Uckfield Matters Issue 123 November 2017

UCKFIELDMATTERS
magazine
NOVEMBER 2017
INUCKFIELD | FORUCKFIELD | ABOUTUCKFIELD
COMMUNITY
AWARDS
SHORTLIST
SPORTS ROUNDUP
THE VOICE
THE MONTH THAT WAS
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COUNTRY LIFESTYLE
Christmas Gift Fairs
MIDHURST
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11-12 NOVEMBER
UCKFIELD
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This is Uckfield Matters magazine
Cover picture
POPPIES by Bazza West
What’s inside...
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
More then networking pg 30
Barry West is a local artist of Uckfield who at the age of 19 was
involved in a car accident which would change his life forever,
leaving him paralysed from the neck down.
Barry determined to live life to the full following his accident learnt
to mouth paint. The front cover is just one of Barry’s extraordinary
paintings.
TEAM
Editor
Advertising
Photography
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What’s on
CONTACT
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UCKFIELD MATTERS
Angela O’Neill
Nicki Richardson
Ron Hill
Chris Miller
Uckfield FM
UCKFIELD MATTERS
editorial@uckfieldmatters.co.uk
adverts@uckfieldmatters.co.uk
01825 705066
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www.uckfieldmatters.co.uk
Publisher: Pixel Communications Ltd/Trading as Uckfield Matters
Although this publication does not vet advertisers, a number of complaints will mean
that businesses will be barred from further advertising. Uckfield Matters Notice: Uckfield
Matters prints various articles, features and advertisements. Although these appear in
Uckfield Matters, any opinions expressed are the opinions of the author, not necessarily
the opinions of the publisher. © Copyright Uckfield Matters 2017. The contents of this
publication are written specifically for our readers; no part may be reproduced elsewhere
without express and prior permission.
localmatters
05 NEWS IN BRIEF
A round up of some of the regional news
10 COMMUNITY AWARDS
Who will take home the prize?
42 THE MONTH THAT WAS
With Ron Hill and his camera
communitymatters
08 BRIGHTER UCKFIELD, ROTARY CLUB AND
UCKFIELD LIONS
Bringing our town together
34 EARLY ACTION FOR AUTISM
New centre set up to help families
familymatters
14 AUTUMN ADVENTURES
Zoe and the family get busy with pumpkins!
28 ADOPTING A DOG?
Ask yourself these five important questions
before adding a canine chum to your
household
wellbeingmatters
28 SLEEP - PERCHANCE TO DREAM
Michelle Pearce’s top tips for a good night;s
sleep
schoolmatters
39 WHAT’S MUD GOT TO DO WITH IT?
Messy play and mud kitchens - all the rage
in Early Years eduction. We find out why
and look at Harland’s school’s newest
outside play space.
sportsmatters
36 SPORTS ROUNDUP AND ACTIVE UCKFIELD
THE UCKFIELD VOICE
From the Town Council
pg 23
4
To advertise call 01825 705066 or e-mail adverts@uckfieldmatters.co.uk

localmatters
news in brief
SHOPS AND INDUSTRIAL MARKET HAS AUTUMN
SURGE
Lawson Commercial report an upsurge in activity
after the end of the Summer holidays and the
return of the kids to school. We have seen a marked
increase in the number of enquiries as we enter the
Autumn with good demand particularly for shops
and industrial units.
PRAISE FOR COUNCIL’S SUPPORT OF
VULNERABLE CHILDREN
Efforts to support vulnerable children and their
families have earned East Sussex County Council a
place on a prestigious national awards shortlist.
The authority’s children’s services department has
been shortlisted in the Social Worker of the Year
Awards 2017 in the category of Best Social Work
Employer.
The council team will find out if they have won the
title at a special ceremony on Friday, November 24
OFFICES LET FOR CHILDREN’S NURSERY AT
FALMER COURT, UCKFIELD
The former Roundabout Nursery premises at Falmer
Court, just off London Road, Uckfield have been let
to a company who run an existing children’s nursery
in Lewes.
After refurbishing the building they will re-open as a
children’s day nursery. Steve Campbell from Lawson
Commercial who handled the letting said: ‘With all
the new housing that is proposed for the Uckfield
area there is going to be a need for additional
nursery facilities.’
NEWS FROM THE MEADS PATIENT
PARTICIPATION GROUP
The Meads Medical Centre’s Patient Participation
group (PPG) have had lots going on recently, at the
surgerys recent flu clinics the PPG held cake stalls,
which raised a magnificent £742 - this will be shared
between Macmillan nurses (£300) The Special Care
Baby unit at Haywards Heath hospital (£179) and the
Kent Surrey and Sussex air ambulance (£248).
Changes that have taken place across the surgery
and PPG include providing colouring for children
whilst waiting for their appointments, this should
make any waiting time much easier for children and
their parents alike, they are also looking at some new
initiatives around blood pressure monitoring, and
have seen change to the committee structure of the
PPG with Patrick Hall standing down as the current
Vice Chairman of the group and Jenny Eadon being
appointed in his place.
The group have also advised the Practice has found it
necessary to temporarily close its patients’ list due to
staffing difficulties and will remain close for a period
of 6 months. This means that the Practice will not
accept any new patients from the 1st Septmeber. It
will continue to register immediate family members if
they are residing at the same address.
CHARITY CHRISTMAS CARDS AT HISTORIC
BRIDGE COTTAGE
Cards for Good Causes, the charity Christmas card
shop, opens its pop-up shop at Uckfield’s Bridge
Cottage on Saturday 4th November. More than 25
national charities are represented, plus some local
charities, and as a not-for-profit organisation its
aim is to provide them with at least 70 pence in the
pound, with the remainder spent on running the
shops.
This one-stop-shop offers a wonderful range of
cards, together with a wide selection of Christmas
gifts including advent calendars and candles,
calendars, decorative paper napkins, linen tea towels
with a Christmas theme, wrapping papers and gift
tags, notebooks, and lots of small children’s toys
suitable as stocking fillers.
Now in its second great year at Bridge Cottage
customers will remember where to find the shop
and be greeted by very helpful and welcoming
volunteers who work hard to support the shop, many
representing a particular charity. Manager Nicholas
Howell is absolutely delighted to be at Bridge
Cottage again with its open hearths, bricks floors and
beamed ceilings, which add to charm of Christmas!
Open Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 3pm until
20th December, the shop will also be open during
Uckfield’s late night shopping event. Do call in!
continued on next page
5

localmatters
news in brief
HELPING CREATE A HEALTHIER WEALDEN
The new Healthy Wealden Strategy aims to work with
local residents to encourage them to take a greater
responsibility for their own health and wellbeing.
With increasing pressure on health budgets, and
growing problems of childhood obesity and loneliness
taking a toll on public health, Wealden District Council
is seeking to utilise a range of resources to help local
people to help themselves.
Some health facts about people in Wealden:
• 26% of Year Six children in Wealden are classified
at obese – in England this is 34%.
• 64% of Wealden adults are classified as obese – in
England this is 63%.
• 63% of Wealden adults complete 150 minutes of
physical activity each week.
• 1,159 patients are registered as having dementia
in Wealden, although the number of people living
with dementia could be nearly 8,000.
• 65 + is the most prevalent age group within
Wealden.
• 1.2 years is the increase in live expectancy in
Wealden since 2012.
Loneliness is likely to be a significant issue for a
proportion of Wealden residents. Some 10-13% of
people aged 65 or over are thought to be lonely.
Wealden has a higher proportion (26%) of residents in
this category, and factors such as marital status, health,
age and household size can increase the risk.
The Wealden Health & Wellbeing Strategy focuses on
what the Council can do to encourage active lifestyles
and reduce loneliness. As well as the provision of four
leisure centres in Wealden, managed for the Council
Violin & Viola Lessons
30 years experience,
enthusiastic and kindly
teacher accepts all
levels from beginners
to diploma students.
Also late starters and
restarters!
Sundari Heller LRAM
01342 823099
by Freedom Leisure, the District has many miles of
public footpath and is developing a number of open
access areas for the public. This year it declared a Year
of Walking and is actively promoting a range of group
walks, self-guided walks, health walks and wheel chair
walks.
Last year the Council set up the Wealden Dementia
Action Alliance which supports dementia groups
across the District, organising Movies Make Memories
– dementia-friendly film screenings – and encouraging
Dementia Friends training.
BRIGHTON’S PROFESSOR ELEMENTAL TO PERFORM
AT FOREST ROW CONCERT
The inimitable Professor Elemental will be performing
at a fund-raising concert in Forest Row’s Hop Yard on
23rd November.
His act of lively Hip Hop, stand up comedy and crowd
participation has astounded crowds at events and
music festivals around the world. The event will also
feature celebrated recording artist Sadie Jemmett from
Crowborough, with her soulful folk singing and acoustic
guitar playing.
Tickets are £8 and available online – visit Eventbrite and
search for “Professor Elemental”.
The event is a fundraiser for Wealden Labour Party but
guests of all political persuasions are welcome.
SMART ENERGY GETS NOTICED
Following on from the success of its recent Big Wealden
Switch campaigns, Wealden District Council has been
shortlisted for its community approach to encouraging
sustainability in local parishes.
As well as savings on their energy bills, eligible residents
were able to claim Warm Home Discount, which can
reduce a domestic electricity bill by £140, as well as
clear fuel debts and claim unclaimed benefits.
The Smart Energy Parishes project, alongside other
collaborative work with the East Sussex Energy
Partnership to support the National Energy Action’s
Warm and Healthy Homes Fund, has resulted in nearly
£80,000 being spent on new heating systems and
boilers to help those suffering in cold homes.
The Wealden Smart Energy Initiative has been
shortlisted in the Best Sustainability Team section of
the 2017 SHIFT Awards. The winners will be announced
on 30 November.

