Hailsham News, June 2022, Issue 10

SECOND COMMEMOR ATIVE EDITION JUNE 2022 | ISSUE 10

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE... LOCAL NEWS • EVENTS • FEATURES • MOTORING • SPORT

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STRING TOWN PAGE 26

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BIG PLANS FOR BIG TOP PAGE 16

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STRIKE ACTION CONTINUES PAGE 5

JUBILEE FEVER HITS HAILSHAM FAMILY FUN DAY PHOTOS – SEE CENTRE PAGES

HAILSHAM’S JUBILEE BEACON LIT FULL STORY – PAGE 19

A LOW LATENCY FULL FIBRE BROADBAND NETWORK FOR HAILSHAM! 01323 380 260 www.LightningFibre.co.uk

2 NEWS

EDITOR’S WELCOME

JUNE 2022

For the latest local news, visit: www.Hailsham.News

HAILSHAM NORTH MOVES CLOSER TO HYPER-FAST BROADBAND SWITCH-ON

T So, this is something I didn’t think we’d be doing so soon after the launch of the newspaper — the second edition of the month! We felt it was only right to publish the amazing pictures we’ve gathered from the Jubilee weekend as soon as possible, rather than waiting until July.

I sincerely hope you enjoyed the events over the extended bank holiday weekend — what an incredible atmosphere around the town and hopefully it was one to remember for all of you.

As I write this, my feet are up in an attempt to get some respite after eight months of preparation and four days of extremely hard work to bring the official celebrations to the town.

Our beacon lighting event was one of the most emotional things I’ve achieved. I grew up in this town, so I was absolutely overwhelmed to host the evening which saw the Queen’s Representative, Deputy-Lieutenant Mrs Violet Hancock light the beacon.

On the last day of the celebrations, I’m sure most of you came along to our Family Fun Day on the Western Road Rec. What an amazing day, seeing families come together and enjoy the free entertainment and support the great causes that displayed there.

From all this, we must remember, the whole weekend of activities were funded by Hailsham Town Council. We were one of the only towns in the UK that was able to host all this with support from the local authority.

Please join me in thanking the Town Council for their commitment to giving the town a weekend to remember.

Paul Gibson Managing Editor

READ ME, SHARE ME, THEN RED BOX ME! Hailsham News is a publication by Regional Media Group Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales number: 13746177. We have taken care to ensure that the information in this newspaper is correct. Neither the publisher, nor contributors can take responsibility for loss or damage resulting from errors or omissions.

Hailsham News does not endorse the accuracy of the advertisements or the quality of the products/services being advertised.

Information provided by businesses and community organisations are provided directly by their own representatives; please direct any queries or comments regarding content directly to the organisation. Any option or views expressed within this publication are solely those of the author. © 2022: No part of this newspaper may be reproduced in part or whole without express permission of the editor.

he Hailsham Chamber of Commerce and Town Mayor has welcomed the news that Lightning Fibre is preparing to switch on hyper-fast broadband in the area.

Lightning Fibre started building its local network in Eastbourne in 2020, announced its expansion to Hailsham in March 2021 and completed the build in North Hailsham in March 2022. The final testing is almost completed, and the first customers will be experiencing hyper-fast speeds (900Mbps or more) by Summer. The build continues South, with the whole of Hailsham being connectable by Christmas 2022.

Lightning Fibre is a huge local success story, and since it was founded in Eastbourne in 2018, the company has seen rapid growth in a very short amount of time, with almost 200 employees (95% of whom live in East Sussex).

Lightning Fibre is not using the old Openreach copper cable network that many mainstream internet providers are still using. They are laying a brand-new full fibre optic network. The response to Lightning Fibre’s service has been overwhelmingly positive and the network expansion is rapidly progressing. Current towns announced include Eastbourne, Hastings, St. Leonards, Heathfield, Broad Oak, Bexhill and Hailsham.

Hailsham Mayor, Cllr Paul Holbrook recently ‘unveiled’ the latest Primary Node Cabinet, which delivers Full Fibre to over 5,000 homes and businesses. The Chair of the Chamber, Clive Soper also met with Ben Ferriman in Hailsham Town Centre to officially welcome the AltNet to the town.

As well as being active, paid-up members of the Chamber, Lighting Fibre has created a partnership with Hailsham Active, helping to fund projects designed to protect community spaces and support local grassroots sports teams and activities.

Chairman of Hailsham Active, Steve Wennington, commented: “We are very appreciative of the financial support and engagement from Lightning Fibre, enabling us to support many of our amazing local sports and recreation clubs.”.

The company has also sponsored Hailsham Cricket Club, Environment Hailsham and Hailsham Bonfire Society.

The company has also announced it will be the new Digital Partner of Hailsham Festival, and the headline sponsor of the Hailsham

Hailsham Mayor, Cllr Paul Holbrook with Lightning Fibre Founder and CEO, Ben Ferriman

Festival ‘Digital Art Gallery’. This enables artists of all ages, including young children, to upload their artwork to the Online Gallery, and supports the physical artwork displays that will appear in venues across Hailsham during the Festival in September.

The Chamber of Commerce is also supporting the new Business Improvement District bid, being developed now in conjunction with Wealden District Council, to bring renewable energy and clean fuel to the area. The BID is also proposing the need for a hyper-fast Broadband network service within the Hailsham and District BID Area.

A reliable High-speed Network will enable all businesses to become more efficient. The BID is setting up a Wi-Fi network to help

visitors and residents to gain information about retail outlets and businesses in the BID area. This will increase footfall and make the area more attractive to new businesses.

Hailsham and District BID will facilitate businesses in the BID area, which includes Lightning Fibre, to become cleaner, greener and more environmentally aware, whilst enabling all businesses to become more efficient and more profitable.

The proposal will promote and support Environmentally Friendly Solutions to building efficiency, reduction of waste, adoption of new and compliant technology benefiting all businesses, and encouraging new, cutting-edge businesses into new enviro/ renewal technology sector.

YOUR 60-SECOND COFFEE BREAK WITH TO LISTEN FOR THIS ISSUE’S CHRIS DABBS FUN FACTS, SCAN THE QR CODE CONTACT US | Telephone: 01323 33 70 70 | Managing Editor: Paul Gibson, editor@hailsham.news | Editor: Chris Dabbs, chris.dabbs@hailsham.news Features: Viktoria Cowley, viktoria@hailsham.news | Publication production: Dean Cook, dean@hailsham.news

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4 NEWS

JUNE 2022

For the latest local news, visit: www.Hailsham.News

NUSRAT GHANI CONSERVATIVE MP FOR WEALDEN Keep up to date with your MP and her work in Parliament…

RECENT VOTES IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS – MAY 2022

Xinjiang Internment Camps — Shoot-to-Kill Policy (24 May 2022): Nusrat Ghani: I welcome the Minister’s statement. She said so many things that will be so close to the evidence that was submitted to the independent inquiry that took place under Sir Geoffrey Nice QC. The inquiry determined that genocide against the Uyghurs is taking place. What more evidence do the Minister and the Department need to enable them to put in place their obligations under the genocide... (Source: HC Deb, 24 May 2022, c159).

RECENT APPEARANCES IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS – MAY 2022

Treasury: Topical Questions (17 May 2022): Nusrat Ghani: I have 14 vineyards in my constituency of Wealden. This is a growing industry in rural areas. I am grateful to the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury for meeting me recently, but may I urge her and the Chancellor to meet my vineyard owners, face to face, to hear their anxieties over the Treasury’s plans to hike tax on wine, which will create more red tape by increasing the number of rates... (Source: HC Deb, 17 May 2022, c538).

On 18 May 2022: Nusrat Ghani voted yes on Achieving Economic Growth On 18 May 2022: Nusrat Ghani voted no on Achieving Economic Growth On 17 May 2022: Nusrat Ghani voted no on Tackling Short-term and Longterm Cost of Living Increases

Xinjiang Internment Camps — Shoot-to-Kill Policy (24 May 2022): Nusrat Ghani: (Urgent Question): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs if she will make a statement on the shocking revelations on the BBC by Professor Adrian Zenz that the internment camps in Xinjiang do exist and operate a shootto-kill Uyghur policy in contravention of the previous statement by the Government of the People’s Republic of China. (Source: HC Deb, 24 May 2022, c159).

Recent comments to Hailsham News: May 20 2022: Comment to Hailsham News regarding Biffa and Wealden District Council waste collection and street cleansing industrial action: “I appreciate the gravity of the impact that the ongoing strike is having on our local communities and I am anxious about bins spilling over. I urge the unions and the council to get together and resolve the matter as soon as possible.”

Twitter: @nus_ghani • Facebook: https://facebook.com/NusGhaniofficial

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NEWS 5

JUNE 2022

inflationary increases and pay parity with the other two councils in the East Sussex contract, which is disappointing.

We are working hard to minimise any disruption to service while GMB members continue to strike.”

Wealden went on to say that the GMB union rejected an offer that has already been accepted by the union Unison, which also has members working for Biffa, would see the bin worker’s pay increase by up to 17% this year plus a £600 guaranteed bonus.

Photo credit: Dan Jessup

ON THE PICKET LINE

BINS ARE FULL AND THEY ARE GOING TO STAY THAT WAY

It looks like our bins are going to stay uncollected until at least 25 June, as talks between Biffa and the GMB union are getting nowhere fast. Chris Dabbs reports on the latest from the picket line

Y

ou’ll know it if your bins aren’t being emptied, but since the strike began on 2 May, nearly 65,000 households across Hailsham and Wealden aren’t getting their bins serviced. Bins are left full on our streets.

Garden waste is left uncollected. Recycling is piling up.

In a new twist to the ongoing bin emptying dispute, Biffa, who holds the contract for waste collection in Wealden, has turned down an offer of help from Conservative Lewes MP Maria Caulfield.

Ms Caufield offered to host a meeting between Biffa and the GMB to help bring the strike to an end. In a statement, she said: “Residents in Wealden District, including those in Polegate, East Dean, Alfriston and the surrounding villages I represent, are fed up with this bin strike and want both sides to find a solution as soon as possible.”

She added: “For the good of local people, I have offered to step in and mediate in the dispute, and I would urge Biffa to continue discussions aimed at ending the dispute.”

Lewes Conservative MP Maria Caulfield

She also thanked Wealden District Council for introducing temporary rubbish disposal sites and helping vulnerable people with their needs.

Wealden Conservative MP, Nusrat Ghani, told Hailsham News: “I appreciate the gravity of the impact that the ongoing strike is having on our local communities, and I am anxious about bins spilling over. I urge the unions and the council to get together and resolve the matter as soon as possible.”

In our recent Hailsham News Facebook poll, over 90% of responses did not support the strike action.

Lib Dem Wealden Councillor Gavin Blake Coggins told Hailsham News: “Residents have had enough. They’ve made their point. What residents keep saying to me is, why are these people turning down an increase of 17%, which is phenomenal, compared to everywhere else getting 2% or 3%?

The striking bin workers have rejected two offers so far, with Wealden District Council saying: “The Trade Union has rejected our enhanced offer, which included above

We went to the picket line to find out what’s been going on and met with Nicky Palermo, who is a GMB Workplace Representative. They insisted there was support for the workers from Wealden residents.

Nicky told us: “We’ve had loads of support from the people in the local area, dropping off cakes, drinks, crisps, all sorts of things for the lads.”

Dave Lennon, the GMB Union Representative, told us people seem confused. Dave said:” I saw a couple of things on Facebook, people saying they want to come down here and speak to us. So if they come down here, we’ll tell them what’s going on.

“Because you can’t always believe in everything that you read is the truth. You know, at the end of the day, we’re on strike to get a decent pay rise.”

Mr Lennon also called the rumours that the workers are earning £16 per hour and that they want a 70% pay rise “nonsense”.

All the while, negotiations have been continuing between Wealden District Council and Biffa, who employ the bin workers who do a great job of collecting our rubbish, have fallen through again.

Now, we’re being told that the GMB has called for the strike to be extended to 25 June with no end in sight.

Meanwhile, events turned serious at the Amberstone Depot in Hailsham, where Sussex Police arrested three men on 27 May. A spokesperson from Sussex Police on the 27 May said: “When police arrived at the scene, a number of persons were blocking the highway. The officers repeatedly asked those involved to clear the highway, but some failed to comply. As a result, a 63-year-old man, 62-year-old man and 55-year-old man have all been arrested on suspicion of obstructing the highway”.

In a statement, Wealden District council said of the arrests: “We can confirm that following intervention by the Police today to enforce lawful access to and from the depot, which had until now been blocked by the picket line”.

Responding to reports of arrests on Wealden refuse strike picket line, Charles Harrity, the GMB union Senior Organiser for Southern England, said: “The protests have been peaceful throughout. GMB understands three of the picketers were arrested today.

“At ACAS talks on Wednesday [25 May 2022], GMB made a counter offer to Biffa to settle the dispute, which included major concessions and which the company rejected.

