James & Carla Verrall - Golf Pro Shop at Haywards Heath Golf Club

James Verrall always wanted to run a family business. His grandfather and father together owned the restaurant at nearby Beech Hurst Garden for many years and he’d seen fist-hand the benefits of that experience. Nw newly married James & Carla are creating a business of their own at Haywards Heath Golf Club.

The story starts right at the beginning, with the pair being born just four days apart in the former Cuckfield Hospital. They were introduced by a mutual friend in 2011 and James told his friends the next day: “I’ve met my wife!”. James and Carla were married in Barcombe last year.

Carla is a ‘local girl’ and a beauty therapist by trade, but has also worked as a carer and most recently as an estate agent with Mark Revill in Lindfield. 

James also grew up in the area and was always into sport playing both football and cricket. Nine year old James was introduced to golf by his grandfather, who still lives in Lindfield, and he soon had o choose which sport to focus on. He began working for a local golf club as a teenager on Saturdays but it became clear that professional golf was all he wanted to do.

James completed his PGA (Professional Golf Association) degree from the PGA National Golf Academy at The Belfry at the age of 24, and he took up the position as head professional at Haywards Heath Golf Club (HHGC) nearly three years ago.

However, in January the couple made a brave move; they decided to work together to own and run the golf pro shop at HHGC.

“This is James’ dream,” Carla commented. “It’s what he’s always wanted to do.” Since January much has changed in the pro shop, including a total refurbishment (inside and out) and major refresh of the stock carried. James says: “For me it’s about making every customer feeling valued and taking pride in my work. That means the little things as well as the big ones.” For instance, there’s always a tube of sun cream freely available in the shop to golfers who’ve forgotten their own. Little things that make a big difference.

The shop is one of the largest golf retailers in the area, and they have many customers from across Sussex, not just Lindfield, whee the shop is based. Carla has brought in new clothing lines to the store, and they now boast an impressive range of both men’s and ladies’ golf wear. The couple’s goal is to become the destination for golfers across the south who want great choice and superb customer service.

The pro shop is very much a partnership with Haywards Heath Golf Club itself, with James being just the fifth golf pro in the club’s 94 year history. “The members have been so welcoming since I joined, and we both really feel like part of a larger family here,” Carla said.

The couple will continue to improve the reach and remit of the pro shop, which, of course, also boasts an excellent golf coaching programme for all ages and abilities - including working with six local schools, Lindfield Primary Academy being one of them

A new website has just been launched -  www.jamesverrallgolf.com, they are hosting a Free TaylorMade Trial Day on Tuesday 2nd August for all golfers, and the new autumn/winter range of golf fashion will be in store next month.

Pop down to the shop (open 7.30am-6pm every day) or call 01444 414866 or email james@haywardsheathgolfclub.co.uk to ask about golf teaching or booking on to the Trial Day event. There will certainly be a warm, family welcome in store!

Graham Wood – Brighton & Hove Albion Fan of the Year 2016

By Martin Hall

Many congratulations to Graham Wood who, after 73 years as a fan, was deservedly presented with the Brighton and Hove Albion Fan of the Year Award at a dinner held at the AMEX Stadium earlier this year. Lindfield esident Graham has been following the Seagulls through thick and thin since the 1943-44 season, when his father took him on the train to watch his fist match from the east terraces of the old Goldstone ground. His father’s ticket cost a shilling, fiv pence in ‘new money’, and Graham’s cost just half that amount!

Graham’s award was sponsored by Parker Building Supplies and was presented by the company’s Commercial Manager, Graham Pitts. On the company’s website it states: Graham Wood, the popular, multilingual uber-fan received his nomination as a result of an online vote by his fellow fans keen to pay tribute to his dedicated attendance, cheerful banter and an array of stories from a long and interesting life.

His award was richly deserved because his health problems have never deterred him from getting to each home match and several away ones. Graham was interviewed about his life as a Seagulls fan by Johnny Cantor of BBC Radio Sussex. He also features in the following video about his loyal fanship: 

Loti makes it to 300 miles

Lindfield’s Loti Jackson has completed her aim of running 300 miles in a year to raise money for Cancer Research UK.

Loti passed the 300 mile mark as she crossed the finish line of Cancer Research’s Race for Life in Brighton last month to cheers from family, friends and fellow fundraisers.

