and more - Viva Lewes

hum nvoice 

awoman’s life and love 

performed by soprano 

Ruth Kerr 

directed for the stage by 

Neil Brown 

Exciting new music-theatre company 

humanvoice presents a unique 

dramatisation of Robert Schumann's 

celebrated song cycle Frauenliebe 

und Leben. 

For more information visit: 

www.humanvoice.org.uk 

6th, 7th & 9th May at 8pm • 20th, 21st, 22nd & 23rd May at 6pm 

TICKETS: £8.50, available online at: www.oldcourtroomproductions.com 

or by calling 01273 775461 or the Fringe Box Office on 01273 782276 

VENUE: The Old Courtroom, 118 Church Street, Brighton, BN1 1UD

7-17. Election Special. Parliamentary 

candidates question time 

19. Letters. A mysterious turkey, 

and opposing views on Tesco 

31. My Lewes. High Sheriff Deborah 

Bedford 

33. Photo of the Month. Seaford’s 

kittiwake colony 

34. Lewes in History. Simon de 

Montfort, Shakespeare’s missed 

trick 

39. Charleston. Upstairs downstairs 

memories from John Higgens 

41. Charleston. Playwright Alan 

Bennett’s in town 

43. Glyndebourne. The fat lady’s 

clearing her throat 

45. Garland Day. A Victorian tradition, 

revisited 

47. Art. Tracey Emin… and 

Stephen Fry 

49. Art. Focus on… Andrzej Jackowski’s 

The Present Remembered 

The Team 

Issue 44. May 2010. 

V I V A L E W E S contents 

51. Art. Five Antony Gormleys hit 

the roof in Bexhill 

53. Cinema. Alice in the Cities, 

and other tales of displacement 

55. Meadowlands Festival. Glasto, 

Glynde style 

57. Diary dates. Grease is the 

word… at Plumpton racecourse 

60. Gig guide. Pandemonium at 

the Dripping Pan, and much more 

63. Food. Bubble and squeak at the 

Giant’s Rest 

67. Food. Parmesan custard at 197 

68. Food. Bill Collison’s al fresco 

breakfast tips 

71. Food. Viva Lewes’ Nibbler 

goes up in smoke 

73. Food. Kids’ kitchen 

75. Viva Family. It’s May, so the 

Pells is open. Brrrrilliant 

77. Antiques Roadshow. How 

much are our family heirlooms 

worth? 

EDITOR: Alex Leith alex@vivalewes.com 

DEPUTY EDITOR: Emma Chaplin emmachaplin@vivalewes.com 

SUB-EDITOR: David Jarman 

DESIGNER: Katie Moorman katie@vivalewes.com 

ADVERTISING MANAGER: Steve Watts steve@vivalewes.com 

ADVERTISING SALES: Lisa Bullen lisa@vivalewes.com 

PUBLISHER: Nick Williams nick@vivalewes.com. 

Viva Lewes is based at Pipe Passage, 151b High Street, Lewes, BN7 1XU 

79. Day out. Day in, more like. We 

follow Time Out’s Lewes advice 

80. Viva Village. Wilmington, 

Long Man and all 

83. Sports fixtures. Christ, the 

cricket season’s started 

85 Football. Steve Ibbitson’s endof-season 

report 

87. Fitness. A walk on the 

Downs… in the dark 

89 Bricks and Mortar. The Linklater 

Pavilion, the new gateway to 

the railway land 

91. Literary Sussex. The local adventures 

of Sherlock Holmes 

93. Column. Beth Miller is Queen 

of the castle 

95. Shopping. Picnic season’s upon 

us: invest in a flask 

99. Trade Secrets. Returning Officer 

John Crawford 

114. Inside Left. Polling day, 1880 

For information about advertising or events you would like to see publicised, call 01273 488882 or e-mail info@vivalewes.com 

Every care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of our content. The Viva Lewes Handbook cannot be held responsible for any 

omissions, errors or alterations. 

3

4 

EDITORIAL 

As you will have gathered, the general election will be 

fought on May 6th, with Lib Dem Norman Baker defending 

the seat he has held since May 1997 against 

an across-the-board array of other candidates. 

Baker, of course, has been a columnist for this magazine 

since its first issue, though in the spirit of democracy 

he has opted not to contribute a piece this 

month. 

Instead he is one of six parliamentary 

candidates who 

have answered our call to respond 

to eight questions we 

have posed to them. In the 

same spirit of democracy, after 

much discussion, we also 

asked a seventh candidate, 

the BNP’s David Lloyd, if he 

THIS MONTH’S COVER 

wanted to take part in the debate. Either the BNP’s 

South East press department failed to inform him of 

our request, or he decided not to return our call. 

Everybody at Viva Lewes has an opinion on who 

they want to win the seat, though we wouldn’t presume 

to try to persuade our readers, which way they 

should vote. But we do urge them to vote. It was on 

the field of battle at Lewes that Simon de Montfort 

forced upon King Henry III the first ‘elected’ Parliament 

(though it was a very different beast to today’s 

House); since then much blood has been shed to 

ensure that we live in a fair and democratic system, 

whereby we are allowed to choose who governs us. 

However much some might resent the recent corrupt 

financial excesses of a large number of MPs, we feel 

that not exercising the right to vote is tantamount to 

wishing in a totalitarian system. Those who feel that 

For this ‘election special’ issue’s cover, we decided 

to do away with the frippery of images, to illustrate 

the huge importance of the forthcoming poll. The 

resulting façade pays homage to Time Magazine’s 

famous 1966 ‘Is God Dead?’ cover, illustrating an 

article inside raising concerns about the role of 

God in an increasingly secularised society. Our 

question ‘x marks the spot?’ is designed to raise a 

number of possible issues about the election process. 

Read what you will from it, whether it’s the 

simple ‘who should I vote for?’ to a more complex 

‘is the country’s voting system strictly democratic?’ 

via an anarchic ‘should I abstain, since they’re all 

just agents of the global capitalist machine?’ Our 

designer Katie Moorman put the image together, 

choosing a ‘Trajan Pro’ font for the masthead, and 

‘ARB 187 Moderne’ for the message. The ‘x’ is her 

own: a number of us auditioned for the part, but 

her lines were by far the most elegant. After some 

discussion, Katie stuck to the original colour format 

of Time’s classic. The red, we wish to point out, 

should not be seen to be partisan in any way, shape 

or form to the party which favours that colour for 

its rosettes and leaders’ television-debate ties.

Polling day 1880, see page 114 

they wish to protest against the current system by 

not voting for any candidate should remember that 

spoilt votes are registered. 

One of the hot debating points in the most interesting 

election campaign we can remember are the voting 

regulations in our country, a ‘first past the post’ 

system which has for years given an advantage to 

the larger parties, at the expense of the other groups 

which have a much greater voice in other countries 

where proportional representation is the rule. One 

advantage to this system, whatever its deficiencies, 

is that we are allowed to vote for a named candidate 

who we know will, if elected, represent our interests 

in Westminster. We are allowed to judge the character 

and personal viewpoints of the candidates who 

are running, and make our conclusions an important 

part of the decision as to whether to vote for them 

or not. We are also able to analyse what they will do 

for us, as citizens of this constituency, and what they 

propose to do to make life better within the constituency. 

For that reason we have given weight to local 

issues in our questions. Matters of foreign policy, 

national and international economic affairs, and law 

and order are well covered in the national newspapers. 

We want to know what the prospective MPs 

will do for us, the people of Lewes, and its surrounding 

villages. How much time do they believe they 

should dedicate to local affairs? What laws should 

be changed to benefit their potential constituents? 

T H E B I G I S S U E 

Should they live in the constituency they represent? 

Is the extension of the supermarket giant Tesco a 

threat to the High Street as we know it? 

We are living in difficult times, with climate change 

high up on the agenda of every government in the 

world: we have also enquired about how ‘green’ the 

candidates are, by asking them about their carbon 

footprint. Their generally candid replies have been 

very refreshing. 

Every politician has a political hero, and it’s interesting 

to read which former politician the candidates 

most admire. Even more interesting, we’ve found, 

are their answers to the final ‘wildcard’ question we 

posed: which single book would they choose to take 

on a desert island? 

The Lewes constituency is bigger than the area 

Viva Lewes covers: it also includes Seaford, Newhaven 

and, strangely, Polegate, as well as villages as 

far afield as ???. Traditionally the turnout at polling 

stations has been lower than the national average in 

our seaside neighbours, and higher than average in 

Lewes. We sincerely hope that Lewesians will ensure 

that the latter part of this trend continues in 2010. 

And we hope that the candidates’ largely frank and 

often revealing answers to our questions will help 

you to decide against whose name to put that all important 

‘x’. Enjoy the election campaign, and enjoy 

the month… 

5

Lewes 

RAILWAY LAND 

WONDERFUL WILDLIFE FESTIVAL 

6 

FREE 

ENTRY 

SATURDAY 22nd MAY 11am-4pm 

Wildlife Gardening • Willow Workshops • Pond Dipping 

Competitions • Performances • Refreshments • Minibeasts 

Wildlife fancy dress parade • Tours of the Linklater Pavilion 

Dragonfly Trail • Fossils • Bird Watching • Tree Trail 

BIODIVERSITY ➔ BIOLOGICAL COMPLEXITY 

➔ BIOLOGICAL BALANCE AND STABILITY 

Contact tel 01273 484999 or 

email liz@williamslewes.info 

www.railwaylandproject.org

Name: Susan Murray 

Party: Green 

Is it important for an MP to live in the 

constituency they represent? If elected, would 

you do so? Yes, they need to understand local 

issues and be accessible to constituents. I 

live in Lewes and would continue to do so. 

What proportion of his/her working hours 

should an MP spend on local issues? Which single local issue most needs 

addressing? First define a local issue – local and national issues tend 

to be linked. We need more affordable housing – new council houses and 

social and co-operative housing. 

Do you believe that the Lewes Tesco should have been allowed to expand, 

and what do you think the consequences will be for the town? No, I spoke 

against it at the LDC planning meeting. Tesco already has an overdominant 

position in Lewes, accounting for nearly two thirds of all 

shopping. That’s enough. Tesco estimates that expansion would divert 

only 3% of business overall away from the rest of Lewes, described as a 

‘small’ effect. Yet that is about half a million pounds when businesses 

in Lewes are struggling. Even if only a couple of stores closed as 

a direct result, one cannot discount the domino effect on further 

businesses. 

Which former (British) politician do you most admire, and why? Attlee. He 

was courageous enough to bring in really radical change – like the NHS – 

during very difficult times post war. 

If you could change one UK law, which would make a difference to the 

people in the Lewes ward, which would it be? I would change the law that 

brought in the Low Pay Commission to add a High Pay Commission capping 

top rates of pay. The evidence shows that more equal societies do better 

on many social indicators including less violent crime, fewer teenage 

pregnancies and more trust. 

How big is your carbon footprint? Like everyone else’s too big. I 

recently completed a carbon footprint test from the Local Sustainability 

team and was disappointed, considering the effort we have put into 

insulation, solar panels, etc, to find mine was 14.38. Well below average, 

but not good enough. I’ve signed up to 10:10 and aim to get there by 

buying less clothing and fewer books. 

Do you think that there is ever a case to be made for ‘tactical voting’. 

And are you a fan of the current ‘first past the post’ voting system? I 

was actually expelled from the Labour Party back in 1997 for advocating 

tactical voting. Under FPTP it seemed the only way of dislodging the 

Tory. I have campaigned against FPTP for many years - we need a fair, 

proportional voting system so every vote counts. 

Which one book would you choose as desert island reading material, and 

why? My day is incomplete without time reading a novel. I would take 

Middlemarch by George Eliot - the great English novel. I would never tire 

of rediscovering the fascinating characters and events it depicts. 

7

Name: Andre Soucek 

Party: Independent 



you do so? I work in Lewes, and have been doing 

so since 1983, so I consider it my home, though 

I live just outside, in Wealden. But it’s not 

where you live that matters. It’s what you 

think, and who you know, and what you do. 

What proportion of his/her working hours should an MP spend on local 

issues? Which single local issue most needs addressing? There are many 

local issues that need addressing, like the incinerator, the parking 

scheme and the influx of commuters into the town. But voters are voting 

for someone to represent them at a national level on national issues, and 

I believe it’s not the role of the MP to be a glorified social worker. 

And when it comes to national issues, MPs should be voting according to 

what they believe, not according to their party line, which is why I’m 

standing as an independent. 


and what do you think the consequences will be for the town? I opposed 

the expansion of Tesco. The worst thing was that many councillors wanted 

to vote against the expansion but realised that Tesco would have taken 

the matter higher up, and it would have cost the council a lot of money, 

so they were powerless to stop it. 

Which former (British) politician do you most admire, and why? Having 

been brought up in a totalitarian state (Czechoslovakia), I treasure 

liberty. So I’ll go for Winston Churchill who did so much to fight to 

maintain our freedom. 


people in the Lewes constituency, which would it be? It wouldn’t be one 

law; I’d do my best to scrap as many as possible, especially those which 

are eating away at our human rights and personal liberties. 

How big is your carbon footprint? I’ve never measured it. I’m a part time 

organic sheep farmer, and some people complain about the methane that 

that produces, which I think is crazy. I produce local food for local 

people, so I believe that that is fairly environmentally positive. 



think that other Europeans look at our system and they see it as a model 

of democracy. PR systems mean that voters have no personal choice about 

the person who represents them. We need to change our attitudes and 

political awareness, not the system. 


why? When I fled from Czechoslovakia aged 15 I carried a single book, 

Homer’s Odyssey, and I would choose the same one again. It’s quite 

appropriate for the election, actually: another fight on the long journey. 

9

1 0 

bsy_Viva_128mm x 90mm.qxd 19/12/07 16:35 Page 1 

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01273 480234 

Blaker, Son & Young 

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• Divorce and Separation 

• Financial Settlements 

• Children 

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• Pre-Nuptial Agreements 

Professional and honest 

legal advice since 1830

Name: Hratche Koundarjian 

Party: Labour 



you do so? It’s extremely important that the 

local MP is local. Whatever happens in the 

election, I’m not leaving Newhaven where I live 

any time soon. 


issues? Which single local issue most needs addressing? There are some 

crucial problems in Newhaven and Seaford that need to be tackled as a 

priority, this has been the focus of my campaign and would be my priority 

as an MP. In Lewes, dealing with traffic congestion through better public 

transport and a cycle route network is a must. 


and what do you think the consequences will be for the town? No, people 

are already very well served with lots of supermarkets in easy reach. 

I think that an expanded Tesco will have a corrosive effect on our 

independent retailers. 

Which former (British) politician do you most admire, and why? Mo Mowlam 

- for being courageous both with her politics and personal life, her 

plain speaking honesty, but most of all for being a completely decent 

person. 


people in the Lewes constituency, which would it be? The Robin Hood Tax, 

a small 0.05 per cent tariff on international banking transactions, which 

would have a big impact in reducing our deficit, resulting in fewer cuts 

to our public services in Lewes as well as helping to fund overseas aid. 

How big is your carbon footprint? According to the WWF Carbon Footprint 

Calculator it’s 11.17 tons per annum. As a supporter of the 10:10 

Climate Change campaign, this means that I have to drop more than a ton 

of carbon starting in May this year! 

Do you think that there is ever a case to be made for ‘tactical’ voting? 


think introducing either a proportional or alternative vote would be 

better for our democracy. One of the best reasons to support me is that 

every vote will send a message to the next MP about the campaigns we’ve 

been fighting on. From re-opening the West Beach, to saving the seniors’ 

centre in Seaford, backing the Robin Hood Tax, making Lewes, Seaford and 

Newhaven the first 10:10 Climate Change Campaign constituency, introducing 

a 20mph speed limit around entrances of our local schools, bringing a 

community hospital to Seahaven, and changing the constituency name so 

that Seaford and Newhaven get fairer representation in Parliament. It’s 

vital for these issues that we secure a vote that the other candidates 

can’t ignore. 


why? A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking, as it would soak up 

oodles of time trying to get my head fully around it. 

1 1

Name: Jason Sugarman 

Party: Conservative 



you do so? This constituency is my home; it’s 

where I was brought up, where I went to school 

and where I have had a home for 20 years. 

Although I have to be in London because of work commitments, I spend a 

huge amount of time here and would continue to do so if elected. 


issues? Which single local issue most needs addressing? A large 

proportion - well over 60% of an MP’s time should be devoted to 

constituency matters. We have so many problems that need addressing; 

we need to catch up with other constituencies that have had central 

government investment. I think the regeneration of Newhaven is a vital 

priority that has been neglected for too long. 


and what do you think the consequences will be for the town? I think 

it is a great pity Tesco seems to have got its planning without a local 

referendum on this issue. We need to be certain about what local people 

want before we allow our planning officers to dictate to our community, 

while councillors seem powerless to take action. 

Which former (British) politician do you most admire, and why? Winston 

Churchill inspires me most. He led our nation through its darkest hour 

and helped us win a war against the odds. He then had the foresight to 

rebuild a broken Europe and ensured Germany was part of a trading Europe 

that has kept the peace for a generation. 


people in the Lewes ward, which would it be? I would like to see the 

Human Rights Act amended to remove so much bureaucracy from our lives. We 

need to rebuild trust in this country. 

How big is your carbon footprint? On a par with the national average at 

11. As a family we are very conscious of our actions, we recycle as much 

as possible and offset our carbon footprint by supporting a tree planting 

scheme. 


And are you a fan of the current ‘first past the post’ voting system? In 

my view people should vote for the party that can deliver what they want 

for their community. Tactical voting manipulates the current political 

system, which works well allowing us to elect strong government on firm 

mandates. When we vote we know the policies that we are voting for. Any 

other system means we have negotiations over policy and a government that 

tries to please everyone. 


why? Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks. 

