Sussex Local Magazine Storrington - April 2020

April 2020

Storrington - Ashington - Cootham - Sullington - Thakeham - Washington Local news and events through the door to 6,600 homes in this area every month

AIR QUALITY

Letters and updates

NEWS

CHARITY

Fareshare putting food waste to use

PLUS

Councils, charity, schools

GARDENS

Sculpture Garden

Recipe, Prize Crossword, Young Readers’ Puzzles, Local Walks, Local Groups & Charity, Business Directory

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April 2020 Cover image Air quality protestors in Storrington High Street

Welcome...

Amidst exceptional global apprehension we bring you our April/Easter issue.

We are aware that many publicised events in our April listings may not take place so please do check with the named organisers. We very much hope the effects of this virus are short-lived for local businesses and social groups and that our community continues to show resilience and kindness in these difficult times.

This issue we spotlight Sussex charity Fareshare. Food poverty is surprisingly prevalent in our largely affluent area and Fareshare use food which would otherwise go to waste to support foodbanks and schemes which help those struggling to make ends meet.

Andrew Staib visits the Hanna Pechar Sculpture garden near Dorking and looks at how sculpture can enhance a garden in our regular gardening article. Whilst surveyor Chris Ennis talks about flooding and considerations for at-risk properties. Let’s hope the wet weather eases up now.

Sweet Easter temptations are everywhere.

To avoid over-indulgence try dark chocolate - the genuine health benefits may surprise you. Read Heather Smith’s article in our Health & Wellbeing section.

We have our regular history article as well as the prize crossword and news from local schools, councils and community groups.

Until next month,

Kris & Jeff

Quote of the month “The oak fought the wind and was broken, the willow bent when it must and survived."

- ROBERT JORDAN 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.

What's on Local walks Charity & community news Charity profile - Fareshare Prize crossword Recipe In your garden - sculpture Property - floods Motoring Schools news Young readers puzzles Storrington air quality WIN! Tickets to 'Harpy' at The Capitol Property search Health & wellbeing WIN! Richings Health 90 minute massage Storrington history Storrington neighbourhood wardens Business directory Parish council news Advertiser index

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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.

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

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 - 8,000 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 - 7,000 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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16 Walks

Local Walks - April All walks are led by friendly, trained volunteers - please do check with the leaders named below for full details and for any last minute changes.

Health walks are 30 – 90 minutes, supported by Walking for Health & Horsham District Council (HDS). Level 2 & Level 3 are more challenging, for fitter walkers, supported by HDC. Fri 3rd 11:00am Barns Green 2 miles 60 mins Health Meet in new car park above the Village Hall, RH13 0PT. One gentle incline, some views but can be muddy. Well behaved dogs welcome Chatter 07720 714306 Sat 4th 2:00pm Sandgate Park 3.6 miles 1 hr 45 mins Level 2 Meet at Storrington Recreation Ground car park RH20 4BG An easy flat route. Dogs welcome. Refreshments provided Mick 01903 745971 Sun 5th 10:00am Wepham Down 6.5 miles 2 hrs 45 mins Level 3 Meet at Kithurst Hill car park. Off the Storrington to Amberley Road (B2139) Nearby postcode RH20 4HW. This is a downland walk. Dogs welcome Mick 01903 745971 Tue 7th 11:00am Steyning Health Centre Walk 2 miles 75 mins Level 2 Meet at Steyning Health Centre, Tanyard Lane, BN44 3RJ. Includes some stiles and inclines. Can be muddy across fields, please wear sensible footwear Ann 01903 297553 Wed 8th 10:00am Henfield Byways 2-3 miles 1 hr Health Meet Henfield Library, High Street, Henfield, BN5 9HN. No dogs Anne 01273 493671 Thu 9th 11:00am Billingshurst 2.3 miles 60 mins Health Meet at Billingshurst Library, Mill Lane, RH14 9JZ. Can be muddy. Dogs on leads allowed. Parking 75p per hour - annual parking permits are available Chris 01403 782745 Sat 11th 9:00am Wiston/Steyning Downland 2 miles 75 mins Level 2 Meet at Steyning Cricket Pavilion, BN44 3LE. A walk for dog owners, includes a hill. Maximum of two dogs per handler Ann 01903 297553 Sat 11th 2:00pm Kithurst South Circular 3 miles 1 hr 30 mins Level 2 Meet at Kithurst Hill car park. Off the Storrington to Amberley Road (B2139) Nearby postcode RH20 4HW. Walk is level, dogs welcome.

Mick01903 745971 Sun 12th 10:00am Lee Farm 5.2 miles 2 hrs Level 3 Meet at Kithurst Hill car park. Off the Storrington to Amberley Road (B2139) Nearby postcode RH20 4HW. The walk includes a steep hill. Dogs welcome Mick 01903 745971 Mon 13th 10:30am Littleworth and around 5 miles 2 hrs 30 mins Level 2 Meet at the Windmill Littleworth Lane Partridge Green RH13 8EJ. Please DO NOT park in the pub car park. Parking available along the lane. No dogs Jill 07780 701184 Wed 15th 10:30am Storrington Riverside Walk 2.5 miles 90 mins Health Meet at Storrington Recreation Ground Car Park, RH20 4BG. This flat, well surfaced walk. Suitable for children's buggies. Dogs welcome Mick 01903 745971 Sat 18th 2:00pm Thakeham Circular 3 miles 1 hr 30mins Level 2 Meet in Thakeham Church car park, RH20 3EP. Popular short walk, route can be wet and muddy. Dogs welcome. Not suitable for buggies Mick 01903 745971 Sun 19th 10:00pm Hurston Place 4.8 miles 1 hr 45 mins Level 3 Meet at Storrington Recreation Ground Car Park, RH20 4BG. Dogs welcome Mick 01903 745971 Thu 23rd 10:30am St George's Day Bluebell Walk 3 or 5 miles 2 hrs Level 2 Meet at St George’s Church, Steyning Road, West Grinstead, RH13 8LR. We have a choice of a shorter or longer route. Flat circular walk. No dogs Jean 07734 323321 Sat 25th 2:00pm Parham Glider Field 3.6 miles 1 hr 45 mins Level 2 Meet at Storrington Recreation Ground Car Park, RH20 4BG. Flat, easy route Mick 01903 745971 Sun 26th 10:00am Washington Common, Windlesham 7 miles Level 3 Meet at Georges Lane National Trust Car park RH20 3BN. A lovely circular walk Some very steep steps and stick(s) are advised. Dogs welcome.

Mick 01903 745971 Mon 27th 10:00am West Grinstead Church & Downs Link 5 miles Level 2 Meet at WS County Council car park next to the Downs Link at West Grinstead (nearby postcode RH13 8LU). Well behaved dogs welcome.

Irene 07790 420752 Wed 29th 10:00am Shermanbury Circular 6 miles 2 hrs 30mins Level 2 Meet in the car park of The Bull Inn, at Mock Bridge, BN5 9AD. The circular walk is mostly flat, with some stiles. No dogs Mike 07855 502023

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Charity & Community

Sussex Snippets A total of £462,000 has been awarded to fund 560 taser devices between the Sussex and Surrey police forces. This will mean an extra 291 new tasers for Sussex Police, bringing the total to more than 1,100. Both forces can now achieve their ambition of making Tasers available for any police officer who wants one (estimated to be 80% of the frontline).

In other news from the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner, more than £500,000 in grants was awarded from the Safe Space Funding Network to 17 local charities. This is to help support victims of child sexual exploitation, domestic and sexual violence, stalking and harassment, along with other forms of trauma and modern slavery.

Meanwhile an interesting example of one of Sussex Police’s many modern challenges where, through better use of technology, a positive outcome was achieved. Chief Constable Giles York said: “Over 300 victims had been subject to 3,000 malicious telephone calls from an unknown male, often of an offensive sexual nature. This was difficult to trace as he used different numbers and phoned at different times of the day. One of my analysts had the idea of locating where the call was made from and correlate that with ANPR (number plate recognition) data.

