The Hailsham Eye March/April 2023

Welcome to issue 72

After living in the UK for over 12 years now, it is very clear that I’m getting a little bit British… I now get excited with the longer days and it not being pitch black at 5pm. It is a refreshing time of year when we can start to plan our trips away and time outside with family and friends.

One thing I’m getting very excited about is the second camping season at Longleys Farm Campsite, right here in Hailsham. It is located just off Battle Rd in Hailsham and you can escape the hustle and bustle of a busy life as soon as you turn into the campsite. The campsite is situated on a dairy farm, so you even get to see the cows walk right past where you camp and can buy fresh produce straight from the farm. More information can be found at www. longleysfarmcampsite.co.uk

I’m really pleased to announce that there will be a brand-new Spring Market in the town centre on Saturday 11th of March. Lots of stalls with clothing, jewellery, food and much more, but don’t forget the shops outside of Vicarage Field. Make a lovely day out by visiting all that Hailsham has to offer, great local business starting at the top of town at Callenders, down the High St, onto George St, back up North St and finish off St Mary’s Walk. Hailsham has so much to offer, even the farmers market on the same day down at the cattle market on Market St, so enjoy as the old saying goes “if you don’t use it, you lose it”, so make sure you Spend Local when you can…

We hope you enjoy reading this edition and have a great couple of months ahead.

We have taken care to ensure that the information in this magazine is correct. Neither the publisher, Eye Media Group Ltd, nor contributors can take responsibility for loss or damage resulting from errors or omissions. Eye Media Group does not endorse the accuracy of the advertisements or the quality of the products/services being advertised. Information provided by businesses and community organisations are provided directly by their own representatives; please direct any queries or comments regarding content directly to the organisation. ©2021:

Jarred O’Toole

Environment Hailsham

Environment Hailsham, a registered charity, was formed in 2014 and evolved from the former group known as Hailsham in Bloom. The group aims to enrich lives through plants.

A team of (currently 12) friendly volunteers are passionate community gardeners and take pride in, and believe in, a greener and attractive Hailsham Town Centre making a difference for its residents and visitors.

Since being formed, Environment Hailsham have relied on sponsorship and grants from local organisations/ authorities and with the withdrawal from Hailsham Town Council of its donation this year, it’s now imperative that the group increase their drive to form partnerships between local businesses and service clubs, who if they choose can fund specific planters and gardens in the town. Despite the big void of funding the volunteers are determined to keep Hailsham blooming lovely!

Environment Hailsham’s intention is to have a positive impact on the community and establish creative displays ensuring longevity, colour and variety. Choice of plants is carefully considered choosing pollinator friendly plants, eliminating use of peat during their propagation, minimise watering and hand weeding areas negating the use of chemicals. We have two volunteers whose procurement of plants, compost and

tools ensures the displays meet their full potential throughout each season and best value for money.

The volunteers maintain flourishing outdoor spaces including the rose gardens at Hailsham Library dedicated to the Queens Diamond Jubilee. Here visitors will enjoy the heavy scent of the roses whilst resting on the benches sited there. Continuing the garden journey you could explore the Denis King Garden, along the pathway linking Grovelands Road to the Gleneagles estate. This is a perfect environment for children and adults alike and used by Grovelands School for artwork and nature studies. A team member has recently refurbished a model windmill feature in one of the beds.

Get involved…. The team of volunteers seek new members to ensure continuity of its work. Meetings are held Tuesday and Friday mornings meeting at the poly tunnels off Grovelands Road. Please email environhailsham@btinternet.com if you are interested in joining the team.

For our latest review we find ourselves back in Hailsham, Rustico, which serves Neapolitan street food, is situated on the corner of the High Street and George Street and being an old bank building it is very spacious, it has, as the name suggests, a very rustic style and has an open kitchen so you can see your meal being made!

For this review, we decided to involve the whole family as we felt it would be a great family outing that we could share with you.

Once settled in and our drinks had arrived, we ordered some starters that we could all enjoy. We chose a Garlic Bread, a portion of Panzerotto (potato croquettes) and Frittatina di Pasta. All were very fresh and hot when served and our particular favourite was the Frittatina di Pasta, the flavours work really well

“ the Tiramisu, it had a hazelnut and mascarpone cream which went perfectly with the coffee soaked Savoiardi biscuits. ”

together, nice and crispy bread crumbs casing with a creamy comforting pea and ham pasta filling. On to the main dishes, the kids chose a Margherita pizza and we added some salami, this was a bit milder than the spicy pepperoni! They have a lot of different add ons that you can have with your pizza or pasta which is invaluable if you have a picky eater! They also had a simple tomato pasta which was a real hit. The portion sizes were perfect and they found it all really tasty. We went for their signature pizza the Rusticotti Vesuvio which is a partially folded pizza that is served with chips, this is a pizza where you definitely are not leaving the crust. Due to the folds in the dough the

pizza is nice and soft and there is lots of sauce too! We also chose the traditional Lasagna and we weren’t disappointed, it was delicious with plenty of meat in the sauce, it was perfectly accompanied by the house salad. We decided to take advantage of the take away option and get our puddings to go. That way we could put the kids to bed and enjoy them whilst relaxing at home. We went for the Tiramisu, it had a hazelnut and mascarpone cream which went perfectly with the coffee soaked Savoiardi biscuits. We also chose a vegan offering of Cocco Bello which is a chocolate and coconut slice. It had a very rich chocolate flavour with a crunchy base. Both were very yummy indeed.

