Category: News

INTRIGUED by Mike’s posters, town promotions officer Simon Kerr did a little digging to see if East Grinstead has ever featured in a tourism campaign previously, and came up with this image courtesy of the London Transport Museum Collection.

“Mike’s work is outstanding both for his images and his witty wordplay, so we are delighted to be able to offer these new posters at the tourist desk in the library,” he said.

FORMER Imberhorne teacher Mike Hopps has designed a series of retro-style posters extolling the wonders of steam rail travel, and featuring East Grinstead and local beauty spots including the Ashdown Forest and Sheffield Park.

The heritage rail posters are printed to order and five pounds goes to the Bluebell Railway for every poster sold.

Mike, who came up with the designs as a way to make use of his photographs, has now seen one used on the cover of The Railway Magazine, and several of the designs are also available on postcards, tea towels and book marks from the Bluebell’s shop at Sheffield Park.

“I don’t know if East Grinstead ever had its own travel poster in the old style,” said Mike, “but it has now and I would be delighted for the town to benefit from it as well as the railway.

“I started my teaching career at Imberhorne School in 1971, met my wife there and have fond memories of the six years I spent running the workshops at Windmill Lane. Little did I think at the time I would be back to East Grinstead every week in retirement working on the railway!”

* To order one of Mike’s stunning posters featuring the Bluebell throughout the seasons check out the website at http://www.heritagerailposters.co.uk.

A selection is also available from the tourism desk at the town library in West Street.

EAST Grinstead Town Council has approved the commissioning of a plaque to name the Sackville School observatory in honour of astronomer Sir Patrick Moore.

The Council will also sponsor an annual student award at the school for contributions to astromony.

Sir Patrick, who died last December, was an amateur astronomer who achieved prominence in the field as a writer, broadcaster and presenter of the long-running late night BBC2 programme The Sky at Night.

The President of the British Astronomical Society and the author of more than 70 books, Sir Patrick spent his childhood in East Grinstead where from the age of 14 he ran a small observatory after his mentor, and predecessor in the post, was killed in a road accident.

Photo: Courtesy of the East Grinstead Observer

The maquette for the Statue to Sir Archibald McIndoe was revealed at a preview on 4th April 2013 at the RAF Club in London and then Formal press Launch on the 5th April at East Court, East Grinstead.

The maquette is a scale model of the finished sculpture that will hopefully be sited in front of Sackville College in East Grinstead. It depicts McIndoe and an anonymous airman (one of his Guinea Pigs) and an inscription referring to his work and the role of the town “that did not stare”. The complete piece includes a bench for visitors to sit and reflect on the work. The area will be landscaped to ensure that the statue fits in with the historic backdrop of the college.

 appeal launched this week is to fund the project, expected to cost in the region of £175,000 and donations are being accepted via a special website set up for the project www.mcindoememorial.com. Details how to make donations in other ways are also on the site.

The Town Council is working alongside the Blond McIndoe Research Centre, East Grinstead Business Association, and members of the McIndoe family to steer the project, although it is to be funded through donations made to the appeal. The chosen sculptor is Martin Jennings whose father was treated by the team at the QVH following burns sustained during the war.

Should the donations be sufficient it is hoped that the statue will be in place Spring 2014.

Photo courtesy of John O’Brien – not to be used without permission

THE East Grinstead Tennis and Squash Club in Ship Street will be holding an Open Day on Saturday 6 April between 10am – 4pm to showcase their facilities and enable anybody who wishes to do so to come and have a go at tennis, squash or racketball.

EAST Grinstead in Bloom was formed in the early 90s by the Town Council to be a community-led initiative.

Residents whose gardens received an award in the Front Garden competition were invited to join the group, which is how chairman Julie Mockford became involved in 1995.

Their projects for this year include:

• The Compass Garden at Mount Moddy, Hurst Farm pond and the Millennium Garden which are all It’s Your Neighbourhood projects
• Work at the East Grinstead train station on a new wildflower meadow and hedgerow planting on the upper level of the new station car park.
• Liaising with the Bluebell Railway to enhance the entrance to the steam railway’s new station with hanging baskets and planters.
• Working with the local schools to encourage them to use their grounds for the benefit of the pollinators.
• Forging links with local companies to further enhance the town environment, such as the Caravan Club’s sponsorship of the Compass Garden.

