Issue 77 Summer 2023 Many thanks to our sponsor, The South of England Agricultural Society Village Voice Over 150 things to see and do at this year’s South of England Show The South of England Show is just around the corner, coming back to the Showground from 9th-11th June for its 55th year and offering visitors the chance to connect with the countryside and enjoy a fantastic day out. With a non-stop programme of agricultural and equestrian displays, country pursuits, live entertainment, rural crafts, horticulture, and a variety of food, drink, and shopping opportunities, there is something for all ages. This year’s show promises to be bigger and better, with over 150 things to do and see. Highlights include Bolddog Lings motocross stunt displays, international show jumping, heavy horse displays, cookery workshops for kids, scurry driving competitions, equine showing classes, livestock competitions, a Shetland Grand National, and a variety of other exciting activities. Tickets are available from www.seas.org.uk (inclusive of 10% advance discount until 1st June). Ardingly residents can get a further 10% off, and after 1st June, will get 20% off the full price. Children under 16 and Members go free. To get your unique discount code please message @SouthEngShows on social media, email [email protected] or call 01444 892700. To minimise traffic disruption, the Society will be implementing a temporary traffic regulation order restricting parking which will significantly improve the flow of traffic into the show. Parking will be provided for residents in Red and North Car Parks. It’s been a busy year for the Society already. Thousands of visitors were treated to a unique and enjoyable experience at Spring Live! which featured live and interactive entertainment for all. The rainy Sunday didn’t stop the show from going ahead, and the public didn’t let the British weather get in the way of a fun family day out. Following great success in 2022, the team is busy organising the 2nd Autumn Show & International Horse Trials on 23rd & 24th September, their annual Farming Conference on 1st November and the Winter Fair on 18th & 19th November. The Society’s Education Committee held the 25th annual Jim Green Challenge in March with over 70 students and adults with additional educational needs participating in practical competitions and evidence-based work. Their Loan a Lamb scheme ran for a 2nd year, this time providing almost 4,000 children across 11 schools in the region the opportunity to care for an ewe and her lambs for a week. The Society owned South of England Event Centre has also seen a busy year, with some exciting events planned for 2023 by client hirers – see www.southofenglandeventcentre.co.uk/events or follow @SouthEngEvents. For further information on the recent work to review external event processes, in co-operation with Ardingly Parish Council, see the separate article in this publication.
2 Dates For Your Diary 2023 Please note that the village calendar is on www.ardingly.org. Should you have an event to add, please contact the Parish Clerk. June 5 Meeting Point , Hapstead Hall 9, 10 & 11 South of England Show, Showground 13 Parish Council Meeting, Hapstead Hall 17 Jolly Good Festival., Showground 18 Charity Craft Market, Family Fun Day, Dog Show, Showground 19 Meeting Point, Hapsted Hall 20 Antiques & Collectors Fair, Showground 22 Film Club, Hapstead Hall 30 Carry On Camp out, Showground July 3 Meeting Point, Hapstead Hall 11 Parish Council Meeting, Hapstead Hall 12 Ardingly Village Lunch, Hapstead Hall 17 Meeting Point, Hapstead Hall 18 Antiques & Collectors Fair, Showground 22 & 23 The Land Rover Social, Showground 23 Vintage Toy & Train Collectors Fair, Showground 30 Classic Bike Show, Showground 31 Meeting Point, Hapstead Hall August 5 Ardingly Summerfest, Showground 19 & 20 Truckfest Southeast, Showground The Ardingly Village Voice is published by The Ardingly Parish Council ISSN 2517-2301 For our Autumn issue, please submit all content to [email protected] by Friday 4th August. Should you have an advertising enquiry please email or call 01444 892085 to discuss. Many thanks to everyone who supports and contributes. Sharon & William Pradel—Editors Spring Live! Ticket Entry Winner Congratulations to Phillipa Hoyle who was picked for the Spring Live! Family Ticket. She says “that you enter these things and never expect to