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UCKFIELD’S PREMIER
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communitymatters
UCKFIELD LIONS
DEFIBRILATORS
AROUND UCKFIELD
The defibrillators can be used be
those with no medical background,
by following instructions and voice
commands, in order to save lives
before the emergency services
are able reach the victims. It is
estimated that there are 60,000
cases of Sudden Cardiac Arrest in
the UK annually. A victim’s chance
of survival decreases by 7-10%
every minute, so having a nearby
defibrillator can dramatically
increase the chance of survival.
The first defibrillators placed by
Uckfield Lions were a public access
one at Maresfield Recreation
Ground, followed by one at Buxted
pavilion to cover the cricket,
bowls and archery clubs. Since
then, Uckfield Lions have worked
Uckfield Lions have supplied
and financed defibrillators in the
Uckfield area for the past three
years working closely with Uckfield
First Responders.
with numerous organisations
to support the positioning of
defibrillators across the area.
These include units at:
• Uckfield Rugby Club, with
Uckfield Rotary Club
• Public access unit outside
Maresfield indoor bowls club,
collaborating with Wealden
Bowls Club, gymnastics club
and Maresfield Tennis club
• West Park Pavilion, with
Uckfield Grasshoppers
Football Club
• Near Uckfield Station, with Cllr
Claire Dowling
• Near Uckfield Library
• UCTC, working with Uckfield
Rotary Club and Uckfield Leos
• Forresters Hall, working with
Uckfield Town Council
• Ridgewood Hall, with the
Ridgewood Hall Committee
• Tesco, Browns Lane, working
with the Manor Park Residents
Association
The most recent defibrillators have
been placed in Nutley, one outside
the Sports Pavilion and the other
on the wall outside the Memorial
Hall. The money was raised by
the inhabitants of the village and
Uckfield Lions.
BRIGHTER
AUTUMN
Brighter Uckfield volunteers have
been hard at work on projects in
the past month (to 6 October). The
access road into the Pipers Field
estate has been cleared to improve
visibility for drivers, the bushes along
the footpath between Pudding Cake
Lane and Manor Way have been
cut back and the trees have been
trimmed so that the effectiveness of
the street lighting has been improved
considerably, and the patch of land
beneath the mural in Library Way has
been cleared in readiness for planting
out.
Litter clearance has continued
unabated nevertheless.
Planters at the road entrances into
town now have their winter plants
in place, together with the planter
outside Tesco at Manor Park.
Volunteers attended meetings of
local Beavers and Brownies groups to
explain the work they do and why it is
To find out more about Uckfield Lions
and the Uckfield Lions bookshop, visit:
www.uckfield-lions.org.uk
BUSINESS NETWORKING EXPO 2017
THURSDAY 13TH JULY, 10AM - 3PM
CELEBRATE YOUR COMMUNITY HEROES WITH US
BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW FOR THE UCKFIELD FM COMMUNITY AWARDS ON SATURDAY 11 NOVEMBER
AT UCKFIELD CIVIC CENTRE AT THE EAST SUSSEX NATIONAL
8
Please mention Uckfield Matters when you contact one of our supporters
www.uckfieldfm.co.uk

UCKFIELD
UPDATE
communitymatters
UCKFIELD ROTARY
FUNDRAISING EVENTS
important to refrain from littering.
The groups were then provided
with pick-up sticks so that they
could go outside and carry out
some litter collection themselves.
At the point of submitting this
article for publication Brighter
Uckfield has been informed that
it has been nominated along with
others to receive Uckfield FM’s
“Volunteer Of The Year” Award for
2017. We are so, so grateful for
this and are extremely chuffed
that our work is being recognised
in this way.
And finally, we have received an
offer of help to clean road signs
around the town. If you have seen
a sign that needs to be cleaned
please ring 01825 766360 or
07985 783682 and leave a
message, giving the sign’s location
and what message it is conveying.
Let us know of any messy spots
or if you would like to help.
Call 01825 768709 or find us on
Facebook @brighteruckfield
From now until Christmas is
another busy time for Rotary. We
have two fund raising events in
November, and December brings
two Christmas trees – one big,
one much smaller.
We have a quiz on 4 November in
the Belmont Centre. Two weeks
later, on 18 November, comes
our Asian meal. This will also be
in the Belmont Centre, prepared
again by Martin Doyle. If you
didn’t get to last year’s meal, you
missed a treat – the food was
delicious, and it was a very good
evening. If you would like more
details of this year’s event, please
contact us using the addresses
below.
Then, on 29 November, the
Christmas Tree goes up next to
NatWest Bank. We are again
grateful to CJ Thorne for providing
the tree and helping to put it up,
as they have every year since
1951.
Our tree is different to some,
in that it is essentially a
commemorative tree; in return
for a small donation to our
Charity Fund you are given a
blank,
white
ribbon.
You write
a message
on it, in
memory
of a family
member,
friend or relative who has died,
and the ribbon is then fixed to
the tree, so that in the run-up
to Christmas the white ribbons
cover the lower branches.
We hope the combination of
the white ribbons, coloured
decorations higher up and the
tree lights will contribute to the
Christmas colour in the High
Street, as well as providing an
opportunity to remember a lost
relative or friend. An ideal time
to buy your ribbon, and see it
put on the tree, is at Late Night
Shopping, when we will be at the
tree.
And the smaller Christmas
Tree? That will be one of many
in Holy Cross Church, as part of
the annual Festival of Christmas
Trees.
Contact the Rotary: Email: uckfieldrotaryclub@gmail.com
Website: www.uckfield-rotary.org.uk Facebook: Uckfield Rotary Club
Phone: Secretary 07482 275811
CELEBRATE YOUR COMMUNITY HEROES WITH US
BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW FOR THE UCKFIELD FM COMMUNITY AWARDS ON SATURDAY 11 NOVEMBER
AT THE EAST SUSSEX NATIONAL
www.uckfieldfm.co.uk

communitymatters
THE UCKFIELD FM COMMUNITY AWARDS 2017
THE SHORTLIST
Congratulations to everyone who was nominated and especially those on the short list for the
first ever Uckfield Community Awards! Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on
Saturday 11th November at the East Sussex National Hotel. Good luck to everyone!
VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Cranwell Wealth Solutions
Brighter Uckfield
Kathy Martyn
Rebecca Anderson
CHARITY FUNDRAISER OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Chec
Sarah Hill
Margaret Dode-Angel
Holly Richardson
SPORTSPERSON OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Uckfield Matters
Chris Baily
Paul Shepherd
Nick Bignall
TEACHER OF THE YEAR
Charlotte Vickery – Bonners CofE School
Rhiann Cottrell – Little Horsted School
Melissa Ash – Holy Cross Primary
CARER OF THE YEAR
Margaret Dode Angel
Sophie Lea Eastwood
Carol King
YOUNG PERSON OF THE YEAR
Scott O’Hara
Jack Ward
Team Alpha
PARENT OF THE YEAR
To be announced on the night of the awards
GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY
Dawson Hart
James Anderson
Universal Dance
photo by Ron Hill Photographic
The Yews, 55 Boltro Road, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH16 1BJ
‣ 1:1 Individualised
therapy provided in a
fun learning
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‣ Parent training and
support
‣ Focused support on key
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e.g. social skills,
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Contact us
for a free consultation
07400 608998
www.earlyactionforautism.co.uk
earlyactionforautism@gmail.com
CHARITY OF THE YEAR
Holy Cross Church
Uckfield Food Bank
Uckfield Volunteer Centre
EMERGENCY SERVICES PERSON OF THE YEAR
Bruce Davy
Scott Ratcliff
Trevor Weeks MBE & Team
GREEN AWARD
To be announced on the night of the awards
CELEBRATE YOUR
COMMUNITY
HEROES WITH US
BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW
FOR THE UCKFIELD FM
COMMUNITY AWARDS
ON SATURDAY 11
NOVEMBER AT THE EAST
SUSSEX NATIONAL
www.uckfieldfm.co.uk

Is your weight
affecting your
health?
Hands up all those who feel they’re in
a constant battle to achieve a healthy
and sustainable body weight. How
many diets have you tried and failed,
feeling totally frustrated and not
knowing what to do next?
Rachel Ricketts, Weight Loss Consultant
Special offers for November
Having had a weight problem for 35 years, Rachel was desperate
to find a way of being able to lose weight once and for all. ‘I had
just about resigned myself to the fact that I would be overweight
for the rest of my life, when I came across the principles of the
Metabolic Weight Loss Programme. I followed these and to my
amazement, I lost 3 stone in just over 3 months and then went on
to successfully maintain my weight. The relief was enormous to
have found something that finally worked for me.’
‘This isn’t an open-ended slimming club,’ says Rachel. ‘We set your
target weight at the beginning and then get on with the business
of helping you lose the weight, addressing any difficulties along the
way, then we concentrate on keeping it off – for good!’
For those who are not able to visit, a very successful remote support
service is provided throughout the UK - distance is no object!
Rachel became passionate
about wanting to help as many
people as possible with their
weight problems, which led her
to become a qualified weight
loss consultant. In the last 14
years, she has helped over
5,000 clients from all walks of
life to help bring their dieting
days to an end once and for all.
‘My clients’ ages range from 8
years to 89 years old, so there is
hope for everyone!’
With an average weight loss
of 7-14lb a month for clients
and hundreds of hand written
testimonials, Rachel’s results
speak for themselves
Clients often comment on how
impressed their doctors are
with their results. ‘My doctor is
very happy– I’ve been able to
come off blood pressure and
cholesterol medication,’ says
one. Another doctor said, ‘All
my lady patients on thyroid
medication are struggling to
lose weight, but you’ve lost 2 ½
stone despite being on thyroxin
– well done!’
One of the popular aspects of the Metabolic Weight Loss Programme
is there’s nothing faddish about it. There are no meal replacements,
diet shakes or diet pills. All the foods on the programme are easily
obtainable. Clients frequently say just how easy it is to follow, they
don’t feel hungry and are not having to constantly battle with
cravings. The four stages of the programme are tailored as necessary
to provide the maximum results for each client.
Rachel and her team give weekly one-to-one consultations, guiding
you through the programme with personalised support, lots of
empathy and total conviction in the success of the programme.
Email support is available in between consultations.
With an average weight loss of 7-14lb a month for clients and
hundreds of hand written testimonials, Rachel’s results speak for
themselves. ‘I see real results daily, time after time I see people’s
lives change in front of me.’
Rachel offers free consultations for those who are
wanting to lose their weight once and for all.
Rachel Ricketts 01342 327396
Email rachel@rachelrickettsweightloss.co.uk
www.rachelrickettsweightloss.co.uk

