Horam & Vines Cross

Sussex Police are appealing to the public for help and for any information relating to these offences involving distraction and burglary. We would like to ask members of the community to keep an eye on their vulnerable neighbours and to report any activity which they consider may be out of the ordinary by phoning the police. Please be alert to this suspicious behaviour which is a common method for thieves to gain entry into people’s homes. They use all kind of reasons to be let in, only to steal from the unsuspecting residents when the resident’s attention is elsewhere.

Anyone who knocks on the door should be able to show identification. If they can’t, don’t let them in. If you don’t know the person outside answer with a chain on the door or speak to them through a letter box. Anyone genuine will wait outside while you make checks.

Urgent Message from Neighbourhood Watch (Administrator, Sussex). This warning message is being sent to all residents on the Neighbourhood Alert system in Sussex. We have been advised that more than 20 Patcham residents have within the last few days received telephone calls from callers purporting to be from HMRC (Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs) telling them that they owe tax in the region of £3,000. Their call is aggressive, threatening, urgent and sounds authentic. They suggest meeting at a Brighton location where the tax owed is handed over. Don’t be fooled. These calls are from scammers. If you receive one of these calls, please immediately telephone 101 or report it to the police through their website https://www.sussex.police.uk/contact-us/report-online/ Please share this information.

FARM WATCH: Coordinator’s Update. The number of animals reported as loose on the highway this week is up by almost 50 percent to 29. With recent heavy rain, the ground is very soft and so animals pushing against posts can easily knock them over. Please carry on checking your roadside hedges and fences daily, this includes those where a railway lines passes by.

POACHING: Poaching, in its various forms, is dealt with under several pieces of legislation, some of it very old but still in use today. Over the years, the act of poaching has changed and it is no longer one man and his dog shooting a rabbit or pheasant for dinner. Instead, poachers now tend to go out in numbers, often driving 4x4 vehicles, with several dogs and weapons. More often than not they show little regard for the countryside, wildlife or farmers land that they damage. It is rare that animals are poached merely for food and it is more often the case that animals such as badgers are taken to kill for the pleasure of those poaching. Poachers often pursue animals such as rabbits and species that fall under the heading of ‘Game’ and deer. Under the Game Act 1831, game refers to hares, pheasants, partridges, grouse, heath or moor game and black game. Under the Night Poaching Act 1828 it includes the above and bustards. Specific provisions relating to the poaching of deer, fish and game can now also be catered for under the Hunting Act 2004 legislation. Note: The criminal use of firearms in poaching and illegal hunting is also dealt with by the Firearms Act 1968 and could attract armed response from the police and severe penalties from the courts.

OPERATION BLITZ: We’re trying to get more residents to sign-up to our Operation Blitz scheme in Wealden. We currently have just over 700 members who receive a weekly email notifying them of extra police patrols in their area which are targeting antisocial behaviour (normally on a Friday and Saturday evening). The message includes a mobile number of one of the officers on patrol, so the team can be contacted directly. So, if you’re getting fed up with rowdy behaviour, underage drinking or intimidating groups, consider joining Operation Blitz. If you’d like to join, send an email to [email protected] and I’ll sign you up.

NATIONAL RECYCLE WEEK: Wealden District Council is supporting this year’s National Recycle Week campaign, which takes place from September 25 to October 1. The theme of this year’s campaign is Recycling - It’s Worth It, highlighting the benefits of recycling for the environment and for our local community. Wealden residents helped to recycle an impressive 31,289 tonnes of waste in 2016/17. This equates to a recycling rate of 52 percent making Wealden District the best performing recycling authority in East Sussex. ‘We would like to wholeheartedly thank the residents of Wealden for all of their efforts in helping to reach the 50 percent milestone and to go beyond this,’ said Councillor Roy Galley, Wealden’s portfolio holder for Waste. ‘However, we would like to do even better. We are very proud of residents and hope that in the future even more residents embrace the recycling ethos.’ While we all do our bit to recycle what we can, certain items around the house are still evading the recycling bin. According to the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), a particular culprit is the bathroom. Whilst we are recycling almost all (90 percent) of the packaging in our kitchens, we only recycle just over half (52 percent) of the items in our bathrooms. Whether your bathroom regime is a quick shower or a two-hour makeover, Wealden District Council is encouraging residents to look and feel good by recycling bathroom items like empty deodorants and finished-with fragrances. In fact Recycle Now has calculated that if everyone in Wealden recycled one more deodorant spray, it would save enough energy to power a typical primary school for 69 days. While recycling may feel like a chore, its benefits are seemingly endless. Aerosols such as deodorants and hair sprays can be recycled again and again without any loss in quality, so you may see them come back in items such as parts of your mobile phones, dishwashers or even as another aerosol can, what goes around comes around.

