the chronicle for april and may 2011 page 1 · the giving and receiving is a need and an...

T h e C h r o n i c l e f o r A p r i l a n d M a y 2 0 1 1 – P a g e 1

The Chronicle is published six times a year by St. Margaret's Church, West Hoathly for the benefit of the

communities of West Hoathly, Sharpthorne, and Highbrook.

The publication is edited, printed and distributed entirely within the parish by a dedicated team of

volunteers. We welcome reports of regular and one-off events and meetings, notices of

forthcoming activities, reminiscences, poems, line drawings, short stories, individual viewpoints,

letters, information and news of other matters. Items for inclusion should be sent by e-mail to

all four editors; typed or short handwritten items can also be delivered to any of the editors.

We reserve the right to edit any articles submitted.

THE EDITORIAL TEAM:

Peter Hartley, Old Timbers, North Lane, West Hoathly, RH19 4QF

Tel: 01342 811238 e-mail: [email protected]

Anne Thorne, Chiddinglye Farmhouse, West Hoathly RH19 4QS


Kathy Brown, Ashurst, Bulldogs Bank, Sharpthorne, RH19 4PH


Marion Jones, 6 Glenham Place, Top Road, Sharpthorne, RH19 4HU


From the Editorial Team . . .

Spring has now sprung, the clocks have gone forward and summer is just around the corner. We can now say goodbye to dark nights, cold mornings and nature at her dullest and say hello to lighter evenings, warmer days and nature at her most splendid. As I write this editorial the snowdrops are out and the daffodil shoots have started to make an appearance, by the time you read this the gardens will be alive with the colour of spring flowers and gardeners will be preparing their plantings for the summer. Below is one of many treasures found in the Organic Café:

“For to the bee, the flower is a fountain of life. And to the flower, a bee is a messenger of love. And to both, bee and flower, The giving and receiving Is a need and an ecstasy.”

For those romantics amongst us, and perhaps those who are not so romantic but enjoy an excuse to celebrate, we also have the added excitement of a royal wedding at the end of April. I expect plans for street parties and celebrations are well underway. Easter is late this year, which means we have more chance of the weather being warmer so that we can get out and enjoy ourselves. What with Easter, the wedding and May Day, there are plenty of bank holidays to enjoy with our families and friends. May we take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy Easter.

From Peter, Anne, Kathy and Marion

PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION

Goo Coomber at 01342 810298 leads the production

team, collating all copies in the church on the Thursday

afternoon before publication.

Rosemary Watson at 01342 810800 heads the team of

distributors, and she can arrange for the Chronicle to be

delivered to your home, or posted to you. Some copies

are also put out in the local churches and shops for

purchase at 70p a copy. Annual subscription - £3.

ADVERTISING

Brian Lavery at 01342 810508 handles boxed business

advertisements, which can be included for £30 annually.

Marion Jones at 01342 810143 deals with Small Ads,

which cost £1 per issue for two lines of copy.

Inclusion of an advertisement does not imply any form of

approval of the quality of the services offered.

The Chronicle for April—May 2011 -


Ven.

Lionel

Whatley

writes:-

Thank you for

allowing me the

opportunity to

introduce my-

self to you! I am

Lionel Whatley.

I have just been

licensed by the

Bishop as the

vicar of West

Hoathly and

Highbrook.

When you first meet me you will imme-

diately realise that I am not ―from around these

parts‖ but from South Africa. I am married to

Sue and we have two grown up children, Megan

and Andrew. I was born in East London and

grew up on a Mission station in the Transkei

where my grandparents were missionaries. I

was sent away to school to learn English (Xhosa

was the only language we spoke) and after fin-

ishing my A-levels I went off to University to

study to be a teacher because I was too young to

go to Theological College. My Bishop said: ―

You first need some experience of the world.‖

What very good advice! I spent four won-

derful years at University in Port Elizabeth

(mostly as a Lay Chaplain to the Anglican Stu-

dents), taught for a year in a Government school

and then finally went off to Theological College

in Grahamstown where I met my wife, Sue. She

was studying at Rhodes University at the time.

A friend invited me on a ―blind date‖ and then

introduced us…….all carefully planned of

course. And the rest, as they say, is history!

After College Sue and I were sent to

Uitenhage where I worked for four years and

helped out as a Chaplain at Woodridge College

until I was appointed as Rector of St Hugh‘s in

Port Elizabeth. I later went on the be rector of

Alexandria, Waterberg, Letaba ( on the borders

of Zimbabwe) where I was Archdeacon, Vicar

General, Rector of a very large parish, with

100,000 Mozambique refugees, latterly also

many thousands of Zimbabwean refugees all

fleeing from ―Uncle Bob‖ ( Mr. Mugabe‘s op-

pressive regime).

I have had the good fortune of being able

to be involved in ministry all over the Middle

East ( Israel, Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia) and also

in other parts of Africa. I try to keep in touch

with friends and family in South Africa and be-

lieve that as Christians we are part of the whole

Church of God and have a responsibility to pray

for and support one another.

I love cooking, growing my own vegeta-

bles (mostly in a supervisory capacity) and

making jam. I have several Lavender Peking

Bantams, hens, and two cats. Please do pop in

to the Vicarage and meet us and them. We are

looking forward to getting to know you all.

Thank you for your warm welcome.

Ven. Lionel Whatley.

The Licensing

of the Vener-

able Lionel

Whatley

It‘s not every day that

the church of St Mar-

garet‘s in West

Hoathly is bursting at

the seams, but the

licensing of our new

Vicar Lionel Whatley

on Tuesday March

15th was just such an

occasion.

Over 200 people turned out at 7.30pm on a

foggy night, politely craning their necks to see

who – among the dozen or so ecclesiastical fig-

ures present - was our new parish priest.

The service was presided over by the Bishop of

Horsham, The Right Reverend Mark Sowerby,

complete with crook and Mitre, and the Bishop

brought a real sense of occasion to our humble

church. In true St Margaret‘s style, the service

somehow managed to combine ritual with

informality, and even the Bishop ad-libbed with

the licensing formalities when necessary.

With the ceremony over, the new Vicar Lionel

Whatley took to the lectern to thank all present

for the welcoming his family so warmly to the

parish. His wife Sue and daughter Megan also

joined the congregation afterwards at West

Hoathly primary school hall, for wine and ex-

tensive nibbles. Their son, John, was returning

that evening on a plane back from South Africa,

having ―typically missed the move and unpack-

ing!‖ Emma Mahony


Events at the Churches -

All Saints & St. Margaret’s

MOTHERING SUNDAY: 10am service on

April 3rd at St. Margaret‘s. Bring everyone along!

A special time to say how much we appreciate the

matriarchs in our lives!

APCM (Annual Parochial Church Meeting): Sunday April 10th, 6.30pm shortened Evensong

then 7pm meeting, St. Margaret‘s. Are you called

to the PCC? Three year commitment, approx 6

meetings a year. Please speak with Lionel, Derek

or Valerie if interested.

LENTEN LUNCHES: Tuesdays at the Sharp-

thorne Hall, remaining dates April 5th & 12th, 1pm

- 215pm. Just come along.

PALM SUNDAY, HOLY

WEEK AND EASTER SER-

VICES: see separate box for

complete list of services in the

villages on Page 26. This is

always a real time of renewal

for all of us in our lives.

STEWARDSHIP SUNDAY:

May 8th, 10am service. A time to review the giv-

ing of our lives, time and money to God. In the

evening, there will be a TAIZE SERVICE, a

quiet reflective service with beautiful music.

CHRISTIAN AID WEEK, MAY 15th-22nd:

The week begins at our 10am service on May

15th. Think whether you can be involved and be

ready for the collection that takes place that week.

SUNDAY 29th MAY, BISHOP OF HORSHAM

VISIT TO ALL SAINTS. We unite the two con-

gregations for the 10am service; the Bishop will

lead the service for us!

ROGATION SUNDAY WALK: our Rogation

Sunday Walk will begin at 4.30pm on May 29th at

the Sharpthorne Hall. It will be a circular walk

returning to the Hall at 6pm for tea and ending

the day at 6.30pm with a short evening service.

AND NOW A QUIET DAY. Peter Hartley has

offered to lead a Quiet Day at Worth Abbey on

Thursday, May 12th. The subject will be ―The

Appearances - what do they mean for us today?‖

If interested, please let him know at 811238.

