Category: News

TOWN Councillors will be on the streets of East Grinstead for the next three Saturdays in the first stages of developing an evidence-based Neighbourhood Plan. The Plan will provide the vital influence in the planning process to help ensure OUR VOICE and OUR NEEDS help shape the long-term future of OUR TOWN.

As part of the process of delivering the town’s Plan, the Council will start by surveying the views of residents with a questionnaire drawn up on a range of general topics including housing, highways, business development, health and leisure.

Town Councillors will be in and around the town from 10am to 12.30pm at Wickendens in the High Street, outside Sainsbury’s and in Queens Walk, to distribute questionnaires and invite views and comments from everyone who lives and works in the area.

The survey starts on Saturday 8 October and runs over the following two Saturdays, 15 and 22 October.

The questionnaires will also be available to download or complete on-line on the Neighbourhood Plan page. The closing date when questionnaires must be completed is 31 October 2011.

Chairman of the Town Council’s Neighbourhood Plan Working Group Cllr Heidi Brunsdon said:

“Our survey is a great opportunity to get involved in the early stages of the town’s Plan – a Plan which belongs to the community, is prepared by our community and delivered by the community.

”East Grinstead Town Council is looking for a Plan which reflects the views of all sections of our community, identifies which features and local characteristics we value, highlights our local problems and opportunities, and sets out what we want for the future.Once the results of the survey are analysed, the Council hopes to provide a survey feedback event, which will be an opportunity to discuss the results, the issues they raise and to influence the next stage of the Plan. Ultimately the Neighbourhood Plan will form part of the Mid Sussex District Plan for development in the District.

THE Ashdown Ramblers Club was started 50 years ago by Sybil Martin from her home in Forest Row.

Arthur Hunt, who was one of the five founder members, still lives in Ashurstwood, and between them Sybil and Arthur led many walks in and around East Grinstead, venturing much further afield as the group became more and more popular.

In 1991, the Ashdown Ramblers held their 30th Anniversary at the Meridian Hall in East Court.

The following year, they decided to walk from East Grinstead to Eastbourne, which took 2 days. They starting at 9.30am on Saturday at Wych Cross and finished their hike at 5.30pm on Sunday at Beachy Head, a feat they repeat every ten years.

The Ashdown Rambling Club now has almost 200 members, and in the past 50 years has published two books Twenty Five Circular Walks around East Grinstead and East Grinstead Millenium Walks, both of which sold out very quickly.

Members meet every Wednesday and every Sunday, with all-day walks and afternoon walks to suit all tastes and abilities.

Their founder, Sybil Martin, is described by club secretary Francoise Inman as “a great lady, with compassion for humanity and all charitable groups” and to date the club she started has collected well over £12,000, which has been distributed over the years to two charities chosen at the club’s AGM.

Club members celebrated Sybil and their fifty years of walking at a slide show and barn dance held at the Meridian Hall in September.

For further details of their activities see the website at: www.ashdownramblers.org.uk, or ring Francoise on 01342 313296

Subscription is only £5 a year and a “well-deserved cup of tea and cakes” are supplied after each walk, promises Francoise.

New members are always welcome.

Founder Sybil Martin striding out across the Ashdown Forest, and (centre) with a group of Club members in 1982.

EAST Court estate has won a Gold award in the South and South East in Bloom competition.The prestigious accolade comes just three years after the Town Council first entered East Court in the Small Parks section of the competition as a way of raising standards.

"We entered originally to drive up standards and give ourselves a goal, and the first year we won a Silver award, which came with recommendations as to how we could improve up our overall presentation," said Council Amenities Manager Keith Astley.

The Outside Services Team took the advice on board and having tackled the major recommendations in the Bloom report gained a Silver Gilt award in their second year of competition.

Judging this year took place at the beginning of July, but Keith and his team had to wait until the annual awards ceremony held at Fontwell Racecourse on 7 September for the good news that they had not only struck gold, but had been placed second overall with a score of 89 points out of a possible 100.

