THE East Grinstead Society will be celebrating the town’s Victorian heritage with a walk around Town Trail 3 on 12 June.
The trail will start at 2.30pm outside Chequer Mead Arts Centre and will finish at 4.30pm. Christopher Wheatley will be leading the expedition and pointing out places of historic interest en route.
For more details ring 01342 321525.
THE director of the Ashdown Forest centre, Hew Prendergast, has condemned the “stupidity” of visitors who set a 13 acre area of the forest alight after their barbecue blazed out of control.
It took 50 firefighters all night to tackle the fire which was whipped up by strong winds and threatened to set light to nearby houses.
Weeks of sunshine had left the area tinder-dry and the fire crews who found a barbecue, food and alcohol at the scene said the culprits “who had left the scene pretty quickly” had been lucky to escape unhurt.
However the blackened heath land they left in their wake will take a long time to recover.
“Fires like this are incredibly destructive of wildlife and their habitat. This was a random fire which was completely out of control and anything could have happened, which is very worrying,” said Mr Prendergast.
* Fire crews also attended a fire at Mount Noddy which started after someone threw a disposable barbecue into a bin which subsequently caught alight. Firefighters said disposable barbecues needed to be out and fully cold before they were thrown away.
EAST Grinstead Art Society’s Annual Art Show – 2 June to 15 June:
This popular annual exhibition offers the opportunity to meet many of the artists displaying their talents across a wide range of styles and media. Open from 10am until 5pm daily, and some evenings during the run.
For more information about the show, or to find out about joining the Society which welcomes new members, contact Jean Mendez on 01342 315225.
SORRY for Offering You My Confusion – 17 June to 22 June:
Oil paintings and collages by artist Jane Tyler hang side-by-side to create an intriguing visual autobiography. Humour, mischief and emotion are conveyed through inventive images of relationships, ageing bodies, anger management, uncanny monkeys and Spanish plates.
My work is about me, my life, my insecurities and experiences – good and bad – the people I meet and general observations, said Jane.
THE East Grinstead Embroiderers Guild – 23 to the 29 June:
This is exhibition of work by the East Grinstead branch of the Embroiderers Guild showing the diversity of their interests and abilities, and features samples created at workshops, and group projects undertaken on behalf of local organisations and charities.
THE Sackville Community College Summer Exhibition – from 30 June to 13 July:
A Level and GCSE students celebrate summer with an exhibition of painting, sculpture and photography at the schools annual public art show.
Many of those exhibiting hope to make a career in art and design, and some of the paintings on display have already been shown at the annual schools exhibition at the Mall Gallery in London.
ARTIST Ursula Stone is the new tutor for the weekly life classes hosted by Chequer Mead every Monday.
Ursula, an art therapist who has taught at the Tobias School of Art, runs the two hour classes between 11am and 1pm each week for anyone who wants to drop in and draw – no advance booking is required and there is no commitment to a minimum number of sessions.
The 10 fee covers the cost of the model’s fees, and easels and boards are provided.
Ursula, who tutors every fourth session, is also available for more informal guidance and advice during the other three, and suggests themes which artists may like to explore.
As part of the celebrations to mark Chequer Mead’s birthday there will be an art exhibition in November which will feature the work of artists who attend the Life Classes regularly. There will be no fee for taking part in the exhibition.
* For more details contact Chequer Mead on 01342 302000.
THE Bluebell Railway has added a newly-restored Victorian carriage, specially adapted for wheelchair use, into its extensive fleet of vintage train stock.
First to try out the vehicle was East Grinstead Para Olympian Richard Schabel.
“I was delighted to help launch the carriage into service,” said Richard, who is in training for the discus and javelin events in London next year.
“Before my accident 30 years ago I worked for a time as a volunteer in the Bluebell Railway’s Carriage and Wagon Department, so I know how much effort goes into these restorations.”
Although the Bluebell has a fully-accessible 1960s carriage in operation, wheelchair users have, until now, been unable to travel on the magnificently restored and highly popular Victorian trains for which The Bluebell Railway is so famous.
The new carriage was originally built for the London, Chatham and Dover Railway in 1889, but was eventually sold, without its undercarriage, for use as a domestic dwelling.
Its last owner donated the carriage to the historic steam railway in 2003, and it was recovered by a team of volunteers to await restoration.
Work on the four-wheeled No 3360 was finally funded to the tune of £49,500 after the Bluebell was featured on Meridian TV in 2009 and won a grant from the Big Lottery’s People’s Millions competition.
Volunteers then contributed a backbreaking 10,000 hours of effort over 15 months into restoring it.
“This was an extremely fast turnaround for a project of its size but the addition of the adapted No 3360 to the Railway’s unique collection of carriages underpins our commitment to disability access,” said funding director Roger Kelly.
Before and after; the Victorian carriage which has been restored by Bluebell Railway volunteers and adapted for wheelchair use.
THE town museum in Cantelupe Road will host a new exhibit, celebrating 75 years of East Grinstead’s Art Deco past, from mid June. Entry free
CLLR Norman Webster is the new Conservative Leader of East Grinstead Town Council.
Cllr Peter Wyan will chair the Planning Committee with Cllr Rex Whittaker as his deputy. Public Services will be chaired by Cllr Heidi Brunsdon, with Cllr Dick Sweatman deputising, and Cllr Frank Osborne will head the Amenities and Tourism committee which will have Cllr Tony Scott as its vice chairman.
Cllr Webster will be also be chairman of the Finance and General Purposes committee with Cllr Margaret Belsey as his vice chairman.
CLLR Heidi Brunsdon has announced a £1.3 million grant from West Sussex County Council for a new sports hall at Imberhorne Upper School.
Heidi is pictured at the school with headteacher Jon Ford and Bob Darvill who is chairman of the school governors.
THE town tourism team has played host to 30 pupils from Felbridge primary school, pictured below at the library with Dawn Spalding.
They took the youngsters on a conducted walk around the town centre, before the youngsters visited Chequer Mead and the Meridian line through the East Court estate.
"They were a brilliant bunch of kids," said tourism officer Simon Kerr, "and really interested in everything they saw which I’m sure is going to be reflected in the work they are doing as a project.
"We always welcome school groups and there is of course no charge made for our town tours."
FORMER Mayor Steve Barnett and his wife Pauline joined around 300 people who celebrated the wedding of the new Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with an afternoon picnic on the Rolley Terrace at East Court.