win ” She is delighted to have won as she has lived in Ardingly for 20 years and has never been to the show. Your Parish Clerk Kathy James - Acting Clerk: [email protected] Your Parish Councillors Chris Hotblack 07738282503/[email protected] Rowena Chalk: [email protected] James Horsman: [email protected] David Port: [email protected] Margaret Meldrum: [email protected] Brian Strutton: [email protected] Nicky Brown: [email protected] Dale West: contact details to be confirmed Clive Guy : contact details to be confirmed Will Meldrum: contact details to be confirmed Roy Simmonds: contact details to be confirmed Your Mid Sussex District Councillors Jenny Edwards: 892 594/[email protected] Gary Marsh: 811 320/[email protected] Your West Sussex County Councillors Bruce Forbes: [email protected] Parish Council Message Sometimes, the ‘wheels of democracy’ appear to move slowly; at other, one can’t help wondering where the time has gone! As I write this, we are currently awaiting the outcome of the local elections that took place. For the first time for many years, Ardingly had more people standing for election that there are places on the Council – 17 people stood for 11 places. It is wonderful to see such interest in stepping forward to work to support the village in this way. Almost inevitably, it will mean that some who have been parish councillors will cease to be so going forward. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their willingness to shoulder this responsibility. It is never straightforward and, sometimes, can appear to be a thankless task. However, all those who have stood, and still stand as Parish Councillors offer their help in looking after the village and all its residents. To any and all new councillors, I wish you the very best going forward. We have exciting times ahead, I have no doubt, and I am certain you will enjoy being part of it. In other news, the Council has been working with the South of England Agricultural Society (SEAS) to look at how events at the Showground can be managed to minimise disruption to village life and maximise enjoyment. You will see the results of this work in the Communiqué published in this edition of Village Voice. This explains how SEAS will plan, notify and manage events so that residents have prior notification and minimal disruption. Of course, we will need to continue to work together with SEAS to ensure that the plans are helpful and meet the agreed aims – it is a ‘live’ document and will be monitored and discussed at the regular meetings with SEAS. Our Parish Clerk, Bernadette Cox, left her post at the end of February 2023 to take up a new role. I would like to thank Bernie for her work with the Council and wish her well for the future and particularly in her new job. For the time being, we have an Acting Clerk, Kathy James, who will cover the post until a permanent replacement is appointed. Derek Stutchbury - Chairman
3 In Loving Memory—Barbara Monk Ken and Barbara bought the Post office in Ardingly in 1968. After 28 years in the post office they decided to retire so built and designed a house in Price Way where they had 26 happy years. Retirement enabled them to take off on their travels but to also continue to be involved in many village organisations. In 2021 they moved to Newick but remained involved with several Ardingly organisations. Barbara was involved in many societies, organisations and charities in Ardingly, and whichever organisation or event was being held she would demonstrate energy and enthusiasm and her organisational skills were brilliant. In 1998 Barbara and a few close friends started the Village lunches. She would help to organise the menu, do the shopping, some of the cooking, and try to make things run smoothly. These lunches are still popular and we know she was very proud of them and was pleased that they continue in very capable hands. Memories of Barbara….. Barbara will be much missed as a friend and those of us who produce the Village Lunches will continue to remember her and “do it her way.” From Rosemary Hodgson Barbara worked hard for this Village. That is how I got to know her. We did many events together. When we started the Village Lunch , I got to know her very well. We did many things together, and I miss you, Barbara. From Julie Wooley I first met Barbara and Ken when I moved into the village in 1975, when they were running