Community News is 100% volunteer-run and distributed FREE to over 4,000 homes and businesses in Lingfield, Crowhurst, Dormansland, Dormans Park, Felcourt and parts of Newchapel, Haxted, Horne, and Baldwins Hill Spring 2024 Number 230 In this edition: Local surgery group holds first meeting Praising the work of Meals on Wheels Planting trees for a better future
2 Community News Team Contact E: [email protected] A: c/o Lingfield & Dormansland Community Centre, High St, Lingfield, RH7 6AB W: www.communitynewslingfield.co.uk The next edition of Community News is the Summer publication. The deadline for submissions is Thursday, 21st March 2024 Please send submissions to the email or postal address above. Cover: Photo Dormansland recreation ground © Grace Porter Community News is a volunteer-run non-profit making free newspaper published four times each year. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the editorial team. Donations, although always welcome, do not guarantee publication of material submitted by the donor. Please note that all material sent is forwarded at the contributor’s own risk. Whilst every care is taken with material, Community News cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage incurred. The editors reserve the right to edit material (reduce the length of an article) and rewrite or otherwise modify it if they deem it necessary. Material is reformatted to suit our house style. This edition of Community News has been printed by: En Route Design & Print 01342 894 900 www.en-route.co.uk
3 Editorial Hello everyone! And, if it isn’t too late, a Happy New Year to one and all. So, 2024 is here, and so is the Spring edition of Community News, bringing you the local news and information you need. The team at CN hope you all had a joyous Christmas, and haven’t been too cold after the recent wintry spell, but now is the time to look ahead and get ready for spring, with a little help from us. Read on for a raft of local events and gatherings. In terms of page numbers, we’re still not quite back to full size, but hopefully we will be soon, so please bear with us. Christmas celebrations The local area had its usual array of festive goodies, including the ever-popular Lingfield Day, a Stir-up Sunday at St Peter and St Paul’s, and a fantastic interpretation of A Christmas Carol. I’m pleased to report I took part in each event, and loved every minute of it. We hope all of you partook in at least one local event, as it all helps support the community. A tribute to Meals on Wheels Come hell or high prices, our Meals on Wheels teams are always there, continuing to offer a valuable service for some of the most vulnerable in society. We’re happy to include a lovely tribute to the Lingfield and Dormansland group, revealing the hard work that goes on behind the scenes to keep things ticking over. CCTV coming It appears as though the long-planned CCTV for Lingfield’s pond may finally arrive in 2024. The local council is now waiting for appropriate weather to lay a cable in the water. Watch this space for more information as the year progresses. Neighbourhood Watch Regional coordinator Geoff Ledden offers a useful overview of the service in this issue, and how they are. Geoff reveals that anyone can create a Watch for three or more properties with a coordinator, and it is up to the members to decide how it will operate, and there’s no charge for setting it up. Events at the Community Centre There are numerous events coming for the spring at the Community Centre. There are quiz nights, movies, and talented local musicians, so why not go along and see what’s happening. …continued on page 6
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6 Lingfield Nature Reserves It looks like 2024 could be the year when all the recent projects start to bear fruit, sometimes quite literally. One of the biggest things was the planting of 150 trees of various species around the perimeter of Beacon Field, which have now started to establish themselves. Lingfield Patient Participation Group Lingfield PPG held a public meeting in mid-January at the Community Centre. The aim of the PPG is to be 'the voice of the community' for the Lingfield Surgery. It’s a group of volunteers who are patients of the surgery and want to help it work as well as it can for patients, doctors and staff. We’ve included some more details of the meeting inside. Our volunteers make this all possible Community News would like to say yet another big thank you to our team of over 100 volunteers who help sort and deliver over 4,000 copies of the publication to Lingfield, Crowhurst, Dormansland, Dormans Park, Felcourt and parts of Newchapel, Haxted, Horne and Baldwins Hill. Join the team Why not give something back to your community and join the gang. Fancy yourself as a bit of a writer? Want to come and join the team and help put together this wonderful little publication? Anything about developments within the local area make you angry or happy? Please put pen to paper and tell us about it. We’d also like to ask if anybody out there would like to help us with Community News’s distribution and delivery? We could certainly use some more deliverers, so if you could spare a few hours every 12 weeks or so, please get in touch. And so finally, we’d like to say A Great Big Thank You to you, our readers, advertisers, contributors, deliverers, friends, and associates. Enjoy the start of the new year, have a great spring, and please stay safe, look after each other. The Community News team. …continued from page 3
7 Spring Events at the Community Centre Fans of quizzing will be delighted to hear our Spring season at the Centre sees the return of our ever-popular Quiz Night on Saturday 16th March. The noun quiz was first used with the meaning "an eccentric person or thing," which is oft said of our quiz master, but you should probably come along and decide on that for yourselves. Aspiring contenders and confident challengers are invited to pit your wits against the quizmaster and each other in teams of six, with a licensed bar to keep you refreshed throughout the evening. If you don’t have a full team, don’t worry, we will match you up to make it work. As a regular sell-out event, we advise early booking! Those of a less competitive nature may prefer to sit back, relax, and enjoy a film or two and can do so at our community cinema ‘Flix in the Stix’ when our next film screenings will be ‘Where the Crawdads Sing’, telling the story of Kya, an abandoned girl who has raised herself to adulthood in the dangerous marshlands of North Carolina, (Sunday, 11th February). ‘The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry’, starring Jim Broadbent as an ordinary man who just passes through life on the sidelines until the day he goes to mail a letter .. and just keeps walking, (Sunday 10th March). If on the other hand, music is your scene, then be sure to keep Saturday 20th April free in your diary as local musicians ‘The Chosen Few’ are back by popular demand to entertain us with their mixture of blues, pop, rock and folk. To purchase tickets, find out more about the wide range of regular activities that run at the Centre or to enquire about hiring a room for your own event or meeting, please contact the Centre office: [email protected] 01342 833 893 www.lingfieldcentre.org Office opening hours: 9am – 2pm, Monday to Thursday (closed Fridays)
