Chichester Local - May 2019

May 2019

CHICHESTER LOCAL Local news & events through the door to over 7,800 homes in this area every month

ROUGH SLEEPING

Official statistics & charities paint mixed picture in Sussex

WIN TICKETS!

Stewart Francis - Into the ‘Punset’ Farewell Tour, Southampton

HEALTH

Weight Training

NEWS

Community Council, Charity

HISTORY Empire Day

WHAT’S ON

May Events PLUS a preview of the Sussex Art Fair at Goodwood

PLUS

What’s On, Local Walks, Recipe, Prize Crossword, Charity, Local Groups, Young Readers Puzzles, Business Directory

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May 2019 Cover image Chichester bluebells. Robert Maynard - RDM Photography

Welcome...

The children are off school again at the end of this month with the Whitsun holidays so there are more family events in our What’s On guide starting on page 4.

This month our main article looks at rough sleeping in our county. Veronica Cowan discusses the disparity between official figures and the reports from local homeless charities. See page 26.

Andrew Staib looks at how to make your garden a haven for wildlife along with other eco-friendly tips and the regular monthly tasks. In Your Garden page 36.

Comedian Stewart Francis performs in Southampton on his farewell tour “Into the Punset”. Known for his quick one-liners “I manufactured clown shoes… no small feat” his quick wit and deadpan delivery make for comedy gold. See page 14 for how to enter.

Our Health article on page 35 looks at increasing your metabolic rate with weight training. Burn more calories all the time!

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.........................................................................What’s On .................................Win! Tickets to see Stewart Francis ............................................Young Readers’ Puzzle Page .......................................................................Local Walks ........................................................Charity & Community ....................................................RSPB Pagham Harbour ....................................................Rough Sleeping feature .................................................................Prize Crossword ................................................................................Recipe ...........................................................Health & Wellbeing ....................................................................In Your Garden ..................................................................Property Doctor ............................................................Local Council News .............................................................Chichester History .............................................................Business Directory ...........................................................Index of Advertisers Kay Publishing Ltd PO Box 2237 Pulborough RH20 9AH info@sussexlocal.net www.sussexlocal.net

01903 868474

Established in 2007, we publish and hand-deliver seven editions free of charge to over 45,000 homes and businesses every month.

Display advertising starts at just £24 a month per edition (1/8th).

Business Directory £10 per month per edition. We welcome reader letters and community notices which we publish free of charge.

Thanks as ever to Andrew Berriman for our regular history article this month on “Empire Day” - see page 41.

We also have local council and charity news starting on page 20. Please do get in touch with anything you’d like published you can email us at info@sussexlocal.net Until next month,

Kris & Jeff

Quote of the month “I’m a dyslexic, atheist, insomniac; I stay up all night wondering if there really is a Dog” - UNKNOWN

Disclaimer - Whilst advertisements are printed in good faith, Sussex Local (Kay Publishing Ltd) is an independent company and does not endorse products or services that appear in this magazine. Sussex Local cannot be held responsible for errors or omissions or claims made by contributors. Views and opinions of contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher.

Seven editions across West Sussex Arundel - Arundel, Amberley, Burpham, Climping, Fontwell, Ford, Slindon, Walberton & Yapton Total addresses - 6,700 Barnham - Barnham, Eastergate, Westergate, Aldingbourne, Oving, & Tangmere Total addresses - 5,400 Chichester - Chichester centre & suburbs Total addresses - 7,800 Findon - Findon Valley, Findon Village, Nepcote, High Salvington, Clapham & Patching plus Salvington/Selden (south of A27) Total addresses - 6,200 Midhurst & Petworth - Midhurst, Petworth, Easebourne Total addresses - 7,100 Pulborough - Pulborough, Bury, Coldwaltham, Fittleworth, Marehill, Nutbourne, Stopham, West Chiltington village and Common.

Total addresses - 5,500 Storrington - Storrington, Ashington, Cootham Thakeham, Sullington & Washington. Total addresses - 6,600

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12 Events

Sussex Art Fair, Goodwood 17th, 18th & 19th May 2019 Goodwood Racecourse, Chichester The inaugural Sussex Art Fair (West) takes place at the world renowned Goodwood Racecourse in the heart of the picturesque Sussex Downs. There will be 100 exhibitors throughout the two main halls of The M a r c h Stand with 1000’s of artworks from over 160 artists available for purchase. Visitors will arrive at the first hall to experience 20 carefully selected Gallery and Artist Collective Stands, followed by the second hall which will include 80 up and coming and established Independent Artists, local and national, all of whom you will be able to meet to make the experience that little bit more special.

Taking place over 3 days, the event starts on the Friday evening at the ticketed Private Viewing, where visitors will be able to browse their favourite artwork(s) with a glass of wine from the full bar and be the first to view exhibitors collections before the event is open to the general public over the weekend.

Prices of art start from as little as £50 for prints and smaller works, to over £5,000 for an outstanding masterpiece, so there will be something to suit every budget.

Art buyers’ purchases will be wrapped by specialist wrapping team ‘artPAKK’ at the exit.

Facilities include a coat check on arrival, a full café serving tea coffee and snacks over the weekend and excellent toilet facilities. The venue is wheelchair accessible and small dogs are also welcome, (must be carried whilst inside the venue).

Sussex Art Fairs will be collaborating with Sussex Wildlife Trust, a conservation charity for everyone who cares about nature in Sussex and protecting the won-

derfully rich natural life that is found in our towns, countryside and coast.

Being the first of its kind within the Sussex Counties, Sussex Art Fairs is the perfect place to begin your art collection, or indeed add to your collection if you are already a seasoned art enthusiast. For those who can’t decide on a purchase during the event, exhibitor details will be available in a limited edition brochure at the event and online.

What can visitors expect?