Regular events at St. Margaret’s

FAMILIES are welcome at any service - chil-

dren are part of God‘s family and we are very

pleased to have them with us. Our 10am services

on the 1st and 3rd Sundays are aimed at families.

‗GATHER ROUND‘ on 4th Sundays 430-6pm are

a happy family time with bible stories, songs,

crafts and a proper tea!

HOSANNA! Monthly on Tuesdays - a bit more

informal worship through music, readings and

prayers.

BURIED TREASURE: Monthly on Wednes-

days at Sharpthorne Hall. Each of these sessions

stands as a one off, so do come along!

SAINTS & ANGELS: Monthly on Fridays. The

April occasion will be a celebration of weddings

and of the Royal Wedding happening on that day!

AND HOW HAVE WE

GOT HERE?

The 4 Churchwardens outlined in

our last issue how they were in-

volved with the Bishop in finding

a new Priest for the Parish. They all interviewed

Lionel in January before the Bishop offered, and

Lionel accepted, the appointment. Lionel is Priest

-in-charge, rather than the Vicar of the Parish, but

he has the same functions as Alan had before

him. The different designation means that the

Bishop has greater flexibility in ordering the ar-

rangement of clergy in the local area; it also

avoids the formality of involving the Lord Chan-

cellor who is the Patron of the Living here – a

slightly archaic arrangement which may well date

from the time when the Anglican Parish was first

established after the Reformation. That‘s all

rather technical and churchy – so let us simply

welcome Lionel, Sue, Megan and Andrew and

wish them all great happiness here! The editors and churchwardens

You, a Parish Councillor? – Why not? Every 4 years, we have the opportunity to choose who will represent us all as Parish Councillors and there has never been a more interesting time to do so. Our Parish Futures project highlighted many ambitions for our Parish and changing legislation will mean that there is far greater opportunity to make things happen locally. Election day is May 5th. If you are interested in finding out more, contact any of the current Councillors, of the Parish Clerk. All you need is a proposer and seconder. They and you must be on the electoral register for the Parish. We are not political, so there’s no need for soap boxes and door knocking! – just a desire to do something for the community. Council Tax We have agreed a budget for the 2011-2012 year which starts in April. This determines the amount of the Parish component (called the precept) of the Council Tax bill householders will receive from Mid-Sussex District Council. The other elements in the Council Tax are for West Sussex County Council, Mid Sussex District Council and Sussex Police. The Parish precept for next year will increase by 3.11%. For a Band D Council Tax property this means a rise of a little under £1 per annum over the current year. Impending changes to the way that Local Government works are likely to mean that the Parish Council will want to increase the number of things that it does. This increase will allow some room for that and to continue working on the ideas brought forward through our Parish Futures project. The details of the Parish Council Budget are available from the Parish Clerk and will be cov-ered at the: Annual Parish Assembly on April 18th This is an excellent opportunity also to hear more about the Parish Council. All are welcome and the meeting starts at 8 pm in West Hoathly Village Hall. ‘Movies on the Move’ Ever thought you’d love to go to the cinema but can’t face, or are unable to make, the journey to Crawley or elsewhere? We have found a way of bringing the latest films to us! Movies on the Move show up to the moment films in local venues. So, for just £5 you will be able to have a ‘Night out at the Movies’ right here on your doorstep at West Hoathly Village Hall. The Parish Council is prepared to support a trial on Friday April 15th with a recent British film, so do look out for publicity on Noticeboards and Hoathly Hub. If the experiment is successful, then a series of film showings will be planned for the Autumn. Watch out on the Hoathly Hub for a local pre-cinema supper offer too! Village Tidy ...and now for something completely different! Fancy a little exercise? Want to help spruce the Parish up for Spring? Then come along and join the members of the Conservation Group at Finch Field on Saturday 16th April at 10 am. All ages welcome, the more the merrier. Contact the Clerk for more details.

WEST HOATHLY PARISH COUNCIL March 2011

Parish Clerk: Helen Schofield - The Parish Office, North Lane, West Hoathly, RH19 4QG T: 01342 811301 E: [email protected]

Website: www.westhoathly.gov.uk The office is open on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday between 9am and noon. Messages can be

left at all other times on our answerphone or by email.


West Hoathly WI

February

Our speaker David Black gave us an excellent

insight into the history of Poole Pottery. The pottery was originally ‗Carters Industrial Tile

Manufactory‘, founded in 1873, who supplied much

of the ceramic tiling used on the London Under-

ground stations in the 1930‘s. Carters provided the

financial foundation for the very successful Poole

Pottery.

Many styles were created and manufactured including

Twintone, Delphis, Aegean and currently Living

Glaze. Although the company went into administra-

tion for a while, the Pottery shop remains open on

Poole quayside, although the main factory is at Stoke

on Trent. Many Poole Pottery creations can be seen

in the V & A Museum.

March

Our talk this month was entitled ‗Warrior

Queens‘, and many of us were expecting to hear

about Boudicea or Elizabeth I. Wrong! The Warrior Queens were the two ships Queen Mary

and Queen Elizabeth. Our speaker, Tony Turner, told

us that both were built at Clydebank as part of Cu-

nard‘s planned two-ship weekly express service be-

tween Southampton - Cherbourg - New York City.

QM was launched in 1936 and QE in 1938. Both

were used as troopships during the war, collecting and

afterwards returning troops from all our dominions.

They were called the ‗grey ghosts‘, and as their pas-

sages were across the Atlantic with U-boats patrolling

they sailed without any ship to shore messages, mov-

ing in zig zag lines at high speed, and most of the

time it was unknown where they were. Their final

war voyages were to reunite GI brides and babies

with their GI husbands in New York. Most brides

were met but there were some who returned to Eng-

land as no GI had met them. Carrying over 1.5 mil-

lion troops and doing over 60,000 miles with no

breakdowns and avoiding U-Boats. these two ships

were truly ‗Warrior Queens‘.

Our speaker in April is Romy McCabe with her

‗I Married the Vicar‘ talk. We are meeting at

2pm in West Hoathly Village Hall. Please come

and join us, you will be made most welcome. For more information contact Ros Williams, 810944

Barbara Polhill

Sharpthorne WI

The topic for our February meeting was ‗Ghosts

of Sussex‘! Rupert Matthews told us that when asked to write a

book on ghosts he was at first reluctant, but became

interested and joined the Psychical Research Society

which investigates the paranormal on a scientific ba-

sis. He listed five types of phenomenon from the

classic ghost through to the poltergeist (the only dan-

gerous type), giving us lively examples of each type

in Sussex settings. He followed by examining the

various possible explanations, ranging from time tele-

scoping to telepathy to telekinetics and concluding

that many instances are simply mistakes, as were the

women in white reported crossing fields in Horsham

in 1923, who turned out to be geese!

For our March meeting we had a very interest-

ing and enjoyable talk on ‗Behind the Scenes at

the National Gallery‘ given by Sarah Berry who

had worked in the Photographic Department for

many years, latterly as Director, overseeing the

change over from manual to digital imaging. She

started by giving us a brief history of the Gallery from

its official opening in a house in Pall Mall in 1838 to

its present situation in Trafalgar Square and the more

recent addition of the Sainsbury Wing in 1991. She

then went on to talk more specifically about the func-

tions of the Photographic Department, one among

several other departments, notably the Curators, Col-

lection Restorers and Science Departments, with

whom they worked closely, using ultra-violet, infra-

red and x-ray imaging, particularly to show up the

drawings and the type of damage underneath the paint

to help in the restoration and cleaning work of the

great masterpieces carried out by the other depart-

ments. Her department was also asked to photograph

all 3500 paintings over a period of 18 months which

can now be viewed by anyone online. We all came

away with renewed enthusiasm to visit the Gallery.

Our next meeting is on Monday, April 11th when

Phillippa will instruct us on ‗Dance to Keep Fit‘.

Come and join us, wearing comfortable clothing,

to move to the music and have fun! Fiona Hartley

Playground games

I am looking for people who are familiar with Traditional Sussex playground games that they may re-

member from their own youth. There was recently a programme on TV stating that such games have all

but died out and I would be interested in trying to collate memories of what older people recall playing

in the playground; be it ball games, skipping rhymes, cat's cradle and more.