8 Crowhurst Parish Council News Crowhurst is a rural parish, in addition to the cars and farm vehicles we have horse riders and cyclists on our roads, having no footpaths, as well as pedestrians and runners. Particularly at this time of year – with local flooding and icy roads – please be mindful and drive through our parish with care. Christmas Party The revitalised Crowhurst Christmas Party made a welcome return this year, following a coronavirus enforced break. The event sold out in a matter of days and was exceptionally well attended. A great time was had by all, and our thanks must go to the organising committee for putting on such a great event. Already looking forward to next year! Annual Village Tidy-Up Every year the residents of Crowhurst come together to tidy up our local environment, this year the event will be held on Saturday 16th March to coincide with the Great British Spring Clean initiative. Further details will be made available nearer the time. Crowhurst Parish Council Crowhurst Parish Council is still looking for another Councillor to join our small team of four councillors. For 2024 we have embarked upon a project to replace some of the ageing stiles on our footpaths with kissing gates to make them more accessible to people of all ages and those with pets. We are always willing to listen to anyone that can volunteer to either join or assist the council. If you live within Crowhurst Parish and are interested in finding out more about what it means to be a councillor, either for now or the future, please contact the Parish clerk on [email protected] Council meetings Meetings of the Parish Council are held in the Village Hall and start at 19:30, with 15 minutes for questions or comments from the public. The dates of the next meetings are: 11th March 2024 - Council Meeting, 15th April 2024 - Annual Parish Meeting - Please come along to make your contribution to your community. Communication If we don’t have your email address, you may be missing out on communication from your Parish Council. If you would like to receive relevant information in relation to Crowhurst, please pass your email address to the Parish Clerk at [email protected] .
9 Dormansland Parish Council News Happy New Year! To celebrate the New Year, we would like to share a picture of Jacqui, Dormansland’s Parish Clerk, with one of the new Parish Council banners (drawings by the children of the Dormansland Primary School and St Piers) and designed by Gemma Armstrong our local graphic designer. You may have noticed a new bench in the recreation ground. This is in memory of Gudrum Cundey and funded by her family. Gudrum was a long-standing resident of Dormansland, and we hope that the bench will be enjoyed by many residents. On other ‘bench’ news, you may have noticed that a bench disappeared at the crossroads of Mutton Hill, along with the bus stop after a car accident. We are pleased to report that no one was injured, and that the bus stop has already been replaced, and that DPC are in the process of arranging for a new bench in the coming months. At the January Parish Council meeting we were asked a question about why we are planting trees around the Parish. This is in support of Surrey County Councils ambition to be a carbon neutral county by 2050, facilitated by the planting of 1.2 million new trees (one for every Surrey resident) by 2030. This ambition is not something that the County Council can deliver alone. The Dormansland Parish Council is supporting this initiative as trees play an important role in removing carbon dioxide, as well as supporting adaptation to the impacts of climate change, through shading and flood prevention. They can also provide significant benefits in terms of air quality, biodiversity, health and wellbeing, education and the economy. Many thanks to Adam, who supports work around the parish. Adam has repainted the bus shelter opposite St Johns, and we hope that there will be some tender loving care to the bus shelter at the Plough as well, very shortly. Work on the Neighbourhood Plan is continuing, and good progress is being made, if anyone is interested, the terms of reference are available from the Dormansland Parish Clerk. We hope to consult on the plan in the second half of the year after the May local elections. We wish all our residents a very peaceful and happy 2024. Dates of upcoming Full Council Meetings: 7th February 2024 and 6th March 2024 at the The Dormansland Baptist Church, Dormansland starting at 18.30.
10 Lingfield Parish Council News We hope that you had a lovely festive season, and we’re looking forward to working on your behalf in what we hope will be a happy and healthy 2024 for you and your families. What is the Parish Council? The Parish Council is the closest tier of government to the community. All councillors are volunteers and live in the parish; we pride ourselves on listening and engaging with members of the public and we are all seeking to make Lingfield the best it can be. If you wish to contact the council, the email addresses and phone numbers for the clerk and parish councillors are on the website. If you need an answer to a specific question, it is always best to email the clerk in the first instance, to make sure your question is answered by the best person. What has been happening? In December we welcomed our litter warden, Jan. Many of you will have seen her around the village and we admire her for braving some of the recent weather. We are pleased that the flagpole maintenance and repair has been completed, as we were conscious that we could inadvertently be flying a flag at half-mast on the wrong occasion, or not flying it at all. The Parish Council met to discuss the draft Neighbourhood Plan in conjunction with guidance from Tandridge District Council. We are keen to keep this moving and we are reviewing other successful Neighbourhood Plans. TDC does not currently have the resourcing to progress the plan to the next stage and therefore, the time will be used to investigate identified issues thoroughly. The budget 2024/25 working group has spent many hours on the budget for this coming financial year and the longer term. Once everything is agreed, we will send out details to the community. Coming up in 2024 Work on CCTV for the pond is well underway. The major works have been installed and we are waiting for appropriate weather to lay the cable in the water. This year we will be developing a brand new, and much improved, website to replace our outdated one. It will be informative and easy to navigate, so that you can see the latest parish information and meeting details. We plan for this to be launched in the Spring. We have arranged a one-off clean of the Cage to deal with the moss and this will be reviewed regularly.