1 3

Name: Norman Baker 

Party: Liberal Democrats 


constituency they represent? If elected, 

would you do so? It is highly desirable. That 

way an MP keeps in touch with the day to day 

issues on the ground. I personally don’t see 

how you can be MP for Lewes and live in, say, London. I have lived in 

Beddingham, then Lewes, for 25 years. 


issues? Which single local issue most needs addressing? In my 13 years 

as MP for Lewes, I have spent about half my time in Westminster and 

half in the constituency, which has worked well. As for local issues, 

there are plenty, but an urgent review of the Tory county council’s 

oppressive parking regime must come high up. 

Do you believe that the Lewes Tesco should have been allowed to 

expand, and what do you think the consequences will be for the town? 

No, although planning law is so loaded in favour of developers these 

days it was almost impossible for the council to say no. I fear the 

consequences will be to endanger the viability of some of the town’s 

independent shops. 

Which former (British) politician do you most admire, and why? Jo 

Grimond, the former Liberal Party leader. He was a wonderful orator, 

and a courageous and deeply principled person. 


people in the Lewes ward, which would it be? I would ban the clamping 

of vehicles by private companies. Indeed, I introduced a measure to 

achieve this just a few weeks ago in the House of Commons, but sadly 

it was voted down by Tory and Labour MPs. 

How big is your carbon footprint? Too big, as is nearly everybody’s in 

this country, but a good deal less since I took a conscious decision a 

few years back never to fly unless absolutely necessary. 

Do you think that there is ever a case to be made for tactical voting. 

And are you a fan of the current first past the post? voting system? 

First past the post tries to force people into a two-party system that 

is outdated and unfair. It means large numbers of people are forced to 

vote for someone who cannot win, or to vote for their second choice. 

I acknowledge that when I narrowly won Lewes in 1997, it was because 

many Labour and Green supporters backed me, so in that sense, tactical 

voting certainly does work. The Lib Dems are the only party that can 

and will change the system, and we are determined to do so. 

Which one book would you choose as desert island reading material, 

and why? The Oxford English Dictionary, so I could create as well as 

absorb. 

1 5

Name: Peter Charlton 

Party: UKIP 



you do so? Yes it is. You can see and live the 

same problems as the people you represent. You 

can meet them in the supermarkets, the shops and pubs and listen 

to their concerns. Spend your money locally, and you support your 

own constituency. 

What proportion of his/her working hours should an MP spend on 

local issues? Which single local issue most needs addressing? What 

are the local councillors for? An MP should only have to intervene 

when all other avenues are exhausted. We must stop this reckless 

insistence on building thousands of new homes on greenfield sites. 

Do you believe that the Lewes Tesco should have been allowed to 

expand, and what do you think the consequences will be for the 

town? 

No I don’t. It is already big enough for the purpose of serving 

the Lewes people. I think more shops will close, destroying the 

fabric of the town. 

Which former (British) politician do you most admire, and why? 

Margaret Thatcher. She wasn’t always right, but she pulled this 

country back from permanent decline and bankruptcy. No waffle, she 

had a vision and made it happen. 

If you could change one UK law, which would make a difference to 

the people in the Lewes constituency, which would it be? Scrap 

SEEDA and SEERA which will return power back to the District and 

County Councils so they can run local affairs, not the EU. 

How big is your carbon footprint? I don’t believe in this carbon 

scam. I do believe in cleaner more fuel-efficient transport. We 

can also stop putting more pollutants in the atmosphere so we have 

cleaner air to breathe. We should invest in hydro-electric power 

and wave power: we are an island for goodness sake. 

Do you think that there is ever a case to be made for ‘tactical 

voting’. And are you a fan of the current ‘first past the post’ 

voting system? I believe people should vote with their heads and 

their hearts. I believe that we have to change the system. UKIP 

represents millions of people in this country and they should be 

represented in Parliament. UKIP is the second largest UK party in 

the EU and the fourth largest party in the UK. 

Which one book would you choose as desert island reading material, 

and why? Lord of the Rings. Fantastically written and while 

reading it, your mind can drift as if you were living it. 

1 7

May & June Offer 

Pelham House is offering a complimentary nights’ stay for any new event booked for May or 

June 2010. The accommodation must be taken on the night of the event and is subject to availability. 

Minimum numbers & terms & conditions apply. Please contact the sales office on 

01273 488600 to take advantage of this great offer and quote ‘Viva10’ to book. 

Enjoy our beautiful gardens, artwork and the sunshine on our newly refurbished terrace. 

Open for teas, coffee, cakes, light snacks and meals.

DEAR VIVA... 

l E T T E r S 

On the morning of 2nd April as we were coming downstairs for 

breakfast our son said, ‘There’s a turkey outside.’ Naturally we 

ignored him but slightly more forcefully and with no hint of 

laughter he said, ‘No really there is a turkey on the fence’. It 

wasn’t April Fool’s day any longer and sure enough there was 

a turkey staring hard at us through the glass of the front door. 

We did take some pictures but shortly after as my husband 

ducked (no pun intended) past it to leave the house for work it 

took off/hopped off the shed roof into the neighbour’s garden 

over the wall. I did not think turkeys could fly and our neighbours 

have a walled garden so rang the RSPCA who thought 

it was a joke at first but said call back if it is no longer there. I 

called our neighbours and was hugely apologetic as it was 8am 

on Good Friday but could I come round and check it was still 

there. Somehow it had flown and if I had not had a photograph I don’t think my neighbour would ever 

take me seriously again. I scouted the area but nothing and had to call the RSPCA back. Imagine if it had 

turned up at Christmas! 

Kathie Murphy 

Your editorial on the expansion of Tesco (April 2010) provides a helpful list of the products an enlarged 

store might stock (clothes, electrical goods, cookware etc). These seem exactly the sort of goods that the independent, 

idiosyncratic business so beloved of Tesco’s opponents do not manage to stock at low cost. Could 

it be possible that the high street being ‘protected’ by the anti-Tesco campaign is one that has already died 

off, replaced by shops selling luxury goods for the well off? 

John McGowan 

Attending the Planning Committee meeting concerning the Tesco expansion left me feeling aghast, annoyed 

and frankly betrayed. Why did the Planning Committee feel the need to roll over and have its belly 

scratched by Tesco? Surely the role of official representatives of this town is to work hard to protect Lewes’ 

interests? Not the interests of helping Tesco increase their profits. Why did the committee not reject Tesco’s 

own survey of the impact of their proposed expansion in favour of commissioning a truly independent one? 

Is it really acceptable that a Tesco superstore will be built, which will swallow up so much more trade from 

existing retailers? 

Lewes was at the end of its first week as part of the South Downs National Park. The Planning Committee’s 

approval for Tesco to expand it’s current site seemed a very odd way of celebrating the town’s new status. 

Enrico Dummett 

Angry? Frustrated? Unhappy? Confused? Don’t bottle up your Lewes-based views. Send them in… to info@ 

vivalewes.com or Viva lewes, 151b High St, Lewes BN71XU. Please ensure letters are maximum 150 words. We 

reserve the right to edit letters and would like to stress that any views expressed are not necessarily our own. 

1 9

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After the phenomenal 

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poster auction in March 

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‘madness’), the company 

are expecting a busy day 

on May 5th when a second batch goes under the hammer. In 

the earlier auction, one pair of posters, with the classic slogans 

‘Careless Talk Costs Lives,’ and ‘Tell Nobody – Not Even Her’, 

went for a staggering £2,700. This bonny Land Girl, trying to 

attract helpers to bring in the ‘Victory Harvest’ of 1945, should 

raise a bob or two, herself – you might remember a different 

version of her on our #24 cover. 

WHERE DID YOU GET THAT HAT? #2 

Oliver Darlington, 

High St, 

April 16th 

It’s a boina, which is the 

Spanish word for beret. And 

I got it in a superb hat shop 

in Barcelona. 

USEFUL THINGS YOU CAN BUY IN LEWES #2 

In the second of our 

series looking at where 

you can buy basic 

objects in the centre of 

Lewes, we’re seeking 

stockists of seeds and 

tomato plants. Peter 

Messer tells us Sky-Lark 

in the Needlemakers offer an excellent range of King’s vegetable 

and flower seeds including “recherché oriental vegetables”. 

Matt can order specific seeds and organise bulk rates for 

allotment societies, 01273 479418. Tomato and other vegetable 

plants can be found in Fur, Feather and Fins in Cliffe. 

B I T S a n d B o B S 

WHAT’LL WE DO TONIGHT? 

The day we went to press with this Handbook 

we also put out the 200th edition 

of our award-winning weekly webmag 

www.vivalewes.com, a landmark we’re 

extremely proud of. If you haven’t logged 

on to check the magazine out, give it a 

try; in it you’ll find up-to-the-minute listings, 

news, columns, photos and opinion 

concerning our vibrant county town. 

LEWES IN QUOTES 

The Mayor of Lewes (Col CD Crisp), one 

of the most notable figures in the world of 

footballing referees… told the audience 

of his adventures when taking the Chelsea 

team on tour in South America in 1929. 

Football in South America, at that time 

at any rate, was one of the “dangerous 

trades”. At one match Chelsea (having 

been warned in advance by the Commissioner 

of Police that they must not score) 

had the hardihood, or the misfortune, to 

score a goal. Thereupon revolvers went 

off, the ground was strewn with oranges 

thrown by the crowd, and mounted police, 

summoned by a siren, arrived on the field 

of battle. After the match the unfortunate 

team had the tyres of their coach slashed, 

and had to be rescued by a naval party 

with taxis. 

From Don’t Kill the Players, Sussex County 

Notes Vol XXIV No3, March 1950 

2 1

LEWES STREET NAMES #22 


The church of St Peter Westout was first 

recorded in 1121 but almost certainly existed 

before that date. Following the destruction 

of the Priory by Thomas Cromwell in 

1538, the parish of St Peter Westout was 

united with that of St Mary Westout (now 

St Anne’s) in 1539. 

St Peter’s Place was built in 1868 and the 

date is recorded on a plaque featuring the 

Nevill family coat of arms. The 4th Earl of Abergavenny, (later 1st Marquis), William Nevill, was a prominent 

Tory politician and he was anxious to create as many potential Tory voters as possible. Accordingly he demolished 

a large house he owned on St Anne’s Hill and built a terrace of houses with a rent of £12 a year. The level 

of rent was important – occupiers of homes who paid less were not eligible to vote and he carefully chose tenants 

who could be relied on to vote the right way. They had little choice as the ballot was not secret in those 

days. St Peter’s Place came to be known as Tory Terrace and the name stuck for many years. Sadly for him the 

Earl’s machinations were in vain. Secret ballots were introduced in 1872, before the next election, and the rent 

threshold abolished. Kim Clark 

Kim has been revising and enlarging LS Davey’s The Street Names of Lewes, shortly to be published by Pomegranate 

Press for the Friends of Lewes, and to be reviewed in the June issue of Viva Lewes. Photo by Joe Knight 

BOOK REVIEW 

We are fortunate in Sussex to be surrounded by such a beautiful, curvaceous landscape. 

But how much of what we see around us is ‘natural’ and how much has been 

altered by human activity during half a million years of inhabitation? Prolific local 

author and historical geographer, Peter Brandon addresses this in his recent addition 

to the Snake River Press Sussex Guide series The Shaping of the Sussex Landscape. 

He informs us, for example, that Sussex was once the heart of the iron industry, which 

is why we have so many hammer ponds located here. Peter, an ‘ardent walker’, is 

president of the South Downs Society and vice-president of the Sussex Archaeological 

Society, so he knows his subject well. He dedicates the book to Hilaire Belloc ‘who 

first aroused in the author his love of Sussex’. Featuring delightful black-and-white 

illustrations by Grahame Baker Smith and an introduction by Alfriston resident, the 

lovely Lord Denis Healey, this is a book for people who want to look a little more deeply at their surroundings 

in order to understand how the historical and geological ‘mosaic’ of our landscape has come into being. £8.99, 

available from the Tourist Information Centre and Sky-Lark or through www.snakeriverpress.co.uk 

COpING WITH CUTBACKS 

You can help save the planet, and a bob or two, while you’re at it, at the Coping 

With Cutbacks fair in the Corn Exchange at the Town Hall on May 15th from 

10am-1pm. There will be a number of stalls, helping you to learn ways of saving 

on your bills, in an ecologically positive way. There will be advice on matters such 

as lowering bills with better insulation, and financial advice. There will also be a 

speakers’ corner for anyone who’s up for a rant, and a café, too. 

2 3

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IN SEASON NOW: Asparagus 


May is still one of the hungry gap months when stored produce from last 

year has run out or is past its best but the new crops are not fully ready. 

There are thankfully a few exceptions, and the real delight is those first 

asparagus shoots, tender and crisp and with us for such a short time. 

Asparagus, Mozzarella and Prosciutto parcels. 

Ingredients: 16 asparagus spears, 125g ball mozzarella, sliced into 4, 8-12 

slices prosciutto, 3tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, small bunch basil, 

finely shredded, salad leaves to serve. 

1. Blanch the asparagus for 2 minutes then refresh under cold water. Cut each 

mozzarella slice in half and sit both pieces on top of 2 spears of asparagus. 

Top with 2 more spears then wrap the asparagus in prosciutto so the mozzarella is enclosed, (you will need 2 or 3 

strips). 2. Heat the oil in a pan, then carefully fry the parcels until the prosciutto has crisped and the mozzarella 

oozes. 3. Whisk together the olive oil and vinegar and add the basil. Serve each of the parcels with salad leaves and 

a little dressing drizzled over. Vanessa Langley. 

Next Farmers’ Markets: May 1st, June 5th. 

KNOTS OF MAY 

MONT’S WORLD 

This Harveys beer was first brewed to celebrate the 21st birthday of the Knots of May team 

of women Morris Dancers. May is the start of the Morris Dancing season and the month 

of the Lewes Garland Day celebrations, which are organized by the Knots of May Morris 

team (see page 45). The beer has a moderate alcohol content of 3.0% by volume, a deep ruby 

colour and a delicate hop fragrance. 

READER OFFERS 

For May, we have a great ‘two for one’ 

meal offer from the Abergavenny Arms. 

Also, chi-chi hairdressing salon Langton’s 

are offering readers the opportunity to 

get a new look for spring by entering a 

draw to win a makeover, including hair 

colour and cut and make-up. For more 

information, see pages 65 and 66. 

NOTES & CORRECTIONS 

Apologies to Matt Woodruff of Woodruff’s 

Yard. Muehlenbeckia is not, as we 

stated in our April issue, a type of ivy 

with white flowers. This was our error, 

not his. 

2 5

For more details please follow the link on our website. 

24/25 Cliffe High Street, Lewes BN7 2AH 

Telephone: 01273 480303 

www.spectrumeyecare.co.uk 

Wimbledon 2010 

There’s a certain mildness in the air, so hopefully at last we can say goodbye to that 

dreadful winter and hello spring! Whilst looking forward to some early sun, remember 

it’s the same UVA & UVB rays that give us a tan, that can damage our eyes, but unlike 

sunburn, the effect on our eyes isn’t immediately 

obvious. Fortunately, the solution’s simple, just 

make it a habit of wearing sunglasses or 

protective lenses in any sunlight. 

W I M B L E D O N We are the official stockists of the 

S U N G L A S S E S Wimbledon Sunglass Collection, which 

just gets better every year. They are 

available from just £99*, so give yourself a head 

start by preparing for the sun with a pair today. 

Spectrum Specialities 

KIDS Collection 

Fortunately specs are now seriously fashionable, which is great for our kids. 

We have casual, funky and a new range of robust, colourful, strong lightweight Titanium - 

ask to see the New KIDS Collection. 

To give you as much reassurance as we can that your eyes 

are healthy, we have made considerable investment in our 

practice to bring you the latest in eye care technology. This 

includes the latest instruments available for the eye exam, 

contact lenses and frame and lens dispensing. 

Training and enthusiasm of course is the key and everyone 

here has embraced these innovations to bring you the 

highest standards available. 

Here are a few reminders of what you can experience at 

Spectrum Eyecare:- 

Individualised Practice of the Year 

Optomap - retinal wide view 

HRT3 - early Glaucoma detection 

Tom Davis Bespoke – tailor made frames 

Optiplan - for up to 40% discount 

Ortho K contact lenses – no contacts or specs 

needed in the day 

Photo Booth & Activisu - to see how frames look on you. 

Sports Eyewear - to your prescription – rx swim goggles 

Gotti - the latest addition to our frame family. 

A beautifully crafted Swiss range from the house of Gotti. 

Be inspired.

CD REVIEW - THE MUEL – ONCE AND EVERYWHERE 

MAGAZINE REVIEW: MONIKA 


Anyone who caught a gig by the marvellously eclectic 

and now sadly defunct pop band Turning Green will not 

forget their drummer, Sam Walker (left, centre), a Cooksbridge 

lad whose madcap energy did so much to drive 

forward the band’s relentlessly danceable live sets. Behind 

the Animal-from-the-Muppets stage act, though, lurked 

a creative and sensitive mind, hinted at when he took the 

mike on a couple of self-penned songs. 

Sam’s played solo a lot too in Lewes – unfurling that sensitive 

side, displaying his multi-instrumental prowess and proving his ability to hold a crowd’s rapt attention 

with hear-a-pin-drop semi-falsetto vocal solos. 

Once and Everywhere is an impossible-to-pigeon-hole album to play and play again: deeply layered, multiinfluenced, 

finely produced, and displaying a remarkable range of moods. Next time you’re near a computer, 

listen to The Bubble on The Muel’s myspace site, one of many highlights of this remarkable album, in which 

Ravel’s Bolero meets The Long and Winding Road, with kettle drums. Warning: it’ll stay in your head for 

days. 

BOOK REVIEW: FASHION TRIMS 

Lewes textile designer Louise Turner has written a large and sumptuous hardback 

book called Fashion Trims. It’s a gorgeous and rather fun sewing project book divided 

up into sections such as ‘hats and shoes’, or ‘bags and baskets’. Louise is also a 

teacher, and she guides you helpfully through the processes involved in customising 

and decorating a variety of objects. It is generously illustrated with photographs by 

Sian Irvine, with the most luxurious and colourful ribbons and fabrics that make me 

want to stroke the pages. EC (More details from www.louiseturnertextiles.co.uk). 