But Bloom chairman Julie Mockford would like to see more residents involved in making the town a more attractive place for everyone to enjoy.

“It would be wonderful to get more local residents involved with East Grinstead in Bloom,” she said. “There are so many wonderful gardens around the town that  we know there are some very talented gardeners out there, and their knowledge and skills would be welcomed.

“But there are some community areas around the town which are in need of tidying up, and this gives us possible areas for new projects.

“So what we would really like is for residents to nominate an area local to them for improvement, then join us to fulfil their wishes.

“With backing from the town, district or county councils we can help residents improve their local areas.”

Photo credits:

High Street in bloom by Simon Kerr

Hanging baskets by Bob Mainstone

THE Town Mayor’s Ball will take place on Saturday 27 April at the East Grinstead Sports Club.

The night will be a fundraiser for the Mayor’s charity, and will be attended by local dignitaries, charities, organisations and members of the public.

The evening will begin with a champagne reception at 7pm, followed by a three course dinner with wine.

There will be a grand raffle, a live auction, music supplied by local band Naked Bass, followed by a disco.

Carriages will be at 1am. Dress code is black tie.

Tickets are £35 and can be obtained from Linda Williams on 01342 323636 or by email: l.williams@eastgrinstead.gov.uk

THE East Grinstead in Bloom committee has announced its first ever Annual Photography open to the town’s residents, and not surprisingly the theme is East Grinstead in Bloom.

Beautiful photographs can be anything from flowers in growing in private gardens, scenic pictures of East Grinstead, seasonal wildflowers or flowers blooming in the snow.

Categories:

1. Pupils of primary school age (4-11years)
2. Pupils of secondary school age (11-18years
3. Adults (16 years plus)
4. The East Grinstead Observer “Readers Choice” winner.

There will be one winner from each category.

Prizes

THE winner of each category will have their photograph published in the annual East Grinstead in Bloom Calendar for 2014.

Other prizes on offer include photo sessions courtesy of Hamilton Studios, Paul Johnson Photography and Simon Stewart Photography, 250 photo prints and a photo album from TruPrint, a Canon photo-printer from Canon, a family ticket to an upcoming event at Tulleys Farm and a meal for two at Anise, The Felbridge Hotel.

To Enter

SEND your winning photograph to:

competition@eastgrinsteadinbloom.co.uk

All photos must be the highest resolution possible (Minimum of 300 dpi and width 3579 pixels x height 2551 pixels)

Closing Date

Entries must be received by Friday 9 August 2013.

Winners will be notified after this date and publically announced at the East Grinstead in Bloom Annual Presentation Evening in September 2013.

The Rules

1. This competition is open to all amateur and professional photographers. Amateur and professional entries will not be judged separated. East Grinstead in Bloom committee members and their families are not eligible to enter.
2. You can enter by sending your picture as a jpeg file to competition@eastgrinsteadinbloom.co.uk. These can be in colour or black and white. Please ensure that part of your full name appears in the file name for easy identification. Entries will not be accepted if we cannot easily identify the entrant. It is a condition of entry that all rules are accepted as final and that the competitor agrees to abide by these rules. The competition entries will be displayed and winners announced at the East Grinstead in Bloom AGM in September 2013.
3. If there is any doubt, East Grinstead in Bloom will decide whether or not a photograph fulfils particular criteria for this year’s theme. If it does not, it will be withdrawn. East Grinstead in Blooms decision is final.
4. Your photograph may be published on eastgrinsteadinbloom.co.uk and may be used in publicity for East Grinstead in Bloom and our associated projects and by our sponsors in their magazines, publicity or web site.
5. All entries must include full details including: the location where photograph was taken, name of photographer, postal address, contact telephone number and must clearly state which category the image is being entered under.
6. All entries must be received by the closing date (noon GMT on 9 August 2013).
7. The winning photos will be published in the East Grinstead in Bloom annual calendar soon after the closing date and you will be credited if your photograph is published.
8. By submitting your photograph for entry into the competition you will retain your copyright and also hereby grant to us and our sponsors a royalty free, non-assignable, worldwide, non-exclusive license to use the photograph for publication for all time.
9. You warrant that any photographs you submit are your own original work and that you own the copyright and any other relevant rights in such image and you have the permission of any people identifiable in the picture. Entrants confirm that their entry is their own original work, is not defamatory and does not infringe any UK laws. The image must also not have already been professionally commissioned.
10. Any commercial opportunities that arise following the publication of the submitted photograph will be notified to the photographer who will be free to negotiate terms independent of the competition. You will be free to decline any commercial usage licences, this will not affect your chances of winning.
11. All personal data provided to East Grinstead in Bloom and the competition sponsors in relation to this competition will be used in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and you hereby consent to us processing all personal data for the purposes of this competition.
12. No cash alternative is available. Prizes are non-transferable, non-refundable and non-changeable. The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

