AAH (All About Horsham) December 2015

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AAH ALL ABOUT HORSHAM MAGAZINE

DECEMBER 2015

INTRODUCTION

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Words/Layout: Ben Morris Photography: Toby Phillips

COVER STORY

A Festive Flogging

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t was an early festive treat for me to watch Toby clumsily lumbering through the Christmas tree netting machine at Newbridge Nurseries.

Sadly, moments later he was mistaken for a bad tree and was offered to customers at a heavily discounted rate. Attracting little interest, he was later lobbed in the chipping machine. It’s the way he would have wanted to go.

Still, he left us with some festive cheer, and I needed it following a conversation about Christmas adverts.

We used to be excited about the Christmas Number One record, but our current crop of musicians are seemingly incapable of writing a festive hit (honestly, is it that hard? Shakin Stevens could do it!)

Instead, we’re left with this depressing headline: ‘Which is the Best Christmas TV Advert?’ (Daily Mail) In this report, we get to analyse which advert featuring a rosy-cheeked, middle class child in a hand-knitted scarf with a shabby chic cover of a rock song, deserves to be declared the ‘winner’.

Although, to be fair to the obvious culprits, they at least attempt to convey a festive message, which is more than can be said of the joyless Paypal adverts.

Paypal apologised after its adverts - which featured the world’s most dour parents glued to a tablet for a quickfire shopping session - suggested that Santa wasn’t real. It’s a good job children don’t watch The X-Factor, when it was aired!

Paypal called in its soulless marketing department drones for an urgent re-think, and having killed off Santa, decided to kill off the High Street.

It features a couple who are walking down the street when the man sees a “banging” wireless speaker with “15 hour battery life” in the shop window. His girlfriend does not go into the store and reward the business that has so spontaneously revealed the answer to that festive dilemma of ‘what to buy the man who has everything?’ Instead, she goes online

and buys it through Paypal, in all likelihood from a cheaper internet retailer. Nice one.

Of course, the message is horrible. But I also wish the adverts were a little more realistic.

Take the first Paypal advert, in which the parents are easily able to buy all of the items on their children’s wish list without a hiccup.

I might have identified with the advert if they’d browsed the websites of every toy shop in the country in an unsuccessful hunt for the Jurassic World Lego Raptor Escape set, and subsequently launched into a foul-mouth tirade upon discovering that some evil, opportunistic gits are flogging them at 50% above retail price on eBay. That’s my modern Christmas, readers.

I am fortunate in that my children are modest with their festive wish lists.

When they were growing up, I would spoon-feed them films such as 1985’s Santa Claus: The Movie, in which the ‘good’ children received but a single gift. I wanted them to think that was normal! Also, they needed to know never to climb into a sleigh being steered by John Lithgow.

Many of you won’t have seen the film and will be thinking that it’s a strange reference. But honestly, this close to deadline, it’s all I have.

I thought about this film a few days ago, when I heard a boy detailing his extensive and expensive Christmas wish list.

I wondered how Santa might deal with such demands? He’d want to do everything he could to please the child, but on the other hand, if this were a Hollywood film, this boy would be ‘the spoilt one’ who ultimately missed out on what makes Christmas truly magical.

He’d be like Paypal.

BEN MORRIS

AAH ALL ABOUT HORSHAM MAGAZINE

DECEMBER 2015

Our cover features Willie Austen, perhaps the best-known performer on the local music circuit for generations.

Although Papa Falloon might have something to say about that!

The shot was taken at Willie’s home in Petworth. We had informed Willie that Toby would be turning up for a couple of pictures, but he clearly didn’t feel the need to dress up formally for the occasion.

Toby would normally have a scout around a property for the ideal shot, but made his mind up when we were knocking on the front door. He spotted a rustic wooden trunk for Willie to sit on and a pair of muddy boots that suited the musician’s style. When it transpired that even Willie’s Ovation guitar was also well-weathered, it proved to be the perfect spot.

Willie’s jumper had a few too many holes in it, so Toby did ask him to change into a jacket that better suited the rural backdrop!

The best shot we took of Willie bare-footed with the trunk and boots in shot - didn’t frame so well when it came to inserting the AAH logo. So instead we have used a second, closer shot of Willie on the cover.

We also considered a picture of Les Nicholson at The Artisan Bakehouse and a festive shot of two HAODS actors for the cover, but Willie’s popularity probably swayed it.

ALTERNATIVES AAH ALL ABOUT HORSHAM MAGAZINE

AAH

DECEMBER 2015

DECEMBER 2015

ALL ABOUT HORSHAM MAGAZINE

6 One to Watch Horsham student Charlie Maclean’s coded game is heading into space

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Business We meet the city high-fliers who gave up big salaries to form The Artisan Bakehouse

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Theatre HAODS’s future is up in the air, but the group continues to perform sell-out shows

News Round Up Christmas tree lights up the Carfax and district adopts development plan

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Meal Review The Six Bells in Billingshurst may be haunted, but is there life in the menu?

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Food and Drink We visit Jengers Craft Bakery in Billingshurst, one of the few local bakeries remaining

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CONTENTS DECEMBER 2015

My Life So Far Willie Austen talks about his years as a prolific live music performer

Group Discussion Horsham’s Synchronised Swimming Club is welcoming boys for the first time

History Part Two of our feature on Horsham’s water and sewage works

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Community Can Horsham Blueprint convince people to participate in shaping the town’s future?

Online Read our feature on Knepp Caslte on the Special Features page at aahorsham.co.uk

ALL ABOUT ALL ABOUT HORSHAM EDITOR: BEN MORRIS editor@aahorsham.co.uk 01403 878026 / 01903 892899

LETTERS: The Editor, AAH Magazine, 2 Viney Close, Ashington, RH20 3PT ADVERTISING: KELLY MORRIS advertising@aahorsham.co.uk 01403 878026 / 01903 892899

PHOTOGRAPHY: TOBY PHILLIPS tobyphillipsphotography.co.uk info@tobyphillipsphotography.co.uk 07968 795625

ADVERTISING Advertisers report a great response from AAH due to our great editorial features and wide door-to-door distribution.

Eighth Page Advert: £55 + VAT Quarter Page Advert: £110 + VAT Half Page Advert: £185 + VAT Full Page Advert: £300 + VAT WE OFFER A BUY FIVE, GET SIXTH ADVERT FREE PROMOTION If you’d like to discuss advertising email us on: advertising@aahorsham.co.uk or call 01403 878026 WEBSITE: wwwaahorsham.co.uk We publish AAH in full on our website every month, several days before the magazine is

distributed. You can read archive editions too

ARCHIVE EDITIONS/PHOTO SALES Past editions of AAH can be purchased for a cost of £3. This includes the cost of postage.

Contact the Editor for details.

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

THANKS: DECEMBER 2015 EDITION Jeremy Knight at Horsham Museum/HDC for providing text and images for the historic article on Horsham Water (P51) Newbridge Nurseries for letting Toby mess around with the netting machine (P5) Denise Morter for finding old images of Willie Austen (P17) Adrian Mellor for helping to arrange feature on Flamingos Synchronised Swimming (P34) DOOR TO DOOR DISTRIBUTION

AAH is delivered directly to 16,000 homes by our Delivery team Horsham: The Paterson family, Andrew Price, Trish Fuller, Sophie Guile, Zoe Bishop, Matt Bland, Oliver Whorwood, Lewis Spiller, The Cocoracchio family, Jemima Delgado-Holland, Toby Phillips, George Voisey, Lauren Maddock, Dominic Baxter, Connor Heald, Paula Hunter, Jack Stone, Katie Drysdale, George Williams Luke Moran and James Bunch.

Billingshurst: Anna Laker, Matt Jillians Southwater: Tom Bourne, Zoe Bacon, Eddie Robinson and Lewis Geal Villages: Ben Ordever (Mannings Heath)

Adam Browse (Warnham) Joe West (Ashington), Ben Morris (Rookwood, Dial Post, Steyning), Dave Tidey (West Grinstead), Ben’s Grandma (Wisborough Green), Mike Hoare (Nuthurst), George Brown (Partridge Green), Oak Tree Farm Care (Maplehurst & Copsale); Mark Simkin (Washington), Liam Palmer (Broadbridge Heath) James Hobbs (Thakeham) and Callum Matthews (Storrington) Mike Miller (Steyning)

PICK UP POINTS 4,000 more copies are available at hundreds of businesses, clubs, organisations, and community centres across the district.

Our spring-loaded stands can be found at...

Horsham: Sakakini (Carfax), Artisan Patisserie (Market Square), Pavilions in the Park, Horsham Museum, Horsham Rail Station, Roffey Post Office, New House Farm, Swan Walk, Village Stands: CoCo’s salon (Southwater); Billingshurst Leisure Centre, Barns Green Village Store and Sumners Ponds, Sew Something in Storrington High Street, Hutching’s Butchers in Partridge Green, Broadbridge Heath Leisure Centre, Bluecoat Sports Centre (Christ’s Hospital), Chanctonbury Leisure Centre (Steyning) Village Larder (Washington) and many more.

NOTES: THANK YOU to Sophie Guile (Horsham) and Eddie Robinson (Southwater) who have both been long-serving members of the AAH delivery team but must now focus on further education!

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5 Residents campaigning against a second runway at Gatwick Airport released a film at The Red Lyon, Slinfold, on 1 November. The film, ‘What does a new runway at Gatwick mean to you?’ highlights the fears of local people concerning expansion.

“We are delighted by the turnout,” said Sally Pavey, chair of CAGNE. “It shows the anger residents currently feel towards Gatwick and the increase in flights and noise. Residents are constantly bombarded by aircraft, and this is now when Gatwick is at its quietest. So there’s no way a second runway with aircraft traffic of 560,000 planes a year would be tolerated.”

The Airports Commission has recommended that expansion should take place at Heathrow, but Gatwick’s chief executive, Stuart Wingate, has called for renewed consideration of the airport.

The campaigners’ film can be seen at https://vimeo.com/144304640

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The Wey and Arun Canal will be hosting popular Santa Special boat trips from Loxwood on 6, 13, 20, 21, 22 and 23 December. Children can meet Santa and receive an early present, whilst festive refreshments are served on board. The canal boats set sail at 11am, 12pm and 2pm. The cost is £9 per person. For further details or to book call the Trust Office on 01403 752403 or visit www.weyandarun.co.uk

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Dark Star Brewing Co, based in Partridge Green, will be opening its first venue in Horsham before Christmas. The awardwinning brewery has taken on 16 East Street, following the closure of 1898 coffee

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Harry Jones, 1939, Horsham’s first and youngest known military casualty of WWII

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shop. James Cuthbertson, director at Dark Star, said: “Having previously traded as The Anchor Tap, we will be reverting to that name and bringing back some of the tradition that comes with the site. We want to create a venue that provides locals with a great place to have a drink and a bite to eat that is independent and uses local producers.” www.darkstarbrewing.co.uk Flitecrew Trampoline Club, which runs classes at K2 Leisure Centre and Millais School, enjoyed success at the South Shields National League Competition in Newcastle. In their respective levels and age groups, Jordan Kennedy, Verity Bashford and Philippe Newton-Young claimed gold, with Corinna Towler and Holly Denman taking bronze. Erin Macdonald placed eighth, her strongest performance this season. All six have qualified to compete at the National League Finals, where they will be joined by fellow qualifiers from the club Emily Roche, Ellie Clark, Ethan Taylor, Amber Hawkins and Morgan Purnell. www.flitecrewtrampolineclub.co.uk

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Local author Nikki Bridgman has selfpublished a children’s book, A Cat Called Ponky. The 36-page book follows the adventures of Ponky, a white cat who lives in a ski resort. Ponky hates the snow as nobody notices him, but all that changes when the snow melts. Nikki was inspired to write the book after meeting the real Ponky whilst working at a resort in Switzerland. The book, aimed at 6 to 8-year-olds, is available through Createspace.

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Thanks to the work of local historian Gary Cooper, Horsham is marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War Two event with the publication of a monumental book, Horsham’s Heroes of World War II. Also thanks to Gary’s research, 43 names were added to the town’s War Memorial on Armistice Day (11 November.) The book is like his much sought after Horsham’s Heroes of the Great War, a true monument to the servicemen and women of Horsham who died during 19391945. Not only does the book include the known photographs of those who died, but also short biographical accounts. The £35 hardback book will have a limited print run of 300 copies.

The book can be pre-ordered from Horsham Museum & Art Gallery and is out on 11 December. Gary Cooper will be signing copies at the Museum on Saturday 12 December.

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Bodywise Gym and Studios in Warnham has taken on the first Calisthenics bars in Horsham.

Calisthenics is a form of exercise using rhythmical movements and body weight body to build muscle, strength, fitness and flexibility.