"Through this information he was able to identify a man in Burgess Hill who was buying second hand phones and using software to reignite old contact lists. Officers seized over 200 phones from his premises. He has pleaded guilty this month and is due to be sentenced next month.”

The South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA) is developing handy downloadable guides that will include some of the best circular routes across Sussex and Hampshire. The Authority is keen to hear from horse riders about where they like to ride and what their favourite routes are. They need a) start point – ideally with horsebox parking; b) the length of ride; c) a short description of the route and a simple map showing the route. Initially they are keen to hear from riders who use the following areas, but routes in other areas are also welcomed: • Queen Elizabeth Country Park, Hampshire • Harting Down, West Sussex • Heyshott Common, West Sussex • Eartham Woods, West Sussex • Seven Sisters Country Park, East Sussex • East Dean, East Sussex.

Email responses to: access@southdowns.gov.uk From the end of last year, West Sussex recycling centres have asked users to show photo ID with proof of residence within West Sussex. The scheme is set out on the WSCC website, where there is also a

recognition that the policy will produce a negative impact on the environment. “The proposal will mean that some non-West Sussex residents will need to travel further to a site in their own area.” However “It is hoped that this may be mitigated by some residents making fewer trips and/or selecting alternative and more sustainable routes for managing their waste such as home composting and use of kerbside collection services.”

The section on “sustainability” on the WSCC website states: “We want sustainability to be more central to the way we all work. We believe this approach will help us combat climate change; ensure that all our work benefits society, the economy and the environment in the long-term.”

West Sussex County Council have agreed proposals to invest almost £200m in road schemes over the next five years (including £44.2m for the re-alignment of the A29 in Bognor Regis and £19.1m for improvements to the A2300 in Burgess Hill), as well as £45.2m to produce renewable energy and generate income through solar farms and battery energy storage schemes. The £712m five-year ‘capital programme’ also includes an investment of £47.5m for the Fire and Rescue Service, for a proposed new fire training centre and Horsham Fire Station, planned improvements to fire stations, as well as new state of the art equipment and vehicles.

Email notices to: info@sussexlocal.net

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Charity & Community

Volunteering show for May 16th

This year the Community Partnership in Storrington is planning a bigger and better Storrington On Show at the Chanctonbury Leisure Centre to showcase the wide range of activities and opportunities existing in the voluntary organisations, and to raise the profile of volunteering, along with the benefits it can bring. The show takes place on Saturday 16th May. If you want to know more, or your group would be interested in taking part, then contact David on 01903 746101.

Water Lane near misses

Dear Editor The problem with the comments by P.D.Mace is that traffic travelling on the Thakeham Rd does not slow down when approaching the junction. I could not count the number of times that vehicles on that road regard themselves as having right of way and near misses are common. Although not illegal to keep an engine idling (yet) whilst in traffic, it is stated in the Highway Code that if a car is stationary for more than a couple of minutes, one should turn off the engine. Modern cars often do this automatically. If this junction was not perceived as dangerous traffic lights would not be being installed. M. James

Village Day preparations

The Storrington Village Day organising committee has started planning for this grand summer community event and promises a fun day of singing and dancing by local school children, a funfair and games, dog

Storrington Cubs and Beavers receive their cheque

show, Morris Dancing, bar and bbq, Lions giant book fair, grand raffle, a display of classic cars from SADCASE enthusiasts, a scarecrow building competition, teas and cakes, as well as lots of charity, craft and trade stalls. This free annual event was revived last year and is led by The Rotary Club of Storrington & Pulborough District with strong support from Storrington & Sullington Parish Council and local community clubs and groups.

The new Committee Chairman, Rotary President Mark Foss, is keen to have a big village input and is encouraging as many groups as possible to join in and contribute to a fun day for the whole community. All proceeds from the event will be used to support many village activities for young people.

Last year’s event saw a £4,250 awarded to a number of Storrington young people’s groups who helped at the event, including the Sandra Wilson Dance School; Storrington Scout Group; Guides, Brownies and Rainbows; Storrington Primary School; and the Air Cadets, plus Maxwell Smith, 7, of Thakeham who suffers from mitochondrial depletion syndrome, requiring 24 hour care. For more information contact Mark on 01798 812380 or email mark.e.foss@gmail.com

Sussexdown new manager

Not-for-profit charity Care South has appointed Registered Nurse Raphy Perez as the new general manager at its Sussexdown care home. Based in Washington Road, Storrington, Sussexdown offers specialist nursing and dementia care.

Formerly an RAF Association home, it is surrounded by stunning countryside and landscaped gardens.

Sussexdown is run by not-for-profit charity Care South, which manages care homes across the south of England. Relatives have praised the high level of care, saying staff treated residents with a level of love and respect that was “beyond our expectations”.

Others said staff are “really lovely, cheerful, friendly and nothing was too much trouble”.

Notices: info@sussexlocal.net.

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Charity & Community

Squires donate trees to hospice Squire’s Garden Centre has donated ten Silver Birch trees to Chestnut Tree House in Arundel as part of their ‘Love Where You Live’ campaign. The trees were planted on 5th March, in a joint effort by the charity and employees from Squire’s in Washington.

“The Woodland Walk is a special outdoors space, designed to give the children lots of things to see, explore and discover. It’s a firm favourite with the families!” says Caroline Roberts-Quigley at Chestnut Tree House.

“Thank you to the team at Squire’s for this wonderful donation and helping us plant the saplings.”

Night to Remember opens

Open to everyone aged 10 and over, St Barnabas House’s ‘Night to Remember’ is your chance to remember a loved one, support local people, take on a personal challenge or encourage yourself to get fit.

Whatever your motivation, the midnight walk on Saturday 27 June will be a Night to Remember.

Over the past 12 years, 11,900 friends, families and colleagues have taken part in ‘Night to Remember’ – walking the streets and seafront of Worthing, raising an incredible £1.7 million to support local hospice

care. Participants can pick from a 7, 13.1, or 20 mile route which will take them past Worthing to Lancing and Shoreham.

All sponsorship money goes towards the St Barnabas House Hospice at Home service. Visit www.stbh.org.uk/nighttoremember to register and find or more.

Charity marathon bid Horsham resident Gemma Morris, who works as a senior cabin crew member for Luxaviation UK, is participating in the 35th Marathon Des Sables on 3 April.

The Marathon Des Sables is known as the hardest footrace in the world, covering 250km over 6 days in 50 degree heat. Gemma has a JustGiving page where she has raised over £12,000 so far for Anthony Nolan who work in saving the lives of those suffering from blood cancer after her dad died from the disease.

Notices: info@sussexlocal.net.

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Legal

Life Interest Trusts

By Will Writer Emma Wells MIPW

Probably the biggest worry and most contentious issue that people talk to me about is that there will be nothing left for their children to inherit if they need to pay for care later in life. People often fall into two categories, those who are pained at the thought of paying out more than they already have during their lives and those who accept that if you have the means to pay, then that’s what you should do. Neither side is wrong, but it is always worth exploring your options regardless of which way you lean.

Many clients approach me regarding putting their home into a trust to avoid it being used to fund long term care, but this is rarely a viable option. If you have put your property into a trust and then go on to require care your actions may be considered deliberate deprivation by the local authority and in most cases the trust won’t work- despite you having paid thousands to set the trust up. The local authority are wise to such trusts and should you require care, they simply set aside the trust as though it doesn’t exist and value your estate with your property included.

The onus is on you to prove there was a legitimate reason for creating the trust that wasn’t anything at all to do with care home fees. You are considered

guilty until proven innocent. For the trust to work, you would have to fail to disclose its existence at the point of assessment, and in doing so you’ve probably committed benefit fraud.

If we accept that you may need care at some point and it that will need to be paid for, then look at what you can legitimately do that isn’t going to land you in hot water with the local authority, the tax man or leave disgruntled children.

