Caring 4 Sussex Issue 47, Summer 2019

Issue 46 • Summer 2019

www.caring4sussex.co.uk

Hidden in a battered old suitcase for a century

A TITANIC SECRET Now exclusively revealed in Worthing

ALSO INSIDE: 75 YEARS SINCE D-DAY How West Sussex played a crucial role

DUKE & DUCHESS OF SUSSEX Pictures of Baby Archie and the Royals

ELECTIONS Round-up of local and European results Plus all our regulars

LEISURE • HEALTH • NEWS • COMMUNITY • SERVICES

PLEASE TAKE ONE

It’s free!

Do you know how much your care might cost?

In West Sussex your weekly care fees could cost up to £1500 a week (the cost will vary, depending on the provider and your needs). Deciding on the best way to fund this could turn out to be one of the most difficult financial decisions you will have to make – either for yourself or on behalf of a relative. Getting the right advice and support to guide you could make all the difference.

All the Carewise care fees specialists are members of the Society of Later Life Advisers (SOLLA) and can provide advice on products across the whole market, giving you peace of mind that you have explored all your options and made an informed choice about the best way to pay for the care, for as long as it’s needed.

Book your free consultation

Your first consultation with a care fees specialist is free of charge and there is no pressure to go ahead with the advice. So there’s nothing to lose to find out about all of your available options.

Contact us to arrange your free consultation with your chosen care fees specialist. You will then hear from them within one working day.

www.carewiseadvice.com socialcare@westsussex.gov.uk Adults’ CarePoint 01243 642121 Mrs G’s experience of Carewise “I found Carewise helpful in getting referred to a care fees specialist who was able to advise me on the options of funding my Godmother’s care fees.

This enabled me to make an informed decision on the most suitable option. As my Godmother was aged 92 in a care home and lacking capacity, I had to act as her attorney which is a great responsibility. My decision to purchase an annuity provided peace of mind, knowing that her care fees could be paid for the rest of her life.”

Mrs G, East Grinstead

WS32588 05.2019

Summer 2019

From the Editor…

These helplines are free

Dear readers

Greetings as we head into summer, and to me one of the noisiest early summers I can remember, in terms of birdsong. It’s everywhere, and I echo the words of one of our letter writers, Mr Kitson, who says it would be even better for the birds and other wildlife if we could just let our gardens go a little bit and give these creatures room to breathe. What’s wrong with the odd weed anyway!

This edition also welcomes the arrival of Baby Archie, the firstborn of our newly appointed Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Let’s hope they make a trip to our county as soon as they can.

Our cover story this issue is really quite spine chilling – a Titanic secret unearthed right here in Worthing. If you know of any secrets we could shed light on, do let us know in the normal way. All contact details are on this page.

Our other double pager commemorates the 75th anniversary of D-Day, and the role West Sussex played is all laid out in a reprint of the book D-Day West Sussex, which first came out on the 50th anniversary.

Alongside all our usuals – health, gardening, news, letters and this issue a Spotlight on Rustington – we have local and MEP election results, so happy reading and enjoy summer.

The Silver Line

0800 4 70 80 90 24 hours

Samaritans

116 123 24 hours

Elderly Care Support 0800 001 010

BUPA (Non-members welcome) Mon-Fri 8am-8pm Weekends 9am-5pm

Independent Age 0800 319 6789

Advice and information Mon-Fri 8am-8pm Saturdays 9am-1pm

CONTENTS

4

75TH ANNIVERSARY OF D-DAY 04 A commemoration of West Sussex’s role

06 HEALTH 07 Shedding light on cataracts BABY SUSSEX 09 WELCOME

Plus a rare photo of his

04

West Sussex Partners in Care awards Lancing – what’s in a name?

grandmother the Queen as a toddler

12

COVER STORY A Titanic secret emerges in Worthing

14

09

ELECTION RESULTS How local councils and MEPs did in West Sussex

15 SPOTLIGHT On Rustington 16 LETTERS ON THE FARM 18 DOWN

How summer is treating local

16

farmer Jon Hutcheon

19

GARDENING Make your hanging baskets a blaze of colour

19 www.caring4sussex.co.uk

20 NEWS Stories you may have missed 22 WORD SEARCH

Pinstripe Publishing Ltd Company no: 07621841 Editor: Debbie Mason 19 Ruskin Road, Worthing, BN14 8DY edit@caring4sussex.co.uk ads@caring4sussex.co.uk Phone: 01903 537337 Writers: Debbie Mason, Malcolm Linfield, Peter Simpson Design: Fiona Bowring fiona.bowring@gmail.com Print: Bishops 023 9233 4900 Distribution: For more than 20 copies please contact Sue Boiling, 01273 463366

caring4sussex @caring4sussex www.caring4sussex.co.uk © Copyright Pinstripe Publishing Ltd. No reproduction in whole or part without written permission. The Publisher cannot be held liable for any loss suffered as a result of information herein or obtained from the Publisher’s website and therefore cannot accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, distress or inconvenience caused by the content of any such website. The publisher accepts no liability for views expressed by contributors and advertisers, undertakes that prices were correct at time of going to press and can neither accept responsibility for loss or damage to unsolicited material nor return it without an SAE. No product or service advertised and/or publicised and/or appearing in Caring 4 Sussex magazine is, unless expressly stated to the contrary, endorsed by and/or otherwise associated with Caring 4 Sussex.

3

4

Caring D-Day

D-Day landings launched from our beaches 75 years ago

By Peter Simpson

Seventy-five years ago, the pebble beaches of West Sussex crunched not under the feet of wellybooted dog walkers and flip-flopping sunseekers as they do today, but by thousands of pairs of soldiers’ boots, tank tyres and landing craft.

C

lose your eyes for a moment and imagine the scene as you strolled along any prom or coastal walk, from Bognor to Newhaven, in the last days of May, 1944: on every road, above in the sky, on the beaches, close inshore and littered across the nearby fields and park greens, there you would have seen army trucks, jeeps and tanks, aeroplanes, platoons of GIs and Tommies on the march, a mass of tents and Nissan huts, the rumble of motorised armour, the chug of marine diesel engines – and

heard distinct American and Canadian twangs mixed with a myriad of British regional accents.

The US Army 188th Field Artillery Group, 951st Battalion Field Artillery and 105th Medical Battalion were at Arundel. The 15th Scottish Infantry were at Cowfold, the 3rd Battalion and 120th Light Infantry at Felpham, and 51st Heavy Regiment at Rudgwick. And these made up just a fraction of the impressive military build-up occupying Sussex.

General Montgomery visits the 4th Armoured Brigade at their invasion HQ at Worthing 25 May 1944 leaving the Town Hall after meeting the Mayor.

Some 2,800 men from the British 3rd Infantry Division were camped on Stanmer Park in Brighton.

With its miles of beachesSussex was the perfect D-Day launch pad.

Just 104 miles of English Channel separate our county from the Normandy landing beaches and it was from here that the assembled allies prepared in the weeks ahead for one of the most momentous, daring days in human history.

It was the largest seabourne invasions in world history.

King George VI inspecting the 27th Armoured Brigade at Petworth Park.

4

The British left from Shoreham and Newhaven for Sword Beach, while the Canadians and the

Americans disbursed to ports up and down the south coast to their rendezvous with hell fire on the code-named Utah, Omaha and Juno.

After a false start, this massed rank of brave men finally departed Sussex and made a courageous b-line for danger on the eve of June 4th – a valiant mission to liberate Europe and tens of millions from the tyranny of Adolf Hitler’s German Nazi rule.

Amid the rank and file spotted by the Sussex public in the lead-up to D-Day were key commanders and even King George VI, who inspected the 27th Armoured Brigade at Petworth Park.

Issue 46 • Summer 2019

4

Caring D-Day was not on an urgent mission to rally the allies, instead giving off a relaxed air that plans were still in their early stages and an all-out invasion far from being launched.