The event has been designed to tingle the senses of the visitor from the moment they arrive, continuing throughout their stay by offering art lovers and collectors the chance to purchase works from two main areas.

‘The Galleries Rooms’ will consist of Galleries and Artist Collectives showcasing carefully selected works by their most popular and established artists. ’The Artists Rooms’ will be curated by the SAF team to include established and emerging independent artists specialising in: Painting, Digital Art, Mixed Media Art, Photography, Sculpture, Glassworks and Ceramics. By having both independent artists and galleries at one fair, visitors will be able to choose suitably priced works for their new or expanding art collections from the most exciting contemporary and traditional artists selling today. Highlights of the exhibition include many talented Sussex based exhibitors: Room with A View (Worthing), Forest Gallery (Petworth), The Dragon Gallery (Petworth), Angela Brittain, Catherine Barnes, Gayle Shapton, Robin Cooper-Hannan, Alan James-McLeod, Alison Ingram, Lesley Taylor, Alex Morris, Carol Wagstaff, Jo Willis, Susie Monnington, Hettie Pittman, Caroline Darke as well as Sussex Art Fairs organisers, Fraser Renton and Leah Michelle.

Details: www.sussexartfairs.co.uk Tickets: £6-£14.40: http://bit.ly/2UcyuR2WSAFGoodwoodTickets

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14 Competition

Win tickets to Stewart Francis’ Farewell Tour ‘Into the Punset’ Sat 8th June at O2 Southampton Guildhall Star of Mock the Week, Live at the Apollo and Crackerjack, Stewart Francis embarks on a brand-new show, in this, his last tour ever! See him before he heads off... ‘Into the Punset’.

This will be Stewart’s last and final stand-up tour – ever!

– and so we’re expecting a full house and not a dry eye within it. Brace yourself, it’s going to be emotional…

Winner of Dave’s Funniest Joke Of The Fringe, this hugely successful one liner wizard has become a household name in the UK and Ireland over the last decade, thanks to his ‘perfectly crafted gags’ and expert timing, which he has brought to sell-out audiences across the world.

Now it’s time to sit back and enjoy, for the last time, his excellent jokes in his farewell tour.

Find out more www.stewartfrancis.com

Win tickets to ‘Into the Punset’ To enter the competition answer the question below: Q: Stewart Francis is well know for his: a) Puns

b) Cooking

c) Singing

Send your answer and contact details including phone number to: Into the Punset Competition, PO Box 2237, Pulborough, RH20 9AH or enter online at www.sussexlocal.net/features/competitions Winner drawn after 26th May 2019. Please indicate if you wish to remain on our mailing list.

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16 Puzzles

SUSSEX LOCAL Answers on www.sussexlocal.net after 1st May

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18 Walks

Local Walks - May These walks are supported by Chichester District Council, are led by volunteers and are designed to cater for all ages and abilities. No booking is required but please arrive 10 mins before the walk is due to start. Dogs are welcome unless otherwise stated but must be kept on the lead.

Timings are for guidelines only. If the weather is poor the walk may be cancelled, if unsure check, contact 01243 534589 health@chichester.gov.uk www.chichesterwellbeing.org.uk L = Walk Leader Thu 2nd

10:30 am Swanbourne Lake L: Jane A lovely walk which includes the Arun riverbank and the top of Downs. Meet at Swanbourne Lake Arundel

2 hrs 45 mins

6 miles

Fri 3rd

10:30 am West Marden Meet at the junction of the B2146 and the Walderton Stoughton Road

L: Peter

3 hrs

6.5 miles

Tues 7th

10:30 am Spring Flowers Woolbedging L: Fiona Follow River Rother. Meet at Woolbeding Parkland

2 hrs

4 miles

Thurs 9th

10.30 am Amberley Village L: Peter Through Amberley village and back round the castle and along the river Arun. Meet at Amberley Station

2 hrs

4 miles

Fri 10th

10.30 am Washington & Sullington Meet at Frankland Arms pubn RH20 4AL

2hrs 30mins

30 mins

Sat 11th

10:30 am Binsted Woods L: Dominic Meet at Walberton Village Hall car park, BN18 0PQ

2 hrs 30 mins

4.25 miles

Thurs 16th

10:30 am Poling Ponds L: Gerald Via Angmering village to Poling Ponds Meet at Rustington Golf Centre car park, BN16 4NB

2 hrs

4 miles

Fri 17th

10:30 am Emsworth to Nutbourne Flat all day walk with lovely harbour views.

Meet at Emsworth Marina Car park

All day

10 miles

Fri 17th

10:30 am Salterns Copse L: Andrew 2 hrs Meet at Chichester Marina car park, first on right on entering the Marina

2 miles

Tues 21st

10.30 am Chichester Marina Meet at Chichester Marina, Birdham

2 hrs 30 mins

6 miles

Wed 22nd

10:45 am Climping L: Dominic Along dunes and beach to Climping Mill.

Meet at Arun Yacht Club Car Park, Littlehampton

1 hr 15 mins

2.5 miles

Fri 24th

10:30 am Watergate Park Meet at the junction of the B2146 and the Walderton Stoughton Road

2 hrs 15 mins

5 miles

Fri 24th

6.30 pm Black Rabbit L: Dominic Easy, flat riverside walk, no stiles. Meet at Mill Road car park by river in town centre, BN18 9AA

2 hrs

5 miles

Wed 29th

6 pm Fishbourne L: Bruce Leisurely evening walk to the Fishbourne Channel.

Meet at Fishbourne Centre, PO18 8BE

1 hr 45 mins

3.5 miles

Thurs 30th

10.30 am Lordings Lock L: Peter 2 hrs 45 mins Lovely walk by the Wey and Arun canal (chance to see kingfishers and herons) Meet car park at the Limeburners Inn

4.5 miles

Fri 31st

10:30 am Yapton Levels L: Andrew Very flat stroll along former Canal bed and across field paths.