Commenting afterwards Keith said: "It’s so pleasing to get this Gold Award because it reflects the hard work of the Town Council’s Outside Services Team in preparing the East Court grounds and ensuring they are a facility the whole town can enjoy."

* In addition to the award for East Court, East Grinstead earned a Silver Gilt for the town centre, and a Silver award for the town overall.

TOWN Mayor John Saull tries out training equipment at East Grinstead’s new Energie Fitness Club at 115 London Road. For more details ring 01342 314113.

A TEAM of willing volunteers including Town Mayor John Saull, fellow councillors, Town Clerk Julie Holden and "friends" of Chequer Mead, formed a work party last month to clear overgrown shrubs along the front of the theatre and around its parking area.

Theatre manager Hannah Kester, who also put in a morning’s work on the project, said she was very grateful to everyone who had given up their time – especially as it coincided with England’s debut match in the Rugby World Cup.

"Low maintenance shrubs were planted along the front of the theatre when it was built, and they have grown so slowly over the past 15 years that we just didn’t notice how far they had spread.

"But they had got to the stage where they were seriously encroaching over the footpath and the parking spaces, and we realised it was time to cut out all the dead wood and give them a really good prune."

The Council’s outdoor staff hauled away all the trimmings, and the newly-tidied beds will be reviewed next Spring to decide what further action needs to be taken.

 
 

IN light of the town centre’s recent Silver Gilt award by South & South East In Bloom the Town Council is now inviting applications for the sponsorship of its civic plantings. All sponsorship raised through this scheme will be used to help maintain and enhance planting, and ensure the town continues to look at its best. In return for the sponsor of planting areas, the Town Council will ensure the location bears a plaque noting the sponsor’s assistance. The current locations available for sponsorship are:

• Lewes Road Roundabout
• Sainsbury’s Roundabout
• West Hill Roundabout
• Blackwell Hollow/Mount Noddy Roundabout
• High Street Flowerbeds
• Planters on the High Street paved area

If you are interested in this opportunity please contact Keith Astley, the Town Council’s Amenities Manager, on 01342 323636.

COMMUNITY recycling points (also known as ‘bring sites’) have been upgraded to make them easier for Mid Sussex residents to use.

New mixed recycling bins at sites at Cyprus Road in Burgess Hill, Sainsbury’s in East Grinstead’s Brooklands Way and Sainsbury’s in Bannister Way, Haywards Heath, have all been improved.

The new facilities now accept plastic bottles, and food or drinks cans as well as glass, making them more convenient to use.

Anyone with recyclable items which won’t fit into their kerbside bin at home, can now drop them in the collection banks when visiting the shops. The bins have blue lids and are clearly labelled.

Paper banks at the ‘bring’ sites have also been refurbished and charity banks at the sites will accept surplus textiles and shoes.

“Residents currently help to recycle 46% of all the waste gathered and we hope these upgraded recycling points will push these excellent rates even higher,” said Mid Sussex Councillor Pru Moore, Cabinet Member for Leisure and Sustainability.

“We want to encourage people to think even more widely about household items which can be reused and recycled – it is amazing what fantastic second lives these items can go on to have.”

For more information on recycling in Mid Sussex visit the District Council website at www.midsussex.gov.uk/recycling or email: wastematters@midsussex.gov.uk

Cllr Pru Moore with and Derek Boarer, Store Manager at Sainsbury’s East Grinstead.

EAST Grinstead will be playing host to the opening leg of a three-day Marathon spread over the first of the May bank holiday weekends next year.

The Three Towns Marathon will begin in East Grinstead on Saturday 1 May.

The second leg will be at Burgess Hill on 2 May and the final race to the finish line will be at Haywards Heath on 3 May.

Details of the event, including the routes, have still to be finalized but it will be attended by Olympians including gold medalist Richard Le Mann and members of the current GB Hockey Squad, and Paralympic contender Richard Schabel.

