Village Tweet - February 2023

LIFE IS FULL OF IMPORTANT CHOICES…. AND THE SAME IS TRUE OF YOUR FINANCES

Have you considered:

• how soon you will be able to retire, and if your plans will your fund your lifestyle?

• other options, if you are disappointed with the interest rates on your savings?

Here at NFU Mutual, we believe that everyone can benefit from taking financial advice and making a financial plan. That’s why we aim to make it easy to understand and accessible for everyone.

For a real conversation about your plans, call the team at Chichester & Horsham Agency on 01273 031898 or email ChichesterandHorsham@nfumutual.co.uk

NFU Mutual Financial Advisers advise on NFU Mutual products and selected products from specialist providers. When you get in touch, we’ll explain the advice services offered and the charges. Financial Advice is provided by NFU Mutual Select Investments Limited.

Chatan A Modi is an appointed representative of The National Farmers Union Mutual Insurance Society Limited (No. 111982). And an introducer to NFU Mutual Select Investments Limited, a member of the NFU Mutual group of companies.

A&R Cars – not just another taxi company

A&R Cars Sussex was started one year ago by Arlindo and Ricardo, two close friends from the Billingshurst area who realised there was a need for a highly professional, friendly and customer focused private hire/taxi company.

With many years in the passenger group travel and customer service travel industry we decided to start our own business to provide that quality service we felt the area needed.

After our first year of trading we are extremely proud that so many local customers use us and recommend us to their friends, family and work colleagues and companies. Our reviews on Google and Facebook speak for themselves.

We operate luxury cars and 8-seater minibuses so luggage space is never a problem – whether travelling away on holiday or visiting friends or taking advantage of a big shopping trip we can accommodate you.

We also have our own dedicated trailer either for even more luggage or special events like

Tel: (01403) 610247

www.aandrcarssussex.co.uk

Email: info@aandrcarssussex.co.uk

Goodwood, Ascot, etc, where we can take all your picnic requirements or maybe your company needs to take staff and exhibition materials. A&R Cars can help.

At A&R Cars special events are our expertise and we pride ourselves on tailoring your travel needs, whether you wish us to dress up our vehicles for weddings with all the ribbons and bunting or you would like a comprehensive chauffeur service for those special days. We offer bespoke prices for days out where you may wish to go shopping then onto a restaurant and finish at a show or music event. Our drivers will take you to all locations and then return you back home at the end of the day.

All our drivers have Enhanced DBS and have undertaken full Safeguarding courses. We are regularly engaged to take children and young adults to and from schools and colleges.

A&R Cars – not just another taxi company. We are your local taxi company

A company with local & national capability

• Luxury cars & 8-seater minibuses to all UK airports & ferry terminals

• West Sussex and all surounding areas

• Competitive rates

• Immaculately clean vehicles, a joy to travel in

• Weddings, Sporting & Music events

• Private and Business trips

To celebrate our 1st anniversary and to thank our customers, we are offering a prize draw

‘Like’, ‘comment’ or ‘share’ your A&R Cars experience on Facebook and Google throughout January & February and you will be entered in the draw for the following prizes: £125, £75 and £50 vouchers for either the full cost or towards the cost of a one-off hire

A&R Cars – not just another taxi company. We are your local taxi company

Unconditional love – the greatest treasure

What would you consider to be your most treasured possession? It might be a piece of jewellery handed down through the family. Perhaps an autograph of a famous sportsperson. The first drawing your child drew at pre-school. A letter written by someone you love. The list will be as long as the individuals reading this article.

In treasuring there is a sense of being held dear, protected, and valued beyond measure. Many of us have experienced the gift of being treasured as a person. A sense of unconditional love that makes us feel deeply valued and cherished. For others there can still be the wait for another to treat us in that way.

The Bible paints a picture of a God who

treasures us in a way that is so deep and powerful. We are known to him as individuals and held in eternal love that none can separate us from.

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life,… neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Bible: Romans 8:38-39 – New International version

As we reflect on how we focus on all that we treasure we may find our hearts seeking that heavenly love that puts us at the centre.

Rates: www.villagetweet.co.uk

Village Tweet Quick Crossword Solution on page

8

Raspberry Tartlets

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C Fan/Gas 6.

2. To make the pastry, rub the flour, icing sugar and butter together until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Or place the flour, icing sugar and butter in a food processor and pulse. Then add the egg and combine until the mixture forms a ball.

3. Place the dough on to a floured surface. Roll it out. Cut eight rounds big enough to line the base and sides of the tins. Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.

4. To bake blind, prick the pastry bases, line the tins with baking parchment, fill with baking beans and bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the beans and paper and return the bases to the oven for 5 minutes, until cooked and a pale golden-brown. Leave to cool.

5. To make the crème pâtissière, place the milk and vanilla in a saucepan. Heat until the milk it is just scalded (just on the point of boiling).

6. Place the sugar, flour and egg in a mixing bowl and whisk. Pour in half the hot milk and whisk until smooth. Pour in the remaining hot milk.

7. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over a low heat, stirring all the time, until the custard becomes very thick.

8. Pour into a bowl, allow to cool then cover with clingfilm and chill in the fridge until cold. Once cold, pour in the double cream, whisking constantly. Spoon this crème pâtissière into the tart cases and return to the fridge to chill.

9. To make the glaze, heat the jam in a saucepan with a tablespoon of water and whisk to combine. Strain the liquid through a sieve into a small bowl. Arrange the raspberries to stand upright on the crème pâtissière then brush the warm glaze over the top.

Preparation time: 1-2 hours. Cooking time: 10-30 minutes. Serves: 8

INGREDIENTS

Pastry

175g plain flour, plus extra for dusting

2 tbsp icing sugar

100g butter, chilled, cut into small pieces

1 egg, beaten

Crème Pâtissière

150ml whole milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

25g caster sugar

25g plain flour

1 free-range egg

75ml double cream

Raspberry Topping

4 tbsp raspberry jam

450g raspberries

You will need 8 small 10cm loose-bottomed metal tart tins and some baking beans

Mac’s Private Hire

Mac’s Private Hire

Village Tweet Quick Crossword Solution

24 hours a day – 7 days a week

01403 701 842

24 hours a day – 7 days a week 01403 701 842 07917 850 746

07917 850 746

Puzzle on page 7

Airports - Social & Business - Lady Driver Available

Airports - Social & Business - Lady Driver Available

Wisborough Green Based

Wisborough Green Based

Across: 1, CHEAP. 6, SAILS. 9, TITANIC. 10, ABATE. 11, MIRTH. 12, TEPID. 13, WORRIES. 15, SAP. 17, OBOE. 18, CAJOLE. 19, PRIOR. 20, ARTERY. 22, MIST. 24, NEE. 25, DEDUCES. 26, ETHER. 27, COUPE. 28, RAFTS. 29, EXHIBIT. 30, BERET. 31, MELTS. Down: 2, HOBNOB. 3, ATTIRE. 4, PIE. 5, HATES. 6, SIMILAR. 7, ACID. 8, LETHAL. 12, TERRY. 13, WOMAN. 14, ROUTE. 15, SONIC. 16, PESTS. 18, COVER. 19, PRETEXT. 21 REMOTE. 22, MUTATE. 23, SEPTET. 25, DEVIL. 26, EPEE. 28, RIM.

Indulge yourself with these exquisite mini desserts

New owners welcome you to The Six Bells

As former Billingshurst residents, Will and Michelle moved out of the town having taken over their first pub The Cowdray Arms in 2020. However, they decided to take the plunge and take ownership of one of their former favourite pubs, and in July 2022 they became the proud new owners of The Six Bells.

Since taking over, they have been working incredibly hard behind the scenes to ensure The Six Bells remains as one of Billingshurst’s favourite venues, such as fully upgrading the existing kitchen and designing a brand new menu. They also bought in Head Chef Richard, who has worked with Will and Michelle at their sister pub, and has bought with him a monumental amount of talent, experience and expertise to put his own stamp on the Six Bells’ new extensive menu. Over the year, expect to see some fantastic specials available,

as well as regular seasonal changes to the main menu.

General manager Stan has years of experience working in the pub trade, and after working at The Cowdray Arms for over five years he has decided to relocate to The Six Bells. Stan is well versed in many areas, and will be happy to assist with any enquiries you may have, and can help with booking the venue for parties, wakes, and all special occasions that you may want to celebrate or commemorate at The Six Bells.

Will, Michelle and the team look forward to welcoming you all to their fantastic venue, and they wish all their new, existing and returning customers a Happy New Year.

To contact the team at The Six Bells, please call (01403) 782124 or email gm@thesixbellsbillingshurst.uk for any enquiries you may have.

A Brief History of the Potato Crisp

My teenage son wandered into the kitchen and opened a bag of crisps. He sniffed the contents appreciatively. “Mmm… I wonder who invented crisps…” he said before popping one into his mouth and proffering the bag in my direction.

Good question, I thought.

The first reference I could find to something resembling the modern crisp was in a recipe book, The Cook’s Oracle, by William Kitchiner, published in 1817. Recipe 104 is titled ‘Potatoes fried in Slices or Shavings’. The author advises that they are, ‘… sprinkled with a very little salt.’ Kitchiner’s book was popular and sold well on both sides of the Atlantic. His sliced, fried potato recipe was referenced in many other recipe books and Kitchiner was something of a celebrity chef in his lifetime. He was also an optician, and an amateur musician! A man of many talents.

In 1910 Mr and Mrs Mikesell were running a small business in Dayton, Ohio, selling dried beef and sausages. They acquired some equipment for making potato crisps (called chips in the US) and the Mikesell’s Potato Chip Company was born. They still claim to be the oldest commercial potato crisp (chip) company on record.

