Interest rates are rising for the first time in more than a decade, and it may be affecting your mortgage repayments.
With uncertainty around how high interest rates will go, it’s not surprising that many homeowners are worried about their ability to keep up with repayments. According to a report in the Financial Reporter, 48% of homeowners are worried about how they’ll manage.
If you have concerns, don’t bury your head in the sand. What to do if you’re worried about meeting mortgage payments now
If you have a variable- or tracker-rate mortgage, your repayments may already have increased. If these increases mean your budget is under pressure, you should contact your lender. It could prevent you from falling into arrears and potentially losing your home. Among the options a lender may consider are:
• A payment holiday: If you’re experiencing shortterm challenges repaying your mortgage, such as your income stopping temporarily, a payment holiday may be right for you.
• Extend your mortgage term: It may also be possible to change your mortgage term, such as extending how long it will take to pay your mortgage back. While you’ll be paying your mortgage for longer, it can reduce your repayments now.
• Switch to paying interest only: If you have a repayment mortgage, switching to an interestonly mortgage may be an option. As you’ll only be paying the interest, rather than reducing the debt,
your repayments will fall.
While these options can provide short-term financial security, you should understand how they could affect the long term too. They could, for instance, mean you pay a higher amount of interest overall or that it takes you longer to pay off your mortgage.
Creating a plan to cope with future rises in your mortgage repayments
There’s a lot of speculation about how much interest rates will rise and what it means for homeowners. So, even if you’re financially secure now, it’s natural to worry about your future.
If your mortgage deal has ended or is almost finished, securing a new deal could help you access a better rate of interest.
If your mortgage deal has already ended, you will usually be paying your lender’s standard variable rate. This typically isn’t competitive, and shopping around for a better deal can make financial sense.
For homeowners with an existing mortgage deal, you can often lock in a new one up to six months in advance. So, it’s worth checking your current deal and being proactive to provide you with certainty and potentially benefit from lower rates.
Please contact us on 01273 774855 or email advice@pembrokefs.co.uk if you would like more information and quote reference PFSVL.
As a mortgage is secured against your home or property, it could be repossessed if you do not keep up mortgage repayments. Think carefully before securing other debts against your home. Equity released from your home will be secured against it. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments.
Hand delivered to over 7000 homes and businesses in the areas reaching out to over 10,000 readers.
Hello, Welcome to the latest edition of Village Living. Firstly, Merry Christmas! Here we are again! December has arrived quicker than expected. There is so much to enjoy this month and you will have noticed in the publications popping through your letterbox regarding Christmas Fayres and much more!
In this months issue we have all our lovely contributors and we hope that you enjoy our latest articles as well as local news from the local theatres, local groups. Bertie Harding is raising funds for the British Trust for Ornithology. You can purchase his gorgeous calendar from Etsy and also locally from Fresh Start Charity Shop or Steyning Post Office. I hope that you will support him.
We also have Garden designer Kate from KM design for your to find out more about. Also handyman Steve for those jobs you can’t do. Meadowcroft Care Home has an open day this coming month 13th December!
Thanking all our readers for your support. Please do write or email us about any local events or activities or charity events you may be running or would like to promote locally. Copy date is from the 5th December for January 2023. Until then, have a great December!
Angela
Information correct at time of going to press. May be subject to change. All rights reserved and is the property of the publisher. © Vil lage Living 2020. Reprinting any part or matter appearing in Village Living is strictly forbidden except by permission of the publisher. All copyright of images/content remains that of its photographer/author. Every effort has been made to gain permission to publish copyright material however, where efforts have been exhausted, we have published on the basis of ‘Fair Use’ to comment factual based material where by its use is not central or plays a significant part to the entire publication but to act as an aid for historical and educational purposes only. This publication is offered as a limited print run. The publisher makes every effort to ensure that the magazine’s contents are correct. However, it cannot take responsibility for any effects from errors or omissions. Village Living does not accept any responsibility or liability for any of the services or products provided by the advertisers. Buyers should make their own checks.
