Hailsham News, July 2022, Issue 11

JULY 2022 | ISSUE 11

YOUR FREE COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER FOR HAILSHAM, POLEGATE, HELLINGLY & SURROUNDING AREAS

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

FREE Pick me up!

MAYBUGS.CO.UK

VISIT OUR NEW WEBSITE BIRD FLU PUTS WRAS UNDER PRESSURE PAGE 04

TOWN MARKS ARMED FORCES DAY PAGE 14

ARLINGTON RESERVOIR – OPEN FOR BUSINESS PAGE 16

MORE THAN 2000 PRODUCTS ONLINE

FAMILY’S 20-MINUTE WAIT FOR HELP FULL STORY ON PAGE 2

Photo: Dan Jessup.

MAYBUGS.CO.UK

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

2 NEWS

JULY 2022

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

Hello again! Summer is finally here and we’re all looking forward to the great weather that’s promised for the summer!

This month’s Hailsham News is packed with great news from around our great town’s community.

We’ve got historic updates from Hailsham’s Rotary club, news of a TV celebrity visit and details on how we supported Armed Forces Day and so much more!

We’ve also covered the devastating front garden fire that could have been so much worse and the worrying increase of bird flu and its effect on one of Hailsham’s local wildlife charities who just can’t cope under the pressure of dealing with sick birds.

But, on a happier note, our sports clubs are thriving and it’s great to see so many kids getting involved in all sorts of sport…I wouldn’t mind having a go on the Hellingly cycle speedway! On second thoughts… maybe not!

So make sure you get out there and enjoy the weather and don’t forget to send us your letters via email to letters@hailsham.news — we love to receive them and you can read a selection of them on our letters page.

Finally…a big welcome to our new sister paper Bexhill News…it’s great to see another town enjoying how we put news together! You can check it out at www.bexhill-news.co.uk.

See you next month!

Chris Dabbs Editor, Hailsham News

READ ME, SHARE ME, THEN RECYCLE 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.

BLAZE DESTROYS GARDENS — WHILST HELP COMES FROM OUTSIDE TOWNS A

BY GROUP EDITOR PAUL GIBSON

Hailsham family had a devastating 20-minute wait whilst they watched their garden go up in flames last weekend (26 June). An explosion was heard from the property in Bayham Road in the early evening — fire crews were called at 19:57. Pumps from Eastbourne and Herstmonceux arrived on-scene at 20:17 — 20 minutes from the first call!

Fortunately, no one was injured in the blaze, but there was extensive damage to two gardens and two outbuildings following the fire. The cause of the fire was deemed accidental.

Hailsham News reported in January this year how another resident in the town feared his home would be completely destroyed as he waited for what he described as a ‘lifetime’ for the fire service to attend.

The homeowner was forced to call the emergency services after smoke started to billow out from his home. The family evacuated the house and waited 12 minutes for fire crews from Eastbourne, Pevensey and Seaford to attend the incident. That’s around three minutes longer than the national average response time.

How long is it until something absolutely terrible happens in this town due to fire? We are simply waiting TOO LONG for fire crews to come to us when we need them the most.

We have a perfectly good, working fire station in Hailsham — the LARGEST town in Wealden.

We are sometimes relying on fire crews travelling from the centre of Eastbourne to help us. This simply isn’t good enough!

How long will it be until the unthinkable happens? I have a young family myself and it

fills me with fear to think I could be waiting this long for a fire crew if the worse ever happened.

I understand it’s not the crews fault — they do an absolutely fantastic job and I’m sure work as hard as they possibly can to help as many people as possible.

So who is to blame? Is it a lack of funding? Is it a lack of firefighters? Probably both in my opinion. This is something the service has told us is being tackled over the next three years.

East Sussex Fire and Rescue (ESFRS) has an ambitious Integrated Risk Management Plan (‘IRMP’) that over the next five years will see it deliver its services differently. One aspect of the IRMP is the introduction of Operational Resilience Stations.

We’ve learned Hailsham will be classified within the next three years as an Operational Resilience Station, and as such will see an increase in the availability of the appliance, according to the service.

This will apparently be through a number

of measures, including allocating ‘wholetime’ staff to crew the appliance when needed and these staff will also carry out important prevention work in the area.

Hailsham is currently crewed by 14 on-call firefighters in total and these firefighters are contracted to provide a minimum of 40 hours’ availability per week. For an appliance to respond to a call, it requires four trained and competent crew members, these are an incident commander, a driver and two trained breathing apparatus wearers.

However, if one of these professionals is not available, then the appliance cannot attend local incidents. This is a massive issue which needs to change — but the new Integrated Risk Management Plan will not fully be in place for another three years. What do you think? Write to us at letters@hailsham.news.

East Sussex Fire and Rescue has a recruitment campaign running, please visit www.esfrs.org/oncall or email recruitment@esfrs.org.

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

Photos: Dan Jessup.

EDITOR’S WELCOME

ESSENTIAL MAINTENANCE FREE ROOFLINE PRODUCTS WEALDEN WINDOWS AND DOORS

OVER 20 YEARS EXPERIENCE CERTASS APPROVED

UPVC Fascias, soffits, cladding and guttering

SUPPLY AND FIT - RETAIL AND TRADE THE COMPLETE PACKAGE! • Free No Obligation Site Survey • Fast Quoting System • Onsite Delivery and Installation • All Work Guaranteed

FASCIA BOARDS AND SOFFITS

CLADDING

GUTTERING

Built to last, our fascia boards provide exceptional protection from the elements for your home.

An attractive, weather resistant solution for replacing rotten timber cladding, concealing problem areas of brickwork or adding an interesting new feature to your property.

Used to provide a channel for collection and redirecting rainwater.

They are designed specifically to reduce erosion of the base of a building by guiding water to a drain or safe area.

Available in a choice of colours to suit your property.

Available in a choice of style and colours to suit your property.

Using the highest quality UPVC, once installed, unlike timber they never need treatments or coatings.

Hailsham based Manufacturers and Installers of high quality made to measure UPVC windows and doors Supplying direct to the trade and public, all our products are compliant with Pas 24, Part Q regulations and are CE marked Call our team today on

01323 576 576

www.wealdenwindowsanddoors.co.uk Email: info@wealdenwindowsanddoors.co.uk

4 NEWS

JULY 2022

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

BIRD FLU PUTS ANIMAL CHARITY UNDER PRESSURE

Trevor Weeks from East Sussex WRAS

A

vian influenza (more commonly known as Bird Flu) is hitting the bird population of the south coast of England and mainland Europe very hard, according to wildlife experts.

It’s devastating the gull community locally and leaving a local wildlife rescue charity under extreme pressure which it simply cannot cope with.

Trevor Weeks from the animal veterinary charity, East Sussex Wildlife Rescue &

10% OFF haulaway-newspaper-quarter-page-ad.indd 1

Ambulance Service (WRAS), told us that they are being deluged with calls from people on their emergency hotline to report disorientated birds.

The devastation to the bird community is huge with reports of a beach in Rye that was littered with as many as 70 dead gulls. They have been found on the roof of Eastbourne’s Beacon shopping centre as well as in local parks and gardens.

WRAS has this advice: “If you find a gull

QUOTE ‘HAILSHAM NEWS’ WHEN BOOKING

15/04/2022 11:36

which is injured or sick please contact your local vets practice. Please do not take birds inside the vet’s practice. Call them and let them know you are outside with a bird. They will have no option but to euthanise the bird sadly.”

Such is the concern over bird flu that contradicting advice is now being issued by East Sussex Public Health.

Mr Weeks said that he disagrees with the new advice that “all sick and dead birds should be left alone and not touched by the public.

I am questioning what is to happen with the sick birds as they will just be left to suffer which is not acceptable.

“Apparently Brighton & Hove Council have now an online reporting system and council members will be collecting dead and live sick bird for disposal.

“Other councils are to follow suit but it worries me how this will work in reality and the speed in which this will take place especially if people can’t even move them to a safe location or take them home to keep safe till someone arrives.”

Our sister paper, Bexhill News is caught in a government-imposed protection zone after bird flu was discovered in Bexhill.

The Government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) confirmed it was found in poultry at a premises north of the town, all poultry on the premises were humanely culled,

WATCH OUR REPORT and a 3-kilometre Protection Zone and a 10-kilometre Surveillance Zone around the premises was set up.

Residents within the 3km protection zone who keep poultry were contacted to ask them to complete a survey of birds kept. This will help scientists assess the risk of spread among birds.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said that avian influenza is primarily a disease of birds and the risk to the general public’s health is very low.

WRAS’ Mr Weeks emotionally concluded: “We’re an animal welfare service, so, when we have to shut our doors or say we can’t admit something, it goes against the grain and it’s really difficult for us to turn around and say, Sorry, we can’t help!”

“At the moment, all we can do is help people to get them into a local vet where they can be euthanised because we have no other options.

We’re trying our best to take in as many animals as we can, but we’re running out of space. We just don’t have the space to take them anymore - it’s heartbreaking.”

If you find any dead wild birds in any location, including swans, ducks, geese, gulls, or birds of prey, please report to the DEFRA helpline at 03459 33 55 77.

Do not touch or pick up any dead or visibly sick birds that you find.

To find out how to volunteer and how to donate visit: www.wildlifeambulance.org

NEWS 5

JULY 2022

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

HAILSHAM ROTARY CLUB’S HISTORIC HANDOVER Rosemary Mullen receiving a quilt made by Crafters to support and raise money for her chosen charity St Wilfrid’s Hospice

On the 19th May 2022, outgoing President John Nuttall and Rotarian Barry Funnell presented a cheque to Councillor White. This was to support free events at the Hellingly Hub

Rotarians thoroughly enjoyed the community spirit and the return of a competition started by a member over 60 years ago.

We look forward to another challenge next year.

Rotary Club of Hailsham’s President John Nuttall is pictured with all the competing teams.

Handover of Hailsham Rotary Club presidency from John Nuttall to Rosemary Mullen

R

osemary Mullen will take over as club president for the year 2022/2023. Rosemary was the first female to be inducted into the club and will be the first woman to be president of the Hailsham club since it was founded and received its charter in 1937.

The Rotary Club of Hailsham works to raise money to help the local people of Hailsham, Hellingly and Herstmonceux.

They assist at events including The Bluebell Walk, Beachy Head Marathon, Airbourne and their famous Santa Christmas Sleigh.

Rotary Foundation is the worlds largest charity operating in around 200 countries. We are twinned with Rotary Clubs in Denmark, France and Germany with annual meetings.