Investment Planning | Retirement Planning | Inheritance Tax Planning
Autumn, time to prepare
for the coming months.
A wealth of friendly, expert, financial experience right on your doorstep.
Contact: 01825 767 568 or email infocranwellws@sjpp.co.uk.
www.cranwellws.co.uk
21 Church Street, Uckfield TN22 1BJ

familymatters
DAY OUT OF THE MONTH:
Groombridge Place
Groombridge Place is a moated manor house in the village of
Groombridge near Tunbridge Wells. The pretty grounds are open to
the public and offer endless opportunities for adventure for families.
There’s the captivating Crusoe’s World where imaginations can run
wild exploring a world of wooden walkways, pirate ships and lookout
towers. The Enchanted Forest with its giant tree swings, totem poles
and fairy trails providing the perfect setting for some magical family
friendly festivals and raves. To tempt those seeking something a bit
more extreme Groombridge recently added the UK’s longest and
highest Tree-top Walkway. The Walkway is 350m long and 20m high
allowing adventurers to experience life up close in the tree canopy.
In addition to all the regular attractions Groombridge holds some
popular themed events during school holidays with the help of
the Acting Moon Events crew bringing the forest alive with pirates,
fairies, elves and explorers! Now...if that isn’t enough to tempt you
Groombridge is also home to the Raptor Centre, showing off their
birds of prey in their own display area, there’s the legendary Zedonk
(yes...a zebra and a donkey cross!) AND there’s a relaxing river ride.
Just make sure you give yourself plenty of time to see everything!
WIN
We are giving away a family ticket to the
most exciting ice rink in the UK!
One of the jewels in Brighton’s crown, the most beautiful
winter rink in the South East, the ice rink has the former
Royal pleasure palace as backdrop and 880 square metres
of real ice, offering children penguin stabilisers and a
learners’ area, as well as boots available in sizes from ‘just
walking’ to adult sizes.
For those looking to just sit back and soak up the festive
atmosphere, visitors can spectate from the cosy rink-side
Bar & Kitchen or on its 40-metre terrace next to the ice.
With plenty of space for larger gatherings, the 130-seater
restaurant offers sumptuous snacks, hearty meals, including
stone baked pizzas - new this year – a fantastic after school menu for kids and a great bar selection including local
ale and a new range of craft beers, 14 different gins, and mulled wine or cider.
The ice rink is open November 4th to January 14th. Skate tickets cost from £10 for adults and from £7 for
children under 12. See www.royalpavilionicerink.co.uk
Terms and Conditions:
A FAMILY TICKET TO THE ROYAL PAVILION ICE RINK!
1. There is one prize for a family of four to skate for one session.
2. The prize can be taken during the dates which the ice rink is open, 4th November to 14th January, subject to
availability.
TO ENTER, PLEASE EMAIL INFO@UCKFIELDMATTERS.CO.UK BY FRIDAY 24 NOVEMBER 2017, WITH YOUR FULL
NAME AND POSTAL ADDRESS
14

AUTUMN
ADVENTURES
by ZOE HOLLAND
The nights may be drawing in, but that certainly doesn’t mean that we have to hibernate until
the Spring! There are so many great events and days out taking place throughout November so
there's plenty of reasons wrap up warm and have yourself an adventure!
So far we have had a busy Autumn enjoying some
fantastic seasonal activities. We spent a beautiful
afternoon at Oast Barn Farm in Buxted during their
apple harvesting season. We got stuck into picking the
apples and were thrilled to be invited to help press the
juice with the owners afterwards.
We visited the new play area at Calverley Adventure
Ground in Tunbridge Wells. This is free to visit and
a great place for all ages to enjoy. Logan loved the
sand and water play areas whilst Daisy and Leon both
enjoyed the challenge of the balance beams and
embarking on imaginary voyages on the pirate ships.
We also spent a crisp Autumnal morning at Spring
Barn Farm near Lewes where we found a huge pile of
pumpkins ready for carving later in the month for their
Halloween celebrations.
This month sees a host of firework displays in and
around Uckfield. We are planning on wrapping up warm
before heading out to Buxted for their fireworks at
the Scout Hut. There’s always a great atmosphere at
the event and it’s a great way to support Leon’s Scout
group.
As Winter takes hold the inevitable excitement starts to
build associated with this time of year. I love planning
a few special days out for us to enjoy as a family. Last
year we tried ice skating for the first time and it was
a huge hit all round! This year we hope to visit the ice
rink at the Brighton Pavilion. The rink looks stunning set
against the back drop of the Palace which is floodlit in
a kaleidoscope of coloured lights. The children whizz
about pushing their little penguins as we wobble behind
them...and it's so good to warm up with a hot chocolate
or mulled wine afterwards!
With so much going on in the day there's something
very cosy about coming home just as the light's starting
to fade to snuggle up under blankets at home. We love
watching a film together as a family having been outside
in the cold all day feeling safe and warm together.
Maybe hibernating isn't such a bad thing after all?
15

Pensions Minister Richard Harrington has set a target for
savers to achieve £200,000 to £250,000 in their pension pot
by the time they retire.* 1
You may have bits from different employers, but they forecast
differently so will it be enough? If you want to try and have an
affordable retirement we’ll be glad to talk with you about your
options.
You pay for car servicing and depreciation why not consider
paying to actually plan your retirement? First discussions
are free and any charge is agreed before you commit to
anything.
* 1 Source: New Model Adviser 1st February 2017
Independent Financial Advisors may just
help you avoid running out of money in
your retirement.
Call Jeremy on:
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or email
Jeremy@horlockholdcroft.co.uk
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01825 371108

A NEW DIVORCE PETITION SET TO REDUCE MISTAKES
Yasmin Iqbal
is a newly
qualified solicitor
in our Family
Department.
A new Divorce Petition was introduced
into the world of family law on 7 August
2017 and was made compulsory as of 4
September 2017, giving enough time to
phase the old divorce petition out. It is
supposedly a simplified version of the old
one.
Statistics show that 40% of divorce
petitions are currently being returned by
the Court for corrections as they are not
being completed properly. This is mainly
due to errors being made by litigants
in person, who deal with the divorce
themselves without the aid of a solicitor.
The aim of the revised form is believed
to be reducing Court waiting times
by simplifying the process for starting
proceedings. The thought process behind
this is that divorce petitions can be
processed and issued by the Court more
efficiently if they streamline the process
for all applicants, but in particular litigants
in person.
The language used in the new petition
is intended to be more user friendly and
technical legal terminology has been kept
to a minimum. It must however be said
that the new petition is much longer, some
18 pages as opposed to the old petition
which was only 8 pages. In addition, each
page is accompanied by guidance notes
down the right hand side which could
appear to overcomplicate each section
and be confusing to litigants in person.
This is in stark contrast to the old petition
which was just 8 pages long but which
had a separate guidance form available on
request.
The process of divorce can be daunting
and if you do not want to run the risk of
your divorce petition being rejected by
the Court then it is important to get legal
advice from the outset.
Please contact Dawson Hart to arrange a
free initial consultation on 01825 762281.
HELPING YOUR CHILDREN GET THEIR FIRST STEP ON
THE PROPERTY LADDER
Gemma Blizard
is a Solicitor
in Dawson
Hart’s Property
department.
Some parents may wish to help their
children on the property ladder, there are
three main ways in which they can do this:
1. By making an outright gift. This is
normally required if a mortgage is being
obtained, usually lenders do not want
any third parties having an interest in
the property. You should however take
advice in relation to tax from a qualified
accountant, as if you were to die within
seven years it would have consequences
in relation to inheritance tax. You may also
wish to consider amending your wills so
that any other heirs are treated fairly
2. Lending the money (with or without
interest) and taking a registered charge,
or second charge. A property solicitor
can draft a legal charge in order to secure
the money that you are lending over
the property. If a mortgage is being
obtained, the lenders consent will need
to be obtained to you taking a second
charge Again, if interest is charged this will
have income tax consequences and it is
recommended that you take advice from a
qualified accountant.
3. Taking a beneficial interest in the
property; this can be arranged by drafting
a Declaration of Trust, which records the
funds that you have put into the property
and how these will be split on a future sale.
Following the introduction of the Stamp
Duty Land Tax (SDLT) surcharge, you will be
liable for 3% SDLT charged on the whole
purchase price, if the parents already have
an interest in another property. Due to
the 3% surcharge Declarations of Trust
have become less favourable, with parents
opting for a legal charge, where they do
not wish to gift the money.
Whilst helping your children on the
property ladder may seem like a
simple solution, there are a number
of consequences and complexities to
consider – contact the Property Team at
Dawson Hart on 01825 762281 to discuss
your options.unmarried and he was still
legally married to his wife Mrs Martin when
he passeus without delay to make sure you
have.” Telephone 01825 762281 or e-mail
lmm@dawson-hart.co.uk
This information has been prepared for general interest and it is important to obtain professional advice on specific issues and for your own
circumstances. Whilst we believe the information to be correct at the time of print, we cannot accept responsibility for loss occasioned by any person
acting or refraining from acting as a result of this material.
MON-THURS: 8AM-6PM (5PM FRI) SAT: 9AM-12PM
Tel: 01825 762281
www.dawson-hart.co.uk