“GMB remains ready to return to talks; anytime, any place, anywhere but the refuse workers of Wealden are determined to be paid enough to feed and support themselves and their families.”

What do you think of the strike?

• Do you support the workers holding out for more pay and better conditions, or do you think they should have accepted previous pay offers?

• What about Maria Caulfield’s offer of help — should Biffa have accepted and taken a seat at her negotiating table?

Let us know, by email, to: letters@hailsham.news

6 NEWS

JUNE 2022

For the latest local news, visit: www.Hailsham.News

FRESH LIVERY FOR HAILSHAM’S NEW TOWN CRIER H

ailsham’s new town crier, Terry Tozer has been officially announced in a short ceremony in the town centre recently, which coincided with the delivery of his brand new handmade livery.

Mr Tozer was appointed Town Crier in March following the retirement of Geoff Rowe after 12 years in the post. He will assist the Town Council and its partners to promote important community events, welcome guest dignitaries to the town and introduce an element of pageantry to special occasions.

These include the range of events scheduled for the bank holiday weekend to mark the Queen’s Jubilee.

The bespoke livery is made from doeskin wool, provided by the same wool mill which supplies the Coldstream Guards with the material for their livery.

Terry commented: “I am really very proud and honoured to have been chosen to represent Hailsham in carrying on the ancient and very British tradition of town crier and hope to do my very best to serve my community well in all its activities and celebrations. Jumping right in at the deep end next week with the start of Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee festivities. God Save the Queen!”

Town Clerk John Harrison commented: “There are currently over 200 town criers in the UK representing towns and cities, communicating in the oldest method available, by word of mouth. I am pleased that Hailsham is one of these and is able to enhance the image of our market town by having a town crier.”

“Terry was the ideal candidate for the role and. although former Crier Geoff Rowe left big shoes to fill metaphorically, Terry will be carrying out his new role in a brand-new livery of his own thanks to the support of the Town Council – and of course the livery-maker, who has given expert guidance from the outset on what goes where and what is traditional when agreeing on the overall design of the uniform.”

Subject to availability, as well as promoting the town’s community events, market and festivities, the town crier can be hired by individuals, groups, schools or commercial ventures for events and official openings, as well as charity events.

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8 NEWS

JUNE 2022

For the latest local news, visit: www.Hailsham.News

Councillor Steve Keogh lays a wreath on behalf of the Royal Navy

HAILSHAM MARKS VE DAY WITH MEMORIAL SERVICE D

ignitaries, councillors and representatives from the armed forces gathered in the town centre last month to mark VE Day (8 May).The service, which remembers the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany’s unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945, was led by Reverend Peter Clark and Elizabeth Snowdon, the Chairperson of Hailsham

and District Royal British Legion.

During the ceremony, a Falklands poem was read by veteran Rick Butcher and a VE Day poem by the Royal British Legion’s County President, Jean Rogers.

Wreaths were laid by representatives from the Navy, Army, Royal Air Force, Royal Marines, Hailsham Town Council and Royal British Legion at the town’s memorial.

Reverend Peter Clark and Jean Rogers, Royal British Legion County President

Reverend Peter Clark lays a wreath on behalf of the Hailsham and District branch of the Royal British Legion

For the latest local news, visit: www.Hailsham.News

JUNE 2022

NEWS 9

COOP GAZEBO DONATION Following an appeal in last month’s Hailsham News, staff at the Co-op Petrol Station in Polegate came forward to save the day. Damelza in Hailsham appealed for a new gazebo as theirs was damaged at an event and it couldn’t be used any more.

Cash to purchase a new one was donated by Co-op allowing Pam from Damelza (pictured) to continue fundraising at local events.

MAN FOUND DEAD IN STREAM

The Coroner was called to a quiet road in Hellingly last month after the body of a man was found in a stream. New Road was closed just after 11am, on May 14, after the body was discovered — the man was later pronounced dead at the scene.

A spokesperson from Sussex Police said: “The death is not being treated as suspicious and the coroner’s office has been informed.”

CHARITY GRANT APPLICATIONS ENCOURAGED

VANDALS STRIKE PARK TWICE IN A WEEK

Play equipment in Hailsham has been vandalised for the second time in a week. The Town Council is appealing for information after a swing was destroyed over the weekend (15 May). It comes after pink paint was thrown over play equipment at the Western Road Recreation Ground the previous week.

A spokesperson from Hailsham Town Council said: “It is believed that the damage this time, which involved cutting up part of the seat of the inclusive team swing, took place late on Friday. The swing was made unsafe to use and has now been removed.”

Anyone with information about who is responsible should contact the police immediately by calling 101.

Hailsham Town Council has reminded local organisations, groups and charities that applications can now be made for cash grants. Grant application forms are available for those intending to request funding for new or improved facilities, activities or projects from Hailsham Town Council’s 2023/24 grants budget.

Michelle Webber, Finance Officer at Hailsham Town Council said: “The Town Council is pleased to accept applications for grant funding from local groups and organisations in Hailsham and offer small-scale support to help them with their projects, events and other valuable work in the community.”

More information can be found on the Town Council website or by calling 01323 841702.

CAR PLOUGHS THROUGH CHURCH WALL Emergency services were called to an incident recently, when a car left the road and hit a wall. It happened around 1:45 on 7th May, at the Hailsham Free Church on South Road.

Fire, Ambulance and Police crews were called to the scene — there were no other vehicles involved in the crash. It is believed there were no injuries.

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10 EVENTS

JUNE 2022

HailshamEvents NETWORKING

HAILSHAM & DISTRICT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MONTHLY BREAKFAST NETWORKING MEETING

Thursday 9 June & Thursday 7 July at 7am B12 Bar & Kitchen, 12 High Street, BN27 1BJ Members £12, Non Members/Guests £15. Register and pay at: hailshamchamberofcommerce.co.uk/ next-meeting.

HAILSHAM LUNCH CLUB

Wednesday 15 June 2022 12.30pm-2pm B12 Bar & Kitchen, 12 High Street, BN27 1BJ

Are you holding a charity or non-profit event? For a FREE LISTING, submit details at: https://bit.ly/HN-Events or scan the code using your SmartPhone’s camera

Quality local traceable products and crafts, including fresh and cured meats, vegetables, herbs and plants, individually designed hand-made cards, fresh-laid eggs, honey, chutney, candles, beeswax body lotion and freshly made bread.

Every Saturday, 8.30am-1.30pm Vicarage Field, Hailsham, BN27 1BB

Find your favourites, such as The Jam Lady, Soaprecious, Ye Olde Sweet Shoppe, plus many more handcrafted and homemade products.

WEALDEN DEMENTIA ACTION ALLIANCE

BIZZYBIRDS NETWORKING GROUP FOR WOMEN

Sporting Memories clubs are open to anyone over the age of 50 who enjoy reminiscing about their experiences of watching or playing sport. These weekly clubs are friendly and welcoming, offering the chance to get together with like-minded people and share a love of sport! For more information contact emma.brooke@sussexcricket.co.uk. www. sussexcricket.co.uk/sporting-memories

Bizzybirds is a networking group for women in the East Sussex area. Coffee, chat, advice, growth, support, help and more! Meet like-minded women in business. Tell us about your business and make new connections. £8 booking via PayPal to jane@ bizzybirds.co.uk. Please do let them know you’re coming.

MARKETS

HAILSHAM FARMERS PRODUCE & CRAFT MARKET

Every Second Saturday, 9am-12.30pm Hailsham Cattle Market, Market Street, Hailsham BN27 2AG

THE SPORTING MEMORIES FOUNDATION Every Wednesday 10am-11.30am Polegate Community Centre, 54 Windsor Way, Polegate, BN26 6QF

HAILSHAM MEMORY CAFÉ

Second Thursday of the month, 2pm-4pm St Wilfrid’s Church Hall, South Street, Hailsham, BN27 3JG

Activities at each café as well as free refreshments For more information please call 01323 443322 Email: wellbeing@wealden.gov.uk Facebook: @ Friends of WDAA or go to wealden.gov.uk/dementia

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POLEGATE MEMORY CAFÉ

First Thursday of the month, 2pm-4pm Polegate Community Centre, Windsor Way Polegate, BN26 6QF

OTHER EVENTS

HAILSHAM COMMUNITY STREET MARKET

Hailsham Lunch Club is an informal networking group for anyone who does business in or around the Hailsham area. A chance for networking over a great lunch! Register for the Club and the event via https://hailshamlunchclub.co.uk/

Thursday 16 June 10am-12noon B12 Bar & Kitchen, 12 High Street, BN27 1BJ

For the latest local news, visit: www.Hailsham.News

26/05/2022 13:15

GLOBAL CAFÉ – FREE ENGLISH LESSONS Thursdays 10.30am-12pm Christchurch Hailsham, Ropemaker Centre, South Road, Hailsham, BN27 3GY

Qualified TEFL teachers. Classes suitable for all abilities. Children’s classes also available. Join us for refreshments at 10.30am – lessons start from 11am.

HAILSHAM LEGO® CLUB – INSTRUCTIONS NOT REQUIRED

Every Wednesday, 4.15pm-5.45pm Summerheath Hall, Summerheath Road, Hailsham, BN27 3DR

A friendly & fun LEGO-based weekly group to enjoy building & playing with LEGO. Over 100kg loose Lego to build with, along with sets, there is plenty to keep anyone busy. Over 4s. Adult supervision required.

Refreshments: Juice and biscuits for children; tea and coffee for adults. £6.00 per child per session, book at www.instructionsnotrequired.co.uk/ booking. For more information: facebook.com/ groups/instructnotreq

THURSDAYS RUNNING GROUP

Every Thursday — different starting points around Hailsham.

If you’ve ever thought about taking up running for either a hobby or exercise (or both) why not get involved in the Thursdays Running Group. Find the Facebook group for more information and join in!

HAILSHAM PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY — PRINT EXHIBITION 2022 Monday 20 June to Saturday 25 June, 10.00am-4.00pm.

Charles Hunt Centre, Vicarage Field, Hailsham, BN27 1BG

A display of members’ works. Entry to Exhibition is free and visitors will be able to enjoy some 150 displayed prints of the Society’s best work showing a wide range of subjects including of local scenes, landscape, natural history, travel, macro and abstract. Prints and cards (of some prints) are available for sale together with a raffle and refreshments. Everybody welcome. The Charles Hunt Centre is conveniently located adjacent to Waitrose where parking is available.

HAILSHAM ALLOTMENTS OPEN DAY Saturday 18 June 10am-3pm Battle Road, Hailsham, BN27

Come along and have a look around the allotments and find out what allotments are all about and the benefits of having an allotment. A good way of keeping fit and the comradeship and having fresh fruit and vegetables. Other groups involved in healthy living will be on site, including Hailsham FM. Tea/Coffee and food available. Vegetable and flower plants for sale

HAILSHAM YOUTH SERVICE

Square Youth Café, 1 Market Square: MondayFriday Schol Years, 7-8: 3.15pm-5pm | School Years, 9-12: 6.45pm-9pm Find Hailsham Youth Service at the Hailsham’s Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Celebrations

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12 ARTS

JUNE 2022

HailshamArts

BEHIND THE SCENES

BY TONY FLOOD

For the latest local news, visit: www.Hailsham.News

MR. JONES AT THE MOVIES THE GODFATHER

The Godfather sits in second place in the International Movie Data Base list of the best films ever made. Its immediate sequel sits in fourth. It was nominated for eleven Oscars and won three, including “Best Picture”. It cost $6,000,000 to make and so far, has taken $250,341,816 and it is certainly one of my favourites. This sometimes surprises me because I don’t like violent films and there are sections of this classic that are nothing short of brutal. It is though beautifully made.

The screenplay, based on Mario Puzo’s novel of the same name, took one of the Oscars, and deservedly so. From the opening scene in Don Corleone’s office to the stunning final sequence, you are drawn into a world that is alien and fascinating and alarmingly real. Made more so by the presence (allegedly but according to reliable sources) of actual gangsters in the extensive cast. Part of the mob’s uncomfortable relationship with the world of movies.

For those who don’t know, The Godfather is part of the story of Vito Corloene, a fictional character who arrived a penniless emigrant and rose to be the most powerful Mafia leader in the USA, and of his family and associates who support his criminal empire. When you have it all there is always someone who wants to take it from you, and it is that which drives the plot.

This masterpiece from Francis Ford Coppola will be screened at the Hailsham Pavilion on July 5th at 7.30. Please be in your seats by 7.15. Details are on the website. At £5 for members, this is an offer you can’t refuse…

THE LOST CITY

The Royal Hippodrome Theatre’s Strictly Showtime!, which is on every Wednesday evening until October 19th, 2022, is a dazzling summer variety production with something for every-one.

A family feel good factor is created by husband and wife producers Alex and Debbie Adams, with Alex also directing and having a starring role, while Debbie provides excellent choreog-raphy.