Monika is an arts magazine, in its second edition, which is edited by a Lewesbased 

journalist, whose identity we will keep to ourselves. 

Why should we throw such a cloak of anonymity over this person? Because 

anonymity is what the magazine is all about, despite its title. The idea is that 

writers, photographers and illustrators will be able to work in a more creative 

manner without being identifiable from their byline. 

Such anonymity helps, I guess, when you’re writing a piece called ‘Amsterdam 

in 32’, chronicling how the author ‘did 32 poos’ in a single weekend in 

the Dutch city. This turns out, actually, to be a fairly absorbing read, and the 

poos turn out to be symbolic, ‘the remnants of my youth seeping out of me’. 

Another author, in a rather inspired manner, psychogeographically explores some tunnels in Balham, that might 

or might not exist. 

Monika, which is sold internationally in specialist bookstores, and from monikamagazine.com, is a beautifully 

designed piece of work, mixing matt and glossy pages, the latter a showcase for fine documentary photography 

and C21 pop art. This issue’s theme is ‘In Between’ though its strapline suggests a broader spectrum of flexibitlity: 

‘It’s about what it says’. 

2 7

2 8 

31 Western Road, Lewes 

01273 483007 

A fun and creative 

experience for all ages 

Commissions, Team Building, Parties, 

Courses, Mother & Baby 

Late Thursday opening until 10pm for adults 

www.fireworkslewes.co.uk

YOU’RE SO VANE #4 

The Lewes weathervane 

most visible by car is the 

one you see on the block of 

flats on the corner of North 

Street and Little East Street 

when you’re going round 

the one-way system. It’s the 

Duke of Wellington, recognisable 

by his hat, galloping along on horseback, wielding 

his sword. It was designed, I discover from Brigid 

Chapman’s book The Weathervanes of Sussex, by Paul 

Hodgkin, architect for the district council’s housing 

project for older people, and made by Ben Stevens of the 

Fisher Street forge in 1979. 

KIDS FILMS 

The extremely successful first season of the Lewes Junior 

Film Club comes to an end on Sunday May 30th 

(10.30am) with a screening of the 1998 French animation 

Kirikou et la sorcière… and plenty more besides. 

The club precedes its films with an imaginative ‘workshop’ 

designed to prepare the kids for what they’re 

about to see. These are kept a secret until the day of the 

event: last time round, for the film ‘The Wiz’ there was 

a 70-person-strong parade along a yellow brick road 

through Lewes, which involved 30 kids taking part in 

seven dances. Tickets cost £5, and adults are welcome 

either to drop their children off at the event, or to watch 

the movie from the balcony above. Kirikou, directed by 

Michael Ocelot, is a million miles from the 3-d action 

cartoons that are so popular at the moment. It’s based 

on a West-African folk tale, and is characterised by its 

primitive, beautifully coloured, two-dimensional animation 

techniques. 

DINOSAUR HUNTER 


There is a series of Gideon Mantell-related 

events going on throughout May, organised by 

local historian Debby Matthews. Three one-anda-half-hour 

walks follow in Mantell’s footsteps, 

all starting at 1pm. On the 9th, there’s a repeat 

of the earlier walk exploring ‘Mantell’s Early Life 

and Times in Lewes’; on the 15th a visit to the 

records office to see his diary is followed by ‘Roman 

Finds in St John-sub-Castro’; on the 16th 

you can follow Debby to find out about ‘Cliffe 

and Southerham: Stones and Bones’. The month’s 

events are concluded by a talk in the Town Hall 

(7pm), about Mantell’s time in Brighton, entitled 

‘Where did it All Go Wrong?’. Each event costs 

£4; more info from 01273 483228/gideonmantell.wordpress.com 

BUS RALLY 

The second annual Lewes Bus Rally should see 

over 50 old buses of all shapes and sizes collecting 

on Malling Field on Sun 23rd (10am-5pm) so 

anyone who wants to get a fix of motor nostalgia 

(and we’re still pining over the loss of the old 

London Routemasters) should take a look. There 

will be all sorts of activities, including rides in 

old buses, to enjoy. A quick peek at their website 

(www.lewesbusrally.org) reveals that among 

many others there’ll be a 1939 Leyland Lion, a 

1953 Bristol K, and… a 1067 Park Royal. Now 

that’s what we call a classic motor. 

2 9

MYLEWES DEborAh bEDforD 

Job: High Sheriff. 

What does that mean exactly? The office is over a 

thousand years old, the oldest secular office after the 

Crown. At one time High Sheriffs were very powerful, 

but their powers declined over time with the establishment 

of Judges, Lords Lieutenant, Coroners and Magistrates. 

Now the role is mainly ceremonial. One of our 

duties is the wellbeing of visiting High Court Judges. 

High Sheriffs support voluntary and charitable organisations, 

particularly those involved in law and order. I’d 

call it privileged but not elitist. 

Is it a paid position? No, and you don’t get expenses 

either. It was once the case that the judges could fine 

the Sheriff if they didn’t think he was doing a good job 

too! One of my planned events is a civic reception in 

Newhaven Fort, with a jazz band, and fish and chips. 

How long have you been in the post? Since 29th 

March. It’s for one year only. 

What’s your involvement in the general election? I 

can exercise the right to be Returning Officer for East 

Sussex. John Crawford, the Deputy Returning Officer, 

offered me the role. I considered it carefully, but since 

he does all the work, and he’s about to retire, it seemed 

to me that it was right for him to do it. He will take 

me round some of the rural polling stations and I’ll be 

there for the count. He told me he hopes it will be finished 

by 3am! 

What’s your uniform? Male High Sheriff’s uniform 

is based on 18th century court dress; breeches, hose, 

a wig-bag on the back of the neck and buckled shoes. 

They also carry a sword and folding cocked hat known 

as a ‘chapeau bras’. I wear a dress and jacket, shoes with 

Photo: Alex Leith 

my grandfather’s buckles, a hat with the traditional 

white ostrich feather, Shrieval buttons, and a lace Jabot. 

I declined the sword! I love the tradition but we have to 

take into account the society we live in. 

Are you local? Yes. I’m sixty and I’ve lived between 

Lewes and Ringmer for half my life. I’ve been a magistrate 

here for nearly twenty years, and was on the 

prison board for ten. 

What do you like about Lewes? It’s incredibly beautiful 

and very self-aware. I like its independence. It’s 

more vibrant than it used to be and there’s a great sense 

of community. 

What don’t you like? Sometimes the town doesn’t feel 

very inclusive. 

What’s your local? I often go to pubs, I meet my girlfriends 

in them. I particularly like the Ram at Firle. 

What’s your poison? I like wine but I’m trying to cut 

back. I’ve been drinking the low alcohol cider from 

Waitrose and the Tesco wine ‘light options’. However, 

I find the less I drink, the more chocolate I eat. 

Where do you do your food shopping? I try to 

support Ringmer shops, and in particular I like Lew 

Howard and Sons, the butcher. 

How would you spend a perfect Sunday? I grow my 

own vegetables. I like cooking them with a roast for my 

family, then taking the dogs for a walk. 

What did you have for breakfast? Tea and porridge 

with milk and sugar. 

What’s your favourite cinema? The Picture House 

at Uckfield. I’m hoping to see the Girl With a Dragon 

Tattoo there. 

Interview by Emma Chaplin 

3 1

Back to basics 

at Middle Farm 

Passionate about British food and farming 

Get real… 

Bounce back from the long, dark days of interminable winter gloom, 

escape the cynical solicitations of the self-seeking soap-boxers and get 

down and dirty in the garden, allotment or window box. 

Fresh air, healthy exercise, where the only spin to be found drives 

your wheelbarrow. 

Enjoy the simple satisfaction of watching your efforts bear fulsome 

fruit, cottage garden favourites, or voluptuous vegetables and herbs 

…get gardening 

MIDDLE FARM, FIRLE, LEWES, EAST SUSSEX BN8 6LJ 

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www.middlefarm.com

NOISY FLOCKERS 

P H o T o o f T H E m o n T H 

Ian Cairns took this beautiful shot of kittiwakes in the early morning of April Fools’ Day “a couple of weeks 

after they returned to Seaford Head cliffs”. It seems to capture their elegant, swooping movements and 

somehow give an impression of the extraordinary cacophony they make. Ian was visiting Splash Point in 

Seaford to look at the birds with his nine-year-old son, James. “These streamlined gulls are pelagic, living out 

in the Atlantic all year and only coming ashore to nest. Every few minutes, hundreds take to the air, screaming 

out over the sea before circling back to their nesting spot on the cliffs.” He took a number of shots using his 

Nikon D70 SLR with a 300mm equivalent lens (settings 1/2500, f8, ISO400) shooting “slightly into the sun, 

which gives it lots of light and life”. This also gives a slightly metallic effect to the surface of the sea and rock. 

According to the RSPB, Splash Point is one of the most accessible kittiwake colonies in the UK and a popular 

place for watching chicks on the nest later in the year, with the organisation providing free telescopes during 

July. “There is a lot of activity over the next few months” Ian says, “with the kittiwakes coming and going with 

nesting materials and food and being kept busy by the crows which are constantly trying to rob the kittiwakes 

of their offspring, causing much noisy protest.” 

Send your pictures into info@vivalewes.com. We publish the best ones in our ‘photo of the week’ web 

magazine column, and choose our favourite for this slot, which wins the photographer £20. Unless otherwise 

arranged we retain the right to use all pictures received in future Viva Magazines Ltd publications. 

3 3

W illiam Shakespeare missed a trick by 

starting his histories with King John. 

He could have constructed a much more exciting 

and moving play by jumping a generation, 

and concentrating on the adventures of Simon 

de Montfort. What a story he’d have got: ambition, 

treachery, the wholesale upheaval of 

‘natural order’. A family squabble turning into 

a bloody Civil War. A noble aristocrat whose 

hubris leads to his untimely demise. But not before 

he’s wrested control of the country, at the 

bloody Battle of Lewes, becoming the de facto 

King of England. 

Act One, set in the late 1230s, would see the 

young De Montfort, the near-penniless second 

son of a French aristocratic family, coming to 

England seeking his fortune at the court of 

King Henry III. What a great character: he’s 

a strong, ambitious and intelligent fellow, well 

versed in warfare, and silver-tongued. Henry, 

just a year older, is a completely different type 

of man. Artistic and hot-tempered, sensitive 

and fickle. Nevertheless, the King takes a liking 

to the newcomer, as does the king’s teenage 

sister, Eleanor, which makes for some wonderful 

scenes. Before long De Montfort has wooed 

the young girl into a shotgun marriage. Henry’s 

not pleased at first – Eleanor has made a vow 

of life-long chastity having recently been widowed 

- but De Montfort’s charm is such that he 

soon forgives him, and grants him the Earldom 

of Leicester, to which he has a long-standing 

claim, as well as making him one of his most 

trusted advisers. Trumpets, fanfare, all is well. 

In Act Two, everything starts unravelling. We

learn that Henry’s reign is far from popular. 

That he’s unable to live within his means, spending 

money on fine buildings, courtly fripperies 

and badly organised military campaigns. And to 

pay for this he taxes his barons to the hilt: we 

watch him playing them off against one another 

to keep a revolt at arm’s length. He owes Simon 

money, too, and this results in an increasingly 

frayed relationship between the two. Matters get 

worse when Henry sends Simon to sort out his 

affairs in the English-ruled province of Gascony. 

When Simon, ruling with an iron fist, starts to 

make some headway, he recalls him from the 

task. Simon shouts at Henry that he ‘should be 

locked up, like Charles the Simple’. Henry angrily 

banishes him and Eleanor from the kingdom, 

and they move to France. He soliloquises, at this 

point, about the absolute power of the monarch. 

Such power, he decides, must be curbed. 

In Act Three we jump forward a few years, to 

1258, and Simon’s back in England, in his castle 

at Kenilworth. He’s befriended a brilliant philosopher, 

by the name of Robert Grosseteste, with 

whom he starts plotting to find a way in which 

the king’s power can be shared by the barons, for 

Henry’s clearly unfit to rule the country on his 

own. In the impecunious king’s latest scrape, we 

discover, he’s borrowed money from the Pope in 

order to fund an aborted invasion of Sicily, and is 

being threatened with excommunication unless 

he pays it back. Simon is joined by a number of 

conspirators, including Henry’s dashing son, Edward. 

They arrange a meeting with the King at 

Oxford, and arrive, en masse, dressed in armour. 

Henry, fearing for his life and desperate for his 

L e w e s I N h I s t o r y 

Simon de montfort 

The tragic history Shakespeare never wrote 

barons’ support in his time of need, signs their 

petition, which becomes known as ‘The Provisions 

of Oxford’. The barons are overjoyed: the 

document signifies that he must consult a committee 

of nobles before he passes legislation of 

any sort. The king still reigns, he moans, but he 

no longer rules. 

Act Four sees us jump forward in time to May 

1264, and Simon is at the head of a large army, 

arrayed on the top of a hill overlooking Lewes. 

His soldiers are dressed in tunics with white 

crosses. We learn, in a conversation between 

two barons, of what’s happened in the intervening 

years. Henry is back in favour with the Pope, 

and with the help of the French King, has annulled 

the Provisions of Oxford. This has led to 

a civil war: Northampton has fallen to the Royalists; 

Rochester has been besieged by the barons. 

Much blood has been shed across the country, 

even in London, where Simon has ordered a pogrom 

of the Jewry. Now the two armies are face 

to face for the first time. Simon’s army numbers 

some 500 mounted knights, and 1,500 footsoldiers; 

the king’s army is bigger, with significantly 

more cavalry. Edward, we learn, has switched his 

allegiance back to his father. Then, the action 

starts for real. Edward charges a good proportion 

of his horsemen up the hill, and routs a battalion 

of Londoners. Crazed with bloodlust he chases 

them over Offham Hill, away from the battlefield. 

This gives Simon his chance to swing the 

battle his way. His men charge down and engage 

in hand-to-hand conflict with the King’s men, 

who have advanced from their post outside the 

Priory into the area of land in front of the West 

3 5

Photos of Battle of lewes monument by alex leith 

Gate of Lewes. The king battles valiantly, losing 

two horses from under him, but is forced to retreat 

into the safety of the Priory. His brother 

Richard, so called ‘King of the Romans’, hides 

in a windmill, and is captured, amid much mockery. 

Edward returns to the field, to find the battle 

has been lost by his father’s army. In an impassioned 

speech, looking at the carnage of nearly 

3,000 corpses, he vows revenge. As Lewes is set 

ablaze by Simon’s archers, he manages to reach 

the sanctuary of the Priory. Matters, however, get 

worse for him. As part of Henry’s peace deal, he 

is offered as a hostage, along with his uncle Richard. 

The deal is known as ‘The Mise of Lewes’. 

Simon de Montfort is, in effect, the uncrowned 

King of England. He makes a speech about how 

he will change the way the country will be governed. 

In his new ‘Parliament’ the King will have 

to bide by the wishes of the barons, as well as a 

number of other knights elected from the shires 

and boroughs. 

Act V finds us in Evesham, just over a year later. 

w w w. V I VA L e w e s . C o M 

L e w e s I N h I s t o r y 

Simon has found ruling the kingdom no easy 

task. The Welsh have revolted, key allies have 

deserted him, and Edward has made a daring escape 

from imprisonment in Hereford, on a horse. 

Now the King’s son is at the head of an army 

twice the size of his own, dressed in red crosses, 

bent on revenge, heading for a showdown. In 

the last Act, we find Simon trapped in a loop of 

the Avon, and he realises that defeat, and certain 

death, looms. “May the Lord have mercy on our 

souls, for our bodies are theirs” he proclaims. His 

army charges at Edward’s men to try to breach 

their line, but they are soon overwhelmed, and 

massacred. Simon witnesses the death of his son, 

Henry, and then is himself knocked off his horse 

and killed. His body is hacked to pieces. Edward 

makes a speech: the dictator is dead, the king is 

back in power, and the natural order of affairs has 

been restored. But, he wonders, will the governance 

of the country ever be quite the same again? 

Alex Leith 

3 7

3 8

UpSTAIRS, 

DOWNSTAIRS 

Charleston through John Higgens’ eyes 

As I arrived at the Higgens’ home I saw cut flowers 

for sale by the gate and realised my gift of Waitrose 

hyacinths was a poor choice. But while I was 

wondering how to dispose of the pot, John and his 

wife Diana were already waving a friendly hello. 

John is the only son of Grace Higgens, the loyal 

housekeeper of the Bloomsbury Group, who 

Quentin Bell christened the “guardian angel 

of Charleston”. The daughter of a Norfolk 

smallholder, 16-year-old Grace was hired as a 

housemaid to Vanessa Bell in 1920. Aged 30, she 

gave birth to John in ‘High Holborn,’ a bed-sit, 

three floors above the kitchen, where as a child he 

would use the painted cupboards as goalposts. 

As one of ‘The Click’ - the nickname given to 

staff at Gordon Square, the favourite hangingout 

location of the Bloomsbury set in London 

- Grace enjoyed travel opportunities, but she 

was also “expected to work and work and work”. 

However liberal Vanessa Bell’s attitude to art and 

sex, John thought her “staid, prim, and proper.” As 

employers, the group “were just Victorian.” John 

told me, “All the time she was at Charleston I can 

hardly remember my mother having a day off… 

they had to come first.” 

During the war, the group made Charleston their 

permanent home. Grace had to contend with a 

coke-fuelled Aga and an unreliable water supply. 

She would traipse up and down the “rough old 

flint and chalk road,” to buy groceries in Lewes, 

and across a cold concrete floor tending to dinner 

guests until late. The staff had to be a disappearing 

presence; “If anyone was in the dining room you 

had to go round the back, so you didn’t go past the 

windows while they were having their meals.” 

The British Library bought Grace’s diaries in 

2007, but they reveal nothing salacious about 

her employers. John Maynard Keynes’ wife, the 


Portrait of John Higgens by Vanessa Bell 

ballerina Lydia Lopokova, became a “great friend”, 

and Clive Bell introduced young Grace to the 

stockmarket, which helped her buy a house in 

Ringmer when she retired in 1970. 