Meet at Yapton Village carpark

2 miles

L: Jane

L: Jane

L: Bruce

L: Jane

2 hrs

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20 Charity & Community

Sussex Snippets A campaign to fix one of Britain’s most treasured walking trails, the South Downs Way, has hit its £120,000 target following an incredible community fundraising effort. Work is already under way to mend sections of the 100 mile trail, with the rest taking place later this year. mendmountains.thebmc.co.uk Every spring, Chichester Festival Theatre reaches its much-anticipated Festival season. That’s where the CFT Buddies scheme comes in. This free companion service is for anyone who doesn’t feel physically able or comfortable attending a performance alone. Buddies are friendly volunteer companions, who will meet you at the Theatre, watch the show with you, and help you buy any refreshments. To request a Buddy or to find out more call 01243 781312, email access@cft.org.uk or visit cft.org.uk/buddies A whopping £1.7million has been raised for the NSPCC over the last 60 years thanks to volunteers connected to the charity’s South and Mid Sussex Branch hosting events such as jam sales, quiz nights, and coffee mornings. Anyone interested in fundraising or becoming a volunteer for the NSPCC’s South and Mid Sussex Branch get in touch by emailing kate.hershkowitz@nspcc.org.uk

SUSSEX LOCAL Carers Support West Sussex and cancer charity Macmillan Cancer Support has launched a new service to support those caring for someone living with cancer. A new specialist team of Carer Wellbeing Workers will work with carers to provide them with the emotional support and information they need. www.carersupport.org.uk The Duke of Edinburgh’s (DofE) Award is the chance for everyone aged 18+ to get a taste of an expedition.

Taking place on 21 and 22 September in the South Downs, it promises to be an unforgettable weekend hiking and camping, fundraising for the DofE Charity.

Participants will be taking on a 30 km hike on the Saturday and a 20 km hike on the Sunday. Every walker will be sponsored, with all fundraising going directly to the charity. www.dofe.org/adventure You and your friends and family are invited to ‘Push The Boat Out’ and try sailing or windsurfing for free or low cost across West Sussex this May. No fewer than six venues are hosting Push The Boat Out open days and taster sessions around West Sussex throughout the month. Clubs in Lancing, Crawley, Felpham, Pagham and Chichester are taking part. Find out more at www.rya.org.uk/ptbo.

West Sussex Record Office has been awarded a $100,000 (£76,000) grant for its new Transatlantic Ties project by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation in New York. The project will explore and promote the close historical connections between America and West Sussex through the wealth of archival material for the county. The Record Office in Chichester is home to the Sussex Declaration, a rare copy of the US Declaration of Independence – one of only two ceremonial parchment manuscript copies in existence. The other is housed in the National Archives in Washington DC. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex visited the Sussex Declaration in October.

In response to ‘Court Closures: a setback for justice in Sussex’ in the last edition (March 2019) a HM Courts & Tribunals Service spokesperson said: The decision to close any court is not taken lightly and, where a service is moved outside an area, can only happen following a public consultation. To date, courts that have closed in Sussex are either underused, unsuitable, or too close to another. People will always have access to a nearby alternatives, but with some courts only being used for half the available time, it’s important taxpayer’s money is spent wisely.

HM Courts & Tribunals Service has held regular discussions with people in Chichester to listen to their concerns and are pleased to have found an alternative venue for hearings in the city. Since 2015/2016 approximately £124m has been raised from the sale of court buildings, with £130m spent on maintenance, and the rest being invested as part of HMCTS’s £1bn reform programme to improve access to justice. Hastings Magistrates’ and County Court is open and a list of all courts can be found on the HMCTS website. courttribunalfinder.service.gov.uk

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Dementia Support Sage House celebrates its first birthday Last year on the 8th May local charity Dementia Support opened its fantastic new dementia facility in Tangmere, near Chichester.

Sage House provides complete dementia services under one roof – the first of its kind in the UK. Now a year on, this pioneering and unique place is celebrating its first birthday. The birthday week will kick off several weeks of celebrations and raising awareness about dementia. The charity will be holding its own Wayfinding Week 13th – 17th May; Wayfinders are crucial members of the team at Sage House who

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provide support, information and advice for families and people living with dementia.

Dementia Action Week, 20th - 24th May is a national awareness week, and everyone throughout the country will be asked to make a pledge of support in the fight against dementia. Dementia Support will be holding its own events at Sage House. Join the charity for Dementia Friends Sessions each day and a Quiz Night on Friday 24th May. Following that, in June the charity will be celebrating Volunteer Week 3rd – 7th June and Carers Week 10th – 14th June. If you would like any support regarding dementia or information about the charity, please contact the team on 01243 888 691 or email info@dementia-support.org.uk

Call for volunteers at Chichester Cathedral Are you enthusiastic about learning new things and have some time to spare? Do you enjoy history, art/ craft or drama activities? Are you well organised with a friendly and helpful manner? Chichester Cathedral is supported by a team of more than 600 volunteers who generously gift their time and skills to fulfil numerous roles.

The Cathedral’s Learning and Engagement Department is currently looking to expand its team of Volun-

www.chichestercathedral.org.uk

teers to work with visiting schools, colleges, adults and families. No previous experience is necessary as training will be given. For more details please call email sue.poil@chichestercathedral.org.uk or call 01243 812497

Vote in Chichester elections Residents of Chichester District are being reminded to register to vote and ensure their voice is heard in this May’s local elections.

Voters will be able to have their say at the ballot box on Thursday 2 May and elect a councillor for every ward in the Chichester District. Parish council elections are also taking place.

More information about the forthcoming elections is ailable at www.chichester.gov.uk/elections.

