Giant Maize Maze opens mid July! camping ed food ... - Viva Lewes
Giant Maize Maze opens mid July! camping ed food ... - Viva Lewes
Giant Maize Maze opens mid July! camping ed food ... - Viva Lewes
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Children’s Triathlon<br />
Series 2010<br />
Swim, Bike, Run... have fun<br />
Open to 8-14 year olds<br />
<strong>Lewes</strong> Children’s Triathlon<br />
20th June<br />
Ringmer Children’s Triathlon<br />
21st August<br />
For more information please visit our website<br />
Seaford Children’s Aquathlon<br />
12th September<br />
Ringmer Children’s Aquathlon<br />
31st October<br />
w w w . w a v e l e i s u r e . c o . u k<br />
Wave Leisure is a not for profi t charitable trust
6. Tony Benn. Everyone’s favourite<br />
leftie, shortly <strong>Lewes</strong>-bound, talks to<br />
us about his great hero, Tom Paine<br />
17. My <strong>Lewes</strong>. ‘Tom Paine’ sculptor<br />
Marcus Cornish<br />
19. Photo of the Month. Daisy<br />
Martin’s remarkable clouds<br />
20. <strong>Lewes</strong> in History. <strong>Lewes</strong> market’s<br />
latest reincarnation<br />
23. Art. From watercolours to geometric<br />
abstraction<br />
25. Art. Focus on... Russian sculptor<br />
Svetlana K-Lie’s ‘Feathers’<br />
27. Art. <strong>Lewes</strong> Artists, Unit<strong>ed</strong> in<br />
support of <strong>Lewes</strong> Community FC<br />
29. Art. Focus on... Marco Crivello’s<br />
uncategorisable ‘Approach’.<br />
31. Film. Mick Hawksworth’s thoroughly<br />
modern Tommy<br />
33. Pells Pool Party. Groovy glam<br />
rock for all the family<br />
35. Skinny-dipping. At the Pells<br />
Pool. Legally<br />
The Team<br />
Issue 46. <strong>July</strong> 2010.<br />
V I V A L E W E S contents<br />
37. Theatre. An exciting pro-am<br />
summer series at the Little Theatre<br />
39. Soundwave. Local literature<br />
and music festival<br />
41. Cinema. Ken Loach is Looking<br />
for Eric, with Artists Unit<strong>ed</strong><br />
43. Diary Dates. We’re spoilt for<br />
al-fresco-Shakespeare choice<br />
46. Gig guide. Who’s on stage, when<br />
49. Day Out. We visit ‘God’s waiting<br />
room’ in search of ice cream<br />
51. Food. Al fresco fish at the Cock<br />
53. Food. Baltica Café brightens up<br />
the bottleneck<br />
54. Food. Bill Collison looks to the<br />
sky and plans a sumptuous picnic<br />
57. Nibbler. Al fresco <strong>food</strong> and<br />
drink options in and around town<br />
59. Kids Kitchen. Amanda Grant’s<br />
tasty Italian tarts<br />
61. Shopping. Garden furniture<br />
for those lazy summer afternoons<br />
63. Bricks and Mortar. The Foun-<br />
EDITOR: Alex Leith alex@vivalewes.com<br />
DEPUTY EDITOR: Emma Chaplin emmachaplin@vivalewes.com<br />
SUB-EDITOR: David Jarman<br />
DESIGNER: Katie Moorman katie@vivalewes.com<br />
ADVERTISING MANAGER: Steve Watts steve@vivalewes.com<br />
ADVERTISING SALES: Lisa Bullen lisa@vivalewes.com<br />
PUBLISHER: Nick Williams nick@vivalewes.com.<br />
<strong>Viva</strong> <strong>Lewes</strong> is bas<strong>ed</strong> at Pipe Passage, 151b High Street, <strong>Lewes</strong>, BN7 1XU<br />
dry: symptomatic of <strong>Lewes</strong>’ change<br />
65. <strong>Viva</strong> Villages. Saltdean, and its<br />
beautiful under-threat Lido<br />
67. Nature. Adonis Blue madness<br />
69. Sport. We try out… cricket.<br />
71. We try out... Stoolball. Sporty<br />
Emma C hits the wicket<br />
73. Football. A new season... and<br />
perhaps a new dawn for <strong>Lewes</strong> FC<br />
75. <strong>Viva</strong> Kids. They can’t get bor<strong>ed</strong><br />
in Borde Hill. Can they?<br />
77. Fashion. Shades: Are you Top<br />
Gun, or Blues Brothers?<br />
79. Antiques. John Henty, and his<br />
magic twenty (pound note)<br />
81. Literary Sussex. EF Benson:<br />
don’t accept the invite<br />
83. Column. Beth Miller<br />
85. Column. Norman Baker<br />
91. Trade Secrets. John Syrett’s<br />
home-made ice cream<br />
106. Inside Left. Non-conformist<br />
stoolball at the Dripping Pan<br />
For information about advertising or events you would like to see publicis<strong>ed</strong>, call 01273 488882 or e-mail info@vivalewes.com<br />
Every care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of our content. The <strong>Viva</strong> <strong>Lewes</strong> Handbook cannot be held responsible for any<br />
omissions, errors or alterations.<br />
3
4<br />
EDITORIAL<br />
<strong>July</strong> 4th, of course, is a great day of celebration in<br />
the Unit<strong>ed</strong> States, marking as it does the Declaration<br />
of Independence in 1776.<br />
Which makes it an important day in the <strong>Lewes</strong><br />
calendar, as this is the town where Tom Paine - so<br />
instrumental in the outcome and philosophy of the<br />
American Revolution – hon<strong>ed</strong> his theories.<br />
So it’s <strong>July</strong> 4th that has been chosen for the unveiling<br />
of a statue of Paine, outside <strong>Lewes</strong> Library, by<br />
another great figure of the left, Tony Benn. We<br />
were delight<strong>ed</strong> when Mr Benn agre<strong>ed</strong> to an interview<br />
with <strong>Viva</strong> <strong>Lewes</strong> on what Paine means to him,<br />
which you can see on the next page.<br />
Paine, of course, was a man of many talents, and his<br />
enthusiasm as a member of the <strong>Lewes</strong> bowling club<br />
is well record<strong>ed</strong>. He would presumably have attend<strong>ed</strong><br />
cricket matches at the Dripping Pan, on his rare<br />
days of leisure. Were Paine alive today, we believe,<br />
he would have been very supportive of what’s afoot<br />
THIS MONTH’S COVER<br />
at the ancient sporting arena this summer - the idea<br />
of turning <strong>Lewes</strong>’ biggest sporting institution into a<br />
community-run club.<br />
We’re referring to the propos<strong>ed</strong> transition of <strong>Lewes</strong><br />
FC to <strong>Lewes</strong> Community FC, which is still under<br />
negotiation as we go to press, which we mention<br />
throughout the magazine, in one form or another.<br />
<strong>Lewes</strong> is a town of many hues, and we are delight<strong>ed</strong><br />
that many of the top locally bas<strong>ed</strong> artists have support<strong>ed</strong><br />
this revolutionary<br />
footballing transition<br />
by combining their work<br />
in an exhibition – Artists<br />
Unit<strong>ed</strong> – at the Foundry<br />
Gallery, from <strong>July</strong> 8th-<br />
11th. <strong>Viva</strong> those artists,<br />
then, <strong>Viva</strong> Paine, and,<br />
above all, <strong>Viva</strong> <strong>Lewes</strong>. Enjoy<br />
the month…<br />
We are helping to organise what we hope will<br />
be the art event of the year, Artists Unit<strong>ed</strong>, at<br />
the Foundry between <strong>July</strong> 8th and 11th, to<br />
raise funds for the possible transition of <strong>Lewes</strong><br />
FC into a community-run club. So we contact<strong>ed</strong><br />
David Shephard, a <strong>Lewes</strong>-bas<strong>ed</strong> illustrator,<br />
to pick his brains. Could he come up with an<br />
image which would, using the famous r<strong>ed</strong>and-black<br />
colours of the Rooks, incorporate<br />
two cultures that were very different from one<br />
another – art, and football? We would use the<br />
image as the event logo and, to help publicise<br />
it, as the cover of this magazine, too. David<br />
went off for a couple of days, and came back<br />
with what you can see on the left, a paintbrush<br />
creating a classic 70s football (and not, we hasten<br />
to add, a Jabulani) in a broad, confident<br />
stroke. An image, he tells us, which was influenc<strong>ed</strong><br />
by the poster for the Mexico ’70 World<br />
Cup, when England players were truly lionheart<strong>ed</strong>,<br />
the balls were orange, and Pelé was<br />
king. We love it, and hope you agree. You can<br />
see more of David’s splendid illustrations and<br />
designs on his website, at daveshephard.com.
