Sussex Local Magazine Storrington - March 2020

March 2020

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

ROACHFORD!

Win tickets!

HISTORY

Weddings

GARDENS CHARITY Gig Buddies

EVENTS

Arundel Castle

Local councils, charity & Schools

March listings

PLUS

NEWS

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

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March 2020 Cover image Roachford Win tickets p54

Welcome...

To March, we are a third of the way through the year and Spring is nearly here with warmer weather to look forward to. Keep our March What’s on guide to hand for lots of events and activities for all the family.

Our charity profile this month spotlights Gig Buddies, a befriending scheme for adults with learning disabilities and autism.

Pairing up music enthusiasts who may not be able to attend concerts on their own with “buddies” who share similar musical tastes means a great night out for both parties.

Andrew Staib visits the ’fairy tale’ gardens at Arundel Castle and takes tea with the head gardener. Plus the usual monthly tasks in our regular gardening feature.

This month you can win tickets to see legendary singer songwriter, Roachford perform in Brighton. With platinum and gold selling albums and a career that spans two decades, Andrew Roachford is undeniably a prolific talent.

Our “Property Doc” looks at the invasive Japanese knotweed, how to identify and eradicate it and the damage it can wreak on property.

We also have a special education feature. If you’re considering a private school for your child, read our article, ‘how to choose a school’ from The Good Schools Guide.

Finally, don’t forget to get in touch with any local news or community items for free publication and add your event details to our website.

Until next month,

Kris & Jeff

Quote of the month "Even if you are on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there."

- WILL ROGERS 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 Health & wellbeing Gig Buddies charity feature Prize crossword Recipe In Your Garden - Arundel Castle gardens Property Doctor - Japanese knotweed Motoring news Schools news Education feature by The Good Schools Guide Young readers puzzles Property - How did property fare last decade?

WIN! Tickets to Roachford Neighbourhood wardens update Local history Parish council news Local business directory 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.

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.

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 - March 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. Sun 1st 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 3rd 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. Toilets available in Health Centre Ann 01903 297553 Fri 6th 11:00am Barns Green 2 miles 60 mins Health Meet in new car park above the Village Hall, RH13 0PT. Dogs welcome Chatter 07720 714306 Sat 7th 2:00pm Parham Glider Field 3.6 miles 1 hr 45 mins Level 2 Meet at Storrington Recreation Ground Car Park, RH20 4BG. A flat and easy route. Dogs welcome.

Mick 01903 745971 Sun 8th 10:00am Harrow Hill 6.5 miles 3 hrs Level 3 Meet at Kithurst Hill car park. Off the Storrington to Amberley Road (B2139) Nearby postcode RH20 4HW. Hills and stiles. Dogs welcome Mick 01903 745971 Wed 11th 10:00am Henfield Byways 2-3 miles 1 hr Health Meet Henfield Library, High Street, Henfield, BN5 9HN. No dogs Anne 01273 493671 Thu 12th 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 14th 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 14th 2:00pm Washington Common & Rowdell 3.5 miles 1 hr 30 mins Level 2 Meet Old London Rd, Washington RH20 3BN. A pleasant circular route which starts at the National Trust's Washington Common woods. Dogs welcome.

Mick 01903 745971 Sun 15th 10:00am Chanctonbury Ring & Wiston 6.5 miles 2 hrs 30 mins Level 3 Meet in Washington South Downs Way car park. Nearby postcode RH20 4AZ The route contains stiles, steep hills and can be muddy. Dogs welcome Mick 01903 745971 Wed 18th 10:30am Storrington Riverside Walk 2.5 miles 90 mins Health Meet at Storrington Recreation Ground Car Park, RH20 4PG. This flat, well surfaced walk. Suitable for children's buggies. Dogs welcome Mick 01903 745971 Mon 23rd 10:00am Bax Castle, Going South 5.3 miles 2.5 hrs Level 2 Meet in the car park of the Bax Castle pub, Two Mile Ash Rd, RH13 0LA Some stiles, can be muddy in places. No dogs Graham 01403 269232 Thu 26th 10:00am Countryman Inn, Shipley 5 miles 2.5 hrs Level 2 Meet at the pub car park, Countryman Lane, RH13 8PZ. A flat circular walk Some stiles and could be muddy in places. No dogs Geoff 01403 258180 Sat 28th 9:00am Storrington Amberley Circular 9 miles 4.5 hrs Level 3 Meet at Storrington Recreation Ground car park RH20 4BG. Stile(s).

Mick 01903 745971 Sat 28th 2:00pm Knepp Castle Rewilding 5.6 miles 2.5 hrs Level 3 Meet at Knepp Walkers Car Park, off Swallows Lane, Dial Post, RH13 8NN (ÂŁ2 donation requested). Flat walk, can be very muddy. Dogs welcome Mick 01903 745971 Sun 29th 10:00am Three Woods Walk 8 miles 3 hrs Level 3 Meet at Georges Lane National Trust Car park RH20 3BN. A lovely circular walk Great views. Some very steep steps and stick(s) are advised. Dogs welcome Mick 01903 745971 Mon 30th 10:00am Pulborough Brooks 5 miles 2.5 hrs Level 2 Meet in overspill car park, Wigginholt, RH20 2EL. A varied walk. Some stiles and some low gradients. Dogs are allowed on leads through fields.

Irene 01403 783637

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Charity & Community

Sussex Snippets Local charity, West Sussex Mediation Service, are celebrating their 20th anniversary. The charity helps people suffering conflicts in their lives find lasting solutions to their problems and specialises in resolving neighbour disputes and conflicts within families. Most services are free of charge, so fundraising is important. This year they are holding an ‘Auction of Promises’. This is where individuals, or businesses can make a pledge of an item of value, an experience, or their skill or talent for an hour or two. 0300 200 0025 or email info@wsms.org.uk West Sussex Connect to Support have updated their website bringing together lots of information about • ways to remain independent at home • equipment to help you around your home • advice on improving your health and wellbeing • ideas for things to do locally • support for carers www.westsussexconnecttosupport.org. For help using the website, call Adults’ CarePoint on 01243 642121 or email socialcare@westsussex.gov.uk Sussex Police & Crime Panel members have backed the decision to increase the police precept by £10 per year (for an average Band D property). 66% of snap poll respondents supported the increase.

New group for HGV action Dear Editor. According to the Office of National Statistics and the British Lung Foundation, air pollution causes 64000 deaths a year in England and Wales; more than 12% of the total due to all causes. About 10% of the population currently receive treatment for long-term respiratory illness and, although air pollution is not the sole cause, it is the major and increasing one. It is estimated that the cost to the NHS is £500 per year on average for every inhabitant of the UK. Storrington has the worst air pollution in the Southeast of England. Even if the NOx emissions at Manley’s Hill and School Hill are brought below the 40microgram per cubic metre target, politicians may be satisfied, but Storrington will probably still hold that terrible record. EU and national target levels for pollutants were devised many years ago and are significantly higher than W.H.O. 2005 target levels. In recent times the effect of PM2.5 on health has been of steadily increasing concern. There are no completely safe levels of pollution, other than zero, and target levels should be revised downward to reflect new medical knowledge.

25 to 30% of the pollution in the village is caused by transits of HGVs. As long ago as 2008 WSCC consulted with the Road Traffic Association and published a

map of Advisory Lorry Routes (map can be viewed online at: www.westsussex.gov.uk/media/1980/ alr_map_web.pdf). None of those routes pass through Storrington. Large numbers of HGVs are using the Storrington rat-run between Fontwell and Washington in preference to the A27, A280 and A24.