Notices to info@sussexlocal.net

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Pet of the Month This month’s Pet of the Month is Hogarth, a handsome black cat. He arrived at The Centre in 2013 his owner couldn’t cope with him any longer. Since then he had been rehomed but unfortunately after 4 years he has been brought back because he can be a little naughty sometimes and his owners were expecting a baby, and he also did not like their dog.

Hogarth is a sweet, lovely, cheeky boy, who does love having a fuss made of him, and he loves playing with toy mice. He has the coronavirus, which is very common among cats, and so will go on foster for this, the staff at The Centre can give you more information on what this means, but it doesn’t bother him. He would be suited to a confident owner who doesn’t mind his naughty side who has no young children, or other pets. If you think you may be able to give Hogarth the new home he deserves please give The Centre a call Monday to Friday 9am-4pm on 01243 641409. You can visit the centre at Holborow Lodge, Chalder Lane, Sidlesham, PO20 7RJ. Email info@crrc.co.uk or visit www.crrc.co.uk for more details.

SUSSEX LOCAL Students become role models Local year 9 students learnt how to be role models for younger students as part of an on-going programme to improve their confidence and resilience.

Students, aged between 13 and 14, are taking part in the inspirational Be the Change programme, which is happening for the first time in Chichester.

The students were encouraged to become positive role models and were taught that by working together they can have a positive influence and impact in their respective schools and communities.

The year 9 students were also taken by surprise and were joined by local primary school students for them to mentor at the The Weald and Downland Living Museum on Tuesday, March 26.

The schools involved in the programme are: Bourne Community College, Midhurst Rother College, The Academy Selsey, Chichester High School, Bishop Luffa and Chichester Free School. Year 6 primary school students took part in the Stepping Up activity from Chichester Free School and Petworth Primary School.

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24 Nature

Stars of the reserve and screen at Pagham Harbour & Medmerry

By Roy Newnham, Visitor Experience Officer, RSPB Pagham Harbour All across the country wildlife is busy getting on with the business of bringing up new families, including two of our star species at our Pagham Harbour and Medmerry reserves.

Little terns return to our coasts to breed, having spent the winter in Africa. These chattering little seabirds are the smallest of our terns, sporting a black cap and white forehead, yellow legs and a yellow bill with a black tip. Unfortunately UK numbers of little tern have been in long-term decline and in the 1990’s the population at Pagham Harbour crashed from 75 pairs in the early 1980’s, to none at all. Like many breeding shorebirds, little terns nest by creating a small scrape in the shingle or sand in which they lay two or three eggs.

This penchant for beach habitat makes them extremely vulnerable to disturbance and is cited as one of the causes for the collapse in numbers, along with climate change and predation.

Little Tern

Our conservation efforts were finally rewarded when little terns returned to breed in 2007, but it was not until 2014 that they fledged sufficient young to be deemed a sustainable colony. Over the last few years we have focused on one of the harbours islands. By clearing vegetation and putting down decoys, we’ve made it attractive to the little terns and other breeding shorebirds, luring them away from the busy beaches.

Now our tern colony is thriving and it is a joy to look out across the harbour from Church Norton to the flurry of activity around Tern Island.

The sound of chattering terns’ drifts across the languid waters mingled with the harsher squawks of the blackheaded gulls, with which they share nesting rights on the island.Three species of tern nest on the island common terns, with red legs and a black-tipped, red bill; sandwich terns, with black legs and yellow-tipped, black bill; and of course the little terns, for whom the harbour is internationally important as a breeding site.

Take a seat on a warm sunny day by the harbour’s edge and watch these delightful seabirds fishing, hovering briefly before diving into the water for small fish.

Over on Medmerry, our insignia bird, the avocet, is also enjoying breeding success. This elegant black and white wader with long legs and an up-turned bill is one of the organisations greatest conservation stories.

Having disappeared as a British breeding bird in 1842, it would be over 100 years before they returned to habitat created by WWII. A wayward bomb blew a hole in a seawall and water from the tidal river poured in creating ideal conditions for avocets, with shallow pools and islands to nest on. Learning from this fortuitous event and with careful management, avocet numbers have grown. Once again they can be seen breeding at many sites across the country including the Stilt Pools on our Medmerry reserve.

Avocet chick (c) David Tipling

However, don’t be fooled by its charmed looks, the avocet can also be extremely feisty. They will often chases off birds twice their size that are after a meal of their eggs or chicks. The delightful youngsters are like little fluffy pom-poms on legs. They leave the nest almost immediately and feed themselves with a smaller but instantly recognisable copy of their parents’ distinctive bill.

Meanwhile back at our Visitor Centre we have our own ‘reality TV show’. Our cast of characters are a tawny owl currently incubating at least three eggs, a pair of kestrels in their own ‘des-res’ high-rise apartment and two pairs of blue tits preparing the comfiest of nests. You can follow their progress everyday on our cameras in the Visitor Centre on the B2145 between Chichester and Selsey.

Over the last couple of years, we have been doing a lot of work around our Visitor Centre and Discovery Zone.

On Saturday 01 June we are celebrating our efforts with an open-day and you are invited to join us and try your hand at a host of free events, from pond-dipping and bug hunting to mud-sifting and wildlife watching.

See www.rspb.org.uk/paghamharbour for details.

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26 Local Issues

Rough Sleeping in Sussex Official statistics and charities paint a mixed picture

By Veronica Cowen The Guardian shone an analytical light on the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s (MHCLG) figures on rough sleeping after they recorded a 2% fall in 2018, following seven consecutive years of rises. It noted that 30 councils - including Eastbourne, Brighton and Hove, and Worthing switched from estimates of rough sleepers, aided by homeless charities and others, to a street count of those bedded down on a given night in November. It asserted that the resulting reported reductions in rough sleepers was on the advice of the MHCLG, after receiving money through the Rough Sleeper Initiative (RSI), and claimed one council leader had said central government required the council to switch the methodology. Asked to comment, a MHCLG spokesperson said: “All returns of the official rough sleeping statistics submitted by local authorities were independently verified or validated. Regardless of the method used, the figure records only those people seen, or thought to be, sleeping rough on a single ‘typical’ night. It is wrong to link councils receiving money under the (RSI) to the methodology used.”