11 Finally, please remember that you are welcome to attend parish council or planning meetings, details of which are posted on the website and the noticeboards around the village. The council has altered the way it structures its meetings; the session for members of the public to tell us anything you feel is important about an item on the meeting agenda is now within, and not before, the meeting. Council meetings can only deal with items on the agenda. Councillors will consider points made by the public – but cannot participate in discussions with members of the public during the meeting. If you wish to discuss items, the best way is to email or call during the working week please. That said, everyone is invited and welcome to observe the discussion and decision-making process. Minutes are also available after every meeting on the parish council website and you can also request a copy. Cath Hearnden, Chairman, Lingfield Parish Council Parish Clerk: Lee Dunkley BA (Hons), MPhil, FSLCC [email protected] 01342 835 557 Lingfield and Dormansland Community Centre, High Street, Lingfield, Surrey RH7 6AB www.lingfieldparishcouncil.gov.uk Open at weekends & school hols - Spring half term: 10 Feb - 18 Feb Easter holiday: 23 Mar - 14 Apr ● keeper talks ● wildlife gift shop ● coffee shop ● picnic areas ● free parking ● wheelchair-friendly British Wildlife Centre We’re on the A22, Newchapel, nr Lingfield, Surrey RH7 6LF 01342 834658 www.britishwildlifecentre.co.uk ● Scottish wildcats ● pine martens ● deer park ● owls ● foxes ● hedgehogs ● badgers ● free-ranging red squirrels ...and much more Pre-book online and save £1 per ticket! Visit: www.britishwildlifecentre.co.uk Sunday ~31 March~ Children’s Easter Trail A real natural history experience!
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13 What’s on locally Lingfield and District Flower Club Mon, 26th February: Floral Design Demonstration by Nicola Wright Mon, 25th March: Illustrated Talk by Annabel Alford-Warren from Surrey National Gardens Scheme Mon, 22nd April: tba Venue: We meet at Lingfield and Dormansland Community Centre at 7.30pm. Visitors and new members always welcome. Contact E: [email protected] or see www.lingfieldflowerclub.com Lingfield Horticultural Society Fri, 2nd February: Talk – ‘Rewild Your Garden’ by Charlie Harpur Fri, 1st March: Talk – ‘Travels of a Conservationist’ by Finella Gray Sat, 13th April: Spring Show in the Community Centre – Staging 6:45 to 7:30pm; Judging by ballot 7.30 - 8pm; Talk – ‘Hops and Hop Pickers of Kent’ by Chris Stewart at 8pm The Spring Show is free to enter and open to all. If you are not a member and would like a schedule of the classes, please contact Alan Reynolds [email protected] Venue: We meet at The Jennings Hall, Lingfield and Dormansland Community Centre at 8pm. More info: see Lingfield Horticultural Society on Facebook The RH7 History Group Mon, 11th March: Talk – ‘New Towns: Past, Present and Future’ by Bob Evans Mon, 13th May: Talk – ‘Shops and Shopping: the small shop through the ages’ by Dr Janet Pennington Venue: We meet at Lingfield and Dormansland Community Centre at 8pm. Admission: £2.50 for visitors. Annual membership fees are £10 single or £12 joint (for members at the same address) More info: www.rh7.org YWI Dormansland Tues, 13th February: Talk – ‘Adventures on the Vanguard Way’, a talk about the Vanguard Way, and how it got its name Tues, 12th March: Chair Aerobics. Work out whilst sat down: what’s not to love? Tue, 9th April: Colour Analysis. Learn about the seasons based colour-wheel Venue: We meet at the Parish Room, The Platt, Dormansland, 8pm - 9.45pm For more information or if you’re interested in becoming a member: www.ywidormansland.org.uk E: [email protected]
14 Dormansland Evening WI Thurs, 8th February: Diamond Anniversary Celebration Thurs, 14th March: Talk – ‘Exploring the World of Sherry’ by Debbie Lewington Thurs, 11th April: Talk – ‘Coco Chanel from Pauper to Millionairess' by Delia Taylor Venue: We meet at the Parish Room, The Platt, Dormansland at 7.30pm. Visitors are always welcome. Contact Karil Greenhalgh 01342 832 038 Lingfield Evening WI Weds, 21st February: Talk – ‘Find and Keep your Pelvic Floor’ by Louise Ryrie Weds, 20th March: Talk – ‘Wakehurst Place’ by Paul Reader Weds, 17th April: Members’ Meeting Venue: We meet at The Jennings Hall, Lingfield and Dormansland Community Centre, Lingfield at 8pm. Visitors and new members always welcome. Contact Mary Neville 01342 835 064 East Grinstead Choral Society Concert Sat, 13th April at 7pm: Concert – ‘Gioachino Rossini: Petite Messe Solennelle’. With professional soloists in the original Piano and Harmonium orchestration. Venue: St Swithun's Church, Church Lane, East Grinstead RH19 3BB Admission: £18 for Adults, under 18s FREE. Tickets on the door or online from www.egcs.co.uk Open Days at The Garth – dates for 2024 Sun, 5th and 12th May: Grounds open 1–5pm for the National Gardens Scheme (NGS) charity. Mon, 5th - Sat, 11th May: Grounds open 1–5pm (free for Historic Houses members) Venue: The Garth, Newchapel Rd, Lingfield RH7 6BJ Admission: £8 for adults, FREE for children. Tea, coffee and cakes will be available. Parking is available at Gun Pit Road in Lingfield. East Grinstead Art Society, Art Demonstrations Wednesday 14th February, Adrienne Parker - Quirky Still Life in Mixed Media Wednesday 10th April, Roger Dellar - People in Pictures in Oils Venue: Meridian Hall, East Court, East Grinstead from 2–4pm Admission: Visitors are welcome for a fee of £5. More info T: 07721 378596 Friends of St Peter and St Paul Sunday 19th May, Open Gardens event from 2–4pm Up to six local gardens will be available to visit followed by tea in the church
15 SAVE THE DATE Dormansland Carnival Saturday, 13th July, 2024 Carnival 2024 will be back all too soon, and hopefully bring some of that lovely warm summer weather with it too. Plans are forging ahead so the Dormansland Carnival Committee want to remind you: ● To keep the afternoon/evening of Saturday, 13th July, 2024 free ● The 2024 Carnival theme is Sci-Fi ● To come and join in the 2024 Carnival village parade (all groups welcome) ● Get in touch if you want a stall ● Volunteer to help over the Carnival weekend (set up, on the day and clear-up) For all the latest news visit our website Dormanslandcarnival.org and the Dormansland Carnival and local community social media pages (Facebook, X and Instagram), or you can contact us at [email protected] All best wishes for 2024, The Dormansland Carnival Committee Get your event listed in Community News’s What’s on locally Send us an email to: [email protected] with the Date, Event name and where CN readers can find out more about your event.
