Lindfield after Great Storm of 1987

By Claire Cooper

25 years ago, on the morning of 16th October 1987, Lindfield residents woke to scenes of devastation and destruction after a hurricane swept through the village overnight.

The events of the night which changed the face of Sussex are still fresh in the minds of those who woke to find trees felled, windows smashed, roofs destroyed, chimneys crumbling and cars crushed. 

Many Sussex villages were cut off, homes lost power, children enjoyed an unexpected holiday as schools were closed and there was excitement in Haywards Heath when army helicopters were drafted in to dispatch troops to help clear the railway lines.

Keen photographer and Preservation Society member Geoffrey Calderwood captured some of the dramatic scenes in Lindfield and produced a set of commemorative postcards, kindly loaned to Lindfield Life by resident Hilary Jackson. The postcards were sold to raise money for the village tree fund.

Hilary, from Sunte Avenue, remembers the storm well, as tiles were stripped from the roof next door and a large tree came crashing down into her garden.

“I’d been out late the night before helping the young lady next door to secure the fencing as the winds were picking up,” said Hilary. “But nothing could have prepared me for what I saw when I pulled back the curtains the following morning.”

For Hilary’s three children, the storm brought an unexpected bonus – “we cut up the fallen tree and built a tree house in the garden,” said Hilary. “It was a lasting legacy of the hurricane which brought years of pleasure to my children and their friends!”

Read the full story on p.20 of October's magazine...

Great taste, great coffee for World Coffees

A unique blend produced by World Coffees has been awarded a coveted 3 Star Gold award by the prestigious Great Taste Awards 2012. The winning entry, named Blend No 43, was judged by a panel of 350 of the nation’s most discerning food experts over 45 days.

World Coffees, a family run business based in Lindfield, roasts a range of premium Arabica coffee beans from around the world to supply discerning wholesale and retail customers.

To be awarded 3 Star Gold status by the Great Taste Awards is a significant achievement for any food or drink producer.  The scheme, run by the Guild of Fine Food, has been described as the epicurean equivalent of the Booker Prize and in 2012 a total of 8,807 different food and drink products were entered. 

World Coffees’ owner and managing director Jackie McGahan commented:

“World Coffees has won Great Taste awards in the past but this is the first time we have achieved the top accolade of 3 Star Gold status for a blend we created ourselves.  This is a fantastic acknowledgement of our coffee roasting skills and expertise and confirms what our many satisfied customers already know – that our coffee is among the very best in a highly competitive industry.”

Neighbourhood Plan events this month

The Joint Working Party that has been formed by Lindfield Parish Council & Lindfield Rural Parish Council to progress our Neighbourhood Plan will be holding two Exhibitions & Workshops during September, in order to provide an opportunity for members of our communities to share their own views on how our villages should be developed over the next 20 years with councillors in person.

These events will be held on Saturday 15th September at the King Edward Hall in Lindfield and on Saturday 22nd September at the Millennium Centre in Scaynes Hill. Both events will be open from 10am to 4pm.

There will be displays relating to the area to be covered by our Neighbourhood Plan, and opportunities to participate in workshops covering all the elements that need to be included in the Neighbourhood Plan in order that it can become a real vision for our communities.

Additional copies of the Neighbourhood Plan Questionnaire can be obtained from both councils’ offices, where residents can also discuss the Neighbourhood  Plan with the Parish Clerks and Councillors during normal opening hours.

The magic of alfresco dining

By Emma Tingley, excerpt reprinted from p.14 of Lindfield Life September 2012

I’m not exaggerating when I say that it really has to be one of the most memorable evenings I’ve had in a long time. Even now when I close my eyes and breathe in deeply, I can recapture the atmosphere and aromas of the night. Some things have an amazing ability to inspire you and my evening with James Gaydon and his friend Charlotte Petts down on her allotment turned out to be one of those moments. I’m not sure how James would describe himself but to me he’s a modern hunter-gatherer. He seems more at home outdoors than in and has an incredible knowledge and passion for creating food from foraging. And Charlotte, a professional gardener, welcomed me on to her allotment as if welcoming me into her home. For this evening, I traded the usual comforts of my sofa for a log seat and an open fire, with a hearty meal in fantastic company under the stars – an allotment dinner.

....

By the time the main course is ready, the night is drawing in. It’s not the balmy summer evening we’d all been hoping for but somehow it seems more appropriate to be wrapped in a blanket, sitting close to the fire for warmth. I’m not the most adventurous of diners so would not have chosen rabbit stew but, I have to admit, it’s delicious. For dessert we’re treated to Charlotte’s delicious stewed rhubarb, served with custard (practically the only thing on the menu from a shop!). 

It was such a privilege to be a part of one of James and Charlotte’s allotment dinners. By the time the fire was dying down, we’d had a superb evening of food and friendship. By torchlight we finished the evening by leaving no trace of our presence, other than the message I left on the inside of the shed door along with the compliments of previous allotment dinner guests. 

