Bersted In Focus June 2021 by InFocus

BERSTED IN FOCUS

The Independent Local Directory of Businesses NORTH AND SOUTH BERSTED (PO22 area) Delivered FREE to over 5,700 homes June 2021

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wElCOmE hello everyone, I hope you are well. what an exciting month this is going to be. monday 21 June is almost here, and life, we hope, will start returning to ‘normal’. whether you choose to celebrate hard (it’s a monday night after all) or just take time to mark the moment at home – it will be a date to remember. a landmark day in our history where we made an end and we made a beginning. The pandemic has brought a devastating loss of life and terrible hardship for so many and that will never be forgotten, but let’s hope June will bring positivity and happiness for us all as we rebuild what we can and reinvent where we can’t. good luck to all of you going back to work and to all those businesses now fully re-open. Thank you to all those essential workers who have kept us all going and worked tirelessly to keep patients treated, schools open and food on our tables. The news on the street is we are going back to the Roaring Twenties so now is the time to perfect your lindy hop by night and your #local shop by day. have fun and look out for the “Totally locally” Fiver Fest (12-26 June), the campaign that highlights how spending £5 a week in local independent shops can really help our high Streets. a huge, non-virtual, hug to you all and happy June. Best wishes, kate Stewart. office@infocusmagazines.co.uk Tel: 07729682245 www.infocusmagazines.co.uk JUlY/aUgUST ISSUE DEaDlINE  mONDaY 7 JUNE

all advertisements are printed in good faith, however Bersted in Focus cannot take responsibility for the content of the adverts or the services provided by the advertisers. Opinions and views expressed in articles are not necessarily held by In Focus magazines. No part of the publication may be reproduced or stored without the express permission of the publisher.

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gOINg FOR gOlD

BY kaTE STEwaRT

when geoffrey Boud was born in 1968 his mum, Irene, was told she should put her son in an institution because he would never achieve anything. he had Down’s Syndrome. Now 53 years on, Irene is living in Felpham and wrote to the magazine to tell us about geoffrey. She was prompted to write after we asked readers to share their Duke of Edinburgh award stories in last month’s In Focus. little did we know we had a DofE award hero living in our midst. Because geoffrey, at 21, became the first male in the Uk with Down’s Syndrome to get a DofE gold. Irene, 89, said: “my son, geoffrey, was the first Down’s Syndrome male to gain the Duke of Edinburgh gold award. geoffrey with his parents receiving his he did community service, swimming and lots of hiking award at St James Palace. and his final expedition was to camp overnight on the slopes of mount Snowdon along with two girls as his helpers. The next morning was his 21st birthday and they surprised him by producing a bottle of champagne and a cake. “we lived in hitchin in hertfordshire at the time and geoffrey’s two friends, kirsty and Elaine, agreed to do the award with him as the Scouts said they thought it would be too difficult for him. when he got the Bronze we were so delighted and thought that was it but no, then it was the Silver and then he decided he just had to go for gold! “he loved every moment, it gave him great confidence and they made no allowances for him. I would totally recommend it.” “my husband and I were both invited to St James’ Palace in london (normally only one parent is allowed) where geoffrey was presented to the Duke of Edinburgh, who gave him his certificate. a truly memorable day especially for geoffrey who spoke to the Duke and told him all about his Snowdonia hike.” geoffrey is 53 years-old now and lives in sheltered accommodation in Felpham. growing up he learnt to play geoffrey heads off to mount Snowdon.

geoffrey doing his DofE gold award.

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Bersted in Focus 7 the clarinet to Grade 3 and he joined The Chicken Shed Theatre Company in north London where he got his Diploma in Performing Arts and acted in many different plays and musicals. His family moved to Sussex in 2013 and he is now a member of the Rainbow musical society in Bognor. I visited Geoffrey last week to ask him about his DofE experience and to see if he would like to be featured in the magazine. Luckily for all you readers he grinned from ear-to-ear and said “Yes!” so I was able to share his incredibly inspiring story with you all. Geoffrey said: “I was very, very proud to get my Gold. I won’t forget Mount Snowdon in the snow and I would do it again!”