We will be going back at some point in order to check out their Rapido Menu, it is available from Monday to Friday 12pm-3pm and one dish is just £4.95. They also do an amazing pizza deal Sunday to Thursday where any pizza to takeaway is only £9.50!

I want to dive into a topic that resonates with many of us when starting something new like a change in lifestyle, especially with anything that involves addressing our Health or Fitness.

THE TWO VOICES IN OUR HEADS.

You know the ones I’m talking about. One that says, “stay put, even if you’re not happy, it’s safe here” While the other says, “you deserve better, Matt. Go for it!”

Let’s be honest, it’s easy to become comfortably uncomfortable, isn’t it? It’s like staying in bed all day when we know there are things to do. It feels good at the time, but deep down, we know we’re not living our best life. We start feeling stagnant, regretful, unfulfilled.

BUT WHY DO WE DO IT?

The answer is simple, really. It’s because we’re scared. We’re scared of the unknown. We’re scared of what people might think of us. We’re scared of failing. We’re scared of wasting our time, money, and courage.

These fears are entirely natural. After all, we evolved in “clans.” If you couldn’t keep up, you were cast out, and you had no shelter, support, or family. No bloodline or procreation. The stakes were high, and the consequences were severe.

But here’s the thing, we’re not living in those times anymore. We’re not going to be cast out or die because we failed to keep up. Failure is a part of life, and it’s essential for growth. It’s like a rite of passage that we all have to go through to become our best selves. And the good news is, if you take up something like Personal Training, Functional Fitness, or CrossFitthere is support available every step of the way.

The Functional Fitness community thrives on helping one another, and we’ve got your back. When you’re feeling nervous, lean into that feeling, and reframe it as excitement. Physiologically, it’s the same fight/ flight response, but you have the power to interpret it differently.

You have the power to choose which voice you’re going to listen to today.

So, are you going to listen to the voice that says, “stay put, it’s safe here,” or the one that says, “you deserve better, Matt. Go for it!”?

The choice is yours, but we know you have what it takes to succeed. Embrace the discomfort and the growth that comes with it. Remember, the rewards of taking action far outweigh the temporary nerves you feel.

At Full Range Fitness, this is our philosophy. Do what you can with what you’ve got. We believe in you, and we’re here to support you every step of the way. Embrace change, take action, and live your best lives

For further information please contact Full Range Fitness www.fullrangefitness.com

Sudoku - #026  SUDOKUWEB

9 8 8 3 4 1 4 2 1 6 3 5 9 1 5 6 7 4 3 3 8 2 5 6 6 7 3 1 2 5 8 8 4 4 5 1 2 8 3 9

• First select a number/operator and than apply it to a sudoku cell.

3. Small barrel (3)

5. Right or wrong (5)

7. Long, narrow pieces of wood (3)

8. Cannot be identified (3)

9. Point (3)

10. Poem (3)

11. Guardiola (3)

12. Remove (5)

15. Small hut (5)

18. Noticeable (7)

21. Shallow iron pan (7)

25. Raffle (7)

29. Bland (7)

32. Ample (5)

34. Escape of fluid (5)

36. Long, thin fish (3)

37. Narrow beams of light (3)

Down

1. Smooth soft rock (5)

2. Cravat with wide squares (5)

3. Sarong like, colourful (7)

4. Pl. Millionfish (7)

5. Changes (5)

6. Worthless (5)

13. Position (3)

14. Vehicle (3)

16. Smooth, thick liquid (3)

17. Adult female sheep (3)

18. Flat face, large eyes (3)

19. Very young child (3)

20. Employ (3)

22. Relatives (3)

23. Rim (3)

24. 2012 bear comes alive (3)

26. Paddle (3)

27. Meal (3)

38. International Organisation (3)

39. Race (3)

40. Through (3)

41. Made from flax (5)

42. Emphasise a reaction (3)

43. Strong vehicle (5)

Sweet Treats AngelDelight BakedAlaska Baklava Butterscotch CandiedFruit Caramel CookieDough Cupcake Doughnut Fudge Gelato Genoise GingerNut Liquorice Pancake Sherbet Sorbet SwissRoll Teacake Tiramasu Waffle Write the hidden message here: T T A T L L L P Y O U N E S E S H E D I G I E A S L O V O E H C G A B U I U M N T A L R I E T U I C L R N E A C T L B T R E C P L A I F G H R A O E I B C O L C E K Q D E A A K T R E T E N O A D E U E R W C E A T A N D T H K L F O I N E N M B A K L A V A E E W R D U D I D O U G H N U T O G A I N T S S W I S S R O L L E N F C A U B A K E D A L A S K A A F E C B U T T E R S C O T C H S L N G E N O I S E O T A L E G T E H U R C O O K I E D O U G H T AngelDelight