For Loti it’s been a hard, emotional and inspiring journey. In 2012, aged 27 and just days before Christmas, Loti was diagnosed with an aggressive malignant melanoma on her cheek. Following two operations to completely remove it, she was given the all clear the following year.

“Loti was aware that the reason the hospital know how to treat her cancer was due to continuing research funded by the charity Cancer Research,” said her mum Hilary. “Previous Cancer Research fundraisers had saved Loti’s life and she couldn’t thank them enough.”

“No one expects to hear these words and nothing can prepare you for it,” said Loti. ”But thanks to Cancer Research I am still here and doing my bit to give others the chance to beat cancer.”

Last year, on Loti’s 30th birthday, a milestone she had wondered if she would get to see, she set herself a goal to thank previous cancer research fundraisers and contribute to the charity’s life-saving work. “I came up with the crazy idea of running 300 miles in a year to raise as much money as possible for the charity,” said Loti.

“I wasn’t a runner so it definitely wasn’t going to be easy for me!” However, Loti has sprinted past her original target of £850 and raised more than £1,500.

“I am speechless at how generous people have been to help me smash my target,” said Loti.

“In my head I really wanted to hit £1k and I’ve done even better! Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone. You have helped the fight against cancer because one day it WILL be beaten.”

To read more about Loti and donate to Cancer Research visit: www.justgiving.com/lotis300miles

Book Review: Florence Foster Jenkins by Nicholas Martin and Jasper Rees

By Cavan Wood

This is an extraordinary story. Florence Foster Jenkins became a New York socialite who came to believe that she was a great singer. She wasn’t! She once said: “People may say I couldn’t sing. But no one can say that I didn’t sing.”

Her strange, out of tune recordings became cult albums, which David Bowie said were an influence on him (I think he as being ironic!). The recent Stephen Frears movie saw Meryl Streep give a great performance as this woman, a mixture of arrogance and naivety.

Like the story of Eddie the Eagle, this strange tale is important as it is about failure, not the kind of overcoming against the odds. Despite all her efforts, all her practices, she was still awful. Yet at the heart of this, she had a tragic secret which enables us to find her not just funny but also to see in her something of ourselves – complicated, lovable and arrogant she may have been but above all she was willing to keep going when others would have stopped. Perhaps that is a good lesson to learn.

Design engagement - Homefront feature

By Jacqui Smith, interior designer
@HomeSmithsJax

Having recently experienced the tender process for two commercial jobs and the hoops we had to jump through to even make the shortlist it got me thinking about how different the engagement process is between private residential and commercial clients.

A recent 22 page tender document for a new build care home development asked us to provide CVs for each member of the team, and it’s not uncommon, at fist interview stage, to be sat at a board table faced with six members of the project team. Of course the rigorous selection process makes sense commercially, and, with so many people involved in the project from the client side, it necessitates the large interview panel and gives them the opportunity to scrutinise who they might be working with for what is often a long period of time. Yet in all the 15 years which we have been in business we have only come close to an interview scenario with a residential client on two or three occasions.

The relationship with your interior designer can become a very close one and the nature of the work means that rapport, clear communication and understanding are incredibly important if everything is to run smoothly. You would not take on an employee without asking some detailed questions about their experience. You are engaging an interior designer for work and also to gauge how you might work together, so it should be more than acceptable to check them out when you meet them.

For us a great deal of our work comes through word of mouth, and personal recommendation counts for a great deal, but still the personalities need to work for the optimum client/designer relationship.

Questions to ask any designer you are considering commissioning would be relevant experience (fairly obviously), how long they have been in practice and how they trained. You might want to understand how they have dealt with more challenging aspects of a project. Interior design is a process which, regardless of how carefully planned the project is, always throws up unforeseen hurdles along the way and how the designer deals with this is definitely worth exploring.  

It’s your home, not the designer’s. Whilst they can bring to their clients, among other things, exciting new fabrics and wall coverings, a designer should not insist on clients using anything that they do not like. I know that sounds obvious but I have met many people in the past who have been robustly persuaded into a scheme which they did not feel at all comfortable with. Last year a client explained that, whilst her sitting room looked lovely, it really ‘was not her’. This should never happen. It’s the designer’s job to listen carefully to a client’s brief, analyse their style and seasonal personality and produce a scheme that looks beautiful and makes their home easy to live in. If you ever come across someone on a crusade to use a certain fabric or paint colour which he or she has been aching to use, run for the hills!