6<br />
TONY BENN ON TOM PAINE<br />
You are the Vice-Chairman<br />
of the Tom Paine Society.<br />
Why do you rate him<br />
so highly? Paine is important<br />
not only because of what<br />
he did, but because of what<br />
he said. He had tremendous<br />
ideas, and a tremendous<br />
turn of phrase. “My country<br />
is the world, my religion is<br />
to do good,” for example.<br />
That’s about the most useful<br />
thing anyone could say<br />
about the world, and it applies<br />
as much as ever today.<br />
He anticipat<strong>ed</strong> the political<br />
development of the world,<br />
and the welfare state. What<br />
he said was very interesting<br />
and far-sight<strong>ed</strong>. He really<br />
did add to the public debate.<br />
Tom Paine was way ahead<br />
of his time. Yet when it was<br />
first publish<strong>ed</strong> his book,<br />
Rights of Man was bann<strong>ed</strong>,<br />
and even burnt at the stake<br />
by the public executioner, I<br />
believe.<br />
We like to think Paine’s<br />
time in <strong>Lewes</strong> was significant<br />
to the development<br />
of his political philosophy.<br />
Do you agree? Whenever<br />
I think of <strong>Lewes</strong>, I think of<br />
Tom Paine, and whenever I<br />
think of Tom Paine, I think<br />
of <strong>Lewes</strong>. I was honour<strong>ed</strong><br />
some years ago to speak<br />
at the society he was part<br />
of, the Headstrong Club,<br />
where he develop<strong>ed</strong> a lot of<br />
his ideas.<br />
The average man in the<br />
street in this country has<br />
never heard of Paine. Do<br />
you think this will ever change? I wouldn’t know whether Paine was<br />
widely known about or not here. But I do know that whether people know<br />
about him or not, his writings have help<strong>ed</strong> shape a lot of people’s thinking.<br />
If he were a British politician now, which party do you believe Paine<br />
would be part of? I would be extremely disappoint<strong>ed</strong> if he were not a<br />
supporter of the Labour Party, because I think his political instincts would<br />
be Labour. But I think he would be a critic of many of the current Labour<br />
Party’s policies.<br />
What sort of issues would Paine be addressing today? He would certainly<br />
be addressing the problems of the Middle East, and the Afghan War.<br />
He’d be interest<strong>ed</strong> in finding a solution for the Palestinian conflict. He<br />
would be worri<strong>ed</strong> about the development of nuclear weapons, and the<br />
threat they pose to the human race. And the gap between the rich and the<br />
poor in the world. On the other hand, he would be pleas<strong>ed</strong> about many<br />
political developments since his day, and the fact that women had the vote.<br />
Where do your opinions differ from those of Tom Paine? I’m a very<br />
minor figure in comparison, and two centuries beyond Paine, so we’re from<br />
very different backgrounds. But I’ve found his work extremely useful and<br />
formative: I would like to be thought of as a Paineite.<br />
You’ve been to <strong>Lewes</strong> a few times before. What do you like about the town?<br />
<strong>Lewes</strong> is Tom Paine’s town. David Powell has invit<strong>ed</strong> me down more than<br />
once to Tom Paine celebrations, and I’ve always enjoy<strong>ed</strong> participating in<br />
such events. I’m very honour<strong>ed</strong> to be invit<strong>ed</strong> again. Interview by Alex Leith<br />
Tony Benn will unveil the statue of Tom Paine at 11am, <strong>July</strong> 4th, <strong>Lewes</strong> Library
YOU’RE SO VANE #6<br />
When I first start<strong>ed</strong> writing<br />
about weathervanes, it became<br />
clear that few people notice<br />
them, and my father-in-law<br />
quot<strong>ed</strong> Baden-Powell to me:<br />
“Man is the only animal who<br />
never looks up.” Well, oddly, for<br />
this month, we are featuring a weathervane you ne<strong>ed</strong> to look<br />
down to see. It was spott<strong>ed</strong> in a front garden in Landport, that<br />
of Sarah Seelis I discover when I ring on the bell. It transpires<br />
that this unusual ornament, a paint<strong>ed</strong> weathervane featuring<br />
three geese and an oddly proportion<strong>ed</strong> terrier, was discover<strong>ed</strong><br />
by her amongst a pile of junk when they mov<strong>ed</strong> in three years<br />
ago “and we decid<strong>ed</strong> to make it into a garden feature”. Obviously,<br />
landlock<strong>ed</strong> as it is, it doesn’t actually function to indicate<br />
wind direction. The previous owner was “a lady who lik<strong>ed</strong><br />
collecting things she found”. I wonder which roof it was on<br />
originally. EC, Photo by Joe Knight<br />
WHERE DID YOU GET THAT HAT? #4<br />
REAL ALE<br />
Nancy Lodder and Lila<br />
Meiland.<br />
<strong>Lewes</strong> High Street, Thursday<br />
17th June.<br />
“I got mine in Accessorise<br />
and Lila’s is from Next”<br />
CAMRA has designat<strong>ed</strong> <strong>July</strong> ‘Independents Month’ in celebration<br />
of Britain’s brewers. It’s also the month when Independence<br />
Day, the Fourth of <strong>July</strong>, is celebrat<strong>ed</strong> in America, a holiday commemorating<br />
the adoption of the Declaration of Independence<br />
from Britain in 1776.<br />
So it’s apt enough that the Harvey’s seasonal ale on draught for<br />
<strong>July</strong> is Tom Paine Ale, a premium dry-hopp<strong>ed</strong> bitter in honour<br />
of the celebrat<strong>ed</strong> radical and one-time <strong>Lewes</strong> resident. We suspect<br />
a number of people will be supping the brew to the great<br />
man’s posthumous health around the time his statue is unveil<strong>ed</strong><br />
outside the library, on <strong>July</strong> 4th, by Tony Benn.<br />
b i t s a n d b o b s<br />
WHAT’LL WE DO TONIGHT?<br />
We try our damn<strong>ed</strong>est to get all the interesting<br />
events going on in and around<br />
town into this handbook, but inevitably<br />
some are announc<strong>ed</strong> after we go to press.<br />
For a more comprehensive week-by-week<br />
listings guide, plus photos, columns, local<br />
issues and news, check out our awardwinning<br />
(elder) sister publication, www.<br />
vivalewes.com, now in its 207th <strong>ed</strong>ition...<br />
and counting.<br />
LEWES IN QUOTES<br />
Food for thought for the new Parliamentary<br />
Under-Secretary for Transport.<br />
“Speculation on the rather sluggish<br />
economic and demographic growth of<br />
<strong>Lewes</strong> in the Victorian period must remain<br />
tentative. Some contemporaries blam<strong>ed</strong><br />
the advent of the railway system. <strong>Lewes</strong><br />
quickly became an important junction.<br />
Lines were open<strong>ed</strong> to Brighton and St.<br />
Leonards in 1846, to Keymer Junction and<br />
Newhaven Harbour in 1847, to Uckfield<br />
and Tunbridge Wells in 1848, and to East<br />
Grinstead in 1882. Yet local businessmen<br />
blam<strong>ed</strong> rail transport for weakening the<br />
town’s role as a distributive centre for groceries,<br />
ironmongery and other commodities,<br />
previously brought into Newhaven by<br />
sea. Others complain<strong>ed</strong> that rural customers<br />
now had rapid and convenient rail<br />
access to the ampler retailing resources of<br />
Brighton.” Victorian <strong>Lewes</strong>, by Colin Brent<br />
and William Rector (Chichester 1980)<br />
7
IN SEASON NOW: Strawberries<br />
b i t s a n d b o b s<br />
The strawberry is the true herald of summer and no self-respecting English<br />
garden party or summer fete would be quite the same without them. There<br />
are over 40 record<strong>ed</strong> varieties of wild strawberry, the most common being<br />
Fragaria vesca. A delight to discover, the French call them fraise de bois and<br />
although delicious in their own right, it does takes quite a lot of them to<br />
make a bowlful. The French still grow them on a minor commercial scale<br />
but for the most part it is a more recent cultivar, the Pineapple Strawberry<br />
or Fragaria ananassa that grace our market stalls. This is the result of crossing<br />
two varieties of American strawberry, the North American Virginian<br />
strawberry and the South American Pine or Sand strawberry. This particular<br />
union became official somewhere in France in the <strong>mid</strong> 18th century.<br />
Griddl<strong>ed</strong> Strawberries with Chocolate Balsamic Vinegar<br />
Take enough strawberries for 4 people, wash<strong>ed</strong> and capp<strong>ed</strong> and left whole<br />
1 tbsp caster sugar, 4 tsp Stratta Chocolate Balsamic Vinegar, tin foil<br />
Mix the strawberries and sugar in a bowl and leave to sit for 10 minutes to get the strawberry juice flowing.<br />
Make 4 parcels out of foil and divide the strawberry mix, sprinkle with chocolate balsamic (or maybe a sprinkle of<br />
rum, Cointreau or Pimms!) and gather up the foil <strong>ed</strong>ges to seal. Place the foil cases on the barbeque at the end of<br />
the evening (ie not when it’s roaring!) and cook for 15 – 20 mins. Carefully unwrap and transfer the strawberries<br />
and juices to plates, where they can be eaten as they are, or else blobb<strong>ed</strong> with crème fraîche or ice cream.<br />
Vanessa Langley - <strong>Lewes</strong> Farmers’ Market Coordinator. Next markets Saturday <strong>July</strong> 3rd & Saturday August 7th.<br />
DAVID SHEPHARD BOOK REVIEW<br />
Up to which<br />
point is the River<br />
Ouse tidal?<br />
On the flanks of<br />
which hill near<br />
Seaford will you<br />
see a white horse<br />
carv<strong>ed</strong> into the turf? Which notorious<br />
Sussex businessman chang<strong>ed</strong> his<br />
name by de<strong>ed</strong> poll to Adolph von<br />
Hessen in <strong>July</strong>, 2009? Which East<br />
Sussex coastal town was once known<br />
as ‘Meeching’? 400 questions, in sections<br />
of ten, most of them fiendishly<br />
difficult, have been set by local historian<br />
David Arscott, in his latest publication<br />
The Sussex Pub Quiz Book.<br />
It’s publish<strong>ed</strong> by Pomegranate Press,<br />
costs £7.50, and is on sale in Tourist<br />
Information and Skylark.<br />
9
1 0
LEWES STREET NAMES #24<br />
b i t s a n d b o b s<br />
Evelyn Road on Landport is nam<strong>ed</strong> after<br />
diarist, John Evelyn, who was sent to <strong>Lewes</strong><br />
in 1625 at the age of five to live with his<br />
step-grandfather, a prominent citizen of<br />
the Cliffe, John Stansfield. After his grandfather’s<br />
death, Evelyn resid<strong>ed</strong> at Southover<br />
Grange following his grandmother’s second<br />
marriage to William Newton. Evelyn<br />
receiv<strong>ed</strong> his early <strong>ed</strong>ucation at Mr Potts’<br />
school in the Cliffe before attending the <strong>Lewes</strong> Grammar School.<br />
Evelyn liv<strong>ed</strong> in momentous times and his diary is a valuable guide to the history and customs of the 17th century.<br />
He was also a friend to Samuel Pepys, who mentions him in his diary.<br />
Evelyn was also an author of some repute, and his book Sylva was a best-seller. It featur<strong>ed</strong> constructive proposals<br />
on afforestation to meet the acute problem of the destruction of woodlands to fe<strong>ed</strong> the furnaces of the iron<br />
and glass industries which greatly influenc<strong>ed</strong> the character of the English landscape in following generations.<br />
During his boyhood in <strong>Lewes</strong>, Evelyn laid the foundation stone of the present South Malling Church, rebuilt<br />
in 1627 by the efforts and munificence of his grandfather.<br />
From L.S. Davey’s The Street Names of <strong>Lewes</strong>, revis<strong>ed</strong> by Kim Clark. Photo by Joe Knight.<br />
SAVE SALTDEAN LIDO CAMPAIGN UPDATE<br />
MOVING ON 2010<br />
The Save Saltdean Lido Campaign (see page 64), who are trying to stop the remarkable<br />
art deco pool being concret<strong>ed</strong> in by developers, have acquir<strong>ed</strong> high-profile support<br />
in the form of Sir Terence Conran’s architectural practice. Brighton bas<strong>ed</strong> Conran &<br />
Partners have gone into partnership with the campaign, and are helping to develop<br />
alternative ideas for the regeneration of the site. Conran & Partners director, Paul Zara,<br />
tells me he was ‘born and br<strong>ed</strong>’ in <strong>Lewes</strong>, and the Saltdean Lido is a ‘great building’ he<br />
has known all his life, “It’s an icon for Saltdean, at the very heart of the community. It<br />
deserves to be preserv<strong>ed</strong> and enhanc<strong>ed</strong> and we will do all we can to stop the developers<br />
and their wrecking balls.”<br />
It’s nearly time for Patina, that colourful, exuberant ‘moving on’ parade of all the year<br />
6 kids celebrating their rite of passage to secondary school. 15 schools are taking part<br />
this year, each creating their own costumes and papier-mâché monsters: the theme<br />
is: Junglemania. Of course all this ne<strong>ed</strong>s money, and the organisers have ask<strong>ed</strong> many<br />
of <strong>Lewes</strong>’ artists and shopkeepers to donate items which can be auction<strong>ed</strong> off at the<br />
launch of the event, on <strong>July</strong> 2nd, at the All Saints, between 5.30 and 6.30pm. There<br />
will be refreshments and live music, too: everyone’s welcome.<br />
NOTES & CORRECTIONS<br />
Apologises for not mentioning current skittles champions The DCC in the list of teams that have ‘dominat<strong>ed</strong>’<br />
the tournament in recent years. As team leader Ben Ward writes: “2nd, 2nd, 1st, 5th, 1st in the last five years. If<br />
anyone’s dominating the competition, it’s us!”<br />
1 1
For more details please follow the link on our website.<br />
24/25 Cliffe High Street, <strong>Lewes</strong> BN7 2AH<br />
Telephone: 01273 480303<br />
www.spectrumeyecare.co.uk<br />
Wimbl<strong>ed</strong>on 2010<br />
There’s a certain mildness in the air, so hopefully at last we can say goodbye to that<br />
dreadful winter and hello spring! Whilst looking forward to some early sun, remember<br />
it’s the same UVA & UVB rays that give us a tan, that can damage our eyes, but unlike<br />
sunburn, the effect on our eyes isn’t imm<strong>ed</strong>iately<br />
obvious. Fortunately, the solution’s simple, just<br />
make it a habit of wearing sunglasses or<br />
protective lenses in any sunlight.<br />
W I M B L E D O N We are the official stockists of the<br />
S U N G L A S S E S Wimbl<strong>ed</strong>on Sunglass Collection, which<br />
just gets better every year. They are<br />
available from just £99*, so give yourself a head<br />
start by preparing for the sun with a pair today.<br />
Spectrum Specialities<br />
KIDS Collection<br />
Fortunately specs are now seriously fashionable, which is great for our kids.<br />
We have casual, funky and a new range of robust, colourful, strong lightweight Titanium -<br />
ask to see the New KIDS Collection.<br />
To give you as much reassurance as we can that your eyes<br />
are healthy, we have made considerable investment in our<br />
practice to bring you the latest in eye care technology. This<br />
includes the latest instruments available for the eye exam,<br />
contact lenses and frame and lens dispensing.<br />
Training and enthusiasm of course is the key and everyone<br />
here has embrac<strong>ed</strong> these innovations to bring you the<br />
highest standards available.<br />
Here are a few reminders of what you can experience at<br />
Spectrum Eyecare:-<br />
Individualis<strong>ed</strong> Practice of the Year<br />
Optomap - retinal wide view<br />
HRT3 - early Glaucoma detection<br />
Tom Davis Bespoke – tailor made frames<br />
Optiplan - for up to 40% discount<br />
Ortho K contact lenses – no contacts or specs<br />
ne<strong>ed</strong><strong>ed</strong> in the day<br />
Photo Booth & Activisu - to see how frames look on you.<br />
Sports Eyewear - to your prescription – rx swim goggles<br />
Gotti - the latest addition to our frame family.<br />
A beautifully craft<strong>ed</strong> Swiss range from the house of Gotti.<br />
Be inspir<strong>ed</strong>.