Geoffrey and his Mum, Irene, in Felpham.

how do i get involved in the duke of edinburgh’s award scheme? Anyone aged between 14 and 24 can take part in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award regardless of gender, ability and background. There are so many rewards for young people who participate in the DofE programme, which is non-competitive and develops the whole person. The programme is a series of activities that participants must undertake to achieve their Bronze, Silver or Gold awards. These challenging and fun activities develop self-confidence, a sense of responsibility, new talents and the ability to work as a part of a team. The main difference between the levels is the minimum length of time required to complete them and the degree of challenge. The Bronze Award has three parts (14+ years old), Volunteering, Physical and Skills, each require a minimum of three months to complete, whilst the Expedition involves planning, training for and undertaking a two-day (one night) expedition. Participants spend a minimum of six months volunteering for the Silver Award (15+ years old). For the Physical and Skills sections, they must spend a minimum of six months on one and three on the other. The Expedition involves planning, training for and undertaking a three-day (two night) expedition. Participants must be at least 16 years old to start their Gold Award. Participants spend a minimum of 12 months volunteering. For their Physical and Skills sections, they must spend a minimum of 12 months on one and six on the other. They’ll plan, train for and complete a fourday (three night) expedition. The biggest difference with the Gold Award is that participants must do an additional, fifth section – Residential. This is an activity away from home for five days and four nights with people they do not already know. There are three Open DofE centres in West Sussex operating under one charity, called Open DofE Centres in West Sussex. These are based in the Adur, Chichester and Horsham areas and are run by volunteer leaders. Everyone in West Sussex can take part. They deliver the programme for Bronze, Silver and Gold level and meet during school term time. Visit opendofecentres.org for more details. The cost of a Welcome Pack is £23 for the Bronze and Silver Award and £30 for Gold. If you have any questions about the DofE in your area, please contact dofe@westsussex.org.uk

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We offer fixed fees on everything we do, giving you complete peace of mind knowing we are there whenever you need us, and you will not suddenly get a surprise bill. We deal with a variety of legal issues and can help you with every aspect. This week we were approached by clients who had sadly lost a member of their family. They needed probate. Our first meeting is completely free, so we sat down and took instructions. It was clear our clients needed to obtain the Grant to administer the Estate, but it also appeared a Deed of Variation could help protect their assets for future generations. We therefore discussed how this could help and before we knew it our clients wanted us to get the Grant of Probate put in place, as well as their Lasting Powers of Attorney, Deed of Variation, new Wills, and the Conveyancing on the subsequent property sale.

Access to your own online portal

For ALL of this we offered a fixed fee from day one. Our clients knew they could contact us at any time, and they were happy with our online Conveyancing update system which gave them their own portal they could view at any time of the day or night, 365 days of the year. The state-of-the-art portal showed exactly what we were doing on their behalf and what was happening next. Our clients could not have been happier. We pride ourselves on communication and believe keeping our clients regularly updated helps us to achieve positive feedback and outstanding results.

For all Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorneys and/or Conveyancing please give us a call to see how we can help.

Tel: 01243 945054 mark@mjrsolicitors.co.uk info@mjrsolicitors.co.uk

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Recent Client Feedback: Mark was very easy to talk to, I would not hesitate to use his firm again

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We will match any quote from a Solicitor within a 10 mile radius. We want to ensure you get the best possible service at the best possible price.

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Conveyancing Wills & Probate Estate Administration Inheritance Tax Planning Lasting Powers of Attorney

Fixed Fee Conveyancing Online Wills from £39+VAT service with local Probate from £495+VAT (Equivalent solicitors start from £1,000+VAT) Why use us?

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Meetings can take place safely at our offices through Perspex screens, or if you prefer, remotely via Facebook, Skype, Zoom or MS Teams.

4 Bankside, 128 Middleton Road, Bognor Regis, W. Sussex PO22 6DB For more information or to book an appointment, please call Mark or Emma on 01243 945054 or email mark@mjrsolicitors.co.uk or emma@mjrsolicitors.co.uk or visit our website at www.mjrsolicitors.co.uk or find us on social media MJR Solicitors is a Limited Company Authorised and Regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority Number 628799. Our Professional Rules may be found at SRA.org.uk

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10 Bersted in Focus

is laughter the best medicine?