If I can manage to get enough together, I would then like to run a club to relay these games to our chil-

dren in the hope the traditions may continue. Replies might make interesting reading, too. Rachel Whitlam, 01342 810117

T h e C h r o n i c l e f o r A p r i l a n d M a y 2 0 1 1 – P a g e 1 0

Music happening in our area

Acoustic Sussex (folk,blues,instrumental)

8 Apr Cara Dillon Chequer Mead 20.00

28 Apr Mary Gautier Chequer Mead 19.30

20 May Jon Allen Chequer Mead 20.00

For details see www.acousticsussex.org.uk

Jazz

Second Monday in every month at the

‗Haywaggon‘, Hartfield

Sharpthorne Organic Cafe

Live music on Saturdays 12.00-14.00

West Hoathly Local History

Group

20 April AGM 7.45, Sharpthorne Church Hall

18 June (Saturday) Visit by train to Ports-

mouth.You are welcome to join us even if you

are not members. If you are interested, please

contact Mr. Tony Hunt on 810534.

Village walks

24 April Andy Butler

29 May Steve Brand Walks start at 10.00 am from Finche Field

Forest Row Film Society

1 Apr The Return

8 Apr Severn

6 May Seraphine

13 May A Road Not Taken

20 May The Secret In Their Eyes Films in Freshfield Hall, Forest Row. Doors open

19.30 for 20.00 start. For more information see

http://www.forestrowfilmsociety.org

Ardingly Choral Society

Handel — Messiah April 3rd, 7.30 at Ardingly College

Eloise Irving, Jane Haughton, Lawrence Ols-

worth-Peter & Mid-Sussex Sinfonia Tickets from Mrs Shirley Ventham 01273 831264

Carousel or at Door

Adults £12 - Concessions £10 - Children Free

Mini-Arts Festival

Advance Note for Diaries

The Parish Council is running an artistic week-

end on 16th/17th July - please note for your dia-

ries and get your paints ready! See page 7 for full

details.

There will also be other artistic activities:

Saturday, 16th at 7.30 pm in St. Margaret's -

Concert sponsored by the Madeleine "Young

Musicians Platform - instrumental and vocal."

More details later

Sunday afternoon, 17th - poetry reading, story-

telling and harp music in the school, we hope!

So it will be a mini-Arts Festival weekend in

West Hoathly. Make sure you're here!

Gardens Open

In aid of National Gardens Scheme

Ham Cottage, Highbrook Weekends of 14/15 May and 21/22 May

2.00—5.30 pm

Andrea and Peter Browne

Duckyls Holt

Bank Holiday weekend 28—30 May

(Tea & homemade cakes available)

Diana and Sophie Hill

Priest House

Bank Holiday Saturday 28 May

(Sun-Mon 29-30 May open as normal)

Antony Smith

Bluebell Railway

16 Apr Toy and Rail Collectors Fair

26-29 Apr Spring Specials

2&3 Apr Mothers Day afternoon tea

15 Apr Rail Ale evening

3-6 May Bluebell Specials

7&8 May Southern at War Weekend

6&20 May Fish & Chip evening

For more information see http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/events/index.html

NOTICE BOARD


Shoebox Appeal

Jenny Page would like to thank all those who

donated goods, and money for postage for her

'Shoebox appeal' last year. She will be doing a

smaller number of boxes this year and needs

small gift items especially ladies‘ items such as

scarves and aprons. The items must be new or

nearly new, suitable as gifts. Help with postal

costs is always appreciated too. Any queries

contact Jenny on 01342 810181.

Christian Aid Week

15 to 21 May

You will be aware of

the commercials on TV

as we approach Chris-

tian Aid week in May and all the worthwhile

projects Christian Aid supports. This is a door

to door collection in our villages and raises over

£2,000 each year through the generosity of peo-

ple giving not only their money but also their

time to make the collections. Some of our dona-

tions are sizeable but many are small. All those

pound coins and other little bits add up to a large

sum – which always surprises! By getting in-

volved in Christian Aid Week in our own com-

munity, you can help to turn the hopes of com-

munities all around the world into realities. You

can be part of a movement which is transforming

lives. If you would like to be part of our local

team please call Valerie on 01342 810848 and of

course give some thought to your donation—gift

aiding it would painlessly add more if you are a

tax payer—and how your little part can be added

to the whole to make a big change in lives!

Pre-School

Two fund-raising events coming up!

Travelling Trends Fashion Show and Clothes

Sale

Thursday 28th April at West Hoathly School.

Doors open 7.30 pm for 8pm start. Pre-show

refreshments available (wines & soft drinks)

Tickets are £5.00 To purchase tickets please

contact Claire on 811827 or Karen on 810913

Come along to enjoy this evening of FASHION

& FUN. This is your chance to see and buy this

seasons fashions at greatly reduced prices and

raise much needed funds for the Pre-school. Buy

on the night by cash or credit/debit card.

We are also looking for a couple of ladies in

their nifty 50's and super 60's and 70's to model

for us. You'll be given free entry and compli-

mentary glass of wine on the night - please con-

tact Claire on the number above.

Pampered Chef Lunch Party

Saturday 7th May at Sharpthorne Hall

11am - 2pm approx. A chance to see some tasty

treats being created with the Pampered Chef

products. Commission from your purchases will

help to buy the Pre-school some much needed

cooking equipment for the children's baking ses-

sions. Open to all the keen cooks and aspiring

chefs in the village and any previous Pampered

Chef hosts who want to add to their culinary col-

lection.

A date for the yearly calendar but not imminent -

70's & 80's Disco Night at the Sharpthorne Club

on Saturday 25th June 2011 in aid of West

Hoathly Pre-school. Fancy Dress optional. Tick-

ets £6. Contact Claire on 811827 for further de-

tails and purchase tickets.

GOOD CAUSES

High Beeches Children & Family Centre

High Beeches Children & Family Centre is one of 50 centres across West Sussex, who work with com-

munities and key partner organisations to help offer children and young people the best opportunities in

life. We provide information and advice, family activities and support, links to Jobcentre Plus, links

with health partners, toy library, oral health supplies, parent book lending library, and one to one support

with families who are referred to us.

We offer these services through our Rural Vehicle, parent and toddler groups, health clinics and one off

play events. We publish a termly programme and this is sent to all parents of children under 5yrs who

are registered with us. If you would like to receive a programme please contact us as below.

We have recently started a new Rhymetime session at West Hoathly CofE Primary School fort-

nightly on a Wednesday afternoon. For further details or to register please contact the office:

tel. 01444 255477 or e-mail acd.ruralbolney.c&[email protected]


1st

West Hoathly

Scout Group

My apologies for no cover-

age on WH Scouts last time so please bear with

me while I briefly cover a couple of late Xmas

fund raising thank you‘s. Firstly, thank you to

all the brave Sharpthorne residents who patiently

suffered our carol singing effort last year and

helped to ‗bucket‘ £83. So watch out West

Hoathly locals, it is your doors we will be

‗warbling‘ outside this year! Secondly, thank

you to everyone who supported our Scout Christ-

mas Post, raising £62.50 and especially to our

fantastic Costcutters for being our collection

point, we do hope this service proved useful for

you.

Moving on to Spring, our Jumble Sale made a

profit of £190, and the Quiz evening was well

attended and enjoyed, so again thank you for

supporting these events. A summer family BBQ

will be planned, date to be arranged.

Our Beavers luckily have a new leader: we wel-

come Bev Duncanson who kindly came forward

and thank John Ralton (EG District Scouts) who

has been holding the fort for us and continuing to

give assistance. The Beavers recently enjoyed a

district fun day.

Cubs attended a fun evening in January, bowling

in competition with District Brownies, not sure

who won but, of course, it‘s the taking part that

counts. Their Cub Akela, Pandy, has recently

had surgery; we do wish her well and, in the

meantime, thank Phyl and Angela, Colynn and

EG District for stepping in to cover her absence.

The Scouts have already enjoyed an international

food tasting evening, woggle making, rock

climbing and are looking forward to an Easter

Camp near Snowdonia in Wales. We congratu-

late Sophie Brook, who has completed her train-

ing and has been invested joining the team as a

new leader.

We are collecting school vouchers again, so if

you have any unwanted ones, they would be

much appreciated. Please hand them into our

Costcutters when you visit.

Finally, may I just say a big thank you to our

leaders and general committee for all their time,

energy and enthusiasm which they put into

scouting for our your people, this sometimes

goes unnoticed.