DEVELOPER SHOWS PLANS FOR HELLINGLY HOMES

Residents are being given the opportunity to have their say on approved plans to build up to 370 homes in Hellingly.

Developers Taylor Wimpey is presenting the proposals for the layout and design for the development which will be known as Swingate Park, located off of New Road. Approval for the development was granted by Wealden District Council in April last year.

The scheme will include up to 370 new homes, of which 130 will be provided as affordable housing, and 19 plots allocated for self-build/custom-build. The proposals also include areas of green open space, formal and informal play facilities and an extension to Hellingly Country Park which will provide additional recreational space for existing and new residents.

A public exhibition of the plans will be held at the Hellingly Community Hub, from 12pm to 6pm on Tuesday 5th July 2022. Local residents will be able to see the latest plans for the development and give feedback ahead of the submission of a reserved matters planning application to Wealden District Council this summer. Members of the project team will be present on the day to answer any queries and provide further details.

ROTARY QUIZ

Returning after a Covid break and hosted by Grovelands school, five teams competed for the “Rotary Trophy” with each team receiving £300 for participating in the quiz.

Four pupils in each team answered questions submitted by each school on Maths, Science, Sport, History and Geography plus General Knowledge.

Entering the final round, three schools tied for first place but Grovelands were the champions by one point ahead of both Herstmonceux and Hawkes Farm.

The school hall was filled with pupils and the applause was deafening.

ROTARY FUNDRAISING

Over the past six months they have: presented a cheque to support free events at the official opening to the Hellingly Hub; managed the car parking and ran the café on Friday 15th and Saturday 16th April at the Arlington Bluebell walk and raised £3,000 for charity; visited the Grovelands school, Hailsham to see the school farm and present a cheque to the staff and pupils; on 14th June 2022 the club had a talk from Cancer Research UK (Eastbourne); and they then presented them and the Children with Cancer Fund with a cheque for £1,500 each.

If you would like to know more about Hailsham Rotary Club follow this link: www.rotary-ribi.org/clubs/homepage. php?ClubID=718

HAULAWAY’S RED BOX DOOR-TODOOR SCHEME COMES TO AN END The successful scheme to turn paper and cardboard into cash is coming to an end in Hailsham.

Due to the retirement of the company’s driver, the popular collection service has stopped and is instead encouraging residents to use a collection point in Eastbourne.

The project raised funds for St. Wilfrid’s Hospice and has generated more than £40,000 since its inception in 2016.

Haulaway originally supplied 2,500 red boxes to the local community with other people adding their own boxes over the years. Crews roughly collect around five tonnes of paper and cardboard each week via the Red Box round alone.

The collection point will be located at St. Wilfrid’s Hospice on Cross Levels Way, Eastbourne and red boxes will be collected during the last rounds in July.

6 NEWS

JULY 2022

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

ALLOTMENTS IN HAILSHAM — SAVE MONEY AND MAKE FRIENDS F ood is an important part of any diet but growing your own vegetables can also help you save money and can be great fun too!

Hailsham Town Council rents out nearly 60 allotment plots and supports the The Hailsham Allotment Society which recently held an open day at their Battle Road Allotment site.

People see growing their own fruit and veg on allotments as a great way to save money.

The National Allotments Society is asking the Government

to clarify the rules surrounding allotments. Meanwhile, local authorities like Hailsham Town Council have an obligation to provide allotments, but this is costly as well. Many councils are selling off their allotment land to developers.

A recent study conducted at Newcastle University has shown that allotment gardening is great for your mental health as well as your physical well-being. Just being outside and in nature can helps people to relax and reduce their stress. It also can boost their attention levels especially if they don’t have a garden.

So, allotments can have important social and psychological benefits. They can help combat loneliness and they give everyone a chance to give their hands dirty while growing a prize marrow!

If you would like to know more about renting an allotment contact Hailsham Town Council on 01323 841702 or visit www.hailsham-tc. gov.uk/town-council/services-facilities/ allotment-rental/ or scan the QR code.

Expert dementia care at your fingertips

Bowes House care home, Hailsham Our dementia specialists support each resident to live life independently. At Bowes House care home we offer exceptional care and we’re here to help you and your family at every step of the journey.

Trusted to care.

If you’re considering care 01323 887792 karen.milligan@careuk.com careuk.com/bowes-house

8 NEWS

JULY 2022

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

TV ANTIQUES EXPERT TELLS TALES AND MAKES MEMORIES AT HAILSHAM CARE HOME from circa 1870, which Charles valued at £120, as well as a decorative gong man, possibly with Indian or Chinese heritage also valued at approximately £120.

Connie Farady, a resident at Hailsham House care home said, “It was wonderful to meet Charles in person. I’ve watched him on television for years, so to see him in our living room was a real treat — what a lovely man he is.”

Charles also enjoyed his visit and said: “Many of the possessions that I valued on the day were steeped in history and told their own special story. They evoked memories and showed the love people felt for their items which is priceless.”

Photo credit: Hailsham House

T

V personality and antiques expert, Charles Hanson, from Bargain Hunt, Flog it! and Antiques Road Trip was the guest of honour at an event in Hailsham House care home in Hailsham.

Charles welcomed guests with stories about his career and discussed a couple of auctions, including when a TV Sooty puppet was sold for £14,500 as well as auctioning a pair of Queen Victoria’s bloomers!

Charles then explored and valued the items guests and residents had brought to the event as he explained how objects can bring up memories. Items included a Victorian vase

Nestled away in a quiet and rural setting on the outskirts of Hailsham, East Sussex, is Hailsham House, a 90-bed care home providing residential, nursing and specialist dementia care.

Hailsham House is proud to announce the opening of Beech House – a newly refurbished 32bed care facility situated in the grounds of the home. Beech House boasts the latest automated care/ call-system for people with dementia and nursing care needs.

The beautifully designed rooms, which are all en-suite, are decorated to the personal taste of each resident before they arrive. Beech House is also home to an on-site hair and beauty salon, a deluxe spa bathroom,relaxing communal areas and beautiful landscaped gardens.

The on-site wellbeing services, kitchenettes and laundry facilities provide the perfect blend of Contact Hailsham House independent living with 24-hour Tel: 013233 442 050 support – an ideal way to transition Email: contact.hailshamhouse@aurem-care.com if a little extra care is required.

Hailsham House has always been Web: salutemseniorliving.com/hailsham-house highly regarded for its friendly, effective care.

A beautifully appointed café called ‘Daphne’s’ is situated in the main communal area of Beech House creating a warm and friendly community atmosphere. Residents

BEECH HOUSE HAS ARRIVED!

can relax, dine and socialise with friends, family and staff throughout the day. The café was named after Daphne Marchant, a former resident of Hailsham House and the mother-in-law to John Godden, Director of Salutem senior Living – the home’s new management company.

Although separate to the main home, Beech House is set within the grounds of Hailsham House providing easy access between both homes. This allows the home to cater for couples with varying needs, allowing them to remain together and find the right package to suit them both.

Beech House is surrounded by the most beautiful gardens which can be enjoyed all year round. The site also has an allotment where many residents enjoy spending time helping to grow and produce fresh fruit and vegetables which are donated to the local food banks.

If you would like to find out more about Beech House, or if you would like a guided tour of the home, please get in touch.

NEWS 9

JULY 2022

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

IMPROVEMENTS TO DIPLOCKS AND ERSHAM ROAD JUNCTIONS MOVES STEP CLOSER

T

he Secretary of State has approved the request to deregister the common land on the junction of South Road, Ersham Road and Diplocks Way, to make way for a new roundabout.

The application made jointly between Wealden District Council, Hailsham Town Council and East Sussex County Council was needed to deregister the current land and exchange it for designated common land. This application was a requirement to facilitate the construction of the roundabout, which has been approved by Secretary of State’.

It’s hoped the works will reduce the environmental problems

caused by slow or static vehicles waiting on the approaches to this junction.

The land being used to help the infrastructure redesign is known as ‘The Triangle’. This triangle of land is mainly used by residents as a cut-through because of its undesirable location and size. Located at the junction of South Road and Ersham Road, it is the only undeveloped land available for highway improvement works.

Wealden District Council is working together with the application partners to deliver the much-debated enhanced roundabout. Ann Newton, leader of Wealden District Council

said: “The ability to improve the junction has been years in the preparation and promised to residents of Hailsham for some time. Having already earmarked funding for the project, we are delighted that this decision meets the next key project milestone enabling the delivery of key infrastructure for Hailsham.

“We will continue to work with our partners to ensure delivery on the ground as quickly as possible. We are confident that this change will make the road less congested for traffic entering and leaving the town, which currently is a cause for concern.”

WE BUY YOUR SCRAP GOLD No amount too small - any condition!

Take advantage of the high gold price and turn your unwanted, old or broken jewellery into cash!

We’ll buy; chains, bracelets, bangles, all rings, gold and silver pocket and wristwatches in any condition, Krugerrands, Sovereigns and other gold coins Don’t trust your valuables to a door step seller or a visiting ‘expert’ We are your local, family owned, independent High Street Jewellers with over 35 years experience No appointment necessary - call in for instant cash settlement We can pay Cash, Cheque or BACS Please note - ID will be required

36 HigH Street, HailSHam, BN27 1BB 01323 841898. www.HailSHamjewellerS.co.uk

10 EVENTS

HailshamEvents

JULY 2022

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

NETWORKING

HAILSHAM COMMUNITY STREET MARKET

Thursday 9 July & Thursday 4 August at 7am B12 Bar & Kitchen, 12 High Street, BN27 1BJ

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

HAILSHAM & DISTRICT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MONTHLY BREAKFAST NETWORKING MEETING Members £12, Non Members/Guests £15. Register and pay at: hailshamchamberofcommerce.co.uk/next-meeting.

HAILSHAM LUNCH CLUB

Wednesday 21 September 2022 12.30pm-2pm B12 Bar & Kitchen, 12 High Street, BN27 1BJ

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/

BIZZYBIRDS NETWORKING GROUP FOR WOMEN Wednesday 6 July 10am-12noon B12 Bar & Kitchen, 12 High Street, BN27 1BJ

Bizzybirds is a networking group for women in the East Sussex area.

Coffee, chat, advice, growth, support, help and more! Meet likeminded 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

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.

