Please note that Blackwell Hollow will be closed between 9.30am and 3.00pm on Monday 11th May to allow urgent treeworks to be carried out. Diversions will be put in place
THERE’S still time to catch Town Mayor Liz Bennett, Town Clerk Julie Holden, Council Leader Norman Webster and other members of the East Court staff in Meridian FM’s final broadcast of Dick Whittington and His Amazing Cat this evening.
This unique production tells how Dick got lost on his way to London, but fulfilled his mayoral destiny instead in East Grinstead.
Fun for all the family at 5pm tonight. Don’t miss it!
FREE weight loss courses are being delivered by Mid Sussex Health Champions. Courses start in East Grinstead on Wednesday 6 February, and in Crawley Down on Thursday 17 January.
To book your place ring Mid Sussex Wellbeing on 01444 477191 or check out their website for a range of health advice including quitting smoking at info@midsussexwellbeing.org
Please note change of date for East Grinstead to 6 February 2013.
THE Town Council has saved almost £19,000 by cutting back on paper, printing and postage costs by emailing agendas and other paperwork.
As a result of the changes the town clerk’s assistant has been able to cut her hours from 30 hours a week to just under half that, thanks to the time saved in printing and collating agendas and minutes.
In total the council has saved £2,089 in postage costs, £2,673 on paper and printing and £13,897 on reduced staff costs.
CANADIAN Christopher Grace hopes to get the whole town dancing to fitness at his new Salsa and Swing classes which start this month.
Anyone who wants to include ‘getting fitter’ among their resolutions for 2013 can check out Christopher’s classes as follows:
Salsa Night will start on Monday 7 January from 7pm to 9pm at the Energie Fitness Club.
The evening session costs just £3 which includes a beginner lesson, and then dancing.
Dancers who wish to skip the lesson are encouraged to come along for the dance section beginning at 8pm.
Swing Night will be on Friday 11 January 2013 starting at 7pm. The £3 cost includes an hour-long beginner lesson and then dancing.
* For more details ring Chris on 07502 224 671, or check out the following two websites:
www.facebook.com/SwingAndBallroomUK
www.twitter.com/SwingBallroomUK
THIS Spring’s arrival of the Bluebell Railway into East Grinstead is already sparking excitement amongst the town’s traders, says promotions officer Simon Kerr, who is working closely with members of the steam railway to ensure maximum publicity for the historic moment when the first train comes huffing and puffing into East Grinstead mainline station around Eastertime.
The long-awaited delivery of a first-class tourist attraction right to the town’s doorstep has taken 30 years and millions of pounds to become a reality, but it will be a real “game changer” says Simon which will up visitor numbers and create new opportunities for East Grinstead’s businesses.
“Right now we are focusing on our annual tourism leaflet Discovering East Grinstead which is distributed throughout the South East and obviously we are making a big feature of the Bluebell Railway arriving in that.
“We are also working hard to have all the necessary tourism signage in place and at developing ideas for how Bluebell Visitors can pass an enjoyable hour or so in the town during their trips up and down the line.”
Many of the prestige hotels locally will be doing their own marketing to promote trips on the Golden Arrow Pullman dining trains, which will using East Grinstead as a departure base for the first time this year.
And Simon will also be focusing on events in East Grinstead which can be promoted in tandem with the Bluebell’s timetable, in what he hopes will increasingly become a joint project.
“Our first prospective event in the high summer is anticipated to be a celebration of our wine heritage cunningly marketed under the banner of Grape Expectations,” he laughed.
“We will be featuring some of the surrounding vineyards in and around the town, plus of course an opportunity for several of the wine sales outlets in the town to make known their own expertise.
“It is surprising just how much connection East Grinstead has with the wine industry. Private Liquor Brands in Dorset House is one example, as is international wine expert Bill Rolfe, the owner of importers 10 International Ltd and of the High Street’s Market Square.”
THE Town Museum in Cantelupe Road, which has a small kitchen for food preparation, is available to hire for meetings and receptions.