by kate mccarthy

It feels so good to laugh doesn’t it. Especially at the moment, after more than a year of social restrictions, closed pubs, theatres, and comedy clubs. One of the things I’ve missed the most during lockdown is communal laughter. It connects people. From a tiny titter to a great guffaw, laughter can completely change the temperature of a room. Scientists are fascinated by laughter. Researchers at the Loma Linda University in California have been researching the health benefits of laughter and made some interesting discoveries. Laughter lowers blood pressure – and lower blood pressure means a reduced risk of stroke and heart attack. It reduces stress hormone levels – laughter makes us feel less anxious and stressed, which reduces the negative impact of these emotions on our body, while simultaneously increasing the health of our immune system. It helps tone your abs – ok, it’s not going to replace your tums, bums, and thighs class but when you laugh the muscles in your stomach contract and relax, similar to when you intentionally exercise them. That can only be a good thing, right? It increases cardio-activity – laughter gets your heart pumping and burns a similar number of calories per hour to walking at a slow to moderate pace. Who knew? It increases our sense of wellbeing. Doctors have found that people who have a positive outlook on life tend to fight off diseases better than people with a more negative outlook. The reason for this may be that it boosts T-cells, which are the specialist immune system cells. Laughter activates T-cells, so happy people who laugh frequently are probably less vulnerable to infection! It triggers the release of endorphins, which are the body’s natural painkillers, so laughter can help relieve chronic pain. Did you know that we are 30 times more likely to laugh when in a group than when we’re alone? Or that that four-year-olds laugh 300 times a day but 40-year-olds only 300 times every 10 weeks! This is probably due to a number of factors, including the belief that adulthood and work is ‘serious’, but also because we worry about offending, about the joke falling flat and about just not being funny. We become scared to be silly. No one is suggesting that you suddenly start telling off-colour mother-in-law jokes, but a little levity can lighten everyone’s day, whether it’s a shared snigger with a colleague over one of your boss’s foibles, or a funny anecdote about your dog shared with a friend. During last year’s lockdown with the shift to remote working, incidence of loneliness and depression has increased dramatically. Many of us have felt disconnected, so when we laugh with someone – even through a screen or 2m apart – we generate a cocktail of hormones that strengthens our emotional bonds, our wellbeing and our immune system in a way that wouldn’t otherwise be possible.

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lOCal hISTORY BY SYlvIa ENDaCOTT as we enter the town from Chichester on the a259, we arrive at the wellknown ‘Pink Pub’, but do we take any notice of the building across the road, which has been in this area since the 1880s? The first building for the holy Cross Church was just a small cottage, with a thatched roof, and was situated across the corner in Chalcraft lane. In 1894 this premise was eventually replaced with a mission hall, a flint and stone building which is the current nave. It included a small bell tower of cedar wood, similar to many other Sussex churches. On the 14 July 1894 this new building was dedicated by the Bishop of Chichester. Originally the holy Cross was the daughter church to South Bersted church until 1983. In 2001 it became a parish in its own right. In 1939 a temporary Chancel and Sanctuary were added which lasted until 1973 when it was further enlarged. The church spire was removed in 1976 because of safety fears. Over this period the population of the area has increased from 1,000 to over 9,000 today and now there are the increasing number of houses being built. within North Bersted there was also a Congregational Church in Newtown avenue, which was opened in 1936. however years later it ceased to be used by the Congregationalists and in December 1986 it was taken over by the Catholics from the Servite Priory. Eventually this was closed and converted into bedsits for purchase.

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14 Bersted in Focus

SHARING THE care how to choose the right CARE HOME

by tom hancock Care of the elderly is an emotive subject, and has become even more so during the pandemic. Whether you are choosing a care home for yourself, or searching on behalf of an elderly relative, you want to make sure you get it right. First you need to decide on the level of care required. Residential homes are for people who can no longer cope with daily activities in their home. They may also need help washing, bathing, dressing and going to the toilet. Nursing homes are for those people who require regular nursing care, by or under the supervision of a qualified nurse. Residents tend to have no mobility or severely limited mobility, mental confusion, and may be faecally incontinent. As with any home, location is important. You may want to choose a place where family or friends can visit regularly? Once a location has been decided on, select as many care homes as you can and visit every one of them. The Care Quality Commission (www. cqc.org.uk) have over 18000 care homes registered with them and publish all their inspection reports online, so this is a good place to start. Two other excellent sources of information are the websites www.yourcarehome.co.uk and www. carehomesupport.co.uk. Groundwork is good, but there is no substitute for visiting and assessing the standard of service yourself. This is harder at the moment but that option should still be offered, even with all the restrictions in place. Begin your inspection by ringing to arrange appointments to visit the premises. Ask yourself if the phone was answered in a friendly way. Did the person answering the phone sound stressed or abrupt? When you visit, what are your first impressions? Is the place bright and clean, comfortable, welcoming and airy? Did the receptionist make eye contact and smile? Were you offered a cup of tea while you waited? What are the noise levels like? Are there any unpleasant odours? Look at the residents and chat to them if you have an opportunity. Do they look clean, well-cared for and happy? Monitor how much interaction there is between the staff and the residents. Is there lots of friendly chatter? Check to see if call lights over doors are on and being left unanswered. This might indicate staffing problems. Check the floor, especially in corners and under beds. This is a good indicator of whether standards of hygiene and care are high throughout. When you’ve reached a decision, take good financial and legal advice. What are the fees and what do they include? Can you afford them on a long-term basis? What happens if funds dry up? What is the protocol for making a complaint? Consult the Office of Fair Trading ‘Fair Terms for Care’ booklet to see whether the contract you’ll be asked to sign is a fair one. Ask as many questions as you can up front, and you will help ensure that any move you or your elderly relative makes will be the right one.