Add to that the superb vocals of another husband and wife, Barney and Paula Pout, who take time off from their gigs as Duality to deliver scintillating tributes to Dusty Springfield, Whitney Houston, Neil Diamond and Matt Monro.

The show is fronted by Grant Martins whose bubbly personality enables him to fully engage with the audience as he combines song and dance with comedy.

Star Bray gives a breath-taking rendition of Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again from The Phantom of the Opera — a real showstopper — and a pulsating tribute to Tina Turner with River Deep Mountain High.

There are other excellent performances by Laura May Sivers, Thomas Hackett and Nick Hollands, both as superb soloists and as group performers. I particularly enjoyed Laura, Paula, Star and Eliza Hackett’s tribute to The

Nolans with I’m In The Mood For Dancing.

Alex and Grant show great chemistry in comedy routine Two of a Kind, as do Alex and Laura with I Won’t Dance and Thomas and Star with The Song That Goes Like This.

Grant then emphasises his talent as a singer with a captivating version of Barry Manilow’s Even Now. Sarah Barden, Nikki Brook, Darcie Bennett, Emma Walker and Eliza Hackett give marvellous support with their invigorating dancing and singing.

The full company end the show in style with Night on the Town from Copacabana and Oh What A Night!, paying tribute to Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons/Jersey Boys.

The Lost City is a recently released action, adventure and comedy starring Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum and Daniel Radcliffe.

Bullock’s character is an author who is on a book tour with her cover model (Tatum) when they are kidnapped by Radcliffe, whose character is a Bond style baddie called “Abigail”.

Abigail, who seems to have an infinite supply of money and minions to throw away, is convinced that Loretta Sage (Bullock) knows where the legendary “Crown of Fire” is to be found and demands that she shows him.

Enter now Brad Pitt in a movie stealing cameo as “Jack Trainer”, a hero recruited to rescue them who is clearly meant to be the real-world version of Tatum’s fictional character “Alan”, down to the detail of the flowing blond locks.

I would watch the whole film for those precious minutes when Pitt is doing his thing with such style and gusto! Fortunately, once you take on board that everyone has their tongue firmly in their cheek, the rest of the movie is also very entertaining, particularly when Da’Vine Joy Randolph, as literary agent turned hero, is in hot pursuit.

You can catch it at the Pavilion between the 10th and the 12th of June and, if you are looking for a visually spectacular comedy which everyone clearly had a great time making and which cost a lot of money, you should!

LAURIE’S POEM CORNER

Hopefully this poem Armistice will resonate just the same with everyone as it describes being busy and rushing about and with “no time to think”, so of course we must take a break, rest and regroup ourselves. Sound familiar and about right to you? Please enjoy my poem

ARMISTICE

I would like a break or an armistice Even a respite, but please don’t scoff, For I feel a bit like that old sixties film Called “stop the world I want to get off”.

Because sometimes you feel swept along A bit like flotsam on a rushing tide, Leaving you helpless and out of control With an uneasy feeling deep inside.

For on the occasions life is hectic And all seems manically gushing, It can actually be a productive joy But not if no plan to the rushing, And trying to fit everything into Pressured time scales and dates, That will ensure forms of panic And restless and tired states.

Therefore you must slow it down And allow time for a healthy cough,

But still uttering those desperate words Please stop the world I want to get off.

For sometimes if any troubles come It helps if we see what’s going wrong, Whilst that can be for many reasons If worries go where they don’t belong.

So an armistice or any short truce Can help assimilate how you feel, With some recollections and clarity Of what was right and actually real, Because in sad and emotional times The exact facts can slip from sight, So an armistice gives a good chance To address wrongs and put them right.

I have a Facebook page “The Psychy Poet Laurie Wilkinson”, and a website: www.lauriewilkinson.com Please sign/join up absolutely free.

For the latest local news, visit: www.Hailsham.News

HailshamShopping

JUBILEE PREPARATIONS

BY VIKTORIA COWLEY

The Jubilee preparations that have taken over our lives for the past six months have just started to feel real! The flags and bunting went up in the High Street a few weeks ago suddenly people are really starting to talk about the Jubilee with some true excitement and affection for the town.

Over the last two weeks we’ve watched the town explode into life as shopfronts adorn the official purple Platinum Jubilee logo and dress their windows with Union Flags and other memorabilia.

We’re really looking forward to the Jubilee events and hope you’ll come and join us for this memorable occasion.

JUNE 2022

SHOPPING 13

FEATURED BUSINESS

SWEETHEART PARTY BOUTIQUE 14A GEORGE STREET, HAILSHAM, EAST SUSSEX, BN27 1AE

CRACKING START FOR NEW COOKIE BUSINESS

Cookie and coffee lovers flocked to Hellingly Country Park to officially welcome new business, Cookie Combo on Sunday 22 May. Lauren Greenfield, owner of Cookie Combo has been working diligently to get the mobile food van converted. She needed to incorporate the catering facilities required to provide delicious homemade cookies, barista drinks and other yummy savoury treats.

Lauren gave up her hairdressing business of 21 years and has taken the plunge to change her career as she’s always wanted to get into the catering side of things.

Initially serving the Hellingly Country Park for a few days a week, she’ll see where the business goes after that. She’s hoping to attend school fairs and events in the future.

Lauren told Viktoria, “My husband is a General Manager of a catering company and being a trained chef, I have drained him of all his knowledge,” she jokes.

“He does a lot of functions and things like that, so it’s been great having a lot of information on that side.

Visiting Lauren on her ‘maiden voyage’ to the Hellingly Country Park, we were surprised to find that the van has an oven installed enabling her to cook the cookies and cheese twists right there — and you can’t get fresher than that!

“I literally haven’t stopped since we opened at 11 o’clock today. I didn’t expect so many people would turn up. I just thought a few friends and family would come along to support me, but it’s been crazy!” Lauren remarked.

To find out where Lauren will be and when, check out her Facebook page: www.facebook.com/coo.kiecombo And that’s just how the cookie crumbles!

Contact Lauren Greenfield Email: cookiecombo@hotmail.com Facebook: @coo.kiecombo Phone: 07730 500284

I feel we must give a massive shoutout to local business Sweethearts Party Boutique for giving her such a headache in the preparations to the Jubilee events. We’ve given Kim so much to think about and with every problem we have encountered, she‘s taken every challenge and has really stepped up.

Kim, who has been at the George Street location since October 2020 has turned what used to be a part time haberdashery business unit into a party, fancy dress, celebration boutique and cram-packed it full of items anyone would be proud to have at their event.

We’ve been on the phone constantly giving Kim another job to do for a problem we’ve encountered, and she’s tackled it so enthusiastically and shown us her abundance of ideas.

We’d like to thank Kim for her diligent hard work in ensuring the Jubilee decorations are truly show-stopping for the town we all love and are proud to call it our home for this once-in-a-lifetime memorable occasion ensuring that it’s going to go down in history, which is all we hoped for.

Contact Kim Hamblin • Phone: 07979 156382 Web: www.sweetheartspartyboutique.co.uk • Facebook: @sweetheartspartyboutique

JUBILEE DAY • CELEBRATE AND SPEND LOCALLY

PROMOS, DISCOUNTS & OFFERS

SATURDAY 4 JUNE, ALL DAY, HAILSHAM TOWN CENTRE Promotions, discounts and special offers at participating town centre shops, eateries and service providers!

Offers/promotions apply on 4 June only.

ELLA’S BOUTIQUE, 41 High Street: 20% OFF all stock in store HUCKLEBERRY HAIR, 8 High Street: 20% OFF all services and products FLOWERS BY MAYBUGS, 26 Vicarage Field: £35 FLORIST CHOICE BOUQUET FOR JUST £30 (in-store orders only) MAYBUGS, 27 Vicarage Field: 10% OFF everything MsMATCH, 12 St Mary’s Walk: 20% OFF everything in the shop SIMPLY WEIGH, 2b St Mary’s Walk: 20% DISCOUNT on chocolates SPECIAL OCCASIONS, 6 High Street: 20% DISCOUNT on all greetings cards and gift purchases SALVATION ARMY SHOP, Quintins Centre: 35% OFF all bric-a-brac and men’s and ladies’ clothing TYING THE KNOT BRIDAL BOUTIQUE, 1 St Mary’s Walk: FREE TIARA with every wedding gown purchased SUNDAY 5JUNE: MEET THE CHARITIES AND NON-FOR-PROFIT ORGANISATIONS AT THE JUBILEE Care for the Carers | Craftyannies Home | Demelza Hospice Care for Children | Fighting Fit | Hailsham & District Chamber of Commerce | Hailsham & District U3A | Hailsham Bonfire Society | Hailsham Cricket Club | Hailsham Festival of Arts & Culture | Hailsham FM | Hailsham Harriers | Hailsham Hockey Club | Hailsham Library | Hailsham Royal British Legion | Hailsham Youth Service | Kids Count Project Hailsham | Muma Nurture | Raystede Animal Rescue Centre | Sunflowers Mental Health & Well-being CIC | The Psychy Poet | Wealden Writers

14

JUNE 2022

Call 07964 573560

For the latest local news, visit: www.Hailsham.News

For the latest local news, visit: www.Hailsham.News

JUNE 2022

NEWS 15

Clerk Jenny Hoodless cuts the ribbon

DELAYED OFFICIAL OPENING OF COMMUNITY HUB TAKES PLACE

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wo years after the completion, Hellingly Parish Council formally opened the Hellingly Community Hub at a short ceremony held recently (19 May).

Residents witnessed the official opening and saw local charities and causes displayed inside the building. The 2022 Annual Parish Assembly followed the event.

Chairman of the Council, Councillor David White, said: “It may seem strange to be formally opening a building that has been used for some time, but the Council had wished to hold a formal opening ceremony to both arrange a blessing of the building and to thank the many organisations and people who had contributed to its success.”

Councillor David White

Hellingly Parish Council Clerk, Jenny Hoodless told Hailsham News: “We wanted it to bring the community together because, in Hellingly, you have a lot of new developments being built. So it’s quite difficult to blend the two, and so we hope the Hub will bring people together.”

Mr White thanked, in particular Wealden Planning Officers, for allowing the Parish to take control of the delivery of a new community facility and the developers, Persimmon, Bovis and Bellway, for agreeing to the Council having control of the funds and the building contract. He also thanked Tim Bishop of TDS Southern, who project managed the build and the main contractors, HD Building and Carpentry, who oversaw the

building work and coordinated the subcontractors.

Councillors Bryan and Gill Hesselgrave, Chris Jackets and Penny Milne, who formed the project team and Jenny Hoodless, the Parish Clerk, were also mentioned for their work. Support over recent years has come from Hailsham Co-Op, Hailsham Rotary, Sussex Police, Tesco, Thorpe Gardens, Stavertons Nursery and Waitrose with goods and cash donations.

Reverend Jeremy Sykes blessed the building before the opening, followed by the presentation of a cheque from Hailsham Rotary Club for £500. The money will go towards the cost of providing the many free events being held in the Hub.

Hailsham Rotary Club presents Cllr David White with a £500 donation

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JUNE 2022

For the latest local news, visit: www.Hailsham.News

Photo credit: Neil Garret

BIG PLANS FOR HAILSHAM’S BIG TOP!

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ast Sussex School of Circus Arts (ESSCA) based in Hailsham is hoping to offer official qualifications in Circus Arts if a University partner is found. This school dedicated to the circus and performing arts, is based behind Knockhatch Adventure Park and has almost a hundred students and offers vocational courses in the circus arts.

Renato Pires, the school principal, said “Everyone here at ESSCA has been working very hard to make this happen and we hope we have the support of the local council and department of education.”

He added: “We are hoping to partner with local universities to deliver the Level 4 and 5 in higher education. We have everything in place to proceed with our courses, we just need an

awarding body to accredit the course.”

When complete, the company will be able to offer a Circus Arts Higher Education level 4/5 qualification. Students will undertake a variety of intensive, physical classes relating to circus-related activities. The diploma will also include sessions in performance and movement which will allow students to gain an understanding of circus arts in a wider

context.

ESSCA has been working with projects to support the community through the circus arts including programs such the HAF with East Sussex Council and the Department of Education.

Renato concluded: “We believe that here and in the world of circus arts, there is a space for everyone.”

For the latest local news, visit: www.Hailsham.News

JUNE 2022

MAYOR AND CHAIRMAN VOTED IN AT ANNUAL MEETING

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ong-serving local councillor Paul Holbrook has been voted to serve a fourth year as Town Mayor and Chairman at the Annual Meeting of the Town Council, held at the James West Community Centre on Wednesday 18th May. The Annual Meeting also voted in Councillor John Puttick for a second consecutive year as Deputy Town Mayor and Vice-Chairman, as well as various representatives for local community organisations.

A long-serving member of the Town Council, Councillor Holbrook also represents Hailsham on Wealden District Council. A builder by trade, he has lived in Hailsham for nearly 50 years, having raised a family here with his wife, Barbara Holbrook, who is also a Hailsham town councillor.