Cupcake Doughnut Fudge Gelato Genoise GingerNut Liquorice

We've trained 100,000+ legal professionals

Pancake Sherbet Sorbet SwissRoll Teacake Tiramasu Waffle

TAKE A BREAK www.hailshameye.co.uk 12

Once you find all the words. Copy the unused letters starting in the top left corner into the blanks to reveal the hidden message._______________________________________

28. Shouting (7)

29. Make better (7)

30. Unwell (3)

31. Frost (3)

32. Fight (5)

33. Alone or unseen (5)

34. Local law (5)

35. Bakers, 13 (5)

Sunday 23rd April 2023

An intense mud run set on the Pevensey marshes in East Sussex, The Mad Marsh Run is ideal for mud-run beginners and veterans alike ... you'd be MAD to miss it!

Choose between 10km or 5km Ditch jumps, fallen trees, a strawbale pyramid and more! Free T-shirt, medal and bottle of Hook & Son milk for all runners!

Solution Focused Hypnotherapy

As today’s youth face the challenges of increasing academic demands, social media pressures, physical changes, and shifting attitudes, teen anxiety is becoming increasingly common. It is no wonder that these young people experience extreme mood swings and a wide range of emotions. Fortunately, there is help available for teens who are struggling with anxiety, and I am here to provide that help.

As an experienced Hypnotherapist specializing in teen anxiety, I have helped many young people conquer their anxieties and live life to the fullest. I am passionate about working with teens to equip them with the confidence and self-esteem they need to thrive.

At The Teen Anxiety Coach, I offer a unique and effective approach to support people with anxiety and other mental health issues. Solution Focused Hypnotherapy is a form of therapy that uses hypnosis to help clients focus on solutions, rather than problems. By guiding clients into a state of deep relaxation, I help them

tap into their subconscious minds and access their innate ability to overcome anxiety.

During our sessions, I will work with your teen to develop positive coping strategies. We will focus on their strengths, and create a plan for achieving their goals. With Solution Focused Hypnotherapy, your teen can learn to manage their anxiety, build selfconfidence, and improve their overall wellbeing.

If you are concerned about your teen’s anxiety and are looking for a solution that really works, I invite you to book a free consultation with me. During this consultation, we will discuss your teen’s specific needs and how Solution Focused Hypnotherapy can help. Together, we will create a plan for moving forward and helping your teen live their best life.

To schedule your free consultation, simply message me or visit my website at www.theteenanxietycoach. co.uk. I look forward to hearing from you and helping your teen overcome anxiety and achieve their goals.

If you’d like to know more about how I can help?

feel free to drop me a DM, give me a call on 07539 815909, or visit my website to book a zoom/phone call at a time and date to suit you

www.theteenanxietycoach.co.uk

March/April 1979

Hold on to your vinyl as Hailsham music writer Sharon Davis celebrates the career of Gloria Gaynor

When Gloria Gaynor recorded this song she could not have imagined in a million years the impact it would have on record buyers nor its staying power across the decades. There’s no prizes for guessing what this song is because it has been associated with female empowerment, LGBTQ+ and, believe it or not, football matches.

“I Will Survive” was originally recorded as the flipside to “Substitute”, but Gloria was convinced the song was a hit and tried to persuade her record company, Polydor, to release it as the topside. They refused. All wasn’t lost though. Gloria’s husband took the single to New York’s groundbreaking Studio 54 where the DJs were all over it like a rash. Other DJs and radio stations then jumped on the bandwagon which led to Polydor flipping the single.

From then on “I Will Survive” swept across the world, with Gloria singing about the discovery of her

personal strength following a devastating breakup. Written by two ex-Motown writers, Freddie Perren and Dino Fekaris, the song remained unrecorded for at least two years as no suitable singer was available. When the couple was asked to work with Gloria, they immediately knew they had hit gold. Handing her the lyrics scribbled on a sheet of paper, Gloria immediately recognised the song’s hit potential. She recorded her vocals wearing a neck brace, having just had surgery following a fall at a concert. This injury and a recent bereavement made Gloria identify with the lyrics of the song. “That’s why I was able to sing the song with so much conviction” she said.

“I Will Survive” topped singles charts across the world, including the UK in March 1979, which resulted in Gloria performing five sell out nights at the London Palladium a month later. During one of her performances she was presented with a gold disc for UK sales in excess of 100,000, an achievement replicated across the world. “’I Will Survive’ is still in demand nearly twenty years later” she wrote in her 1995 autobiography titled after the single. “People just won’t forget it.” Not only did the song win the 1980 Grammy Award for Best Disco Recording, it has been remixed more times than she can remember, and remains, of course, a karaoke favourite.