Using a Life Interest Trust in your Will secures half of your property for your chosen beneficiaries. You leave your half of your property to beneficiaries other than your partner but with a Life Interest in the property for your partner. This means that your partner can carry on living in the property treating it as though it is theirs in its entirety including being able to sell the property and buy another in its place. The person with the Life Interest takes precedence over the beneficiaries until stipulated within your Will but your share is not owned by them so should your partner go on to need care only their half of the property can be assessed for payment means. Your children will therefore inherit at least half of the value of your property and your partner will be able to afford decent care.

For more information on this please do get in touch, alternatively, we will be discussing Life Interest Trusts in more detail at our free seminar on 16th April at Storrington Village hall at 2:30pm. To join us please book on 01903 821010 or email: wills@nsure.co.uk

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Charity Profile

FareShare Sussex Tackling food waste and fighting hunger - turning an environmental problem into a social solution. By Georgia Brown Many people have the privilege of being able to afford everyday essentials, like clothes and running water.

Most people reading this article may live in a home with both heating and electricity.

However, many people may not be aware that for approximately 5.8 million people in the UK, the realities of living in ‘deep poverty’ make it hard to afford even the most basic of essentials, including food.

Around 10% of the UK population of all ages go hungry every day. Though this might seem like a staggering statistic, food poverty can affect anyone, at any time under unpredictable circumstances. This can be due to many reasons, such as unexpected redundancy, reduced welfare support or simply having to support a family on

a low income. This means that for many people, they have little to no choice but to turn to drop-in centres, hostels, food banks and other emergency help in order to feed themselves and their families. For some people, going along to a lunch club helps to alleviate chronic loneliness as well as providing a comforting meal. However, these resources are not widely available and rely on volunteers and workers willing to give up their time to help those in need.

This is where FareShare Sussex comes in - a charity that has a long-term vision to eradicate food poverty.

The team of incredibly hardworking volunteers have changed the way food waste is disposed of, reclaiming safe-to-eat surplus food from manufacturers, suppliers and retailers that would have otherwise been thrown away. The charity distributes this food to local charities and community projects across East and West Sussex, and parts of Surrey, where it is then turned into thousands of nutritious meals every week for the people who need it most. FareShare has made it possible to accept a wide variety of surplus food, including meat, dairy, fruit, vegetables and ready meals, along with tinned and packet foods such as tuna, rice and coffee. All food accepted by FareShare must comply with food safety legislation, be within its use by and best before dates and be packaged appropriately. FareShare claims that for the community groups they work with, their services are a “much needed resource”; without their support, hundreds of people across the South would go hungry.

Beth Parry, FareShare’s fundraising and communications manager, explained that FareShare began in Brighton in 2002 as a small volunteer-run project,

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Charity Profile

delivering a small amount of supermarket surplus to just a handful of homeless projects in the area. “The stark injustice of good food unnecessarily being wasted alongside the growing issue of homelessness highlighted how one issue could help the other” she said. FareShare is turning an environmental problem into a social solution. Beth continued, “Since 2002 the project has grown year-on-year and now delivers surplus food to 125 charities across Sussex and Surrey. The charities include food banks, homeless hostels and day centres, young people's projects, women's refuges and older people's lunch clubs. By using our service these organisations are able to redirect vital funds into their core services for their clients.”

When asked what the best aspect about volunteering for FareShare is, Beth told us that for many volunteers, their main motivation for volunteering is “making a difference to vulnerable people in their community” and enjoying the fact that they can directly see the impact their work has on people’s lives. Furthermore, the work FareShare does for the community does not just benefit those in need, but also works to reduce the environmental impact of high levels of food waste across the county.

At such a crucial global stage and with concerns about the ‘climate crisis’ ever increasing, it is refreshing to see a charity pledging to place sustainability at the heart of their mission. By

preventing large amounts of surplus food heading to landfills, FareShare dramatically reduces the environmental impact caused by food waste every day.

According to Beth, the charity saved 2,436 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions last year alone - that is equivalent to powering over 400 homes with electricity for a whole year. However, the pledge to be more sustainable does not end there for FareShare.

Beth claims that the charity recognises that it has a little way to go to reduce their own environmental impact even further. She said, “We hope to invest in greener transportation systems, which isn't something we can afford to do without funding. We have an application pending for an electric van and an e-cargo bike, which would reduce our own emissions and enable us to receive and redistribute more food.”

According to Beth, the charity would not be running if it wasn’t for the hardworking selfless team of volunteers. Beth said, “We have regular social events

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Charity Profile

throughout the year, do all we can to acknowledge their hard work and really we could not exist without our team of 150 incredible volunteers.” Similarly, Beth continued that FareShare could not exist without donations and people fundraising. “We need to cover our warehouse rent, our van leasing, fuel and maintenance, our staff salaries and volunteer expenses to be able to keep the project going.”

It may be difficult to imagine what Sussex would be like without charities like FareShare working towards reducing food poverty across the county. In response to this, Beth told us, “When asked what would happen

if FareShare had to close, the responses from our charity members were quite shocking - one saying that it could mean the loss of lives, some saying they would have to close their own project down. Many told us that vulnerable people would go without food.” There is still a long way to go before the national struggle to avoid hunger is completely eradicated, but with charities like FareShare dedicating time to tackling the problem, the struggle for many local families is eased.

People can support FareShare in a variety of ways; including individual donations, community fundraising events, challenges, volunteering and they also have several food collection points in the area, including Worthing where you can drop off food items.

To find out more about how you can support, visit www.faresharesussex.org.uk

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32 Crossword

Prize Crossword

Win a ÂŁ30 voucher for The Frankland Arms

Storrington April 2020 February 2020 solution below:

Winner: Roger Taylor from Thakeham. 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

February anagram solution BRAVURA

Across 6 Protuberance on a bone (8) 8 And nothing more (4) 9 Dead duck (5) 10 Tilt a glass or two (6) 11 Electrodes it manipulated to spot deceit (3,9) 13 Cocktail-stirrer (7,5) 16 Advertising catchphrase (6) 18 Barometer, to a tar (5) 19 Altar area (4) 20 Atrocious (8)

Down 1 Low dwelling (8) 2 Small round woollen hat (6) 3 White sweetener (7,5) 4 Chunk (6) 5 Smooth-talking (4) 7 Full discretionary power (5,7) 12 A hat may be worn this way (8) 14 Croatian capital (6) 15 Mosul residents (6) 17 Easy stride (4)

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: 30th April 2020.

Win a

ÂŁ30 meal voucher

FOR A MEAL FOR TWO to use for

The Frankland Arms Washington

Name: ...............................................................................................................

Full address: .................................................................................................... ..........................................................................................................................

Valid for 3 months after issue. No change given.

Cannot be exchanged for cash value.

Postcode: ..........................................................................................................

London Rd, Washington RH20 4AL www.thefranklandarms.com

Email: ................................................................................................................

Sussex Local may wish to keep in touch with occasional information and offers.

We will never share your details with third parties.

Please tick if you would like to receive such information.

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

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

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Recipe

Hotcross Bun & Butter Pudding Two great puddings in one

Ingredients Serves 8 • • • • • • • • • •

6-8 Sussex hotcross buns 150ml Cabin Pressure’s coffee liqueur (optional) 280ml double cream 500ml milk 4 eggs 65g honey 40g soft butter 100g dates, pitted and halved 3 tbsp marmalade Serve with Caroline’s dairy vanilla ice cream

Method 1. Preheat the oven to 180c. Gradually warm the cream and milk in a saucepan over a gentle heat.

Meanwhile in a large bowl whisk together the eggs and honey. Once the cream and milk has warmed add this to the egg mixture, whisking continuously to avoid making scrambled eggs.

2. Halve the buns and spread with butter and marmalade. Arrange the buns in a large shallow ovenproof dish, dot with the dates and drizzle with the coffee liqueur (if you wish).

