Lindfield's Bella raises for St Barnabas Hospice

One Lindfield resident is taking to new heights for charity this month. Bella Alcock will be heading up to the top of the 180ft main turret at Arundel Castle, only to abseil back down to earth! “I haven’t done abseiling since I was a Brownie at Blacklands Farm,” Bella explained. “I don’t believe there is any specific training, but I have been mentally preparing myself for that first look over the edge of the wall!”

Bella is taking the challenge on, in order to ‘do my bit to give back to St Barnabas Hospice’ after her grandfather passed away there last October. “The staff there went above and beyond, from keeping his spirits up to giving out union jack cupcakes during the Queen’s funeral – it was the little touches that made all the difference.
“My Oomi (Grandad’s wife) was particularly grateful for all the support the staff were able to give her too.” Bella, who has always wanted to do something big for charity, is following in the footsteps of her brother Harvey – who shaved his head – and dad Adrian – who ran a half marathon. “I know we aren’t the only ones with amazing stories – the staff at St Barnabas Hospice help so many families in Sussex. I was hoping to raise just a little to help, but I have been blown away with all the donations so far – thank you all.”

Bella’s total currently stands at over £800.

You can donate using this link www.bit.ly/3YEYAgd She will complete the challenge on 25th March. Good luck, Bella!

Remembering Lindfield resident Ernest Mackellar Turner

By Roddy Turner

In the April 22 edition of Lindfield Life, in the article on royal celebrations in Lindfield I was pleased to see a photo of my late father, Mac Turner of Meadow Lane, in Highland dress playing the bagpipes, leading the procession through Lindfield as a part of the 1977 Silver Jubilee celebrations. Ernest MacKellar Turner, otherwise known as Mac, was a well-known character in the village, always ready to stop for a chat with anyone, whether walking to the shops or to passersby whilst tending his garden. His rich Scottish accent and warm manner made him many friends, and I know his passing, last year at the age of 88, will be felt by all those who knew him. I would therefore like to tell a little about his colourful, hardworking and very full life.

Mac was born in 1933 in the village of Minard on the shores of Loch Fyne in Argyll, a place of pristine beauty with a strong community, and a lost way of life about which he never ceased to reminisce. Although the village was poor by today’s standards everyone helped each other out and his childhood was coloured by working on farms or roaming in the hills. As a child he developed a strong love of making things, be it model boats or repairing old bikes, and the skills he learned were invaluable in years to come.

Mac’s idyllic childhood was overshadowed by the outbreak of WW2. The whole of Loch Fyneside became a restricted area, as one of the places chosen for the preparations for the eventual landings of D-Day. The local children could attend home guard lectures with the adults, and Mac could strip and re-assemble a Bren gun in double quick time, to the embarrassment of the men who were finding it hard to accomplish!

in 1951 he received his national service call-up papers and took the train ‘down south’ to the RAF camp at Yatesbury in Wiltshire for his basic training, and then to learn a trade as a ground mechanic working on wireless, radar and other technologies of the burgeoning post war recovery years.

To read the full, and beautiful, piece Roddy has written about his late father, please grab a copy of Lindfield Life’s August issue and turn to page 12 and 13, where you’ll see wonderful photos and be taken around the world with Mac.