The Government’s rough sleeping statistics were also questioned by the Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, John Healey, in a letter to Sir David Norgrove, head of the UK Statistics Authority. Responding on March 25, Sir David noted a “significant” increase in the number of local authorities switching from an estimate to a count, particularly in some of the councils in receipt of extra funding through the RSI. He urged the Government to improve the quality of its figures, and said more could have been done to acknowledge and explore this apparent methodological change this year, and its impact on the areas in receipt of RSI funding.

The Sussex councils mentioned were approached for comment. Tim Whelan, director of service delivery at Eastbourne Borough Council, which experienced an 85% drop on the previous year, attributed this to its strategies with other providers: “We had successfully moved 19 individuals onto an accommodation pathway, supported by multi-disciplinary teams [and] have a dedicated outreach worker who regularly visits rough sleepers to encourage them to engage with support services.”

According to official figures, Worthing Borough Council reported a 69% reduction. It didn’t provide comment, but sent a press release relating to a rough sleeping campaign on 11 March, which states: “The fall in rough sleeping comes on the back of a funding boost for Worthing Borough Council last year, after the government pledged £270,00 for 2018/19 and

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£340,000 to the area for 2019/20 through the (RSI) Fund.”

A spokesperson for Brighton & Hove City Council, said the Council’s switch to a count was “reintroduced” following discussions with the MHCLG about how other areas conduct their counts. Following a count of people bedded down in the city after midnight and through the early hours of 21 November 2018, the official figure was 64, compared to 178 for 2017 under the estimated method, which had been used in the previous three years. The 64% reduction prompted an investigation into the statistics being requested by its Audit and Standards Committee, resulting in a conclusion that it was based on reliable and relevant data.

Whatever picture emerges from official figures, charities are helping homeless people all the year round, and according to Hilary Bartle, chief executive of Stonepillow, which runs hostels, drop-in centres and support teams in Chichester and Bognor Regis, rough sleeping has risen across West Sussex. It’s not unusual to see rough sleepers sheltering in shop doorways in Chichester, and walking to a restaurant on a cold February night this year, I passed a figure bedded down on a length of cardboard on the pavement.

However, Bartle says Chichester has now stabilised, but says rough sleeping in Bognor Regis has “massively increased”.

As to its incidence in other Sussex towns, John Holmstrom, chief executive of Turning Tides, which offers services to the homeless in Littlehampton and Arun, said that, in his charity’s experience of smaller market towns, like Burgess Hill or Haywards Heath, there would be the occasional rough sleeper but the charity did not have the provision to help them, despite their needs being as complex as those rough-sleeping in places like Brighton and Worthing. When I lived in Arundel, late-night dog walking would sometimes inadvertently disturb a couple of rough sleepers in the Ruins, but that was seven years ago. Churchyards can also be a haven for rough sleepers, but a spokesperson for Arundel Cathedral recalls: “We did have one person a year ago for one or two nights, but not at the moment. It is a rarity.”

However, according to Bartle, there is “hidden homelessness” in Arundel: “We see people who have travelled - by bus or they walked - to Chichester from Arundel to our hostels.”

Last year, some business owners in Arundel complained about a homeless man, drinking and begging tourists for money, and Bartle cautions: “You have to distinguish between people who rough-sleep and those who beg. You can end up colluding in their reasons for begging (such as to buy drink or drugs) by giving money and food. They should be told to go to one of the hostels, where they can get advice and

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30 Local Issues help in trying to turn their lives around. That is what we try to do.”

But rough sleeping is complex, notes Holmstrom, who says that in Worthing, around 80% of rough sleepers have a local connection. He adds: “There are all sorts of causes of homelessness, and it is now common for ex-prisoners not to be provided with accommodation on release. Prisons are overcrowded. It is part of the pressure and they are moved around. It is a perfect storm, with the Criminal Justice System and the probation service now less equipped to working with people with addictions.” Around three quarters of those who come into contact with Turning Tides have underlying mental health problems, and many have alcohol or drug addictions, too, he explains.

To add to the pressure, since the ring-fenced government grant to West Sussex County Council (WSCC) was removed by the coalition government in 2011, it has funded the services from its base budget. It has now had to review its contracts with a number of organisations due to end in April 2019, and whilst new ones will start in September, in 2020 the £6.3m it currently pays to housing support services, provided by voluntary organisations across the county for rough sleepers and others in need, will shrink to £2.3m. Its leader, Louise Goldsmith, said: “I’d hoped we would have been able to keep (housing-related support) but because it’s not our main statutory duty, we have to look at everything.”

SUSSEX LOCAL Its refusal to allow further scrutiny of the decision has been criticised, and Cllr Dr James Walsh, leader of the Liberal Democrats on the Council, comments: “The moral argument is that we have an obligation to help the weak in a relatively wealthy society and the County Council saying the tax-payer should not be doing it, and we will leave it to the voluntary bodies, is wrong. It should be a partnership and the voluntary sector can’t cope on its own.”

WSCC’s decision passes the burden to district councils, with the knock-on effect that support for Stonepillow will be reduced by £300,000, says Bartle. She chairs a coalition of 13 organisations which provide a range of services that help vulnerable people get and maintain tenancies and live independently. She says WSCC is working with the district councils to see how they would allocate the £2.3 million to prioritise the homeless, and that from April 2020, the districts will look at the care models they want to commission with the money. But she explains: “I am not sure what it will be, so we can’t plan. We rely on contracts from the county, and can claim housing benefit for clients who live in our accommodation, for offering concierge services, but the reduction will destabilise us.”