A significant proportion of these vehicles are owned by only a few haulage companies. The cost-saving to those companies is tiny, compared to the negative effects of their policy on the health of residents and workers in Storrington and the ongoing costs they are imposing on the NHS and Social Services.

Central and local government have failed us by not providing effective solutions. We cannot waste another decade. I propose setting up a group, tentatively called STAG (Storrington Traffic Action Group), with the sole purpose of encouraging the worst of these polluters to use the advisory routes and to publicly commit to that policy. If they persist in using the Storrington rat-run then STAG will apply an escalating campaign to shame them into compliance, using strictly legal means, including roadside demonstrations. Planning of this strategy is well-advanced. If you wish to join this group and are available for a few hours on occasional weekdays please send a brief email to stag20@protonmail.com. If you have relevant knowledge or skills please mention them.

Dave Angel, by email.

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ALL FIVE SERVICES INSPECTED

BY CQC GOOD! I could tell you all about Woodlands House and its facilities as if I was describing a hotel, for example the beautiful individual rooms, the designer bathrooms, wi-fi, HD TV, telephones, spacious gardens, etc all of which Woodlands has!!!! However when I was searching for a room for my own Mother 5* GOOD AT EVERY LEVEL all those years ago I do not remember any of these concerns being uppermost in my mind. What I do remember is the fear of making the wrong decision, whether I was "doing the right thing...� remembering "Don't ever put me in an old peoples home"; but knowing in my heart and head that this was the very best decision I could make. What was so heart-breaking was the role reversal of taking and accepting the responsibility of making such a life changing choice on behalf of a loved one, and it was the hardest decision I had ever had to make.

Finding the type of care available within the many different homes is daunting in itself. Do I want a new large modern home with all the "facilities" bright walls, all new staff.. or do I want the home that offers the nearest possible likeness to a home? With familiar staff, many who have been at the same home for years and years with the maximum experience and ongoing training within that same home with a Manager who is in daily contact with every residents and staff?

Do I want to see every certificate for every course and pictures of member of staff because there are so many, or do I want to be greeted by the same team week in week out? These same staff knowing my loved one not only during the day but also at night, when they are alone and feeling lost? Knowing - without referring to records - that it's Horlicks and not chocolate that she will appreciate at 2am?

If you are thinking along these lines come and visit Woodlands House for a chat and feel the homely atmosphere for yourself. 5* GOOD AT EVERY LEVEL {CQC Inspection} Reviews on www.carehome.co.uk Oonagh Manager/Proprietor: email: house.woodlands@gmail.com or telephone: 01903 725458 or 07815 762623

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Charity & Community

Thakeham Village Hall birthday

January saw the fabulous Thakeham Village Hall celebrate its first birthday with an open day which showcasing some of the things on offer Yoga, table tennis and Morris dancing just some of the activities on show. Sussex Local was just in time for the birthday cake, which was delicious, thank you. Happy Birthday!

safety law, they need a a new fire exit in the scout hut, a new staircase to the upper level which also needs refurbishing.

The Group caters for some 160-170 young people every week, and is looking to raise funds in order to make this happen and to maintain their services.

More air pollution comments

Rotary cheque for Scouts

1st Storrington and Sullington Scouts Group, have been presented with a £1000 cheque from the Rotary Club from proceeds collected at last year’s Storrington Village Day. The presentation was made at the Apache Cub Scout Section evening recently by Tony Vaughan from Rotary. The Group is facing financial challenges as, due to changes in health and

Dean and Gaynor Newton copied us their letter to Ray Dawe, leader of Horsham District Council, suggesting “as an immediate step, put a 7.5 W limit on Houghton Bridge and police it with a Bus Lane style cameras linked to DVLA which holds data on vehicles weight.. simple solutions should be put in place now.” Meanwhile Heinz Frick thought the best thing was to keep the traffic moving through the village as “the odd person wishing to cross the road causes dozens of cars to stop.” He continued “Could we not give the traffic say 3 minutes of free flow and then give the pedestrians 30 seconds to cross on a regular basis ?”

Many thanks for all your correspondence - please do keep them coming. info@sussexlocal.net

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Horsham DC Local plan

Horsham District Council (HDC) is reviewing its Local Plan which will set out planning policies and proposals for new development in Horsham District up to 2036.

The Government requires all local planning authorities to review the Local Plan every five years. It has set a minimum target for the District of at least 965 new houses each year to 2036. HDC is also obliged to see if it can meet the housing needs from surrounding areas such as Crawley. This is a legal requirement. This could mean our housing number will rise to over 1,200 per year.

This is an unprecedented challenge for the Council.

The aim of the Local Plan is to allocate specific sites where it believes the new homes can be built over a long period so that everyone knows what is happening and for the council to be able to resist any inappropriate development. The Plan will set out how developments can be delivered in a sustainable way and support the delivery of community infrastructures, transport links and opportunities for local jobs.

The Council is now consulting on the first complete draft of the Horsham District Local Plan 2019-2036.

Your involvement in this process is very important to us. Please see the advertisement on page 29.

The Draft Local Plan is available to read on the Council’s website and a copy is also available to view in local libraries and at the Council offices in Horsham.

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Find out more and be ready to have your say by registering online at www.horsham.gov.uk/localplanreview Tel. 01403 215100

Group organiser needed The Washington Parkinson’s support group will be looking for a new organiser in the near future. This is a two hour group on the first Saturday of the month, and with an average of 30 members. If you think you would like to take over and make a difference please phone Maureen Johnson on 07568 522278.

New traffic light “insanity” Dear Editor. Having just read all the letters about pollution in Storrington, I am amazed nobody has mentioned the insanity of putting traffic lights at the good visibility junction of Water Lane and Thakeham Road, a junction which for 95% of the day has light traffic, only needing a slowing of your car to check access before proceeding. The safety of the schoolchildren in the morning and afternoon is managed very well by our lovely traffic warden, better than any lights I would say. The point is the lights will greatly increase pollution in this area,the exact opposite of what the council should be doing.In fact,why are councils not taken to task for doing nothing meaningful about the illegal levels of pollution in the centre of Storrington for example. P.D.Mace, by email

info@sussexlocal.net.

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Health & Wellbeing

No food is ‘free’!

A calorie deficit is needed to move the scales

By Heather Smith

However you want to look at losing weight, one simple truth of any program which holds a chance of success is that a calorie deficit is required. There are a million ways to create a calorie deficit through either food or exercise, and there are a million ways to make it harder or easier through food choices and other habits. But the truth remains that a calorie deficit is required if you’re going to see the scales move.

If you’re eating a diet full of processed food, a simple change to eating what is considered by some slimming clubs as ‘free food’ is almost guaranteed to lead to weight loss. It should easily create a natural calorie

deficit, show you how much better you can feel when you’re eating a less processed diet and hopefully lead to long term adherence. This is of course, excellent news, and is my preferred first-step for clients coming from a place of little knowledge of nutrition.

Starting a weight loss plan when you already have a relatively healthy diet, however, needs a real life understanding of how these ‘free foods’ add up calorie wise. You could very easily already be eating mostly ‘free foods’ at the start of your weight loss plan, and this is when a true understanding of how to choose the right ‘free food’ becomes essential to unlocking further weight loss.

No matter how healthy a food is, if you’re eating too many calories, you simply won’t lose weight. This said, losing weight should never become a game of simple calorie counting, it should also include getting as many nutrients from as many real foods as possible in order to assist long term progress, adherence and health.

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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Legal

Funeral Plan

By Emma Wells MIPW Will Writer If you haven’t thought about what you want your funeral to be like, then perhaps it’s time that you did.

