Daring Trifles - Simply Good Food - recipe variations on a classic

By Caroline Young

Is a trifle a Christmas tradition in your house? Do you remember the version made with slices of Swiss roll and canned fruit cocktail set in stiff fruit jelly topped with Birds custard and, hopefully, whipped cream?

If you were lucky there might have been a generous sprinkling of sweet sherry over the sponge slices! Happily recipes have moved on and you can develop your own favourite combination of fruit, cake or biscuits and a rich creamy topping.

Traditionally the dessert should be made in a straight sided glass dish to show off the different layers. Here are some of my ideas – the quantities depend on how many people to be served – any left-overs are delicious for breakfast the next day! Have a peaceful Christmas.

Apricot and Almond

Layer small cubes of Madeira cake in the bowl with drained canned apricots and generously moisten with the fruit juice or alcohol of your choice. Gently combine a good chilled custard with the same quantity of whipped cream and spoon over the top. Cover and chill overnight. Top with a generous sprinkling of toasted flaked almonds.

Ginger and Pineapple

Combine roughly crushed ginger nut biscuits and diced canned pineapple in your bowl. Moisten with fruit juice or ginger wine. Top with a layer of good quality chilled custard, cover and chill overnight. Spoon whipped cream over the top and decorate with crystallised pineapple or chopped candied stem ginger.

Martin Hadden - Village People feature

Martin Hadden, Head Chef, Ockenden Manor

Martin Hadden, Head Chef, Ockenden Manor

The Good Life is undoubtedly one of Britain’s best loved sitcoms and millions of viewers have been entertained by Tom and Barbara Good’s efforts to become self-sufficient.

But for Lindfield’s Martin Hadden, the Good Lie became real life, when his parents left London to bring up their sons in the country.

With the whole family mucking in - growing and harvesting crops, rearing animals, and enjoying the freshest and healthiest home cooking, it’s hardly surprising that the boys grew up with a passion for food.

And for Martin, that passion turned into a career as a chef and a string of Michelin stars!

Now head chef for the Historic Sussex Hotels Group, Martin recalls how he learnt to carve a side of beef on the kitchen table, his delight at becoming a Roux Scholar and how he constantly strives to bake the perfect bread roll!

By Claire Cooper

“I was born in London, but in the 70s my parents decided to move to North Devon and become self-sufficient growing crops and rearing animals” said Martin, the second of four boys. “My brothers and I got a real understanding of where our food came from.”

With no farming experience, Martin’s parents learnt as they went along.

“I can remember my dad bringing in two sides of beef, putting them on the kitchen table and wondering how to go about carving them,” said Martin. “He got a book of instructions and we just got on with it.

“Looking back, I think I was lucky as a child to be exposed to the complete journey our meat takes, from rearing a calf to sitting down and eating it on a Sunday.”

As soon as he was old enough to start earning money, Martin picked up a Saturday job at his local butchers. “On my fist day, I was asked to drain the huge vat which used for boiling the hams,” said Martin. “It was a straightforward job as there was a tap at the bottom which released water into the drains.”

The full article can be found on page 32 of the December 2016 issue of Lindfield Life magazine

Lindfield Coffee Works to open on Lindfield High Street

As mentioned in last month’s Lindfield Life magazine there is change at Lindfield business World Coffees. Resident Kris Whelan took over in January this year. This month heralds a new era in the business as Kris launches a new name, new branding and a newly adapted premises just off the High Street.

“Lindfield Coffee Works may be a new name,” Kris explains, “but our core business and values haven’t changed. We continue to sell amazing coffee to both wholesale and retail customers. You’ll still be able to come in and pick up a bag of coffee for your home but hopefully get more of a coffee experience. Alongside the coffee we’ll also be selling the latest brewing equipment for the home barista and can offer advice on which coffee works best for each method.

However, one very significant change will be the new location. Kris has been working with the local landlord Mark White and designer Will Parr (www.studioparr.co.uk) for the past seven months to convert the former grain store into a contemporary retail environment which now houses both the roasting and wholesale business and also a coffee bar where customers can enjoy a slice of homemade cake or a pastry with their coffee.

One of the aims for the new site is to be able to tell the fascinating journey coffee goes on before ending up in our cups. “Coffee is a part of many people’s daily routine but how many know that is actually is the seed of a fruit? There are multiple stages of coffee production from growing, harvesting and processing all of which can have a dramatic effect on the overall taste. We hope to shed a little light on the flavour profiles specific to each coffee growing region and highlight the farming techniques and the importance of traceability of our coffee.