It took a decade for the idea of crisps to reach the UK, and again it was a husband-and-wife team at the forefront, running their small business out of a west London garage. Frank Smith and his wife cut, fried and packaged

potatoes which they sold in the Cricklewood Crown pub next door, in greaseproof paper bags. Initially they provided salt shakers for the patrons to season their crisps but they were always being stolen, so Frank came up with the idea of providing a small blue sachet of salt instead, and in doing so, invented Salt and Shake crisps. The crunchy salty snack proved a big hit, and the Smiths were so successful that in 1927, Frank was able to set up a factory in Brentford’s Golden Mile, and expand the business.

Salt was the only seasoning available until Joe ‘Spud’ Murphy came along. He owned the Irish crisps company Tayto, and in the 1950s, his team developed the technology to add seasoning during manufacture. The very first commercial flavour was Cheese & Onion, launched in 1954. Companies worldwide quickly sought to buy the rights to Tayto’s technique and a few years later Salt & Vinegar crisps became available. Today, in spite of the hundreds of flavours available, Ready Salted, Cheese & Onion and Salt & Vinegar are still the most popular flavours. In the US the first flavoured crisps to emerge were barbecue flavour, and no other flavours were available until the 1970s.

Today in the UK crisps are one of our most popular and well-loved savoury snacks, and approximately 140,000 tonnes of crisps are sold each year.

Happy munching!

Sarah Davey

The Food of Love

The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach right? So I decided to cook up some culinary love magic for my boyfriend this Valentine’s day, but what to choose?

He loves Japanese food so I consulted my Japanese food-loving friend Yui. She informed me that in Japan the puffer fish is considered to be a great delicacy and an aphrodisiac, but the kicker is that it contains a poisonous gland, so deadly it must be removed before eating! One mistake by the carefully trained chef and the food of love can become quite literally, a matter of life or death!

I thought a safer seafood option might be the oyster. A favourite with the Romans some oysters are able to change sex repeatedly and so are said to give you the ability to experience the male and female sides of love. Yui cheerfully imparted the ‘fun fact’ that at least 12,000 people a year in the UK develop food poisoning after consuming oysters, which kind of put me off a bit.

Pam Goldsmith, BEM

Macmillan Support Group’s Pam Goldsmith has been honoured in the New Years Honours List and will receive a BEM (British Empire Medal) for her fundraising.

Pam has spent nearly 27 years raising money for Macmillan Cancer Support after losing her husband to the disease. She first got involved with Macmillan after her husband Trevor died from cancer in 1996. It was a tough time but, she said, it helped her cope by feeling she was “putting something back”.

In 2022 the group raised £52,000 through their efforts in staging fundraising events such as film nights, farmers markets, quiz nights, stalls at fetes and a string of other events. “We cater for all sorts of things, making sandwiches, quiches and cakes for all sorts of events.” said Pam. “I’m always making cakes.”

Now she’s hoping she might meet King Charles when her award is presented in a ceremony later this year. “I was told there might be a garden party,” she said.

It won’t be the first time Pam has met royalty. She and Macmillan Support Group colleague Terri Ashpool were introduced to the monarch around four years ago when the then Prince of Wales staged a charity event. “There were about 300 of us and he spoke to every one of us,” said Pam. Terri

Ashpool

What about asparagus? The high levels of vitamin E are supposed to increase blood and oxygen flow to the genitals. It’s also full of potassium — which is linked to sex hormone production, and as a bonus it even has a somewhat phallic shape. Asparagus and hollandaise sauce was a winner surely. Yui (who I suspect does not care much for Valentine’s Day) tilted her head to one side, “You do know that the asparagusic acid in asparagus, breaks down into sulphur compounds, which make your urine smell revolting?’ Uh-oh, she was right.

In the end I settled on making chocolate mousse. Dark chocolate contains both a relaxing sedative that lowers inhibitions plus a stimulant to perk you up. My boyfriend is a chocoholic so I’m backing a winner and better still Yui didn’t point out any pitfalls… because I didn’t tell her what I was making!

Happy Valentine's Day.

Lucy Perkins

Judith Dandy

Independent Funeral Director

Dandelion Farewells warmly invites you to contact us if you have any questions about the funeral you need to arrange.

We are committed to enabling families to plan a funeral that is personal, meaningful and affordable. We will support you to create a farewell that is appropriate and unique, thereby taking away much of the strain of planning such a signi昀cant event. We will be with you every step of the way.

Church

Wisborough Green, West Sussex RH14 0DY

e: judith@dandelionfarewells.com

t: 01403 701001 m: 07769 336022

www.dandelionfarewells.com

Photo: in June 2021 Pam was presented with a 25 year award

View, Billingshurst Road

A Healthy Heart for Valentine’s Day

It’s that time of year when we think about who sets our heart a flutter, or who we will give our heart to. There are heart-covered cards in the shops, and heart-shaped boxes of chocolates. The heart is centre stage on 14th February. But to misquote a popular saying, ‘A heart is for life, not just for Valentine’s Day!’

Your heart works hard. It’s essential to pump nutrients and oxygen-rich blood to your whole body, as well as carry metabolic waste products away.

Most people think heart disease only affects older people but this isn’t true. The way you live while you’re young impacts your heart health in later life. Plaque can begin accumulating in your arteries in your teens and twenties. It comprises of fatty deposits, made up of waste products produced by the body’s cells. If plaque goes unchecked it can thicken the blood vessel walls, clog arteries and take a toll on your heart.

It’s commonly thought that heart disease is primarily a problem which affects men, but it’s also the second leading cause of death for women (after Alzheimer’s) in the UK, and about one in five of the deaths caused by coronary artery disease occur in adults, whether male and female, who are under 65 years old.

This means that whatever sex you are, making heart-healthy choices when you’re young will reduce your risk of heart disease as you age.

Ways to reduce the risk of heart disease include:

• Eating a healthy diet

• Regular exercise

• Maintaining a healthy weight

• Avoiding smoking (or giving up)

• Avoiding excess alcohol

• Managing stress levels.

It’s also important to keep up with regular wellness examinations including monitoring blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Most pharmacists can carry out these checks.

One myth about heart disease is that all fat is bad for you, but while certain types of fats like saturated and trans fats are linked to heart disease, other types of fats can actually lower your risk of problems.

Hence you should include some unsaturated fats in your diet, as they are beneficial in lowering cholesterol levels. Unsaturated fats are found in fresh nuts, olive oil, low-fat dairy products, and in fish rich in omega3 fatty acid-rich, such as salmon.

Genes also play a role when it comes to heart health. It’s true that some people will always be more at risk of heart disease because of genes they’ve inherited from their parents. But just because you have a genetic predisposition to heart disease does not mean that its inevitable you will succumb. However, if you engage in harmful behaviours, such as smoking, excessive drinking avoiding exercise, and eating an unhealthy diet, you will definitely put yourself more at risk. Poor lifestyle choices can increase your cholesterol levels, cause high blood pressure, and even result in type 2 diabetes.

All of these have the potential to increase your risk for contracting heart disease, so if you know you have genetic risk factors, it’s even more important to maintain a healthy weight, keep your blood pressure under control, and stay active.

This Valentine’s Day, ask yourself if whoever you choose to give your heart to, will be getting a healthy one!

Jamie Maxfield

Health Coaching at Meadows Wellbeing

Meadows Wellbeing in Billingshurst offers a calm and relaxing space to enjoy a full range of health and wellbeing treatments for everyone, at any age or stage of life, from babies and children upwards. Their team of specialist health professionals are dedicated to improving both your physical and emotional wellbeing, via a range of Osteopathic, Complementary and Alternative treatments and therapies.

Health Coach Sarah Malzer is a member of the growing team of specialists at Meadows Wellbeing and explains, “I work with my clients to promote healthy habits and equip them with the tools to start their journey towards absolute vitality. I help them to gain the right skills and confidence to approach health and wellbeing in a simple way and encourage them to take control of their health through easy to manage steps. This includes addressing nutrition, exercise, sleep, weight issues, stress, anxiety, gut health and immunity. The end result means they feel restored, balanced and energised.”

Meadows Wellbeing have added a Health Coach to their team to help people find the right balance in life, which is the key to sustaining long-term optimal health – to feel better and live well. Their Health Coaching package comprises three sessions that

includes a personalised, achievable health plan following a full analysis of health history, current diet, relationships, stress and family history, physical activity and health goals.

As well as Health Coaching, appointments are also available for Structural and Cranial Osteopathy for babies/children/adults, Counselling and Psychotherapy, Acupuncture, Chinese Herbal Medicine, Reflexology, Hypnotherapy, Foot Health Care, Sports Rehabilitation/Injury, Soft Tissue/Sports Massage and Swedish/Holistic Massage. There’s also Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Blood Flow Restriction Training, Aromatherapy Massage, Reiki, Indian Head Massage, Hot Stone Massage, Luxury Facials and Ear Wax Removal.

Meadows Wellbeing, 57 High Street, Billingshurst is open weekdays 9am-7pm and Saturday 9am-1pm. Please call (01403) 786081, email info@meadowswellbeing.com or visit www.meadowswellbeing.com to make an enquiry or to book an appointment. Gift vouchers are also available starting at £25. Follow on Facebook and Instagram @MeadowsWellbeing.

MEADOWS WELLBEING

Edith and Ellen Beck

What does the Women’s Hall mean to you? Perhaps the Billingshurst Dramatic Society? Children’s parties? Or like me, Brownies?

Whatever your relationship with the Women’s Hall I am sure that you, like me, have the photographs of two formidable-looking Edwardian women displayed in the Hall, Edith and Ellen Beck, etched in your memory. However, their conservative attire belies their radical beliefs, and, more importantly, their deeds…

Born in the mid-19th century, Ellen (b.1845) and Edith (b.1847) came from a family of Quakers, whose belief in equality brought them into the circles of some of the most influential reformers of the age, including those calling for votes for female emancipation. By 1903 the women’s movement split when the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) called for militant action, in response to the government’s failure to enact voting reform. The Misses Beck firmly pinned their colours to the banner of Mrs Pankhurst’s Suffragettes, believing that only radical action would secure the vote.

