Category: News

IN a regular feature on the Town Council website, we will be remembering, on the anniversary of their deaths, the East Grinstead soldiers who died during WWI,  and who are named on the High Street War Memorial.

This month we recall (as recorded on The Roll of Honour website):

Henry ARGENT

Private G/42732 1st Battalion, The Middlesex Regiment. 33rd Division.

Died 4.11.18.

Born in Maresfield and enlisted in Chichester. Next of kin East Grinstead.

Buried Mont Huon Military Cemetery F. 13.

George LULHAM

Gunner. 237057 53rd Battery. 2nd Brigade. The Royal Field Artillery.

Killed in action 1.11.18. Aged 34.

Husband of Mrs. Florence Lulham of “Norcott” North End, East Grinstead. Enlisted in Chichester. Son of Mr. and Mrs. Lulham of Guildford, Surrey.

Buried Highland Cemetery, Le Cateau F. 190

William Frederick Victor VICKERY

Private G/37223 3rd (Reserve) Battalion, The Royal Sussex Regiment.

Died at home 9.11.18. Aged 24.

Son of George and Annie Vickery of 20, Durkins Road, East Grinstead. Born and enlisted in East Grinstead.

Buried Queens Road Cemetery, East Grinstead.

XenZone has worked in partnership with YMCA since May 2014 to deliver mental health support services to children and young people in West Sussex.

As of 1st November 2018 and following a successful tender, YMCA will now deliver mental health services weighted more towards offering face-to-face support. Kooth will no longer be part of that offer.

XenZone will be working with relevant commissioners to instigate a transition period for children and young people who are using Kooth.

According to XenZone’s CEO Zoe Blake, “We have delivered an excellent service in West Sussex, where the Kooth digital offer proved to be hugely popular with young people. We are proud of the support we have given to thousands of children and young people and wish YMCA well in continuing to provide accessible mental health support in the area.”

On 17 October East Grinstead station welcomed a volunteer team from the DfT who had come to help clear the station’s extensive flower beds.  The long, very hot summer had caused a lot of growth but had also damaged a many of the plants and our Station Partner Andrew Morris had been left with an enormous task to battle the beds back to their former prize winning glory.

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Help was desperately needed so the DfT’s Rail Digital Services team stepped in and spent a day chopping, weeding, clearing, sweeping and bagging up great piles of garden waste.   The station staff as usual, couldn’t have been more helpful and welcoming even when we trampled mud through their immaculate station and the station coffee shop joined in by offering a huge discount on elevenses.

Social media ‘liked’ the activity, passers-by stopped to chat and congratulate the team on their hard work with one lady even handing a tub of chocolates to the workers as a thank you.
A great day and hopefully not too many sore backs the morning after!

 

Travelodge also announces it is looking for eight more hotel sites across West Sussex. This level of expansion would represent an investment of £65 million for third party investors and create 160 new jobs.

On Wednesday 24^th October, the Mayor of East Grinstead, Councillor Rex Whittaker, joined Tony O’ Brien, Travelodge UK Development Director to officially open East Grinstead’s first Travelodge hotel.

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East Grinstead Travelodge a multi-million investment for the landlord and as created 17 new jobs. It is located on 2 Little King Street, East Grinstead, RH19 3DJ,and is the company’s 568 hotel and 11^th in West Sussex.

The hotel has been styled in Travelodge’s latest brand design and offers family, double and accessible rooms. Rooms feature the company’s signature luxurious king size Travelodge Dreamer bed which sits within a mood lighting surround and has bedside charging points. Family rooms also include two individual beds for children.

Travelodge rooms also feature LED ceiling lighting, providing a warmer ambience, a  ‘comfort cooling’ system, a 32 inch Freeview TV, WiFi and free in-room tea & coffee making facilities. Rooms are available from £29 and can be booked at www.travelodge.co.uk

At the official event opening of East Grinstead Travelodge, the company also announced that West Sussex is a key growth area and that they are actively looking for a further eight hotel sites across the county. Target locations include: Brighton, Bognor, Burgess Hill, Chichester, Hastings, Haywards Heath, Hove and Shoreham-by-the-Sea.

This level of expansion would represent an estimated investment of approximately £65 million for third party investors and create around 160 new jobs – it would also boost Travelodge’s portfolio to 19 hotels in West Sussex – cementing its position as the county’s largest budget hotelier.

Tony O’Brien, Travelodge UK Development Director said: “We are delighted to be celebrating our 30^th anniversary in West Sussex by opening our first hotel in East Grinstead. Over the last three decades, Travelodge has become famous across the county for offering unbeatable value and making travel affordable for everyone, which has helped attract more business and leisure travellers to the area.”

“As we look to the future, West Sussex is a target growth area for Travelodge. The local economy is growing at pace and with increasing visitor numbers to the area, there is still a shortage of good quality accommodation at a great value price. Therefore to meet this growing consumer demand we are actively looking for eight hotel sites in the following locations: Brighton, Bognor, Burgess Hill, Chichester, Hastings, Haywards Heath, Hove and Shoreham-by-the-Sea. Collectively this expansion programme would represent an estimated investment of approximately £65 million for third party investors and create around 160 new jobs.”

East Grinstead Travelodge is being managed by Ewa Stecko, who joined the company ten years ago as a Housekeeping team member. Ewa is one of thousands of Travelodge employees who have joined the company in  an entry level position and successfully climbed the career ladder into management – via the in-house management development programme.

 Ewa Stecko, East Grinstead Travelodge Hotel Manager said: “I am very proud to have built a fantastic team who are as passionate as me about delivering great customer service. Our hotel has got off to a flying start and customers are loving our rooms, especially the luxurious Travelodge Dreamer bed.”

“Looking ahead, business on the books is very encouraging and we are set for a very busy festive season. This is great news for the local economy too; as research shows our customers will spend £2 million annually with local businesses during their stay.”

The Mayor of East Grinstead, Councillor Rex Whittaker said: “I am delighted to welcome Travelodge to East Grinstead. This investment and job creation is a great addition to our business community. Having a branded budget hotel in the town centre will certainly help attract new business and leisure travellers to our historic town, which will give a great boost our local economy.”

East Grinstead is one of 20 hotels Travelodge expects to open this year.

About Travelodge

Founded in 1985, Travelodge is one of the UK’s leading hotel brands.  The hotel chain currently operates 568 Travelodge hotels in the UK, Spain and Ireland as of October 2018.  Travelodge welcomes approximately 19 million customers every year and over 12,000 colleagues work across the business.