John remembers sitting for Vanessa Bell twice, a 

portrait of him aged 4 was one of the first produced 

in the top studio. The next was for the Berwick 

Church Nativity; John is pictured alongside two 

workmen, of whom each lost an arm in threshing 

accidents. There might have been more sittings, 

had Bell been a little more patient, “I think Mrs 

Bell got frustrated, she would say, ‘Peter John, you 

can’t sit still for five minutes!’” 

John and Diana visit Charleston once a year but 

although it looks “as it was,” there is some life that 

can’t be preserved; “Duncan loved smoking, and 

he always had music blaring. When you go in the 

studio now, you don’t have the radio, or the fumes.” 

But although John has fond memories, he doesn’t 

miss living there, “I like to see it, I like to think of 

it, but I lived there 24 years, was brought up with 

these various people. I didn’t think anything of it.” 

Chloë King 

A selection of artworks belonging to Grace Higgens 

will be sold at Gorringes Auctioneers in Lewes on 

Thursday 13th May. For details contact Francesca 

Collin on 01273 472503. 

A r t 

3 9

ALAN BENNETT 

The Yorkshire playwright returns to Sussex 

21st May sees the start of the 21st Charleston 

Festival. Ten days of talks, readings and discussions, 

marketed by the festival organisers as ‘inspiring and 

entertaining key-to-the-door-of-the-imagination 

events’, culminate in an evening of Chekhov 

vaudevilles. 

Tickets tend to sell fast, but this year unsuccessful 

applicants need not despair. ‘Follow us on Twitter’, 

is the jaunty exhortation on the back of the 

promotional brochure. And actually that might 

prove a safer option than attending in person, for 

we are left in no doubt that the country setting 

holds perils for the unprepared. Visitors are advised 

that ‘some surfaces are slightly uneven’. Parking is 

liable to be ‘a short distance from the festival site’ 

and, moreover, located in fields or farmyards. Small 

wonder then that ‘practical footwear is strongly 

recommended’. Learning that ‘the tea tent is in 

an orchard with no footpath’ makes one decidedly 

uneasy. 

Zadie Smith, Sarah Waters, Lionel Shriver and 

Rose Tremain are among the distinguished writers 

coming to Charleston this year. There’s little doubt, 

however, that the biggest draw is Alan Bennett. 

Certainly the organisers seem to think so, charging 

C h A r L e s t o N f e s t I VA L 

£3 more than the standard £11 per event. For this 

you get ‘a rare opportunity to hear Alan Bennett 

read (including his Bloomsbury review Say Cheese, 

Virginia) and answer questions.’ 

I suppose the Bloomsbury connection was 

irresistible, but it seems a pity as the piece in 

question, a book review of Lady Ottoline’s Album: 

Snapshots of her Famous Contemporaries, 

written for BB2’s The Book Programme, is 

uncharacteristically puerile. There’s another Alan 

Bennett Bloomsbury association to be found in his 

first play for television, A Day Out (1972). The part 

of Florence, a very well-spoken girl, shown in one 

scene playing croquet with a youthful Sebastian 

Flyte, is acted by the great-niece of Virginia Woolf, 

Virginia Bell. 

Her brother, Julian Bell, is at Charleston on 30th 

May, appearing in conversation with Frances 

Spalding. This particular event might be one 

for Alan Bennett to avoid, considering the 

subject matter of Spalding’s latest book, a double 

biography of John and Myfanwy Piper. Bennett’s 

new play, The Habit of Art, rather makes fun of 

poor Myfanwy. 

The Habit of Art, an agreeable enough literary 

soufflé, suffers from having little that is perceptive 

or original to say about the two protagonists, 

Benjamin Britten and WH Auden. The play does, 

however, contain one reference local to Lewes. 

Auden’s parting shot to Britten, towards the end of 

the play, is “And remember, Ben. Fuck Aldeburgh.” 

To which Auden adds, for no very good reason, 

“And while you’re at it, Fuck Glyndebourne.” 

Still, it’s probably the nearest we’re going to 

get to an Alan Bennett ‘Lewes’ play. The great 

opportunity for that was passed up in the 1970s. 

Going through Lewes one afternoon in 1972, 

Bennett observed a Chinese waiter, from his car 

window. It was early closing day. From that glimpse 

he developed the idea of writing about a Chinese 

waiter, on his afternoon off, searching the town 

for a girl called Iris who, he has been told, fancies 

him. But when it was shown on television in 1978, 

the action of the play, Afternoon Off, had shifted, 

inexplicably, from Lewes to Hartlepool. 

David Jarman 

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GLYNDEBOURNE 

Spring ain’t over till... 

o P e r A 

Provided UK airspace is volcanic-ash-free, allowing 

international stars to arrive safely in Sussex, the 

Glyndebourne 2010 season should kick off with an 

excellent start in late May. 

First up will be a new production of Britten’s 1951 

all-male classic Billy Budd, never before performed 

at Glyndebourne. To handle this they have drafted 

in star Donmar Warehouse Artistic Director 

Michael Grandage for his first opera production. 

The other new production this year will be 

Mozart’s Don Giovanni, directed by Jonathan Kent 

who gave us last year’s much praised and innovative 

The Fairy Queen, (Purcell). 

Opera outsiders may wonder why they aren’t all 

new productions - but sheer time, cost and risk 

means they need to mix new with established. 

Revivals are part of the way the House runs and 

allow audiences to enjoy the best of former seasons. 

This time round they will be going back to the 

Hockney-designed 1975 production of The Rake’s 

Progress (Stravinsky), their longest running and 

internationally-most-popular production. Plus 

three from more recent seasons - Hänsel und 

Gretel (Humperdinck), Così fan tutte (Mozart) and 

Macbeth (Verdi). 

The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment cover 

the Mozarts - with the treat of seeing 84-year-old 

Charles Mackerras taking charge of Così - and the 

London Phil do the honours on the rest. 

The 2010 season runs from 20 May to 29 August. 

At time of going to press both Mozarts had already 

sold out. For full programme information check 

out www.glyndebourne.com. 

Rob Read 

4 3

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GARLAND DAY 

The floral tradition 

M Ay D Ay 

May Day is traditionally associated with customs 

celebrating the coming of summer, such as dancing 

around the Maypole, crowning a May Queen 

or gathering bunches or ‘knots’ of flowers. The 

children’s rhyme ‘here we go gathering nuts of 

May’ is a corruption of ‘knots’, since May is no time 

to gather nuts. 

These days, the Knots of May women’s Morris 

team organise the annual Garland Day event 

in Lewes on the May Day Bank holiday. Local 

children bring along their floral creations to be 

judged. Tom Reeves tells me that it was seeing 

this 1881 Reeves photograph of the judging of the 

annual Lewes Garland Competition, begun in 1874 

by J F Verrall Esq, that inspired the Morris women 

to reinstate this Lewes May tradition. 

Verrall’s aim was apparently to give the poor 

children, who used to beg for ‘a penny for the 

garland’ on 1st May, something constructive to do, 

as well as encouraging ‘knowledge of wild flowers’, 

although some might think making garlands 

involves picking, and possibly nicking, flowers 

rather than learning about them. 

This year on Monday May 3rd, the ‘Children’s 

Garland Competition’ begins at 10am in the 

Castle Gun Garden, with the Mayor assisting the 

judging. Then the children process with the Knots 

of May Morris team, in traditional Lancastrian 

mill worker aprons and clogs, holding homemade 

fabric garlands, from the Castle grounds down 

to Cliffe Bridge. They are accompanied by the 

Chanctonbury Ring Morris Men. The Knots of 

May then present the children with certificates and 

prizes for the prettiest garlands. Emma Chaplin 

4 5

When the crows fly white 

and other stories 

Tom Hammick, 

Andrzej Jackowski 

and Tony Wilson 

St Anne’s Galleries 

15-23 May 

10am-5pm Saturdays and Sundays 

Sarah o’kane contemporary fine art 

S t anne’S GaLLeries 

111 HiGH street, Lewes, east sussex Bn7 1xy 01273 478 822 

sok@stannesgalleries.com www.stannesgalleries.com 

Riverside Art & Framing 

Cliffe High St, Lewes BN7 2RE 

The Star GroupT 

Annual Exhibition 2010 

Saturday 1 to Thursday 13 May 

10.30am–5pm (Sunday 12noon–5pm) 

at the Hop Gallery 

Castle Ditch Lane, Lewes 

Pippa Burley 

Peter Bushell 

David Cummings 

Pat Cummings 

Lindy Dunbar 

John Filmer 

Phyllis Hall 

Gus Harrison 

Nicola King 

Claire Mumford 

Meryl Stringell 

Nick Walsh

Images by Andrzej Jackowski (left), the Nuremberg Chronicles and terry frost (right) 

This month’s show at St Anne’s Gallery was 

inspired by an intriguing find in artist Tony 

Wilson’s Wilmington attic - a powerful poetic 

text, hand-written back in 1934 by a French 

farmer and conscripted soldier, Auguste Prevotel, 

about the indelible memory of army life. The title 

of the work - When the Crows Fly White – has 

been chosen to describe Wilson’s latest collection 

of works in media as diverse as objets-trouvés, 

clay figures, drawings, etchings and digital print 

works, all inspired by Prevotel’s words. Wilson is 

complemented by prints from two other renowned 

artists, both colleagues at Brighton University, 

Tom Hammick and this month’s ‘Focus On’ 

subject Andrzej Jackowski. 

The Tom Paine Printing Press (151, High St) 

is always worth popping into, and throughout 

May they’re displaying among the rest of their 

printing paraphernalia an exhibition called Pages 

featuring prints from books throughout the 

history of the industry, from the 15th century to 

the contemporary, including a genuine page from 

The Nuremberg Chronicles, and work by the 

likes of Max Ernst and Eric Gill. Curiously, there 

are some pages signed by Stephen Fry, created 

on a ‘replica’ Gutenberg Press and featured in his 

recent BBC programme The Medieval World. 

The organisers hasten to add that all the pages on 

display are by-product off-cuts, rather than pages 

pulled out of books, or, in their words: ‘no books 

were harmed in the making of this event’. 


art &ABOUT 

Down the road in Pelham House, Tom Walker 

and Shyama Ruffell (see last month) will be 

joined by Susan Miller, a member of the Sussex 

Watercolour Society, whose vibrant painted 

flowers will be brightening up the restaurant. 

Those dining in the beautiful garden will instead 

enjoy the latest sculptures dotted around the lawn. 

Finally, it’s a busy May at the Hop Gallery, 

which starts with the 20th annual exhibition of a 

collection of artists well known to the Lewes scene, 

the Star Group, whose latest life drawings (from 

their long-running Friday afternoon sessions in 

the All Saints) will be on display from the 1st to 

the 13th. From the 15th to the 27th there’s a joint 

show of the work of sculptor Chris Furner and 

photographer David Reed, called People Real 

and Imagined. Recent sculptures will sit alongside 

photographic portraits representing five decades 

of work. And the 29th signals the start of a show 

by David Armitage, whose semi-abstract works 

bring a smile to your face, albeit accompanied by a 

slightly worried look in the eyes. There’s darkness, 

in other words, within the celebration. More on 

that next month. 

Finally, if you’re looking for collectables from bigname 

artists, there are plenty to be found within 

the colourful walls of Kings Framers, where 

they’re selling prints and etchings from the likes 

of Tracey Emin, Henry Moore, Sandra Blow, 

Michael Stahoe, Bridget Riley and Terry Frost. 

A r t 

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What does the title refer to? It’s 

also the title of the recent book that 

has been published about my last 

thirty years’ work. It was inspired 

by an idea in the neurologist Oliver 

Sacks’ book Musicophelia in which 

he describes the capability of music to 

evoke the past, while rooting you in 

the present. I find this contradiction 

can be attributed to images and 

landscapes as well as music. There’s a 

play on words there, too, in that such 

images are a gift to ourselves. 

What’s the inspiration behind the 

work? It’s one of a series I’ve done of 

single figures or two sisters together 

inspired by a photo I came across of 

two South African women suffering 

from HIV, who were holding up 

boxes of memorabilia from their 

lives they’d collected to present to 

the next generation. It struck me as a 

tremendous way of giving something 

of yourself as an image. In this case 

the woman is holding up a painting, 

called The Pine Tree by the Sea, by Carlo Carrà, the Italian metaphysical artist of the 20s and 30s. It has 

been an important image for me since my student days. 

What media did you use? It’s an etching, using chin colle, a technique placing very thin paper between 

the print and the drawing, which adds texture. 

What are your major influences? Carlo Carrà, and his contemporaries De Chirico and Morandi. There’s 

a strong Eastern European influence, as well, particularly from the author and graphic artist Bruno Schulz, 

who wrote fairy stories drawing on mythology, using very dreamlike imagery. And the filmmaker Andrei 

Tarkovsky. Closer to the present, in my student days I was very influenced by RB Kitaj, and his ideas that 

figurative painting can draw on all sorts of different sources. 

What do you think of the Turner Prize? It’s done its job because the publicity it has created has 

encouraged people to go and see the work involved. I’m disappointed that not many painters have been 

involved recently, though. 

What painting would you hang from your desert island palm tree? The Pine Tree by the Sea. 


Focus on... 

The Remembered Present by Andrzej Jackowski (12” by 10”) 

A r t 

4 9

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art &ABOUT 

A r t 

Most painters like working in silence, not wanting 

any distraction from the thought processes that 

define their art. Not Rolf Lorenz (above). Rolf, 

whose work has been shown as far afield as Mexico 

and Hong Kong, uses rhythm and motion to express 

the music of various composers on large canvases 

(see above). He is one of three artists exhibiting in 

Sans Frontiere over the first four weekends of May 

(Sat and Sun, 12-5pm, 73 High Street). The others 

are Sally Clark-Lowes, who paints exuberantly 

stylised still lives of flowers in oils; and Anjah Rajah, 

whose abstract frames ‘denote multiple images of 

form, conscious and unconscious’. The exhibition is 

part of the Ouse Valley Art trail. 

Further afield, there’s 

some exciting news 

from the De La Warr 

Pavilion in Bexhill. 

From May 8th to mid 

August one of Antony 

Gormley’s most famous 

works, Critical Mass, 

will be on display on 

the roof of the famous 

modernist building. 

The work is made up 

of five casts from 12 

moulds of Gormley’s body, an ‘ascent of man’, 

moving from a crouching to a standing position. 

5 1

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My clear favourite among the three May offerings 

from Lewes Film Club is Wim Wender’s 1974 road 

movie Alice in the Cities (18th, 8pm). 

As you might imagine from its date and author, it’s 

something of an existentialist piece, focussing on 

the plight of a German writer sent to the United 

States to concoct a story about the state of the 

nation, but so disillusioned with the job all he can 

produce is a box of Polaroid snapshots. Buying 

a ticket home in the airport, he meets a young 

woman and her nine-year-old child and arranges 

to accompany them to Germany, via Amsterdam. 

Trouble is (and you have to take this bit with a 

pinch of salt) the woman slinks off to finish some 

business, and the writer ends up taking the child 

back to Europe on his own. The pair then travel 

around Germany together, searching various cities 

for the child’s elusive grandmother. 

Wenders uses this unlikely scenario to explore the 

growing influence of American culture on Europe, 

though what he ends up with is very much in the 

tradition of Old World cinema: a slow-moving, 

beautifully shot, character-led, black-and-white 

movie which defies convention and formula. 

A marvellous film, actually, which is life affirming 

without ever relying on cloying sentimentality, 

featuring understated performances from Rüdiger 

Vogler (the writer) and Yella Rottländer (the girl). 

Fugitive Pieces (11th, 8pm) is another film about 

a child being taken under the wing of an adult, and 

moved to a different country. The film flits between 

modern times and the war years as a Canadian 

writer revisits his traumatic past. Young Jakob, a 

WW2 orphan, is rescued from occupied Poland 


MAY ROUND-Up 

On the road 

C I N e M A 

by an archaeologist who takes him first to Greece, 

then to Canada. It’s based on the complex and 

fairly poetic novel by Anne Michaels: like many 

literary adaptations it fails to fully transpose the 

book’s subtlety onto the screen. Rosamund Pike 

excels as the girlfriend who persuades the writer to 

unlock his memories; alas he dumps her halfway 

through the film. 

The Visitor is a strange, but fairly likeable film, 

if you forgive its many implausibilities. At the 

beginning we meet Walter, a disaffected and 

extremely curt university professor going through 

the motions after twenty years teaching the same 

international developments course in Connecticut. 

He’s forced by his boss to give a paper in New 

York, where he owns a flat he hasn’t visited for 

years. When he arrives, he finds it inhabited by an 

immigrant couple – a cheerful young man from 

Syria, and his rather more surly girlfriend from 

Senegal. A character change comes over Walter at 

this point (we get to understand the reason for his 

previous behaviour) and he allows them to stay on, 

while they find somewhere else to live. This opens 

a new world for him, involving great cooking, 

African drum rhythms, and the savage nature of 

the immigration authorities. Richard Jenkins, of 

Six Feet Under fame, ably plays the professor, but 

the finest performance comes from Hiam Abbass, 

playing the Syrian guy’s mother, who arrives 

in the second half of the movie like a breath of 

spice-perfumed air. Which goes to show: if you’re 

going to give half-roles to the finest actors at your 

disposal, make sure it’s the second half. 

Dexter Lee 

5 3

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Sculpture Trail in the Garden 

1st - 31st May 

Motorcar Gathering - 6th June 

Pre 70’s cars displayed in the Garden 

Haywards Heath, RH16 1XP 

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MEADOWLANDS 

Glynde goes all Glasto 

A bigger and even more exciting Meadowlands 

Festival is back for a second year at Glynde Place 

over the bank holiday weekend, 29th-31st May. 

There are two stages – the Sound Harvest and the 

Meadowlands. Friday kicks off with a ‘Campsite 

Discotheque’ with Tru Thoughts DJ Flevans 

playing a three-hour set on the Sound Harvest Bar. 

