Author: Andrew Taylor

THE town branch of the Royal British Legion will be holding its Remembrance parade and service on Sunday 9 November 2014 in East Grinstead High Street following the traditional wreath-laying service at East Court.

The wreath-laying will be at East Court Memorial at 10am, followed by a parade and service at East Grinstead War Memorial in the High Street at 11am.

* Anyone who can collect for the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal on Saturday 8 November is asked to contact John or Lynda Railton on 01342 322205. Last year’s collection raised £16,870.

The Legion is very active at town level and over the past few years has supplied electric scooters, electric wheel chairs, riser beds, televisions, telephones and alarm systems to ex-service men and women. Please give generously of your time and money to support their work.

Christmas Tariff Reduction in Long Stay Car Parks

Due collection date                                       New collection date

Monday 22^nd December                                Saturday  20^th December

Tuesday 23^rd December                                Monday 22^nd December

Wednesday 24^th December                         Tuesday 23^rd December

Thursday 25^th December                               Wednesday 24^th December

Friday 26^th December                                     Saturday  27^th December

Monday  29^th December                               Monday  29^th December

Tuesday 30^th December                                Tuesday 30^th December

Wednesday 31^st December                         Wednesday 31^st December

Thursday 1^st January 2015                             Friday 2^nd January 2015

Friday  2^nd January 2015                                 Saturday 3^rd January 2015

Collections go back to normal from Monday 5th January 2015

There are no garden waste collections 22^nd December 2014 and 4^th January 2015 (inclusive).

Collection calendars are available online or by contacting MSDC

TOWN Mayor Nick Hodges performed the official opening ceremony for the new buildings at Blackwell school yesterday (20 October).

The school has changed from one to two-form entry and needed eight new classrooms, a studio and a “learning street” with resources including a library to accommodate the growing number of primary age children in its catchment area. The admission class and years 1 and 2 already have two forms, and as the children progress over the next four years, the whole school will become twin-formed

Staff and students congregated outside the school to see Nick  cutting the ribbon before a handful of children each released balloons bearing a hand-written message in the hope that whoever eventually finds the balloons will write back to the school.

West Sussex and Town Councillor Liz Bennett, who also attended the opening ceremony, said after she had toured the new buildings: “I can see just how thrilled the children and staff are with their amazing new class rooms. They are light and airy and have a homely feel – I think they are the luckiest school in East Grinstead.”

An imposter claiming to be from East Grinstead Town Council cold called one of the town’s residents offering help and advice with accident claims.

We want to stress that no genuine East Grinstead Town Council member,  employee or anyone connected with East Grinstead Town Council would ever phone, text or email someone out of the blue.

If you get a hoax call, text or email about things such as loan offers, help with debt problems or accident claims – it is almost certainly a scam.

Make sure you:

• Don’t give or confirm any personal information
• Report the call immediately to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or www.actionfraud.org.uk/report_fraud
• Never give any financial information (bank card details, pin numbers, pass words)
• Hang up as soon as possible and do not engage in conversation with the hoax caller.

Please remember that once a hoaxer has any personal or financial information about you they can try an access your bank accounts, credit cards and can also apply for loans and order online purchases.

THE volunteers of the Ashplats Conservation Group received a prestigious award in the New Sussex Landscape category from the Council for the Protection of Rural England on Thursday.

The award was for a flight of steps across steep and muddy ground which gives safe access to the woods during the wet winter months.

The project was carried out at virtually no cost, but with enormous effort from the volunteers, using coppiced sweet chestnut cut from the woods, and sandstone dug from the foundations of the nearby Barratts housing development.

Mid Sussex District Council will be erecting a boardwalk at the bottom of the steps to allow walkers to cross the final muddy patch safely.

You can follow the progress of Ashplats Conservation Group on their Facebook page

Or by checking out their website www.ashplats.org.

Pictured: Volunteers Chris Nunn and Tanya Hayman

TOWN Mayor Nick Hodges travelled to Belgium at the weekend with the East Grinstead Concert Band who played a concert in Brussels before taking part in the nightly Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate in Ypres.

Nick said afterwards: “It was a fantastic weekend. We were privileged to be there representing the town, and it was one of the most memorable events of my life.”

The Menin Gate stands over the main road out of Ypres on the route taken  by hundreds of thousands of allied troops marching to the Front in WWI.

Many of them did not return, and the haunting notes of the Last Post have been played there in their memory every night since 1928, except for a period during WWII when Ypres was occupied by the Germans.

Band members thanked everyone for their “great comments and support” including East Grinstead Town Council and the town branch of the Royal British Legion.

A COUPLE who have raised £100,000 for charity were honoured with a community service award from the High Sheriff of West Sussex, Mr Jonathan Lucas, on Sunday.

East Grinstead’s John and Hilary Taylor, who were were nominated by Mid Sussex Councillor Bob Mainstone, were given their award at Ravenswood, Sharpthorne,

The event was organised by Councillor Gordon Marples, Chairman of Mid Sussex District Council, and in all 55 nominees put forward by parish, town and district councillors received awards from the High Sheriff.

John and Hilary started fundraising in 1984 and since then they estimate they have raised over £100,000 of which around £35,000 has been donated to the Blond McIndoe Research Centre at the QVH.

Since 2002, town residents have enjoyed visiting their second hand book stall in Queens Walk, which they man every Friday throughout the year.

John and Hilary have decided that this year will be their last full year, as they admit age is catching up with them, but they intend to continue with their stall on occasions during the summer months.