BOOK REVIEW - GROW IT, COOK IT WITH KIDS BY AMANDA GRANT<br />
b i t s a n d b o b s<br />
Amanda Grant is a <strong>Lewes</strong>-bas<strong>ed</strong> <strong>food</strong> writer, and author of several<br />
books, including Healthy Lunchboxes for Kids. She is also a mum<br />
and regular <strong>Viva</strong> <strong>Lewes</strong> contributor of recipes for children. She has<br />
just brought out a new book, Grow It, Cook It With Kids (Ryland<br />
Peters & Small), aim<strong>ed</strong> at getting children under eleven growing<br />
their own <strong>food</strong>, then cooking with it. There are sections including<br />
herbs, beans and peas, onions and carrots and soft fruits, all stunningly<br />
photograph<strong>ed</strong> by Tara Fisher. The recipes are of the very<br />
<strong>Lewes</strong>-parent friendly variety, such as pesto, carrot muffins and<br />
couscous salad.<br />
Normal price £14.99, but Bags of Books and Wickle are offering a<br />
15% discount to anyone who mentions this review. <strong>Viva</strong> <strong>Lewes</strong> are also giving away two copies. Amanda will<br />
pick at random from the names of children we hear from who either grow their own veg locally, and/or have<br />
made any of her recipes. Send your name, age, contact details and a bit about whether you are a keen cook<br />
and/or gardener to: info@vivalewes.com.<br />
BOOK REVIEW - A BRIEf HISTORY Of NAKEDNESS BY PHILIP CARR-GOMM<br />
ALfRESCO THEATRE<br />
This book <strong>opens</strong> with the words ‘stop reading and start taking off your clothes’.<br />
I’m not going to admit whether I did or not, but artist and sexologist Annie<br />
Sprinkle says reading it made her ‘want to rip off my clothes for a good cause imm<strong>ed</strong>iately’,<br />
so make sure you’re in a safe place when you start reading it (or take<br />
it along to the Pells Pool Skinny-dip, page 35). Philip is a familiar local figure,<br />
albeit normally seen cloth<strong>ed</strong>, and is a writer, druid and psychotherapist. His book<br />
explores our complicat<strong>ed</strong> relationships with both our own bodies and those of<br />
others, and looks at changing cultural attitudes to public nudity, from the Venus<br />
of Willendorf, Lady Godiva and streakers, encompassing nudity in art and<br />
culture, in films like The Full Monty. On sale in Sky-lark in The Ne<strong>ed</strong>lemakers,<br />
publish<strong>ed</strong> by Reaktion Books, £19.95.<br />
There is a plethora of outdoor theatre to be seen in <strong>Lewes</strong> in <strong>July</strong>, so dig out<br />
your picnic hamper and blanket, and seek out some Rude Mechanicals, or<br />
take your choice between (coinciding) productions of Shakespearian com<strong>ed</strong>y<br />
and trag<strong>ed</strong>y. The Synergy Theatre’s production of Twelfth Night takes place<br />
in the Grange Gardens and the Brighton Little Theatre’s Romeo and Juliet<br />
is in the Gun Garden of <strong>Lewes</strong> Castle, on the evenings of 20th-24th <strong>July</strong> (see<br />
Diary Dates, page 43, for more details). The Rude Mechanicals are putting<br />
on the challengingly titl<strong>ed</strong> Ik ‘r’ us Inc at <strong>Lewes</strong> Castle on 31st <strong>July</strong> and 1st Aug, 7.30pm. Set in Dreamville<br />
USA, 1955, Ik ‘r’ us Inc is the story of Da<strong>ed</strong>alus H. Gildersleeves, a travelling salesman who has progress<strong>ed</strong><br />
from selling vacuum cleaners to encyclopa<strong>ed</strong>ias and finally to selling dreams. For more details call 01323<br />
501260 or see the Rudes’ website.<br />
1 3
GET LOST!<br />
this summer<br />
at<br />
Spring Barn<br />
Farm Park<br />
<strong>Lewes</strong><br />
<strong>Giant</strong><br />
<strong>Maize</strong> <strong>Maze</strong><br />
<strong>opens</strong> <strong>mid</strong><br />
<strong>July</strong>!<br />
Four seasons of fun on the Farm<br />
Fabulous home-cook<strong>ed</strong> <strong>food</strong><br />
Good old-fashion<strong>ed</strong> <strong>camping</strong><br />
And soon - the Farm Shop!<br />
Kingston Road, <strong>Lewes</strong> 01273 488450<br />
www.springbarnfarmpark.co.uk
OffHAM CHURCH fESTIVAL<br />
Offham Church is celebrating its 150th anniversary<br />
in <strong>mid</strong> <strong>July</strong>, in a very colourful manner. The Victorian<br />
church, with its striking tower, its wonderfully picturesque<br />
downsland setting, and its fine stain<strong>ed</strong> glass, is well worth<br />
a look whatever the occasion, but between 16th and 18th<br />
there’s even more reason to visit. Vicar Derek Bastide and<br />
his team have organis<strong>ed</strong> a three-day Festival of Flowers<br />
(9.30-5.30pm, starting Friday), which will be open<strong>ed</strong> by<br />
the Lord Lieutenant of Sussex. Saturday sees a traditional<br />
fete with stalls and games in the afternoon; on Sunday<br />
morning (10.30am) there will be a visit from the Bishop of<br />
Chichester. The whole affair is round<strong>ed</strong> off the following<br />
weekend (25th, 6pm), with a Victorian Songs of Praise,<br />
where the congregation are invit<strong>ed</strong> to dress (if they want<br />
to) in period costume, and (sponsor<strong>ed</strong>) hymns from the<br />
period will be sung. Of course, there will be refreshments<br />
serv<strong>ed</strong> throughout the festival.<br />
HUSH HUSH CINEMA<br />
b i t s a n d b o b s<br />
LEWES TALKING NEWSPAPER<br />
<strong>Lewes</strong> Talking Newspaper is celebrating 30<br />
years of creating a weekly volunteer-driven<br />
audio magazine with local stories and news<br />
items aim<strong>ed</strong> at people who are visually impair<strong>ed</strong><br />
or otherwise find difficulty in reading<br />
texts. 100 regular customers receive their<br />
audio cassette through the post, with the<br />
PO offering free delivery. For more details<br />
(whether you want to receive a copy, know<br />
someone who would, or want to volunteer)<br />
call Joyce Hancock on 813459 or e-mail<br />
Rosemary at r.harris121@btinternet.com.<br />
LOCAL AUTHOR<br />
A Plague of Sinners<br />
The second novel in the Harry Lytle<br />
series, publish<strong>ed</strong> by Beautiful-Books,<br />
takes us to London in 1665. The Stuart<br />
detective unwittingly gets involv<strong>ed</strong> in another<br />
grisly murder case, as if life in 17th<br />
century Britain wasn’t gruesome enough<br />
as it was, with rats underfoot and plague<br />
victims dropping like flies. The author,<br />
Paul Lawrence, is a <strong>Lewes</strong>ian exile, who<br />
now lives in Australia. More info at www.<br />
beautiful-books.co.uk.<br />
Normally, when we announce an event, we let you know the<br />
venue, and what sort of show you’re likely to see. Not with Hushhush<br />
Cinema, though, because that would be completely counter<br />
productive. The very nature of this new venture, organis<strong>ed</strong> by<br />
<strong>Lewes</strong> Film Club’s Carmen Slijpen, is that spectators DON’T<br />
know what film they’re going to see, or what other events have<br />
been organis<strong>ed</strong> around it (which might include special guests, performers,<br />
interactive elements and an after-party) . They don’t even<br />
know where it’s going to be screen<strong>ed</strong>. All you know is the time (7 for 7.30pm) and the date (<strong>July</strong> 3rd). ‘The<br />
carefully select<strong>ed</strong> films will cover the entire cinema gamut, from new classics to old cult favourites’ promise<br />
the organisers. Tickets must be bought in advance from Laporte’s: leave your mobile number and an e-mail<br />
address, and you will be notifi<strong>ed</strong> of the venue in advance.<br />
1 5
MYLEWES MarcuS corniSh<br />
Profession: sculptor.<br />
You design<strong>ed</strong> the statue of Tom Paine that’s about<br />
to be unveil<strong>ed</strong> outside the library. Can you tell us<br />
about that? It was commission<strong>ed</strong> by someone who<br />
lives in the town, who’s follow<strong>ed</strong> my work since I had an<br />
exhibition in the Star Gallery in 2002. She’s very active<br />
and switch<strong>ed</strong> onto issues and the arts, and she felt that<br />
the town ne<strong>ed</strong><strong>ed</strong> a sculpture of Tom Paine, so she ask<strong>ed</strong><br />
me if I would do it. She’s a remarkable and inspiring<br />
woman, who wishes to remain anonymous.<br />
I understood that the local artist Dom Ramos pos<strong>ed</strong><br />
for the painting of Tom Paine in the Market Tower, so<br />
I ask<strong>ed</strong> him to pose for the statue, too. He was the right<br />
size, but because clay shrinks by 10% when it’s fir<strong>ed</strong><br />
I ne<strong>ed</strong><strong>ed</strong> a larger body cast, too, and Ollie from Hesketh’s<br />
did that, as well as providing much of the clay.<br />
There was input from all sorts of local people: Catherine<br />
Darcy of Vintage Clothing kindly suppli<strong>ed</strong> the period<br />
costume; David Powell, Paine’s biographer, fill<strong>ed</strong><br />
me in on a lot of background information; Mohamm<strong>ed</strong><br />
Ha<strong>mid</strong> fir<strong>ed</strong> parts of the sculpture; and Joe Tomlinson<br />
help<strong>ed</strong> at every stage.<br />
What do your critics generally moan about? They<br />
say I’m anachronistic. I say life’s a lot richer than what’s<br />
going on just at this moment in time.<br />
Are you from <strong>Lewes</strong>? I’m from Streatham, in South<br />
London. I met my wife, Mary Anne (Aytoun-Ellis, the<br />
painter) at the Royal College of Art in the early 90s.<br />
Part of the deal of getting marri<strong>ed</strong> was that we had to<br />
Photo: Alex Leith<br />
come to <strong>Lewes</strong> to look after her grandmother, who<br />
brought her up. I’ve never regrett<strong>ed</strong> the move.<br />
What do you like about <strong>Lewes</strong>? So many things. I<br />
us<strong>ed</strong> to live in Peckham, so I love the fact that on the<br />
way to work I say hello to five or six people I know,<br />
which didn’t happen in London, where you get from<br />
A-B with your head down. I’m amaz<strong>ed</strong> by the variety of<br />
people who live in <strong>Lewes</strong> – it seems to attract so many<br />
people who have influences and interests that stretch<br />
far beyond the town. And I love the air here: when I<br />
come back from trips to London (I teach drawing in<br />
Shor<strong>ed</strong>itch) I’m sure I can smell the sea. To quote my<br />