3. Pour over the cream mixture and set aside to soak for 15 minutes. Press the buns down into the custard mixture as they soften.

4. Bake for 50 minutes until set, then remove and allow to stand for 10 minutes. Serve warm with Caroline’s dairy vanilla ice cream.

Recipe supplied by Hollie from Village Larder at Squires Garden Centre Washington, RH20 4AL. Open Mon - Sat 9am-5pm Sun 10am-4pm. 01903 891744. www.villagelarder.co.uk

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Gardening

In Your Garden Monthly gardening ideas and tasks

by Andrew Staib, Principal Designer of Glorious Gardens Hannah Peschar Sculpture Garden As a garden designer I have always attempted to design a garden without the need for sculpture, being wary that sculpture might detract from the beauty of the plants. However, after my visit to the Hannah Peschar Sculpture Garden, in nearby Dorking recently I have realised that not only can a sculpture really enhance the beauty of a garden but the design itself can be influenced by a particularly powerful piece of work and the plants complimented.

Vikki Leedham first came across the garden when she went there on a school trip in the early 1990s. “I remember the founder, Hannah Peschar, being really scary, shouting out ‘Don’t Touch’ in her Dutch accent! But years later, after I graduated from art college, I applied for a placement here. I am now co-curator and gallery manager and I love it. I am called the queen of everything as I do pretty much every role here!”

She beams with infectious passion over the glass desk in the simple office situated in the grounds of the sculpture park. “At any one time we have over 200 outdoor sculptures on display in our beautiful gardens. I and Anthony, Hannah’s husband, who designed the gardens over 35 years ago, select which artists we would like to exhibit, including quite a few European artists”.

“Often I will go and visit them in their studios to get a better sense of their work. When the sculptures arrive, often driven in vans by the artists themselves, we get to work deciding where to put them and sometimes the daunting task of how to lift them!

Compared to other artists, outdoor sculptors tend to

Gardening

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be very down to earth so I really like working with them”

English weather. They need to be frost and wildlife proof and the works have to be substantial enough not to get lost in the garden setting.”

The history of the sculpture garden is a testament to having a vision and just going for it. Anthony Paul was a landscape designer and his wife Hannah Peschar was a political journalist living in London.

They bought the little cottage and grounds near Ockley, Dorking and spent 5 years just clearing the jungle of weeds, restoring the ponds and planting architectural looking plant species.

The gardens themselves are very beautiful with mature oaks, streams, undulating mounds and rivers and some majestic Japanese Acer specimens. “There are no signs,” explains Vikki, “as we want people to explore the garden without a tick list, though we do provide a comprehensive map!”

They then canvassed the art world, inviting sculptors to exhibit outdoors. “It wasn’t the fashion at the time for outdoor sculpture. Of course there were artists such as Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth but their work was usually both monumental and expensive.

There was nothing particularly accessible for the average garden owner”.

“The sculpture is usually rotated on a two year basis, and we aim to exhibit at least 6 new artists every year.

We have to make sure all the pieces can withstand the

“Our typical buyers are members of the public, some collectors, corporate clients and public art. I think the most someone spent in one go was £80,000. My internal jaw dropped! Some clients want a particular piece of sculpture that they have in their mind that they want for a special place in the garden. Then I try to find them the right artist. Other visitors are open-minded about what they like and when they find something, decide where it could go”.

Vikki tells me about

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other activities they conduct in the gardens. “We have had a walking dinner tour, stopping off at canapé stations, ending in a formal dinner on the lawn, lots of school trips, creative workshops, like print making, and even yoga afternoons.”

Where to visit in April The Hannah Peschar Sculpture Garden of course!

Opening 3rd April. General admission (Thursday Sunday) - Adults £12, concession £8, children £ 7.

Black and White Cottage, Standon Lane, Ockley, Dorking, Surrey, RH5 5QR (postal only – use RH5 5QU for SatNav). For more information call 01306 627269 or visit www.hannahpescharsculpture.com High Beeches Gardens, is a 25 acre garden, which is a botanical treasure trove that includes historic Magnolias. Laid out by the Loder family, but inspired High Beeches Gardens

by Victorian horticulturist William Robinson’s wild garden style, is it really worth going to when all the plants are coming into leaf.

It is open every day except Wednesday, 1pm - 5pm, adults £8.50, children 5-14 £2. High Beeches Lane, Handcross, Haywards Heath, RH17 6HQ. 01444 400589 www.highbeeches.com And don’t forget the Tulip fair at Arundel Castle on the 1st April 2020.

April tasks • Start hoeing any bare areas of earth before the weeds take hold – if you do this once a week you will be weed free all year.

• A lot of your summer vegetables can be sown directly into the ground now.

• Mulch your beds with compost and bark chips to seal in the moisture from winter and prevent growth of new weed seeds.

• Feed all your shrubs and roses with a handful of bonemeal dug about an inch deep around the base of each plant.

• Feed iron loving plants that are grown in pots with some Iron Fertilizer.

• It is not too late to give Dogwood and Willow a big cut back.

• You can apply both Mosskill and Broadleaf weedkiller to your lawns – wait a couple of weeks then vigorously rake out all the dead thatch. You can also reseed the lawn where there are obvious patches.

• You can sow annuals indoors or in your greenhouse – rather than that trip to the supermarket you could try growing Marigolds and Lobelia in trays.

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Floods

By Chris Ennis FRICS It has, by any standards, been a wet winter. The whole country seems to be awash - water everywhere. The Arun valley and floodplain is always affected in the winter months and river levels have been very high during periods of spring tides coinciding with low atmospheric pressure. I have seen the seafront at Goring awash, farmland flooded at Clymping and numerous domestic integral garages affected by flash floods.

I have seen flooding affecting the Rver Rife although engineering work has reduced this risk over recent years. Pulborough has been badly affected as have parts of the River Rother valley. We see pictures of swollen rivers and destruction every day on the TV news. The misery of seeing your property and possessions ruined in a flood must be devastating. The recovery process can be very lengthy, expensive and the value of your property will inevitably be affected.

Every purchaser should have an environmental report prepared prior to purchase in which, amongst many things, flood risk is assessed.

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Flooding can take a number of forms, the most publicised of which is River flooding. It occurs when rivers and streams are unable to carry away excess water through the usual drainage channels. Adjacent low-lying properties are likely to be flooded. Surface water flooding occurs following periods of heavy and persistent rain, often falling on saturated ground where normal drainage systems cannot cope with the volume of water. Groundwater flooding occurs when persistent rain raises the water table level above adjacent land. At times of world climate change, rising sea levels can be the cause of Coastal flooding, where sea defences prove to be inadequate in storm conditions. Recently, a breach in the sea defences caused flooding at Clymping.

If your property is in an area which might be affected by flooding be sure to arrange insurance and have a plan to minimise damage, remembering that there may be no electricity supply to operate pumping systems. There are a number of patent flood defence systems available for sale, the most basic of which are sandbags and sand.

Spare a thought for the flood-struck residents in the North of the country.

Chris Ennis FRICS email: surveyor1@talktalk.net 01903 261 217 or www.propdoctor.co.uk

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Motoring News Citroën’s Electric City Car Citroën has unveiled their 100% electric, two-seater city car.

Called the Ami, it features a 5.5 kWh lithium-ion battery and it’s capable of speeds of up to 28mph.

Tesla Model 3 Wins UK Car of the Year 2020 Tesla’s Model 3 has been crowned UK Car of the Year 2020. After emerging triumphant as Best Executive car, the Tesla battled it out against eight other new cars for the overall title. John Challen, director of the UK Car of the Year Awards said that the Tesla Model 3 has “shaken up” the executive segment and got many brands thinking. “Electric vehicles attract a broad spectrum of opinions, but it’s clear that with its technology, performance and range, the Model 3 is converting a lot of people.”

Tesla UK added: “We are proud of what this car has achieved so far and with the upcoming 0% company car tax there is an exciting year ahead for EVs in the UK.”

