AAH May 2012

AAH

May 2012

ALL ABOUT HORSHAM MAGAZINE

Fight for the Farm A Southwater father and son are fighting back after ending decades of dairy farming. But a greater threat looms ahead...

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View all previous editions of AAH at www.aahorsham.co.uk

A Brighter Future AAH Team: Toby Phillips (Photography) and Ben Morris (Editorial & Advertising) For Toby and I, this edition marks something of a milestone, as it’s been a year since the first edition of the magazine was published.

We won’t be celebrating with a finger buffet and branded balloons, but there is a sense of achievement for us, as it’s been a real struggle at times.

We both sacrificed good jobs (Toby still gets enquiries for landscape gardening) to go it alone, with Toby setting up his professional photography company at the same time that I set up AAH. There have been occasions when both of us have wondered if starting a new business during a recession was wise. I remember pulling over in my big white van on my way to print the second edition and seriously considering pulling the plug on the whole thing, as I had lost the money I had saved for years in my first two months of business!

But we’ve kept at it, trying to make the best magazine that we can, and gradually the reputation of AAH has improved. The future is far more optimistic for the magazine now!

So I’d like to thank Toby for the superb pictures which have probably contributed more to our success than anything, the readers for their feedback, and to all of the businesses that have been willing to support a local start-up in its first year.

When Toby gets a spare few minutes, he uses the time really constructively... their attention to beef farming. As they try to grow their business once again, they face the threat of housing development on the land they farm. Read their story on Page 26.

Our popular ‘My Life So Far’ feature comes courtesy of Ted Streeter, a well known football coach in Horsham. We love writing these features, but we don’t know everybody in the district! So if you know somebody with a good story to tell, please do contact me.

The problems we’ve faced in our first year though were put into perspective by our visit to Great House Farm in Southwater.

The farm has been run by the Charman family for 200 years, but now Barry and his son Owen face a huge challenge. They have stopped dairy farming and have turned

AAH

We always try to reach new neighbourhoods with each edition, and this month we welcome readers in Farthings Hill, part of Guildford Road, St Leonards Road, Sandeman Way and Hernbrook Drive, all in Horsham. If you enjoy the magazine, catch up with old editions online.

If you’d like to advertise in the magazine, do call me on 01403 878026. We make a real effort with our adverts with professional pictures and design at no extra cost.

Ben, Editor May 2012

ALL ABOUT HORSHAM MAGAZINE

Fight for the Farm A Southwater father and son are fighting back after ending decades of dairy farming. But a greater threat looms ahead...

Cover Story In most months, the image of the Ferrari in front of South Lodge would have been the perfect cover shot. But we were a bit unfortunate with timing - it’s been a while since Piazza Italia was held - so we decided to look at other options.

We quickly settled on the photo of Barry and Owen Charman at Great House Farm. Toby had taken a few pictures of them in front of the farmhouse, before asking them to stand

on a small bridge over two ponds between the house and the driveway. They chose to stand quite far apart.

It’s one of those images that tells its own story - a father and son working together to keep a farm going in an unspoilt part of Southwater. We won’t pretend that the dark skies are intended to symbolise the threat of housing, as we’re not college students. It just happened to be overcast.

If you would like to discuss advertising in AAH, please contact Ben or Kelly on 01403 878026.

Eighth Page £50; Quarter page: £100; Half Page: £175; Full Page £300

CONTENTS 5 News Round-up

A few copies of past editions of AAH are available for £3 each (this includes postage) Please send a cheque (payable to AA Publishing Ltd) of £3 for each copy to: AA Publishing Ltd, 2 Viney Close, Ashington, West Sussex, RH20 3PT.

34 Meal Review

What’s been making the news, including strongmen in Horsham

We visit The Pass, the only restaurant in the district with a Michelin star

9 Ask Opens

42 Art

Ask Italian opens in one of Horsham’s most historic buildings

Renowned tattoo artist Danny Fuller is spending more time on his paintings

11 One to Watch

47 Minis Festival

Young actors bring Shakespeare’s greatest characters to life

How Horsham Rugby Club’s Minis section has grown over the years

12 My Life So Far

57 Group Discussion

Ted Streeter has been influential in developing local youth football

Meet the young charity swimmers at the Bluecoats Swimathon

14 Ten of the Best

64 Events

After a year of AAH, photographer Toby talks about his favourite shots

The month’s highlights include the South of England Show at Ardingly

19 Piazza Italia

66 How Interesting...

Ferraris help ensure an incredibly successful Piazza Italia in Horsham

How wife sales were once all the rage at Horsham’s fairs

26 How Dairy!

aahorsham.co.uk

The farmer who has called time on dairy farming at a farm in Southwater

Read our feature on racing drivers Jolyon and William Palmer online

The AAH Team Editor: Ben Morris editor@aahorsham.co.uk 01403 878026 / 01903 892899

Contributors Debs Spraget (Coco’s Foundation); Jeremy Knight (Horsham wife swap article)

Advertising Manager: Kelly Morris advertising@aahorsham.co.uk 01403 878026 / 01903 892899

Additional Thanks to...

John Price for his help with the Rugby Club feature; Carly and the Studio Spin class at Slinfold for allowing us to take pictures even though we hadn’t told them we were coming!

Horsham rounds), Anna Laker and Alex Besson (Billingshurst), Jamie Towes, Laura Harding and Karen Taylor (Southwater), Jack Barnett (Monks Gate/Mannings Heath), Karen Parnell (Warnham), Will Smith (Ashington), Rachel Wadey (Partridge Green), The Morris Family (Slinfold, Cowfold. Horsham, Tower Hill, Nuthurst, Maplehurst, Lower Beeding), Toby Phillips (Town Centre)

Door-to-Door Delivery team The Paterson family, Geoff Valentine, Cydney Magnus, Nick Price, Sarah Guile (all

Website Run by Mi-Store of Brighton. Read all of our editions at www.aahorsham.co.uk

Photography: Toby Phillips tobyphillipsphotography.co.uk info@tobyphillipsphotography.co.uk 07968 795625

5

AAH News Round-up 2

1 5

4 7

6 1: A month long public consultation on the future of Broadbridge Heath Leisure Centre begins on May 5th. Horsham District Council recently published future options for the centre. Every option on the consulatation recommends that the current centre is demolished, with a new centre replacing it on land south of Horsham Indoor Bowls Club. A preferred option provides a new gym, two court multi-purpose hall, cafe, and a six rink indoor bowls club. There are no plans for a replacement running track. You can view all of the options on the News section of the council’s website at www.horsham.gov.uk 2: Kissingate Brewery has won The Gatwick Diamond New Business of the Year Award.

The Brewery, which is in the process of moving into larger premises in Lower Beeding, also scooped the best Sussex beer prize at the 2012 Sussex Beer Festival thanks to its Mary’s Ruby Mild.

3: Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton are both confirmed to appear in action at the 2012

8

All Pictures by Toby Phillips except for Box 3, supplied by Goodwood Motor Sport and Boxes 5 & 6 taken by AAH Editor Ben Morris

3

Goodwood Festival of Speed on 29th June 1st July. The two world champions will be demonstrating the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes MP4-26, plus the McLaren MP4-12C supercar. Jenson will be there on Saturday 30th June, with Lewis taking to the Hill on Sunday 1st July. For details visit www.goodwood.com

6: Tetreon Technologies Ltd has won the Gatwick Diamond International Business of the Year award. The Washington based company, featured in AAH last year, was honoured by host Rory Bremner at a ceremony attended by 600 top business people at Effingham Park Hotel.

4: A special dance festival celebrating all things English will be held in Horsham town centre on 12th May. The Day of Dance, organised by the local Broadwood Morris group, is an invitational event which regularly attracts 20 or more sides, with displays at locations across the town. A special medieval market with local food, drink and Sussex crafts will also be held.

7: Alexandra Bastedo’s Champions Animal Sanctuary will be holding its annual open weekend on June 16th-17th. There will be a number of special activities over the two days, and of course the chance to see the wide variety of animals cared for at the West Chiltington sanctuary. For details visit www.abcanimalsanctuary.co.uk

5 : Tristan’s Restaurant in Stan’s Way, Horsham, was visited by a food critic from The Daily Telegraph recently, with the review published last month. In its four star review, the newspaper said that Tristan Mason served up ‘fabulous food at almost silly prices’.

8: Crompton’s at the Olive Branch, featured in the Meal Review section of last month’s magazine, hosted a lavish official opening on 4th April. Topless waiters, a magician and live band The Blunter Brothers provided entertainment. The new team is headed by director Andrew Crompton, manager Kim Neaves and head chef Andy Collard.

6

AAH News Round-up 10

9 13

12 9: Current and former UK Strongest Man, Ed Hall and Glenn Ross, were the special guests at Covers’ first trade day since the company’s move to new facilities on Foundry Lane. Both men achieved their goal of lifting 25 bricks, beating the current world record of 24, held

by Geoff Capes since 1981. The duo then demonstrated their strength with a ‘crucifix’ lift and towing a Covers lorry by harness down a 30m track. Other events included a punch bag challenge between customers.

10: The Horsham Garden Music Festival Association has organised a programme of Sunday afternoon concerts in the amphitheatre of the Human Nature Garden in Horsham Park.

The first concert to launch this exciting six week festival will be a Horsham Diamond Jubilee Prom on Sunday, 24th June from 4–7pm. The programme will feature music from the students of the Gifted and Talented String Ensemble, songs from the reign of Queen Elizabeth II played by the Slinfold Concert Band, Diamond Divas Dianne Walters and

Sarah Esser, and a grand finale of ‘Last Night of the Proms’ favourites. Tickets for the concert cost £5 from James Clothing or B52’s in Horsham from mid-May. Subsequent Sunday concerts will be free.

11: Horsham based charity West Sussex Mediation Service is currently seeking to attract a new Chairperson. This is a voluntary role but a rewarding one. First established in 2000, the charity provides a free community mediation service to the residents of West Sussex who are in conflict. It uses trained, local volunteer mediators. The charity currently has eight trustees. Full support, induction and indemnity insurance will be provided.

Closing date for applications is Thursday, 31st May 2012. For details contact the Service Co-ordinator on 01403 257800 or email nick@wsms.org.uk 12: Stephen Foster, a local comedian well known for his near the knuckle humour, will be bringing his 'Licence To Offend' show to

14

Pictures in Boxes 9, 10, 12 and 14 by Toby Phillips; Box 11 image supplied by West Sussex Mediation Service; Box 13 photo by James Fielding

11

the Capitol on 16th June. Stephen was voted winner of 'Search For A Star' by a panel of celebrity judges last year and has also recently appeared in Sky1 series 'Don't Stop Me Now' where he made it into the finals. He was also featured in AAH’s ‘Spooky Special’ last November where he talked about ghosts.

13: A new exhibition at Horsham Museum features a range of striking photographs by local airline pilot James Fielding. Pictures in the ‘Cockpit Views’ exhibition were taken, as the name implies, from the aeroplane cockpit when James was on short and long haul flights. The display is on until 31st May. 14: Horsham artist Bill Hudson has burnt 40 of his framed paintings in Partridge Green. Bill is hoping to use the colours and ash to create something new and hopes to have the new piece completed within a week. Bill aims to capture the ‘fourth dimension’ in his art. To view a sample of Bill’s work visit www.londongallery.org.uk

Join Slinfold Golf & Country Club

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Get the Sexy look Leading Horsham hair salon Strands recently performed a series of professional makeovers with make-up artist, Jackie.

Stylists Lou, Jen and Brooke talk us through the stunning results...

Thelma ‘To create this look, we used a Golden Blonde base with Chocolate Brown and Highlift Blonde pieces throughout. We used Short Sexy Hair, What A Body blow dry gel to add volume, finishing with Healthy Sexy Soy Paste for texture and shine.’ Lou

After

Kyleigh

After Before

‘We used colours from the copper family on Kyleigh which complements her skin tone. We used EGO straighteners to create the curl in her hair after blow drying with Big Sexy Dense for volume and shine finishing with Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Touchable hairspray.’

Jen

Before

Gemma ‘We used a vibrant copper to add shine and bring out Gemma’s eyes. After giving Gemma a graduated bob, we styled with Big Sexy Hair root pump for volume and shine and finished with Big Sexy Hair spray and play hairspray for hold.’