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

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

POLEGATE MEMORY CAFÉ

First Thursday of the month, 2pm-4pm Polegate Community Centre, 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

WEALDEN DEMENTIA ACTION ALLIANCE — THE SPORTING MEMORIES FOUNDATION

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

OTHER EVENTS

GLOBAL CAFÉ – FREE ENGLISH LESSONS

Thursdays 10.30am-12pm Christchurch Hailsham, Ropemaker Centre, South Road, Hailsham, BN27 3GY

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: www.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 YOUTH SERVICE

Square Youth Café, 1 Market Square: Monday-Friday School Years, 7-8: 3.15pm-5pm | School Years, 9-12: 6.45pm-9pm For full schedule, please visit the website: www.hailshamyouthservice.org

BIG TOP CIRCUS AT HAWKES FARM ACADEMY

Sunday 10 July, 1pm Friends of Hawkes Farm Academy, Hawks Road, BN27 1ND

The Friends of Hawkes Farm are delighted to present Happy’s Circus!

Join us for a magical afternoon of thrills with dazzling displays from acrobats, aerialists, magicians and dancers. GATES OPEN: 1.00pm, BIG TOP OPENS: 1.30pm. PERFORMANCE STARTS: 2.00pm. Ticket Prices: £10 per person, £36 Family Ticket (four people), Under 2s free if sitting on laps.

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

Family-friendly activities on offer throughout the summer holidays included in general admission.

Lewes Castle

Mondays & Thursdays

Anne of Cleves House Tuesdays

Historical adventures await Create future memories with Sussex Past this summer

Michelham Priory Wednesdays

Fishbourne Roman Palace Thursdays

To book tickets visit www.sussexpast.co.uk /whats-on

v Unlimited visits to all of our sites for 12 months with family membership – starting from just £52 v

WE REALLY DO MAKE YOUR DREAMS A REALITY

WE ARE EXPERTS IN CREATING YOUR ROUND THE WORLD CUSTOM PACKAGE HOLIDAYS, FLIGHTS, TAILOR MADE HOLIDAYS AND TOURS AT UNBEATABLE PRICES, WHILST PROVIDING YOU WITH 5-STAR WORLDWIDE HOLIDAYS AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICE.

CONTACT US NOW TO BOOK YOUR NEXT DREAM DESTINATION ON

01903 251917

EMAIL: QUOTES@ROUNDTHEWORLDDESTINATIONS.COM

roundtheworlddestinations.com

12 ARTS

JULY 2022

HailshamArts

MUSIC AND KIDENZA COMES TOGETHER AT THE PAVILION

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

MR. JONES AT THE MOVIES DOWNTON ABBEY: A NEW ERA

This is a very Beautiful and very British film, and the capital “B” in “Beautiful” is intentional. If ever a film was made for the Hailsham Pavilion’s 1920’s Art Deco environment, this is surely it!

As a retired History teacher, I really enjoyed the sumptuous costumes and the richly decorated environments. Every hair was in place and every place setting was perfect.

Highclere Castle, which is five miles south of Newbury, has always been one of the stars of the show and here it shines once again, although this time it shares the limelight with a stunning villa on the French Riviera. It didn’t surprise me to find out that this is also real.

It’s called the Villa Roccabella and its available to hire… just a thought.

If you are a Downton fan you won’t be disappointed. All of your favourite characters appear, except one who happened to be abroad for the entire movie (I’m assuming that actor was otherwise engaged?) and the two main plotlines trot along at a comfortable pace.

I particularly enjoyed the performances of Dominic West as Guy Dexter and Laura Haddock as Myrna Dalgleish, the Stars of the Silent Movie being made at Downton. Dominic was perfect as the dashing hero with a glint in his eye, and Laura did a great job as the platinum blonde with a problem. All very entertaining.

You have one last chance to see Downton in the perfect Pavilion setting later in July.

JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION

H

BY: GARETH JONES, CHAIRMAN OF HAILSHAM PAVILION

ailsham’s beautiful Art Deco Pavilion was the venue one morning in June for a truly marvellous musical experience for 180 Year 3 students from several Hailsham’s primary schools and their accompanying adults.

“Kidenza” is a Tunbridge Wells based charity, run by CEO Claire Lambert, whose mission is to inspire a love of orchestral music in young people. They do that by giving those students the opportunity to listen to, and interact with, musicians of international quality, who also proved that they were very skilled in engaging,

entertaining, and educating the large audience of enthusiastic learners.

The atmosphere was electric throughout as musical pieces by Vivaldi, Grieg, Gershwin and others enthralled and fascinated everyone.

I am absolutely certain that any number of new instrumentalists were recruited from the well-behaved and enthralled children.

The Pavilion were happy to provide the venue and staff free of charge as part of their developing Education Outreach Programme, and we look forward to Kidenza’s return!

Colin Trevorrow, who co-wrote and directed this “dino-epic”, once said, “I love big movies, and I love big moments”. That being the case he must have had a really great time making this latest offering in the Jurassic Franchise.

I must confess to being more than a little biased. I’ve been hooked on these films since I sat on the edge of my seat watching the original Jurassic Park in 1993, which I only watched at all because it was directed by Steven Spielberg and I’ll watch his films all day long. That had all the elements of high tension and humour that also make this film so enjoyable.

The film is set four years after the destruction of Isla Nublar and there are dinosaurs of all shapes and sizes all over the world, living side-by-side with the human race. Clearly this was never going to go well, and it really doesn’t, leading to lots of high-octane encounters and chair gripping moments.

The experienced cast do an excellent job, with Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard being particularly good. Bryce Dallas Howard up to her neck in a murky pool springs to mind as a stand-out moment.

That said, for me it’s the dinosaurs that steal the movie. Created by a clever mix of animatronics and animation, they really are remarkable.

And if all of that wasn’t enough, there’s Jeff Goldblum doing what Jeff Goldblum does. Great fun.

LAURIE’S POEM CORNER

I was privileged to be invited to have a stall at the Hailsham Jubilee event on June 5th to sell my poetry books, and collect in aid of Help for Heroes, that I donate all above my costs to. What a great event, big crowds and even the rain stayed away, but mostly for me it was lovely to meet people, and I’m chuffed to say many who had read my column here, and even better gave me great encouragement, congratulations on this and my eleven published books. I also humbly add, fantastic compliments on my poetry too, so thanks a million, it really does mean a lot, especially in the restrictive times we are just slowly coming out of!

After all that there is only one poem I can include this month and that is entitled “Open Up” from only my second book 2014, and is a true story of how I took refuge from rain in a bar near where I had a static caravan in S W France. The essence of my intended simple poem is to stress how wonderful and often enlightening and rewarding it is to chat to people you don’t know, just like my poem, me on June 5th and many other times too!

OPEN

I’m so glad that I spoke to you How else would I have known, Thoughts that you have told me Which are all your very own?

You shared just what you think What makes you laugh or cry, Some things that make you angry, That you love, or perhaps let by.

Now we can often pass each other Without a smile or spoken word, And that we don’t talk to each other Is quite frankly so absurd.

We need to share our feelings And how others may endure.

For in a world of madness It’s good to know what’s pure.

By listening and talking We learn some different views, Like how life can be for others When before we had no clues.

Now we can often pass each other Without a smile or spoken word, And that we don’t talk to each other Is quite frankly so absurd.

So give a nod, or even smile Who knows what may pan out?

You may have great times spent If you end your speaking drought.

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

JULY 2022

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

SHOPPING 13

HailshamShopping

LOVE HAILSHAM

BY VIKTORIA COWLEY

I love the Hailsham Community. When there’s something to celebrate and come together for it’s something Hailsham residents do in style.

The lighting of the beacon event, which saw the start of the Jubilee celebrations, was very well attended. The town centre hadn’t been that busy since the Bonfire parade last November. We were lucky enough to be in the company of one of the Queen’s official representatives who kindly took our invitation to light the beacon.

Similarly, the Family Fun Day proved popular. With live music, dance acts, competitions and local charities and businesses taking stalls. Everyone had done their bit to make sure they had something worthwhile to offer, with activities and other interests to grab your attention.

We’re so proud that we were able to bring to you not one, but two really successful events using well-known local businesses which help to boost the economy of the town. Also having stalls filled with charities, small businesses and not-for-profit businesses helps them to raise awareness to their needs, the importance of what they do and hopefully much needed funds to make sure they’re around for years to come to continue helping

people who need them the most.

As we watched the thousands of people in the Western Road Recreation Ground enjoying themselves with the entertainment we’d chosen for you we realised that all the hard work we’d done over the previous 7 or 8 months was truly worth it. Thanks go to Hailsham Town Council who entrusted us to pull off this event for you; thank you to the businesses and charities who worked this very special day — and man, you worked really hard! - and thank YOU, the visitors, for coming and for trusting us to provide you with a day of non-stop entertainment — it was you who made it the success that it was. We hope you enjoyed yourself and hope there might be more to follow!

WHAT TYPE OF SHOPPER ARE YOU? I recently ran a poll across Hailsham News & Talk and Hailsham Shop Local’s Facebook groups asking readers to rank themselves where they think they sit as a Shopper Type.

There are 17,732 members of Hailsham News & Talk. As many of the 1,617 members of Hailsham Shop Local are duplicates of the main group, I will not add them together.

A total of 78 members answered the poll, with 31 of those selecting multiple answers.

Although this is only a small percentage of the total members of the group, it shows a great insight as to what kind of shopper you think you are and what it means to you and what it means for businesses.

Firstly, a 57:21 ratio of females to males answered, which surprised me as I didn’t think many males would get involved, so thank you for stepping up and providing your valuable input!

Of those who answered, 10 think they are 2 types of shoppers, whilst 6 think they 3 and only 3 think they are 4 types of shopper.

Why is this important? Whilst we think we are a certain type, there are many factors that will make us more complex, for instance, a time restraint — do we make purchases in our lunch break for a pending birthday or other occasion? Time of year has a great impact on our spending — have we just received vouchers from a birthday or Christmas which helps us make unplanned purchases? Here’s what the multiple responders said: Bargain/Loyal: 4 Bargain/Loyal/Browser: 1 Bargain/Loyal/Impulse: 3 Bargain/Loyal /Browser/Mission: 1 Bargain/Loyal /Impulse/Mission: 1 Bargain/Impulse: 3 Bargain/Browser/Impulse: 2 Bargain/Browser/Showroom/Impulse: 1 Loyal/Educated: 2 Mission/Loyal: 1 This is so interesting because whilst those who chose multiple options, you can see there’s a Bargain and Loyal streak running through the majority of the responses.

Why is this important? Whilst we will always go into the big giants to do our weekly or monthly shops, most shoppers love the high street and independent shops.

Looking at the bigger picture, here are the results of everyone who answered both just once and multiple times: Bargain Hunter — 35%: From these results it’s clear to see that as consumers, we love a discount! Walking past a window where the Sale tickets are on show just isn’t an option — it’s like a magnet!