Councillor Holbrook’s long-term vision is for a town that is community-driven, with a positive and cooperative mindset — and will continue working towards helping the local community in its recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and work with project partners and stakeholders to make the town become an attractive focus for the growing population of Hailsham.

During his address, Councillor Holbrook stated that it will be another busy year ahead for the Town Council and looks forward to contributing to its future achievements, including continuing to help provide more facilities for Hailsham and helping towards revitalising the town.

“Thank you to everyone for having faith in me to carry out the duty of Mayor and Chairman for a fourth year,” said Cllr Holbrook. “I am deeply honoured to continue on as Mayor, yet, despite the many privileges associated with the role, I am aware of the burden of responsibility which it brings as an ambassador and representative of the people of Hailsham.

“A lot can be achieved in our town and, as Town Mayor, I will endeavour to work with different groups of people to overcome the challenges we face in the future. Hailsham is a special place, and I will work hard to ensure that it remains so.”

TOWN CENTRE RETAIL UNIT VACANCY RATE IN HAILSHAM Latest figures show that Hailsham town centre falls well below the current regional and national averages of vacant ground floor commercial units. According to a recent vacancy rate survey conducted by Springboard, the percentage of vacant ground floor units in Hailsham currently stands at 6.2%, a steady drop from the 6.7% recorded in January 2022. This also compares to a current regional/Southeast average of 9.9% and national average of 11.2%.

During the past few years, the town centre has welcomed a range of new businesses, including those which have expanded and subsequently relocated to larger premises and retail spaces.

Deputy Town Clerk and Business Enterprise Manager Mickey Caira said: “The percentage of vacant commercial units in Hailsham has decreased considerably during the

last quarter and still falls below the current regional and national averages, which is excellent news for Hailsham.

Hailsham is definitely the place to be for all shopping needs.

“The Town Council and Hailsham Forward have key priorities to work with local businesses to deliver plans to help address the issue of empty shops further and work towards a 100% occupancy rate for retail and business units.”

ADVERTORIAL: HAILSHAM TOWN COUNCIL UPDATE 17

PUBLIC ATTENDANCE AT TOWN COUNCIL MEETINGS

Hailsham Town Council warmly welcomes the public to observe all of its meetings, with the exception individual items of confidential business, meetings which are confidential and informal workshops. At these meetings, residents are invited to address members during the 15 minutes set aside for this purpose at the start of each meeting.

Members of the public are welcome to stay for the duration of a Full Council meeting after the public session as observers, but will not be able to join in the discussion unless invited to do so by the Chairman.

Members of the public may be excluded by a resolution of the meeting for specific items which need to be discussed in confidence (e.g. tenders for contracts, staffing matters, some legal issues).

Members of the public are also welcome to attend individual committee meetings, which are normally held in the Fleur de Lys Meeting Room in Market Street.

“Local government needs local people,” said Town Clerk John Harrison. “The Town Council is determined to make Hailsham a great place to live, work and learn and residents can get involved by attending, observing, making an enquiry or raising an issue relating to Town Council services at our regular meetings.

“Council meetings are a great way to learn first-hand how local decisions are made and the Town Council is committed to community engagement. So, if there is an issue you think is important or where you believe the Town Council can make improvements you may want to bring it to the attention of members, please do consider observing some of our meetings.”

A full schedule of Committee meetings, in addition to bi-monthly meetings of Full Council, is available to view on the Town Council website: hailsham-tc.gov.uk

NEW YOUTH CLUB OPENS ITS DOORS IN HAILSHAM

A new youth club opened its doors recently, which will engage young people in Hailsham and the surrounding area. The continued expansion of Hailsham Youth Service’s operations and opening of a satellite youth centre in the town, ‘Eastside Youth Hub’ based at the Hailsham East Community Centre in Vega Close, has been well received by the town’s young people.

The Eastside Youth Hub now runs sessions on Thursday evenings at the following times, operating all year round: • 5.30pm-7pm: School Years 6-8 • 7.30pm-9pm School Year 9-11 (from September) Sessions are free to enter for local young people and offer activities such as table tennis, games, crafts, well-being and more, with light snacks and refreshments served. A programme of activities such as cookery and sports will also be included.

Hailsham Youth Service, managed and funded by the Town Council, currently operates the Square Youth Cafe in Market Square, the Monday Youth Hub at the James West Community Centre, and the Hellingly Youth Hub at the village’s Community Hub premises, as well as Friday Night Project activity sessions and support services for young people such as SafeHub and Sexual Health.

“The new Eastside Youth Hub provides a safe place for the young people of Hailsham to go to receive mentorship, acceptance and empowerment, and to have fun in a constructive way, as well as building community spirit and wellbeing,” said Youth Service Manager Andy Joyes.

“Eastside is a great addition to Hailsham and will provide a safe space for many young people, but also give them a range of great opportunities just like the young people who attend the Square Youth Cafe and our other centres receive.

“Within growing communities, provision needs to be made for young people, and by running an additional free centre catering for 11-16 year olds, our hope is to encourage them to take part in other activities run by Hailsham Youth Service if they don’t already, such as the Friday Night Project.”

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JUNE 2022

For the latest local news, visit: www.Hailsham.News

RESIDENTS MARK THREE MONTHS SINCE UKRAINE INVASION

David Griffin from Hailsham Parish Church

Ukraine nationals attend the memorial alongside Hailsham residents

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ewly arrived Ukrainian families were amongst the people who attended a small memorial service to mark three months since Russia invaded Ukraine.

In an emotional ceremony, the Ukrainian National Anthem was played, a small speech was given by Hailsham resident Sharon Szczotka, and a blessing was read by Hailsham Church Curate David Griffin. Councillors and residents lit candles at the War Memorial in the town centre.

Sharon Szczotka recently returned from a trip to Ukraine to deliver aid with her husband, which the Ukraine Army unloaded just over the border.

She told us: “After this trip, I delivered aid to mothers and children in a displacement centre and travelled 3000 miles in five days — it moved us to tears on many occasions. I then focused on finding a refugee to come and live with us, followed

by all the visa applications and subsequent paperwork, which was ridiculously long-winded and tedious.”

She added: “All the while the third month anniversary was approaching, so with our guest now in situ and seeing the fear in her, I wanted to do something to show her how much people care and provide her with the opportunity to meet other locals and Ukrainians. While not attended by many, the gathering was lovely, intimate, and well-received. Many of the Ukrainian guests were moved to tears while playing their national anthem, and the group continued to chat for over an hour afterwards.

Sharon is now working on two further projects to deliver aid directly to a Monastery orphanage in Ukraine, housing 200 children, 75 of which are babies. The second is to assist Louisa Konstantina in organising a big social event for up to 150 Ukrainians and hosts in Uckfield in July.

Residents light candles in honour of Ukraine

COMMUNITY GATHERS TO TIDY UP ESTATE

Top picker: Harry Gibson receiving his prize

A Hailsham community spent an afternoon clearing up their estate following a number of cases of vandalism and fly-tipping. Town Councillor Steve Keogh called for the Welbury Meadows and Grange Estate to come together to clear up the area around the James West Community Centre.

A team of 20 people gathered, and an organised litter pick took place, where trolleys, cans, dog pooh bags, scooters and broken glass were collected and disposed of.

A prize for the most collected litter went to nine-year-old Harry Gibson after the pick on 20th May. Litter pickers witness vandalism to the water rescue rings, recently planted trees, and dog pooh bags flung into shrubs.

Councillor Keogh told Hailsham News: “Given the recent bin strike, we as a community noticed a significant increase in litter in our area. It was so wonderful to see so many residents from the Welbury Meadows and Grange Estate North West Hailsham come

together as a ‘real community’ to enjoy a few hours together to litter pick our area. It brought together residents, their children after school, members of the Welbury & Grange Residents Association Committee, NW Councillor Kevin Lawrence and NW District Councillor Neil Cleaver, who came along to help.”

Thanks were expressed to Jill Watson, a resident and Wealden District Council worker, for providing all the materials which were needed as a community to complete this task.

JUNE 2022

For the latest local news, visit: www.Hailsham.News

JUBILEE SPECIAL 19

THE QUEEN’S PLATINUM JUBILEE

The photos – Hailsham Beacon

Wealden Brass Band performs prior to the Beacon lighting

Residents join in with Jubilee music

HAILSHAMBEACON LIT TO HONOUR PLATINUM JUBILEE PHOTOS: KYLE WELFARE, SY MARTIN AND IAN GOATCHER

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ore than a thousand residents witnessed the lighting of an official Beacon on the first day of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations on 2nd June. A series of performances were held in Vicarage Field to coincide with the national programme of events which has been hailed as ‘an evening to go down in history’.

The event was attended by Deputy-Lieutenant Voilet Hancock who lit the Beacon at 21:45, the same time as 1,500 other beacons around the UK. Prior to that, crowds were entertained by Eastbourne drumming group, Stix.

They were followed by the Wealden Brass Band which played traditional patriotic music as well as some more modern numbers.

As the sun set over Hailsham, the official Beacon lighting programme was kicked off by Highland Piper, Ryan Jinks playing Diu Regnare as a personal tribute to Her Majesty the Queen, which was followed by Bugler Neal Bland performing a unique call called Majesty.

At 21:45 precisely, Hailsham Voices performed Song for the Commonwealth whilst the beacon was successfully lit to a massive cheer from the crowd and red flares lit by the Hailsham Bonfire Society.

The official photographs were then taken which will be sent to the Queen’s Pageantmaster who is compiling a special book of photographs which will be presented to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth.

Throughout the evening, Hailsham Parish Church was lit red, white and blue with special LED units supplied by local specialists Accord AV. The beacon lighting event was organised by Hailsham News, on behalf of Hailsham Town Council, which paid the costs related to the evening.

Abbie Marsden from Hailsham Voices

The crowds enjoy the free town centre entertainment

Stix Drummers Town Crier Terry Tozer, Dave Chapman from Hailsham Bonfire, Councillor Neil Cleaver and Piper Ryan Jinks

Deputy-Lieutenant Violet Hancock with Mr TIm Hancock

Event organiser Paul Gibson, Hailsham Mayor Paul Holbrook, Wealden MP Nusrat Ghani, DeputyLieutenant Violet Hancock and Mr Tim Hancock

Hailsham Parish Church Lit in Red, White and Blue.

Deputy-Lieutenant Violet Hancock lights the Official Beacon

The beacon was lit at the same time as 1,500 others across the UK

20 JUBILEE SPECIAL

JUNE 2022

For the latest local news, visit: www.Hailsham.News

THE QUEEN’S PLATINUM JUBILEE

The photos – Family Fun Day

Now I’m here — Queen Tribute headline the event

Compere Jonny keeps the crowd rocking

‘ONE OF LARGEST EVENTS IN SOUTH-EAST’ ROCKS WESTERN ROAD REC

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PHOTOS: SY MARTIN

ore than five thousand residents enjoyed a full day of fun, games, entertainment sports and food at the town’s official Platinum Jubilee Family Fun Day. It took place at the Western Road Recreation Ground on the last day of the celebrations (June 5) and was home to a huge stage, a large screen and a number of charities hosting games, competitions and fundraising activities.

Juliette Parkin from BBC South-East Today broadcast live from the event and described the celebrations as the ‘One of the largest in the South-East’.

The event was created to give a place for residents to come together after two years of not being able to do so, and celebrate the landmark occasion. Funded by Hailsham Town Council, it offered nine hours of music, games and staged entertainment from compere Jonny Walker and MC, local radio presenter Neil Povey.

Hailsham News organised the day on behalf of Hailsham Town Council, and wanted it to be as traditional as possible, with fancy dress competitions, dancing contests, tug of war and old-fashioned fairground games on various stands from local causes and charities.

Paul Gibson, organiser of the event said: “It was amazing to see the town come together at last, with no COVID restrictions, to celebrate an occasion that won’t happen again for many generations to come.”

He added: “We wanted to create a day where visitors came and relaxed with their friends and family with a picnic and enjoyed a great line-up of entertainment which is exactly what happened.”

Dance and games kept the whole family entertained

BBC South-East today broadcasts live from the event

Competition winners were treated to a special prize which was a commemorative Platinum Jubilee medal engraved with the event date. Only seventy of these were produced and given out to children who took part in the dancing and competitions. I’d also like to send massive thanks to the volunteers who helped plan and run the event on the day from litter picking to making sure the entertainment ran smoothly. It was only possible with the help from these amazing people.”