16 Lingfield United Trust: Come together and help this celebrated local tradition How many of you are aware of this charity? It was formed from the joining of several smaller charities in 1953, to assist those in need who reside in the parish of Lingfield, including Dormansland, Felcourt, and parts of Baldwins Hill, through the provision of almshouse accommodation and of grants. Older residents who perhaps received a grant through the Christmas Distribution will know of the Lingfield United Trust, but who else? Lingfield United Trust is responsible for the management and maintenance of the almshouses known as HoChee Cottages in Dormansland, refurbished in 2013, but built around 1870 by the widow of John HoChee and given to the parish in his memory. John HoChee travelled from China in 1819 through his connections with the East India Company, and spent the rest of his life in this part of Surrey. The charity is also able to provide grants through generous support from The Henry Smith Charity, www.henrysmithcharity.org.uk. Certain criteria apply, including that applicants must live within the historic boundaries of the parishes of Lingfield, Dormansland and parts of Baldwins Hill. In the case of Christmas grants to those in need, they also have to be over 60 years of age and have lived in the parishes for over five years. Cases for Assistance are also considered, see website for details. The Henry Smith Charity through the Lingfield United Trust also supports the Warm Hubs initiative with grants, so do make use of facilities that are running Warm Hubs here this Winter. Lingfield United Trust would like to hear from anyone who would be interested in becoming involved with the charity as a trustee. This is not a difficult or time-consuming role, but it is essential to the success of the charity that local people with knowledge of, and commitment to, our parish could help care for the future. See the website for more details: www.lingfieldunitedtrust.org Or contact: [email protected]
17 Lingfield Larder: the very essence of sharing is caring Something you may not know about the Lingfield Larder is the dedication that our team have for our community. We love to see the different faces of the people collecting the food each week. We love picturing the homes that it goes into, and the mouths that it feeds. We love hearing the recipes and the storage techniques that the locals have. A community fridge is all about sharing: sharing smiles, sharing food, sharing stories. We have a dedicated team of volunteers who show up each week no matter the weather with a cheery smile to share food and have a chat. Thank you to all of you for your hard work and commitment. Since it began, the Lingfield Larder has given out well over four tonnes of food. That's a CO2 equivalent of powering a household for nearly two years. Or as much food as the weight of a male hippopotamus. The Lingfield Larder can be found outside St Peter and Paul's Church each Saturday from 9-10am during term time. All food is free, and everyone is welcome. If you'd like to join our team of volunteers, giving just a few hours a month will make a big difference. If you have a food surplus and would like to kindly donate it, please contact [email protected]. To find out more about what you can donate or FAQs, please find them at facebook.com/lingfieldlarder. Our Day Care services for people with dementia at Lingfield & Dormansland Community Centre, are every Monday 10am until 4pm Please telephone 01883 818 310 to book your free taster session! [email protected] www.dementiafirst.org.uk Follow us on Facebook & Twitter: @dementia1st Registered Charity No. 1172242 Registered Address: The Byre, Pendell Road, Bletchingley, Surrey RH1 4QH China Restoration Group The China Restoration Group is a small group of enthusiastic china/ceramic restorers. We meet at 10.30am Thursdays in the Community Centre. Our numbers are dwindling so we are very keen to recruit new members and to be able to pass on our knowledge and skills. We really look forward to people coming in to see us and watching them unpack their treasured items and seeing their delight when they see their items restored, where possible, to their former glory! Lyn Maggs 01342 834 744 or Angela Kirk 01342 835 266
18 News In brief Pensioner hurt after Lingfield crash A pensioner was struck by a Vauxhall Astra early on January 15, on Blackberry Lane, and was rushed to hospital. Surrey Police are still investigating. According to local media reports, police have now launched a witness appeal, looking for those who were nearby or might have dashcam footage. The road was closed into the early evening following the morning incident. The 79-year-old man struck was airlifted to hospital with serious injuries, but his current condition remains unknown. He was also treated at the scene. No arrests have been made, and the driver of the vehicle is working with the police. Local burglar caught after targeting homes ‘Opportunist thief’ James McDonagh has been sentenced to a 45-month prison term after being caught red-handed with stolen goods. The 42-year-old of no fixed address broke into two homes in Lingfield on October 26, 2023, and then two more in Woldingham just four days later. He was seen on CCTV and doorbell cams moving around back gardens trying doors and looking through windows. He was seen flinging rocks to smash through the glass back door at a resident in Woldingham. He then stole items including designer leather goods and jewellery. Later that night, he was located by police and arrested. Detective Constable McBain said: “McDonagh was an opportunist thief who would walk around communities looking for properties that were empty and back gardens that were not overlooked. Then he would smash his way in and take whatever he could grab and carry.” Gatwick expansion: CAGNE releases videos Communities Against Gatwick Noise Emissions has released several videos dealing with the environmental impact of Gatwick’s expansion plans. The 2023 ‘Time is Ticking’ online environmental talks are now available on the CAGNE YouTube channel. Now in the third year, these online talks were released to coincide with the environment meeting of world leaders, C O P. A l l c a n b e v i e w e d a t : h t t p s : / / w w w . y o u t u b e . c o m / @cagnegatwick203. Time is Ticking is the environmental campaign of CAGNE, the umbrella aviation community and environment group for Sussex, Surrey, and Kent. Contact [email protected]. Lingfield hit by power cut before Christmas A fire in the area as St Piers Lane was put out on December 20, after leaving multiple homes and a school without power. The incident was reported by Surrey Fire and Rescue Service. A spokesperson for the fire service said at the time that a pylon had caught fire and around 30 homes had been left without power. A nearby school was also affected. A spokesperson for Surrey Fire and Rescue Service said immediately after the incident that they left the scene in the early afternoon.