Formerly known as The Warnham Studios, new owner Mitzi Sanderson has transformed the dance studio and gym by introducing new classes including, jazz, ballet, tap, pole dancing, Tae Kwon-Do, circuits, boot camp and post and pre-antenatal classes. You’ll also find Studio28 hair and beauty salon, Café MiMojo offering healthy juices and snacks, and Total Body Tech for sports massages and therapy. www.thebodywisegym.co.uk

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NEWS ROUND-UP 10

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9 Poet Philippa Crundwell, featured in November’s AAH, will be reading some of her poems at a Christmas coffee morning at Horsham Library on Saturday 19 December at 10.30am. There will be refreshments and mince pies for everyone who comes into the library until 12pm. She’ll also be at The Mint House Shop in Hurstpierpoint on Saturday 12 December at 11am. Philippa’s first works, Seventy Beats, has been entered for The People's Book Prize competition and you can vote at www.peoplesbookprize.com

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Crawley Millennium Concert Band’s annual Christmas Concert will be held at Brighton Road Baptist Church, Horsham, on Saturday 12 December at 7.30pm. Featuring Christmas favourites and other pieces from the band’s extensive repertoire, the concert will include Christmas readings and choir items. Entry is free with a retiring collection for The Springboard Project.

Santa hats are a must! www.cmcband.co.uk

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Images of Horsham appear in an exhibition by artist Andrew Roberts at Horsham District Council’s Horsham Museum & Art Gallery. Andrew painted three scenes of West Street as part of the street’s relaunch in 2013, and has exhibited at Mall Galleries London, for Chelsea Arts Society, and most recently showing at the Royal College of Art NOA winter exhibition. The exhibition, In All its Glory! will include oils of Horsham, as well as French scenes and seascapes. It opens on 5 December and runs until 9 January 2016.

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12 Over 350 runners put on their Santa suits and hats to take part in the St Catherine's Hospice Santa Run around Horsham Park on 15 November. The fundraisers completed a 2km route twice around the park before being rewarded with a medal and mince pie. Amongst the runners was Paul Morley, who raised £300. All money raised will help St Catherine's to continue to provide support for patients facing a terminal diagnosis, and their family and friends. Last year, St Catherine's received 465 referrals from Horsham residents. www.stch.org.uk

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Horsham Piazza Italia, the biggest free Easter event in the South East, will be held over the Easter Weekend of 25 – 28 March. The event is a celebration of all things Italian, with the Piazza in Italia market, as well as hundreds of Ferraris, Lamborghinis and other supercars, Italian motorbikes and iconic Minis. Piazza Italia X is organised by Horsham District Council in partnership with local businesses and organisations. www.horshampiazzaitalia.co.uk

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Victoria Strelucinaite has again excelled at the annual Miss Galaxy Universe competition, held in Crawley in November. The fitness instructor, based at Cisswood House in Lower Beeding, finished second in the Fiitness category at K2, which involved a bleep test, a three minute challenge (consisting of press ups, sit ups and squat thrusts), 200m sprint, box jumps and car pulling.

For the competition’s second day, entrants headed to The Hawth for a bikini show and

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dress parade. Victoria was again awarded second place in the Beach Body category. She will next compete in the Miss Galaxy Universe British Championships in 2016 and the UK's premier fitness model search, Fit Factor. www.my-pro-fitness.co.uk At an Extraordinary Council meeting on 19 November, Horsham district councillors voted to adopt the Local Plan (the Horsham District Planning Framework). The Local Plan is a strategic document which sets out how the district will develop over time. It is a crucial plan, covering the Horsham district and, along with the neighbourhood plans which are being produced by many parish councils, sets out the amount, type and location of all major developments, including housing, employment and infrastructure, between now and 2031. The Government’s National Planning Policy Framework states that every local planning authority in England should have a clear, up to date Plan and all future planning decisions will now be taken in accordance with it. Councillor Claire Vickers, Cabinet Member for Planning and Development, said: “I do realise that there are aspects of this Plan that some people do not like, but we are obliged to have a Plan that conforms to the Government’s rules and has been approved by a Government Inspector. The huge benefit is that it now gives us certainty as regards shaping the future of our district in terms of new homes, jobs and infrastructure, within a sound strategic framework. Above all, it gives us the assurance that we can now resist unwanted applications from developers.”

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Picture courtesy of Lovell. M

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Submit your News and Events to Ben at editor@aahorsham.co.uk We also add listings to the Events guide at www.aahorsham.co.uk

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18 The Locrian Ensemble, one of Britain’s most popular touring groups, perform Carols by Candlelight at The Capitol on Thursday 17 December at 7.30pm. They have a host of television and film credits to their name and have recently topped the classical charts with their playing for Debbie Wiseman’s BBC TV score of Wolf Hall. In lavish period costume, the ensemble are joined by Jill Washington, West End star soprano of Phantom of the Opera, with songs ranging from Handel’s Messiah to White Christmas. Tickets cost £19 from www.thecapitolhorsham.com or 01403 750220.

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A time capsule was sealed at Christ’s Hospital School on 5 November by the Lord Mayor of the City of London, Alderman Alan Yarrow, and the Lady Mayoress, Gilly Yarrow. Items have been selected from 2015, 1965, 1915, 1865 and 1815 with a focus on heroic Old Blues (former pupils). There is a letter from John Septimus Roe describing the challenges he faced on the High Seas in 1815, items reflecting Edmund Blunden's war service in 1915 and present day news items about Joshua Leakey's VC and Joe Launchbury's participation in the Rugby World Cup. The time capsule will be unearthed in 2065.

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The Brigitte Trust has been awarded The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service – the MBE for voluntary groups.

Sir Adrian White CBE DL presented the crystal award and certificate, signed by HM The Queen, to two volunteers who have been with the charity since it was founded. For details and volunteering opportunities, call 01306 881816 or visit www.brigittetrust.org

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Farlington is the only school in Sussex to have a finalist selected to exhibit at the Royal Society of British Artists’ (RBA) annual exhibition in London next year.

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NEWS ROUND-UP Eleanor Bell, 18, who completed her Art and Design A’ Level in the summer, is through to the final stage of the competition. Eleanor, from Wisborough Green, will have the title ‘RBA Scholar’ next to her work Seated Angel (pictured) at the show and will be invited to attend a private viewing at the Mall Galleries in March 2016, in advance of the main exhibition which will run from 17 March to 2 April 2016. www.farlingtonschool.net

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The Barns Green Players’ festive pantomime is (Not Quite) The Three Musketeers. There will be six shows performed over two weekends at Barns Green Village Hall on Friday 15, Saturday 16, Friday 22 and Saturday 23 January. Neale Francis, director, said: “I am thrilled with the script and we also have some new tricks and special effects to make this year’s show our best ever.”

For the evening shows there is a licensed bar also serving soft drinks and sweets. Afternoon performances begin at 2pm and evening performances at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £11 for adults (£8 children) from 01403 731566 or www.barnsgreenplayers.co.uk

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The Three Crowns in Wisborough Green hosts a Christmas gift boutique on Wednesday 9 December from 11am to 7pm. There will be beautiful gifts from local craftspeople at the boutique, held in tipis provided by Beautiful World Tents. The event is

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held in aid of the Sussex Snowdrop Trust. For more information and lunch bookings contact debbie@thethreecrownsinn.com or call 01403 700239 The Horsham Branch of Bloodwise (formerly Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research) present The Lea Graham Singers for a Christmas Carol Concert at Warnham Park on Saturday 12 December, 7.30pm. Tickets cost £15 to include mince pies and a glass of wine, from Marion How on 01403 733619, as well as Waterstone’s in Horsham and Horsham Museum.

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14 of Mark Reeves’ piano and electronic keyboard students performed on stage at The Barn, Causeway, on 9 November to raise money for BBC Children in Need.

The finale involved all the students performing a Jamaican folk song that Mark arranged. Mark Reeves has been teaching in the area for 10 years and since 2007, Mark and his students have raised over £5,600 for BBC Children in Need.

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The Lodge Hill Charity Golf day was held at Mannings Heath Golf Club on their Championship 72-par Waterfall course. The objective was to raise funds for equipment for the new ‘Snow Tubing’ soon to be installed at Lodge Hill, near Pulborough.

Over £1,000 was raised due to the generosity of the golfers, donors and Mannings Heath

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Read our July 2015 interview with Matt Charman on the ‘My Story So Far’ page of our website, www.aahorsham.co.uk

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Exclusive Golf. The 2016 Lodge Hill Golf Day will be at Littlehampton Golf Club. on October 28. For details email colleen@lodgehill.org.uk One of Capability Brown’s lost gardens will be taking centre stage as Horsham Museum holds an exhibition celebrating the birth of one of this country’s ‘greats’.

The original signed map of the garden has been on show in the museum for many years, but experts in the field refer to the garden, designed by Brown at Hills Place on Guildford Road, as “lost”. A group of botanical artists from the Horsham area, taught by Leigh Ann Gail, will also be exhibiting watercolours inspired by Brown’s landscape. The exhibition, supported by Toovey’s, will open on 9 January 2016.

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Your Local Mobility & Furniture Centre Free Customer Parking at our Southwater Centre t our Care Equipment Centre in Southwater, you can see and test an extensive range of mobility scooters, rollaters, recliner chairs, electric beds and home care products.

It’s a chance to discover exactly what is available in the marketplace today, and learn useful information and product guidance from our personable, fully-trained sales consultants.

Paul Andrews, Showroom Manager at NHG, said: “It’s the perfect place to come to as there is no problem with parking and you can browse and try out products, including our special offers on dual motor recliner chairs.

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Matt Charman, scriptwriter of the critcially-acclaimed Steven Spielberg film Bridge of Spies, answered questions from the audience at a special screening of the film at The Capitol on 28 November.

The event, organised by Horsham Museum, raised nearly £1,000 to help preserve the museum’s outstanding poster collection. Toovey’s supported the evening by supplying champagne, and AAH editor Ben Morris was the compère. Following on from working with Tom Hanks, Matt’s next film centres on the hunt for the Boston Marathon bombers and stars Mark Wahlberg.

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Where to Find Us...

From the Hop Oast roundabout, follow Worthing Road to Southwater. Take the first left on to Blakes Farm Road, then right on to Wilberforce Way at the next roundabout. We are located at Charwood House, at the end of the straight on the right hand side.

01403 825875

Sussex Cricket has confirmed that Horsham Festival of Cricket will not go ahead in 2016, as it is ‘financially unviable without third party support.’ A club statement said that the ‘festival has received limited support from the local business community in recent years’ and coupled with ‘a downturn in corporate hospitality’ had made staging the County Championship match and a Royal London One-Day Cup match unfeasible.

Zac Toumazi, Chief Executive of Sussex Cricket, said: “ Sussex is not closing the door on a return to Horsham.” www.sussexcricket.co.uk

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info@nh-group.co.uk

www.nh-group.co.uk Charwood House, Oakhurst Business Park, Southwater, West Sussex, RH13 9RT

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If you’d like to advertise in AAH, email Ben at editor@aahorsham.co.uk Our advertising rates are listed on the Contents Page (Page 6)

Local businesses have funded a Christmas tree to bring some festive cheer to the Carfax.

The switch-on was held on Monday 30 November, with representatives from sponsors including AToM, Spofforth’s, Brock Taylor, Rawlinson Butler, Visit Horsham, Posche Store, Mayhew’s and The Co-operative Funeralcare present.

Proud Sponsors of AAH’s ‘My Story So Far’ features

Feels like Work’ MY STORY SO FAR

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‘We have ‘off days’ but performing live never

WILLIE AUSTEN I was born in Gottingen, Germany, in 1950. My father was posted there after the war. He served in the army for 22 years, and walked with a limp from shrapnel in his leg.

I came to England when I was five. I don't have any memories of my time there but I'm told I spoke fluent German. I wish that I'd gone back when I was seven or eight to refresh my language skills!

We moved to be close to mother's family, the Allfreys, who were farmers in Kirdford. My grandfather on my father’s side was a butcher in Billingshurst, known as ‘Titch’ Austen. The Allfreys were a very musical family and played all manner of instruments. My father's family were not musical. The only music my dad liked was brass bands.

At junior school, I learnt the violin. The teacher told

Born: 1950 (Gottingen, Germany) Lives: Petworth Well, he’s a bit of a music legend in these parts...

my mum that I had a talent for it so they bought me a violin and I took some lessons. But then my teacher left the country, so I stopped playing.

Before long, I was standing on a biscuit tin, miming with a tennis racket in front of the mirror, pretending to be Hank Marvin!

The Shadows, and Elvis Presley of course, took over, which I loved. I used to strut around Kirdford in my skin tight jeans and brand-new Chelsea boots singing ‘Just Like Eddie’ (Heinz, 1963).

The first single that I bought was Poetry in Motion by Johnny Tillotson (1960). There was a lot going on as rock 'n' roll had been born and it changed music. I was listening to all of these new sounds, and I really did think I was going to be a rock 'n' roll star. When I was 14, I bought my first guitar and played an instrumental song called Pipeline (The Chantays, 1963) at a school concert. I was very shy and the guitar gave me the chance to be someone different.

My first proper gig was at The Cricketers Arms in Wisborough Green. We were about 15 and walked to the pub with guitars on our backs.