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SUDOkU

How to Play Sudoku It’s simple! Fill in the grid so that each row, column and 3x3 box, contains the numbers 1 through to 9 with no repetition.

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18 Bersted in Focus

STRANGER THAN … well ART?

Revd. John Searle, Retired Methodist Minister, Felpham One of the pleasures of living near the sea, is to walk along the beach observing the amazing variety of flotsam and jetsam thrown up by the tide. I can never resist taking home an interesting pebble, or a piece of driftwood worn smooth by the tides and sculptured into some recognisable object. See my tiny Jenny Wren, carved by a friend, from a piece of driftwood. Recently, while walking on the beach at Felpham, I noticed a large pebble, moulded by sea and sand to reveal two faces. On one side, the innocent face of a small child; on the opposite side, a somewhat grotesque face of a … man? ‘He’ appeared to glare at me with his two sunken, lopsided eyes; he had wide, flaring nostrils, hair, eyebrows, beard and lips formed by pin-prick holes and scratches. He seemed to dare me to pick him up and add him to my curious pebble collection. Instead, I used him as a doorstop, but first, with felt-tip pens, I tried to make him look less sinister. Of course, that was a mistake. Never try to improve on nature! And I soon regretted my crude artistry and began to scrub the stony face clean. Unfortunately, the bright red lips remained, accusing me of an unforgiveable act of vandalism. Genuine Art trouve must be “untouched by human hand”. I expect there are other Focus readers who collect Sea-art like me but a recent addition to my collection is not from the seashore. In fact, I am still baffled as to its origin and the medium in which it is crafted. I discovered it as I was having my tea! To be precise, while eating a buttered crumpet, liberally spread with raspberry jam. As I ate, I noticed something vaguely familiar about the remains of the jam on the side of the plate. Rotating it from a different angle, there in jam, was the unmistakable image of a Koala bear. Seeing is not always believing. I could not explain it then. I cannot explain it now. I recalled Albert Einstein’s assessment of Quantum Entanglement as “spooky action at a distance” and I felt a chilling sensation of witnessing some kind of quantum ‘apparition’ which was, decidedly, “spooky”. Later, my imagination started to run riot. Was this a new way of doing Art? I visualised my plate framed, hanging in a prestigious gallery, catalogued as, “An original, possibly unique, work of ‘art naturel’, created in the medium of jam on plastic; artist unknown.” Because it was created entirely without direct human assistance, I cannot claim it honestly, as my handiwork. The most I can do is to apply for copyright. By studying the photographs you must be the judge of the jammy portrait’s authenticity and merit. Incidentally, I have now received an email from someone in Australia who saw the photo and asked if anyone else had noticed that my Koala appears to be playing a ukulele! Perhaps a rendition of “Waltzing Matilda”? What do you think?

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JUNE hOROSCOPES

BY lOCal aSTROlOgER lETICIa PaRmER This June mercury is retrograde plus we have another eclipse, this time the Sun. also Jupiter, planet of luck and opportunities, will go retrograde. But you won’t lose out as these benefits are simply being put into the ‘savings account’ for collection when Jupiter returns to full power in October. ARIES The old saying ‘don’t give your tongue too much freedom or it might take you prisoner’ could apply to you now. Double check your words before pressing send, or the autocorrect may create a bit of embarrassment.

LIBRA Double-check all the details of any travel plans, or you may end up at the airport on the wrong day, at the wrong time, maybe even the wrong airport! a plan to study something new may have to be postponed for now.

TAURUS You are naturally shrewd with financial matters, but even you must double-check your change the first three weeks of June. Others will understand your need to postpone a social event till a more convenient time.

SCORPIO One of your strengths is the ability to cut out the unnecessary. however, this month in your drive to clear, do check carefully what you are actually throwing, or you might accidentally chuck out ‘the baby with the bath water’!