By the time the Suffragette campaign was in full-swing the Beck sisters were in their 60s. The notorious police

Stanley Room, Billingshurst Community Centre

First Wednesday of the month at 7.30pm

Wednesday 1st February 2023 at 7.30pm

Dr Anna Gosling talks hoarding...

Come and join us for a fascinating talk on a subject that affects lots of people both directly and indirectly.

Hoarding has come to the public’s awareness through a series of TV programmes.

Dr Anna Gosling is a Chartered Clinical Psychologist working both for the NHS and in her own private practice.

She will talk a little about her journey ‘into hoarding’, about what hoarding is and introduce a few simple tips to help with hoarding issues.

Free to members of the Billingshurst Beck WI or visitors £4 including refreshments. Contact us billingshurstbeckwi@wsfwi.co.uk

The WI provides women with fun and friendship, plus the chance to learn new skills, get involved within the community and take part in a wide range of activities.

brutality of November’s ‘Black Friday’ in 1910 saw Edith’s arrest outside Parliament with their friend, Katherine ‘Kitty’ Marshall, cementing their commitment to militancy, and although this was the only time one of the sisters ended up in custody, their run-ins with the law continued. As important landowners in the village, residing at Duncan’s Farm, the Misses Beck refused to pay taxes in 1911 and went on the run on census night. Following 1913’s ‘Cat and Mouse’ Act, their home provided refuge for at least one Suffragette.

The Becks probably suspended their action during WWI, and they would certainly have been among the minority of wealthy women who were given the vote in 1918. However, their commitment to the rights and welfare of women continued after the war, providing support for women’s hospitals and education as well as the Women’s Hall and Mother’s Garden. Their Quaker upbringing certainly informed their resolve, but also probably helps explain why their commitment to the cause went beyond political agitation, to improving the lives of local women and children.

Caroline Newell

Photos: Ellen (left) and Edith Beck, displayed in the Women’s Hall

Citizens Advice Outreach in the Horsham District

Citizens Advice now offers outreach advice throughout Horsham District, including in Pulborough, Storrington, Billinghurst, Henfield and Steyning. We can help if you’re worried about a problem including the cost of living, benefits, debt, housing, employment, family relationships and much more. We offer free, independent, confidential and impartial advice. We can help you work out whether you are entitled to any extra financial support. We can help with emergency support for essential costs such as food and heating. Come and talk to us at your local Outreach, where drop-ins and appointments are available. Centres nearest to you are at:

Pulborough Medical Centre

Alternate Tuesdays 10 till 12

(February dates 14th and 28th)

Billingshurst Library

Alternate Fridays 10 till 12

February dates 3rd and 17th)

Other centres listed on website. For more information: (01273) 944460

advicewestsussex.org.uk/ horsham-outreach-drop-ins

to help unpaid carers this winter

Billingshurst Schedule February

Godalming Operatic Society present The Pirates of Penzance – last few tickets! Join us for a matinee performance on Saturday 18th February departing

Run Barns Green launches new 5K race

Run Barns Green is launching a new 5K race for 2023. The inaugural 5K race will take place on the same day as the other races in the Run Barns Green portfolio, Sunday 24th September 2023.

Although the exact timings are still being finalised, it is likely that the new 5K race will start at 9.50am with the Half Marathon starting at 10.05am and the 10K race setting off at 10.25am. The Jennings Junior Jog will begin around 12.30pm.

This terrific village event first started in 1982 and last year celebrated its 40th anniversary For the first 34 years of the event there was only the Half Marathon race. In 2016 the 10K race distance was introduced and last year saw the inaugural Jennings Junior Jog for 4-11 year olds. Now in 2023 for the first time runners will have a 5K option to consider. The new race will enable even more money to be raised for various charities and once again this year Run Barns Green will be supporting St Catherine’s Hospice

Chairman of Run Barns Green, Nigel Currie commented, “The addition of the new 5K race means that we have added another exciting offering for runners and now means that we have races for all age groups. It was quite a logistical headache to work out the new race route

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and timings so as not to clash with our other races but we have come up with an ingenious solution and interesting new route for all those who want to have a go at the 5K distance. We are very excited about the new race and it will add to the noise and drama on race day and I’m sure will further add to the prestige and reputation of Run Barns Green”.

The three adult races follow routes on closed roads through through some of the most scenic countryside in West Sussex. The Half Marathon and 10K races also go through the magnificent grounds of Christ’s Hospital School and throughout the race routes there are live bands playing to encourage the runners. There is plenty of free parking, chip timing for each runner in the adult races and there are also pacemakers running who will help runners to achieve their target finish time and medals for all finishers.

The 2023 Run Barns Green will take place on 24th September and entries are already open via the website, as are details of how to enter: runbarnsgreen.org.uk.

Nigel Currie, Chairman,

Run Barns Green Committee

Photo: Start of last year’s 10K Race

CAGNE is your aviation community and environment organisation and is in need of a new committee member in your area!

CAGNE is always pleased to welcome new committee members from Sussex, Surrey and Kent, to help our committee with the ever increasing workload –from administration roles to planning, infrastructure and airspace. If you can offer some time and would like to be actively involved, please email cagnegatwick@gmail.com. We will also be looking for a new President this year as our long standing president retires in February. Find out more at www.cagne.org

HOSTS REQUIRED

For Japanese students from Saturday 27th May to Sunday 4th June 2023 (aged 10-15) and from Saturday 8th July to Sunday 15th July 2023 (aged 10-18). Minimum two students. Generous remuneration.

Please see our website www.rikkyo.co.uk for more information or call 01403 822107 Rikkyo School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening including references and Disclosure and Barring Service checks.

Cat Foster Carers Needed

Horsham & District Cats Protection:

In return for your time, commitment and TLC, Cats Protection will provide all you and your fostered cat will require:

• Charity approved cat cabin, food, litter & litter trays, etc.

• Veterinary treatment for Cats Protection cats and kittens

What are the benefits?

New skills, expand your knowledge in improving the lives of cats and kittens. You will also meet new people, make new friends and be part of a dedicated team of volunteers. For further information on indoor or outdoor fostering, email: volunteering@horsham.cats.org.uk

It's time to go behind the tape and discover...

The remarkable reality of life as a world leading forensic search and rescue expert

Available to buy now from Amazon

A Good Read

February’s selection from Grahame Pearson and Tash Donovan

What Lies Beneath – Peter Faulding

How do you become a human mole, a forensic genius with a bloodhound’s nose for clues?

Recovering bodies, finding discarded remains, identifying unmarked graves and saving people from locations and situations too dangerous for the normal emergency services are all in a day’s work for West Chiltington resident, Peter Faulding. So how did a boy with a love of unmapped systems of ancient disused mines under South-East England find himself, years later, as one of the UK’s most prolific coldcase forensic investigators?

In this gripping and remarkable memoir, Peter tells his extraordinary life story in fascinating detail. From removing environmental roads protesters from dangerous underground tunnels, including the infamous ‘Swampy’, at iconic protest sites, to the scenes of some of the UK’s most notorious crimes, he describes how he has developed into a highly regarded and highly skilled search specialist, whose job is to assist investigators and police as they search crime scenes and bring serial killers to justice.

For the first time, Peter gives new details on some of the country’s most harrowing murder cases, including that of serial killer Peter Tobin, April Jones, Nicola Payne and the search for Helen McCourt, sheds new light on mysterious deaths, including MI6 worker Gareth Williams; and details the incredible lengths he goes to, to help investigators.

Get ready to join Britain’s most extraordinary forensic search expert on his journey through deadly booby-trapped tunnel systems and into dark waters that hold horrific secrets, then onwards through uninviting crime scenes and into the minds of killers.

What Lies Beneath is available from 2nd February from Amazon.

The Midwife of Auschwitz – Anna Stuart Ana Kaminski is a midwife who is taken to Auschwitz with her young friend Ester Pasternak. As they pass through the iron gates and reach the front of the processing line, Ana steps forward and quietly declares her profession, saying Ester is her assistant. Their arms are tattooed, and they’re ordered to the maternity hut. There Ana vows to do everything she can to save the lives of mothers and their infants.

But she soon learns that the SS snatch the blondhaired babies from their mothers to place with German families. In spite of her horror Ana realises that for these children there is at least the hope of survival. With rumours of the war ending Ana and Ester begin to secretly tattoo the newborns with their mothers’ numbers, praying one day they might be reunited.

The novel is fiction, but it’s based on a true story and many of the characters are based on real people at Birkenau (the largest camp in the Auschwitz complex). Ana is a Catholic, Ester is Jewish and Ana was the midwife who delivered her. Ana’s family were part of the Resistance helping Jewish people escape the Nazi enforced Ghetto until Ana was arrested along with two of her sons. Her husband and other son were not home at the time, so Ana does not know what happened to them at the time she arrives in Auschwitz. She and Ester cling to their friendship and each other through the horror and evil around them. When Liberation comes will they find a way to get home together? And what awaits them there?

The voice of women is often absent from history, even quite recent history. Anna Stuart’s sensitive, beautiful novel showcases one woman’s incredible story which is a tribute to those who suffered at the hands of the Nazis.

Happily Ever After

Make long term relationships work

Who doesn’t know that it’s Valentine’s Day this month? Valentine’s is marketed as being all about attracting and impressing the partner of our dreams right? But what happens afterwards… how do we preserve the magic (or at least some of it) long term?

Well, researchers and counsellors have some good (and sometimes surprising) research-backed tips and tricks.