The band was Dave Saunders, whose parents owned The Cricketers, bassist Barry Boxall, and Geoff Cooper on rhythm guitar. We were called Dolomon’s Mind and were really a teenybopper band. A local farmer called Keith Grimwood agreed to be our manager and organised some gigs for us. At the time, I was an apprentice carpenter on about £3 a week, so we used the gig money to buy sound equipment.

I was listening to some of the old crooners, like Matt Monro, and then the likes of Cliff Richard and

We played village halls in places like Loxwood and Alfold. I wrote five or six original songs and the rest

18 ‘At every job I had after school, I said “I won't be here long as I'm going to be a rock 'n' roll star!” of our set was covers of pop songs by the likes of The Beatles, The Equals and the early soul greats. We weren’t very good but we had good harmonies. At every job I had after school, I said “I won't be here long as I'm going to be a rock 'n' roll star!”

I saw things like carpentry as menial jobs and it wasn’t until I was about 20 that I started to realise that wouldn't necessarily be the case.

The band fizzled out, and by then bands like Led Zeppelin had broken through to change music all over again.

I was really into that, so put a band together called Igneous Strata, playing original music. Another band called Peppermint Breeze had split up and the rhythm guitarist, drummer and bass player joined me instead. We were playing heavy rock and thought we were going to be the next Led Zeppelin.

Top: Willie plays at a wine bar in Horsham in the 1970s Bottom: Willie (far right) in Igneous Strata

We played at some big venues. At Slough University, we played to 2,000 people when we supported East of Eden. Just before the gig, our van failed its MOT so we got a lift! We had been due to play first, but we were an hour late, so a group

called Universe played before us. We were pretty nervous but went down really well.

I remember walking offstage with a broken string, feeling a bit breathless, and this guy came running over shouting “the crowd want you back on!” It was fantastic for us to have that kind of reception and that is one of the best gigs I ever played.

We did think we were going to get signed and had a few close calls, but it never went anywhere. We were young and didn't quite know how to put everything together properly. We needed somebody to arrange our music and tell us the best way forward.

Igneous Strata supported some very big bands. We played with Fleetwood Mac at Guildford Civic Hall, but with a band like that all of the fans stay in the bar whilst the support band is playing. In truth, it was a bit of a nothing gig for us. We also supported Genesis before they took off.

That was a good gig. I didn't know much about Genesis before that night, but we couldn't help but be impressed; they were incredible musicians.

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There are bands out there that make other bands want to give up! I was pretty depressed the night we supported Wishbone Ash. They had this incredible three guitar line-up and when I saw them, I thought ‘they are a hundred yards ahead of us!’ Eventually, I realised that I wasn't going to be a rock 'n' roll star and perhaps should take work more seriously. Not that I ever did!

The band petered out, although the dream had been bashed about a bit by the likes of Wishbone Ash and Genesis! There is a difference between good bands and those who make it to the very top, but there are different ways of getting there. Some people are great salesmen, who might not be brilliant musicians but they can convince somebody else that they are.

Others, like Led Zeppelin, get there on natural talent alone.

I was thinking about packing in music, but some people said that I should just play as a solo act down the pub, playing covers, which I hadn’t done since my teenybopper days. The first time I performed alone as at The Frog Pond in Worthing. It is very different not having a band behind you!

I played in a function band with Nick McGurk, who ran a recording studio called Sonoptics Productions in Billingshurst. A revered session guitarist called Big Jim Sullivan played all of the library music and Nick kept telling him to watch one of my gigs. One night, I was playing at The Rising Sun in Nutbourne, and Big Jim was there.

He asked to play a few songs and we just clicked straight away. He had enjoyed the good times playing in Tom Jones’ band in Las Vegas and performing with James Last but I think he’d become a bit disillusioned.

Playing that night took him back to his youth, singing songs by the likes of Marty Wilde and the Wilde Cats.

That led to us playing prolifically on the pub circuit together for about ten years.

We filled up the biggest pubs in Sussex, really because people wanted to see Jim. Through Big Jim, I met (Led Zeppelin guitarist) Jimmy Page. In his early musical career, Big Jim was a massive session guitarist and knew Jimmy well. We were playing at a biker’s pub when Jim said “Willie, I want you to meet an old mate of mine.” It was Jimmy Page, and he played with us. He actually didn't look well, but when Jimmy started playing you could hear a pin drop! He must have enjoyed himself because he wanted to carry on even after the landlord brought the show to an end.

It’s a little bit self-congratulating when you start namedropping, but I was able to meet Paul McCartney too. He owned the publishing rights to Buddy Holly's songs and was putting together a promotional album of Buddy Holly

19

Willie performs with guitarist Paul Stenton

MY STORY SO FAR

If you have a good story for our ‘My Story So Far’ feature, please email Ben at editor@aahorsham.co.uk

20

‘Big Jim Sullivan was a special musician.

We had a lot of happy years of playing’ songs. I was in the band, again thanks to Jim, who was there too, with the likes of Leo Sayer and Chrissie Hynde singing. Gary Glitter was there, so it was a while ago! I remember Jim played a lovely solo on True Love Ways and everybody stood up and applauded.

Jim and I had a lot of happy years during the 1990s.

Jim and I did have a fall out. He was back into playing again and wanted to be the ‘guitarist’s guitarist.’ I don't mean that in an unkind way. He was a special musician (Jim Sullivan passed away in 2012) and doing the pub circuit with me was perhaps not all he wanted to achieve. He started playing jazz with the likes of Herbie Flowers, Derek Austin and Malcolm Mortimer, and decided that was the road he wanted to take.

Willie often performs without his shoes on and (below) Igneous Strata have recently started to revisit some of their original songs from the 1970s.

For several months, I was looking around for someone with a similar style.

Some guitarists were very good in a certain style, like blues or rock, but I cover a bit of everything. That is why I am known as Jukebox Willie. I was playing at The Rose in June in Hayling Island when the landlord told me about Paul Stenton, who was only 18 or 19. I said “he won't want to do what I do. He wasn’t born when this music was around!” But he turned up for a gig wearing purple nail varnish, with long hair in a ponytail. He started playing and I knew immediately that, musically speaking, he could cover anything. It is not just about playing though - it is h aving the right attitude – and Paul has that.

Big Jim came to watch me some years later. He said: “You don't need me anymore.

I used to be able to play like how that young guy plays!” That was very generous of him to say.

I find that there will be a particular crowd that will come to a lot of gigs, and then gradually that will fizzle out and a new crowd will replace them. One of the downsides of drink-driving laws though is that pubs don’t take as much money from gig nights. They can be full, but people will be sat there with a pint that lasts them all night. It is great to have support, but I wish people would support the pubs a little more.

I head out to France every year, playing six or seven gigs, and that’s always great fun. My wife Denise and I also go to The Maldives and I always take my guitar.

One year, I took it to practice a song for a friend’s wedding. When I stepped off the seaplane, the manageress of the resort saw the guitar and asked me to perform in the bar that night. I’ve been playing in The Maldives ever since! I'm not sure if everybody on the island wants me to, but on the whole people seem up for a bit of fun.

One night in The Maldives, a couple approached me and asked if I would visit them in Uganda to perform. I thought, ‘Well, I won't hear from them again.’ But soon after, they paid for my flights and accommodation to play at a corporate event in Africa!

I was in France many years ago, playing in a bar with an Echo Jumbo acoustic guitar, when a long-haired, moustached Argentinian called Jimmy approached me and said ‘I have a guitar that you should play.’ He opened his guitar case and pulled out an Ovation acoustic. I plugged it in and was amazed by the sound. We became very good friends and he came to watch me playing at a wine bar in The Bishopric. I pointed to his guitar and announced ‘I want one of these for my

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MY STORY SO FAR birthday!’ My then wife, Claire, managed to find a guitar like it for me. I've had it ever since and as it was a gift from friends it became my favourite. Other guitars have come along, and some have probably been better, but this is my beast!

I am now married to Denise. She was a fan initially and is now my manager. I still love playing at pubs. People always ask ‘Don't you get bored, playing the same songs every night?’ But we don’t. Every night is different as we have a massive repertoire. Of course you get nights where it seems a bit of a struggle, but it never feels like work to me.

I don't play lead guitar anymore. When I met gifted musicians, like Big Jim and Paul, I realised that it wouldn't matter how hard I tried, I would never be up to play like them. So I play rhythm guitar.

My day job is fencing. I worked for a firm called Juniper Fencing when I was young. I was useless back then as I still thought I was going to be famous, so I didn't take it seriously. But I did learn the basics and later started my own firm, Austen Fencing, in my mid-20s. My son James works with me. It is pretty full-on as I finish work, have a nap, and get ready to play in the evening. I don't go to bed much before 2am most nights.

I have three children who play music. My daughter Charlotte is a fine singer in a band called Lux Lisbon. James likes to play guitar and has performed with me at quite a few gigs. Ollie is very talented young man who plays the drums and guitar. He is a technician for a very successful band called Sigma and has been called on to play on several of their tracks.

I am still writing songs, although I do think that your best writing comes in those early, naive years. I have also recently met with old band mates to re-record some of Igneous Strata’s old songs, just for personal satisfaction. I was quite surprised how good they were!

How long will I keep playing for? I don’t know, but I want to go out the same way as Tommy Cooper did; on stage.

Willie’s gig guide is posted on his website at www.willieausten.com You can view videos of Willie and Paul Stenton on Youtube For further viewing, there’s some great archive footage of Big Jim Sullivan, including a live performance of Guitar Man with Tom Jones and Jerry Reed (who you might know as The Snowman in Smokey and the Bandit!)

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Charlie Maclean. He’s probably too young to understand the Bowie reference in the headline, which doesn’t really make sense anyway.

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Collyer’s Student Charlie Maclean’s Coded Game is Heading for ISS So who’s this then?

This is Charlie Maclean, a Collyer’s student who recently won the ‘coding excellence’ category of the ‘Astro Pi’ competition.

I have no idea what that means.

We’ll forget the ‘coding’ and ‘Astro’ parts for a minute then, and focus on the ‘Pi’. The Raspberry Pi is a small computer -the size of a credit card and they were developed to promote the teaching of basic computer science in schools all over the world.

There’s no actual screen on them?

Not one that you can watch BBC iPlayer on, although there is a display pad that utilises lights.

Neither is the Raspberry Pi much use for writing letters on Microsoft Word, making spreadsheets on Excel or creating Powerpoint presentations. They are, however, an affordable piece of hardware on which to learn computer code basics. Charlie said: “The Pi was designed for students to get into programming and has been really

successful because it is a great computer for hobby projects.”

So what is computer coding?

Codes are the building blocks for every website, app and computer game that you browse or play. A ‘code’ is essentially a list of commands and instructions which allow everything you see on the screen to operate in a certain way.

Okay, let’s pretend I know you what you mean. What’s the ‘Astro’ part then?

That’s the most interesting bit. This December, British astronaut Tim Peake is heading to the International Space Station for Mission Principia.

There will be two Raspberry Pi computers on board the ISS, with a variety of different codes created by school pupils and college students.

There was a national competition held to inspire the country’s best young computer coders and all of the winners, including Charlie, will have their codes tested in space by Major Peake.

ONE TO WATCH So what did Charlie do to win?

He made a game! Charlie said: “My code is basically a Labyrinth, because astronauts need to have fun too. I created a game where you move a blue ball around a little screen and you play by tilting the Pi. It includes single player and multi- player versions. There was pretty much anything you could do in terms of the Astro Pi competition rules.”

The game sounds like Pong…

Is it vaguely similar to Pong, which was one of the earliest computer games and involved a tennis-style game with a ‘ball’ being kept on screen by two ‘bars’. Charlie said: “The aim is to manoeuvre the blue ball from one side of the screen to the other, avoiding the other lights .

It gets progressively harder. It’s not a fantastic game as the screen is small and you are limited to what you can work with.”

How’s that ‘coding excellence’?’

Firstly, at the time he made the code, Charlie was still at Forest School (he is now at Collyer’s studying Computer Science, Maths and Chemistry) as the Astro Pi competition is aimed at young coders. Secondly, it is far more complicated to create such a game than you would think.

How complicated?

Charlie said: “ You start with a blank screen, write basic commands into a text file, and then ‘run’ them. These commands tell the Rasberry Pi what to do, so you might have a command for when you press a certain button or when you tilt the device to a particular degree. My program was fairly simple, but still required 300 lines and took two weeks to create.

The code has to allow for every eventuality.”

What if you get the code wrong

23

My program was fairly simple, but still required 300 lines and took two weeks to create.’ and it doesn’t work?

It happens all the time, so there’s a lot of trial and error involved. You can always ‘run’ the program to see if it works. Charlie said: “I tried numerous times until it was right.

There was a lot of experimentation involved.”

How did Charlie learn? Do they teach coding in school now?

They do. Charlie took Computer Science as a GCSE option at Forest, gaining an A* of course. Charlie said: “ICT (Information and Communication Technology) is about things like Excel spreadsheets and Word documents, which can be a bit boring because young people all know it. It is too easy. That is why more people are excited about computer science.”