wellbeingmatters
“PERCHANCE TO DREAM”
TOP 10 TIPS FOR A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP
by MICHELLE PEARCE
by MICHELLE PEARCE
As the days draw in it is a perfect time for us to reflect on our sleeping patterns, particularly if we are
one of the many people in the UK who are not getting the NHS’s recommended 7-9 hours a night.
Whether we go to sleep too late, are tired when we wake up, suffer from broken sleep or full-blown
insomnia, there may be a tip below to help you tweak your sleep habits and happily dream away
these long winter nights.
1. Take time to wind down before bed - Slowing down,
downloading your day with some simple mentalfiling
or list-writing, doing some gentle stretches
are all useful if we want to get a good night’s sleep.
Taking 30-60 minutes to quietly put the old day
aside and prepare for the one to come, in a peaceful
atmosphere, can help mind and body to slow and
centre in preparation for sleep.
2. Dim the lights - mood lighting, or better still candlelight,
create a peaceful atmosphere in which to enjoy
your wind-down time, and raises levels of our allimportant
sleep-hormone melatonin.
3. Switch off screens 30-60 minutes before bed
- this one is possibly going to be the hardest for
many people to achieve but one worth persevering
with if you crave a good, full nourishing night’s
sleep. Technology poses major obstacles to sleep,
stimulating the brain and the emotions and the
blue light itself inhibits the production of our sleep
hormone melatonin, making it hard for us to switch
off even once the device itself, is happily lounging on
sleep mode.
4. Make your bedroom a haven - do what you can to
declutter the bedroom and make it your own personal
physical and mental recovery room or sanctuary. Soft
lighting, neutral décor, black-out curtains or blinds and
nurturing objects all help create a sense of darkness,
safety and peace which are conducive to sleep.
5. Look to your mattress - buy the biggest you can fit
in your bedroom, particularly if sharing with a partner
so you have space to sleep. A firm yet forgiving
mattress with a soft topper which moulds to your
shape, and a single shallow pillow is ideal.
6. Allow the body temperature to drop - our internal
body temperature needs to drop by 1-2 degrees in
order for us to fall asleep. A simple way to do this is
to have a warm bath or shower before bed and then
move to a cool bedroom.
7. Try not to eat too late - eating stimulates digestion
and often causes the internal body temperature to
rise inhibiting sleep. Alcohol and caffeine are also
stimulants best avoided before bed.
8. Don’t get over-tired - If we become over-tired
the body can release adrenalin, a stress-hormone
which raises blood pressure, heart rate and body
temperature, preparing us for a fight or flight situation
- far from ideal at bedtime! Taking breaks in the day
can also help balance our energy levels and reduce
our body’s reliance on adrenalin. Nick Littlehales
suggests that we meet the body’s slump times
(commonly 1-3 pm and / or 5-7 pm) with Controlled
Recovery Periods CRP’s - basically a posh word for fifty
winks! Not always practical but delicious if you can find
the time!
9. Have an established bed-time - If we can listen
to our bodies and establish a regular bedtime we
will stand the best possible chance of achieving the
recommended 7+ hours of sleep each night. If our
body knows when we usually switch off it will better
establish its own systems for sleep.
10. Have an established wake-time - and for all that
lovely sleep, yes, we need to wake up! Studies have
shown that having a regular wake-up time, even on
days off, actually helps us to sleep better.
Useful links
Sleep by Nick Littlehales - published by Penguin
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munich_Chronotype_Questionnaire
https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/2017/press.html
https://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/insomnia/Pages/bedtimeritual.aspx
Massage Therapy - michellecpearce@live.co.uk
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TWELVE THOUSAND TREES
JOIN THE HORSE RESCUE TRUST AS THEY EMBARK ON A HUGE
PROJECT THIS AUTUMN
Sussex Horse Rescue Trust, Uckfield, is asking for
volunteers to help plant 12,000 trees and 32,000
hedgerow shrubs, to develop the natural wildlife
hub between Views Wood, Hempstead Wood
and Buxted Park, as part of a two-year project
beginning this Autumn.
Since Sussex Horse Rescue Trust (SHRT) was
established in 1964, hundreds of rescued equines
of all ages and backgrounds have come into
their care, often having been starved, abused or
neglected. Today, SHRT looks after approximately
80 horses, ponies and donkeys on the land at
Hempstead Farm, with a further 200 horses
accommodated through SHRT’s loan scheme.
As part of its land development strategy, SHRT
is working with Sussex Wildlife Trust and The
Woodland Trust, to plant trees and shrubs such
as Hazel, Willow, ahabitat for birds, mammals
and insects, including flowering meadow and fen
species, bees, moths, butterflies, bats, and reptiles.
Native hedgerows offer many valuable resources.
They provide wildlife corridors for wildlife, offering
shelter linking small woods and enabling animals
to move between habitats. Hedging provides food
in the form of berries and foliage for birds, small
mammals and insects, and offers wind protection
which cuts down wind speed
across the land
communitymatters
by JO PETERS
and helps prevent erosion. Hedgerows support
invertebrates that control pests and pollinate crops.
They also store carbon, help produce oxygen and
capture harmful particulates.
Planting hedgerows directly benefits the horses too
– a mixed native hedge can provide a good source
of forage for horses, offering variety in their diet.
Throughout the summer months, trees and hedges
provide a welcome respite from the sun, offering
shade and relief from flies, whilst during the winter
months, hedging provides invaluable shelter for
horses to protect themselves from wind and rain.
Hempstead Farm is situated alongside the River
Uck, so flood management is a priority. Hedgerows
can help reduce flooding by increasing infiltration
rates and slowing water flows.
British native trees produce flower, berry and
foliage all year round, season after season, and in
helping to maintain natural heritage and character
across the landscape, they are especially beautiful.
Native trees are well-adapted to the soil conditions,
and able to survive and thrive under the rigours of
British weather.
Volunteers are invited to come along on SHRT’s
Stewardship Days. SHRT aims to work more
closely with the local community by expanding its
educational capacity around wildlife for people of
all ages, and families with supervised children from
7 years are very welcome. Anyone who would like
to join the team for longer periods are encouraged
to get in touch.
The planting schedule is currently being finalised
between the three organisations, and SHRT is
asking volunteers to register their interest, after
which they will contact you through the volunteers
mail out. The first round of planting is due to take
place from late November into mid-December
2017.
Volunteers are asked to bring their own gloves,
spades or forks, if they have them, otherwise
these will be provided. Volunteers will work with
and be directly supported by members from
Sussex Horse Rescue Trust and The Woodland
Trust. No experience is needed.
Email sussexhorsetrust@yahoo.com to register
your interest and find out more information
about the project. Sussex Horse Rescue Trust,
Hempstead Farm, Hempstead Lane, Uckfield
TN22 3DL. Registered Charity 297576.

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23
THE UCKFIELD VOICE NOVEMBER 2017
Ron Hill Photographic
THE UCKFIELD VOICE
UCKFIELD REMEMBERS
by Cllr. Duncan Bennett, Deputy Mayor
This November, Uckfield residents will once more remember those who fell in two
world wars and subsequent conflicts. We will be particularly thinking of those from
our town who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of our country and its
freedom.
The memorial plaques in our Parish Church of Holy Cross hold the names of
so many young men from our town and in this centenary year of the Battle of
Passchendaele, it is impossible not to be moved by the sheer numbers, especially
when you consider the much smaller population of the town back then. Most families
were affected by the loss of fathers, sons, brothers, nephews, uncles and cousins.
As we know, The Great War, “the war to end all wars”, was sadly nothing of the sort
and those who were lucky to return, bore the solemn duty of seeing their own sons
march off to fight in another global conflict some two decades later, again, many
never to return.
Time passes and battles become history, but the painful loss of a serviceman
does not diminish in its sadness, as witnessed by the grief shown throughout our
community when 22 year old Uckfield lad, Private Daniel Gamble was killed whilst
serving with the 2nd Battalion of the Parachute Regiment in Afghanistan, just nine years ago.
• The War Memorial at Holy Cross Church shall be the focus of Remembrance on Armistice Day, at the Eleventh
Hour of the Eleventh Day of the Eleventh Month when the guns fell silent.
• On Remembrance Day, Sunday the 12th, a simple Act of Remembrance shall be observed at 11am at the Eugene
Seghers Memorial within the garden of The Highlands Inn.
• The Annual Remembrance Day Parade up the High Street to Holy Cross Church for the Service of Remembrance
at 3pm will be followed by a wreath-laying, a two minute’s silence and parade back to the Civic Centre.
Those who “Gave Their Today for Our Tomorrow” are some of the many reasons to “Wear Your Poppy with Pride” and I
hope you will do so again this year.
NEW TOWN COUNCILLOR FOR RIDGEWOOD WARD
by Cllr. Jeremy Beesley
I have lived in Uckfield for nearly 25 years and prior to that I visited the town
very regularly. My mother’s family lived here and my grandfather was a
Blacksmith in the town. I am married to Sharon and have a son Kieran who
is seven, a step son Marcus who is a full time Maths teacher and a Step
Daughter Rachael who works for South East Coast Ambulance Service as
a student paramedic. She is currently doing a university course to become
a Paramedic. My wife works for the NHS and I work at St Peter & St James
Hospice in North Chailey,
Ron Hill Photographic
I am very passionate about our town Uckfield. I am Chairman of Uckfield
Performance Ensemble, member of Uckfield Bonfire and Carnival Society
and an FA Level 1 accredited coach with Uckfield Grasshoppers Junior
Football Club. With family and friends living in Ridgewood I want to do my
utmost best to make Ridgewood a greater place to live. Since the election,
I have spent a lot of time speaking to residents and identifying issues in
the area. I will endeavour to do my best to resolve them. If you have any
concerns you can contact me at Jeremy.independent@gmail.com

THE UCKFIELD VOICE NOVEMBER 2017
UCKFIELD REVIVAL
by Cllr. Chris Macve
Ron Hill Photographic
Ron Hill Photographic
Groups of Uckfield Town Councillors and helpers
met at the Highlands Inn, Ridgewood and Luxford
Field early on Saturday 7th October for the
culmination of many weeks of preparation, planning
and organisation by ‘Celebrate Uckfield’ – the
events working group, and particularly by Holly
Goring, Town Clerk, to set in motion the Uckfield
Revival.
The Highlands Inn had welcomed the drivers and
passengers by providing hot coffee and bacon
butties to counteract the depressing weather.
The assembled vehicles were then despatched in
groups of various makes, chaperoned by members
of 4x4 Assist, parading through New Town and up
the High Street into Library Way before forming a
fantastic display on Luxford Field.
The day’s wet weather conditions failed to dampen
the spirits of the vehicle owners, the refreshment
stall holders and members of the public who came
to admire over 80 various vehicles on show.
The working group appreciate the support of all the
vehicle owners and stall holders for their attendance
and the help of all those who made the day the
great success it was!
As the assembled groups waited, the forecast
inclement weather arrived, firstly with light drizzle
which soon developed into steady rain.
However the Uckfield Revival was all set to
proceed, despite the weather with a varied
selection of vintage, classic and interesting cars
and motorcycles together with historic commercial
vehicles and steam powered traction engines.
Ron Hill Photographic
24

