Category: News

“Per Ardua ad astra, we’d rather drink than fight”  was sung with gusto on Friday for perhaps the last time, by a group of men who fought in the 2nd World War and received horrific injuries from burns in aircraft and other incidents.    The Guinea Pig Club held its 75th Annual General Meeting at East Court, East Grinstead today followed by a Town Mayors reception for the members, widows and officers of the club along with guests from surgeon Sir Archibald McIndoe’s family, the Queen Victoria Hospital where they were treated and members of the friends of the Guinea Pigs Club which included past Town Mayors and Councillors of the East Grinstead Town Council and representatives of the Blond McIndoe Research Foundation and the Town Museum.

The Club decided after the AGM in 2015 that it may not hold another AGM as the Guinea Pigs are dwindling in numbers (there are 19 left living in the UK and approximately 55 world wide),  however the East Grinstead Town Council offered to host the milestone 75th Anniversary and final AGM and mark it with a Town Mayors reception.   Club Chairman Sam Gallop CBE said “the Council and Clerk are true friends of the Guinea Pigs and we were delighted to accept the offer “.

The AGM received a special message from the Duke of Edinburgh (President of the Club) and the Council presented each guest at the lunch with a commemorative 75th anniversary lapel badge depicting the Guinea Pig Emblem and the Town Crest to symbolise the enduring relationship between the Town to the Club.

Town Mayor Bob Mainstone said “Since 2004 each Town Mayor has been granted the privilege of being made a member of the Friends of the Guinea Pig Club,  we are very proud of the relationship between the town and club, and delighted that we can mark this end of era historic occasion, by a civic reception. We will miss their annual event in the future but wish to ensure that the men and the club are never forgotten in East Grinstead”

Following the Lunch the Guinea Pigs were taken to see the flower bed in the High St which depicts the 75th anniversary and then on to the Town Museum where they were shown the plans for the extension to permanently display the story of the Guinea Pigs and the medical equipment used by Sir Archibald’s Team at the Queen Victoria Hospital.

Guinea Pigs in attendance 20.05.16 East Court – AGM and Mayors reception:

• Sam Gallop CBE
• Jack Perry
• Sandy Saunders
• Eric Pearce
• Des O’Connell
• John Miles
• Alan Morgan
• Doug Vince
• Jan Black

Top Table:  Air Marshall Chris Nicholls, Mayoress Christine Mainstone,  Rene Gallop, Sam Gallop CBE, Town Mayor Bob Mainstone,  Margaret Collins DL,  Adonia Montford –Bebb, Gordon Bebb

On Tuesday 24 May Cllr Bob Mainstone, Town Mayor, attended the Choral evensong in commemoration of the life of Thomas Cure who died in 1588.

Thomas Cure was a very important person of Southwark, as a Member of Parliament and Master Sadler to Edward V1, Mary 1 and Elizabeth 1. He bequeathed land and property to Southwark and to this day residents benefit from his legacy. Today his legacy still provides almshouses and annual grants of £700,000 to support local groups.

The link to East Grinstead is that Thomas Cure was twice a Member of Parliament representing the town. He owned property between East Grinstead and Forest Row.

The Town Mayor was the first representative of East Grinstead to be invited to this annual commemoration and was accompanied by the Mayoress Cllr Christine Mainstone.

Bob commented, “This was a very special occasion as the link with East Grinstead has never been made before. We met members of Thomas Cure’s family who were interested in building a stronger relationship between Southwark and East Grinstead. Thomas Cure gave the town seal to East Grinstead in 1572 and the Mayor’s chain has a copy of the seal on its main link. I am working with our Town Museum to see what other information can be found about Thomas Cure and his local connection. Following the Evensong there was a reception where a special beer was sampled made in honour of Thomas Cure by a Southwark brewery.”

More information about the Charity www.ustsc.org.uk

Photo shows: 1. Cllr Bob Mainstone, Town Mayor, with members of Southwark Cathedral.

2 . Tomb of Thomas Cure

Medals were in abundance as over 1,300 people crossed the finish line over three fun-filled days of running in Mid Sussex.

Entry numbers were higher than those of 2015 with 158 runners completing the 26.2 miles over the three-day weekend, along with participants who chose to tackle the individual races. Not to be outdone, 294 children took their share of the limelight running in the Mid Sussex Wellbeing Mile Fun Runs. Finishers of every race received a medal, with those completing the full Marathon being rewarded with a unique commemorative medal. Olympic medals were also on display as Richard Leman officially started the Mile and 10-Mile races on Saturday at East Grinstead. The former international Hockey player sported his 1988 Great Britain team tracksuit and brought along Gold and Bronze medals from the 1988 Seoul and 1984 Los Angeles Olympics respectively.

