Author: Andrew Taylor

EAST Grinstead police have been on a shoplifting spree to challenge the effectiveness of security measures put in place by the town’s retailers.

They targeted 15 shops and supermarkets around the town centre and made off with goods totalling £753.90 from 13 of them.

Only staff at Sainsburys and Superdrug challenged officers trying to leave their premises with goods they hadn’t paid for.

The four plain clothes officers’ haul included hair straighteners and a shaver worth £120, a wax jacket costing £75 and £150 of alcohol.

The initiative was to raise awareness about shoplifting and encourage shops to sign up to the new East Grinstead ShopWatch scheme.

The scheme, which is an initiative by the Town Council working with the police, is being funded by the Mid Sussex Joint Action Group which will make it free for businesses to sign up to for the first year.

Among the weaknesses found by officers in the present security arrangements put in place by local businesses were security tags and stickers which didn’t activate alarms at the doors, and two instances where they did trigger alerts, but where police officers were still allowed to walk out unchallenged.

Police Sergeant Graeme Prentice said: “This operation was aimed at educating the local businesses about their own security measures and procedures and the general consensus was positive.

“Constructive feedback was given to stores following the Operation, and the Shopwatch website will go live in November allowing the shops to view it through their laptops and hand held devices.

“It will provide businesses with discussion topics on security, information on relevant convicted shoplifters, and the chance to share CCTV etc. This will hopefully raise awareness within the town and create positive interaction between local businesses.

“The Website will be updated regularly by the Police in conjunction with Chichester Business Against Crime, and can be accessed through the Town Council Website secured through the data protection act.

“Police hope that the site will be a welcome addition to the town and that after the first year businesses will agree to continue funding the site at a reasonable cost.”

SEVERAL of the town’s schools have been awarded Kitemark status under a scheme to recognise excellence in their coaching and  the opportunities they offer pupils to participate in sport and physical activities.

Ashurst Wood	Bronze
Baldwins Hill	Silver
Blackwell	Bronze
Copthorne  Junior	Bronze
Estcots	Bronze
Halsford Park	Bronze
St. Mary’s C.E.	Bronze
St. Peter’s  RC	Silver
The Meads	Bronze
Turners Hill C.E	Silver
West Hoathly C.E	Bronze
Imberhorne	Bronze
Sackville	Silver

The schools’ achievements will be acknowledged with a presentation of certificates and plaques by Lorraine Everard, Manager of Mid Sussex Active, and Jeanette Kwayke, Team GB sprinter and World Indoor 60 metre Silver Medallist.

Pictured above: children from Turners Hill who received their school’s Silver Kitemark Award from Jeannette Kwayke, a Team GB sprinter, World Championship Silver medallist and Beijing Olympic finalist in the 100metres.

THE three winners of the EG4IDZ summer challenge, have received their prizes and certificates from Town Mayor Margaret Belsey.

The children, who had completed the competition trail around the town and correctly identified the numbers on Bluebell trains hidden in shop windows, were welcomed into the Mayor’s Parlour with other family members for the presentation ceremony.

The winners seen below with the Town Mayor are Alex, Alice and Conor.

East Grinstead’s Town promotion Officer Dawn Spalding thanked all the businesses and attractions in the town for their help with this year’s challenge.

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10 Years On and Dylan Is Still Full of Beans

Rather like the magic beanstalk, Dylan Holdsworth has grown quite a bit since he made his Company of Friends panto debut in 2004 as part of the junior chorus, and now, almost 10 years on, he’s reached the top and is set to play the hero in this Christmas’ production of Jack and the Beanstalk at Chequer Mead.

The 18 year old has appeared in all but one of the company’s many shows since, and only missed being in their recent production of ‘King and I’ because he was busy auditioning for Performing Arts School. His diligence paid off because he gained a full scholarship and recently started at Laine Theatre Arts.

Dylan will be joined on stage by an all star Company of Friends cast including Michael Spencer as Dame Trott and Ashley Wolfendale as Silly Billy, while his ‘Jill’ is played by Skye Tupholme whose first CoF appearance was as the Artful Dodger in 2003. She has recently gained her degree in Drama and can count several professional stage appearances to her credit.

The panto runs from 20 to 30 December and tickets are now on sale from the CM Box Office on 01342 302000, priced from just £13.50 .

IMBERHORNE resident Hilary Needham was awarded a Community Service award at the Mid Sussex Council’s September garden party.  The garden party was held at the Ravenswood, Sharpthorne and the presentation was made by the High Sheriff of West Sussex, Patrick Burgess.

The recipients of the awards were described as “unsung heroes” who undertake activities to enrich the lives of people living in Mid Sussex. Their varied contributions included fund raising and volunteer work.

Nominations for awards were submitted by Mid Sussex Councillors and local town and parish councils.

Hilary was nominated by Councillor Bob Mainstone in recognition for her continuous contribution to the success of the East Grinstead Music and Arts Festival.

He explained:  “Hilary is a founder member and Honorary Vice-President of the East Grinstead Festival and has been actively involved since 1967…a remarkable achievement! In 1991 she was presented to the Queen at St James’s Palace on the occasion of the National Federation’s 70^th anniversary. Hilary studied at the Royal School of Music and was formerly a concert pianist playing and broadcasting with various orchestras.  I was very proud to see her presented with this award which she thoroughly deserved.”

Also honoured at the award ceremony was Maggie Robson, the former Head of Sackville School who was nominated for her service over 40 years as history teacher, head of department and ultimately Head Teacher. Maggie retired at the end of the last summer term and has now moved back to the north of England to be nearer her family.

And Joyce Webber was honoured for her efforts in raising funds for the East Grinstead Christmas lights since 1986 when she worked at the Town Council.

Joyce helps to manage the Meridian Hall bar at social events where bar proceeds fund the Christmas lights project, and were it not for her East Grinstead would not be able to enjoy Christmas lights as this is their main funding stream.

THE town museum in Cantelupe Road will be hosting a new exhibition, 150 years of cottage hospitals in East Grinstead, from 2 October until January 2014.

Entry to the museum is free.

AUTHOR Geraldine Durrant, who handles the Town Council’s PR, sees her latest children’s book published this month.

A “simply disgraceful tale, and largely autobiographical” Two Bad Grans tells how the two worst old women in the world realise the error of their ways when they become grannies.

They never darned stockings, they never baked pies,
their knitting was awful, they often told lies.
They were rude and revolting, said ‘piffle’ and ‘poo’
and refused to wash dishes, or mend and make do…

But handed their new babies, the Two Bad Grans reluctantly realise they will have to say goodbye to the bad old days.

“Because when you’re a granny you have to be GOOD, and start to behave as all good grannies should…”

“They say you should write about what you know, and I can honestly say that I have been a model of propriety since having grandmaternity thrust upon me,” said Geraldine, who has three grandchildren keeping her on the straight and narrow.

She is looking forward to the birth of a fourth shortly, and next year will see another new production when her previous three books tour the UK in a new musical adaptation of Pirate Gran on Stage by Scamp Theatre.

And she already has a sequel planned for the Two Bad Grans.

“Without giving away too much, let’s just say that the strain of being good proves rather too much for the Bad Grans, and they fall spectacularly off the wagon,” she laughed.