What were the other winning codes in the Astro Pi? Over 1,000 students from around the country engaged with the project and a panel of leading UK space companies, the UK Space Agency, Raspberry Pi and the UK Space Education Office (ESERO-UK) have judged all the entries. Other winners include Oliver Turnball from Westminster School, who designed an experiment that measures the health of plants on ISS, whilst Magdalen College

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Charlie with the chip that controls The Terminator

School, Oxford, turned the Astro Pi into a cosmic ray detector. Charlie was one of six winners in the ‘theme’ competition, winning the coding class. Other ideas include a Space Radiation Detector and an idea for Minecraft data visualisation. Charlie said: “Some of them could do very complicated things, such as detect nuclear activity around the space station, but mine is just a bit of fun.”

Was there a prize for Charlie?

It’s mainly kudos for having his code in space with Tim Peake, the first British citizen to be selected as an astronaut by The European Space Agency (ESA). As a winner, Charlie enjoyed a day at CGI Group in Leatherhead, a leading independent information technology and business process services firm. Pat Norris of CGI said: “We were particularly impressed by the way Charlie structured his code, added explanatory comments, and used best practice in developing the functionality.”

He sounds a right laugh! And Charlie enjoyed himself?

Charlie said: “It was fun as I worked for two hours with a computer programming expert, developing a program which took data from the Curiosity rover on Mars and compared it to data from Earth, which was pretty cool.”

That does sound cool, but isn’t it all a bit sad– a teenager glued to his

computer?

Well, computer coding is essential to many elements of modern life, and somebody has to do it! Besides, Charlie does have many other interests.

He said: “I’m involved in the Robotics club at Collyer’s, as it’s interesting when you program something that can transfer into the real world. I do spend a lot of time on computers as I enjoy coding. To make something that is useful to the world is the ultimate dream for me.”

Schools can get involved with Astro Pi through the Flight Data phase of the project. Education resources are being developed and will be posted online at www.astro-pi.org

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THE DISHES

Goats Cheese Tart The goats cheese and caramelised onion tart was a pleasing starter. Served on a bed of rocket and Parmesan, there was a nice balance to the dish. The pastry was light and well-presented.

£4.75

HISTORIC PUB WITH MODERN

SPIRIT

Review: The Six Bells, Billingshurst

Salmon Fishcakes A perfectly adequate starter, the cakes had an enjoyable, wholesome taste, and as with our other starters came with a fresh salad garnish. The sweet chilli dipping sauce was the same reliable fare you’ll find anywhere, but again it was a good value dish.

£5.45

Peri-Peri Chicken Skewers The skewers, served with a salad garnish and sour cream, was the pick of the starters, which were all selected from the Specials board. The regular menu had failed to excite! The marinated chicken offered a moderately spicy kick, carrying good texture and flavour. Again, it was neatly presented on a woodent slab.

£4.95

Owners: Hall and Woodhouse General Manager: Kirsty Cooper-Johnstone Head Chef: Rory Webster

T

he grade II listed Six Bells has been a feature of the Billingshurst High Street since the 16th century. Indeed, some people still insist on a traditional ‘Ye Olde’ prefix...

There’s some fascinating history relating to this historic coaching inn, most notably the cast iron tombstone behind the beautiful fireplace, that have inspired the occasional supernatural tale!

It is one of life’s great, unexplained mysteries, that buildings from a particular period possess a certain aura; an aura that tempts the spirits of the dead to stick around for a few hundred years.

Nobody knows why, but whilst apparently unable to alter their attire, these spirits are able to drift along corridors and pass through walls, without ever properly engaging with the building’s present day inhabitants.

Ghosts grew tired of such antics around the 17th century. There was something about baroque architecture that they didn’t like.

So you don’t hear about them so much in modern buildings.

However, at The Six Bells, manager Kirsty

Cooper-Johnstone and her sister Vicky, the assistant manager, claim that things have a tendency to go bump in the night. They are not the only people who claim to have seen a spirit, of one form or another, haunting the pub.

Whilst we cannot verify what the sisters can or cannot see out of the corner of their eyes after a long, exhasting day running a busy pub, we cannot question their commitment to the cause at The Six Bells.

Having grown up at The Five Oaks Inn, run by their parents James Johnstone and Barbara Cooper-Johnstone, Kirsty and Vicky are helping to revive the fortunes of the attractive timber-framed public house in the heart of Billingshurst.

Still only 22, Kirsty has been the pub’s manager for about five years.

Vicky first came on board to organise the pub’s increasingly popular fun day, in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support. Now, they hope to attract more diners with a family-friendly menu and affordable prices.

We spoke to Kirsty as we sampled The Six Bells menu...

MEAL REVIEW

29

Honey & Mustard Chicken The chicken was tender and well cooked, although the flavour of the Dijon mustard was barely evident against the pleasant cauliflower and spring onion mash. A perfectly adequate, albeit farily unremarkable, main course.

£8.95

12 YEARS IN THE GOOD BEER GUIDE You’re young for a pub manager…

I have been the manager at The Six Bells since I was 18. I started working in the kitchen when I was about 14 and gradually worked my way up. When I first came here, the tenants were Richard and Bridget Hall.

Now, I manage the pub for Mo Toal and Julie Diggens, who are business partners operating several Hall and Woodhouse pubs. I live here with my family, so I am a landlady of sorts. It certainly feels like my pub to lead!

With the help of your sister…

Mo and Julie were impressed by our charity fun day in July. It is a special event that we’ve hosted for five years and without Vicky organising everything, it wouldn’t happen. I've now taken her on as the assistant manager and we haven't killed each other yet! Vicky is good at marketing and organising events and allows me to focus on running the pub.

It is a beautiful pub, isn’t it?

It is lovely, both inside and out. It speaks to you and you have to listen to what it needs and look after it. The pub has been through ups and downs. About 14 years ago, the pub was extended, with a room built to the rear. The tenants were given an extended licence as they hoped to make The Six Bells a late-night venue and sports bar. In what is now the dining section, there were television screens and a dart

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The 16th Century pub sits off the High Street

30

Chinese Pork Belly The Chinese-style sticky pork belly was nicely presented on a bed of seasoned noodles. There was plenty of rich, sticky pork on boldly flavoured noodles, with a liberal dousing of peppers and spring onion spicing up the dish. We really enjoyed it! £9.95

board. It didn't work, so gradually we moved towards being a food-orientated business. But it is an old building; the original parts date back to the 16th century and it can be pretty creepy at times. You do hear noises!

Award-Winning Sausages by David Bell

What kind of noises?

I'm sure that I have seen a maid walking in Victorian dress, but you never know! The building has a number of surprises. Under the fireplace, there is a tunnel that follows pipelines to the Church. We also have an iron gravestone behind the fireplace, and a huge slab of Horsham stone that we think is the biggest around. We could be here for years and not know all of this pub’s secrets.

But for now the focus is on the food?

Different landlords have not always enjoyed great success with different ideas, but Richard and Bridget did start turning it around several years ago by serving good food and making it a family pub. The fun day helped generate the right atmosphere.

Also find us at New House Farm in Horsham, Budgen’s in Billingshurst, Capel Stores and Sussex Produce in Steyning. You can also enjoy our sausages at cafe’s including The Cafe (Nightingale Rd), The Olive Tree (North Heath Lane) and New House Farm Cafe Made using only British Quality Assured Pork. Available every Saturday at the Local Produce Market in the Carfax and many other quality stockists We are a family run business & pride ourselves on using only the finest ingredients for all our sausages. We are continually creating new varieties to complement the more traditional flavours.

Some of our most popular sausages include: Traditional Pork Cumberland Pork, Sage & Red Onion

At the Horsham Market in the Carfax every Saturday

Pork & Leek Pork & Apple Pork Garlic & Herb

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facebook.com/bangersgalore www.bangersgalore.co.uk 01403 262233

How did the idea for a fun day come up?

I spoke to Bridget about the idea, and four of us, including Vicky and a brilliant lady called Wendy, organised the event. The day went really well, and when it came to taking it forward, Vicky took the lead.

Without her, it wouldn't happen. The fun day has gone on to be a really successful family event. In five years, we've raised about £21,000. We’re now known as being a nice family pub, which Billingshurst

‘We do appeal to families and the elderly as there is something for everybody on the menu or specials board.’

Cod Fillet The cod fillet was really disappointing.

We can forgive the overpowering pesto and olive crust, as it just wasn’t to our taste, but not the dry, tasteless fillet of fish. This one needs a rethink as it was by a distance our least enjoyable dish. £9.55

31

The pub has separate dining and drinking areas

MEAL REVIEW

didn’t have. The Kings Arms is a very sportsorientated pub whilst The Kings Head is perhaps more of an ale drinker’s pub. We do appeal to families and the elderly as there is something for everybody on the menu or specials board.

dishes including a suet pudding. The food side has improved a lot since Mo and Julie came in back in April, and we are seeing customers returning. Christmas Day is nearly fully booked and we have 85 people here on 16 December.

Where do you think your food is pitched?

We are traditional pub grub, and we know that.

What we offer is good value for money. There are a lot of working-class families and older people in Billingshurst, so the menu is traditional and main courses are priced around £10. On the specials board, we can add surprises. A winter menu is being introduced soon with a few local

Who leads the kitchen?

The head chef is Rory Webster, who has been at The Six Bells for two years, and our kitchen manager Miles Steff-Wood joined in June. They work really well together, brainstorming ideas and calling each other ‘chef.’’ They enjoy their work. They have brought the kitchen and the food back up to where we want it to be, so

things are going in the right direction.

Do you source your produce locally?

We buy our produce from the same suppliers used by other pubs that Mo and Julie operate, so our main supplier is Brakes. Some people may turn their nose up at Brakes, and five years ago we probably would not have used them. But Brakes have improved their food and service massively. Our starters are all about £5 and main courses are £10, which you can't do with the finest ingredients. It is a balance, but we do only select the best from Brakes. We do buy our bread from the Jengers Craft Bakery every morning

Manager Kirsty Cooper-Johnstone

The iron tombstone behind the fire

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32

though!

You’ve managed to maintain a drinking area?

We have a dividing area between the pub and restaurant, which is very difficult to do. We do have regular drinkers and we find that a lot of women come here to enjoy a glass of wine after work.

Perhaps they feel more comfortable in a pub run by women. As the food side of the pub picks up, we are looking to make changes. At the moment, some diners need to walk through the pool table room to sit down, which isn’t ideal. We would prefer a smoother transition.

Is Billingshurst collectively starting to attract more people back to the village?

I think that when they pedestrianised the village, it had a detrimental effect on trade. Now people are actually coming back through the village rather than using the bypass. People are also coming out to Billingshurst to eat as there is more variety, with The Six Bells, The Chef (Thai food) and Blue India. A little healthy competition can be a very good thing for the village.

That’s all from Kirsty, so it’s back to us to summarise our experience...

Firstly, The Six Bells is a beautiful pub, and being set back from the roadside, it is a lovely spot for

families, particularly in summer when you can take advantage of the garden.

It has a large dining area and it does need bodies to provide some atmosphere. Sat near us were a family with young children, as well as a small group of elderly friends, suggesting that the pub’s efforts to appeal to all are starting to work.

In all honesty, those of you who seek out the best food pubs and restaurants in the district will not find a great deal to excite them on The Six Bells menu. That’s not a criticism, as the focus here is providing a good meal on a budget.

The Six Bells hits those targets, offering wellpresented and consistent dishes in good time.

Based solely on one poor cod dish, we’d suggest that a review of suppliers for certain produce might help ensure that everything on the menu tastes freshly-prepared.

The service was warm and friendly, although it was clear that Kirsty and Vicky were balancing their food responsibilities with pulling pints at the bar.

There’s nothing wrong with that, but it could result in the more demanding diner feeling isolated.

After some difficult times, The Six Bells feels like a pub on the rise.

With fantastic history, pleasant decor and a traditional menu at low prices, The Six Bells offers good value for money for Billingshurst diners, and the hard-working young team driving it forward deserve support.

Desserts All of the desserts were neatly presented and cost less than £5.

The pecan and almond tart was on the small side and didn’t quite offer the same value for money as the delicious sticky toffee pudding with custard, or the Italian moreish chocolate fondant with cream, which was beautiful despite the lack of an oozing £4.95 central filling!

For more information about The Six Bells, visit the website at www.sixbellsbillingshurst.co.uk To book a table call 01403 782124

REPORT: BEN MORRIS PICTURES: TOBY PHILLIPS

35

Clockwork Precision

Harry Yip is the first boy to join Flamingos

For Horsham’s Synchronised Swimmers

GROUP: Horsham Flamingos VENUE: Pavilions in the Park Francesca Casagrande (Coach), Amie Wright, Esme Allford, Harry Yip, Abbie Mellor, Heather Surley and Sophia McInnes.

Francesca: When I first came to England 18 years ago, I started teaching swimming, and continue to do so. I was surprised that there were no synchronised swimming clubs around Horsham, as I've always thought it to be a beautiful sport. So I established Horsham Flamingos about eight years ago.

