Sussex Local Magazine - July 2020 - Findon

Charity & Community

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Charity & Community

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Charity & Community

Charity & Community Free croquet lessons Croquet is the perfect social distancing sport, with just two people playing on a lawn twice the size of a tennis court, keeping the approved distance is not an issue.

The inclusion of croquet on the list of just 8 permitted sports has attracted unprecedented interest in this traditional sport and follows record sales of croquet sets as people look for ways to keep their family active at home during lock-down.

Following its inclusion on the list of approved non-contact sports when lockdown restrictions were eased, Sussex County Croquet Club (SCCC) in Shoreham re-opened to members on Wednesday 13th June and has seen large numbers flocking to play.

Founded in 1847 and at its present five-acre site in Southwick since 1901, SCCC is one of the best kept secrets in Sussex. It has eleven international tournament lawns and is also home to The Croquet Academy, regarded as the

croquet world’s leading coaching facility. It was proud to be the principle venue for the 2019 Golf Croquet World Championships. Club Chairman Clive Hayton ensures visitors that the club has used time in lockdown make sure the booking system, social distancing protocols and equipment sanitising arrangements are in working order to keep player safe. To celebrate the reopening, the club are offering a free introductory session, followed by 3 further coaching sessions, to anyone interested in learning more about the challenging and tactical sport. Coaching will comply with social distancing requirements.

Booking is essential as demand is expected to be high. Email: tasterdays@sccc.org.uk or telephone: 07771 752719 www.sussexcountycroquetclub.org.uk

Remembering with sunflowers St Barnabas House invites you to participate in its Sunflower Memories Appeal. Every year, colourful sunflower markers are displayed at the hospice, each one in memory of a loved one for whom a donation has been made.

This year the sunflowers will be displayed throughout August and the usual gathering at the hospice will be replaced with a special virtual dedication on Friday 21st August. This is to enable everyone to take part, including those that are still shielding or self-isolating. For their own wellbeing and to protect patients, families and staff, supporters are asked to not visit the hospice to view their sunflowers.

You can give as much or as little as you wish.

Every donation will go directly towards providing vital care services, both at the hospice and for patients needing support in their own homes.

Will you remember a loved one with a sunflower dedicated in their memory?

Visit www.stbh.org.uk/sunflowermemories or call 01903 706329

Notices to info@sussexlocal.net Events to www.sussexlocal.net

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Charity & Community Chestnut Tree House Lottery To support your local children’s hospice, you can take part in the Chestnut Tree House Lottery and help provide the very best hospice care for children with life-shortening conditions and their families, across Sussex. It costs just £1 a week to play and you'll be in with a chance of winning a top prize of £1,000 every single Friday or one of the other 22 cash prizes every single week.

During the coronavirus crisis, Chestnut Tree House is doing all it can to carry on providing care for local children, but they cannot provide these services without community help. Playing the Lottery could help so many families. For details visit: www.chestnutlottery.org.uk.

Wildlife hospital need support Brent Lodge Wildlife Hospital based in Sidlesham, near Chichester, cares for over 3,500 wildlife casualties every year. They have been providing care, treatment and rehabilitation facilities to birds and mammals across the South for nearly 50 years, with the aim to release healthy animals back to the wild.

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Despite the lockdown, the wildlife hospital has remained open to take in vulnerable wildlife admissions. Hundreds of seasonal wildlife orphans and casualties are keeping the animal care staff busy, each wildlife patient needing around the clock care. When well enough, they move outside to recover prior to being released back into local habitats later in the year. If you do find a wildlife casualty, please call for further advice, the Brent Lodge team are more than happy to help. Tel: 01243 641672 email: enquiries@brentlodge.org or for further information you can visit their website at: www.brentlodge.org

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Competition

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10 Charity Profile

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12 Charity Profile

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14 Charity Profile / Finance

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16 Puzzles

Young Readers’ Puzzles Answers on www.sussexlocal.net after 1st July

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Competition

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18 Gardening

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Gardening

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20 Gardening

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22 Property

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26 Health & Wellbeing

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Recipe

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30 Legal

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32 Crossword

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Local History

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Chicken in the Basket Local History by Valerie Martin The following story is surprisingly of chicken rustling early in the seventeenth century. This dip into history is an exposé of a certain misdemeanour dating from 1605. The revelation lifts the lid on a forgotten crime and all the more shocking because it was connected with St. John the Baptist Church. It brings into question the respectability of the perpetrator in his attempt at redistributing livestock to enhance his own larder.

It is perhaps interesting to remember that religious observance in the sense of church attendance was legally compulsory during the 17th century. Religion played a dominant part in everyone’s life and everyone would have known the Reverend in 1605.

When the incumbent vicar, Thomas Story, departed in 1572 after being in Findon for ten years, the Reverend George Simpson took his place. We do not know of his appearance but he was a learned man and moved into the relatively commodious Rectory, which had been built in 1584 (now the Findon Manor Hotel). The site contained grounds stretching from the village street to Cross Lane. The kitchen garden occupied the area now surrounding the Village Hall.