Loyal Customer — 38%: Loyalty is also a brand! I’m not sure about the bigger towns, but here in Hailsham where we have a real community feel about town, the loyalty impact is strong, and we love to support our local independent stores. We know and love our shop owners and above all, we trust them to stock items that they know we will love!

Impulse Buyer — 20%: Impulse buying can be a run-off into other shopper types as you can argue that discount shopping

is impulse buying, especially if that item is on sale in a shop we love to buy from. However, we can also buy high-end purchases on an whim for various different reasons as well.

Browser — 6%: Oh, how we love to window shop! Although, these results surprised me as I thought more people would confess to this. This indicates to me that window-shopping, as a past-time is on the decrease and we only actually go out and make those purchases we actually want. Another factor to this is that more people shop online, so I think this should be much higher as you can still browse a local independent shop online!

Interestingly, only one person who voted on the poll classed themselves as both a browser and a mission-driven shopper.

This indicates that they love to ‘window-shop’ but will only purchase something when they actually need to buy something.

Mission-Driven Shopper — 6%: This answer is more directed towards those who go out and do their weekly or monthly shopping in a supermarket. Of course, when I wrote the poll, I didn’t give any direction as to what type of shopping you’re doing. Still, even the big supermarkets change their end displays to try to entice you into making a last-minute purchase.

Educated Consumer — 4%: Not surprisingly, of those who think of themselves as being an educated consumer, over half of them are males. This means we will sometimes sit at home and do our research on, say, buying a car before going out looking for what we’ve found to be the most reliable and best value for money.

Showrooming Customer — 1%: Only two people voted that they think they’re a showrooming customer. This is quite a new-age recognised category. Unlike the educated

consumer who’ll do their research before going out to purchase, a showrooming customer will go out and test drive that car, or try on that dress, and then go home and try and find it cheaper online.

Indecisive Patron — 0%: Surprisingly, no one ‘fessed up to being indecisive. Everyone seems to know which category or categories they fall into. Maybe that’s because we have the power of the internet, so we can do our homework before going out to make that purchase, or we are able to test things out in a bricks-and-mortar shop before we make that online purchase. Whichever way round it is, I think we have so much more information to hand that being indecisive isn’t possible anymore — the only indecision is whether you’re going to make it a purchase or not!

So why is all this important? I think it’s important to know what type of shopper you are and whether you think the shops and businesses in your town meet your needs as consumers.

One thing I’ve become more aware of over the last few months when I’ve been in town is that the small independents are more willing to satisfy the needs of the consumer. By this, I mean that business owners will listen to customers’ needs and if there isn’t what they want in stock they’ll happily go and find it for you. This builds up the trust aspect of shopping, which leads to loyalty purchases. This will give way to a rise in Browser and Educated Consumers, because if you’ve been into a shop where they have, say, that handbag you love but in a colour you don’t, then by ordering it in a colour you love, you’ve shifted your shopper type from browser/educated and converted into a loyal and educated purchaser.

14 NEWS

JULY 2022

SUPPORT SHOWN FOR ARMED FORCES IN SPECIAL SERVICE

C

adets, Dignitaries and Veterans attended a service at the town’s memorial recently to show their support for Armed Forces Day. The service was organised by the Hailsham Branch of the Royal British Legion and was led by the Reverend Brian Llewllyn.

The Reverend opened the service by saying: “As we give thanks for these men and women of the Navy, Army and Air Force, let us call to mind also their loved ones whose task is often just to wait.”

He added: “In this time of heightened tension we think

especially of those who stand guard across the world by land, sea and air, helping to keep our borders, and our friends secure” During a one-minute silence, a Spitfire flew over the town centre which resulted in a completely unplanned, yet poignant moment.

Armed Forces Day is a chance to show support for the men and women who make up the Armed Forces community, from currently serving troops to service families, veterans and cadets.

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

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

NEWS 15

JULY 2022

WIN WIN WIN Create future memories with Sussex Past and win a 12-month family pass for all Sussex Past properties, including the magical Michelham Priory House and Gardens in Upper Dicker near Hailsham.

This wonderful property, which is in Upper Dicker, a short 10-minute drive from Hailsham, whisks visitors away to a tranquil and peaceful place where they can experience nature up close.

Founded by Augustinian canons in 1229, there is 800-years of history to explore. Outdoors there are seven acres of beautiful grounds and buildings, including an orchard, vegetable garden and great barn.

Why not take a walk around the moat, feed the resident ducks, explore the sculptures in

the grounds, let off steam at the revamped children’s play area, before getting a bite to eat at the café, which has a range of delicious homemade produce and freshly-baked cakes.

Every Wednesday during the summer holidays there will be free family activities provided at Michelham as part of general admission.

Sussex Past also owns and cares for a range of other historical sites including Lewes Castle & Museum, Anne of Cleves House and Fishbourne Roman Palace.

For details visit: www.sussexpast.co.uk

QUESTION: In what year was Michelham Priory founded?

Email your answer, with your full name and contact phone number to: comps@hailsham.news

At the Sjaan Dance Academy we nurture creativity, build confidence and self-esteem whilst enabling well-being through the magic of dance Dance from 18 months upwards and you’re never too old to start. No dance experience is necessary Our classes include: Ballet Tap Modern Pointe Work

Contemporary Acro Musical Theatre Silver Swans RAD Ballet (over 50s)

Yoga

We like dancing to be fun, creative, although not compulsory, our current graded exams achieve 100% pass success rate. Shows are great fun too, but again, not compulsory, (but who can resist our wonderful costumes)

THE SJAAN DANCE ACADEMY Royal Academy of Dance School in Hailsham Call: 07964 573560 sjaandanceacademy@gmail.com www.ballethailsham.co.uk Principal: Sjaan Markwick RAD RTS AABD 14. St. Mary’s Walk, Hailsham, BN27 1AF

16 NEWS

JULY 2022

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

ARLINGTON RESERVOIR OPEN FOR BUSINESS

You can find out more: https://bit.ly/SouthEastWater-GetInvolved

Richard Dyer, Biodiversity Manager at South East Water says that they are looking forward to working with the local community to find activities that will encourage local people to visit the reservoir.

The local reservoir can hold Maximum capacity: 3,500

million litres — equivalent to 11,665 million drinks cans, it has a surprisingly long of shoreline 2.8 kilometres, and the reservoir’s Osprey walking trail offers a three-kilometre circular walk around the reservoir, which passes a bird hide and could be the perfect spot for some nature study.

Photo credit: South East Water

A

rlington Reservoir is looking for businesses or community groups that would benefit from being located at the 100-acre Local Nature Reserve near Polegate.

As well as a key source of drinking water, Arlington Reservoir is a key source of drinking water for Hailsham and is also designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), with more than 170 bird species, including overwintering wildfowl.

The habitat is also home to a wide range of other wildlife, including barn owls, kingfishers, bats, dormice, water voles, newts, dozens of butterfly species and visiting ospreys.

For these reasons, certain activities that could damage or disturb the wildlife or the environment cannot be operated on the site. These include pursuits that involve lots of noise, use boats or vehicles powered by petrol or diesel, involve swimming or those that could otherwise damage the special features of the SSSI.

hallmark hallmark GLAZED EXTENSIONS hallmark GLAZED EXTENSIONS GLAZED EXTENSIONS

18 NEWS

JULY 2022

CHILDREN WITH CANCER FUND ATTENDS ROYAL CELEBRATION AT WESTMINSTER ABBEY

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

C

hildren with Cancer Fund (Polegate) joined hundreds of charities at a Service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey to celebrate the remarkable difference the charities make in their communities.

His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales was among the guests at the special service, which was held by the Benefact Group to celebrate its achievement of giving over £100million to good causes.

Polegate’s Children with Cancer Fund was invited to attend the service as one of the 10,000 charities that has benefited from Benefact Group’s giving.

They received £10,000 of funding through the Movement for Good Award.

The funding has contributed towards exciting social events that unite children with cancer and their families with others in their immediate community going through the same experiences.

Chloe Matthews, Grant Fundraiser for Children with Cancer Fund said “Myself and Chris Downton, one of our founders, attended the service on behalf of Children with Cancer Fund, a small charity that supports families affected by childhood cancer across East Sussex, Brighton, and Hove. We were honoured to be a part of the wonderful service; it was a magical experience and one we will not forget”.

Children With Cancer Fund’s Chloe Matthews and Chris Downton

20 NEWS

JULY 2022

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

READERS’ LETTERS

DOG POO BAGS

Dear Hailsham News, I am writing regarding the amount of dog owners who use the “Poo Bags” and instead of putting them in the bins provided just throw them on the ground or worse still throw them into hedges or hang them on tree branches, it is utterly disgusting and offensive, why do they do it. I am aware there are very responsible dog owners who use the bins provided but the problem is there are many who don’t.

It is not the dogs fault, it is the owners and because they can do it they do. If you go to any area where dogs can be walked then this is a problem, I went for a walk today and along Arlington Road East I counted 8 of these “Poo Bags” just thrown on the road and in hedges.

If you confront a dog owner who has just thrown a bag of dog excrement on the pavement or road the response is usually a verbal insult and told to mind your own business which has happened to me on one occasion, these people are no better than those who let their dogs foul and don’t bother to clear it up. And what about those who work as street cleaners, they have the job of having to pick it up and dispose of it, not a pleasant experience.

I am aware that there are more important things for government to address but this issue should be addressed, I do not think I am alone in feeling very angry that this practice happens with no redress to the dog owners whatsoever.

Regards Mrs C Norman

LAST WORD ON THE BIN STRIKE

Hello, I fully support the refuse strike! With the huge cost of living rises, fuel, food, utility, etc., etc., what do you expect these people to live off once all these bills are paid, huh!

A 17% increase on £9.50ph equals only £11.11ph. Come on people, do the maths; it’s not enough!

Our refuse collectors need our support, not criticisms. They are hard working lovely guys and gals and happy to do a job most people wouldn’t get out of bed for.

Good luck guys!

From a loyal local Hailsham resident.

PARK HOMES LEFT OUT OF ELECTRICTY COST GOVERNMENT REBATE

JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS WERE GREAT BUT DON’T FORGET THE COST OF LIVING CRISIS Dear Readers, We have just witnessed a great celebration of the Queen’s Jubilee, How wonderful to see the people enjoying each other’s company, many will then go back to our own place where we are locked into dreadful new development we are seeing being built all over the country. These developments are contributing to many of our issues with mental health, depression and family breakdown.

With the increase in the price of energy and food, families will be defaulting on their rents and mortgages.