Happy Easter to all. If you are interested in joining the West Hoathly

Pack, or can help us, please contact:

Beavers, 6-8 years Bev Duncanson on 810709

Cubs, 8 - 10 ½ years Pandy Dart on 810005

Scouts, 10 ½ - 14 years Colby Mager on 01825

763257

(all are for both boys and girls)

Bev Mager

Theatre Goers Group

We started the year as usual with a visit to the

Ice Show at Brighton in January. This is always

popular and a great spectacular to brighten up the

dark, dismal January days. February saw visits

to the ballet Sleeping Beauty at the Hawth per-

formed by the Moscow City Ballet, Hairspray

the London show on tour at the Congress Thea-

tre in Eastbourne and a Sing-a-long Abba at the

Hawth. In March a group went to see Madam

Butterfly at The Royal Albert Hall. We managed

to get some very good seats and a good time was

had by all, I think there were also a few tears at

the end of the show.

We have now planned our Spring programme

which will include the Charles Dickens play,

Great Expectations, Shakespeare‘s Twelfth

Night, the musical Fiddler on the Roof, an eve-

ning of Big Band music at Chequer Mead and a

visit backstage at the Theatre Royal in Brighton.

We have been advised of a venue in London,

Brick Lane Music Hall, and are looking to get a

party together later in the year to attend one of

their Music Hall Shows; the matinees include

afternoon tea. In order to get the best deal we

hope to get a coach party together and will be

approaching other organisations in the village to

see if any of their members would be interested

in joining us. Dressing the part is optional. Also

in the pipeline is another trip to That’ll Be The

Day, an evening of 50‘s and 60‘s music.

In the summer we are hoping to organise our

summer get together evening, a trip to Camden

Market which would incorporate getting a boat

to Camden Lock, visits to the outdoor theatres at

Hever and Nymans and a picnic. Unfortunately

it rained on our picnic day last year but we man-

aged to hire Forest Row Church Hall to have an

‗indoor‘ picnic. Hopefully the weather will be

kinder to us this year.

There will be more information on these venues

in the next issue of The Chronicle. If you are interested in any of the upcoming shows, or

you have any other suggestions, please contact either

Bev Mager on 810164, Gary Coxall on 810697, or me

on 810143.

Marion Jones


West Hoathly

Bowls Club

Centenary Celebrations Back in 1911 Mr N A

Block, who lived in the

Manor House, kindly al-

lowed the newly formed

Bowls Club to play on his

tennis court. The first match was played in Sep-

tember 1911, and it marked the start of our long

and eventful history. The Club, thanks to a gen-

erous landowner, moved around the corner to its

present home in Hook Lane in 1934. Over the

years the Club improved and enlarged both the

Green and the Pavilion until the present day,

when it is considered as one of the top lawn

Bowls Clubs in Sussex.

As a Part of our Centenary Celebrations we will

be hosting a number of Special Bowls Games:

Thursday 19th May v Bowls England

Tuesday 7th June v Mid Sussex League

Saturday 18th June v Southampton - The old-

est Bowls club, whose roots go back nearly 800

years.

Sunday 17th July v East Grinstead - The first

Club we ever played.

Thursday 28th July v Sussex County We like a good party at West Hoathly, so

there will be social events ranging from a formal

celebration lunch for members, a Royal Wedding

Party through to a foot-stomping Barn Dance for

the sprightlier amongst us. Look out for local

notices of these events as you are more than wel-

come to attend our social dates and also to come

by to watch our bowls games.

Better still why not give Bowls a try?

Come along any Tuesday Evening in May from

6pm and we will show you what a simple but fun

game it is! All you will need are some flat soled

shoes or trainers, we will provide the rest. These

are free taster sessions – come and see how you

get on—you might be a Natural!

For a Club leaflet and details of membership

(both Playing and Social) just call Glyn Lyford

on 01342 810539 or Colin Bowley on 01444

482576

On a more sombre note it is with great sadness

that we must report the death of June Howick,

wife of Dai Howick our President and Club Cap-

tain. June was a fine Bowler and our condo-

lences go out to Dai and his family from all at

the club and in the village who know them.

Nick Goodman – Press Officer

West Hoathly Lawn Tennis

Club

Hopefully by the time you read this the weather

will be better and thoughts will be turning back

to tennis. The courts have survived the winter

quite well, though moss treatment has been re-

quired.

If you are interested in joining, application forms

are available from Terry Cooper on 01444

892649. Membership rates are extremely rea-

sonable. There will be a Round Robin tourna-

ment during May when Wimbledon tickets are

drawn.

The lower court is available for public hire. For

details of rates and availability please contact

Lindsay Shurvell, 01342 810780.

Una Voce

Folk Songs for a Chilli Eve-

ning—it was certainly a chilly

evening on 5th March, but a very

warm welcome awaited singers at Grovelands

Farm where members of Una Voce, and friends

from near and far, gathered to sing for their sup-

per. There were about 30 of us, in fine voice, led

by Andrew Slater through a wide range of popu-

lar folk songs from across the globe – from

American protest songs to Irish rovers, Spirituals

to Greensleeves. Some we even managed to sing

in parts. All rounded off with a delicious chilli

supper with all the trimmings (for which, many

thanks to Emma Davies, our hostess for the eve-

ning). We were accompanied by a pianist, gui-

tarist and mandolin player, which perfectly en-

hanced the mood of the music. It was a great

evening – thanks to everyone who came, sang,

played or waved their arms about!

Coming Up—Seekin’ Haydn

Saturday 14th May 2011 8pm

Una Voce‘s next concert will be a performance

of Haydn‘s Imperial Nelson Mass – Missa in

Augustiis – a great choral work, in St. Marga-

ret‘s Church, West Hoathly. It will be accompa-

nied by Camerata of London. Do come along -

further details will be available nearer the date. Tickets will be available from: unavo-

[email protected] or from Robin Ingham on the box

office number: 07717 348436.

Una Voce is a group of around 25 singers performing

a range of classical and popular music in and around

West Hoathly, Sharpthorne and Highbrook.

Emma Dawson


West Hoathly Local History

Archive Exhibition

Every annual exhibition held by the West

Hoathly Local history Archive seems to take on

its own character. This year was very much the

year of the WW2 evacuees, some of whom en-

joyed meeting people they had not seen since the

1940s. A quite different angle came from Tony

Oliver who brought a large photograph of his

relative William Jupp in his 1844 Sussex smock

wedding attire. He was with his father when he

was press-ganged near the Cat Inn to serve in the

peninsular War of 1808-1813. Steven Israel and

Suzi Hopkins were busy researching for their

play to celebrate the centenary of the Stoneland

Players.

We had about 200 visitors over the weekend of

February 19th and 20th. This event takes a lot of

preparation to work well. After around 15 years

of exhibitions our team of around twenty helpers

has become very efficient. The transporting,

erecting and dismantling of the material, the pro-

vision of refreshments, the selling of books, pho-

tographs and raffle tickets and tending to the

queries from visitors now runs very smoothly.

Thanks are due to all of the helpers and visitors

who together created yet another memorable

weekend. John Ralph, Antony Smith and Julia Walker.

The Hoathly Hub:

1 year old!

Yes, this month the Hoathly Hub

(www.HoathlyHub.info) sponsored

by West Hoathly Parish Council is celebrating

its first year of operation. We get many compli-

mentary comments and messages from the 350

Hub followers about how the Hub is improving

the way that news is circulating throughout the

Parish. About 40% of the Parish households re-

ceive the Hub news either through email, Face-

book or Twitter. Over 30 Parish and Parish

Council related organisations now publish their

news and events on the Hoathly Hub.

That isn't a bad start in our view, but it

also means that some 60% of Parish residences

are missing out! So, in the Hub's second year, the

goal is to ensure that the Hub reaches the major-

ity of people through West Hoathly,Sharpthorne,

Highbrook, Selsfield and the surrounding areas.

So what can you do to help? Easy - just

follow this Flow Chart.....

DON'T FORGET - To get the full value from the

Hoathly Hub you do need to register - that way

the Hub will come to you and you don't have to

remember to go and find out what is on!

NEW FEATURE - the Hub's keener followers

can now have an automatic up-to-date copy of

the Parish Calendar from the Hub on their com-

puter or Smartphone (eg iPhone) alongside their

personal electronic diary. Instructions on how to

do it on the Hub (www.hoathlyhub.info/Help/

iCalendar.pdf ).