GEMINI It’s your birthday month, so its time to think about YOU and take a break from career and family duty. Use your natural gemini ingenuity to find support, then dance freely and joyfully into the solstice sunset.

SAGITTARIUS The other half of your duo might not have all the answers this month, whether in your weekly quiz or in the puzzle of life in general. Instead, take a deeper look within for the solutions to all that you need to solve.

CANCER have you ever kept a dream diary? That might be a great idea this June. another thing that would benefit you greatly would be to follow a regular meditation practice, even if it is for only ten minutes a day.

CAPRICORN The devil is in the detail this month. Take a break from worry or you may get so lost in trying to make things perfect that you start to criticise yourself and then those around you. Tell yourself “my best is good enough”.

LEO Being such a gregarious soul, your social life is very important to you and you are often the one organising it. however, with mercury retrograde for the first three weeks of June, do double-check dates and times.

AQUARIUS Children are so delightful but can be rather unpredictable and throw you off balance. whatever the kids are up to, don’t let it get to you. Rather take a step back and remember your own childhood pranks, to gain perspective.

VIRGO Your greatest wish is to be of help and service to others, but before you offer to shoulder yet another responsibility, remember that your first duty is to take care of YOU. The group will support you more than an individual now.

PISCES home and mother seem to throw up unsolvable problems. But that is just an illusion created by mercury, the planet of thinking, in retrograde. So this June remember your Pisces strength is intuition over logic.

To make an appointment with leticia for a personal astro reading, email: leticiaparmer@yahoo.com

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Bersted in Focus

15 Felpham Road, PO22 7DA phone: 01243 866111 - 823086 Large selection in stock

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CROSSwORD 1. 5. 9. 10. 11. 12. 16. 17. 19. 21. 22.

2. 3. 4. 6. 7.

Down In pain, hurting (6) Source of illumination (5, 4) Cider with ___, novel by laurie lee (5) Casual hat (3) Slang for sausage (6)

8. 11. 13. 14. 15.

Across Exhibit hall, studio (7) an aqualung (5) Uproariously funny (5-8) Sweaters and cardigans (8) Conform, comply (4) advertising (9) Butt, remnant (4) Crashed (8) a pirate might bury one! (8,5) Brownish green (5) Pursuing (7)

Cloth, textile (6) 18. Blood-sucking worm (5) large flightless birds (9) 20. Biblical ship built by Noah (3) Imprison (4, 2) Complex carbohydrate (6) English naval hero (6)

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walkINg ThE ESTaTE BY SImON BakER IRONS Drovers Estate from Hat Hill to Levin Down This month’s trek is an 8km (5 mile) circular walk from Singleton and explores the lesser-known Drovers Estate, situated just north of the village the estate now belongs to the National Trust. Nestled amongst rolling ancient pastures and woodland the Drovers Estate takes a step back into a timeless rural life, the traditional flint barns and cottages retain their local building styles and have not changed much over time. Drovers had long been a sporting estate and was once the centre of an extensive medieval deer park owned by the Earl of arundel in 1327, Fallow deer still reside here and can be seen on the walk along with wild hare, red kites, mice, cattle, and sheep. The large house that once stood on the estate was unfortunately destroyed by 1815. The best way to enjoy this part of Sussex is to park up in the village of Singleton and follow the National Trust walking route through the estate which is waymarked by white permissive route signs. Cross the main a286 and join the public footpath behind the cricket pavilion that leads towards hat hill, at 156m this is the highest point on the estate. Turn right immediately after passing between the walls of an old railway bridge that crosses the disused Chichester to midhurst line. Opened in 1881 the line serviced Singleton and goodwood and the old station is now a private residence nearer to west Dean, the last service ran in 1953. The disused railway tunnels nearby are home to many species of protected bats including Brown long Eared, whiskered, Pipistrelle and Natterers. The route follows the old disused railway for a couple of hundred metres before the permissive route heads uphill on a chalky track. as you pass honeycomb Copse be sure to look back at the fine views of Singleton village and goodwood racecourse. Near the top of the hill are some old farm buildings and a rusty shepherds hut, giving a glimpse of farming history. Descend through the open meadow with more great views to wellhangar copse. This open access woodland is easy to navigate by following the white signs, which takes the route across the a286 and on to Nightingale wood.

