Cross in Hand, Horam, Blackboys & Five Ashes

WEALDEN POLICE: Weekly Newsletter. News and appeals. Officers crack down on yellow zig-zag parking at schools. On Friday, March 1 police officers spent time educating parents on the dangers to schoolchildren by parking illegally when dropping off in the mornings at Grovelands School. High visibility patrols were conducted patrolling around Grovelands School, in Hailsham to help combat the parking issues at school times.

PCSO Choppin swaps police radio for local radio. Local Wealden Prevention PCSO Choppin dropped into Uckfield FM where she spoke about what we are doing in your district to combat local issues, and spoke to Tony Williams about the engagement and problem solving work we are doing.

Additional Police Patrols in rural areas of Wealden. Owing to recent reports and social media postings of suspicious vans driving around your local areas, Wealden Police have increased their patrols to combat suspicious vehicles and drivers, who have been reported to us for taking metal/items from people’s gardens.

One vehicle we are keen to trace is a blue medium sized transit style van with a registration number (international) of CT-622-LL we are following up leads and investigating but should you witness this vehicle; or others acting suspiciously in your area, please call us on 101. Remember in an emergency or crime in action call 999. Thank you. You can follow our patrols of where we have been by checking our social media.

Crime summary. In the small hours of February 23, two males in caps have been seen trying door handles on a few cars on Old Swan Lane. (0271 of 23/02). Overnight on February 26 a house off Priory Road, Forest Row was broken into whereby an unknown suspect has gained entry via patio doors, offender/s made off with a family laptop. (1107 27/02). A vehicle parked off Pevensey Park Road had registration plates stolen overnight on February 25. Investigations and lines of enquiry have been completed, crime prevention advice and support has been given to victims and residents. If you saw or heard anything, or have any information about any incident in this message please contact us online, email us at [email protected] or call 101, quoting the reference number provided.

HEATHFIELD ABOUT TOWN: Parish Council News. Parish Council Elections. Election time is here again. Parish Council elections take place on Thursday, May 2, (Wealden District elections are the same day) so please take the time to vote. Are you interested in helping your community by becoming a Parish Councillor? Heathfield and Waldron parish covers a large area, including the town of Heathfield, the villages of Broad Oak and Cross-in-Hand, part of Punnetts Town and the hamlets of Old Heathfield and Cade Street. The Council is responsible for children’s play areas, sports pitches, public open spaces, burial grounds, allotments, venue hire and street furniture such as seats, some street lighting, bus shelters and litter bins. The work of the Council is spread across four main committees, each with its own areas of activity. They are: Finance and General Purposes – all financial procedures, budget setting and monitoring, policy setting, staffing and personnel issues and the running and maintenance of the office (four meetings a year;) Leisure, Amenities and Burials – sports pitches, recreation grounds, play areas, burial grounds, public open spaces, venue hire, street furniture, war memorials and allotments (six meetings a year;) Planning and Highways – consultees on planning applications in the parish, highway matters (for referral to East Sussex Highways), public transport, footpaths, street lighting and fingerposts (meetings roughly fortnightly;) Community and Business Development – Investigation of business opportunities and community development, Heathfield Community Hub, Visioning initiatives and community engagement (four meetings a year) Full Council meets on the second Tuesday in the months of January, March, May, July, September and November and most Committee meetings take place on a Monday or Tuesday evening. There are obviously a number of statutory obligations relating to the role of a Parish Councillor which the Government believes to be the ‘grassroots’ of local government, but it is an important way of delivering the wishes of the local community. There are opportunities to represent the Council on other bodies – such as Heathfield Partnership, Village Hall Committees and Wealden District Association of Local Councils and to help shape the local community. The work of the Council could not happen without the enthusiasm and hard work of the councillors and the willingness and ability to get actively involved. If you have some time to spare and want to help make a difference, please get in touch with the Clerk, Diana Francis on: 01435 865700 or by email: [email protected]. There is sure to be an area of activity in which the Council is involved that would be of interest to you. Nomination packs will be available from Wealden District Council on: 01323 443322 from week beginning March 4, 2019 and completed forms can be submitted to Wealden from March 19, 2019 until 4pm on Wednesday, April 3.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: From the Parish Council. Closure of the Twitten runnng from Heathfield High Street to Station Approach. The Parish Council apologise for any inconvenience that may be caused as the twitten running from the High Street to Station Approach is closed from March 4 to 14, to allow for essential tree works to be carried out at Heathfield Skatepark..