Brooke

Before 5B East Mews, East Street, Horsham, West Sussex, RH12 1HJ

After

Strands Stylists Brooke, Lou and Jen

9

AAH News Round-up 16

17

15 18

Images by Toby Phillips, except for Box 17

15: The Capitol in Horsham has received record cinema attendance figures for the first three months of the year. Films such as The Iron Lady, War Horse, The Artist and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel have made this the most successful January to March period since the venue re-opened its doors with two permanent cinema screens in 2003.

16: Thakeham Mushrooms has submitted new plans to Horsham District Council that it hopes could save jobs, boost business and reduce the odour that drifts across the village.

Monaghan Mushrooms, which took over the

mushroom farm last year, has proposed refurbishing some buildings and constructing new self-contained growing buildings. Plans for new housing on the Abingworth site remain unchanged as planning permission was granted last year.

17: A new community initiative will make use of the ‘Old Library Room’ at the rear of the Unitarian Chapel, built in Billingshurst in 1754.

The Evershed Arts Project will help secure a future for the building for the benefit of the local community. A launch evening was held on Friday, April 13th, and a series of concerts

and some exhibitions have been planned. www.ukunitarians.org.uk/billingshurst/ 18: Having been around for some 600 years, Ye Olde King’s Head Hotel has been used for many different purposes. It’s been a Post Office, a place of Worship, Inland Revenue offices, and until 2004 was used as a hotel.

Having sat unoccupied for eight years, the building is back in business as the country’s 126th Ask Italian restaurant. London’s Park Lane chef Theo Randall and the chairman of Horsham District Council Claire Vickers jointly declared the restaurant open on 3rd April.

Join us on

%R[ 2I²FH ZZZ WKHFDSLWROKRUVKDP FRP THINK FLOYD Friday 11 May 8pm This extraordinary band, regarded as the UK's number one Pink Floyd tribute, are renowned for their stunning celebration of one of the world's greatest musical icons. This show features a whole range of classic tracks such as Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here and The Wall.

BEYOND THE BARRICADE Sunday 10 June 7.30pm Recreating original West End/ Broadway musical hit songs with amazing authenticity, this show features a cast of past principal performers from the West End production of Les Miserables and the 25th Anniversary Concert at the 02 Arena.

THE CEMETERY CLUB Monday 14 & Tuesday 15 May 7.30pm Ian Dickens Productions present this gloriously funny comedy by Ivan Menchell. Starring Anne Charleston (Neighbours & Emmerdale), well-loved %ULWLVK VWDU $QLWD +DUULV LFRQLF ²OP DQG television actress Shirley-Anne Field and Peter Ellis (The Bill).

SLEEPING BEAUTY Thursday 14 June 7.30pm Join Ballet Theatre UK’s internationally acclaimed company of gifted dancers, along with over forty handcrafted costumes and three glittering stage sets. This spectacular production uses Tchaikovsky’s glorious music and stunning classical choreography to reawaken the magic of the world’s favourite fairy tale.

CHARLIE AND LOLA’S BEST BESTEST PLAY Saturday 19 & Sunday 20 May 11am & 1.30pm Don’t miss everyone’s favourite brother and sister, Charlie and Lola, in their extremely everso wonderful stage show! The stars of the hit BBC TV series and books by Lauren Child are brought to life by a magical mix of puppets, live action and music.

Ideal for ages 3+.

MATTHEW BOURNE’S 6:$1 /$.( ,1 ' Thursday 24 May 7.30pm Showing in the cinema in 3D. Matthew Bourne's triumphant reinterpretation of one of ballet's most beloved stories, in which Bourne turns tradition upside down by replacing the traditional female corps de ballet with a menacing male ensemble.

This performance was pre-recorded at Sadler's Wells in 2011 with a stellar cast, including Richard Winsor, Dominic North and Nina Goldman.

THE PIED PIPER Friday 8 June 2pm In The Studio In the sleepy town of Hamelin there are a lot of rampaging, ravenous rats and Mrs Mayoress wants them gone.

But when the Pied Piper turns up and sorts things out, she’s reluctant to pay the him! Featuring fully integrated Sign Language.

Suitable for 3 - 7 year olds.

THE MANFREDS Friday 8 June 8pm Original Manfred Mann members Paul Jones, Mike Hugg and Tom McGuinness and former member Mike d’Abo, are joined by Rob Townsend, Marcus Cliffe and Simon Currie as the exciting new line-up of The Manfreds, featuring both lead singers from the 1960’s band.

THE BILLY FURY YEARS Saturday 16 June 8pm Michael King, who portrayed the role of Billy in the ‘Buddy Holly 50th Anniversary Tour’ relives The Billy Fury Years with an exciting 2 hour show packed with all Billy Fury’s hits and features stunning video and audio effects.

ALAN PRICE Sunday 17 June 7.30pm Alan Price is readily acknowledged as one of the most talented and enduring musical artists to have emerged from the 1960s British Beat Boom. His name immediately summons up some of the most memorable sounds in the last 40 years: from the Animals’ House of The Rising Sun to his quirky take on Randy Newman’s Simon Smith and His Amazing Dancing Bear.

AN EVENING WITH GERVASE PHINN Tuesday 19 June 7.30pm This best selling and award winning author, Radio and TV personality will have you on the edge of your seats, as he shares his hilarious and sometimes poignant tales of life as a schools inspector in the Yorkshire Dales.

Dubbed “the James Herriot of schools�.

THE SOUNDS OF THE SUPREMES Thursday 21 June 8pm 7KH 6XSUHPHVª PXVLF SHUVRQL²HG WKH 0RWRZQ VRXQG WKDW LQ³XHQFHG a generation. These three American women possess a wealth of experience in recording, television, cabaret, theatre and musicals, and deliver a fantastic vocal blend on re-worked Motown classics, standards, contemporary songs, stylish choreography and unrivalled glamour.

Ones to Watch: Georgina Briggs Nicholas Henman

Would you like some Bard roles with

your bread rolls?

Actors representing Horshambased company Dramaworks gave a series of dramatic performances to celebrate the life of William Shakespeare.

The confident young performers individually acted out scenes from some of The Bard’s most famous plays as part of a special evening of food and entertainment at Random Hall Hotel in Slinfold.

On 26th April, the anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth (and also the date of his death), the hotel invited dinner guests to wear Elizabethan costumes and join in Shakespearian insults at the end of the evening.

Julia Martin of Dramaworks said: “Random Hall thought it would be good to celebrate Shakespeare’s birthday and organised the Bard’s Banquet with a five course meal with food that was eaten during Shakespeare’s time.

“In between the courses we ran a number of performances by the young actors and they really embraced it. It’s very brave as it’s quite an intimate setting.”

The evening started off with Dan

Mannion as Puck from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, before Rosalind Briggs played Rosalind from As You Like It. Patrick Riley was Mercutio from Romeo & Juliet – with Bahareh Golchin taking on the title role later.

Nicholas Henman became Aegeon from The Comedy of Errors, with Amberley Hillyard rounding off an enjoyable night with a dramatic Lady Macbeth scene.

Several of the actors have recently won places at established theatre schools. Georgina Briggs will soon join the Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance in London, whilst Nicholas and Patrick have won places with the National Youth Theatre.

Nineteen-year-old Georgina, who has also been with the NYT for two years, said: “I’ve been acting since I was a child, although the first time I took to the stage was as Olivia in Twelfth Night at the Minerva Theatre in Chichester. Ever since then I’ve wanted to be an actress.

“I’m so happy to have got into Rose Bruford, as it’s tough – thousands of people try every year. I can’t wait to start in September. It’s a three year

course so it’s quite intense with a lot of training.

“Hopefully it can lead to a career in acting or directing, or anything relating to the theatre. My dream role would be La Carlotta, the lead soprano of the Paris Opera House in Phantom of the Opera. I’m in the process of being classically trained, but more operatic than musical theatre.”

Nicholas, who stands at an imposing 6’ 9”, is in the National Youth Theatre and also the West Sussex County Youth Theatre, which will soon be closed after its funding was cut.

He too hopes to carve out a career on stage, or through his growing interest in music compositions.

“I do have a dream to be a career actor”, he said. “I didn’t get into Drama School this year, but it’s not easy. You’ve got about 4,000 people going for a handful of places, so it’s difficult.

“I know people who have auditioned five times but have then been successful, whilst others have got in first time. You’ve got to keep at it.”

Ted Streeter, 76 Football Coach, Horsham

‘I promised my wife I would quit football

when I turned 50’ I was born in 1936. My dad was a railwayman and we moved to Horsham when I was less than a year old.

I thought I’d got away with it, but the next day my name was called in assembly and I got six of the best for that stunt!

We lived in Bethune Road and it was a great childhood. We would go to the woods to make camps, or play football and cricket in the street because there weren’t any cars around. None of us had any money but it didn’t matter - if we had a tennis ball to kick about we were happy.

I joined Horsham Football Club when I was 14. I played for Horsham ‘A’ men’s team.

One of the first teams I played against was West Ham A in the Metropolitan league. I made my first team debut for Horsham when I was 17.

We had a great deal of freedom back in those days, which kids today do not have. I remember we had a few bombs dropped nearby during the war, but as a boy it was exciting.

I went to Clarence Road and Denne Road schools, then I passed my 11-plus and went to Collyer’s. I was a small lad but I played cricket and football for the school.

I got the cane twice. The headmaster at Collyer’s punished about 40 of us for throwing snowballs. The other time was for interrupting my history teacher. He gave me a note to take to the headmaster which said I should receive two beatings. I put the note in the bin and went back to class pretending I’d been caned.

I broke my leg when I was 18, which was a huge setback. I was at the hospital for four hours waiting to be seen to. Eventually they slapped my whole leg in plaster. I was covered in mud, and all my subsequent problems with my knee were caused by that as it was never properly re-aligned.

After Collyer’s I went to Brighton Technical College to study building and surveying.

When I was 20 I got a job with John Laing’s construction business, and my first job was building flats in Birmingham. From there I went to the Shell Haven oil refinery, and then to Newport Pagnell to help build the M1 motorway.

In 1958, I married June in Southwater. I

couldn’t have done all that I have without her. She’s put up with me being away with work for many years and going off to football every weekend from the day we met. I think if we were a modern couple she would not have put up with it! My children, Julie, John and Martin, have also been tremendously supportive over the years.

My National Service had been deferred, but they caught up with me in 1959. Once you got over the ‘square bashing’ it was great fun. I was never posted anywhere because I played for the camp football team. Young men these days could do with something like National Service, as I think discipline is sadly lacking.

After National Service, June and I decided to settle in Horsham. I got a building job with Y. J. Lovell for three years, and started playing for Horsham regularly again. In those days, Horsham had a really good side so I only used to get a game for the Firsts when the likes of Don Cocozza, Mick Browning and Dave Collyer played for the county team. It didn’t matter what I did. I scored 35 goals by Christmas for the Reserves, and still I couldn’t force my way in. They were good times and I

13

My Life So Far: Ted Streeter made friends then that I still see now.

I went to Worthing to play first team football and the manager, Dick Tarrant, got me interested in coaching. I started taking my coaching badges.

Over the years, I coached and played for many teams. I went to various clubs - Wick, Petworth, Portfield, and Worthing for a time. But I was always running coaching for young players. I returned to Horsham in 1983 as first team manager but it was a very difficult time for the club. The Board of Directors wanted to disband the team and hire the ground out.

As manager, I fought like mad to keep the club going, along with chairman John Laker. In the end, I gave up the manager’s job to become treasurer. I called on some old players and friends and concentrated on pulling the club together financially.

After just one year we got the club back in the black.

I had been running my own civil engineering company called Oakley Construction but it all went wrong in 1981. We were sub-contracted by a company doing the drainage on the new Southwater bypass. But they went bust and took me for a lot of money.

We had to sell our house and move to a smaller place in Crawley Road, taking on a bigger mortgage that lasted until I was 72.

My company was forced to close. Those were dark days.

I had promised June I would quit football when I turned 50. But then I was offered a job

by Brighton and Hove Albion manager Barry Lloyd to be Youth Development Officer. It was

what I had always wanted to do - coach at a professional club. I went there in 1987 full time and I was there until 1994.

feeling to go back to the Baptists Church, where I went to Sunday School as a kid to pray that there would not be a war.

They were great times. I was on the bench at Wembley for the play-off final in 1991 and my youth team played on the pitch before the main match. We started two centres of excellence and Gareth Barry was one of the youngsters coming through then. We won the Southern Counties Youth League Cup, beating Chelsea on the way.