Double-dating.

Friendship with other couples is good for your relationship. A study conducted at the University of Maryland found that couples who have couple friends rated their marriages as more exciting and fulfilling. Researchers theorised that it gave each couple the chance to observe the way other couples interact and negotiate differences within the relationship. Assume the best. According to psychologists, couples who rate their marriages as happy tend to assume their partners intentions are good, even when they are disagreeing. By giving their partner this benefit of the doubt they are able to seek clarification, learn about their real motives, and move forward.

Argue in a healthy way. Counsellors at Northwestern University and Adler University in Chicago found that an important marker of a healthy relationship is the ability to argue well and resolve conflicts. Being able to work through life challenges is an important skill and one which strengthens a relationship bond.

In order to ‘fight fair’ keep any dispute focused on the topic at hand and don’t descend into personal attacks. Topic-related fights fade quickly and pass,

whereas people remember personal attacks and insults, and the hurt can remain for a long time Text your way to happiness. An affectionate text is a way to stay connected while apart and can provide a little boost of the happy hormone dopamine to your partner. But, remember never apologise in a text message… always do that in person.

Don’t prioritise material things. A study carried out at Brigham Young University in Utah found that higher levels of materialism are associated with less relationship satisfaction. The researchers discovered that materialistic partners may be seeking happiness in possessions, rather than people, meaning they end up investing less time and energy into making their relationships successful.

Make your relationship the priority. There are so many things in the modern world competing for our attention that it’s important to set aside time for our closest relationship, and to guard that time well. Schedule dates, even if it’s just time for a glass of wine and a chat after the kids are in bed. Discuss an activity you’d both like to try, whether it’s learning how to play chess, or salsa dancing, and then turn that into a date event. Doing new things together will give you more to talk about.

‘All You Need is Love,’ proclaims the Beatles song, though it would be more accurate if they’d added, ‘Plus communication, respect and kindness, from both parties too!’ though that would probably be a bit of a mouthful to sing!

Louise Addison

Ranging from the precise modern open plan living to the more traditional period property. We aim to project manage your vision of home improvement from concept to finished product in a friendly and efficient manner. After a site visit we offer a free no obligation quotation but we are always available for any advice and queries.

Billingshurst Parish Council

Billingshurst Community & Conference Centre Roman Way, Billingshurst, RH14 9QW

High Street – Christmas Shop Window Competition

Once again, there were some brilliantly decorated shop windows to complement the lights and Christmas tree on the Village Green. Well done to Rocking Horse which was judged to have the best Christmas Shop Window, with Park & Brown securing 2nd place and K. Lou’s Hair taking joint 3rd place with In Clover Florist. Thanks to all those businesses that made the effort to make Billingshurst look and feel so Christmassy.

Have you ever thought about becoming a Parish Councillor?

The current Council’s four-year term ends in May 2023; if there are more than 15 candidates, an election will be held. If there are 15 or fewer, then the candidates will be considered to be duly elected, albeit unopposed.

Being a Parish Councillor is a great way to give something back to your community, to help have a say on its future and to represent the views of local people.

Meetings of the Council are held every other month, although there are various smaller Committees and Working Parties you can join depending on what particular interests you have, that deal with more detailed business.

Although an unpaid role, the Council encourages Councillors to go on a variety of training courses to help them in their role, which the Council funds.

If you would like to find out more, please contact the Clerk or any of the existing Councillors for an informal chat about what

the role entails. Also, try to get along to a meeting or watch online so you can see whether it is for you. If you decide to stand in May, you will need to contact Electoral Services at Horsham District Council to find out about the necessary forms to complete and deadlines.

Warming up in Billingshurst

Mindful that many residents are worried about keeping warm this winter, Billingshurst Centre and Parish Council are pleased to welcome anyone to the Centre’s Stanley Room every Friday from 20th January to 31st March 10am-Noon for a free hot drink and a sit down.

Details are still to be finalised, but Neighbourhood Wardens Julie and Barry will be on hand, and we plan to have a different jigsaw each week, a stack of magazines, the local newspaper and Radio 2!

Billingshurst Community Transport

Do you have some spare time? Are you able to drive? Do you live in the parishes of

Billingshurst, Shipley, Loxwood, Ifold or Plaistow? If so, the Billingshurst Community Transport Scheme urgently needs more volunteer drivers

To find out more about the scheme and see whether you can help, please contact Graeme at the Community Transport office on (01403) 787696

Billingshurst Rainbows Girlguiding Unit Needs Your Help

The 1st Billingshurst Rainbows Unit is sadly at risk of closure unless additional volunteers can be found.

If you are looking for a fun and exciting new challenge for 2023 then please get in touch to see if you can help either by telephoning 0800 169 5901 or by visiting www.girlguiding.org.uk/get-involved.

Billingshurst Bowling Club –Quiz Night

The Billingshurst Bowling Club will be holding their annual quiz night on Saturday 25th March, 7.15pm for a 7.30pm start at St. Gabriel’s Church Hall, East Street, Billingshurst with a maximum of four people in a team.

To book a table contact (01403) 784599.

Coronation Day – Saturday 6th May 2023

If your club, group, or organisation is planning to hold an event celebrating the coronation of King Charles III, please do let us know and we can help advertise on your behalf. Email sarah@billingshurst.gov.uk or liz@billingshurst.gov.uk with a poster or details and we will do what we can to help.

Keep an eye on the ‘What’s On’ page of our website where there are bound to be lots of things to look forward to being advertised.

Billingshurst Centre – Hall Hire

Did you know that there are a number of rooms (including the main hall) available at the Billingshurst Centre for hire at competitive prices?

Ring 01403 787690 or email reception@billingshurst.gov.uk to check availability at this excellent local venue.

Food Bank donations

At ward level, Billingshurst has been the third highest user of Horsham Food Bank

from across the whole Horsham district. There is a high level of need in our community for all manner of reasons. In 2022, the churches in Billingshurst have been collecting donations of food and delivering them to Horsham Food Bank. In response to the level of need in the parish, they have arranged with Billingshurst Family Church for a weekly collection by the Food Bank team from the Community Centre on Roman Way. To make this really worthwhile, they want to make these collections more widespread so that along with being a high user, our village might also be a high contributor to the Horsham Food Bank.

If you’re able to donate long life food to the Foodbank, you can currently donate locally in the following ways:

Billingshurst Family Church

Billingshurst Centre

Sundays: 9.30am - 12 noon

Mondays: 9.30am - 11.00am

St Mary’s Church

St. Mary’s Church building

Sundays: 9.30am - 12 noon

Mondays: 11.00 - 12 noon

St Mary’s Church

The Church Office

Wednesdays: 11.00am - 1.00pm

Tuesday-Friday: 9.30am - 11:30am

Trinity URC

United Reformed Church building

Sundays: 10.30am - 12 noon

St Gabriel’s Church

St Gabriel’s Church building

Sundays: Immediately after 9.15am mass

These donations will all be collected on Mondays from the Community Centre by Horsham Matters

Upcoming Council meetings

All meetings are held at the Billingshurst Community & Conference Centre (normally commencing at 7.30pm), and agendas are always posted on the Parish Council’s website www.billingshurst.gov.uk

Upcoming Meetings (February)

2nd: Planning & Environment Committee

15th: Working Practices Committee

22nd: Billingshurst Centre and F&GP Committees

Renegades resist a rest!

The Renegades Youth Club has gone undercover(s) with its first post pandemic sleepover… although, truth be told, it was more like an absolutelynosleepwhatsoever-over!

The club, now based at Loxwood North Hall, was able to celebrate the end of term and the start of Christmas with a film night and pyjama party rolled into one.

“We did our latest sleepover film night at Loxwood, and it was a blast!,” laughs Group Leader Gareth Miller. “The children may have finally gone to sleep in the early hours, but it was a different story for the poor Leaders and helpers!

“Loxwood Village Hall lent us their fantastic giant screen and projector, which we made full use of with the club’s Xbox, and we showed a heart-warming film that appealed to all ages – Second Hand Lions

“We also went full Italian with everyone mucking in to make a Roman spaghetti carbonara with egg yolks, parmigiana, thyme and pancetta and a spaghetti puttanesca for the vegetarians, which the Renegades made from scratch with tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, capers and basil – and our own garlic bread of course. Next time we are going Mexican…

“The ingenuity of the children just made us laugh so much… it’s amazing how far a child in a sleeping bag

can slide across a shiny floor!”

As the New Year settles in, the Renegades have more film nights planned and our first canoeing camping trip as well for the young members. Other extremely adventurous activities are in the pipeline are planned for 2023 –including some parent and adult activities too – so watch this space. “One sneak preview is that we are going to start Larp (Live Action Role Play)

Archery, also known as Battle or Combat archery. It’s a new way to enjoy archery using specifically designed safety arrows and face masks… think Dodgeball with bows!”

In these cash-strapped times and in keeping with the Renegades’ principle of offering more for less, the management team has agreed to suspend membership payments (usually £10 a month to include all regular activities) until the end of February, and we are offering discounts for multiple family memberships.

The Renegades is a Registered Charity. Membership costs £10 a month. Please contact Gareth Miller on 07801 862550 or Damian Dixon on 07484 130189 for further information.

Vanda Rumney

Photo: pre-sleepover games

Duke of Kent School

Santa Says “Thank You”

Santa has asked Billingshurst & District Lions to say, “Thank You” to everyone who came out to say, “Hello” as he toured Billingshurst and the villages again this year. Santa, and Mrs Claus, were especially delighted to see all the children, many joining in a photograph.

Santa also says, “Thank You”; for all the generous donations, which went towards 88 Christmas Hampers for families throughout the Billingshurst District; to the volunteer Elves who turned out on bitterly cold evenings and to PD Motors; Station Garage at Broadbridge Heath; Mansell McTaggart; DG Clifton & Son and itrackdirect, who make it all possible.

