Category: News

East Grinstead Town Mayor Bob Mainstone was on hand on Tuesday to declare the refurbished playground at East Court well and truly open. This very popular Town Council facility in the grounds of the East Court Estate has recently seen the equipment upgraded  and the safety and accessibility enhanced. Bob Mainstone said “I am delighted that our local children will have another exciting activity to play on at the Town Council playground at East Court.

The popular playground caters for a wide age range and is situated in a safe environment.  It is a lovely place for children to play and for parents and grandparents to relax.  The playground is maintained by the Town Council Outside Services team who keep the surrounding East Court grounds looking their best throughout the year.  As a town we should be proud to count East Court as a very special place that everyone can use and enjoy. “  Bob was joined by Peter Reed, the Chairman of Mid Sussex District Council.

The project was overseen by Alison Merricks, the Town Council’s Estate Manager, who said. ”We have a rolling programme to keep this sort of equipment up to date, and wherever possible we try and ensure that the highest level of safety is matched by enabling as many children as possible to enjoy the playground. ” The first users to test out the playground came from the nearby All Kids Day Nursery housed at the nearby Old Court House.

THE Ace Theatre Company brought Terry Pratchett’s Discworld to life at Chequer Mead theatre this week with their production of Wyrd Sisters.

The play, based on Pratchett’s sixth fantasy novel, features his strange and magical world – oddly reminiscent of Earth viewed through a distorting mirror –  which is supported by four elephants standing on the shell of a giant celestial turtle.

Like all Pratchett’s work it relies on clever word play, and features a story which borrows heavily from Shakespeare – notably Hamlet and King Lear – while neatly weaving in references to other stories including Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty.

The opening sees the eponymous Wyrd Sisters – or witches – gathered on a blasted heath, coordinating their diaries in a bid to answer Shakespeare’s eternal question “When shall we three meet again?” only to find themselves suddenly responsible for a baby prince, orphaned by the murder of his father, King Verence.

To keep him safe they entrust the royal infant to the care of a group of travelling theatricals and conceal his crown in a props box, as they endeavour to work their magic against his regicide relatives.

Joy Buchan was excellent as head crone Granny Weatherwax, whose straight-talking cut through magical convention with a large dollop of common sense and a blithe disregard for any “rules” regarding the practice of magic: while Chrissie White showed great comic timing as her more dithery sidekick, Nanny Ogg.

Laura Basemezer, as eager coven newbie Magrat Garlick, was delightful in her role as a naïve newcomer to arts which were not nearly as dark as they had been painted, and Matthew Thomas as her love interest The Fool put in a performance which was as funny as it was endearing.

David Plank as the treacherous Lord Felmet was evil, comic and pathetic by turns, and almost deserved being married to his ghastly wife, ably played by Lisa Frazer.

Staged throughout in a series of vignettes, and without the benefit of scenery, this production could have lagged, but it bowled along with enjoyable pace and some genuinely laugh-out-loud moments when the minimalistic props such as the horse and cart were brought into play.

A real ensemble piece which saw the large supporting cast take on several roles, there were also nicely judged performances from Joshua Plank, playing the deposed Prince-cum-actor Tomjon, Steve Gray as the Ghostly King Verence and a short, but excellent excerpt from Kieran Gladman playing the role of The Queen in the play-within-a-play.

As in all fairy tales everything ended happily ever after for everyone who deserved it…so not the Felmets then.

And if, as it turned out, neither Tomjon nor his half brother The Fool were actually the late king’s sons after all, no-one but the witches was any the wiser.

As Granny Weatherwax so wisely remarked of the newly-crowned Fool  “Royalty has to start somewhere – so why not with him?”

Geraldine Durrant

Town Mayor Cllr Bob Mainstone welcomed students from Dortmund, Germany to East Court recently.  The students were on an exchange with Imberhorne School.  During their visit each student performed the ceremony of standing astride the Meridian Line which runs through East Court and each received a certificate  presented by the Mayor.  The students also visited the Council Chamber to find out how Council meetings are conducted and to ask questions about East Grinstead.