From Sussex, Clifton James was flown in the lead-up to D Day to Gibraltar – a decoy trip that was deliberately leaked to Nazi spies in Spain, and which led the enemy to believe, along Brigadier Prior-Palmer, 27th Armoured with the laid-back performance Brigade, addresses his men on the in Broadwater, that the Allied task ahead. invasion – confidently expected by the Germans to be across the General Eisenhower, the supreme Straits of Dover – must still be commander of the operation and some way off. later to become United States President, travelled to Chichester Book on D-Day and in mid-April, where he stayed at West Sussex reprinted the Ship Hotel in North Street.

From here he inspected nearby airbases and was made guest of honour at a special banquet in the officers’ mess at RAF Tangmere.

to mark 75th anniversary Sussex is peppered with D-Day sites and its role in that historic day 75 years ago is multifaceted.

The day itself didn’t turn out to be particularly successful: just Aware German spies were among two of the beaches were linked the international gathering, lies and all five beach heads were not and deception were deployed connected until June 12. and strict laws banning troops But it was certainly a foothold, from talking to members of the and the number of troops arriving public were enforced. was astonishing: 132,000 Allied And Worthing was to become forces landed before midnight the backdrop for one of the on June 6, with two million biggest and most effective D-Day eventually making their way deceptions. there.

It was deliberately rumoured that Thousands of sea vessels General Montgomery, The British participated, many of them commander-in-chief, would be from our own coast, and 11,000 addressing troops on Broadwater aircraft.

Green.

A book that details West Sussex’s German spies took the bait and contribution made their way to Worthing – is being though the man they believed to reprinted be Monty was in fact his double, for this Clifton James, a little-known anniversary local repertory actor with a milestone. remarkable resemblance to the D-Day West General.

Sussex: James gave an outstanding performance standing on top of a tank, fooling any listening German spies into believing he

Springboard for the Normandy Landings was first printed 25 years ago to mark the 50th anniversary.

It has 120 pages and is full of images including the ones on these pages and first-hand stories from the D-Day preparations in West Sussex.

It can be bought from any library in West Sussex, or the county council offices in Chichester.

By the spring of 1944, the Americans were arriving at a rate of 150,000 a month, bringing with them 750,000 tons of supplies and completely changing the social landscape of Sussex.

It was difficult to keep all the activities a secret but one of the best kept was the role of Littlehampton on D-Day. The small port town was the base of Ten Commando, or X Troop, which was made up of volunteers from various regiments of the Allied forces, who included, as well as Eastern European

Europeans and Jews, many Germans with extreme anti-Nazi views.

Banded together as merciless, trained killers led by multilinguist maverick Captain Bryan Hilton-Jones, the Ten Commando initially carried out raids on German defences along the French coast in the winter of 1943/44 to confuse the enemy as to where the invasion would take place.

In the build-up to D-Day, they would speed march from the Black Rabbit pub near Arundel to Littlehampton – and one night woke Arundel residents during a practice assault on the castle.

By June 6, 1944 they and most of the other troops that had briefly called Sussex home had departed for France to liberate Europe and make a date with history.

Many would never return.

At Shoreham, a Higgins landing craft still sits on the Holmbush roundabout, testament to the D-Day action from West Sussex. It was one of hundreds that landed troops on Juno Beach, and one of six used in the film Saving Private Ryan.

WERE YOU THERE? Caring4Sussex would love to hear from anyone who either remembers or has friends or relatives who remember this brief but colossal period of West Sussex history.

Please get in touch! edit@caring4sussex.co.uk • 01903 537337

SAFE SPARKS Electrical Services

Stephen Elmer

Bren gun carriers exercise on the South Downs near Arundel.

www.caring4sussex.co.uk

steve@safesparks.co.uk T: 0800 072 8610 M: 07384 591 252 www.safesparks.co.uk

@safesparksES

5

4

Caring reputation

Lancing’s ambition to be more ‘seasidy’ makes it onto Have I Got News For You The large seaside village, which sits between Worthing and Shoreham-on-Sea, has suddenly shot to fame with its idea to change its name, making it into not only local newspapers but the Daily Telegraph, Times, Guardian and Daily Mail.

A

ccording to the parish council-led Lancing Vision Group, the addition of ‘on-Sea’ to its existing name would add a more ‘seasidy’ image to the village, and it has designed banners to attach to lampposts with the new name on it and the phrase ‘Be at the centre’.

I Got News For You, hosted on 17th May by the comedian Rhod Gilbert, when it was one of the four contenders for the ‘Odd One Out’ round.

Despite some ridicule claiming the village was trying to make itself sound ‘posh’, the council claims it was in fact once known as ‘Lancing-on-Sea’.

Before the fuss had even died down, just five days after the village’s appearance on Ian Hislop and Paul Merton’s 30-year-longrunning show, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and entourage stopped off for lunch on the beach during a campaign tour in the area.

But possibly the most surprising of all its press coverage so far has been its appearance on the comedy quiz show Have

And indeed it was the odd one out – for being lengthened (the name) – where the other candidates had been cut short for one reason or another.

The news made it into several news media, although none had appeared to have any prior warning.

The parish council has been working on ways to regenerate the village – which is one of the largest in Britain, with a population of 18,000 – since 2017.

“One idea was to make the village centre feel more ‘seasidy’ and have bunting hanging across roads but general issues preventing this proved too complicated to overcome so the alternative suggestion of having lamppost banners to act as additional signage from the A259, South Street and Grinstead Lane

to attract visitors into the centre has been explored,” said a parish council statement.

“This council is dedicated to listening to and acting on the community’s wishes,” said Gloria Eveleigh, councillor and vicechair of the parish council.

West Sussex Partners in Care Accolades 2019 Twenty-one care providers and staff were awarded at a ceremony held

by West Sussex Partners in Care and the county council in March, for making a difference to people accessing care services in the county.

T

he awards are held every year, and this year’s was opened by Director of Adult Social Services Paul McKay, at West Sussex County Council.

Rosemary Pavoni with daughters Katie and Sarah

All winners and runners-up are vital members of the support services so badly needed in adult care, especially Rosemary Pavoni, who has worked in

social care for 54 years and is also the chairwoman of West Sussex Partners in Care. She was presented with a Lifetime Achievement award for her dedication to improving the lives of others.

Rosemary owns the Horsham care home Rosedale.

Albany House staff team

“The only challenging part of the accolades has been choosing the finalists, as in my eyes everyone is a winner,” she said.

WEST SUSSEX PARTNERS IN CARE AWARDS AWARD

WINNER

RUNNER-UP

Ancillary worker

Koiniona Christian Care, Anne Richards

Rustington Hall, Karon Pederson

Best practice

Oaklodge, Whole team

Aldingbourne Trust, Hatherleigh Gardens

Care employer

Oaklodge, Dhanajay Dalmond, Mira Gopal

Independent Lives, Sue Ewing

Care home worker

Albany House, Lilly Hill

Koinonia Christian Care, Lesley Barber

Chair’s award

Hambrook Meadows, Bryoni Novell

Sussex Grange, Katy Harding

6

Issue 46 • Summer 2019

4

Caring health

atch CATARACTS

a blight on your sight, but easy to remedy If you find the weather appears to be turning misty on a more regular basis than before; or it’s a bright sunny day yet the colours don’t quite seem to have the vibrancy they used to; or maybe your glasses don’t seem to work when the lights are low – it could mean that you have one of the easiest eye problems to fix.

C

ataracts are formed when the lens in the eye, just behind the iris, becomes cloudy due to a build-up of proteins that bunch together and form a cloud on the lens, blocking the path of light to and from the outside world.

It might sound a little ghoulish, having the lens dug out of your eye and replaced with a plastic or silicone one – and all done under local anaesthetic – but it’s quick, rarely complicated and will enable you to see those colours in their full bloom once again without even a night in hospital.

Cataracts usually appear in both eyes, but not necessarily at the same time or by the same amount in each eye. But however well you think you can cope with them, they will most likely deteriorate over time – no matter how much you turn the lights up! They usually don’t affect people under the age of 65, but from the age of 40 it isn’t rare – and some babies have even been known to be born with them.