QUIZ NIGHT: In aid of Demelza Hospice Care for Children. Quiz Night tomorrow, Saturday, 7.30pm. Heathfield Community Centre, Sheepsetting Lane Cross in Hand. Teams of six, £7 per person to include a light supper. Bring your own drinks in aid of Demelza Hospice care for Children. Please book with Sandie or Nicky on: 01435 882723.

SKATE PARK CLOSURE: The skate park is closed as from March 4 to 14, as essential tree work will be taking place. The parish council apologises for any inconvenience this may cause.

PARISH ASSEMBLY: Date for your Diary. The Heathfield and Waldron Parish Assembly will be held in the main hall at the Heathfield Community Centre, Sheepsetting Lane, Cross in Hand Tuesday, March 19. Commencing at 6.30 the meeting is open to all Parishioners. Refreshments will be available.

HOME SECURITY: I note on social media there has been a significant increase of transit type vans in and around the Heathfield area where drivers and/or passengers appear to be trespassing on private property. The occupants of the vans are either casing the property with the intent to steal or looking for scrap metal. Usually, when the trespassers are confronted, a lot of foul abuse follows. If this happens, take a note of the vehicle licence plate and dial 999 in most cases the van is not taxed, has no MOT and is not insured. The police are increasing their patrols in rural areas, so there is a good chance a patrol will be nearby.

GLYNDEBOURNE AND LOCAL COLLEGES: When I was at school, the only songs I sung were out-of-tune hymns. Mrs PP came home on Friday night raving about an opera at Glyndebourne performed by a bevy of youngsters from local schools including Heathfield Community and Uckfield colleges. While the principal roles were taken by professionals, the young singers were dazzling in their interpretation of the most complicated choral music. As the programme said: ‘The singers of the chorus are an active, shaping force of the drama, expressing the emotional effects of separation and political divide.’ They held the stage with confidence and beautifully judged acting. The opera was called ‘Agreed’ with a score by British composer and conductor Howard Moody that included elements of classical, world and jazz music. The libretto was written by Howard’s daughter, Anna and her original story told a tale of love that defied political boundaries.

The opera featured a chorus of 75 local auditioned singers ranging in age from 12 to 71 and while Mrs PP said she listened hard for any slip-ups or mis-timing, there were none. It was polish and simply superb music, sung to the daunting accompaniment of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Glyndebourne does sterling work in involving local people and it’s not just about posh picnics on the lawn. Last year I had the pleasure of taking a fascinating back-stage tour. As a close friend’s daughter is a theatrical lighting specialist, I had a particular interest in seeing how everything came together to deliver the opera house’s astonishing lighting and staging effects.

Apparently ‘Agree’ was set on a circular stage backlit by a large full moon. The ‘curtain’ was also a circular, glazed moon image displaying the rippling surface of the sea, which itself played such a major part in the drama. It was performed at Glyndebourne on March 1, 2 and 3 while a performance for schools took place on February 27. Whether you are an opera fan or not, you must admit we are so lucky to have one of the best performance houses in the world on our doorstep which draws music lovers from across the world. And the benefits spread out to so many others: employees, caterers, gardeners, printers, jewellery makers, wine producers, wigmakers, dressmakers, local restaurants, hotels, B&Bs, transport providers, the list goes on. The gardens in particular are so worth a visit and Mrs PP tells me the shop is a joy.

Well done Glyndebourne for inspiring our young people and making them realise they really can reach for the stars. If only our generation had been treated with the same degree of respect and understanding. While on the subject, during one of the first operas I attended, I asked Mrs PP whether audience members who were laughing so raucously really understood the Italian libretto. She said: ‘Didn’t you see the titles written up in English above the stage?’ No, I didn’t.