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):

Ernest George ELLIS

Private G/16319 12th Battalion, The Royal Sussex Regiment. 39th Division.

Killed in action 8.10.16. Aged 26. Son of Mr. and Mrs. T. Ellis if Great Missenden, Bucks.

Husband of Mrs. E.Ellis of 24, Dormans Park Road, East Grinstead.Born in Great Missenden and enlisted in East Grinstead. Buried Auchonvillers Military Cemetery. F. 35/

Horace KNIGHT

Lance Corporal 2097 1st Battalion, The Rifle Brigade. 4th Division. ‘C’ Company

Killed in action 23.10.16 Aged 27. Son of Horace and Alice Knight of 4, Sackville College, East Grinstead.

Born and enlisted in East Grinstead.

Commemorated on The Thiepval Memorial MR.21

Sydney Clarence MEPPEM

Private 6192 1/22nd Battalion, The London Regiment. 63rd Division.

Killed in action on the Somme 8. 10.16. Aged 21.

Son of Ormond Edwin and Isabella Meppem of Rose Vllla, Imberhorne Lane, Felbridge, East Grinstead. Brother of Ormond

Buried Warlencourt British Cemetery. F. 385

Frederick SANDERS

Lance Corporal G/28411 7th Battalion, The Royal West Kent Regiment. 18th Division.

Killed in action 23.10.16. Aged 19. Son of Robert and Eliza Sanders of 36, Glen View Road, East Grinstead.

Born in East Grinstead and enlisted in Chichester.

Buried Highland Cemetery, Le Cateau F. 190

Albert Edward SAVAGE

Private 27472 32nd Battalion, The Royal Fusiliers 41st Division

Killed in action 4.10.16.

Born in Crawley and enlisted in East Grinstead.

Resident of East Grinstead.

Owen THOMPSETT

Private 27456 9th Battalion, The Royal Fusiliers 18th Division.

Killed in action near Thiepval 7.10.16. Born in Iford near Lewes and enlisted in East Grinstead.

East Grinstead, resident.

Commemorated on The Thiepval Memorial MR. 21

Edward Percy WALLIS

Captain 8th Battalion, The Royal Sussex Regiment.

Pioneer Battalion, of the 18th Division. Killed in action on the Somme 18.10.16. age 22.

Son of Dr and Mrs. P.E.Wallis of East Grinstead. Formerly with the Kings Own Royal Lancaster Regiment.

Buried Bapaume Post Military Cemetery, Albert. F. 150

 

Two of our local residents received awards from the High Sheriff of West Sussex, Mark Spofforth at the annual event held at Ravenswood.

They were both nominated by East Grinstead Town Council for their excellent contribution to the life of the town.

Ginnie Waddingham

The event brochure described her contribution as:

Ginnie’s nomination is for the unwavering work that she has done for many groups since standing down from the Council. Ginnie was Chairman of the Friends of Chequer Mead between 2011 and its closing in 2016, raising thousands of pounds to support the theatre. She is a driving member of the Town Traders committee who arrange “Twas the Sunday Before Christmas”, an annual event to promote shopping and bring the feel of Dickensian Christmas to our High Street. She is also involved in the Meridian Rotary Club where she broadcasts as Meridian on the radio at Meridian FM and has many ideas to improve events run by Rotarians in the town making the experiences for the residents as good as they can be.

Richard Leman

The event brochure described his contribution as:

Richard has been instrumental in putting East Grinstead on the sporting map, in his youth representing the town internationally at Hockey. He is a member of GB Hockey and a past Olympian, is a great supporter of youth sports development and is keen to attend events and display his medals for youngsters to be inspired. He is instrumental in developing sport in East Grinstead, being involved with the Sports Club and Hockey Club. He was involved in the organisation of the London Olympics, helping determine the route through East Grinstead where he was also a torch bearer. He is a member of the Sports Council and worked hard to put the Oaks Consultancy in place which brought over £100,000 in grant funding to East Grinstead Clubs.

Photo shows left to right: High Sheriff Mark Spofforth, Ginnie Waddingham, Cllr Bob Mainstone (Town Mayor)