Here’s some top bathroom recycling tips. Where possible empty and rinse containers and separate the lids/tops before they go in the recycling bin.Pump dispensers and trigger sprays are not recyclable and should be put in your refuse bin. Flatten toothpaste boxes and toilet roll tubes. Have another recycling bin or box in your bathroom to make recycling an easy part of your routine.

For more information of what can and can’t be recycled from around the house, refer to your recycling calendar or visit our website www.wealden.gov.uk/recycling and click on the ‘What goes in each container’ link for a detailed list of what is, and isn’t collected.

CROSS IN HAND: Cross in Hand Methodist church Autumn Fayre. October 14, 11am to 1.30pm. Ploughmans lunches. Refreshments - coffee/teas and various stalls.

SINGING FOR FUN FOR EVERYONE: Continues Monday, 2pm Cross in Hand Methodist Church, located at the top of Firgrove Road. Car park is available on the left hand side. Favourite well known songs will be featured. Do bring along songs and music for the group. Afterwards there will be time for refreshments and a chat. We just cover expenses.

BLACKBOYS: Half Term Holiday Club, October 23 to 27. Places still available for Blackboys October half term holiday club. For more information please contact Katy or Jenny on 01825 891 113 or email [email protected] .

APPLE APPEAL: Local Cider Company Launches Apple Appeal. A Cidery in Framfield has launched an Apple Appeal, asking locals with apple trees or orchards to donate any surplus fruit for this year’s production of Bignose and Beardy cider. The Real Sussex cider company headed up by Steve Stark (Beardy) and Phil Day (Bignose) will use cooking as well as dessert varieties to produce up to 7,000 litres this season. Now in its fourth year, Bignose and Beardy is creating a real stir in the cider world, with outlets in and around the Sussex area now stocking the quirky brand as well as select craft beer and cider shops in London. It is also listed on the Whisky Exchange, a recognised industry commentator and prestigious outlet for booze. Steve commented: ‘The direct relationships we have with apple growers is at the heart of the business. Local people love the idea of their apples being picked, pressed and bottled as cider rather than see their fruit go to waste. Please, don’thesitate to contact us if you would like to be part of this. Everybody who donates a sack of apples will get a bottle of cider in return.’ To learn more about how you get involved, please visit www.bignoseandbeardy.com or call Beardy on 07811 163 495.

TURNMILL AND KILN WOODS: Many thanks to the helpers and the staff of the Woodland Trust for mowing the winding paths from the B2192 entrance to Turnmill and Kiln woods. As a regular dog walker in the woods the mown paths are really appreciated.

BLACKBOYS INN: Look out for a busy autumn of events at Blackboys Inn between now and Christmas. On October 31 there will be plenty of things to be scared of as Halloween comes to the village. National Sausage Week follows until November 6 and then there’s the pub’s famous fin, feather and fur tasting menu on November 23. Christmas starts for real from December 1 with the pub’s Chistmas party menu. Up and coming events, Halloween October 31; National Sausage Week October 31 to November 6; Fin, Feather and Fur Tasting Menu November 23; Christmas Party Menu available December 1 to 24.

MAYFIELD AND FIVE ASHES: Bible Fest is happening in St Dunstan’s from Sunday, October 8 to Sunday, October 15. Come and join them for: Film of St Mark’s Gospel; Mediterranean Supper; Talks: School ‘Journey through the Bible’, Gospel Music and Parish worship. www.stdunstansmayfield.org.uk

COLKINS MILL CHURCH REUNION: Colkins Mill Church is hosting a Reunion Tea for all who had connections with the church or Sunday School in the past. Come and meet former members, see some old photos and enjoy reminiscing. Sunday October 8 at 3.30pm at Colkins Mill Church, Station Road, Mayfield.

COTTAGE HOSPICE: Contractors are now being appointed for the between £2-£3m project to construct a new Cottage Hospice on the site of the former Church of the Good Shepherd in Five Ashes. I expect most of you know all about this amazing scheme which is being carried out under the auspices of the Hospice in the Weald. It means people can be treated in their own homes under the Outreach service, but also the hospice itself is being constructed to be flexible in its design, providing space for family members to stay with each other without that feeling of being in some kind of an impersonal ‘institution.’ The project should be completed late in 2019. You can follow its progress on Instagram.

HORAM: A quiz night in aid of Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance is to be held at Horam Village Hall next month (October 6). The biannual event was last held in April and raised almost £600 for the air ambulance which relies almost entirely on public donations. Players will again test their wits in 10 rounds of eight questions and a picture round on Friday, October 6, at 7.30pm. The £6-per-head entry fee includes food but players should bring their own drinks, and there will also be a raffle. To book a team of four to six players, call organiser Trevor Cornford on 01435 812898.