Have a local editorial item? email:angievillagelivingmagazine@gmail.com
There is one essential skill that a photographer requires which is, in my opinion, even more important than technical knowledge of shutter speeds and apertures and that is observation, the art of seeing.
It is the hardest part of photography to teach although you can make suggestions to en courage students to develop this ability of their own accord. Sometimes a seemingly bland area or scene can be framed with a camera to extract something of interest.
The elements of my photograph here offer an unusual juxtaposition of unrelated objects, namely a repetitive line of stacked chairs leading the eye left to right to a ‘framed’ large pink flamingo acting as a visual full stop on the right. There are other pleasing visual elements in the background too. The geometric arrangement of one large rectangle in the bottom half of the image, a smaller rectangle above and a square on the right containing the oddity of the flamingo.
Also a box containing plants, constructed of horizontal slats which offer a contrast to the vertical slats of the chair backs.
The base rectangle is ‘crazy paved’ which adds pattern, the smaller rectangle above is a much paler colour but is pleasingly textured...and then there’s the window with that pink flamingo !
The upturned chair legs break the horizontal line between the rectangles and the single chair at the end of the line to the right allows an unobstructed view of the window with a twist, yes, that incongruous flamingo.
All these individual details are not necessari ly obvious to the eye at the time of taking but to me there was an obvious appeal which instantly drew me in. It’s the kind of scene which is easy to walk past if you don’t possess the art of seeing - observation.
If you would like to be on my mailing list, email me here: steveboylephotos@gmail.com
You’re invited to our open at Meadowcroft Care Home, 30 Buckingham Road Shoreham. We’d love to meet you and share a cup of tea and mince pie with you. It’s a great opportunity for you to meet our wonderful team and to look around the newly refurbished home!
Please let Vanessa know by emailing vanessa.farmer@meadowcroft.care or calling her on 01273 453 582. Meadowcroft is a spacious and bright home from home that offers two living areas for residents to relax or socialise as well as a lovely dining room for mealtimes. All bedrooms have ensuite facilities as well as a TV, telephone and a call system, always
those with Dementia. We have 2 Activities coordinators offering a full timetable of activities and entertainment 6 days a week!
We have great links with the local community including nurseries and churches so our residents are always busy!
We invite you to come and see the home first hand at our Open Day on the 13th of December where you can have a tour of our home and meet our amazing residents and staff but that’s not all….
Our local nursery will be joining us for Christmas Carols and Kim Bonsor will be signing all the classics from the 50’s & 60’s live from the living room. Mince pies and hot drinks will be available!
If you cannot attend but would like to arrange a private viewing, please do contact Vanessa as above. We look forward to seeing you there!
giving residents peace of mind. The team at Meadowcroft in Shoreham, specialises in care for the elderly as well as
Advertise to 7300 homes call 01273 452065 or E: angievillagelivingmagazine@gmail.com
....was recently formed to support the community of displaced Ukrainians in the Adur area, to preserve and promote the Ukrainian culture and heritage and to support the needs of Ukrainian guests and their host families.
We are particularly looking forward to celebrating the Ukrainian Christmas on 6th January and hope to welcome many Ukraini ans and their hosts to this special event to be held in Shoreham.
For further information please email: info@adurukrainesupport.org.uk And please visit our website for more infor mation and details of the latest news and events: www.adurukrainesupport.org.uk
Adur Ukraine Support Associa tion ~ Sussex Adur Ukraine Support Asso ciation (AUSA) was established in September 2022 to formalise the work and support of a group of volunteers who had been fundraising and providing support to Ukrainians in the Adur (Sompting, Lancing, Shoreham, Southwick, Fishersgate) area since the invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022. www.adurukrainesupport.org.uk
The earliest records of dogs being used for policing date back to the 15th century, when an Airedale Terrier or a Bloodhound was a companion and means of protection to the parish constable. (cont p12)
The earliest records of dogs being used for policing date back to the 15th century, when an Airedale Terrier or a Bloodhound was a companion and means of protection to the parish constable. It was only at the start of the 20th century however that West Sussex Police took full advantage of the assistance that dogs could provide in criminal detection.