If you’ve ever worked on a building site or been in a football changing room, you’ll know what the language is like. I used to swear like a trooper, shout at the kids and lacked patience, but that all changed. I started finding the good in people.

It ended when Liam Brady came in as manager with his own people. I could have sat back and retired but I felt I still had a lot to offer.

That’s when I started the North Sussex Soccer Academy. After 18 years we still get 60 or 70 on a Saturday morning in Horsham Park - but at one time it was 120 or so.

We should promote skills and technique with fewer players at youth level. Under-7 is too early to start playing competitive matches - they call them friendlies but there is still pressure to win. Teams shouldn’t play 11-a-side until they are 14.

There’s no point having faith if you’re not going to make use of it by helping and supporting other people.

Being a Christian helped me when it came to having to release young players. I decided which boys would join the Youth Training Scheme at Brighton. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done - these boys dream only of playing football.

Last November, I was getting an indigestionlike pain coming on every time I exercised. I went to the doctor and he sent me up to Redhill for check-ups, where I was told I’d need coronary artery bypass surgery.

I hear parents saying ‘my son’s going Chelsea training’ and all that. Yes, they may be going to a satellite training camp which you normally have to pay for, but to ‘make it’ is very hard.

Parents give kids these big ideas that they are going to be professional footballers.

I was shocked as I’m a healthy person, don’t smoke and my cholesterol levels are good. But still, I went to London and ended up having a quadruple bypass.

It should be an honour to play for your hometown team. That should be what they strive for.

I’m 76 this year, so I’ve had my three score and ten and then another six. I don’t know how long God has got for me, but I do know that all the time I feel I can do the football coaching for the youngsters, then I believe it’s the right thing to do. I’d be lost without it.

1991 was a significant year in my life as I became a Christian. On TV, they were talking about the Gulf War, and I had a tremendous

It’s tough to take that you’re getting old.

Clockwise from left: Ted during his days at Brighton and Hove Albion; in the Horsham ‘A’ team (front row, third from right); on his wedding day; running coaching sessions at Broadbridge Heath with the North Sussex Soccer Academy: with the 5th Horsham Scouts (second left)

Ten of the Best: Toby’s pictures from our first year

Gone in a Flash The Monk at St Hugh’s Charterhouse

1 3

2

“This was far more difficult to capture than you would think. We’d been told by Laura at Holbrook Animal Rescue centre that a fawn that had recently been hit by a car had become best friends with a rabbit. When we got there they were huddled up, but Laura told us that the rabbit gets defensive when people get too close. After trying with not much success to get a shot through the wire fence, I quietly stepped in through the door and managed not to disturb them, even though I was only a couple of yards away.”

Finn, Traveller Camp in Washington

The Deer and the Rabbit

It’s been a year since the first edition of AAH was delivered through doors in the district.

Since then, we’ve received occasional praise for our informative features. But it is the photography of Toby Phillips that has gobbled up the vast majority of the acclaim cake.

He’s had plenty of practice, having been dragged out on all manner of assignments.

For example, the picture of the monk at St Hugh’s Charterhouse was taken an hour after Toby had photographed banger racing at Rusper Raceway!

There are many other excellent pictures that made Toby’s shortlist but just missed out, including shots from the skatejam in Horsham Park, Piazza Italia and the Midnight Walk.

But here are Toby’s personal favourites.

Some of these images may feature in an exhibition of his work at the Capitol on 13th June to 9th July.

‘Ben (the Editor) was really excited about this visit to St Hugh’s, but I’d never seen the monastery and thought it might be a bit bland. But the buildings are incredible and I feel privileged to have spent the day there and listening to the evening vespers.

The moment I stepped into the corridors around the quadrant, I knew that the archways had great scope for a photo. We tried to keep pictures of the monks to a minimum so there was no time to set up all of my lighting equipment. I used a large aperture to create a shallow depth of field, and my only instruction to the Brother was to look out of the window. Ben looked at me a moment later and we both knew we had our front page photo!

“Ben went for a walkabout and spoke to Finn, who agreed to be photographed. He was very striking in appearance as he has geometric tattoos on his face. There was this array of odd chairs around a fire at the camp, with caravans and the Rock Mill forming a great backdrop.

But as I prepared the shot, a mother and her children actually opened the door to the caravan to see what was happening. I had to position myself so that Finn blocks them out. So there are three people hidden by his head! There was a fire to the left so I couldn’t go out that way because of the smoke. The dog brings a lot to the picture as well, but it wasn’t Finn’s dog. He didn’t even know its name! There was a fair bit of work done to this image in Raw Editor, Adobe Lightroom and some trade secrets in Adobe Photoshop.”

5

“This was the first shoot we did for the first edition of AAH. It’s taken in an alley that runs from Horsham Carfax, which at that time was one of the most popular spots for the group, The Horsham Movement. Ben was interviewing other members of the group behind me whilst Max Cave decided to leap across the top of two buildings. I had crouched down low and it makes the jump look far more frightening than it really was. Ben turned around and nearly had a heart attack. He said ‘I hope you’ve got the shot as you’re not doing that again.’ A police officer moved the group on a few minutes later.”

6

“The Hot Rod shot from last month is my favourite motoring shoot, although the Triumph Stag images came out well last year. This is a spot on Parsonage Road industrial Estate that I have used before for Matrix-style shots for a local model and an aspiring actor. The sun was just going down over the edge of the warehouse, and so I took three different exposures and mixed them together in Photoshop.”

Chanctonbury Ring

The Horsham Movement

4

Band at Christ’s Hospital

Stick in a Pot at Shelley Fountain Ford Hot Rod

“Stick in a Pot could only get together to meet up in the evening. I took down the portable studio strobes and shot them at the Shelley Fountain. It was dark, but there was lighting around. I overpowered all the ambient lighting with two studio lights one high and one low - to fill in the shadows, and then pulled out some detail in Photoshop.

Whilst they are conjuring over the ball, Ben is actually lying on the floor holding the ball still.

They spin around but I wanted the crack to be facing me for the shot. It was a cold night but the band were very patient and a few of them I think understood the sort of look I was aiming for.”

8

7

“Ben and I went up to Chanctonbury Ring for the spooky special. We took the steep shortcut to the top which was daft as we had all the camera equipment. The Ring appears flat when you’re up there and it’s difficult to find anything good to photograph.

Only taking a picture of the view could give it any scale of height. These three trees were dark, silhoutted and windswept, and looked almost skeletal.”

“This was another cover shot, although I hadn’t been expecting to take pictures of the marching band at Christ’s Hospital. I’d been sent along to take pictures of the Living History Day, for which pupils and staff were wearing Tudor clothing.

Afterwards the marching band came out and there was an inspection of the school’s cadet forces. I was just running around grabbing shots with the wide lens and the zoom and this one I captured with the 70-200 zoom lens.”

16

Top 10: Toby’s favourite photos

9

“I did the promotional photographs for the Capitol pantomime last year, so I knew all of the costumes were there and had the idea that Ben and I could use them for our Page 3 shot! This was one that was all my idea, and Ben was very reluctant, for obvious reasons! Michael Gattrell, the Capitol manager, thought it was a great idea, so set up all of the lighting and brought out one of the main sets for a backdrop! I think he helped me convince Ben it was a good idea as well. I set this up on a timer, and I think someone at the Capitol threw me the rubber chicken at the last second. With our Page 3 shots, I always play up a bit more than Ben - someone recently remarked that ‘Ben isn’t much of an actor’ where as I let myself go!”

Paul Messis

Dressing up at the Capitol

10

“I’ve really enjoyed the music features and I’m pleased with the pictures from the Alice Ella, Sandweaver and hAND shoots in particular. We met Paul in Truffles cafe in Billingshurst. He looked great and had brought along his guitar, and I thought we’d shoot him right there in the cafe. The staff didn’t want us to use flash as it might disturb the customers, so we stuck Paul on a table and set up the studio lights instead!”

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CoCo’s Foundation - making a difference in Africa

Chapel of love

By Debs Spraget: Trustee of CoCo’s Foundation We unfasten the barbed wire holding the rickety gate closed.

As we walk through Sipho and Sibongile’s garden we see the church, a tired building made of corrugated iron. Tree stumps with planks make seats with clothes delicately placed over to pretty them up. It’’s a church made out of need and love, so humbling, yet so powerful.

One by one, people from the local community stand and sing the most beautiful songs as if their lives depended on it. I have no idea what they sing, but I feel it touch my heart; I feel every word.

Sunday school finishes, the little children leave and more and more people arrive. Dressed in their Sunday best with beaming smiles,you cant help but love these people.The congregation must be up to 30 now and the church is packed.

Pastor Penuel Zenzelle holds his sermon. He’s a smart, well-spoken man with a kind face. He delivers a thought-provoking sermon full of hope for the future, and he holds my attention from start to finish.

So many people back home ask why we do

what we do at the CoCo’s Foundation.

They ask ‘What is the point when these people don't help themselves?’

Right here and now, this is exactly why I do it and why I’m so proud we do what we do at the Foundation. This little church is the pebble - a new generation of people who have turned their backs on ancestry beliefs and now as Christians believe in a brighter future, a better life.

On the other side of the fence, Coco’s Foundation are building a new Community Chapel. Over six weeks, 26 volunteers will work tirelessly to finish this building of bricks and mortar.

As I write this we have been here for two weeks and already the building is at head height and the windows are in place. The little church of 30 will soon move into this Chapel and the dream will be reality.

We will throw this tiny pebble and cause a massive ripple so that it cannot be ignored.

We always knew we couldn't change things here but one thing is certain,we are making a huge difference!

The ‘Was it really a year ago? Doesn’t time fly?’ section In the May 2011 edition, we featured the efforts of the Holy Innocents Church in Southwater to replace the boiler system. Reverent Kesari Godfrey and Friends of the Church were trying to raise £30,000 before the winter. They didn’t make it, but their ‘Turn Up the Heat’ fund is still going and has generated about £20,000.

Our big feature was on Sussex Mushrooms. At that time, new housing on part of the Thakeham site had been approved and was going to pay for improvements that would effectively save the business and 500 jobs. Since then, Monaghan Mushrooms has bought the company. A revised application was expected to be submitted by the end of April.

The first band to be featured in the magazine were hAND, a prog/rock/goth outfit. Since then, drummer Cris has left the band and a replacement, Dan Thomas, has come in. hAND have started writing tracks for a third album and were featured in the April edition of Classic Rock. One of their songs - The Pier - was on the free cover CD.

There was also an extensive feature on local breweries in our first edition.

Since then, Hepworth’s has won awards for its Conqueror stout, Welton’s has produced many more beers and staged several popular music nights at the brewery, whilst Kissingate is in the process of moving into new premises in Lower Beeding.

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Full Throttle Piazza Italia is more than a day out for people with shiny red Italian sportscars and lovers of olive oil. It’s become a pivotal day for hundreds of businesses in Horsham.

‘The F40 sounds the best’

As a five star hotel, South Lodge sees its fair share of prestigious cars, but it’s a rare occasion that the hotel’s staff and guests experience anything like this. About 100 Ferraris gathered at the Lower Beeding hotel on Good Friday before making their way to Horsham town centre. Drivers from the

‘Like anyone with kids can afford a Ferrari!’

There was no Ferrari Enzo this year, but crowds gig get to see the 2011 Ferrari FF, supposedly the fastest family car in the world, a Daytona, and the ever-popular F40.

About 200 riders from the Ducati Owners Club of Great Britain met at Motori Di Marino in West Chiltington, and along with the Ferrari drivers helped raise over £1,000 for Chestnut Tree House Children’s Hospice.

Sussex Ferrari Owners Club chatted about the vehicles gathered, but perhaps the most popular of the cars - at least on the hotel lawn - was the Ferrari 458 Italia (below left) which has a top speed of 202mph . The display of Ferraris was sponsored by Meridien Modena of Lyndhurst, Hampshire.

‘Yeah, I think it’s Nessie’ Many children met Ringo the dragon, who was collecting for good causes throughout the three day event. Ringo is not promoting Scottish tourism, but is in fact Horsham’s own mascot, created for this Olympic year. He was ‘hatched’ in 2009 having been designed and named by Olivia Edwards-Cox, aged 6. Also on Friday, representatives of Horsham Churches Together spoke from the bandstand, ensuring there was a reminder of what Easter is about.