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Over 80 people volunteered their time as course marshals, which included the involvement of Haywards Heath Harriers, Burgess Hill Runners and the Friends of Ashenground and Bolnore Woods. Event Director Simon Adby said: “The value of those who are willing to volunteer their time to facilitate a community event such as Mid Sussex Marathon Weekend should not be underestimated. We have received so much thankful feedback from this year’s participants, complimenting our volunteers for the great marshalling job that they do. In the opinion of some runners the marshals support and cheeriness really does make our event unique.”

In its fifth consecutive year the event welcomed back its creator Mims Davies, former Haywards Heath Town Councillor and current Member of Parliament for Eastleigh since May 2015.  Mims volunteered as course marshal for the Haywards Heath 10-mile and then donned her running shoes to participate in the Burgess Hill 10k on Bank Holiday Monday. Councillor Pru Moore (Cabinet Member for Leisure and Sustainability, Mid Sussex District Council) said: “We were delighted that Mims was able to be involved this year, not least so she could see just how far the event that she created has come since 2012.” In recognition of the three excellent host venues Councillor Moore went onto say: “We are extremely grateful to East Grinstead Rugby Club and Oakmeeds Community College who have allowed us to return to their venues for a second year running and, along with Victoria Park, provide ideal locations for hosting an event on this scale.”

The dates for 2017 have been announced as 29^th April to 1^st May. Those wishing to be involved can take advantage of an “early bird” offer by securing their place at this year’s prices; follow these links:

• Marathon – http://nice-work.org.uk/events.php?id=230
• East Grinstead – http://nice-work.org.uk/events.php?id=231
• Haywards Heath – http://nice-work.org.uk/events.php?id=232
• Burgess Hill – http://nice-work.org.uk/events.php?id=233

On 23rd of June there will be a referendum on the UK’s membership of the European Union. Don’t forget to register to vote, you can do so online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

The Electoral Commission have more information and you can find this on their website www.aboutmyvote.co.uk

On Friday 13 May the Town Mayor Cllr Bob Mainstone opened the new Italian Restaurant in the London Road – PAGLIA E FIENO.

Accompanied by the Mayoress, Cllr Christine Mainstone, the Mayor met the staff and owners of the restaurant.  He congratulated them for bringing an authentic Italian restaurant to East Grinstead.

The owner, Massimiliano Grippa, showed the Mayor around the restaurant.  Massimiliano, originally from Napoli, has a delicatessen shop in Battersea and has wanted for some time to return to East Grinstead. He formerly ran the Portofino restaurant in the town.

The décor of Paglia e Fieno is unique and has been carefully created to bring an unexpected old Italian charm.  It can seat 70 people.

The Town Mayor commented, “I welcome  Paglia e Fieno to our town and wish the staff every success.  The restaurant will enhance the London Road area of East Grinstead.  With the future opening of the Travel Lodge Hotel nearby there will be an increasing demand for breakfasts and evening meals.  There is also a gradual growth of tourism in the town since the Bluebell Railway reached us.  I am sure the Paglia e Fieno will take advantage of these opportunities as well as attracting local residents who want a taste of real Italy.”

The Mid Sussex Wellbeing Team is hosting a support programme on Friday 20 May for East Grinstead residents who are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

The number of people being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes is increasing nationally. It is estimated that 3.2 million people in England have the condition, which equates to 1 in 17 people, putting them at increased risk of developing devastating complications such as blindness, heart attacks, stroke and amputation.

Some people are more at risk of developing type 2 diabetes than others. Residents with a family history of type 2 diabetes, a Body Mass Index (BMI) over 25 and those who have been identified by a health professional as pre-diabetic are being encouraged to sign-up for the prevention programme.

The Mid Sussex Wellbeing team is running the free half-day course in East Grinstead to show people how they can take control for themselves and reduce the risk of developing the condition. The course looks at small and manageable steps that individuals can take to avoid developing type 2 diabetes, such as changes to diet, activity levels and other lifestyle factors.

“Type 2 diabetes is a serious condition that can have a dramatic impact on your health and wellbeing,” said Councillor Norman Webster, Cabinet Member for Health and Community.

“Fortunately, making just a few small lifestyle changes at the pre-diabetes stage can slow and even stop the onset of the disease.

“If you live in the East Grinstead area and think you might be at risk of developing type 2 diabetes then now is the time to take control of the situation and reduce the risk of health problems in the future. Contact the Wellbeing team to book your place on our pre-diabetes programme and they will help you to reduce the risk of developing this unwelcome condition.”

Anyone who is unsure about their risk of developing type 2 diabetes can visit riskscore.diabetes.org.uk/start and take a quick 60 second test provided by Diabetes UK. Body Mass Index can also be checked online by visiting www.nhs.uk/Tools/Pages/Healthyweightcalculator.aspx

For more information or to book a place on the diabetes prevention programme call the Mid Sussex Wellbeing Team on 01444 477191 or email wellbeing@midsussex.gov.uk.