You might fall into the group of people who don’t care what happens to you as after all “you’ll be dead so won’t know’’ and that’s fine. However, if you care about the people that you’ll be leaving behind, you might want to put something together to make life easier for them. Some people have a very clear idea of how they would like their funeral to be but have been unsure of how to start the conversation needed to get their funeral organised.

The simplest thing to do to ensure that you leave your loved ones with neither the emotional, logistical or financial burden is to take out a pre-paid funeral plan. I don’t mean one of those products advertised on TV that always starts with someone in the kitchen or garden saying “are you over fifty?’’ as these are often just a policy or savings plan that may pay out as little as £1500 when you die, which unfortunately won’t cover the cost of even the simplest funeral locally, despite being presented as something to be used to cover the cost of your funeral.

What I’m talking about is a comprehensive plan that is paid for either in full at the time of taking it out,

therefore fixing the cost at today’s prices or over a few years - whichever you prefer.

Everyone I know who has had experience of losing a loved one who had a plan in place has said just how much easier it made things at a really difficult time for them and not just financially. Knowing that the send off that their loved one was getting was exactly how they had wished it to be was a huge comfort for them.

I appreciate that you might not like to talk to your family about the practicalities of dying for fear of upsetting them, but by having a plan in place the only thing you need to do is to tell them who to call when the time comes. Whilst detailing your funeral wishes in your Will is advisable, it doesn’t guarantee that what you want to happen will happen, as often a Will is read after the funeral has taken place! You can give as much or as little detail in a funeral plan as you like. You might like to detail readings, music, dress codes or you might just be happy that you’ve paid for it and leave the rest up to your family to decide when you’re gone. Either way you’ve made life a little easier for them at a time when they could really do with the help. emma.wells@nsure.co.uk or on 01903 821010. www.nsureestateplanningservices.co.uk

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Charity Profile

Gig Buddies in Sussex Concert befriending scheme for adults with learning disabilities & autism by Lynn Smith For music fans seeing your favourite band or musician perform live has to be one of life’s joys. Imagine, though, the frustration if, just as the band got into its stride, you had to leave because your companion called time. Or, if you couldn’t be there in the first place because you weren’t able to travel and enjoy the gig unaccompanied. This is the situation that many music fans with learning difficulties or autism face.

However, there is a solution in Sussex thanks to local charity, Gig Buddies - a volunteer befriending scheme for adults with learning disabilities and autism, matching them with a volunteer sharing the same interests.

Music Gigs aren’t the only option …

Gig Buddies is not only about music. Malcolm Hill, the project coordinator for the charity in West Sussex, says that “It doesn’t have to be about music. We encourage people to define what the ’gig’ is for them. It could be playing or watching sport, going to the theatre, walking or going to museums.”

Gig Buddies is a project run under the umbrella of the charity Stay Up Late, which was formed in 2006 out of the experience of the punk band Heavy Load. Three of the members of Heavy Load had learning disabilities and they were tired of seeing fans leaving their gigs early due to their support staff working inflexible rotas. The band split after fifteen years but decided to set up Stay Up Late to continue their campaign. Gig Buddies was started by the charity in 2013 with the aim of supporting people with learning disabilities and/or autism to be less socially isolated and to give them control of their own lives, which would become healthier and more fulfilled as a result.

Apart from the occasional fundraising gig the charity does not organise gigs, as the intention is for people with learning disabilities to become involved in mainstream community life.

Finding your own Gig Buddy …

Anyone interested in finding a Gig Buddy can “selfrefer” by visiting the charity’s website or they can get help by asking a carer, support worker or family member to get in touch. The scheme is open to anyone with a learning disability and/or autism aged eighteen or over.

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Charity Profile

“We’re always happy to have a chat with people in the first instance to make sure that Gig Buddies is right for them.” says Malcolm Hill. “People tend to want a gig buddy to support them to get out to music events but not exclusively. Part of our role is to empower people to try new things so many of our gig buddy pairs go to the cinema, clubbing, theatre or even just an evening out to the pub. It’s entirely up to them what they want to do.”

Currently, there is a waiting list for buddies, partially due to funding constraints and also because the organisation prides itself upon the quality of its service and the care taken in matching individuals.

“Before I had a Gig Buddy I felt lost at the weekends.

I had never been to a gig but having a Gig Buddy has meant that I’ve discovered new music. It means that I can travel to places I couldn’t before. Once you start going out you are more able to do other things. It improves your confidence.” A Gig Buddy participant.

As project coordinator Malcolm Hill’s role is to recruit, train and match volunteers with their Gig Buddy. “I then provide ongoing support and supervision to ensure the match is going well and iron out any issues that might arise.” The project is short of volunteers across West Sussex, and Malcolm is particularly keen to find volunteers in Chichester, Worthing and Crawley.

What does it take to be a Gig Buddies volunteer?

Volunteers can come from any background and, Malcolm explains, no previous experience is required.

“Ideally they will have an interest in music and/or the arts and be willing to give up around six to eight hours a month to meet up with their buddy.”

“Friendly and positive attitude with the ability to build up a rapport with their buddy are the main attributes we look for.”

Additionally, all volunteers are DBS checked and fully trained before being matched with a participant.

Training is given at Gig Buddies’ offices in Portslade, with training sessions taking place each

month, on a Saturday between 10am - 3pm. The training covers an introduction to learning disabilities, communication, safeguarding and “what to do if” scenarios. For Malcolm, the beauty of the volunteering opportunity is that it can be fitted around a person’s existing commitments.

Clearly the process of matching buddies is key to the scheme’s success, and Malcolm says that, “Where possible we match people based on where they live and what they are interested in doing. Ideally people will be attending events that they would have been likely to go to anyway – although a willingness to try new things is never a bad thing!” As Gig Buddies is all about developing friendship and expanding an individual’s social circle and informal support networks, the project does not provide volunteers on a one-off gig basis.

Funding Gig Buddies …

As with the majority of charities, Gig Buddies relies upon funding to keep them afloat. Gig Buddies is a free service but does expect a participant to pay for their own event tickets and travel costs. Volunteers

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Charity Profile

are reimbursed for their expenses, and their gig tickets can also be reimbursed up to £10. Malcolm runs the project in West Sussex and is paid on a three day a week basis. In terms of funding, West Sussex County Council funds the charity to provide the Gig Buddies scheme across West Sussex. Additional funding has come from the Big Lottery and donations from private individuals. Although, there are no fundraising events in the pipeline at the moment, Gig Buddies would appreciate any offers of support. Past fundraising events include - organising fundraising gigs at the Komedia in Brighton and Resident Records in Brighton donating the monies raised by sales of their carrier bags – which totalled £1,154 last year. The charity

also has supporters who regularly run an ‘open garden’ throughout the summer to help raise funds.

How Gig Buddies can transform lives …

Malcolm Hill tells me of Gig Buddies David and Mark.

David was matched with his Gig Buddy volunteer Mark in June 2019. “When David applied to have a Gig Buddy he was isolated and had very little in the way of a social life. He told me that he had never seen a live band and never went out with friends.” In just three months following his match with Mark he had been to three live gigs, attended a social where he met and befriended others in the gig buddy ‘community’ and signed up for an art class and the gym. “David is an example of how with a little bit of encouragement and support lives can be transformed in ways which may have seemed unlikely after years of isolation and demotivation.”