‘’What do they do when it’s raining?’

Among the most photographed of the cars was a 250 TRC Replica, a racing Ferrari from the 1950s, brought to the event by Stuart Anderson Racing. The car, XCH 555, started life as a 250 GTE 2+2 but was re-bodied in the 1990s and is now raced regularly by Stuart around the UK. Meanwhile, about 50 minis were involved in the annual Vines Mini sponsored Italian Job Mini Run on Saturday. Other key sponsors included Ringway, Stay Safe Driving School, Southern Water, ASK, Panino café, La Source, Carmela and Steamer Trading.

21

Piazza Italia 2012

‘Are Minis Italian?’

In recent years, more and more businesses in Horsham have seen the benefits of getting involved in Piazza Italia. Barbara Grogan, owner of men’s fashion store James Clothing, attracted new customers as her range of retro clothing was well complemented by several Lambretta motorcycles parked outside.

Friday proved to be the most successful day, with footfall in Horsham town up 25% on 2011. Saturday saw a 4% increase on last year, and Sunday an 11% rise.

The Waitrose sponsored Italian Wine Tasting Trail proved particularly successful this year. The trail took wine lovers into the bars and pubs around Horsham.

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Piazza Italia 2012

‘Just One Cornetto!’

It may be the supercars that steal the headlines, but there was much musical entertainment too, primarily at the bandstand. On Good Friday, Bethan Roles and Krisha Sachania, two students of Collyer’s College, surprised many with their stunningly beautiful performances whilst on Easter Monday, Soprano Rebecca Newman brought the entertainments to a close with a set of classical and contemporary favourites.

‘Grab two if you can...’

Some visitors enjoyed walking around the Carfax and East Street trying free samples from the town’s many restaurants. Carmela, a family-run Italian in Horsham, was among the key sponsors of Piazza Italia. Francesco Raciti reported high demand for their free samples! Garry Mortimer-Cook, Horsham District Council’s Town Centre Manager (he’s also known as Ringo) said: “Year after year this event offers businesses a great opportunity to showcase their offer to thousands of new customers, potentially generating valuable additional turnover for many months afterwards.”

23

‘Worth waiting in the rain for!’

A new highlight of Easter Monday’s programme saw four accomplished chefs from across the Horsham District competing against each other in ‘The Great Piazza Italia Cook-Off’.

Francesco Raciti from Carmela Restaurant in Horsham, Chris Durnin from The Lamb Inn at Rusper, Steven Edwards from South Lodge Hotel and James Middleton-Burn from The Crown Inn at Dial Post performed 20 minute live demonstrations. The highest scoring chef, Steven Edwards, who also won Sussex Young Chef of the Year in 2010/11, cooked prawn and salmon ravioli with a coconut and lemongrass veloute.

The ultimate cook off involved Steven going head to head with ‘Italia in Piazza’ market trader Luigi Baciadonna who cooked ‘Linguine con le sarde’ (pasta with sardines), a famous Palermo dish made with wild fennel flower. Ready Steady Cook chef Tony Tobin entertained the crowds and compered the event as Luigi and Steven battled it out, before he declared a tie as both chefs and their respective dishes were equally successful. As you can see from the photos, the spectators who had watched patiently in the rain were well rewarded!

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Piazza Italia 33

‘I said ‘don’t lean over the bonnet!’’

Easter Monday was affected by rain, but the supercars still attracted a good crowd.

The supercar drivers, which included residents of Horsham, formed an impressive line up in the Carfax. Cars included the latest Lamborghini Aventador, Maseratis, De Tomasos, and the striking Pagani Zonda. Boosting Monday’s rally to nearly 100 vehicles were some classic Alfa Romeos, Fiat Coupes, Fiat 500s and a small number of Lambretta scooters.

Plans are already underway on how to make the seventh Piazza Italia event in 2013 an even more exciting and memorable event for all the family.

The dates for next year are: Friday 29th, Saturday 30th March and Monday 1st April 2013. Businesses wishing to get nvolved can contact Garry Mortimer-Cook at garry.mortimer-cook@horsham.gov.uk

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FIGHT FOR THE

FARM The Charman family has farmed in Southwater for 200 years, but recently ended dairy production to become a beef farm. As they adapt to the change, the threat of housing threatens their way of life.

28

Pictues by Toby Phillips

Owen Charman is a young farmer with much to ponder.

He is the fifth generation of the Charman family at Great House Farm in Southwater, but few of his ancestors ever had to face the challenges farmers have faced in recent years.

Several years ago, Owen’s father Barry decided that it was time to end dairy production at the farm. Dwindling milk prices had hit them hard, as it did many

others, and after much deliberation it was decided that Great House Farm would focus on meat.

With Barry beginning to wind down at the farm where his family has lived for about 200 years, it is Owen that will pick up the reins and work to ensure that the Charman family’s future remains in farming.

Owen must do this with the threat of housing development looming ominously over the farm. The Charmans are – as they

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have always been – tenants of the land, which is owned by the Fletcher Trust. A well-publicised development proposal by Berkeley’s poses a significant risk to the farm.

For now though, they will be working hard to make a success of selling naturally reared beef.

It has been four years since dairy farming ended at Great House Farm, but the transition to beef farming does not happen overnight. Owen said: “I was in my last year of agricultural college at Plumpton when dad decided to call it a day with dairy farming.

“The milk of price had gone down to 16p per pint and stayed there for ages. We kept holding on and holding on, hoping that something would happen but it never did.

“I was pretty annoyed at the time, but in hindsight it has worked out okay. I would have started at the farm straight from college but because there was so little to do after we stopped dairy farming I went out to Australia and to Kent for a couple of years and learnt a lot about farming.

“I feel like I’m twice as skilled as I would have been because of those experiences and I can use what I’ve picked up to help the family farm.

“After dad had made the decision to stop dairy farming, we had to spend the next few years preparing to be a beef farm. We sold the dairy cows, but had to keep all Continued on Page 30

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(

30 ‘We kept holding on and holding on, hoping something would happen’ Continued from Page 28

the calves back to breed and maintain numbers, so we haven’t had anything to sell.

“With dairy farming you get a cheque at the end of every month, where as we’ve had to wait for two years to be in a position where we are able to sell anything. It’s been a hard period, as we’ve not had anything coming in except bills.”

It was Aubrey Charman that started dairy farming, initially with only a handful of cows. Barry, one of Aubrey’s four sons, took over the farm eventually and grew the dairy side until there were one hundred cows.

Aubrey died in 2011 at the ripe old age of 101, having spent nearly all of his life at Great House Farm. He was a successful farmer despite losing his left arm at the elbow, due to an accident with a 12 Bore Shotgun when he was only fourteen

years old. He could drive a tractor, but was not able to milk cows.

Fortunately, he was able to rely on his boys and workers to do the jobs that he could not.

The tradition of farming in the Charman family lives on. As a schoolboy, Owen and his brothers would help Grandfather Aubrey feed the calves, whilst their father carried out the more physical jobs on the farm.

One of Owen’s brothers, Adam, is in New Zealand, but he would like to return in the future and work on the 200 acre family farm. However, at the moment there is simply not enough work to go around.

As the beef farming is still developing, Owen gets up for work at 4.30am to milks cows at a nearby farm before he starts to feed the cows at the family farm.

“Dairy farming is like a military

Owen Charman on the family farm

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Great House Farm operation,” said Owen. “But I prefer it as it’s more intense and skilled. With beef farming the cows do not need as much looking after. They effectively live their normal life.

“I do though enjoy raising a cow and seeing it grow until they’re a few years old and then taking it to slaughter. With dairy farming all the beef goes off the farm when it’s a week old and you never see it again.

So it’s nice to see the animals from start to finish.

“We sold the first cow in February, so it’s all new to us. We take the cows to a slaughter house in Henfield and from there the meat goes to a butcher in Warnham to be sliced.

It costs a couple of million pounds to set up a slaughterhouse, and the price of us taking them to slaughter is very fair, so we’ve not considered doing it here.

However, on the butchering side, that is something we may look at in the future – setting up our own cutting room at the farm.

“All of our prices are matched to Waitrose, and the quality is at least as good, with the added bonus that you’re getting meat delivered to your door for free by a local farmer. I hope that the community of Southwater feel an attachment to us, rather than just seeing the fields as some bit of land that might get built on.

“We sell our meat privately, and also supply The Bax Castle pub, and hope that we can make enough money that Adam can work with us one day.”

Barry too hopes that the farm is around long enough for his son to make a success of beef farming. He grew up on the farm with his three brothers – Clive, Howard and twin brother Roger – but over the years has seen Southwater change beyond recognition.

Whilst there’s been little change on the west side of the Worthing Road, thousands of new homes have been built on the other side of the village. There has always been talk of housing on the farming land, but Barry admits the latest threat is more serious.

It was only the historical importance of the farmhouse itself that prevented (at the eleventh hour) an application for 550 homes being heard by Horsham District Council earlier this year.

Barry said: “The house had been grade II listed for some time, but English Heritage looked into the history and found that several hundred years ago it was a monastery. There was a moat here as well as the two ponds, and the monks used to keep it stocked with fish for food.

“English Heritage upgraded the status of

Aubrey Charman sits on an old horse mounting wall in front of the farm in 1969

Before the first Massey-Ferguson tractor arrived in the 1960s, the farm used horse and carts. Here, twins Roger and Barry hitch a free ride

Continued on Page 32

Aubrey and Marie Charman by the Inglenook fireplace

Great House Farm

Barry and Owen Charman are now running the farm

32

‘You’re getting high quality meat delivered to your door for free by a local farmer’

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Continued from Page 31

the farm which essentially means they can’t just plonk houses where it might impact on its setting.

“I was told by my father that the farm house was made out of second-hand ship timbers. He told me they were shipped along the River Arun and then brought here by horse and cart.

The kitchen was a later addition, but we have a loft here where the maid used to sleep.

“It’s pretty unspoilt around here.

It’s the same as it was 300 years ago - we haven’t ripped hedges up or anything. We are the unspoilt centre of Southwater and it would be a shame if the housing came here as once it’s gone, it’s gone. It’ll never come back.

“Also, I’m in semi-retirement now

and I’d like Owen to take over from me, just like I took over from my father.

“I guess we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

Owen hopes that this is not the final chapter in the Charman story at Great House Farm. He said: “We didn’t expect such a good response to the beef farm, and we have a second animal ready to go off to slaughter next week, so it’s going well.

“But we do feel threatened here.

I hope that they wouldn’t come in and move us on at a moment’s notice, but they’re talking about housing for 2014. That doesn’t give us a lot of time.”

For more details or to order a range of meat boxes, visit www.southwatermeats.com or call 07592 505187.

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Visit Debs Spraget and her talented team at CoCo’s hair salon in Lintot Square, Southwater.

Debs has been a resident of the village for 20 years, and has worked at the salon since it opened seven years ago.

Now as Salon Director she looks forward to an exciting new era for the salon, boosted by the work of the CoCo’s Foundation, which helps many orphaned children in Africa.

Debs said: “We have a talented and dedicated team in place and we are building our links in the community. We have a great product range here, including Mitch by Paul Mitchell, but I believe it is the service that we give that stands CoCo’s apart.

“We have a team that wants to be here – they enjoy coming here and that shows in the way they present themselves and treat

our customers.”

One of the reasons why young hairdressers, colourists and stylists are so enthusiastic about working for CoCo’s is the link with the Foundation, set up by CoCo’s owner Chris Connors.

Debs said: “CoCo’s is no longer just a job.

With the work we do with the Foundation, there is so much more in the CoCo’s world than being a hairdresser.”

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THE MICHEL Review: The Pass, South Lodge Hotel, Lower Beeding

During recent renovation work at South Lodge Hotel, Matt Gillan – the head chef at The Pass - spotted a number of marble slabs being removed.

He asked one of the builders to cut the marble into small squares, before he spent several days drilling two holes into each slab. Meanwhile, he had assigned the task of creating small hessian sacks to his mother-in-law.

So it is that guests at The Pass ordering the cheese board can now sample mature Sussex Cheddar and fizzy grapes from a rather quirky marble slab with

biscuits placed in hessian sacks held up by crocodile clips.

It’s clear that Matt hasn’t lost the sense of adventure that earned The Pass its first Michelin star six months ago!