“People all over the world have taken “I Will Survive” to their hearts. As for me, I’ve seen the world with it.”

Sharon Davis www.radio-illumini.com

Planting season is in full swing. We have everything you need to brighten up your garden!

SUMMER FLOWERING BULBS

Get prepared for those warmer months ahead and get planting. You won't regret it when your garden is bursting with colour this Summer. Huge range of bulbs available in store.

GROW YOUR OWN

It's peak veggie growing season. We're now fully stocked with vegetable plants, seeds and all the tools to equip you with growing your crops.

BEDDING PLANTS & TREES

Spring brings an abundance of bedding plants, perfect for creating your hanging baskets or containers. We stock a wide range of bedding varieties along with ready-made hanging baskets. Our European tree range is popular and will enhance any outdoor space.

Enjoy 2 for 1

Breakfast at the

Bakehouse Kitchen!

MON - FRI 9AM - 11 AM

Stone Cross Shop

Dittons Road, Stone Cross Pevensey, BN24 5ET 01323 488188

EQUESTRIAN FEED & BEDDING NEW IN!

We have just launched a new equestrian feed & bedding shop. Fully stocked with all your horse's favourite brands. Deliveries are also available on request.

Hailsham Spring Market

Final plans are being made by the Town Council for the first-ever Hailsham Spring Market, which will take place in Vicarage Field on Saturday 11th March from 8.30am to 2pm, and organisers of the event are confident that it will be a great shopping event, offering something for everyone.

Vicarage Field will be home to a range of street market stalls selling locally sourced food, as well as gifts and accessories. Confirmed traders at the time of writing include the following:

• Lou’s Unique Crochet (Crochet items)

• The Sweet Man (Confectionery)

• Ace Knits & Bits (Wool and knitting accessories)

• One of a Kind (Handmade children’s clothing and accessories)

• Tranquil Treasures GB (Handmade jewellery)

• The Jam Lady (Jams and preserves)

• Friends & Co (Homeware and homemade gifts)

• Mini Mouthfuls (Homemade fudge)

• Kayz Crystals (Healing crystals)

• Simply Sussex Produce (Personalised hampers and gifts)

There will also be information stalls from Christchurch and Garden Guardians.

The Hailsham Spring Market will coincide with ‘Streets of Hailsham’ which also takes place in Vicarage Field and Hailsham High Street on 11th March, from 11.30am-2.30pm. The event, which has come about via Government funding

secured by Wealden District Council, will feature entertainment including Show Globe’s ‘Sea Sphere’ (gliding during its performances to interact with the public), shopping trolley dance display team Granny Turismo and world-famous street theatre puppet act Hodman & Sally, courtesy of The Flying Buttresses.

Also taking place on the same day will be Hailsham Farmers’ Market, taking place at the Livestock Market site and offering a variety of stalls and local produce, including meat and game, fruit and vegetables, plants, baked items, honey and free-range eggs.

“Residents and visitors can expect everything from the finest food and gifts on sale on the day at both the Town Council’s Spring Market and Hailsham Farmers’ Market, in addition to some amazing street entertainment as part of the Streets of Hailsham event” said Mickey Caira, Deputy Town Clerk & Business Enterprise Manager. “Our market events attract traders and visitors from across the region and our forthcoming Spring Market will be no exception, especially as it’s coinciding with the other two event attractions!”

“Whilst there are further arrangements to be made, we are confident that the day’s market and street entertainment offerings will be well received by the public and provide fun for everyone.”

“As organisers of Hailsham Street Market and other specialist market events throughout the year, the Town Council’s main aim is to work with partner organisations to establish community led festivities, all of which benefit the residents of Hailsham whilst supporting local traders and increasing the footfall in the town on event days.”

Holding Water Companies To Account

Wealden always looks stunning with a bit of snow in the morning, but unfortunately, the end of last year exposed vulnerabilities in our infrastructure. When the icy spell hit in December, leaky or burst pipes meant that South East Water (SEW) reservoirs in the Tunbridge Wells area were drained of their necessary capacity and unfortunately, this resulted in many homes in Eridge, Crowborough, Mayfield, and Wadhurst areas losing water for several days.

Running up to Christmas, I had many angry exchanges with SEW staff including the Chief Executive every day of the outage, and I could not get any sensible response, especially with regards to when water would be returned and what additional support was being provided to vulnerable residents, who were my priority. SEW inflicted unnecessary distress on so many local residents at a time when many families were preparing for Christmas, and I recognise the strength of feeling on the failure of their service locally.

I have been campaigning for full financial compensation and for many it has been forthcoming, but I was most concerned by reports that some residents have either not received compensation or have been told that they were not eligible for it. To assess the scale of this problem, I launched a dedicated platform on my website to gather evidence, and I was shocked to receive several hundred submissions. Please know that I have secured a further meeting with SEW, where I will use this data to push for compensation for all affected customers without delay.