the Post Office. Barbara was a founder member of Ardingly Evening W.I. and was a committee member for a number of years. Our friendship developed and when George and I moved into the village in 1988 and I joined W.I. Barbara was there. We became friends sharing family events, eventually joining the Village Lunch Team. From Deb Ruse Ken, Carolyn and family would like to thank everyone for their lovely cards, support and kind messages following the passing of Barbara. We have been so very touched and overwhelmed by all the wonderful tributes to her. A particular thanks to John Crutchley for all his help and guidance during this sad time. Ardingly Village Lunch This was an idea set up in 1998 to use the village lunch to provide funds for a party on the millennium. It was set up by 4 couples Barbara and Ken Monk, Margaret and Mike Veasey, Julie and Cliff Wooley, and Rosemary and Martyn Hodgson. Unfortunately, the millennium party never happened but the original stalwarts continued afterwards on a regular basis. Covid put paid to meetings for about 2 years. Sadly, Margaret and Cliff passed away and more recently Barbara who had taken the lead sadly passed away this year. We are pleased to say Rosemary and Martyn along with Mike continue to be part of the team. It also consists of Deb and George Ruse, Caroline Rich and we have now recruited extra willing volunteers to help with setting up, preparation and general duties. We meet 6 times a year and aim to provide a two-course home cooked meal. We were pleased to be awarded a food hygiene rating of 5 in September 2022 by the Food Safety Officer. Upcoming dates—starts at 12noon. Wednesday July 12th, Wednesday October 4th, Wednesday December 13th. Tickets are available from Ardingly News or call 01444892717. Please purchase early as it makes life simpler for catering numbers. Tickets will be £ 8 and £ 10 at Christmas (pricing TBC)
4 The children at St. Peter’s are proving to be excellent bakers, with not one but two cake sales since the start of the year. An eruption of hundreds and thousands, mini gems and chocolate buttons raised nearly £200 for the school. They are also adept at choosing presents. The Mother’s Day shop raised another £100, so thank you to everyone for their contributions. As far as we know, no-one received the same goods back that they donated… Thankfully the children were absent from the always popular quiz; but only so they couldn’t see the adults struggle with some fiendish geography questions. The film and music rounds proved to be the deciders, with the impromptu group singing a definite and unexpected bonus. Such prosecco based merriment helped to raise over £500, but did leave people wondering how Pretty Woman didn’t win an Oscar. The accompanying games brought out the competitive edge in people, and in the case of ‘roll the pound coin’ - an impressive array of pre-game stretches, superstitions and pep talks, as if this was on a par with the FA Cup Final. We are so fortunate to be the school right in the middle of the Ardingly community and part of St Peter’s Church. Our Easter celebrations, like many other events, marked this link by having a celebratory service at the church, which parents and carers attended. Our children had the opportunity to participate by singing, reading and generally sharing in the joyful Easter message. After the Easter break, we returned to a very busy programme at school. Alongside all the learning and teaching that happens every day, we had lots of other exciting things happening, sport, cookery, visits…. There is really no time to be bored! Our sporting activities include so many different sports, it is pretty much certain that something will appeal to everyone! What about badminton, anyone? Or tennis, swimming, cricket – including Kwik cricket. Sports Day is also scheduled for the Summer term, weather permitting. Of course, this term, slightly earlier than normal, our year 6 pupils will take the Statutory Assessment Tests for Key Stage 2 (SATs in KS2). These are the assessments that happen every year and we wish all our y6 pupils the very best of luck as they take these. They are well prepared and we know they will enjoy demonstrating what they know and have learned at St Peter’s. Doubtless they will also enjoy the reward we have planned for all their efforts – a morning spent paddleboarding and kayaking on Ardingly Reservoir!