Lindfield gets own defibrillator

By Claire Cooper, reprinted from p.7 of Septembers Lindfield Life magazine

A portable life saving resuscitation machine will give heart attack victims in Lindfield a better chance of survival.

The machine, an Automated External Defibrillator which delivers a shock to the heart, will be located outside Selby’s Pharmacy in the High Street and can be borrowed by residents faced with an emergency.

It’s been funded by Masters and Son, whose staff were amongst the first to be trained to use the machine.

“I’d heard about the work of the Sussex Heart Charity in training people to use these portable machines and thought it would be fantastic to have one here in the village, “  said Sue Masters. “We are currently awaiting delivery of the latest model and the machine should be in place in a few weeks.”

Although the machine can be used by anyone, training is available free of charge to villagers.

Run by Douglas Coombs, Director of Training at the Sussex Heart Charity, the course teaches people to recognise the symptoms of heart failure, carry out chest compressions and use the machine to deliver a shock to the chest to restore the normal heart beat. 

“It is vital to start chest compressions immediately as every second counts,” said Douglas who spent 25 years as a paramedic. “For every minute there is no compression the chances of success go down by 20%. There is no substitute for good effective chest compressions.” He added that calling an ambulance should also be the priority.

The machines are incredibly simple to operate and users are guided through the steps by a recorded message – rather like a Sat Nav. 

Most importantly the machine will only deliver a shock if it detects an abnormality in the heart rhythm, so it’s impossible to shock a healthy heart. “The whole point of chest compressions and use of the machine is to prolong life until the paramedics arrive and the person can be taken to hospital,” said Douglas. “These machines have been hugely successful. We trained people to use the 8 machines at the Amex stadium and within two weeks one was used to successfully resuscitate a heart attack victim.”

Machines have also been installed at Gatwick Airport and many other locations in Sussex.

Villagers who have been trained to use the machine include Will Blunden and Christine Irwin from the Parish Council, Tracey Osgerby, Ian Masters and Craig Radmall from Masters and Son and Liz Thomas and Nicola Whatford-West from Glyn Thomas & Son the butchers.

Further Emergency Life Support and Automated Defibrillator Training courses are being planned and anyone interested in attending should contact Sue Masters on 482107 or email suemasters@mastersandson.com

Esther Featherstone played Tweenies character

By Claire Cooper, reprinted from p.18 of August's Lindfield Life magazine

You may have stood behind her in the queue at the supermarket, sat at the next table in the local pub or even shared an energetic zumba class but never realised you were in the presence of one of the best loved children’s characters of this generation.

Now Lindfield Life can reveal the world famous celebrity who has made the village her home.

Zumba teacher and professional photographer Esther Featherstone is better known to millions of children (and many young adults!) as Bella from the Tweenies!

Esther brought Bella to life in 2001 and spent two years as a Tweenie, touring the world, appearing in 27 episodes for BBC and making DVDs which are still watched worldwide.

Esther explained how she landed the coveted role after graduating from the Italia Conti drama school.

“I was spotted while appearing in the drama Children of Eden and invited to attend an audition,” she said.

“The Tweenies  were already up and running but the original Bella was moving on and they were looking for a replacement. I auditioned for the experience, never believing that I would stand a chance of getting the job!”

Download or pick up a copy of the magazine to reader the rest of the article..

Games maker gets set

Pharmacy manager Claire Slater will be swapping her white coat for an Olympic uniform this summer.

Claire, who works at Abbots Pharmacy in the High Street, is one of the team of volunteers at this year’s London 2012 Olympic Games.

Claire has been selected to be a ‘games maker’ in the Events Services team.

“My role will include greeting spectators on arrival at the venue, managing queues, providing directions and information and showing spectators to their seats”
said Claire.

“I’m really excited – it’s a once in a lifetime experience!”

Orange and ginger-glazed Salmon

Recipe featured in Lindfield Life - Aug 2012 - by Caroline Young - Serves 4

Spoon 4tbs each of orange juice, soy sauce, cream sherry and Dijon mustard plus  2tbs  each of grated root ginger and honey into a freezer bag.  Add 4 skinned salmon fillets, turning to coat on all sides with the marinade. Refrigerate for 30 min. Using a fork remove fish from the bag and grill or cook on the bbq. Bring remaining marinade to the boil and spoon over the cooked fish.

Mike Scholes take the Olympic Torch

Lindfield's own Mike Scholes took to the streets of Westergate yesterday (16th July) for his turn running with the Olympic Torch. Despite what looked like torrential rain, he managed to get the crowd whipped up into a great atmosphere - waving frantically to those hardy onlookers. 

The Torch Relay text feed said this at the time of his run: 

1512: Next up is Michael Scholes who is being assisted by his guide, having lost his sight three years ago.