For more information visit: www.gigbuddies.org.uk Stay Up Late; email: info@stayuplate.org or you can telephone: 01273 418102

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32 Crossword

Prize Crossword

Win a ÂŁ30 voucher for The Frankland Arms

Storrington March 2020 January 2020 solution below:

Winner: Eileen Grinham 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

Across 6 Swathed (8) 8 Ho-hum (2-2) 9 Place in the earth (5) 10 Compel (6) 11 Warwickshire town sounds short of food (8) 12 Programming problem (3) 14 Colour changer (3) 15 Price of admission (5,3) 16 Run off the track (6) 18 Labour party? (5) 19 Sound of a strong wind (4) 20 White Sea turns stormy, just like that (4,4)

Down 1 On the way out (8) 2 Tasty tuber (4,9) 3 Custom-based rule (9,3) 4 Where cars are made (8,5) 5 Very short time, for short (4) 7 Breaks down (12) 13 How seasickness suffers are sometimes said to look (8) 17 "Odours of --- and offerings divine" (R Heber) (4)

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

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

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

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

Phone: ..............................................................................................................

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 March 2020.

Win a ÂŁ30 meal voucher

FOR A MEAL FOR TWO to use for

The Frankland Arms Washington

Valid for 3 months after issue. No change given.

Cannot be exchanged for cash value.

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

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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Recipe

Mince Beef Biryani Healthy delicious rice dish

Ingredients Serves 4 - 6 • • • • • • • • • • • • •

500g diced beef and 800ml beef stock 1 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp curry powder 1 onion, finely chopped 1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, finely grated 1-inch piece fresh ginger, finely grated 1 chilli, deseeded and finely sliced 250g basmati rice 1 small courgette, finely chopped 150g cauliflower, cut into very small florets 150g broccoli, cut into very small florets Serve with Sussex Slipcote sheep’s cheese

Method 1. Preheat the oven to 200C and line a baking tray with baking paper.

2. Spread mince on baking tray and cook in oven for 40 minutes, break up the mince every 10 minutes, until the mince is dark, remove from the oven.

3. Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add the onions and cook until softened for around 5 minutes. Add a little water to the pan every so often if onions start to stick. Once softened add the carrots and cook for 3-4 minutes.

4. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli and cook for 2 minutes before adding the curry powder and stir for 12 minutes to cook off the spices.

5. Add the rice to the pan and stir for 2 minutes. Pour in the beef stock and bring to a rapid boil for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally until most of the liquid has evaporated and the rice is slightly undercooked.

Lower the heat to a simmer.

6. Add the roasted mince, courgette, cauliflower and broccoli. Simmer for 8-10 minutes, until the rice and veg are cooked and all the liquid is absorbed.

7. Serve with a crumbling of ‘Sussex Slipcote.’

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 Fairy Tale Gardens

Exquisite is the only word to describe the Arundel Castle Gardens.

From the tropical beds, the vegetable areas or the newly renovated wilderness down by the lakes, the castle gardens join seamlessly a variety of styles and landscapes.

Of course the well-proportioned, fairy tale looking castle helps but it is also the rolling hillocks, winding paths and secret rooms that give the gardens an exploratory and fascinating atmosphere.

Much of the recent inspiring originality is due to the passionate endeavours of Martin Duncan, Head Gardener for the last 10 years.

He takes me on a tour and I can barely keep pace with his lanky strides as we move from area to area.

He takes time to greet his staff and make sure they are ok. It becomes clear that his wish to develop the gardens further points to an artistic sensibility.

Everywhere is evidence of his projects.

“We have the Tulip Festival in April. There will be over 60,000 tulips and each year we are adding more. We

have also created the first Tulip labyrinth in the world. In the new English orchard over there, we have planted white and yellow Apeldoorn tulips that will combine with blue Camassia bulbs. And here we have the Stumpery - I created this a few years ago”.

We look at giant tree stumps turned upside down with a host of Euphorbias, Ferns and Echiums sprouting from the gaps in the arches of the roots. It looks prehistoric but oddly suits the gothic looking Arundel Cathedral, which serves as a backdrop just 25 metres away. This area joins the tropical beds which, given Martin’s Zimbabwe origins, is a feast of well researched and successfully growing palms, tropical shrubs and ground cover. There are huge pollarded Paulownia trees, the Sapphire Dragon tree, plus Catalpas and Chinese Cabbage palms.

We walk to the back of this area and come across a thatched hut. Again a structure like this could potentially look out of place but it is a natural fit amongst the vegetable parterres and sculptural Yew hedging.

“We aim to build another of these down at the lakes

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and use it as an educational space.” Martin’s fine features light up and he strides on to the next area.

“This is one of my favourite areas. We have dredged the lakes, cleared some undergrowth and now are introducing all sorts of species here, including 1500 water plants.”

Two swans swan by an unblemished, holy white against the dark waters. They stick their heads deep under the water. Martin fetches some grain and gives them a couple of handfuls. He ruminates on his garden design philosophy.

and most things will thrive.” Amidst TV documentaries and meetings, Martin still manages to physically tend the garden half the day, next to his team, in whose growth, he takes as seriously as the plants under his care. “Each staff member has an area of responsibility so that they not only know what needs doing but can increase their knowledge”.

“Good structure is everything, like Box hedging, holding back the cascade, typical of the English Cottage style. And a garden needs a strong backdrop, then everything else will look good. Soil is vital, get it right,

He never stops learning. Throughout our walk he drops little gems of insights. “2 tablespoons of Epsom Salts mixed into a watering can will feed 8 roses….do this three times a year….Apeldoorn tulips are

I ask Martin, a Kew Guild Medal winner in 2018 for his services to horticulture, what is the secret of his success. “Hard work and knowledge.” says the man who has worked throughout the world on prestigious gardens. He seems just as content weeding a vegetable bed to making beautiful detailed sketches of tulip displays for Autumn planting. These he will hang up in his office for future reference and show the owners of Arundel Castle, the Duke and Duchess of Norfolk, who have keenly supported the forwardthinking developments that have taken place in the gardens over the years.

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Gardening

one of the best ones for surviving the Winter and coming back each year… keep a natural flow to borders… you can vary the height of your perennials, it doesn’t have to be perfect.”

We finish our tour with tea served in proper china in his kitchen on the Estate. Elegant and practical, like the gardens under his watch. Martin’s relaxed and passionate personality will continue to make a mark on what is one of West Sussex’s most intriguing spaces.

Where to visit in March High Beeches Gardens, Sussex. This is a 25 acre garden, which is a botanical treasure trove that includes historic Magnolias.

Laid out by the Loder family, but inspired 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. 01444 400589.

And don’t forget the Tulip fair at Arundel Castle on the 1st April 2020.

March tasks Apart from being busy in the vegetable patch; what else to do in March.

• You can give shrubs like Cornus and Salix a hard prune back - look on the RHS website to see how ruthless you can be!

• If the water starts warming up you can start feeding the fish.

• If you haven’t finished pruning your roses now is the last time to do them before they come into leaf.

• Lastly, look up summer flowering bulbs and tuber plants such as Dahlias. They can be planted now.

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Property

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Japanese knotweed

By Chris Ennis FRICS As I write, I note that trees are budding, and in just a few short weeks, spring will with us.

‘Not before time’ I hear you say.

Watch out for signs of Japanese knotweed! I have seen this destructive plant in Findon, and also growing by the roadside in Angmering.

Japanese knotweed is a highly invasive non-native plant that has the potential to damage buildings and overpower native species, eventually eradicating them from their own environment. It is prescribed under the Wild Life and Countryside act 1981 which makes it an offence to allow the plant to spread. All parts of the plant and any soil contaminated with the rhizome root system are classified as controlled waste and have to be carefully destroyed.