19 UK Power Networks said the power had returned power to the area at 5.24pm. 2023 Poppy Appeal success CMB Foods reported a fantastic response to its November 2023 Poppy Appeal, raising a grand total of £8,840.46. Deborah Major, Company Secretary and Director of the local food producer, said: “We had truly amazing support from the village in November, so would like to say a big thank you? “My grateful thanks go to all the many people, businesses, schools, army cadets, clubs and societies of Lingfield that gave their time and support to the Poppy Appeal.” New vet opens in Lingfield Lingfield now has a new independent veterinary practice, Carewell Vets. Run by a family of experienced vets, the business is situated at Carewell Barn, St Pier's Lane. The practice caters to all manner of household pets, offering services such as vaccinations, parasite control and an array of surgeries. It can be contacted on 01342 612103, or via [email protected]. Lingfield Community Library Autumn Story Writing Competition We received 20 entries for our latest story-writing competition. All the children received a certificate and a gift. There were four winners of the age groups who were awarded a Book Token. Congratulations to all the children and especially to the prize winners. Two Schemes for 2024 We’ve been looking at ways to put the Library on a more sustainable financial footing as the pressures on Surrey County Council’s budget increase and are introducing two schemes for 2024: ● Friends of Lingfield Library – for anyone who would like to donate a small regular amount to help us provide new books and activities and to assist with the running costs of the Library. It’s easy to join and set up a standing order. Further details and application form available from Lingfield Community Library. ● Book Sales – we can now accept modern books in good condition for sale or addition to the catalogue – fiction and non-fiction, including children’s titles. We hope that this will extend the range of our collection and contribute to running costs. Donations are welcome at the Library. Library Opening Times: ● Wednesday 2–5pm ● Thursday 10am–5pm Rhymetime for toddlers at 10.15am and Storytime for 5 to 7-year-olds at 3.45pm ● Friday 2–5pm ● Saturday 10am–2pm
Down on the Allotment: A new year, and the search for ‘The Lost Gardens of Lingfield’ begins The new year brought in some exciting changes for me. The first was that I took the plunge and left my corporate 9-5 job in favour of a mixture of projects, including taking on more client gardens: being able to help people make the most of their gardens, greenhouses, veggie plots and pots gives me enormous satisfaction, if not the corporate salary. The second is that I have a new allotment! When, after two years on the waiting list, I got the call from the Parish Clerk that a plot had become available I couldn’t wait to go and view it. When I think back to my first allotment over three decades ago, I remember it being very overgrown. As we cleared it we discovered apple trees, fruit bushes, compost heaps and even a ‘characterful’ shed. Nowadays, new allotmenteers like to start with a clean slate and therefore councils insist on plots being emptied at the end of tenancies, this means those personal ‘Lost Gardens of Heligan’ moments are now on a much smaller scale. The new plot’s limited dowry includes a plastic composter, a selection of rather forlorn raspberry canes, and a bed that is rife with Jerusalem artichokes. The artichokes will be discarded as I well remember the effect they had upon our digestive systems last time we ate them. Sometimes an ‘F’ is put in front of - artichoke, and for good reason. The months ahead will be very busy on both the home plot and the new allotment plot with ground clearing, planting onion sets, potato tubers, and broad beans. With the additional space I’m hoping to have a large cut flower area too, with plenty of sweet peas and dahlias. No doubt the 50% increase in growing space the allotment gives me will result in a 100% bigger wishlist of things to grow. I’ll let you know next time. However, at the time of writing (January), it feels like there is still so much winter left to run. The ground is hard with frost and every drawer is impatiently filled with seed packets. Yet I know that soon enough I’ll be sowing the first of the chillies and tomatoes in the greenhouse and, come March/April with the soil warming, the big sowings will commence. With vegetable beds at home, a new allotment and several clients gardens I’m certainly excited about the year ahead. Maybe if I run out of time, I’ll have to open a new attraction from my home: ‘The Lost Gardens of Lingfield’. Adrian 20
21 Is ear wax causing you to miss out on conversations? Do you have to ask people to repeat themselves? Do you have to turn up the volume on the television? Ear wax could be the problem but we have the solution Using the incredible Tympa system, we are able to perform microsuction ear wax removal safely and effectively. For an appointment in your own home or one of our local clinics, please contact us on 01342 618099 or visit our website www.reviverenew.co.uk for more information.