Your designer should be able to save you time and money and prevent you from making expensive mistakes. Designers will typically specify from trade sources, using suppliers with whom they have a long-standing relationship and whose quality they trust. Designers can specify from high street sources and point clients in the right direction for some online suppliers but it’s very difficult for them to vouch for quality and service. There are plenty of excellent online retailers out there but there are also those who offer discounts but little in the way of service. Sourcing through a designer will free you from hassle; they deal with all the ordering, scheduling, deliveries and any after sales issues on the rare occasion that they arise.

You will want to explore how your designer charges. The most common model these days is a design fee for pulling together the scheme and then anything they supply being charged at retail. You should look for broken down costs rather than lump sums.Your designer should be a reassuring rather than a bossy presence. You should feel comfortable in their company and the whole experience should be an enjoyable one!

www.homesmiths.co.uk  01444 440880

FIKA Tea Shop - a new start

Lindfield tea shop FIKA is under new management.

The shop, at 64 High Street, has been bought by mother and daughter Lesley and Madi Somerville.

Both ladies are local and they’ve been looking for an opportunity to undertake a business of this type for some years – when the opportunity for FIKA came up they were very excited about the possibility. “We love Lindfield, and to have a shop on the High Street is perfect for us,” Madi explained. “It is very convenient for us and we’ve already been made welcome by residents and neighbours.”Both have worked in catering, with Madi being a trained chef and pastry specialist in the past. “For me,” she said, “it’s time to do it for myself after years of having worked for others.

”FIKA will offer great value and delicious home-made cakes and snacks – all made on-site and available to eat in or take away, from bacon sandwiches to cakes and, of course, tea and coffee too. Look out for cream teas during the summer and the daily specials board too!" 

FIKA is open six days a week from 8.30am-5pm. 

How I'll remember the centenary of the Battle of the Somme

By a Lindfield resident

My family history from 100 years ago is not unique. It is, I’m sure, quite similar to millions of other families stories across Europe and the world. Our relatives answered the call from each of their nations and during the hot summer of 1914, descended (predominantly) on France & Belgium. All nations, filled with nationalistic pride an fervour, supremely confident that thy each would be the victors ‘by Christmas’. We all (I hope) know the main facts of those horrific, carnage filled years. Every family has a unique & personal story to tell.

One of my great-grandfathers, who fought in the trenches of France, was ‘poison (mustard) gassed’ in 1916 and sent back to England. His wife was told that this 20-something man would succumb to the injuries his lungs had sustained, and be lucky to have ‘a couple more years’. He died over 60 years later, though he endured every day with restrictions to his physical abilities and, I’m reliably informed, my great-grandmother’s constant ‘reminders’ when he annoyed her!

This is just one story passed to me via my grandfather and my mother to me. I will ensure that these memories live through my two children, whom, I hope, will understand the importance of keeping them ‘alive’ for future generations.

Friday 1st July is the centenary of the Battle of the Somme which took place during World War I.

On 1st July 1916 hundreds of thousands of soldiers from all combatant nations commenced this 141-day long battle in northern France. This was the largest, bloodiest battle of World War I, with more than one million people killed, wounded or taken prisoner. In the months leading up to the battle a series of vast tunnels had been dug by thousands of miners, from the British front line, underneath ‘no man’s land’, towards the German trenches.

At 07:28 on the morning of 1st July 1916, hundreds of tons of explosives, placed within these mines, were detonated (17 separate mines). The carnage created is, to this day, indescribable. As the spoil from the explosions (which had rattled windows in LONDON) was settling, at 07:30, the whistles blew and thousands went ‘over the top’. On this first, horrific day the British Army had just under 20,000 soldiers killed with an additional 38,000 wounded. The largest single loss of life the British Army has ever suffered. To place these numbers into some perspective, Brighton & Hove Albion’s AMEX Football Stadium could be filled TWICE with those brave and selfless men

One of the mine explosions caused a massive crater, named Lochnagar (after the starting trench the miners had dug out from), which is situated on the outskirts of the village of Ovilliers-La-Boisselle in northern France. It is now a memorial maintained by volunteers, receiving around 250,000 visitors annually.