“Traceability is very important to us. To put it simply, to keep coffee traceable, producers pay an extra cost to follow it through the supply chain, it’s only worth doing it for high quality coffees. We aim to provide plenty of information on all our coffees we sell. In addition we want this to resonate through everything we do from our water, lemonade and ginger beer to our charcuterie & cheese boards – we can tell you exactly the farm or producer they come from!

“Everything is designed to be as open and as transparent as possible. We want people to see exactly what goes on from when we receive the green beans in their raw state to the final product either packed for a wholesale customer or to be consumed as a delicious drink on site.”

The new coffee bar and roastery can be found on Alma Road, behind Southdowns Cellars, (follow the ducks!) and is being managed by another Lindfield resident Julie Shepherd, who is joined by Miranda Moolenaar, who already worked as a roaster in the business. The official launch will on Lindfield Christmas Festival Night (6th Dec) when the shop open until 9pm!

Lindfield Coffee Works will serve a selection of cakes and pastries in the morning and lunches of charcuterie and cheese boards between 12-3pm, served with sourdough baguettes, olives and pickles.

“In addition to the food offering, the coffee bar will be serving some coffee specials that we hope will be a little different to what people are used to, for example, a delicious, refreshing cold drink we’ll serve is a shot of espresso floated onto tonic water with a mountain of ice,” said Kris!

Lindfield Coffee Works will be open Monday – Saturday, 8.30am-5pm. Visit www.lindfieldcoffeeworks.co.uk to find out more or follow the shop’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.

Blackthorns Primary Academy pupils write WWII poem for Lindfield lost heroes

This artwork has been created by Year 6 pupils from Blackthorns Primary Academy, who were learning about World War II this term. There are 97 poppies, representing the 97 Lindfield men who died in the two world wars. The poem was shared by members of Class 6J at All Saints Church on Remembrance Sunday.

Lindfield: They should never be forgotten.

Lindfield is our home now, where our families and friends reside.
Today we remember that long ago, it was a home to brave men who died.
97 souls, during two world wars, gave their lives to make us free
Their memories are etched in stone, so that it may always be plain to see…

…that they should never be forgotten
…that they should always be in our thoughts
…that what they died for was important
…that we understand the reasons that they fought.

Lindfield is our refuge, where we learn and play and grow.
We are safe within its boundaries, with the people and places that we know.
We are able to share our views on life, we have the right to feel free
Because those who died fighting oppression helped make this a glorious place to be…

So, they should never be forgotten
they should always be in our thoughts
we know that what they died for was important
we understand the reasons that they fought.

Lindfield knows that wars still happen, we know that many will still die.
We know others aren’t so lucky, that families all around the world wake up and cry…
…that they have lost their loved ones, who fight for peace so that others are free
And for that reason we should make sure that everyone else can clearly see…

…that they should never be forgotten
…that they should always be in our thoughts
…that what they died for was important
…that we understand the reasons that they fought.

Lindfield: home to Blackthorns, our school, of which we are so proud.
We are part of this wonderful community, and we want to shout it loud!
Thank you- those 97 souls, for helping to make our country free.
We will use this poem to remember and to remind others what to see.

 

Mid Sussex Ramblers release new programme for the winter

As ‘the Ramblers’ group for the Mid Sussex area, we offer a varied programme of walks throughout the year to suit all ages and walking abilities.

Walks are arranged for every Saturday, Sunday, and Tuesday throughout the year, and on Bank Holidays, and occasionally other days in the week. They consist of half day walks of 3 to 6 miles and, for the more energetic, all day walks of 9 to 11 miles. During the summer months there are also Wednesday evening walks (3 to 4 miles) and weekend walking breaks and coach outings with walks.

During the winter months we hold indoor meetings in King Edward Hall, Lindfield, with illustrated talks on a wide range of topics, and social evenings in local pubs in the Mid Sussex area.

Whether you are new to walking or an experienced walker, you are very welcome to come along and give us a try. 

To find out more, details of our group and walks are available in local libraries or view our website at:

http://www.midsussexramblers.co.uk/  

Field & Forrest new owner returns to Lindfield

Julian Hansford, Field & Forrest, Lindfield

It is all change at Lindfield’s High Street café deli, Field and Forrest. Jules, full name Julian Hansford, who used to regularly oppose Lindfield on the common in the 80s (wearing the Cricket whites of Burgess Hill) is the new owner/operator.