With many new roads to cover, Santa starts his travels a little earlier these days and he says sorry to those he did not meet, but hopes that they were all happy with their presents on Christmas Day.

Melvyn Jones Award

The Melvyn Jones Award, named in memory of the Lions Founder, is awarded for outstanding service throughout the Lion movement. President Michael Snell, recently had the pleasure of presenting this award to Viv Diggens for his dedication and achievements as a Lion, in particular his instigation and promotion of the ROAR Project, initially at Billingshurst Primary School, but now adopted with enthusiasm by Primary Schools across the UK.

Viv joined the Lions in 2001, after a member of his staff at the time, who was a Lion, suggested he should join, as it was so rewarding. Also, his children enjoyed seeing Santa at Christmas.

Viv says, “I quickly came to realise that being a Lion gave me an opportunity to give something back to the community, meet new challenges, whilst making new friendships that come from it.”

Car Boot Sales

Billingshurst & District Lions Club is pleased to announce the return of Car Boot Sales behind the Six Bells on 10th April, 1st May, 29th May and 28th August, 2023

Finally…

Thanks to all those who bought Lions Christmas Cards at the Lions Bookshop in Jengers Mead, with all proceeds going to the Lions Charity for Brain Tumour Research.

Follow Billingshurst Lions on Facebook and on their website www.billingshurstlions.org.

And don’t forget to visit the Lions Charity Bookshop in Jengers Mead! Harvey Holmes – Press Officer, Billingshurst & District Lions Club

Photo: Viv Diggens with the prestigious Melvyn Jones Award for exceptional service to the Lions and Billingshurst & District Lions Club

Sally Cave – Nurse to Farmer

John Nash is a retired, well sort of retired, fruit farm manager in Kirdford who enjoys scribbling about life on the farm from the now to days gone by.

Hi, my dear friends,

I’d like to tell you about a lovely lady I know.

It’s a story that needs telling, about the courage and determination of a person who was thrown into a position that was a long way from the life that she had envisaged lay before her…

Sally Cave has owned and run Costrong Fruit Farm for the last 42 years. However, it was not the profession that she started her working life with.

Sally trained as a nurse. Starting to learn her craft at the prestigious Guys Hospital in London, she rapidly gained experience in maternity, paediatrics and finally oncology nursing. She worked for the RAF during their involvement at The King Edward VII hospital over at Midhurst, specialising in the oncology wards, where she gained the love of so many patients and the respect of the doctors who she worked with. This work was acknowledged with a Commendation issued by the Air Officer Commanding Chief, RAF.

In 1980 she married Colonel AH Cave, MBE who owned and ran Costrong Farm in Kirdford. Sadly, he died two years later and Sally was left with a terrible dilemma. Let the farm be sold and her husband’s dreams be lost, or continue with the effort he had poured into making the farm an example of modern growing. She decided to continue.

She asked me if I would continue as the farm’s manager, and I’m so pleased that I agreed to stay, a decision I’ve never once regretted.

It meant her leaving the comfort of the skills she knew so well, and acquiring a knowledge of a whole new venture in a very fast learning curve though, I should add, she did now and then return to hospital life by giving lectures to young nurses at the training hospitals in London, passing on the knowledge of so many years of devoted service.

To show how quickly she was accepted by her fellow growers in the fruit world can be demonstrated by the fact that just two years later she was invited to become an Associate Member of the Institute of Horticulture. The fruit growing

community is a tight knit group, and this invitation shows the respect fellow growers felt for the contribution she had made to the industry in such a short time.

She became the Secretary of the West Sussex Fruit Group and a Director of Kirdford Growers –the oldest fruit cooperative in the country.

The farm’s shop ran seven days a week, with the glasshouses producing salad crops, raspberries and strawberries, a range of bedding and pot plants, as well as grapes, figs and peaches as the seasons allowed.

We were exceedingly proud for several years, supplying early strawberries to Buckingham Palace for its garden parties. (They had to be picked with two inch long strigs so they could be eaten with white gloves on.)

40 varieties of apples and pears came from the orchards, building to a total of between 250300 tons of fruit a year. This huge crop needed the wonderful help of so many village folk who attended the harvest for so many years.

In so many of those years Sally became a familiar figure at harvest time, wandering the orchards chatting with the pickers, paying them their wages, and discussing their problems. At the end of each season she arranged the wonderful pickers party where a spit-roast lamb and flowing wine would celebrate another year at the farm.

Sadly those wonderful orchards have now gone. Just a few ancient trees remain to mark the passing of a way of life that so many enjoyed for so many generations.

The farm still goes on though. The usual mountain of paper to wade through as red tape must always be dealt with.

Now in her 90th year there was no way Sally was going to let the demise of the fruit industry in our area stop her determination to keep Costrong Farm going. Now sheep roam the meadows and a local nursery uses the glasshouses to grow plants for garden centre sales. Nursing Sister to Farmer. Two so very different ways of life. Respect!

John Nash

Photo: Sally Cave SRN, RSCN, SCM with her wonderful Christmas card show

Waiting…

Once upon a time on a small farm near Billingshurst…

Theonly good thing about February, mused Nanny, was that the days would get longer. The gloom seemed endless, especially thinking about it during January.

February was supposed to be the beginning of a new adventure, but they had been waiting since early December and all their plans hadn’t moved ahead, despite phone calls, e-mails and messages. Nothing really had happened.

It all started when Nanny had got back from New Zealand in November, and they’d gone down to Selsey the next day, as she had promised to take the Remembrance Day Service at Selsey. Arriving at the caravan, they found the main front awning in shreds due to UV light and fierce winds. “We’ll manage for now,” said Nanny, “until after the Service, then we’ll take the back scooter awning down and move it to the front for the rest of the year.” Grandad concurred and so it was for a couple of days.

The front shredded awning came down fairly easily and Tim said he would take it away. But taking the back of the caravan scooter awning down wasn’t that easy, as it was heavy and had poles. By then the wind had freshened and made putting it up again in the front much more difficult. Try as they might, it wouldn’t pitch right. By now Grandad had reached the end of his tether.

Acting quickly, Nanny told him to take a few things home which wouldn’t fit in the smaller awning, and that she would finish pegging the awning down. Normally that was Grandad’s job, but she thought that she could manage it. After all they’d been pegging awnings down forever. So Grandad went home with the car loaded up with washing machine and lawnmower, and Nanny beavered on with pegs and mallet. Unfortunately, she wasn’t up to the job, had a cold and cough, was tired and the dogs were wanting

to go out or to help.

She sat for a moment thinking. She was dreading next year when they had to buy a new awning or put up their bigger poled awning (not an easy task) and made a decision: they were both getting beyond this caravanning lark so maybe it was time to let it go. So she finally half hammered the last pegs in and made lunch.

Grandad came back much calmer and she revealed her decision to him. He’d been thinking too and had come to the same decision! But what was the alternative?

So on to the internet they went and priced out holiday homes and looked far and wide at what they could afford. They looked at places four hours away like Cornwall and Skegness. However, they quickly came to their senses and realised that at their age that was seriously impractical so they looked closer to home – in East Sussex.

A couple of them caught their eye, so despite feeling distinctly under the weather and because Grandad had by now caught her cold and was feeling ghastly, Nanny went alone to look at their choices. Several of them were definitely not suitable but one caught her eye. After discussing with Grandad and the rest of the family it was agreed verbally to buy it. But it had to be sold through the Park. That was when the fun and the waiting had begun.

The saga continued in January and their February adventure seemed to have ground to a halt. Waiting was hard. The feeling of helplessness blossomed. Doubts set in. The rest of January loomed and would February begin how they had hoped?

Still, there was one really positive side to all this soul searching. It made them both realise how much they loved that little farm near Billingshurst!

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The Spaniel Diaries

So here we are in February already, the month of romance and love, hopefully mum will get us dogs some steak just like we had at Christmas! She’s alway saying she loves us so we shall soon see how much!

The recent weather has been so awful and wet, mum has insisted on us having baths, I shall be calling the RSPCA as being a spaniel I actually do prefer to be caked with mud –doesn’t she realise it’s very moisturising for one’s fur? And to top it all off she’s now got a proper doggy hairdryer, I shall have terrible split ends at this rate! Still it’s absolutely hilarious watching that annoying puppy galloping around doing zoomies after his bath and mum trying to catch him!

One good thing is mum checks us over for any sores or wounds especially as she’s worried about Alabama rot which is a horrible disease associated with muddy walks. I did actually have a very sore nose this week after cutting myself on the brambles while snuffling around, but I’m ok now.

That puppy is still here, in fact every time he does his big sleep at night he wakes up and he’s growed again, he’s actually taller than me now! Him and Mav are just two total idiots together now, hooning around chasing after boring old tennis balls, they are both little creeps – mum thinks they are delightful and better behaved than me, but actually it’s me who has the best brains

and I am far more intelligent! The puppy starts his big boy training soon so we’ll see what he’s made of!

I can smell spring in the air, not long now until the warmer weather comes. I can’t wait as it means longer walks, more pottering around the stables which means that I can hunt mice around the haybarn again! Hopefully we’ll get some exciting day trips again, especially the new forest, walks galore!

That puppy has also noticed spring is in the air, he’s dug up some of mum’s plants, luckily she doesn’t have any poisonous ones in the gardens but the mess he’s made is something else! Mum thought an elephant had trampled through the place, then she caught sight of the puppy charging past through the flowerbeds complete with spring primrose in his mouth! I think mum will be growing shrubs from now on, I think she’s also grateful we don’t have a pond or we’d never get him out of the thing!