So what does it look like? In the spring, young purple/ red asparagus like shoots appear which turn green as they age. Some plants leaf initially, but can grow 50 cm as a straight rod.

In the summer, the shoots turn into bamboo like hollow stems, with regular swollen red joints and nodes.

Stems can grow up to 3 metres in height. Leaves are lush green and can be described as heart shaped.

In the autumn, flowers bloom 80-120cm in long clusters of small white / green flowers which start to fall in the late autumn.

In the winter the stems turn brown / yellow and eventually fall off at about the time of the first frost.

This is a difficult plant to eradicate. The root system can regenerate from small fragments of rhizome and can remain dormant in the soil for four years or more.

The roots may spread up to 7 metres from the plant, and up to a 1 metre deep. If left untreated it can spread rapidly at a rate of up to 15cm a day and cause damage to paths, roads, driveways and foundations. It may well affect the suitability of a property for a secured mortgage advance. There are specialist companies that deal with eradication, but their services can be costly and time consuming. A proprietary glyphosate weed killer like ‘Roundup’, carefully applied will kill the weed, but it is (I am told) a long process.

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

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Motoring News Hyundai slashes wait time for new Kona electric In response to significant customer demand, Hyundai Motor UK has announced that customer waiting times for the new 2020 Kona electric will be significantly Hyundai Kona electric reduced. The move follows a significant increase in availability of its fully electric model.

Recently awarded a Which? Best Buy. It carries the same expressive design as the rest of the Kona family, with a series of recently introduced enhancements.

Ford develops 3D-printed locking wheel nuts As car security systems become increasingly more sophisticated, thieves are targeting car parts instead, including alloy wheels. One method to deter wheel thieves is to use locking nuts, which require a special adapter, or key. But even these are vulnerable, leading Ford engineers to harness 3D printing tech- Ford 3D- printing locking nology to develop next- wheel nuts

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generation locking wheel nuts. Ford has created locking nuts with contours based on the driver’s voice.

The design also includes second-level security features that prevent the nut from being cloned or copied.

Renault scoops prizes at the great British fleet awards Renault is celebrating victory for the new Zoe, all-new Clio and latest Renault Trafic van Trafic van.

The new Zoe was awarded the prize for the ‘best green fleet car’, the all-new Clio came out on top as the ‘best fleet supermini’ and the new Trafic took the accolade as the great British fleet awards ‘medium van of the year’.

Exhausted drivers pose significant safety threat Road safety and breakdown organisation GEM motoring assist is urging drivers to be wise to the dangers of fatigue on journeys. The risks are particularly high among those who drive for their work.

Statistics show that those most at risk from a fatiguerelated collision include young male drivers, shift workers, truck drivers and company car drivers.

Around 85% of drivers who cause fatigue-related crashes are male, and more than one third of these are aged under 30.

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Schools

Steyning Grammar School Year 8 Art Project

A group of year 8 students are taking part in an exciting art experience. The project has been developed by the Marine Conservation Society and Year 8 pupil artwork involves several local schools. The aim of the project is to raise the awareness of the environmental issues of our local coastline through artwork and photography.

Steyning cheerleaders

Year 7 Football Huge Congratulations to the Year 7 Rock Road team who won the District title.

During the session the pupils worked with various media from photography shoots, sewing, drawing, printing and painting to create amazing mixed media collages. There was a lot of energy in the room and Mrs Modder and Mr Huffman loved all the enthusiasm! The resulting artwork will be displayed at The Ropetackle Art Centre, Shoreham on 21st March.

A massive thank you to Friend of Steyning Grammar School (FoSGS) for their very generous contribution towards our new equipment. Our cheerleaders and gymnasts have loved using them this week!

Storrington Primary News & events

Dogs Trust visit The Dog’s Trust visited recently to talk to children about safety with dogs and how to be a responsible carer and owner. It was great to hear how much the children already know from their experiences with Teddy the school dog and also family dogs.

Young Voices Concert A group of children from across key stage 2 travelled to London last month to take part in the young voices concert. They have been rehearsing for the concert over the two last terms.

Storrington joined over 6,000 other children from schools across the country to perform alongside Tony Hadley, The Shires and other amazing musicians and dancers. As a result, tens of thousands of pounds

Year 7 Rock Road football team

Luke Talbot Assistant Headteacher, www.sgs.uk.net have been raised for cancer charities across the country.

Thank you to parents for supporting us and joining us on our trip and also staff for making this possible by giving up their own time.

Library visits & World Book Day - 5th March Years 3 and 4 have library visits taking place in March and April. The classes will walk to Storrington library where they can borrow books and find out about the other useful services available. World Book Day is on Thursday 5th March. The theme this year is ‘share a story’ and the children will be sharing their favourite books with others across the school. Rather than dressing up this year, the children can come in wearing their own comfy clothes or pyjamas. Each child can bring in a book to share, it might be a story, a poetry book or an information book. They can also bring in a cushion or pillow to sit on whilst sharing their book during the day. Parents and carers are also invited to join the school between 8:40 and 9:10am when there will be a giant ‘share a story’ time. Parents can join their child’s class and pre-school siblings are also welcome.

01903 742047 www.storringtonprimary.co.uk

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Thakeham Primary

By Year 6, School Reporter, Emilia Flitney All of the classes have started learning about new topics. When we start a new topic we do a Stunning Start, this is when we learn all about our topic through doing something fun.

Acorn class (Reception) Acorn class are learning about dinosaurs. In their classroom they discovered mini dinosaur eggs. Their task was to make nests for them so that they would Acorn class hatch. They used all sorts of materials such as: paper bowls, for the base of the nest; cotton wool, to keep their dinosaur eggs warm; tissue paper, to also keep the eggs warm, feathers, to keep the dinosaur comfy when they hatch. Over the weekend, the eggs started to hatch, and when the children came in on Monday the dinosaurs were sleeping in their nests.

Oak class (Year 1 and 2) Oak class are learning about penguins. On the first day of school, the children came in to see penguin footprints all over the classroom floor. The footprints made a little trail to led them to a penguin. This pen-

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guin is the main character in their new book; they found the Little Lost Penguin!

Maple (Year 3 and 4) Maple class are learning about the Stone Age. The children of Maple class went on an expedition to find items they used in the Stone Age. They were items that people used for survival. The items were all over the school. Survival in this age was incredibly important as not everybody had a house and food.

Elder class (Year 5 and 6) Elder class are learning about the Saxons and Vikings. They are starting with the Saxons.

The children of Elder class went outside into the forest school area to do Saxon cooking. Our forest school instrucElder class tor is Matt and he is also a year 6 teacher, who has done the topic of Saxons at his school. The first group of children made a Saxon vegetable stew. Instead of a stock cube, the Saxons would boil up a pig and then use the juice for flavouring. The second group made Honey cakes. The Saxons used honey for sweetness because they didn’t have granulated sugar. In the afternoon everyone went back out to taste our stew and honey cakes. Matt told us a story: that’s what the Saxons would do at mealtimes.

We all sat around the fire and tried our food. www.thakehamps.co.uk

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Schools

Schools 47

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Choosing the best school for your child Advice from Janita Gray at The Good Schools Guide

Whether you’re looking for a day nursery, boarding school or sixth form, finding the school that is right for your child means lots of homework for parents. For most parents the school search starts with a browse through websites. Educational marketing is highly professional these days so be prepared for buildings that look like country house hotels, acres of playing fields, perpetual sunshine, high-tech laboratories, professional standard theatres and many, many grand pianos. After a while you may start to feel as though you have been assaulted, in the nicest

possible way, by a combination of Downton Abbey, Enid Blyton, Child Genius and the Olympics.