22 Lingfield Surgery news Lingfield Patient Participation Group (PPG) Lingfield PPG held a very informative public meeting on Saturday 13th January at the Community Centre in Lingfield. Members from the PPG introduced themselves and gave a brief explanation of their roles. Local community residents are encouraged to contact the PPG via their website https://lingfieldppg.org.uk for updates and local news information. The PPG does not address patient complaints so please ensure that these are communicated directly to the Operations Manager at Lingfield Surgery. Telephone call back facility The practice would like to remind patients that we have a telephone call back facility in place. If our lines are busy please select Option 1 and your place in the queue will be saved and you will receive a call back from a Receptionist as soon as a telephone line becomes free. Easter holiday closures and prescription requests. The practice will be closed on Friday 29th March, 2024 and Monday 1st April, 2024. Patients requiring repeat prescriptions during this time should please submit their request at least seven working days before the Bank Holiday closures. The quickest way to request a repeat prescription is via the NHS App which can be loaded on your mobile phone or tablet. If you would like any assistance in loading the app please ask at the practice Reception desk. Staff Training afternoon The practice will be closed on Wednesday 6th March, 2024, 13:00 – 18:30 for mandatory staff training. www.faulknersbuilder s.co .uk martin faulk nersb uilde rs.co.uk @ Call: 01342 836 718 Mob. 07775 070503 All building work undertaken • Property maintena nce • Home alterations • Brickwork • Tiling • Patios • Pla sterin g • Roof repairs • Guttering • Dra in clearance • Fen cin g Faulkner’s Facebook find us on§
23 Patient Participation Group Meeting, 13 January 2024 The meeting was very well attended. Clive Jecks, Chair of the PPG, introduced other members of the group which was formed in September last year. This PPG is community led, as opposed to some other areas where the PPG is led by the local GP practice. The purpose of the group is to help all parties to achieve the best outcome from the resources available to patients, improving access to primary care by developing better communication between the practice and its patients in the community. Clive emphasised that the PPG is not a complaints group. The group will in future be meeting quarterly, with the public encouraged to attend every 6 months. Caroline Upton from Surrey Heartlands – a partnership of organisations working with staff, patients, their carers, families and the public – to support people to live healthier lives, spoke at length about developments happening within the practice which will improve the service for patients. This included changes to the telephone system which is now Cloud based – patients unable to get through can simply Press 1 to receive a call back. Pharmacy First gives people access to certain prescriptions via the pharmacy without the need for a GP appointment. Caroline also gave a realistic appraisal of the possibility of a new surgery being included in the development of Lingfield House. The developers have not yet approached the surgery. Caroline urged those people who have access to the internet to use the NHS App to access a range of information from test results to ordering repeat prescriptions. The practice has a quarterly update/newsletter – it was suggested that this could be included in Community News. Wendy Maguire (practice manager) was there and agreed to submit this for the next edition of CN. If you wish to contact the PPG: ● Website: https://lingfieldppg.org.uk ● email: [email protected] ● Those who do not use email can leave a note addressed to PPG at the Surgery ● Anyone who wishes to be included in future email updates, should please contact: [email protected] Group Members: Clive Jecks, (Chair), Claire Rowley, Ryan Howard, Rev Ian Whitley, Charlotte Swann, Kat Whitley, Vivian Jones.
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25 Support Fairtrade in Lingfield and Dormansland and everywhere Promoting Fairtrade for producers in the Developing World and Fair Trade for Local Producers Hello! Lingfield and Dormansland and all around in this New Year, 2024, we wish you joy, and hope you will celebrate with Fairtrade Foundation UK its 30th Birthday this year, and Fairtrade Lingfield and Dormansland’s 20th Birthday. Fairtrade Foundation was 10 years old when we joined as a ‘zone’. We thought Oxted would become a Fairtrade town, but it hasn’t happened yet. Oxted School is a Fairtrade school and Churches are Fairtrade too. We have all come a long way with Fairtrade, through universities, schools, churches, local groups and communities, under the guidance of the Foundation. You can read all about it on Fairtrade.org.uk. As part of its celebration, Fairtrade Foundation UK has moved its Fairtrade Fortnight to Monday, 9 September to Sunday, 22 September, the idea being that towns and communities will come together throughout the country during this time. Further details will be available in the Summer edition of Community News. Fairtrade Lingfield and Dormansland met with a group of locals, who described to them the purpose of a Fairtrade Group, to support farmers and growers in developing world so they are paid properly. This is where Fairtrade International enters, prepares rules, makes the regulations work, and ensures they are enforced to the benefit of growers and their families. We’ll hear no doubt about all this in Fairtrade Fortnight, September. Meanwhile, Lingfield and Dormansland will be moving forward with our next Big Brew and Spring Market on 9 March 2024, at Lingfield Community Centre, in our endeavours to raise funds for the revised charity Transform Trade (formerly known as Traidcraft Exchange). Small farmers in Africa and India gain the benefit of this, getting about £150 a time, and we hope it helps to sustain them. There have been some changes in our local group over the years, some members have left the village, livelihoods have changed, but we’re still going strong. Neighbours support our events. Of those still here, thank you for all your wonderful efforts for Fairtrade and the farmers and growers it services. It serves those of us in this country too who enjoy the fruits of all our labour. Thank you everyone!