To find out more, contact the museum on 01342 302233, or email info@eastgrinsteadmuseum.org.uk
For more details contact the box office on 01342 302000
Cuisine Studio presents Jazz Café at 7pm on Friday 18
RELAX and enjoy the best of live music with the John Gowers Jazz Quartet combined with Cuisine Studio’s finest Bistro menus at the popular monthly jazz-fest. Entry £5.
Please book a table in advance by calling Mandy, Roger or Paul on 01342 324860.
Chequer Mead Youth Theatre presents Christmas Tales on Wednesday 23 January at 7:30pm
IN an old clock, belonging to the mysterious Master Humphrey, a number of manuscripts are discovered that reveal the true spirit of Christmas.
No other author is as associated with Christmas as Charles Dickens, and in this, the bicentenary of his birth, CMYT presents new and dramatic adaptations of some of his Christmas stories including The Story of the Goblins Who Stole A Sexton – the short story on which A Christmas Carol was based.
This is a youth production. Tickets £10. Children £5.
Steve Biddulph presents Raising Girls on Thursday 24 January at 7:30pm
STEVE Biddulph is world famous for his Raising Boys, but now it’s girls he’s worried about. Come and hear what we have to do to raise our daughters to be wise, warm and strong. Profoundly moving, practical and often hilarious. Tickets £15.
BRAMBLETYE School will be holding its Annual Art Exhibition at Chequer Mead from Friday 18 to Wednesday 30 January.
THE Meridian FM team, supplemented by players from the Town Council including Mayor Liz Bennett, Council Leader Norman Webster and Town Clerk Julie Holden, will be broadcasting their version of Dick Whittington at 5pm on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
THE Company of Friends bill themselves – with very good reason – as the best pantomime outside London.
And only someone imbued with the humbuggery of a Scrooge would disagree. Not only are their productions uniformly marvellous, but their commitment to putting on 15 shows over the Christmas period must surely be unrivalled by any amateur group anywhere in the country.
So with my expectations of this year’s Cinderella already sky-high, I was delighted to discover that this exceptional company excelled even by their own high standards.
The script was fresh and funny, the performers uniformly excellent and the costumes – always lovely – were particularly colourful.
Who would have thought the Ugly Sisters would have had quite so many dresses, each ghastlier than the one that went before?
Leading lady Abbie Lomax was born to play Cinders.
As pretty as a princess herself, she has a beautiful voice and acts with a heartfelt sincerity which is far more touching than the pertness often associated with pantomime ingénues
Transformed for the Ball she was indeed magical. And in Robert Barnes she had a Prince Charming worthy of her hand, with a baritone voice which blended so beautifully with her own that another duet would have been a real treat.
Nick Gibbs was back again this year as a very able and handsome Dandini, and Matthew Ryan was an immensely likeable Buttons.
Buttons plays a pivotal role in warming-up the audience and moving the plot along, and Matthew’s engaging performance – and his endless supply of chocolate buttons – easily won over his audience.
Michael Spencer as ghastly Grizelda and John Shepherd as Mona were delightfully Ugly Sisters, inside and out.
While Jill Spencer’s sparkling appearance as the Fairy Godmother made this a real family show onstage as well as off.
Phil World and John Barnett were excellent as the Broker’s Men Mr Hammer and Mr Tongs, and Des Henderson made an endearingly ineffectual Baron Hardup.
But a special word of praise must go to the littlest (and dare one say cutest?) member of the speaking cast, Jake Tuesley.
Young as he is, this was his fifth time in panto at Chequer Mead, but his poise and confidence betray him as a veteran. He has had two West End appearances to his credit in recent months (in Priscilla Queen of the Desert and in The Doll’s House at the Young Vic) and as he made his entrance for his first spoken role in panto there was a collective “aaah!” from all the mums in the audience.
I was sorry we didn’t see more of Jake’s marvellous dancing, but there must be plaudits for the Friends’ step-perfect singers and dancers, and for musical director Michael Burbidge.
So I’d just like to thank the entire Company of Friends for bringing their special magic to Chequer Mead again this Christmas.
The entire run is virtually sold out, but there are one or two tickets still available, so if you haven’t already booked, make sure you don’t miss this Christmas cracker of a show.
* Box Office is 01342 302000.
Geraldine Durrant