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SPECIAL ON-LINE EDITION
June 2020
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We are Brighton & Hove's loneliness charity. Help us train COVID-19 volunteers to support isolated people in your neighbourhood.
Text TOGETHERCO to 70085 to donate £5 Texts cost £5 plus one standard rate message Registered Charity No 1083390
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Welcome to Poets Pages! We have another online-only magazine for you this month. We hope to be back to printing magazines in time for July although, due to the current difficult circumstances, we will need to temporarily change the format of our magazines in order to ensure our survival. We have news of some great work being done at two local charities during lockdown. We have a photo of Hove General Hospital from The Keep, a history of Sussex Day (16th June) and memories of Stoneham Park from the 1950s. We also have some updated information on council services which we hope you will find useful. The Poets Pages Team info@poetspages.co.uk www.poetspages.co.uk Cover photo: Jane Galvin Publisher: Sussex Magazines Ltd. 10 Hollingbury Road, Fiveways BN1 7JA info@fivewaysdirectory.com Printer: Gemini Distributors: Paul, and James The views expressed by individuals in any letter or article included at the discretion of the publishers are not necessarily the views of the Editor. Whilst every care has been taken in compiling this magazine and the statements contained herein are believed to be correct, the publishers of this publication will not hold themselves responsible for any inaccuracies. Inclusion of advertisers in this magazine is not necessarily a recommendation but we do hope they give a good quality service. No part of the publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior permission of the publishers and contributors. We take complaints you make about our advertisers seriously. We have the following policy on this: First complaint about an advertiser is logged here in our offices, if we receive another complaint we write to the advertiser concerned and notify them we have had two complaints and if we receive another complaint we will no longer accept their adverts. If and when a third complaint arrives we will verify that all complaints received were genuine and inform the advertiser that we will no longer be promoting their business and inform them why.
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BREMF are planning a digital festival this year…
Brighton Early Music Festival Due to the uncertainty brought about by Covid-19, Brighton Early Music Festival (BREMF) have decided not to risk attempting to stage their usual festival this year.
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5 Interview with an artist who lives in the Poets Corner area…
Life in lockdown... Trials, tribulations and opportunities Lynda Nurse is an artist who runs her own small business, EcoOctopus. What is your business and what led you into the industry you work in? I have a small business and make handmade eco-conscious jewellery, recycled cards and organic cotton bags. Materials include pressed herbs and flowers, sustainable hemp, recycled glass and ethically sourced gemstones. I started EcoOctopus in an effort to escape the rat race! It quickly progressed into what is now a fulltime job. What challenges has your business faced since we went into lockdown? I have faced both challenges and new opportunities. The small business community have been extremely supportive and we are cross-promoting each other’s services in order to assist. It’s a collaboration and one which I am proud to be part of. There have of course been difficulties. Much of my spring income was anticipated to come from local markets, all of which were cancelled. I was due to participate in the Brighton Festival as part of the art trail but again, this has been cancelled. I was also about to collaborate with a local gallery (now closed).