Pick up the bridleway at the far side of the wood and follow to the east side of levin Down. managed by the Sussex wildlife Trust, levin Down is a nature reserve that supports a wide variety of chalk downland flowers, trees and shrubs. The juniper colony on the southern slope is said to be the best in Sussex. The name of the hill is believed to be derived from the Saxon for ‘leave-alone hill’. Unlike the surrounding agricultural fields, the steepness of the down would make it difficult to plough which means that it has been left alone. grazing of sheep and sometimes Exmoor ponies keep the grass short on the upper slopes and greatly increases the diversity of plant species. although the route goes around levin Down there are still some steep climbs on this section. The last part of the walk descends from the down, across the River lavant and back to Singleton village. visit my blog at piertopiertrekking.com

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26 Bersted in Focus

loss of a WWII RAF bomber crew Remembered The crew of a Royal Air Force aircraft that came down in Felpham in 1942 have been remembered by members of the Bognor Regis RAFA and Felpham and Bognor residents. Little was known locally of why the Handley-Page Hampden (Serial No AT110) came down in this area. An eye-witness account said that the aircraft came down “spiralling and was on fire”. This suggests an engine fire of which the Hampden was understood to be vulnerable. Records show that, on the night of 14/15 April 1942, the main Stanley and Alice Culmer on their objective for 144 Squadron based at RAF North Luffenham, wedding day. Rutland, was an attack on Dortmund, to which they assigned ten aircraft. One other aircraft from 144 Squadron, flown by Sgts Stanley Culmer (26), Ronald Nation (21), Jim Hutchison (25) and Dennis Manning (21), joined four aircraft based at RAF Syerston, Nottinghamshire, to attack the docks and shipping in Le Havre. The aircraft, said to be carrying a full bomb load, came down on the way to the target. Sadly, all gave their lives. In a short ceremony, a wreath was laid by Cliff Mewett, the RAFA Bognor Regis Branch Chairman. The Branch Standard was carried by Keith Arnold, Branch Secretary, and accompanied by Leslie de la Mare, Branch Club Chairman. I was behind the camera, and recited the Exhortation – we will remember them. Simone at the Memorial in Sea Road. The Branch has been able to trace the families of three of the crew. They had hoped to be with us this year, but Covid-19 restrictions have prevented this. Hopefully, for the 80th anniversary, we will be able to have a full service with representatives of all the families present. What they very much want to do is to thank the local community for the care and respect they give to the ones they lost. These include members of Snook’s Corner Community Group, the Sir Alec Rose Sea Cadet Unit, the people who pass by and pause, even say a few words, members of the Parish Council and the team from Arun District Council who maintain the area. This year we met Simone, who keeps a caring and watchful eye over the Memorial. We sent the families the photo of her at We will remember them. the memorial and have received their grateful thanks. To the families’ thanks, we add our appreciation to those who care for four of ours. Efforts continue to find the family of Sgt Ronald E G Nation. He originated from Canford, near Bristol, where he is buried. Any information leading us to the family will be very much appreciated. For more information contact: David Hewings, RAFA Branch, 381 19 Waterloo Square, Bognor Regis PO21 1TE Tel: 01243 860990 Email: branchmarketing@rafa381.co.uk Branch Website: www.rafa381.co.uk

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Pellatt Family Collection

by david hewings

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waTCh OUT FOR YOUNg BIRDS

RSPB ZOOm mEETINgS FOR JUNE 2021

3 June

Jack Thompson, Conservation Officer for RSPB Brighton – Birds of lowland heath 17 June Dr John mallord, Senior Conservation Scientist, for the RSPB Centre of Conservation, Cambridge – Research on migrant Birds All meetings start at 7.00 pm The talks are free to all RSPB Chichester local group members and £4 each to non-members. Places are limited, so please book your place in advance by contacting Rob Yarham – email: chichesterbirds@gmail.com, tel: 07545 376074 maria wildman – 12 harbour view Road, Pagham, PO21 4Rg, tel: 01243 262833 Email: wildthings2@waitrose.com

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kevin Simmonds (rspb-images.com)

