Uckfield Town News

FESTIVAL OF PUMPKIN ART

St Michael and All Angels Church in Little Horsted opens its doors for its Festival of Pumpkin Art. Great for the whole family. Come see the various carved Pumpkins, or enter the free competition with your own pumpkin design. See the poster for more details. Refreshments will also be on offer. Everyone is welcome to our beautiful church.

LAUGHTON GREENWOOD _ COMMUNITY WOODLAND

We won a prize! We are very happy to report that Laughton Greenwood - Community Woodland won Silver Prize in the Community Wood of the Year competition. We were proud to attend the awards ceremony hosted by the Royal Forestry Society (RFS.)  The prize commends the work of all the volunteers over the years, both on the committee & those who come to the volunteering session on the first Sunday of every month. The next volunteering is Sunday, 1st Nov, 10 am, Park Lane, Laughton.  Come & join us; all are welcome.

CHRISTMAS TREE COLLECTIONS

Could you help with the annual Christmas tree collection this January, raising vital funds for St Peter & St James Hospice in partnership with Just Helping? We’re looking for volunteers who have access to a van and would be willing to lend a helping hand. If you’re a gardener, work for a removals company, run a local business, or simply have access to a van, we’d love to hear from you! Christmas Tree Collection Volunteer Role. You’ll be assigned a planned collection route. Collect approximately 40 Christmas trees from outside local households. Once the van is full, return to the hospice with the collected trees. Help ensure the trees are unloaded safely at the St Peter & St James Hospice. The trees are then chipped and mulched with the support of a local company. The recycled mulch is reused within the local community, helping to reduce waste and benefit the environment. We collect trees in Uckfield, Lewes and everywhere in between!  To take part, you will need: To be available on Friday 8th and/or Saturday 9th January. Access to your own van. We recommend bringing a friend or family member to assist you. Please contact Wendy at: [email protected] for more information.

VICTORIA PAVILION ARTS  - NEW GUEST ARTIST: JOANNA FARROW

Another new artist has arrived on our walls this month — and we’re delighted to welcome the fabulous Joanna Farrow! Joanna is also joining us as the facilitator for our new Slow Learning course, The Art of Trees, which starts this week. So it feels particularly fitting that her beautiful artworks are filling the Pavilion with trees! And we have a little VPA exclusive… We’re very excited to be showing one particularly wonderful piece by Joanna that has never been exhibited before — you can literally see it here first! Trees are definitely a bit of a theme at the Pavilion this month, and Joanna’s work beautifully complements the other artwork currently on our walls. Her works celebrate the beauty of Ashdown Forest, local farmland and ancient woodland. A deep love of trees and the changing seasons runs through her work, from the soft, hazy atmosphere of winter to the rich colours and energy of spring and autumn. Whether sketching on location or simply walking and observing, Joanna is fascinated by the character of trees, shifting mists, changing light and the quiet wonders of the forest floor. So, if you’re visiting the Pavilion this month, or joining us at the Art Cafe this weekend, do take a little time to explore Joanna’s work — and see if you can spot that never-before-exhibited VPA exclusive.

ISFIELD & LITTLE HORSTED BONFIRE NIGHT

Friday 30th October 2026. We are delighted to invite you to attend our annual bonfire night celebrations taking place on Friday 30th October 2026. There will be two torchlit processions through the village, followed by our traditional bonfire prayer of remembrance, finishing with the fireworks display. Timetable (All times are approximate:) 6 pm - Road Closure Starts. 6.15 pm.  Children’s Procession. From the ICE Field to the Telephone Exchange and back. 7 pm. Main Procession. Leaves ICE Field for the Old Mill and back. 8 pm - Remembrance Service, followed by lighting of the bonfire. 8.45pm - Fireworks Display. 9pm - Road Closure Lifted - If safe to do so.  Donations. At the end of the evening, enthusiastic bucket shakers with their collection buckets will be at the field exits. This money goes directly towards next year’s fireworks and supports us in keeping it free event. So please bring cash if you are able. Alternatively, donations can be made by phone using QR codes at the exit. Notice of Temporary Road Closure. Station Road will be closed to all vehicles from 6 pm - 9.30 pm, between the railway crossing and The Mill. To ensure the safety of both the public and the processors, there will be absolutely no vehicular access during these times, nor movement of vehicles within the road closure, except for emergency vehicles or for access under exceptional circumstances, at the sole discretion of the event organisers. In the very unlikely event that an exception is made, any such vehicle will be accompanied by a marshal and will travel at a slow walking speed. There will be no restrictions placed on pedestrians during the closure. Unfortunately, there has been a history of a very small number of people attempting to access the closed road. Moving road closure barriers or signs is a criminal offence under Section 22A of the Road Traffic Act 1988, and so we have been advised to pass your vehicle information to the police should this occur. We would also kindly request that there are no parked vehicles along the procession route - this is for safety purposes as we are carrying burning torches! Should you have any questions or concerns about the road closure, you can contact the Bonfire Society via [email protected] or David Arno directly on: 07786 066878

UCKFIELD TOWN MAYOR

 On 20th October 2021, as our community was emerging from the Covid lockdowns, 16 people came together with a small group of volunteers at Ridgewood Village Hall for the very first Community Lunch. Five years on, that little gathering has grown into a wonderful regular community event, with 60+ people coming together to enjoy a delicious home-cooked meal, prepared by the amazing and incredibly generous Matt Ridley from the Highlands Inn, entertainment and a raffle on the third Wednesday of every month. And it doesn’t stop there! There is now  Chips & Chatter on the fourth Wednesday and Nibble & Natter on the first and second Wednesdays — creating regular opportunities for friendship, conversation and, of course, plenty of smiles.  A huge thank you to the Lions for providing the use of their minibus, enabling guests who are housebound to be collected and brought along to join in. Most importantly, thank you to the many wonderful volunteers who give their time and support week after week. Your dedication makes such a difference to so many people. A very special thank you to Marion Love, booking officer, bookkeeper and events organiser, whose hard work brings everything together and keeps everything running so smoothly. Ridgewood Village Hall really is a community hub — a warm, welcoming space for everyone, from 0 to 100. Everyone is welcome to come along on a Wednesday from 12- 2:30 pm. For details, contact: [email protected]  It was wonderful to celebrate this fantastic milestone and to see first-hand what an important part of community life the lunch club has become. Happy 5th Birthday to Community Lunch! Here’s to many more years of friendship, laughter, good food and bringing people together. Thank you to everyone who continues to make it possible and, most importantly, continues to bring a smile to so many faces.