I launched EcoOctopus just five months ago so I am young and still building my foundations. Times are tough but I am surviving and am extremely grateful to all those that have bought jewellery and gifts from me over the past month. People seem to like my work and I have solid 5-star reviews... Hope is still on the horizon! Who is your ideal customer? An eco-friendly one :) What advice would you give to anyone who is struggling right now? Hang on in there. Nothing lasts forever. Diversify, think outside the box, take on new challenges and collaborate! Anything further you’d like to tell us? Feel free to check out my work! I specialise in eco-conscious jewellery but also sell recycled cards and bags. New products are added each week. Please go to https://www.etsy.com/uk/ shop/EcoOctopus
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Aldrington Farm Dairy Shop Aldrington Farm extended eastwards for about 300-400 yards along Portland Road from Portslade Station. Produce from the farm was taken to this little shop at the corner of Westbourne Street and Cowper Street, then known as 7 Upper Westbourne Street. The Denyer family, who ran the farm, moved here from Montgomery Street in 1893, the year of this photograph. The business continued until about 1902 when all the land near Portslade Station was given up. After World War Two the shop was let to a tenant until the mid-1960s when it was reconverted to a purely private house, which is now 101 Westbourne Street. Thanks to the Regency Society for this image from their photographic archives, The James Gray Collection. You can see thousands more historic pictures of Brighton and Hove at: www.regencysociety-jamesgray.com
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IMPORTANT...more than ever please support local businesses when you can
9 There is some great work going on at Hove Methodist Church…
Food and Friendship Luncheon Club in Lockdown The Food and Friendship Luncheon Club at Hove Methodist Church in Portland Road have been providing an amazing service during the Covid-19 lockdown. Their twice-weekly gatherings in the church hall, reaching more than 100 older people and adults with learning disabilities, had to cease, so Caroline Henderson, Rachel Richards and the trustees decided very quickly that they would have to adapt during the crisis. They are now instead preparing hot meals to send out to their most vulnerable and isolated guests and they are also taking referrals. Food and Friendship are still receiving food from FareShare Sussex, who redistribute surplus food to organisations feeding vulnerable groups. They have also had food donations from Tesco Hove, The Cheese Man and Flour Pot Bakery, as well as a £5,000 grant from the Sussex Crisis Fund. Two cooks prepare the meals in the kitchen on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, remaining at least 2m apart at all times. The prepared meals are then placed in volunteer drivers’ car boots for them to deliver. They started with about 30 meals and were inundated with
offers of help to distribute them. Now almost 30 people are delivering to 80 households across Brighton & Hove. Caroline Henderson, Food and Friendship Co-ordinator, said: “It’s us giving people a hug through our food. If people haven’t got any human contact all week, which is the case with a lot of people, I know from the feedback what it means to get that little bit of food. They know we’ve prepared it for them and we’re thinking about them.” Club member Rose (whose food was delivered by Hove Methodist Church Minister Andy Lowe) said: “The food’s brilliant and the delivery’s brilliant. It keeps me going!” There is a short video about the club’s work at: https://www.hovemethodistchurch.co.uk/community/ For more information, you can email: cookingcaroline@ outlook.com or: office@hovemethodistchurch.co.uk Donations are welcome at: https://www.givey.com/donations/new?charity_id=10566
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News from local charity Time To Talk Befriending…
All Change! When business is operating as usual we do our utmost to connect older people with community volunteers of all ages for friendship and company face to face. However since the crisis hit, like most organisations, we’ve transitioned to providing telephone support and we’ve been astonished at the difference these regular weekly 30-minute calls can make!
TTTB have been providing emergency food packages
At first, not meeting the older people and volunteers before matching them felt a little alien, but we are now seeing the fruit of these be-friendships through our review process and the results of these matches are proving to be hugely rewarding for the older person and volunteer alike. Referrals to the charity for befriending, chaplaincy and our food outreach activities have increased exponentially. But, we couldn’t achieve this huge increase in demand without the brilliant support of our partners City Coast Church in Portslade who expertly coordinate our emergency food packages every week, and chef Wendy from Nourish Catering Events (and her team!) who’s been on a mission providing quality home-cooked meals to people in crisis since COVID-19 hit. And of course our growing numbers of volunteer befrienders, volunteer chaplains, food delivery drivers, distribution centre volunteers, food donators (you know who you are!) and Brighton and Hove Food
Partnership who are doing an incredible job coordinating food distribution across the whole city. So, whilst this article is partly to raise awareness about what we do as a charity, and encourage people to visit our website www.tttb.org.uk to find out how you can volunteer or donate towards our work (which we would be truly grateful for), we also wanted to say a BIG thank you to everyone who is helping us at this time. Together we are making a difference! Time To Talk Befriending
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Your local representatives...