First port of call: your optician.

He or she will do a series of visual acuity tests, and if they think it necessary, refer you to an eye specialist (ophthalmologist) for further tests and treatment.

Be aware: Other earlier conditions may make it more likely that you develop cataracts later. So don’t be surprised (although it’s not certain) if you get them earlier than most people if you have or have ever had: • Diabetes • Eye surgery, for example for a retinal problem • Prescription drugs, like steroids • Injury to the eye • Other eye conditions such as glaucoma • A smoking habit • Severe myopia • A family history of cataracts.

Slight complication – posterior capsule opacification

According to the charity Fight for Sight, it’s the most common operation carried out in the developed world, and in the UK it says one operation is carried out every two minutes.

It’s not the cheapest operation in the world – on average you’re looking at around £3,000 per eye – but it is usually available on the NHS if your eyesight has deteriorated to the point that it’s interfering with your quality of life, and there will be no pain or recovery to endure afterwards, for most.

www.caring4sussex.co.uk

Don’t worry, you don’t need a medical dictionary. When your lens is removed, the surgeon will leave in your eye the capsule in which the lens was sitting. He or she will then place the new lens in that capsule. Months or even years later the lens capsule may thicken and become cloudy, giving you similar symptoms to the ones that led you to surgery in the first place.

But it’s not cataracts on your modern new lens, it’s known as posterior capsule opacification (PCO) and is a fairly common complication.

So common that it can usually be dealt with by a painless laser procedure in an outpatient clinic, according to the Royal National Institute for the Blind.

conservatories designing planning and building

0-year all types of insur1 ance-b windows and doors acked guarante e aluminium & pvc bi fold doors professional installed quality products

No obligation, free quotation

T: 01903 764851 M: 07973 104484 133 West Way, Lancing, West Sussex BN15 8NB

www.protech-windows.co.uk 7

‘Your place is amazing, you have something magic there, it’s really special what you did for Mum’.

Melrose Care is an award winning, nursing home providing a nurturing, supportive home for 26 residents in Worthing, West Sussex.

8

7-11 Wykeham Road, Worthing, West Sussex, BN11 7JG. Tel: 01903230406 E: lou@melrosecare.org.uk www.melrosecare.co.uk

Issue 46 • Summer 2019

4

Caring royalty

WELCOME Baby Sussex There was speculation for days before he finally made it into the world, with local radio presenters becoming almost inaudible with the height of their pitch as the rumours circled. Everyone wanted to be on duty when the announcement came, which it did on May 6th, a few hours after the 5.26am Worthing 19 19/03/2018 10:16 Page 1 birth of Hospital Archie90x134_Layout Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.

Volunteers urgently needed!

Can you spare 3 hours of your time per week?

We are looking for volunteers for the trolley shop which provides service on the wards and runs twice daily.

The Friends of Worthing Hospitals are a long established registered charity, formed in 1949 working for the benefit of patients, relatives and staff in the Worthing Hospitals.

We provide medical and non-medical items to enhance the patients care, comfort and stay in our local health care hospitals. Our funding is mainly from bequests, donations our shop, members subscriptions and fund raising.

We aim to supplement the comfort and well being of patients, relatives, staff and visitors in the 3 local trusts we support: Our shop has moved to the north wing – open times: Monday – Friday: 7.00am to 6.00pm Saturday: 9.00am to 5.30pm

A

rchie weighed seven pounds and three ounces at birth, and although Meghan had been reported as wanting a home birth, he was in the end born at London’s private Portland Hospital. He is seventh in line to the throne, just behind Prince Harry, therefore extremely unlikely ever to assume the role of monarch.

have been granted that. But the Queen issued a Letters Patent in 2012 to allow all of William and Kate’s children to receive ‘Prince’ or ‘Princess’ titles before William becomes king.

Prince Archie’s star sign is Taurus, a bull. They are supposed to be clever and honest and loyal to friends, if a little stubborn. In the lunar calendar he is a pig, which is thought to be a determined character, blessed with good fortune.

Archie may also not be given an HRH title, unlike his cousins Princes George and Louis and Princess Charlotte (Kate and Archie would of course have William’s children). At the been the fourth grandchild of moment his default title is Earl Diana, Princess of Wales, a title of Dunbarton, and if he had that Prince Charles’s current been a girl that would have wife, Camilla, officially has but been Lady. He will inherit his does not use because of its close father’s Duke of Sussex title, associations with the late princess. but will not be called ‘Prince’ Grandma Doria Ragland, unless the Queen intervenes – Meghan’s mother, was in London which is not unheard of. Before for the birth and reported to 2012, only the eldest child of be staying at Frogmore Cottage the son of the Prince of Wales with the new parents and her would automatically be given grandson in the days afterwards. a prince or princess title before Archie is her first grandchild. he ascended the throne, so only George would automatically More on the Royal birth overleaf…

Join us and support our work. Help us to make a difference and make YOUR hospital special.

Contact Terry Lawrence, Shop Manager 01903 205111 exn. 84064 www.caring4sussex.co.uk

9

4

Caring royalty

Welcoming Baby Sussex to our multi-national Royal Family The arrival of Baby Sussex has brought the number of the Queen’s great grandchildren to eight. His mother is of course American, but he’s not the first with foreign roots to join the House of Windsor. Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, was born on the Greek Island of Corfu into Greek and Danish royal families. His maternal grandfather, Louis Mountbatten, was a naturalised Englishman who renounced his German titles and changed his surname from Battenberg due to anti-German sentiment over the war.

Earlier still, Queen Victoria, who married the German Prince Albert of SaxeCoburg and Gotha, was half German herself – the daughter of Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfield.

Victoria and Albert were first cousins.

Our Queen and her husband, Prince Philip, are actually second cousins once removed AND third cousins, since they are both great-great grandchildren of Queen Victoria.

1929: It’s difficult to imagine our current Queen Elizabeth

once being a child herself, but here she is, at the age of two, making sandcastles in the garden of Craigwell House, Aldwick, Bognor Regis – just like any other child. She was there visiting King George V, her grandfather, who was recuperating from a serious illness.

At the time, there was no real expectation that Princess Elizabeth would ever become queen, since it was her uncle, Edward Prince of Wales, who was next in line.

brother, then became King George VI – and despite his stutter was a capable and popular king, fighting nerves to broadcast vital messages of support during the war.

This meant that the elder daughter of Albert and Elizabeth (the late Queen Mum), Princess Elizabeth, became first in line and on her father’s death in 1952, became queen.

He did ascend the throne in January 1936 to become King Edward VIII, only to abdicate in December of the same year to marry Wallis Simpson, the American divorcee who he had been forbidden to marry as monarch.

Elizabeth’s reluctant father Albert, or ‘Bertie’, Edward’s younger

Call for brochure or visit us at anytime: 01903 871326 claphamlodge@tiscali.co.uk www.claphamlodge.co.uk

10

King George VI

Clapham Lodge is a care home for the elderly, surrounded by a large garden and far reaching views across of countryside and the sea from almost all rooms and flats.

We provide a high quality of care with a homely environment ensuring wellbeing and comfort at all times. Short or long stay welcome.

Queen Elizabeth II as a child. This photograph is courtesy of West Sussex Library Service, who we would like to thank very much. Visit www.westussexpast.org.uk to view more than 18,000 more photos and other local history websites.

Issue 46 • Summer 2019

4

23 torydirectory Car Caring c e r i Di

QUALITY WINDOW

CLEANING Windows • Gutters • Fascias Soffits • Caravans • Solar Panels

REACH AND WASH SYSTEM

James Perry Interiors

ADVANCED PURE WATER TECHNOLOGY

Quality Floor Sanding

SERVIN WORTHINGG LITTLEHAM AND PTON

☎ Peter 07947 449791 • Carl 07810 640411

revolutions o

Records wanted

records and cds Tel: 01903 209553 We buy most records including classical, Jazz, 50s, 60s, 70s, Rock and Pop, LPs, EPs, 45s and 78s, sheet music & music memorabilia Leslie Laine Top Floor, 67 Victoria Road, Worthing info@revolutions33.co.uk

Commercial & Domestic Sanding & Restoration of wood floors Free estimates 01903 504760 or 07941 553643 www.jamesperryinteriors.co.uk

GENTLY GETTING BACK INTO SHAPE WITH PILATES Balance your breathing

Fight your flab

Perfect your posture

All in the comfort of your own home REPS Level 3 qualified, friendly instructor Different price packages available

Contact Debbie, 07887 350797 • debbie_jmason@yahoo.co.uk

QUALITY HI-FI SEPARATES WANTED GOOD CASH PRICES PAID Turntables, Amplifiers, Reel to Reels, Speakers etc.

