Author: Andrew Taylor

IN a regular feature on the Town Council website, we will be remembering, on the anniversary of their deaths, the East Grinstead soldiers who died during WWI,  and who are named on the High Street War Memorial.

This month we recall (as recorded on The Roll of Honour website):

John Ephraim FOSTER

Corporal 33531 The Royal Engineers Wireless Depot Company

Died in base hospital at Etaples 23. 7.17.

Son of John and Mary Foster. Husband of Mrs. Ishtar Foster of Bugle Farm, Forest Row. Native of Walsall, Staffs. Born in Darlaston and enlisted in Horsham.

Buried Etaples Military Cemetery F. 40

William PELLING

Battery Quartermaster Sergeant 13621 29th Siege Battery The Royal Garrison Artillery.

Killed in action near Ypres. 5. 7.17. Aged 34.

Son of William and Rosa Pelling of 94, Queens Road, East Grinstead. Born in Horsham and enlisted in Haywards Heath

Commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium MR.30

Percy WILLIAMS

Corporal 8656 1st Battalion, The South Wales Borderers. 1st Division.

Died of wounds 14. 7.17. age 28.

Son of Charles and Rebecca Williams. Husband of Emily Williams of 3, Frith Park, East Grinstead. Born, Worth near Crawley and enlisted in Brecon, Wales in August 1914.

Buried Coxyde Military Cemetery, Belgium. B. 24.

Alfred WREN

Private 22629 1st Battalion, The Border Regiment. 29th Division.

Killed in action 15. 7.17 Aged 23.

Son of Henry and Elizabeth Wren of 105, Dunnings Mill, East Grinstead. Born in East Grinstead and enlisted in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.

Buried Bard Cottage Cemetery, Belgium.B.23

Local people are being asked to help shape how the County Council delivers adult social care in the future.

The council is considering a new approach where people, their families and carers can meet with council staff in local settings to discuss their social care needs.

The council wants to:

• Talk to more people at an earlier stage and support them to stay as independent as possible
• Hold informal drop-in sessions in local communities, where people can talk to the county council about social care
• Help to connect people to services and activities in their local communities.

The proposals take account of what people have told the council about their experiences of using adult social care.

The new approach has been trialled in some areas of the county since January this year.

A survey is running until Friday 11 August for people to have their say: https://haveyoursay.westsussex.gov.uk/legal-democratic-services/supporting-lives-connecting-people.

The survey asks for people’s views on the proposals and asks what would be important to them if the council took this approach.

Louise Goldsmith, Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Adults, said: “We really hope to hear from as many people as possible who use our services, their families and carers, voluntary and community organisations, and all local people who have an interest in adult social care. We will then consider all the views before we decide on the way forward.”

A decision will be taken in the autumn by the Leader of the County Council about how adult social care will be delivered in the future.

• RCSAS Service Profile
• Training Service Profile

‘Summerfest 2017’, is a free music festival for disabled 16 to 25s which takes place from 5 to 8pm on Wednesday 9 August at Lodge Hill near Pulborough in West Sussex

Designed for 16 to 25s in West Sussex with additional needs, Summerfest 2017 is a collaboration between Lodge Hill centre, West Sussex County Council and Sussex charity, Amaze. The fully accessible festival will have a live music stage, entertainers and free barbeque, cake and mock tails.

Onsite parking is free and wheelchair users will be able to park adjacent to the festival site. There will be accessible toilets, a wheelchair area close to the stage, a hoist and changing bench and a chill-out area.

South and South East in Bloom judges came to East Grinstead on Monday 10th July to take a tour around our town.

East Grinstead has been awarded a Silver Gilt award in recent years and the Town Council and East Grinstead in Bloom committee are hoping that this year it will be Gold.

The results will be revealed in a presentation ceremony in September.

Town Mayor and Deputy Town Mayor with the judges, East Grinstead In Bloom committee members, volunteers and town councillors

BULLFROG departed from its traditional end-of-year concert productions at Chequer Mead on Saturday 8 July with a brand new show crafted by musical director Adam Hoskins.

The tale cleverly blended old and new as a group of five orphans fought to save four fairy tale kingdoms – Alice’s Wonderland, Snow White’s Enchanted Wood, Peter Pan’s Neverland and Dorothy’s Emerald City  – from the baddies who had banished magic and enslaved their populace.

Sophie Pourett Wythe was enchanting as the White Rabbit, holding the tale together as she led the company through some foot-stomping song and dance routines with lithe grace and great vocals.

The orphans, four of whom had been in previous existences Alice, Snow White, Peter Pan and Dorothy, led the revels endearingly as they visited their former homes to overturn evil, and discovered their true identities.

Charlotte Nield (Niamh/Snow White) earned well-deserved applause as she repeatedly regretted the lack of bluebirds to lend a hand when things got sticky, and Alicia Depper was excellent as bookish Imogen, ably supported by Elliot Meldrum as Barry/Peter, Bo Burt as Dot/Dorothy and Zara Saunders-Griffith as Ali/Alice.