Enjoying the Royal spirit

WATCH THE FAMILY FUN DAY HIGHLIGHTS

Visitors enjoy their picnics

Kids get a chance to box at the Fighting Fit stand

Sjaan Dance Academy perform a dance dedicated to the Queen’s Reign

Over 5,000 residents attended

Children took part in competitions on stage

Royal British Legion Hailsham Branch raise money for the Poppy Appeal

Bucklers Caterers supplied hot food for visitors

Residents settle in for full day programme

Fancy dress competitors

Craig Ward — just one of the volunteers who kept the event running

JUBILEE SPECIAL 21

JUNE 2022

For the latest local news, visit: www.Hailsham.News

Neil Povey, the Jubilee MC

Families enjoy the free entertainment on stage

Local children and families get into the spirit

Jodie Doody performs as Kylie

Rosie Page performs music from the decades

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JUNE 2022

For the latest local news, visit: www.Hailsham.News

THE QUEEN’S PLATINUM JUBILEE

The photos – Street Parties

SUMMERHEATH ROAD RESIDENTS STREET PARTY

JUBILEE FEVER AT TRADITIONAL STREET PARTIES

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PHOTOS: PAUL GIBSON

oad closures were put in place across the town over the Bank Holiday weekend, to allow residents to celebrate with a traditional street party. Various parties took place from Thursday through till Sunday 5th June when neighbourhoods covered their streets with flags and bunting and enjoyed games, picnics and even a full-blown disco.

Famous for their street parties at key events, residents in Summerheath Road took to the street and decorated most homes with handmade bunting and used the road to display their baking efforts and share stories from previous Jubilee celebrations in the town.

Homeowners in The Cedars used their ‘Cabbage Patch’ area to celebrate under a number of decorated gazebos and a barbeque with locally sourced products.

Rosemary, Scarlett, Amy and Elsie Selby at their street party

THE CEDARS RESIDENT PARTY

For the latest local news, visit: www.Hailsham.News

JUNE 2022

MONKSEY’S MUTTERINGS

GETTING THINNER No…not me! I heard that chubby people are harder to kidnap and I’m not taking any chances, it must be true because I have never been kidnapped.

I was actually referring to the products that we see on the supermarket shelves, especially the ones that taste good such as bacon, chocolate eclairs, wagon wheels and more.

Having bought a pack of bacon recently I was in awe of how thin they are able to slice it without the bacon falling apart, it’s the technological equivalent of slicing a tree trunk into A4 paper so I assume it must be done with lasers, soundwaves or nano-robots with microscopic scalpels.

Sliced bread is another product that has had the Marjorie Dawes treatment (Google it if you’ve never heard of her!) as what we term as thick-sliced was once upon a time known as medium, I’m not even sure there was a thinly sliced loaf when I was growing up, but I do know that one decent dollop of ketchup on a bacon sandwich is probably thicker than the bacon and the bread put together in some instances.

I even bought a Chelsea bun (first baked in the 18th century at the Bun House in Chelsea, hence the name…informative as well as humorous) which looked flatter than five-day old cola, when did these morsels of delight end up so thin that you couldn’t wedge a poorly-fitted door open with?

Everything is getting thinner apart from me, we even have ‘Slim Fit’ clothing now but I’m pretty sure that will never be purchased by me. In fact, I’m thinking of launching a new clothing range that’s only available in ‘Flubber Fit’ which is aimed at the more curvaceous demographic of fashionistas.

Look out for summer range of XXL T-shirts emblazoned with ‘Not Easy to Kidnap’ and a winter range of pullovers and cardigans with the advertising slogan of ‘chunky knits for chunky bits’, these will NOT be available in S, M, L or even XL as ‘Flubber Fit’ sizing only starts at XXL so if you are size M then you’ll need to visit some of Hailsham’s cafés, bakeries and restaurants before you can be a fashion statement.

The irony of all this is that food is getting thinner whilst I am getting fatter, although Gordon Ramsey always says that fat is flavour…that means that I must be absolutely delicious!

Until next time people!

Brad Monks, www.verymagic.co.uk

NEWS 23

24 NEWS

JUNE 2022

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JUNE 2022

R Butler & Sons Funeral Directors – First Prize

R Butler & Sons Funeral Directors – First Prize

JUBILEE SHOP WINDOW DISPLAY WINNER ANNOUNCED S

hops and businesses throughout the town have been joining in with the Jubilee spirit by decorating their windows for customers to enjoy. The displays have seen anything from simply Union Jack bunting to showing memories and souvenirs of the Coronation and previous Jubilee celebrations.

The hunt to find the best-dressed window took place in the run-up to the extended bank holiday weekend which saw judges take to the streets to find a winner.

Barbara Holbrook, Mayoress of Hailsham, Paul Gibson from Hailsham News and Fred Palmer from the Hailsham and District Chamber of Commerce teamed-up to see who had put the most effort into their displays.

It was decided that R Butler & Sons Funeral Directors based in South Road was the overall winner because of their extensive display of images and information dating back from 1952. It included a large montage of photographs of Her Majesty the Queen along with a tree made from red, white and blue balloons.

The Runner-Up prize has gone to the Damelza Charity Shop in the High Street. Across three windows, the staff displayed a stunning dress almost resembling that worn by Queen Elizabeth during her Coronation, along with a model of the crown jewels. There was also a stunning montage on display of images of The Queen from throughout the decades.

Other Commended displays included those at both Maybugs stores, Hot Dogs Grooming, Bloomfields Florist and the Salvation Army Charity Shop.

The Winner and Runner-up will be presented with a trophy by Mayor Paul Holbrook during the Jubilee celebrations.

Damelza Charity Show – Runner Up

Salvation Army – Commended

Bloomfields Florist — Commended

Flowers by Maybugs — Commended

Hot Dogs Grooming

26 NEWS

JUNE 2022

For the latest local news, visit: www.Hailsham.News

STRING TOWN

You may have heard this term before but wondered what it meant, especially if you’ve heard Hailsham referred to as String Town. Now, if you’ve never heard the term String Town before, let’s give you a little history lesson about one of Hailsham’s oldest businesses, Marlow Ropes. Chris Dabbs reports...

H

ailsham has been famous for quite a few things over the centuries such as the The Market that was given its Royal Charter way back in 1252 and the barracks and Grenadier Inn being built in 1803 for troops to get ready for an expected invasion of England by France.

But what should be remembered is that Hailsham has long been a known as a town that has made ropes for all sorts of uses and exported them all around the world.

The history of Hailsham is steeped in local industry. In 1807, saddle maker Thomas Burfield established a rope making factory

which earned the town the title of "String Town". It began as a cottage industry with the men working in the Rope Walks in the town, and eventually, the production of ropes was moved to the Old Brewery in the High Street.

Two rival rope makers also set up shops in Summerheath Road and South Road, providing the town with its main source of employment for many years.

Back then the process of making rope took lots of manpower and was very labour intensive. Twine and fibres were stretched in long building calls rope walks before being coiled together to make thicker ropes.

’S 1780 - 1830 1881 1941 1950’s 1953 1957 1960’s 1961 1970’s 1983 1990 2005 2007 2013 2018 2020 2020 & BEYOND

1807

THOMAS BURFIELD FOUNDED HIS ROPE COMPANY ’BURFIELD & SONS’ BASED IN HAILSHAM, EAST SUSSEX SPECIALISING IN NATURAL FIBRES.

MARLOW’S ANCESTORS HAVE LINKS WITH ROPES MADE FOR THE TITANIC.

FORMER BURFIELD & SONS EMPLOYEE GEORGE GREEN, SET UP A RIVAL ROPEMAKERS IN HAILSHAM CALLED ‘GREEN BROTHERS’.

GEORGE HAWKINS AND ALFRED TIPSON FOUNDED ‘HAWKINS & TIPSON’ BASED ON THE ISLE OF DOGS.

TODAY HAILSHAM HAS STREETS NAMED AFTER THE TOWN’S ROPEMAKING HISTORY.

HAWKINS & TIPSON BECAME VERY SUCCESSFUL AND BOUGHT GREEN BROTHERS IN HAILSHAM.

THE INTRODUCTION OF NEW SYNTHETIC MATERIALS WERE BECOMING MORE WIDELY USED IN THE INDUSTRY.

THE USE OF POLYESTER IN ROPES STARTED TO BECOME POPULAR.

12 YEARS AFTER ACQUIRING GREEN BROTHERS, HAWKINS & TIPSON ALSO ACQUIRE BURFIELD & SONS AND DOMINATE THE BRITISH ROPE MAKING INDUSTRY.

HAWKINS & TIPSON STARTED MANUFACTURING AND SELLING SYNTHETIC FIBRE ROPES TO THE YACHTING INDUSTRY AND INTRODUCED THE ‘MARLOW’ BRAND. 3 STRAND NYLON WAS THE FIRST ROPE MADE UNDER THE MARLOW BRAND.

THE ‘MARLOW’ BRAND BECOME INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN AS LEADERS IN THE YACHTING INDUSTRY. SAILORS REPLACED THEIR 3 STRAND HEMP ROPES WITH BRAIDED NYLON AND POLYESTER.

THE SUCCESS OF THE ‘MARLOW’ BRAND LED TO THE FOUNDING OF ‘MARLOW ROPES’.

MARLOW ROPES BLACK MARKER HAS BEEN TRADEMARKED FOR OVER 50 YEARS.

MARLOW ROPES INNOVATE WITH THE LAUNCH OF ‘MARLOWBRAID’ AND EXTEND OPERATIONS IN HEAVY LIFTING AND OFFSHORE MARINE.

HAWKINS & TIPSON RESTRUCTURED, BECOMING KNOWN AS ‘H&T MARLOW’ AND SUBSEQUENTLY AS ‘MARLOW ROPES LTD’ IN 1989.

MARLOW’S FAST ROPE WAS USED IN THE 1982 FAWKLANDS WAR.

MARLOW ROPES HOLDS ITS POSITION AS A DOMINANT FORCE IN ROPE MANUFACTURING, RESPECTED IN MILITARY, YACHTING, MOORING AND OFFSHORE MARINE MARKETS.

MARLOW ROPES WAS BOUGHT BY UK COMPETITOR, ‘ENGLISH BRAIDS’.

MARLOW’S FIRST CUSTOM TECHNORA® BLENDED ROPE WAS MADE, NOW KNOWN AS TECH50.

MARLOW’S GRAND PRIX SERVICE LAUNCHES THE BRAND AS MARKET LEADERS IN SUPPLYING HIGH PERFORMANCE ROPE TO TOP SAILING RACE TEAMS.

MARLOW ROPES EXPANDED INTO THE USA AND OPENED MARLOW ROPES INC. IN PLYMOUTH, MASSACHUSETTS.

MARLOW INTRODUCE COLOUR-MATCHED CORES INTO THEIR LEISURE MARINE RANGE.

MARLOW ROPES LAUNCHED THE FIRST ROPE MADE FROM RECYCLED PLASTIC INTO A NEW SUSTAINABLE RANGE CALLED ‘BLUE OCEAN®’.

MARLOW’S HQ OFFICE EXPANSION IS COMPLETED AND NEW MACHINERY IS BOUGHT TO ACCOMMODATE GROWTH.

MARLOW’S MISSION FOR ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS MANUFACTURING DRIVES BLUE OCEAN® RANGE INTO WORKING AT HEIGHT AND ARBORICULTURE INDUSTRIES.

MARLOW’S SUSTAINABLE BLUE OCEAN® YARN IS TRADEMARKED.

PRINCESS ANNE VISITING MARLOW ROPES

over 200 years of innovation in every fibre Marlow History Education board with images.indd 1

10/09/2021 12:35

NEWS 27

JUNE 2022

For the latest local news, visit: www.Hailsham.News

1957 Marlow Ropes advert in Yachting World

1963 Marlow Ropes advert

Rope Walk

So that explains why the town’s history of rope making is honoured by the statue of a rope puller outside Tesco.

Images courtesy of Marlow Ropes

HISTORY

Rope Coil

Some of Marlow’s ropes have a dark history as they were the official Hangman’s rope used in the justice system across the British Empire.

After the Second World War, Marlow ropes in Hailsham moved away from using natural fibres to creating technical ropes for many uses, including yachting and boating, made from new materials such as Terylene.

In the 1950s, Marlow Ropes was absorbed into the Hawkins and Tipson Rope Group, a company that had been founded by Alfred Tipson and George Hawkins in 1881.

As well as ropes for yachts, Marlow’s ropes are now used for all kinds of technical uses from vehicle recovery winches, to the film sets of Hollywood blockbusters.

Armed forces from around the world also use Marlow Ropes for their special operations teams and forestry workers rely on Marlow ropes to stay safe when climbing trees.

Marlow has has grown into an international business with offices in the USA, London and of course Hailsham.

Having been associated with the Clipper Round The World Yacht Race for over 16 years, Marlow Ropes have produced a film to showcase how they produce their high performance Clipper Race ropes.

The video is a fascinating insight into the rope-making process and shows off the ropes' craftsmanship and expertise.

It also gives an insight into one of Britain's greatest manufacturing exports. You can watch it here: https://bit.ly/MarlowRopes Do you have any memories of working at Marlow over the years? Get in touch with us at editor@hailsham.news and let us know…we’d love to share your story.