There is no real improvement in sight, said Holmstrom, because the depressing fact is that the underlying pressures that create rough sleeping remain undiminished.

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32 Crossword

Prize Crossword

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Chichester May 2019 March 2019 answer below:

Winner: Ollie Fox from Chichester.

Congratulations and thank you to all who entered.

Finish the crossword and fill out the box below with the letters from the shaded squares. Work out the anagram

1 5 8 9 10 11 13 16 17 20 21 22 23

Across

South North American republic (6) Warning (3-3) Version still being developed (4) Boss (8) Packages (7) Literary work (4) Donkey (5,2,6) Close (4) Commander in chief of a fleet (7) Parasol (8) Wicked (4) Gorge (6) Loftier (6)

2 3 4 5 6 7 12 14 15 16 18 19

Down

Lift up (7) Hebrew patriarch (5) Fail to notice (8) Class (4) Flourish (7) Eats (5) Submissive to authority (8) Soft and moist (7) Scrutinise (7) Sweatbox (5) Standard of perfection (5) Futile (4)

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Mobile: .............................................................................................................

Answer from yellow box: .................................................................................

Send the word above to: Sussex Local Crossword, PO Box 2237 Pulborough, RH20 9AH or you can enter it online at our website www.sussexlocal.net/crosswords Closing date: 31st May 2019.

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Legal Lucy Understanding Inheritance Tax

Legal 33  Gifting/spending. Giving away assets during your

lifetime will reduce your overall IHT liability on death, provided that you live 7 years following the gift. But beware, this must be documented correctly so advice should be sought.

 Residence nil rate band. If your estate comprises of

Inheritance tax, is the tax paid on assets left when someone dies. Whether it needs to be paid depends on how much the deceased’s estate is worth, and who is inheriting.

If the total value of an estate is over £325,000 (the ‘nil rate band’), then tax will need to be paid at 40% on any amount in excess of this.

What is included in an estate?

All the assets which the deceased owned or was owed on the day they died, i.e property, cash, investments, pensions, and possessions.

How can you reduce inheritance tax?  Get married! Spouses and civil partners are exempt beneficiaries, so inheritance tax does not need to be paid. Individual nil rate bands can also be transferred to spouses, meaning on the second death, it is possible to leave £650,000 tax-free.  Remember a charity. Legacies to charities are free of tax. In addition, where at least 10% of an estate is left to charity, inheritance tax can be paid at a reduced rate of 36%.

your home, or proceeds of sale AND you are leaving it to your ‘lineal descendants’ (i.e your children) then up to an additional £175,000 may be claimable.

This is also a transferable allowance.

Lucy Thomas is Head of Legal Services at Legal Matters. For help and advice, give legalmatters a call on 01243 282826 or email us at info@legalmatters.co.uk

SUSSEX LOCAL

34 Recipe

Spinach & Pancetta Salad Light, healthy and tasty!

Ingredients - Serves 4 Parmesan Croutons:  1 small brown baguette, sliced  2tbsp finely grated Parmesan cheese  4tbsp rapeseed or light olive oil  1bag young salad spinach  75g chopped pancetta  50g walnuts halves, broken up  1 clove garlic, halved  Salt and black pepper  1-2tbsp balsamic vinegar To serve:  Extra olive oil and Parmesan cheese

Method 1) Cube the bread and toss in the cheese and the oils. Heat a frying pan and fry the cubes, until golden all over. Transfer to kitchen paper.

2) To the same pan add the pancetta and toss until lightly cooked and some of the fat has run out. Add the walnuts and garlic and cook until warmed through without browning. Remove the garlic cloves. Add the balsamic vinegar and a little more olive oil as required to make sufficient dressing.

3) Tip the spinach into a large salad bowl and add the croutons, pancetta and walnut halves plus all the dressing.

Toss well before serving with more grated Parmesan cheese to hand round.

Cookery Courses for all Why not give a Voucher for the perfect gift?

Contact Alex 01243 532240 www.cookwithalex.co.uk

Health & Fitness

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35

Don’t Exercise to Burn Calories

By Heather Smith, Personal Trainer It feels like the right thing to do. It feels like hammering it hard every time you exercise is going to give you the best results. The more calories you can burn during your workout, the more results you’re seeing from that workout – it sounds logical.

The problem is that this style of exercise is really not optimal.

It is absolutely true that you will burn more calories during these kinds of workouts. But it is also true that you are opening the door to burn out and injury by pushing as hard as you can every time; not to mention the fact that your body adapts annoyingly well to the calorie burn style workout; which means that if you’ve been working out like this for a while you’re almost certainly burning less calories during your workout than you used to.

You will indeed burn more calories in an hour run than you would during an hour of resistance training.

But there is a key second part to this. When you stop your run, your metabolism drops straight back to its normal level. When you finish your resistance training session though, your metabolism rises by a considerable amount for over 72 hours afterwards. One recent study showed an additional calorie burn of 50%

of what was burned during the workout over just 24 hours afterwards.

It sounds counterintuitive, but the goal of your workout shouldn’t simply be to burn as many calories as possible. As we can see with the running vs resistance training example, the goal of your workouts must be to teach your body to use more calories all the time. And if we can do that, surely that must be weight loss gold, don’t you agree?

Heather Smith is a fat loss specialist Personal Trainer. www.fitbiztraining.co.uk

SUSSEX LOCAL

36 Gardening

In Your Garden Monthly gardening ideas and tasks

by Andrew Staib, Principal Designer of Glorious Gardens Create an Eco Friendly Garden The news can be depressing about the destruction of nature the world over and the UK has seen a massive decline in most species since the 50s with loss of habitat as the greatest single cause. Recently scientists have announced enormous drops in insect numbers which could have devastating consequences for soil fertility and the upper levels of the food chain.