The Pass is one of two restaurants at South Lodge in Lower Beeding, renowned as one of the finest luxury hotels in the country. The Camellia is considered to be the hotel restaurant and has a good reputation. But since opening in 2008, it is the more adventurous cooking on offer at The Pass that has grabbed the headlines.

Matt Gillan, head chef at The Pass

IN MAN Since it became one of two West Sussex restaurants to win a Michelin star last October (Ockenden Manor in Cuckfield being the other) bookings have increased dramatically at The Pass.

But for a while Matt was left somewhat bewildered, after achieving what had been his lifetime ambition.

He said: “For the past three years we were constantly playing around with the dishes and were getting feedback from the guests. If a dish didn’t work it wasn’t so much of a problem.

“But now we have the star there is an

instant expectation and so everything that leaves the kitchen has to be spot on.

There’s no room for error. “(After we won the star) we did cut back on some of the fun elements, as we were a little scared. I spoke to other chefs who have had a Michelin star and one said it was a mission in paranoia.

You’re looking at customers to see if they’re enjoying themselves, you’re looking at people to see if they’re from Michelin, and you completely doubt yourself. It’s unbe-

lievable.

“It took a while for us to realise that we got the star by having fun with the food, and when we did, that sense of adventure quickly returned. I feel there is a bit of pressure to keep the star, as you don’t want to lose it after a year. But we won’t be playing defensive, we’ll keep pushing on. We have a positive outlook and we are looking to win a star again in October.”

The Pass was designed to be a unique dining experience, and it is indeed unlike anywhere else you’re likely to have eaten.

Those dining there for the first time may be surprised by how small the restaurant area is.

There’s room for one row of tables in a narrow stretch about nine feet wide, and one additional table for four in a corner. At a push, there might be room for 26 people, which makes it a more personal experience for guests.

The layout and decoration, in stark contrast to the Camellia, is bold and contemporary. On a wall that stretches across the dining area there are mirrored images of the chefs working and five TV screens showing live footage for those who are sat with their backs to the open kitchen.

It is not only the chefs at The Pass that are in view, but Camellia staff too, and guests are welcome to chat to the chefs even as they are preparing. Our well-informed waiter tells us that this happens often “when guests realise that they can!”

If this comes as a surprise, it may be due to the preconception most of us possess (thanks primarily to television cooking programmes) of professional kitchens being frantic, stressfilled, hostile environments. With fewer guests to cater for, the chefs at The Pass barely break a sweat!

Equally unexpected is how informal and relaxing The Pass experience is. There is no dress code and while the food is of high standard, pretension is non-existent. It’s not, for instance, an obvious setting for a marriage proposal.

Nonetheless, it’s not a place you go to if you’re pennypinching.

Continued on Page 36

Review: The Pass

Preparations of Pork

‘I was in the shower when I started thinking about Gnocchi’ Continued from Page 35 The Pass offers what it calls two ‘dramatic dining experiences’. There’s ‘The Pass Experience’, an eight course set menu with a couple of other small dishes thrown in for good measure, which costs £70. The wine flight is an additional £55.

The cheaper option is ‘The Gourmet Experience’ which includes two fewer dishes for £60, with wine an added £48. But the head chef feels that the overall package makes it good value for money.

“I’m not saying we’re the cheapest restaurant to go to”, said Matt. “But our most expensive menu is £70, our three course lunch menu is £25 and we throw in extra dishes too.

“When you consider the time and effort that goes into preparing the food and the service you get here, it’s really not expensive.”

We’ll talk about costs later, but we’ll first take the unusual step of summarising before sharing our experiences. For the sake of avoiding repetition, every dish was immaculately presented, served with excellently selected wines from around the world, and the service was informative but most importantly friendly. Even with dishes

served at a steady pace, the experience lasted for four hours and flew by.

The evening began with Amuse Bouche, an off-menu tingle for the taste buds of white onion velouté with roasted garlic, pine nuts, black onion seeds and parmesan cheese. It came with a miniature loaf of home-made bread - a quirky combination of homemade white and brown bread with an English butter you could eat by the spoonful and a variety of salts.

The Pass Experience menu itself is launched in low-key fashion, in the shape of potato salad, a simple but classic offering with purple potato puree, capers and white garlic mayonnaise. For those that are happy to leave their choice of wine down to experienced head sommelier Dominic Roberts and opt for the wine flight, the salad is complemented by a 2004 English Sparkling Wine by local wine producer Nyetimber.

The beautiful poached langoustine

Truffle Arancini

Duck Leg with Duck Liver Ballotine

Continued on Page 38

Sea Bass

Lamb and Gnocchi Sea Trout and Buttermilk Pannacotta

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Feel the charismatic elegance of the Oak Line Edition, the comfort of the Country Cottage kitchens, the glamour of the Modern range, or the convenience of your own tailor-made kitchen.

In addition to offering these fine German styles, Sussex Kitchen Designs also offer a free design consultation and superb free 3D design to enable you to visualise your new kitchen in colour before you buy.

Call us today on 01403 240855.

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38

Review: The Pass

Continued from Page 36

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(lobster) with grillotte onion, This contrasted greatly to the shellfish mayonnaise, Jerusalem next dish. The Roasted cauliflower artichoke and crab biscuits came struck us initially as a filler dish – next, before we were served the one where you stop talking braised veal tongue with roasted about the food for a time and tomato, quail egg and morels. chat about work, the weather, or Veal tongue is obviously not Tottenham’s dismal run of form. something that most of us would But it is another of the dishes regularly eat, but in some way that demonstrates that the chefs typifies the dining out experience are not frightened of mixing of The Pass. It may not sound like flavours that cross the entire something you want to eat, and taste-bud bandwidth. With Thai you probably wouldn’t have shallots, Parma ham, celery and ordered it given a choice. But raspberry vinaigrette, there was ultimately you’ll be glad you a melee of flavours all fighting tried it, and of course like many for your attention and it was of the dishes it makes a fantastic greatly enjoyed. talking point.

The main meal The thin slice of tongue is served was a with a Pinot Noir from New Zealand, which cleans your palette, leaving you ready for whatever flavours the kitchen can throw at you next. We found ourselves further refreshed by Potato Salad what came next - Sea bass with spring onions, chick pea and watercress. This relatively simple dish (at least compared to some which come with a medley of flavours) had great texture and worked very well.

Read all of our meal reviews online at www.aahorsham.co.uk

The Crown Dial Post

Random Hall

mouth-wateringly delicious saddle of lamb with lemon curd, lamb fat gnocchi and mushroom. It’s another intriguing combination, and one envisaged in an unlikely place…

Matt said: “I was in the shower thinking of gnocchi. I was thinking that if you went on (BBC TV show) The Great British Menu you wouldn’t be able to make it, as gnocchi is Italian dumplings. The British idea of dumplings is suet, and self-raising flour, but that is too heavy.

“So I thought ‘How do I make that light?’ That’s how I got on to pure lamb belly fat and potato flour with a little egg white to lighten them up.”

Before desserts we did ask for the cheese board, having discovered how much trouble Matt and his mother-in-law had gone to in preparing them! This comes with a £10 supplement, and in truth is more a bit of fun than a necessity. It’s entertaining not only for how it is presented, but also because the four cheeses (Waterloo – an semi-soft British cheese from the Duke of Wellington’s estate, Tipsy Billy – a soft goats cheese, a mature Sussex cheddar and a blue cheese) come with

Cromptons

Sanmae

grapes which have been carbonated, so not only do they expand, they have an exciting fizz sensation. Sometimes, even with food as good as this, it is the little things that make the difference!

The first of the two desserts (served with sweet white wine from Monbazillac) was a gingerbread crème brûlée with salted peanut and chicory, before the meal was rounded off in stunning style; the apple parfait, caramel, apple sorbet and crumble was plate-lickingly lovely.

After several of the dishes, it felt as though the meal was not going to be enough to fill us up.

When the dishes you are presented with are devoured in two mouthfuls (the first intrepidly, the second mercilessly) it is normal to fear that you may be paying an awful lot of money to leave half full.

But ultimately, The Pass Experience menu is perfectly balanced, leaving you fully satisfied and enjoying every individual mouthful.

If you’re looking to save £10, or could do with

Camellia

The Greets Inn

Chocolate Ganache, Rhubarb Doughnut and Rhubarb Sorbet

Continued on Page 40

A TOTALLY DIFFERENT DINING EXPERIENCE WITH A VERY DR AMATIC T WIST The Pass is situated in the very heart of the kitchen here at South Lodge Hotel – and with one Michelin Star and three AA Rosettes there’s never been a better time to take a seat!

Quote “AAH” when booking a table and we’ll serve each of you with complimentary coffees and delicious petit fours.

BOOK YOUR SEAT +44 (0) 1403 891711 southlodgehotel.co.uk |

EMAIL US enquiries@southlodgehotel.co.uk

PERUSE OUR LATEST MENUS southlodgehotel.co.uk/passmenu

South Lodge Hotel, Brighton Road, Horsham, West Sussex, RH13 6PS

40

Review: The Pass

White Onion Veloute Home-made bread

Veal Tongue

Apple Parfait, Apple Sorbet, Crumble

‘Sometimes even with food as good as this, it’s the little things that make the difference’ Continued from Page 39 saving an hour, then The Gourmet Experience offers food of an equally high standard.

Highlights include a braised duck leg with wild garlic, duck liver pate and turnips, as well as the sea trout with buttermilk pannacotta, caviar and passion fruit. The strikingly rich chocolate ganache with rhubarb sorbet is another scintillating sweet.

Yet perhaps our favourite dish of the evening was the main dish on this Gourmet menu, Preparations of Pork with golden beetroot and grapefruit puree, cabbage and golden turnip.

Not only did it demonstrate the chef’s sense of adventure and flair for presentation, it is also a master class in preparation with two days needed to cook and prepare the pressed suckling, belly of pork, and the thin strip of crackling, created by squeezing it between two cooking trays.

The pork is sourced directly from a local farmer, although Matt buys much of his meat from Hutching’s in Partridge Green, while the fish is bought primarily from a London fish market. There are a number of local suppliers for things such as quail eggs and Matt hopes to use more bespoke suppliers soon.

The menu is constantly evolving (on our visit, there were three new dishes between the two set menus) but there could be more drastic changes made at The Pass in the next

few years. The idea of cooking classes or even a new demonstration kitchen has been mooted, as has a possibility of extending the restaurant for more guests.

Matt himself is concerned that any extension may detract from the entire essence and original objective of The Pass, and we’re inclined to agree.

With so few guests on any evening, there’s a tendency to feel like your own enjoyment of the evening is pivotal to the chefs and the service staff too. The following night’s menu may hinge on the face you pull upon first tasting of any particular dish.

Therefore, rather than being embarrassed by my own lack of wine knowledge in the setting of a Michelin star restaurant, I felt

gently encouraged to share my opinions by a waiter who wanted to take something away from the night too.

The Pass is not for everyone.

Those looking for an intimate evening may not like the open layout or the contemporary décor. And if you’re one of those that ‘know what they like and like what they know’ then a visit to The Pass is probably going to be a considerable expense that you don’t need.

But we had a fantastic time in the presence of a team of chefs that care more about food than most of us could fathom! I suspect we’ll be bringing up our visit to The Pass in any food-related conversation for many years to come.

BM

New showroom Nursing Hygiene in Southwater launches new range Nursing Hygiene has an incredible range of scooters, wheelchairs and recliner chairs at its new-look showroom in Southwater.

Not only is there an extensive range of products, there is also room to try them out, and importantly there is a large amount of free parking space right next to the showroom entrance.

Nursing Hygiene is also known for its friendly and helpful experience.

Paul Andrews of Nursing Hygiene said: “It’s the perfect place to come to as there is no problem with parking, we have large electric doors at the entrance, and once you are in here you can browse and try out all of the products.

“There is no need to look through catalogues, you can get a feel for scooters, chairs or walkers right here as there is so much space.

“We can provide all of the support you need too. I have 14 years of experience looking after a relative who suffered a stroke, so I know all of the pitfalls.”

Nursing Hygiene is based in a large unit at Oakhurst Business Park in Southwater, about 100 yards from the RSPCA building.

They have an incredible range of new and innovative products, such as the Topra Troja, an innovative aluminiumsynthetic Rollator from Norway, the TGA Powerpack and the Go Chair, by Pride Mobility - the ultimate travel chair, combining super portability, excellent manoeuvrability and style.