mother-in-law: “It’s nice to leave <strong>Lewes</strong>, but it’s even<br />
better to get back”.<br />
Anything that irritates you about the place? All the<br />
real shops that close down. It’s so sad. I us<strong>ed</strong> to love<br />
going to that greengrocer in Fisher Street. Oh, and<br />
also the Serco vans which transport the prisoners to<br />
and from the court, who block up Castle Ditch Lane,<br />
where I have a studio. I know they’ve got an important<br />
job to do, but they think they own the place.<br />
What’s your favourite pub? I don’t go a lot, but when<br />
I do it’s the <strong>Lewes</strong> Arms. I swear some of the people<br />
have been sat at their chairs at least a decade, and I like<br />
the fact there are so many different sections to it. While<br />
I’m there, I’ll drink a pint of Harveys.<br />
What did you have for breakfast this morning? Porridge<br />
with banana. You put it in the range overnight in<br />
foil and in the morning it tastes superb.<br />
1 7
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<strong>Viva</strong> <strong>Lewes</strong> Summer 2010 Campaign.indd 1 15/06/2010 14:04:55
GOLDEN LININGS<br />
p h o t o o f t h e m o n t h<br />
Two days before our deadline to choose this month’s photo, 16-year-old Daisy Martin sent in a few pictures,<br />
which went straight onto the shortlist. After quite a bit of debate, we finally chose this one as the winner<br />
because of the amazing colour of the sky and the sunset-ting<strong>ed</strong> clouds.<br />
“I took it from my back garden in East Chiltington,” she told us, after we inform<strong>ed</strong> her of her success. The<br />
date was the 11th of June: which means while England’s footballers were failing to beat the USA, Daisy was<br />
out snapping the sky above Black Cap. “This was one of the best photos I’d taken all week,” she says. “I was<br />
amaz<strong>ed</strong> by the colour of the clouds – and they weren’t just normal clouds.”<br />
Daisy’s just finish<strong>ed</strong> her photography GCSE, and is going to study the subject at A-Level. She took the picture<br />
on auto, with a point-and-shoot Kodak. “I <strong>ed</strong>it<strong>ed</strong> a bit afterwards on the computer,” she says. “I increas<strong>ed</strong> the<br />
colour temperature, and darken<strong>ed</strong> it a little.”<br />
She’s now hoping to save up for a new camera ‘with focus’ (and more settings, presumably).We hope the £20<br />
she wins for getting her picture publish<strong>ed</strong> helps towards the cost a little.<br />
Send your pictures to info@vivalewes.com. We publish the best in our ‘photo of the week’ column in www.vivalewes.com,<br />
and choose our favourite in this slot, which wins the photographer £20. Unless otherwise arrang<strong>ed</strong> we reserve the right to<br />
use all pictures receiv<strong>ed</strong> in future <strong>Viva</strong> Magazines Ltd publications.<br />
1 9
THREE TIMES A MARKET<br />
The Market Tower lives up to its name… again<br />
The Market Tower, that ornately front<strong>ed</strong> shortcut<br />
from School Hill to the Ne<strong>ed</strong>lemakers, is<br />
going to host a weekly Friday-morning produce<br />
market from the 9th <strong>July</strong>.<br />
You might surmise from the building’s name<br />
that it was originally built as a marketplace. To<br />
be precise, it was a multi-purpose development,<br />
complet<strong>ed</strong> in 1792, after much discussion from<br />
the Borough authorities, who us<strong>ed</strong> it to simultaneously<br />
solve a number of headaches.<br />
Until its demolition in around 1761 the squareshap<strong>ed</strong><br />
St Nicholas Church stood more or less<br />
where the War Memorial now is. The building,<br />
known as ‘The Broken Church’, had for centuries<br />
been derelict, but until that date still hous<strong>ed</strong> the<br />
town bell, ‘Gabriel’, and the town clock. It was<br />
also the site of one end of <strong>Lewes</strong>’ twice-weekly<br />
produce market, a noisy, sprawling affair which<br />
fill<strong>ed</strong> the High Street on Tuesdays and Saturdays,<br />
up to Westgate, blocking traffic and drawing repeat<strong>ed</strong><br />
complaints from residents who had to put<br />
up with the noise and the smell.<br />
When the church was pull<strong>ed</strong> down, the borough<br />
had to put the bell (the biggest in Sussex) and the<br />
clock in storage. This was not an ideal situation,<br />
partly because they both serv<strong>ed</strong> an important<br />
purpose. Markets were very strictly regulat<strong>ed</strong> in<br />
the 18th century, and transactions could only be<br />
conduct<strong>ed</strong> on the allott<strong>ed</strong> days, between the allott<strong>ed</strong><br />
times, signall<strong>ed</strong> by the chiming of ‘Gabriel’.<br />
It took them thirty years to finalise a project to<br />
kill four birds with one stone: a building which<br />
hous<strong>ed</strong> the bell and the clock, and creat<strong>ed</strong> an<br />
enclos<strong>ed</strong> space where the market could be contain<strong>ed</strong>.<br />
The ‘Town Tower’ as it was then known,<br />
even had room for the town jail, on the first floor.<br />
This fine arrangement last<strong>ed</strong> for just over 100<br />
years. The agricultural recession around the turn<br />
of the last century l<strong>ed</strong> to a dwindling of stalls –<br />
the last to go was Chailey resident Richard Pannett’s<br />
flower stall, which was there until around<br />
1897, eventually being boot<strong>ed</strong> out by the rifle<br />
volunteers, who were renting the space.<br />
The aftermath of the First World War l<strong>ed</strong> to a<br />
surplus of small-time growers looking for an<br />
outlet for their wares, and a newly found<strong>ed</strong> organisation,<br />
committ<strong>ed</strong> to creating co-operative<br />
opportunities for the community, decid<strong>ed</strong> that<br />
<strong>Lewes</strong> was the ideal place to conduct a pioneering<br />
enterprise.<br />
The Women’s Institute explod<strong>ed</strong> into life in Britain<br />
during the First World War, and the tightly
photos of the first Wi market courtesy of Reeves<br />
knit co-operative nature of the new organisation<br />
was utilis<strong>ed</strong> by the government to help organise<br />
the ‘dig for victory’ campaign that help<strong>ed</strong> fe<strong>ed</strong><br />
the nation while the conflict rag<strong>ed</strong> across the<br />
channel and beyond. In 1918 a National F<strong>ed</strong>eration<br />
of WIs was form<strong>ed</strong>, and financ<strong>ed</strong> by the<br />
government to continue its work in peacetime.<br />
<strong>Lewes</strong>, a natural and historic market town, able<br />
to draw customers and producers from a large<br />
number of surrounding villages, was chosen as<br />
the venue for the first-ever WI produce market<br />
in England, and the now-empty Market Tower<br />
was the ideal location for the enterprise. The<br />
first market took place on December 14th, 1919,<br />
selling the wares of 12 local WIs. Lady Monk<br />
Bretton was president of the enterprise: the WI<br />
paid the Corporation of <strong>Lewes</strong> five shillings a<br />
week for rent of the space. Each contributor had<br />
to pay a penny of every shilling earn<strong>ed</strong> to the<br />
Sussex F<strong>ed</strong>eration of the WI, which more than<br />
cover<strong>ed</strong> costs. There were certain principles the<br />
market follow<strong>ed</strong>: the sale of goods was directly<br />
to the public; all the workers were voluntary; the<br />
producers became shareholders; and the market<br />
was open to everyone, however little they had<br />
brought to sell.<br />
L e w e s I N h I s t o r y<br />
The scope of the enterprise soon grew, and soon<br />
non-WI smallholders, including a number of exservicemen,<br />
were bringing produce to market.<br />
The idea took a while to catch on elsewhere, but<br />
catch on it did – by 1939 there were 70 WI markets<br />
in Britain; by 1944, when Britain was facing<br />
another <strong>food</strong> production crisis – there were 320.<br />
Today there are over 500 in operation.<br />
<strong>Lewes</strong>’ WI market ceas<strong>ed</strong> trading in the Market<br />
Tower in December 1991, due to a number of<br />
factors including high rent demands, a lack of<br />
new producers and the shift downhill of <strong>Lewes</strong><br />
shopping centre after the construction of the<br />
Precinct. A new home for the market was found<br />
in 1992 in Thomas a Becket Hall, and the market<br />
takes place every Friday, at 11am, selling the sort<br />
of wares we have come to associate with the WI:<br />
home-made cakes, jams, knitt<strong>ed</strong> garments.<br />
The Market Tower ground floor space has been<br />
little more than a p<strong>ed</strong>estrian thoroughfare since<br />
1991, guard<strong>ed</strong> by the watchful eye of Julian Bell’s<br />
painting of Tom Paine. It will be refreshing to<br />
witness it bursting once more with the colourful<br />
hubbub of a produce market, organis<strong>ed</strong> by Transition<br />
Town <strong>Lewes</strong>. The first market will take<br />
place between 9am and 1pm, Friday 9th <strong>July</strong>. AL<br />
2 1
Hilary Moore Flowers<br />
,<br />
• Fresh Cut Flowers, Bouquets,<br />
Hand-Ties and Arrangements<br />
• Plants<br />
• W<strong>ed</strong>ding, Party & Funeral Flowers<br />
• Interflora & Local Deliveries<br />
• Corporate Events & Contract Work<br />
• Champagne, Wine & Chocolates<br />
• Workshops<br />
• Dr Hauschka Skincare<br />
85 High Street <strong>Lewes</strong><br />
East Sussex BN7 1NX<br />
(01273) 480822<br />
www.hilarymooreflowers.co.uk
Images (left to right): Lindy Dunbar; Joseph Davey; Fiona Morrison<br />
Last month we told you about the blurry Polaroid<br />
world of Mike Hoban at Pelham House: until<br />
August 24th he will be sharing the walls of the upmarket<br />
hotel with a very different type of artist,<br />
Aberdonian Jonathan Smith, whose work rarely<br />
reflects the modern ravages of the 21st century.<br />
Jonathan was part-brought up in the Hebrides, and<br />
the rugg<strong>ed</strong> seascapes that form<strong>ed</strong> the backdrop<br />
to much of his childhood are reflect<strong>ed</strong> in much of<br />
his choice of subject matter –all waves crashing on<br />
jagg<strong>ed</strong> rocks, you-lookin’-at-me sheep, and sinewy<br />