We needed to be associated with a swimming club to enter competitions.

Locally, we didn’t have much success, but we were welcomed by the Brighton Dolphins team. Brighton has a master synchro club but no junior competitors. I've also been well supported by The Pavilions in the Park management, who have allowed me to run Flamingos independently.

Sophia: I went to watch synchronised swimming at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, and it looked really good fun. I was always a water baby when I was young, so it was the ideal sport for me. I looked for a club near my home in East Grinstead, and Horsham was the closest, so I have to travel quite a way to train. I don't know why it’s not more popular, as it is great fun!

Heather: My brother was having swimming lessons with Fran and when I was at The Pavilions watching him, she said ‘Why don't you come along to synchronised swimming?’

I'm a keen dancer and I thought it would be fun as it’s basically like dancing in water.

Amie: A good synchronised swimmer needs long legs and elegance, and maybe Fran saw that in me, so she asked me along from lessons too.

Esme: I started synchronised swimming when I was five. I was a good swimmer and always preferred to be under the water than over it! Over the years, I have improved and have won two medals for individual performances, including a gold in 2014.

Francesca: I teach every day so I see a lot of girls at swimming classes. I approach those who I think might be suitable. It is a sport that requires dancing, gymnastics and swimming skills, and it is not easy to find girls that are adept at all three.

Sophia: We train twice a week, on Tuesday and Saturday. We are really just beginners, but we are not bad. At the moment, we are rehearsing an Italian routine, set to music. It includes a few lifts, ballet legs, a walkover and an eggbeater. They are relatively simple moves, but as you progress through Skill levels (Level 0 to Level 5) the moves become more advanced.

Esme: I have passed my Skill Level One, and have twice tried for my Skill Level Two. Both times, I found that the moves I normally struggle on went okay, but I struggled on other moves that I normally get right! One I

You can read more Sports Features on the website at www.aahorsham.co.uk

Esme, Sophia, Fran, Heather, Amie and Abbie

36

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was upset about failing was one of the vertical positions, as I was told my legs were not straight enough. I will be trying again next summer though.

Abbie: I am currently on Skill Level One and to reach Level Two you have to perform new moves including ‘ballet leg’, a travelling ‘eggbeater’ and a ‘fishtail’, in which you have your legs split at a 90° angle with your head underwater. You do have to be quite flexible to do synchronised swimming and you’ll need to be able to do the splits. You also spend a lot of the time underwater.

Amie: We do all count underwater. It’s not so important for us all to count at the same speed, as we have underwater speakers, so you can hear the music even when you’re upside down. We use triggers in the music as our cue to move or surface. I personally can hold my breath for about one minute and a half, and that is something you improve with time. The nose clips really help!

Heather: When we are in the water, we perform our routines to music. It can be anything. It is usually quite poppy but sometimes we perform to classical music.

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Abbie: We are currently preparing for the ASA National Synchro Competition in Gloucester in December. The team is Esme, Sofia, Amie, Heather and me. We do have other strong girls in the club though and several others (including Georgia Garman, Hannah Medley, Lily Foskett and Georgia Stone) were involved

‘We use under water speakers so we can keep our timing when we’re upside down!’

SPORT

37

in our big performance as part of the Brighton Fringe Festival. I think we can do well at the Nationals, but we will have to work hard.

Amie: We are all good friends and we are becoming closer the more we practice. The National competition will be my first competition and I am a bit nervous. Our routine is not the hardest though, as we don't want anything to go wrong. It is quite simple in terms of moves, but we think it looks good.

Francesca: Bringing the team up to the same standard is difficult when girls can individually be at a different level. It is up to the more senior members of the team to adapt.

Esme: It is really important that we all keep in time. Some people can be just a little too fast or slow, and the team has to adapt to that. I would say for a synchronised swimming team, it is harder to perfect the timing than it is to perform the moves. As a team, we are getting better.

The young Flamingo team are hoping for a good showing at the Nationals in Gloucester

Abbie: If there's one person off time in the routine it can bring the score down in a competition, so if one of us can't perfect a move then the whole team can't do it, as it just won't look right.

Sophia: During five team routine, there is a lot of flexibility. You will sometimes see two synchronised duets with a solo part too, so there is still a lot of creativity. My favourite

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38

routine is probably the walkover, so you have one leg going across the water into the splits position, then the trailing leg follows.

Esme: We also have moves like the ‘flamingo’, where you lie with your back on the water, with your knees into your chest, and then you slowly stretch out one leg into the air. Other moves include the ‘helicopter’ in which you do the splits and rotate in the water.

Heather: You do have solo routines in synchronised swimming too. I'm performing a solo to Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer at our club’s Christmas show. I prefer solo routines because it's just you and the music and you don't have to keep time with anybody else.

Harry: One of my friends came across a news story that said that synchronised swimming had been introduced for boys for the first time, and I thought that I would try it. It looked like something I would enjoy.

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Francesca: Harry is one of my greatest achievements! I have fought for male competitors and written letters to the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) because it is illogical not to include boys.

How can you have a duet with two girls? It is not natural. The boys will add so much to the sport because of their strength. It will take a while for attitudes to change but I believe boys will add an entirely different dimension.

Harry: I think it's good for boys, as it is fun as you can splash around and go underwater. I don't mind being the only boy for now, but I would like some more here in the future. The moves may be a little bit harder for us, because a lot of girls do gymnastics. But it suits me fine as I am a gymnast too!

Francesca: If one of my girls reaches Skills Level Two at the Nationals, then I believe that they will be West Sussex champions.

There are very few clubs around, so there are opportunities, especially for boys as the sport is only beginning to open up for them. If they train hard, you never know how far that they can go.

Sophia: It is an Olympic sport, so if you are good at it you have a chance of reaching the National competition, as there are not many teams. I think if I kept on training hard, I could eventually make it to the top. That is my goal!

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REPORT: BEN MORRIS PICTURES: TOBY PHILLIPS

40

Where Baking

Bread is an

ART T

he cultural impact of The Great British Bake Off really cannot be understated.

This little baking programmes’s viewing figures have increased five-fold in just six years, ensured that Baked Alaska will forever be synonymous with ‘bingate’ and has inspired millions of people to take up baking.

Even those of us who have not yet been tempted to roll our own flour, at least now know that focaccia, friselle and bruschetta are not Italian midfielders signed by Middlesbrough FC in the 1990s.

With the nation having fallen back in love with baking and traditional recipes, small businesses have

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sprouted that are helping us develop our knowledge and understanding of good food.

One of those businesses is The Artisan Bakehouse, tucked away in the village of Ashurst near Partridge Green. Here, the public can enjoy a hands-on bread-making experience with husband and wife team, Les and Louise Nicholson.

“Shows like Bake Off have been great for us, because they raise the profile of baking and inspire people, “says Les. “People have even nicknamed me ‘Ashurst’s Paul Hollywood!’

“Most people who come to The

Artisan Bakehouse watch the programme and bake at home because TV shows give them the enthusiasm to try new things.

“Recipes used to be passed down from generation to generation, particularly from mothers to daughters, and I think we went through a long period when that didn’t happen as often.

“Now, that is starting to happen again and people are returning to traditional recipes.

“We see many relatives coming to our courses, including mothers and daughters, and that’s always lovely to see.”

BUSINESS

41

Christmas Tree

Nordman Fir Norway Spruce Cut & Potted Louise Nicholson at The Artisan Bakehouse and (below) a group enjoys the Introduction to baking course

The Nicholsons both worked in city banking, but having grown tired of the rat race, gave up big salaries and company cars for a dramatic lifestyle change.

After training as chefs and working in ski chalets, Les and Louise fell in love with France and decided to move there, running an Aga cookery school in a renovated French farmhouse for eight years.

It was during a holiday to Florida that they made another bold decision. They planned to open a restaurant in Steyning; but it was not to be.

“We came back to England in 2011 and even had a name for our new restaurant, but the deal fell through,” said Louise. “It left us a bit high and dry and we weren’t quite sure what to do.

“Then we saw this property in Ashurst on the market and in many ways it mirrored our cookery school in France.

“There, we were primarily teaching British people how to properly cook

French food on an Aga, and baking bread was a big part of that.

“So we decided to establish a similar business here.

“As was the case in France, we have two holiday cottages here in Ashurst that we are able to rent out, so we split our time between the cottages and running the baking school and tea rooms.

“Les leads the baking as he has so much experience, whilst I operate our tea rooms, which we open for one month only four times a year, although we also use them for our baking course lunches.

“Everyone thinks what we do here is idyllic, but we work harder now than we did in the City! It's a different kind of hard work as you are not relentlessly chasing targets, but we still need to attract customers to pay the bills.”

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‘People like coming here as it's really hands-on and they learn a lot about the bread.’

Les Nicholson at The Artisan Bakehouse

BUSINESS

43

So what makes a bakehouse Artisan?

Is it in the flour? Is it in the moulding of the bread? Is it in the baking process? Is it just a meaningless word written on a shabby chic chalk board to superficially create an illusion of continental grandeur?

Louise says: “Les gets wound up if people use the word ‘Artisan’ when it isn’t really.

“In France, they interpret Artisan to be bakers who hand-craft bread in small batches. That is all we wanted to be here and what we have achieved.

“We use a wood oven similar to the one we had in France alongside our Aga, as it gives the bread a lovely finish and bakes so evenly. Every loaf looks fantastic when it comes out.”

The Artisan Bakehouse runs introductory courses three times a week during baking school seasons, with a maximum of six people per group.

During the day, the group makes and bakes three different breads - French baguette, an Italian carpaccio and an organic Artisan loaf - working with different flour and developing shaping techniques. Everyone is treated to lunch in the tea rooms and can take home their three baked breads.

Les said: “We've had a lot of people on the introduction course that have wanted to

take their baking skills to another level and create different breads.

“They like coming here as it's really hands-on and they learn a lot about the bread. The idea is that they leave here and use their new-found skills at home and bake more often.

“At the moment, demand is so great for the introduction course that it’s difficult to find the time for speciality bread courses.

We also welcome corporate and private groups for pizza making courses, which are great fun.

“However, I definitely want to launch a Mediterranean breads course with varieties of flat breads and introducing different olive flavours too. We would like to bake with more enriched doughs as well, but you have to consider what is feasible with the technicalities of the wood oven as it provides you with limited baking time.

“It would be easier with a conventional oven, but the wood oven provides you with such a brilliant finished product and it is part of the charm here.

“We have talked about expanding, but a lot of our customers say ‘keep it as you are – it is perfect.’ What we have here works, and people are telling their friends to come here, so we don’t need to change at the moment.”

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The Artisan Bakehouse and (right) tea rooms

With people enjoying baking again, and an apparent will to buy local produce, why are we losing bakeries?

“Perhaps we are losing bakeries because it is labour-intensive,” says Les. “There is only so much that buyers will pay for a loaf and that makes it difficult for small producers.

“We've been asked if we can bake bread for restaurants and farm shops, but it just isn't commercially viable for us. I could wake in the early hours, but with my wood oven could produce only perhaps 24 loaves.

“With wholesale rates being what they are, that doesn’t make us an awful lot of money! Other bakeries have a higher capacity than I do, but

similar concerns.”

Despite this, Les believes that the modern consumer cares about where their bread is coming from.

“There has been a lot of bad press about what goes into supermarket breads through industrial scale bread makers, and as a result people are looking for a much cleaner, local product.

“I'm part of the Real Bread Campaign, which campaigns to promote good quality baking, and perhaps the campaign and places like ours are making a difference.”

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The Tea barn will next be open every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 12-5pm, between 23 February - 17 March 2016, You can find out more about the range of Artisan baking courses for adults and children at www.theartisanbakehouse.com or email info@theartisanbakehouse.com You can also follow The Artisan Bakehouse on Facebook or call 01903 810410

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46

Crafty Bakers Can Still Rise To the Occasion Independent bakers may be disappearing from Horsham, but in the district’s villages they can still thrive. We visit Jengers Craft Bakery in Billingshurst to discover their secrets...

H

ave you ever heard of Bimbo Bakeries? No, they don’t think that a ‘baker’s dozen’ is eleven, or that dough is a deer. A female

deer.

Bimbo Bakeries is a genuine company, based in Horsham, with 60 bakeries selling 12 different brands, with annual sales totalling about £75 million.

Despite its staggering success, it’s unlikely you will have heard of Bimbo. It’s based in Horsham, Pennsylvania. We’ve just called on it here to help make the opening paragraphs more interesting, and to highlight the decline of bakeries in our own Horsham district.

In July, Forfar’s bakery in Horsham’s Carfax closed its doors and three months later several other Sussex branches closed as the company went into liquidation.

Personally, I thought they made a lousy sausage roll, but there is still sadness that a familiar name has disappeared after 198 years in the county.

So is this a sad indictment of supermarket domination? Perhaps, but it does not signify the end of the village bakery.

Helen Sheath, coowner of Jengers Craft Bakery, talks us through a typical day at the Billingshurst shop...