Visit the showroom at Charwood House, Oakhurst Business Park, Southwater, RH13 9RT. You can call Nursing Hygiene on 01403 825875 or visit www.nursinghygiene.com

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42

Steve Fuller A Tattoo Artist & Painter in Horsham

Enter the Dr When Danny Fuller was a teenager, he performed his first tattoo on his own arm.

It has long since been covered up by fresh tattoos, but it began a passion that has lasted a lifetime.

Now in his fifties, Danny is among the best known tattoo artists in the south of England. He has founded the world’s first professional tattoo academy, established three studios in Horsham, Brighton and Horley, published a book on tattoos and won several major awards for his designs.

Fourteen years since he opened the Red Dragon Tattoo and Body Piercing studio in East Street, Horsham, Danny is in semiretirement, helping out his team when it gets busy or a specific design needs his expertise.

So does he sit at home, reading The Telegraph and enjoying his golf? No, instead Danny likes to paint zombies, heavily armed robot soldiers, green goblins in battle, and skeletons holding spears decorated with severed heads!

It’s only a few years since he started painting with oils, but the art is very much a progression of the designs he has been drawing since he started creating tattoos over thirty years ago.

“It started with a home-made tattoo that I did myself back in 1980,” remembers Danny. “Not many people had tattoos then but people had started doing some designs at school with basic needles and India ink.

“I was only 13 or 14, but still, I couldn’t

ART just do a cross or something simple – I wanted a castle with a bat, so had a go.

“A few years later, I was working at a factory when a friend of mine told me he was getting a tattoo, and said I should get my own one covered up. We went to a place in Fulham and I was blown away by all of the designs they had.

“I sat down all day and waited and in the end the tattoo artist only had time to do me something small, so I had a swallow drawn on my other arm. It took five minutes and cost £6.50.

“I went back a week later and he covered up my own design with a horse’s head which has now been there for about 30 years. That was it – I loved it. I wasn’t a rocker or a punk or anything like that, I’ve always just liked the designs, but I guess I was rebelling as my parents were ultra conservative and very anti-tattoo!”

After that experience, Danny set about becoming a tattoo artist. He saved up £200 from a part-time job at the Jet garage at Pease Pottage and, in response to an advert in Motorcycle News, drove up to Bradford to buy his first kit.

It came with no instructions, but gradually Danny taught himself the job, and opened his first studio in Crawley.

Danny said: “Back in those days there were not the designs that you see these days – it was very basic, with bulldogs and swallows, things like that. I opened up on a Saturday and earned myself £100 on the first day, which was great. I only had a few pages of Flash tattoos (the most common form of tattoo designs) but the next time I opened the studio there were people waiting so I thought I had better take it seriously!

“The regulation was not like it is now. You realised there was a risk of cross infection, but we didn’t have to change needles every time. It was mainly down to the artist. Back when I started, you were basically using mum’s sewing kit, but now everything is so advanced, and all comes in individual, sterilised packets.”

After three years in Crawley, Danny looked to Brighton, where his brother Steve had established his own studio.

After a brief period when Danny first ran a tattoo studio in Horsham in the mid-1980s – near to where Ladies That Do is now - the brothers were working together.

“It was very different in Brighton in those days. It was only us and a guy on the pier that did tattoos, and now there are about 25 studios. In the eighties it was still a bit underContinued on Page 44...

ragon’s Den Photos by Toby Phillips

44

Art: Danny Fuller

‘When I started out, very few women ever had tattoos done’ Continued from Page 43

ground. You didn’t get many girls coming in and most of the customers were regulars, but really it was just nice to be paid for what was really a hobby for me.

“This lasted until 1989, when I opened my own studio, The Blue Dragon, and was in Brighton for over a decade. I moved back to Horsham in 1998 and have been here ever since.

“We continued to run the Blue Dragon in Brighton and I also ran the Black Dragon in Horley for a while – we were going for world domination! But eventually I let the other two go to concentrate on the one.”

As the years have gone by Danny has seen the designs of the tattoos became more adventurous, exciting and exotic, whilst other elements of the trade such as body piercing have grown enormously in terms of popularity.

“Now it’s just like painting – some of the tattoos that people can do are unbelievable,” said Danny.

“You still have your basic ‘flash’ tattoos – people look through a catalogue of designs, choose one and you put on the transfer and that will be it.

“But nowadays, we hardly need these catalogues

The Red Dragon Tattoo and Body Piercing Studio has been in Horsham since 1998

as most people bring in their own designs as drawings, or on their mobile phones or images they’ve found on the Internet.

“At the moment the trend is for more patterns than pictures. The era of the Indian head, eagles, skulls and panthers has gone, and things such as stars and gothic designs are popular. Some of the designs are so intricate that I swear they’re only testing to see if we can do it!

“In the last couple of years, quotes have been popular. It has moved on from Chinese words and symbols. Generally I think something less specific is best so for me quotes are not always a great idea.”

Celebrities such as David Beckham have also helped changed the general perception of tattoos in the UK, where many people with tattoos have often been treated unfairly by a society that remains fascinated by the tattoos of tribes such as Maoris in New Zealand and the Hausa

people of Nigeria. Great Britain even takes its name from tattooing, with Britons translating as ‘people of the designs’.

Danny said: “I think the general perception of tattoos has changed. It used to be the same sort of people that had tattoos – you could spot them a mile away! But now it’s anybody and everybody, and these days more than half of our customers are women.

“I think women with tattoos used to be frowned upon, and people with tattoos found it difficult to get a job. They were treated like lower class citizens. But very few people regret their tattoos, as it’s something personal to them that cannot be lost or stolen.”

With such a demand for tattoos, Danny has founded the Tattoo Academy, which now attracts people from all over the world to Red Dragon in Horsham.

He said: “We were the first studio in the

‘The era of Indian heads, eagles and panthers has gone’

Read more of our Artist features at www.aahorsham.co.uk

Angela Brittain

Alison Ingram

Claire Phillips

Andrew Vince

As the owner of a Red Dragon, and formerly Black and Blue varieties, it’s no surprise that the mythical beasts feature in Steve’s artwork and tattoo designs.

Bill Hudson

Lindsay Wright

world to offer tattoo training. It’s always been very difficult to learn and there were many people who don’t like the idea of us giving out the secrets of the trade so willingly. It’s a bit like the Magic Circle in that respect.

“But I believe in it, so I thought about what I would like to have known when I started out – so not just designs but hygiene, regulation and things like that, and set up the Tattoo Academy.

We’ve had people come in from everywhere – I’ve had eight or nine people set up in Malta!

“The Academy has been running for nine years, and it’s been very successful with many students going on to set up their own studios.”

Then there’s the art.

One of his earliest paintings was used by a rock band called Virus for an album cover, and since then Danny has expanded on his fantasy themes. There’s even a self-portrait, which depicts Danny punching a green-skinned monster with one hand, and holding a sword in Continued on Page 46

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46 Continued from Page 45

the other. You can even make out Danny’s distinctive ‘fangs’.

“Again I’m completely self-taught, and painting is a nice way to challenge myself,” said Danny. “The paintings are purely for pleasure – not many people have seen these. It’s a passion and I’m enjoying it more and more and getting better.

“Most of my work is inspired by Games Workshop figures, as well as computer games and comics. I love the detail of the figures – there is so much character in them. I have thousands of these figures, so I’ll pick one out and use them as a model.

“I just like the weird and the wacky, and it’s good for me as there are not so many rules.

When your drawing representational art, you have to make sure the dimensions are right and one hand is not too fat or anything. Fine art is so difficult. With these paintings it doesn’t really matter!”

On the tattoo side, this artist may be winding down, but his legacy will live on.

Not only are there now many tattoo artists working that have been mentored by Danny, his son Charlie has run his own studio in Brighton for three years, whilst step-son Tom works with him at Red Dragon.

“There is a family legacy. Charlie started when he was 16 and I couldn't be prouder.

There are no jobs around for young people and he’s now 19, has been doing that for three years, and has a good start in business. “ It’s nice to have your own business and be a self-made person.”

For more information visit www.reddragontattoos.co.uk

‘Most of my paintings are inspired by Games Workshop models’

Left: Steve has drawn himself in the middle of a war between good and evil. We’re guessing the green goblins are the bad guys!

We had 119 children at the first training session. One of them broke a finger

The History of Minis Rugby at Horsham In 1978, Horsham Rugby Club was celebrating its Golden Jubilee, and to mark the occasion the club held its first ever Festival of Mini Rugby.

There were tournaments for the Under 8s, Under 10s, Under 12s and Under 14s, with Horsham teams ending up triumphant in two competitions. In the programme notes, the club said it “intends the make the festival an annual event’.

It has very much panned out that way. Now in the year of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, some 850 youngsters took part in the most recent festival of mini rugby on 25th March.

Like they were in the very first tournament, Horsham were victorious in two categories, this time the Under 10 and Under 12 players

taking home winning trophies.

Horsham Rugby Club was founded in 1928 by E.J. Hodgson and A.G. Puttock at the Station Hotel, but it took 48 years for the club to establish its own Minis section. When Horsham RUFC finally did start the section, there were a large number of promising players ready to play.

John Price, a former president and player at Horsham Rugby Club, recalls: “We started the mini rugby in 1976, two years before the first festival, and I was one of several people involved in setting it up, along with Mike Beckwith and Jim Endicott.

“We had 119 kids turn up to the first training session and I still have the accident report from the very first day. Wouldn’t you know it, Continued on Page 48

Horsham Minis Rugby

We’ve tried to improve the transition from junior to senior rugby over the past few years

Continued from Page 47

one child broke a finger. Two years later, we started up the festival. We had some 150 boys and girls aged between seven and 12-years-old taking part.

“Some of the children from those early days went on to play for Horsham in the 1990s, in what was undoubtedly one of the best teams that the town has ever produced. Horsham won the London South East Division 3 title in 1993 and the Sussex Knockout Cup twice.

“Youngsters such as Andy Johnson, Simon and Richard Bell, my son David ‘Puff’ Price, and several others all went on to form the backbone of a very good senior team. But back then, like today, the problem has been getting the promising players to make the transition to the senior teams.”

That problem has only increased over the years. Not only have the best players been lured by other clubs willing to pay appearance fees, but a higher proportion of young people head off to college and university. This has meant that, while Horsham has had a fantastic set-up for mini rugby for many years, the best youths have not necessarily progressed to the senior squad.

Paul Harding, chairman of the club, said: “We’ve tried to improve the transition from junior to senior rugby over the past four or five years. The club suffers a bit from the education system in Horsham – it’s very good so of course a lot of people disappear at the age of 18 off to various universities.

“We are trying to retain players, so we’ve introduced a system for an

Andrew ‘Package’ Price plays for the Under-8s in 1980

49

As we strengthen the club from a playing perspective, we have“ to look at facilities Under-20 team, so that perhaps at Christmas and during breaks when players come back to the town, they can play rugby and maintain links with the club.

“The RFU in general is looking at ways to ensure that when players head off to universities across the country, they can link up with another team, so they are not lost to the game for four years or perhaps even for good.

“We do have quite a few players in the first team now that have come all the way through the minis teams, into the senior squad and eventually the first team, which is great.”

As the years have gone by, so have the links and associations with local businesses. Henry Adams has recently renewed its sponsorship with the club, and strong links have been formed with Christ’s Hospital.

This year, the school sponsored the medals, which were awarded by Joe Launchbury. Joe is now a London Wasps player and was recently named in England’s Six Nations rugby squad.

The Director of Sport at Christ’s Hospital, David Messenger said: “This is an excellent festival. It is great to see so many youngsters enjoying the game in a positive and friendly atmosphere.”

But it’s not all just about kids having fun – the event is an important fundraiser too. Horsham Rugby Club is renowned for its fantastic ground – a space and location that the town’s football club can only dream of. But the clubhouse is in need of improvement.

At the time of the first mini festival in 1978, Horsham Rugby club had been settled in at Coolhurst for a few years.

Horsham had purchased the land for £5,750 in 1968, but it took a lot of effort to raise the £16,000 needed for the clubhouse.