John & Sylvia Downe

[email protected] / 01444-89206

Sharpthorne Hall Update

As reported in the last edition of the Chronicle,

the Sharpthorne Hall is now being managed by a

group of Trustees on behalf of St Margaret‘s

Church. A re-dedication service and an Open

day were held in February. We are very grateful

to Glynn & Philippa Phillips from Turners Hill

Free Church (the previous Trustees) for support-

ing us at the service,

At present, the Hall is used regularly by Pericles,

Rachel‘s Book Club and the Local History

Group and for weekly Tai Chi classes. Recent

occasional use has included birthday parties, a

Burn‘s Night gathering and a family Leaving

Party. Ideas for future use range from Beetle

Drives to regular Coffee Mornings, from Quiz

Nights to second-hand book sales and from

cooking groups to music classes. We will do our

very best to include as many of these ideas when

planning future events! If you would like more information about the Sharp-

thorne Hall or would like to make a booking, then

please contact Alastair Duncanson on 01342-810709

or 07753-350313 or by email:

[email protected]


Motoring in its Infancy

A Sussex Pioneer Looks Back To The

“Good Old Days” [This article, reproduced verbatim from the

Southern Weekly News, June 25th 1938, comes

from the West Hoathly Local History Archive.]

Memories of half a million motoring miles, on

roads varying between the dust covered track of

half a century ago and the modern by-pass, in

cars as widely assorted as an 1888 De Dion and

the modern saloon, are those of Mr J Godwin

King, pioneer Sussex motorist.

Petrol sent on by rail.

Interviewed at Stonelands, his beautiful West

Hoathly home, Mr Godwin King, recalled a

―Southern Weekly News‖ reporter the early days

behind the wheel-when tyres lasted only 3000

miles, mechanical failures were an everyday oc-

currence, petrol-then 8d a gallon-for long jour-

neys was sent in advance by rail, and speed was

limited to 12 m.p.h.

―One of the extraordinary things of the early

days of motoring was that people were afraid of

you. You often saw people shaking their fists at

you through a cloud of dust,‖ Mr Godwin King,

who celebrates his jubilee as a motorist this year,

told our reporter, and went on to describe some

of the difficulties that handicapped early motor-

ists.

In the early 1890s you had to be very careful to

take a supply of petrol with you because you

could only get it in certain places and they were

few and far between. Petrol for long journeys

was sent on by rail, until the railway companys

treated it as an explosive and refused to carry it

except on certain days.

Anything over 4000 miles was an exceptional

large mileage for early tyres, some of which

were fixed by about a dozen screws and several

security bolts. They took nearly two hours to

replace if you were unlucky enough to get a

puncture.

Dangerous Driving At 23 m.p.h.

Frequent speed traps operated on lonely roads,

were a constant anxiety, and once, Mr. Godwin

King confessed he was convicted and fined for

dangerous driving by the Romsey bench. A

speed of 23 m.p.h. on a road clear for over 100

yards cost him £5 and 1½ guineas. costs. His

license endorsement, supposed to come off after

three years, was not erased for over ten years

owing to the continual alteration of the motoring

laws.

Events of a few epic journeys were described by

Mr. Godwin King. He remembers two straying

horses running for miles in front of his noisy

open car near Melton Mobray, and a journey

from West Hoathly to Hellingly during which he

had to change the suction operated inlet valves

more than half a dozen times.

Mr. Godwin King has owned many cars, a Di

Dion of 1888 vintage, several Darracqs, two of

the three Renaults before the end of the nine-

teenth century, and latterly many of British

manufacture.

One car, a 1912 Renault, will live in his memory

for ever. After covering many eventful miles in it

he gave it to the Red Cross Association for am-

bulance work at the outbreak of war. Afterwards

it was with the French Red Cross, who sold it for

£200 after smashing it against a gate post!

Balloon Pursuit

Mr. Godwin King, in his eventful fifty years as a

motorist has travelled in England, Scotland,

Wales, Italy, France and Czechoslavakia, and

among his treasured mementoes is a French driv-

ing license, valid for ever, issued to him in Havre

about 1900.

As a member of the old Sussex Automobile Club

he enjoyed a short spell of racing and once won a

silver cup for chasing a balloon from Haywards

Heath to Sittingbourne. Surely one of the strang-

est races ever seen in this country.

Few Sussex Magistrates have a greater knowl-

edge of and understanding of motoring laws and

motorist‘s difficulties, but after 50 years as a mo-

torist and many years as a member and some-

times chairman of the East Grinstead Bench he

still thinks people are more careful than they

used to be on the roads.

Incidentally Mr. Godwin King owned the first

registered car in Sussex A.P.1.

John Ralph

John Godwin King with AP1 at a picnic in Ashdown

Forest


Weather Watch

2011: A mild, wet start

After the severely cold, icy start to the winter at

the end of 2010, we were due for milder, perhaps

wetter days after the new year, and we got them!

How English weather evens itself out eventually!

Hereabouts both January and February were at

least 2 degrees C milder than these months last

year, and taken together these recent months had

25% more rainfall than average. The mild damp

start to the year was fairly widespread through-

out England and Wales, and I read that February

was less sunny than any other February since

1980.

Statistics for January and February 2011

Basil Cridland

Garden Notes

After the grey skies of January and February the

sun is shining (relatively!) and the cold March

winds are blowing, drying up the ground nicely.

If this continues, with chilly easterly airstreams

holding back plant growth, the early spring bulbs

will flower longer and everything under glass

will leap ahead, benefiting from the cloudless

skies. The mower made its first appearance

March 2nd and tidied up the leaves and twigs

that had fallen on the grass over winter. On the

subject of sunshine and light levels, several

houses in our locality have had photovoltaic pan-

els installed over the last 6 months, taking ad-

vantage of the favourable payback tariffs. Glint-

ing roofs are no longer a rarity, and they all help

with "green" energy production along with solar

hot water systems, which save on oil, calor gas

or electricity for domestic water.

This cold wet winter has seen many casualties,

especially plants of Mediterranean origin such as

thymes, rosemary, lavenders, cistus and helian-

themums, though these are good in dry summer

conditions. Buy replacements in early May, re-

moving all the old roots and some of the sur-

rounding soil. Some plants should not be re-

planted in the same spot, notably clematis and

roses because of soil borne pathogens causing

"replant disease".

Spring is later than in the past few years, going

by the daffodils and magnolias, but with a late

Easter this is no bad thing if you're a fair-weather

or time-deficient gardener.

Let's hope we have a gorgeous

Easter and Royal wedding

weekend so that the abundance

of public holidays enables

plenty of gardening and out-

door DIY time as well as per-

haps visits to gardens and blue-

bell woods.

Bright cold days are ideal for pruning (with the

sun on your back!). Hydrangeas, Buddleias, Os-

manthus, Viburnum bodnantense, Erica carnea,

Cornus alba (dogwood) and semi-woody peren-

nials like Penstemons, Salvias, Fuchsias, Santoli-

nas and lavender can be done, as well as early

flowering Camellias where they need shaping.

Plums, cherries and gages should also be pruned

now so that the rising sap allows the cuts to heal

quickly, minimising disease entry.

Early to mid-April is ideal for sowing tomatoes,

cucumbers, peppers, aubergines and basil as well

as brassicas, leeks, lettuce and other annuals

such as antirrhinums, petunias, marigolds, alys-

sum, lobelia - i.e. all the "bedding/basket" plants

you may prefer to sow yourself. Hanging basket

plants are available from early April in a lot of

nurseries, but keep the baskets under protection

at least until early May, when being off the

ground they can safely be hung up. Cuttings of

fuchsias, penstemon, pelargoniums and other

overwintered plants can be taken, as well as

some shrubs like Cistus, rosemary, thyme, etc.