There will be an increase in evictions and repossessions With the market economy where housing is taking over 50% of our income, couples are both working all hours to pay the cost of their rent or mortgage, while creating traffic gridlock both morning and the evening rush hours.

Those with children have little time to make them feel wanted. In new Estates people are isolated while being overcrowded. There is no sense of community feeling. As people, we all need the company of others while preserving our own space.

Many older people are suffering with their health as they are often spending too much time alone.

The idea of sports pitches on new developments would be a great idea, as we need to keep people healthy and be involved with activities from a young age.

We should be having a new layout and design for any new developments. This could be built with a steel frame, and bolt on timbers, with sheep fleece for insulation. solar panels along the long roof for the heating, and underground water tanks to collect the water to use for flushing the toilets, and using in the dry periods for watering the Self-sufficient gardens. Heat pumps could also be used for energy. 80% of the land is for open space and self-sufficient gardens. Build communities, not just estates.

Some people say we only use brownfield sites for housing, We should be using brownfield land for producing the goods we import from China.

The site would have a large area to provide good healthy food for the residents. This would be employing a few full-time staff to grow the crops, and maybe retired people to volunteer to help with growing the crops, again keeping one’s mind occupied.

We should, consider compulsory purchasing development land, or capping the value at 100 years from agriculture gain, build some upmarket houses to pay for the land, then the rest, possibly 80% would be affordable under a Community Land Trust.

Just to point out in 2021,there were 227,000 families facing eviction for rent arrears, 253,000 living in temporary accommodation. That now will be increasing many times over, we should not be building to sell on the market or building to rent, but to create a district wide Community Land Trust.

If we paid less for your housing and more for food and energy all would benefit.

Laurence Keeley (name and address supllied)

NAME NEW ROADS AFTER LOCAL VIPS?

Hi, First of all, congratulations with Hailsham News. Very well put together and very readable.

Just an idea, but what’s the chances of running a campaign or whatever you need to do, to have some of the new housing estates named after people that have done something for Hailsham?

My father was once deputy mayor and a local businessman. With the amount of new build estates popping up, I thought Ellwood Close (after Nick), Holbrook Heights (after the current mayor) and Burchmore Drive (after my Dad, Bryan) had a good ring to them?

Kind regards, Dean Burchmore

Park home owners not eligible for £400 energy rebate

Hi, I don’t know whether you have covered this before, but it needs sharing with a wider audience.

The government has promised a £400 energy bills rebate to ALL households. Reading the small print, that is not entirely true.

Only applies to those households which have a direct account with an electricity company.

Many mobile home parks, mine included, do not have this. Our electricity meters are read, and bills sent out by the park owner, who has the electricity account. Means park home owners will not be eligible.

TO READ MORE, SCAN THIS QR CODE

LONG LOST PAL APPEAL

I am trying to contact this lady who last corresponded with me in 1966. She would be 72 years old now and had a younger brother, John. They lived at 14 Lansdowne Road through the 1960s and probably beyond. She will likely have a different surname.

If anyone has any ideas or even knows her, you may rest assured that she will remember me with fondness.

Hedley Lawson.

If you can help Hedley, let us know by email to letters@hailsham.news and we’ll put you in touch!

Send your readers letters to: letters@hailsham.news

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

JULY 2022

MONKSEY’S MUTTERINGS

PROGRESSIVE TECHNOLOGY

When I started working as a sales rep for an automotive company in 1986, I would have to submit a weekly journey plan so my boss knew where I was and could contact me if needed.

A few years later I was issued with a bag of 10p coins and a pager with a flashing red light which would buzz whenever someone wanted to speak with me, this would then entail finding a telephone box that hadn’t doubled as a public lavatory in the last 48 hours and feeding 10p coins into a slot to be asked “Appleton’s Garage said you quoted them £12 on a Vauxhall Chevette clutch, is that right?”

Technology progressed at a fair rate and I then owned a Nokia 101 where people could call me and I could call them at an equivalent cost per minute to the national debt of Uzbekistan, it was the size and weight of a house brick with a signal that would drop out more times than a flashers genitals on a warm summers evening.

Along came mobile phones from which we could send a text, I bet Alexander Graham Bell spun like a tombola in his grave as we all pressed keypads frantically to send written messages from our phones…especially the letter ‘s’ that required four presses of the ‘7’ key.

Then the iPhone, closely followed by Android, emerged into our daily lives and we were doomed with location services, no more sneaking into Gateways to do our shopping instead of working or skiving in The Homely Maid for a cup of tea whilst pretending to be visiting clients.

In turn, anyone under the age of 25 has no idea how life was in the pre-smartphone era, how did we know what strangers were having for dinner and how did we take pictures of ourselves with rabbit ears and noses?

Nowadays we’re all available to contact 24/7, text messages are sent whilst we are at home in the evenings and emails arrive whilst we sleep. The ease of contact is as wonderful as it is dangerous, we no longer talk but instead we text a person in the same room and as we do so we lose our social skills and abilities.

Well, its almost midnight so I’m off to bed so I can order 6x4 photo paper from my phone for delivery tomorrow.

Until next time people.

Brad Monks, www.verymagic.co.uk

NEWS 21

22 NEWS

JULY 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 – JUNE 2022

On 20 Jun 2022: Nusrat Ghani voted yes on High Speed Rail (Crewe - Manchester) Bill On 15 Jun 2022: Nusrat Ghani voted yes on Rail Strikes On 15 Jun 2022: Nusrat Ghani voted no on Rail Strikes On 14 Jun 2022: Nusrat Ghani voted no on HM Passport Office Backlog On 13 Jun 2022: Nusrat Ghani voted no on Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill — Clause 1 - Duties of registered higher education providers On 13 Jun 2022: Nusrat Ghani voted no on Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill — New Clause 4 - Appointment of the Director for Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom

RECENT APPEARANCES IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS – JUNE 2022

Written Answers — Ministry of Defence: Afghanistan: Refugees (22 Jun 2022).

Nusrat Ghani: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on what date the oldest

application that is yet to be fully processed was submitted to his Department through the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP); how many staff in his Department are assigned to dealing with outstanding ARAP applications as of 16 June 2022; how many ARAP applications were closed due to the applicant (a) being killed...

Written Answers — Home Office: Refugees: Afghanistan (21 Jun 2022). Nusrat Ghani: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish the number of Afghan Citizen Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) cases that were formerly ARAP cases; when the oldest ACRS application still in process was submitted; the number of staff appointed to deal with the ACRS cases; the number of ACRS applications that have been closed due to the applicant either being killed or...

Written Answers — Ministry of Defence: Afghanistan: Refugees (15 Jun 2022).

Nusrat Ghani: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy, how many cases are outstanding (a) in total and (b) for female judges as of 8 June 2022; and what the average time taken to process a case is.

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

JOIN

Carewatch

Bentley Grange Extra Care Scheme WEARE LOOKING FOR CARE ASSISTANTS FOR OUR EXTRA CARE SCHEME IN HAILSHAM

✓ Comprehensive induction and ongoing training ✓ Opportunity to gain nationally recognised qualifications Join us now and ✓ Great rates of pay receive up to a ✓ Flexible working hours

✓ Job satisfaction every day We look forward to hearing from you! Call or email now on:

£1000

welcome bonus*

01323 406189 recruitmentbentley@carewatch.co.uk

*T’s & C’s available on application

WWW.CAREWATCH.CO.UK

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

23

JULY 2022

HAILSHAM! Is your rubbish Broadband letting you down?

HE

!

Y A W E H T N O S I LP

We’re a local business, building a brand new hyper fast and hyper reliable broadband network in Hailsham providing the whole town with 100% Full Fibre broadband.

01323 380 260 | www.LightningFibre.co.uk

THE HAILSHAM CLUB

THE HAILSHAM CLUB IS A PRIVATE MEMBERS CLUB FOR THE OVER 18S ESTABLISHED IN 1920 AND CONVENIENTLY SITUATED IN THE CENTRE OF TOWN

Bingo Fresh Water Fishing Section Wheel of Chance Entertainment Themed Evenings Darts Drinks Raffle Fundraisers

Snooker Tables Meat Raffle Poker Snooker League Shove Halfpenny Quiz Night Sea Fishing Section Whist

WE ARE A VENUE FOR LOCAL GROUPS INCLUDING ROYAL BRITISH LEGION, PROBUS AND WI. OUR KITCHEN SERVES LIGHT LUNCHES FROM 11am TO 2pm ON TUESDAY AND FRIDAYS NEW MEMBERS WELCOME, MEMBERSHIP FORMS AVAILABLE FROM THE BAR. MEMBERSHIP ENROLMENT HELD ON 1st THURSDAY EACH MONTH. 43 Vicarage Field, Hailsham, BN27 1BG 01323 842468 hailshamclub@live.co.uk

24 NEWS

JULY 2022

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

HAILSHAM AND DISTRICT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE UPDATE

H

ailsham Chamber of Commerce’s their say” and be a part of the recent meeting on Thursday 9th June, evolution of the BID. was, unusually held on the second The BID will only proceed with Thursday of the month due to the preceding the support of businesses, and Queens Jubilee celebrations starting on the this breakfast meeting will be the first Thursday. Our hosts at the B12 Bar and first time for businesses to assess Kitchen, High Street, Hailsham catered for and comment upon the objectives our members and guests who had survived and content of the proposals the celebrations and had returned to work which have been supported by rather than continue the holiday for a the South East Local Enterprise further week.

Partnership, (SELEP).

For July our monthly breakfast meeting will Following the presentation, return to its usual first Thursday slot on the we will undertake a short survey 7th but at the slightly later time of 8am for an consisting of ten questions 8-30am start. where attendees can provide For our July breakfast, Initially, the their opinions of the BID and Chamber proposed to schedule a full thus influence the project as it presentation of the BID, unfortunately, develops. this has been postponed to a later meeting, As soon as the meeting possibly August breakfast due to other is finalised details will be conflicting events and also to allow further announced on the Chamber Clive Soper, President time for a comprehensive presentation to be website and Facebook page. compiled.

Of course, joining us as members of the Hailsham & District All local businesses will be invited to the event along with Chamber of Commerce provides businesses the same “onrepresentatives from Wealden District Council, Hailsham the-spot” knowledge of the BID development, and a chance Town Council and other interested parties from the BID area. to influence and be part of the BID as our existing members This will be the first event to outline the scope and benefits enjoy. of the BID both for the District of Hailsham and the businesses This is just one of the benefits of being a member of within the BID boundaries. This event is an important Hailsham Chamber, other benefits include regular monthly introduction to the BID and a chance for businesses to “have networking breakfast meetings, supported by a “guest”

speaker of interest to members. Regular events for members such as our recent successful paddle boarding event at Cuckmere followed by a meal in Polegate Harvester. Future Summer members BBQ, and new, forthcoming lunch meetings, starting shortly for those that find lunchtime more convenient than breakfast.