Further south in Wealden, residents of Hailsham and Hellingly faced the opposite problem in January, when heavy rainfall resulted in severe flooding and sewage discharges into people’s gardens. Getting a response from Southern Water and the Environment Agency has been appalling. I was regularly updated by the Parish Council that they were unable to obtain a response either, so I convened a meeting with representatives of the Parish Council, Wealden District Council, East Sussex County Council, East Sussex Highways and Southern Water directly on site in Hellingly to hold the water company and the Environment Agency to account.

I share everyone’s frustration at the lack of planning and the speed of response when such disruptive events take place in Wealden. It is clear that SEW and Southern Water just aren’t investing enough in their infrastructure and have a resilience problem. While severe weather conditions may be an explanation for the disruptions, this is not an acceptable excuse, and I am again incredibly disappointed that lessons do not appear to have been learnt.

I appreciate the misery that both the water outage and the flooding have caused to many households in the constituency. Please be assured that I am pursuing both matters further and will continue to push for more funding for critical infrastructure, better performance and response rate from these companies, and for regular updates on resilience and future planning with local communities.

Designer, writer and television presenter, Kevin McCloud leapt into our consciousness with his vastly successful Grand Designs show on Channel 4. This month, the affable architectural business owner talks about his love of modernism in interior design.

I often get people asking me why so many of the build projects on Grand Designs end up being decorated in a modernism style, with sharp lines, slick surfaces, uncomplicated decorative features and a view to celebrate space and light.

The answer to this comes not in the contents of a house, but its exterior. Simply, it follows that the architectural design of a building will often be mirrored by the interior design within it; and while developers may regularly seek to replicate Georgian or Victorian designs styles, most newbuilds still celebrate straight lines, clean shapes and hard edges. Aside from anything else, the build requirements are much easier!

Certainly, with people whose journeys we have followed on Grand Designs, this is very much the trend, although the advent of modernism in home furnishings was something that really took off towards the end of the 19th century. In essence, it was a rebellious response to the years of floral, ornate, elaborate, elegant and largely curved, flowery styles that had patterned so much of people’s lives.

In modernism the modus operandum became creating something that much more straightforward.

Within this, overuse of was discouraged, while the invitation was laid out to embrace textures and textiles not previously considered homely – consider steel, concrete, large expanses of glass and other materials once thought of as cold and unwelcoming.

Where colour did prevail, this was to be bold and statement-giving, so perhaps blocks and slabs of shades adjacent to blacks, greys and whites.

Where did this all come from? Well, the Industrial Revolution had a lot to do with a more measured and practical approach to living, and these modernist statements extended to literature, art, music and more – countless areas where people were expressing a desire to rebel.

Although no end date for modernism has ever been noted, it’s perceived that post-modernism came into being in the late 1970s, and from there society has largely embraced a mass of contrasting and conflicting styles in elegant harmony. Yet modernist architecture has never gone away, and speaking personally, I love the perfection of modernism in interior design – its flow, simplicity, practicality and function.

Spring tree care tips from the experts

against such use on the label.The same herbicides that kill dandelions can affect trees if they are not applied properly.

Fertilise your trees and shrubs as part of your normal annual program and finally, weed beds, cut back perennials and trim Autumn flowering shrubs as appropriate.

As our gardens start to come alive again after a long winter, the experts from Town and Country Tree Services highlights some essential jobs you can be doing as we approach Spring.

Check over your trees for any damage that may have occurred over the winter months, and in addition check mulch to see if additional material needs to be added. Ideally the mulch should be 3-4 inches deep. Pests and diseases become more active during the spring months, so check your trees and shrubs regularly for any signs of past activity.

If the spring weather is particularly dry, it is a good idea to water your trees and shrubs when necessary. Water uptake is critical during leaf and shoot development.

Avoid using herbicides beneath trees that warn

knowledge of the industry. The team has years of experience working for numerous commercial and domestic clients.

Customer satisfaction is key to its business, so they ensure the highest standards of work at a highly competitive and reasonable rate.

For further information please contact Sam Spiers

T: 01323 441038 M: 07812 910957

E: townandcountrytrees@hotmail.co.uk

W: townandcountrytreeservices.co.uk

Hellingly Hospital Railway

In an earlier edition I wrote about Hellingly Hospital. In that article I devoted a single paragraph to the Hospital Railway. However, it did seem that this rather unique railway was worthy of further investigation.