When this explosion took place, it is estimated that the spoil from it went over 1.2 kilometres in the air (4,000 feet). The next time you are in London look at The Shard building. The spoil from this explosion went over four times higher than it. The next time you may visit Blackthorns / Lindfield Primary School look at the grass playing field, which is just under 100 metes long. That’s nearly the same width of today’s Lochnagar crater. The next time you look at an average two storey house, double the height. That is the approximate depth of the crater (21 metres or 70 feet). Only approximate statistics are available however, but the German army is believed to have lost around 6,000 men due to this one crater explosion alone. For perspective, the 2011 Census stated that Lindfield village (not including Lindfield Rural) had 5,836 residents.

I have selected just one day and one personal/family memory. I wish to remain anonymous as my name does not count and is not important. What is massively important and I do implore every villager to do on Friday 1st July, is to stop and remember, even for just 100 seconds, the selflessness of the millions who lost their lives.

The village of Lindfield and its surrounding rural area lost 64 men during World War I, with nine of those men losing their lives as a result of this battle. The two memorials to them are situated within and outside All Saints Church. Theirs are the only names to be remembered from Lindfield village on that day.

We will remember them.

Your home in safe hands while you are on holiday

When you go away this summer, will you be stressing about leaving your home before you board the plane?

This is the situation Lindfield resident Pauline Sutherland found herself in earlier in the year, and that problem gave birth to a solution – one which she doesn’t believe is being offered by anyone else.

Pauline is proud to launch Clean Getaway – her business concept to put the minds of local residents at rest when they leave their home for holidays.

“I realised that I was running around like crazy trying to tidy the place up – really stressing out – so that our home was nice to return back to in two weeks time,” Pauline explains. “Then it struck me, if I felt like that, there was a good chance that others felt the same before going away.”

Pauline returned from her trip and promptly tested the theory on a local social media group – the response she got was ‘amazing’ and she set about planning the business immediately.

Clean Getaway offers a standard package to holiday-goers of a taxi to/from the airport, two hours of Pauline’s time while they are away and a welcome pack in the kitchen when they return home – all for just £100.

It is a totally flexible and tailored service as the time allocated can be increased. And it fits perfectly with Pauline’s family life and her more recent work experience.

Although Pauline is qualified in insurance by trade – she used to work for HSBC in the City – she changed tack when she had a family and has spent the last 15 years as a part-time cleaner and ten of those years as a local licensed taxi driver too. “Making this new service available means I am bringing together both of those worlds to create a genuinely useful service for my customers,” Pauline continued. 

The hours of Pauline’s time can be used for tasks such as feeding home pets, moving post from the front door, mowing the lawn, cleaning, watering plants or waiting in for a delivery to arrive while you are away.

Pauline, a keen animal lover and pictured here with her labrador Buddy, explains that the service is always personalised: “The fist thing I do, after the initial phone call, is to meet up in their home so that the prospective customer can show me exactly what they would require doing and how. This also gives them a chance to meet me in person.” She is very aware that having someone in your home is a personal service and a responsibility which she doesn’t take lightly. “I will always provide any quote for the service by email after our meeting. There is never any pressure to accept,” she says.

Mrs M, from Lindfield, explains why she will always be using her services: “Pauline is reliable, punctual, friendly and nothing is too much trouble. I highly recommend her.” While a thank you note from another local client, Mrs K, simply said: “I don’t want to embarrass you, but you’re the best cleaner I’ve ever had – and I’ve had a few!”

What Pauline offers with the Clean Getaway service is peace of mind while you are away. Whether that’s about your cat being looked after in its own home, someone opening the curtains or the place being clean and fresh when you get back – she can make your holiday even more relaxing.

To chat to Pauline about your own requirements for home holiday cover, call her today on 07729 345000.

Lindfield butcher - Glyn Thomas & Sons - changes hands

Popular Lindfield butcher Gyn Thomas & Sons has been bought by one of the partners.

Ian Thomas retired last month and John Cottenham, who has been a partner in the business for seven years, took over as sole owner.

John, who lives in Plumpton, knows the village well since working with Ian and he says that he classes his customers as ‘more like friends’.