We still have The Bakery in Partridge Green, Barnard Bakers in Henfield, The Model Bakery in Steyning, whilst Truffles (whilst being a chain bakery) has branches in Horsham, Storrington, Henfield, Steyning and Billingshurst.

Oh, and there’s Greggs, with its unique interpretation of what coffee should taste like...

One of the very best in the district is Jengers Craft Bakery in Billingshurst, where every Saturday morning you can witness a timeless scene of people queuing for a loaf whilst bread is simultaneously delivered by bicycle around the village.

If could be a Hovis advert, were it not for the most dastardly, opportunist parking enforcement officers on the planet.

old. My first job was at a small bakery and when - I moved to Sussex in 2006, I worked for Kate’s Cakes in Ashington, developing products for the likes of Waitrose and Marks & Spencer.

“I reached a point where I wanted to do something for myself and it was a dream of mine to run my own bakery. We were fortunate that this came up in Billingshurst as there are not many good bakeries left.

“I think supermarkets took a lot of their business away, but I believe people are returning to the high street. Customers want to know where their food comes from and programmes like The Great British Bake Off have helped, as they inspires people to cook and seek out better quality produce.”

Jengers Craft Bakery is run by husband and wife Mark and Helen Sheath. They’ve been at the bakery since March 2014, although a bakery has been on the site for over 45 years.

Mark said: “The previous owners, who were here for 25 years, decided to retire and we had been looking for a bakery business.

“I've been in the industry since I was 16-years-

The arrival of the Sheaths was a relief to many Billingshurst residents, who were concerned that the village would lose its bakery. Not just any bakery, but a craft bakery. So, what exactly is that?

Mark said: “The best way to describe a craft baker is somebody who makes it by hand, with little in the way of mechanical assistance. We are

7PM: Darren Henty, the head baker, arrives and prepares the dough for the slow baked loaves. Our most popular loaves are white, wholemeal and granary.

9PM: Baker’s assistant Slawek Leszczyszyn arrives. He helps mix and shape the dough for buns and loaves, and prepares the baking tins.

10PM: The first loaves come out of the oven and are left to cool down. Some speciality loaves – such as a pumpkin loaf for Halloween, are prepared.

Continued on Page 49

FOOD & DRINK Mark and Helen Sheath with some of the baked treats at Jengers Craft Bakery

47

Darren Henty has been baking for over 20 years

AWARD WINNER Tea/Coffee Shop of the Year Sussex Life Food, Drink and Hospitality Awards 2014

‘People are returning to high streets rather than going to supermarkets’ not an artisan baker, as they tend to produce smaller quantities as each loaf is mixed and shaped entirely by hand. They also create sourdoughs and more specialist loaves.

“What we are is a good, traditional baker. We might introduce sourdough in the future, if there is a demand from the people of Billingshurst and the surrounding area, as we have to consider what will sell.

“We have a white dough, split into different sizes from a small 400g to a large 800g loaf. Then we make a gorgeous 100% wholemeal loaf, a split loaf with 50% wholemeal and 50% white, and a harvester loaf. This is similar to a granary loaf, made with malted wheat.

“We also make speciality breads, including a Sussex Nutty, which is a local blend of oat flakes, linseed, sunflower seeds, wheat and barleys.

Then on a Thursday we bake a

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

Festive Hampers & Turkeys Our festive hampers come ready made - or make your own from our wide range of gifts ad produce. We offer a complimentary hamper wrapping service too! You can pre-order your turkey and meat products until 14th December.

We are open until Christmas Eve for collection.

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

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01293 851890 New House Farm, Old Crawley Road, Horsham, RH12 4RU Open Every Day 10am - 5pm (Open Christmas Eve until 2pm)

Need extra copies? We have stands around the district, including leisure centres in Horsham Park, Billingshurst, Broadbridge Heath and Steyning

48

Baker Colin fetches the loaves from the oven

‘We make all of our own cakes and I do believe that our doughnuts are the best in Sussex!’

Assistant baker Slawek

sunflower loaf, and for Halloween we introduced a pumpkin loaf. We'll soon be introducing a tea loaf soon, so as well as our the small buns, brioche and traditional breads, there is something for everyone.

“We make all of our own cakes and I do believe that our doughnuts are the best in Sussex! The only thing we don’t make here is the puff pastry, simply due to time constraints.”

In addition to the bread, Jengers Craft Bakery makes an array of cakes and treats, including caramel shortbread, gingerbread men, meringue, marshmallow cones, apple turnovers, Bakewell tarts, treacle tarts, mince pies and Viennese whirls.

But of everything on the shelf, it is the white loaf that is the best seller.

Helen says: “Statistics suggest that white bread sales are down, so we are bucking the trend. This suggests people are coming here rather than going to the supermarket for a white loaf.

“We can offer a loaf sliced in different sizes, thick or thin, so customers prefer our product to that of major brands.”

Even if you’re not a visitor to Jengers Craft Bakery, you may well be enjoying its bread more than you think, as they supply pubs including The Selsey Arms in Coolham, The Greets in Warnham, The Wisborough in Wisborough Green, The George and Dragon in Shipley, The Foresters in Kirdford and The Blue Ship in The Haven.

Restaurants including Meat in the Middle and the Camelia Botnar Bistro rely on the bakery, as do farm shops including Union Jack in Cowfold, Sussex Farm Foods in Pulborough, and Weston’s Farm Shop in Itchingfield.

Still, on a Saturday morning, they will be queuing out of the door, which makes the job of Darren Henty all the more satisfying. “I hardly ever get to see the shop team,� he says. “But on Saturday morning I finish at 8am, so I see the start of the rush. “I start at 5pm on Friday evening and work until 8am Saturday, as we bake three times as many loaves for the weekend. “Just as I'm riding off into the sunset, or sunrise, I see people queueing around the corner. “ Darren has spent 28 years as a baker, describing himself as a ‘nocturnal being.’ But he says he wouldn’t change a thing. “You have to travel further to work these days as bakeries are closing, but for me the effort is worth it,� he added. “I get pleasure from every loaf that comes out of the oven. The job satisfaction is the reason I do it, as I’m always looking to make the perfect loaf. It’s just a matter of nurturing the dough in the right way.�

Far from being concerned about closure, the Jengers Craft Bakery is looking to expand.

Mark and Helen recently added Londis in Southwater and a new farm shop at Hillier Garden Centre to their list of clients.

However, they do not want to lose what has made the bakery a success in the village.

Mark said: “We don't want to lose what we have by stretching ourselves. It is a serious business, but we have a bit of fun and chat to the customers as we feel we are an important part of the community in Billingshurst. “I don’t want to create a chain of bakeries as I think you lose that, so we’ll be happy carrying on as we are.�

The doughnuts really are amazing.You can find out by visiting the bakery at 4 Jengers Mead Billingshurst RH14 9PB or call 01403 784088

Mark Sheath at their Billingshurst bakery

FOOD & DRINK

12AM: Pastry baker Simon Ogley arrives in the bakery and starts making doughnuts (described as the best in Sussex) as well as iced buns and Danish pastries.

2AM: Another husband and wife team arrives to load the bread on to crates ready for the morning’s deliveries. Mark arrives to make check the day’s orders.

4:30AM: The first of the three delivery vans departs the bakery for restaurants and farm shops around the Horsham district. Further deliveries are made from 6am.

7AM: The shop staff arrive. Whilst the shop officially opens at 8AM, many arrive early.

Sandwiches and Alan Griffin makes the hot pastries, such as sausage rolls, and the bakers head home.

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www. jengersbakery.co.uk

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49

Glittering Christmas O

ur window display has been attracting more attention than usual this month.

That could be down to our glittering array of festive decorations, which we’re very proud off, but it’s more likely to owe more to the huge diamonds on show.

One of our startlingly beautiful diamonds costs £38,000 and could well be unwrapped by one lucky lady on Christmas morning.

Such jewellery is intriguing to us all, although of course not everyone can afford such luxuries. That is why we always have a range of rings, earrings, necklaces, pendants and other items of jewellery to suit every budget.

People often ask me what makes a good gift for Christmas and I often think that coloured gemstones offer something a little different for the yuletide season.

We have some stunning rings in at the moment, with amethyst for lovers of purple, yellow sapphire and some very pretty blue stones including topaz, aquamarine and sapphire, which can perhaps suit outfits used throughout the year.

But for a bit of festive magic, green and red stones look just fantastic. If you receive a ruby ring or an emerald necklace on Christmas morning, you’re going to wear it rather than hiding it in a safe place. It’ll even match your Christmas jumper!

Coloured Gemstones at Sakakini

Another option is the Eternit y ring.

This is a great option as it suits any occasion. It can be bought for a wedding anniversary, can sit alongside a wedding ring that is perhaps a little dated, or can represents a lifetime commitment through its promise of endless love.

The style and price of Eternity Rings vary, as do settings and stones, although a diamond is normally fundamental. If you need advice on that front, we have all the expertise you’ll ever need!

Finally, just a word of warning to readers – protect your jewellery!

If your jewellery is valuable, make sure it is properly insured and valued, and then keep a proper record of details – including photos of the stones and the hallmark.

That’ll not only make it easier to make any insurance claim in future, but it might just give you a chance of reclaiming the item if it is recovered by the police.

Do pop in to see us at the Carfax and have a look at our range of diamonds and coloured gemstones too.

We wish all readers and our customers a very Merry Christmas!

www.sakgems.co.uk

By Dominic Sakakini

info@sakgems.co.uk

01403 250200

45 Carfax, Horsham, West Sussex RH12 1EQ

HISTORY

51

Wonder of Water The Creation of Horsham’s Water Works

I

n November’s History feature, we looked back at the introduction of water works systems in Horsham and how it developed according to the town’s needs.

The 1930’s would see the council making a huge commitment, with the creation of a new sewage and water works that would provide fresh water for at least three decades.

They were treated as two separate developments, rather than one operation, though they were heavily linked. The use of water closets saw an increased demand for water. As a result, the water supply was under strain, and as a result more sewage was being discharged into rivers and the sea.

IMPROVING THE WATER The first and key development was that of providing a constant supply of fresh clean drinking water.

It had taken two years of investigation and a decade of water shortages to come up with a solution, but the solution was dramatic, extensive and expensive, at a time when austerity was in the air.

Remarkably, the scheme offered potential for Horsham to retain its regional status as it could supply water to its neighbours. The County Times carried news of the scheme in June 1930 as it reported on a public enquiry into the possible new water supply.

The Council wanted to borrow £60,791 in order to provide water “for the town until 1960 at least” as well as the possibility of supplying surrounding villages.

The scheme would consist of two boreholes at White’s Bridge, the necessary plant and mains, and a reservoir with a capacity for 1,600,000 gallons.

Energy for the plant would be supplied by the General Electricity Board with electricity coming from the grid, not Horsham Electrical works.

The demand was great as Horsham had developed substantially during the 1920s.

Thanks to the expansion of the Urban District Council in 1927, the urban area covered 1,843 acres, with a population of 12,410. 500 new homes had been built in seven years since 1924 and 209 of those were built by the Council.

More people in more houses of course put pressure on the water supply, as did the Council’s decision to force flushing toilets on its residents.

In 1894, when Horsham’s population was

‘For years, the council had tried to solve sewage problems on the cheap’

An image of the water works being constructed (Images courtesy of HDC/Horsham Museum)

only 8,500, the average consumption was 16 gallons per head and 50,000,000 gallons were pumped. In 1929, the population was 12,500, the average consumption was 20.8 and 94,500,000 gallons were pumped.

WORKS OUT TO TENDER The water works involved laying approximately 3½ miles of 14 inch diameter spun iron main and 2¼ miles of 12 inch diameter spun iron

main.

The council received eight tenders for the works.

The lowest was Sir William Prescott and Sons Ltd at £20,965, 4s 2d, whilst the most expensive was George Wimpey and Co Ltd. £27,455 18s 6d.

It was whilst the tender documents were being reviewed that the Council also decided that the sewage works were deemed “not fit for purpose.”

For years, the council had tried to solve sewage problems on the cheap. Now, unemployment grants offered a possible solution to fund the works, in the same way they had with the water

For details of exhibitions at Horsham Museum visit the website at www.horshammuseum.org

52 works.

On 28 March 1931, the Council submitted an application for the sewage works, which triggered a Public Inquiry. At the inquiry, held in July that year and reported by The County Times, the Council identified reasons as to why a sewage scheme was needed.

The inquiry heard that the Council owned Broadbridge Farm, Hills Farm and the Sewage pumping station, a total of 244 acres. It was suggested that the whole of Broadbridge Farm and part of Hills Farm be sold, and that tanks and filter systems be introduced, to prepare a scheme for converting the existing works into a modern sewage disposal works.

The sewers would run in a circle around the town to pick up the new houses being built or planned, including 80 new council houses, as well as the cesspools.

In December, the press carried an advert for the tender for the sewage works - a vast undertaking that insisted on unemployed labour. The tender notice was for the construction of 7½ miles of concrete pipes of varying sizes.