Councillors for Wish and Westbourne Garry Peltzer Dunn and Robert Nemeth are Conservative councillors for Wish ward. You can contact them at: Robert.Nemeth@brighton-hove.gov.uk / 01273 291819 Garry.Peltzerdunn@brighton-hove.gov.uk / 01273 291186
You can contact the Labour councillors for Westbourne, Carmen Appich and Chris Henry, at: Carmen.Appich@brighton-hove.gov.uk / 07562 437632 Christopher.Henry@brighton-hove.gov.uk / 07395 282745
Stephen Down of Poets Corner is raising money for Martlets hospice…
Brighton to Barcelona by exercise bike During these unprecedented times, charities are really struggling. So I’m fundraising for the Martlets Hospice, a fantastic local charity that needs support so they can continue to do amazing work for people in need. The challenge? Brighton to Barcelona on an exercise bike... a total of 875 miles (1410km) on a York Active 110 cycle by a total novice (my last experience of cycling was riding around vineyards in Mendoza drinking wine...). I’ve been treating myself to croissants, coffee and wine throughout virtual France and will be switching to tapas and San Miguel once I’ve crossed the border. Not long to go now… The Martlets Hospice means a lot to our family. If you have any spare money to donate to this great cause (and help spur me on), it would be massively appreciated. Here is a link to my justgiving page - https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/stephen-down7
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News from Wish ward councillor Robert Nemeth…
Councillor News... Some happy news that we are keen to share is that we have finally been able to get new trees outside Wish Park Surgery on Portland Road. The originals were knocked over by motorists before our pavement parking ban (Hove’s first) kicked in. The new trees really do make a difference to the street scene. More will follow on Portland Road, School Road, Mainstone Road and Glebe Villas subject to surveys. Some sad news is that Boundary Road’s long-awaited revamp is now severely delayed; not because of Covid but because of chaos over at Valley Gardens in Brighton. We are protesting. Many businesses have been hit hard recently and much of our time has been spent chasing the Council to get hold of Government grants. Our standard council work has continued throughout the ongoing crisis though this is of course only a small part of what we do as Councillors. Our first ever virtual Full Council was dramatic and was essentially a battle to defend Brighton & Hove’s remaining natural urban fringe sites. The unofficial Labour/Green coalition defeated our campaign to save the sites though which is a tragedy. Development of these key green areas is now likely to go ahead. Numerous complaints that we have received are about two council projects involving residents not being properly consulted. The first is about the new street lights which have great advantages overall but often shine straight into bedrooms. We can source shields if necessary. The second is about car charging points which seem to have been placed outside people’s homes without the courtesy of a conversation in advance. We were sad to see events in Stoneham Park and Wish Park cancelled. Each will no doubt return bigger and better next year. We hold out hope though that Lagoonfest will still go ahead in September but this obviously depends on the events of the next couple of weeks. Fingers crossed! Finally, West Hove seems to have been hit worst when it comes to collecting the recycling and residents have rightly queried why Brighton & Hove is so far behind all surrounding local author-
ities. Everybody can make their own mind up on why the situation is as it is, but can certainly be assured that we as Councillors are following up complaints daily. We wish everybody well during these difficult times. Cllr Robert Nemeth Wish Ward
Editorial Comment...
Poets Pages is happy to publish views on local issues. This doesn’t mean it either agrees or disagrees with subjects covered. If you live locally and want to express a different viewpoint, please email us at info@poetspages.co.uk.
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Lindsey Tydeman from The Keep archive centre on Hove’s former hospital in Sackville Road…
From The Keep…Hove General Hospital Long-time residents of Hove will remember this red-brick building as Hove General Hospital, although it closed in 1995 and the building converted to the flats of today’s Tennyson Court.