5 Ardingly Parish Council & South of England Event Centre Working Together To support its charitable aims, each year the South of England Agricultural Society runs four seasonal shows of its own, as well as numerous educational events and initiatives, and owns and operates the South of England Event Centre which hires space on the showground for a number of external events to be run by third party hirers. A number of the events held in recent years have caused understandable distress to some neighbouring residents. As a result, the South of England Event Centre has thoroughly reviewed its processes and procedures with external event management consultants with the aim of minimising any unnecessary disturbance. The way forward Well managed events will benefit the charitable aims of the Society and enrich the life of the village. Well managed events require: • Prior assessment of any proposed event organiser using a ‘Traffic Light’ system to determine whether a proposed event should go ahead, including: • Risk assessments and • Valid references from previous venues • Well defined event management contractual obligations for all event organisers. • Noise management. Continuous and peak noise limits will be set, monitored and enforced by independent SEAS approved security staff • Traffic management. Sufficient traffic lanes and marshals inside the showground to quickly move traffic onto their parking places and reduce queuing traffic on nearby roads • Parking management. • Parking fees will be strongly encouraged to be included at point of booking or within ticket prices, and not at the gates, to reduce queues • Parking signage will be increased in advance of the gates to identify ‘Parking this way’ or ‘Free event parking’ • TTROs will be applied for where needed to allow verges to be cordoned off and certain roads to have temporary parking restrictions • Anti-social behaviour management • Replace fencing around Red Car Park to ensure attendees cannot access public areas. • Ensure clean-up operations start on public areas immediately the morning after an event • Adequate security provision for the duration of the event A South of England Event Centre Event Manager to be present at all Events Summary Ardingly Parish Council (APC) has been in regular communication with the South of England Agricultural Society and the South of England Event Centre. It supports these measures and believes that successful implementation of them will allow a range of events to be held that both benefit the charitable aims of the Society and enrich the lives of the village without causing undue disturbance to the village. Residents can find out what public events are on at the Showground by going to the website at www.southofenglandeventcentre.co.uk/events Ardingly W.I. Continues to grow , with new committee members . We were all saddened by the loss of our treasurer Barbara Monk. As a founder member her support and guidance will be sorely missed. New members are always welcome, our meetings are on the third Thursday of the month. We have a book and a Knit and Knatter groups. Details are on our Facebook page and on the notice board outside the hall.
6 Ardingly Connected Together Ardingly Connected Together continues to work closely with the village community, looking to support, help and connect us together (a clue in the name, possibly!). Yet again, we were fortunate with the weather and were able to hold our Easter Egg hunt on Easter Sunday. Over 500 eggs and bags of egg-shaped sweets were hidden in the village. It was great to see people out enjoying a walk round our beautiful village and finding the eggs as a reward! We were very grateful, too, to St Peter’s Preschool for being on hand to offer refreshments, either to fuel people at the start or revive them at the finish. (The sausage rolls deserve a special mention – thank you to the chef!) As a group, we have worked with others to organise some celebratory events for the Coronation weekend. There was a BBQ and bonfire on the recreation ground on Saturday evening, an open-air service on Sunday morning, ‘bring and share’ picnic on the rec on Sunday afternoon and then a concert in Hapstead Hall early Sunday evening. After all that excitement (and food!), we helped with the Big Clean Up on Monday – lots of groups and individuals joined together to clean and tidy the village – it was fun! It is important for us that the village is able to connect and have fun. However, we are also aware that things are not always easy for everyone, particularly at this time of financial difficulty. We are still able to provide our food delivery service for those in need. If you are experiencing difficulty, or know of someone who might appreciate a helping hand, please do contact us