I have taught the puppy to love water and like myself he’s a wonderful swimmer, something Mav has never been – he’s like a drowning meerkat, absolutely no elegance in the water at all – honestly, I think a brick floats better than he does! It’s probably his silly lanky legs making things worse. He might be an athlete on land but in water he’s hopeless!

Until next time, stay safe and have fun.

Jeannette Douglas

When we rented a house in the south of France one summer, there was a peach tree in the garden and the owner invited us to help ourselves. We have never eaten so many sweet, ripe peaches. Nothing in the supermarkets here has ever compared to those fat globes of nectar.

A few years ago, I discovered that it was possible to grow peaches in this country too, with a few caveats. In the far south it’s possible to grow them against a south- or south-west-facing wall. Further up the country we need the help of a conservatory or a large greenhouse. The reasons for this are threefold: peach trees tend to flower very early, around February, when the UK can still suffer sharp frosts in the mornings; they also develop fungal diseases if the weather is too cold and damp and finally, our short summers generally don’t give enough time for the fruits to ripen. But if you have that south-facing wall or conservatory and would like to have a go at growing peaches (and who wouldn’t?) read on.

‘Peregrine’ is a white-fleshed peach quite wellsuited to the English climate (the above warnings notwithstanding) though generally best grown under cover. ‘Rochester’ is a very reliable yellow variety that gives good harvests of large fruits in August. It also has the advantage of being a late bloomer, making it less susceptible to frost damage. If space is limited, which it often is in a conservatory, choose a plant grafted on to dwarf

rootstock.

Peaches are best grown as a fan. Fasten horizontal wires to the wall at 30cm intervals to allow the stems to be tied in and spaced out evenly. The plant should be positioned about 25cm from the wall with branches sloped towards it, and if planted directly into the soil, this should be enriched with wellrotted manure or compost. If planted into a pot, make it as large and deep as the space will allow.

When the flowers appear, cover the plant with a light fleece at night to protect the blossom. Because of the lack of natural pollinators early in the year you can help things a long by using a long dry paintbrush to dust pollen from one flower to another. Then water the plant regularly and feed with tomato food through the summer to keep it healthy. Prune any branches that grow out away from the wall, and also remove any that overcrowd the framework. Cut some old and fruited lateral shoots out each year to allow new ones to take their place.

It might take a couple of years but with a little care and attention and a smidge of luck you will be able to reap the reward of harvesting your own peaches. There are few activities quite as delightful!

Happy gardening.

Rachel Leverton

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West Chiltington Floral Club

(Affiliated to NAFAS)

Tuesday 21st February, 1.30 for 2pm start. We welcome Gaenor Circus with her demonstration ‘A Woman’s Place’ Visitors are most welcome, £5. The meeting will be held at West Chiltington Village Hall, Mill Road, RH20 2PZ. For more information, please contact Brenda (01798) 813712 or Carol (01798) 813608 Email: wchiltfloralclub@gmail.com

Education for future generations –making a difference now

Education has always formed a big part of the Sussex Green Living mission. In fact, it’s where Carrie Cort started, simply by creating a network of friends and families to learn about nature, the environment and ways that everyone can live more sustainable lives.

In 2016, after training with the Climate Reality Leadership Corp, (led by former US Vice President Al Gore and several leading climate change scientists), Carrie stepped up Sussex Green Living’s environmental education programme, designing it to inform pupils on inspiring solutions. In 2021, our Bright New Future Roadshow was launched: a mobile outdoor education event offering a carousel full of environmental activities.

Last year, our team of specialist educators delivered 56 environmental education days in Sussex schools, amounting to almost a third of available school days.

“Children are so passionate about looking after the planet,” says Carrie. “They really do not understand why adults don’t get it, and why we find ourselves in such a mess.”

Our education programme has been possible thanks to grants from some amazing organisations. Sussex Community Fund and Horsham District Council provided funding for refurbishing our Inspiration Eco Station – a retro-fitted 1974 electric milk float that forms a core part of our education programme providing an interactive platform with displays and activities to support the games, education and ideas in our school

roadshow.

Thanks to our Tesco Community Grant, we took our Roadshow to St Mary’s Primary School in Pulborough where 133 young pupils explored ‘Homes and Gardens’, ‘Clothes and Recycling’ and were encouraged to collect single use plastics for our TerraCycle scheme. At ‘Clive’s’ Mobile Woodland School Theatre lorry, the children played games that demonstrated the wonders of ‘Food Chains’ and ‘Woodlands’.

A typical response was expressed by Dilan from Reception class: “I hope I can do that again!”

Billingshurst Primary School requested the theme of ‘Caring for our Countryside’, and became so engaged that they entered the South Downs National Park & SGL Art Competition, Reception class winning 3rd prize. The children really embraced the competition theme of litter, produced a video and so their Eco Council is now setting up a school litter picking club.

“It’s incredibly heart-warming how children and adults get inspired from these fun days and push things to the next level,” says Carrie.

For 2023, our Repair and Regrow Schools Roadshow will address the cost-of-living, climate and ecological crises, reaching schools and their communities with money and food-saving solutions that also have a positive impact on our planet.

If you know a school who would like to book the roadshow, please contact Carrie at cort@sussexgreenliving.co.uk.

Melanie Nurse, Sussex Green Living

Photo: Environmental education popular with local schools

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Billingshurst Fire Station confirms date for Spring Car Wash

We are delighted to announce that we will be holding our Spring Charity Car Wash on Saturday 25th March from 10am at Billingshurst Fire Station.

All money raised will be going towards the Fire Fighters

Charity, a charity close to our hearts which is there for firefighters and their families during difficult times. We will have teas, coffees, soft drinks and cakes while your car is being washed and for those who come along to watch. Children are welcome as they are can have a look around the fire engine.

Over the past years that we’ve held these car washes they’ve always been good fun, so please

come and support us. All we ask for is a donation however big or small.

Following on from this, we will be looking to lock in a date for our Open Day in the summer. We look forward to announcing the date for this in a couple of months.

It's going to be a busy spring and summer for us here, as we have three potential new recruits. Once they finish the recruitment stages, we can hopefully introduce them. Good luck to them all.

Twitter: @Station49Fire

Facebook: Billingshurst Fire Station

Dan Game, Billingshurst Fire Station

Spot the Difference - Solution

Photo taken at the October 2021 car wash

What’s On – February

Every Mon Billingshurst Men’s Shed. We currently meet at the Billingshurst scout hut in Lower Station Road. 10am to noon. Part of the Men’s Shed movement, we are a group of men AND women who meet to talk, drink tea & coffee, make and repair things and plan the creation of our permanent home in the village. Contact David Ambrose, Secretary, tel: (01403) 786284 or e-mail: billimensshed@outlook.com

Every MonKnit & Natter. Billingshurst Library. 10.30am-midday. Open to anyone that likes to knit, crochet, sew and chat! Meet new friends, swap tips and ideas. No need to book. All ages and abilities welcome. Further info: drop in or call Bev at Billingshurst Library on (01403) 783145

Every Mon Horsham Matters Hub on the Move Foodbank. Billingshurst Library car park, 10-11.30am

Every MonTable Tennis. St Mary’s Room, East St, Billingshurst. 2-4pm. A sociable group for all ages. Includes tea & biscuits normally. Suggested donation to church funds £2 per session. Tony, tel: (01403) 783496

Every MonBOOSTfit Horsham. The Forest School, Comptons Lane, RH13 5NT. Judgement & pressure free fitness for all. Clare Lawton, tel: 07983 976 601 or e-mail: clareboostfit@outlook.com. www.boostfit.com

Every MonChair Yoga. Kelsey Hall, Ifold. 2.15-3pm. For those who want to feel the benefits of yoga, but from a chair! All welcome. £5. Kim, tel: 07780 439155 or e-mail whiterosechairyoga@outlook.com

Every MonSeniors’ Coffee Morning. St Mary’s Room, Billingshurst. 10.30am to 12 noon. £3 a head. Transport available. Tel: (01403) 786706

Every Mon,Shipley Men’s Shed. Shipley football ground off Dragon’s Lane. Part of the international Men’s Shed Tues & Weds organisation. For men interested in woodwork or wish to spend time with like-minded, local chaps. www.HorshamShipleyCommunityProject.org. Tel: Philip, 07786 070939 or email: info@HorshamShipleyCommunityProject.org

Every MonWisborough Green Short Mat Bowls Club. Village Hall. Mons 2.30-4.30pm, Weds 1.30-3.30pm. & Weds New members & visitors welcome. £2.50 (includes Tea/Coffee & biscuits). Trial session free for newcomers. Further information: www.wisboroughgreen.org or contact Keith Carter on 01403 700502

Every MonHorsham Bridge Club. Face-to-Face. 22a East Street, Horsham, RH12 1HL. 1.30pm. Graham & Weds Walker, tel: (01403) 734156. www.horshambridge.co.uk

Every Mon Clubbercise with Hayley. Mon: Dial Post Village Hall, RH13 8NH; Thurs: St Gabriel’s Church Hall, & Thurs Billingshurst. 7.45-8.30pm. Aerobic exercise class for all fitness levels, 16 and over. Darkened room with flashing disco lights and music (90s to now). Pre-bookings only: bookwhen.com/clubbercisehayleym. Updates: facebook.com/clubbercisewithhayley

Every Tues Billingshurst Short Mat Bowls. Billingshurst Community & Conference Centre. 2-4pm. £4 per session. Come and try a game. It’s great fun with friendly people in a small club. Further details please contact Alan Barnes, tel: (01403) 783721

Every Tues Billingshurst Choral Society Practice. Billingshurst Community & Conference Centre. 7.30-9.45pm. New members welcome. Tel: Keith Paul on 07989 412997

Every TuesStitch & Knit. Six Bells, Billingshurst. 7-9.30pm. Welcoming & helpful, just bring your project & make new friends. No fees. Sarah, tel: 07817 699865 (leave message)