At the time of this photograph in 1912, however, it was known as the Western Branch of the Brighton and Hove Dispensary, a charity which had been founded in Brighton over a hundred years before. The aim was to help those who couldn’t afford a doctor’s fee. They could walk in to the Dispensary, be seen by the staff there (who were paid by the charity), and walk out with the appropriate medicine. When this building was opened in 1888, in-patient care was considered to be a secondary function as there were only four beds for in-patients. However, this part of the hospital’s work grew rapidly and more beds were added as funds came in from appeals and donations. New wings and wards followed and in 1918 the in-patient part of the branch was named Hove Hospital. However, it was still very much a benefit for the ‘deserving’ poor, in that patients hoping for a bed had to have a letter from one of the subscribers (people who regularly donated) before they were admitted. This is also an excellent photograph of Sackville
Road before the First World War. Without cars, bins and road markings you can see it as the town planners intended; a broad avenue, newly paved, with elegant, well-proportioned houses and young trees (several of which are still with us!). A horse and delivery cart have paused outside the hospital and a single car pursues its way south behind the cyclists in the middle of the road. In 1912 the sight of a car may still have been a comparative novelty in the suburbs – perhaps the girl on the right is watching it. And perhaps the photographer waited in Sackville Road that spring morning just so he could show the juxtaposition of horse and car – one hopes he didn’t have to wait too long! The reference for this photograph is HB 162/2. It can usually be seen as a digital image at The Keep; however, the Keep is currently closed until further notice. Visit the website www.thekeep.info for more information.
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News from the council…
New Mayor Elected... Councillor Alan Robins has become the Mayor of Brighton & Hove, after being elected by fellow councillors at the Annual Council Meeting. Councillor Robins remains in the role for this and the next mayoral year (until May 2022) due to the current impact of coronavirus on mayoral duties. The new mayor will be supported during his mayoral years by his partner Val Cawley, who takes the role of Mayoral Consort. Councillor Alan Robins said: “My aim for this year is to do my utmost to support the recovery process of our city, I imagine that this will be a step-by-step process likely to take some time. I am therefore grateful that it is proposed that my term as Mayor of Brighton & Hove, and indeed Portslade, will extend to 2021/2022.” The Mayor’s first engagement on 17 May was an Iftar meal to end the daily Ramadan fast, with the Dialogue Society via Zoom. Councillor Robins has chosen five mayoral charities: The Sussex Heart Charity, Brighton Fringe, Leo House at Home, Together Co and Off the Fence. Councillor Mary Mears was elected to the post of Deputy Mayor and will serve in this role until the next Annual Council Meeting in May 2021. Councillor Alexandra Phillips stood down in May after her year in office as mayor. Congratulating Councillor Phillips on her year as Mayor, fellow Green councillor Sue Shanks said: “Alex’s year as mayor has been a whirlwind. I know she has really enjoyed meeting all the residents’ groups and attending a large number of events as do all mayors. We have benefitted in the chamber from a fresh approach including poetry in the chamber. Alex has demonstrated a very disciplined approach to chairing council whether from the Town Hall mayoral chair or her front room.” Photo from Brighton & Hove City Council
Answers to “Where in Poets Corner?” on page 23 Picture 1: Tamworth Road Picture 2: Suffolk Street Picture 3: Byron Street Picture 4: Montgomery Road Picture 5: Marmion Road
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Local history from Rachel Bridgeman…
Sussex Day – 16th June Sussex Day on 16th June celebrates the rich historical and cultural heritage of our county.
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles recount the foundation legend of the Kingdom of the South Saxons Sūþsēaxe or Suthsaexe - from which Sussex derives its name. In AD 477, when Ælle the Saxon landed in Sussex from his three ships with his three sons and battled his way across the land, they slayed all those who did not flee before them. Whilst the tale of Ælle is regarded as somewhat of a myth, the reality was likely to have been similarly violent. The Venerable Bede (c. 672—735) recognised Ælle as the “first Bretwalda” - Ruler of Britain. Over the centuries, the Land of the South Saxons was subsumed into Wessex – the kingdom of Alfred the Great – and at times was ruled by Vikings. After 1066, as the dangerous heartland of support for King Harold II and with its ports the closest to Normandy, Sussex became the first region to be systematically Normanised. Uniquely divided into five north-south baronies called Rapes (divisions), the 6th rape of Chichester was added later in the 13th century. Each Rape contained a Norman castle and a port. From Lewes Castle, William de Warenne exercised his power throughout the Rape of Lewes, including in the ancient settlements that today constitute our city of Brighton & Hove. He
was William the Conqueror’s most trusted baron, a ruthless fighter who had climbed off the Norman invading ships in 1066 onto the Sussex beaches alongside him. The gold and blue check of William de Warenne’s coat of arms can still be seen splashed all over our city today. They are the colours of the Sussex County Flag - a blue field with six gold martlets (heraldic and mythical birds). Each martlet represents one of the six Rapes of Sussex. The flag is proudly raised in each of the six ancient Rapes of Sussex to celebrate Sussex Day on 16th June. When we can once more freely and safely roam the streets of our fabulous city, why not learn more about their fascinating history? Hove Actually Walking Tours are fun, informative and best suited to the incurably curious. Whether it’s your first visit or you have lived here your whole life, the tours are a great way to discover, uncover and experience the area. To receive the programme of walks: email hoveactuallywalks@gmail.com. Visit: Facebook (Hove Actually Walking Tours). Rachel Bridgeman - local historian & tour guide
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Information from the council…
Council Services Update... Sports facilities Council-run tennis courts were reopened in May, but children’s playgrounds and outdoor gyms have remained closed to reduce the risk of infection. Sea swimming and open water sports are once again permitted but people should only venture into the sea if they are strong swimmers.