and we will do what we can to offer support. What’s On at Hapstead Hall After focusing on the use of the Hall as a Warm Space over the winter months, there are some new events underway as well as the regular activities. Music Bus entertains toddlers on Friday mornings, gentle yoga takes place on Monday evenings and it’s hoped that the ‘Coronation Concert’ featuring live music and DJ set can become a regular fixture. A new remote heating control system has been installed to reduce energy costs and help to keep the Hall at a comfortable temperature for users. To see what else goes on at Hapstead Hall, take a l o o k a t o u r r e v a m p e d w e b s i t e , www.hapsteadhall.co.uk or contact the clerk, [email protected] Thank you to everyone who supports events at Hapstead Hall! Hapstead Hall (Reg. Charity No. 305158)
7 Ardingly Celebrates King Charles III Coronation
8 Sri Lankan Butternut Squash Curry—Serves 3 people This curry is a delicious and wholesome vegetarian dish that's easy to make at home. and it's perfect for those who want a taste of Sri Lankan cuisine in the comfort of their own kitchen. Ed Ikin, Director of Wakehurst presenting the oak tree to Parish Councillor Chris Hotblack Wakehurst has kindly donated an oak tree to Ardingly village in celebration of the coronation of King Charles III. The tree will remain at Wakehurst until the autumn when it's the right season to be planted. If any of our parishioners would like to contribute with suggestions on where the tree should be planted then please contact the Parish Council: [email protected]. We would love to hear from you. The Parish Council would like to take the opportunity to thank Wakehurst for their ongoing support to the village. We have lots of exciting projects coming up including another Green Week in September where Wakehurst will be dedicating the entire week to Ardingly to help improve the horticulture in our village. We will also be working together on a wonderful green space in the centre of the village so look out for news on this nearer the time. Vivien McCaig Method Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add mustard and cumin seeds; cook until they start to pop. Add onion, garlic, and ginger; cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in turmeric, coriander, curry powder, cinnamon, and chili powder; cook for 1-2 minutes. Add butternut squash; mix well to coat with spices. Pour in coconut milk and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until squash is tender. Season with salt, garnish with fresh coriander and curry leaves, and serve with rice or flatbread. Enjoy! Ingredients 1 tbsp vegetable oil 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed 1 onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 tbsp ginger, grated 1 tsp mustard seeds 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp turmeric 1 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp curry powder 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp chili powder (adjust to taste) 1 can (400ml) coconut milk 1 cup water Salt, to taste and Fresh coriander, for garnish Curry leaves (optional) Recipe inspired by Curry Leaf Food Truck, Ardingly
9 Ardingly Old Jeshwang Association After a necessarily long time since anyone from the U.K. has had the opportunity to visit the Clinic, largely due to COVID, we finally managed to fly down for a 4-day stay at the beginning of March. Accompanying me were Margaret Dale, Glynis Doerr and David Ogilvie (David was the original architect of the building). It was of course an emotional journey for both Margaret and Glynis but I am sure that they were pleased to see the progress that has been made in the interim by Cherno Yaddeh, the General Administrator and his team and that the Clinic appears well on its way to reaching the fruition of John Dale’s initial vision and of Steve Doerr’s dogged determination during some very challenging years. The Centre is now fully computerised, logs every patient when they first register, followed by a record of every visit they make, and their individual medical records. The Centre has in excess of 29000 individuals registered, and not just from Old Jeshwang but now draws patients from a much wider community! Naturally, there is still much to be done – principally we need to extend our Delivery Suite which is why David’s presence was critical. In addition, although a lower priority to the possible extension, are two additions to the Path Lab’s equipment (to enable some tests which currently have to be sent elsewhere, to be effected on site), a solar-powered water system and, if possible, an ambulance to replace the current one which is becoming unreliable. All in all, very encouraging but sill much to do! Thank you for your support.