Can collect!

Wholesale Coffee RoasteR and CommeRCial Coffee maChineRy sales, seRviCe and tRaining We are a small husband and wife team based on the Surrey/Hants Border

hifihangar@googlemail.com 07890 517695 or 01420 472316

KendRiCKs tea and Coffee Ocean Parade, SOuth Ferring, WOrthing, WeSt SuSSex, Bn12 5Qg 01903 245585 WWW.kendrickS.cO.uk

Reflexology to relax and rejuvenate Purposeful, nurturing yet non-invasive touch bringing relaxation and comfort • Specialising in sessions for those with mild and profound physical and learning disability, dementia, anxiety, MS, autism, challenging behaviour • 18 years experience as a holistic practitioner • 16 years working with vulnerable people in care homes and their carers.

Amanda Evans • 07833 053925 • www.spectrumliving.co.uk

Worthing Stamp Auctions

Dealers in fine philately

Collections bought and sold or sell through our auction house 70 Victoria Road, Worthing, West Sussex BN11 1UN (near Worthing Central Station)

Call Graham on 01903 235846 worthingstampauction@btconnect.com www.worthingstamps.com

www.caring4sussex.co.uk

Registered Charity No. 1027832

Reach 1000s of readers all over West Sussex and Brighton, where each issue of C4S is distributed several times a quarter.

GOOD QUALITY DONATIONS WANTED

Check out our website: www.caring4sussex.co.uk Contact 01903 680740 ext.228 for collection Call us on 01903 537337 Or email ads@caring4sussex.co.uk 117 Montague Street,on Worthing and 52 High Street, Littlehampton Thank you for caring about our clients www.wchp.org.uk

We can design your ad for free

Freelance Hair Designer

Mobile service in and around Brighton, Hove, Shoreham, Southwick, Lancing and Worthing.

• • •

Cutting Colouring Highlights

• • •

Wedding Prom Childrens’ hair

Call Kristina on 01273 383911 or 07974 358322

revolutions

11 Records wanted

4

Caring Sussex

ON BOARD

TITANIC

Simon Papouis, The Cine Film Factory

Real footage resurrected by a film restorer in Worthing When Simon Papouis saw the three unlabelled reels of film, he knew instantly they were old. 1920s old, at the very oldest.

T

hey’d been sent to him by a customer from Cornwall, whose husband had jemmied open an old brown leather suitcase she’d inherited from distant relatives.

She had heard these relatives had ties with the USA, but other than that she knew nothing about them.

“She rang me to ask how much it would cost to recover the film from these three old reels, and when I gave her a rough quote she was very unsure – it isn’t cheap, and she had no idea what could be on the films,” Simon told C4S. “So she slept on it for the weekend, then on the Monday rang up and said she’d agreed to spend the money. She felt the suitcase must have been left to her for a reason, and this

12

could be precious film of her ancestors that she’d never get back if she didn’t do it.

the countryside. The second contained similar material.

“The next day a courier arrived with the reels, which were 9.5mm gauge film. In those days, people with access to that kind of film would have had to have money. And a lot of wealthy people would pay to have these films, as they thought of it as preserving their family’s legacy.”

“There was footage of these two lads – late teens, maybe early twenties – who looked like they were going on some kind of journey,” said Simon. “They had bags with them and they were obviously dockside, filming each other, having a laugh.

Simon began to process them with painstaking, meticulous wet clean lubrication.

“Film of this era is as brittle as autumn leaves,” he said.

The first two reels were interesting, but nondescript. The black and white footage was of sheep herding, steam-powered farm machinery, dairy cows and

But the third reel was different.

“They boarded some kind of ship and they were filming themselves on it, around different parts of it, mainly on the deck. They obviously couldn’t go in all parts of it, they were restricted to certain areas.

Then suddenly there was a shot of four giant funnels – and the film shifted to a sign, which read R.M.S. Titanic.

Issue 46 • Summer 2019

4

Caring Sussex “The hairs stood up on the back of my neck.”

Simon watched in astonishment as the pair of carefree youngsters continued filming themselves aboard the giant Titanic, which would set sail that day – 10 April, 1912 – before docking at Cherbourg and Queenstown (now Cobh) and heading across the Atlantic for New York.

Film shows footage on board the ‘Unsinkable’ – before it all goes dark The story of the Titanic is well known, the unsinkable, luxury ship the like of which the world had never seen.

Tickets for a first-class cabin on the four-day voyage sold for £30 – in today’s money, £3,500.

A first-class ‘parlour suite’ could sell for £870 – today, almost £100,000.

But there were cheap seats, too – a £3 ticket (today, £350) would get you into third class. And the ship wasn’t full for its maiden voyage; it was actually only about half occupied.

Most passengers travelled in third class, and from the footage it’s not clear if these two lads were in third or second.

They certainly didn’t go up the Grand Staircase, or into any of the ballrooms, and they were

nine and a half hours later that R.M.S. Carpathia arrived to rescue the 705 passengers and crew who had made it onto the insufficient number of lifeboats and by some stroke of fate, survived.

On the film Simon was watching, there was no footage of what happened on the ship after the iceberg struck.

But there is an epilogue after those dark few seconds.

“I don’t know what the seconds of darkness are,” Simon says. “It could just be film deterioration – it could be anything. But I carried on watching, and suddenly there was footage from New York, the two lads sightseeing – filming each other again.

“I couldn’t believe it. They had obviously been rescued, and here they were, in New York, beginning their lives in America.

How had the film survived – how had it not got wet? How had the camera survived? This footage in New York was very short, but they were both in the film – they had survived.

“Again, I got chills down my spine.”

Simon’s Cine Film Factory is a film transfer studio in Worthing.

It has recovered thousands of films from customers the length and breadth of the UK, restoring and transferring the images of people and their lives,

“ I work with ghosts. And I bring them back to life.” Simon Papouis certainly not in first class, where 337 wealthy passengers enjoyed the plush dining rooms and lounges.

gone forever, in a digital format that can be preserved forever.

Whatever class they were in, the passengers were oblivious to at least five iceberg warnings that were sent from other ships on the evening of April 14, and oblivious to the desperate attempts to change course when the night look-out saw the iceberg that was to gash a 300ft hole in the side of the great vessel.

“I work with ghosts,” says Simon. “And I bring them back to life: their personalities, their voices, their images.

As Simon watched the film, it went dark.

It was just before midnight that disaster struck, and not until

www.caring4sussex.co.uk

The films have spanned decades, as far back as film itself.

“A lot of my customers bring films to me when one of their dear relatives is nearing the end of their life. They want to show them the films before they pass away, so they ask me how quickly I can turn it round – can I turn it round before they die.

“They feel it’s important to show their dear ones their past lives before they go.”

The stills above are from some of the thousands of films Simon has restored. Unfortunately he has none of RMS Titanic, as it was bought by an anonymous celebrity for a handsome sum of money. Even if he had a copy, Simon would be contractually forbidden to share it.

The Cine T C Film F Factory F y The 8mm & 16mm Cine Film Transfer Specialists

Simon Papouis Managing Director

01903 690543 07732 688020 transfer@cinefilmfactory.co.uk www.cinefilmfactory.co.uk

28 Birkdale Road, Worthing, West Sussex, BN13 2QY

cinefilmfactory.co.uk @CineFilmFactory

13

4

Caring Sussex

Tories lose two West Sussex councils as voters buck tradition

Election Special

In an incredible night for small parties and Independent candidates across the country on May 2, the Conservatives in West Sussex lost control of two out of five councils, with a considerably reduced majority in the remaining three.