26 Lingfield Nature Reserves: lifting the gloom with bloom We’re very much looking forward to 2024 and seeing how our various recent projects develop to make the reserves even richer for wildlife. One of our biggest efforts was the planting of 150 trees of various species around the perimeter of Beacon Field. We held a tree planting event in November for National Tree Week which was well attended. Among the trees provided for free by Surrey County Council were about 30 sweet cherries and the same number of birches. They should look magnificent one day, and maybe we will become as famous for cherry trees as Dormansland. We have also begun to create a wildflower meadow in the “triangle” in Jenners Field next to the skate park. At the moment it just looks like bare mud – but if you look closely you will see hundreds of tiny seedlings sprouting. There are also individual plants of oxeye daisy, betony, devil’s bit scabious, and ragged robin which have been translocated from our wonderful meadow in the Quiet Garden. This year will be one of establishment so do not expect to see many flowers. We will be mowing it regularly to encourage strong root growth. Last year we did quite a lot of work in Coldharbour Copse where several trees were either pollarded or coppiced to create small glades within the woodland. These areas were sown with wild flower seed which has formed a green carpet on what was formerly bare ground under the shade of the trees. Expect to see drifts of foxgloves, red campion and greater birdsfoot trefoil in late Spring to add to the bluebells and primroses we have been seeding for many years. It is important to keep to the footpaths to avoid trampling these delicate plants. One project which has made incredible progress is the new hedge in Bloomers field. It is now three years since it was planted, and it flowered and berried for the first time in 2023. This year promises to be even better as the trees have doubled in size and should be a riot of blossom this year. The hedge planting was designed specifically with birds and butterflies in mind. It contains two tree species which are butterfly food plants: alder buckthorn for brimstone and blackthorn for brown hairstreak. What is particularly satisfying is that we already know that brown hairstreaks are laying eggs on the hedge as we recently counted 20 in this one 80 metre stretch. This is a high number and suggests a healthy and thriving population of this beautiful and elusive butterfly.
27 You may have noticed that the area around the allotment and butterfly garden is not as dark as it was. We have been progressively removing non-native and invasive evergreens such as laurel and rhododendron and coppicing some of the holly. The aim is to let in more light and create a bluebell wood with an understorey of hazel. This will be better for butterflies and other wildlife. The squirrels have already begun planting the hazels for us but hopefully we will be planting young trees next Winter to speed up the process. In June we will probably be holding a bluebell seed gathering event (with landowners permission) in a local wood for seeding this area. Feel free to come along. We are very aware that development pressure threatens the long-term future of the reserves and are determined to do what we can to ensure that they remain connected to the wider countryside and to encourage the creation of nature rich corridors locally. The Lingfield Nature Reserves Committee are the lead organisation in a farm cluster with the aim of restoring and creating connected wildlife rich habitats locally. We are called an Eden for Nature and recently applied to the 2023 DEFRA landscape recovery scheme. Unfortunately, we were unsuccessful but remain committed to these aims and are currently seeking funding to help us to prepare and organise should we find further opportunities like the landscape recovery scheme in the future. Watch this space. Related to this, we know there is interest locally in having some of our roadside verges and other public spaces managed for pollinators and wildflowers to form stepping stones for biodiversity across the village. The nature reserves are well placed to help with advice, native seed and wildflower plants having successfully created some remarkable wildflower areas in the nature reserves over the last 25 years. If you are interested in this idea and know a verge near you that you would like to see managed in this way, please get in touch. Our work parties are held on the last Sunday of every month, and we meet in the wildlife area outside the allotment gates at 10am. Everyone is welcome. Please email [email protected]. if you have any queries and wish to contact us.
28 5 Food Standard Agency Rating Registered Charity No 1165840 Are you aware of our Meals on Wheels service in Lingfield, Dormansland, Felcourt and Crowhurst? • Struggling with cooking at home? • Can’t get out to the shops? • Full time carer for a spouse or parent? • In need of post hospital recovery service? We offer: • Freshly cooked nutritious hot lunches Monday-Thursday • Fish and Chips option on Friday • Cooking & Delivery by local volunteers • A visit each day from a friendly face • Fresh local produce • Flexible meal plans with payment weekly or monthly • Main course £3.50 (Pudding 60p) • Fish & Chips £6.00 Call for a chat if you would like to discuss the service and find out about our seasonally changing menu. Call the number below. You can leave a message if we don’t answer we’ll return your call. Meals on Wheels kitchen: 07504481289 The Jennings Hall, Lingfield & Dormansland Community Centre, Surrey, RH7 6AB www.lingfieldcentre.org
29 HCPC Registered Chiropodist/Podiatrist Emma Victoria Westers BSc. (Hons.) MChS. 01342 834454 www.centre4feet.co.uk 1 Ray Lane, Blindley Heath, Lingfi eld, Surrey RH7 6LH Warts & Verrucae? Treat them with the new quick, precise & easy way with Swift® Available in your local area from Putting your feet fi rst… SECOND 5TREATMENT NO ANAESTHETIC NO DRESSINGS
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33 Lingfield’s Neighbourhood Watch: An overview The NW network in the Lingfield area operates on three distinct platforms: Street Watches There are several Watches in Lingfield, Dormansland, Dormans Park, Crowhurst and Felcourt. Anyone can create a Watch for three or more properties with a coordinator and it is up to the members to decide how it will operate, for example: ● For residents to keep an eye on each other’s property when the owners are away ● To share information about local crime, anti-social behaviour, and scams ● To organise/publicise local non-commercial events ● To organise and run activities such as a book club, babysitting circle, dog walking A Watch can cover part or all of a street, and there is no charge for setting it up. Social Media Lingfield & Area Neighbourhood Watch is a public group on Facebook which carries weekly reports of crime and police activity in Tandridge, and the latest scams. The group is moderated, and anyone can join wherever they live. Comnet (Community Network) A private email network for folk who do not use social media. It is free to join and use and respects the users’ privacy. Comnet serves to: ● Link the NW street coordinators throughout the area ● Circulate Tandridge Police and other crime reports and scam warnings ● Publicise local non-commercial activities such as clubs, festivals, and fundraising for charities There is no charge for using the network which includes households beyond Lingfield and adjacent parishes e.g., Newchapel, Blindley Heath, Horne and South Godstone. For further information or guidance on the creation of a new street watch, please contact me by email at [email protected]. Geoff Ledden, Regional Coordinator