THE UCKFIELD VOICE NOVEMBER 2017
CALENDAR COMPETITION
The 2017 photographic calendar competition
‘Celebrate Uckfield,’ which ran from January to July
2017, was judged by Uckfield Town Mayor: Cllr.
Louise Eastwood; local photographer, Ron Hill of Hill
Photographic and Judith Stewart a professional local
photographer, Sussex Photographic Federation Judge
and member of the Uckfield Camera Club.
For the first time an overall first, second and third
prize of a One4all Post Office gift card for £50, £35
and £20 respectively were awarded at a presentation
at the end of October. This format will be repeated
for the 2019 Calendar, and it is hoped that we will see
greater interest in this initiative from Uckfield amateur
photographers. We would also encourage entries from
younger members of the community from 11 years and
upwards. The theme for the 2019 competition will be
announced soon.
First place was awarded to Darren Coleshill for The Dene, September.
Second place was awarded to Jonathan Close for Bluebells at Holy Cross Church, April.
Third place was award to Lynne Ireland for Autumnal Colour at Lake Wood, October.
MONTH PHOTOGRAPHERS NAME CAPTION
January Darren Coleshill Views Wood
February Rob Broughton A Winter View
March Susanne Garland Sunset in Uckfield
April Jonathan Close 2nd Prize Bluebells at Holy Cross Church
May Jonathan Close Lake Wood
June Gavin Rainbow Uckfield Quadrophenia
July Jean Chamberlain Hare Uckfield Grand Prix
August Julie Eiloart West Park Nature Reserve
September Darren Coleshill 1st Prize The Dene
October Lynne Ireland 3rd Prize Autumnal Colour at Lake Wood
November Geoffrey Crabtree Winter Silhouette at Shepherds Way
December Jayne West The Linden Chase Mystery Rudolf
2 ND PRIZE
1 ST PRIZE 3 RD PRIZE
25

THE UCKFIELD VOICE NOVEMBER 2017
RD LAST IN MONTH EYE IN YOUR BUTCHERS COUNCIL & FARM SH
BIRD IN
25 891309
As we move into the leafy days of autumn, committees presented to Full Council in December for consideration,
have been working through a collection of projects and before the budget and priorities are adopted in January
making good progress towards the Town Council’s 2018.
w.birdineyefarm.co.uk
priorities.
General Purposes Committee have 01825 started to look 89130
at the
cal
The
farm
Environment
shop is
and
on
Leisure
Framfield
Committee
Road,
made
just
a
up
number
the hill,
maintenance
past Bird In
programme
Eye Hospital.
for the town council’s buildings
arking! of positive decisions at their last meeting. Members next year. Members agreed that www.birdi
it would be useful to
resolved to run a bio dog bag dispenser scheme which undertake a feasibility study on West Park Pavilion to help
• Local traditionally reared beef & lamb
would see 10 dispensers located across Uckfield on town understand whether the space could Your be local reconfigured farm shop and is
council land, at no cost to the Town Council. It • was Home hoped grown made porkmore user friendly. Easy EASY parking! PARKING AND G
that these would be well received and would • support Local the game
Council’s campaign to reduce the amount of dog fouling
• All meat cut to your requirements CIVIC CENTRE
£5
VACANCY
OF
visible within the town.
• Regular special deals
CASUAL RELEF CARETAKER
The position will be part of a small
Members supported the League of Friends of • Uckfield Highest quality produce team of existing staff and the ideal
Community Hospital by agreeing for a hedge to be
candidate will be flexible and able
placed on the Town Council’s allotment land opposite the
to demonstrate practical When expertise
in caretaking, security and
you
Ambulance station. The League of Friends are
•
planning
Best eggs in town from our hens cleaning. Energy,
to make a number of improvements to the hospital car
spend
enthusiasm
over
and
£
a positive attitude are essential, as well as the ability to
• Seasonal fruit and veg
park, providing an additional 25-30 parking spaces. The communicate well with the public.
League of Friends will take full responsibility for • Chutneys the hedge and pickles
Just prese
and its future maintenance.
Standard rates of pay are £8.38 up to 6.00pm and
• Gluten free range
£11.13 after 6.00pm and Sundays.
this vouche
• Cakes and sweet treats
For many organisations the autumn months means it’s
For an informal discussion please
time to start looking ahead to the next financial • year. Daily fresh lunch rolls
telephone 01825 747794 store.
Priority and budget setting is now underway. • Each Family ready meals
Uckfield
made in
Town
store
Council, Civic Centre,
committee is reviewing their fees and charges and
OFFER EXPIRES 31.10 30-11
• Friendly and helpful staff Uckfield TN22 1AE
considering what funds would be required to run services
ook: @birdineyefarmshopuckfield
Email: admin@uckfieldtc.gov.uk
and activities next year. These draft figures are due to be
BUTCHERS
FARMSHOP
plate.indd 1 24/
UPCOMING MEETINGS
facebook: facebook: @birdineye
Agendas are posted on the Town Council website www.
uckfieldtc.gov.uk in PDF format, and are also posted on
notice boards throughout the Town. Full Council agendas
and minutes can also be seen at the Uckfield Library.
Meetings are held in the Council Chamber on the first floor
of The Civic Centre, Uckfield and start at 7.00pm (unless
otherwise stated). If you wish to ask a question at a
meeting, on items on the agenda, it is advisable to submit
your question beforehand to allow a full response to be
given at the meeting. All questions should be directed to
the Town Clerk. Please email admin@uckfieldtc.gov.uk or
call the Council offices tel: 01825 762774.
6th - PLANS Advert template.indd 1
13th - ENVIRONMENT & LEISURE
20th - GENERAL PURPOSES
27th - PLANS
DECEMBER
4th - BUDGET MEETING
18th - PLANS
26
26

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orders
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spend FRIENDLY over STAFF. £20.
r in placed during • Seasonal our fruit taster and veg day
FESTIVE EXTRAS
• Chutneys and pickles
on Saturday 11th November
Just present
- Cheese Selection
• Gluten free range
- Cakes & IT’S Biscuits NOT JUST TURKEY THIS
.2016 -2016
Only one voucher may be used per transaction. this voucher in
May not be used in • conjunction Cakes and with sweet any treats other offers.
- Mince Pies CHRISTMAS, TRY OUR:
- Christmas Cakes
• Daily fresh lunch rolls
- Hamper Fillers Ready store. made stuffing balls
• Family ready meals made in store - Mistletoe
Pigs In blankets
09/2016 18:05
OFFER EXPIRES 31.10.2016
• Friendly and helpful staff - Logs & Kindling 21 day hung beef
irdineyefarmshopuckfield
Stuffed and wrapped chicken
thighs & breasts
French trimmed rack 24/09/2016 of lamb 18:05
Duck breasts
Homemade pies
BUTCHERS
FARMSHOP
CALL US ON:
01825 891309

THE FIVE QUESTIONS
TO ASK BEFORE YOU
ADOPT A DOG
by DONNA WELLER
FOUNDER OF THE DONNI DOO FOUNDATION
Are you thinking of adopting a dog? Good! With so many animals in shelters, it makes
no sense to buy a dog from a breeder when you can give one a forever home, and
free up space in the shelter for another deserving animal.
But there are questions you should ask yourself before you adopt…
1. Can I afford this? A responsible dog owner needs
to take their dog to the vet’s regularly for check-ups.
The best way to cover these is to sign up with a plan
from your vet’s or take out insurance. Remember too,
that food bills, bedding, toys and accessories all add
up.
2. Do I have the time to devote to a dog? Can you
walk your dog twice a day, every day – rain or shine?
Are you prepared to invest the time needed for
training, and playing with your dog? Are you happy
to groom him regularly? What about when you are at
work? Will this mean a dog would be left home alone
a lot?
3. Do I have space for a dog? Different breeds
require different spaces, but obviously, a large breed
dog won’t fit into a small flat. How big is your garden?
And is it secure?
4. Am I prepared to neuter or spay the dog?
Again, a responsible owner will neuter or spaytheir
dog to ensure unwanted puppies aren’t the result.
5. Can I bear what the dog will do to my house?
If you are very house proud, a dog will come as a
shock to the system. Even the best-trained pup is
going to make a mess. There might be little accidents
if your dog is not yet house trained. Mud will be inevitable
as they traipse it in from outdoors, and then
there’s the shedding hair…
Be honest with your answers. If you can’t afford it, or
you don’t have the time, and the mess is something
you can’t bear the thought of, dog ownership might
not be for you. There are alternatives, though, if
you love animals. Ask your local shelter if they need
volunteers or foster carers for temporary homes, or
sponsor one of their long-term residents.
Here are a list of some fantastic local rescues. Give
them a call, meet the staff and together you’ll find the
right option for you.
• Kit Wilson Trust, Hadlow Down
• Last Chance Animal Rescue, Edenbridge
• Allsorts Dog Rescue, West Sussex
• Raystead Centre for Animal Welfare, Ringmer
• RSPCA, Patcham
• Holbrook Animal Rescue, Horsham
For more information on the ‘Pet Parcel Project’
which delivers monthly parcels into local rescue
centres, please visit:
www.donnidoo.org.uk/pet-parcel-project
28
Please support your local magazine by mentioning Uckfield Matters when calling one of our advertisers

HERE’S SOMETHING YOU’RE GOING TO SEE A LOT MORE OF:
The freshest agent in
town, now open at:
103 High Street
Uckfield
East Sussex
TN22 1RN
01825 703000
www.peteroliverhomes.co.uk
Uckfield Civic Centre presents...
Peter oliver 1st board.indd 1 20/09/2017 12:33
Monday 4th December to
Friday 22nd December
11.30am - 2.30pm
(Closed on Sundays)
Luxfords Restaurant
Christmas menu
Book now for your club, business
or even a few family and friends
Two Courses: £14.25
Three courses: £18.75
Private rooms available for parties of 20
or more. See our website for the menu
Bookings 01825 761659
http://www.uckfieldciviccentre.com
Wednesday 13th December – 7.30pm
TONY STOCKWELL
The popular Psychic makes a
welcome return to Uckfield
Tickets: £15.00 (Concs £14)
Saturday 16th December - 2pm & 7pm
Uckfield Youth Theatre presents
CINDERELLA
Tickets £7.50 + Group rates available
Tuesday 19th and Wednesday 20th
December – 7.30pm
EDWARDIAN CHRISTMAS
CONCERT
BY CANDLELIGHT
Tickets £15 (Concs £14)
Box Office 01825 769694

MORE THAN NETWORKING:
NEWS FROM THE CHAMBER
First and
foremost, please
do allow me via
these pages to
thank the good
business people
of Uckfield for
your warm
welcome as the
new secretary
to our town’s
Chamber. I’ve
always been a
big fan of Chambers of Commerce and considering
myself now as an Uckfield person, having lived here
22 years, I was delighted to be able to take on this
role.
It’s important for businesses of a specific geography
to work together – together they can offer a
stronger voice on the issues that affect us all and
equally, I know that if businesses engage with their
local Chamber then there is a great opportunity to
network with one another and to pick up business –
‘Buy Local’ should always be our motto wherever we
can!
Our September meeting, although it seems an age
ago now, was a first for the Chamber as we met at
The Picture House in Screen Two to be precise! How
many other Chambers could claim to have met in a
cinema? Our host, Kevin Markwick, had just returned
from the Toronto International Film festival and gave
us an insight into the many great films that are due to
be shown in Uckfield during the coming months. Our
Bi-monthly business meetings always include a meal
following the meeting and on this occasion, we took
a short step across the High Street to their very own
30
To advertise call 01825 705066 or e-mail adverts@uckfieldmatters.co.uk

UCKFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE UPDATE - NOVEMBER 2017
restaurant, where 50 local business people enjoyed a
splendid two-course meal.
The Picture House truly is a gem of a business in
Uckfield – personally, I think we’re very fortunate
to have such a splendid venue on our door-step. If
you haven’t visited the cinema for a while or treated
yourself to a meal out, I can recommend both a film
and the restaurant!
The Chamber project that is occupying many of us
right now is preparation for this year’s Late Night
Christmas Shopping. Always, of course, on the first
Friday of December – this year it’s the 1st. We are
expecting 5,000 visitors to our High Street on that
night; make sure you’re amongst them! Most shops
will be open into the early evening, so remember to
‘Buy Local’ and come along and support the occasion.
Our thanks to those businesses who have taken
advertising space within our Late Night Shopping
magazine, a copy of which should be dropping
through your letter-box if you live in Uckfield. But,
did you know that the profit from our LNS magazine
helps subsidise Uckfield’s Christmas lights?
Special thanks to James at Allsorts, Mark at Carvills
and Chris of Lawson Commercial who are just a few
local business people that work tirelessly to make the
Late Night Shopping event the success that it always
is!
And speaking of Christmas, the Chamber will
be hosting a special Christmas Dinner Dance at
Barnsgate on Thursday 14 December. All local
business people are welcome to join us – it’s a great
alternative to maybe holding your own Christmas ‘Do’
for a small business. Do, please email me if you’d like
to know more.
Finally, my thanks to my predecessor, Ian Blackaller,
whose name has been synonymous with Uckfield
Chamber of Commerce for many years. It’s a hard act
to follow and yet, we are a Chamber who ‘punches
above its weight’ within East Sussex; if you’re not a
member and would like to discuss joining, please get
in touch – I’ll be pleased to hear from you.
Ian Noble
Secretary to the Uckfield and District Chamber of
Commerce
U
C
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Thursday 30 November
Bi-monthly Members’ Meeting at Pilgrim
Hall – details on our website.
Friday 1 December
Uckfield Late Night Shopping
Thursday 14 December
Barnsgate Manor, Christmas dinner –
open to all members.
For details on how to book, please see
our website.
HOW TO JOIN:
1
Email the Chamber Secretary at
secretary@uckfieldchamber.co.uk
2
Contact any member of the Chamber Executive
Committee, whose information can be found on
our website www.uckfieldchamber.co.uk.
3
Or call us on 07801 250668
FOLLOW US!
Lots of news
and information
can be found
on our website
www.uckfieldchamber.co.uk, or
you can follow us on Facebook
and Twitter @UckfieldChamber
To advertise call 01825 705066 or e-mail adverts@uckfieldmatters.co.uk 31

KEEP FIT & HAVE FUN
Have you ever thought about playing INDOOR BOWLS
If the answer is YES come along to
on
SATURDAY SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 11 JANUARY TH NOVEMBER 24 26th 12 TH
from anytime 9.30am between to 1.00pm 9.30am and 2.00pm
for FREE a coffee TASTER and a FREE SESSION TRIAL of this of this fascinating game game
A special introductory coaching course for beginners
Excellent Bar & Catering facilities
Ample Car Parking
A well furnished social area
A full programme of social activities
Above all a great opportunity to play a new sport
For further information call
Norman Carol on on 01273400282 01444 455548
If you want to widen your experience and spend some time
living in a new and different culture, apply now!
or visit www.bowlswealden.co.uk

RICHARD GREEN FUNERAL SERVICE
The only truly independent, family owned and run
Funeral Directors & Memorial Masons in Lewes & Uckfield
Remember, Remember
This Funeral Director
Local and
Helpful to You
© “Guy Fawkes” from Colourful Coffins
170 High Street
Lewes
BN7 1YE
01273 488121 (24hrs)
lewes@rgreenfs.co.uk
CARPET AND UPHOLSTERY CLEANING
“KEEP IT SMART !”
SERVICES INCLUDE:
• CURTAIN REMOVAL, DRY CLEAN & REFIT
• RE-UPHOLSTERY AND REPAIRS
• FOAM & FEATHER CUSHIONS CUT &
MADE TO ORDER
25 years experience in Kent & Sussex
Fully insured
t:07834 862124
e:sales@smartcleanfurnishings.com
www.smartcleanfurnishings.com
THE
125 High Street
Uckfield
TN22 1RN
01825 760601 (24hrs)
uckfield@rgreenfs.co.uk
HAIR studio
KATHERINE HAS RETURNED
Katherine is now taking bookings
for new and existing customers
AMPLE FREE PARKING
Family Run Hairdressers
Situated on Manor Park
in our out of town salon
Scalp Colour Treatments require a skin test 48 hours prior
to application, please call us to book your skin test.
Open Tuesday - Saturday
LATE NIGHTS - Thursday and Friday
01825 763042
www.thehairstudio.co

NEW LOOK FOR THE
UCKFIELD VOLUNTEER CENTRE
Over the last few months, we have been quietly working
away to improve our high street office. We have made big
improvements to our window displays, new desks and even a
sofa! Our volunteers have been very busy!
This was all thanks to a Big Lottery Grant and some help from
Peter of Equinox who helped with our window stickers.
The feedback we have had so far, has been that our visitors
LOVE it.
Next time you’re in the High Street , pop in and say ‘hello’. We
are opposite ‘The Flower Shop just next the Picture House
cinema.
We look forward to seeing you soon.
EARLY ACTION FOR AUTISM
Pioneering programmes for children and families
by ZOE HOLLAND
THE IMPORTANCE OF EARLY INTERVENTION
As a parent, recognising that your child may be
displaying signs of Autism you may find yourself at the
start of a challenging and difficult journey. Parents of
young children waiting for or coping with the news
of a diagnosis of Autism often feel lost, overwhelmed
and unsure of who to turn for support. However,
recognising that your child needs additional support
and seeking help as early as possible is an important
part in offering hope for both your child’s and your
family’s future.
PRE-DIAGNOSIS
Waiting for a diagnosis can take years. Whilst this
can be an extremely stressful and frustrating time
it can be used as a valuable window to seek out
information, become informed and start to build your
parental toolkit. Becoming proactive should reduce
some of the frustration that is likely to build whilst
waiting for the diagnosis process to runs its course.
It may be useful to identify specific areas your child
is struggling with such as eating habits, toileting
issues or compulsive behaviours. The symptoms
of many behavioural issues associated with Autism
can be treated through behaviour therapy without
a diagnosis. With the right training and support
parents should be able to implement these therapies
themselves pre-diagnosis giving the child a huge head
start in their developmental progress.
POST-DIAGNOSIS
A diagnosis may well mean the road to accessing
additional funding and support in services such as
Speech and Language and Occupational Therapy.
This may be a time where parents may wish to seek
out Post Diagnosis guidance about how best to use
the funding that has become available ensuring
support is relevant and fully beneficial to their child’s
development.
LONG TERM PLANNING AND SUPPORT
Ensuring you have the knowledge and skills to
implement good practise and therapies at home is
an excellent way to provide consistent, long term
support to a child with Autism. Of course there will be
ups and downs but equipping yourself with your own
set of skills allows a degree of self sufficiency and an
increase in confidence in dealing with any difficulties
as they arise.
Early Action for Autism is a centre for behaviour
therapy for pre-school age children. The highly
skilled team use a pioneering model of ABA (Applied
Behaviour Analysis) to implement evidence based,
child specific programmes with a focus on early
intervention. They also offer parent work shops and
training courses.
34
Please support your local magazine by mentioning Uckfield Matters when calling one of our advertisers

The “REAL” Father Christmas
will be at the Llama Park
from 25th November to 24th December 2017
to book tickets please call:
01825 712 040
www.llamapark.co.uk

sportsmatters
ACTIVE 4 ALL UCKFIELD
Freedom Leisure Centre in Uckfield have re-introduced their ‘Active 4 All’
programme aimed at children and young people aged 8-16 who have
learning or physical disabilities.
The weekly programme features a variety of sports, as well as games, play
activities and arts and crafts. Sessions take place every Tuesday from 4.30 to
6.00 pm, and the cost is £3.50 per session.
For more information, please contact Freedom Leisure Uckfield on 01825
761160.
ACTIVE UCKFIELD
LE TENNIS HOST ‘SHE RALLIES’ FUN DAYS
TO ENCOURAGE GIRLS INTO TENNIS
by JEREMY HALLETT
by Jeremy Hallett
Le Tennis coaches Kyria and Hollie had an incredibly
successful day running a ‘She Rallies Fun Day’. The
female coaches were passionate about setting up a
day to encourage and celebrate girls in tennis.
She Rallies is part of a programme which was launched
by Judy Murray in partnership with the Lawn Tennis
Association. This initiative is hoping girls will make
friends, gain new skills, build their confidence, and
most of all, have lots of fun. It’s suitable whether
they’re a sporting natural, or have never held a racket.
Ultimately aiming for more girls playing and more
women coaching tennis.
34 girls with ages ranging between 5-16 came to the Le
Tennis She Rallies Fun Day where they did relay races,
coordination stations, racket skills and tennis games.
Judy Murray responded to Le Tennis’ Twitter update by
saying ‘looks fab!!! Well done all. Girl power.’
Le Tennis will be running many more She Rallies Fun
Days. For further information please contact letennis@
btconnect.com.
We have also been approached about getting
more Table Tennis available in Uckfield. If anyone
is interested can they please contact me on 07876
275031 or jeremyhallett59@gmail.com so we can see
when and where.
36