T

hey also lost control of Rother, in East Sussex, in a third Sussex loss.

In Brighton the Green Party picked up eight seats to increase their number to 19, just one short of Labour’s 20 seats. The Conservatives have 14 and there is one Independent.

• It was Arun where there was a real shock, with the loss of 21 Tory seats, mainly to the Liberal Democrats. It means the Conservatives do not have control for the first time since 1974 and leader Gillian Brown, who happens to be UK Chancellor Philip Hammond’s

mother-in-law, lost her seat.

The Lib Dems increased their seat number by 17, and now have 22 seats alongside eight Independents (gaining six) and two gained by the Green Party.

former 27 seats were still lost – and unlike the rest of the country, Labour picked up five of them, doubling its number on the council to ten. Two years ago, Beccy Cooper became the first Labour councillor to be elected to Worthing District Council for more than 40 years. The Liberal Democrats managed to win the other defeated Conservative seat, bringing their total number of district councillors to three, along with the retention of two Independents and one UKIP councillor.

the Green Party kept their two.

•M id Sussex Conservatives held control but lost 20 seats, 13 of which went to the Lib Dems and three to the Green Party – who previously had no representation on the council.

Four seats went to Independent candidates.

• Chichester was the next big story, where the Conservatives lost 13 seats to bring their total down to 18. The boundary has • In Horsham it was a Tory hold, been amended here, and now but at the cost of 13 seats, 10 of just 36 seats are available – so which were scooped up by the the Tories have exactly half and Lib Dems, the others going to therefore do not have overall the Green Party (two) and one control. The biggest winners Independent. were the Lib Dems, winning • I t was less dramatic in Worthing nine seats to bring their total to 11. Labour picked up two and although six of the Tories’

CONSERVATIVE

LABOUR

LIB DEM

GREEN PARTY

UKIP

INDEPENDENT

District Council

+/-

Seats

+/-

Seat

+/-

Seats

+/-

Seats

+/-

Seats

+/-

Seats

Arun

-21

21

-

1

+17

23

+2

2

-4

0

+6

8

Chichester

-13

18

+2

2

+9

11

+2

2

-

0

-

3

Horsham

-13

32

-

0

+10

13

+2

2

-

0

+1

1

Mid Sussex

-20

34

-

0

13

13

+3

3

-

0

+4

4

Worthing*

-6

21

+5

10

+1

3

-

0

-

1

-

2

-73

126

+7

13

+50

63

+9

9

-4

1

+11

18

TOTAL

*Adur District Council, which is a joint authority with Worthing, did not hold elections this year.

European Election Results By Council In West Sussex Districts

BREXIT CHANGE CONSERVATIVE PARTY UK

Adur/ Worthing

36.3%

4.4%

9.9% (-18.7%)

16.5% (+7.4%) 9.4% (-3.7%) 20.6% (+13.2%)

2.4% (-33.9%)

Arun

48.7%

3.2%

9.7% (-20.8%)

10.6% (+3.7%) 4.5% (-4.9%) 19.4% (+14.2%)

3.1% (-39.5%)

Chichester

37.4%

3.8%

11.6% (-25.8%)

Horsham

35.6%

4.9%

11.7% (-23.8%) 13.6% (+4.7%) 3.7% (-5.1%) 27.8% (+18.9%)

1.9% (-31.4%)

Mid Sussex

33.1%

5.2%

10.7% (-24.7%) 14.3% (+4.7%)

1.6% (-30.3%)

Average

38.2%

4.3%

10.7% (-22.8%) 13.8% (+4.9%) 4.9% (-5.04%) 25.1% (+17.6%) 2.2% (-33.08%)

14

GREENS

14% (+4%)

LABOUR

3.1% (-5.3%)

4% (-6.2%)

LIB DEMS

27.3% (+20%)

30.4% (+21.7%)

UKIP

2.1% (-30.3%)

Issue 46 • Summer 2019

4

Caring Sussex

SPOTLIGHTonSUSSEX Rustington – a small village with a war past

Towns and villages all have a past – but modernity and development so often obscure it that sometimes you need to scratch a bit deeper to unearth some fascinating facts.

R

ustington, for instance, was home to thousands of American Air Force personnel during the First World War, who were commissioned to build five aerodromes in the area – one on 159 acres of land between Ash Lane and Pigeon House Lane at Rustington (the others at Ford, Emsworth, Tangmere and Goring). They also built Handley Page night bombers here, and what is now Sea Lane was once a grass runway running north to south.

But so little remains of their tenure here – the infrastructure and accommodation that was needed to house them, how far they integrated with the local communities, what they actually did here – that we can

only imagine those details. By the end of November 1918, after Armistice, they had disappeared.

It is on record in the local press, though, that one July 4th party was held here, and children for the first time probably got to taste real ice cream, play baseball and witness stunt aircraft above their heads.

A more concrete memory of war is the memorial commemorating Canadian servicemen and women stationed here during WWII, next to the 12th Century church of St Peter and St Paul, in the heart of Rustington.

The Canadians had been deployed along the south coast to help lay mines and conduct

FLOWERS OF RUSTINGTON 01903 772430

www.flowersofrustington

Local flowers for all occasions, specialising in funerals, weddings, special occasions, fairy gardens – and we also offer bespoke flowerpot people, perfect for that personal gift Local, national and international deliveries undertaken 6a Ash Lane, Rustington BN16 3BZ

training, and they were often billeted on local residents – some of them in Rustington.

Rustington was also home to a children’s convalescent home, established by the then Metropolitan Asylums Board in 1902. It looked after poor children from London who were suffering from illnesses such as tuberculosis that were usually associated with the poor, particularly those who often had no choice but to live in congested and filthy inner-city areas.

The convalescent home was closed in 1948, and 160 years later, George Wimpey Homes bought the multi-acre site and it has since become Millfield Overstrand Estate – a collection

The 12th Century Church of St Peter and St Paul, Rustington

of apartments and gardens by the sea.

Much of the village’s history has been painstakingly collected and recorded with photographs and text in a series of books by local historian Mary Taylor, who was born in the village in 1930.

These self-published books are available from the library.

SUSSEX FOOD & DRINK AWARDS 2019– GRAND FINALIST

Traditional butchers offering all cuts of meat, homemade sausages and burgers Modern Deli with local and artisan cheeses and charcuterie alongside English and continental favourites Deli platters and gift hampers Celebration cheese towers 135 The Street, Rustington 01903 785247 info@thebutcheranddeli.co.uk English and local producers where possible, as well as a small selection from the continent and new world

www.caring4sussex.co.uk

15

4

Caring opinions

s r e t t Le YOUR

Should we intervie w older people to check fitness to dr ive?

I

liked your piece on older drivers beca use it brings home sti cky issue – when to a This issue’s book token goes to Carla Howard, for her suggestion advise your elderly parents that they rea lly shouldn’t be do that interviewing older people to check for fitness to drive would ing it any more.

I know of one perso be far less of an ordeal than making anyone do another road test. n (who shall remain nameless) whose father suffers from Please share your thoughts and opinions with us and your Alzheimer’s disease.

Fo rtunately what I’m ab out to relate no lon neighbours across West Sussex and Brighton. We send a £10 book ger happens, but he used to drive to his loc al pu b, have a drink then token to one writer each issue. drive home, think had a pint when ac ing he’d only tually he’d forgotten Email: edit@caring4sussex.co.uk he’d sunk about fo Luckily the landlord ur. soon realised and Or write in the traditional way to: got in touch with family, who took th his ing s further and now th Editor, 19 Ruskin Road, Worthing BN14 8DY e car is no longer with this person’s father.

But it’s tricky.