fishermen in sou’wester hats. He’s a <strong>Lewes</strong> resident<br />
now, though, and the rather gentler landscapes of<br />
the south get a look-in, too. We recommend you<br />
pop into the hotel, if just to browse his work.<br />
There are a couple of collaborations at the Hop<br />
Gallery this month, starting off with mother and<br />
son duo Lindy Dunbar and Joseph Davey from<br />
3rd-15th. You might well have seen Lindy’s work<br />
before with the long-establish<strong>ed</strong> Star Group: she<br />
depicts the human form in pen, ink and watercolour<br />
with very sure line strokes which suggests the slight<br />
movement of the life model during the sketch, and<br />
brings them alive. Joseph is bas<strong>ed</strong> in Sw<strong>ed</strong>en; he<br />
works in oils playing with light and form, producing<br />
atmospheric landscapes.<br />
Next up in the gallery (17th-25th) is a collaboration<br />
between two Sussex artists, Jackie Hurwood and<br />
Janet R<strong>ed</strong>don. Jackie pr<strong>ed</strong>ominantly works in<br />
w w w. V I VA L e w e s . C o M<br />
art &ABOUT<br />
watercolours, producing traditional street scenes<br />
and landscapes. She sometimes takes you abroad;<br />
to Venice, for example, or New Orleans, though<br />
you don’t feel threaten<strong>ed</strong> by the journey. Janet is<br />
a watercolourist, too, who does still lifes as well as<br />
landscapes.<br />
The month ends (<strong>July</strong> 31st-Aug 12th) with an<br />
exhibition by Paul Bartholomew, who paints<br />
colourful geometrical forms on large canvases:<br />
his work adorns the walls of the Levy Centre, in<br />
Hackney. Mondrian, in the post-Letraset age,<br />
perhaps. More on him next month.<br />
We’ve featur<strong>ed</strong> Svetlana K-Lie’s sculpture<br />
‘Feathers’ on page 25. Her exhibition in <strong>Lewes</strong><br />
Little Theatre continues into <strong>July</strong>, and is well<br />
worth catching. Svetlana is a <strong>Lewes</strong> resident who<br />
divides her time between here, Paris (where she is<br />
an artist-in-residence at the Cité des Arts) and her<br />
native Moscow (where in 2004 she was award<strong>ed</strong> the<br />
Russian Sculptor Prize).<br />
Finally, we’ve been rather neglecting our friends at<br />
the Chalk Gallery recently. They’ve updat<strong>ed</strong> both<br />
their website and their modus operandi recently,<br />
inviting in guest artists and giving their ‘featur<strong>ed</strong><br />
artists’ more time on the walls. This month the<br />
spotlight in the latter category falls on the work of<br />
Fiona Morrison, a perspective-skewing landscape<br />
artist who applies a lovely patchwork quality to<br />
much of her work.<br />
A r t<br />
2 3
2 4<br />
presents a play by<br />
William Shakespeare<br />
20–24 <strong>July</strong> 2010, 19:30<br />
Southover Grange Gardens, <strong>Lewes</strong><br />
Tickets £10 and £8 (concessions) from<br />
www.thesynergytheatre.co.uk, <strong>Lewes</strong> Tourist<br />
Information Centre, or call 01273 479497
What’s it made of? Bronze and glass.<br />
How much is it going for? £24,000.<br />
Can you tell us about the inspiration behind the piece? I was in Kurdish Iraq in a town call<strong>ed</strong> Arbil<br />
and I was told about their religion which involv<strong>ed</strong> a holy bird – the peacock. I’ve always lik<strong>ed</strong> that<br />
beautiful creature, so I play<strong>ed</strong> around with a lot of ideas for this sculpture. In the end I us<strong>ed</strong> these glass<br />
juicy fruits to represent the eyes in the feathers of the bird.<br />
Where did you create the piece? I do all my sculpture in Moscow, though I live in <strong>Lewes</strong>. I had it<br />
transport<strong>ed</strong> here in a lorry, via Paris, where I have another studio – I’m an artist-in-residence in the Cité<br />
des Arts. The French are crazy about art, and they support it in a lot of different ways.<br />
How long did it take to complete? About six months. Sculpture involves a lot of technical processes,<br />
which take a lot of time, like casting, and polishing.<br />
What do you wear when you’re working? A bikini. When I’m working I work in complete solitude and<br />
really become fully immers<strong>ed</strong> in the activity. I want my body to become at one with the spirituality of the<br />
process: the smells, the textures, the form, the shapes. It’s important not to wear any clothes.<br />
What other artists have influenc<strong>ed</strong> this piece? None. I come from a poor background in Russia<br />
where I didn’t learn a lot about art. When I won the Best Russian Sculptor award there in 2004, people<br />
kept saying “it looks like a Giacometti!” I kept asking myself ‘who is this Giacometti?’ I decid<strong>ed</strong> that the<br />
first thing I would do with my prize money was get a flight to Paris and find out. I like his stuff: it’s very<br />
spiritual and deep. But it didn’t influence my work. It all comes from within myself.<br />
What’s your favourite gallery? It’s the same story with galleries. I haven’t much experience of them. I’m<br />
too busy cooking, or making sculptures.<br />
What picture would you hang from a desert island palm tree? A very minimalist calligraphic design.<br />
A single black line on a white background. Something simple which would give space to my imagination.<br />
Svetlana’s Feathers will be exhibit<strong>ed</strong> at Artists Unit<strong>ed</strong>, The Foundry, 9th-11th <strong>July</strong><br />
w w w. V I VA L e w e s . C o M<br />
focus on...<br />
Svetlana K-Lie’s ‘feathers’ (1.2 by 1.17 metres)<br />
A r t<br />
2 5
Images (left to right): Lucinka soucek; trish Macourt; Peter Chasseaud; David Lucas;<br />
Football and art make strange b<strong>ed</strong>fellows, but<br />
these two different ends of <strong>Lewes</strong>’ cultural<br />
spectrum have got it together for a cracking<br />
weekend of activities.<br />
<strong>Lewes</strong> is well known to be full of high-level<br />
artists, and the organisers of the festival ask<strong>ed</strong><br />
40 top-notch painters, printers, photographers,<br />
illustrators and sculptors to provide a work of art,<br />
to be exhibit<strong>ed</strong> in The Foundry Gallery, between<br />
<strong>July</strong> 9th and 11th (the weekend of the climax of<br />
the World Cup). The money rais<strong>ed</strong> by the event<br />
will go to a new venture: <strong>Lewes</strong> Community<br />
Football Club, a plan to turn our local football<br />
club into a sustainable, transparent, communityrun<br />
organization.<br />
Not wanting to put the artists in a difficult space,<br />
the organisers (including <strong>Viva</strong> <strong>Lewes</strong>) didn’t ask<br />
for a donat<strong>ed</strong> work. To ensure a high level of entry,<br />
they made sure those offering artworks would<br />
receive the sort of return on any sale they might<br />
expect from a gallery.<br />
The entries have been spectacular, with some fine<br />
pieces brought in by the aristocracy of the local<br />
scene: the likes of Peter Messer, Julian Bell, Roger<br />
(‘Yes’) Dean, Tom Hammick, Marco Crivello,<br />
Nick Bodimeade and Svetlana K-Lie have all<br />
contribut<strong>ed</strong>, among far too many other names to<br />
list here.<br />
Of course, this has l<strong>ed</strong> to a wide diversity of work:<br />
from thick-brush<strong>ed</strong> impressionism to minimalist<br />
naïve, from turquoise fields to arctic pianos, from<br />
w w w. V I VA L e w e s . C o M<br />
ARTISTS UNITED<br />
Beautiful art meets the beautiful game<br />
A r t & F o o t b A L L<br />
stormy seascapes to colourful robots. If there’s a<br />
connecting theme it’s ‘community’, as the artists<br />
have all shown their community spirit to join in a<br />
cause which is aim<strong>ed</strong> at turning the football club<br />
into a community-own<strong>ed</strong> entity.<br />
There’s a wide diversity of prices, too, for those<br />
wishing to purchase something (understanding<br />
45% of the sale, after admin costs, will go to the<br />
football venture). Certain limit<strong>ed</strong>-<strong>ed</strong>ition prints<br />
are selling for as little as £25; the biggest sculpture<br />
in the show, by Svetlana K-Lie, is going for a<br />
rather more wallet-lightening £24,000. (As with all<br />
such exhibitions, of course, there is absolutely no<br />
obligation to buy).<br />
There will also be plenty of information on the<br />
details of this new initiative for <strong>Lewes</strong> FC, as<br />
well as a display of archive material to put the<br />
propos<strong>ed</strong> 2010 version of the club on the historical<br />
map. There will be Rooks merchandise and other<br />
paraphernalia for sale, too, and plenty of activities<br />
for every age, including a kids’ art workshop<br />
on Saturday afternoon, and a screening of Ken<br />
Loach’s ‘Looking For Eric’ on Friday night (see<br />
page 41). Also exhibiting will be Young Artists<br />
Unit<strong>ed</strong>, the creative responses of young people to<br />
the artists living in their community. The art event<br />
of the year? You bet. Not to be miss<strong>ed</strong>.<br />
Artists Unit<strong>ed</strong>, Foundry Gallery, open to the public<br />
Friday 9th (10-5pm) Sat 10th (10-5pm) and Sun 11th<br />
(11-3pm). Free entry.<br />
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focus on...<br />
Marco Crivello’s<br />
‘Approach’<br />
(16.5cm x 16.5cm)<br />
M<strong>ed</strong>ia… Oils and Dutch gold<br />
leaf on board.<br />
How long did it take to paint<br />
it? The pieces are all improvis<strong>ed</strong>,<br />
which mean they evolve out of an<br />
accumulation of processes, which<br />
goes on for months often with<br />
the pieces hovering around the<br />
periphery of my vision waiting,<br />
as it were, for their moment. I speak about this in more detail in a short film that was made about my<br />
working processes on the website (marcocrivello.co.uk).<br />
What’s it going for? £950.<br />
Is it ‘abstract’? I’m fascinat<strong>ed</strong> by what paint does, the juxtaposition of formal elements, a thick impasto<br />
brushmark against a pool of thinn<strong>ed</strong> colour, in that sense the job of painting is essentially abstract. But,<br />
importantly for the viewer, does calling it abstract or figurative significantly alter their response? If so<br />
why? That’s a much more interesting line of enquiry to me.<br />