June is an important month for birds raising young, as the chicks become fledglings. many young birds leave the nest early before they can fly, hopping along the ground, through the undergrowth and among lower scrub and branches. This is a defence strategy against predators who can locate a noisy, smelly nest, but unfortunately may also leave them prone to being sniffed out under bushes by inquisitive dogs. If you find a fledgling out in the open, or on your lawn, it is best to leave them be. although it may look lost and abandoned, it is most likely waiting for the return of its parents, who will be busy searching for food and will Fledgling mistle thrush reappear in time to relocate and feed the youngster. Once their flight feathers have grown sufficiently the fledgling birds will take their first tentative flights. meanwhile, back at Pagham harbour, Tern Island is a riot of noise as a little, common and sandwich tern bicker and argue with their neighbours’, black headed and mediterranean gulls. Birds are constantly coming and going as they fish in the harbour and offshore, trying to keep up with the demands of their hungry young, which lack the bill colourations and are duller than their smart looking parents. although over time, we have encouraged the majority of these ground nesting shorebirds to breed on the islands, some, along with ringed plover and oystercatchers, still nest on the shingle beach and spits making them extremely vulnerable to disturbance. as a consequence, we fence off a section of Church Norton Spit and ask visitors to respect the boundary and in turn the wildlife within. little terns are the Uk’s second rarest breeding seabird with less than 2000 breeding pairs in the whole country. as one of just a handful of breeding sites along the length of the south coast, and one of the most successful with 21 little terns fledging last year, Pagham harbour is vitally important to this little bird’s survival. This year’s youngsters little tern adult and two chicks have a short time to strengthen their flight feathers and learn how to fish for themselves. In July and august, the whole colony will start to leave on their long autumn migration south to africa. For now though, it is a joy to experience the terns floating on the summer breeze, hovering above the water before diving to catch a silvery meal.

Ben andrew (rspb-images.com)

BY ROY NEwham, RSPB vISITOR EXPERIENCE OFFICER

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TImE TO kETChUP ThE hISTORY OF ThE NaTION’S FavOURITE SaUCE

BY SaRah DavEY ketchup is found in 97 per cent of homes but there’s more to it than burgers or hotdogs. In fact, ketchup dates back to imperial China. It was originally made with fermented fish entrails, meat by-products and soybeans ... yum! This fish sauce was easy to store on long ocean voyages. The tomato-based ketchup we love today wasn’t invented until 1812. Tomato plants were brought to England from South america in the 1500s, but amazingly their fruits weren’t eaten for centuries because some people thought they were poisonous. The 1700s were a golden age for ketchup. There were recipes made from oysters, mussels, mushrooms, walnuts, lemons, celery, and plums. Usually, the ingredients were either boiled down into a syrup-like consistency or left to sit with salt for extended periods of time. This resulted in a highly concentrated end product: a salty, spicy condiment that became extremely popular. In 1812, someone finally thought to use tomatoes in the recipe. James mease, a Philadelphia scientist, is credited with developing the recipe. Initially preservation of tomato ketchup was an issue because the fruits decomposed quickly. a relatively new company called heinz developed a formulation which included, brown sugar, salt, spices, and distilled vinegar. They also pioneered the use of glass bottles, so customers could see what they were buying. Today, heinz is the best-selling brand of ketchup the Uk. 650 million bottles and 11 BIllION sachets are sold around the world each year. Something to consider next time you order a hotdog!

walk FOR wEllBEINg SaTURDaY 26 JUNE 2021 as you can imagine, for people who are blind and sight impaired, maintaining social distancing, shopping, using public transport and accessing services, have been considerably difficult during the last year and they have faced disproportionate challenges when trying to access much needed front-line services. Bognor-based charity 4Sight vision Support has made huge efforts to keep services running in different ways throughout the pandemic, helping people with sight loss to stay active and independent and feel less isolated. The charity helps over 2000 blind and sight impaired people living in west Sussex every year by providing free advice, advocacy, training and support which in turn helps people lead more independent, fulfilling lives. like all charities, 4Sight vision Support’s fundraising opportunities have taken a huge knock during lockdown so now we really need you to help and sign up for our rural, 5k wellbeing walk on Saturday 26th June 2021 on the beautiful angmering Park private estate and kick-start our fundraising activities in the charity’s 100th anniversary year. adults entry is £10 and children over three, £5 which includes refreshments, a bespoke wooden medal and wellbeing activities along the route. The fee covers the costs of putting on the event, so we are asking walkers to pledge £50 in sponsorship to support the vital work of 4Sight vision Support. a special event T-shirt is also available for £10. For more information and to register visit: www.4sight.org.uk/wellbeing-walk call 01243 828555 or email fundraising@4sight.org.uk

