Author: Andrew Taylor

THE 2012 appeal in East Grinstead raised £13,608.63, with the street collection on Remembrance Sunday itself raising £4,062.30.

THERE’S still time to catch Town Mayor Liz Bennett, Town Clerk Julie Holden, Council Leader Norman Webster and other members of the East Court staff in Meridian FM’s final broadcast of Dick Whittington and His Amazing Cat this evening.

This unique production tells how Dick got lost on his way to London, but fulfilled his mayoral destiny instead in East Grinstead.

Fun for all the family at 5pm tonight. Don’t miss it!

FREE weight loss courses are being delivered by Mid Sussex Health Champions. Courses start in East Grinstead on Wednesday 6 February, and in Crawley Down on Thursday 17 January.

To book your place ring Mid Sussex Wellbeing on 01444 477191 or check out their website for a range of health advice including quitting smoking at info@midsussexwellbeing.org

Please note change of date for East Grinstead to 6 February 2013.

THE Town Council has saved almost £19,000 by cutting back on paper, printing and postage costs by emailing agendas and other paperwork.

As a result of the changes the town clerk’s assistant has been able to cut her hours from 30 hours a week to just under half that, thanks to the time saved in printing and collating agendas and minutes.

In total the council has saved £2,089 in postage costs, £2,673 on paper and printing and £13,897 on reduced staff costs.

CANADIAN Christopher Grace hopes to get the whole town dancing to fitness at his new Salsa and Swing classes which start this month.

Anyone who wants to include ‘getting fitter’ among their resolutions for 2013 can check out Christopher’s classes as follows:

Salsa Night will start on Monday 7 January from 7pm to 9pm at the Energie Fitness Club.

The evening session costs just £3 which includes a beginner lesson, and then dancing.

Dancers who wish to skip the lesson are encouraged to come along for the dance section beginning at 8pm.

Swing Night will be on Friday 11 January 2013 starting at 7pm. The £3 cost includes an hour-long beginner lesson and then dancing.

* For more details ring Chris on 07502 224 671, or check out the following two websites:

www.facebook.com/SwingAndBallroomUK

www.twitter.com/SwingBallroomUK

 

THIS Spring’s arrival of the Bluebell Railway into East Grinstead is already sparking excitement amongst the town’s traders, says promotions officer Simon Kerr, who is working closely with members of the steam railway to ensure maximum publicity for the historic moment when the first train comes huffing and puffing into East Grinstead mainline station around Eastertime.

The long-awaited delivery of a first-class tourist attraction right to the town’s doorstep has taken 30 years and millions of pounds to become a reality, but it will be a real “game changer” says Simon which will up visitor numbers and create new opportunities for East Grinstead’s businesses.

“Right now we are focusing on our annual tourism leaflet Discovering East Grinstead which is distributed throughout the South East and obviously we are making a big feature of the Bluebell Railway arriving in that.

“We are also working hard to have all the necessary tourism signage in place and at developing ideas for how Bluebell Visitors can pass an enjoyable hour or so in the town during their trips up and down the line.”

Many of the prestige hotels locally will be doing their own marketing to promote trips on the Golden Arrow Pullman dining trains, which will using East Grinstead as a departure base for the first time this year.

And Simon will also be focusing on events in East Grinstead which can be promoted in tandem with the Bluebell’s timetable, in what he hopes will increasingly become a joint project.

“Our first prospective event in the high summer is anticipated to be a celebration of our wine heritage cunningly marketed under the banner of Grape Expectations,” he laughed.

“We will be featuring some of the surrounding vineyards in and around the town, plus of course an opportunity for several of the wine sales outlets in the town to make known their own expertise.

“It is surprising just how much connection East Grinstead has with the wine industry. Private Liquor Brands in Dorset House is one example, as is international wine expert Bill Rolfe, the owner of importers 10 International Ltd and of the High Street’s Market Square.”

THE Town Museum in Cantelupe Road, which has a small kitchen for food preparation, is available to hire for meetings and receptions.

To find out more, contact the museum on 01342 302233, or email info@eastgrinsteadmuseum.org.uk

For more details contact the box office on 01342 302000

Cuisine Studio presents Jazz Café at 7pm on Friday 18

RELAX and enjoy the best of live music with the John Gowers Jazz Quartet combined with Cuisine Studio’s finest Bistro menus at the popular monthly jazz-fest. Entry £5.

Please book a table in advance by calling Mandy, Roger or Paul on 01342 324860.

Chequer Mead Youth Theatre presents Christmas Tales on Wednesday 23 January at 7:30pm

IN an old clock, belonging to the mysterious Master Humphrey, a number of manuscripts are discovered that reveal the true spirit of Christmas.

No other author is as associated with Christmas as Charles Dickens, and in this, the bicentenary of his birth, CMYT presents new and dramatic adaptations of some of his Christmas stories including The Story of the Goblins Who Stole A Sexton – the short story on which A Christmas Carol was based.

This is a youth production. Tickets £10. Children £5.

Steve Biddulph presents Raising Girls on Thursday 24 January at 7:30pm

STEVE Biddulph is world famous for his Raising Boys, but now it’s girls he’s worried about. Come and hear what we have to do to raise our daughters to be wise, warm and strong. Profoundly moving, practical and often hilarious. Tickets £15.

BRAMBLETYE School will be holding its Annual Art Exhibition at Chequer Mead from Friday 18 to Wednesday 30 January.

THE Meridian FM team, supplemented by players from the Town Council including Mayor Liz Bennett, Council Leader Norman Webster and Town Clerk Julie Holden, will be broadcasting their version of Dick Whittington at 5pm on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.