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Great Women in the British Car Industry Nominations for the Great Women in the British Car Industry initiative have opened. Run by Autocar, in association with the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, it will culminate in an awards ceremony on 4 June in London.

The initiative recognises the top 100 women leading the way across the UK’s car industry, as judged by a panel of automotive experts.

Supported by Bentley, Nissan and Toyota, the day will also include presentations from keynote speakers (soon to be announced), a panel debate and a networking session.

Van Thefts On The Rise Four-in-10 of all new vans on sale do not come with an alarm as standard, according to an investigation

by What Car? Vans. The findings follow research highlighting how more than 43,000 vans have been stolen since 2016, with a further 117,000 broken into.

The worst area for van thefts was London, with 14,263 vans stolen in the four year period, while 44,742 were broken into by thieves.

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Schools

Steyning Grammar School

Year 12 students enjoyed a trip to Kraków, Poland in February. The Sociology, History and RE students visited Schindler’s Museum, Auschwitz and the Salt Mine.

Students were able to reflect upon the experiences of those effected by the holocaust throughout their visit.

Huge congratulations to Jack L and Maddy B who have recently competed at the Intershoot Shooting competition in the The Hague, Netherlands.

Jack achieved a silver medal in the Junior Mens 10m Air Pistol representing team England against athletes from many other countries Jack with his Silver medal at the around the world. Junior Mens 10m pistol event Maddy achieved a gold medal for the Junior womens 10m Air pistol also representing team England.

Jack followed this up by taking the silver medal in the Junior Mens 10m Pistol event at the British Open Airgun Competition.

Talented SGS student Aaron Poulter was invited to

Storrington Primary Reception - Beegu story

Engaging the children through high quality texts is something that we do with real passion and commitment in Reception at Storrington Primary. We aim to develop a love of books and reading from an early age to give our children the best chance of academic success in the future.

A focus text this term has been the fabulous Beegu story by Alexis Deacon.

Beegu is a creature who arrives lost from outer space.

He is unable to communicate in the language of people on planet earth and is not welcomed by everyone,

the Department of Computer Science at the University of Oxford on Saturday 8 February as a finalist in a UK wide competition – The UK Bebras Computational Aaron Poulter at prizeThinking Challenge. giving ceremony Reaching the final of the seniors (14–16) age group is an impressive achievement, as 22,722 students entered the first round for this age group. Aaron was among the top 56 highest achieving students invited to the final round in his age group, and was presented with his finalist’s certificate at a prize-giving ceremony at Hertford College.

The UK Bebras Computational Thinking Challenge, supported by the Raspberry Pi Foundation, is designed to get students excited about computing and computational thinking. It is a problem-solving contest with questions inspired by topics in computer science. In the first round, held in their own schools, students have to try to solve as many problems as possible in the allotted time. There are six age categories. The highest scoring students from the four oldest age groups (Elite, Seniors, Intermediate, and Juniors) were then invited to the Department of Computer Science at Oxford for the finals over two weekends in January and February.

Luke Talbot Assistant Headteacher, www.sgs.uk.net but is very welcomed by children who show kindness, compassion and tolerance. The story evoked a really lovely response from our children who talked about being a good friend, being unique and taking time to understand each other and revisited our understanding of being ready, respectful and safe.

Beegu even left his red hoop in our playground with a speech bubble in his own language.

This prompted some really wonderful creative writing ideas from the children, including speech bubbles in Beegu’s ‘language’ maps and letters!

We welcome visits to our outstanding early years provision; to meet our children and early years team please contact our school office to arrange an appointment.

For more information please call 01903 742047 or visit www.storringtonprimary.co.uk

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46

Local issues

Storrington Pollution

No idling banner lasts two days

Air Quality Group finally publishes meeting notes

As previously reported, we held a prize competition for the children of Storrington Primary to design a logo for a “no idling” banner to be placed on the railings, paid for by Sussex Local.

Well progress of sorts.

The Storrington Air Quality Steering Group (AQSG) has finally been forced into publishing “notes” from its meeting held on 31st January, ending with the somewhat vague intention of next meeting “towards the end of March on a date to be arranged”. Presumably this date and venue will not be published in order that the public is able to attend, which seems to fall far short of the usual way council business is managed.

The notes were distributed in Storrington together with the press release from Horsham District Council entitled “Storrington Air Quality Update“. This reported “the steps and measures introduced since….2011 plus improvements in the vehicle fleet have resulted in significant improvements to AQ in Storrington.” He points to the 2019 report which states that actually only two measures have been taken 1. The HGV restriction in School Hill 2. Stopping restrictions in North Street and says that these are “anticipated to bring further improvements in air quality”.

As we have said previously, both these measures the only proactive measures which have been taken were assessed at improving air quality by 1% each.

The AQSG meeting notes report that, in actual fact, even this paltry action isn’t working as HGVs are ignoring the School Hill restrictions, and the North Street restrictions are also being ignored.

Mr Rankin hopes that the restrictions on parking and unloading in the High Street will bring an improvement.

What was very welcome in the AQSG notes was the item “schemes for consideration”. These include CCTV monitoring, action on the Tesco roundabout; the possibility of installing green walls (walls which have plant growth over them to absorb pollution); anti-idling measures; and to review the items mentioned in the 2017 report to see if any of these should be revisited.

The last item in the AQSG notes reported that “work would continue with local schools (on anti idling campaigns at pick up times)”. This is news to Storrington Primary, who have never been asked by anyone other than Sussex Local to join such a campaign. We invited Anna Worthington-Leese, the ASQG chair, to join in our campaign on this several months ago, but we have been studiously ignored and, at the time of writing (mid March) nothing further has been done.

Anyway, as we said, progress of sorts.

Sadly, two days after being installed, the banner was found destroyed apparently, according to some reports, due to the wind. No other banners were affected. However the good news is that the Air Quality Steering Group are taking up the mantle of the noidling campaign at schools (see above) so we look forward to seeing some progress on this soon.

HGV protest group forms A new group called Storrington Traffic Action Group (STAG) has formed and has been staging protests by the roadside in March. Their aim is to persuade operators of HGVs to use the West Sussex County Council prescribed Strategic and Local Lorry routes through Storrington and other villages. The A283 through Storrington is not actually included on this map. If you would like to help contact stag20@protonmail.com info@sussexlocal.net

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Competition

Su Pollard stars in Harpy Coming to The Capitol, Horsham bittersweet dark drama from Fringe First award winner Philip Meeks.

‘Su Pollard gives the performance of her life, an unmissable tour-de-force of comedy and drama brought together in a fantastically constructed piece of theatre.’ Theatre weekly.

We have a pair of tickets available to see Su Pollard star in Harpy at The Capitol, Horsham on 23rd April 2020 at 7.30pm. www.thecapitolhorsham.com

Birdie’s a hoarder. The neighbours call her a harridan and a harpy, although most have never even met her.

They see her hoard as a hazard for house prices. But it isn’t rubbish. It’s her life’s work and it exists because years ago something deeply cherished was stolen from her; Birdie’s not been able to give up anything since.

She’ll do anything to get this priceless thing back. Anything at all.

National treasure Su Pollard gives a one-woman tour-de-force performance in this razor-sharp and

Win a pair of tickets to see Harpy To enter the competition answer the question below: Q: Su Pollard rose to fame on which beloved British sitcom? a) Only Fools and Horses b) Hi-de-Hi! c) ‘Allo ‘Allo!

Send your answer and contact details to: Harpy Competition, PO Box 2237, Pulborough, RH20 9AH or enter online at www.sussexlocal.net/ features/competitions Winner drawn after 14th April 2020. Please indicate if you wish to remain on our mailing list.

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50 Finance

Lost pension? How to find it!

