake maker. I then gained a professional diploma in sugar flowers, which was surprisingly intensive!

I kept practicing, handing out the toppers and sugar flowers that I

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made to my friends and family. I was just building up a portfolio and honing my skills before the time came to launch a business.

It was important to go through that stage, as I learnt from mistakes and I can avoid cake disasters now! It is a science and a little bit of extra flour can make a big difference. Also, this long

preparation time allowed me to find out what type of baking I was most passionate about.

My wedding and celebration cakes tend to be elegant, sleek designs, incorporating floral elements. I particularly enjoy the effect of flowers floating down one side of the cake, as it has a hint of traditional elegance with a modern touch.

You see many quirky designs nowadays, but that's not my

50

“I made a Chewbacca for a friend and spent hours creating tiny hair effects in the fondant!” style. I did make a Chewbacca for a friend and spent hours creating tiny hair effects in the fondant.

But that’s not the type of cake people would normally come to me for.

Examples of cakes made by Zoe’s Cake Studio

If somebody is looking for something wacky, I normally suggest a different cake maker who might be better suited to the project. I'm on the Facebook page with other cake makers and we share ideas and recommend others when we are booked. It spreads work locally and saves the customer from endlessly ringing around.

When it comes to flavours, my gin and tonic cake with elderflower buttercream is very popular. I take samples to wedding fairs and it always goes down well! My vanilla cake with raspberry and white chocolate buttercream or chocolate salted caramel

buttercream is also well received.

I add a ganache glaze to cakes to give them a nice finish before adding sugar paste too.

It is one thing for a cake to look great, but it needs to taste great.

There’s nothing worse than eating overly sweet buttercream and feeling it coating your teeth.

We’ve all been to weddings where it’s been peeled away and clumps of it are left on plates.

There is a huge world of cake-making and baking now because of websites like Pinterest. You can search wedding cakes and spend hours scrolling through thousands of designs. Consequently, trends and fashions change all the time.

Metallic cakes with edible gold or silver dust are in style, as is ruffle effect icing. On the other hand, I’m rarely asked to do royal icing, although I have attended a

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“You can search wedding cakes on Pinterest and spend hours scrolling through designs.” course on it. It’s perceived as oldfashioned, although it’ll probably be back in vogue one day.

I love to incorporate models or toppers into a design. One wedding cake I made had roses down the front and on the opposite side was a diving scene, as the couple got engaged underwater.

I've also made a silhouette style topper based on a proposal at a castle in Dubrovnik. It’s nice when you’re able to include personal touches.

There can be days when baking is frustrating. You can find yourself still working in the early hours of the morning and people don't see that side of it. They assume cakes are

made in a few hours. But you need to research, buy ingredients, bake in your own kitchen, spend hours making individual layers, getting every line and every colour perfect.

Even then, you’re left with the washing up! You want to take a wage too, so it adds up.

Sometimes, people see something on Pinterest and ask for a lot more than what their budget allows.

I'm mindful of the fact that I have two young children, so I tend to limit myself to one wedding cake a week. When you’re transporting the cake direct to the venue and stacking the tiers on site, it’s best not to give yourself too much to do!

INTERVIEW: BEN MORRIS PICTURES: TOBY PHILLIPS/ HETTY’S CAKE HOUSE

Zoe’s Cake Studio is based in Southwater and has a Food Hygiene Rating of 5. Find out more through the company’s Facebook page. You can contact Zoe through her website at http://zoescakestudio.co.uk

More importantly, it could save you thousands in the long run, versus choosing the wrong products yourself. In addition, any professional will probably seek to build a long term relationship with you and contact you at the time your current rate is coming up for renewal to ensure you have the best rates available.

It doesn't matter whether you are experienced, or if this is your first time. Property ownership can be complicated, so explore all the options and do your homework. There are a huge number of lenders available to you and all have competitive edges and good criteria options for the right customer. Make sure you understand everything at the outset so that you don't regret it later!

A good independent mortgage adviser will be able to review the whole market for you and can identify the best lending options and then deal directly with the lenders central processing units, speeding up the process from application to offer. That said, even in this area we know of at least one lender that is thirteen days behind on post or electronic updates!

An experienced adviser will listen to your specific needs and timescales and ensure that they line you up with a lender who will match both. So, if speed is crucial, then you may need to consider working with a lender where the rate may not be the keenest on the market, but they will get the deal to completion within your target timescales to ensure you get the property of your dreams.

Remember, make sure you adviser looks at the whole market, and not just a limited panel of lenders ensuring that you get the widest choice of lenders and products available to you.

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Horace Fuller Ltd Old Fashioned Values Meets Modern Machinery

Horace Fuller founded his company with a business partner back in 1922 and found success manufacturing seed drills.

One of those drills can be seen at Horsham Museum, whilst another still resides at 72-74 Park Street, where the family business is now run by Horace’s great, great nephew, Adam Stally.