David Eggleston’s monthly round up of all things sporting in Uckfield.
sportsmatters
MORE TRAMPOLINING SUCCESSES
There have been more impressive results from local trampolinists from the Sky High Trampoline Gymnastics
Academy, based at the Funabounds Trampoline Centre in Uckfield.
Erifilly Heonos won gold in the 15-16 female age group at the British Trampolining Championships in Liverpool in
September. It is the second time she has become British champion, after winning the 11-12 age category in 2014.
Daniel Bradford competed in the Championships for the first time and recorded a very creditable sixth place.
Erifilly has also been selected to represent Great Britain in the World Age Games, which will take place in mid-
November in Sofia, Bulgaria.
The Sky High Academy also had a strong turnout of gymnasts taking part in the recent English Championships in
Sheffield. There were several notable performances, including a first place for Daniel Bradford and Thomas Magson
in the 13-14 age group synchro competition and a first place also for Frances Smoker in her age category in the
Double Mini Trampoline event.
MORE MEDALS FOR
VISUALLY IMPAIRED
TENNIS STAR
Chris Baily from Uckfield retained his national Visually
Impaired Tennis title at Loughborough last month.
Chris successfully defended his singles title in the B3
category after winning a deciding match tie-break in the
final. He also became doubles champion for the fourth
time, partnering up with Callum Lock from Eastbourne.
Earlier this year, Chris won a gold medal at the first
International Blind Tennis Tournament in Spain. He also
won two regional visually impaired tennis tournaments in
Cambridge and Sutton over the summer.
For anyone interested in finding out more information
about visually impaired tennis, you can visit
www.soundtennissussex.org.uk.
Four successive defeats in the Southern Combination
League over September and October sent AFC Uckfield
Town slipping towards the bottom of the Premier
Division table. But, a fine comeback from 2-0 down at
Pagham to earn a point in a 2-2 draw halted the slide
and offered encouragement that Uckfield can climb the
table.
Hopes of a good run in the national FA Vase came to an
end with a 3-0 defeat at Canterbury. However, Uckfield
remain involved in other cup competitions, notably the
prestigious Sussex Senior Cup, where they will have
the opportunity to pit their wits against Eastbourne
Borough, who are three divisions higher than Uckfield in
the non-league pyramid. This game is scheduled to be
played at Eastbourne on November 7th.
UP AND DOWN FOR
UCKFIELD RUGBY CLUB
It has been a topsy-turvy start to the season for
Uckfield rugby club.
After winning their first three matches, Uckfield lost
the next three, including a narrow defeat by tabletopping
Hellingly.
Uckfield face a run of three away games in the
league during November and will be hoping to put
another good run together to help them challenge
the leaders.
ENCOURAGING CHANGE FOR AFC UCKFIELD TOWN
FORTHCOMING HOME FIXTURES
The Oaks, Eastbourne Road, Uckfield
Saturday 11th November 3pm v Worthing
United
Southern Combination League
Saturday 25th November 3pm v Littlehampton
Southern Combination League
All spectators welcome.
Admission is £6 for adults, £3 for concessions, and
children under 16 free.
If you or your local sporting club would like to be featured in a future issue of Uckfield Matters, or on Uckfield
FM’s Saturday Sport programme, then please contact David Eggleston at david.eggleston@uckfieldfm.co.uk
David presents Saturday Sport on Uckfield FM each Saturday from 2 pm to 6 pm.

mindmatters
CROSSWORD
ACROSS
1 Spotty breed of dog (10)
8 Popular TV serials (5)
9 Ballistic weapon (7)
10 Take someone’s breath
away (7)
11 _____ wave, huge
destructive volume of water (5)
12 Very poorly (2,1,3,3)
15 Return money (5)
17 A part of the body that’s
often pierced (3,4)
19 Brides carry one of these
(7)
20 Smoothly slip (5)
21 Exhibiting (10)
DOWN
2 Astonish, surprise (5)
3 Eyelash cosmetic (7)
4 Emotional, moody (13)
5 Valuable possession (5)
6 Rapidly revolve clothes to
remove water after washing.
(4-3)
7 Shout, holler (4)
8 Footwear (4)
12 Seize and take legal
custody of an item (7)
13 Lazy, disinclined to get a
job (4-3)
14 In this place (4)
15 Cloak, cape (4)
16 Opposite of ‘mine’ (5)
18 Tear-inducing vegetable (5)
Turn to page 46 for solutions
FOGGY2CLEAR
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We can replace your old units with new, gas filled sealed
units, with other options available on quotation.
• Windows/door hinges
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• Windows/door handles
• Letterboxes
WE ALSO REPAIR/REPLACE:
• Window mechanisms and
much more
• Patio door locks and
Wheels
FREE NO OBLIGATION QUOTES
MOBILE:
01825 731825
07939 018849
16 YEARS EXPERIENCE IN THE TRADE

schoolmatters
mud
What’s
GOT TO DO WITH IT?
Foundation stage children at Harlands’ Primary School have had a great treat this
month. Their exciting new messy mud kitchen was built by the ‘Friends of Harlands’
and has given them the opportunity to role play familiar experiences, explore mixing,
different textures, develop language, interact with peers, find out what happens when
they squeeze and squelch with materials they are not used to handling.
‘Friends of Harlands’ are a group of parents at the
school who fundraise to support regular events such as
first aid training and bike-ability for the children as well
as co-ordinating larger projects. Raised bed planters
were built recently for years 1 & 2 and now the mud
kitchen for the foundation stage. They have many more
projects in the pipeline for the coming academic year
and are excited to see how the children react to the new
facilities they provide. Close liaison with the teachers has
meant they can meet the learning needs for different
age groups and provide facilities which run alongside
the children’s current learning journeys.
by SAM HOLMAN
Foundation teacher Mrs Pontefract explains “There
are so many skills that can be learned and practised
through playing in the messy kitchen, it is a wonderful
multi-sensory activity. It allows children to use their
imaginations as they play together making “mud soup”
or a “birthday cake”! Talk is one of our key focuses in the
Foundation Stage and through our practitioners playing
and interacting with the children in the messy kitchen
we have already seen a huge amount of progress in
the number of words and range of new vocabulary the
children are using. Our new messy kitchen has truly
enhanced the opportunities for our children.”
And here’s what the children have to say
about it...
“I like playing in the messy kitchen with my
friends”- Neeva
“I love making soup with water, grass and
mud and mixing it and then cooking it!” –
Harry P
“I love the mud pies I make” – Eloise
“I like doing cakes and cook and then eat
it!”- Estelle
“I like making cakes, worm cakes! With
chocolate water!” – Bernadette
“I like to splash, I like to be messy” – Jasmine
“I make big cakes.” – Eli

The
Forest Vet
Maresfield
excellence in healthcare for your pet
Recommend a friend to the practice and receive a voucher for a
free veterinary consultation to be taken whenever you need it.
• Dedicated out of hours service
• Convenient for you - open 8am to 7pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 5pm Saturday
• Highest level of patient care and customer service
• Saturday routine surgeries and consultations for busy working people
• State of the art equipment, including digital x-ray
• Separate luxurious dog and cat wards
• On site blood analysis - results in just 7 minutes
• Easy access, spacious on-site parking
01825 766006
reception@theforestvet.co.uk
Millers Yard, Straight Half Mile, Maresfield TN22 3AY
www.theforestvet.co.uk
Because every life is unique
…we are here to help you make your farewell
as personal and individual as possible,
and to support you in every way we can.
Inc. Cooper & Son and Fuller & Scott
www.cpjfield.co.uk
Cooper & Son 01825 763 763
Fuller & Scott 01825 763 241

Looking for somewhere different
to visit on the Ashdown Forest?
Cats Protection’s 51-acre National Cat Centre is full of surprises for all the
family – and it’s free to visit! Whether you are walking, cycling or touring
the area, you will be delighted you found this hidden gem.
There is something for everyone to
enjoy during your visit. We’re home to
the UK’s largest cat rehoming centre –
where you can meet the cats in our care
and learn about our work.
Pop into our disabled-access Visitor
Centre for delicious coffee and handmade
cakes as well as light lunches – all
freshly prepared in our kitchen. We run
a full programme of events throughout
the year for adults and children alike
and our beautiful nature trail, centred
around our woodland lake is perfect
for responsible dog walkers. Plus, we’re
now fostering donkeys on behalf of
The Donkey Sanctuary – come and meet
Twinkle, Star and Holly!
Open daily: 10am – 4pm.
T: 01825 741 370
E: visitor.centre@cats.org.uk
W: www.cats.org.uk/ncac
Reg Charity: 203644 (England & Wales) and SC037711 (Scotland)
VC_1929
RIDGEWOOD POST OFFICE & STORES
FAMILY-RUN VILLAGE STORE
• An extensive selection of everyday items,
many sourced locally
• Prices that will surprise you!
• National Lottery
• Wide range of Post Office services
A first-class newspaper delivery service to
Ridgewood and surrounding area, Halland,
Pale House Common, Isfield and Buckham Hill
OUTREACH POST OFFICES IN
• Nutley Arms (Tues. 10am-12pm);
• High Hurstwood Village Hall (Tues 2-4pm);
• Isfield in Laughing Fish pub (Thurs 10am–
12pm);
• Chelwood Gate Village Hall (Fri 10am– 12pm);
• Danehill Social Club (Fri 2.30-4.30pm)
Shop and Post Office open 7 days a week: Mon – Sat 6:30am – 6pm • Sun 6:45am - Noon
RIDGEWOOD POST OFFICE & STORES LEWES ROAD, RIDGEWOOD
01825 763825 • RIDGEWOODPO@HOTMAIL.CO.UK
WWW.RIDGEWOODPOSTOFFICEANDSTORES.CO.UK

