Author: Andrew Taylor

THE Parish Halls Trustees, who met on Monday 19 December at a Special Meeting to hear the considerations of the Parish Halls Working Group, voted unanimously to sell the Halls and invest the money into Chequer Mead Community and Arts Centre to provide additional modern facilities to benefit the residents of East Grinstead.

The report put before the Committee from the Chairman and the Officers of the Trust outlined the declining use of the halls and the increased costs in maintaining what is already an out-of-date building.

The Parish Halls produce revenue from regular hirers of approximately £25,000 per year. This barely covers the day-to-day running costs leaving little for maintenance.

A scheme was attempted four years ago to make a grant available to the halls and a refurbishment project was considered.

In 2010 a hirer came forward to take the small halls on a long lease. This would have allowed them to be refurbished with assistance from District Council-held grant money for community buildings and the hirer was to have taken on some of the works.

However when the deal fell through in April this year, the Trust was required to reconsider the whole position. Although other approaches to hire have been made, the revenue generated would have been insufficient to modernise the building to a state suitable for on-going community use.

When considering the current pattern of hall hire, the committee found they are used almost daily, requiring staff to open, lock up and clean the premises, plus the expense of heating and lighting the building, sometimes for only one group. With several rooms available for hire this meant routine running costs were often higher than revenue.

The Trustees have now been approached by a developer with a plan for housing development on the site. However under charity law the disposal of the assets has to be advertised for 30 days which will be commissioned through a local estate agent and all bids considered before any sale is agreed.

The trustees decided that the money from the sale of the Halls will be invested in the Chequer Mead Community and Arts Centre and the intention would be to provide additional community use rooms for long term and casual hire.

The Town Council officers, who support the trust, are making contact with the current hirers of the Parish Halls to talk about relocating them to alternative accommodation once the Halls are sold.

THE museum’s current exhibition, The Changing Face of East Grinstead, runs until 29 January.

Discover the town’s growth through a selection of images and maps: see how the estates developed and what was in their place before the Second World War with the help of our 1931 town map.  Entry is free

THE first 12-coach trains out of East Grinstead are now in action after the completion of work to extend the platforms and upgrade the tracks.

The new trains provide around 5,000 extra seats a day for commuters who use the busy route between East Grinstead and Victoria.

The next stage in the development project will be the construction of the new station building which is due to start this month.

The project includes:

• a new building with an improved layout which will make it easier for passengers to move through the station, particularly at rush hours
• the creation of a spacious booking hall with improved retail space and new passenger toilets
• improved passenger drop-off and taxi points
• better CCTV coverage
• enhanced cycle parking facilities
• improved car parks.

The new building will be built adjacent to the existing station which will remain in use until the completion of the project this autumn.

WITH the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations and the Olympic Games coming to London, the eyes of the world will be on Britain in 2012. Once-in-a-lifetime events like these are expected to generate a significant increase in tourism in the UK and with Sussex just a short ride from London, many visitors could be tempted south by the beauty of Sussex.

To show potential visitors just what makes Sussex so special, Mid Sussex, Lewes, Horsham and Wealden District Councils have worked in partnership to produce the Enjoy Sussex Visitor Accommodation and Attraction Guide 2012.  The guide provides detailed information on the attractions and towns in the area and the new look website www.enjoysussex.info offers information about latest events as well as online booking for a range of quality accommodation.

“Mid Sussex is one of the most beautiful parts of Britain and would be a perfect base for any visitors who would like to enjoy the Olympic Games without living in the bustling city,” said Cllr John de Mierre, Cabinet Member for Economic Development. “Mid Sussex is less than an hour away from London by train but the setting could not be more different, with rolling hills and beautiful countryside making Mid Sussex a wonderfully relaxing place to stay.

“We are fortunate to be surrounded by areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty such as the High Weald in the north and South Downs National Park in the south. With picturesque gardens that are perfect for a tranquil retreat, and historic towns and villages that possess an abundance of rural charm, Mid Sussex is a wonderful place for a short break or holiday.”