At the age of 70, all you have to do is sig Journalists – mind your language n a form to say yo can still drive. u I have to find one fault with your otherwise excellent Spring Some say we shou ld be road tested ag magazine. It’s your particular use of names in the ‘Headlines’ pages. ain – but rather th that, how about a an face-to-face interv iew? That would su Journalistic crazes seem to exist – for instance over using the word be enough to ident rel y ify those who are likely to be at most ‘iconic’ a few years ago – and referring to people by just their when they’re drivi risk ng. It would be far less stressful than surname when convicted of a crime or they are sportspeople in to do a road test, having and would surely be enough to know if action, but not in the course of things generally. someone is still ‘w ith it’.

There are certainly countries where only close friends call you by After all, so many of the actions one takes while driving your first name; acquaintances call you just by your surname and you almost second natu are re because we’ve be en doing them for introduce yourself to strangers with surname only – but we don’t long. It would be so easy to tell from ch atting to someone have this culture and we’re not likely to adopt it. Here the surname‘second nature’ ac if such tions are no longe r automatic. If this only style just adds to the current coarsening and degrading of life. to be the case, a fu is found rther kind of test co uld be done.

Yours Why begin an article with ‘Dame Barbara Windsor’ and thereafter call her ‘Windsor’ instead of ‘Dame Barbara’? And why were Dr Carla Howard Colin Baigent and Prof Bernard Cheung ‘Baigent’ and ‘Cheung’ and Haywards Heath not ‘Dr Baigent’ and ‘Prof Cheung’?

On the other hand you called the Queen’s dresser ‘Peggy’ or ‘Miss Hoath’, not ‘Hoath’. Is this through inconsistency or respect for the Queen?

Journalists sometimes claim they have to do stylistically what everyone else is doing. They don’t have to! And as far as surnameonly is concerned, not everyone actually does it. I read an article recently about a woman archaeologist and she featured throughout as ‘Dr’ X and it sounded as if the writer had real respect for her.

Why are others deviating from this approach in order to be in on an unpleasant and coarsening trend?

Jacqueline Deeks Rustington Editor’s note: All the content on our ‘Headlines’ pages is taken from other newspapers (we acknowledge them underneath the headline).

We just select articles that we think our readers may have missed but would find interesting. That’s why the style is inconsistent in style – they come from different media. Hope that explains things, and thanks for your letter.

A thank you to Worthing Hospital I have had a very recent experience of staff treatment in the cardiology dept in Worthing Hospital.

All the staff doctors, staff nurse and nurses were treated admirably by the patients and in return the response was one of an extremely kind and dedicated group of professional medical staff.

Thank you, Worthing Hospital.

Granville Cayley West Sussex

16

A tricky subject to mention…

This is a difficult letter to write and I don’t want to give my name as I know some people won’t understand me and call me a racist and I’m not.

But I do have a dilemma.

I’ve worked as a health carer in the NHS for many years. In the last 30 years, with a gap in the middle, I’ve worked with people from almost every country. I’ve made friends with many of them, shared birthdays, sad days and more. We’ve opened my house at Christmas to them all. We’ve got by in broken English — it’s rare to get that many HCAs from the UK, let alone Sussex — but that’s never been a problem.

I’m now in a strange situation in that I’m working on a ward where almost all the care work is done by foreigners from one country and they talk in that language. I won’t name which but even the sister is from there.

The problem is that we’re now in a situation where I don’t know what others on the ward are doing, patients are confused by not understanding what their carers are talking about and the rest of us are concerned when we hear the other carers talking in a foreign language and then we hear our names. Paranoid!!

We’ve tried to talk this over with them but they say they don’t want to offend but it’s easier to explain things in their native language than their English which I have to admit isn’t great.

A couple of these people I think are particularly caring, loving and nice people.

Are we wrong to think that this isn’t a good working situation? Or should we complain? And as my husband says I don’t have a single racist bone in my body.

Name and address withheld.

Issue 46 • Summer 2019

10

Check out our website: www.caring4sussex.co.uk Will driverless cars be the key to keeping older drivers on the road?

Your article on older drivers struck a chord with me – I am approaching 80 and still drive, confidently so, I dare to say. It was satisfying also to see the statistics showing that we older drivers are not necessarily the dangerous ones, too.

But there will come a time when I will have to admit I shouldn’t be doing it any longer – and if I have no alternative that will not only break my heart, it will break my bank savings, in getting taxi cabs (no public transport around me) everywhere. There’s no alternative to getting about without wheels – I certainly can’t cycle, with my knees.

With all this being said, I welcome the advent of driverless cars.

The sooner the better. We should all be saving our pensions for one, and applauding a technology that could really prove to be a new lease of life for older drivers.

Dennis Short Nr. Pulborough

Let’s go wild to hear more birdsong

4

Caring opinions My grandson is a carer – and loves it

Volunteers urgently needed!

My grandson, Charlie, has been a carer now since last autumn.

He had decided to go to university and therefore wanted to earn some money. This involved several hours of online study plus days and three months time Cantraining you spare 3 after hours of intensive your time per(the week? limit given) he qualified. He is doing his ‘A’ levels this summer but is still work weekends and eveningsfor andthe tells me his Weable aretolooking for volunteers job istrolley very enlightening and rewarding. shop which provides service on We are very proud of him doing this job and hope other young the wards and runs twice daily. people will do likewise. It would surely bring greater insight into other’s lives, to both the carerare and for.

Theeach Friends of Worthing Hospitals a the longcared established This can onlycharity, be a good thinginfor all our futures. registered formed 1949 working for

the benefit of patients, relatives and staff in the Worthing Hospitals.

Yours We provide medical and non-medical items to enhance the Mrs D. Dunne patients care, comfort and stay in our local health care Hove hospitals.

OurThank funding is mainly from–bequests, donations ourwe Editor’s note: you, Mrs Dunne your letter echoes one shop, members subscriptions andLynn fundBarnes raising. received in the last edition, from of Henfield, who made thetopoint that care would a really choice We aim supplement thework comfort andbewell beinggood of patients, for students. And that followed on from a WSCC suggestion of relatives, staff and visitors in the 3 local trusts we support: the same. It seems we are all on the same page when it comes Our shop has moved to the north wing – open times: to this, anyway.

Monday – Friday: 7.00am to 6.00pm Saturday: 9.00am to 5.30pm

Join us and support our work. Help us to make a

I loved your article about wildlife, last issue – and it’s made me more aware of the difference and make YOUR hospital special. birdsong that’s absolutely everywhere at the moment. So much for climate devastation!

They’re certainly alive and well. It would be nice to see a few more gardens beingContact left to Terry Lawrence, Shop Manager go a little wilder though. Plastic lawns and hedges clipped to within an inch of their lives 01903 205111 exn. 84540 aren’t really conducive to birds nesting and hedgehogs wandering.

G. Kitson Findon Village

Keep living your life... ...with support when you need it There’s no need to be lonely, isolated and tired of running your own house.

Abbeyfield Worthing is the alternative, highly affordable answer to secure, assisted retirement living.

• No upfront purchase or investment, just a cost effective monthly rental • Enjoy secure independence within a ‘family based’ community • Bring your own possessions and furniture • All inclusive package with bright and airy rooms (en suite) and delicious home cooking • Freedom to come and go as you please • Conveniently situated close to shops For more about our all inclusive, alternative solution to retirement living call us on:

01903 208665 www.caring4sussex.co.uk

Charity No. 206298

Seascapes, 8 Southey Road Worthing BN11 3HT enquiries@abbeyfield-worthing.co.uk www.abbeyfield-worthing.co.uk

17

4 Word from

Caring farming Jon Hutcheon farms livestock on Lancing College Estates. This is his regular update on life in the fields.

Farming and nature can go hand in hand It may seem a bit inconsistent, but summer is definitely here. The hedgerows have suddenly come to life and the dark wet days of winter seem a distant memory. This year’s spring lambing went really well and I am pleased to report that ewes and lambs are enjoying the fresh grass that has sprouted through.

schemes go some of the way towards bridging the gap and as a farmer it’s great to see your efforts rewarded when you see certain species flourish or even return to areas you have been nurturing.