Many will have paid into several schemes over the years says Ivan Lyons, MD Investment Solutions, Worthing Adding it all together Once you have all the details on your lost pensions, you should have an idea of how much you will receive from your existing schemes at retirement. Is it enough? Do you know how much you will need? Is the money invested in the right place according to your current situation and attitude to risk?

For independent advice you can speak with our financial planners. Further information and resources are also available via our website (news section).

In today’s modern economy, people no longer have a job for life. Most people will have a number of jobs and will be contributing to pension schemes along the way. It is then easy to lose track of these pension schemes.

Investment Solutions, Grafton House, 26 Grafton Road, Worthing, BN11 1QT. 01903 214640 email Ivan at: ilyons@graftonhouse.net or visit our website www.investment-solutions.co.uk.

‘Investment Solutions’ is the trading name of Investment Solutions Wealth Management Ltd who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

We often have new clients contact us saying they have no idea how much they have saved into their pensions. With the average person having around six jobs in their lifetime, it can be difficult to keep up to date with all the paperwork. Getting up to date information on your pensions is a great starting point.

Award Winning Chartered Independent Financial Advisers

So how do you find a lost pension?

1. If you have been paying into a pension via your employment, start by writing a list of where you have worked. Ideally try and include dates. Then it’s a case of trying to track down those missing pensions.

2. If the company still exists, contact them and ask for the HR or payroll team, or the department that looks after the pensions. You ideally want them to send you an up to date statement which includes your projected income at retirement from your pension scheme. If you have moved to a new house since you last received a statement, be armed with your old address and postcode.

▪ Investment Advice

▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

Pensions & Retirement Planning Financial Protection Estate Planning & advice on Inheritances Equity Release & Long Term Care Specialist advice for High Net Worth Individuals & High Earners

Grafton House, 26 Grafton Road, Worthing, BN11 1QT Contact Ivan Lyons Tel: 01903 214640 www.investment-solutions.co.uk facebook: www.facebook.com/financialadviserworthing Twitter: @investment_sols Instagram: investmentsolutions5785

The pension tracing service If the company you used to work for no longer exists, or you are struggling to contact the right person, why not try the pension tracing service run by the department of work and pension. They can help you look for your lost workplace pension or occupational pension scheme.

‘Investment Solutions’ is the trading name of Investment Solutions Wealth Management Ltd who are authorised & regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

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52 Property Search

Beware the leasehold property trap

Watch out for the extras says Clive Janes from CRJ Lettings Freehold v leasehold I typically prefer freehold properties to leasehold ones as ground rent payments, service charges and the cost to extend the lease and/or buy the freehold, soon adds up. This normally means looking at houses rather than flats, but in recent years houses on newbuild sites have been falling into the leasehold ownership type too. Sometimes this is due to the landowner’s preference and sometimes the builder is setting themselves up for financial gain - either via the ground rent payments or by selling the freehold to an external company.

Ground rent charges can double every ten years Whilst some new-build houses come with ‘virtually freehold 999 year leases’, there is a trap for the unwary.

Imagine a clause in the lease that says you have to pay £200 per year in ground rent. Sounds reasonable? But what if it says this charge will double every ten years.

Pretty harmless? Well in fifty years’ time the ground rent would be £6,400 each year! And another fifty years after that (when perhaps your great grandchildren will own it) there will be a compulsory £204,800 to pay each year! I don’t know what inflation will do by then but I wouldn’t want that obligation around my neck.

Featured Property

£575,000 Fern Road, Storrington Located in this highly regarded road within 1/4 mile of the village centre, the property offers deceptively spacious and versatile accommodation arranged over three levels extending to 1954sq. feet and comprising: entrance hall, dual aspect sitting room, open plan kitchen/dining room, feature split-level landing, bedroom 4/study with five further bedrooms (six bedrooms in total), en-suite facilities to upper ground floor bedroom, shower room and a family bathroom.

Outside there are westerly aspect gardens to the front and off-road parking with a detached garage.

Contact Fowlers: 01903 745844

Make sure your solicitor is on the ball Solicitors are starting to wise up to this and warn off potential buyers when they see such clauses in a lease - particularly when dealing with traditionally freehold houses.

Such clauses also mean that when the time comes to extend the lease the ‘marriage value’ will be higher than normal.

Huge charges for home alterations There have been reports in the media that owners of fairly new houses are being charged thousands of pounds for permission to make alterations to their home, such as adding a conservatory.

The alternative is to pay tens of thousands to buy the freehold - or be held to ransom with a property that may become nearly impossible to sell.

As ever, make sure you read the small print and crunch the numbers!

Article by Clive Janes, CRJ Lettings.01243 624599 www.crjlettings.co.uk or email: clive@crjlettings.co.uk To view local properties for rent and for sale visit our portal at www.sussexlocal.net/property-search Currently featuring Storrington & Pulborough properties - more coming soon!

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Health & Wellbeing

Benefits of dark chocolate Enjoy a little this Easter - guilt-free!

By Heather Smith

Easter is upon us, and that means another time of year where we are surrounded by delicious sweet treats.

Enjoying chocolate usually seems to come with a side serving of guilt, so I thought it would be a good time to explain some of the health benefits of chocolate.

We’re talking about good quality, dark chocolate here, which is actually pretty rich in nutrients including magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc and selenium.

Chocolate is also full of antioxidant vitamins A, C and E, as well as having a high fibre content which is important for gut health, and flavanols which help protect the skin and brain.

There is research showing chocolates has the ability to improve blood flow, reduce blood pressure and lower heart disease and stroke risk too, as well as it being associated with a reduced risk of depression.

This all sounds like a winner to me. Not that I need much excuse to eat chocolate!

So, what cocoa content can we call dark chocolate?

Well, the darker you can go, the better. 100% cocoa chocolate is pretty hard going, but 70% is pretty enjoyable to most people.

For the other side of the coin, remember that chocolate is fairly high in fat, so the calories do quickly add up. A square or two a day is probably enough.

If you’re thinking there is no way you could stop after a couple of squares, try going a little darker. The mix of sugar and fat is a huge trigger for overeating and is at least part of the reason that the less-dark chocolate is so hard to put down. The darker the chocolate, the less sugar and – in theory – the easier to put down after a sensible amount.

Heather Smith is a fat loss specialist Personal Trainer. Get in touch for a free five-day meal plan www.fitbiztraining.co.uk

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Health & Wellbeing

Health & Wellbeing 57

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Massage for optimal health

Advanced massage in Storrington. Review by Lindsey Taylor Storrington based Richings Health, launched by Jessie Anderson (pictured left) in the Summer of 2019, couldn’t be better placed for a relaxing treatment being situated at the foot of the beautiful South Downs National Park.

Jessie has over 15 years experience in clinics in London and Kent offering advanced massage. She has BSc Hons degree in Sports Rehabilitation and an ITEC qualification in Aromatherapy. Jessie also taught a number of postgraduate courses in massage.

I was warmly welcomed and shown to the inviting, purpose-built treatment room with the most stunning and peaceful views across the downs.

I’ve experienced many massages before but wasn’t familiar with the term ‘advanced’ massage so was keen to find out more. Jessie said the quality of her treatments and the experience make hers stand out from the rest and she considers her treatments to be the ‘Ferrari’ of massages.

Jessie believes massage is much more than a luxury and should be part of everyone’s lifestyle to maintain both physical and emotional health. Massage has a positive impact on every system of the body and can

particularly help those who play sport, are pregnant, suffer from aches and pains, depression and anxiety.

Jessie carried out a short health consultation and explained how she uses this information to tailor the treatment to the client’s specific needs. She also highlighted a benefit of working for herself in that she can be flexible and always builds in a little extra time between clients.

Notepad away it was time for me to experience an ‘advanced’ massage. The next 60 minutes can only be described as pure bliss as Jessie used a variety of techniques to ease away the tension and knots in my shoulders. Jessie encouraged me not speak so I could achieve really deep relaxation and she periodically checked the pressure was comfortable. Jessie’s massage skills are incredible and her passion and knowledge on the subject inspiring.