We are proud of the success of our membership of ACES, uniting chambers in East Sussex, providing a regular working group engaged with Local Councils, Universities, Police, research bodies and many other influential groups within the South East that influence and assist business, shape the future and provide support and help during hard times such as COVID and BREXIT. Membership only costs £90 for a year providing excellent value and a discount to all our events including breakfast and lunch.

Finally, we have been contacted by our friends at Rathdown Chamber of Commerce, in Dun Laoghaire, Republic of Ireland and Mark Hallett, who amongst various activities including BID Co-ordinator and past Chair is also liaising with their membership manager Rodger David Barry to arrange a visit from them. There may be business opportunities both ways but I understand that a visit from them is being discussed, more news shortly.

Don’t forget to keep an eye on our website for the latest news along with our Facebook group but I look forward to seeing as many as possible of you at one of our future events, the next one being breakfast at B12 Bar and Kitchen, 12 High Street, Hailsham BN27 1BJ, on the 7th July, 8-00 for 8-30.

Clive Soper. President.

DEMELZA INTRODUCING NEWMAN HOSPICE BUSINESS SOLUTIONS CARE FOR CHILDREN

Keith Dickman plans to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in aid of Demelza Hospice Care for Children

Pam Robinson made an appeal for donations towards a massive fundraising effort being made by Keith Dickman for Demelza Hospice Care for Children, by climbing Kilimanjaro in September. Here is the JustGiving link if you wish to donate: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ keith-dickman13

Our expertise is in integrating Document Management, IT, Print and Speech Processing technologies as well as Telecoms solutions to create a more productive office through joined-up thinking. We are different in that we don’t just sell products; we look at the big-picture and recommend strategies and solutions to the problems you face.

We help you to navigate the bottlenecks, identify efficiencies, reduce overheads, and put you back in control.

We deal with SME’s and professional practices… right up to large corporations — helping them streamline information, manage documentation, and store data. With the modern office changing rapidly, and new means of communicating, printing and storage, our in-depth knowledge can help your business make the most of the latest technologies.

We simplify office management by supplying a single point of contact for service, supplies and expert advice.

For over 42 years Newman has been helping businesses evolve and we are very thankful to the loyal client base we have amassed over this time. We have the depth, and breadth of experience to offer products from industryleading manufacturers, backed up by our inhouse team of expert engineers and staff who

offer vast product knowledge and proactive servicing that is second to none.

Newman Business Solutions Ltd, 01892 664999, or visit www.newmanbs.co.uk

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

JULY 2022

ADVERTORIAL 25

STEVENS & CARTER PROUDLY SUPPORTING GROVELANDS SCHOOL SUMMER FAIR Stevens and Carter is very proud to support the community through various local Charities. We feel this is very important in these difficult times, and the old saying “every little bit helps” couldn’t be truer.

This month we are supporting a local charity called FROGS — Friends Of Grovelands. A charity particularly close to the company director’s heart, as John Stevens’ children went to the school and his wife currently works there.

Stevens & Carter is proud to be the event sponsors of this year’s Summer Fete which is being held on Saturday 9th July starting at 11.00am until 3.00pm.

Even if your children don’t go to Grovelands, why not go along, bring the family and enjoy a great afternoon out.

FROGS is a vital group of volunteers that raises funds throughout the year to purchase equipment for the pupils to extend their opportunities. This

includes anything from digital tablets, books, play equipment and anything the school may find difficult to fund itself.

The team always ensure the events they hold for the school are fun, exciting and involves the whole community, so we are proud to support their efforts to ensure their events go ahead.

STAR PROPERTY

STAR PROPERTY

BOREHAM STREET

THE MARTLETTS

‘OIEO’ £400,000

‘OIEO’ £395,000

3D Virtual Tour | Characterful Mews Style Property | Built Circa 1820 | Village Location | Walled Sunny Aspect Courtyard | Integral Kitchen Appliances | Parking | Situated within The White Friars, Boreham Street, we are pleased to offer this most charming mews style attached house. This characterful home is immaculately presented throughout and was originally former Estate outbuildings.

The house is arranged with an entrance/inner hall, kitchen-dining room, sitting room, cloakroom, stairs to the first floor, two double bedrooms and a bathroom. To the rear, accessed via patio doors from both the lounge and kitchen is a beautiful walled courtyard style garden affording a southerly aspect with gate to the allocated parking area.

Look At Our 3D Virtual Property Tour On-Line | Stunning Mews Development | Located Within Picturesque Village With Historic Church | Easy Access To Numerous Rural Walks | Beautifully Presented | Conservatory Overlooking Landscaped Gardens With Garden Room/Office | Two Carports Plus Parking | Highly Recommended.

Hankering for a life away from the fast pace and hub bub of modern life, then this stunning mews style house could just be for you. Located within the picturesque village of Hellingly with its historic church is this small pretty development constructed only a few years ago to a high specification. This end of terrace property enjoys a downstairs cloakroom, a spacious lounge with doors opening into a modern conservatory and a front aspect kitchen. Upstairs there are the bedrooms along with an en-suite shower room and a further bathroom. Outside there is a garden room/office, landscaped gardens and two carports with additional parking in front.

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

You don’t have to be crazy to be an estate agent HOW many times have you said it’s crazy at work today?

By Pauline Canham, Sales Manager, Crane & Co Estate Agents.

It’s almost become the normal thing for us to say to each other daily. You would think with our team of 15, which is quite large for an independent agency, we wouldn’t have that much work. You couldn’t be further from the truth! I work hard and I really love my job but if the opportunity to become a rich housewife arises – I’m taking it!

Here at Crane & Co, we don’t just stick to our own job roles, we’re a busy team and we all help each other. We do have certain job roles that are specialized, such as valuers, videographers, marketing and an office manager. The important person in this team, however, is you the client. We work together to help you buy or sell a home, so when we need to go that extra mile, the whole team are contributing.

Going to crazy lengths Photography is a prime example.

Photographing a property is so important since the way we shortlist and buy houses has changed. There are no longer the weekly property papers or house of the week in local papers (I’m showing my age now). We all look on the internet portals first, Rightmove, Facebook, Zoopla to name just a few. We are attracted to a property by the photos in a similar way as we ‘eat with our eyes’ with food – if we find it appealing, we are more likely to try something new.

I’m sure you’ve looked at property details and bypassed the property because you don’t like the look of the photos of the bathroom or kitchen.

Could you have just dismissed your dream home? (would a better photographer have got you thinking more?)

Our photographers go to crazy lengths to get the perfect shot so don’t be surprised to see them sat in your bath (no water of course) to get that eyecatching shot of a small bathroom or to re-arrange an entire room to show it to it’s full potential.

After easing her to the floor and raising her legs for a few moments our viewer quickly came to. Quite an icebreaker you could say!

Marvelous viewing When you attend thousands of viewings every year there are one or two that stick in your mind. On one such occasion a sudden gust of wind (on an otherwise still day) slammed shut the front door while my colleague was showing the clients the parking arrangements outside (the one and only time she left the keys in the back door – so she tells me!). There was no rear garden access, but being a resourceful sort, she knocked on the neighbour’s door and asked to borrow their ladder, scaled the 6ft garden fence, hauled herself over and dropped to the grass in a ‘Marvel Avengers’ style, stood up, straightened her hair and clothing and serenely walked back through the house to let the viewers back in through the front door and continue with the viewing.

It’s these crazy, funny, moments that stick in our minds as do the lovely comments and praise we receive from viewers when they recognise the work we are doing to show off your home to its full potential or make your viewing experience an enjoyable occasion. It is probably the biggest sale/purchase you’ll ever make so it needs to be as stress free and simple as we can make it for you.

Best service I’m proud to say at Crane & Co, we are all devoted to helping our clients and we all do our best to give the best service & most honest assessment of all situations, to make that choice easier and clearer for you. You don’t have to be crazy to be an estate agent, you just need to be prepared to go that extra mile, have incredibly superhero tenacity, keep calm, smile and carry on regardless to create the outcome buyers and sellers desire.

Happy Hunting! pauline.canham@craneandco.co.uk

01323 440678

Icebreaker Viewings can also often have crazy moments too. One of my colleagues recently had to snap into first-aid mode at a viewing when someone fainted during the appointment!

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

How to avoid a home seller’s biggest frustration In this two-minute read, we look at what homeowners can do to reduce the risk of their property sale falling through.

By Mike Crane, Owner and Managing Director of Crane & Co Estate Agents

It’s fabulous to receive an acceptable offer you’re delighted with, but there are still lots of potential twists and turns along the road to selling successfully.

You don’t want your sale to hit roadblocks that slow the moving process down and raise the chances of it falling through and sending it back to square one.

When that happens, it’s frustrating, stressful, and time-consuming.

The good news is that you can do simple things to raise your chances of getting the sale through to the finish line in a timescale you’re happy with.

The tips below can help speed up the process by up to two months!

Tip 1: When looking to instruct a conveyancing solicitor to handle your sale’s legal side, pick one who agrees to give you a weekly update.

Ask your agent for recommendations of conveyancers who communicate consistently.

Tip 2: Before putting your home up for sale, get ‘market ready’. It’s a great idea to fill in a Property Information Questionnaire (a good agent will be able to provide you with one). It’s a form that asks several questions your conveyancer needs to know. This will help them review the information you have supplied and help you resolve any issues or replace missing documents. Doing this before your home is under offer (or even on the market) will significantly speed things up when a deal (subject to contracts being exchanged) has been agreed upon.

Tip 3: Remember that the conveyancer is working on your behalf and should be responsive to your calls for updates.

This isn’t an article bashing conveyancers – quite the opposite. Good conveyancers work wonders with agents and for their clients.

A communicative conveyancer AND a proactive estate agent are often the differences between a successful sale carried out in a quick timeframe or a slow, frustrating experience that raises the risk of a fall-through.

Are you thinking of selling your home in 2022? We can help.

Always Looking Ahead

Selecting the best agent to help you sell your property is a big decision, especially with so much already going on in your life. Here’s why we like to think you might choose us to work for you:

You Focused

Experience We’ve been helping the people of Hailsham buy and sell their property since the 1980’s. Collectively, our team has more than 100 years of experience, so they can empathise and understand your situation.