In 1912, following a series of fires on farms at night across West Sussex and Hampshire, PC Wilson was telegrammed to be ready with his Bloodhounds to be called out at short notice. On the night of the 16th of November 1912 in the village of Westbourne, a haystack was set on fire. PC Wilson arrived at the scene and his two Bloodhounds immediately took up the trail, running through open country by a circuitous route right up to a gap in a hedge six yards from the backdoor of a house. The police knocked on the door but the occupant, a transient farm labourer, refused to come out until he was told that entry would be forced. PC Wilson kept his hounds on a leash 50 yards away and out of sight of the house as the police put the occupant in a line up with four other men along the road. PC Wilson was then sent for and the hounds immediately picked up the trail and sniffed out the occupant of the house in the line of suspects. This man it was noted was covered in mud up to his shoulders. In March 1913 PC Wilson testified in court to having trained the Bloodhounds since they were puppies. “They can follow a trail although it has been purposely fouled by being crossed by other men. I am quite satisfied that in the present case they ran the right man to earth.” It was also proved that the man identified by the dogs had left a pub twenty minutes before discovery of the fire. He had also reached his home just after the fire was discovered. However the judge in the
case ruled on a point of law that although the suspect was close to the haystack before the fire there was no proof he had started it, and the man blamed an anonymous other for the crime. He was found not guilty.
At Horsham on the 20th of August 1915, a prisoner with five previous convictions for assaulting the police was sentenced to three months imprisonment for a similar offence. The officer responsible for his custody had not taken the precaution to handcuff his prisoner. As they left the court the prisoner made his escape, successfully outrunning (cont p12)
Based in Shoreham-by-Sea and working across Sussex, Kate from KM Garden Design brings contemporary, innovative design to any sized garden or landscape.
Combining a life-long love of gardening and green spaces with over 20 years’ experience working in social care and mental health, I understand how a positive connection to our environment benefits us all. Over the years, I’ve walked alongside people going through the toughest of times and I’ve seen first-hand how being in and around green spaces helps people restore and recover their equilibrium. Surrounding ourselves with nature is proven to enhance wellbeing and investing in a professionally designed outdoor space can be truly life enhancing.
In the summer of 2022, I co-designed a show garden, A Moment of Calm. Sharing a garden directly with the public was amazing. I believe gardens are for people to use, not just to admire from afar, so during the show, it was important for people to actually step into the garden and ‘be’ in the space to fully experience it. Everyone responded extremely positively and many took away ideas to use in their own gardens. I love sourcing exactly the right materials for the spaces I create and for A Moment of Calm, I sourced locally reclaimed timber including some decommissioned sea defences from Worthing beach which made stunning sculptural pieces.
Whatever your budget and whether you want a space for work, rest, play or any combination of these, I will take the utmost care to design and deliver a sympathetic, stylish response to your brief.
I look forward to working with you, Kate
Bertie made this calendar to share his work, and support the BTO who do amazing work conserving British bird species.
Bertie’s passion for wildlife started in the French Alps where he grew up. He wasI was blown away by the wildlife.
“When I moved to England, my passion for birds grew and I started taking photos of the wildlife I could see. Now that the end of the year is approaching, I have decided to choose all my favorite photos from the year and make a calendar.”
They calendars cost £10 each. Proceeds from the Calendar will go to the British Trust for Ornithology. A charity that focuses on understanding birds and, in particular, how and why bird populations are changing.
You can order via Paypal: bertie.harding0211@gmail.com
Please put your name (and address and if you require postage*). Please make the transfer as friends and family. You can email me at bertie.harding0211@gmail.com where you can order directly.