Plant potatoes, broad beans, peas, carrots, beet-

root, salad crops, onions and brassica plants, but

Jan Feb

Sunny or bright days 12 9

Days with measurable

rain

14 15

Month's rainfall, mm 120 61

Average month's rain-

fall, mm

86 58

Wettest day (16th) 25mm (10th) 16mm

Mildest day (16th) 9C (24th) 12C

Coldest morning (30th) -2C (1st) -3C

No of air frosts 12 2

Mean temp, day &

night

3.6C 4.6C


remember to protect emerging potato shoots with

fleece if the frost comes. Fleece is also useful

for keeping birds, pigeons especially, from at-

tacking peas and young "greens", though check

that mice haven‘t decided to have a midnight

feast under the warm blanket! Frosts are still

possible throughout April and the first 3 weeks

of May, even if mild spells with high daytime

temperatures predominate! Harden off plants

properly that have been grown under protection,

and don't be tempted to plant out courgettes,

sweetcorn, french and runner beans until mid

May. (They can be sown under protection late

April)

Clumps of early bulbs -narcissi, snowdrops, aco-

nites and iris reticulata - can be divided before

their foliage dies down and disappears alto-

gether. Daffodils and narcissi can be fed with a

high potash fertilizer (e.g. fish, blood and bone)

as soon as the flowers fade, before the leaves go

over - and pray for rain to water it in! Don't be

tempted to cut off bulb foliage until it has died

down almost completely as the nutrients return

to the bulbs. Feed roses with "Top Rose" or

similar, lightly forking it in around the plants,

and add mulch such as well rotted horse manure. Lindsay Shurvell

Weald Forest Ridge

Subsidised training courses are available to help-

businesses, landowners and individuals maintain

and enhance the rich heritage of the Weald For-

est Ridge. This is the highest ridge of the High

Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, a

landscape which has been shaped by its inhabi-

tants for thousands of years.

The WFR training subsidy of up to 50% is only

available if you live, work or have a definitive

business connection within the Weald Forest

Ridge Area.

If you:

Have an interest in food

Are a food related or land based business

Want to start a food related or land based

venture

Or simply care about where you live, what

you eat and the environment

here will be a course to interest or help you.

The Plumpton College, Centre for Sustainable

Food and Farming is delighted to be one of the

providers of training: Sarah Blackford, head of

centre says; ―To have the opportunity to protect

and enhance this wonderful part of Kent and

Sussex is a privilege. We offer a full range of

butchery courses including sausage making and

bacon and gammon curing, food smoking and

salami making. Some other courses available

are; How to care for pigs, sheep and cattle, select

finished stock and market the meat; rear, produce

and slaughter poultry; orchard planting and

pruning; production and marketing of fruit and

vegetables and food hygiene. Bespoke training

courses can be arranged. Please let us know

your requirements.

Other training providers are: the award winning

Weald and Downland Open Air Museum and

ESUS Forestry.

In addition to the WFR grant subsidies Plumpton

College also offer training subsidised through

the RDPE LandSkills programme. To be eligi-

ble, the business must be based in the South East

Region and be dependent on agriculture (this can

include a butcher working for a farming busi-

ness) or forestry. The course attendee must spend

at least 50% of their time involved in these types

of activities. For more information please contact Claire Gammon

on 01580 879547 or email

[email protected]. Visit

www.thenetherfieldcentre.co.uk for full course infor-

mation

Snippets

―In a revolution, as in a novel, the most difficult

part to invent is the end‖.

Alexis de Tocqueville, 1805-1859 de Tocqeville is best known for his classic work De-

mocracy in America, but this remark seems relevant

to present events in North Africa and the Middle East.

―Doubt is not a pleasant state, but certainty is a

ridiculous one.‖

Voltaire, 1694-1778 Voltaire was the pen-name of the French philosopher


Gravetye Gardens and William

Robinson

The gardens at Gravetye Manor are a very special place and

can be considered amongst the most influential in English

gardening history. The manor became the home of the

creative, innovative and revolutionary gardener, William

Robinson in 1884. Robinson spent his remarkable life as a

professional gardener and botanist, but made his fortune

through writing about his experiences and ideas on horticul-

ture. His most notable works include The English Flower

Garden, which is one of the best-selling horticultural books

of all time, and the hugely influential title, The Wild Gar-

den.

Robinson‘s ideas about naturalised plantings, allowing nature to flow into the garden were ground

breaking. Previous to Robinson‘s books, gardens were places where nature was controlled and sup-

pressed, meticulously managed, with carpet bedding and topiary. Robinson travelled the world studying

plants in their natural habitat and spent years discussing how the beauty of these habitats might be repli-

cated in the garden. This paved the way for much that we take for granted today in modern garden de-

sign. After years of studying, gardening and writing Robinson came to Gravetye and it was here he put

his ideas into practice.

Gravetye Gardens in the 21st Century

Today Gravetye is a mature, charming and very beautiful garden. The tree line and the masses of

naturalised bulbs show Robinson‘s genius in a way that only he could have imagined over 100 years

ago. The wild garden tumbles down its south facing slopes into the contrasting formal areas of the gar-

den, and wherever you are in the garden there is always a stunning view of the surrounding countryside.

After the Second World War the garden fell into a period of neglect until the manor was opened

as a hotel and restaurant in 1958 by hotelier Peter Herbert. He threw all his energy into the renovation

and management of the garden until his retirement in 2004. Over the last few years‘ financial con-

straints meant that areas of the garden suffered. Now, thanks to the backing of new owners, a major res-

toration project is under way.

Summer 2010 saw the appointment of Tom Coward as Head Gar-

dener. Having worked for 3 years alongside Fergus Garrett at Great Dixter,

his experience has proved second to none in tackling this project. The fo-

cus will be not only on conserving and re-creating Robinson‘s work but

also progressing the garden in homage to his experimental style of garden-

ing.

The Restoration

Weeds

Nearly all of the formal borders in the garden have become infested with

bind weed (calystegia sepium) and this can take several years to control.

We have had to dig out many beds, and until this invasive perennial weed

is eradicated we will grow annuals and bulbs, in a naturalistic style. This

will allow us to still have flowers in the flower garden, whilst tackling the

weed problem at the same time. It also gives us the opportunity to try

something new, before the final planting of mixed borders.

Glass Houses

Robinsons original Victorian Glass Houses have fallen into a bad state of repair and will be restored.

The glass has been removed from the 60 ft Peach House to make it safe. First of all we hope to restore

the two functioning Foster and Pearson green houses. We hope this will keep them solid for the next 25

years. The next priority will be to restore two Foster and Pearson cold frames followed by re -building

the Peach House. The two remaining Foster and Pearson glass houses need to be totally rebuilt and may

be moved to the Kitchen garden. As well as being very valuable facilities to serve the garden with

plants and the hotel with kitchen produce, these glass houses are historical and beautiful attractions in

Tom Coward


their own right.

Kitchen Garden

Paths and gates within the Kitchen Garden will be restored and the design of the garden is currently be-

ing reviewed. The Installation of some good fruit cages and replanting wall fruit will be encompassed

within the re-design.

Landscape Features

Original landscape features are to be restored, such as the York stone paths which run along the top of

the flower garden, and one of the pergolas. In the future we may replace more of the original pergolas.

As well as this landscape restoration we plan to make some new steps, running through the wild garden,

to connect the croquet lawn to the Kitchen Garden. All original landscape features will be built using

historical pictures and plans, so as to re-create them to original details and proportions. The design for

the steps has been inspired by photographs and descriptions in the Gertrude Jekyll book Stones and Wa-

ter.

Fencing

A fence will be installed to control the damage caused by muntjac, roe and fallow deer as well as rab-

bits. This will be sensitively placed so as to have minimal impact on the landscape.

Irrigation System

At the moment there is only one hose pipe of mains water to irrigate the little garden, long border and

flower garden. We are therefore looking to install a modern irrigation system to replace the obsolete

Victorian system and the use of mains water. This will be linked to a bore hole for a source of cheap

sustainable water.

Re-planting

Re-planting in the orchard and trees in the wild garden will help solve the problem of the generation gap

in plantings.

Initial indications show the total restoration to be a 5 year project, but with additions such as our own

chickens and bees, there will continuously be something new and enchanting to experience in Grave-

tye‘s gardens.

Tom Coward

The following notes are taken from Kay Coutin‘s monograph William Robinson: a brief account of his

life and times, with kind permission from Kay.

William Robinson was born in 1838 in Northern Ireland and started his ca-

reer as an under-gardener at the Royal Botanic Garden in Dublin. In 1861

he moved to the Royal Botanic Society‘s garden in London, where his men-

tor, Robert Marnock, introduced him to the ―natural environment‖ style of

gardening. He started publishing, first articles and then books, first making

his name with The Wild Garden in 1870. Following this, he started his own

weekly journal, The Garden”, price 4 pence, which he edited for 28 years.

By 1885 he had made enough money from his writing and publishing (plus

some property investment) to acquire his own country house and grounds:

Gravetye Manor. As with many of the other country house owners in our

area, the newly developed railway system enabled him to combine London

business with country living.

For 50 years, until he died in 1935, William Robinson was busy developing the garden and grounds

(with the help of no fewer than 18 gardeners) according to his garden philosophy, as described by Tom

Coward. He never married, but had many friends among his neighbours, and he endowed an annual

party for the pupils of West Hoathly school which still continues. Although crippled by a fall on his

way to church in 1909, he continued until his death to play an active part in the gardening world as well

as to develop Gravetye.