Here at Crane & Co, we have an expert team working tirelessly from instruction through to completion. Amongst the team we have expert sale progressors, with many years of experience, ready to guide your sale forwards and make the process as smooth as possible. A good sales progressor can be worth their weight in gold. With us, you can rest assured that you’re in safe hands.

If you have any questions about the selling process, get in touch with us on 01323 440678 and we’ll answer them expertly and honestly for you.

We have invested heavily in virtual viewings, video tours, and a raft of other new technologies. This means you know your property will be expertly marketed, which leads to achieving premium prices.

We are focused on you. That means getting you the results you are looking for.

We don’t just talk the talk, we walk the walk. We will be with you every step of the way to advise, support and celebrate with you.

We’ve built our reputation on the quality of our relationships and the number of transactions. This has led to most of our business coming from word of mouth.

Results

FREE DOWNLOAD: 7 Secrets to a Successful Sale’

Crane & Co are rated, by Rightmove and Zoopla, as being the most accomplished estate agent in the area - selling more property and dealing with more enquiries than any other competing estate agency.

Our free guide shows you how a few simple steps can make your family move a happier and less stressful experience, and explains how to avoid the most common pitfalls.

Get Agent (agent comparison website) shows that Crane & Co achieve the highest selling prices in the area – this extra money often more than covers our estate agency fees.

Our completion success rate for seeing deals though to the finish is one of the highest in the industry at 96% (the industry average is 66%).

Reviews You can gain a lot of reassurance by seeing what past clients think about us:

Facebook - 112 Reviews with an average of 4.9 Google - 124 Reviews with an average of 4.8 See more client reviews on our website www.craneandco.co.uk

Scan the QR code here to get your free copy

28 NEWS

JULY 2022

REHOME A CHICKEN

C

hicken Rescue UK are organising a chance for you to adopt a chicken on 9 July. So, if you fancy a new pet with an added bonus — then rehoming a chicken or two could be just your thing! You might not realise that chickens not only make great pets, but you also get fresh, home-produced eggs thrown in as well. Who knew that the chickens that produce the eggs we enjoy for breakfast, for baking and cooking are no longer commercially viable at only 72 weeks of age.

It’s around then that their egg production naturally starts to slow down and farmers look to replace them with newer, younger chickens who will keep egg production rates up.

These 72 week old chickens are sent to slaughter to be used in a range of products including human and pet foods despite a potential for them to live for five to ten years. This is where Chicken Rescue UK steps in.

They are a 100% volunteer run community interest company that have links with farmers around the UK from which they purchase these hens in order to give them a new life with loving new owners.

Rescue chickens find their way to smallholdings, allotments, schools, homes in towns, cities and the countryside.

If you’d like to give some rescued chickens a new home or volunteer your time to help rescue and rehome ex-commercial laying chickens visit www.chickenrescue.co.uk

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

EAST SUSSEX MOVIEMAKERS CLUB

The club held a ‘My Favourite Film’ evening recently where each member bought a variety of films to view and it provided a very entertaining club evening. Members watched an except from The building of the Shard — an insight into a unique constructional design; from there was an ‘out-of-season’ look at The Muppets Christmas Carol which was a shock for Dickens aficionados!

They were then transported by aerial shots of the Italian coastline and into the office of Inspector Montalbano. He was followed by familiar actresses preparing to be Calendar Girls. The concluding pair of films took us on a Summer Holiday with Cliff Richard, and a hop over the Atlantic to the Argentinian culture of Evita.

The club holds technical workshops with subjects ranging from filming in low level lighting to giving advice about filming outdoor events.

As a small and friendly club, it will always welcome anyone with an interest in making or watching films made by keen amateur moviemakers.

Members manage to find time for a cup of beverage and a biscuit; so, come and spend an evening with us at no initial cost except your time.

The group meets on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month at St Luke’s Church, Rattle Road, Stone Cross BN24 5SL. Car parking is available. For more information call 01323 769016.

HAILSHAM TENNIS CLUB AND BANOFFEE PIE

Tournament winners Mary Srea and Georgia Lee

Semi finalists Manny Galitzine, Barbara Cordner, Mary Srey and Georgia Lee

Over the May Bank Holiday, Hailsham Tennis Club held an American Tournament, in which pairs are chosen from a hat and play against other similarly chosen pairs in a group stage, all keeping their own scores. Round robin matches were played through a hectic morning, with each player having one serve, before exchanging partners and having one more serve. The top scorers then progress to the finals.

Everyone brought a contribution to an excellent social lunch, before the games resumed.

This year’s semi-finalists were Seang Chea and Gill Tuffery playing Paul Lea and Jenny Hernon, while Georgia Lee and Mary Srey played Manny Galitzine and Barbara Cordner. Some players

Semi finalists Paul Lea, Jenny Hernon, Seang Chea and Gill Tuffery

succumbed to too much banoffee pie and the finalists were Seang and Gill against Georgia and Mary.

In the final, Georgia and Mary raced into a lead, and, although Seang and Gill pegged them back, they came through to win the tournament 6-2.

President Graham Landon presented them with the Sidney Vine Trophy, saying that the result was worth all the stress that he and Roger Townsend and Bridget Dodman had put into the organisation of the tournament.

Tennis is a good way to keep fit and meet new friends - try it for yourself!

Find out more at www.clubspark.lta.org.uk/HailshamTennisClub

JULY 2022

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

HailshamMotoring

KIA SORENTO

TAKING ON EVERYTHING THAT LIFE THROWS AT IT Kia seems to be on a roll at the moment, following on from the successful launch of the all-new Sportage, then a completely redesigned Sorento arrives on the market, extending its range of impressive vehicles. Paul Gibson spends time in the manufacturers’ flagship model

C

ompletely redesigned from the ground up for 2022, the Sorento has been famous since it was initially launched in 2002 for being a robust and steadfast workhorse with several awards under its belt for reliability and towing. A mainstay of Kia’s global line-up, more than three million Sorento models have been sold worldwide since its launch. In that time, Europe has accounted for more than 300,000 of these sales.

We were sent the Kia Sorento Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV), which is an ultra-low emission version of the brand’s flagship SUV. Kia says the new Sorento has been designed and engineered to take on ‘everything life throws at it’, and because of its sheer size, it probably could.

Measuring 4.8 metres long, 1.9 metres wide and weighing in at 2.6 tonnes, it’s a big motor! In fact, it is just slightly shorter and narrower than a Range Rover Sport, which certainly isn’t a small car.

The Sorento is the first vehicle to be based on Kia’s newgeneration midsize SUV platform. Paired with a larger body to maximise cargo and luggage space, the platform ensures the Sorento is one of the most versatile and spacious seven-seat SUVs on the road.

The Kia Sorento PHEV is simultaneously the most powerful and lowest-emitting model in the new European Sorento lineup, thanks to its plug-in powertrain.

It features a powerful 1.6-litre T-GDi (turbocharged petrol direct injection) engine, which, on its own, produces 178bhp and 265Nm of torque. Combined with an electric motor producing 67kW and 304Nm of torque, the car delivers a combined 261bhp and 350Nm of torque. Fifteen per cent more powerful than the Sorento Hybrid (HEV), the new PHEV variant can accelerate from 0-to-60mph in 8.4 seconds and from 50-to-75mph in just 5.7 seconds.

Considering its size, the Sorento is very light on its feet and carries its weight very well in day-to-day driving.

Our test model was exceptionally well equipped with almost every safety feature money can buy on a modern car. There

are plenty of USB charging points throughout (even on the third row of seats), with even air conditioning controls for those little ones seated at the very back.

When you don’t have seven people to move about, the third row of seats folds easily into the boot, giving you a whopping, almost class-leading 605 litres of boot space. In addition, two very convenient zip bags with Velcro are featured in the boot area, which keeps all your charging cables tidy.

All models in the line-up, including the Sorento ‘2’, feature LED technology for the headlights and rear combination lights, as well as for the daytime running lights, front and rear fog lights, and high-mounted brake light.4

MOTORING 29

30 MOTORING

JULY 2022

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

soon become unviable — so hybrid/ plug-in hybrid cars are the only real useable option.

The Sorento could certainly be a contender. I, unfortunately, didn’t get to attach a caravan to it, so it’s difficult to evaluate how it would perform, but I do fear there would be a slight lack of power when towing heavier caravans.

Overall, the Sorento is undoubtedly a great, comfortable, luxurious mile-eater, but for drivers who find themselves doing more town miles than motorway, the smaller, more compact Sportage would be a better option.

4 19-inch alloy wheels and a temporary space-saver spare wheel are standard equipment. In addition, roof rails not only boost the all-new Sorento visually but also add versatility if there’s ever a need to carry additional loads. A black front radiator grille is married to wheel arch body mouldings and side sills in the same colour, with all versions featuring front and rear skid plates in silver.

This is Kia’s most high-tech car ever, thanks to its

progressive connectivity, driver assistance and infotainment technologies. Its user-friendly twin digital displays deliver advanced graphics, new telematics features and smartphone connectivity.

As an ex-caravanner, I know there’s a big issue in finding a car which is both economical and powerful enough to pull a 1.5-tonne home. Unfortunately, there aren’t any significant choices for electric vehicles when it comes to towing as they

KEY FACTS: KIA SORENTO

Model tested �������������Kia Sorento ‘3’ 1.6 PHEV T-GDi Auto AWD Price (as tested) ��������������������������������������������������������������������� £50,345 Engine �������������������������� 1.6, 4-cylinder with 67kw electric motor 0-62mph �������������������������������������������������������������������������� 8.7 seconds Boot �����������������������605 litres (seats down). 147 litres (seats up) Wheelbase ������������������������������������������������������������������������ 2.8 metres

AUTOMOTIVE REPAIRS AND SERVICING

AT COMPETITIVE PRICES

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

STANDING OUT FROM THE CROWD

COULDN’T BE ANY EASIER ATTENTION MOTOR TRADERS WITH THE CREATION OF ONLINE CAR ADVERTISING, IT HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO SHOWCASE YOUR PRODUCTS IN A TRUE LIGHT WHEN IT COMES TO REACHING CAR BUYERS. ALTHOUGH SELLING CARS THROUGH ONLINE LISTING WEBSITES IS POPULAR AND NORMALLY SUCCESSFUL FOR TRADERS, THERE ARE STILL A LARGE MAJORITY OF BUYERS WHO LIKE TO BROWSE A VARIETY OF VEHICLES AS THEY MIGHT NOT KNOW WHAT THEY ARE LOOKING FOR. BEXHILL AND HAILSHAM NEWS HAVE A COMBINED 34,000 READERSHIP ACROSS EAST SUSSEX, WHICH IS IDEAL FOR PROMOTING YOUR STOCK, SPECIAL OFFERS AND EVEN EDITORIAL REVIEWS TO TELL READERS ABOUT A PARTICULAR VEHICLE. WE HAVE 20 YEARS OF MOTORING EXPERIENCE AND PRODUCE HIGH-QUALITY REVIEWS AND IMAGES FOR PUBLICATION IN OUR NEWSPAPERS. ISN’T IT ABOUT TIME YOUR BUSINESS GOT SOME PROPER COVERAGE IN YOUR LOCAL NEWSPAPER?

