Author: Andrew Taylor

EAST Grinstead town councillors are hoping to raise the profile of personal wellbeing in December.

The Town Council Surgery (newly situated in the High Street on the first Saturday of the month) offers residents the opportunity to talk to their elected councillors about issues which concern them.

But the cross-party surgeries launched in October will also host occasional guest services from the County and District Councils, the first of which will be the Mid Sussex Wellbeing Team which is scheduled for December.

The Wellbeing Team will be available from 10am to 11.30am on 1 December to talk confidentially about any health concerns townspeople might have.

The Team provides information, help and advice on matters such as ways to stop smoking, become more active and eat a balanced diet.

They can also give advice to improve emotional and mental wellbeing, including offering access to free exercise classes and Counterweight – a weight loss programme for adults – and Junior Wellbeing for children with weight concerns.

Additionally the expert team can offer carer support, advice and information, and help with issues related to loneliness and community involvement.

Young people between 10 and 18 who have concerns about their alcohol use or are affected by a parent, carer or other family member’s alcohol use, can also get help and advice.

The Town Councillors will also be available for general consultation as to any Council matters as normal.

REMODELLING work is about to start on the town clock in London Road which has become structurally unsound after prolonged leaking.

Work will begin on 19 November and it is hoped that the roof, brickwork and internal steelwork will be removed by 23 November.

Rebuilding the brickwork tower and the refitting of a new concrete top will take place from 26 – 30 November, after which a new roof, window and door will be installed and painted before the refitted clock and electrics go back in, between the 10 and 12 December.

Subject to weather conditions the work should be finished and the site cleared by 21 December.

The clock was originally purchased by public subscription in 1890 and erected on a building to honour the 80th birthday of influential East Grinstead resident Thomas Cramp, who founded the East Grinstead Total Abstinence Society in 1837.

When its original site was knocked down, the clock was moved in 1955 to the current purpose-built brick tower at the expense of Sidney Betchley and LWE Dungey.

In 2000 it was restored, thanks to an anonymous benefactor, but a design fault allowed water into the top of the tower, damaging the steel frame inside and making the tower structurally unsound.

Picture courtesy of the East Grinstead Observer – Town resident Alan Howson pictured with the clock which he described as ‘part of town history’

After an elderly woman in East Grinstead had jewelery stolen in a distraction burglary, East Grinstead Town Council is concerned that vulnerable people could be targeted in the town and urge everyone to always ask for identification and to check on cold call visitors before they let anyone in to their homes. If in doubt do not allow anyone entry in to your home.

Elderly woman targeted in East Grinstead distraction burglary

EAST Grinstead Town Council has launched a new website dedicated to the Neighbourhood Plan for East Grinstead, following a suggestion from the consultants AR Urbanism that an independent site would reach more residents.

This is a free service that has been granted to the Town Council.

The site can be found at www.eastgrinsteadplan.org.uk and is also linked from the Town Council’s existing neighbourhood plan page on the Council’s website www.eastgrinstead.gov.uk

The site has been developed with interaction in mind to encourage residents to give views or volunteer to be involved in the process. It also builds on the information already gathered by the Town Council since October 2011. The website will continue past the date of the adoption of the plan expected in 2012.

Neighbourhood Plan steering group chairman Norman Webster said: “This is another tool to give the process as wide an airing as possible. We hope the schools, amongst others, will promote to residents a site that is simple to reach and navigate. We hope it will bring forward yet more comments as we continue through this very important town project.”

The Town Council is continuing the consultation that will draw the plan together before it is given over to public consultation early in 2013. The plan is due for finalization in the Spring before being submitted to the District for examination and adoption.

The first ever Police and Crime Commissioner elections will take place on Thursday 15 November and Mid Sussex District Council is asking residents to make absolutely sure they know which polling station to attend.

The Police and Crime Commissioner election is the first district-wide vote to be held since a review of polling places in 2011. The survey was carried out to ensure that the buildings selected as polling places are the most accessible to all voters.

Following the review, the majority of polling stations remain the same. However, some polling station locations have changed, so it is important people double check which polling station they need to attend before setting off to vote.

The main areas to be affected are the East Grinstead Town ward in the north and the parishes of Pyecombe and Fulking in the south of the District.

The large Parish Halls in East Grinstead are not currently in use, so voters who have used that station in the past will go to the Chequer Mead centre.

Voters from Pyecombe and Fulking villages will be going to Poynings Pavilion. Poll cards have now been issued to all voters and information on which polling station to attend is clearly displayed on the card.

“When you vote at the same polling station for many years it becomes almost routine and it may not occur to you to check your polling card to see where to vote,” said Tom Clark, Local Returning Officer. “We don’t want anybody to have a wasted journey so please make 100% sure your polling station has not changed before leaving the house.”

The Police and Crime Commissioner elections take place on Thursday 15 November 2012. As usual, polling stations will open at 7am and close at 10pm.

For a full list of polling stations in Mid Sussex go to www.midsussex.gov.uk/elections, contact Electoral Services on 01444 477003 or email elections@midsussex.gov.uk.

THE easiest way for any reviewer to gauge the mood of an audience is to listen to the comments in the foyer and car park as they leave the theatre.

So if the howls of laughter which greeted this simply marvellous production had not already convinced me that a very good time had indeed been had by all, then the overheard phrases “absolutely terrific” “I loved it!” and “astonishingly good” certainly would have done.

The Company of Friends are of course old hands at Music Hall and their experience showed as they delivered a faultless evening of good-hearted, old-fashioned fun.

Many of the audience were repeat offenders, some were first-timers, but there were moments when all of them were crying with laughter as they heard jokes so corny Bob Monkhouse would have blushed to perform them.

But the Company delivers its schtick with such wit and verve that even the oldest chestnuts came up shining.

The real affection the players have for each other is obvious, and the sheer slickness of their performances – whether in their comic-timing or their step-perfect tap-dancing – is testament to the entire ensemble’s spirit and commitment.

And it would be invidious to single anyone out for special praise – indeed the man sitting behind me and singing along as though his very life depended on it, cheered everything with great enthusiasm and the oft-repeated phrase “My goodness me, that was absolutely marvellous…”

And it certainly was…

But I think it would be fair to say that Kevin Gauntlett as chairman bore more than his share of the show’s burden – as well as the blame for some jokes so old Adam must have made them up.

Kevin also has a fine singing voice – and I am sure I was not the only one disappointed that his joke exit in the middle of a solo stopped us hearing the rest.

And I will confess a special weakness for Bob Wilson. His old Etonian Captain Hook in Peter Pan three or four years ago entirely won me over, and it was good to see him reprise the Pirate King, and indeed to see him serenading his large marrow again, a performance which I fear watching ladies will not soon forget. Robin Shergold was also excellent and there was a simply lovely performance of The Boy I Love is Up in the Gallery.

So if you missed it, you missed a real treat.

But the Company will be back at Christmas with Cinderella, and some performances are already close to sold out, so book now to avoid further disappointment.

Geraldine Durrant

Filmmaker: Richard Leman

THE Filipino British Nurses Extra Care Health Wellness Support Club conducted another free health screening session to check on blood pressure, blood sugar and BMI (Weight & Height) at Saint Luke’s Church in Quarry Rise last month.

Those who attended had their health screening carried out while enjoying their usual coffee morning, and met East Grinstead Town Mayor Liz Bennett who is a supporter of the scheme.

Cllr Danny Favor, chairman of the Extra Care Health Team, said;” We were pleased to see so many people turn up for the screening sessions, and that the scheme is achieving a greater public profile, resulting in more requests for sessions in the town.”