There was also, near to the main house, an attractive turret-shaped dovecote, which was intended to supplement the meat ration during the wintry seasons; (this was demolished in 1841). St John the Baptist pre 1900 Fresh meat would have been thin on the ground during winter and salted meat was both costly and unpalatable. It seems that the Reverend grew tired of his usual menu and decided to take the matter into his own hands to vary the larder at his household.

It was in the year of 1605 that he became one of the most notorious inmates of the Rectory and was shamed when caught red-handed. He was homeward bound from Muntham Farm — a good step from the main street and carrying a basket, which surprisingly concealed two hens from the

The Rectory by Mary Lyall (1809 - 1878)

said farmyard. It seems that the man of the cloth may have turned his hand to petty pilfering to supplement his stipend. On the other hand, it could just be conceivable that he was maybe clandestinely acquiring the necessary tithes he considered due to him from the farmer at Muntham.

In those days the Tithe Owner gathered onetenth of all that produced on the land; that is the tenth sheaf of corn, the tenth lamb, the tenth calf, a tenth of the wool, eggs, milk and wood.

The vicar would have received Great Tithes consisting of corn, hay and wood. Nevertheless, it was not quite what George Simpson’s flock expected from one who should have been setting an example to his parishioners and residing as he did in by far the most substantial and luxurious private house in the main thoroughfare.

Local historians in later years tried in vain to hush up this local village misdemeanour but even after almost four centuries since it was perpetrated, it has refused to be swept under the carpet.

Interestingly, a gentleman bearing the name of George Simpson of Findon had appeared at East Grinstead Assizes some fifteen years earlier. Coincidence? Could this have been the vicar on another of his forays? It is perhaps just possible that there were two gentlemen bearing the same name, but rather unlikely.

This "other" George Simpson was summoned to court for larceny. The date was 14th February 1590. He was accused of stealing a smock worth 10d. from another Findon resident named Harry Homewood. George Simpson was found not guilty of that particular crime in 1590. The question remains, was this George Simpson in fact the Reverend George Simpson of chicken rustling fame? A merciful God had no doubt preserved him on that day if he was.

With all his faults, the Reverend George Simpson’s was replaced in the year 1606 when Richard Bowghton arrived and became Vicar of Findon for the next seven years.

34 Community / Parish Council news

Business Directory

Through the door AERIAL & SATELLITE

BUILDING / CARPENTRY

CARPET CLEANING

CHINMEY SWEEP

CHIROPODY

BLINDS & SHUTTERS

CARPET CLEANING

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CHIROPODY CONT.

DRIVES / GROUNDWORK

COMPUTER SERVICES

ELECTRICIANS

DRAINAGE

EXTERIOR CLEANING

DRIVES / GROUNDWORK

FENCING

GARDEN SERVICES

GUTTERS

Business Directory

Through the door HAIRDRESSERS

HOLISTIC THERAPY

PAINTING & DECORATING

HOUSE CLEARANCE

HANDYMAN LOCKSMITHS

LOGS / FUEL

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PEST CONTROL

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PEST CONTROL CONT.

PLUMBING / HEAT CONT.

PLUMBING / HEAT CONT.

PLASTERING

POND SERVICES

PLUMBING / HEATING

Through the door ROOFING

PRIVATE HIRE / TAXI

Business Directory / Advertiser Index TREE SURGERY

Blinds Direct Blinds 10 Builders SD Building Services 22 Building Services B4 Brickwork 22 Car Servicing Keen & Betts 23 Stedmans Garage 40 Care Services The Abbeyfield Society 17 Carpets & Flooring Wall Bros 11 Charity St Barnabas House & Chestnut Tree House 7 Computer Services The Laptop Workshop 29 Vipernet Technology Services 29 Domestic Appliances Carters Domestic Appliances 2 Elderly Care Clapham Village Care Home 4 Fostering FosterCare UK Ltd 26 Furniture Restorers Barcombe Wood Finish Ltd 6 Garage Doors The Doors Group Limited 29 Garden Design Earth Architecture 20 Glorious Gardens 18 Greenacre Garden Design

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& Build 19 Garden Services Bright and Beautiful Gardens West Sussex Ltd 20 Ohagan Gardens 19 Home Entertainment Bowers & Wilkins 5 Home Furnishings & Gifts La Source 28 Horse Manure Sussex Manures Ltd 18 Independent Financial Advisors Investment Solutions Wealth Management Ltd 24 Nsure Financial Services 15 Kitchen Doors Dream Doors 13 Kitchens and Bedrooms Collier & Sons Ltd 9 Kitchens, Bathrooms, Bedrooms Dovetail Kitchens 11 Legal Services Stanford Wills 30 Oven Cleaning Oven Cleaning King 27 Ovenu Worthing 27 Picture Framers Nicholas Gentle Picture Framer 26 Political Party Parliament for Arundel and South Downs 21 Property Maintenance Valentine Property Maintenance 27 Roofing J P Roofcare 9 Solicitors Miller Parris Solicitors 21 Surveyors Property Doctor Surveys 22 Tool and Plant Hire Vintage Tools 12 Tree & Fencing Services The Tree Works 19 Tree Surgeon Ashwood Tree Surgery 21 Vet Crossways Animal Care 28 Will Writing Nsure Estate Planning Services Limited 31