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BORN TO RUN

BY IZZY hOlDEN aND SUSaN BROwN Tips for all runners Did you start Couch to 5k during lockdown? Did you fall in love with running? Or do you need motivating? here are our top tips as runners. walk – you heard us. walk to warm up, loosen your muscles, and prime your joints for the activity of running. If you walk the first five to 10 minutes of your workout, especially if it’s early in the morning, or you’ve been sitting at a desk for hours, it’s easier on your body and you’ll find your rhythm more quickly. go slower – not walking this time. we mean find your sustainable pace. This is the pace you can run at easily and most of your runs should be at this level of effort. Once or twice a week you can do the speedwork and tempo runs, which train your body to get faster. Running this way reduces your risk of injury and burnout. The sustainable pace should be slow enough to maintain a conversation without huffing and puffing, but not so slow that you can sing your favourite song! Find your time of day – we all have a natural body clock. Try running at different times until you find the perfect workout hour for you. Eat wholesome carbs beforehand – the meal you eat before your run should be the most carb rich one of the day (think fruit, veg and wholegrains rather than chocolate cake!), so your body has plenty of ready-to-burn fuel. Obviously don’t eat JUST before you run … but you knew that, right? make it recreational – choose a great playlist, or your favourite audio book or podcast. Or run with a friend to catch up on all the gossip or put the world to rights. This is your time, and it should be enjoyable, so you’ll look forward to it and want to keep doing it. hope this helps.

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Bersted in Focus Update from the Arun Prevention Team – June 2021 You can contact your local team in the following ways: • Call us: on 101 to report a crime or 999 if it’s an emergency • Email us: arun@sussex.pnn.police.uk

Do you know what County Lines are? County lines is the name given to drug dealing where organised criminal groups (OCgs) use phone lines to move and supply drugs, usually from cities into smaller towns and rural areas. They exploit vulnerable people, including children and those with mental health or addiction issues, by recruiting them to distribute the drugs, often referred to as ‘drug running’. OCgs often use high levels of violence and intimidation to protect the ‘county line’ and control them. One of these forms of control exploits vulnerable people by using their home as a base for dealing drugs, a process known as cuckooing. Cuckooing Dealers often convince the vulnerable person to let their home be used for drug dealing by giving them free drugs or offering to pay for food or utilities. It’s common for OCgs to use a property for a short amount of time, moving address frequently to reduce the chance of being caught. Signs to look out for: frequent visitors at unsociable hours; changes in your neighbour’s daily routine; unusual smells coming from a property; suspicious or unfamiliar vehicles outside an address. FRONT OFFICE OPENINg hOURS: Bognor Regis: london Road, Bognor Regis, P021 1Ba. monday to Friday from 10am until 2pm and from 3pm until 6pm. Littlehampton: County Buildings, East Street, littlehampton, BN17 6aR. monday to Friday from 10am until 2pm and from 3pm until 6pm.

PUZZlE SOlUTIONS Solution to mind Benders 1. Back up. 2. Roll over and over. 3. head over heels in love.

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a good read

by willow coby

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig We all experience both good and bad in our lives. Some people seem pretty content with their lot in spite of adversity, and some are dissatisfied even when others feel they’ve been dealt a good hand. At some point all of us have wondered, what if? What if things were different? Nora certainly does. She’s in her 20s yet feels trapped. As a teenager she was destined to become an Olympic swimmer, but gave it up, went to university to study philosophy, and ended up working in a local music shop, living alone with her cat. Nora’s life seems to be going from bad to worse, so she decides to not go on living at all, and one night, just before midnight, she takes an overdose and writes a goodbye note. Suddenly she finds herself in a library; an infinite library where the time is always 00:00 – the Midnight Library. There she meets Mrs Elm, her old school librarian, who explains that this is where she can decide whether or not to live. But she doesn’t have to live her current life; she can live ANY possible life that she could ever have had. Every regret that she ever had has led to another version of her living that life in another possible existence. She now has the chance to decide if she would like to live one of those lives. The Midnight Library draws on classical philosophical ideas, and this thought-provoking novel will lead you to question what happiness is really all about. Will Nora decide to live and if so, which life will she choose? The Squirrels who Squabbled by Jim Field This picture book was loaned to me by the four-year-old son of a friend, who said it was his favourite book and I should review it – and I can see why. It is autumn and all through the forest creatures are busy storing up the food they need for the winter. All that is except one squirrel: Spontaneous Cyril. As usual, he doesn’t bother with that. He imagines he can grab some food at the last minute. Then the last minute arrives and he spies a fat pinecone, full of lovely nuts. It is just what he needs, and he sets off to acquire it. But he isn’t the only one eyeing it up. Plan-Ahead Bruce has also seen it. His store is getting on nicely and this is the perfect pinecone to finish it off. Who will get to it first? With wonderful illustrations and text to match it, this book teaches the value of teamwork to young readers.

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IV STR E F

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Bognor Regis Tide Table June 2021, Time Zone GMT

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