Some parents try reverse engineering to help them choose a school, starting with top universities and working backwards. They identify schools that send a large proportion of leavers to Oxbridge or Ivy League colleges and then register their child at linked or ‘feeder’ preps. It’s not uncommon for spreadsheets to be drawn up with every detail of a child’s educational future specified. Of course there’s nothing wrong with forward planning, but where’s the contingency? The plan B? After all, the baby whose future is being mapped out so meticulously may not have got the Oxbridge memo.

Parents’ educational experience, good or bad, will be hugely influential on any decision. Try writing down the things you liked and disliked most about the schools you attended and then think about these in the context of what you want for your child. You also need to think about whether you want co-ed or single sex education, any religious preferences and, for day schools, chapter and verse on bus routes and realistic travel times.

Look beyond league tables Many parents say they don’t want their child to go to an academic ‘hot house’. What they want is for their

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child to enjoy learning in an unpressurised environment. Oh, and by the way, they also want their child to get in to Oxford. Good Schools Guide advice is to ignore league tables and look at trends in exam results over a few years. If most of the children are getting A/A* with only a few Cs and Ds, think about how the child who got the C might feel.

Open days An open day is often the first contact parents have with a school in which they are seriously interested.

There’s no substitute for setting foot in a school – you may find that a place that looks perfect on paper just ‘feels’ wrong and you shouldn’t ignore this.

Try and attend the head’s talk. Prep school heads have your child’s future in their hands – you’re paying them to know your child, advise on the best senior schools and, if necessary, intervene on your child’s behalf if an entrance exam doesn’t go to plan.

In senior schools the head may be more of a figure head and most of your day to day dealings will be with tutors or housemasters, but the leadership of the school is still key to its ethos.

If you’re considering boarding for your child make sure you get a good look round. The norm is cabin beds, shared rooms until GCSEs, empty noticeboards in boys’ dorms and lots of bunting in girls’ dorms. Ask how many children stay in school after matches on Saturday. If nearly everyone else is going home it’s not much fun to be left behind – even if the school does lay on trips.

If you think you’ve found the perfect school then get yourself in the system as early as you can. Make sure you visit, register and pay the deposit in good time – for popular schools that can be several years in advance. You also need a back-up school (but don’t tell your child that this is what you’re calling it).

You should also be prepared for change. A new head or move from single sex to co-ed can have profound effects. And last but by no means least, there’s your child. He or she may turn out to have very different plans from the ones you have drawn up.

For more information, advice and school reviews visit: www.goodschoolsguide.co.uk

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50 Finance

Fund Your Future Life after work

By Ivan Lyons, MD Investment Solutions, Worthing

Unlock value from your home and finance those retirement goals Most of us look forward to retirement, but financial worries can cast a shadow over later life. You may be concerned you don’t have enough money to do everything you’ve planned, or that something unexpected, such as redundancy, or ill health, could make life difficult. These anxieties can be hugely frustrating, because while you may live in a valuable property, you might be short of accessible savings. A later life mortgage range could be the answer for you.

What are later life mortgages?

There are a range of mortgages designed to help those aged 55 and over release some of the equity in their home. You can stay living in the home you love (after all you’re still the owner) but unlock some of its value, offering you a source of money during retirement.

Why do people take out later life mortgages?

Some release equity to pay for the trip of a lifetime, make home improvements or see their inheritance in action – helping children with university tuition fees, perhaps, or a deposit for a first home. Others use the cash to live more comfortably when pensions or savings aren’t quite enough. The money can also help deal with the unexpected, such as the cost of care.

How much will these loans cost?

Generally, nothing upfront. We can offer free advice to help you decide whether a later life mortgage is right for you. The lender will also value your home, normally free of charge. Once you take out a later life mortgage, you will pay a competitive rate of interest on the sum borrowed.

When do I make repayments?

It’s your choice. With a retirement capital and interest mortgage, you would make monthly repayments over the term of the mortgage, much like a traditional home loan. But with the retirement interest-only mortgage, you would only pay interest charges each month, as the money borrowed is usually repaid using the proceeds from the sale of the property – after

the last borrower passes away or moves into long term care. With a lifetime mortgage, you will pay nothing during your retirement, unless you want to. The sum released and the interest are usually repaid using the proceeds when the last borrower passes away or moves into long term care.

Don’t forget a final check…

Think carefully before securing a mortgage against your home as, of course, not keeping up payments could put it at risk. And you will want to check the mortgage meets your needs if you want to move or sell your home or want your family to inherit it. This is a lifetime mortgage. To understand features and risks, please ask for a personalised illustration.

Investment Solutions, Grafton House, 26 Grafton Road, Worthing, BN11 1QT. Tel: 01903 214640 email Ivan at: ilyons@graftonhouse.net or visit our website www.investment-solutions.co.uk for more information. ‘Investment Solutions’ is the trading name of Investment Solutions Wealth Management Ltd who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

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52 Property Search

How did property fare last decade?

Buying a property became tougher in the 2010s says Clive Janes 33% average increase

Lower interest rates

Having started the decade at £162,887, UK house prices increased an average of 33% in the 2010’s to finish at £215,925, according to Nationwide data.

The only saviour to rising house prices has been a strong fall in interest rates. At the beginning of the decade the average new mortgage rate was around 5%, whereas by the end of 2019 this had more than halved to 2.4%. This meant first-time buyer mortgage payments as a percentage of take-home pay dropped throughout the decade in every region except London.

First time buyers have more than doubled So, buying a property definitely became tougher in the 2010’s, with house prices accelerating higher than wage growth. And because of this rise in nominal terms, the amount of money needed by way of a deposit grew, making home ownership seem further away for many. If you could get over that hurdle though, huge drops in interest rates meant servicing the mortgage on a monthly basis became cheaper.

And it seems first-time buyers are fighting back, with more than double the 155,000 recorded in 2009 jumping onto the property ladder in 2019.

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

Weakest performing decade In nominal terms an increase of just over £50,000 seems like a huge jump. In percentage terms though, that 33% rise in ten years is actually the lowest house price growth in a decade since the 1990’s, which is currently the weakest performing decade on record (with a rise of 21%).

When you consider house prices in the 1980’s rose 180% and in the 2000’s they grew by 117%, you might wonder why the media portray house prices as out of control.

House price to earnings ratio increasing The problem is that wage growth only rose by 20% in the 2010’s i.e. around a third less than house prices.

So, whilst rocketing house prices aren’t necessarily the problem, affordability very much is. In fact, the first-time buyer house price to earnings ratio currently stands at 5.0, up from 4.4 at the end of 2009, and is edging ever closer to 2007’s record high of 5.4.

Featured Property

£POA Hampers Lane Storrington Hazelwood House is a truly unique and stunning 4 bedroom individual family home, designed by custom build experts, Allan Corfield Architects and constructed to a high specification by Jolliff Developments.

Current square footage is 333 sqm including garaging (approx. 3,600 sqft). Occupying this highly regarded location situated within a private leafy lane on the fringes of Storrington village. Giving direct access onto Heath Common and Sandgate Park, within walking distance of a 30 acre area of open countryside.

Contact Fowlers: 01903 745844

Currently featuring Storrington & Pulborough properties - more coming soon!

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Competition

Roachford live in concert Legendary singer songwriter performs at Concorde 2, Brighton With platinum and gold selling albums, a career that spans two decades, ever since busting onto the scene with his first hit song cuddly toy and the last five years seeing him writing and singing on everything from top-five selling international dance tracks to cowriting and touring with Mike and the Mechanics, Andrew is undeniably a prolific and unique talent.