Jules is a family man with long-term partner Claire and boys Noah and Laurie. He travels daily from Dartford to the village. He has good experience of a delicatessen having previously managed one in Shoreham and also having worked in a busy Sussex café/bakery. Jules has a successful background in the dance and entertainment business, and remains a busy specialist DJ.

He has been seeking the ideal deli/café opportunity for the last six years, and with the help of a Lindfield local, Steve Leslie, he was made aware of the opportunity to take over Field and Forrest.

“Field and Forrest attracted me as a compact and extremely well run business, and at the same time being one that I could develop whilst knowing it had good local support,” Jules said.

“With the Christmas season fast approaching – I ask all locals to let us know your seasonal preferences early!“

In the meantime, please drop by and say hi to myself and the team, as well as browsing the Christmas lines which are starting to arrive. We stock and serve great coffee, as well as offering a deli style sandwich range.”

Former Lindfield pub - The Tiger Inn - gets its sign back

The Tiger, Lindfield, West Sussex

By Diane Flint

If you have glanced up while walking past the old Tiger Inn at the top of the High Street you will have seen this lovely new sign: a tiger gazing up at a bright shining star.

It is the winning design of Lindfield resident and artist Wally Jex, and it was hoisted into place in time to mark this year’s Tiger centenary – 100 years since All Saints Church bought the building.

Wally, 75, has lived in Compton Road with his wife Jenny for 17 years and used to be a TV advertising scriptwriter and illustrator. With his creative partner Hugh Silvey he was responsible for campaigns like Fred the Homepride flour grader. Designing the Tiger sign was a different kind of challenge for Wally.

He said: “Tigers and Christianity don’t have a lot in common but I thought that having one looking up at a star would work.”

Wally is still working and currently designs greetings cards and creates a monthly cartoon strip for the Dalesman magazine with Hugh. 

In his spare time he works on his allotment behind the pond and is a member of Lindfield Horticultural Society. 

And he still likes to travel the globe with his wife Jenny.

“I was one of the settlers who emigrated to Australia on a £10 ticket, then moved to Canada before returning to the UK and eventually Lindfield,” he said.

So the next time you are walking along the High Street near the church, look up and see the magnificent tiger gazing at a star for yourselves!

Lindfield Book Group reads 100 books

A group of Lindfield mums who started a book group in the village 12 years ago have just read their 100th book!

The ‘Good Wives’ group started in 2004 and, over the years, up to 11 members have met every six to eight weeks, to read and share their love of a good book!

“We currently have seven members, including four from the original group,” said Helen Bilton. “We’re all mothers and over the years 11 babies have been born during their mums’ membership, many of whom were brought along as newborns for cuddles.” She added that the first baby who came along is now in secondary school!

The group was set up after the mums were inspired by the library’s reading group scheme. “We had to choose a name and, having previously read Little Women (L.M. Alcott), we chose the somewhat tongue-in-cheek ‘Good Wives’,” said Helen. “Although it must be said, we are all still married to the same people we started with….!

“We read a huge range of stuff – generally chosen following recommendations that people bring long,” added Helen. “And we’ve all enjoyed reading books we wouldn’t otherwise have picked up or persevered with. Contrary to popular stereotypes we don’t read only pastel-covered chick-lit; 11% of the books we read are non-fiction, 40% are by male authors and 40% by non-British authors.”

It’s not all new bestsellers either. “We’ve read nine 19th century classics, and almost half the books we’ve read were published in the twentieth century rather than the twenty-first,” said Helen.

Full story published in Lindfield Life on October 2016

 

Lindfield Arts Festival 2016 - video snapshot

Lindfield's Art Festival, this year on 17th September 2016, when the High Street was closed and featured dozens of acts, shows, workshops and exhibitions. This video features just a few of the highlights of the day to give you an idea of what you missed perhaps, or what you especially enjoyed!

This video brings you just a small selection of the performers and activities at Lindfield Arts Festival 2016. 

Why I advertise The Pennington Clinic in Lindfield Life magazine...

In this video Melanie Clarke from The Pennington Clinic explains just exactly why she advertises in Lindfield Life magazine, and what she loves about the magazine itself! In fact, she tells us why she loves all three Kipper community magazine titles: Lindfield Life, Cuckfield Life and Hurst Life. 

Click the link to hear more from Melanie herself. 