10 The LRC team is excited to announce that Lindfield Repair Café will have a stall at Village Day on Lindfield Common on Saturday 3rd June. This is a great opportunity for more people to learn how the Repair Cafe works and a chance for anyone with a bit of spare time to find out about helping as a volunteer. Building on an already well-established team, the organisers are always keen to hear from anyone who would like to get involved. They need skilled repairers for household electrical items, furniture/wooden items, china/pottery, jewellery, clothing/textiles, bikes, computers, radios, clocks and toys. There are also roles in admin, cake-making, serving refreshments, welcoming visitors and allocating repair jobs and of course setting up and clearing away! If you are interested now or might be in the future do go along and have a chat. The team are also delighted to be able to offer clock repairs again and thank visitors for their patience. At the April event a record-breaking 107 repairs were carried out on items. There will be no Repair Cafe in August as the volunteers take a well-earned break at a time when many people are away or occupied with family activities. Lindfield Repair Cafe is also proud to offer computer repairs: They don’t carry spares, so physical repairs aren’t usually practical, but they can help with many technical issues that may be making you think about replacing your device prematurely. Don’t forget the power supply! The next Lindfield Repair Cafe will be held on Saturday 10th June and there after the first Saturday of the month (excluding August) at the United Reformed Church, 52 High Street, Lindfield, from 10am to 1pm.—Please check our website/ social media pages for the latest updates. We hope our “Senior Citizens ’’ in the village enjoyed their Hyacinth bulb gifted from the Rainbows and Brownies. These were planted last Autumn and kept in a friend’s garage over the winter. If you or anyone you know did not receive one please let Brown Owl know so you can be added to our extensive list! We plant in excess of 240! We would like to thank Imberhorne Lane Nursery East Grinstead and Southon Plants Nursery Dormansland for donating the square plant pots. We are always pleased to have pots returned for upcoming planting in the Autumn. We are planning for our activity day at Blacklands Farm, East Grinstead. The older members are sleeping over with swimming on the Sunday. The Summer term sees us out and about enjoying the lovely countryside around us. We have visited Hapstead Woods to see the lovely bluebells and learnt about Wild Garlic pesto! The Coronation will also feature in our programme this term. Ardingly Guides continue to meet on a Tuesday night 7.15pm-8.30pm. We always welcome new members aged 10-14. Last term we had a photography evening, bowling and completed Girlguiding Unit Meeting Activities. We have another fun packed activities planned for this term. If you want to get in touch please go to: www.girlguiding.org.uk/information-for-parents/register-achild/
11 Wordsearch—Ardingly Crossword (Answers on next edition) Café Hapstead Showground College Hett St Peters Cricket High Street Tailors Fellows Peking Chef Wakehurst Football Pub Parish Council Puzzle Corner Sudokus— Level—Medium
12 Local Telephone Numbers (01444) EDUCATION Angels & Urchins Toddler Group 892 442 Ardingly Activity Centre 892 549 Ardingly College 893 000 Ardingly College Music School 893 271 St Peter’s C of E Primary School 892 314 St Peter’s Pre-School 07969 890 907 WORSHIP St Peter’s Anglican Church 892 332 SHOPS Ardingly Café 891 113 Ardingly News Shop 891 174 AV Cars 892 288/07949 094167 Dandylion Style 07961 314637 Fellows Bakery 892 257 Gatwick Scuba 891 402 Peking Chef Takeaway 892 333 SF Tailoring 07949 707283 Studio 5 Hairdresser 892 602 MEDICAL Lindfield Medical Centre 484 056 SPORTS Ardingly Activity Centre 892 549 Badminton Club 892 203 Cricket Club 892 733 Football Club 891 010 Short Mat Bowls 892 717 Swimming Club 892 113 Tennis Club 891 193 Tennis Courts for Hire 892 064 SOCIAL/HOBBIES Ardingly Connect Together 891 047 Ardingly History Society 483 363 Ardingly Allotments 891 917 Ardingly Twinning Association 892 012 Ardingly Village Club 892 457 Ardingly Women’s Institute 892 717 Ardingly British Legion 892 313 Housebound Reader Service (HH Library) 255 444 JK Theatre Arts 07504 059640 Koorana Centre, Sayso Hall 07913 724183 South of England Agricultural Society 892 700 Tanzen Dance Academy 07894116254 Wakehurst 894 066 YOUTH GROUPS Ardingly Beavers/Cubs/Scouts 892 769 Ardingly Guides/Rainbows/Brownies 892 717 CHARITIES Ardingly Old Jeshwang Association 892 113 Imara-Uganda Education Fund 892 368 NSPCC 892 692 PUBS Ardingly Inn 892 214 Gardeners Arms 892 328 HALLS FOR HIRE Hapstead Hall, Jon Pearce 07565 098312 [email protected] Cricket Pavilion 226 209 St Peter’s Church Centre 416 707 Koorana Centre, Sayso Hall 07913 724183