According to his nomination: "He achieved five British Hot Air Balloon records and is one of only nine British Pilots to fly a hot air balloon above 31,000ft."

He has skied with Blind Veterans UK and ran the London Marathon.

Watch his 4 mins of fame here

Sue Blunden carries the Torch for Lindfield

Lindfield resident Sue Blunden carried the Olympic Torch through North Bersted yesterday - Monday 16th July - doing a sterling job in the pooring rain! Here's a few snaps from the Live Streaming video on BBC (but who is the guy running alongside in the blue T-shirt? Looks like a very proud Cllr Will Blunden to me!). You can watch the clip again here 

David beats Lindfield torchbearers to a torch!

At a recent business training event by Nigel Botteril Lindfield Life editor, David Tingley, got the chance to get his hands on a genuine Olympic Torch!

Not only that, but he held a Olympic Gold Medal, won by a member of the 8+ Rowing team Ben Hunt-Davies (pictured). The Gold was awarded to the British team at the Sydney Olypmics in 2008. This incredible acheivement was the first time a British crew had done this since 1912! 

Back in Lindfield, we are looking forward to cheering on torchbearers from within our community when they do their legs of the journey nearby - Sue Blunden and Mike Scholes - see our July magazine.

Lindfield's Olympic Runners!

Lindfield will be well represented in the Olympic torch relay, with two villagers being given the honour of carrying  the flame.

Sue Blunden and Mike Scholes will be running as part of the 8,000 strong relay team carrying the Olympic Flame as it makes its journey through Sussex.

Lit in Greece, the Olympic Flame arrived in the UK on 18th May 2012 before setting out the next day on a 70-day Olympic Torch Relay, bringing the excitement of the Games to everyone.  Hundreds of torch bearers, ranging from celebrities to community champions, have already taken their place in history by completing a section of the route which runs through more than 1,000 towns, cities and villages.

Sue and Mike will join the relay on 16th July, day 59, and will carry their torches through Westergate and North Bersted. They were chosen from thousands of nominations and both say they are honoured to be taking part.

Sue

Mike

Calling all street parties in Lindfield

Are you celebrating the Diamond Jubilee with a street party? If so we’d love to hear about it! We are planning to run a street party spread next month to capture how villagers celebrated this special event. Please send your pictures and a few details to editor@lindfieldlie.co.uk

Please note: If you are sending pictures of children please remember to get permission from their parents

Pay it forward (Lindfield Juniors Football Club)

The distinctive green shirts of  Lindfield junior ootballers are gracing a dusty football pitch on the other side of the world and inspiring the young players who proudly wear them.

The shirts have been donated to a team of young footballers in a small village in Kenya – thanks to the eforts of one Lindfield dad.

Sean Collins, whose son Max plays for Lindfiel Juniors, sprang into action after hearing stories from his friend and former villager Laura Price who works at a small school in very poor area of Nairobi.

Laura moved to Kenya with her husband Chris, who works for Dfid (the UK’s oveseas development agency).

“Laura told me how many of these young children have to walk 10 kilometres to get to school – while our children just cross the common,” said Sean.  “In many cases, the only proper meal they are likely to get is a basic porridge type of food provided by the school.

”Laura asked if Sean’s sons had any old sports kit that she could take back to the children, as the school had no kit or money to buy any.

“We were glad to help and a few treasured West Ham shirts are now the very proud possessions of a couple of Kenyan boys and girls,” said Sean. “Trust me, West Ham need all the support we can get and I want 10% of any future signings from Kenya!”

But it didn’t stop there, as Sean soon set a new goal. “I started thinking on a grander scale as I have been involved with Lindfield Junios for many seasons,” he said.  “ I contacted Ian Masters from Masters and Sons, who have kindly sponsored teams for years, to see if he had any of his old kits that I could have. Within days I had a whole stash to give to Laura to take over to the school - shirts, shorts, bibs, gloves. Amazing! We  now have a Lindfield Junios (Nairobi) FC team!”

And it’s not just the Kenyan footballers who are benefiting

“It’s a wonderful thing for our fairly privileged kids to see and be involved with. A change from moaning because their Fifa 2012 X-box disc is scratched!” said Sean.

“I was immensely chufed by my son Max’s reaction to giving up his kit in the fist place and seeing the photos of a boy, in the middle of Africa, wearing his No.11 West Ham shirt with ‘Collins’ emblazoned across the back!”

Sean now plans to expand the project and send dozens more kits for diferent age groups. “My next plan is to talk to the Secretary of Lindfield Junios to see if we can supply any more old kits from many age groups to these teams. Maybe old boots and trainers, too, that our kids grow out of so quickly.

“Who knows? One day we could even take a team of boys over there on tour to play a few matches!”

To find out moe and to donate your child’s football kit, contact Sean on sean.collins@live.com