Part of the contract to build Hellingly Hospital was for the builders, Messers Joseph Howe & Co. of Whitby Street, West Hartlepool to construct, at their own expense, a tramway connecting the Asylum with Hellingly station which was on the London Brighton & South Coast Railway (LBSCR). The line to the hospital was authorised by the LBSCR on condition that East Sussex Council paid the cost, estimated at £1,700. The railway was originally used to carry materials for the construction of the hospital. However it was not until the building works were completed in 1902 that

the decision was taken to electrify the railway using electricity from the hospitals own power plant. The line was provided with overhead cable wire supported on cast iron single armed trolley poles which we sited alongside the line from the sidings at Hellingly station to the power plant at the hospital. The installation of the new electric system was undertaken by Messers Robert W Blackwell & Co. of City Road, London. The electric locomotive was capable of pulling two loaded coal wagons plus a 12 person passenger car. At Hellingly station a small wooden island platform was provided chained off from the main line and the railway was opened to passengers, on 20 July 1903

The line was about 1¼ miles long, and whilst it was largely built on private land, it had to cross two public

Hellingly Station in the early 20th century, showing the wooden platform before it was shortened

Looking north east towards the hospital from near Park House Siding. August 22nd 1957. H. R. Stones

roads in quick succession, Park Road and New Road, for which the relevant permission had to be obtained. Both these crossings had a single iron gate. Once the line had entered the hospital grounds it continued to run alongside the drive leading up to the hospital buildings. As it approached the hospital, the line split; the southern fork led to a siding to the north-west of the hospital, while the other turned sharply east and south through almost 180° before splitting again. One fork ran into a large workshop and the other led to a short platform, which was initially used for passengers. Because the railway depended on the needs of the hospital there was no regular timetable. In addition to coal other bulky items were transported by the railway e.g. potatoes.There were no signals on the line and all the points were operated by hand. When the locomotive arrived at the level crossings driver’s mate would leave the train and stop any approaching traffic on the road with a red flag then sprint across to the second crossing and then rejoin the driver.

In 1923 the London Brighton & South Coast Railway became part of the newly formed Southern Railway. Also, at this time the length of the platform was reduced. As the years passed the passenger traffic numbers began to decline and in 1931 it was decided that this service was no longer needed. However the freight service was retained. The passenger car body was removed and taken to the hospital. An awning was fitted and it served as a sports pavilion for many years. Two years later, in 1933 the small wooded platform at Hellingly station was removed.

When war broke out in 1939, it was suggested that the line might be used for ambulance trains to carry war service casualties direct to the hospital. However Southern Railways engineers inspected the line it was decided that the track was built for lightweight locomotives and was therefore not suitable. After the war the 1948 National Health Act was passed and responsibility for the hospital was transferred to the Hailsham Hospitals Management Committee. However this had no noticeable effect on the railway which continued to provide its regular freight duties. However in the late 1950s the Management Committee decided too convert the hospital boilers from coal to oil and this effectively meant the railway would become redundant. By this time the traffic was reduced to about one train per day. The last loaded coal wagon left Hellingly station for the hospital on 10 March 1959.

The line was finally lifted in the early 1960s. However just before this happened the Management Committee were contacted by a railway society in Yorkshire asking that the line should be sold for use as a museum. Regrettably, this request was not considered practical and therefore was rejected. The locomotive was quickly disposed of. Meanwhile the fittings and cables etc., were bought by H. Ripley & Co. scrap metal merchants, who are of course still in business in the town.

The same ‘Special’ train in the station yard at Hellingly having just arrived from the hospital April 4th 1959. Peter Hay

The body of the former electric passenger car on the hospital sports ground where it was used as a sports pavilion. April 4th 1959.

A.E. Bennett

St. James’s Place 2022 Chartered Planner of the Yearyour

Matthew Sellens of Crown Wealth Consultants has been named St. James’s Place 2022 Chartered Planner of the Year at the 6thAnnual Chartered Symposium, taking place in London yesterday and marking the first all inperson Symposium since 2020.

Matthew was one of five finalists shortlisted for the award which recognises an individual who has raised professional standards and demonstrated a commitment to their profession and to their clients within their area of expertise.

Having started his career in financial planning in 1996, Matthew has more than 25 years of experience in the financial advice industry having established Crown Wealth Consultants, an SJP Partner Practice, in 2009.

Commenting on the award, Matthew Sellens said: “I am delighted to be named this year’s St. James’s Place Chartered Planner of the Year and feel honoured to have been recognised for my commitment and service to my clients. After more than 25 years in the industry, reaching this milestone is a significant achievement and I would like to thank my dedicated team and clients for making it possible.”

A new award category was also unveiled at the 6th annual symposium with Zoe Taylor of Lawrence Neil Wealth Management named as the firm’s 2022 Vulnerability Champion. This award recognises an individual who has demonstrated a passion for supporting clients with vulnerable circumstances. Meanwhile, Sajmira Ciarns, PFP Wealth Group, is named St. James’s Place 2022 Paraplanner of the Year and de Mellow & Co Wealth Management is awarded St. James’s Place 2022 Chartered Firm of the Year.

Edward Grant, director responsible for professional development at St. James’s Place, commented: “These awards allow us to reflect on and celebrate the high level of service our Partners provide to their clients and

showcases the range of talent within our Partnership. All four of our winners should be proud of what they have achieved in their careers to date.

“At SJP, we are committed to the ongoing development of all our Partnership. Six years on, we are delighted to be able to grow and expand our awards to showcase the breadth of expertise of within the SJP Partnership, in serving clients and improving the quality of advice available in the UK at a time where the role of advisers is more important than ever.”