We have a pair of tickets available to see Roachford at The Concorde 2, Brighton on 5th April 2020 at 7.30pm. www.concorde2.co.uk

From the moment that Andrew Roachford found himself sitting at a piano aged four, music has been his way of making sense of the world. Growing-up in London around a vibrant melting pot culture, he was like a sponge absorbing diverse musical influences from reggae and punk, to rock, Jazz and soul music.

Andrew’s trademark has become his rare ability to put into words, feelings you didn’t even know you had. And over the years, anthems like ‘Only To Be With You’, ‘The Way I feel’ and “This Generation” to name but a few have done just that.

Win a pair of tickets to see Roachford To enter the competition answer the question below: Q: What age did Andrew Roachard start sitting at a piano ? a) 8 b) 10 c) 4 Send your answer and contact details to: Roachford Competition, PO Box 2237, Pulborough, RH20 9AH or enter online at www.sussexlocal.net/features/ competitions Winner drawn after 25th March 2020. Please indicate if you wish to remain on our mailing list.

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Community

Storrington & Sullington Neighbourhood Wardens We recently funded two virtual reality sessions for Trinity Dementia Group and it was great to see the emotion and the pleasure that the group member living with dementia got from this. To quote one of the group, “I never understood the word awesome but that was awesome”.

With the support of the Parish Council we have arranged free youth club sessions for ages 8 – 17 year olds. These include multisport, gym sessions and other activities at Impulse Leisure Centre. We held our first one on the 19th February and will publicise all the other half term and end of term dates shortly, which will include what activities are available.

Over the last couple of months we have been giving scam awareness talks to residential homes and other groups. We also gave a talk in February at Storrington Parish Hall. It is alarming that we are hearing from residents what an increasing problem scams are becoming.

Spotting a scam Be careful if something: • Comes out of the blue or from someone you don’t know • Is telling you you’re due a refund

• Is putting you under pressure to make a financial

decision quickly • Asking for your personal information

Tips for avoiding scams • Don’t give out personal information over the phone • Delete all unsolicited email or those that look too good to be true • Don’t buy from the doorstep or agree to work being done • Install a call blocker to block certain types of calls.

If you feel you have been a victim of a scam, talk to somebody and report it to the police on 101 or Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.

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

Wardens Chris Poore and Steve Christian

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Church St, weddings Following Valentine’s Day, a couple of wedding photographs from the past.

In 1938 the wedding of Patricia Ravenscroft daughter of Colonel Ravenscroft of the Abbey and Sir Walter Barttelot of Stopham took place at St Mary’s, a very grand affair with a real guard of honour.

St Mary’s, 1938

Some years earlier, in 1910 the crowds turned out to see Miss Austin and Mr Hood make their way down the steps to their horse drawn carriage after their wedding.

Miss Austin and Mr Hood, 1910

A popular venue for wedding receptions for many years was the Manor House Hotel in Church Street with its lawns and gardens behind.

It was demolished in the 1970s and is now the site of Manor Court and Manor Close.

Manor House Hotel, Church Street, 1970s

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

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Pets

Paws for thought Obesity Obesity is a condition defined by an excess of body fat that has developed to the point that health is compromised. Although we often hear the term in relation to humans, pet obesity is Dr Julian Hoad one of the key welfare issues facing pets in the UK today.

According to the PDSA Pet Animal Welfare Report 2018, 98% of veterinary professionals surveyed said that more focus should be placed on preventing obesity rather than treating it. So, we’ve put together this list of five easy ways to help your pet maintain a healthy weight.

1) Calculate how much to feed Just like humans, pets require a certain amount of energy per day to maintain their weight. And also, like humans, this figure will be unique to them. How much food your pet should consume could depend on factors such as life stage, activity levels and any health problems. The guidelines on pet food packaging are exactly that; guidelines. Ask your vet to help you work out the right amount of food 2) Stick to it Once you’ve calculated how much food to feed your pet to maintain a healthy weight, measure it out daily to make sure you don’t go over. To maintain a

healthy weight, a pet’s diet needs to be consistent.

Stick to set mealtimes rather than leaving food out all day. In a busy household, it’s easy to top up an empty feeding bowl without realising somebody else did exactly the same thing an hour ago.

3) Treats are treats In moderation, treats are ok.

However, problems can occur when treats are no longer treats and instead become the daily norm, or a way to show a pet that you love them. Any treats given should correspond with a reduction in regular food quantities. Chat to your veterinary team about which treats to use and try out some healthy ones.

4) Exercise everyday The physical benefits of an active lifestyle are endless; from improving muscular and cardiovascular fitness to alleviating stress, boredom and anxiety. So, when it comes to showing affection to our pets, exercise should be an obvious choice. Pets love spending time with their owners and exercise is great way to do this.

5) Preventing problems Prevention is always better than cure and the easiest way to provide your pet with the best chance of a long and happy life is to keep on top of their preventive healthcare. Regular health checks with the vet will ensure that your pet’s weight is monitored regularly and that any health issues or concerns are picked up early before problems arise.

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

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Parish Council News

Ashington Parish Council

Neighbourhood Plan update

I said to a resident the other day that the neighbourhood plan is possibly the hardest project I’ve ever worked on. That opinion was reinforced last week when the Horsham District Council (HDC) local plan review documents were published.

For 4 years we have diligently tried to plan for the future of the village, fully aware that HDC are facing significant challenges with housing numbers but with agreement from them on housing numbers that are ‘appropriate’ for Ashington (225 homes) in the lifetime of the neighbourhood plan. A higher number than some residents were comfortable with but enough, we understood, to deliver our ‘fair share’ of the District need.

Our draft neighbourhood plan not only delivered the homes in the most sustainable locations but would also deliver actual community benefits in terms of

public land, more community sports facilities, flood relief scheme for Mill Lane, protection from development for Forest Schools and the school’s allotment land. Proper planning for the village. Usually developers just hand over money so that someone else can deliver community infrastructure – somewhere random, eventually, possibly.

The HDC local plan review is now consulting on an additional 400 homes on top of the neighbourhood plan number. That’s 600 in total, >50% increase for the village and the additional 400 are to satisfy a housing need in the ‘south of the District’.

As it stands, we have more questions than answers regarding the future of Ashington and the draft neighbourhood plan. The Parish Council will be meeting HDC as a matter of urgency.

The local plan review document is for consultation only and none of the proposals in the document are HDC policy, yet. It is therefore crucial that residents let HDC know about the issues the additional housing numbers may raise. Residents can make their opinions known to HDC here: horsham.gov.uk/planning/local-plan/have-your-say Email: clerk@ashingtonpc.org.uk Tel: 07851 009655 www.ashingtonpc.org.uk

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Parish Council News

Storrington & Sullington Horsham District Local Plan Review –Have your say By the time you are reading this article, Horsham District Council (HDC) will be consulting the public about the content of its local plan review. Central Government is putting pressure on local planning authorities to increase the number of homes that are being built and HDC is being compelled to include more pieces of land for development in the Local Plan. There are at least three areas in this Parish that are being considered for extra homes despite the fact that these pieces of land have been assessed as inappropriate for development and have been excluded in the Storrington, Sullington and Washington neighbourhood plan. The Parish Council believes that the neighbourhood plan includes a fair amount of housing for the area and any more developments of significant numbers must be strongly opposed in the absence of any improvements to infrastructure.

Please take the time to look at the consultation and object to any extra land proposed for this parish.

Air Quality The Air Quality Steering Group met recently and I will be reporting on this in future articles.