localmatters
LIONS CLUB PRESENT CHEQUE TO
CANINE PARTNERS
LET’S RAMBLE FOR CHILDREN IN
NEED
ANNUAL CROSS-COUNTRY EVENT
AT ROCKS PARK SCHOOL
Chris Macve led the Uckfield and
District Lions Club with another
highly successful Classic Car Rally
on 21st October. The beneficiaries
this year being Canine Partners who
provide trained dogs to assist people
with complex disabilities.
Lions International are celebrating
their 100th anniversary this year,
so, with this in mind, Uckfield Lions
added to the £2,700 raised at this
event to make a £5,000 donation in
order to name, sponsor and train a
puppy for Canine Partners.
The Countryfile Ramble for BBC
Children in Need 2017 took place
on Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th
October. Last year all the combined
efforts raised more than £1.5 million,
and Mel Sanders, Derek Page, Ron
Hill and Mike Skinner were just 4 of
those taking part in Uckfield.
ST PHILIP’S SCHOOL BOOK WEEK
Rocks Park Primary School Uckfield
hosted the annual cross country
event again on 4th October with a
fantastic turn out of primary schools
from across the district, consisting
of; St Phillips, Manor, Little Horsted,
Bonners, Framfield, Harlands and
Rocks Park. Ben from Rocks Park
won the boys race and Grace won
the girls race, again from Rocks Park.
The winning teams were Rocks Park
for the boys and Little Horsted for
the girls.
UCKFIELD HOUSEBOUND
& FRIENDSHIP CLUB ENJOY
HARVEST TEA AT ROCKS PARK
DAWSON HART BARN DANCE
Friday 13th October was a fantastic
evening of promenades, do-si dos
and even a more complicated Strip
the Willow dance at Dawson Hart
Solicitors Barn Dance. There was
laughter all evening as everyone
from the novice to the expert tried
the traditional barn dance moves.
The event raised £800 for Dawson
Hart’s charity of the year, St Wilfred’s
hospice in Eastbourne.
St Philip’s School celebrated Book
Week from 9th-13th October. The
children enjoyed a visit from poet
Tony Peake and listened to stories
read by different members of staff.
The week culminated in everyone
(and teachers) dressing up as their
favourite book character and taking
part in a hotly contested spelling bee.
RULE BRITANNIA!
More than two hundred people
packed into a patriotically decorated
Holy Cross church on 7th October to
listen to a magnificent programme
of English music performed by the
Uckfield (Holy Cross) Choral Society
and Buxted Symphony Orchestra.
Featuring ‘Jerusalem’ and ‘Land of
Hope and Glory’ not to mention
Dance the Cachucha from Gilbert &
Sullivan’s The Gondoliers, ‘I was Glad’
by Parry and music by Vaughan-
Williams and Julian Broughton.
Members and helpers of the Uckfield
Housebound & Friendship Club
enjoyed a fantastic afternoon of
entertainment and Harvest Tea at
Rocks Park School on Wednesday
4th October.
This afternoon has now been an
annual trip out for the Club for many
years. Members were welcomed at
the school by a number of children
and given a cup of tea or coffee.
The Year 6 children had spent the
morning preparing sandwiches and
cakes, which they then served to the
guests before sitting down with them
and talking about their days at school
It was a wonderful afternoon and
a fabulous opportunity for two
generations to come together over
entertainment and food!
42
To advertise call 01825 705066 or e-mail adverts@uckfieldmatters.co.uk

localmatters
THEMONTHTHATWAS with RON HILL
HOLLY’S CHARITY SWIM AND
SQUASHATHON
ST PHILIP’S SCHOOL SPONSORED
WALK
TESCO GREAT WALK
Holly Richarson (13) wanted to
raise money for children with heart
disease at the Evelina Childrens
Hospital. Her brother, Sam (10)
was born with heart disease and
is treated at this hospital. She
completed a 3-mile swim at the end
of September and came up with the
idea of a 12 hour Squashathon to
raise more funds.
MACMILLAN CANCER SUPPORT
FUND-RAISING AT PIZZA EXPRESS
On a very wet and gloomy Friday
morning, the Uckfield Fund Raising
Committee for Macmillan Cancer
Support arrived at PizzaExpress
to set up for their annual coffee
morning. Ann Press, the chairman,
organised committee members
Jacky Bennett, Helena Billing,
Elizabeth Holloway, Eileen Jenkinson,
Christine Lewis, Maureen Macve,
Jenny Russell, Joan Stocker, (and
Jean) and Sheila Storer all arrived
with the home made cakes. Despite
the weather over 100 people joined
in and helped raise over £550.
Children from St Philip’s School,
took part in a 10 lap sponsored
Walk last week to raise money for
the school. The event was started
by year 6 children and their Special
Friends from Reception class. All
the children had a great time in the
glorious weather and even some
parents managed the 10 laps too!
HEADWAY ‘THROUGH THE
LOOKING GLASS’ AUTUMN FAYRE
On Saturday 23rd September
Headway East Sussex went ‘Through
the Looking Glass’ for their Autumn
Fayre. The Fayre was opened by
Joe Sandford, who suffered a brain
injury in 2016 whilst in New Zealand.
Headway CEO, Michele Fleming,
said “Brain injury can happen to
anyone in an instant but the residual
symptoms can last a lifetime. The
charity has been supporting people
in East Sussex for 29 years now
and we are looking forward to
celebrating our 30th anniversary in
2018.”
Tesco have been taking part in a
relay walk store to store en route
from Lands’ End to John O’Groats,
raising money and awareness for
their charity partnership Diabetes
UK and British Heart Foundation.
Uckfield Tesco had an in-store event
which took place over the weekend
as they couldn’t participate in the
walk; they had a pedal bike at the
front of the store where employees
were jumping on and cycling to gain
their “Miles in the aisles”. Overall on
the bike they cycled a whopping 200
miles and walked over “number” of
miles between them. They raised a
total of £249.46, walking 145.2 miles
and cycling 200.
UCKFIELD MODEL RAILWAY
CLUB’S EXHIBITION
From 21st - 22nd October Uckfield
Model Railway Club hosted their
33rd Model Railway Exhibition at the
Uckfield Civic Centre.
The halls were very busy all day
on both days with an increased
attendance viewing the range of
layouts, which had travelled from
around the country to attend this
exhibition which has become well
known, on not just the local but
also the national calendar as an
exhibition of high quality fine scale
modelling.
To advertise call 01825 705066 or e-mail adverts@uckfieldmatters.co.uk
43

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THE MONTH AHEAD
Thursday 9th November 7.30pm
WALKING NETBALL
UCKFIELD LEISURE CENTRE
Cost: £4.50
Walking Netball is aimed at players who,
due to age, injury or illness, cannot play
the traditional faster pace game. For any
queries, please contact Natasha Brown
on 07715 073361 or e-mail natasha.
brown@freedom-leisure.co.uk.
Thursday 16th November 7.45pm
UCKFIELD WINE CIRCLE
LUXFORD CENTRE, LIBRARY WAY
“Escape from the Black Tower”. Club
member Richard will be attempting
to recapture those days of youthful
ignorance of German wines where
choice was based on trendy bottle
design, and move to the present day to
taste with mature discernment some
mid-priced wines from a country that has
itself escaped from its ill conceived wine
legislation of the 1970s and 1980s.
For further information email: info@
uckfieldwinecircle.com
Saturday 18th November 10am-2pm
HOLY CROSS CHURCH CHRISTMAS
BAZAAR
BELMONT CENTRE
Christmas kicks off with our ever-popular
Christmas Bazaar which offers an
abundance of all things festive from Gifts,
hampers and decorations to games,
jams and handmade crafts. Join us for
a wonderful day of Christmas treats
alongside a number of great children’s
crafts and face painting’.
No entry fee - free event
Saturday 18th November 12noon
UCKFIELD COLLEGE CHRISTMAS
INDULGENCE
UCKFIELD COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY
COLLEGE
The Parent Teachers Association
Christmas Indulgence fund raising
event for Uckfield College. Lots of craft
stalls, Santa’s Grotto, photography, local
produce, clothes, food, games, Christmas
crafts, a quiz, cider, baking, tombola,
raffles, face painting and much more!!
The school choir will be singing carols
at 1 and 3. Something for everyone and
everyone welcome!
Thursday 23rd November 7.30pm
UCKFIELD FESTIVAL AGM
BRIDGE COTTAGE
It is the Annual General Meeting where
you can hear about 2017 events, how the
Festival is funded and most importantly
what is in store for 2018 Festival. We
already have a lot of events organised. If
you have an event you would like to see
at the Festival or any suggestions, we
would love you to come along. You may
like to join our committee or organise
an event yourself. New ideas are always
welcome. There will be drinks and
nibbles. www.uckfieldfestival.co.uk
Friday 24th November 2-4pm
AGE CONCERN AGM
CIVIC CENTRE - GREEN ROOM
Kay Bush the CEO of the CAB Citizens
Advice Uckfield is to give a talk on
their services such as benefits pension
credits housing problems disability
benefits etc etc. Should anyone wish to
put themselves forward as a committee
member or a volunteer driver, please
telephone the Chairman Ian Jaffray on
01825 712481. Tea and biscuits will be
served
Saturday, 25th November 7.30pm
AN EVENING WITH NOEL AND TRICIA
RICHARDS
CIVIC CENTRE
A concert featuring songs and
conversation about love, life, friendship
and faith. Tickets £6 in advance from
www.trybooking.co.uk/1790. On the
door £8. Organised by Christians
in Uckfield, supported by the King’s
Church. For more information email:
uckfieldconcert@noelandtricia.com
Telephone: 07384 372219
Wednesday 29th November - Saturday
2nd December
BUXTED PLAYERS PRESENT
NOBODY’S PERFECT, A COMEDY BY
SIMON HUGHES
Tickets £7.50 from 01825 762877 or
www.buxtedplayers.co.uk
Saturday 25th November 11am-4pm
WINTER FEST AT SUSSEX HORSE
RESCUE TRUST
HEMPSTEAD FARM, HEMPSTEAD LANE
Historical re-enactment, real treasure
hunt, face painting and have-a-go
archery, Hot chestnuts over a wood-fired
roaster, any rides - dress for the weather
and book on your arrival, freshly made
hot waffles and other refreshments
available. Come and meet our equine
friends who urgently need your help
throughout the winter. A fun day out not
to be missed
Friday 1st December
UCKFIELD LATE NIGHT SHOPPING
The High Street will be closed from Bell
Farm Lane to Grange Road from about
5pm, in preparation for this fantastic
evening of entertainment and activity.
Friday 1st - Sunday 3rd December
CHRISTMAS TREE FESTIVAL
HOLY CROSS CHURCH
Saturday 2nd December 10am-3pm
LUXFORD CENTRE CHRISTMAS
BAZAAR
Free Entry, Games, book Stall, Cake Stall
and refreshments.
Sunday 3rd December
BUXTED PARK REINDEER RUN
BUXTED PARK, BUXTED SPORTS CLUB
1k, 5k or 10k Fun run, All abilities,
medals for everyone, hot drinks and
bacon rolls for sale, Festive fancy dress
desirable. 1k -£5 and 5k/10k - £10
to enter if you register before 27th
November
CROSSWORD SOLUTION
NOVEMBER 2017
AGE CONCERN TRANSPORT SERVICE
AGE CONCERN Uckfield and District region offers FREE transport service to
people in the local community who require transport to take them to DOCTORS
and DENTISTS SURGERIES • HOSPITAL APPOINTMENTS • SUPERMARKETS •
LIBRARY VISITS.
To contact a driver telephone 01825 733549

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