However private gardens account for nearly 20% of our urban landscape and they are the one place that is in our control to nurture and encourage wildlife.

They can be our small but important way to contribute to what we love and there is nothing more satisfying than planting a shrub and seeing it feed a dozen or so different insects with its pollen and sap or see birds eat the berries of a tree we planted a year ago.

Hard Landscaping Think hard about hard landscaping. Many gardens change ownership every decade and often one garden is pulled out and another put in its place. You can try bark paths rather than paved ones, decking from sustainable pine trees rather than sandstone all the way from India or shingle rather than cement. You can opt for softer looking hedges and rather than buy oak materials (it is highly unlikely that oak is being re planted as quickly as it is being used and most of it is coming from what is left of oak forests in Eastern Europe) you can go for treated soft wood options.

Julia Young, the manager of WWF’s Global Forest and Trade Network programme at WWF-UK recently said: “We purchased goods (oak) from 17 companies, and not one could provide evidence that they had carried out sufficient due diligence”.

Ponds Ponds are powerhouses of nature, not just providing animals and birds water to drink and wash but are also the home to countless insects and amphibians.

A lot of people think ponds are a lot of work but, if you are not interested in keeping fish and thus need the water filtered or pumped for a water feature, there is not that much to do. When you do choose your pond plants research them properly so you choose non invasive ones and every so often scoop the pond weed off the surface of the water, this can be composted. Once every 5 -7 years you can empty a good amount of water and take out some of the silt that has collected at the bottom.

Don’t forget it takes at least 7 years for a pond to develop a full ecosystem of interrelated species.

through the door Compost You can buy barrels that are above ground on a stand that allows you to turn them which moves the compost around and aerates the material. This is the most effective way to compost plus there is no rodent problem. And what a joy to know the potato peelings and egg shells will become rich dark earth.

Trees, Shrubs and Perennials When you chose your next plant, you can think of its food and shelter giving properties.

Medium trees for the garden- the top “supermarket� of trees are Rowan, Malus, Yew and Buddlea.

Shrubs can include Skimmia, Catoneaster and Pyracantha. Generous perennials with fragrant flowers and seed heads are Knautia, Scabios, Helenium, Rudbekia, Phlomis, Teasels, Chives, Roses and Lavender.

The RHS online also has a comprehensive list of plants that are good for pollinators. Also if you choose your plants well they will suit the soil and light conditions in your garden, reducing the need for heavy maintenance and chemical fertilisers or pesticides. At Glorious Gardens we always try to design beds with strong performing ground cover that will shade out most weeds.

Boxes Bee boxes, hedgehog boxes, bird boxes and bat boxes - make your garden into a veritable city of homes for wildlife.

Gardening

37

Peat Other environmentally friendly tasks include not buying peat based composts. Garden Centres surprisingly still sell a lot of peat based products. Peat is Spagnum moss that has accumulated over 12,000 years and is a habitat to unique wildlife. Also the manufacture of peat release millions of tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere. There are good alternatives and the RHS is busy with research.

Collect rainwater The more we can use rainwater from our roofs the less dams have to be built and maintained and the more money you will save if your water is metered. Also if you are topping up your pond it is best to use rainwater to avoid the chlorine and lime in the tap water.

Wild Spaces You can leave a bit of your lawn uncut. You would be amazed at how many little bugs love the privacy and edible seed heads of long grass. Plus it looks good and a swath of long grass is an antidote to having to be in complete control of everything in our lives!

Mulch Use mulch to control the weeds on your beds. It will save on back breaking weeding as the weed seeds struggle to germinate. It also keeps the moisture in the soil so less need to water plus it improves the soil so after a few years even the most clay solid new bed starts to develop a reasonable structure.

SUSSEX LOCAL

38 Gardening Leave the leaves here and there Hard to do, as you might not want your garden looking neglected, but leaving the leaves about in piles or corners of the garden or under hedges allows all sorts of hibernating insects to burrow away and hide. Leaving old piles of logs in the corner can also provide homes for the bigger creatures including hedgehogs.

Custodians We could see ourselves as only partially owning our garden, and that the thousands of fungi, millions of ants and wood lice, bees, birds, bats and voles also need a home. Like a benevolent King or Queen you can provide a rich and pleasant land where there is enough for everyone!

May tasks  Plant annual flowers and other frost sensitive plants like vegetable plugs- tomatoes, runner beans, peppers, aubergines and chillies  Feed lawns  Water any new plants and fertilise and water pot plants

Where to visit this May A visit to Leonardslee Gardens should be number one on your list. You may remember that I featured this Garden in March. It is now open to the public and will be at its peak of beauty!

 Prune Pennstemons back to the fresh green shoots if they show lots of new basal growth  Thin out the clematises that have already flowered this year.  Hoe weeds to save you having to get on your hands and knees - little and often

Photo © Peter Trimming

 Grow Marigolds and Lobelia in trays

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Property

39

Bricks

By Chris Ennis FRICS Most property built in the 19th and 20th century is constructed with walls formed in brick, of different thicknesses. Older property is often formed with enclosing walls in solid brick either 9 inches or 4 ½ inches in thickness. Many early period properties are constructed around a structural timber framework and these days timber framed walls are becoming more popular due to their ease and speed of building.

Modern metric bricks in the UK are sized to create a modular format. The standard brick size is 215mm x 102.5mm x 65mm (face x bed x end) which, with a standard 10mm wide bed joint gives a working size of 225mm x 75mm. There are many types of brick including ‘solid’, ‘perforated‘, ‘frogged’ and special handmade designs. Bricks are categorised by use.

Facing bricks present the external face to the home, ‘common’ bricks are a relatively cheap ‘fill’ brick.

‘Engineering’ bricks are very resistant to the elements and are typically used below ground and in retaining walls where strength is required. Calcium silicate (White) bricks can be prone to thermal movements and are used in areas where clay sub soils are scarce. I like the appearance of reclaimed bricks which are salvaged from old buildings and cleaned.