Gravetye Manor closed in January for extensive refurbishment and is re-opening on 15 April

William Robinson


In a Country Garden

It‘s oh so nice to sit out in the summer

but the noise from nearby gardens

drives you mad

The lad next door aspires to be a drummer

amidst a lot of shouting from his Dad

The blackbird is squawking in the oak tree

I think he‘s trying to imitate a car

The aeroplanes are screeching into Gatwick

from strange exotic places near and far

Everyone has taken out their mowers

The children are squealing in the pool

The humming bees are buzzing in the flowers

Our rock musician thinks he‘s really cool

The countryside is good for you they say

if only all that din would go away! Kathy Brown

Untitled

The rain pours down

the grass is mud.

How can you garden

when the best you can do is keep your feet?

And anyhow I don't know

where to put our veggie patch

with light and sun in our shady garden.

Last year, it was hopeless,

so maybe I'll just give up this time.

But the apples were great and are still being eaten!

And the raspberries fantastic!

So maybe I'll stick to simple things

and go to Lindsay's or Plaw Hatch for the rest.

And the bulbs are popping up now,

so spring will be a treat, as it always is.

Trying not to be depressed about it all!

Peter Hartley

Gloom and Hope

My window looks on branches bare

And muddy soil too wet to dig –

Too windy for those piles of leaves,

Too cold to prune my rampant fig.

But once I get my wellies on

I find daff bulbs are poking through,

Camellia buds are swelling fast,

All nagging me with jobs to do.

And all too soon the garden starts

To dominate the daylight hours.

Along with what I‘ve planned and sown

Come all the uninvited flowers.

Forget-me-nots forget me not –

They spread unbidden everywhere.

I lack the heart to pull them out;

Like honesty, I leave them there.

And every spring I make the vow

To spray the roses, keep beds weeded.

When summer comes, I break the vow:

Blackspot and chickweed thrive unheeded.

Tomatoes blight and slugs are feasting;

I‘m awfully bored with freezing beans.

I grumble at my garden‘s chores

But marvel at its changing scenes.

Anne Thorne

The Reluctant Gardener Spring has sprung I heard them say

The daffs and crocs are on their way

And gardeners smile throughout the land

Packets of seeds and spades in hand.

Oh why, oh why I shake my head

Does gardening fill me with such dread

The aching back, the tender knees

The never ending fight with weeds.

Don‘t get me wrong, I love the sight

Of summer flowers beaming bright

Of lawns so green and neatly mowed

And fresh soil borders gently hoed.

Such joy from gardening my friends gain

Whereas to me it‘s just a pain

How I wish I was such a grower

With fingers green like Percy Thrower.

Marion Jones

The Editors’ poetry page

The garden articles of our last issue elicited an unusual burst of versifying from the Editors. Having run out of

space in the last issue, we are rather diffidently printing them here. We should like to make it clear, first that

the word “poetry” is used for alliteration rather than as a literary description, and secondly that they were

produced under the grey skies of January rather than our sunnier March weather.


In Memoriam

Doris Weller Doris died on the 22nd February 2011 aged 97,

while a resident of Horncastle nursing home.

After 95 years of living and loving life to the

full, it was hard for Doris to come to terms with

giving up her home in Oakwood Park Forest

Row. She enjoyed some happy times there play-

ing scrabble with her friends which were won-

derful for her. She was a very sociable person.

Doris moved to Sussex from Scotland and

became reunited with a long lost friend Tom

Weller after Tom‘s late wife had passed away.

After a year Doris married Tom.

Doris was always ready to do something

nice, like watching Dancing on ice with Torvill

and Dean in Wembley. She enjoyed spending

weekends in Eastbourne with her friend Jean

August. She loved her pub lunches and was very

proud of her grandchildren Carol and Craig and

family in Scotland and, especially, the birth of

her great- grandson David last year. He was

named after her own son David whom she lost at

an early age.

Doris joined the WI, Good Companions

and also belonged to the Thursday club, all a

great comfort for her in her last years in Horn-

castle. Joyce and Bill Fish and also Valerie

never failed to collect her for these outings and

functions. She spoke very fondly of all her

friends in the village.

Many thanks to everyone at Horncastle, and the

villagers for all the support that has been given

to her. It is a wonderful and caring community.

Ria Velterop (Friend of Doris)

June Howick We were sad to hear that June Howick of Sandy

Lane died on 12th March rather suddenly. June

was 77 years old and one of

those stalwarts who has al-

ways lived in West Hoathly.

She was particularly well-

known for her membership of

and work for The Bowls Club

over many years, amongst

her other attributes was that of being a great ca-

terer and supporter. She spent the last few years

in quite poor health, but was clearly fondly re-

membered by many; over 160 people filled St.

Margaret‘s for her funeral on 22nd March. Please

remember her husband Dai, and two sons Dave

and Kirk, at this time.‖

Weddings

Evidently the Chronicle readers are more enthu-

siastic about gardens than weddings. Our re-

quest for articles about weddings, royal or oth-

erwise, elicited only one response. Eds.

Wedding memories:

This is a particularly good

time to remember our wedding

as this year in June makes it

30 years since Chris and I were married. It was

the same summer as Charles and Diana were

married but ours in June was before theirs in

July!

We were both working in Athens, Greece at the

time when we met. It seemed appropriate to get

married there as if we went to the States Chris

would not know anyone and if we went to Eng-

land I wouldn‘t know anyone. We organised the

wedding very casually, friends making the wed-

ding cake, me doing the catering, borrowing

chairs from the taverna nearby etc. The church

was in the centre of Athens, a protestant church

shared by Americans and Germans. Chris had a

Kawasaki Z1000R motorcycle which he thought

would be a good idea to go to the church on. A

little motorcade was put together with other mo-

torcycles and cars. Greece in those days did not

have any helmet laws so I rode sidesaddle on the

back of his motorcycle, orchids in my hair, dress

and high heels, Chris in a three piece suit! The

minister was in a state of shock when we all

pulled up at the church on the motorcycles! He

had met with us many times before the wedding

but neither of us had mentioned we would arrive

on motorcycles! He had thought us probably

very traditional and conservative! AND OF

COURSE we have lived happily ever after! Valerie Fyans

Snippet

―When an old man dies, a library burns down‖. African proverb, quoted in The Times, which we ap-

ply also to women.


April

3rd

4th

Sunday of Lent

(Mothering Sunday)

8am Holy Communion, St. Margaret‘s

10am Jubilate Family Service, St. Margaret‘s

6.30pm Evensong, All Saints

5th Tuesday

1pm Lent Lunch, Sharpthorne Hall

10th

5th

Sunday of Lent

9 am Holy Communion, All Saints

10am Parish Communion, St. Margaret‘s

6.30pm Evensong and APCM, St Margaret‘s

12th Tuesday

1pm Lent Lunch, Sharpthorne Hall

8pm Hosanna! St. Margaret‘s

13th Wednesday

8pm Buried Treasure, Sharpthorne Hall

17th

PALM SUNDAY


9am Matins, All Saints

10am Procession from School and Puppet Service,

St. Margaret‘s

6.30pm Evensong with Area Churches, St. Margaret‘s

18th - 20th Monday - Wednesday

8pm Reflective time each evening with film and

Compline, St. Margaret‘s

———————————————————

HOLY WEEK SERVICES IN BOX

———————————————————

27th Wednesday

8pm Heart & Soul, St. Margaret‘s

29th

Friday

3pm Saints and Angels, St. Margaret‘s

May

1st

2nd

Sunday of Easter


10am Jubilate Eucharist, St. Margaret‘s

6.30pm Evensong, All Saints

8th

3rd

Sunday of Easter/

Stewardship Sunday

9 am Holy Communion, All Saints


6.30pm Taizé Service, St. Margaret‘s

10th Tuesday

8pm Hosanna! St. Margaret‘s

11th Wednesday 8pm Buried Treasure, Sharpthorne Hall

12th Thursday 10.15am Quiet Day at Worth Abbey

15th

4th

Sunday of Easter


9am Matins, All Saints

10am Jubilate & Puppet Service, St. Margaret‘s

6.30pm Sung Evensong, St. Margaret‘s

22nd

5th

Sunday of Easter

9am Holy Communion, All Saints


4.30pm ‗Gather Round‘, St. Margaret‘s

25th Wednesday

8pm ‗Heart & Soul‘, St. Margaret‘s

27th Friday

3pm ‗Saints and Angels,‘ St. Margaret‘s

29th

5th

Sunday of Easter/Rogation

10am United Benefice Holy Communion, All

Saints, with Bishop of Horsham

4.30pm Rogation Day walk from Sharpthorne Hall

6.30pm Evening Service at Sharpthorne Hall

CHURCH SERVICES

AT

ST. MARGARET’S (West Hoathly)