As a family business, it’s no surprise that his wife and eldest daughter, although still at school, both work there. So hopefully, future generations will keep it going!

Horace Fuller is fast approaching 100 years in 2022 and is proud of its heritage.

After the Second World War, the business veered away from manufacturing and into dairy farming, before the focus turned to garden machinery.

The company expanded, with branches opening in Pulborough and Redhill. In 2017, they have added Ray Fosters Forest & Garden Machinery in Turners Hill to the group, ensuring another trusted business continues.

Adam said: “When the owners said they were retiring, I wanted to ensure the future of the business and maintain services to the area.”

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Today, the focus at Horace Fuller Ltd is very much on garden machinery for both sales and repairs/servicing.

It has a huge range of machinery, selling everything from push mowers to sit-on garden tractors, as well as chainsaws, blowers, log splitters, hedgecutters and all manor of accessories.

Horace Fuller stock models by top brands including Husqvarna,

“Servicing is done on site by knowledgeable mechanics, some of whom have been with us for over 45 years.”

Mountfield, Hayter, Westwood, Stihl, Echo and Stiga.

Adam said: “We ensure we have the right machinery for the job and recommend the best product available for each customer, even if it’s not the make you thought of when you came in!

“All of our products are supported through the warranty and life of the machine in our workshops, so you know what we recommend will work properly.”

SERVICING/REPAIRS

Horace Fuller offers a workshop facility at its four centres in Horsham, Pulborough, Redhill and Turners Hill and is able to repair most makes of machinery. This is

also supported by manufacturers.

There is a collection and delivery service available, so even the larger items can be worked on without having to put them in your car.

Adam said: “All of the servicing is done on site by our knowledgeable mechanics, some of whom have been with us for over 45 years.”

“We have also introduced expected inspection/repair dates, so you have a clear guide as to how long it will take, together with fixed price servicing.”

THE FUTURE

As with everything these days, garden machinery moves on and Horace Fuller is moving with the times. These include robotic

mowers and battery products that can replace petrol machines and provide a quieter, easier to use machine.

They offer the Husqvarna Automowers range and can provide a full instillation service. These machines are proving more popular, as instead of getting gardeners in to cut the grass, you can let the Automower do it for you!

Adam said: “Robotic mowers are a good solution for the elderly where other family members can set it up via a mobile phone app. They also work well for people with busy lifestyles. you can even cut the lawn when you’re away!”

“As with all machinery, we look after this machinery throughout its life with our own team of robotic specialists!”

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WILD AT HEART SUSSEX PRAIRIE GARDENS TAKES A NATURALISTIC APPROACH

Pauline: I grew up on the farm here, although it’s undergone a few changes since then. My family had beef cattle and grew hay across 32 acres of fields, meadows and grassland. There was no real garden to speak of.

Paul: We were both employed by a wealthy Swedish businessman in Luxembourg. Our task was to create a garden from scratch, with 10 acres of land to work with. After a couple of years, our employer read an article in The Sunday Times about a renowned Dutch designer called Piet Oudolf.

Sussex Prairie Gardens near Henfield is celebrating 10 years as one of the most unusual gardens in the District. We meet owners Paul and Pauline McBride...

Paul: Piet had just won a Gold medal at the Chelsea Flower Show and had a reputation for naturalistic, prairie style planting.

We were fortunate enough that this media mogul could afford to bring him in, so we spent two years working alongside Piet in Luxembourg. He has since designed things like High Line Park in New York and RHS Wisley,

becoming one of the world’s leading garden designers. For us, it was like an artist getting the opportunity to work with Michelangelo!

Pauline: It was inspiring. We could absorb Piet’s knowledge and learnt so much about prairie planting, which was already something we were interested in.

It also made us think about what we could do with our own beautiful farm back home. We had been making gardens for other people for years, but never had the chance to design one of our own.

Paul: We saved up money during our 12 years in Luxembourg and bought the land from Pauline's parents. We had a vision and it was always the intention to share our creation with other gardening enthusiasts by welcoming the public.

Pauline: Prairie gardens have become fashionable, but 10

GARDENS

“We like to offer something different to the traditional National Trust gardens.” years ago, the idea was quite revolutionary. It wasn't like your average British garden. It was a leap into the unknown, but that was our unique selling point.

That and the animals, of course! We still have pigs and rare breed Shetland sheep.

Just last week, visitors had the chance to try sheep-shearing!

Paul: We specialise in what is known as naturalistic planting, or prairie planting. The prairie term comes from the fact that most of the plants come from North America. It’s naturalistic because it is a wild form of planting. It’s loose, relaxed and informal, like a wildflower meadow. However, a wildflower meadow only looks good for one month, whereas our garden improves as the summer progresses. It looks as though it looks after itself, but there’s a lot of work behind it!

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Pauline: When we planted the garden in 2008, we had 60 of our friends and family helping us. The concept was to invite people to move among the plants. More formal gardens have ‘Keep off the grass’ signs, but we wanted people to be able to run their fingers through the grass and take a close look at flowers. You can move between borders and stand next to a 3m plant. We don’t go crazy with secateurs, so we keep the seed heads and enthusiasts can see the textures, colours and shapes of a plant’s full cycle.