‘Fletton’ bricks are made from lower Oxford clay found in the South East. The firing process is shorter than that of other bricks and the appearance of the resultant facing can show different effects. The shorter firing process reduces the cost of this type of brick which is commonly seen in the Worthing area often with a ‘crinkled’ external finish. The cheapest type of brick is the highly automated mass produced wire cut design produced by cutting a continuous strip of clay with wire, not unlike a cheese cutter.

Bricks are further categorised by their ability to withstand frost (F = frost rated, M = medium, and 0 = not rated), and their soluble salt content which over a period of time affects their colour and the extent of any efflorescence, the white crystalline deposits often seen on new face brickwork.

Chris Ennis FRICS is a Chartered Surveyor. Call him on 01903 261 217 or you can send an email to surveyor1@talktalk.net or see www.propdoctor.co.uk

40 Local Council News

Chichester City Council Edited extracts of minutes of the Planning Community Affairs Committee on 25th March 2019.

Community Warden Update The Vice-Chairman welcomed Pam Bushby, Divisional Manager, Communities, Chichester District Council, to the meeting. Mrs Bushby reported on the Community Wardens reports and although some incidences reported were common in all the Wards, the reports also showed that the matters dealt with by Community Wardens in their Wards were varied.

Mrs Bushby advised that a replacement programme for the out-dated CCTV cameras in the City had been approved which included reinstating two cameras in the Avenue de Chartres area. The City Council was thanked for their continuing support of the Community Wardens. Various other issues were raised for forwarding to the relevant Community Warden.

Chichester Tree Wardens The Vice- Chairman welcomed Tree Warden Jenny Cole to the meeting. An update was given on the responses that the Chichester Tree Wardens had given on various local consultations and the work the Tree Wardens were currently undertaking, for example, clearing weeds and debris from the base of trees and recording ancient trees in the area. It was noted that old Oak trees had been felled on private land adjacent to the Centurion Way.

SUSSEX LOCAL A councillor asked if the Tree Wardens could submit a report indicating what type of trees and where they could be planted in the City Centre as it had previously been mentioned that increasing the number of trees in the City Centre could a Public Realm Project.

Public drinking fountains and the refill scheme The Town Clerk that he had attended the public launch of the ‘Refill’ Scheme in Chichester and that the City Council had signed up to the scheme. The Town Clerk added that the City Council had always provided drinking water to members of the public if requested. The next Property Sub-Committee would be discussing the possibility of installing a public drinking fountain at the Council House.

Car Free day Work was on-going to organise a Car Free Day on Sunday 22nd September.

Whyke engine switch-off campaign Clean Air Chichester were co-ordinating events with Whyke residents to encourage drivers to switch-off their engine whilst waiting at the railway level crossing to help reduce pollution. www.chichestercity.gov.uk

History

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41

Empire Day, 24th May By local historian Andrew Berriman So what special event used to happen in Chichester in the merry month of May? Empire Day, that’s what.

Do any of you remember, as a schoolchild, attending that annual celebration of the British Empire? It came to an end many years ago, in 1958 when it was rebranded as Commonwealth Day, still celebrated, slightly, in March.

Empire Day was held on May 24th, and mainly involved schoolchildren. I’ve only found out about Empire Day because occasionally I come across images of it in old photographs, usually rather grainy and always in black and white. I also sometimes read brief mentions of it in the memoirs of Cicestrians.

Empire Day 1930

So why was 24th May chosen as Empire Day, and why did it start in 1902? Well, May 24th was Queen Victoria’s birthday, and 1902 was the first year after her death in 1901. She had reigned for 63 years, over ‘the Empire on which the sun never sets’. She had been born in 1819, exactly 200 years ago this year. The title of Empress of India was bestowed on her in 1877 by Benjamin Disraeli, the Prime Minister.

Here in Chichester, Empire Day events all took place in Priory Park. The children, looking very smart in their school uniforms, were marched there from their respective schools. The routine was much the same each year: they saluted the Union Jack which was hoisted, they waved their own small flags, they sang patriotic songs such as ‘Jerusalem’ and ‘God Save the King’, they heard about the virtues of the Empire, they did some maypole dancing.

Empire Day 1912

These photographs show the 1912 and 1930 Empire Days. In the above one, can be seen girls (presumably from the Girls’ High which opened three years earlier) and Oliver Whitby School Boys. In the background can be seen two stepladders, either to hoist the Union Jack on the flagpole, or is it a maypole. Behind it can be seen the Castle Mound. In one of the 1930 photographs High School boys and girls are evident, but in the other one, to what school did those boys, with their distinctive caps, belong? Possibly from Chichester School (1924-1934); its then newly built school building in South Pallant is now the Masonic Hall.

Empire Day 1930 Some of the songs sung by the children to glorify the Empire are hard to parody: ‘Brightly, brightly, sun of spring upon this happy day Shine upon us as we sing this 24th of May Shine upon our brothers too, Far across the ocean blue As we raise this song of praise, On this our glorious Empire Day’ It’s a relief to discover that some of the more naughty children preferred to sing this mischievous little ditty instead: ‘Hip hip hooray 24th May Empire Day If you don’t give us a holiday We’ll all run away.’ And that’s, of course, why children looked forward so much to Empire Day. The best bit for them was when they were let off school for the rest of the day. In the evening, they enjoyed parties, bonfires, fireworks, which even rivalled Guy Fawkes Night: ‘Remember, remember The 24th May, Empire Day.’ But by the end of the 1950s imperialist sentiment was on the wane; Harold Macmillan’s ‘wind of change’ had blown through African nations. They wanted to celebrate their own national identity, not that of the British Empire. It might still have meant something in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, but not much anywhere else. Empire Day had indeed had its day.

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