On Saturday, bands include Wave Machines, the 

Shadow Orchestra and Gloria Cycles. On Sunday, 

look out for The Bays (above), whose set comprises 

improvised electro jazz and dance music. The band 

don’t release records – the only way to hear them 

is to watch them live. Also playing on Sunday, the 

funky-and-fabulous-to-bop-to punk/ska outfit Los 

Albertos. MC for the weekend is Dan from Bang 

Said the Gun. Entertaining everyone between live 

acts will be resident DJ Tiger Lily (who’s from 

Paris) with Discoboy, and avant-garde French radio 

station DJs from Fip Radio. There will also be a 

walkabout torchlight dance parade from Brightonbased 

samba band Barulho. 

Photo: The Bays 

f e s t I VA L 

As well as a luxurious champagne and oyster bar, 

there will be lots of other food vendors at the 

festival, providing ‘a fantastic variety’ of snacks, 

including locally-sourced and organic. There will 

also be a Children’s Area, where activities include 

a five-a-side football pitch, a volleyball court, 

workshops and, of course, a bouncy castle. 

Tickets: from Octave on School Hill. Adult 

weekend £65, Adult day £38. Children weekend 

£35 (13-17 years of age). Children day £20 (13-17 

years of age). 12 and under go free. 24 hour secure 

parking. Car £5 (day or weekend parking), camper 

van £15 (day or weekend parking). Camping free. 

www.meadowlandsfestival.com

5 6

HIGHLIGHTS 

D I A r y D At e s 

Throughout May. Human Voice. Lewes based soprano, Ruth Kerr and director Neil Brown perform 

a dramatisation of Schumann’s Frauenliebe und Leben in the Brighton Fringe Festival. See ad on inside 

cover for more details 

Sat 1st. Lewes Farmers’ Market. Get there early as the first asparagus should be on sale. 

Cliffe Precinct, 9am-1pm 

Sat 1st – Sun 23rd (weekends only). Art: Firle Artists. There are activities in the Ram and throughout 

the village, every weekend afternoon until 23rd. Check firleartists.co.uk for more details 

Sat 1st/Sun 2nd. Literary Weekend Party. ‘Pigbaby’, part of Pulse Brighton Poetry Festival, featuring 

the likes of Don Paterson, Nicky Singer, Catherine Smith, Susannah Waters and Marian Garvey. Beechwood 

Hall, Cooksbridge, Sat 2.30-10.30pm/Sun 11am-3.30pm. Tickets 782276/www.pighog.co.uk 

Sat 1st/Sun 2nd. Phoenix Rising Exhibition. The community plans for the industrial estate are 

moved on-site. Zu Studio, North St Industrial Estate (over the river from Tesco) 

Mon 3rd: Classical Music – Mozart Requiem. The Kantanti Ensemble play the Austrian’s last piece, 

as well as Spring works by Grieg, Copland and Delius. St John-sub-Castro, 7.30pm, £12/10 in advance 

(474979/www.kantanti.com); £13.50/11.50 on the door 

Thur 6th: Film – Pig Tusks and Paper Money. A TTL screening of a Lilliana Gibbs documentary 

looking at the clash between the cash economy and the traditional economy in Papua New Guinea. 

Lewes Werks, 8pm 

Sat 8th. Classical Music. The East Sussex Bach Choir, directed by John Hancorn, perform Rossini’s 

Petit Messe Solenelle. St John-sub-Castro, 7.30pm, Tickets from 07759 878562

5 8

HIGHLIGHTS 

Sat 8th: Vivace! Small classical choir in full voice to raise money for Sussex Air Ambulance. Lewes 

Priory School Chapel, 7.30pm, £8 from Needlemakers Café or on the door 

Sun 9th: A Gideon Mantell-related walk starts off a month of related events (see page 29) 

Sun 9th. Plumpton Races. Family Raceday. First race 2.10pm 

D I A r y D At e s 

Fri 14th: Classical Music. Lewes Concert orchestra spring concert, in the Town Hall as ever, features 

Reinecke’s Flute Concerto (featuring Sue Gregg) and Schumann’s 1st Symphony (The Spring). Town 

Hall, 7 for 7.30pm 

Sat 15th: Drive-in movie. And it’s Grease, of course. It costs £20 a car, and you can fit a total of five in. 

Plumpton Racecourse, gates open 6.30pm, film starts 8.45pm 

Sun 16th. Art Deco Fair. Elegant artefacts from the 20s to the 70s including ceramics, figures, furniture, 

jewellery and clocks, put on by the same group who do the bi-monthly fair in Hove. Lewes Town 

Hall, 10am-4pm, £2 (accompanied U14s free) 

Sun 16th: Classical Music: Scenes from the Saga of King Olaf by Elgar. Performed by the Fayfrax 

Singers and Orchestra. St John-sub-Castro, 7.30pm (01273 480189) 

Thur 20th: Film: The Yes Men Fix The World. A Sacha Baron Cohen-type satire for the over 12s, 

this film follows gonzo hoaxsters Andy Birnbaum and Mike Bonanno as they take on the corporate, by 

taking the mickey. Lewes Werks, 8pm 

Sat 29th. Plant seed and produce sale. Quality plants for sale in the site of the old WI market. Proceeds 

in aid of the Lewes Group in Support of Refugees and Asylum Seekers. 9am-noon

g I g g u I D e 

MAY DAY-BY-DAY LISTINGS 

SAT 1ST 

Speak And Spell + DJ Digitalis. Top Depeche 

Mode tribute band. Con Club, 8pm, £5 

The Straw Dogs. Snowdrop, 9pm, free 

The Lucky Ones. Celtic folk-rock. John Harvey, 

9pm, free 

SUN 2ND 

Mike The Mic. Gypsy swing and scat jazz. 

Volunteer, 4pm, free 

MON 3RD: PICK OF THE MONTH 

Pandemonium. Festival in the Dripping Pan 

headlined by the Levellers’ Mark Chadwick. 

3-10pm, £7.50 / £5 Laportes / Gardeners 

TUES 4TH 

Folk at the John Harvey Tavern, 9pm, free 

WED 5TH 

Stefan Lindon. Ragtime piano. John Harvey, 

9pm, free 

Tab Hunter and Ben Paley. Guitar and fiddle. 

Snowdrop, 9pm, free 

THUR 6TH 

Toby Borelli King Size Slim. Blues / Roots. 

9pm, Snowdrop, free 

Eamonn O’Broithe & Creena Mulchrone. A 

night of Irish music featuring the uillean pipes. 

Royal Oak, 8pm, £6 

Dunia Duo. Guitar and violin based Arabic & 

gypsy flamenco. 8pm, Pelham, free 

FRI 7TH 

The Kondoms. Popular punky covers. Con 

Club, 8pm, £3 non members 

HillBilly Delux. Rockabilly rebels, from head 

to toe. Volunteer, 9pm, free 

SAT 8TH 

Jumbo Gumbo. Cajun Zydeco. Snowdrop, 

9pm, free 

So Last Century String Band. American Old- 

Time. Elephant and Castle, 8pm, £5 

Frank Toutenzi. John Harvey Tavern, 9pm, free 

SUN 9TH 

Ray Owen. Juicy Lucy frontman plays an 

acoustic set. Con Club, 3pm, free 

Bagge & Armer. Contemporary electric hardhitting 

blues/country. Volunteer, 4pm, free 

6 0 MON 10TH 

Blue Note. Jazz. 9pm, Snowdrop, free 

WED 12TH 

Jazz tba. John Harvey, 9pm, free 



THUR 13TH 

The Moonshine Band. Popular jazz-bluesy 

covers. 9pm, Snowdrop, free 

Paul Burgess. Fine folk fiddle and vocals. Royal 

Oak, 8pm, £6 

Parisian Swing. 20s & 30s gypsy swing guitar 

duo. Pelham, 8pm, free 

FRI 14TH 

Fat Belly Jones. Con Club, £3 non members 

Lights Out. Rock and roll covers. Volunteer, 

9pm, free 

SAT 15TH 

Local Heroes. Rhythm and blues. Snowdrop, 

9pm, free 

Band of Two. Covers from the 80s/70s/60s. 

John Harvey Tavern, 9pm, free 

SUN 16TH 

Caramel Jack. Victorian-tinged alt-country 

duo. Con Club, 3pm, free 

Simon & Sleeze. Rocking rhythm and blues. 

Volunteer, 4pm, free 

MON 17TH. 

Blue Note. Jazz. Snowdrop, 9pm, free 

WED 18TH 




THUR 20TH 

Foghorn Stringband. Old Time band from 

Portland, Oregon. 9pm, Snowdrop, free 

Jeff Warner. Multi-instrumentalist and entertaining 

folklorist. Royal Oak, 8pm, £6 

Pollito Boogaloo. Colombian trio. Pelham 

Arms, 8pm, free 

FRI 21ST 

The Fold. Levellers-style folk-rock. Con Club, 

8pm, price tba 

Bad Attitude. Volunteer, 9pm, free 

>>> 6 1

SAT 22ND 

Lights Out. Feelgoody rock ‘n’ roll covers. 


Greg McDonald. Dylan/Stones etc covers. 

John Harvey Tavern, 9pm, free 

SUN 23RD 

Stefan Lindon and guests. Jazzy piano. Con 

Club, 3pm, free 

Jason Henson. Gypsy swing guitar from the 

30s and 40s. Volunteer, 4pm, free 

MON 24TH 

Blue Note. Jazz. 9pm, Snowdrop, free 

WED 26TH 




THUR 27TH 

Come Into My Parlour presents Tea Through 

the Gloryhole. Victoriana madness. Snowdrop, 

9pm, free 

Debby McClatchy. Expert entertainer on banjo 

& fiddle. Royal Oak, 8pm, £6 

The Swing Ninjas. Dirty horny gypsy swing 

trio. Pelham, 8pm, free 

g I g g u I D e 

FRI 28TH 

Elevators. Popular local blues. Con Club, 8pm, 

members free 

Road Runners. Volunteer, 9pm, free 

SAT 29TH 

Holliday Junction. Snowdrop, 9pm, free 

The Moonshine Band. Popular jazz-bluesy 

covers. 9pm, John Harvey Tavern, free 

SUN 30TH 

Hanna And The Angels Of Elsewhere. Soulful 

folk from Brighton songstress. Con Club, 3pm, 

free 

Monkey Trap. Rock, soul & ska music ‘to slit 

your wrists to’. Volunteer, 4pm, free 

Thanks to Francesco Andreoli, whose Lewes 

gig videos can be seen at www.youtube.com/ 

user/LewesMusic and Graham Denman.

Photo: rob read 

I’ve never stopped at the Giant’s Rest before – only 

glimpsed it as we pass by en route to Eastbourne. 

But I’m aware it’s regularly listed in both the Good 

Beer and Good Pub guides. And since I’m already 

in Wilmington to write about the village (see page 

81), we decide to go there for lunch. 

It’s an unexpectedly sunny day in the midst of a 

rainy week, but still too chilly to sit out in the 

garden. We head inside, past vast potted plants 

either side of the door, and seat ourselves at a 

wooden table on benches made comfy with plump 

cushions. We’re here at midday and only a few 

tables are taken so far, but I’ve been told it often 

gets very busy. A wood-burning stove makes it feel 

cosy and sun is streaming through the window. 

We take an immediate liking to the place; the 

atmosphere is lovely, and I’m amused by the award 

on the bar for ‘the most Druid-friendly pub in 

Sussex’. I order the three of us, variously, sparkling 

water, an Appletise and a pint of Timothy Taylor 

Landlord, a Yorkshire beer, which pleases the 

whippet-sketch tendencies of my other half, Rob. 

I mention to the friendly bar woman that I’m 

writing about the village. She points out an old 

photograph on the wall, that shows the pub back 

in the days when it was the Black Horse Inn. As I 

wander over to look, I spot Beryl Cook prints on 

the wall and what looks like a different pub game – 

Jenga, dominoes, cards - on each table. 

We look at the extensive menu written up on 

blackboards. As well as standard pub food, like 

Ploughman’s, there are more unusual dishes, like 


GIANT’S REST 

Jambalaya and Jenga, just off the A27 

f o o D 

jambalaya. Rob debates having the South Downs 

rabbit and bacon pie, but chooses instead slices 

of home-cooked ham with chutney and bubble 

and squeak (£10). The chutney, we’re told, is 

homemade, and was awarded first prize at a recent, 

and hotly-contested, competition in the village. I 

waver over the jambalaya, but decide on African 

spinach, sweet potato and peanut stew (£10.50). 

There is no children’s menu as such, but they are 

open to mix and match requests, so after some 

discussion, our son opts for sausage, garlic bread 

and baked beans, for which they charge £5.50. 

Our table has a devilishly difficult wooden puzzle, 

so we greet the arrival of our food with some relief. 

My rich, warm, red stew comes in a bowl topped 

with sour cream and fresh chopped parsley and is 

served with chunks of granary bread. The peanuts 

give the soft, melting chunks of sweet potato a 

delicious flavour, and it is gently, but nicely, spicy. 

Rob looks delighted at his handsome plateful 

of thick ham slices, which he pronounces to be 

‘fabulous’. The generous portion of bubble and 

squeak is ‘fantastic’ and the chutney ‘very good 

indeed’. My son scoffs down his (local Willingdon) 

sausages, beans and garlic bread. 

I enjoy every mouthful, and can’t believe we have 

never been before. Without a doubt, we will be 

back. I want to try the jambalaya with a pint of 

the draught cider much loved by southern softies, 

Stowford Press. Emma Chaplin 

The Giant’s Rest, Wilmington, 01323 870207 (also 

does Bed and Breakfast) 

6 3

Stop worrying about 

the size of your 

Come to 

The Farmhouse Kitchen 

For brilliant breakfasts, leisurely lunches & tempting teas 

Open Daily ~ Free Parking ~ Sunny Terrace 

5 minutes from Lewes, on the Kingston Road 

Visit the Farm Park too! 01273 488450 

www.springbarnfarmpark.co.uk 

pig-arsePRO2.indd 1 8/4/10 14:24:05

Upstairs at Riverside 

haberdashery, fabric 

and knitting yarns 

NEW FABRICS 

Work-Baskets & 

Knitting Bag range 

now in stock 

ideas, inspiration 

and craft books 

12-14 Riverside, Cliffe Bridge, 

High Street, Lewes, BN7 2RE 

01273 473 577

Hilary Moore Flowers 

, 

• Fresh Cut Flowers, Bouquets, 

Hand-Ties and Arrangements 

• Plants 

• Wedding, Party & Funeral Flowers 

• Interflora & Local Deliveries 

• Corporate Events & Contract Work 

• Champagne, Wine & Chocolates 

• Workshops 

• Dr Hauschka Skincare 

85 High Street Lewes 

East Sussex BN7 1NX 

(01273) 480822 

www.hilarymooreflowers.co.uk

f o o D 

Photo: alex leith 

pARMESAN CUSTARD 

An out-of-this-world starter at 197 

I missed the first episode of the new Dr Who, but I’m 

informed that the young Time Lord has developed a 

passion for fish fingers and custard. 

This very much sprang to mind when looking at the 

well designed menu of ‘197’, the latest incarnation of 

the School Hill restaurant formerly known as Si, and 

latterly Artisan. You know the place? The one that is 

much bigger on the inside than it looks from outside. 

Among the starters one thing jumped out that was 

perfect for this column, whose remit is to pick out 

interestingly different dishes in town. ‘Marmite 

soldiers and Parmesan custard’, at £4.25, just had to 

be tried. 

Ten minutes later it arrived, the four soldiers jenga’d 

on a black slate next to a small, lidded pot containing 

a creamy coloured substance. The pan-fried-in-butter 

bread fingers had been intricately sliced lengthways 

and infused with a marmite filling. 

There was a teaspoon to dollop on the Parmesan 

custard (a cheese and cream mix). The first bite was 

quite a sensation, as the synapses between palate 

and brain struggled to relay the ensuing quickfire 

succession of flavours and textures, from the sinful 

half-liquid crunch of the fried bread to the yeasty 

umami of the Marmite. 

I was sharing this starter, and before long bites 

number two, three and four had taken place, too, and 

this out-of-this-world concoction was nothing but a 

memory, and a few crumbs on the black slate. 

Delicious, then, as well as deliciously slight, especially 

when shared between two. I could have happily 

travelled back in time ten minutes, as it happens, and 

started all over again. AL 

6 7

A GREAT START TO THE DAY 

Take time to smell the roses and start your day 

with breakfast in the garden, says Bill Collison. 

We try to kid ourselves that Spring begins in 

March, though this year that was pretty impossible. 

And then, we do the same again for April – there’s 

the odd, sublimely beautiful day and out come the 

shorts and sandals and trips to the beach when 

everyone does their best to pretend they’re having a 

good time, but really they’re freezing. 

So thank heavens for May, arriving right on cue on 

the 1st and bringing with it, finally – if we’re lucky 

– some decent weather. To prove we’re heading 

for summer, things are really warming up on the 

produce front, with so much fresh and colourful 

veg piling into the shop. Of course, asparagus has 

to have a mention – a short season for what has to 

be one of the sexiest foods – prepared and eaten in 

all sorts of ways, but mostly slathered in hollandaise 

and a good grinding of black pepper. Good bread 

for mopping up, honestly it doesn’t get tastier or 

simpler. 

One of the truly great things about May is that 

you can open the door and wander outside to find 

a sunny spot to eat your breakfast. The mornings 

are getting warmer, the sun has been up for a lot 

longer than most of us, heating that bench or wall. 

So sitting outside, feeling that warmth on your skin 

and eating something delicious – even if it’s just for 

five minutes – is a very nice way to start the day. 

You can also take stock of the garden while you sit 

there, think about the day ahead – you know, the 

sort of stuff we’re all supposed to do, but never get 

round to in our rush to get on to the next thing. 

So, what to have for an outdoor breakfast? 

Something quick and healthy, sustaining and 

flavoursome, something you can spoon out of a jar 

without having to think too much, something you 

can add to to shake things up a bit or not if you 

want to keep it simple. Yes, I’m thinking granola. 


f o o D 

The good thing about granola – one of the good 

things – is that you can make each batch according 

to your wishes. Don’t like nuts? Leave them 

out. Love dried apricots? Add plenty. Looking 

for something a bit luxurious? Throw in a bag of 

chocolate chips or macadamia nuts. The important 

part is to hone the basic recipe and then each time 

you make it, play around with the extras. 

