Author: Andrew Taylor

EAST Grinstead MP Nicholas Soames and Town Mayor Margaret Belsey lead tributes to the UK’s Armed Forces with a Service of Thanksgiving and wreath-laying ceremony at the East Court War Memorial on 27 June, followed by a celebration in the Meridian Hall.

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Jenny Watson, who heads a team of volunteer gardeners working on the award-winning East Court estate, tells us how things are going after a particularly cold, wet Spring

“WHILE working around the gardens there is plenty of opportunity to see and hear wildlife of all sorts. So far I’ve found two young lizards, which were ‘rescued’ and moved to the edge of the Woodland Walk, and while weeding, a Purple Emperor butterfly landed next to me which was unusual, as they normally fly around treetops in woodland. In June I also saw a large dragonfly, probably a Broad-Bodied Chaser.

“We are followed all year round by robins, which feed around our feet,  wasting a lot of our time as we just have to sit and watch them. It’s lovely in the late spring to watch the robins with insects lined up in their beaks ready to feed their chicks.

“I’ve also seen Green Woodpeckers feeding on ants in the grass and heard Great Spotted Woodpeckers hammering away on tree trunks. I even managed to watch a Treecreeper on the trunk of one of the large conifers.

“There are plenty of bats living around the estate too, mainly Pipistrelles in Ashplatts Wood but also Daubenton’s bats feeding on insects over the ponds.

“And there are things we can all do to encourage wildlife, including ensuring that we give them the longest possible flowering season in our own gardens, starting in Spring with snowdrops and several types of daffodils. Pulmonaria and Hellebore also flower early and this gives the insects a chance to feed after winter, and before breeding.

“During summer trees, shrubs and perennials provide blossom and here we look particularly for single-flowered plants. Doubles are rarely used as they have little in the way of pollen or nectar, having been bred to give colour and large blooms for us.

Finally many annuals and hardy annuals will flower until the first frost and are very easy to grow.”

The New Memorial Beds

“DURING a particularly cold day in early Spring work started on clearing one of the War Memorial beds of old shrubs. Despite becoming something of a blizzard by lunchtime, everything was completed so that replanting could begin as soon as the ground had warmed up.

“It was decided that the bed would become an insect-friendly area, with the main planting being fruit trees. These are Memorial Trees chosen from a specific list of suggestions from the estate gardener, and will have both blossom for insects and hopefully plenty of foodstuff for the birds to feed their young.

“By late summer the fruit will also be a good food supply before the onset of winter. Much of the under-planting is also for insects and bees especially, including herbs such as sage, rosemary, chives and oregano. Next year more plants and annuals will be added including fennel, cirinthe, teasel and verbascum.

“While not being specifically wild flowers from Britain, we will include as many as is feasible and practical.”

MEMBERS of the East Grinstead in Bloom committee are having a final push to ensure the town is looking at its best before the arrival of the South and South East in Bloom judges on 17 July. Members of the public would like to lend a hand can contact the team on 01342 328534. Or check out the latest news on East Grinstead in Bloom’s facebook page.

MAKE a diary date for Tuesday 30 July, Tuesday 13 August and Tuesday 27 August – details of activities to be announced.

Friday 5 July to Wednesday 10 July 2013

SACKVILLE School Summer Exhibition. Admission free.

East Grinstead Choral Society presents The Magic of Mozart – Saturday 6 July at 7.30pm

CELEBRATE the brilliance of Mozart with popular choral and instrumental pieces including Solemn Vespers, Misericordia Domini and arias from his best-loved operas. 
Also featuring local young instrumentalist Music Star 2013 winner.

Chequer Mead Youth Theatre presents Voice:Over – Wednesday 10 July at 7.30pm

CHEQUER Mead Youth Theatre presents an extraordinary multi-media production exploring the idea that the more technology we have to communicate with each other, the less we have to speak to each other. This is a youth production.

An Evening with Lizzie May – Thursday 11 July at 7.30pm

AN evening of romantic string quartet classics, followed by a dynamic fusion of classical and pop music featuring internationally renowned electric cellist Lizzy May.

This is a charity concert in aid of Crawley and Reigate Cats Protection Haven appeal.

Bullfrog Productions presents Just So the Musical Saturday –  13 July at 2pm and 6pm

BASED on the short stories of Rudyard Kipling, Just So takes you on a journey along the banks of Africa’s great Limpopo River to meet the Eldest Magician who tells us How the leopard got his spots and How the elephant got his trunk.

This is a youth production.

Choirpower presents Rhythm of Life on Friday –  19 July at 7.30pm

MEMBERS of Choirpower entertain with a selection of songs from the 60s to the present day accompanied by Sue Harvey on piano, Marianne Windham on double bass and Simon Cambers on percussion.

Special guest appearance from the unmissable Marks and Kennard.

Quicksteps School of Dancing presents Dream Believe Dance – Saturday 20 July to Sunday 21 July

TAKE  a magical trip you to the Land of Nod where animals dance, wizards cast spells and fairies rule with a glittery wand.

This is a youth production.

SB Vocals presents East Grinstead Sing Out – Friday 26 July at 7pm

SARAH Benton Vocals has organised a Showcase Performance called Sing out. SBVocals has been hosting showcase performances for the local community over the last two years, but after outgrowing its previous venues decided to hire Chequer Mead to showcase the talents of the town’s singers.

Dave B Promotions presents The Buddy Presley Show – Saturday 27 July at 7.30pm

AFTER his Observer Search for a Star victory in 1998 and appearances on the BBC and in the West End show Buddy The Musical, Dave B returns to the scene of his original triumph with his brand new show.

The Buddy Presley Band features four of the finest musicians from the European rock ‘n’ roll scene and the four piece vocal group The Harmonaires who back Dave B as he pays tribute to Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley.

THE Royal Marines will be giving a concert at East Court from 3 – 5pm on Sunday 7 July.

Bring along chairs and a picnic  – admission is free and there will be a bar and refreshments. For more information contact East Grinstead Town Council on 01342 323636.

TUESDAY 9 July marks the 70th Anniversary of bombs dropping on the Whitehall Cinema in London Road, East Grinstead. 108 victims lost their lives, the largest number of civilian deaths from a single bombing during World War II.

East Grinstead Town Council, the War Memorial Company, East Grinstead Society and the Parish Church of St Swithun’s are marking this with the following events:

9 July:

Wreath-laying and short service at the War Memorial at East Court at 4.40 pm, and at 5.15 pm a wreath-laying by the East Grinstead Society at the site of the old Whitehall Cinema, London Road, East Grinstead.

14 July:

A Civic Service including a commemoration, together with a Patronal Festival of St Swithun’s Parish Church at Church Lane, East Grinstead at 10.30 a.m. at which the Bishop of Chichester will preside and preach, followed by a picnic lunch (bring your own picnic) in the Vicarage garden (Church, if wet).

As well as these tributes, the Town Council have dedicated the flower display in the high street to the bombings this summer.

The 108 white flowers in the beds surrounding the war memorial in the high street represent each victim. And there is a plaque to give a brief account of the bombings around the town during the war.