Did you have a good idea of what it was going to look like when you first start<strong>ed</strong> working on it?<br />
Not a clue.<br />
Is that real gold? No, Dutch gold leaf, a copper – tin amalgam that oxidises and patinates.<br />
Which artists are your major influences? Turner and Rembrandt.<br />
What would a detractor say about this piece? Lazy.<br />
And a fan? Inspir<strong>ed</strong>.<br />
What do you wear to paint? The same clothes for too long.<br />
Where do you work? Station Street.<br />
What’s the biggest pain about being an artist? Painting yourself into a corner.<br />
And the greatest joy? Letting go and flying out of that corner.<br />
What do you think of the Turner Prize? They derid<strong>ed</strong> Turner as a madman, time’s the best judge.<br />
What’s your favourite gallery? Four Square Fine Arts – my wife’s gallery, of course.<br />
Which painting would you hang from your desert island palm tree? Rembrandt’s last self portrait.<br />
Marco’s ‘Approach’ will be exhibit<strong>ed</strong> at Artists Unit<strong>ed</strong>, The Foundry, 9th-11th <strong>July</strong><br />
w w w. V I VA L e w e s . C o M<br />
A r t<br />
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TOM PAINE: THE MOVIE<br />
Martin Scorcese’s miss<strong>ed</strong> a trick<br />
Photos: Christine hall<br />
On <strong>July</strong> 4th, American Independence Day, a statue<br />
of Tom Paine by Marcus Cornish will be unveil<strong>ed</strong><br />
outside <strong>Lewes</strong> library (see page 17). This will<br />
be follow<strong>ed</strong> by a screening of a new film about<br />
Tom Paine’s time in <strong>Lewes</strong>. I meet director, Mick<br />
Hawksworth, and the person playing Tom Paine,<br />
Simon Hellyer, in the <strong>Lewes</strong> Arms to ask how the<br />
film came about.<br />
The film, I’m told, is the legacy of the Chief<br />
Executive of <strong>Lewes</strong> District, John Crawford, who is<br />
about to retire. Crawford commission<strong>ed</strong> Christine<br />
Hall of Artemis Arts and Mick to make a film about<br />
Tom Paine in <strong>Lewes</strong>, to accompany the statue<br />
unveiling. “I didn’t want to make a stills-driven<br />
documentary so I wrote a screenplay and got local<br />
people to act in it,” he tells me.<br />
The film begins with Paine’s arrival in <strong>Lewes</strong> in<br />
1768 and covers the period when he wrote and<br />
distribut<strong>ed</strong> his first political work, The Case of the<br />
Officer of Excise, a pamphlet print<strong>ed</strong> in an <strong>ed</strong>ition<br />
of 4,000. We see him getting marri<strong>ed</strong> to Elizabeth<br />
Ollive and writing satirical pieces for the local paper.<br />
Then it all goes wrong, Elizabeth is unhappy, as are<br />
the wealthy people he is satirising. “In short,” says<br />
Mick “the man was a professional pisser-offer.”<br />
So how have they manag<strong>ed</strong> to represent late 18th<br />
century <strong>Lewes</strong>? “We haven’t,” Mick replies. “The<br />
costumes and settings are contemporary. It <strong>opens</strong><br />
with Tom stepping off the train at <strong>Lewes</strong> Station!”<br />
Mick went along to see She Stoops to Conquer at<br />
the <strong>Lewes</strong> Little Theatre. “I saw Simon,” Mick says,<br />
“and thought he would make a great Tom Paine.”<br />
w w w. V I VA L e w e s . C o M<br />
t o M PA I N e<br />
It so happens Simon and I are friends from our<br />
university days. Although his day job is clinical<br />
psychologist, he was once the unassuming star<br />
of DramSoc, and I later saw him in an Oscarnominat<strong>ed</strong><br />
short, It’s Good to Talk, alongside<br />
Martin Clunes and Steven Mackintosh.<br />
We go along to Mick’s office in the Star Brewery to<br />
see a rough cut of the film, which is around 15/20<br />
minutes long. “We had to shoot it in two days,”<br />
Mick tells me. Simon is a splendid Tom Paine, and<br />
the wonderfully cast double-act of Julian Bell and<br />
Merlin Milner, playing spies, is excellent. Lots of<br />
other familiar faces can be spott<strong>ed</strong>, both acting and<br />
in crowd scenes, including Miles Jenner and Paul<br />
Myles. John Crawford gets a line too.<br />
Bull House interiors are shot in Mick’s house, and<br />
the <strong>Lewes</strong> Arms, White Hart and 197 are also<br />
us<strong>ed</strong> to good effect. It’s fun spotting local <strong>Lewes</strong><br />
characters in situ. There are also many familiar<br />
external locations, such as Pells Pond, the Castle<br />
Bowling Green, Harveys Brewery and St Michael’s<br />
Church (us<strong>ed</strong> to show Paine’s w<strong>ed</strong>ding). They were<br />
clearly lucky, weatherwise.<br />
There is one intriguing story about Paine’s time in<br />
<strong>Lewes</strong> that didn’t make it into the film – the rumour<br />
that in order to get divorc<strong>ed</strong> from Elizabeth, Paine<br />
may have been forc<strong>ed</strong> to prove his impotence by<br />
looking at Chinese porn in a basement in the High<br />
Street. “It’s a great tale, but just too complicat<strong>ed</strong> for<br />
us to drop in,” Mick tells me. Emma Chaplin<br />
Tom Paine in <strong>Lewes</strong> will premier at the All Saints<br />
Centre, Friar’s Walk, Sunday 4th <strong>July</strong>, around 2pm.<br />
3 1
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PELLS POOL PARTY<br />
Groovy times are here again<br />
P o o L PA r t y<br />
The glam rock cover band Tongue and Groove, featuring stunttastic<br />
frontman Phil Rhodes, are returning to the Pells Pool to<br />
headline another family-friendly charity bash.<br />
Tongue and Groove have to be seen to be believ<strong>ed</strong>, and even then<br />
you won’t believe it. All five band members are dress<strong>ed</strong> to the<br />
nines, but it’s Rhodes who grabs most of the attention: tottering<br />
onto the stage in platform heels, wearing a glitter suit and an<br />
enormous orange wig, he sexpots his way through an uninhibit<strong>ed</strong><br />
singalong repertoire of classic groove-ting<strong>ed</strong> numbers from the<br />
60s to the noughties (Honky Tonk Women, I’m a Believer, Jean Genie, I Pr<strong>ed</strong>ict a Riot). Then, usually,<br />
he does something even more daftly gape-causing: last year he finish<strong>ed</strong> off his last song swimming a<br />
length of the pool, which he’d just div<strong>ed</strong> into, wig, suit, boots and all.<br />
There’s a bar and a burger bar, the kids can swim in the pool (and the adults too, if that’s their wont), and<br />
there’s plenty more to keep you entertain<strong>ed</strong>, besides. Or, as the T&G blurb has it: family, fun, frolics, bar,<br />
bathing, BBQ. Rhodes promises, if you’ve seen it all before, ‘a fresh new funky ska twist’ to his set. We’re<br />
helping to arrange this event, and we warn you, if last year is anything to go by, tickets will sell out fast.<br />
All profits go to a brilliant cause: the Pells Pool itself. See you there?<br />
<strong>July</strong> 17th, Pells Pool, 7pm, Tickets £5 adults, £2 kids, £12 2-adult-2-kid combo, in advance from Laporte’s<br />
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3 3
2ND PELLS POOL<br />
MIDSUMMER SKINNY-DIP<br />
Steve Watts bares all<br />
N A K e D<br />
Changing tent courtesy of Gardener & Cook<br />
I’ve swum nak<strong>ed</strong> plenty of times before,<br />
mostly on holiday and in the sea, and really<br />
enjoy the feeling of water against my skin. So<br />
when I heard about the first Pells skinny-dip<br />
last year, my girlfriend and I decid<strong>ed</strong> to go<br />
along to support the event. We ne<strong>ed</strong><strong>ed</strong> a bit of<br />
Dutch courage, so we had a drink beforehand,<br />
and we took along a picnic and some wine. It<br />
was a sunny evening, but a bit chilly. Quite a<br />
few people turn<strong>ed</strong> up, some families, mostly<br />
adults, and I’d say a lot of them were season<strong>ed</strong><br />
naturists. You could tell because they didn’t have<br />
a problem with not knowing where to look,<br />
unlike Phil the (cloth<strong>ed</strong>) pool manager who kept<br />
his eyes determin<strong>ed</strong>ly up at all times. I start<strong>ed</strong><br />
off feeling self-conscious, especially around<br />
other men, but it eventually felt normal. The<br />
nudity wasn’t erotic. I kept my shorts on until<br />
we went into the pool. The only funny thing<br />
was the guys who lit the barbecue nak<strong>ed</strong>, which<br />
look<strong>ed</strong> dangerous to me. Overall, it was an<br />
enjoyable thing to do, and definitely a different<br />
kind of Saturday night!<br />
Clothes-optional outdoor swim and picnic, Sat<br />
3rd <strong>July</strong> 7.30-10.30pm, Pells Pool, Brook Street.<br />
Tickets £5 on door, £3 in advance from Laporte’s.<br />
Enquiries: skinny_dip_pells@onetel.com. Bring<br />
your own drink and <strong>food</strong> to barbeque. Alcohol<br />
permitt<strong>ed</strong>. Proce<strong>ed</strong>s to Brighton Nak<strong>ed</strong> Bike Ride<br />
and relat<strong>ed</strong> events. No photography.<br />
3 5
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LEWES LIVE<br />
The Little Theatre goes pro (am)<br />
You might remember the play In Lambeth<br />
put on at the Little Theatre during the Tom<br />
Paine Festival. It was written by actor Jack<br />
Shepherd (best known for his 90s TV role as<br />
the lugubrious Cornish detective Wycliffe)<br />
and the production was the result of a<br />
successful collaboration between Shepherd,<br />
Neil Sheppeck, and LLT artistic director,<br />
Victoria Thompson.<br />
Shepherd has recently been back to the<br />
theatre offering acting workshops, and this<br />
summer, all three are going to work together<br />
again for ‘<strong>Lewes</strong> Live’, a trio of plays using<br />
a mixture of both professional and amateur<br />
actors and backstage staff.<br />
Director Neil Sheppeck gets things going<br />
with A Taste of Honey, and also oversees<br />
the last of the three plays, The Picture of<br />
Dorian Gray, in August. In between, Victoria<br />
Thompson is directing an Edward Albee play,<br />
The Lady from Dubuque (pronounc<strong>ed</strong> to<br />
rhyme with ‘rebuke’ I’m told).<br />
I speak to Neil, who describes working<br />
with the Little Theatre amateurs as a ‘very<br />
exciting and enjoyable’ process. His Love and<br />
Madness theatre company recently tour<strong>ed</strong><br />