AND ALL SAINTS (Highbrook)

Services in the villages for remainder of Holy Week and Easter Day, April 21st - 24th

21st

Maundy Thursday

8pm Eucharist with Feet Washing, then ‗Tenebrae‘ Service, St. Margaret's

22nd

Good Friday

10am At the Cross, worship and procession to Finche Fielde, St. Margaret's

11am Matins with the Litany, All Saints

2pm Meditations on the Cross, St. Margaret's

24th

EASTER DAY

5.30am Easter Sunrise, Finche Field, ending at St. Margaret's

8am Holy Communion, St. Margaret's

10am Festival Eucharist, St. Margaret's

11am Festival Matins and Communion, All Saints

11.30am Easter Day Mass, St. Dunstan‘s

6.30pm Evening Prayer, St. Margaret's


May

Wednesday, 4th

2 pm West Hoathly W. I., Village Hall

8pm Cercle français

Thursday, 5th

District and Parish Council Elections Saturday, 7th

11am ―Pampered Lunch‖ for Pre-school,

Sharpthorne Hall

Monday, 9th

8pm Sharpthorne W.I., Village Hall

Saturday, 14th

11am Plant and Cake Sale, Bowls Club

8pm Haydn Concert

with UNA VOCE,

St. Margaret‘s

Sunday, 15th

Christian Aid Week starts

Monday, 16th

DEADLINE - ARTICLES FOR NEXT

CHRONICLE DUE

Tuesday, 17th

8pm St. Margaret‘s PCC in church

Thursday, 19th

1.30pm Centenary Bowls

Game, Bowls Club

Wednesday, 25th

7.30pm Book Club, Sharpthorne Hall

Friday, 27th

Next Chronicle available Saturday, 28th

10.30am Priest House Open Garden

Sunday, 29th

10 am Village Walk, Finche Field

April

Saturday, 2nd

Sharpthorne W.I. Quiz Night, Village Hall

Wednesday, 6th

2pm West Hoathly W.I., Village Hall

8pm Cercle français

Monday, 11th

8pm Sharpthorne W. I., Village Hall

Thursday, 14th

10am PCSO in Village Hall

Friday, 15th

7pm Film in Village Hall

Saturday, 16th

10am VILLAGE TIDY

DAY, Finche Field

Monday, 18th

7pm Parish Council, Village Hall

8pm Parish Assembly, Village Hall

Wednesday, 20th

7.45pm West Hoathly Local History Group

AGM, Sharpthorne Hall

Sunday, 24th EASTER DAY

10am Parish Walk, Finche Field

Thursday, 28th

8pm Clothes Sale for Preschool, School

Hall

Wednesday, 27th

7.30pm Book Club, Sharpthorne Hall

Friday, 29th THE ROYAL WEDDING!

THE COMMUNITY CALENDAR OF EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES

PRAYER/THOUGHT FOR THE DAY “Show to me this day, Amidst life’s dark streaks of wrong and suffering, The light that endures in every person.”

GRAND WEDDING PARTY

at West Hoathly Bowls Club

Champagne welcome and Buffet Lunch

Giant Screen Fun Bowls And all for £6 each. Starts at 10 am

Clubs and Organisations in the Villages

Allotments Helen Schofield 811301

Beavers Bev Duncanson 810709

Bellringers Rachel Edwards 810210

Book Club Rachel Whitlam 810117

Bowling Club Trevor Swainson 810546

British Legion Laurie Gausden 810751

Brownies Christine Perkins 870276

Cricket Club -West Hoathly Peter Johnson 810660

-Highbrook Patrick McGahan 01444 892243

Cercle français Bob Darvill 810443

Cubs Pandy Dart 810005

Football Club Kirk Howick 316448

Friends of the Priest House Rosemary Watson 810800

Garages - Sharpthorne Andy Johnson 810234

- West Hoathly Jim Denne 810402

Good Companions Liz Bennett 01444 892731

Gravetye Manor Amy Gleadow 810567

Hands Together Ingrid Sethi 810085

Hot Note Stage Academy Sarah Wilson 841919

Karate Group Dorian Fretwell 811044

Kindergarten – Hoathly Hill Jean Kingsley-Monks 810093

Local History Group Tony Hunt 810534

Local History Archives John Ralph 810458

Neighbourhood Watch Sophie Hill 810282

Parish Council Clerk Helen Schofield 811301

Parish Council Chairman Derek Bartlett 811018

Pre-school (Village Hall) Clare Martin 811827

Priest House Curator Antony Smith 810479

Pubs - The Cat Inn Ian Huxley 810369

- The Intrepid Fox Joan Dive 810644

- The White Hart Dottie Esdaile 715217

Rainbows Brenda Farley 811020

School Christine Lyford 810302

Scouts Colby Mager 01825 763257

Shop - Sharpthorne Carol Johnson 810234

Sing & Play Liz Shannon 811400

Stoneland Players Julia Piqué 01435 868245

Tennis Club Terry Cooper 01444 892649

Theatre Goers Group Marion Jones 810143

Tootsie Time Sara Rush 811272

Una Voce Andrew Slater 810734

Village Hall Bookings:-

-West Hoathly Helen Schofield 811301

- Sharpthorne Alastair Duncanson 810709

- Highbrook Nickie Mason 01444 891352

W.I. - Sharpthorne Mary Mays 810542

- West Hoathly Frieda Boyd 0770 9377 424

Writers Group Rachel Whitlam 810117

Youth Groups - Emmaus Lindsay Shurvell 810780

Friends of WH Churchyard Brian Couchy 810561

Please notify any changes to Marion Jones

St. Margaret’s Community

Transport

If you would like a lift to a local hospital or

doctor/dentist, please contact:-

Monday: Margaret Mason 811320

Tuesday: Valerie Fyans 810848

Wednesday: Kathy Brown 811866

Friday: John Trueman 810612

Thursday Catherine Goodridge 810937

Anyday: Bill Merry 810771

Barbara Polhill 810877

Valerie Fyans 810848

Robin Ingham 810160

Carol Houston 810075

Please remember that these kind volunteers are

only available on the day stated

**Small Ads**

Small Ads are found on the Community Calendar Page.

To advertise in the next issue please contact Marion Jones

Tel: 810143 or e-mail [email protected]

The Churches and Services

St. Margaret's, West Hoathly, and

All Saints, Highbrook www.westhoathly.org.uk

www.highbrook.info

Vicar

Venerable Lionel Whatley, The Vicarage, North Lane, West

Hoathly, RH19 4QF Tel: 01342 810494

(His house is just up the track opposite the school)

Church Officers at St. Margaret’s

Churchwardens: Valerie Fyans, Tel: 01342 810848

Derek Shurvell, Tel: 01342 810780

Church Officers at All Saints

Churchwardens: Tony Osborn, Tel: 01444 892191

Rosemary Hodgson, Tel: 01444 892558

Main Services at both of these churches are listed on

the inner back pages. Prayers are said most mornings in St Margaret‘s church

at 8 a.m. Mon- Sat

Roman Catholic Chapel of St. Dunstan’s www.worthabbeyparish.co.uk

Parish Priest:

Father James Cutts, Tel: 01342 710313

Chronicle

Correspondent: Rosemarie D‘Cruz, Tel: 01342 811960

Sunday Mass is said at 11.30 am every Sunday

Next Issue

The next issue of the Chronicle will cover the months of

June and July 2011. Latest date for the submission of

articles is 16 May 2011. Printed copies will be available

on 27 May 2011.

The Cover

Many thanks to Cate Schofield for the cover of this

issue of the Chronicle.

Pease keep those creative ideas and

artwork coming!

Please send cover designs to Peter Hartley.

Post Office opening times at

Costcutters Monday 9am - 2pm

Wednesday 9am - 1pm

Friday 9am - 1pm

The Back Page Directory

Police Community Support Officer Stuart Clough T: 0778 9168791

Email: [email protected]

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