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35 Lingfield Sports Association There is at last some very good news from the village sports club. For many years the sports ground on Godstone Road has suffered in the winter from the field becoming heavily waterlogged and therefore unfit for use. The drainage system that once existed ceased to function efficiently many years ago, and this has meant that often in recent years the football club have not been able to play their home fixtures there for many weeks. During the whole of the last winter season, in fact, it was so bad that only 14 matches could be played there, across all three of their senior teams. Sadly, this winter no senior matches are taking place there and instead the football club is ground sharing with Horley. The extremely good news, however, is that we have at last secured funding which will enable us to have a fresh drainage system installed to help drain the whole field. We are now close to finalising contracts and hope that in spring the weather will improve sufficiently to allow the work to be carried out. On top of this, we have agreed heads of terms with Tandridge District Council for a new 25 year lease on the ground. This, we anticipate will enable us to apply for further grant funding to replace, or at least renovate and expand the pavilion. Our existing lease is due to expire in just 14 months and thus makes us ineligible for many of the available grant schemes. The new lease will also include the field to the north of the main field and we hope that this will allow us eventually to expand our activities, possibly including other sports besides the cricket and football that already take place there. With these new developments we are changing our name and once the new lease becomes effective will operate as Lingfield Sports Club. Lingfield Cricket Club. The cricket club will hold it’s Annual General Meeting on 8th February at the Newchapel cricket pavilion, rather than at the main ground on Godstone Road. We are running our usual Junior Winter Development Programme from January to April at Lingfield College Sports Hall, and senior nets will start in February. There will also be winter training for the women as this year will see them playing even more matches than before. For the last ten years our 1st and 2nd XIs have been competing in the Surrey League while the 3rd and 4th XIs (using the Newchapel ground) have been in the Sussex League. At the end of last year we decided to withdraw the 1s and 2s from Surrey and from the coming season will play all our senior league sides in the Sussex League. The reason for the change is that the Surrey League involved considerable travel, often into London requiring leaving early and returning late. One of our members has been delving into our past and the first reference he
36 One in a Million There are countless Meals On Wheels groups across the country in Towns and Villages, whose volunteers give up their time in order to help others. I have worked with the Lingfield and Dormansland Meals on Wheels group since 2014. I must say that in all the places I have worked, I have never known one that runs like clockwork as this group does. I believe this is because of the stellar work carried out by the volunteers: the trustees, cooks, helpers, washer uppers and delivery team. To be able to keep things running and providing such a service to others there is a great amount of work that goes on behind the scenes: ● the menus are changed daily and contain fresh seasonal vegetables and fruit for puddings, and are so good that any great chef would be proud to serve them; ● stores and purchasing to ensure all the ingredients are ready each day for the volunteer cooks; ● kitchen equipment is in order and running smoothly; ● finance and accounting, to ensure the group has funds available. Lastly, A Christmas Day lunch was cooked and served in the hall and a great time was had by all, sharing laughter and gifts on the day. A big thank you to everyone who helped. I still work there once a week and will do so until I can no longer do a good job. My years with everyone have been happy, working with such a dedicated group of people and I feel it’s been a great honour to know each one. I started this with Lingfield and Dormansland Meals on Wheels being “One in A Million” – I like to think of them as my “Special One in a Million”. Joyce Barnes. has found to Lingfield CC as a formal club with elected officers is 1887. There are, however several very much earlier references to cricket in Lingfield in the 18th century. In 1828 the Lingfield Union Club played cricket against Westerham on Lingfield Bowling Green. (Does anyone know where that was?). In 1872 a Lingfield home game against Copthorne was played at The Star Commercial Inn. We are always pleased to welcome new members to our thriving club. We run league and friendly teams, and include men, women, girls and boys from 4 to 74. This year our women’s teams will play both soft ball and hard ball. See www.lingfield.play-cricket for more information or call Robert on 07767 231504
37 Dormansland’s trees prove to be more mobile that you’d think ‘The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you don’t expect to sit’ Nelson Henderson Three new trees had an unexpected overnight stay on one side of the Mutton Hill/Station Road crossroads in Dormansland until moved to the correct side of the road. It seems contractors need some help with map reading! After a couple of weeks settling in one was nearly flattened by a car accident, which demolished the road sign and bench, but luckily the tree survived. The lonesome tree along Moor Lane was not so lucky after its brush with a car – after nearly dying at several points last year it was finally flattened. But the good news is it will be replaced in the Spring. Elsewhere in the village, mainly in the New Farthingdale estate, 16 trees of different types were planted in several locations to add colour and greenery to some areas, and with all the recent rain are getting well-watered. With the support of Dormansland Parish Council we will continue to look for other areas, but if you have a specific request, please get in touch Happy New Year to you all - Fiona French, Dormansland Tree Warden
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