with a successful production of this play, and<br />
he is using the same lead actor, Sarah Jane<br />
Holt, to play Jo.<br />
A Taste of Honey was written by Shelagh<br />
Delaney at the age of 19. Set in Salford in the<br />
1950s, it tells the story of a seventeen-yearold<br />
working-class girl, Jo and her difficult<br />
relationship with her mother, Helen, who<br />
is sexually indiscriminate and neglectful of<br />
her daughter. Jo befriends Jimmy, a black<br />
sailor, play<strong>ed</strong> in Neil Sheppeck’s production<br />
by professional actor Sibusiso Mamba. Their<br />
w w w. V I VA L e w e s . C o M<br />
t h e At r e<br />
‘taste of honey’ leads to more problems than it might do<br />
today.<br />
First produc<strong>ed</strong> in 1958, the play address<strong>ed</strong> hitherto<br />
unacknowl<strong>ed</strong>g<strong>ed</strong> issues of class, race, gender and sexuality,<br />
becoming part of the realist ‘kitchen sink’ genre that<br />
revolutionis<strong>ed</strong> British theatre. A Taste of Honey was<br />
adapt<strong>ed</strong> into an award-winning film of the same title in<br />
1961, and Morrissey was later a fan of the story. The Smiths<br />
us<strong>ed</strong> Delaney’s photo on the album cover artwork for<br />
Louder Than Bombs.<br />
For the <strong>Lewes</strong> Little Theatre production, Neil tells me he’s<br />
employ<strong>ed</strong> a professional local set designer, and she has put<br />
a rake on the stage. He explains: “the stage rises up at the<br />
back, creating an appropriately claustrophobic atmosphere,<br />
since the play is set inside a flat.” He wasn’t sure how the<br />
Little Theatre set builders would feel about being ask<strong>ed</strong><br />
to do this, as well as creating walls that angle inwards, but<br />
he tells me “they were great. And having different levels<br />
works well in all three plays, as the attic in Dorian Gray for<br />
example.”<br />
For the first time, tickets for all the plays can be purchas<strong>ed</strong><br />
directly by members of the public; you no longer have to<br />
buy them via a theatre member. Emma Chaplin<br />
<strong>Lewes</strong> Little Theatre, Lancaster Street, Taste of Honey,<br />
8-17 <strong>July</strong>. The Lady from Dubuque 23-31 <strong>July</strong>. Evening<br />
performances 7.45pm. Sat matinees start 2.45pm. Tickets £10.<br />
Box office: 01273 474826<br />
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SOUNDWAVE<br />
Tune in to the youth of today<br />
F e s t I VA L<br />
The week-long fifth <strong>Lewes</strong> District Council<br />
audio arts festival, Soundwave 2010, has a<br />
change of focus this year. In previous <strong>ed</strong>itions,<br />
the emphasis has been on music, but this year<br />
there is a shift to the spoken word.<br />
Organiser Steve Franklin tells us that, for the<br />
next three years, Soundwave is being run by<br />
the Youth Development Service and the target<br />
audience is now 13-19 year olds. There are<br />
four concerts, including the grand opening at<br />
Newhaven Fort on <strong>July</strong> 24th (7-9.30pm), and<br />
the alternative Leftfield Night at the All Saints<br />
Centre, on Friday 30th <strong>July</strong> (7.30pm to 10pm).<br />
Lots of local young bands will be playing,<br />
including Prince Harry, Unstable, The Offbeats,<br />
Ruby Rose, Nameless Dreams, Stormbird,<br />
Sweet Addiction, and Hamilton Yarns. The<br />
festival also includes numerous workshops.<br />
Mark Hewitt of <strong>Lewes</strong> Live Lit is also putting<br />
on a two day writing workshop at the Bus<br />
Garage. Musician/songwriter Sam Walker (son<br />
of <strong>Lewes</strong> artist, Tom Walker) is leading a music/<br />
storytelling workshop.<br />
Other workshops include: drums, guitar, band,<br />
samba, sound engineering, radio presenting,<br />
beat-boxing and drama. Most take place in<br />
Priory School, and the cost is £2 (samba and<br />
banner-making are free). Recordings of the<br />
radio plays, concerts and workshop interviews<br />
will be broadcast over the internet during a<br />
48-hour Soundwave Special on Jellyfish Radio<br />
7th/8th August.<br />
A brochure together with booking details is<br />
available online at the connexions360 site (www.<br />
connexions360.org/soundwave).<br />
3 9
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Summer<br />
at Middle Farm<br />
Monkey and ‘raffe are happy because they went to Middle Farm.<br />
Bear is cross because he didn’t. Cheer up T<strong>ed</strong>…we’re open every<br />
day with lots of cows and sheep and goats and llamas and horses<br />
and chickens and stuff, and there’s always loads to do. Come to<br />
Middle Farm and make your bear smile.<br />
Open Farm admission: still only £3 per person with under 3’s free<br />
We are situat<strong>ed</strong> on the main A27 <strong>Lewes</strong> to Eastbourne road,<br />
Between the villages of Firle and Selmeston.<br />
MIDDLE FARM FIRLE, LEWES, EAST SUSSEX, BN8 6LJ<br />
telephone 01323 811411 www.<strong>mid</strong>dlefarm.com
LooKinG<br />
For Eric<br />
Loach and Cantona<br />
- what a team<br />
The four-day festival of football and culture at the<br />
Foundry, Artists Unit<strong>ed</strong> (see page 27) includes a<br />
screening of one of the best football-relat<strong>ed</strong> films<br />
ever made, Ken Loach’s Looking For Eric (8pm,<br />
Friday <strong>July</strong> 9th).<br />
The festival aims to raise funds for <strong>Lewes</strong><br />
Community Football Club, the group which<br />
is planning to r<strong>ed</strong>irect the emphasis of the<br />
management of <strong>Lewes</strong> FC, whereby it becomes a<br />
community-run entity.<br />
The film has been carefully select<strong>ed</strong> because Loach<br />
is a supporter of Bath City, a club who start<strong>ed</strong> last<br />
season in the same league as <strong>Lewes</strong> FC, and the<br />
director recently spoke at the Supporters’ Direct<br />
Annual Conference, an organization which endorses<br />
this revolutionary manner of running football teams.<br />
The Artists Unit<strong>ed</strong> organizers are hoping Loach will<br />
appear at the event, to partake in a question-andanswer<br />
session, before the screening: we’ll let you<br />
know if this is firm<strong>ed</strong> up in our sister publication<br />
www.vivalewes.com.<br />
Loach the director is in much lighter mood than<br />
normal with this sweet-side-of-bittersweet drama.<br />
Eric Bishop (Steve Evets) is a Man-Unit<strong>ed</strong>supporting<br />
postman in the depths of a <strong>mid</strong>-life<br />
crisis. Twice divorc<strong>ed</strong>, still in love with his first wife,<br />
and hook<strong>ed</strong> on too much marijuana for his own<br />
good, he ne<strong>ed</strong>s some help. And, just-comme-ça, it<br />
arrives – in the shape of his hero, Eric Cantona, the<br />
former Unit<strong>ed</strong> forward (nicknam<strong>ed</strong> ‘God’ in his<br />
w w w. V I VA L e w e s . C o M<br />
C I N e M A<br />
time at Old Trafford) who arrives on the scene to do<br />
a bit of life-coaching. Cantona, play<strong>ed</strong> by lui-même<br />
(Loach’s joke not ours) helps his awe-struck fan back<br />
on track by teaching him trumpet, divulging plenty<br />
of homespun philosophy, and influencing him to<br />
drink r<strong>ed</strong> wine instead of strong lager.<br />
It’s a curious concept, but one that has, by and<br />
large, gone down well with critics. Most films which<br />
cover football don’t work, because a script<strong>ed</strong> drama<br />
can rarely produce the sort of unplann<strong>ed</strong> thrills<br />
and spills a contest between two teams throws up.<br />
Football is, per se, unscript<strong>ed</strong>, so ‘football films’<br />
which work are generally those which don’t take<br />
you pitchside, or if they do, not as a central part of<br />
the plot.<br />
The film, of course, has been specially tailor<strong>ed</strong><br />
for its main star, and Cantona – one of the most<br />
extraordinary, eccentric, and unpr<strong>ed</strong>ictable<br />
characters to grace the modern game - plays<br />
himself quite beautifully. Which is to say, quite<br />
enigmatically. When the seagulls follow a trawler,<br />
after all, it is because they think sardines will be<br />
thrown into the sea. Unfortunately there are no<br />
plans for the Frenchman to attend the screening in<br />
the former ironworks, but there’s plenty more offscreen<br />
events for film-goers to enjoy, including an<br />
art exhibition featuring 40 of the very best locally<br />
bas<strong>ed</strong> artists, information about <strong>Lewes</strong> FC’s history<br />
and the transition bid, and a bar serving wine,<br />
Harveys and soft drinks. Alex Leith<br />
4 1
HIGHLIGHTS<br />
D I A r y D At e s<br />
Fri 2nd and Sat 3rd. Theatre – Swinging Sixties. Derek Watts and James Firth take you back for a<br />
singalong of songs from the period between the lifting of the Chatterley ban and the Beatles’ last LP.<br />
<strong>Lewes</strong> Little Theatre, 474826 for more details<br />
Sat 3rd. Open Garden. Ringmer Park <strong>opens</strong> up its six-acre garden to the public to raise funds for the<br />
League of Friends of Victoria Hospital. There’s a hot garden, a rose garden, and a rose-cover<strong>ed</strong> pergola.<br />
2-5pm, £5, U-12 kids free<br />
Sat 3rd. Hollywood R<strong>ed</strong> Carpet. The Eastgate extravaganza – an evening of burlesque and cabaret, including<br />
trapeze, fire-eating, unicycle and live rock. Not to forget a very special appearance from the latest<br />
007: ‘the grey’ Bond, pole-dancing in a tux<strong>ed</strong>o, surround<strong>ed</strong> by the usual bevy of scantily clad lovelies.<br />
All in a new venue – the Bus Station Garage, opposite Waitrose. 7.30pm, £17 on night or £15 (including<br />
free cocktail) in advance from various outlets including Laporte’s<br />
Sat 3rd, Sun 4th. Or, if you’d rather, it’s the Kingston WI’s 90th anniversary and they’re celebrating<br />
with a two-day flower festival in the village’s lovely Norman church. There might be a cake or two for<br />
sale, too. There’s a gala concert by the Ashdown Singers at 7.30pm on the Saturday.<br />
Sun 4th. An unmissable event in <strong>Lewes</strong>’ summer social calendar as Tony Benn unveils Marcus Cornish’s<br />
statue of Tom Paine. There’s a mummers’ play, and a 20-minute film about Paine’s time in <strong>Lewes</strong>. 11am,<br />
<strong>Lewes</strong> Library<br />