Mid Sussex, Lewes, Horsham and Wealden District Councils work in partnership to promote sustainable tourism within the Enjoy Sussex area, which stretches west from Pulborough to Burwash in the east, and north from the Ashdown Forest to Cuckmere Haven in the south.

The Enjoy Sussex area includes the South Downs National Park, the Seven Sisters Cliffs and the Ashdown Forest. Its landscape is quintessentially English and its market towns including Lewes, Horsham and East Grinstead, are steeped in history. It makes the Enjoy Sussex area the perfect destination for a day trip, relaxing short break or a longer holiday.

Potential visitors to Seaford, Newhaven, Crowborough, Hailsham, Burgess Hill, Haywards Heath, Henfield, Billinghshurst and Pulborough will find the guide and website invaluable – as will local tourist attractions and accommodation providers.

Tourism is a keystone of the local economy and one of the main employers in the Enjoy Sussex area. Visitors come from all over the world, although many also come from much closer to home to enjoy the many attractions whilst visiting friends and relatives. The 2012 Enjoy Sussex Guide and website are just two of the ways in which Mid Sussex, Lewes, Horsham and Wealden District Councils work together to ensure that new and repeat visitors continue to visit the area, bringing in vital revenue and supporting local jobs.

* From the beginning of January, copies of the brochure will be available free of charge from Enjoy Sussex Tourism by calling (01271) 336173.  Alternatively, request a copy from one of the many tourist information facilities across the Enjoy Sussex area or download a copy from www.enjoysussex.info.

TOWN Mayor John Saull welcomed colleagues from the Town Council, representatives of local organisations and members of nearby Councils to East Court to hear the choir of St Swithun’s perform a short concert including The Sussex Carol and Good King Wenceslas.

TOWN Mayor John Saull had his finger on the button when Christmas was officially launched in the High Street last month. The annual tree-lighting ceremony was well-attended by shoppers who heard the Rev Clive Everett-Allen give a short address before the big Christmas switch-on and carol singing led by local choirs.

CLLR Danny Favor took part in a  prayer service led by Fr Stephen Purnell of Our Lady and St Peter’s church to mark the tenth anniversary of the Memorial to Unborn Children in Mount Noddy cemetery.

The memorial remembers babies who have died before birth as a result of miscarriage, and their parents.

The memorial was erected in 2001, with the support of the Town Council and The Miscarriage Association.

TOWN Mayor John Saull found someone to look up to when he bumped into Professor Crump at the popular East Grinstead Christmas Festival in December.

An estimated crowd of 2,000 supported the event and enjoyed fairground rides, French produce including cheeses, garlic, leather goods and soap, and visits to Santa’s grotto, run by the town Rotary Club.

Jo Wilkins, who helped organised the event, called it “amazing” and said it was East Grinstead’s busiest Christmas market ever in terms of both stalls and visitor numbers.

“It was a real community event which managed to bring lots of shoppers into the town,” she said.

WITH preparations for the Queen’s Jubilee in full swing, Cllr Frank Osborne is trying to track down anyone who knew Pamela Osborne.

Pamela was just 14 and a patient in the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Sick Children in Brighton when she was visited by the then Princess Elizabeth, as reported in a newspaper cutting from the period which has come to light.

Pamela, a pupil at the East Grinstead County Grammar school, had been ill for some months with rheumatic fever when her “very charming” visitor dropped in to have a chat with her during a royal tour of the hospital.

If anyone knows who Pamela was, and where she is now, please contact Cllr Osborne via the Town Council’s East Court offices, 01342 323636.

For more details of times, performances and ticket prices contact the box office on 01342 302000.

Jazz Café
Friday 20 January at 7pm
ENJOY live Jazz combined with the finest bistro menus at the monthly Jazz Café. Entry £5. Reserve a table in advance only by calling Mandy, Roger or Paul on 01342 324860.

LDN Wrestling
Wednesday 25 January at 7.30pm
CHAMPIONSHIP wrestling is back in East Grinstead for its 2012 show. On the bill will be new British Heavyweight Champion Alan Lee Travis, Capital Wrestling Champion Richard Parliament, Rob Cage and many more.