So, at the start of the year there was an announcement for water pipes, and at the end of the year came the announcement for sewage pipes. Both schemes were significant employers of unemployed labour and both were unlikely to have happened without grants.

The town’s increasing population and proposals for new homes meant that the council invested

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HISTORY

53

CONSTRUCTION BEGINS In 1932, The County Times carried a fascinating, if slightly breathless, account of the construction of both the water and sewage pipe works.

The water supply scheme started in March 1931 and finished in December 1932, with sewers laid by December 1933.

The newspaper reported: ‘The boreholes go right down into the “Tanbridge Wells Sands,” Mr. Atkinson explains. This is the same strata from which we get our present supply by the well at the Depot in Stanley Street.

But that well is really an overflow from the main basin.

‘Here, we are on the strata and the supply will be inexhaustible, as far as we know.’ The boreholes go down 260ft from White Bridge - just off Sedgwick Lane.

The water is forced through eight high-pressure filters and the pure water is pumped three and half miles away to the reservoir at Beedingwood.

‘The main runs up Sedgwick Lane, across Brighton Road to the lane opposite, down to St Leonard’s Road and, lying exposed, spans the stream and continues up the track on the right.

‘The main goes on through the fields to the right angled bend in Comptons Lane and then, taking a turning at the top of the lane, continues over the fields to Forest Road. Following the road, the main eventually reaches the reservoir in a site on the left hand side. The reservoir, 7ft deep, will be increased with 7ft above ground, built with reinforced concrete and covered with earth.’

in new water and sewage works (Images courtesy of Horsham Museum/HDC)

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The newspaper describes the work building the sewage scheme, describing how ‘a small mining

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54 community is established in the field between the disposal works and Guilford Road.’

‘Down the shafts, Welsh miners struggle to cut out the wet clay to form a tunnel through which the sewer can run. Shafts are sunk 50 feet apart so that miners in each one have to excavate a 25 foot tunnel in order to meet their comrades in the next shaft.

‘The sewer works began last December, and it will keep gangs at four different points busy for two years. About 90 men (half of whom come from distressed areas) are engaged in this scheme.’

WATER FEARS ‘BANISHED’ In April 1933, the Water Committee placed adverts in newspapers stating that the new water scheme would start on 4 May. On 5 May The County Times would lead the news with ‘Horsham’s Water Fears Now Banished.’

The report continued: ‘Fears of a water shortage that have beset Horsham for the last few summers will be finally banished by the new supply system.

‘In addition to certainty and purity of supply, the scheme will result in the pressure of water being doubled. This is caused by the force of gravity, the reservoir being about 300 feet higher than the old pumping station.

‘The increased pressure will be appreciated particularly by residents in the Roffey area, where I understand, many unkindly remarks have been directed against the supply in the past, especially on wash-day.’

‘Fears of a water shortage will be finally banished’ undertaken. The increased pressure from the new reservoir caused a number of bad leaks in mains and services, with 642 taps and cisterns to Housing estates repaired.

With the new water supply on tap, work continued apace with the town’s sewage scheme, which would adopt electrical power.

And so it was that, during a time of austerity, Horsham made a huge commitment to modernise.

The increase in water pressure did cause some problems, with a number of repairs being

Thanks for Jeremy Knight of Horsham District Council’s Horsham Museum for providing text and images for this feature Jeremy’s History of Horsham Volumes are available at the Museum. www.horshammuseum.org

REPORT: BEN MORRIS PICTURES: TOBY PHILLIPS

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Kevin Summers and Martin Bracewell in White Christmas

56

Alicia Marson plays Betty in White Christmas

L

oyal readers may recall that in the very first edition of AAH in May 2011, we featured Horsham Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society’s (HAODS) production of Half a Sixpence.

Since then, HAODS has performed 12 more productions at The Capitol, including Sweeney Todd, The Mikado and Steel Magnolias.

In need of a festive feature, AAH headed to rehearsals for White Christmas, and found the amateur dramatics group still in good health.

Thriving with the energy of new, young members combining with the experience of some old hands, the society is bravely tackling new ground...tap dancing routines!

Anything Goes!

Philip Chadwell, Chairman of HAODS “I've been with HAODS for over 30 years, but this is the first time I’ve been Chairman. At this time, the society is doing extremely well. We received NODA (National Operatic and Dramatic Association) awards for all three of our shows in 2014; Sweeney Todd, The Rivals and Hello, Dolly!

In terms of our membership, it varies, but is steadily over 100 and most of those people come from the Horsham district.

As is always the case with amateur dramatics, we do need more young men. However, we

have many members in the teens and in their twenties. On the other end of the scale, General Waverly is played by Howard Collis, who has been with HAODS for about 40 years.

Not everybody does every show. The audience doesn't want to see the same actors in every show, so we change the type of show that we present and different plays require a different set of talents. The one constant is that we always maintain a high standard.

As an amateur society, our actors are not paid, although the orchestra is. In the past, we have also needed to ‘hire’ in certain actors, particularly leading men. Talented male performers often move between societies because there is a shortage of leading men in amateur theatre.

However, in White Christmas, all of the cast are members of HAODS as we are fortunate to currently have two good leading men in Martin Bracewell and Kevin Summers.”

Can You Feel the Love Tonight?

Martin Bracewell (Playing Phil Davis) “I joined HAODS four years ago. I was a member of an amateur dramatics group up

MUSIC THEATRE authentic US Army uniform from the 1940s.

We could have used an outfit from our own costume collections, but we like to be professional. That is why the audiences keep coming back.

The feedback to our shows is always good. We have had people say “this is almost as good as the West End.” In all honesty, that's not quite right, but we do strive to be as good as we possibly can.”

Empty Chairs at Empty Tables

Chris Hampton as Mike Nulty

Steff Shepherd, Properties Mistress “There are people backstage that don't care much for being in the spotlight! I have been

north, and when I moved down here I didn't know anyone. I made all of my friends up north through the theatre, so I looked online and discovered HAODS. When I saw that its next production was Guys and Dolls, I thought it was perfect for me as it requires a younger cast.

HAODS is a very active society. Next year, we are performing full stage musicals with The Pajama Game and Annie, as well as a full stage comedy with A Midsummer Night's Dream. We also have Young HAODS for 5 to 15-year-old, and we are constantly promoting the society by performing in the town centre or at nursing homes.

We do well to attract younger members.

It’s brilliant to see people in their 80s chatting to teenagers about the show.

Several of the girls are only 14 or 15 yearsold and yet have already been involved with several productions.

Amateur dramatics is a fantastic place for a young person to develop stage craft, and the same can be said for those interested in working backstage.

One of the Crown jewels of HAODS is that everyone works closely. The actors do not separate themselves from the backstage crew - there is togetherness and everyone goes the extra mile.

Take my uniform, for example, which is an

41 57

with HAODS for 21 years and I've only ever been in the cast once, for Chicago. We needed people for the jury, so the backstage team were in costume for a few minutes before we had to ‘strike’ the scene.

I didn't have a single line, but I still hated being out there. I prefer it backstage.

For White Christmas, I have a Props crew of eight. We are responsible for items that decorate a scene, so moving around tables and chairs, and any items the actors need when they go on and off stage.

We have a different crew who prepare the flat packed scenery. There are companies that have sets for each of the major productions, kept in huge storage barns, and they hire them out to dramatics groups across the country.

So we hire the scenery and it normally takes us a full day to build and organise the changeovers, which is a big undertaking. In

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HAODS hires in elaborate sets

Howard Collis shares a scene with Ellie Attfield

58

Merry Christmas

Box Office: 01403 750220 thecapitolhorsham.com

from all at The Capitol

Friday 11 December 2015 - Sunday 3 January 2016 TOMFOOLERY SAVES CHRISTMAS

SANTA IN LOVE

White Christmas, for instance, the train carriage set takes up a huge amount of space backstage.

Any Dream Will Do...

Alicia Marson (Playing Betty Haynes) I play Betty in White Christmas and this is my first lead role, although I was the understudy as Glinda (The Good Witch) in Wizard of Oz earlier this year.

I joined HAODS in 2009 when I was 14, and it feels like I’ve spent those six years building up to this and now my time has come to play the lead.

I love coming to HAODS and it feels like a second family for me. I see my friends here more than I see my actual family, as I'm rehearsing so much!

You do have people of all ages here. The more experienced members are very good at bringing young people through and most importantly giving them a chance on the stage. That is what makes us all so close.

I am interested in a career in the theatre, so this is an ideal introduction as I can learn about stagecraft in an environment that isn’t massively competitive. HAODS does give you a chance to develop in a pleasant environment, and even if acting isn't your cup of tea as a career choice, amateur theatre is still an amazing hobby where people can escape from day-to-day life and have a great time!”

Tap Your Troubles Away Thu 10 - Thu 24 December

Sat 26 - Thu 31 December

For tickets to all the above shows, contact the Box Office on 01403 750220 or visit www.thecapitolhorsham.com

Rachel Farrant (Playing Judy Haynes) “I have had a few lead roles in the past, although none quite as challenging as this, There are a lot of dance moves involved in White Christmas, perhaps a lot more than you would expect from an amateur dramatics production.

59

Alicia Marsons and Rachel Farrant

Jackie Shepherd and Daisy O’ Sullivan

THEATRE

Stephanie O’Connoll has done an incredible job choreographing the routines, because we are not tap dancers, yet she has made us look like dancers, which is an achievement as tap is one of the more complicated dance forms.”

Stephanie said: “It was a challenge, because normally I work with young girls who have grown up dancing, developing their ability gradually.

“With HAODS, I was teaching many beginnerss so we’ve worked them very hard!”

Climb Ev’ry Mountain Martin Bracewell “White Christmas is a real challenge. We’ve recently been through technical singing challenges with Sweeney Todd, but this production requires so much dancing! I have had to pretty much learn how to tap dance!

We have several girls amongst our membership who are good dancers, having learnt outside of the society, and this allows them to show off their skills. But it’s been a big challenge for us as

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a society, because tap dancing is not something we traditionally do.

We always like something in each production that helps move the society onwards. With Sweeney Todd, it was the dark intensity of those challenging songs, and White Christmas is really pushing the dancing envelope.”

The Winner Takes It All Stacey James (Director) “I have directed Pride and Prejudice and Steel

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Below left: Tess Kennedy as Martha Watson

Magnolias for HAODS, having previously gained a Master’s Degree in Theatre Direction. White Christmas though requires a much bigger cast, with 42 people.

HAODS has several different directors. Yvonne Chadwell and Brian Steel have both directed many productions, but I was happy to direct White Christmas as it’s my mum's favourite film.

There was a thought that we should ditch the tap dancing routines, but I said ‘If I'm going to do the show, I want to do it properly.’

For me, one bad dance routine can ruin the entire show, and we like to be semi-professional.

So I went out and found Steph, who is a really fantastic choreographer, to work on the dance routines.

At HAODS, we have everyone from teenagers to 70-year-olds, so there’s a massive range of people with skills in different areas. It’s a matter of bringing them all together and making the best possible show that you can.

“We’ve also done a lot of promotion. We’ve been on the ‘Break a Leg’ slot on Elaine Paige’s Sunday show on BBC Radio 2 as we have to sell a lot of tickets to ensure that HAODS can continue to operate.

As White Christmas is well-known, the show sold really well, and now we have to put on a good show. If the audience enjoys this production, they’ll hopefully come to the next one!”

One Singular Sensation Steff Shepherd “HAODS has been a big part of my life, as I actually met my husband here, and he still leads the lighting design.

I do get a buzz when the show runs smoothly and a scene looks really good.

HAODS also has a very strong costumes department, which has been built up over the years. We have a Costumes Mistress too, with a huge room at HAODS House at Broadbridge Heath rammed full of outfits and props.

For every show we are given a list of things and a budget and it’s down to us to produce the goods. Sometimes we need to hire out certain things. We didn't have the right US Military uniforms for White Christmas, so we went to Harvey’s of Hove, a well-known military uniform stockist.

We have a lot of fun chasing down props. I remember that for My Fair Lady, we went to local auctions and bought encyclopaedia sets.

When it came to decorating Professor Higgins’ study, we laid them all out and it looked great.”

I Am Reviewing The Situation Philip Chadwell “We can only ‘break even’ once we start selling tickets on the balcony at The Capitol. The budget for each show ranges between £24,000 and £28,000 because we must pay for the theatre, hire musicians and in some cases hire props and costumes.

The audiences keep coming to see us though, and I think a huge part of that is the theatre. We are one of the few societies in the region that still performs in a proper town centre venue. We have found in the past that audiences will not travel out of town, even to Christ’s Hospital, which has a lovely theatre that we used when The Capitol was being refurbished. So it is important for us to stay here.

The other problem facing HAODS is losing our rehearsal facilities at Broadbridge Heath Leisure Centre. The council has committed to building a new sports centre, but we are not being allocated space.

We have had comments from the council that

Martin Bracewell and Rachel Farrant share a dance

60

they don't want to see us ‘homeless’ but, as yet, we don’t have a guaranteed solution.