The club won a Government grant, secured loans and sponsorship, and

www.kingdomfaith.com

Continued on Page 50

The Under-12s first ever match in 1976-77

Anniversary Come and join us for our 20th Anniversary th Celebration on Sunday Sunday 20 May at 10:30am

Where we meet: Kingdom Faith Church, Foundry Foundr y Lane Horsham, W est Sussex, RH13 5PX West Contact us:

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The Under 12s in the early days of Mini Rugby

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“

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Horsham Minis Rugby

Continued from Page 49

with the help of fundraising events it finally had enough to begin building in October 1971. Horsham played against an International XV to celebrate the opening of the clubhouse on Sunday, 24th September 1972. The visitors were captained by Bob Hillier, who had earned the last of his 19 England caps earlier that year.

Now, thirty years on, the next generation of players, parents and committee members are thinking of the future, with

the clubhouse at the centre of the plans.

Paul said: “The clubhouse is an important asset to us. Last year we put a new roof on it so it doesn’t leak. Now we’re putting plans in place that will affect the club in 15 or 20 years’ time.

“As we strengthen the club from a playing perspective, we have to look at facilities and one of the areas we need to develop is our changing rooms. They are small and we need to extend those, and if we’re thinking of getting ladies

51

We’re talking about drivein cinema nights – things that will get people talking about the club.

The Minis section has been popular from the beginning

rugby up here we need separate changing rooms and showers. There’s a lot of work to do in that area.

“I personally would like to see ladies rugby at Horsham but we have to be careful as there aren’t a great number of ladies that wish to play rugby.

Pulborough are looking at creating a ladies team as well, so it may be that we work alongside them.”

More emphasis is also being placed on functions and events. John O’ Sullivan, well-known in Horsham as a comedian and former newsagent owner, is running the bar now and has big ideas.

“I’ve increased the takings at the bar and that’s what I’m here for” he said. “I want to make it a place that people will come back to, and it’ll help after we revamp the clubhouse during the summer.

“I’m planning a big comedy night in aid of Help for Heroes and car boot sales are another possibility. We own the land here so we can improve the events we provide. We’re talking about putting on drive-in cinema nights – things like that will really get people talking about the rugby club.

“I think the passion for the rugby is here, but the passion for the building and the venue has not been here for some time. That is what I want to change.”

Whilst change is afoot off the pitch, on the pitch Horsham’s youth rugby set-up is as healthy as ever.

Youngsters can play from the age of six, with games starting under-7s, and the club has teams all of the way up to Under-18s. Many of the players that have joined as minis have progressed all the way through the Colts section (from Under 14s), into the senior squads and even the county team.

Continued on Page 52

Horsham Minis Rugby

Left: the Under-14s in the 1979-80 season; Right: The Under-10s in the same season

There is a lot of interaction between the club coaches and the county coaches Continued from page 51

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Paul Harding said: “At Under-14 level people nominate players to go and join a development squad, of which there are four in the county. They then train and progress together, and at the end of that period there are county camps.

“There is a lot of interaction between the club coaches and the county coaches. In the last couple of seasons it’s been nice to see the county coaches actually coming to watch club games as they can get a look at the players in a competitive match.

“But up until they are 14 it’s up to

the club to develop the players.

The thing with rugby is that you can have players that develop in size later. You might have a player that was small when aged seven or eight but has a growth spurt and develops into a good second row forward, rather than a scrum half.

“You shouldn’t keyhole players into positions when you’re involved in junior rugby. You only have to look at an under-10 side to see that. You have whippersnappers that are only coming up to the waistline of some of the bigger ones!

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One of the first Minis teams to play after colours were invented

53

“A lot of the junior development focuses on skills, teaching them what they should be doing, and when they reach the higher levels of the junior set –up at under 15s onwards - then you start focusing on the skills they may need for various different positions.”

It’s apparent that the youngsters playing at the mini rugby festival are having a great time, but it’s not just the children that are enjoying themselves - many of the parents are

getting involved too. Deborah Collins, one of the organisers of the festival of mini rugby, has a son, Aaron, playing the Under-12s, having started playing tag rugby in the under-8s.

She said: “There’s no history of rugby in the family. Aaron was just very keen to come along but we were reluctant because they play on a Sunday. He also plays football, goes to gymnastics and is a scout as well, but eventually we caved in!

Continued on Page 54

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Horsham Minis Rugby

Photography by Toby Phillips

Continued from Page 53

“We started coming up occasionally and it grew on us. We really enjoyed the rugby, and got into it. The social side is excellent, and last year Aaron went on his first tour to Cardiff which was a great experience for players and the parents.

“We enjoy the whole etiquette of rugby - I find the ethos much different to that of football. It’s much more civilised!”

For more information about Horsham RUFC visit the website at www.horshamrufc.com

We enjoy the etiquette - it’s more civilised than football!

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Thanks to huge advancements in technology, hearing aids are now available with high definition sound quality.

In addition to vastly superior clarity of sound, hearing aids have become smaller, more comfortable and now come in a variety of attractive designs and colours.

These new HD hearing aids are exclusively available at The Horsham Hearing Centre on Worthing Road.

Jonathan Ormerod, owner of Hearcentres Ltd, said: “We supply a range of hearing aids, including the Sebo HD, a cutting edge hearing aid that offers superior sound quality.

“This is state of the art hearing technology and we are the only company that supplies these products.

“There is nothing else on the market like high definition.

The very wide frequency response

Jonathan Ormerod has returned to the Horsham Hearing Centre picks up a far greater range of sounds. It is very comfortable and people wouldn’t even notice you are wearing anything.

“If you talk to somebody who has a hearing problem, they often miss the start of what you say. With the HD hearing aids the vastly improved sound quality means you do not miss those cues.

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Jonathan recently returned to The Horsham Hearing Centre, having sold it in 2009. It is now a branch of Hearcentres Limited, comprised of seven established hearing centres around the country. Coming from a family of audiologists and having lived in Horsham for 20 years, Jonathan is now eager to help local residents benefit from better hearing at the recently-refurbished centre.

Jonathan said: “We are now offering the only ‘complete hearing care service’ in the town.

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57

Making a splash The charity swimmers making a big difference

The Fab Five - Jude Green, 10, Isabel Anderson, 9, Aston Martin, 10, Beth Crawford, 10,Elizabeth Harris, 9

Swimathon events were held in pools across the country over the weekend of 28th-29th April.

But few sports centres get quite as enthusiastic about the event as Bluecoat Sports Centre in Christ’s Hospital.

Normally a member’s club, the pool is open to anybody during the Swimathon and this year the event attracted 135 participants, meaning it was ranked sixth of the 645 pools taking part across the country, and second regionally.

This year the event, held in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care, was combined with Sports Relief. This meant that swimmers could take on the established 5km, 2.5km and team 5km distance challenges or the new Big Splash Mile.

Bluecoats have already welcomed Olympic Gold medallist Duncan Goodhew and World Champion Mark Foster to the sports centre, to promote the Swimathon for the BBC Breakfast Show.

There were many stories to be told across the six lanes of the pool. CMed, a Clinical Research Services company in Horsham, have taken part in the event for three years and have again raised over £1,000 for charity.

Many young people get involved in the event too. In addition to the youngsters featured in the next few pages, there were many others raising money for charity. Flore Thwaites organised a team of five to take part.

Gill Probin, one of the event organisers, said: “It was fantastic to see so many people in our community getting in the pool. People taking part have a great time, as well as raising money for great causes, and it’s wonderful to see so many young people involved. “it’s not just the swimmers, but also a lot of the volunteers are young people and we couldn’t do it without them.”

Funds raised through the Swimathon Distance Challenges for Marie Curie Cancer Care will provide free nursing care and support for people with terminal cancer and other illnesses. The charity expects to care for over 31,000 terminally ill patients in the community and in its hospices this year.

58

Swimathon Pictures by Toby Phillips

Jason Probin

Flip ‘n’ Fun Rydon Community College friends Isla Martin, 12, Katie Ewers, 12 and Emily Summers, 11 set up the team and recruited the help of Alex Ewers, 9, to complete the team. Some of Alex’s friends from West Chiltington School competed in another team.

Flip ‘n’ Fun raised over £200 as the team competed 200 lengths of the pool.

Alex said: “I joined the Barracudas (a non-competitive swimming club at Bluecoat Sports Centre) two weeks ago but I’ve been having swimming lessons here since I was four.

“This is my first Swimathon. I did fifty lengths - I was hoping I would manage it but not sure I expected to.

It was hard at the end but all of my friends were there cheering me on so I went a bit faster.”

17-year-old Jason is among a team of volunteers from the 1015 Air Corps Squadron in Horsham that carrys out lap counting and motivational duties. The event relies heavily on their help.

Jason said: “I keep them motivated.

Most of the swimmers seem to be okay but some can get quite tired towards the end and you have to tell people that they have only got a little more to do and you give them the little extra push to get them to the finish.

“This is my fourth year as a lap counter and I’ll be swimming on the Sunday. There are so many swimmers now that we have to do it over a couple of days.

“I used to be a good swimmer but I had to stop a bit to do my exams and stuff. I’ve done the five kilometre individual challenge in the past but this year I am doing the 2.5km challenge. It’s good to get out of the house, and it’s better than sitting at home and playing on the PlayStation.

“All of the people in the purple shirts are from 1015 Air Corps Squadron in Horsham. I’m in the squadron and asked a few people if they could volunteer to help with the lap counting. They were really enthusiastic and there are six of us helping out this year.”

Read more of our sports features at www.aahorsham.co.uk

Baseball

Banger Racing

Lawnmowers

3 Musketeers The Musketeers are (from left) Rose Cumber, 13, Gemma Cumber, 11, and Victoria Arnold, 13. They are all friends together at Farlington School. Rose and Gemma’s mum, Nia, has had breast cancer and is now in remission. She was at Bluecoats to cheer on the girls as they swam 200 lengths between them.

Rose said: “As a team we swam five kilometres. We’re all good swimmers and two of us are members of Atlantis swimming club in Horsham.

“Because my mum has cancer and we all love swimming we thought this would be a great thing to do. It does mean a lot to us and it feels like we’re helping to pay back some of the people that have helped mum.”

Gemma added: “As you’re swimming, you think of all the people you’re helping so you say to yourself ‘keep going’ and it feels really good when you finish.”

Half Marathon

Indoor Bowls

Unicycle Hockey

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60

Fast Sharks The Sharks were taking part for the second time. The team is made up of Weald schoolboys Harry Stanley-Jones, 11, Cameron Smith, 11 and Callum Rowland, 11, as well as friend Benedict Stanley-Stote, 11, who only recently started swimming.

Harry said: “We did a kilometre each, which is 40 lengths. A couple of us were slower but as a team we made up the shortfall. I like it as we all get together and have fun.

You get an hour to do the swim but if it takes a bit longer then they let you off!”

Benedict: “I only learnt how to swim last year. I’ve always preferred other sports and never got into swimming. I did 26 lengths today, which is the furthest I’ve swam and I’m pleased with that! I hope to do the whole 40 next year.”

Darting Dolphins The Darting Dolphins were taking part for the first time. The team was made up of (from left) Ellie Waters, 8, Lucy Hutchings, 12, Megan Rowland, 10, Claudia StanleyStote, 13 and Jemima Sally-Jones, 9.

Jemima said: “We had to each swim 40 lengths which is about a kilometre, so we swam 200 lengths as a team. We’ve raised over £200 as a team. This was our first time of doing the Swimathon. My brother took part in it last year and so did Megan’s brother, and we were jealous so we decided to start a girl’s team as the boys have done it again. We’re all friends but a few of us go to school together at William Penn in Coolham. A few of us come to swim at Bluecoats and we like it here and it’s nice to get a medal. I think we’ll definitely do it again next year!”

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Gill Probin, Organiser “The Swimathon has been going for about 25 years nationally, but I got involved about four years ago and this year I’m co-ordinating the event with Cali Stanton (with Gill, above) from Bluecoat Sports Centre. This is our biggest event of the year and I simply love it!

“We had Mark Foster and Duncan Goodhew visit us this year, when the pupils of Christ’s Hospital did their swim a few weeks ago, and they gave out the medals.

“It’s a lovely pool but still a little underused so it’s nice to have these kind of events where we can get a lot of people in, raise a bit of money and make a real difference in the community. Last year we raised over £8,000 and this year we’re hoping to reach £10,000.

“We are a member club but when it comes to the Swimathon we’re open to anybody. A lot of the participants have come through the swim school here, and it gives them the opportunity to show off their swimming skills.