Purchase a calendar at Fresh Start Charity Shop or Steyning Post Office. You can also order yours on Etsy: https://www. etsy.com/uk/listing/1324956314/2023-calender-a-year-with-birds?ref=listing_published_alert&f
bclid=IwAR2dxrD 3DDf8sODH3Se__ pmOXqCPBInHA ZWyna1_OD8ia_ j1nMOSkcfGyyg
*Postage costs £2.50 per calendar and an extra 60 pence for each additional Calendar for postage to the UK. For postage to France, it is £5.25 and an extra 1 GBP per addition al Calendar. For postage around the world, it is 6 to 8.50 GBP per Calendar and an extra £2 per additional calendar.*
the officer who was supposed to be escorting him. The policeman then telephoned for PC Wilson and his bloodhounds. They arrived by car with four other officers. Information was obtained from some boys who had been gathering blackberries, and who were able to point out the exact place where the prisoner had gone through a hedge and made off across the fields.
PC Wilson put the bloodhounds Belle and Bramble onto the trail and the hounds kept the officers and the boys who had also joined in the hunt running for all they were worth. The trail led over several fields and down a carriage drive to Sedgwick big wood. From there it continued right through the woodland, down a path near Nuthurst and across country again to Henfield. When the prisoner was finally captured he said he would not “bolt” again and asked not to be handcuffed.
Every precaution was taken however when transporting him to Lewes Prison.
Judy Upton’s latest crime novel ‘Sniff Them Out, Brownlow!’ which is about a Sussex based sniffer dog, is out now from Hobart Books.
Judy Upton Sources: Daily Mail Argus Tuesday 2 June 1914
The Mary How Trust are hosting a Community Christmas Carol Evening at St Marys Church Pulborough on Wednesday 14th December
As well as recognising and celebrating the incredible work the Trust do it’s also an opportunity for the whole community to get together and sing the sounds of the season.
The event spearheaded by local charity, The Mary How Trust, is set to become an annual event. This year they need to raise an additional £50,000 to fully equip a further consultation room, which will enable them to health screen 1,200 more people a year, this evening will help them reach that fundraising target.
Doors open at 6.30pm with Carols from 7.00pm. It’s a fantastic opportunity to start the Christmas celebrations early and sing favourite carols, led by the Chanctonbury Chorus.
The evening will finish with Mulled Wine & Mince Pies. It’s FREE entry although donations would be appreciated, with all proceeds going to develop the charities health screening services
Lynda Vowles, MHT CEO, said: “We are really looking forward to our first community carol evening. We are hoping to get everyone in the festive mood with this event”.
“The event will form a really special part of the Christmas celebrations and I’m grateful to the Chanctonbury Chorus, who have agreed to lead the singing, Tributes our headline sponsor and St Marys for the use of the Church. We warmly welcome everyone from the whole community to join us”, she added.
Headline sponsor Tributes Managing Director, Adam Masters had this to say, “We got to know Mary How Trust and the great work that they
do through Tributes Chairman, Richard Bush. Mary How Trust detected Richard’s prostate cancer symptoms at a very early stage which then led to his successful recovery.
As a business which celebrates family values, we are very proud to have been able to offer all of our team the opportunity to have their own health screening at such a forwardthinking Charity. We continue to support and encourage the good work that Mary How Trust is doing, and we are proud to be one of the full event sponsors for this community Carol event.”
Storrington Film Nights are organised by the Rotary Club of Storrington & Pulborough District.
The December film, on Tuesday 13th will be “Downton Abbey- A New Era”. Starring Hugh Bonneville & Maggie Smith. The muchanticipated return of Downton Abbey. Tickets are £5, and are available from the Card Shop in Storrington. Any unsold tickets will be available on the door, on the night. There is a Bar and a Raffle during the interval. Anyone requiring transport should contact John Ollerton 07523 322554
For further information please contact Ken Collins 01903 740745.
Continuing its Community outreach service, the Rotary Club of Storrington and Pulborough District is once again producing Christmas Sacks to give to needy families in the area.
The Sacks will be tailored to the needs of the recipient families brought to the Club’s attention by Local Authorities and are designed to give a little cheer to those whose Christmas may be very bleak otherwise.