Waste and Recycling Sites Waste and recycling sites have reopened, but with tough traffic restrictions. Cars are not allowed to park or queue on Old Shoreham Road – they are only allowed to queue on the smaller access roads leading to the tips - and there is no right turn into the Hove site from the Old Shoreham Road. If the tip roads are full, drivers will be asked to move and told to return when the queues are shorter. Only cars are allowed on site - no trailers, vans or camper vans. At busy times, the queues will be closed an hour before the site closing times to manage physical distancing. Only visit the sites if waste cannot be stored at home without it causing a risk of injury, health or harm to household members. The temporary opening hours for Hove are: Monday to Friday 10am - 4pm; Saturday 8.30am - 1.30pm; Sunday 10.30am - 1.30 pm.
Bulky Waste Launch The council has relaunched its bulky waste service, with the easing of the lockdown. The council’s contractor, KSD Environmental Services, can be contacted on 01273 608 142 from 8am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday, to arrange collection of a large range of items including bed bases, mattresses, furniture and white goods such as fridges. It is a paid-for service, but a 50% discount is available for the over-60s and for other people in receipt of certain benefits.
More public toilets reopened The council reopened a number of public toilets in May for people to use when out walking or exercising. Toilets now open include King Alfred, the Western Esplanade, Wish Park, Hove Park, Dyke Road Park, Goldstone Villas, Vale Park, Station Road Portslade and Hove Cemetery South. Toilet rolls and soap are sometimes being stolen, so the council suggests people carry their own toiletries with them if they intend visiting the loos.
Funeral Webcasting People unable to pay their respects to lost family and friends in person are now able to watch funeral services at Woodvale Crematorium via an online webcast. Due to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, the number of people allowed to physically attend a service is currently restricted to 12. In response to this, Brighton & Hove City Council has installed new
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technology at Woodvale which will allow anyone unable to attend a service to watch on their connected devices at home. The live webcasting service is being offered free of charge until 30 June and will be kept under review. For more information, email woodvale@brighton-hove.gov. uk or phone 01273 604020.
Transport Action Plan Councillors have been looking at a transport action plan to support the city in its recovery from the pandemic and the continued need to facilitate physical distancing, including pop-up cycle lanes and widening footways, particularly outside shops and transport hubs. A new temporary cycle lane has been created on the A270 Old Shoreham Road, freeing up space for cyclists. The cycle lane has been painted in both directions from its junction with Hangleton Road in Hove to The Drive, where it meets with the existing cycle lane network. Care has been taken to ensure safety risks have been identified and managed.
Help to stop smoking Evidence so far suggests that smokers who get COVID-19 are 14 times more likely to suffer from a serious respiratory infection than non-smokers. It is never too late to see health benefits from stopping smoking. The council’s Health Trainers are continuing to offer behavioural support to smokers (including pregnant smokers) through telephone sessions and medication to help you quit will continue to be available. To make a referral for yourself or someone else, you need to complete an online referral form at: https:// new.brighton-hove.gov.uk/health-and-wellbeing/ support-improve-your-health/sign-support-healthy-lifestyles-team You can also get further advice by phoning 01273 294589.