I’ve sampled a good many granola recipes over 

the years and this one really works. The secret is 

in the thin layering into the baking tray, the slow 

cooking and the addition of water. It’s very simple, 

not that many ingredients, but it has everything 

you need. Eat it with yoghurt or milk or even juice 

if you prefer. Add fruit – fresh or stewed, a drizzle 

of honey or maple syrup, whatever takes your fancy 

and then, bowl in hand, barefoot into the garden. 

Good Garden Granola 

60g honey 

4 dessert spoonfuls of sunflower oil 

2 tablespoons water 

90g light brown sugar 

220g jumbo oats 

150g nuts (mixed or one type. If you like peanuts, 

try them) 

60g seeds (if using one type, pumpkin is good. Or 

a mix) 

Mix honey, oil, water and sugar together. Put dry 

ingredients in a bowl. Add liquids and stir really 

well. 

Spoon mixture on to a large shallow baking tray 

and flatten down. Bake at a low temperature -120º/ 

gas 2 for an hour. Stir the mixture around a couple 

of times. 

Remove from oven. Cool completely and store in 

an airtight jar. 

Picture by Thomas Fedra 

6 9

Visit our friendly, oak-beamed 

Free House just down the 

road in beautiful Rodmell. 

Why not enjoy a delicious meal 

before or after a lovely circular 

South Downs or river walk? 

Children and dogs welcome. 

Real Ale, Pretty Patio, Sunday 

Roasts, Daily Papers, Wii, TV, 

Table Football, Monthly Quiz. 

www.abergavennyarms.com 

01273 472416 

Open all day, every day 

BARCOMBE 

NURSERIES UK5 G2272 

VEGETABLE GROWERS 

LOCAL ORGANIC BOX SCHEME 

free delivery to your door 

Mill Lane, Barcombe, Nr Lewes, BN8 5TH. 

Telephone: 01273 400011 

www.barcombenurseries.com 

barcombenurseries@tiscali.co.uk 

We design beautiful gardens you can eat and drink 

To find out how to make your garden a delicatessen of ingredients 

throughout the year please call us on 01273 401 100 

www.incrediblegardens.co.uk 

IG_VIVAAD_APR2010_v1.indd 1 13/4/10 17:10:31

t h e N I b b L e r 

HOLY SMOKE 

Belly dancing and a new King’s Head 

As a fan of smoky flavours, I’m pleased to have 

discovered a few new products in Lewes with 

a pleasant, and intentional, whiff of bonfire. 

Annabel’s Deli in the Riverside is now stocking 

oak-smoked rapeseed oil for £3.75 from the 

wonderful Sussex Gold company. Annabel refills 

bottles of their sunflower and rapeseed oils, as 

well as selling their range of ready-mixed salad 

dressings and marinades. The smoked oil works well 

drizzled over pasta with roasted vegetables, in salad 

dressings. Further smoky products can be found in 

Beckworths in the form of the astonishingly deep 

flavoured Salar flaky salmon, as well as from a bulb 

of Besmoke smoked garlic for £2 a bulb. 

Hopefully May will bring us more warm weather, 

in which case, it’s a good time to enjoy the return 

of Salcombe Dairy ice-cream at Poppy’s in the 

Riverside. Flavours include honeycomb and real 

strawberry. 

Some pub news: we hear the King’s Head is under 

new management, Rebecca and Paul, who also run 

The Foragers in Hove, which is well known for its 

good food. 

If you fancy gazing at some abdominal gyrations 

with your meal, look out for the first Saturday of the 

month ‘Turkish nights’ at the Casbah café. For £25 

you get a four course Turkish feast, including mezze, 

ezogelin (lentil) soup, marinated lamb chops and 

baklava, and a belly dancer on hand to entertain you. 

Book on 472441. 

The Nibbler would like any reader feedback about 

food and drink. Let us know where you enjoyed a 

fabulous dish or a culinary nightmare, or where you 

bought some fine food. 

Email thenibbler@vivalewes.com 

7 1

Photo: Susan Bell 

Easy pasties 

Who made all the pies? 

Granny, who lives in Cornwall, has taught our children how to make proper beef pasties and they love 

making them. But they also like making up their own fillings. These are quick and easy to make and are a 

great alternative to a sandwich for lunch. 


k I D s ’ k I t C h e N 

Makes: 4 pasties. Preparation time: about 20 minutes. Cooking time: 20-25 minutes 

Tuna and sweetcorn filling: 

2 x 185g tins tuna, drained, 200 g tinned sweetcorn, drained, 1 tbsp mayonnaise 

For the cheese filling: 

100g feta , 80g ricotta, large handful grated Parmesan , handful fresh chopped mint or dried oregano, 

chopped , good pinch sweet paprika, 375 g packet shortcrust pastry, 1 egg, beaten with a fork 

For the tuna and sweetcorn filling - drain the tuna and put into a bowl. Add the sweetcorn and 

mayonnaise and mix everything together. For the cheese filling; put the feta in a bowl with the ricotta, 

Parmesan, herbs and paprika and mix together. 

Sprinkle a little flour over the work surface. Roll out the pastry to about 3mm thickness. Using a sideplate, 

cut out 4 circles, or use a saucer and make 6 smaller pasties. 

Spoon the filling onto half of each circle. Brush a little beaten egg around the outside of the pastry 

circles (this will help it stick together). Fold the other half of pastry over the filling and squeeze the 

edges firmly together. 

Now for the fun bit – crimp the pastry together using your first finger and thumb and turn the edge 

over to form a crimp – keep doing this all the way along the pastry to help seal the pastry together. The 

crimping will come with practice. The important thing is that the pasties stick together. 

Brush the pasty with the beaten egg and bake for about 25 minutes until golden and cooked. 

Amanda Grant 

7 3

Southdown Sports Club 

in the heart of Lewes 

A healthy sports environment. Come and 

enjoy the excellent facilities, get fit and make friends. 

Tennis • Lewes Hockey Club • Netball • Squash • Gym 

Leisure • Pilates and Yoga classes • Physiotherapy clinic 

Call: 01273 480630 

Southdown Sports Club, Cockshut Road, Lewes, East Sussex BN7 3PR 

Email: sec@southdownclub.org.uk Web: southdownclub.org.uk

For some, the call of the first cuckoo indicates 

summer is on its way. For Lewesians, it’s the 

sound of children screaming when they jump 

into the cold depths of the Pells pool. As 

someone who lives locally enough to walk along 

in a towel and costume (but perhaps not in 

May), watching the annual transformation of the 

pool from slimy green to clean, fresh turquoise 

is a beautiful thing to behold. The season 

begins this year on Saturday 15th May, with the 

official celebratory opening on Saturday 22nd. 

As always, kids (and adults) can defrost after an 

early season dip under the hot outdoor shower, 

or with some pasta or hot chocolate from the 

kiosk. Before long, the water will have warmed 

up sufficiently to allow normal breathing during 

swimming, and it will be ice-creams they’ll be 

asking for. After holding prices for a number 

of years, manager Phil Ransley tells us that the 

non-profit making pool now has to put them 

up a little this season. Adults now £4, juniors 

remain £2, family ticket (2 adults and 2 children) 

£10.50. You can also get saver and season tickets. 

The pool is open from noon, and closing time 

is weather dependent. For more information, 

look on the website www.pellspool.org.uk or call 

01273 472334. 

Also on Saturday May 15th, the second ‘Fayre to 

Celebrate the Feast of St. Pancras’ is being held 

splash! 

Family fun in May 

V I VA f A M I L y 

at the Southover/Western Road school playing 

fields between 11.00am – 4.30pm. As with last 

year’s event, various exciting medieval activities 

and entertainments are planned. The Pentacle 

Drummers and the Eastbourne Giants will walk 

from Cliffe up the High Street, down Station 

Road, and arrive at the Fayre between 10.00am 

and midday. There will be live music, wet stocks, 

archery, a climbing wall, swede rolling, tug-ofwar, 

storytelling, as well as numerous interesting 

food and drink stalls. Southover Bonfire Society 

monks will be welcoming new members and 

selling bonfire merchandise. The entrance fee is 

50p and the event is a fundraiser for both The 

Priory and Southover Bonfire Society. The first 

300 families will receive a scroll depicting the 

Priory Time Line. 

Also in May, as usual, the Sussex Archaeological 

Society have various activities for kids 

scheduled, including a ‘Bread and Butter’, 

cooking session in Anne of Cleves on 6th, 

Rumplestiltskin storytelling in Lewes castle 

on 20th May, and a Battle of Lewes Activity 

Day, also at the castle, on 29th. And as part of 

the national Museums at Night scheme, the 

Roman Palace at Fishbourne is offering a late 

night opening event entitled ‘Ancient Myths 

and Mosaics’. For more details, check out www. 

sussexpast.co.uk . Emma Chaplin 

7 5

MRCYCLES.co.uk 

for bikes, spares & repairs 

Call MrCycles on 01323 893130 

or visit our shop near Seaford station 

Van – we offer a cycle collect, repair 

& return service within the Lewes 

and Seahaven area 

Shop – we supply a wide range of 

cycling accessories and bikes by Marin, 

Trek, Giant, Raleigh and Mongoose 

Internet – download leaflets and maps 

on cycle routes from our website 

www.MrCycles.co.uk 

Workshop – our mechanics are 

qualified to CyTech Level 2 and we are 

an accredited Shimano Service Centre

ANTIQUES ROADSHOW 

Get out your family heirlooms 

The most interesting bit of the BBC’s long-running programme 

Antiques Roadshow is the punter’s reaction when the expert 

reveals the value of the item that’s just been assessed. 

On May 15th (10am-5pm) Wallis and Wallis are organising a 

charity event, based on the same format, in their auction room, 

inviting experts from all sorts of fields to scrutinise valuables (and 

less valuables) brought in by the public. I jump at the chance of 

helping publicise the event by taking a couple of family heirlooms 

to W&W’s auctioneer Roy Butler, who worked on the BBC show 

for 32 years, to get to know more of their history, and, of course, 

to find out how much they’re worth. 

A trip to my parents’ house produces two items that I have 

known since childhood, a German trench knife, picked up by 

a great uncle during WW1, and a service medal from the Boer 

War, earned by a great great uncle, who died on the way home 

from that conflict. 

The trench knife has the more interesting story behind it. My 

father’s Uncle Billy was a trench runner on the Western Front, 

having joined up under age when he was just 16 or 17 years old. 

On his trips between the trenches, dodging snipers’ bullets and 

shell shrapnel, he collected many items. 

Billy very nearly didn’t make it through the war: he was hit in the 

head by flying shrapnel one day and, presumed dead, placed in 

the morgue. Family legend has it that he woke up in the middle 

of the night in a cave full of corpses, scaring the living daylights 

out of the guard, who dropped his lantern and fled. He was taken 

to a field hospital and operated on. He never fully recovered from 

the injury: though he lived into the 1970s, he maintained the 

mental age (and unbounded enthusiasm) of a young lad. Sadly 

most of his wartime collection mysteriously disappeared after his 

death: the knife is one of the few items that were retrieved. 

Mr Butler is impressed with the story, but not with the value of 

the knife. It is, he tells me, almost impossible to classify such an 

item, of which millions were made, in different shapes and forms. 

So how much? About £30-£50. 

He’s much more impressed with the medal. “It’s a very popular 

and collectable item,” he tells me. “There’s a standing Britannia 

on one side, and Victoria on the other. The four clasps tell us 

which actions your relation was in: Laing’s Nek, Cape Colony, 


A N t I Q u e s 

Tugela Heights and The Relief of 

Ladysmith. It’s a pity it’s not the Defence 

of Ladysmith, defences are always much 

rarer, but never mind.” 

He whips up my enthusiasm with more 

detail. “178,000 of these medals were 

awarded, and the maximum number of 

clasps could be 23, though the maximum 

on a single medal is nine. They sent a lot 

of soldiers out to Africa to that conflict, to 

give them battle experience, so there are a 

lot of these things about.” 

And then to the crux of the matter. “So 

how much is it worth?” “Market value…” 

he says… “£75-100. Catalogue value… 

£100-125.” It’s more than I expected, 

actually. Sadly, there’s no camera to record 

the glint of satisfaction in my eyes. AL 

7 7

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A DAY TRIp TO… 

LEWES 

Our town through Time Out’s eyes 

Time Out’s Great Days Out From London guide 

dedicates five pages to Lewes. Armed with a copy 

of the book, I decide to retrace the steps of the 

author, to try to see my home town through the 

eyes of a tourist. 

I can only assume that the writer drove to 

town, because they advise you to start at the 

Needlemakers - an unlikely point for anyone who’s 

just climbed off the train. Starting my daytrip 

there, I look around and see the ‘arty, crafty 

emporium’ in a new light. Skylark and Wickle are 

busy, as is the café, though the manager might be a 

little peeved to discover that it’s suggested that you 

head to the Lewes Arms for lunch. So I do. 

Whilst there, I read that our town is ‘a middleclass 

foodie haven’, so after a fine meal I check out 

their reasons for coming to this conclusion: Bill’s, 

Cheese Please, Bonne Bouche and Bruditz. Sadly, 

they haven’t found Beckworths, surely a must for 

any visiting middle-class foodie. 

The writer is also very taken with our antique 

shops, which, to be honest, I very rarely visit. So I 

take their advice and head to Southdown Antiques 

on Cliffe High Street in search of ‘eclectic curios 

and art deco lamps’. Unfortunately, I get no further 

than a rather officious sign on the door, informing 

me that it only opens by appointment, and that you 

have to give at least 48 hours notice - a bit like it 

used to be trying to get in to a casino. 

I pop next door to Cliffe Antiques Centre, which 

they rate highly. It’s OK, but I think they’ve missed 

a massive trick. I find the flea market, or the old 

church building on Station Street much bigger 

and better to browse in. And just across the road, 

there’s the huge Lewes Antiques Centre to explore. 

While there I get a bit carried away and negotiate a 

fantastic deal on an original 1950s bamboo bar that 

I have absolutely no space for. 


D Ay o u t 

Anyway, back to the guide. As advised I rush 

through the precinct - a bit harsh on the 16 shops, 

but I guess they want the ‘real’ Lewes - and stroll 

up to the War Memorial. From there they suggest 

I enjoy the ‘particularly picturesque’ architecture 

heading west along the High Street, and it’s hard 

not to. I’m also happy to stop off at the castle 

to enjoy the ‘breathtaking views’ from the top, 

something I haven’t done for a while. 

The author also finds the Grange Gardens and 

Anne of Cleves House. All this activity makes me 

worry that they did park at the Needlemakers, and 

exceed the two hours you get there. There’s no 

mention, though, of that other local institution, the 

‘welcome to Lewes’ parking ticket. 

I’ve one more bit of the guide to follow. ‘A stroll 

up the tiny Pipe Passage, off the High Street, 

brings you to a bijou, nameless bookshop run by 

the affable David Jarman’. So I take that journey, 

say hello to the aforementioned Mr Jarman, walk 

through the bookshop, and sit down in the Viva 

office to write about my day visiting the ‘jewel in 

the South Downs crown’ (my phrase not theirs) 

thinking of the hundreds of gems they missed in 

our glorious little town. Nick Williams 

7 9

WILMINGTON 

Home to the Long Man

Photo: rob read 

My guides to Wilmington are 

long-time residents, Roger and 

Mary Driver. Wilmington, Roger 

explains, is a ‘street village’ similar 

to others on the north side of the 

Downs such as Firle and Alciston. 

Agricultural in origin, it grew 

up along the line where cattle 

and sheep were driven along 

down to summer pastures on the 

levels after winter grazing on the 

Downs while the lower ground 

was flooded. 

These days the village is split 

by the A27, but it’s still a lively 

community of 200 people. Mary 

knows this because she organises 

church hall bookings, for film 

and flower shows, beetle drives, 

and keep-fit classes. And since 

becoming guardian of the village 

record book, created in 1953 by 

formidable members of the oncethriving 

WI, she also puts on 

Nostalgia Evenings. 

She kindly lets me have a look at 

the scrapbook. It’s a remarkable 

artefact, bound in leather and 

decorated with an engraving of 

the Long Man of Wilmington. “It 

was once kept in a leather suitcase 

with a pair of white silk gloves for 

viewing. Sadly, they got damaged 

in a flood, but the book remained 

intact.” 

Inside the cover is a neatly written 

warning: ‘Keep out of reach 

of pets. No cig ash and spilled 

drinks’. I open it carefully. There 

are maps, drawings, hand-written 

notes about village history, as well 

as various postcards. One is of the 

carved stone head of the (possibly 

pagan) ‘Wilmington Madonna’, 

now in the Barbican of Lewes 

Castle. 

We look at photographs of village 

scenes, like the now filled-in 

village pond (Mary explains that 

it became contaminated by pig 

slurry), and pictures of local 

characters, like the one-time 

vicarage gardener, seen mowing 

with a monkey on his shoulder. 

After I’ve finished, and armed 

with advice and several leaflets, 

I leave my hosts and set off to 

wander. I pass the village car 

park where an enormous tithe 

barn once stood, and many lovely 

houses, including the Old Bakery 

and Hunter’s Dene, the oldest 

house in Wilmington, built in 

1450. 

I arrive at the Church of St 

Mary and St Peter, with its vast 

ancient yew tree outside, chained 

and propped up with posts. The 

church has beautiful stained-glass 

windows, including one known 

locally as the Bee and Butterfly 

window because it depicts ten 

species of butterfly. I peer over 

the church wall at the remains of 

Wilmington Priory, built in the 

1200s as a cell of the Benedictine 

Abbey at Grestain near Honfleur. 

Now the habitable part is owned 

by the Landmark Trust who let it 

as a holiday home. 

At the far south of the village, 

on the steep slopes of Windover 

Hill, looms the 235 feet tall 

white figure of Long Man of 

Wilmington, or Wilmington 

Giant, holding a stave in each 

hand. 