Every Tues Slinfold Concert Band rehearsal. Slinfold Village Hall from 7.30-9.30pm. Brass, woodwind and percussion players all welcome. www.slinfoldconcertband.org

Every TuesWalking Football. 10-11.30am. Shipley football ground off Dragon’s Lane (Holbrook Club in mid-Winter). Followed by refreshments. Men & women welcome. www.HorshamShipleyCommunityProject.org. Tel: Philip, 07786 070939 or email: info@HorshamShipleyCommunityProject.org

Every TuesBOOSTfit Billingshurst. Billingshurst Leisure Centre, RH14 9RY. Judgement & pressure free fitness for all. Clare Lawton, tel: 07983 976 601 or e-mail: clareboostfit@outlook.com. www.boostfit.com

Every Tues Drop in Baby Zone! St Mary’s Room, East St, Billingshurst. 1.30-3pm. Space to meet other parents/carers & their babies (under 1yr. Free. Booking not required. Email: Emma babies@stmarysbillingshurst.org

Every Tues Preschool Ballet and street dance classes. Jubilee Fields, Billingshurst. VMA Dance run fun, friendly & Thurs classes for preschool children. Free trial then £4pw pre-booked. 07879 773705 www.vmadance.co.uk

Every TuesHorsham Bridge Club. Online BBO. 7pm. Graham Walker, tel: (01403) 734156. & Thurs www.horshambridge.co.uk

Every Tues Pétanque Club. Shipley Football Ground, 10.15 for 10.30am start (*spring/summer/autumn, Friday, 6.30pm) & Fri* Coffee after. Equipment provided. All ages and abilities. www.HorshamShipleyCommunityProject.org. Tel: Russell, 07803 259190 or email: info@HorshamShipleyCommunityProject.org

Every WedsHorsham Accordion Band. Practises in Slinfold Chapel from 7.30-9.30pm. Varied repertoire. Band Leader Mags Fisher tel: (01403) 790717 or email: magsfisher@btinternet.com

Every WedsThe Millennium Bridge Club. Storrington Village Hall, 1.30-4.30pm. All abilities. Please contact: Barbara: (01903) 741365 or daisy.campling@btinternet.com

Every WedsLine dancing. St Gabriel’s Church Hall. Improvers 6-7.15pm, intermediates 7.15-9.30pm. Details from Maureen, tel: 07774 828282

Every WedsBillingshurst Bell Ringing practice. St Mary’s Church, Billingshurst. 7.30-9.15pm. New learners and visitors welcome, just turn up. For information email Kathy at kathyfitzp@hotmail.co.uk

Every Weds The Leconfield Singers. United Reformed Church, Petworth. 8-10pm. Mixed voice non-audition community choir. Newcomers welcome. More details and term times see www.leconfieldsingers.co.uk

Every WedsBillingshurst Rock Choir. Primary School. 7.30-9pm, term times. No experience required. A friendly choir singing upbeat pop, rock and Motown. Book a FREE taster session at www.rockchoir.com

Every Weds Horsham Bridge Club. Online BBO. 2pm. Graham Walker, tel: (01403) 734156. www.horshambridge.co.uk

Every WedsLoxwood Bridge for Fun. North Hall, Loxwood. 2pm. For more information contact Gina Moore, tel: (01403) 751722 or e-mail: ginamoore@btopenworld.com

Every 2ndBilliUke: Billingshurst’s Own Ukulele Jam! Billingshurst Centre, from 7.30pm. If you already have a & 4th Weds ukulele, or are thinking about getting one, please come along and join us. It’s a fun couple of hours and you also get to make new friends from the village and beyond. www.billiuke.com

Every ThursStitch & Knit. 10am-12.30pm. We rove round local cafés & car share, lifts may be possible. Welcoming & helpful, just bring your project. No fees. Sarah, tel: 07817 699865 (leave message)

Every Thurs Clubbercise with Hayley. St Gabriel’s Church Hall, Billingshurst. 7.45-8.30pm. Aerobic exercise class for

07762 767084, editor@villagetweet.co.uk

all fitness levels16 and over. Darkened room with flashing disco lights and music (90s to now). Pre-bookings only: bookwhen.com/clubbercisehayleym. Latest updates: facebook.com/clubbercisewithhayley

Every Thurs Wildlife walkabouts. RSPB Pulborough Brooks Nature Reserve, Wiggonholt, RH20 2EL. 10am-12 noon. £8 per person (£2.50 for RSPB members). (01798) 875851. www.rspb.org.uk/pulboroughbrooks

Every Thurs HDC Health Walk. Billingshurst (2). Meet 11am, Library car park, Billingshurst (TQ086260). Parking free with annnual permit or 75p per hour. 2¼ miles, flat, easy. 1 hour. Chris (01403) 782745. All HDC walks are guided, free and sociable. Led by trained volunteers; no need to book, just turn-up

Every Thurs Crafts and Natter group. The Chapel, Spy Lane, Loxwood, RH14 0SQ. 11am-3pm

Every 1st & ‘We Care’ meeting for carers and people with dementia. Glebe Centre, Ewhurst, GU6 7PY. 10.30am3rd Thurs 12.30. Refreshments, friendship, chat & activities. Carol: 07775 865125 or carol@highedser.co.uk

Every Fri VMA Dance classes for children 2-18yrs. Jubilee Fields, Billingshurst. Classes in Ballet, Street Dance & Contemporary. Free Trial available then £5pw pre-booked. 07879 773705 www.vmadance.co.uk

Every SatIndoor table top sale and market. Ansell’s Yard, Kirdford Road, Wisborough Green, RH14 0DD. 10am-2pm. No entrance fee. Tables £5 (must be pre-booked). Tel: (01403) 700633 or 07798 941940

Every Sat Dempsey School of Irish Dancing for children aged 5+. Billingshurst Community Centre. 9 & 10am. Nicola, e-mail: dempseyirishdance@gmail.com

Every SatAmities Boules Club. Foresters Arms, Kirdford. New members always welcome. Sats: 10.45 for & Weds 11am start, finish 1.30pm. Weds (summer only, weather permitting): 2pm. David, tel: (01483) 278346

Every Sun Sussex Sunday Walkers offer led walks every Sunday throughout the year. For more information please view our website www.sussexsundaywalkers.org.uk or email wealdmen@hotmail.com

Every SunThe Emmanuel Fellowship meet every Sunday at ‘The Chapel’, Spy Lane, Loxwood, RH14 0SQ. 10.30am for about an hour with refreshments afterwards. www.emmanuelfellowship.co.uk

SPACE IS TIGHT IN THE WHAT’S ON PAGES. IF ANYONE HAS TRIED TO ATTEND ANY OF THE REGULAR ENTRIES (ABOVE) AND FOUND THEM TO BE NO LONGER ACTIVE PLEASE LET VILLAGE TWEET KNOW

1 Feb Billingshurst Beck WI Talk by Dr Anna Gosling: ‘Hoarding’. Stanley Room, Billingshurst Community & Conference Centre, Roman Way, RH14 9QW. 7.30pm. Non-WI members welcome, £4 including refreshments. For further information tel: (01444) 483682 or email: billingshurstbeckwi@wsfi.co.uk

1 Feb The Arts Society – South Downs lecture by Alexandra Epps: ‘Peggy Guggenheim’ Fittleworth Village Hall, RH20 1JB. 10.45am (coffee 9.50am) Visitors welcome, £7, contact Jane Allison, tel: (01798) 813314 or e-mail: jane@theallisonfamily.co.uk. www.theartssocietysouthdowns.org.uk

1 Feb Billingshurst Wednesday Group Talk by Horsham Age UK. St Mary’s Room, Billingshurst, 10am. Hazel Barnes, tel: 07711 470635 or email: buzzhazel@gmail.com

2 Feb Parish Council Planning & Environmental Committee meeting. Billingshurst Centre. 7.30pm

2 Feb Billingshurst Horticultural Society illustrated talk: ‘Small Gardens’ by Annie Guilfoyle. St Gabriel’s Hall, East Street, 8pm. Admission free to members. Visitors welcome £3 (including refreshments). Mrs S Wells, tel: (01403) 784159

2 Feb Reading Friends. Billingshurst Library. 10.30-11.30am. Are you interested in meeting new friends, having a good chat and sharing your love of books? Everyone welcome, just turn up. Tel: (01403) 783145

2 Feb Wisborough Green Evening WI. Wisborough Green Village Hall. 7.45pm. Every first Thursday. Visitors welcome for taster session. Please contact wisboroughgreenWI@wsfwi.co.uk for our latest calendar of activities, and membership details

5 Feb Indoor Antiques Market & Collectors Sale. Ansell’s Yard, Kirdford Road, Wisborough Green, RH14 0DD. 10am-2pm. No entrance fee. Tables available £5 (must be pre-booked), also storage units to let, £25 pw. Telephone (01403) 700633 or 07798 941940

7 Feb Pulborough Computer Club Evening. Pulborough Village Hall. 7.30pm. (1st Tues except Jan) An eve with a friendly group with varying levels of IT knowledge & skills. No need to book. Members £2, guests £3

7 Feb The Arts Society – West Sussex lecture by Archaeologist Louise Schofield: ‘Travels with a Trowel’. Fittleworth Village Hall. 2pm (doors open 1.40). Lectures held on all matters relating to the arts on the first Tuesday of the month. Tea & coffee is served after the lecture. Visitors welcome, £7. New members welcome: Jackie Buckler, tel: (01903) 411086 or email: jackiebuckler@sky.com. Visit theartssocietywestsussex.org

8 Feb Billingshurst Wednesday Group Talk by Mercy Ships. This international charity operates governmental hospital ships, providing free health education & care for terminally ill patients. St Mary’s Room, Billingshurst, 10am. Hazel Barnes, tel: 07711 470635 or email: buzzhazel@gmail.com