For more information about any of the shows including times and ticket prices, contact the box office on 01342 302000 or see the Chequer Mead web site

Acoustic Sussex presents the Iain Morrison Band
Saturday 1 October at 8pm:
IN January 2010, Iain Morrison came all the way from West Scotland to support a show by Anais Mitchell and wowed the audience with his unique singing, song-writing and piping skills. Now he and his band are with an evening of exhilarating, contemporary roots music.

The Electric Light Orchestra Greatest Hits Tour
Wednesday 5 October at 7.30pm:
THE Electric Light Orchestra’s greatest hits performed live including Livin’ Thing, Sweet Talking Woman, Mr. Blue Sky and many more.

Lee Hurst in Man v. Woman
Thursday 13 October at 7.30pm:
LEE first appeared on TV as one of the original cast of BBC1’s They Think Its All Over. He then went on to run his own comedy club in London’s East End. Now, as he waits for his new venue to be built, Lee is touring again for the first time in 10 years.

ConChord Big Band Charity Concert in aid of St Catherine’s Hospice
Friday 14 October at 8pm:
THE sensational ConChord Big Band returns with classics, swing, ballads and show songs from an 18-strong line up under Musical Director Phil Laybourn to provide a great night out in support of the hospice.

Chequer Mead Lunchtime Concert Series presents
The Hawthorns guitar ensemble
Tuesday 18 October at 1.30pm:
TALENTED youth students from the Hawthorns School will be performing a variety of pieces from baroque to pop.

Rotary Youth Speaks
Wednesday 19 October at 7pm:
THE East Grinstead area heat of the Public Speaking Competition for local schools run by the Rotary Club.

ACE Theatre Company presents Habeus Corpus by Alan Bennett
Friday/Saturday 21/22 October:
ALAN Bennett’s comedy shows a household in Hove bubbling with tension and sexual intrigue. Canon Throbbing lusts after women, Constance wants bigger breasts (and is prepared to pay for them) and the charlady knows everything…

Private Collection Clothes Sale
Saturday 22 October at 10am:
For one day only – fantastic discounts on Autumn/Winter ladies wear. 
Shoes and clothing from £5. Cash/credit cards only.

Keith James presents The Songs of Leonard Cohen
Monday 24 October at 8pm:
WITH a lifetime of performing, and an undying love of the pure song, Keith gives an intimate concert of Cohen’s amazing material.
“Some of the most atmospheric and emotive music you will ever hear.” The Independent.

Jazz Café presents The Sussex Jazz Kings
Tuesday 25 October at 7pm:
THE best of live jazz with the Sussex Jazz Kings combined with the finest bistro menus at our regular Jazz Cafe evenings. Meals booked in advance only.

Act One Beginners presents Footloose the Musical
Thursday 27 October to Saturday 29th October:
FOOTLOOSE is an exciting and colourful youth production of a fast-paced musical featuring classic eighties anthems including Holding Out For a Hero, Let’s Hear It For The Boy and of course the title track, Footloose.

The Spires Hairdressing Artistic Team presents Hairdressing Around Europe
Monday 31 October at 7.30pm:
EUROPEAN Hairdressing from Milan, Paris, London and Barcelona right here in East Grinstead. Proceeds will go to The Melanoma Foundation at St George’s Hospital.

Tim Hewitt, who will be appearing in Snow White at Christmas, limbers up for his performance in Footloose at Chequer Mead on 27 to 29 October.

THE town’s Neighbourhood Working Group will be holding consultations with residents and business people on three consecutive Saturday mornings this month.

Starting on 8 October between 10am and 12.30pm, teams of councillors will be at the former Wickenden’s sweet shop in the High Street, in Queens Walk and at the entrance to Sainsbury’s.

Councillors will be present at all three locations on the 8/15/22 October to talk to residents and gather their views through the use of a short questionnaire.