Author: Andrew Taylor

THE wet weather this summer didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the children who took part in this year’s EG4KIDZ competition run by the Town Tourism Initiative.

Now in its 5th year, the scheme encourages children to learn a little more about the history of the town by completing a short town trail counting spots on leopards.

Those who submitted correct entries were included in a free draw and the winners were picked by John Pye of the Book Shop in the High Street.

One entrant had agreed to share the prize with a friend if either of them was picked, so this year four excited children and their parents were invited to the Mayor’s Parlour at East Court where Town Mayor Liz Bennett presented them all with certificates and gold envelopes.

The winners were Myah Banton, Matilda Whitlam and Keira Drewry who shared her prize with Ella Kosifou.

MID Sussex is asking East Grinstead residents for their views on how the play area at the King’s Centre should be developed.

The options are either to have equipment and features for older children, teenagers and young children, or to combine play equipment and features for younger children with facilities for people with limited mobility. For full details see the artist’s impressions below and let MSDC know your views within the next six weeks.

Consultation documents

This walk has been postponed to 18th November due to inclement weather – the Town Mayor can still be sponsored at http://www.justgiving.com/LizBennett and has raised over £1000 with gift aid so far!

Read more on the Bluebell Railway’s web site.

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THE Bluebell Railway’s new extension into East Grinstead will be accessible for the only time this year on Sunday 30 September when a sponsored ‘Track-Trek’ will take place on the land between East Grinstead and Kingscote Station.

So far 550 people have registered to walk the route between the two stations.

Funding director Roger Kelly said: “This is a chance not only for supporters to see the route through Imberhorne cutting and over the viaduct but also to raise money for us by getting sponsorship from friends, family, and work colleagues. Every walker will receive a commemorative certificate, and those who raise £100, will receive a sponsorship medal.”

Town Mayor Liz Bennett, who has already raised £600 on her ‘JustGiving’ page on the web, said: and “It is a great privilege to support the Bluebell Railway by helping to raise money for their Northern Extension Project. I will be walking (and chuffing!!) the four mile trek on 30 September to see for myself the route trains will take through the Imberhorne cutting and over the viaduct next year.

“Please support my JustGiving page and with your help, East Grinstead will look forward to the Bluebell Railway making history and being part of our town.”

To be involved in this event it is imperative to register beforehand. To do this, please contact track-trek@bluebell-railway.co.uk. Places are filling up fast and cannot be guaranteed.

* The Bluebell Railway is a heritage line running for nine miles along the border between East and West Sussex. Steam trains are operated between Sheffield Park and Kingscote, with an intermediate station at Horsted Keynes. The Railway is managed and run largely by volunteers. It has the largest collection of steam locomotives in the UK after the National Railway Museum. The Bluebell also has a collection of almost 150 carriages and wagons.

The Bluebell Railway was the first preserved standard gauge steam-operated passenger railway in the world to operate a public service, running its first train on 7 August 1960, less than three years after the line from East Grinstead to Lewes had been closed by British Railways. The year 2009 marked the Bluebell Railway Preservation Society’s 50th anniversary. For further information contact 07703 730122 or go to www.bluebell-railway.co.uk

EAST Grinstead Town Council has recognized the superb achievement of the East Grinstead Rugby Club first XV.

At a reception in the East Court Mansion on Monday 10 September, Town Mayor Liz Bennett presented the club with a framed certificate of congratulation listing the names of those who participated in the squad during the record setting season.

The Team won the “treble” (London 2 SE Trophy, RFU Intermediate Cup and Sussex Trophy) including a trip to Twickenham where they secured the RFU Intermediate cup.

Town Mayor Liz Bennett said, “I am so pleased to be able to make a presentation to the team. Excelling in sport whether international, national or local is a tremendous achievement, East Grinstead is proud of the Rugby Team, their fantastic result and legacy of inspiring so many others to follow in their footsteps.”

East Grinstead Town Museum invited Town Mayor Liz Bennett to launch the Lantern Lighting in the High Street on Saturday 8 September. Footage from the event is available on YouTube below.

Application forms for the above charity are now available to residents of East Grinstead and Ashurst Wood aged 65 years and over and can be obtained from:

TOWN COUNCIL OFFICES
East Court, College Lane, East Grinstead, and

ASHURSTWOOD PARISH COUNCIL OFFICE
Chapel Lane, Ashurstwood

CITIZENS’ ADVICE BUREAU
Cantelupe House, Cantelupe Road, East Grinstead.

THE HELP POINT
East Grinstead Library, West Street, East Grinstead

AGE CONCERN
Queens Road, East Grinstead

or from any shop at which this notice is displayed.

Conditions of eligibility are shown on the application form. Completed forms must be returned on or before Tuesday, 23rd October 2012 to East Grinstead Town Council, Ashurst Wood Parish Council, Citizen’s Advice Bureau, Age Concern or The Help Point.

THE winners of the East Grinstead Town Council Queen’s Jubilee Literary Competition have been congratulated for their stories and poems in a letter sent from Her Majesty’s Balmoral estates in Scotland.

The winning entries were put into a book and sent to Buckingham Palace to mark the historic Diamond Jubilee earlier this summer.

Town Clerk Julie Holden said she was delighted to receive the royal letter of thanks which will be copied and sent to all the schools who took part in the competition.

GREEN-fingered volunteers are needed to help maintain the award-winning gardens at East Court.

The estate was awarded a ‘gold’ in the 2011 South and South East in Bloom competition, but the grounds were not entered this year due to a lack of time to get them competition-ready.

So head gardener Jenny Watson is now asking for help with routine weeding, edging, pruning and planting to ensure the estate can go for gold again next year.

“A lot of people go to Standen or Wakehurst Place to volunteer, so I hope we can find people who want to do something more local for the town.

“Volunteers can come and learn something about gardening, get a bit of exercise and enjoy the outdoors.”

Helpers will be asked spare a few hours on a Monday or Tuesday morning, with the promise that no heavy work will be involved.

“We need volunteers to move forward,” said Jenny. “The main thing next year is to get the gardens looking really good, because we want to maintain our gold status, and keep the area looking lovely for everyone to enjoy.”