The date and purpose of his 

creation have long remained 

a topic of debate. The Sussex 

Archaeological Society, managers 

of the site since 1925, say: ‘the 

lack of firm historical evidence 

leaves many theories abounding... 

Many are convinced that he is 

prehistoric, others believe that 

V I VA V I L L A g e s 

he is the work of an artistic 

monk from the Priory between 

the 11th and 15th centuries. 

Roman coins bearing a similar 

figure suggest that he belonged 

to the 4th century AD and there 

may be plausible parallels with a 

helmeted figure found on Anglo- 

Saxon ornaments.’ Another 

theory suggests the Long Man 

was created as late as the early 

18th century. 

Until the 19th century, the Long 

Man was visible only in certain 

light conditions. In 1874, the 

locally prominent Ade family 

and others helped restore him, 

marking him out in yellow bricks. 

During World War II, the bricks 

got a green coating to prevent 

enemy aviators using it as a 

landmark. Then in 1969, further 

restoration took place and the 

bricks were replaced with precast 

concrete blocks that are now 

regularly painted white to keep 

the Man visible for many miles. 

There is, sadly, no evidence to 

support local legend that the 

Victorians removed his genitalia, 

although Mary told me he is 

given “a manly addition” from 

time to time. “We have a good 

giggle, then it gets cleaned off”. 

Windover Hill was also once the 

site of the village windmill, but 

it ‘ran away’ in 1877 when the 

strength of the wind led to the 

brakes giving way, and the friction 

created by the mill stones caused 

the windmill to catch fire. 

My final view then is to look up 

at the Long Man, gazing down 

over the village and surrounding 

countryside. It seems to have a 

protective presence, though it 

leaves you feeling quite small. 

Emma Chaplin 

8 1

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31 May 2010

STEVE IBBITSON 

The Lewes FC manager rounds up the 2009/10 season 


Viva Lewes’ deadline hasn’t fallen at the most convenient time 

for me to write this column, as the magazine will be at the 

printers when Lewes FC play their last match of the season at 

Hampton, a game we need to win to make sure of finishing out 

of the bottom-three relegation zone. 

But I do want to say that it’s a small miracle that the club is still 

in existence at all, something which we didn’t believe was likely at 

the beginning of the season. 

Our first priority as the season dawned was simply to survive: to 

balance the books, and to cut our cloth according to our limited 

means. Thanks to a lot of hard work from a lot of people, and 

a lot of generosity from others, we have survived a winding-up 

petition and, though we’re by no means out of the woods, we’re 

in a much healthier position than we were in August. It was 

difficult then to see us surviving one month, let alone nine. 

Having said that, I’m disappointed with our league position this 

year. Even though we’ve had a very restricted budget, I feel that 

our squad should have been good enough to stay clear of the 

relegation dogfight. We were never going to win the league, but 

we should have finished the season in the safety zone with some 

breathing space. The main problem has been our inability to turn 

draws into wins: we’ve finished all square fifteen times, which is a 

lot. We’ve lacked a cutting edge, and that’s largely been down to 

not having a high-scoring striker knocking in twenty or so goals. 

Having said that, many players have had a very good season. 


f o o t b A L L 

Rikki Banks is far and away the best 

goalkeeper in this division, Anthony 

Barness has been as consistent as ever, 

and Chris Breach has been a great asset 

both playing at the back and in midfield. 

Then there are the youngsters who’ve 

come up through the youth system, and 

coped incredibly well: the likes of David 

Wheeler, Jack Walder and Ross Sutton. 

While doling out plaudits, I’ve got to 

mention, as well, how brilliant the fans 

have been. Before last season they had 

six years of unbroken success, and it 

would have been easy for them to turn 

their back on the club when things 

weren’t going so well. They’ve done 

quite the opposite – their noisy support 

has been a real boost to the players. 

Finally, I can’t say too much yet, but 

there are possible administrative 

changes afoot at Lewes FC. There is 

a real chance that, from next season, 

things will be run in a very different 

way. I’ll definitely be involved at some 

level, but whether or not that will be as 

first team manager remains to be seen. 

It’s the club’s 125th birthday this year, 

and the main objective achieved is that 

Lewes FC is going to celebrate its 126th 

year, too. We’re keen to start next season 

in the Blue Square South but the most 

important thing is to have made sure 

that the club survives this season and 

has a decent base to try and take things 

forward. If we’d folded, we wouldn’t 

have been in any league at all. Now, if 

administrative matters develop as we 

hope they will (and watch this space for 

more details), Lewes FC will be able to 

go from strength to strength from here 

on in. 

8 3

SpORTS 

ROUND-Up 

FOOTBALL 

At the time of writing, it is almost the 

end of the season and both of Viva’s 

sponsored teams have had exciting 

seasons. Firstly, Lewes FC went on 

a magnificent run during March and 

April, improving from a seemingly 

hopeless 8 points adrift to finding 

themselves two points above the drop 

zone with one game to go… 

Meanwhile our Kingston under 10s 

side finished a very promising season 

in second place in the Crowborough 

and District Villa League - topped 

only by a very strong Hailsham side. 

We wish them luck for next season 

when they graduate from the 7-a-side 

to the full 11-a-side leagues. (www. 

pitchero.com/clubs/kingstonvillagefc) 

FOOTBALL FUN DAY 

There may not be any first-team 

fixtures left down at the Pan this 

season, but if you’re quick, your 

kids do have a chance to play on the 

hallowed turf. Lewes FC’s highly 

regarded community scheme is 

running an open day on May 1st, 

and is inviting the town’s 5-13 year 

olds to bring all their boots and kit 

(including shin pads) to take part 

in five-and-a-half hours of football 

based fun. Costs £15 - further details 

from Darren Ford on 07909 904757 

or via community@lewesfc.com 


mushy returns to Hove on the 30th may. Photo courtesy of Sussex CCC 

s P o r t 

CRICKET 

If you’re a fan of the County game, then there are plenty of 

opportunities to head over to Hove to watch Sussex play during 

May. Fans of the longer versions of the game can feast on two 

home County Championship Division 2 fixtures, with the fourday 

games starting on the 5th (v Middlesex) and the 24th (v 

Worcestershire). There are also home one-day 40-over games on 

the 3rd v ECB Unicorns and on the 9th v Lancashire Lightning. 

And if you just want a fun family day out we suggest that you head 

along on Sunday 30th for the Mushy Allstar XI game. More info 

(www.sussexcricket.co.uk) 

More locally, we suggest you head down to the Stanley Turner 

ground to watch Lewes Priory. Their first eleven compete in the 

Sussex Premier League, and they’ve got home fixtures on Sat 8th, 

Sun 16th, Sat 22nd and Sat 29th. They operate a number of other 

teams as well, so wander down over any weekend and you’re almost 

guaranteed to catch a game. (www.lewespriory.play-cricket.com) 

SPORT UNLIMITED SCHEME 

If you’re more interested in getting your kids (5-11 year olds) 

participating, then we’d like to point you in the direction of The 

Southdown Club. From the 7th May, they are launching a series of 

ten weekly coaching sessions covering squash, hockey, tennis, street 

cricket, football and multi-skills. Most of the costs involved are 

paid for by the “sport unlimited” scheme, so there is only a nominal 

£1.50 charge per session. For further details on this innovative new 

scheme, contact the Southdown Club directly on 01273 480630 or 

visit (www.southdownsportsclub.co.uk) 

Nick Williams 

8 5

Ruth Rayner 

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A NIGHT WALK 

In the footsteps of Simon de Montfort 

Photo: Tim Hurdal 

Having previously cycled and run the Downs, this time I’m walking 

them, with my partner Shelley at my side. We’re aiming for the site 

of the Battle of Lewes, before heading along the ridge and cutting 

down through St John (Without) towards Hamsey. We’re following 

(in reverse) the route taken by Simon de Montfort’s baronial army 

back in May 1264 when they launched a surprise stealth night-time 

advance, before routing the King’s army the following day. And for 

historical perspective we’re doing so in the dark – without a torch. 

We start at the castle and head westwards behind the prison. Even 

at 8.45 it’s very dark, but there’s a clear sky and a bright moon so we 

press on quite happily. Just above the Nevill estate we’re right on the 

site of the battle and it’s an incredibly atmospheric spot. On the eve 

of the battle, 746 years ago, we’d have found the advance scouting 

parties of De Montfort’s troops, but today it’s just us - and a lot of 

strange noises. Lewes, with its still dominating castle, lies below - a 

mass of light pollution - but around us it’s dark and disorientating. 

Walking in the dark really heightens your senses. I step on a twig 

and it sounds like a gunshot. We discuss the possibility of poachers 

or kids hunting for rabbits, but rapidly stop worrying about getting 

shot and worry instead about the movement on the horizon. We 

relax when we realise they’re sheep, but tense up when we discover 

we’re in the field with them. Maybe there’s a ram? And why is the 

bigger bush the other side of the fence moving? It’s moving because 

it’s a cow - or then again, a bull. Every sound is accentuated in the 


wA L k I N g 

clear night air and every movement 

appears to carry a potentially lethal 

threat. We’re scared - but only in an 

excited ‘adventure’ sort of way. 

We walk on, occasionally stopping 

to look back at Lewes as we meander 

through the night. Apparently over 

3,500 troops successfully approached 

Lewes this way - and I can see why, 

because as we stumble along welltrodden 

paths in the darkness, I can 

barely see where my feet are going, so 

I’m sure I’d have missed them all. After 

an hour and a half we reach Black Cap, 

and stop for a sip of water and a bite 

of an emergency ration peanut butter 

roll. To get home we need to find our 

way down to the road, and after edging 

back down towards Mount Harry we 

find a steep path to follow. Near the 

bottom, we hear a massive rustling, 

and looking up, realise we’ve disturbed 

a sleeping rookery, and the noise 

they’re making suggests they’re not 

pleased. Eventually we’re safely down 

and I celebrate by twisting my ankle 

in a tractor rut. I certainly wouldn’t 

have fancied marching up that hill in 

full battle armour. We eventually find 

the road - our first two efforts are 

blocked by a locked gate and a barn 

full of horses - and we’re on the route 

back to Lewes through Offham village. 

We arrive back in Lewes just before 

midnight - over three hours after 

leaving - exhilarated by our journey 

and proud to march in the (inverse) 

footsteps of De Montfort’s troops. 

Nick Williams 

8 7

LINKLATER 

pAVILION 

The gateway to the Railway Land 

I meet Dr John Parry, chair of the 

Lewes Railway Land Wildlife Trust, 

by the almost completed exterior 

of the new Linklater Pavilion. It is 

located next to the river, where there 

used to be a railway marshalling 

yard, and there are echoes of a signal 

box in the wooden cladding and red 

blocks of colour under the windows. 

Designed by architect, Roger Beasley, 

it is named in honour of the late 

Peter Linklater, leader of the Friends 

of Lewes for 45 years. 

Because of flood risk, the main space 

is located on the first floor, which we 

access via scaffolding steps, because 

the metal circular staircase has not 

yet arrived. A lift has already been 

installed. 

We walk through the entrance area 

and into the main room, which 

is hexagonal with lovely views 

over the river and the Downs. I’m 

immediately struck by the shape of 

the ceiling. Light floods down from 

the circular central glass roof dome 

surrounded by square Velux windows. 

When the Pavilion opens in 

September, it will be as a centre for 

the study of environmental change. 

“The builders are handing over 

possession of the building mid-May,” 

John tells me “which will means 

we can start fitting out the inside.” 

There is a kitchen and a hot desk 

room. Some of the wall space may 

display environmental art. 


Photo: michael lank 

b r I C k s A N D M o r tA r 

“Originally,” John explains “the Pavilion was going to be square, 

but we settled on a hexagon shape, because of its connection to 

nature.” To chime with this, there will be a glass ‘living’ beehive 

housed in one wall, designed with Francis Ratnieks of the 

University of Sussex. Another wall will feature blown-up pictures 

of wild flowers found on the Railway Land that members of the 

key user group of the centre, adults with learning disabilities, have 

created. A number of schools in the steering group are choosing 

the colour scheme. Paint will either be environmentally friendly, 

or will come from a leftover paint recycling scheme. 

John then opens a window to show me their clever design which 

allows them to flip round, so they can be cleaned from the inside. 

It has taken more than ten years to get the project this far, and a 

huge amount of fundraising, with money coming from the people 

of Lewes, the Mettyear Charitable Trust, Viridor Credits and the 

National Lottery. Financial constraints meant the design has been 

adapted, but a significant number of green features have been 

retained, such as a sedum roof, and roof-top photovoltaics, which 

make energy from the sun. There is a ground source heat pump 

that works “like a fridge in reverse”, John says. Underfloor piping 

will be used for heating, and the building has its own water supply. 

We go downstairs and venture into the dirt-floored undercroft 

where they hope to hold displays. It is dark until John opens the 

three large double doors, which changes the feel of the space 

entirely. We finish outside again, where John talks about proposed 

landscaping and stone cladding. A lot of people have worked very 

hard to create this community resource, and it is in an amazing 

location by the river. I look forward to seeing it completed and full 

of people enjoying it and learning from it. 

Emma Chaplin 

There is a Wonderful Wildlife Festival at the Railway Land on Sat 

22nd May (11am-4pm, free entry) 

8 9

SHERLOCK 

HOLMES 

On the case in Sussex 

Arthur Conan Doyle set five of his short Sherlock 

Holmes stories in Sussex. In The Five Orange 

Pips, a gentleman calls unannounced on the doyen 

of detection and his slow-on-the-uptake-sidekick, 

Watson. Holmes informs their visitor that he has 

come up to London from the South-west. John 

Openshaw, for it is he, confirms that this is indeed 

the case. From Horsham, to be precise. The gasps of 

astonishment subside as Holmes reveals how really 

very easy it was to arrive at his conclusion. ‘That 

clay and chalk mixture which I see upon your toecaps 

is quite distinctive’. Sherlock aficionados have 

pointed out that Horsham, though surrounded by 

Wealden clay, is distinctly lacking in chalk. But no 

matter. Both Openshaw’s uncle and father have died 

in mysterious circumstances shortly after receiving 

envelopes containing five orange pips. So Openshaw 

fils is understandably alarmed when he receives a 

similar unsolicited communication. Holmes solves 

the case, and in so doing proves that even closeted in 

the countryside near Horsham you are not safe from 

the Ku Klux Klan if you’ve crossed them by walking 

off with documents they consider to be important. 

The Sussex Vampire finds Holmes and Watson 

bowling along ‘through the Sussex clay of a long 

winding lane’ towards an ‘isolated and ancient 

farmhouse’ adorned with a ‘high-pitched roof of 

Horsham slabs’. This is Cheeseman’s, Lamberley, 

the residence of Robert Ferguson or ‘Big Bob 

Ferguson, the finest three-quarter Richmond ever 

had’, as Watson recalls him from his own rugbyplaying 

days with Blackheath. Appearances are 

decidedly against Ferguson’s Peruvian wife when 

she is twice discovered snacking on the baby’s neck. 

Expatiating on his concerns, Ferguson concludes, 

‘I know little of vampirism beyond the name. We 

had thought it some wild tale of foreign parts. And 

yet here in the very heart of the English Sussex...’ 

That’s Sussex, England, you understand, not Sussex, 

Virginia. 

All we are told in The Musgrave Ritual is that the 


L I t e r A r y s u s s e x 

Musgrave ancestral home is in ‘Western Sussex’ 

and ‘perhaps the oldest inhabited building in the 

county’. 

Black Peter demonstrates that East Sussex is no 

better a refuge than West if you’re trying to escape 

the fallout from a dodgy past. Retired seal and whale 

fisher, Captain Peter Carey, though holed-up in 

‘a small place called Woodman’s Lee, near Forest 

Row’, still ends up transfixed to the wall of his snug 

by a harpoon. 

Holmes narrates The Lion’s Mane himself. The 

great detective has retired to Sussex. The exact 

whereabouts and nature of his retirement idyll have 

been the subject of much earnest debate. Holmes 

tells us ‘my villa is situated upon the southern slope 

of the Downs commanding a great view of the 

Channel’. In his preface to His Last Bow, Watson 

informs the reader that Holmes is living ‘in a small 

farm five miles from Eastbourne’. Anyway, wherever 

it is, Holmes spends his time writing ‘the magnum 

opus of my latter years’- A Practical Handbook 

of Bee Culture with some Observations upon 

the Segregation of the Queen, only donning his 

detective deerstalker if a body falls down dead in 

front of him (The Lion’s Mane) or at the personal 

intercession of the Prime Minister and Foreign 

Secretary (His Last Bow). 

David Jarman 

9 1

eth 

MILLER 

You’re the dirty rascal 

Standing on tiptoe to peer over the ancient 

battlements, Thing One gazed at the stunning 

vista before her. Mount Caburn, the Ouse, the 

Downs... ‘Ooh look’, she cried excitedly, tugging 

my sleeve, ‘You can see Prezzo.’ So you could. 

We were right above the restaurant’s blue and 

white umbrellas. Pretty damn handy for William 

de Warenne; he could shimmy over the wall 

whenever he fancied a pepperoni calzone. 

The castle’s crumbly stone steps were replaced 

in the recent refurb, and now they’re as uniform 

as an Ikea staircase. This has removed most of 

the risk in climbing up, which used to be rather 

thrilling if you were with anyone young or 

infirm. Still, some of the new steps have writing 

on, which means an enthusiastic reader like 

Thing One will stop dead at random intervals, 

causing all behind her to bump together with 

small, painful thuds, while she carefully spells 

out, ‘Fiends of Lewes Rottery Club.’ 

Other alterations are great. The wooden lever 

thing, with which you hoik foam bricks to make 

a wall, keeps grown-ups amused, and is handily 

placed next to a bench. Small children can hide 

behind the foam wall, then pop out with a ‘Boo!’ 

which echoes powerfully round the circular 

stone room, scaring the bejesus out of parents 

who have briefly drifted off. Health ‘n’ Safety, 

that well-known double act, have cordoned 

off the top of the tower where once you could 

lean precariously over the town. Having spent 

much windswept time there, clinging onto a 

small child’s leg, sometimes even my own child’s 

leg, I’m glad this has changed. The dressing up 

room is wonderful as ever, providing doublets 



C o L u M N 

and headdresses of all sizes, so everyone in the 

family can see what medieval clothes look like 

with trainers. 