28 LIFE & STYLE

JUNE 2022

For the latest local news, visit: www.Hailsham.News

Home | Health | Fashion | Food | Travel | Money

IT’S SKINCARE BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT F

or the last two years, we’ve largely been urged to work from home, and many of us found our grooming regimes changing as a result. The absence of a daily commute and early starts means we’ve been paying more attention to our skincare.

This in turn has led to a surge in demand for non-surgical cosmetic procedures such as “medical aesthetics” which are rapidly becoming increasingly accepted as an integral part of a beauty and wellbeing programme for both men and women.

Nearly a quarter of people are more interested in aesthetic treatments than they were before the pandemic.

Nine out of 10 cosmetic procedures in the UK are now nonsurgical and online searches for “aesthetic treatments” and “tweakments” grew by 50% from January 2020 to July 2021.

Local high streets have seen the arrival of medical spas (or “medispas”) that are appeasing our new-found appetite for medical aesthetics. Among the traditional spa pick-meups on offer such as facials and massages, medispas are also licensed to perform procedures that at one time could only be found in cosmetic surgeons’ clinics, such as Botox, microdermabrasion, laser hair removal and chemical peels.

Most people think of medical aesthetics as being purely for the reduction, reversal, or other treatments to minimise the signs of aging such as wrinkles, age spots, or loose and sagging skin. But it can also refer to treatments related to dermatological conditions or defects such as acne, prominent birthmarks or skin tags, and can also include treatments intended to disguise or diminish the evidence of surgical procedures.

Medical aesthetics can also combat areas such as the treatment of excess fat or cellulite, stretch marks, or other skin damage caused by obesity or rapid weight loss. There are even treatments to diminish or erase the appearance of scars, spider veins and other issues such as varicose veins, excessive sweating and skin discolouration.

With the majority of aesthetic treatments being more than “skin deep”, anyone offering such services in the UK requires extensive training. Health Education England (HEE) published a report in 2016 aimed at redefining the standard of training that practitioners should undertake before they can carry out aesthetic procedures. The industry is regulated by collaboration between several cosmetic associations and

overseen by two independent bodies: the Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners (JCCP) and the Cosmetic Practitioners’ Standards Authority (CPSA).

If you’re thinking of taking advantage of the many advances in medical aesthetics, please do your homework and check out the practitioner’s qualifications, experience and insurance by following these five simple steps: 1. Check they’re registered with a regulatory body like the GMC, NMC or DMC 2. Check they’re registered with a secondary regulatory body like the CQC or Save Face 3. Look for certificates for training and qualifications 4. Check for evidence they are up-to-date with the latest procedures, training and products 5. Confirm their clinic is insured and the products and equipment they use are licensed and genuine

WANT TO AVOID THE COWBOYS?

HERE’S HOW TO FIND A RELIABLE TRADER I f you’re planning some home improvements over the Summer, the key question will be where you can find reliable tradespeople with the right skills and experience for the jobs you have in mind. Most tradespeople are honest, competent, and hard-working. But, the Federation of Master Builders reports that one-third of homeowners are put off embarking on major home improvement works because they fear hiring a dodgy builder, and thousands of people call Citizens Advice every year seeking help with rogue traders.

So, where can you go to find recommendations for traders or services? Much of it depends on how much time you can spend on the research, but sometimes the biggest battle is knowing where to start looking. So we’ve gathered together some tips on some of the ways you can start to zero in on your ideal tradesperson.

ASK AROUND

There’s no substitute for word of mouth, so the first step is always to ask friends, family and neighbours who they’ve used for similar jobs in the past and who they’ve had good — and bad — experiences with. You’re more likely to get “warts and all” feedback from the people who know you well and it’s especially handy if you can inspect their handiwork for yourself!

CHECK INDEPENDENT SOURCES

Take a look at independent websites such as The Federation of Master Builders (fmb.org.uk), TrustMark, the UK Government’s trader scheme (trustmark.org.uk), Which?

Trusted Trader — free to use for all including non-members (trustedtraders.which.co.uk), or even your local council (search their website for “approved traders”).

Keep your eyes peeled while you’re out and about Take a stroll or a drive around your neighbourhood and look out for any building work going on. It’ll give you an idea of the builders who are active close by and who work locally, plus if you see a builder’s board, it’s a sign that at the very least this is a builder proud of their work and looking for more.

GET RECOMMENDATIONS FROM OTHER TRADESPEOPLE

If you’ve used a tradesperson before and liked what they did but you need a different service, ask them if they can recommend anyone. Most tradespeople get used to seeing the same familiar names around the sites they are working on and often have preferences for who they like to work with, and who they see as reliable.

LOOK THROUGH YOUR LOCAL NEWSPAPER!

Our newspaper is full of information on local tradespeople, many of whom have been advertising with us for a long time and have established a good local reputation for being reliable.

Finally, never use somebody who approaches you out of the blue. If people knock on your door and offer you unsolicited services always turn them away. There are lots of con artists who operate in this way, and no reputable trader gets work by cold-calling on strangers.

29

JUNE 2022

For the latest local news, visit: www.Hailsham.News

READERS’ LETTERS HAILSHAM TOWN COUNCIL — COALITION OF CHAOS

[This month] Steve Keogh, Hailsham North-West Conservative Town Councillor, stood for Mayor and Chair of the Council, offering to bring urgently needed new ideas, financial and business disciplines to the Town Council to assist it in moving forward in a very positive way to tackle the considerable financial and staffing challenges that it faces in the coming year.

Councillor Keogh appealed to the ruling Liberal Democrat & Independent TO READ MORE, Alliance to put aside the furtherance of political agendas in the interests SCAN THIS QR CODE of the Town & the Town Council and to utilise the talents of all members to help run the Town Council more effectively. Their response of these councillors was to furiously deny that they act as a political alliance, rebuff his overtures and moreover vote unanimously as a block to return the Liberal Democrat Mayor Paul Holbrook, who was initially proposed and seconded by two Independent Group Councillors.

ARTICLE IN MAY EDITION OF HAILSHAM NEWS — BY “CLINICAL ROTTWEILER” I just had to write in to compliment the article by the local GP Practice Manager — selfstyled “clinical rottweiler” for their honesty, passion, and the article’s touch of reality/ wakeup call that we all need as regards our beloved NHS. Until politicians of all political persuasions wake up to the fact that the ancient ‘free at the point of demand’ NHS strapline and our, (politically encouraged), exponentially increasing expectations of our NHS are simply neither sustainable or compatible practitioners will remain under intolerable pressure. Many of those incredibly dedicated, hardworking TO READ MORE, persons who have literally given their all and beyond to help look after SCAN THIS QR CODE us and keep us all safe during the Pandemic years are now maybe, quite understandably, feeling burnout, frustration, unloved and demoralisation at the way we all too often treat them. All opinions expressed in these letters are not the views of Hailsham News or any of its agents. The views and opinions are solely the views of the correspondents themselves. We take no responsibility for any views expressed.

Send your readers letters to: letters@hailsham.news

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HAILSHAM AND DISTRICT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE UPDATE

H

ailsham Chamber of Commerce’s last meeting on Thursday 5th May, at B12 Bar & Kitchen, High Street, Hailsham, was well attended and again continued our tradition of friendly breakfast networking meetings.

Many familiar and friendly faces turned up for this successful monthly meeting which is usually held on the first Thursday every month. However, June’s meeting is breaking from tradition to avoid clashing with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, celebrating 70 years of service. I, and the members of Hailsham Chamber of Commerce send our thanks and sincere

congratulations to Her Majesty, our longest serving monarch.

Hailsham Chamber of Commerce are pleased to be supporting Hailsham’s Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Event and will be having a stand on the Western Road Recreation Ground — Sunday 5th June, between 11am and 5pm.

Our Events Manager, Sam Beale has been busy and announced earlier this week that he had arranged an evening of Paddleboarding at Cuckmere Valley, followed by dinner and a drink at Polegate Harvester.

This event is one of a number of regular attractions for

LIGHTNING FIBRE ARRIVES IN HAILSHAM As Lightning Fibre rolls out their brand new Full Fibre network across Hailsham our very own Clive Soper, met with CEO Ben Ferriman to welcome them to our town.

Their new cabinet went into Hailsham on the 6th May 2022 and will supply over 5000 more homes and businesses with up to 1000Mbps of Full Fibre broadband!

Their broadband is perfect for those who need to work from home. With speeds up to 10,000Mbps and the best possible consistency you will be able to stream and video call without any interruptions at all. No more drop-outs. No more waiting.

Head to www.lightningfibre.co.uk for more information

members organised by Sam and can be booked on the Chamber website.

The June Breakfast Networking Meeting will be on Thursday 9th June 2022 at 7am for 7.15am breakfast, at B12 Bar & Kitchen.

Finally, I would like to congratulate Councillor Paul Holbrook for being re-elected as Mayor last month.

We thank him for all his support in the past and look forward to working with him going forward on issues within Hailsham.

Clive Soper, Chair

HAILSHAM & DISTRICT BID UPDATE

Clive Soper meets Lightning Fibre CEO Ben Ferriman.

Clive Soper, President and Mark Hallett, BID Co-ordinator had a very productive meeting with Wealden District Council to gain their support for the BID. All aspects of the BID were discussed, the significant benefits to ALL businesses within the BID area, the community benefits and the substantial effect the BID will have in supporting Wealden District Council’s Climate Emergency Declaration which took effect from the 24th of July 2019.

Next month, Clive and Mark hope to give more details of the BID and how it could benefit Hailsham and District to include Hailsham Town Centre, Hellingly, Herstmonceux, Westham, Polegate, Wilmington, Berwick, Laughton and Chiddingly.

FULLY-FUNDED BUSINESS GRANT WORTH UP TO £2000 ENDS IN JUNE

PADDLEBOARDING & DINNER Join us for a fun evening on Wednesday 8th June at 6.30pm (6.15pm arrival preferred) at Cuckmere Valley (Seven Sisters Canoe Centre) Exceat, Nr Seaford, East Sussex, BN25 4AD Followed by dinner and a drink at Polegate Harvester, 1 High St, Polegate BN26 5HA. (Arrival between 8.30pm-8.45pm).

Pricing: £20 for just Paddleboarding, £20 for just Dinner or £40 for both.

Open to all by visiting https://linktr.ee/HDCC. Limited spaces available so book yours today! Once booked and paid a menu will be emailed to all dinner guests where we request your meal choices ahead of the event.

Emma Pearce

Thank you to Emma Pearce from Pearce Marketing, one of Hailsham’s Chamber members, for alerting us to this final call for applications for a business grant from WSX Enterprise.

Your business could potentially receive £500 to £2000 for equipment/product purchases and/or marketing support, for example, and it’s simple to go for — you don’t spend a penny or submit loads of paperwork!

Read this blog for the key information www.pearcemarketing. co.uk/wsx-enterprise-funding/ and contact Emma and her team for more information on 01323 769130 or office@pearcemarketing. co.uk.

Just register your interest via https://digital.wsxenterprise.co.uk/

and, most likely, select to go for the funding called Adapting for Digital. After registering you’ll receive an email inviting you to set up a 1-2-1 with a business advisor, during which you’ll discuss your business and covid challenges and what you could potentially apply for.

Emma is helping a number of businesses with marketing projects that are fully funded via this scheme — including marketing planning, email marketing, social media ads, search engine optimisation and more. All applications need to be in before 17 June.

Emma Pearce, MD, Marketing Consultant, Social Media Trainer and Speaker. Tel: 07887 950552 or 01323 769130, visit: www.pearcemarketing.co.uk

For the latest local news, visit: www.Hailsham.News

THE HOUSING MARKET BOOM EXPLAINED As a Local Agent, and someone who actually lives in the town, the one question that always seems to come up time and time again is ‘How is the market at the moment?’ Sam Beale from Stevens and Carter explains…

Since the Stamp Duty holiday was introduced during the first lockdown (no drinks parties held at my house) the only answer I give is CRAZY, CRAZY CRAZY! Buying a property, whatever it may be, is usually the biggest investment we make in our lives, something we have a strong emotional bond with playing an important part in our lives. It is possibly why we all enjoy talking about property quite so much.

I feel like I have blinked and suddenly found myself two years into this mad market; where has the time gone? A market where a new listing receives between 50-70 enquiries, 20-30 viewings and 5-10 offers have become the norm. This is most noticeable within the two

ADVERTORIAL 31

JUNE 2022

to three-bedroom sector — there seems to be no quelling the flames, even in midst of all that is happening around the world, from the war in Ukraine to the Bank Of England playing with Interest Rates.

In our experience, the vast majority of purchases are currently being made by couples therefore, with their combined incomes, adding another 10-20k on a mortgage, is quite literally only costing a few more pounds per month even with the recent rate rises.

Combine this alongside their desperation to purchase and need to own a property, wouldn’t you do what it takes to get want you want?