9 Feb Messy Church! Pavilion in Jubilee Fields. 3.45-5.45pm. Billingshurst churches welcome families to have fun with games, crafts, singing and stories. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Sit-down meal, donation. Contact Beth at St Mary’s for more information, e-mail: familyworker@stmarysbillingshurst.org. www.messychurch.org.uk

9 Feb Billingshurst Local History Society Talk by Kevin Newman: ‘The Naughty Normans’. Billingshurst Community and Conference Centre, 7.30pm. Membership £20 per annum. Visitors £5 per meeting. Ms G Knight, tel: (01403) 451401, email: g.j.s.knight@btinternet.com

9 Feb Billingshurst Weald Probus Club men’s group meeting. Stanley Room, Community Centre. 10 for 10.15am12 noon. Every 2nd Thurs except Dec. Alan Galer, tel: 07956 443228 or email: alan.galer@btinternet.com

9 Feb Billingshurst WI Annual General Meeting. Community Centre, Roman Way. 2.30pm. Interesting speakers, hobby groups, various outings. Visitors welcome. Secretary, tel: (01403) 780810

10 Feb Billingshurst and District Wine and Beer Circle meeting. Circle meets 2nd Friday (except August) at St Gabriel’s Hall, East Street, 8pm. New members welcome. Contact Chris 07790 762052 or Linda 07806 327917. Email: edwinstevenson51@gmail.com. www.billingshurstwineandbeercircle.com

10 Feb Live Music: The Ron Green Big Band. Cranleigh Arts Centre. 8pm. The band’s repertoire includes Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, George Gershwin and other great jazz composers and arrangers. Tickets £13: (01483) 278000 (Tues-Sat 10am-4pm) or visit www.cranleighartscentre.org

11 Feb Billingshurst Dementia Café. United Reformed Church Hall, Second Saturday of every month, from 10am-12pm. Please join us for tea, coffee and cake. All are welcome

Rates: www.villagetweet.co.uk

What’s On near you / Pest control

11 Feb Cranleigh Art & Crafts Society preswents an Art Demonstration by Hashim Akib. Band Room, Village Way, Cranleigh. 2.30pm. Loose style cafe/street scenes using heavy textural paint, acrylic and expressive brush strokes to bring greater depth and mood. Visitors are welcome for a charge of £5. Find out more about the Society at www.caacs.co.uk

14 Feb Taster Day at Brinsbury. Brinsbury Campus, Pulborough, RH20 1DL. 9.30am-2.30pm. Sample the exciting courses we offer. FREE, fun and hands-on tasters available in Agriculture, Animal Care, Arboriculture, Carpentry, Equine, Floristry, Landscaping, Motor Vehicles. To book a place or for more info contact Jan Dougharty, tel: (01243) 786321 ext 1077 or e-mail janet.dougharty@chichester.ac.uk

14 Feb The Bubble Show. Cranleigh Arts Centre. 2pm. The Bubble Show is a unique blend of magic, storytelling, and bubble art! Enjoy bouncy bubbles, bubbles inside bubbles, smoke bubbles, square bubbles, giant bubbles, and even fire bubbles! Actor, storyteller, and Guinness World Record holder, The Highland Joker, brings you an interactive, fun, international award-winning bubble extravaganza! Suitable for ages 3-12. Tickets £12: (01483) 278000 (Tues-Sat 10am-4pm) or visit www.cranleighartscentre.org

15 Feb Parish Council Working Practices Committee meeting. Billingshurst Centre. 7.30pm

16 Feb Lego Display & Open Build. Cranleigh Arts Centre. 4 sessions: 10am-12pm, 12pm-2pm, 2pm-4pm, 4pm-6pm. Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult who must purchase a ticket. 5 and under free. £5 per 2 hour session: (01483) 278000 (Tues-Sat 10am-4pm) or visit www.cranleighartscentre.org

16 Feb

16-18 Feb

19 Feb

Barns Green & Itchingfield Women’s Institute Meeting. Barns Green Village Hall. 2.30pm followed by tea. New members welcome. For more information contact Annette Relph (01403) 732580

Billingshurst Scout & Guide Gang Show. Community Centre. Tickets from £6. See page 26

Billingshurst Artisan Market. Six Bells car park. 9.30am-1.30pm. Local foods and crafts. See page 5

20 Feb Billingshurst Lions Club Meeting. Sports Pavilion, Jubilee Fields, Billingshurst. 7.30pm. For information about the Club contact Viv Diggens on (01403) 752968 or call in at the Lions Bookshop, Jengers Mead

20 Feb

Macmillan Film night. ‘The Lost King’ Pulborough Village Hall. 7pm for 7.30pm start. Refreshments, raffle and Macmillan stall. Tickets £7 from www.touringcinema.com or Pulborough Village Hall or Terri Ashpool, tel: 07711 470635 or on the door (subject to availability)

20 Feb Laughter Yoga Club. Unitarian Hall (side door), Billingshurst, RH14 9QS. (Park Lakers Mead.) 1.35 for 1.45pm start till 2.45pm. £6. Boosts seratonine and nervous systems & improves wellbeing! Non-profitmaking club. All welcome. Contact Linda, tel: 07806.327917, email: lstevenson201854@gmail.com

21 Feb St Mary’s Guild Members’ Meeting. St Mary’s Room, East Street, Billingshurst. 10.30am. We are a friendly women’s group and we welcome visitors. Beryl Peacock (01403) 782835

21 Feb Loxwood Jazz Club. Village Hall. With candle-lit tables and a licensed bar, it has a very intimate atmosphere with international standard jazz. Tickets £15 from Peter Winney, tel: (01403) 752377

21-25 Feb Calendar Girls The Musical. The Capitol Theatre, Horsham. A Fortress Theatre Company production. 50% of profits donated to St Catherine’s Hospice. Tickets: www.thecapitolhorsham.com and box office (01403) 750220. See October 2022’s Village Tweet, page 6

22 Feb Billingshurst Wednesday Group Talk by Alan Chalmers: ‘Behind the scenes on Centre Court’. St Mary’s Room, Billingshurst, 10am. Hazel Barnes, tel: 07711 470635 or email: buzzhazel@gmail.com

22 Feb Parish Council Billingshurst Centre & F&GP Committees meetings. Billingshurst Centre. 7 & 7.30pm

23 Feb Sing for Pleasure. (4th Thursday except December: 3rd Thursday.) Billingshurst Community Centre. 3.00-4.30pm. We are a friendly, informal group who enjoy a sing-along. If you are a lady or gentleman in the more mature age group, even if you think you can’t sing, we’d love you to join us for an enjoyable afternoon. £3, includes tea and biscuits

24 Feb Macmillan Film night. ‘The Lost King’ Billingshurst Conference & Community Centre. 7pm for 7.30pm start. Refreshments, raffle and Macmillan stall. Tickets £7 from www.touringcinema.com or Austens Home Hardware, 48-52 High Street or Terri Ashpool, tel: 07711 470635 or on the door

25 Feb The North Singers General Knowledge Quiz. North Hall, Loxwood. 7.30pm. Tickets: £10 including cheeseboard from James Dore, tel: (01403) 752999 or e-mail: jamesedore@hotmail.com. See page 5

25 Feb Pulborough Village Market. (4th Saturday except December: 2nd Saturday.) Pulborough Village Hall, Swan View, RH20 2BF. 9am-12 noon. Fresh produce, bread, local honey, plants, local crafts and much more. Café serving a full English breakfast, tea/coffee and cakes. Free entry. Please like us on Facebook. Market Coordinator Terri Ashpool, tel: 07711 470635, e-mail: terriashpool@uwclub.net

Village Tweet will publish details of local events in this free What’s On section. Please email brief details to editor@villagetweet.co.uk together with contact or website details

(or even less with a multi-booking discount) Call: 07762 767084 or email: editor@villagetweet.co.uk

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ADVERTISERS INDEX February 2023

The course has been successfully held since 2006. It is suitable for those who wish to discover what is involved in keeping bees before enrolling on a practical course or buying bees and equipment. It will not give enough information to start, but enough to help you decide if beekeeping is for you. Practical tuition is available at our well-equipped teaching apiary.

The course is also suitable for those who have already started, but have little experience. It is based on the knowledge gained from nearly 60 years beekeeping experience, not just repeating what is in books.

Tutor: Roger Patterson. Roger started beekeeping in 1963 and has been teaching the craft for over 50 years. He is a prolific speaker, demonstrator and writer, where his down to earth approach is appreciated.

Subjects covered include:

• How and where to learn about honey bees

• Obtaining bees and equipment

• Honey bees and insects

• Where to site hives

• How bees live naturally and how we manage them

• Protective clothing

• What bees collect: nectar, pollen, propolis, water

• Basic colony management

• How bees process honey and pollen

• Caring for your bees

• What happens in a beehive

• Why and how bees swarm

• Occupants of the hive: queen, drones and workers

• Dealing with the honey crop

• How to start beekeeping

• The beekeeping year – what to do and when

• Bee hive types – how to choose and why

• Supplementary feeding

• Essential and useful equipment

• The honey bee colony in winter

Course fee £45. Second and subsequent attendees booked together £40*. Under 16 with a paying adult £15*. Price is per head to include lunch, refreshments, and our own booklet Basic Beekeeping. (except those marked *). Additional copies available on the day at £5 each. For existing, paid-up WGBKA members the fee is reduced to £35.

Enquiries: Roger Patterson, e-mail: roger-patterson@btconnect.com

Booking and payment: Eventbrite using the booking facility on the WGBKA website: www.wgbka.org.uk.

Prepare yourself for a new hobby – now John Glover, WGBKA