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An update from your Local Action Team…
News from The West Hove Forum We held our first ever virtual meeting of the West Hove Forum by Zoom on 13th May. The technology was somewhat daunting, and there were a few minor technical hitches; but all in all it was a success and we hope to organise another one for June.
Antisocial Behaviour
Hove Lagoon
Although St Leonard’s Church is currently closed, there have been reports of antisocial behaviour in the churchyard and graffiti outside the church hall. If you witness any antisocial behaviour, please report it at: https://www.sussex.police.uk/ro/report/ asb/asb-b/report-antisocial-behaviour/
The Friends of Hove Lagoon have been keeping an eye on the Lagoon during the lockdown and the Secretary has been reporting any serious issues to the council, the police and the port when necessary. Thanks to all the supporters who have done the same. The Lagoon area has been very busy and in the main the users have been abiding by the social distancing rules, although the skatepark and the outdoor exercise equipment have been used when they shouldn’t have been. Applications have finally been submitted for match funding for the planting scheme. The Friends will keep supporters and local residents updated on progress. LagoonFest remains on the calendar for 5th September and a decision will be taken about its future this year at the beginning of July. Everyone will be informed when the situation is clearer. While lockdown continues, the Secretary will publish weekly bulletins for supporters. (Contact friendsofhovelagoon@gmail.com to join the emailing list.)
WishFest This summer’s WishFest has been cancelled, but Wish Park has been very well used recently and the Friends of Wish Park are inviting park users to post photos of their activities in Wish Park on the Friends of Wish Park Facebook page to build up a record of these times.
Beach Huts Under the first phase of lockdown, owners were not able to use or maintain their beach huts. However, the Hove Beach Hut Association have now received confirmation from the seafront office that people can use their beach huts as long as they comply with social distancing rules.
Hove Beach Croquet Club Hove Beach Croquet Club is delighted to now be open for limited play with guidelines and social distancing. Play will be restricted to 2-4 people from one household, or two individuals who are not from the same household. Visitors are welcome; please email the club if you want to play: hovebeachcroquetclub@gmail.com. The club will provide some sanitizing equipment, but it is advisable to bring your own and up to individual players to take personal responsibility for their own safety. For the time being they are discouraging audiences and won’t be setting out deckchairs.
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King Alfred Lawn Tennis Club
outside of your household, as long as you are able to maintain social distancing.” King Alfred Lawn Tennis Club say that it was great Hove & Kingsway Bowling Club ask that people reto see the council being so prompt in unlocking the member to keep off the greens unless using them courts and raising the nets very early in the morning for bowls. They are easily damaged and the less to enable play on the first day of the easing of lockwear and tear the better so that they can continue down. Needless to say, they are being well used by to be enjoyed without expensive repairs and renothe public and it seems everyone is following the rules. vation being necessary. Users are asked to pay the Unfortunately for the King Alfred club and all other green fee remotely. Notices on the pavilion will advise how to do this. Brighton and Hove Parks clubs, the Parks League Season cannot run currently, as the matches are all The bowls clubhouse and café will remain closed doubles and this is not permitted unless all players at the moment. There are no league matches are from the same household. or friendlies with other clubs, or social events planned by the club, so any bowling is indeThe long-term future of the courts is still uncerpendently done at this time. tain due to the council having insufficient funds The club strongly suggest that all users follow to resurface and maintain them. The West Hove the Bowls England guidance (see https://www. Seafront Action Group and King Alfred Tennis Club will continue to look at how the courts can remain a bowlsengland.com/coronavirus-guidance/) and