I left Richings Health feeling totally relaxed and revived and continued to reap the benefits for days to come with a sense of inner calm and balance.

Don’t just take my word for it, there are many glowing reviews on www.richingshealth.com Jessie is offering £20 off a first treatment, quote “Sussex Local” and book by 31st May 2020 Tel: 07737 070612

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Pets

Paws for thought Are our pets secret eaters?

Like human obesity in the western world obesity in our pets is rising too.

Dr Julian Hoad Some estimate that as many as half the pet population is currently overweight with a significant percentage considered clinically obese.

Part of the problem is the average daily amount of food pets are being fed. Most people tend to think that dogs and cats need a bowl of food daily but how much is in one bowl of food? Little do we realise that portion size and between meal snacks play a major part in the excessive amounts of calories consumed.

Just imagine feeding your little pet a chipolata as a between meal treat. Sounds quite innocuous right?

Actually, this amount of food for a small dog is equivalent to a human eating a 12 oz steak in one sitting!

Now if they had two or three ‌ well you can see how serious the problem is.

To estimate just how much your pet needs in calories on a daily basis you need to calculate their resting metabolic rate, which is the number of calories needed in 24 hours to maintain normal body function when they are simply resting.

Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) = 70 + (weight in kg x 30) After calculating their resting rate this is then multiplied by 1.6 for a neutered adult, 1.8 times for an un-neutered adult and 1.4 for animals prone to obesity (genetic predisposition or breeds).

Remember that by adding rice to their diet you could be doubling the number of calories consumed and dog treats and joint sticks, also contain calories. Most clients will admit to giving their pets a few extra treats but remember the problem lies with the amount and most of us don’t actually weigh out or count the number of biscuits we let our dogs have in one day. Exercise will however make a difference as to how many calories your pet can consume but if you have an indoor cat or an older inactive dog then you need to be even more vigilant.

You can weigh your pet at the vet and talk to them about a diet plan.

So, do you think you are making your pet a secret eater? Only you can be the judge of that.

Crossways Veterinary Group, School Hill, Storrington, 01903 743040 www.crosswaysvets.co.uk

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Storrington High Street In the early 1900s manure was a common sight on the roads as motorised horse power was still in its infancy.

Early 1900s

Was that preferable to the sort of flooding caused by the river Stor in the High Street, as in this 1980s occurrence. After more road and property flooding, work was done to improve the culvert running under the road.

Flooding in 1980s

This picture below from the opposite direction shows on the right the building that is now GL & Co estate agents and the area that is Place de Villerest. To the left the building that is now The Gallery and The White Room hairdressers.

On the right building that is now GL & Co and Place de Villerest.

Storrington Museum The Old School, School Lane, RH20 4LL 01903 740188 storringtonmuseum.com

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Community

Storrington & Sullington Neighbourhood Wardens Adopt a street - litter picking We have been very impressed by the residents in Ravenscroft and Beech Grove who registered with the ‘Adopt a Street’ scheme whereby they conduct frequent litter picks in their immediate area, taking pride in the appearance of their community. Horsham District Council will happily provide the equipment needed to any local group wanting to take part and will also arrange for collection of the refuse so it will not impact on the usual refuse collection dates. For more information please contact: www.horsham.gov.uk/waste-recycling-and-bins/litterand-street-cleaning/adopt-a-street Free Easter sports sessions There are two free sports sessions at Impulse Leisure Centre for 8-17 year olds during the Easter half term.

This has been financed by the Parish Council and a vast array of activities have been organised. For further details please visit the Impulse Leisure website www.impulseleisure.co.uk/timetables/chanctonbury Library drop in 7th April On Tuesday 7th April we will attend the Storrington Library between 11.00am – midday for a drop-in session. If you have any queries, concerns or you just fancy a chat, then we will be delighted to see you.

We have conducted several scam talks in the past few months, and we would be delighted to conduct further talks as it raises awareness locally. If you would like us to attend your group and give a talk, then please contact Steve Christian.

Parking issues Finally, there are increasing issues in regard to parking in and around the High Street. We are working closely with our parking enforcement officers and they have been extremely proactive in enforcing the double yellow lines now in force in North Street opposite One Stop. They are now targeting other sites, specifically in Old Mill Drive by Barclays and the bays in the High Street. We hope this has a positive impact on drivers’ illegal/inconsiderate parking.

Warden contact details Chris Poore: 07795 046743 Steve Christian: 07789 943201 storrington-sullingtonwardens@horsham.gov.uk

Wardens Steve Christian and Chris Poore

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62

Parish Council News

Ashington Parish Council The Parish Council is now focussing its efforts on completing the Neighbourhood Plan (NP). It has reached the final hurdle and is important because it sets a future strategy allows the Parish some small element of control over house building in the future.

One of the benefits of a NP is that the Parish Council receives 25% of new homes Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) money, not 15% given to Parishes without a Plan. This additional 10% can be worth huge sums of money to the Parish and will enable the provision of more community facilities. HDC get the balance of funds.

Ahead of VE Bank Holiday the Parish Council will be installing a commemorative bench and silhouette on land beside the Parish Church as a start on a small memorial garden project. It hopes to add to this project over the years as funds allow.

Now that Spring has arrived can we remind residents that if you have Parish Council land to the rear or side of your property then please don’t drop garden waste over the fence or dispose of waste material onto Parish land. If you want any vegetation cut back or down, then get in touch with us and we’ll have a look at it. Clearing up costs taxpayer’s money and we have not increased the Ashington portion of Council Tax again this year, so need your co-operation to keep control of costs. www.ashingtonpc.org.uk

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Storrington & Sullington Edited extracts from the minutes of an Extraordinary Parish Council meeting held on 13th February 2020.

There are concerns that the Parish Council’s means of communicating with the public were very limited and there was currently no control over the way in which the Council was being portrayed. It was suggested that in order to ensure all information publicised was factual and correct a newsletter should be the main and formal means of communication with social media and the website being used for updates and urgent messages. No regular articles should be submitted to local magazines with regard to the Parish Council’s day to day activities although one-off events and notifications may be circulated as general press releases. Discussions ensued and Members unanimously agreed to all of the above and that the newsletter would be quarterly.

As HDC had now provided a factsheet about the Air Quality in Storrington, it was agreed that this and the parish newsletter be distributed collectively to all homes in the Parish with extra copies being available in the library and at the Parish Office.

Mrs. Worthington-Leese informed Members that at the next Air Quality Steering Group Meeting, she would make the suggestion that a logo be designed specifically for the Group to use on any future publications.

The cost to print locally would be approximately £425

Parish Council News 63 for 3,500 copies of these two sheets and this was approved. The cost to deliver a copy to all homes, along with a copy of HDC’s Air Quality Factsheet would be approximately £1,000, also approved.

Editor’s note. The report on “day to day activities” we published for several years was always written by PC chairman Anna Worthington-Leese and printed as supplied, save for minor adjustments for space and setting. Therefore the charge that the council cannot get a factual message out in this way is unfounded.

This decision means the council will spend £6,000 per annum on something which Sussex Local was providing free of charge. We were not asked to quote for distributing the leaflets - our rate for this is £185 not the £1,000 spent.

The council says they are required to produce a newsletter as they wish to apply for “quality council” status. However the National Association of Local Council guidelines state “The council is expected to produce…. regular news bulletins throughout the year. The…..news bulletins must be online even if they were also distributed in hard copy such as in printed newsletters or village magazines”.

This decision originated from the Infrastructure Committee, (Mrs Worthington-Leese is a member), which is charged with the Air Quality issue. Regular readers will know we have reported on this issue in recent months, and have been critical of the council.

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Parish Council News

Thakeham PC The latest refurbishments at High Bar Lane playground were completed in February, although the soggy state of newly laid turf delayed re-opening until March. We think the park is now in good shape and more fun to play in.

