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
After an elderly woman in East Grinstead had jewelery stolen in a distraction burglary, East Grinstead Town Council is concerned that vulnerable people could be targeted in the town and urge everyone to always ask for identification and to check on cold call visitors before they let anyone in to their homes. If in doubt do not allow anyone entry in to your home.
Elderly woman targeted in East Grinstead distraction burglary
EAST Grinstead Town Council has launched a new website dedicated to the Neighbourhood Plan for East Grinstead, following a suggestion from the consultants AR Urbanism that an independent site would reach more residents.
This is a free service that has been granted to the Town Council.
The site can be found at www.eastgrinsteadplan.org.uk and is also linked from the Town Council’s existing neighbourhood plan page on the Council’s website www.eastgrinstead.gov.uk
The site has been developed with interaction in mind to encourage residents to give views or volunteer to be involved in the process. It also builds on the information already gathered by the Town Council since October 2011. The website will continue past the date of the adoption of the plan expected in 2012.
Neighbourhood Plan steering group chairman Norman Webster said: “This is another tool to give the process as wide an airing as possible. We hope the schools, amongst others, will promote to residents a site that is simple to reach and navigate. We hope it will bring forward yet more comments as we continue through this very important town project.”
The Town Council is continuing the consultation that will draw the plan together before it is given over to public consultation early in 2013. The plan is due for finalization in the Spring before being submitted to the District for examination and adoption.
The first ever Police and Crime Commissioner elections will take place on Thursday 15 November and Mid Sussex District Council is asking residents to make absolutely sure they know which polling station to attend.
The Police and Crime Commissioner election is the first district-wide vote to be held since a review of polling places in 2011. The survey was carried out to ensure that the buildings selected as polling places are the most accessible to all voters.
Following the review, the majority of polling stations remain the same. However, some polling station locations have changed, so it is important people double check which polling station they need to attend before setting off to vote.
The main areas to be affected are the East Grinstead Town ward in the north and the parishes of Pyecombe and Fulking in the south of the District.
The large Parish Halls in East Grinstead are not currently in use, so voters who have used that station in the past will go to the Chequer Mead centre.
Voters from Pyecombe and Fulking villages will be going to Poynings Pavilion. Poll cards have now been issued to all voters and information on which polling station to attend is clearly displayed on the card.
“When you vote at the same polling station for many years it becomes almost routine and it may not occur to you to check your polling card to see where to vote,” said Tom Clark, Local Returning Officer. “We don’t want anybody to have a wasted journey so please make 100% sure your polling station has not changed before leaving the house.”
The Police and Crime Commissioner elections take place on Thursday 15 November 2012. As usual, polling stations will open at 7am and close at 10pm.
For a full list of polling stations in Mid Sussex go to www.midsussex.gov.uk/elections, contact Electoral Services on 01444 477003 or email elections@midsussex.gov.uk.
THE easiest way for any reviewer to gauge the mood of an audience is to listen to the comments in the foyer and car park as they leave the theatre.
So if the howls of laughter which greeted this simply marvellous production had not already convinced me that a very good time had indeed been had by all, then the overheard phrases “absolutely terrific” “I loved it!” and “astonishingly good” certainly would have done.
The Company of Friends are of course old hands at Music Hall and their experience showed as they delivered a faultless evening of good-hearted, old-fashioned fun.
Many of the audience were repeat offenders, some were first-timers, but there were moments when all of them were crying with laughter as they heard jokes so corny Bob Monkhouse would have blushed to perform them.
But the Company delivers its schtick with such wit and verve that even the oldest chestnuts came up shining.
The real affection the players have for each other is obvious, and the sheer slickness of their performances – whether in their comic-timing or their step-perfect tap-dancing – is testament to the entire ensemble’s spirit and commitment.
And it would be invidious to single anyone out for special praise – indeed the man sitting behind me and singing along as though his very life depended on it, cheered everything with great enthusiasm and the oft-repeated phrase “My goodness me, that was absolutely marvellous…”
And it certainly was…
But I think it would be fair to say that Kevin Gauntlett as chairman bore more than his share of the show’s burden – as well as the blame for some jokes so old Adam must have made them up.
Kevin also has a fine singing voice – and I am sure I was not the only one disappointed that his joke exit in the middle of a solo stopped us hearing the rest.
And I will confess a special weakness for Bob Wilson. His old Etonian Captain Hook in Peter Pan three or four years ago entirely won me over, and it was good to see him reprise the Pirate King, and indeed to see him serenading his large marrow again, a performance which I fear watching ladies will not soon forget. Robin Shergold was also excellent and there was a simply lovely performance of The Boy I Love is Up in the Gallery.
So if you missed it, you missed a real treat.
But the Company will be back at Christmas with Cinderella, and some performances are already close to sold out, so book now to avoid further disappointment.
Geraldine Durrant
Filmmaker: Richard Leman
THE Filipino British Nurses Extra Care Health Wellness Support Club conducted another free health screening session to check on blood pressure, blood sugar and BMI (Weight & Height) at Saint Luke’s Church in Quarry Rise last month.
Those who attended had their health screening carried out while enjoying their usual coffee morning, and met East Grinstead Town Mayor Liz Bennett who is a supporter of the scheme.
Cllr Danny Favor, chairman of the Extra Care Health Team, said;” We were pleased to see so many people turn up for the screening sessions, and that the scheme is achieving a greater public profile, resulting in more requests for sessions in the town.”
COUNCILLOR Danny Favor joined a group of parishioners from Our Lady and St Peter School and supporters from other organisations in the town on a Walk for Life along the Worth Way in October.
They were offered refreshments at Trinity Methodist church en route to Worth Abbey, and did a sponsored litter pick on the way to raise money to provide nursery equipment and practical help to vulnerable young mothers and their babies at homes run by Life Charity in West Sussex.
THE East Grinstead Business Association (EGBA) has launched a new town website in partnership with the Town Council at www.visiteastgrinstead.com
BASED in what used to be a pantry at East Court Mansion the CVS is about to celebrate two decades of helping voluntary and community groups in East Grinstead and the surrounding villages.
With their Board of Trustees, who are also volunteers, their job is to support, develop and champion local charities, voluntary organisations and community groups.
The CVS has a membership of more than a hundred local organisations, ranging from small local groups like pre-schools, to branches of national charities like Standen, a National Trust house. It also serves unique local charities including Chequer Mead, the town museum and the EG Mental Health Association.
The CVS finds volunteers, and opportunties for people who want to volunteer, and offers practical help with applying for grants and other funding, supplies examples of good practice, holds networking and training events, and sends regular email news about relevant local and national issues.
And volunteers enjoy being able to “put something back into the community” and being available to plug gaps in services.
To find out more about the East Grinstead CVS Trustee contact them on on 01342 328080, or email christine@egcvs.co.uk
THE Christmas lights in the High Street will be clear for the first time this year at the request of traders who want to set a snowy traditional scene in the historic centre of the town.
But with cash tight – the Christmas Lights committee have been running at a deficit over the past couple of years – there will be no new displays this December.
Lights will be going up in early November but will not be lit until after Remembrance Sunday.