The name will remain, as will the current staf, and they will continue to use the same high quality local suppliers. However, John will be using his own personal connections with farmers to add local specials including lamb from the South Downs expected in this month.

Within six days of opening the doors under the new ownership John is proud to say that they have achieved 5 points on the Food Health Rating awarded by MSDC – the fist butcher in Mid Sussex to attain the top award.

Plans for the future include being proactive with the local schools, working more with local pubs and restaurants, and John is also planning to run butchery training courses at the shop due to popular demand. 

Betty Billins - Village People

By Claire Cooper

If you thought only Mary had a little lamb, then you’d be mistaken!

Lindfield’s Bety Billins (nee Willis) clearly remembers taking her pet lamb to school as she enjoyed an idyllic childhood growing up on a village farm.

Now living in Meadow Drive, Betty has a lifetime of Lindfield memories. Fom her fist marriage and bringing up three children to marching down the Mall carrying the Lindfield oyal British Legion Women’s Section Standard, and later falling in love with her very own ’Captain Birds Eye’, life has never been dull!

Betty was born at Tythe Cottage on Walstead Grange Farm where her father was the tenant farmer. “It was a wonderful place to grow up and I had so much freedom,” she recalled.

“It was an arable and dairy farm, although we also had two carthorses (Violet and Dobbin) and a pet sheep! My father also had his own milk round. My mum would walk me to school and our little lamb would come with us!”

The family’s house had no indoor toilet or electricity. “We went to bed with candles and paraffin lamps. Onc when we had so many visitors, my mum slept in the bath!” said Betty. “During the war we took in evacuees, mostly boys. I remember their parents coming to visit and remaining friends long after they went back home.

“I was a great climber, always at the top of a tree where I built my camps. We would pick primroses, tying them into bunches and taking them to elderly people in the village, and would walk in the streams, going as deep as we could before the water reached the top of our wellies!

“I once took my dolly to the pond for a swim. Unfortunately she was made of papier mache and I took her home in pieces.”

This is an extract - full article published in the May 2016 issue of Lindfield Life

Lindfield Bowling Club receives national quality mark

Lindfield Bowling Club joined a select group of bowls clubs to be awarded Clubmark accreditation in Sussex. 

The club was recognised by County Sports Partnership, Active Sussex, as continuously providing high quality opportunities to new and potential bowlers, for outdoor flat green bowls and the chance to try indoor bowls during winter months.

Mick O’Donnell, the club’s Clubmark Coordinator, said: ‘We’re delighted to be in the first group of bowls clubs in Sussex to get this status. This achievement recognises the fantastic work by our coaches and volunteers who make this a club to be proud of.’

Active Sussex is licensed by Sport England to award Clubmark status to sports clubs. Anthony Statham, Sport Development Manager said: ‘They have demonstrated a real commitment to developing their club and delivering high quality opportunities for people in their community.’

Anthony presented the certificate to the club at a special ceremony last month. Will Blunden, Chairman of Lindfield Parish Council, spoke at the event congratulating the club on their enthusiasm for the sport and that there is clearly a strong youth section coming through.

www.lindfieldbowlsclub.co.uk

Simply Good Food by Caroline Young, Lindfield Life

Rhubarb and Almond Crumble with Ginger Cream

Serves 4

Preheat the oven 180C. Top and tail 900g young slim pink rhubarb and slice into small chunks. Put in a baking dish and sprinkle with 75g soft brown sugar and a light sprinkle of cinnamon. Rub 75g firm butter into 175g white or wholewheat flour to form a crumbly mixture. Blend in 75g soft brown sugar and 50g chopped almonds. Spoon evenly over the fruit and sprinkle a few more almonds on the top. Bake for about 40 min or until crisp and brown. 

Meanwhile whip 150ml double cream (or use crème fraiché) to soft peaks then stir in a knob of preserved ginger, finely chopped, and 2tsp ginger syrup.

Pitch It High: Golf Advice from James Verrall

By James Verrall, Head Golf Professional

One shot that many golfers dread is the high shot over an obstacle like a bunker or water hazard. Whether you are worried about hitting it too hard and the ball going too far or hitting too much ground and the ball going nowhere, then read on, we are about to fix all that.