For me, farming is as much about wildlife and nature as it is the ‘farmed’ stock. We have just finished an English partridge count process and it’s always good to see how they are doing and if they’ve paired up in preparedness for having chicks. Alongside this was the big farmland bird count, and it’s been great to see a range of species, from raptors to corn buntings. We feed our wild birds over winter and have special blocks of crops sown for

With the uncertainty continuing over Brexit there’s still a big unknown ahead as to how agriculture will fare. I know some farmers want to remain, some don’t – but either way, there will be an impact on how food is produced, imported and exported and how much it will affect agriculture. We don’t know if it will be good or bad so it’s still a waiting game – I just hope the Agri Environment schemes will be a part of the future, however it looks. Time will tell.

them that provide both shelter and feed combined.

It’s clear that the current government wants ‘agri’ environment to be part of farming and for me personally I am optimistic that this is a positive process for farmers and nature lovers combined.

Despite what some people think, farmers want to support wildlife and nature, but doing this while also making a living off the land can at times be challenging. Agri Environment

Poppies

Arable

Legal services - for when life becomes a little complicated We all need legal advice and support at times.

Whatever it might be, our services are available at competitive fixed prices, designed to give you easy access to specialist legal support when you need it most.

We can help you with: • Probate and estate administration • Will writing • Arranging lasting power of attorney • Setting up a trust Find out more If you would like further information about our professional and friendly service, please contact me: Philip M Lansberry Partner, Head of Legal Services Kreston Reeves Private Client LLP T: 01403 253 282 E: philip.lansberry@krestonreeves.com www.krestonreeves.com

18

Issue 46 • Summer 2019

11

4

Caring gardening

FILL YOUR BASKETS

– and enjoy the glory in the flower Now is the time for making your summer hanging baskets. Although they have their detractors, hanging baskets have some amazing qualities in their favour. Not only do they brighten up your walls, they add a new dimension which draws the eye and are only restricted by the extent of your creative impulses. If you only have a small outdoor space, they are essential for providing a pageant of riotous colour which will dazzle for months. So, come on Monty Don, no need to dismiss hanging baskets out of hand – for many people they deliver a perfect gardening solution!

M

aking a hanging basket can be as easy or complicated as you like. The simplest baskets are the woven rattan types, made in different sizes and shapes.

They can be round, square or coned – the choice is yours.

Remember to check there are holes in the polythene liner to enable good drainage. Fill with some good quality damp compost, adding a proprietary slow-release granular fertiliser and some gel crystals which will expand when wet and create a reservoir of moisture for the growing plants. A rough guide is a handful of each, which should be thoroughly mixed through the medium. Fill to the top and level to flat surface.

Now for the planting: the simple rule is to have a single upright plant in the centre, and surround it with trailers. The number of plants you use depends on the size of the basket; my own suggestion is to use something like 6 plants around the outside of a 12in diameter basket, and 8 for a 14in basket. With these quantities, the baskets will

Trailing begonias, Petunuas, Centradenia, trailing geraniums.

A good idea is to cut off the end of a plastic bottle and insert the pointed end into the soil – this can be hidden among the foliage but allows a large reservoir of water to get directly to the roots.

Later in the season, when the slow-release fertiliser is almost exhausted, give a weekly feed of liquid seaweed or tomato food. And finally, remember to dead head or your plants will stop flowering. Five minutes at the end of the day to attend to your basket needs is not too much to ask and is surprisingly therapeutic!

Petunuas, Fuchsias, Verbena and trailing geraniums.

completely fill out and create a superb spectacle without overcrowding. Ideal bushy plants to use in the centre are Fuchsias or Zonal Geraniums. There are dozens of trailers to choose from: Bacopa, Bidens, Brachycome, Centradenia, Diascia, Ivy Leaf Geraniums, trailing Petunias and Calibrochoa (Petunias with tiny flowers), trailing Fuchsias, Lobelia, trailing Begonias, Lysimachia, Nemesia and so on. Some people like to create matching colour combinations, but don’t be restricted by convention – allow your imagination to take charge!

Petunuas, Verbena, Fuchsias, Centradenia, trailing geraniums and trailing begonias.

Maintaining a hanging basket requires some golden rules: never, ever let them dry out (and if they do get too dry, soak them by submerging in a large container of water). This means watering virtually every day when they’re fully grown.

Wire baskets are more difficult, requiring a liner - traditionally moss but there are synthetic versions available – and cutting holes in the sides first in which to insert plants at measured intervals. These plants can be wrapped in paper to prevent them getting crushed when being pushed through. Once the first level is complete, add a layer of soil and do the next level. Once all the side plants have been inserted, fill with soil to the top and plant as you would a normal basket. Then sit back and enjoy!

Malcolm Linfield is horticulture manager at Ferring Country Centre, a day-service charity for adults with learning disabilities. The seven-day-a week centre has a small garden centre and café, a small animal farm and children’s play area.

All visitors are welcome.

Trailing begonias, and Centradenia

www.caring4sussex.co.uk

Ferring Country Centre, Rife Way, Ferring, BN12 5JZ www.ferringcountrycentre.org Tel: 01903 245078

19

4

Caring news

IN THE HEADLINES

Historic ‘top secret’ Winston Pensioners join video gamers raph Daily Teleg

Pensioners are playing video games more than ever, a new report has revealed, and one in four over 65’s are accessing them through their mobiles.

More than four in ten Britons aged 55 to 64 play video games to keep their minds stimulated.

Among those aged 65 and over, 40 per cent say gaming is a good way of exercising their brain. Others said the pastime has become a crucial way to interact with their grandchildren in place of board games.

The survey of 2000 adults, by UK Interactive Entertainment (UKIE) as part of a Must Play Campaign highlighting the most popular gaming trends, shows the activity spreads far beyond the younger generation.

Joan Low, 97, from Renfrewshire in Scotland says she plays games on her iPad ‘every day’ and it keeps her mind sharp. Playing virtual games like Scrabble on a touchscreen is easier as it means she doesn’t have to handle small pieces.

“I have arthritis in my hands, so I’m not handling things that I invariably drop.”

Morgan Freeman turns his vast ranch into a bee sanctuary

www.gentside.co.uk

20

Churchill telegrams found in West Sussex Spirit FM

A West Sussex woman has made a remarkable discovery in a wooden box bought at auction – which may shed new light on Winston Churchill and our wartime relations with Europe.

Several draft telegrams dictated by the legendary wartime prime minister were found in the antique by retired teacher Liz. The top-secret documents are addressed to General Hastings ‘Pug’ Ismay, Churchill’s chief military assistant, and are believed to date back to May 1940.

Video games can also give the older generation an outlet when they are on their own.

Dr Jo Twist OBE, UKIE CEO said: “The Must Play Campaign wants to show how games now offer consumers of all ages a huge range of genres across many platforms, from physical disks to mobiles. This includes more pensioners playing games to relax, engage with other people, keep their brains active and have fun with their grandchildren.”

Critics have associated video games with violent titles, but games such as Super Mario Bros, racing games and football themed titles are among the most popular across all age groups.

For several years, American actor Morgan Freeman has been converting land on his Mississippi ranch into a vast bee sanctuary, at a time when these creatures are experiencing a worrying decline.

The 81-year-old American actor has imported 26 hives from neighbouring Arkansas, and the creatures have been freely benefiting from lavender and

They discuss the possibility of a political union between Britain and France in the event of an Allied Victory in World War II. Liz purchased the item for just £200 at Bellman’s auctioneers in Billingshurst last August.

Speaking from the Halfway Bridge Inn in Petworth, Liz told Spirit Fm that it took a while for her to realise the importance of the documents she’d found.

“You have to go to people to verify the importance of these things, and just being on my own in West Sussex with the box, it was a puzzle that I was determined to get to the bottom of over time.

like this with all the talk about Britain leaving the EU, having talked about it with other people, they felt that it was a story that needed to come out now.”

Alongside the telegrams was a photograph of a young Churchill and several sheets of headed notepaper from Chartwell in Kent, the country house which served as Churchill’s home for more than four decades.