Find out more about The Pennington Clinic at: www.thepenningtonclinic.co.uk

Get in touch with us to put your business in front of thousands of our readers every month. 

Why is repeat advertising so important for your business?

By David Tingley, editor, Lindfield Life magazine

One-off advertisements don't really work. I mean, sometimes they do, sure. But generally they don't! That's the reason why we recently stopped selling small, one-off placements in our family of three community magazines (Cuckfield Life, Lindfield Life & Hurst Life) - because feedback suggested that it wasn't good advice for our customers. 

Here is local marketing expert, Rebecca Jabbar (Strategic Marcomms), who explains what she thinks about why it makes good sense to advertise repeatedly...

What we want our customers doing is spending money on GOOD, EFFECTIVE advertising that gives them new customers consistently, so that THEIR BUSINESS GROWS and they tell lots of other businesses about how worthwhile it was ADVERTISING in our community magazines. 

That is our aim and that's just what we strive to do. Talk to us about advertising in Lindfield Life today...

Haywards Heath Railway Station celebrates 175th anniversary

Haywards Heath Station celebrates 175 years since its opening in 1841

Haywards Heath Station celebrates 175 years since its opening in 1841

Later this month Haywards Heath will be celebrating the 175th anniversary of the opening on the railway station in the town.

In 1841 the cost of a 1st class single ticket from London Bridge to Brighton was 10 shillings (around £50 approximately) and there were around 82 households in the immediate area. Today Haywards Heath has a population of more than 33,000 having developed hugely due to its proximity to the railway.

The fun takes place on Sunday 18th September with The Bluebell Railway’s Stepney engine paying a visit to Haywards Heath railway station - plus you can get a rare chance to ride the Haywards Heath to Ardingly route, normally closed to mainline traffic. 

There will be a Victorian-themed grand procession moving from the station up to Victoria Park with many local groups and organisations taking part - including Lindfield Arts Festival. he park will be set up with a fun fair, stalls and entertainment for all the family.

For more information on the day see the following website: www.hh175th.co.uk

Oathall Art Student's work chosen for National Students' Art Exhibition

Congratulations to Oathall Community College GCSE Art student and Head Boy John Moore whose artwork was selected to be exhibited at The Mall Galleries in London recently.

John’s piece was a portrait of fellow student Jack Davidian-Judd. The likeness was created by the meticulous weaving of threads back and forth across a grid of nails to reproduce the image.

This is the fourteenth year of the National Students’ Art Exhibition held under the patronage of the Royal Society of British Artists. The exhibition is truly inspirational, featuring the best young artists in the country alongside work from some of the fines professional artists.

James Horton MA RBA (President) said: “The work chosen is carefully selected to represent the very best of what is being produced in schools across the nation. With one aim in mind, which is to send the strongest message possible to all our young artists that our society needs creative people, who will enrich the fabric of our culture and who will be taken seriously by professional bodies such as ours, and who will also become the next generation of respected professionals.”

Vote for your best butcher

Glyn Thomas & Sons

Customers of Glyn Thomas & Son butchers in Lindfield have given new owner John Cottenham their seal of approval – voting with their feet and their smart phones!Just three months after taking over the High Street shop, John has been delighted to find that he is in th running to become ‘Sussex Butcher of the Year 2017’  – thanks to nominations from customers.

“We’ve had a wonderful welcome,” said John who, following interviews over the phone and face to face, is one of 10 finalists in the contest, part of the annual Sussex Food and Drink Awards.

“The judges are looking for businesses which strive to find locally sourced products, which is exactly what we aim to do,” he said.“We pride ourselves on working with food producers who are as passionate about their products as we are.”

Customers have until 24th September to vote for John and his staff Josh Whitington and Nicola Whatford. To cast your vote, visit www.sussexfoodawards.biz

What's the property marketing doing in Lindfield? Move Revolution

By Mathew Gurr, Move Revolution

Welcome to our second market report following on from our June issue. Thank you for all of the positive feedback so far. I, like many of you who attended the hugely successful Village Day in the same month, thought it was great to see so much involvement within the community, and thankfully the weather played its part too.