First tell yourself you can... make sure you approach this shot with lots of confidence knowing you are about to hit the ball high over whatever is in front of you.

Make sure you have enough loft on the club; a sand or lob wedge is ideal.

Grip the club lower down to get more control, and then flex your knees more so you can get under the ball. The ball should be positioned in the middle of your stance or, if you desire a really high shot, then just slightly forward of middle.

Have your stance slightly open and you are ready
to go.

Begin the backswing by hinging your wrists whilst keeping everything else still. The club should feel like it goes back on a more vertical line rather than around you.

As you bring the club back to the ball, make sure you are slightly accelerating and turning your hips through the shot.

Don’t slow down in fear or pull your arms away in panic, as this will cause some of the dreaded outcomes you want to avoid.

Finally, make sure that your hands have done very little as you hit the ball. Flicking is something to really avoid with this shot, so make sure your hands stay firm.

Yes, this shot is harder than your average chip and run, but follow these steps and you will start to see the ball flying high and landing softly on the green.

Hope to see you soon....

95% Vote 'Yes' in Lindfield Neighbourhood Plan Referendum

After a long and gruelling struggle, the Lindfield and Lindfield Rural Neighbourhood Plan was finally completed and put to the community in a Referendum held on 28th January. With a turnout of 28.6%, 1888 people voted for the Plan to help decide future planning applications within the two parishes. This equates to a figue of 95% in favour of the Plan.

The Plan will now be adopted (‘made’) by Mid Sussex District Council, at which point it will become part of the Council’s development plans and help to shape future development in Mid Sussex.

The two Parish Councils, together with the community members of the four Focus groups who helped develop the Plan over the last three years, would like to thank all those who voted in the referendum (whether For or Against). It is good to see that the community is keen to have a say in its future.

The formal declaration of the result can be viewed on the District Council’s website

Village People - Canon Bridgman

Canon Bridgman and Gill Bridgman

By Claire Cooper

All young curates look forward to the day when they are given their own parish, but when Gerald and Jill Bridgman took up their post in Crawley there was no church or vicarage, just a muddy fieldThe newlyweds were chosen to build a whole new parish – the fist to be created in Sussex since the war. Now retired and living in Lindfield, Canon Bridgman and his wife Jill look back on a lifetime of service to the church, and a journey which took them from an outbuilding with a makeshift holy table to the magnificent church of Holy Trinity Hull and York Minster.

Born in 1922, Gerald Bridgman was educated at Weymouth Grammer School, where he excelled both in the classroom and on the sports field, epresenting the school in soccer and athletics.

After leaving school he went into accountancy, working for Dorset County Council’s Treasurers Department before leaving to join the Royal Army Ordinance Corps when he was 19 years old.

“I was part of a team based at headquarters in Leicester, lecturing and preparing units for the D Day landings,” Gerald recalled. “As a committed Christian I was often called upon for pastoral work and always strived to be compassionate when making difficu decisions.”

Gerald’s call to the ministry had come several years earlier, so after leaving the army he went straight to Bristol Theological College for two years and then to St Catharine’s College in Cambridge, where he left with an Hons Degree in Theology and University soccer colours! He was ordained at Chichester Cathedral in 1951.

“I could have gone straight into being a curate but I felt I wanted to further my knowledge of theology, so I spent a year studying at Wyclife Hall Theological College in Oxford,” said Gerald. “I was also pleased to play for the Oxford University Soccer Centaur.”

His fist job was as a curate at Broadwater parish in Worthing, where he was invited to become Chaplain of the Sea Cadets.  He also continued his sport, playing football for Worthing FC and joining the church tennis club where he met his future wife Jill, a musician, who worked with the church youth groups.Gerald and Jill were married in 1956, and soon afterwards were given a rare and exciting opportunity to build their own parish.“

“Following the extensive bombing in London, people were moving further afield ino new towns and the church was looking to build a new parish in Crawley,” Gerald explained. “We were asked to set up St Mary’s Church at Southgate - the fist parish church to be built in Sussex since the war.”

“We started from scratch,” said Jill. “When we arrived it was just farmland! There were no lights and everything seemed very primitive. 