The Sacks will include gifts, Christmas goodies, clothing and a Tesco voucher. Our aim is to raise £6,000 to provide between 50 and 60 Sacks this Christmas. An yone wishing to give a donation to this project should request details from us by emailing
rotaryxmassackappeal@gmail.com or if they have a PayPal account, they can donate by scanning the QR code below.
There are collection points for gifts at: Mead ow Stores in Thakeham during shop hours, the Rotary book Stall in Place Villerest, Storrington on Saturdays before 12 Noon, Tesco in Pulborough and Mansell McTaggart estate agents in Storrington.
We are making up sacks of goodies – children’s toys, gifts and other items plus a Tesco voucher that will make a real difference to local families to whom we reach out this Christmas.
If you would like to donate, please email: rotaryxmassackappeal@gmail.com
or, if you have a PayPal account, scan this QR code
Rotary Club of Storrington & Pulborough District
Can you help us to help less fortunate families in our community this
If all this sounds inspiring, then the next thing to do is to get in touch!
Chanctonbury dance at local pubs on a Wednesday evening most weeks from May until September; then practice, from October until April.
They practice in the Catholic Church Hall in Henfield, on Wednesday evenings, from 8:00pm until 10:00pm. Then they retire to The Plough for a beer and animated conversation.
So, what sort of person makes a good Morris Man?
“Well, all sorts, really! We are all quite fit, of course, but we come in all shapes and sizes, and from all walks of life; amongst our number we include an astrophysicist, a plumber, a civil servant, even a glider pilot!”
Morris dancing involves mostly a set of six or eight dancers, and the dances might be quite old, although Chanctonbury have devised half a dozen dances of their own more recent tradition.
Many English villages would have had their own Morris sides, and at country fairs over the last 250years or so the dancers would have en tertained and shown off their skills. Today there are still
displays of Morris dancing at public events, but mostly it will be found outside (or inside!) local pubs, still entertaining local folk. Often there will be music and singing after dancing.
Look them up at www.crmm. org.uk Then join them for a chat in The Plough at about 10:00pm after practice, or go along to a practice and see what it’s all about. Or do both!
Chanctonbury Ring Morris Men have been local guardians of the ancient tradition of Morris dancing since the early 1950s, and will celebrate their 70th anniversary in 2023. And they are looking for new recruits, to help carry their good work into the future.
Why not join my local retirees
My name is Rob, I enjoy golf and live in Shoreham. Looking for people to join who want to play for fun. We play every Monday morning, each month we play nine holes course or two eighteen holes courses, all venues well be within half an hours drive from Shoreham, currently we have in excess of twenty members but there is always room for more. Ladies are welcome. Should you be interested you can contact me at: marsh-robert@sky.com
Get ready to kick off the festive season with Brighton’s epic Christmas Festival and Market.
You’ll find over 150 festive stalls, live enter tainment, a funfair, Santa’s Grotto and an Après Ski zone where the adults can sip on a delicious and warming glass of mulled wine or a Schnapps or two after a busy day shopping.
Where: between St. Peter’s Church and Valley Gardens
When: Friday 18th November to Saturday 24th December 2022
More information: brightonchristmasfestival.com
Enjoy 21 days of festive shopping in the heart of Chichester this Christmas. The streets will be lined with stalls showcasing unique gifts, from glassware and jewellery to scrumptious fudges and artisanal cheeses.
Where: East Street and North Street in Chich ester City Centre
When: Saturday 3rd to Friday 23rd December 2022
More information: chichesterchristmasmarket.co.uk
Farmers Market in Steyning High Street Car park (Opposite the clock tower)
9am until 1pm on the first Saturday of the month. Our award-winning Farmers Market sells high quality local produce including a delicious selection of vegetables, fruit, meat, eggs, bread and cakes, fruit juices and dairy products etc.
We are proud to announce that the Steyning Farmers Market won the Sussex Food and Drink Awards BEST Farmers Market in 2015 and if you have not yet visited our farmers market (held on the first Saturday of every month) you are definitely missing out on a wonderful experience.