To put this into context during May alone, four of our twenty-two listings this month have been three-bedroom semi-detached houses.

Across them, we received 209 enquires, carried out 139 physical viewings, collected 58 offers and achieved an average of £23,000 above the advertised guide price.

Why is this happening do I hear you say? We have all heard the phrase ‘Supply and Demand’. Simply put, it means there are far more buyers looking than properties available. Therefore, we have First Time Buyers, upsizes and downsizers alike — local and from further afield — clamouring over each other for the few new properties that become available.

This does make it more difficult to secure your next (or first) home, especially if many of these buyers are from more expensive areas, believe it or not, we do sympathise with you all.

How it works is as follows with viewing levels running so high, our sellers often prefer our tens of viewings to take place on an allocated day, this could be a morning or afternoon slot whichever works best for our clients. Following these appointments, we will invite all applicants to make an offer. After this process we generally end up having multiple offers on the table. We will then re-invite all the interested parties to make a ‘one fair chance for all’ best and final offer.

Once we have received these, we will use a trusted due diligence process taking into consideration the buyers position and the price they have offered. The final decision is always our clients.

Each Estate Agency will do things their way; we like to think ours is the right way. This includes launching our sellers’ properties onto the market using the latest and most immersive forms of media including 3D Virtual Tours and outsourced Professional photography (provided free to our clients with each listing). When a property appears on the several property portals we use, Rightmove, Zoopla and OnTheMarket our aim is to showcase them in the best possible way, in my opinion, completely unrivalled by any local competitor.

If you are thinking of selling now or in the near future please give us a call and arrange a free no obligation valuation and our MultiAward-Winning team will be on hand to help you.

STAR PROPERTY

STAR PROPERTY

ERSHAM ROAD

WOODLANDS CLOSE

‘OIEO’ £650,000

‘OIEO’ £450,000

Situated set back from Ersham Road we are pleased to present this beautifully and immaculately presented detached and versatile family home.

Inside you enter into a spacious entrance hall leading through into the triple aspect 23FT lounge, a modern kitchen breakfast-room with utility room too. Also from the hall is a further reception room and what is presently used as a home office but could easily be a downstairs bedroom. Upstairs there are three very good sized bedrooms, again all very presented, they all have built-in storage and the main benefits an ensuite shower room and there is also a family bathroom. The garage has been converted into a perfect office space or children’s play room perhaps, there is also the possibility to re-instate a shower room within this too.

Outside to the rear is a sunny aspect garden with lawned and decked areas, a summer house and store, while to the front is off road parking for three vehicles.

If location, location, location is what is important to you then this three-bedroom detached bungalow could well be for you. Located within the highly sought after Hawthylands residential area of North Hailsham situated at the end of a select close. The property benefits from a spacious L-shaped lounge/dining room, a kitchen, three bedrooms, an en-suite bathroom and a further shower room. Outside there is a long driveway to a detached garage and wrap around mature gardens. Finally, there is gas fired central heating and uPVC double glazing.

Please take a look at our 3D Virtual Tour online teamed up with our professional photography before calling us for an accompanied viewing.

Stevens and Carter • www.stevensandcarter.co.uk • Hailsham: 01323 840444 • Lettings: 01323 840666

Tips for buyers looking for their dream home in Hailsham There is no doubt that the property market is difficult for buyers at the moment.

By Mike Crane, owner and managing director of Crane & Co

Use the internet This is nigh on a moot point as the internet is such a force in all our lives nowadays. Many people begin their online browsing many months before making a move. This gives you a good impression of what’s available in your price range. Try not to limit your ‘must-have’ features using the online filters. You could miss something simply because of an input error.

Speak to estate agents

Searching for your next home can be an exciting process, but it can also feel daunting and frustrating at times. Take a look at our suggestions below – we hope they will help you to stay as calm as possible during your house hunting journey.

Get your ducks in a row There is little point going shopping without your wallet. The same thing applies to property.

Before you even begin looking for a property, make sure you have spoken to an independent financial adviser first. They will help you uncover the possibilities and ensure you’re starting your search with a realistic budget in mind.

The best way to find out about the best properties for you and your needs is to speak to the experts.

The estate agents that cover your preferred area will hear about properties coming to the market long before paperwork, photos, videos, etc. are done and finally put online.

Also, estate agents are trained to hear the ‘needs’ in your description of your dream home. When we search for ourselves, we can struggle to find what we really need because we’re too focused on what we ‘want’.

Be patient It can seem really tempting to go looking at properties before your house has sold, or before your inheritance has landed, or however you’re funding the purchase. This is the quickest way to heartbreak.

If you aren’t sold or able to proceed with the purchase straightaway, the seller is unlikely to take it off the market. You then will lose out to someone who was in a better position than you.

Wait to view homes ‘in the flesh’ until you’re ready to buy. It saves you a lot of time and heartache.

Don’t go in too low When you find the right property and you’re in a position to make an offer, don’t start your negotiations with a low offer. It’s normal to try a ‘cheeky’ offer but if you start really low, you risk offending the sellers. Once that’s happened, people’s defences are raised and even if you offered over the asking price, they might not want to sell to you on principle.

If you really want the property, just pay the right price.

If you’re looking for your dream home in Hailsham, get in touch with us on 01323 440678 and we can chat through your ‘must-haves’, ‘would-likes’, and the whole process.

If at first you don’t succeed The highs and lows of first-time buyers, Jim and Pip.

By Julie Brooksbank, client contact director at Crane & Co

must have, e.g., off road parking, and what might be a nice to have, e.g., downstairs WC. However, Jim and Pip had really done their homework with area knowledge, the property was the perfect size for them, and so they offered what they felt they could afford.

I met Jim and Pip in April last year, they are in their mid-twenties, very likeable and excited to begin the hunt for their new home (albeit amidst a pandemic).

Everything was in place – they knew how much they could borrow, had a Mortgage Agreement in place ready, had saved a great deposit (enhanced by the lockdowns) and had open minds to what their budgets might produce.

The first property we viewed they loved so much so they put forward an offer!

We encourage buyers to view several properties so that you can start working out what you can expect to get for your money and your compromise list. Over time you start figuring out what really is a

Sadly, their offer wasn’t accepted.

Interest in the property was huge and they didn’t feel confident in increasing their offer.

Over the summer period, we went on to view 10 properties together.

When I reflected on this time with Pip, she mentioned it felt quite deflating not to be successful with her offer, though each property viewed – gave them ideas for home improvements. She also realised the importance of viewing twice, often when you’re viewing multiple properties they can easily merge into each other.

They offered on several properties and were “pipped” to the post (pardon the pun) until they successfully offered on a property, only to have the seller change his mind about moving a couple of weeks later.

December rolls around and Pip and Jim are honestly feeling buying a home is becoming an impossibility!

At the office, on a dull rainy Monday, we get the news of a sale fallen through. But not just any property - can you believe it was the first property Jim and Pip viewed and fell head over heels in love with!

We called Pip and Jim super quick!

This time they were ready – they understood that the market is very fast and they needed to be decisive.

They recognised that there were lots of interested viewers, but most of all they knew they were now viewing a property that they could

RIGHTMOVE’S NO.1 LOCAL ESTATE AGENT Multi award winners – 2018–2022 2 The Quintins, High Street, Hailsham, East Sussex BN27 1D

01323 440678 | sales@craneandco.co.uk | craneandco.co.uk

make their own and had more of an idea of where they could add value.

The months of research and looking at other properties with us had given them a catalogue of ideas.

They offered full asking price, happily stating their position as first time buyers with a large deposit and ready to move quickly.

Success. This is definitely a case of good things come to those who wait!

Congratulations Jim and Pip!

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HailshamMotoring

FORD MUSTANG MACH-E

THE BIGGEST AND QUIETEST MUSTANG EVER MADE The words’ Quiet’ and ‘Mustang’ have rarely been used in the same sentence as the brand has a long history of high-powered, high-octane cars…until now. Paul Gibson spends time in the new Mustang Ford Mach-E.

T

o keep in line with Ford’s closest competitors, it needed to add a premium electric SUV to its range as there is a constant stream of new EVs to choose from each and every day.

The designers went to the drawing board and decided to draw a car which hails Ford’s heritage, particularly the Mustang pony, but at the same time embracing new technology and waving goodbye to the thirsty combustion engines that the American brand is known for.

In 2020, the Ford Mustang Mach-E went on sale and was one of a handful of SUVs that can boast the plus side of a 300-mile range on a single charge and a luxury interior which puts most of its competitors to shame.

The Mach-E is a big car. Put it this way; it’s just a few centimetres shorter and narrower than a Range Rover Sport, which is a bit of a beast in itself. So, a 335 mile claimed range is something to be impressed by but is it achievable? This is something which is always tricky to answer with electric vehicles, as everybody’s driving style is different and it also depends on where you drive it, such as town/ motorways etc.

The indicated range would always give you a rough estimate based on your driving style — this is something the car learns over time to provide you with a true reading, but the only way to find out is to drive it 300 miles!

When fully charged, the Mach-E did give me an early indication of 280 miles, but this started to creep up as it learned how I was driving. I did my best to use a mix of roads, such as rural roads and dual-carriageways etc., and after my seven days with the car, I covered just over 290 miles with a chunk of power left in reserve.

From the outside, the Mach-E is a handsome car and turned many heads as I drove through the High Street in complete silence — although there is a setting to allow the driver to hear a subtle V8 rumble signifying the brand’s history.

There are nods to the Mustang brand with horse badging, a high wheel arch waistline and rear lights, which look like they’ve come from a traditional Mustang.

Many EVs can suffer from looking a tad awkward from the front as electric vehicles don’t need a grille as such, but what would go there in place? So, Ford has done quite a good job of making the Mach-E look extremely dynamic with sharp lines, skinny headlamps and a de-chromed surround of the pretend grille.

The stunning ‘Rapid Red’ paint job (an option priced at £1,150) makes it look as if it’s ready for action, and when put in ‘untamed’ mode, using the huge touchscreen on the centre console, you have a car which can come alive when you need it to.4

With up to 280 – 379 mile range* WLTP test results.

Book a test drive today and feel it for yourself Birchwood Ford Eastbourne

Birchwood Ford Halland

Birchwood Ford Hastings

Lottbridge Drove, Eastbourne, BN23 6PX 01323 414400 www.birchwoodford.co.uk

Eastbourne Road, Uckfield, BN8 6PS 01825 880033 www.birchwoodford.co.uk

John Macadam Way, Saint Leonards-on-sea, TN37 7SQ 01424 755000 www.birchwoodford.co.uk

Model shown is a Mustang Mach-E extended range AWD. Fuel economy MPG (1/100kM): Not applicable. CO2 emissions while driving: 0g/km. Electric Range for Extended Range AWD model: up to 253 miles (WLTP Extra High) – 335 miles (WLTP Overall)*. Electric Range for Extended Range RWD model: up to 280 miles (WLTP Extra High) – 379 miles (WLTP Overall)*.

These figures were obtained after the battery had been fully charged. The Mustang Mach-E is a battery electric vehicle requiring mains electricity for charging. There is a new test for fuel consumption, Co2 and electric range figures. The electric range shown was achieved using the new test procedure. Figures shown are for comparability purposes. Only compare fuel consumption, Co2 and electric range figures with other cars tested to the same technical procedures. *These figures may not reflect real driving results, which will depend upon a number of factors including the starting charge of the battery, accessories fitted, variations in weather, driving styles and vehicle load. WLTP Overall range reflects a combined driving cycle and WLTP Extra High reflects motorway driving – both tests are conducted in controlled conditions with an ambient temperature of 23 degrees Celsius and no climate or electrical load.

36 MOTORING

4Our test car was an all-wheel-drive model pushing out 351hp and 580nm of torque. There’s something quite addictive about electric cars and the sheer acceleration they offer. For someone who’s never ridden in an EV, they cannot believe how quickly they put the power down onto the road — it’s almost like an ‘on/off’ switch.

JUNE 2022

There are quirky touches around the vehicle which take some getting used to, such as the push-button and touch combination to open the doors and a sliding lever inside the car to open the doors from the inside.

The interior is very spacious compared to other large SUVs, mainly because of the lack of a drive shaft going down the middle of the car, resulting in a flat floor, allowing three rearseat passengers to sit comfortably.

Although it feels like you’d need a degree in science to work out the software on the large 15.5-inch central control screen, you’ll soon find the systems very intuitive and easy to use. I like the fact the air conditioning settings are almost on a different screen; therefore, you don’t have to hunt for the buttons whilst on the move.

Our car was packed full of technology, including Advanced Active Park Assist (which I’m too scared to use), Lane Keeping Aid and Lane Departure Warning, 360º cameras, which are simply amazing and a full-length panoramic roof making the cabin feel even roomier.