Work to complete the resurface of the High Bar Lane – West Chiltington bridleway is due soon, having also been delayed by the weather, and the extension to the new east-west Abingworth bridleway is also going ahead. Running from the northern Abingworth pinchpoint to High Bar Lane playground, it will provide a safer route for walkers, cyclists and equestrians. The detailed route can be seen on our website.

Our annual Village Spring Clean is on Sat 18th April.

Two teams will meet at Thakeham Village Hall and the Rock Road School site at 10am for a couple of hours of litter-picking. Equipment will be provided, family groups welcome!

The annual Parish Meeting will be on Monday 20th April at Thakeham Village Hall starting at 7.30pm.

The general theme is “Keeping the Community Safe” with speakers from Sussex Police and NatWest bank, followed by Q&A, drinks and nibbles.

Work is finally proceeding on the new Abingworth shop and veterinary practice, with the target of the shop opening on 2nd May, to coincide with our annual May Day Bluebell Walk. thakehamparish.co.uk

Washington Council A283 Road improvements Following our previous update on a meeting with WSCC Highways, we are pleased to report that new white painted directional arrows are now in place on the traffic lanes approaching Washington Roundabout from Storrington. This follows a number of accidents where vehicles turning left cut across those continuing across the roundabout. At the same time, the speed limit past Milford Grange has now been reduced to 40mph, with new signage in place.

HDC Draft Local Plan The public consultation period ended on March 30th.

Whilst no additional developments have been proposed for Washington or Heath Common, the Parish Council has expressed its concerns at the overall impact within the wider district, and the crucial need to ensure provision of improved infrastructure to match the number of new houses. We have strongly supported the objection by Storrington and Sullington Parish Council to proposed consideration of three sites which are not allocated in the recently agreed Neighbourhood Plan. Storrington is the “hub” village serving the needs of others nearby, including Washington, and any additional unplanned development will impact severely on the already critical congestion and air quality issues.

Rock Road A number of residents have expressed concerns about speed, traffic levels and visibility along this road and its various tributaries. The Parish Council has been awaiting the outcome of a planning application for redevelopment of the Thakeham Tiles site, at the Storrington end of the road. The site is allocated in the Thakeham Neighbourhood Plan, and outline permission has recently been granted for the construction of 90 new homes. Washington Councillors will be reviewing the situation and the various options in the light of this additional development.

Washington Village Day This year’s event will again be organised by St Mary’s School PTA, with the date set for Saturday 11th July.

The theme is “Vintage”, and organisers would like to hear from anyone who can help with preparing this event. Email stmarysptaw@gmail.com or phone Liz Horwood on 07794 918 627.

Annual Parish Meeting If you are a resident of Washington, Heath Common or Millford Grange, this popular annual meeting is for you! It will be hosted by the Parish Council, at 7pm on Friday 22nd May in the Chanctonbury Room at Washington Village Hall. This is a chance to hear, and have your say, about parish issues, and hear from guest speakers. More information will be in the next Washington PC Newsletter, which will be delivered to parish residents with the May edition of Sussex Local.

Business Directory

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Business Directory

Advertisers call 01903 868 474 or email info@sussexlocal.net or book online at www.sussexlocal.net. 3cm box ÂŁ10 + VAT per month (including design) min 6 months. Any category.

Accounts / Book-keeping

Aerials / Satellites cont.

Blinds & Shutters

Appliance Servicing

Building / Carpentry

Aerials / Satellites

Bathrooms / Plumbing

Building / Landscaping

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66

Business Directory Care / Home Help

Chimney Sweep

Dog Walking

Drains / Cesspits

Carpet Cleaning

Clearance

Computer Services

Driveways / Landscaping

Curtains & Soft Furnishings

Car Servicing / Garage

Electricians

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Fencing

Foot Health

Gutters

Fuel

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Heating / Plumbing

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68

Business Directory

Heating / Plumbing cont.

Heating / Plumbing cont.

Ironing

Landscaping / Groundwork

Key Cutting / Shoe repairs Locksmiths

Kitchens / Bathrooms

Business Directory

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Pest Control cont.

Painting & Decorating

Plastering cont.

Plumbing

Pet Sitting Private Hire / Taxi

Plastering

Pest Control

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Business Directory Property Services

Roofing

Tool / Equipment Hire

Tree Surgery

Tree Surgery cont.

Security Alarms

Removals

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Window Cleaning

Accountants ACS Direct 62 Biography Katarina Sherbourne 20 Blinds Direct Blinds 26 The Blind Lady 61 Builders Archibaldshaw 42 Creber Builders 60 Padwick Builders Ltd 51 R&M Construction 49 Roberts Miller Redshaw Ltd 42 SD Building Services 64 Car Servicing LMC Auto Services (Sussex) Ltd 2 O J Motors Ltd 43 Wiggs Auto Repairs Ltd 5 Care Services Clapham Village Care Home 18 The Abbeyfield Worthing Society 51 Carpets & Flooring Wall Bros 47 Carpets and Curtains Funnells 49

Business Directory & Advertiser Index Charity St Barnabas & Chestnut Tree Storrington & Sullington Community Partnership Chiropractor Well Adjusted Health Cleaning Astonish Cleaning Services Calabash Mint Gem Cleaners Council Horsham District Council West Sussex County Council Dentists Green Arbor Dental Practice Pulborough Dental Care Domestic Appliances Carters Domestic Appliances Drains Drainjet Events Phoenix Fireworks Ltd Sussex Art Fair Transition Town Worthing CIC Fencing & Gardening Storrington Fencing & Garden Services Function Room Hire West Chiltington Hall Garage Doors The Doors Group Limited Garden accessories & furniture Vintage Garden Company Sussex Ltd Garden Centre Mambo Jambos Village Nurseries Garden Services Chantry Green Glorious Gardens Greenacre Garden Services Green Thumb Jack's Mowing Tom Hoadley Hairdresser Elly Turner Hair Shampoo Handyman Storrington Carpentry & Handyman Services Health & Wellbeing Impulse Leisure Group Slimming World Storrington Heating and Boiler Engineers Adept Heating Ltd David Cooper Gas Technician Home Furnishings & Gifts La Source Horse Manure Sussex Manures Ltd

15 13 55 34 34 34 17 19 57 56 72 28 8 7 12 38 8 30 40 9 35 40 36 40 39 40 38 11 63 40 54 55 61 64 27 36

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Hotel/Restaurant Old Tollgate Hotel & Restaurant 10 Independent Financial Advisors Investment Solutions Wealth Management Ltd 50 Interior Design Womans Touch 27 Kitchens, Bathrooms, Bedrooms Alexander Worthing Ltd 47 Collier & Sons Ltd 7 Design at 32 49 Dovetail Kitchens 62 Letting Agents/Estate Agents Batcheller Monkhouse 53 Massage Natural State Therapies 54 Richings Health 57 Nursery Big Plant Nursery Ltd 38 Osteopath Nicholas Coysh Osteopath 56 Oven Cleaning Oven Rescue Group 35 Ovens and More 35 Podiatry Podiatry Services 56 Restaurant Sloe and Wild 11 Retirement Property Fluid Ideas Ltd 29 Roofing Ark Roofing Ltd 41 BM Roofing 48 J P Roofcare 24 Solicitors Mayo Wynne Baxter 33 Taxis A1 Airport Cars Worthing 22 Travel & Holidays Michelle Murray Travel Counsellor 23 Old Mill Travel 23 Lakeside Holiday Village 23 Patrick & Elisabeth Gilpin 23 Roadmark Travel 21 Tree Surgeon Andrew Gale Tree Surgery 37 Ashwood Tree Surgery 37 TV & Electrical Hamilton Cole 59 Upholsterer Appalossa Upholstery 23 Vet Crossways Animal Care 58 Will Writing Nsure Estate Planning Services Limited 25 Windows Doors Conservatories MT Conservatories Ltd 42 Steyning Double Glazing 59 Unbeatable Conservatories 31