“This year we combined the Swimathon with the Sports Relief Mile for Comic Relief. So you can swim a mile, or for Marie Curie you can do a 2.5km individual swim or a 5km team or individual challenge.”

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Weddings

Anne Marie-Smith and Paul Costello were married at St Mark’s Church in Horsham on 3rd March.

Anne-Marie is the daughter of Stephen Smith of Potters Bar and Fleur Wayman of Rugby. Elle Smith was Maid of Honour, Carly Taylor was Chief Bridesmaid, Joanna Smith was Bridesmaid and Haidee Rose Smith was Flower Girl.

Paul ‘s Best Man was Chris Acton, and Andrew Smith was Usher.

The couple rode on a golf buggy as they enjoyed their reception at

Mannings Heath Golf Club. The couple’s first dance was to Happy

by Secrets in Stereo.

They enjoyed a honeymoon in Iceland, where they saw the Northern Lights and bathed in the Blue Lagoon.

Paul works in engineering at Thales in Crawley, and AnneMarie works at RSA in Horsham.

The couple met whilst studying at Reading University.

Photography by Toby Phillips Photography. Hair by Look Fantastic, Horsham.

Please send us details of your wedding. We publish reports and images free of charge (even when you hired somebody other than AAH photographer Toby Phillips) Email Ben Morris at editor@aahorsham.co.uk

David Algar Architectural Technician 30 years of experience Plans drawn for planning and building regulations approval.

Chennells Brook House, North Heath Lane, Horsham, West Sussex, RH12 5PJ

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Advertising feature

Perfect Therapy Cranfold Physiotherapists Move to Denne Parade both classes and physiotherapy.

The new premises include the all-important Studio for Sarah’s corrective and remedial exercise classes, but also has individual treatment rooms.

As well as one-to-one physio, Cranfold will also be running Ante and Post Natal Pilates Classes. Watch this space!

The physio team in Horsham includes Andy Hollingsworth and Karen Love.

Karen has particular expertise in acupuncture, back pain and Pilates rehailtation, while Andy loves any Golf related problems (Andy plays off a handicap of 2 Wendyanne Harrison, Andy Hollingsworth and Karen Love and (below so tells us he knows which end right) Sarah Dover-McCarthy of a club to hold!) and has a strong background in strength now expanding into newly May sees the latest episode in and conditioning having refurbished premises at Total the developing story of Cranfold completed a Sports Science Therapy Studios, at 2 Denne Physical Therapy Centre! degree prior to his physio Parade.

Since starting a Physiotherapy training.

Total Therapy Studios is itself an Practice 12 years ago in the little “We are all very excited to be expansion of the business of village of Ewhurst in Surrey, moving into Denne Parade”, said Sarah Dover McCarthy (right), a Wendyanne Harrison has Wendyanne . “It will allow us to highly qualified Sports Therapist, offer more choice of treatment expanded Cranfold to over who has worked with Cranfold seven locations and with 12 times for patients. Over the next for many years. experienced Chartered Physiofew months we plan to offer As the two businesses work so therapists, as well as Medical more evening and weekend and Complementary therapists. closely together it made sense appointments to suit the to move in to work as closely in Cranfold initially opened in busy lifestyles of people Horsham in 2006 in Courtyard Horsham as they do in Cranleigh, in Horsham, many of Surgery in London Road and is where patients often come to whom work or have

childcare problems in the daytime.

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events Horsham Open Studios 16th-17th and 23rd/24th June Horsham Artists’ Open Studios will be held over the last two weekends in June (16th-17th and 23rd-24th June). Artists and makers open their homes and studios to the public to showcase their work. Among the artists involved are Emma Bird, who creates wire animal sculptures, abstract artist Caroline Charman, textile artist Esther Clark and photographic abstracts by Steve Gubbins. It’s a good opportunity to buy affordable art and contemporary crafts. Derek Golledge, Angela Brittain, Alison Ingram and Janine Creaye are involved.

Visit www.horshamartistsopenstudios.co.uk

Diamond Jubilee 5th June Celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in style and enjoy all things British at South Lodge Hotel.

Take a guided walk through the 93 acre grounds. They may not all be in bloom right now but the hotel’s Rhododendrons, Camellias and Azaleas are remarkable. Round off the day with afternoon tea with sandwiches, scones with jam and clotted cream, a range of pastries and your choice of tea and coffee.

Tour times are 2.30pm, 3.30pm and 4.30pm. To book call South Lodge on 01403 891711 or email enquiries@southlodgehotel.co.uk

Ashington Toy Fair 20th May Aways dreamt of owning an original Thunderbird 2, or a Stripy the Magic Mini from 1967? Perhaps you’ll find something at The Ashington Toy & Train Collectors Fair at Ashington Community Centre, Foster Lane, RH20 3PG at 10am - 2pm. Buy, sell and swap from a large range including Dinky, Corgi diecasts, Hornby, Meccano and more. You can take along your own toys to sell as well. Call Simon on 07727 023893. A Car Boot Sale is held on Ashington Recreation Ground in aid of Chanctonbury Playschool at 9am-1pm. £8 per car (pay on the day)

The Gift They’ll Never Forget...

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A trial lesson or one day course with Southdown Gliding Club Call 01903 742137 or email gliding1930@tiscali.co.uk

By Online at www.sgc1.org

26th May

Vivace! will perform a choral concert at Brighton Road Baptist Church, Horsham, in aid of West Sussex Mediation Service, at 7.30pm. The choir sing everything from Baroque to Rock Tickets £8. www.wsms.org.uk

‘Diddy’ David Hamilton will open the Horsham Hospital Summer Fete at 2pm.

Stalls, children’s activities including fairground rides, train rides, a magic show and a grand draw with a prize of £400. Local rescue services also present.

5th June

Springwatch After Dark begins at Pulborough Brooks at 8.45pm 10.30pm. All sorts of creatures who hide themselves during the day start to emerge. £4 Adults, £2 Children.

Booking essential.

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Celebrate the Queens’ Diamond Jubilee with a special day at Knepp Castle in Shipley, with raft races, Tug-of-War, classic car rides and a bonfire with fireworks.

Visitors can take a picnic.

Events start at 4.30pm.

10th June

20th May

The South of England Show is held in Ardingly.

Fun for all with worldclass show jumping and equestrian events, cattle parades and the Royal Signals Motorcycle Display team.

Visit www.seas.org.uk

1st-2nd June

Sussex Thunder American Football team will play their first home game of the year at Broadbridge Heath Stadium against East Kent Mavericks at 2:30pm. Visit the club’s website for latest news and results.

The Simon Viney Memorial Tournament is being held in Barns Green at 12pm.

The tag tournament and fun day is in memory of Simon, who died aged 22 from a heart condition in 2009. Money raised goes to charity.

9th June

17th May

Horsham Festival of Cricket starts today.

Sussex take on Surrey in a County Championship match before Sussex Sharks play Derbyshire in a 40 over match on Sunday 10th. www.sussexcricket.co.uk

27th May

- 26th May

Horsham Museum and Art Gallery hosts an exhibition of Matisse’s later work. Drawing with Scissors, a Hayward Touring exhibition from the Southbank Centre, features 35 lithographic prints.

Closes on 26th May.

John Negus will open the Garden and Local Produce Fair in aid of St Catherine’s Hospice at Summers Place, Billingshurst, from 10:30am.

Entry £3.50. Early bird (8.30-10.30am) Bubbly Breakfast tickets from Paula on 01293 447367.

7-9th June

7th May

Rusper May Day is held at 12.30-5pm. All welcome to the festivities, which includes May Pole dancing, Hog Roast, Punch & Judy, Classic Car show, steam engines, stalls, raffle with high value prizes and more!

6th-10th June

Please send event details to editor@aahorsham.co.uk

Several Sussex Garden Tea Parties will be held in 2012 at Trenchmore, Burnthouse Lane, Cowfold, especially for people with dementia, their families and friends. The first is held today. Contact Joanne 07711 698279

Toby’s Photos Over the past year, Toby has taken so many pictures that a couple of them came out okay after a bit of work in Photoshop. If you would like to purchase a picture you have seen please do contact Toby through his website.

www.tobyphillipsphotography.co.uk

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The ‘things you probably didn’t know about Horsham that are really quite interesting’ page...

Can I buy your wife?

Do you know that Horsham has a history of wife swapping?

Back in the 1820s, you could pick up all kinds of things at the local fair – pottery, crafts, books, clothing, leather, ironware, and perhaps a nice new wife.

Wife sales were not unique to Horsham, but the town is often connected to it because of the notes of Henry Burstow, a singer and bellringer who was born in 1826 at 34 Bishopric. His own ‘Reminiscences of Horsham’ were brought into print by Horsham historian William Albery.

Included within it are several accounts of wife sales. Burstow mentions the sale of a wife by Mr Smart in 1820 for 3s 6d to a man named Mr Steere in Billingshurst. She had two children by each man. Later, Mr Steere sold her to Mr Greenfield.

Another sale occurred in 1825 when a woman was sold for £2 5s, with the purchaser agreeing to take one of her three children. The final sale mentioned by Burstow was Ann Holland who was sold for £1 10s.

In what cannot have been the most dignified of days for Ann, she entered the market place with a halter round her neck and was bought

by Mr Johnson of Shipley, who sold his watch to pay for her.

She lived with him for a year and had one child, then ran away with Jim Smith.

The going rate for a wife varied. In Selby in 1862, one wife was exchanged for a pint of beer. At Carlisle in 1832, a wife was sold for £1 and a Newfoundland dog.

But in general, wife sales were a well thoughtout social response to failed marriages.

Marriage was often an economic union rather than an emotional one, but divorce was tricky in Elizabethan times, especially for the poor.

If you were wealthy it was easier to have mistresses and then either legitimise the illegitimate offspring, as Charles I and II did, by making them Dukes and Earls, or pay maintenance. To the poor this was not always possible.

Some unhappy husbands hoped for an early death for the wife. It was not uncommon for women to die young, having given birth many times usually from an age of about 14.

So when the husband was in his 30s or early 40s he could seek out a second wife. But in some cases people opted for wife sales.

It would appear from the records that wife sales were effectively a ‘done deal’. The wife would walk around the fair offering herself for sale only as a public act to show that she was divorced from one person and remarried.

Henry Burstow recorded wife sales in Horsham.

Historical information provided by Horsham Museum/HDC. Top picture depicts a wife sale by Thomas Rowland, dated 1812-1814.

But a decade or so later the Registration of the Births Deaths and Marriages Act came into force. It meant that if you were claiming relief for your children there should be proof of them being born, and if you were claiming for a wife the same level of proof was needed.

Common-in-law wives were now of a lesser status in the eyes of the law and so wife sales lost their appeal.

After 1844 no more wife sales were recorded in Horsham. But in 2008 Paul Osborn, from Bletchley, tried to sell his wife on eBay after she allegedly had an affair!

In June’s Edition of AAH The latest in the fight for Broadbridge Heath Leisure Centre

All About Horsham AAH focuses on the best of the Horsham District - highlighting our best artists and musicians, our most innovative businesses, our most inspiring individuals and our leading restaurants. We also preview and review the best local events, with dynamic coverage on youth events and considered articles for our older readers.

AAH is delivered directly to homes in neighbours across the district. In Horsham we deliver extensively with new areas introduced every month. The magazine is delivered to the large Cedar Drive and Blakes Farm Road areas as part of our Southwater rounds, and we deliver to large parts of Billingshurst.

AAH is admired and enjoyed for its informative content and stunning photography, with great features ensuring that the magazine isn’t just delivered - it is read too!

Villages including Mannings Heath, Partridge Green, Ashington, Cowfold, Slinfold, Warnham, Dial Post and Monks Gate also receive AAH.

Eighth Page Advert £50 per edition - £250 for 6 editions Quarter Page Advert £100 per edition - £500 for 6 editions Half Page Advert £175 per edition - £875 for 6 editions

Magazine “We’ve had so many people coming to the pub and talking about our feature in AAH. We’re delighted with it” Cromptons at the Olive Branch

Full Page Advert £300 per edition - £1500 for 6 editions Double Page Advert £500 per edition - £2500 for 6 editions All Prices exclude VAT Book for six editions and receive one advert free of charge

To discuss advertising call Ben on 01403 878026 or email editor@aahorsham.co.uk

For more information please contact Henry Adams Lettings Horsham 01403 282500 Email: horshamlettings@henryadams.co.uk