notices of key points will be put up on the pavilion. vital facility for the community into the future. West Hove Forum meetings are attended by Hove & Kingsway Bowling Club ward councillors and a wide range of community The bowling greens on Kingsway are now open, representatives. We hope to hold another virtual although on reduced maintenance. meeting in June. If you would like to participate on behalf of a group or business, please email Government guidance states: “You can play lawn westhoveforum@gmail.com. bowls where facilities have reopened, but you can only take part in these activities by yourself, or with members of your household or with one person The West Hove Forum’s first virtual meeting
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Advice from Health and Nutrition Coach Nathalie Sansonetti…
Piled on the ‘Corona-Pounds’? A recent study revealed that about two-thirds of Britons have put on over a stone of weight during confinement. With the likely lift of lockdown looming, many of you will be looking for ways to lose that weight before re-entering the world. Weight gain, however, is only a symptom of inner deficiencies and imbalances, mainly nutritional but also emotional. Ignore these at your peril. The first step towards reaching your ideal weight – one where you feel energised (not depleted), confident and healthy (balanced), should always be to deeply understand yourself. For some, having had to stop and do little these past few months may have already started this process. These steps may further help you understand your current situation: Check your nutrient levels – Before rushing to buy often unneeded supplements, do a hair mineral or blood test. Some depletions will hinder or even stop your weight loss. Get your gut working well. Have you been over-doing the sugar and alcohol? These will have
damaged your gut bacteria (and weakened your immunity) so it’s crucial to redress the balance and make sure you can absorb nutrients and eliminate thoroughly any excess toxins your body has accumulated. Slow down. Did you notice how much better you felt when you took time to do the simple things in your life? Keep that going. Slow down eating, chewing, being mindful of your body and its needs. Relax more. This will help to avoid depletion at all levels of your physical, mental and spiritual self. Be healthy, be safe. Nathalie x Nathalie Sansonetti, Health & Nutrition Coach Want some clarity on your health and gut issues? Book a complimentary 30-minute consultation today! Email: nathalie@newleafnutrition.co.uk newleafnutrition.co.uk
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Our local quiz...
Where in Poets Corner? Richard Hearnden has taken some more photos of some of the lovely rainbow artwork currently seen in windows around Poets Corner. Perhaps you can spot your house? You can find the answers on page 16.
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15/05/2020 14:03
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Roy Moffatt’s childhood memories of simple pleasures in the park…
1950s Stoneham Park Today Hove’s Stoneham Park is very different to the space where I played in the 1950s, when I was a boy living in Scott Road. As a traditional recreation ground it offered a set of opportunities and challenges; needless to say, they weren’t always approved of by the council’s park keeper.
Stoneham Park in more recent times
We children called him ‘the Parkie’, and we considered our mission was to outwit him by ignoring his rules! The Parkie had a white hut on wheels which housed a seat and a large black metal pot of tea which was kept hot all day on a large coke stove. He was an ex-soldier, walked with a limp and carried a stick, and when we transgressed his rules he would shout and wave the stick at us as we ran off as fast as our legs would carry us. Although sometimes I chatted with him, he assured me that he would still shout at me if I broke the rules. In those pre-health and safety days the limited play equipment stood on hard black tarmac. Of course we tried to push them to their limits; the wooden swings were unrestrained, and determined children tried to push the roundabout at great speed. The see-saw was a long plank made to hold a number of children, sitting one behind the other along each half, who did their best to see-saw to its limits. We kicked footballs to the goal posts we chalked on the then electricity sub-station (now The Snug café).