We persuaded the children to watch the 

educational film about Lewes because it was 

on a ‘big telly’. For young people reared on the 

colourful action of Chop Socky Chooks, it was 

a little slow, consisting of blurred photographs 

accompanied by a dull commentary. But they 

waited patiently for the bit I’d told them about, 

which I remembered from some years back, 

when the little train comes to life and starts 

chugging round the model of Lewes. I was 

looking forward to this as much as the kids, but 

when the narration reached the part about the 

railway, the train didn’t budge. Thing Two gazed 

at me, eyes full of betrayal. I quizzed the man 

behind the desk why the train didn’t go, and he 

told me it never had. 

Something the castle doesn’t shout about, but 

which is very much worth knowing, is that if 

you fill in a gift aid form when you buy your 

tickets, you get a year’s free pass. So now we can 

visit every weekend if we want. And we will. I 

want to keep an eye on that little train. I’m sure 

it will go round, if I can catch it in the right 

mood. 

9 3

FLASKS 

Some like it kept hot 

s h o P P I N g 


In my youth, I used to sneer at people sipping 

from their plastic flask lid cup in a steamedup 

car. Those were the days when the flask 

interior would smash if you dropped it (or hit 

your brother round the head with the picnic 

bag). The wisdom of age means I too now 

see that it’s cheaper and more flexible to take 

your own refreshments on a family outing, 

but since our climate is so unpredictable, you 

need the right gear. Having a waterproofbottomed 

picnic rug and a decent flask is a 

good start. We’ve taken a look at a few useful 

wet-weather picnic items you can buy in 

Lewes. These days, flasks are mostly stainless 

steel and robust, and some are pretty too. 

The Outdoor Shop stock a 0.35ml Outwell 

flask, for a very reasonable £8, that you can 

slip in your pocket. Bunce’s sell the Thermos 

range, starting at £9.18 for a 0.35ml one. 

Steamer Trading’s selection includes an 

attractive 0.5lt stone-coloured coated flask 

at £9.99. Percy’s sell the practical Tufflack 

range which includes a wide-mouthed one for 

hot food. And Gearshack sell Primus flasks, 

coated in black rubber, in 3 sizes (£20 for 1 

litre size) which come with a spare stopper/ 

pourer in case you lose it. As for a picnic 

blanket that protects you from damp grass, 

the Outdoor Shop sell a tartan one (150cm 

x 135cm) for £11 that comes in a variety of 

colours and folds up to have a useful carrying 

handle. EC 

9 5

BUSINESS BRIEFING 

Annual Report from David Quinn, President of 

the Lewes Chamber of Commerce 

It is a great honour to represent the business 

community of Lewes. The Executive Committee 

have spent the past twelve months raising the profile 

of the Chamber to ensure local businesses have a 

powerful voice in the community. 

As President I have supported the individual 

members of the Executive Committee in their 

various duties including meeting regularly with 

Lewes District Council, Lewes Town Council and 

Shop Watch to keep abreast of issues that affect 

local businesses whilst e nsuring the information 

gathered is made available to the Executive 

Committee and Chamber Members. I have 

also represented the Chamber at various official 

functions throughout the year. 

The local business cardboard recycling scheme 

initiated by the Chamber has proved a great success; 

business participation in the scheme has been 

increasing on a monthly basis. 

East Sussex County Council has offered to review 

the Parking Scheme and have assured us that the 

Chamber will be fully consulted in this much needed 

and most welcome process to ensure the local 

business community, residents and visitors have a 

fair scheme for the future. 

The revamped Chamber website is now portraying 

the local business community in a more professional 

and modern format. A monthly Chamber 

information page is now included in the free local 

Viva Lewes magazine, which keeps the membership 

and residents up to date with Chamber activities. 

On behalf of the membership may I thank Kate 

Hook the Secretary of the Chamber and my fellow 

members of the Executive for their efforts on behalf 

of the local business community. 

Finally, I should like to thank The Shelleys for their 

hospitality throughout the year. 

Contact the Chamber via secretary@ 

leweschamber.org.uk or on 01273 488212.

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BUSINESS NEWS 

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Gossypium invite you to go Ethical 

Thomas and Abi Petit have spent the last ten years 

trading in, and expanding their business from Lewes. 

All of their staff are considered an integral part of 

the company, and are given shares in the business. 

To celebrate their tenth anniversary, they are now 

offering their customers, and other interested 

individuals, the opportunity to get involved. Their 

plan is to create an Ethical Council which will advise 

the directors on future growth strategies, whilst also 

of course helping to raise some much-needed funds 

to fuel future expansion plans. If you’re interested in 

finding out more about this ground-breaking new 

scheme either visit www.gossypium.co.uk or give 

them a call on 01273 409370 

New in Town 

It’s been a while since there was life on the ground 

floor of the Seymour’s building in Fisher Street, but 

there’s clearly action now, and the shop is apparently 

soon to re-open as a 1950s-style boutique. 

Expanding Entertainment 

If you’ve never been to the Con Club, they are now 

offering regular live bands on both Fridays and 

Sundays. They also have a decent-sized patio area and 

a cheaper-than-average bar. 

Congratulations to Richard Soan Roofing Services 

who were voted Business of the Year at the recent 

Sussex Express Business awards held at the East 

Sussex National Golf Club. The Award is just one 

more in a long line the company has received over 

recent years from bodies as diverse as the British 

Safety Council and, my personal favourite, the 

Intelligent Membrane Association. So for roofing 

work, be that flat or pitched, it clearly looks like 

Richard Soan have got it covered. NW 

9 7

W 

Job title: Chief Executive of Lewes District Council, 

which includes the role of Returning Officer for 

District Council, County Council and European 

elections. At the general election, I’m acting Returning 

Officer, because Lewes is a county constituency, which 

means the High Sheriff can take the role if they choose 

to, but Deborah Bedford has asked me to do it. 

How long have you been in the post? I’ve been in 

public service for forty-one years, and in this role since 

1990. This will be the fifth general election I’ve covered 

and I am retiring on 2nd July. 

What has changed in that time? The proportion of 

postal ballot votes coming in. It’s a huge number now, I 

estimate 10,000. We have to verify all the signatures. 

What happens after a general election is called? A 

writ is delivered which starts the process. It’s basically 

from the Queen telling me to run an election and 

begins: ’We command you that...’ It used to be a formal 

affair, quite an event. Now a young woman comes on a 

motorbike from the Post Office to get the writ signed. 

After the election, I endorse the writ to say who has 

been elected and return it, via the young woman on the 

motorbike, to the Clerks of Parliament in the Crown 

Office in Westminster. 

Tell me what happens on the day of a general 

election? We start work about 5.30am. Polling stations 

open at 7am. We rely on the capability and resilience of 

our presiding officers, and hope no-one phones in sick. 

We do have an emergency team just in case. Sometimes 

we will get a call to say a polling station has not been 

opened, in which case they just set up outside until the 

problem is resolved. 

Photograph: alex leith 

TRADE SECRETS RETURNING OFFICER: JOHN CRAWFORD 

Tell me about the count. It takes place in the 

projectile hall of the Leisure Centre, because it is large, 

with facilities and parking. It used to be the Town Hall, 

but that was less practical. I’m a big expert in moving 

lots of material around. Polls close at 10pm and after 

that a trickle of ballot boxes are brought in by the 

presiding officers, with an account of the total number 

of ballot papers issued. The boxes are taken to the 

centre of the room and the process begins of verifying 

ballot papers. They are put in piles of twenty-five, 

clipped together on different tables for each candidate, 

which is when the excitement begins to rise, especially 

as the trickle of ballot boxes turns into a flood. 

Who else is in there with you? It can be 200-300 

people including scrutineers and press. 

What do you dread? A recount, which can happen if 

two candidates are very close or if someone might lose 

their deposit. 

Any thoughts on constituencies that are not 

counting until Friday morning? It will be very few 

since Jack Straw rushed through an Act of Parliament 

which said that if a returning officer decides not to 

count on the Thursday evening then it needs to be for 

an ‘exceptional reason’. 

Ever been tempted to try to be the first to declare? 

No! I think that’s a competition amongst anoraks. 

What do you like about your job? There is a great 

team spirit from working together and I get a good 

feeling of achievement looking around the room after 

it’s all over. 

Will you miss it? Yes I will. 

Interview by Emma Chaplin 

9 9

C 

M 

Y 

CM 

MY 

CY 

CMY 

K 

DIRECTORY 

Please note that though we aim to only take advertising from reputable businesses, we cannot guarantee 

the quality of any work undertaken, and accept no responsibility or liability for any issues arising. 

To advertise in VivaLewes please call Steve on 01273 488882 or email steve@vivalewes.com 

LEWES 

LDP Half A5 Advert v1a.pdf 1 14/08/2009 10:53:54 

Lewes High Street 

DENTAL PRACTICE 

Steven Kell 

BDS (U. Lond) MFGDP RCS (UK) DPDS (U. Brist) 

Recently refurbished Lewes High Street Dental 

Practice offers a personalised approach to 

modern dentistry. 

Whether you are looking for a simple check-up 

or to improve your smile through cosmetic 

dentistry & tooth whitening, we are here to help. 

Steven Kell is dedicated to the provision of high 

quality dentistry in a caring and gentle way 

using the very latest dental techniques including 

dental implants. 

Lewes High Street Dental Practice, 

60 High Street, 

Lewes, 

East Sussex, 

BN7 1XG 

Tel: 01273 478240 

Email: info@lewesdental.co.uk 

Web: www.lewesdental.co.uk

1 0 1

HEalTH and WEll BEInG 

Fiona Condie SDSHom 

Homeopathy 

Yoga Therapy 

Coach House Clinic 

Lewes 

01273 474419 

ww www.fionacondie.com


Restore natural 

balance to your life 

Try our naturally healthy drug-free 

treatments, courses & workshops: 

Acupuncture Allergy Testing Aromatherapy Baby Massage 

Bowen Technique Childrens Clinic Chinese Herbs 

Chiropractic Counselling Cranio-sacral Therapy Dr Hauschka 

Homeopathy Hypnotherapy Iridology Life Coaching NLP 

Massage (Deep Tissue, Holistic, Indian Head, Pregnancy, Thai, Foot) 

Nutrition Osteopathy Physiotherapy Refl exology Shiatsu 

Spiritual Counselling Yoga Pilates Reiki Tai Chi 

...and many more! 

To fi nd out more call 01273 470955 

16 Station Street, Lewes BN7 2DB 

www.equilibrium-clinic.com 

1 0 3


CLIFFE OSTEOPATHS 

*BMI of 30 or above 

Osteopathy Mandy Fischer 

BSc (Hons) Ost, DO 

Osteopathy Steven Bettles 

MEd, BSc (Hons) Ost, BA, DO 

Acupuncture Tim Rofe 

& Osteopathy BSc (Hons) Ost, BAc MBAC, DO 

Hypnotherapy & EFT Lesley Isaacs 

Dip I Hyp GQHP, GHR 

Nutrition Nicki Edgell 

BA (Hons) PDNN 

01273 480900 

23 Cliffe High Street 

Lewes, East Sussex 

BN7 2AH 

www . lewesosteopath . com 

Open Mondays to Friday 

Saturday mornings 

Karen dropped 6 dress 

sizes in 7 months. 

Lose weight at the 

speed of LighterLife. 

LighterLife Total is fast. 

Very low calorie soups, shakes and bars. 

In fact, it’s so fast we’re not allowed to tell you 

exactly how fast. 

Which, of course, tells you how fast it is 

better than we ever could. 

If you only visit one more weight-loss website ever 

LighterLife Total 

For people with 

3 stone or more 

to lose* 

Nicki Edgell 

Nutrition 

Do you suffer from: Allergies, 

asthma, blood sugar imbalance, 

candida, depression, eczema, 

grief, infertility, menopause, low energy, migraines, poor 

memory, PMS and other hormonal imbalances, stress, 

weight issues or a weak immune system? Then come and 

see Nicki Edgell, our Nutritionist. Using a naturopathic 

approach, Nicki will help you recover your energy, health, 

mental clarity, motivation and vitality. 

Visit www.nutritionandhealing.co.uk for information on her 

inspirational talks and cookery workshops (next date 22 May, 

teaching you easy delicious and healthy gluten, sugar and 

dairy free recipes). 

To book one-to-one consultations, talks, workshops 

or cookery sessions, call Nicki on 07786 405366 

Introductory Offer: 

£10 off initial consultations until 29th May 

you should make it lighterlife.com 

What have you got to lose? 

Beth O’Sullivan, Lewes, Seaford, Uckfi eld, 

01273 470974 & 07918 150114 

Visit www.lighterlife.com/bethosullivan

HomE 

PLUMBER 

taps • cisterns • WCs • radiators 

• bathroom suites 

www.plumbery.co.uk 

call Matthew Spencer on 

486621 or 07880 676262 

Painter and Decorator 

Niels Herdal 

01273 471399 

QUALITY CRAFTMANSHIP • FULLY INSURED • 25 YEARS EXPERIENCE 

Does your kitchen 

need updating? 

• Design, supply and fit... 

Project management 

options 

• ‘Fit only’ service 

• Appliance & worktop 

changes... 

call Gary Mitchell on 

07920 424189 or 

01273 472352 

Independent kitchen fitting 

gmkitchens@talktalk.net 

1 0 5

1 0 6 

HomE 

Lantern Ad2009 Viva 18/3/09 17:44 Page 

simply stunning 

roof lanterns 

Want to transform a dark 

and gloomy space in your home? 

The design solution could be a roof lantern from 

Parsons Joinery. To create a room which is bathed in 

natural light whilst providing a stunning architectural 

feature and dramatic views of the sky above… 

call us on 01273 814870 

www.parsonsjoinery.com 

Parsons Joinery are now FENSA registered. 

Please refer to our website or call us for 

further information.

HomE 

llie 

lark 

Ollie 

Clark 

bespoke furniture 

painting & decorating 

f u r n i t u r e ollieclarkfurniture.co.uk 

Ollie 

Clark 

f u r n i t u r e 

Wooden sash window specialists 

Hidden brush pile system 

Eliminates draughts and sash rattle 

Reduces noise and improves security 

Reinstate traditional sash windows 

bespoke furniture lewes 

Specialising painting in 

& 

listed decorating buildings 

and Conservation Areas 

f u r n i t u r e ollieclarkfurniture.co.uk 

01273 479909 

07876 069681 

Seamstress and Theatrical Costumier 

Nina Murden 

· Repairs and alterations 

· Made to Measure 

· Costume 

· Curtains & Cushions 

Tel: 01273 470671 

lewes 

01273 479909 

07876 069681 

nina.murden@gmail.com 

Repairing, servicing and improving 

traditional sash windows. 

Call us now on: 0800 731 5905 

www.slidingsashsolutions.co.uk info@slidingsashsolutions.co.uk 

6 Campbell Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 4QD

1 0 8 

HomE

Telephone: 

Mobile: 

Website: 

01273 550318 

07968 280611 

www.ppjconstruction.co.uk 

1 0 9

1 1 0 

HomE 

HandYman SErVICE 

 

 

 

 

Do you need assistance? 

If so, we can come to your rescue 

07974 359 483 

Based in Lewes and its Environs 

Odd jobs – Gardening – Moving 

Computers – Broadband – Email 

Digital photography advice 

Simple electrical or plumbing jobs 

Assemble flat-packs – Curtain rails 

Patios – Decking – Turf Lawns 

Hang pictures – Tiling - Gutters 

Fix things – Painting – Repairs 

Non-smoker - Police Vetted 

£10 per hr (min 2hrs) 

Visit us at www.lassistant.co.uk 

Qs Electricalþ 

24/7 fair price emergency serviceþ 

Lighting consultation & designþ 

Rewires and upgradesþ 

Testing and inspectionþ 

Small jobs with pleasureþ 

Free energy efficiency adviceþ 

& discounts on installationþ 

Kevin Moore 07837814235þ 

Member of the National Association 

of Professional Testers and Inspectors

STUdIo SPaCE 

GardEnS 

1 1 1

lESSonS and CoUrSES

lESSonS & CoUrSES 

oTHEr SErVICES

I n S I d E l E f T 

1 1 4 

pOLL pOSITION 

‘Thursday was a day of wild excitement’ reported the Sussex Agricultural Express dated Saturday 3rd April, 

1880, under the heading ‘Lewes Election’. This Reeves’ photograph is of the crowd gathered on the High 

Street outside the Crown and County Court for the Declaration of the Poll on 1st April. Nationally, a Liberal 

landslide was underway, with 71 year old William Gladstone becoming Prime Minister for the second 

of his four terms of office. In Lewes, this swing was resisted with Conservative candidate, William Langham 

Christie, holding his seat for the second time, albeit with a reduced majority, beating Liberal candidate Sir 

W Codrington by just 137 votes. Christie lived in Glyndebourne, and his son John took over the running of 

the estate in 1920, setting it up as an opera house. 

The attention of most people in the photograph, except those distracted by the camera, is on High Sheriff 

and Returning Officer, A J Biddulph, standing on the top step of the court building announcing the results. 

Various political posters can be seen stuck up on the columns, overlaid one on another, including ‘Vote 

Christie’ and one for East Sussex Election nominees Alexander Donovan and John Pearson. 

Several bearded police officers can be seen behind Biddulph. An aproned man is walking across the road carrying 

a wicker basket, with a lad in front who has a large tray balanced on his head with covered food dishes, 

delivering lunch for the High Sheriff and his officials perhaps? Look closely, and you’ll see some lovely details: 

the boy in a cap and cravat hanging off on the railings with the blurred little girl standing precariously 

next to him; the two bowler-hatted lads in the foreground, looking straight at the camera. And, best of all, 

leaning against a pillar, the serious-looking chap with a white poodle tucked under his arm. Emma Chaplin

and more - Viva Lewes

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