Chartered at St. James’s Place

As one of the UK’s leading providers of financial advice, St. James’s Place is committed to maintaining the highest professional standards across the financial advice industry and ensuring clients have access to industry leading knowledge and expertise. Demonstrating this commitment, St. James’s Place has developed an extensive programme of support to help its representatives in achieving Chartered status and has created and supported the development of new initiatives available to the Group’s Partnership and staff.

Over 25% of St. James’s Place Partners and advisers now hold a Chartered title awarded by one of the professional bodies, including Chartered Financial Planner, Chartered Wealth Manager, Chartered Associate and Chartered Financial Analyst.

News from the farm

The Moo Man premiered Ten Years Ago!

In January 2013, The Moo Man had its world premiere at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival It was an amazing time! The Moo Man is a 90-minute documentary film by Trufflepig Films. Film makers Andy and Heike live in Scotland now, but in 2008 they lived locally and had Hook and Son milk delivered to their home. When one of them had a birthday, the other one organised a birthday surprise. This particular year, Heike, who loved the cow stories on the back of the milk bottles, phoned Steve, and asked if she could bring Andy to the farm for his birthday treat. They thoroughly enjoyed the story of the farm, and unbeknown to Steve, once back in their car, they both looked at each other and said, “this has got to be our next film!” A few days later, they phoned and asked if they could come out to the farm as they had a proposition they wanted to put to Hailsham’s only remaining dairy farmers. Phil and Steve couldn’t work out what on earth two milk doorstep delivery customers would propose! A couple of days later, Heike and Andy were sitting in the farmhouse kitchen, and introduced themselves

as independent film makers. They asked if they could make a film about the farm. The image of the dairy industry wasn’t very good, and Andy and Heike wanted to make a film about the industry. Not one showing the worst of the industry, but one that showed what dairy farming can be, and what we’re in danger of losing. Phil and Steve felt it would be fine and agreed to the filming.

They had no idea how good Andy and Heike were at filmmaking. There wasn’t any plan other than to film events on the farm as they happened. Steve would phone Andy when the vet was coming out to look at a cow. He would tell Andy what he and the vet were going to do with Ida the cow, and where it would be best for 6ft 7 Andy with shoulder mounted camera to stand. Andy would let us know when he was ready to film. He had to get the sound, light and framing the shot right all in one go, as we couldn’t ask Ida to do it again!

By September 2012, Andy and Heike had spent three years filming and one year editing, reducing 150hrs of footage down to a beautiful 90 minute film. As independent film makers, they were pretty broke. That autumn, they had the choice of filling their car up for £75, or submitting their new film to The Sundance knowing there was only a one in twelve thousand chance of getting in. They took the risk. In early December at two in the morning they had a phone call from the US, to congratulate them, The Moo Man had been selected in the final ten films in the world documentary film competition! Six weeks later, Andy and Heike, Phil and Steve were flown out to Park City,

Utah. The experience as two dairy farmers from the Pevensey Levels had at the world’s biggest independent film festival was amazing….too many stories to tell here!

As well as its success at The Sundance, The Moo Man had its European premiere at the Berlinale Film Festival, and UK premiere at the 02 in London. However, the real premiere took place at the wonderful Pavilion cinema in Hailsham, with one of the film’s stars, Ration the cow, on the red carpet in George Street! It then went on to be shown at over 100 cinemas in the UK, appeared on Film4, and also other film festivals around the world including the Food and Wine Festival in Melbourne. In 2014, it was shown by the United Nations in Brussels as part of the UN Year of the Family Farm, with Steve and Claire speaking to an audience of over 300 that included politicians, journalists, students. If you haven’t seen the film, you can currently download it on Amazon Prime and YouTube. It’s a great way to see our farm, how we look after our cows and where your milk comes from!

If you would like to try any of the farms produce or go onto our milk delivery round service, or even if you would like to work for Hook and Son, please contact the office on

Greenfingers… The Alan Titchmarsh Column

He’s a brilliant presenter, accomplished gardener, talented novelist, and all-round horticultural inspiration. This month, Alan Titchmarsh discusses the uniqueness and the survival of our gardens.

I always try to impress on people the fact that whether your garden is some elaborate flourish of colour and texture and shape, or just a bit of grass and some simple shrubbery, absolutely everything about it is unique.

After all, that space has its own unique history - for some, the flowers in it are a present; they may even

come from another country; they might remind us of a special occasion or an event or story. We may just have spotted them in the garden centre and gone from there.

The point is everything we have is full of memories and stories. The things we put in our gardens remind

us of times in our lives, and when that garden is in full colour and full blossom in May, or in its full richness in autumn, or at some other point in the year, it creates and stimulates memories.

After all, gardening is private – it’s intimate. Simply decide what you’d like to grow – perhaps something you want to eat, or smell, or just look at. Buy the seeds and do it. Don’t even worry about the process, just try it out.

When it succeeds, do it again; and most importantly, when it fails, do it again too!