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):

Frederick ALLIN

Private 24480 10th Battalion, The Somerset Light Infantry (Reserve Battalion)

Died of sickness at home 7. 5.16. Aged 30.

Son of Mr. and Mrs. W.H.Allin of 14, West Hill, East Grinstead.

Born in East Grinstead and enlisted in Portsmouth Buried Mount Noddy Cemetery, East Grinstead.

Frank William Humphrey BISH

Private 26215 105th Company The Machine Gun Corps (Infantry).

Killed in action 31. 5.16. Aged 23. Son of Mr. and Mrs. F.H.Bish of “The Arundel Arms” The High Street, Shoreham.

Born in Ditchling and enlisted in Hove. Formerly with The Royal Sussex. Included on Shoreham War Memorial and Parish Church.

Buried St. Vaast Post Military Cemetery F. 631

Thomas JAMES

Private G/1347 2nd Battalion, The Royal Sussex Regiment. 1st Division.

Killed in action near North Maroc 17. 5.16. Aged 33. Son of Thomas and Jane James of Horsted Keynes.

Born in Horsted keynes and enlisted in Haywards Heath Included on Horsted Keynes and Staplefield Parish War Memorials.

Buried St. Patricks Cemetery, Loos. F. 551

George Gilbert SLOMAN

Private 21211 10th Battalion, The Hampshire Regiment. 27th Division.

Died in military hospital in Malta 15. 5.16. Aged 28 Husband of Daisy Mary Sloman of 9, Charlwoods Row, East Grinstead.

Born and enlisted in East Grinstead. Formerly with the Royal Sussex Regiment.

Buried Pieta Military Cemetery, Pieta, Malta.

 

The new Town Mayor for 2016-2017 will be Councillor Bob Mainstone.

Bob has been an elected member of the East Grinstead Town Council for nine years and he is also a member of Mid Sussex District Council. He has represented East Grinstead as Deputy Mayor (twice) and has chaired the Planning Committee and Public Services Committee

Bob and his wife Christine, who is also a town councillor, moved to East Grinstead back in 1970 and consider the town a fine place to live. Christine was Town Mayor ten years ago.  She is now Mayoress to Bob and will accompany him in his role whenever possible.  They have a daughter, Sally, and a grandson Toby.

Bob’s career was in education and he has taught at Sackville School, Imberhorne School and Baldwin’s Hill Primary School.  At Imberhorne he was Head of the Lower School in Windmill Lane.  His teaching career spanned 44 years and he received an honorary degree from Loughborough University for his services to education. Bob also ran his own photography business concentrating mainly on weddings and his interests include cycling – he can be spotted daily riding in the town;  rugby – he is a vice-president of East Grinstead RFC and football – a die hard Brighton and Hove Albion supporter.

His deputy Town Mayor is Cllr Mrs Julie Mockford.

Bob’s three nominated charities for his Mayoral year will be:-

East Grinstead Town Museum – “Restoring Bodies and Souls”

The Museum is a special place in our town and holds an internationally important and unique story that needs to be told.  The pioneering work of Archibald McIndoe, who treated badly burnt airmen during World War Two at the Queen Victoria Hospital, is stored at the Museum.  The airmen formed The Guinea Pig Club in 1941 with 649 members and the club’s proud history also mainly lies in storage.  The Museum want to be able to properly show the amazing story of the Guinea Pig Club and plans are moving forward for the project “Restoring Bodies and Souls”.  By working with the Friends of the Museum I want to support the ongoing challenge to complete this important project.

www.eastgrinsteadmuseum.org.uk

The Bluebell Railway – “Elephant Van Project”

The dream of steam trains once more running into East Grinstead came true in 2013.  The Bluebell Railway’s popularity as a tourist attraction has subsequently grown now that it links with the town’s main line station.  There is a new project to improve the experience for families and young children by creating a dedicated children’s area at Kingscote Station – in our parish!  A former Elephant Van that was used to transport elephants as part of the circus train travelling from town to town in the 1950’s, will be converted for use as a learning centre for children.  A play area is also proposed at Kingscote station.  The Bluebell deserves our support towards achieving this exciting project.

www.bluebell-railway.co.uk

Jigsaw (South East) – “Supporting Children and Young People”

Based at East Court Mansion, the charity Jigsaw (South East) offers support to children and young people who have a family member with a serious, life-threatening condition.  It also provides grief support to children and young people who have experienced the death of a significant family member.  The impact of bereavement can have a major impact on children’s home life, school and friendships.  It may also affect their health, behaviour and ability to cope at school.  We all know of children who have had to face such sadness and I hope you will join me in supporting Jigsaw (South East).

www.jigsawsoutheast.org.uk