- extract from March 2016 edition of Lindfield Life magazine. See the published issue for full story - 

Scaynes Hill, West Sussex, coffee shop on Shrove Tuesday

Villagers dropping into the Anchor Coffee shop in Scaynes Hill on Shrove Tuesday were guaranteed a ‘flipping’ good timeFreshly cooked pancakes with a selection of toppings were cooked and served alongside the usual home-made cakes and scones.

Pancake chef and village resident Clive Welland was kept busy all morning cooking, flipping and serving the hungry customers. Many took the chance to try his special recipe – pancakes with dark syrup and pancetta, which he discovered while living and working in the Netherlands.

Clive has cooked pancakes for the village for the past three years and says the secret of a successful pancake is quite simple: “Whisk the batter and store in the fridge for at least an hour before serving.”The pancakes went down a treat with customers who included Vicar Lisa Barnett and daughters Cara and Amy. Lisa is delighted at how the Anchor Coffee Shop, held in the annexe next to St Augustine’s Church, has evolved since it fist opened its doors in 2012.

Lindfield Arts Festival 2016

Lindfield Arts Festival

Lindfield Arts Festival plans are well under way for the weekend of 17th & 18th September 2016.

There will be some new faces and some old! Already confirmed is the chance to Burlesque the night away in the Bent Arms and to watch Ariel Academy, Popsteps, SK Dance and more. The African Drummers always attract a large audience.

This year’s Festival will loosely collaborate with Haywards Heath 175th celebrations of the railway, with a Victorian theme and a couple of competitions around trains and hats will be announced. The Festival team is hoping to decorate a low-loader on Festival Saturday to accompany the Sunday procession in Haywards Heath.

As usual, supporters and volunteers are always welcomed, along with innovative and creative opportunities to perform or showcase your work. Please email enquiries@lindfieldartsfestival.com, and please put these dates in your diary.

Mince Pie Tasting Competition in the office

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With the Christmas Tree already up in the Kipper office in Haywards Heath it was time for some festive fun and games! Played together in the kitchen with our landlords and office buddies Broadcast Bionics - David put together a Mince Pie Tasting Competition where the participants all put in £1 to the prize fund and each had to guess which pie was made by which manufacturer/retailer. All had a score card and a sticky label for each shop. 

Of the six pies on the table, the highest score earned was 3 out of 6. There were five winners of the prize fund - the lucky folk doubled their money! 

Mince Pies being judged in the competition was Sainsburys Basics, Tesco, Heston from Waitrose, Roots & Wings Organic, Lidl & Mr Kipling.

Jackson Live in Concert - Martlets Hall, Burgess Hill, Nov 2015

By David Tingley

I must confess to being something of a closet fan of the late, controversial and bizarre musical genius that was Michael Jackson. I wasn’t lucky enough to have seen him in concert back in the day – and I had assumed I had missed it. Until, that is, a friend recommended the tribute show Jackson Live in Concert. I looked them up and, as luck would have it, they were about to play The Martlets Hall in Burgess Hill. I was booked!

The show, which consisted of six band members and three dancers, opened with an incredibly powerful rendition of Gotta Be Starting Something. The band was tight and sounded great from the off. The first thing that struck me about the show in that opening number was how much of a show it was. Clearly MJ always brought a huge show when he was performing in stadiums and arenas, but I had imagined that this would simply be a band playing the hits. The in-sync dancers, the lighting changes right on cue, the false endings on songs; all made a fantastic live show. 

The professional musicians all played their part in the imitation. The mysteriously mono-named ‘Ben’ has been a Jackson tribute artist for ten years and he really takes the role seriously, complete with ‘hee-hee’, ‘sha-mon’ and some very odd facial expressions which I could easily imagine Jacko doing! In Earth Song he donned the legendary white shirt and took on MJ’s somewhat misguided saviour position for the chorus. And the lead guitarist too; for Black or White he performed the solo triumphantly and walked amongst the audience with MJ while excited onlookers grabbed selfies while they could. 

The dancers really added to the production, whether it was the start of The Way You Make Me Feel and seductive slow moves by one in a sparkly blue dress, suited for Smooth Criminal or jumping off the stage as ghosts in Thriller for the second half. 

It was especially great to see an almost packed house of a local theatre on a Saturday night in ‘X Factor season’ – sadly almost unheard of these days. The reputation of this formidable tribute show went before it and the crowd came in droves, shouting ‘we love you Michael’ as they did!