Gennaro Contaldo’s Easter Leg of Lamb

When it comes to Easter feasts, you can always look to Italy for a sublime celebration of food, family and faith. This recipe for Gennaro Contaldo’s Easter leg of lamb is the perfect dish to serve to your extended brood over the long weekend.

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/ gas mark 6. Slash the lamb with a sharp knife and rub all over with salt, pepper and a little extra virgin olive oil. Push half the olives and four anchovies into the slashes. Place in a roasting dish together with wine, garlic, shallots, rosemary and remaining anchovies.

2. Reduce the oven temperature to 150°C/gas mark 2 and roast

Top Tip

the lamb for 1 hour 30 minutes. If necessary, cover with tin foil halfway through cooking. Baste throughout and if necessary, add a glass of hot water.

3. About 10 minutes before the end of cooking time, add the peas.

4. Remove from the oven, leave to rest for 5 minutes, place on a board, carve and serve with the vegetables and juices.

Ingredients

(serves 4)

1.2kg leg of lamb

Salt & pepper

Sprig of rosemary

A little extra virgin olive oil

150ml white wine

300g baby onions or shallots

100g black olives, pitted

8 x anchovy fillets, roughly chopped

2 x garlic cloves, left whole, crushed

320g fresh or frozen peas

• If using fresh peas be sure to weigh them after they have been shelled and cleaned.

• Keep an eye on your lamb while it is in the oven to ensure it doesn’t dry out. Resting is also essential to maintaining the tenderness and moistness of your meat.

–Charles M. Schulz

Hailsham Bowling Club

Celebrating 100 years!

Hailsham Bowling Club is celebrating being 100 years old this year. It opened in 1923 and the club has occupied two different sites in the town of Hailsham. The first being in a position now occupied by Asda supermarket and then in 1987 moved to behind the Freedom Leisure Centre, where the club currently resides.

The bowls club, which has a membership of 80, is looking forward to celebrating its Centenary and has many special events lined up when the season begins on 15th April 2023. The Mayor of Hailsham will be on hand to bowl the first wood of the season. If he does it well, he will receive a special Centenary pen, which has been commissioned by the club to be distributed to every visiting bowler.

Throughout the year some of the members will dress in attire worn by bowlers in 1923. The ladies with long dresses and wide brimmed hats, will contrast the men who will wear ties, waistcoat and jackets with flat caps or boaters. This was the style way back when. A Centenary match will be played in this manner on 4th June with a 1923 team playing in their outfits and the 2023 side in up-to-date whites, including a brandnew club shirt which has been specially designed for the centenary year and sponsored by Abbots Wood Care Home in London Road.

We will hold two recruitment days during the early part of the season, where we invite the public to come and have a go at the art of bowling a wood towards a jack. A wonderful sport for all ages & abilities.

It is with great pleasure that we can announce a special visit from the Royal Chelsea Hospital Bowls Club. Yes! The Chelsea Pensioners with their wonderful uniforms will be gracing our green in a

match on Wednesday 14th June.

There will be a Centenary Cup competition during the season in the form of a mixed tripples league. All the teams will be named after bowling terms such as the “Jacks”, “Skips”, “Pushers”, “Ditchers” and many more. This is a special event for our Centenary.

Early in July we will be testing club members brain power with a Centenary quiz, one hundred questions on a wide range of subjects, will be the order of the evening at the Charles Hunt Centre.

In August we will welcome teams from other clubs around Sussex to our annual mixed triples Invitation Day. This is always a very popular event that attracts the cream of Sussex bowlers to Hailsham Bowling club. This year we will add a bit of 1923 to the proceedings.

As the end of our Centenary season approaches in September, some of our more traditional events take place. Candlelit Bowls night, where we play bowls in the dark and is always good fun! Presidents Charity Fun Day, which will be open to the public this year for the first time, which gives us a change to support local causes and introduce folks to the pleasure of bowling, as well as a bit of putting and croquet. Watch this space!

Finally in October, our centenary year will conclude with a Gala dinner & ball, where members and guests can dance the night away and perhaps reflect on the work done during the season to celebrate 100 years of bowling in Hailsham.

For more information, please contact our chairperson, Bobby Bennett on:- chair.hailshambc@gmail.com

All aspects of plumbing & heating works carried out

• BOILER BREAKDOWN SPECIALISTS

• CENTRAL HEATING INSTALLATION SERVICE & SYSTEM DESIGN

• BOILER REPLACEMENTS

• HOT & COLD WATER TANK REPLACEMENTS (vented & unvented)

• TOILET & TAP REPAIRS AND INSTALLATION

• FULL BATHROOM INSTALLATIONS

BOILER SERVICING

Full strip down service on all gas fired central heating boilers

Condensing and Non Condensing new and old . £70.00

LANDLORD/ HOMEOWNER GAS SAFETY CERTIFICATES

Up to and including three appliances

£70 .00

LANDLORD/ HOMEOWNER GAS SAFETY CERTIFICATE WITH SERVICE

£80.00

No call out charge