There were also opportunities for the enterprising. The Parkie’s constant challenge was to keep children out of the fenced shrubbery on the north side. However I used to go into the shrubs along Marmion Road to hunt for empty beer bottles tossed over the fence by people walking home. I could take these back to pubs’ off licence shops to get a refund of a penny or tuppence each. My penny could buy a packet of ‘scraps’ from the fish and chip shop in Tamworth Road, a few doors up from Stoneham Road. These were the tasty bits of batter scooped out from the fryer, if you were very lucky with a bit of fish attached. My friend Barry tells me that he used to buy a potato fritter for two pence and, while he waited, do a jigsaw puzzle that the shopkeeper always left on the counter. So I watched with horror one day when the chip shop burned down in a spectacular fire. Alternatively I could spend my gains on a penny lolly made from flavoured water put in little pots into a freezer by the lady in the sweetshop on the corner of Marmion Road and Mainstone Road. Stoneham Park and its surroundings then offered simple pleasures in more simple times, but what fun they were! Roy Moffatt
The Caring Gardener RHS Qualified and Fully Insured
Organic Gardening Maintenance Service Clive Rossington 07539 438180 info@thecaringgardener.co.uk www.thecaringgardener.co.uk
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Richard Hearnden’s latest take on lockdown life…
Lockdown meltdown... ‘Stay alert, control yourself, use common sense’, no that’s not right. It’s ‘Stay alert, but in your home’ - no that doesn’t sound right either. ‘Ah!’ said my wife, ‘It’s stay in your second home, control yourself and save the NHS.’ ‘No, no, no’, I said, it is ‘Stay where you are and don’t go to work unless you want to. Or your boss wants you to.’ I took to my bed after half an hour of all this confusion, with symptoms of corona-mania. Of course, the slogan is (looks at piece of paper with slogan written on) that we must ‘stay alert [to] control the virus’, a motto so abstract as capable of almost any interpretation. What ‘stay at home’ or its American cousin, ‘Stay home’, meant was unambiguous. Unless you had two homes, in which case it’s the government’s fault for not saying ‘stay in your main home’, then everyone knew what to do. In general, the instruction to hunker down and not go out had clarity. Whether you chose to take any notice was another matter entirely. So, now we are in the lockdown’s penumbra we are enjoined to use our common sense. Or even, ‘good, solid British common sense’ (yes, Boris Johnson really did say that), which is tricky for some of us. Johnson’s former chief of staff, Dominic Cummings, thought taking a four-yearold child in the back seat of a car while his mum and dad coughed and spluttered over 230 miles of tarmac was merely a matter of common sense, too. Most others begged to differ. I refer to Cummings as a past employee but, as I write this, he is still in post. Some bets are just too irresistible to ignore! Like Liverpool winning the Premier League, which seemed a dead cert as far back as Christmas, looks risky now even as an each-way punt. As a Reds supporter who wants the Seagulls to stay up, I have divided loyalties about the restarting of the current football season, which is now looking increasingly fraught with logistical difficulties over that dreaded term, ‘social distancing’. One need look no further than Germany, a nation whose ability seemingly to do everything right spurs admiration and, alas, occasional envy from these shores. They have now played their second weekend of top-flight football to empty stadiums
but, one presumes, to packed sofas in living rooms around their country and elsewhere. Given the German government locked down on the same day as ours did, their tentative return to normality way ahead of us is bewildering. Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the coronavirus crisis is how so much discourse has been about comparisons with countries elsewhere in the world. If comparing ourselves to other nations were an Olympic event, Great Britain would surely be top of the, err, international league table. But it is something we just can’t help. Like revelling in stories of folks not observing social distancing on a grand scale. Now, I happen to find it intensely frustrating that, after queuing for twenty minutes just to get into a shop, everyone just wanders around, browsing and - this is it - actually brushing past other shoppers, as if the last twenty wasted minutes of their lives taught them nothing! I think this is because we tend to be rather coy as a people. We don’t like to complain or be too assertive. This is why we famously love to queue up. So, it figures that we have no objection whatsoever to waiting to get inside a store or standing in line to buy a coffee, and neither will we particularly mind if, once inside, others veer around like a shopping trolley with a gammy wheel. But, if we see other people not queuing sensibly, we are drawn like a moth to a flame in tut-tutting. Witness the recent splash by a couple of national newspapers about lack of social distancing on Hove seafront. Local institution Marrocco’s had to dig out their CCTV tapes to prove that the papers’ photographer had snapped a queue of people, all dutifully two metres apart, at such an angle as to make them look like strap-hangers on a rush hour train. It was pretty dishonest to take that photo, it seems to me, knowing how it would be perceived.
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Indeed, Brighton and Hove’s beaches seem to be a mecca for all sorts of headlines about breaking social distancing by ordinary folk, whether that be sunbathing on the beach, queuing for ice-cream, or boozing by the pier. But much of this finger-pointing is unfair. When we look back on this episode of history, we won’t remember the occasional picnic or game of cricket, nor the row about whether schools should return, but the fact that we lived through a totally surreal experience tainted only by the tragedy of lives lost. Richard Hearnden
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