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL 01323 33 70 70 or email sales@haisham.news

32 MOTORING

JULY 2022

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

HAILSHAM ZERO-EMISSION VEHICLE BUILDER COMPLETES EV CHALLENGE

JLC’s Ocra crosses the finish line

The JLC City Bug finishes in the rally in style

H

ailsham-based electric vehicle maker crossed the finish line recently to prove the reliability and range of its compact electric vehicle offerings. The JLC Group which operates from workshops in Lower Dicker was working alongside the University of Brighton to complete The Big Lemon London to Brighton Electric Car Rally, sponsored by EDF. The rally started from Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens, London at 7am and covered 59 miles, before finishing on Brighton Beach.

All entries stopped at Ifield College near Crawley for breakfast and adjudication before continuing to Brighton.

Students from the University drove the company’s fullyelectric City Bug across the finish line and JLC drove its ‘Ocra’ electric van, which has a load capacity of 1000kg and can be adapted for city couriers, airports, seaports, local authorities, distribution centres or warehouses. Both vehicles are assembled on-site, providing jobs and experience to young apprentices from local colleges.

The London to Brighton Electric Vehicle Rally is the first of its type in England and showcases the latest in electric vehicles and clean energy from the automotive, leisure and manufacturing sectors.

Other examples of electric vehicles of the future take part in the rally

Visitors enjoy getting behind the wheel of JLC vehicles

Singer entertains crowds on Maderia Drive

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

33

JULY 2022

START YOUR JOURNEY WITH AVON TODAY

PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS TO 17,000 READERS FROM ONLY £75pm

We’re looking for representatives in your area Call Craig on 07789 928183 for more information.

SIMPLY CALL 01323 33 70 70 OR EMAIL SALES@HAILSHAM.NEWS

Wakes & Celebrations of Life 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.

Tel: 01435 813636

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

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

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

OVER 25 YEARS EXPERIENCE ON EVERYTHING FROM FIESTAS TO FERRARIS!

FOR A SAFE, RELIABLE & FAMILY FRIENDLY SERVICE YOU CAN RECOMMEND TO OTHERS, CALL OR EMAIL US NOW!

01323 811070

• Servicing & MOT • Air Conditioning • Diagnostics - all makes & models • Timing Belts & TIMING CHAINS • Welding and fabrication • Tyres & 4 wheel alignment

Unit 5 Lower Mays Farm Selmeston, BN26 6TU

reception@keeysautos.co.uk www.keeysautos.co.uk

34 SPORT

HailshamSport

JULY 2022

Would you like your sports club or team to appear in these pages?

If so, simply email: editor@hailsham.news

For the latest local news, visit: www.Hailsham.News 2nd XI vs Rye: Hailsham were the hosts to Rye on a wicket that looked to suit the bowlers. After winning the toss, Hailsham elected to field first.

Tutt (2-44) and Fingerneissl (1-27) opened the bowling and looked to get an early breakthrough. With the ball moving around, it was Fingerneissl who managed to get the first wicket trapping the Rye opener for only two runs. Hailsham again were starting the innings with aggression looking to take the game away from Rye right from the off The Roots Gardening and Maintenance Man of the Match goes to Joe Fingerneissl for an excellent 76* and 1-27.

3rd XI vs Selmeston and Alciston: On a scorching hot Saturday in the village of Selmeston, Hailsham’s 3rd XI faced off against the 2nd in the league on their turf.

Opening the bowling for the sham were Ed “Kelly” Brook (0/46 off 9) and Clint “The swinger” Mooiman (2/40 off 9).

The B12 Wine Bar Player of the match goes to Clint Mooiman for his 2 wickets and calm yet aggressive batting that looked pretty good in a poor batting side.

Photo: Ciaran Peacock

4th XI vs Ringmer: The mighty Hailsham took on Ringmer 3rd XI on a very hot Saturday afternoon.

The “View CCTV men of the match”, voted for by the players, is Joe Andrews for getting some critical runs during our batting innings and Liam Fenwick for a brilliant job keeping and some useful runs at the start of the innings.

Hailsham Roses Cricket Team

HAILSHAM CRICKET CLUB REPORTS 1st XI vs RMU: Hailsham travelled to RMU looking to finish the first half of their season strongly. Skipper Anthony won the toss and elected to bat on what appeared to be a scorching day for cricket. The returning Wilkinson returned to partner ever-present Ollie McDonald at the top of the innings, looking to carry his fine form over from the 2nd XI. On a sloping wicket, the RMU overseas took the new ball and got

it to talk, with swing and seam and a vicious short ball.

Hailsham’s back we’re up against the wall, and a fast start is what they needed to get back on track in the game. Some interesting running filled Hailsham with some hope of early wickets, and that’s exactly what they got.

The IQ Builders Merchant Man of the Match goes to Rob Wilkinson for a fine 61 on his return to the team.

Hailsham Roses vs Lewes Priory: Hailsham Roses made it back-to-back wins against Lewes Priory on Sunday.

Lewes chose to bat but were soon in trouble after an early wicket from Sophie Beck (2-1–1-1). Further good bowling from Romilly Smith (2-0-3-1) and Connie Filtness (2-0-2-1) which kept the pressure on.

The remaining wickets were shared between Sarah Robinson and Hollie Young as Lewes finished up on 56-5 after their 17 overs.

This total was never likely to challenge the powerful Hailsham batting line up although they did lose the early wicket of Emma Thorley (2).

This brought Sophie Beck (16*) to join Ann-Marie Pier (29*) as they saw the side over the line in 7 overs.

Go on the “sham”!

Roots Gardening Player of the Match went to Anne-Marie Pier for a classy knock.

THAI BOXING MARTIAL ARTS

Left to right is Archie, Finly and Nick with Mickey Howe on the left.

Hailsham Muay Thai is an up and coming Thai Boxing Gym that aims to inspire, motivate and fulfil people’s fitness goals. According to Wikipedia, Muay Thai is sometimes referred to as Thai boxing and is a combat sport that that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. This discipline is known as the “art of eight limbs”, as it is characterised by the combined use of fists, elbows, knees and shins.

Muay Thai became widespread internationally in the late 20th to 21st century, when Westernised practitioners from Thailand began competing in kickboxing and mixed-rules matches as well as matches under Muay Thai rules around the world.

They attended an inter-club competition in Crawley. It was a friendly controlled sparring session with other gyms around the county to experience the first stage in having a real fight.

Medals were awarded for sparring in a new area, sparring with new people and having everyone watch you but without the pressure of losing and wearing shin protection and bigger ounce gloves on.

36 SPORT

SPORT

JULY 2022

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

CRICKET PAGE 34

MARTIAL ARTS PAGE 34

HEATHFIELD MIDSUMMER 10K RUN

Described as one of the most challenging on-road 10K’s in the South East, the course features plenty of hills, but as the saying goes ‘what goes up must come down’ and the downhills definitely served to aid some much needed hill recoveries on Sunday 19th June for the 165 runners taking part in this year’s Heathfield Midsummer 10K. Organised by the fantastic Heathfield Road Runners the challenging 10K forms part of the 2022 Sussex Grand Prix Race series.

Hailsham Harriers put on some mighty performances at the 10K collecting plenty pf trophies and even some new personal best times. First Harrier home saw Ross Brocklehurst storm over the line in 35:43 to take 2nd place overall, and 1st in age, with Carl Barton finishing with a new 10K personal best in 42:13 and 2nd in age. First female home for the Harriers was super speedy Lianne Leakey taking 3rd place female overall in 43:03 and 1st in age. Chris Shoult finished in 47:40, Audrey Haddon 50:37, Gary Smith 51:34, Helen O’Sullivan 51:59, Steph Bassett 54:07 and Hannah Deubert-Chapman 54:33. Frances Delves won her age category, crossing the line in 55:22 with Darren Gillett 1:04:36 and Norman Harris hot on Darren’s heels to finish in 1:04:49 and winning first in age.

Heathfield Road Runners put on a fantastic event, with an abundance of cheerful, friendly marshals, a well signposted route, fabulous cakes, a great medal all on a dry morning after a stormy, rainy night.

Congratulations to everyone that ran and to the overall race winners, Simon Heath from Seaford Striders and Alison Moore from Brighton Phoenix.

MORE SUCCESS FOR YOUNG STRINGERS T

he new season may be a month away, but Hailsham Town’s Youth teams continued on the winning track in June, with the Under 9’s side winning the Plate trophy for their age group in the Heathfield & Horam FC Tournament on Sunday 12th June.

Manager Ant Butler said; “All of the team worked really hard, and played well, conceding only one goal in the whole tournament”.

The Stringers youngsters celebrate with the trophy Meanwhile, at the Crowborough & District Junior Football League presentation evening in Uckfield, Hailsham Town’s Under 11’s were awarded the Spring Trophy, to go with the Autumn version they won at Christmas.

Training begins for the youth teams on Saturday 16th July on the main pitch at The Beaconsfield, and any children interested in playing football are very welcome.

Visit www.facebook.com/htyouthfc for more information.

Managers Stuart Skan (left) and Paul Crosbie (right), with two of their successful team

Third South East regional league fixture at home to Ipswich took place on Sunday 19 June 2022.

In the Division 2 fixture: The day started well for the Lions with an opening 7-3 from Kai and Neil but the Lions did slip up in heat 11 which saw Ipswich claw back some points closing the gap to 7. But the Lions were too strong and held well finishing of the meeting with a final 7-3 from Kai and Chris. Final score 86-74.

Then it was the turn of the young Lions: This was to be a big challenge, without Harry Ridley due to injury Sam took his place in the main team.

Heat 9 saw a tactical change bring Alfie in for Dylan and the switch paid off as Paul and Alfie race in with a 7-3 for the Lions the meeting was all square at heat 9.

In the final nominated heat Kai and Paul were unable to hold the strong pairing of Kai Gowers and Detlan Mitchell from Ipswich. Final score: 64 v 65.

Photo credit: Natalie Ridley

HELLINGLY CYCLE SPEEDWAY

Hannah Deubert-Chapman