Paul: Initially, we couldn't afford to advertise and ran a bed and breakfast to give us the money to support the gardens. For the first few years, it was just the two of us with some volunteers. It was only when the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) asked us to

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The Partner represents only St. James’s Place Wealth Management plc (which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority) for the purpose of advising solely on the Group’s wealth management products and services, more details of which are set out on the Group’s website www.sjp.co.uk/products.

The title ‘Partner’ is the marketing term used to describe St. James’s Place representatives.

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“We produce about 15,000 plants a year from cuttings, so visitors can buy plants they like in the garden.” become a partner garden that things changed. Suddenly, we were featured on garden trails and when the RHS promoted us in its magazine, it turned our fortunes around.

Paul: Some people are confused by the description of a prairie garden and ask us where they can find the cacti plants! When they hear ‘prairie’ they think of cowboys and John Wayne. We haven’t gone down that route, as we would need glasshouses to protect the plants during winter.

However, the plants we have come from the prairies, where it can reach -40 degrees. They have no problem surviving a Sussex winter, although some plants can be susceptible to heavy rain. As well as North America, we have plants from countries including Russia, China and Canada. If we find something that suits the garden but happens to come from Japan, we’ll bring it in!

Pauline: We like to make things a little out of the ordinary and offer something different to the traditional National Trust garden.

That serves us well, as if people are visiting several gardens in one day, they will come here as it provides a contrast.

Paul: A lot of English gardens are all about spring. Come August, there is almost nothing to see.

However, that is the time that we are coming into our peak.

Summer and autumn is the big show time here. Our layout is different too. There's no beginning or end and people appreciate that chance to explore. Typically, gardens are divided into ‘rooms’ and visitors move from one to another without seeing the full garden. Here, you see the full picture and you can wander around to see the finer details.

Jason Saul, a gardener at the Sussex Prairie Gardens

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GARDENS

Pauline: Sculpture is a passion of mine and art is a major feature of the garden.

We support local artists and sell their work here. We have a link to the Horsham art group (HAOS) through sculptor Janine Creaye, who has exhibited here. We always have an artist in residence. This year, it is Miranda Ellis, whose glass work and bee space project can be seen around the garden. Art is an extra element of interest to people and occasionally visitors who may not be enamoured by the garden enjoy the art instead!

Paul: We host many events and workshops. For one North American themed event, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve visited by a re-enactment group of Blackfoot native Indians. They bring a huge collection of native American artefacts and stay in tipis!

Pauline: Our Indian summer bazaar in August is another of our popular events. We have marquees of clothing, jewellery, bedspreads, tablecloths and gifts from India and Nepal, with curry for lunch and activities for children. We also host outdoor theatre from the Rude Mechanical Theatre Company, and workshops ranging from basket weaving, glassmaking, textiles to creative writing. Juliet Sargeant, who has won Gold awards at Chelsea, runs garden design courses here in the summer too.

Paul: We have two plant fairs in August. Our plants are different and even knowledgeable and well-trained gardeners don't know half the specimens in the garden, which makes it more interesting. Consequently, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re always looking to buy our plants. We produce about 15,000 plants a year from cuttings and divisions, so visitors can see something they like in the garden and buy it.

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Linda Potter, a gardener at the Sussex Prairie Gardens

“Echinacea is said to boost the immune system and reduces flu symptoms.”

We have over 2,000 types of plant, but people only ask for about 30% of them.

Pauline: One plant that people go mad for is Echinacea, which is like a large pink daisy. That is one of our signature plants and people are well aware of its health benefits. It is said to

boost the immune system and reduce the symptoms of colds or flu. We also have allium summer beauty, a beautiful pink flower that is a big seller.

Another way we generate income is through the tea room, with our home-made cakes always selling well!

Paul: We don't really want the business to grow much more, as we like being hands-on, weeding and working in the garden. If you grow too big, you become a pen-pushing manager! As well as our own team, we have fantastic local volunteers and students too. Sheffield University runs one of the country’s leading landscape gardening courses, so students come here to learn about propagation and gain hands-on experience. But we’re always here too and it’s nice that visitors can meet us both. It gives the gardens a personal feel!

INTERVIEW: BEN MORRIS PICTURES: TOBY PHILLIPS

Tree surgery

Hedge cutting

Tree stump removal

Fencing

Garden/site clearance

Groundworks

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Serving Horsham for 14 Years Tel. 01403 730504 Email. max@absolutearb.com Web. www.absolutearb.com

Visit Sussex Prairie Garden at Morlands Farm, Wheatsheaf Road (B2116), near Henfield, BN5 9AT. The garden is open from 1-5pm six afternoons a week (closed Tuesdays) until 14 October 2018.

For more details call (01273) 495902 or visit sussexprairies.co.uk

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