Amber Tichener, who led the East Grinstead cast in a rousing rendition of Rotten to the Core, lived up to her billing as The Evil Queen, as did the aptly-named Misses Grimm – played with relish by Jemma Manuel and India Rose Slack –  who were deliciously wicked as the overseers of the orphanage: while Lucy Liegenhals as the Queen of Hearts turned in a stomping performance of Killer Queen – as befitted someone whose favourite phrase was “off with his head”.

Marcus Veneziani’s Captain Hook was the stuff of childish nightmares, but his swaggering menace was nicely counterpointed by Callum O’Rourke who combined a strong vocal performance with an endearing persona as Hook’s not-really-so-very-bad sidekick Smee.

The final villain of the evening was Harriet Lake who led the company in I Want It All as the green-faced Wicked Witch of the West before getting her comeuppance from Dorothy.

A special word of praise is due to Charlotte Pourett Wythe for a lovely and very athletic performance of Last Midnight in her role as the Cheshire Cat, and to Hugo Archibald as the Mad Hatter.

But this original show was essentially an ensemble piece combining the talents of both Bullfrog’s East Grinstead and Sevenoaks branches. From the tiniest, step-perfect performer to the more seasoned veterans this good-hearted musical showcased a full range of theatre talent – and sent an audience full of parents, grandparents and siblings home proudly humming the tunes.

Geraldine Durrant

Once Upon a Time will be reprised at the Stag Theatre in Sevenoaks on 15 July.

Mid Sussex District Council is running a six week public consultation from Monday 3 July 2017 to find out what local people think about dog control measures in Mid Sussex.

Mid Sussex has a number of Dog Control Orders in place to protect the local environment and deter irresponsible dog ownership. However, the current Orders expire later this year and Mid Sussex District Council will be replacing them with Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs) in October.

The Council is proposing a simple transfer of all existing powers under the Dog Control Orders over to the new PSPOs. The only proposed change is to extend the Maximum Number of Dogs (6) Order to all Council owned nature reserves, adjoining land and some of the larger recreation grounds.

“With the legal transfer of Dog Control Orders taking place in October, this is the perfect time to talk to us about dog control,” said Councillor Norman Webster, Cabinet Member for Health and Community. “We’re keen to hear from everyone, so please use this consultation as an opportunity to let us know if you like the current arrangements or if there’s anything you would like to change.”majority of dog owners in Mid Sussex are responsible, pick up their dogs’ mess and keep them under proper control. However, there is a small minority who don’t and this can create problems. The Public Space Protection Orders enable fixed penalty notices to be issued by an authorised officer when they see an offence occur. These are set at £75 or £50 if paid within 10 days.

The proposed Public Space Protection Orders will cover:

Fouling of Land by Dogs

In order to reduce the amount of dog fouling in Mid Sussex, owners are required to clean up their dogs’ mess. This order is applied to any land which is open to the air and to which the public have access.

Dog Exclusion

To prevent people or the dogs themselves being injured as a result of sharing activity space, dogs should be excluded from all fenced children’s play areas and fenced recreational areas such as tennis courts, bowling greens and multi activity areas owned by Mid Sussex District Council.

Dogs on Lead by Direction

In order to stop a loose dog disrupting sporting or community events or disturbing local wildlife, dogs must be placed on a lead if requested to do so by an authorised officer. This order applies to Mid Sussex District Council owned land on which formal sports and community events regularly take place, and all designated nature reserves.

Dogs Specified Maximum Amount (6)

The number of dogs one person can take onto Council nature reserves or selected large parks should be restricted to six.

The consultation will be available to view at the Mid Sussex District Council Reception or on the Council’s website www.midsussex.gov.uk/dogcontrolconsultation for six weeks starting on Monday 3 July 2017.

The Town Council have discovered a vandalised tree in their grounds which will require felling due to the extent of the damage.

The tree was discovered on 15th June and the damage would have occurred at some point during the previous day or so. The tree which is decades old has been stripped of bark along one side and a log was used to batter the exposed tree. The extent of the damage suggests this was a deliberate, methodical and sustained piece of criminal damage committed by one or more than one person.

The tree alongside the East Court War memorial but on the grounds owned by the Town Council has been inspected by a tree surgeon who has stated that the extent of the damage is irreparable and the tree will have to be felled.

Cllr Adam Peacock, Chairman of the Amenities and Tourism Committee said “This is very sad, but also infuriating that person or persons felt they had the right to vandalise the tree in this manner. The tree is owned by the Town Council who will now have to pay for the removal and replanting of a new tree at the tax payers expense. The cost to the environment is so much more. We are angry that someone would destroy a tree in this way. We have had some incidents of criminal damage on the estate, of which this is the worst, in the past few weeks. It is not free land and everyone else will have to pay to replace and repair damage done”

The Council has reported the matter to the police as criminal damage and ask if anyone has knowledge as to who was responsible to share this with the Police or the Council who will consider pressing charges unless recompense can be made.