So what has changed since our last market report? Well, quite a lot as it happens! I don’t think many within the industry would have predicted the Leave vote from the European Referendum. The one thing I can say is that things are never as bad as predicted and always seem to get better quicker than you would think. The housing market is always resilient. I have been talking to experts and using my own experiences to try and forecast what will happen but it is extremely unlikely you will see the price drops between 10% and 20%. After all, at the peak of the financial crisis eight ears ago they fell nationally 10% but we didn’t see that locally. My view is that there hasn’t been an economic shock (a political shock, yes) and that we are more likely to see a softening in prices if people take a wait and see approach. However, what usually happens is that there is a sudden return of demand that wipes out any dips in the prices very quickly. Therefore, I suggest that you may see anything from a 0% drop to 5% which will be short lived. What is abundantly clear, is that the days of putting a home on to the property portals and waiting for the phone to ring are long gone. It is all about the quality of marketing – professional photography and advertising homes on websites such as Rightmove and Zoopla and, importantly, a hunger to deliver excellent service to clients.

We are seeing a great response from residents within the village to our different approach to marketing. We have completed on an excellent three bedroom home in Brookway that previously had been on the market with another agent Add to that two stunning country apartments just a short drive to Hammingden Lane, our launch of 11 new build homes close to the hospital and the continuation of the one bedroom apartments at the White House near the station, there is plenty of opportunity to talk to homeowners about their moving plans.  

If you require any further information, an informal chat or a property valuation, please call me on 01444 657657 or email mathew.gurr@moverevolution.com

www.moverevolution.com

 

What is an advertorial page?

Potential customers often ask us what is an advertorial?

Quite simply, an advertorial page is a page which is made up of a story and images and set just like all the other pages in the magazine (news, feature etc) but it is a page which has been paid for, and you can therefore 'sell from the page'. 

Businesses with great stories make great advertorials. For instance, a new business which has just opened on the High Street where they want tell the owners back story is ideal. Similarly an organisation that has more complicated services on offer, may find it easier to explain what they do with an advertorial. Another great opportunity for advertorials in our magazines is a business which is based in, or has a specific connection to, the community itself. This makes the story very much relevant to the readership and more or less guarantees it will be read by a keen audience who love the place they live.

Advertorials are a great way for businesses to start their advertising with us in our community magazines. It allows for a story to be told to their potential audience, and then follow it up with repeated and consistent messages and branding, in the form of standard advertising... 

“Advertorial pages allow you to sell from the page”

Standard Advertising

What we would refer to as standard advertising is traditional display advertising. A specifically designed advert with clearly defined edges which has been branded to match the company or person it is advertising. These are sold - in our magazines at least - in either quarter, half or full page slots. Plus we also sell the premium positions of Inside Front Cover and Outside Back Cover. 

Editorial

Editorial content is all the other content which make up a magazine (news articles, features, what's on, competitions, write-ups, reviews etc). Editorial content is not paid for and does not normally promote a profit-making business. 

For advertorials in our community magazines we do limit the number per issue, in order to ensure that our readership doesn't feel like it is being sold to on every page. We think its right and proper that a magazine like ours should have plenty of community news and information, and this doesn't have a price tag attached to it. We just want to tell the stories of the village. 

Magnificent Machines - Pete Browne & Merv Huggett

By Claire Cooper

An amazing breakfast making machine, which started life as a scribble on the back of an envelope, was showcased on national television last month.

Created by inventors Merv Huggett of Lindfield and Pete Bowne of Highbrook, the Breakfast Making Machine was one of three inventions featured on the BBC’s Britain’s Most Spectacular Backyard Builds – a programme which celebrates the best of the country’s most ‘ingenious, eccentric and bonkers creations!’

Merv and Pete were invited to take part in the show following their work with the Roland Emett Society. “We were asked to maintain the eight Rowland Emett machines which went on display last year at Brighton and Ditchling Museums,” said Merv. “Some of the machines were commissioned for the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, including the Humbug Major and Clockwork Lullaby.”

The pair were approached by researchers and invited to design a machine which was useful in the home. “We sat down, drank coffee and exchanged ideas, jotting down notes on the back of an old envelope,” said Pete. “I’d say around 90 per cent of our inventions have been designed on the backs of envelopes!”

Ideas included a money launderer (machine to clean and polish cash), a banana peeler and Christmas cracker puller.

“We both like making things that look extremely complicated but do something simple and stupid,” said Merv.

But it was the idea of a breakfast making  machine which caught the eye of the researchers, and the pair were given a budget of £2,500 and ten weeks to turn their idea into reality. A camera crew and presenters Sara Cox and Piers Taylor followed Pete and Merv’s progress as the machine came to life.

(to read the full article, see page 24 of the August 2016 issue of Lindfield Life)

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

James Verrall, golf Pro 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!

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