There have been some questions though, as to whether the documents are authentically from the period – or may have been created later as props for the Oscar-winning film Darkest Hour, starring Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill.

The movie is set around the same time as the writing of the telegrams, and one scene shows Churchill dictating telegrams to his secretary.

Liz has said that a historian who has had the chance to look over the documents believes them to be authentic, however.

“It’s something of a mystery that we’re trying to get to the bottom of but at a time

James Chapman, a former political journalist and chief of staff for the Department for

magnolia plants placed at their disposal, as well as the sugary water offered by the actor.

... an indulgence that the bees seem to appreciate,” he told Fallon.

In an interview with TV host Jimmy Fallon, Freeman revealed he had been practising beekeeping in his spare time, but rather than making honey from the winged insects, he decided to let them live freely, and does not try to harvest their honey.

“I have never worn any protection with my bees, and they haven’t stung me yet. I have a lot of flowering plants and I also have a gardener.

“I’m not trying to harvest honey or anything else, I just feed them

“When she looks after the bees, all she’s trying to do is understand what they like to do.

So we have acres and acres of clover, and we have some plants

Issue 46 • Summer 2019

4

Caring news

Illegal drugs found in UK river wildlife

n n

Sky News

Researchers testing aquatic animals have found traces of a wild array of chemicals in them – including illegal drugs.

M

Exiting the EU, has been one of those publicising the find.

Speaking to Spirit FM, James said the discovery may have had the power to sway public opinion surrounding Brexit and the decision to extend Article 50 – if Churchill’s true attitudes towards Europe had been made clear to the public.

“I didn’t realise Churchill had proposed a political union with France in 1940 to try and defeat Germany. He did try and propose a United States of Europe after the war – including one memorable speech in which he famously broke down in tears.

In an examination of 15 sites across Suffolk, researchers from King’s College, London found cocaine, ketamine, prescription drugs and banned pesticides.

They are calling for more research across the UK to find out whether it is a national issue or just concentrated in Suffolk.

Dr Leon Barron said: “Such regular occurrence of illicit drugs in wildlife was surprising.

We might expect to see these in urban areas such as London but not in smaller and more rural catchments.

“The presence of pesticides which have long been banned in the UK also poses a particular

challenge as the sources of these remain unclear.

Micropollutants – chemicals found at exceptionally low levels – were found in wildlife such as the freshwater shrimp.

The study’s lead author, Dr Thomas Miller, said: “Although concentrations were low, we were able to identify compounds that might be of concern to the environment and crucially, which might pose a risk to wildlife. We found that

the most frequently detected compounds were illicit drugs, including cocaine and ketamine and a banned pesticide, fenuron. However the potential for any effect is likely to be low.

In January, two separate studies found that cocaine from drug users’ urine was turning up in samples from the Thames as it flows through London; and that even small doses can cause hyperactivity in eels.

And finally – 2019 marks the 200th birthday of Queen Victoria

Visit Britain

“To think that this has been sitting somewhere for all these decades, unknown, at such an important time in our history, is quite astonishing.

As well as the excitement around Royal Baby Sussex, this year commemorates the 200th anniversary of the birth of William and Harry’s great-great-great-great grandmother – Queen Victoria. The second-longest reigning monarch in British history, her legacy continues to thrive.

“To think that Liz has picked this up in an auction house for £200 and is now sharing the story with the world is quite exciting.”

Princess Victoria was born at Kensington Palace on 24 May 1819 and it was her childhood home (it’s also now the London residence of Kate and William). She was crowned at Westminster Abbey in 1830, and unlike today’s Royals, married at St James Palace.

like lavender, I have something like140 magnolias, huge blossoms.”

The pressures on bees are multiple: parasites, pesticides, or destruction of their habitat.

As a result, domestic wild species have been experiencing a disturbing decline for several years - a more than alarming trend when almost a third of our food depends on the bees’ pollination.

www.caring4sussex.co.uk

The only daughter of Edward, Duke of Kent, her father died shortly after she was born. She inherited the throne aged 18 because all three of her father’s elder brothers – her uncles George IV, Frederick Duke of York and Willian IV – had no legitimate heirs who survived.

Victoria and Albert had nine children in total – four boys and

five girls – all born between 1840 and 1857.

The 60-year reign of Victoria is thought to have been a time of change; artists and poets flourished, political movements began, reforms were carried out. The British population reached 30 million and many discoveries and advances were made in the fields of science and medicine.

Victoria was the first monarch to rule from Buckingham Palace, and it’s hard to miss the magnificent white marble monument of Victoria outside that was built to commemorate her death in 1901.

Both she and her beloved Albert were laid to rest in the private grounds of Windsor Castle, in the Royal Mausoleum at Frogmore House.

21

V

ROYAL BABY WORDSEARCH

Find the hidden words, horizontally, vertically or diagonally, backwards or forwards, to reveal a message with in the unused letters. (/ means words are split).

D L I H C D N A R G T A E R G

Q U E E N U V F R O G M O R E

B B K R E C E S T N E R A P E

ROYALS HARRY MEGHAN WINDSOR DUKE DUCHESS FAMILY FIRSTBORN

A Y D E L H F I R S T B O R N

S O N C T E A A S A R C H I E

Y A A E I S N R M H S E M N M

B D L H T S P N R I R O E C A

FROGMORE / COTTAGE BIRTH SON MAY / SIXTH ARCHIE HARRISON MOUNTBATTEN

A E G I H T O S X I L U G E Y

B T A A E H A T U S S Y H P S

R I R E G E H B U R O O A H E

O R A W A D I I T B U N N I L

Y E I E T R T D T N E A C L K

FAMILY QUEEN INHERITED PARENTS BABY / SUSSEX MARKLE AMERICA DORIA RAGLAND

A H R I T S X E S S U S T I R

L N O H O S W I N D S O R P A

S I D G C E U A C I R E M A M

TAURUS GREAT GRANDCHILD SUITS TITLE PRINCE PHILIP BOY

Keep living your lif

Solution on Page 23.

Riser Recliners from

...with support when you nee

There’s no need to be lonely, isolated and tir Your Local Mobility Experts

running your own house.

Mobility Scooters Worthing is the alternative, Stairlifts highly Abbeyfield from from affordable answer to secure, assisted *retirem *

£499

*

£799

Profiling Beds from

£799*

£1,799

• No upfront purchase or investm just a cost effective monthly ren • Enjoy secure independence wit ‘family based’ community • Bring your own possessions and • All inclusive package with bright rooms (en suite) and delicious ho Sticks & Walkers • Freedom to come and go as you Canes from from • Conveniently situated close to s £64.99* .99*

£14

For more about our all inclusive, alt solution to retirement living call us

01903 208665 Brighton

110 Warren Road Woodingdean BN2 6BA

Burgess Hill 21 Albert Drive Burgess Hill RH15 9TN

Chichester

1 Market Avenue Southgate, Chichester PO19 1JU

Hove

18 Boundary Road Hove BN3 4EF

Seaford

3 Old Tree Parade Seaford BN25 1LT

Charity No. 2

Worthing

19-21 Chapel Road Worthing BN11 1EG

No42.indd 01273 69 22 44 01444 253 300 01243 839 699Caring 4 Sussex 01273 424 10224 01323 49 16 16 01903 233 288 *Price excludes VAT and is available to those suffering from a long term illness upon completion of a declaration

22

Shop Online: www.clearwellmobility.co.uk Issue 46 • Summer 2019

Making time for your care Abbeyfield Ferring

Domiciliary Care

for those who require support in their own home

For more information contact Ruth:

01903 240 313 info@abbeyfieldferring.org.uk www.abbeyfieldferring.org.uk

www.caring4sussex.co.uk

Supported Living

in a homely atmosphere at Old School House, Ferring

Residential Care

in a warm, friendly environment at Cornwell House, Ferring

WORDSEARCH SOLUTION: Baby Archie weighed seven pounds three ounces.

We offer care that reflects the changing expectations of older people

23

4

The magazine that cares about Sussex www.caring4sussex.co.uk edit@caring4sussex.couk