It is at a sensitive stage. We need rehearsal space, costume storage and a workshop to build our props, and the problem is finding a venue where we have that kind of space.

We appreciate that the council is under pressure to do more with less money from central government, so it is a difficult problem.

Technically, they could wash their hands of HAODS, but emotionally, I don't think that they will, as it’s not something the council would wish to deprive the community of.

However, right now, it is up in the air.”

You can find out more about HAODS membership at www.haods.co.uk The next production will be The Pajama Game at The Capitol on 19 - 23 April, with tickets now on sale.

REPORT: BEN MORRIS PICTURES: TOBY PHILLIPS

61

Managing Your Back Pain With

Cranfold’s Physios A

s many as 80% of us will suffer with low back pain at some time in our lives. However, although episodes are very unpleasant, the vast majority are not dangerous and people recover well with rest, medication and appropriate care for the particular cause of pain.

Lots of people worry when they get back pain that it will develop into a serious, disabling condition – this is very rare, and very few patients need to see a surgeon and even fewer require actual surgery.

If your back pain includes pain/weakness extending into both legs, loss of control of the bladder and bowel, loss of sensation between the legs or unchanging, severe pain and feeling unwell, please see your GP or go to A&E

Here are a few common causes of Back Pain, which all require a slightly different treatment approach:

Stenosis is a term for narrowing of the spinal canal. This holds the spinal cord and nerves, so means there is less room for them when you move. It affects older people and results in them not being able to walk very far as their legs get “tired”. It is resolved by sitting or bending forwards, and these people often find pushing a trolley helps them go further.

Early cases can be helped by specific physio & exercises, more severe cases with medication, possible injections and for advanced cases, surgery can be beneficial.

Disc problems. These are common in the 2464 age-group, usually caused by lifting or postural faults. The disc between the vertebrae bulges due to adverse pressure and causes local back pain, or sometimes pain in a leg (sciatica) as well. Even among severe cases, 85% of these resolve within 4 months with good care and advice. Understanding how your postures change disc stresses is vital to

help you avoid further damage and the pain will settle quicker with the right exercises as the disc heals. Those few discs that are persistent sometimes benefit from an epidural injection.

Spondylosisthesis. This is where the upper section of the vertebral column slides forwards on the lower section stretching the nerves, leading to back and leg pains. Diagnosis is confirmed by scanning. This can occur in younger sporty (tennis, cricket and gymnastics) people as a progression of a Pars fracture (a break in the stabilising “arms” of bone in the back of the spine), or also sometimes in older people. Depending on severity, it can be managed well with physio using tailored rehabilitation to regain stability of the spine, or very severe cases may require a corset or surgical opinion.

Degenerative/arthritic changes. Well, like grey hair, this will happen to us all. But it is

only a problem if it causes pain and - like grey hair – there’s a lot you can do about it!

Latest evidence shows that the best way to reduce and prevent further low back pain is specific Pilates exercises.

Cranfold’s Chartered Physios run Clinical Pilates classes, limited to small numbers of participants and tailored to their individual pathologies. We have seen our patients become more flexible, stronger and more confident over their abilities. Fewer require the frequent episodes of manual therapy treatment they used to need regularly – and their smiles are bigger!

Please call Cranfold on 01403 721050 to discuss how we can help you manage your back. Details of our classes are on our website, with more classes opening all the time as demand grows. www.cranfoldphysio.co.uk

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COMMUNITY

FORUM for the

63

FUTURE

Why we should give time to Horsham Blueprint

I

was strolling through Horsham recently, wondering how the town could support so many estate agencies, when I was approached by a man. He was wearing a blue bib and had a clipboard.

What could he want?

He wasn’t one of those paintball voucher guys, and wasn’t shaking a charity tin. Maybe he’s a pollster for the BBC game show Pointless. They need to find hundreds of people every week, yet I don’t know a single person who’s ever spoken to them, so it must be time they came to Horsham.

I hope it is Pointless, I thought. Then I can say ‘Democratic Republic of the Congo.’

As the man with the clipboard - that most unnerving of paper holding devices came ever nearer, I could make out a logo back at his stand. ‘Blue something.’ He’s definitely not from Pointless.

“Good morning,” he said. “I wonder if you can spare a moment to tell us your thoughts on…”

“Sorry mate, not today – in a hurry!” I lied, shuffling by, barely registering the words “Blueprint”, “Horsham” and “future” as they faded into the ether.

As I drifted away, I remarked something along the lines of ‘Like they’ll listen to what I reckon; the council I mean!”

That was my spontaneous way of mocking Horsham District Council’s historic inability to incorporate the ideas of its residents on housing and infrastructure during ‘box ticking’ public consultations into their long-term development plans. It just didn’t quite come out as articulately in a real life scenario!

Clipboard man succeeded in handing me a leaflet about the Horsham Blueprint Forum.

Having happily accepted it, I waited until he was out of sight before throwing it in the bin.

Why do people do that?

Still, some months later, I’ve been compelled to find out more about Horsham Blueprint.

What is it, who runs it, and why should we care?

We threw a few questions the way of Frances Haigh, David Searle, Graham Sitton and Ron Bates, all members of the forum’s Steering Group...

‘In June we were designated as the group responsible for producing the neighbourhood plan for Horsham town.’

So what is Horsham Blueprint?

Frances: Horsham Blueprint is an open forum for the people who live or work in the town.

Contribute ideas will help us produce a neighbourhood plan as to how the town should evolve in the next 15 years.”

views have been given, it seems to some people as though Horsham District Council has done as it pleases. However, we will listen to all suggestions.

What is covered by this Blueprint?

David: “You can tell us where you think housing or business parks should be built, which open spaces need protecting, where we need public transport or cycle paths, really anything that relates to the town. We are asking the people of Horsham what they want and then we are listening. Unfortunately, that is not always what has happened in the past.

Does the Horsham Blueprint apply to the whole Horsham district?

Graham: No. The Horsham Blueprint is for the three neighbourhood councils within the town centre. They are the Trafalgar ward, Denne ward and Forest ward. Residents can submit their views, as can people who work in those areas. We are keen to get comments from all types of people covering all types of issues. Tell us what you think is good about Horsham and what you think is bad.

What has happened in the past?

David: Some residents feel that they have been asked for their views before, and when those

Why does Horsham town need this forum?

Frances: In all of the other areas in the district, there is a parish council that will produce a

64

‘Some people have complained that there is no public transport to the new Waitrose and John Lewis stores’ neighbourhood plan. They are working on these, and will submit them to Horsham District Council, which will use all of that information to produce a plan for the entire district. Horsham town does not have a parish council and previously no group has been given the authority to produce a neighbourhood plan for Horsham town. That is why we formed this forum.

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Why will Horsham District Council listen to you?

David: They have to. It was a long process, but in June we were designated as the group responsible for producing the neighbourhood plan for Horsham town.

We hope to get an initial plan together by December 2016, and then hold a referendum on the proposals put forward. That is in line with what the parishes are doing.

So who is the Horsham Blueprint steering group made up of?

Graham: It is a collaboration of all of the different organisations who work within the town, including The Horsham Society, representatives from the three neighbourhood councils of Denne, Trafalgar and Forest, and well know organisations such as Horsham in Bloom.

There are 21 people involved in setting up the Horsham Blueprint Forum and take responsibility for forming a plan from all of the ideas put forward. The steering group is currently made up for ten people, and we have a mailing list of several hundred people.

Has it been difficult to convince the public to submit opinions?

Ron: That has been one of the main difficulties we have faced. When we are out in public (trying to engage with the public), people just say “I am too busy!” or “Go away!” Usually, they walk off and all we can do is leave information with them and hope they will read it later on and gain an understanding of what we are trying to do. I don't think people fully understand the power of this particular plan, and that we are trying to empower them.

COMMUNITY Is one of the problems that people in Horsham don’t trust the word ‘ consultation’?

Frances: “Normally what happens is that planning officers put together a document, which then it goes out to consultation and they put on an exhibition for a couple of afternoons. A few people turn up and give feedback, and they might modify the plan slightly. This though, is very different. With the Horsham Blueprint forum, we are asking people what they want to see first, rather than giving them our own idea. It is your plan - not the councils.

Have you drawn up your own proposals though?

David: No, although what we have done individually is identify areas that are dilapidated and look a bit unloved, such as Queen’s Street. We found public s eating with bits missing off so people could not sit down, and out of date posters in the windows of shops that have closed. So we have looked at ways to redesign parts of the town like this, based on the ideas that people have suggested. The most common theme is that people want more green spaces, and street lighting too, although some have even come up with building design ideas!

Of course, some ideas are airy fairy ideas, but those that make that suggestion can stand up and say “that was my idea!”

Who has the ultimate say in what goes in the neighbourhood plan?

Ron: The public. Once we have collated the ideas, we will put them all into draft plan, and there will be a referendum on what we have produced. If it is approved by the public and local businesses engaging with the forum, it will become part of Horsham District Council's Local Plan. They will have to take consideration of it when making decisions relating to the town centre, in the same way they would have to consider the views of the respective parish councils.

What other suggestions have been made by the public?

David: It’s been interesting that people are telling us about the small things that have a big impact on their day to day lives. Some disabled and elderly people who use the Carfax find it difficult to get around with the cobbled stones and they would like a smooth area around it, offering more comfort. Others have complained that there is no public transport to the new Waitrose and John Lewis stores, and some people no longer go to Waitrose for that reason. Some people have suggested half an hour of free parking in town. These are ideas that you may not really identify with because they don't apply to you, but when you start asking people of all ages for their thoughts, the viewpoints are fantastic.

65

66 Are you engaging with young people?

Frances: Yes, although we could do with more young people coming forward. One thing we know is that a lot of young people want to McDonald's, as they are a great place to meet. We can't deliver a McDonald's, but we can say that there is a demand for it if that is the case. We also run a Digital Hub, working with Tanbridge House School, Hack Horsham, Red River and Creative Assembly. The Digital Hub helps people of all ages to acquire the necessary skills to take advantage of new technology. Hence the Hack Horsham projects, which introduce code clubs in schools. We are also working on bringing TeenTech to Horsham next autumn, teaching teenagers about careers in science, technology and engineering.

The forum allows residents to have their say on development

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AAH IN 2015

POPULARITY

More people than ever are now reading our high-quality, independent, A4 monthly magazine. AAH is renowned throughout the district and beyond for its interesting articles, successful advertising and stunning photography.

Whilst the majority of local publications around the country suffer a declining circulation, the AAH print run has risen by 100% since our first edition in May 2011.

We also publish AAH online, with several thousand visitors to the website each month

AAH highlights the positive impact of young people in the Horsham District

DISTRIBUTION

We highlight the work of the district’s most fascinating businesses

AAH is delivered directly to over 15,000 homes in Horsham, Southwater, Mannings Heath, Billingshurst, Ashington, Partridge Green, Storrington and many villages.

We also now have 17 of our stylish, spring-loaded refillable stands at locations throughout the district.

So how do we all get involved?

David: “We have the website where people can submit their ideas, and that’s probably the easiest way. We also operate Facebook and Twitter accounts. We have post boxes around town with postcards containing just a couple of questions relating to the forum, and there have been particularly popular at Park Surgery.

Is it not too late, what with big developments already going ahead?

Ron: It is too late for a number of issues.

But we are where we are and we must look to the future, because there will be big and small decisions to be made next week, next year, and 10 years from now. If you don't start this process now, it'll never be there, and it is a fantastic opportunity for the community. There is very much to commend Horsham as a town. That is why this is needed, to make sure that we maintain it. We are not here to be do-gooders. This is about us all coming together to make sure that Horsham remains a good place to live for our children and grandchildren.

AAH has regular features on local artists, musicians, sports clubs and groups.

FEEDBACK

DESIGN

As a hugely popular read, our advertisers report a superb response, particularly to our fantastic ‘advertorial’ features.

Here’s a recent example...

‘We advertise in several publications but AAH easily generates the best response every month.!”

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Many businesses are worried about having to provide finished artwork for their advert. There’s no need to worry about that.

Over half of the adverts in this edition were created ‘in-house’ by us. How much do we charge for that service? Not a penny.

Thousands of people visit our website each month to read our archive editions

Is the forum open for businesses?

Frances: Yes. We’ve also been designated as a business neighbourhood forum, so we will have two separate referendums: one for the residents and one for businesses. Some businesses don't know what to make of the Blueprint forum. It is almost like they feel it is unusual to be approached and asked for their ideas.

Other businesses are already coming forward with really good ideas, because they realise how vital it could be in making sure their views are relayed.

You can find out more about Horsham Blueprint Forum at http://www.horshamblueprint.btck.co.uk/ or visit the Horsham Blueprint page on Facebook or Twitter (@BlueprintNF)

REPORT: BEN MORRIS PICTURES: TOBY PHILLIPS

me merry erry christm mas years e 19 990 9 - 2015

fro fr om all of om of us throug thro ug gho hout h ou o ut th the eb bu usiness s ness