Cross In Hand Village News

BEACON DOWN VINEYARD

Strolling around Heathfield's Le Marche last weekend, I found it interesting to see how many small, local vineyards we now have in Wealden.  Some are new, some have been doing excellent work for years. An example of the latter is Hidden Spring at Horam. French vineyard owners have also begun to buy up suitable land in Sussex and Kent as global warming gathers pace. Among the nearby newcomers, I was delighted to see Beacon Down, Cross in Hand, where a tasting stall was manned by founders Paul and Alice Pippard. We've followed their progress in the Sussex Express over the years and recently we have enjoyed quiet coffee mornings and lunches (accompanied by a glass of wine) at the Brown's Lane vineyard gazing down rows of immaculately managed vines towards the coast. Paul and Alice have certainly done their homework, enrolling in the testing degree-level viticulture courses at Plumpton College, now the UK's principal seat of learning for would-be growers. There are business brains there, encompassing very much more than simply vine-growing and selling. The vineyard's attractive French-style cafe offers a range of home-baked cakes, pastries and cold lunch platters comprising Italian meats, cheeses, figs, chutneys and heaven knows what else. We found one more than enough for two people. Most impressive of all is their pricing. You can buy a bottle of Bacchus wine for £16 - to drink in or take away. Glasses are also reasonably priced and considerably lower than the cost of a similar glass at a local pub. If you're going alcohol-free, the cold cabinets contain a selection of Folkington's fruit drinks, and there's a sophisticated bean-to-cup coffee-making machine ensuring consistency with every cup served. The building is itself an attractive place to visit and access from Brown's Lane is easy. From here, it looks as if Beacon Down will go far. It's grape-picking time at present so if you fancy a little part-time work in the great outdoors, pop along and see if you can join in!

EAST SUSSEX ANIMAL RESCUE WRAS

Another difficult & challenging deer disentanglement, by Thea Taylor ,Deer Rescue Lead. When the first video arrived from a caller near Heathfield, it was immediately clear this was going to need our specialist Deer Rescue Team. An adult melanistic fallow buck had become badly entangled in white electric fencing rope in fields off Sandy Cross Lane. The rope was wrapped repeatedly around his antlers almost like an elaborate game of cat’s cradle. He could still move around a small area, bucking and thrashing as he desperately tried to free himself — but every movement risked making the situation worse. Electric rope like this is commonly used to divide horse paddocks and contains fine metal strands to conduct the electricity. Deer can become caught when trying to move through these fences, or simply when grazing nearby and lifting their head beneath a strand. Once it catches on the antlers, turning and struggling can rapidly wind more and more rope around them. By the time our team arrived, the buck had managed to make the situation even more difficult. He was now trapped in a very confined area, with thick, spiky hedging on one side and a trailer on the other. One hind leg had also become caught, restricting his movement. Joint Deer Rescue Lead Daryl made the initial approach and secured the hind legs, but the buck managed to leap forward and get his front legs over the trailer, placing considerable pressure across his body. A blanket was quickly placed over his head to cover his eyes and help reduce stress. I then took control of the antlers while Abbie, Brian and Ollie assessed the tangle and began cutting the rope holding him in place. The team had to carefully lift the buck away from the trailer, avoiding the brake mechanism and other obstacles around his legs, before getting him safely onto the ground. One of the biggest concerns was the rope running beneath his throat. We often refer to these as “chin straps”. They can place pressure on the airway and restrict circulation and, as a frightened deer struggles, have the potential to cause serious or even fatal injuries. Those strands were therefore cut first. Abbie and Brian then rapidly removed the remaining rope while Ollie Long checked the surroundings and identified the safest route for release. There was just one slight problem. He was facing towards the hedging, so Thea had to manoeuvre his head into a better position — made slightly more complicated when his nose somehow became caught inside the blanket. With Brian and Ollie slowing traffic nearby in case he headed towards the road, the team prepared to let him go. And he certainly wasn't hanging around. The buck sprang to his feet, cleared the fencing less than an inch from our vehicles and disappeared from the rescue scene. At the same time the caller's Ring doorbell captured him running strongly past their house and continuing away from the area. Considering the amount of rope around him, the obstacles he had been struggling against and the position we found him in, he was incredibly lucky to escape with so few cuts and bruises. Just as importantly, this was a very fast rescue. From the moment the team approached to the moment he was released took less than four minutes, with the buck secured on the ground for under two minutes. Keeping handling time to an absolute minimum is especially important with deer, where stress itself can become dangerous. For this buck, those few carefully coordinated minutes were enough to turn a potentially life-threatening entanglement into a very rapid return to the wild. Thea Taylor - Joint Deer Team Lead. Credit and thanks to our Deer Rescue Team on this occasion: Thea Taylor, Daryl Farmer, Abbie Marsden, Brian Downing, Ollie Long

Wildlife Emergencies don't stop - Neither do we! Please help support East Sussex WRAS at: https://donorbox.org/support-wildlife-sm Reg Charity 1108880. Well done to the team at WRAS. The New A272 -A267 Road Safety Group supports the sterling work WRAS does in supporting our wildlife.

SOCIAL MEDIA

It seems the use of anonymous participants and fancy nicknames is now becoming a norm on some Facebook platforms. This seems to happen when derogatory remarks are made against a local business or individuals. Criticism of these actions is now being widely criticised by members of the group. To stop such actions, administrators or moderators of the group, where anonymity or nicknames are used, may not be aware that there is a method to stop such posts in their Admin Assist section. This is achieved by just actioning the No Anonymous posts. This simple action also prevents nicknames from being used.

OXFAM HEATHFIELD DONATIONS

Numerous warnings and signage on doors and windows saying ‘no donations to be left when closed’  people are still leaving items outside. These could be classed as fly-tipping or pose a fire risk. Sadly, any future donations left when closed will be treated as fly-tipping and this could result in a fine if the owner is located.