Climate Action We reviewed our carbon footprint report at the January 8th meeting of the infrastructure, communications and

environment committee meeting (the full report is available online in the minutes of that meeting). Our total carbon emissions as a Parish Council for 2019 was 17.76 metric tonnes (based on the data available); roughly the same as one person taking 21 return flights from Gatwick to Lanzarote. We agreed three sets of actions: reducing our own energy consumption (e.g. replacing light bulbs with low energy ones), switching to a green energy supplier for gas and electricity, and influencing sustainable behaviour among our suppliers. We also agreed to lobby Horsham District Council to supply neighbourhood wardens with electric vehicles and improve charging points and connect with the South East climate alliance to get ideas for what more we can do.

Text by Anna Worthington-Leese, Parish Council Chairman. For more information on SPC please contact www.storrington-pc.gov.uk 01903 746547.

Meetings March 2020 All meetings are held in the Chanctonbury Room, The Parish Hall, Thakeham Road.

Recreation & Property Committee 4th March - 7.30pm Planning & Development Committee 12th March 7.30pm Full Council 25th March 7.30pm

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Parish Council News / Business Directory

Thakeham PC

Abingworth phase 3 In our last update we expected amended proposals for phase 3 to be available during January and that Horsham District Council (HDC) would make their decision in February. However, due to ongoing discussions with Horsham District Council (HDC), the developer has not yet produced finalised amended proposals so it now looks like the PC will be re-consulted during March, with HDC decision in April.

Roads Good news regarding the frequently flooded road and pathway on Thakeham Road, between Water Lane and Rock Road: the highways team that are currently installing the traffic lights will also be tackling the drainage problem, hopefully reducing this problem in future.

Abingworth Shop update The parties involved have finally reached an agreement allowing work to resume on completing the shop and veterinary practice. The building owner aims to have facilities open by late spring/early summer, subject to any further unforeseen problems.

New bridleway A new east-west bridleway is due to link Strawberry Lane to the existing High Bar Lane, West Chiltington

bridleway, via the Abingworth site. Delays due to technical and commercial issues appear to be resolved as part of the same overall agreement relating to the shop, allowing work to create of the final section on the west side of the B2139 to start soon.

Dog fouling Parents of students at the schools on Rock Road have reported a problem with dog fouling on the path that runs along Thakeham Road to the schools.

Dog fouling is an offence with a maximum fine of £1000. If you see anyone fail to pick up after their dog, please report it to HDC (see our website for how). Green litter bins are available and can be used for bagged dog waste.

Events Thakeham Community Events has organised an evening of wine tasting hosted by Hennings Wine on Friday 6th March, starting at 7:30pm at Thakeham Village Hall. Tickets will be £13 per person and can be booked in advance on the Village Hall website on their “Box Office” page.

Charlotte Dumbrill, Assistant Parish Clerk. Find us at thakehamparish.co.uk

Business Directory Advertisers call 01903 868 474 or email info@sussexlocal.net or book online at www.sussexlocal.net. 3cm box £10 + VAT per month (including design) min 6 months. Any category.

Accounts / Book-keeping

Aerials / Satellites

Aerials / Satellites cont.

Business Directory

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Blinds & Shutters

Care / Home Help

Burglar Alarms

Appliance Servicing

Building / Carpentry

Bathrooms / Plumbing

Carpet Cleaning

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Business Directory

Car Servicing / Garage

Curtains & Soft Furnishings

Chimney Sweep

Dog Walking

Driveways / Landscaping

Electricians Drains / Cesspits

Clearance

Computer Services

Business Directory

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Garden Services

Health/Wellbeing

Heating / Plumbing

Fencing

Foot Health

Fuel

Gutters

Hair Dressers

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Business Directory

Heating / Plumbing cont.

Heating / Plumbing cont.

Ironing

Landscaping / Groundwork Key cutting/ Shoe repairs

Kitchens / Bathrooms

Locksmiths

Business Directory

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Painting & Decorating cont.

Plastering

Pest Control

Oven Cleaning

Painting & Decorating

Pet Sitting

Plumbing / Heating

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Business Directory Private Hire / Taxi

Property Services

Roofing cont.

Security Alarms

Removals Property Services

Roofing

Tool / Equipment Hire

Tree Surgery

Business Directory & Advertiser Index

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Tuition

Window Cleaning

Accountants ACS Direct Art Exhibition Sussex Art Fairs Beauty Therapy Jessica's Beauty Rooms Ltd Richings Health Biography Katarina Sherbourne Blinds Direct Blinds

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Building Services Archibaldshaw 41 Creber Builders 42 Padwick Builders Ltd 40 R&M Construction 42 Roberts Miller Redshaw Ltd 42 SD Building Services 12 Car Servicing LMC Auto Services (Sussex) Ltd 2 O J Motors Ltd 43 Wiggs Auto Repairs Ltd 5 Carpets & Flooring Wall Bros 51 Carpets and Curtains Funnells 56 Charity Age UK Horsham District 30 Chiropractor Well Adjusted Health 22 Cleaning Astonish Cleaning Services 34 Calabash Mint 35 Miss Mop Ltd 35 College Slindon College 47 Council Horsham DC Local Plan 29 Horsham DC Parking Discs 27 WSCC Connect to Support 17 Dentists Green Arbor Dental Practice 56 Pulborough Dental Care 24 Domestic Appliances Carters Domestic Appliances 72 Drains Drainjet 41 Dry Cleaning Gem Cleaners 12 Elderly Care A Woodlands House 19 Care South 19 Clapham Village Care Home 18 Fencing & Gardening Storrington Fencing & Garden Services 57 Furniture CFS Furniture 26 Garage Doors The Doors Group Limited 59 Garden Services Chantry Green 37 Glorious Gardens 36 Green Thumb 39 Greenacre Garden Design 38 Jack's Mowing 38 Tom Hoadley 38 Village Nurseries 34 Hairdresser Elly Turner Hair 21 Shampoo 63 Handyman Storrington Handyman 57 Health Club Impulse Leisure Group 23

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Heating and Boiler Engineers Adept Heating Ltd 20 David Cooper Gas Technician 12 Horse Manure Sussex Manures Ltd 36 Hotel/Restaurant Old Tollgate Hotel & Restaurant 11 Independent Financial Advisors Investment Solutions 50 Kitchens, Bathrooms, Bedrooms Alexander Worthing Ltd 51 Collier & Sons Ltd 7 Design at 32 60 Dovetail Kitchens 59 Letting Agents/Estate Agents Batcheller Monkhouse 53 Logs Storrington Sawmills 61 Massage Natural State Therapies 23 Nursery Big Plant Nursery Ltd 37 Osteopath Nicholas Coysh Osteopath 23 Oven Cleaning Oven Rescue Group 35 Ovens and More 34 Podiatry Podiatry Services 23 Pottery Painting Mambo Jambos 8 Restaurant River Moon Limited 7 Retirement Property Durrants Village 33 Roofing BM Roofing 61 J P Roofcare 13 School Great Ballard School 46 Our Lady of Sion School 48 Vale School 45 Taxis A1 Airport Cars Worthing 14 Travel & Holidays Michelle Murray Travel Counsellor 15 Old Mill Travel 15 Roadmark Travel 55 Sumners Ponds Fishery & Campsite 10 Tree Surgeon Andrew Gale Tree Surgery 40 Ashwood Tree Surgery 40 TV & Electrical Hamilton Cole 57 Vet Crossways Animal Care 58 Will Writing Nsure Estate Planning Ltd 25 Windows Doors Conservatories MT Conservatories Ltd 54 Unbeatable Conservatories Ltd 31 Steyning Double Glazing 21