Any enquiries please contact: Samantha Baldery on 01342 322322 or competition@eastgrinsteadinbloom.co.uk.

WITH Spring just around the corner, the East Grinstead in Bloom volunteers are hoping that this year’s planting will encourage bees.

An area of land on the corner of College Lane was seeded with a wild flower mix last year but a cold Spring yielded disappointing results as they failed to germinate, until heavy rain in August brought out a late but welcome crop of blooms.

So this year the Bloom Committee, under chairman Julie Mockford, has sought the advice of botanist Steve Alton, the man responsible for the “fabulous verges in Ardingly” laughed Julie.

“With the UK’s bee population dwindling we really wanted to concentrate on wild flowers which will encourage and support the local bee population which is why we are also planting wildflowers around the station and liaising with the Bluebell Railway for their planters and hanging baskets.”

And if anyone wants to do their bit in their garden at home, Julie suggests that they too can grow plants which will encourage bees.

“The continuing crisis in our bee and bumblebee populations means the more we can do to help these and other pollinating insects, the better. Research has shown that honeybees can only forage to a maximum of three miles from their hive, which means that if they have to go farther afield to locate sources of food, they will die.  So we want the town’s gardeners to create areas of garden rich in nectar-producing plants.

“Most of our best-beloved annuals fall into this category including poppies, cosmos, snapdragons, daisies and so on. Bumblebees prefer nectar-rich perennials and herbs like chives are among their favourites, but there are a number of websites like Buglife which provide all the information on what plants to choose for which insects.”

A late snowfall may have dusted the town, but the first steam train to arrive into East Grinstead on the Bluebell’s new line extension arrived to a warm welcome a week before the Easter break.

Crowds of supporters and railway enthusiasts turned out to drink Champagne and cheer the completion of a project which has been more than three decades in the planning.

The final stage of the ambitious project – building a two mile stretch of track to link with the mainline station at a cost of £4 million – was completed earlier this month.

Promotions officer Simon Kerr called the “doorstep delivery” of one of the South’s premier tourist attractions to the heart of the town “a real game changer” which would increase visitor numbers to East Grinstead and bring new custom for local businesses.

Simon will be working with the Bluebell in the coming months on a number of joint projects to promote East Grinstead as an easily accessible visitor destination only 55 minutes from London on the Victoria line.

Council leader Norman Webster called the arrival of the historic steam railway “an historic opportunity for growth” which should be welcomed by everyone who cares about the future of their town.

To celebrate the opening of the new line there will be a number of special events on the Bluebell as follows – for full details see the website at www.bluebell-railway.co.uk:

Monday 1 April – New service two. Bo Peep Special. Wealden Rambler Afternoon Tea.

Tuesday 2 April – New service two. Special guided tour of the National Trust Sheffield Park Garden.

Wednesday 3 April – New service two. Special event to be announced.

Thursday 4 April – New service two. Special evening Cheese & Wine Party plus quiz on board the Wealden Rambler commencing at East Grinstead.

Friday 5 April – New service two. East Grinstead residents day. First Rail Ale special starting at East Grinstead.

Saturday 6 April – New service two. Bell ringers special. Bus service Horsted Keynes station to village. Tours of St Giles Church and the grave of former Prime Minister Harold Macmillan.

Sunday 7 April – New service two. Free vintage buses and discount admission to National Trust Standen. Evening Service of Thanksgiving.