MAYFIELD AND FIVE ASHES: Useful Information. Location of Defibrillators. Five Ashes Primary School, accessible from the pavement; Woodhill Surgery, in the entrance porch; Mayfield Primary School, on the wall by steps to main entrance. Defibrillators are housed in weatherproof boxes and are accessible 24/7 full audio prompts guide you through as soon as you open the lid.

NATWEST: Mobile Banking Service. The service operates on Mondays (except Bank Holiday Mondays) from 1.15pm to 2.15pm in the Memorial Hall overflow car park (near the Band Hut).

MAYFACS: Activities. Yarners. Do you love handicrafts such as knitting, sewing, rag rugging, crocheting? Do you have the knack of purling a stitch? Can you make a rug from leftover scraps of fabric or are you handy with a needle? Want to come and share your talents or are you someone who has always wanted to learn? Yarners is a friendly group who meet every Monday from 2pm to 3.30pm in the Old Library, next to Mayfield Memorial Hall. We welcome all who want to take part in handicrafts. For only a 50p contribution you can enjoy a hot drink, a chat and a chance to make new friends, whilst learning more about the variety of activities that MAYFACS has to offer. For further details Shirley Holland, Mobile: 07908 516875 email: [email protected]

MINI BUS DAY TRIPS: The next trip is to Raystede Animal Centre on March 25. All trips cost £6 per person for the minibus travel plus entry to certain places. Coach travel will be more. Places will be allocated on a first come first served basis once payment for transport has been received by Freya. Booking will only open one month before each trip. Contact Freya on 07389 050605.

VOLUNTEERING: MAYFACS is fortunate to have some lovely volunteers, would you like to join? It can be as little or as much time as you like and, if you are new to Mayfield or Five Ashes, then it’s a jolly good way to meet people. Also, because they have a project manager, you are not likely to find yourself being the one ‘in charge’ and end up with volunteering taking over more of your life than you would wish. There are lots of ways you could help and no, you don’t need a limousine or vintage car to help out - just a little bit of time, good humour and a desire to be part of the community in which you live. Go on, get in touch with them if you can spare some time or you’ve got a good idea. They are always open to new ideas. Contact 07908 516875 or 07389 050605.

ESHRC: East Sussex Hearing Resource Centre. The East Sussex Hearing Resource Centre is a registered charity aiming to improve the quality of life for deaf, deafened, deaf blind and hard of hearing people living in East Sussex. They have drop-in days every three months at the Old Library, Mayfield. Please note occasionally these visits may need to be changed or cancelled. Please call the Centre on 01323 722505 for confirmations of locations and time.

HORAM: Volunteers Required to Help Toads Crossing the Road – Vines Cross Area. Nationally the toad populations are in a sharp decline. Help is being sought for toads in the Vines Cross area. Every Spring, usually late February or early March (dependent on the English weather) toads cross local roads to reach their spawning ponds. Many are killed whilst attempting to do so. Volunteering to help toads cross the road for even an hour can certainly help the local toad population and it’s a great way to get out in the fresh air. Please contact John Burgess, mobile: 07940 587404 or email [email protected]

BLACKBOYS: Coachworks Housing Development. Passing this development twice a day I note the above development is progressing. Admittedly the development is on a brownfield site which is good news but once again, with six houses and four apartments on a small space, it is in my opinion far too dense. Homes are shoehorned into a small plot, they lack style and overlook other mature properties. The Forge opposite is up for sale and so is a property adjacent to the site. The developers’ managing director’s mission statement in the brochure states ‘Our vision at Greenrock Homes is to bring families together in beautifully designed and inspirational family living spaces.’ The artist’s impression of the scheme shows it set on a dangerous and fast bend on the B2192 (which should really be classified as an A road as it is the main feeder road from Heathfield to Halland and Lewes). The properties are all triple glazed to keep out the traffic noise Once again I fear this is an action by unsympathetic developers busy cramming unsuitable properties in a dangerous location and a site that is just too small. Views from the windows show back walls and roofs of neighbouring houses. There is absolutely no privacy, unless you are a fan of wall-to-wall leylandii.