Santa’s Elves and the Shoemaker in Horsham | 16th to 29th December 2022 | The Capitol, Horsham, West Sussex
Enjoy a gorgeous Victorian funfair, a mini Christmas market, tasty seasonal food and drink and other entertainment before entering the mile-long trail.
The Grade I listed gardens will be illuminated with light and colour for all the family to enjoy, with funfair and market stalls also on site for visitors to really get into the festive spirit.
Price: Adult tickets for £16, Children tickets for £10 (aged two to 15) and free entry for in fants and carers (free tickets/discounted tickets for Leonardslee members on set dates)
Dates: December (1-4th and 7th to the 21st)
Where: Leonardslee Lakes & Gardens, Brighton Road, Horsham, West Sussex RH13 6PP
Have a local editorial item? email:angievillagelivingmagazine@gmail.com
Santa’s Elves and the Shoemaker in Horsham at The Capitol Horsham, from 16th to 29th December 2022 a festive treat featuring original songs, energetic choreography, audience participation and gifts for all of the Children.
With only three days left before Christmas, Mr. Klopp, the penniless shoemaker, has only enough leather left to make one pair of shoes. He sets the leather aside to be completed the next morning. That night two cheeky elves, Bip and Bop, appear thinking they’ve arrived at Santa’s grotto. They make the leather into a splendid pair of shoes.
The next morning, Mr. Klopp awakens to discover the shoes. He sells the shoes at huge profit, gives away most of the money and uses the remainder to buy twice as much leather which he plans to make into two pairs of shoes. That night, Bip and Bop, return and once more find the leather and begin to create.
The third night Mr. Klopp stays awake to see what’s happening to the material but when Bip and Bop return, they are scared off by Mr. Klopp, who fears he will be poor again. How ever, everything changes when a magical man in a red and white coat arrives to reveal it was he to whom Mr. Klopp was selling the shoes.
With some Christmas Magic, Santa saves the workshop and treats his hard-working elves to some new cloths and he rewards the boys and girls for their help, with an exciting early Christmas present.
This show features original songs and ener getic choreography, audience participation and gifts for all of the Children.
The Capitol Horsham Horsham, West Sussex 16/12/2022, 10:00 am - 29/12/2022, 6:00 pm
Price: £13
Inside Shoreham and Village Living’s local history writer has a new novel coming out this
‘Sniff Them Out, Brownlow!’ is a light-hearted crime mystery about a Sussex pet detective and her dog which features Shoreham and Steyning among other locations.
In the novel, the first featuring Sophie Gorrage and her faithful sniffer dog Brownlow, the Cocker Spaniels of reality star Rouki Bennett are snatched while being walked on Broadmure Common. Soon the pet detective duo is investigating a string of high-
profile dog thefts leading them from Sussex to the Isle of Wight and back.
Judy will be discussing the book at Shoreham Wordfest’s Fatal Shore Crime Writing Day at the Shoreham Centre on October 15th. ‘Sniff Them Out, Brownlow’ is Judy’s third novel following Brighton set ‘Out Of The Frying Pan’ and ‘What Maisie Didn’t Know’ Published by Hobart Books, it’s available from bookshops and Amazon. See: www.hobartbooks.com/product-page/ sniff-them-out-brownlow
Losing someone close to us is a painful and challenging experience. Our aim at HD Tribe is to make the whole funeral process as simple and as stress-free as possible for you, by offering a complete funeral service, ensured by HD Tribe’s long-established reputation for quality, dignity and reliability.
Darren joined the Tribe family in 2018. After 13 years of retail management and customer service, he decided for a change of career after experiencing how supportive the role of a funeral director is to families following a bereavement. Darren has recently married Sophie and they are looking forward to starting a family. He has a passion for DIY and motor racing. When not working or renovating their home, Darren and Sophie enjoy walks in the countryside and taking advantage of their National Trust memberships.
An independent family run Funeral Directors since 1929. We ensure your loved ones receive the respect and dignity they deserve. With nine offices covering most of West Sussex, we are ideally positioned to give you an efficient, local and dedicated funeral service.
Darren Fehrenbach