For the latest local news, visit: www.Hailsham.News

The Mach-E range starts at £47,530 for the rear-wheel-drive model and £68,030 for the all-wheel-drive GT model. At its highest price point, it’s on par with the Audi e-tron range but a chunk less than the newly revealed BMW iX, which all boast a similar electric range.

For me, I enjoyed my time with the Mach-E as it’s something different from the norm. It’s a car which stands out from the crowd as an enthusiast vehicle — I feel it shows you’re embracing the new EV era but still demand some excitement when behind the wheel.

KEY FACTS: FORD MUSTANG MACH-E

Model tested ����� Mach-E (Extended Range) AWD 1 Speed Auto Price (as tested) ��������������������������������������������������������������������� £62,630 Range �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������335 10-80% Charge (mins) ������������ 45 using high powered charging 0-62mph (secs) ������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 5.8 Efficiency Rating �����������������������������������������������������������������������������A+

AUTOMOTIVE REPAIRS AND SERVICING

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ALL MAKES AND MODELS OF CARS AND LIGHT COMMERCIALS • TYRE SERVICES AND PUNCTURE REPAIRS • AIR CONDITIONING AND SERVICING • CAR MAINTENANCE • BRAKE REPAIR AND SERVICES • GEARBOX SERVICE AND REPAIRS • ENGINE SERVICES • VEHICLE RECOVERY • EXHAUST SYSTEM • COURTESY CAR AVAILABLE ON REQUEST

Randals HP 0522.indd 1

01323 573016

www.randallsautos.co.uk

FINMERE ROAD, EASTBOURNE, BN22 8QL

21/04/2022 09:34

Dedicated dementia day support Open 5 days a week Support for the whole family Tranquil semi-rural location Ample on-site parking

NEWS 37

JUNE 2022

For the latest local news, visit: www.Hailsham.News

Monthly lunch & supper clubs FREE family forums FREE taster day FREE monthly support group FREE community dementia cafe‘s

ELIGIBLE RESIDENTS LIVING IN WEALDEN START TO RECEIVE ENERGY REBATE

Join the Ivy family and benefit from this unique person centred support experience. Get in touch to find out more on 01323 431 801 or visit our website www.Ivyhouse-dementiacare.com Gardner Street, Herstmonceux, BN27 4RS

Wakes & Celebrations of Life

W

At Wellshurst Golf Club we have the Meadow View Suite that is a bright & private space. Ideal for holding wakes & celebrations of life.

The suite has disabled access as well as plenty of free on-site parking.

Wellshurst is located just half a mile from Wealden Crematorium in the heart of East Sussex.

ith 44,000 households living in bands A-D, Wealden District Council has been working to ensure payments are to be made to eligible residents only.

There are around 30,348 Direct Debit payers who will be processed first, followed by 10,935 who will be paid manually over the coming weeks.

Councillor Neil Waller, Wealden’s portfolio holder for finances and benefits said: “The rebate comes at a time when energy prices and the cost of living are rising. With inflation currently at 9% I am hopeful that this rebate will help families and residents within Wealden.

“I would like to make residents aware that those who pay by Direct Debit will automatically receive the rebate. Council officers will be sending a letter to non-Direct Debit paying residents confirming how they can obtain the rebate.

“I would like to thank council officers for their efforts in getting these payments in place.”

Tel: 01435 813636

THE QUINTINS SHOPPING CENTRE HAILSHAM

SHOP TO LET PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS TO 17,000 READERS FROM ONLY £75pm SIMPLY CALL 01323 33 70 70 OR EMAIL SALES@HAILSHAM.NEWS

PUBLIC NOTICES GOODS VEHICLE OPERATOR’S LICENCE BJS Transport Solutions Ltd trading as BJS Civils & Materials Solutions of 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9JQ is applying for a licence to use Cophall Farm, Hailsham Road, Polegate, BN26 6QL as an operating centre for 4 good vehicles and 4 trailers.

Owners or occupiers of land (including buildings) near the operating centre(s) who believe that their use or enjoyment of that land would be affected, should make written representations to the Traffic Commissioner at Hillcrest House, 386 Harehills Lane, Leeds, LS9 6NF, stating their reasons, within 21 days of this notice. Representors must at the same time send a copy of their representations to the applicant at the address given at the top of this notice. A Guide to Making Representations is available from the Traffic Commissioner’s office.

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Ground floor area 895 sq.ft (83sq.m) Excellent location opposite ASDA Suitable for a variety of uses (stp) Please call for all enquiries Ref: MG 07798 623065

38 SPORT

HailshamSport

JUNE 2022

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If so, simply email: editor@hailsham.news

HAILSHAM CRICKET CLUB EARLY REPORT

Wednesday-night training is a huge hit

The 2022 season has started in positive fashion for the club with all the different teams hitting the ground running.

Saturday league cricket has seen the first team get off to a 100% start winning their first four games in a new division.

The 2nd XI have also started with a 100% record and are looking to continue to fight at the top end of the table through the summer months.

3rd XI has won 2 and lost 1 in the last over as they sit in a comfortable position in the league, a lack of heavy runs has hampered the team in May. They need someone to go big and make match winning contributions not just 20s and 30s.

The 4th XI have recorded two memorable victories after an opening day defeat. It’s really impressive to see the standard of the team we can put out in the 4s and also the amount of juniors that are making match winning contributions at the ages of 13,14, and 15.

The ladies team, the Roses, have enjoyed two in house games that have been very competitive and gone down to the wire both

For the latest local news, visit: www.Hailsham.News

HAILSHAM HARRIERS: GATWICK HALF MARATHON

Hailsham Junior Cricket Teams are doing well Tom Price and Carl Barton

times. Hastings conceded our first game in the Sussex Slam and then we managed to beat Lewes Priory last weekend by eight wickets. Great to see seven new ladies join since 2021, with Monday night training being a real success.

The junior teams have all started their respective leagues and are doing well, unfortunately a few local teams are struggling for players and we have had several games cancelled at the last minute.

Wednesday night training continues to be a massive hit with over 100 boys and girls aged 4-15 training and improving on a weekly basis.

Loads of social events will be happening throughout the season at our beautiful home at the Boundary Bar and we openly welcome anyone down on a match day for a drink and to soak up the action.

If you are interested in joining as a player (junior or adult) or as a social member please get in touch with the club by emailing Hailshamcc@outlook.com

Hailsham Harriers Tom Price, Carl Barton and Maria Stanford packed their bags for a trip to Gatwick Airport on Sunday 8th May, not for a holiday in the sun but to run the Gatwick Half Marathon hosted by British Airways.

The 13.1 mile route took 1300 runners on scenic, fully closed roads around the airport and into the countryside with a start and finish under Gatwick’s flight path.

Adding to the roar of the jet engines, local supporters were out in force to cheer on the runners along with drummers, buskers, choirs and DJs to keep everyone motivated.

Carl Barton crossed the line as first Harrier home in a time of 1:29:31 gaining himself a new half marathon personal best, with Club Secretary Tom Price finishing with a personal best of 1:34:14. Maria Stanford completed the awesome Harriers trio to finish 2:31:56.

Hellingly Cycle speedway second South East regional league fixture at home to Kesgrave took place on Sunday 29 May 2022.

The Youth team rode first with the Lions missing Kai LopezDavis, their number one rider, it would be a tough job beating the best youth team in the league.

Juggling the team around and bringing in Alfie Ellis to cover missing Kai, the manager was hoping for a lucky break and another home win.

In heat 1 Paul and Dylan got off to a 5 all, then the away team overcame the Lions with a 7–3 in Heat 2. From then on, the next nine races were all draws, putting the score on 53–57 to the Panthers after 11 Heats.

The Lions were not managing to win a race but were picking up second and thirds. In Heat twelve, the Panthers grabbed another 6–4 over Harry Ridley and Alfie Ellis.

In the final nominated Heat 13, the Lions used Paul Edwards and Harry Sefton to bang in a 7v3, but it was not enough to grab another home win.

FINAL SCORE: 64 V 66. 1. Paul Edwards, 17; 2. Dylan Geer,

6; 3. Oliver Mintern, 10; 4. Alfie Ellis, 3; 5. Harry Sefton, 17; 6.

Harry Ridley, 8; 7. Sam Ridley, 3.

After, the Division 2 fixture took place with Jim Cox and Chris Geer returning back into the team.

The Lions were hoping to have a little bit more strength in depth to try and overcome a good Kesgrave team. Tensions were high as the match began, heat 1 being recalled twice back to the tapes, it finally ended 5 all with Neil achieving a win over the Jolly brothers.

The Panthers then put in a 6-4 over Martyn Hollebon and Chris Geer in Heat 2. The following 4 Heats were 5 all, putting the score at 29 v 31 to the Panthers after 6 rides. Heat 7 saw the Lions recover with a 7-3 from Jim and Neil.

The next scoring heat against the Lions was in Heat 11 which saw Eddie Ridley and Chris Geer up against Ryker Jolly and Gary Brown. A further two 4-6’s in heats 14 and 15 saw no comeback for the Lions.

FINAL SCORE: 76-83. 1. Jim Cox, 12; 2. Neil Hollebon, 23; 3. Chris Geer, 4; 4. Martyn Hollebon, 14; 5. Barrie Geer, 9; 6.

Eddie Ridley, 13; 7. Harry Sefton, no rides; 8. Paul Edwards, 1

Photos: Paul Gibson

LIONS DEFEAT AT HOME TO PANTHERS

Division two race gets underway

hallmark hallmark GLAZED EXTENSIONS hallmark GLAZED EXTENSIONS GLAZED EXTENSIONS

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SPORT CYCLE SPEEDWAY PAGE 38

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MARATHON PAGE 38

CRICKET PAGE 38

LOVICK TIME!

FOOTBALL ROUND UP PHOTOS: ANDREW HAZELDEAN

Jack the Shootout Hero as Stringer U23s retain MIND Cup

Photo credit: Andrew Hazelden

H

ailsham Town Under 23's took full advantage of the noisy home support at a packed Beaconsfield on Thursday evening to win the MIND Sussex Under 23 Charity Cup, beating Newhaven 5-4 on penalties following a 1-1 draw. After a tense first half in which Newhaven twice hit the woodwork and Hailsham were only denied by a fine save from Olly Hathaway's cross-shot, Luyolo Mafu raced onto a through ball to lash Hailsham into a 65th minute lead.

Three minutes later, Newhaven forced home an equaliser with a header from close range through Max Vardy, but despite further chances at both ends, the sides could not be seperated.

Into the penalty shootout, Hailsham took first, scoring through Jake Barker, with Connor Townsend, Zach Masterson-Pipet, Dan Fox and Freddie Lloyd all making no mistake from 12 yards out.

The man of the match, however, went to goalkeeper Jack Lovick, who saved two Newhaven penalties and saw the final one fly over the bar to spark wild celebrations amongst home players and supporters alike.

The charity competition, which has now been won by Hailsham on both occasions it has been played, raised over £700 for mental health charity MIND Sussex, and was excellently organised by Kieran Ridley of Newhaven FC, with Peacehaven & Telscombe, Eastbourne Town and St Francis Rangers also competing.

Stringers; Lovick, Hathaway, Hughes, Ouachi, Gordon, Lusted, Fox, Townsend, Barker, J Williams, Mafu.

Rolling Subs used; Wilder, Masterson-Pipet, Lloyd, C Williams.

Attendance; 185

With the East Sussex Football League mostly wrapped up by the middle of April, there were just a handful of Cup competitions still to finalise at the end of the month.

Battle Town added the Premier & Division One Cup to their Premier Division title, with a 5-4 victory after extra time against SC Pass & Move Arrows on the 26th of April.

Incredibly, the game saw nine different goalscorers — Glen Carrick, Ollie Jeffs, Trystan Mayhew, Shaun Utting and sub Tyler Mole for Battle, whilst Frazer Discala, Philip Hatch and subs Joshua Paige and Jonjo Wright netted for SC Pass & Move.

Battle have also reached the final of the National Christian Cup, after a 4-1 win against AFC Hope, who are based in Coventry, and will meet St Johns Bowling Eagles Bradford in the final at Hemel Hempstead Town FC on Saturday 4th June.

League runners up Crowhurst also have a trophy to celebrate, after a 4-1 win against Bexhill Town in the final of the Hastings FA Intermediate Cup. Dommy Clarke bagged a brace for Crowhurst with Wes Tate and Jan Bailey also on the scoresheet, whilst Bexhill scored a late consolation through substitute Olwethu Peterson.

The Eastbourne FA Vice Presidents Cup Final saw a thrilling game on Friday 29th April as teams just 3 miles apart met at The Saffrons, Eastbourne, with Polegate Town II leading 3-0 at half time and then adding a fourth shortly afterwards.

16-year-old Toby Young scored all three in the first half and Jack Callingham added a fourth shortly after the break.

Welcroft though struck back quickly — Jamie Bundy scoring twice in the space of two minutes before Billy Coles added Welcroft's third to set up a frantic finish.

The new season is expected to start at Man of the Match Toby Young the end of August.