Tues 6th. Knots of May. <strong>Lewes</strong>’ all-woman morris team do their clogs-and-garland thang at the John<br />
Harvey Tavern. 8pm<br />
Thurs 8th. Cheese and wine do. A new-start get-together for the over 50s. Ringmer Village, 8pm, £5 –<br />
ring Dee (07703106646) or Emma (07939595071) for more information<br />
Sat 10th. Starfish in the Park. The big one, for the dynamic <strong>Lewes</strong> District youth music group, a fab<br />
festival where over 20 bands will be playing live in the Paddock. (473388)
JULY<br />
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HIGHLIGHTS<br />
D I A r y D At e s<br />
Sat 17th. <strong>Lewes</strong> Societies Fair. Check out potential extra-curricular hobbies. 40-odd societies are<br />
represent<strong>ed</strong> covering crafts, music, history, sport and much more. Alas no Doll’s House or Conan Doyle<br />
Society this time, but plenty more from the quirky to the downright how-could-we-do-without-them.<br />
Any donations to the League of Friends of <strong>Lewes</strong> Victoria Hospital. Town Hall, 10am-2pm, free<br />
Sat 17th. Live Swing Jazz. Brighton boogie play Glenn Miller and other classics from the wartime era.<br />
Won’t you choo-choo me home? Newhaven Fort, 7.30pm, £9.00 from Fort shop or call 01273 517622<br />
to book<br />
Sat 17th. Rail Trail Walk. The <strong>Lewes</strong>-Uckfield line’s been clos<strong>ed</strong> for decades, but you can walk much<br />
of the old track. Meet 10.30am at Uckfield station for a 10-mile, six-and-a-half-hour walk, with a lunch<br />
break at Isfield. Donations welcome<br />
Sat 17th. <strong>Lewes</strong> Sings Gospel. Karen Gibson, winner of a recent Songs of Praise gospel competition,<br />
directs this choir (‘who aren’t necessarily all Christians’) in Southover Church every week, and here’s<br />
the fruit of her efforts. The first concert in the Town Hall saw over 200 get through the snow and ice<br />
for their performance. Southover Church, 7.30pm, £7 (inc drink) from 470447<br />
Sun 18th. Catch as Catch Can. Early-music graduates play Renaissance harp, flute, lute and voice<br />
performing Giovanni Bassano, etc. All Saints (small hall), £5 from Laporte’s or 07972-591802<br />
Tue 20th-Sat 24th. Twelfth Night. Synergy Theatre perform Shakespeare’s com<strong>ed</strong>y, with the Grange<br />
Gardens doubling up as Illyria for the night. If music… and all that jazz. 7.30pm, £10/£8 from Tourist<br />
Info/or call 479497<br />
W<strong>ed</strong> 21st-Sat 24th. Theatre: Romeo and Juliet. The Brighton Little Theatre lot do their annual<br />
alfresco show. Where? The Gun Garden, in front of the castle keep. Wherefore? Just because. Gates<br />
open 6.15pm for picnics, with performances starting at 7.15pm. £12/£10 from Castle or 01273 777748<br />
Sat 24th. Pells Pool Party. Southover Bonfire Society’s annual fundraising bash, with music from The<br />
Contenders and the Kondoms
G I G G u I D e<br />
jULY DAY-BY-DAY LISTINGS<br />
THUR 1ST<br />
Bayou Seco. New Mexicans with a Cajun twang.<br />
Royal Oak. 8pm, £6.00<br />
David Celia Band. Canadian singer/songwriter on<br />
a UK tour. Snowdrop, 9pm, free<br />
Dunia Duo. Arabic and Gypsy flamenco. Pelham<br />
Arms, 8.30pm, free<br />
FRI 2ND<br />
The Big Blue. London-bas<strong>ed</strong> Blues. Con Club,<br />
8pm, £3 non members<br />
Rubber Band, Powerhouse female vocals and tasteful<br />
sax. Volunteer, 9pm, free<br />
John-Paul Miller. Acoustic pop. John Harvey<br />
Tavern, 9pm, free<br />
SAT 3RD<br />
Dates. Boring Bob (from the Piranhas) with The<br />
Orphans and DJ Digitalis. Con Club, 8pm, £4 non<br />
members<br />
Chicken Sh<strong>ed</strong> Zeppelin. Bluegrass with attitude.<br />
Snowdrop, 9pm, free<br />
Band of 2. Good-time Celtic music. John Harvey<br />
Tavern, 9pm, free<br />
SUN 4TH<br />
Ray Owen. Covers. Con Club, 3pm, free<br />
Chris Dollimore. Singer/songwriter from Kent.<br />
Volunteer, 4pm, free<br />
MON 5TH<br />
Heaseman, Seabrook and Eberhard. Jazz at the<br />
Snowdrop, 9pm, free<br />
TUES 6TH<br />
Folk music group. Tba. John Harvey Tavern, 9pm<br />
free<br />
WED 7TH<br />
Ben Paley & Tab Hunter. Folk, acoustic and roots.<br />
Snowdrop, 9pm, free<br />
Jazz in the John Harvey Tavern. 9pm free<br />
THUR 8TH<br />
Reg Meuross. The remarkable singer/songwriter,<br />
last seen with Hank Wangford. Royal Oak, 8pm,<br />
£6.00<br />
Ultraswing Duo. Reinhardt-infus<strong>ed</strong> gypsy swing.<br />
Pelham Arms, 8.30pm, free<br />
FRI 9TH<br />
Turncoat + Anagrams + Spoken Spires, The Con<br />
Club, £3 non members<br />
Nigel Bagge. Hard-hitting blues. Volunteer, 9pm,<br />
free<br />
SAT 10TH<br />
The Djangonauts. Gypsy jazz. Snowdrop, 9pm,<br />
free<br />
Alter Ego. Covers. John Harvey Tavern, 9pm, free<br />
SUN 11TH<br />
Stefan Lindon. Eclectic ragtime pianist. Con Club,<br />
3pm, free<br />
Pinch of Salt. Volunteer, 4pm, free<br />
Harmony Glen. ‘Dutch courage’ Irish music. John<br />
Harvey Tavern, 9pm, free<br />
MON 12TH<br />
Jazz: Brian Tewson (harmonica) with Terry Seabrook<br />
(piano). Snowdrop, 9pm, free<br />
WED 14TH<br />
Ben Paley & Tab Hunter. Snowdrop, 9pm, free<br />
Jazz at the John Harvey Tavern. 9pm free<br />
THUR 15TH<br />
The Other Band. Marilyn, Iris and Gary. Royal<br />
Oak, 8pm, £6.00<br />
Tudo Bem! From Bossa Nova to Samba Funk.<br />
Pelham Arms, 8.30pm, free<br />
FRI 16TH<br />
Touchstone. Female-front<strong>ed</strong> folk/rock band. Con<br />
Club, 8pm £tba<br />
Shauna Parker. Laid-back country. Volunteer, 9pm,<br />
free<br />
SAT 17TH<br />
Toby Barelli aka King Size Slim. Fat Roots, Boogie<br />
Blues. Snowdrop, 9pm, free<br />
Moonshine. Sultry blues to rock ‘n’ roll. John<br />
Harvey Tavern, 9pm, free<br />
SUN 18TH<br />
Tab Hunter and Ben Paley, R<strong>ed</strong> hot trad fiddle and<br />
guitar. Con Club, 3pm, free<br />
Priory St Stardust. Volunteer, 4pm, free<br />
MON 19TH<br />
Tony Lewis (singer/guitarist) with Ian Price (sax)<br />
and Nigel Thomas (bass). Snowdrop, 9pm, free<br />
WED 21ST<br />
Ben Paley & Tab Hunter. Snowdrop, 9pm, free<br />
Jazz at the John Harvey Tavern. 9pm free<br />
THUR 22ND<br />
Karen Ryan, Pete Quinn and Brona McVittie on<br />
fiddle, harp and piano. Royal Oak, 8pm, £6.00<br />
Four Legs Good. Fiddle and accordion. Pelham<br />
Arms, 8.30pm, free<br />
>>>
jULY DAY-BY-DAY LISTINGS<br />
FRI 23RD<br />
Hartless a rip roaring tribute to Thin Lizzy and<br />
Gary Moore, The Con Club, £tba<br />
Full House, Rock covers band. Volunteer, 9pm,<br />
free<br />
SAT 24TH<br />
The Straw Dogs. Celtic folk rock. The Snowdrop,<br />
9pm, free<br />
SUN 25TH<br />
Hanna and the Angels of Elsewhere, Brighton<br />
songstress and supporting musicians. The Con<br />
Club, from 3pm, free<br />
John Crampton, Slide guitar and mouth harp oneman<br />
whirlwind. Volunteer, 4pm, free<br />
MON 26TH<br />
Jazz: Julian Nicholas (sax) with Terry Seabrook<br />
(piano). The Snowdrop, 9pm, free<br />
WED 28TH<br />
Folk, acoustic & roots session with Ben Paley &<br />
Tab Hunter. The Snowdrop, 9pm, free<br />
Jazz at the John Harvey Tavern. 9pm free<br />
G I G G u I D e<br />
THUR 29TH<br />
Folk at the Royal Oak end of season open night.<br />
All performers welcome, Royal Oak, 8pm, free<br />
Harry’s Tricks. Vintage swing with rat-scat vocals<br />
and jitterbug guitar. Pelham Arms, 8.30pm, free<br />
FRI 30TH<br />
Ray Owens Juicy Lucy + Support, Con Club, 8pm,<br />
£tba.<br />
Blues Deluxe, Powerful R&B with harmonica. Volunteer,<br />
9pm, free<br />
Starfish/Soundwave youth music – full details tba.<br />
All Saints Centre.<br />
SAT 31ST<br />
The Contenders. More-salt-than-pepper blues.<br />
Snowdrop, 9pm, free<br />
Thanks to Francesco Andreoli, whose <strong>Lewes</strong><br />
gig videos can be seen at www.youtube.com/<br />
user/<strong>Lewes</strong>Music and Graham Denman.
<strong>Viva</strong> <strong>Lewes</strong> 2 Course Set Lunch for £12.50<br />
Available Monday-Friday throughout <strong>July</strong><br />
No Voucher Necessary - booking advisable<br />
Afternoon teas and all day lighter bite menu also available<br />
Please visit our website @ www.pelhamhouse.com for further details
w w w. V I VA L e w e s . C o M<br />
EASTBOURNE<br />
David jarman enjoys an ice cream, but little gaiety<br />
Eastbourne, most patrician of watering places, was<br />
develop<strong>ed</strong> by the principal landowner, the Duke of<br />
Devonshire, after 1851. By 1868 Murray’s Guide was<br />
cautioning, ‘For those who seek rational recreation<br />
and health-giving pleasure, Eastbourne is altogether<br />
a very enjoyable place, but they who expect bustle<br />
and gaiety must go elsewhere.’ Lewis Carroll was<br />
one of those attract<strong>ed</strong> by the town’s s<strong>ed</strong>ate virtues,<br />
taking lodgings at 7, Lushington Road almost every<br />
year from 1876 onwards. He wrote, ‘I go down every<br />
summer to Eastbourne and still make friends with<br />
children on the beach’.<br />
One of these friends, Isa Bowman, penn<strong>ed</strong> an<br />
affectionate memoir of Carroll, dwelling on his<br />
punctilious attentions to cleanliness, typifi<strong>ed</strong> by his<br />
insistence on daily visits to the dentist.<br />
A girl not likely to appeal to Carroll is Georgia<br />
Nicolson, teenage heroine of Louise Rennison’s<br />
exuberantly written books, that are set in<br />
Eastbourne. In the film of the books, Angus, Thongs<br />
and Perfect Snogging, the town is describ<strong>ed</strong> as<br />
‘God’s Waiting Room’. Visiting on a sunny day in<br />
June, the seafront still comprehensively mothball<strong>ed</strong>,<br />
it was difficult to disagree.<br />
My promenade began promisingly enough at<br />
Fusciardi’s, nam<strong>ed</strong> as one of the ‘Top Five Retro Ice<br />
Cream Parlours’ in Time Out’s excellent book Great<br />
Days out from London. Those eating in can choose<br />
from sundaes with engagingly daft names such as<br />
‘Mintnight Express’. I took a delicious chocolate and<br />
cherry cone onto an almost desert<strong>ed</strong> beach.<br />
Venturing onto the pier, I found Sugar Rush.<br />
Nothing to do with Julie Burchill, they would have<br />
sold me doughnuts, rock and candy floss if they<br />
hadn’t been clos<strong>ed</strong>. The Camera Obscura, ‘open<br />
May to September’ was cordon<strong>ed</strong> off. Fishing rods<br />
for hire and tide charts were only available from<br />
<strong>July</strong>. A booth offering ‘1-2-1 Psychic Readings’ was<br />
padlock<strong>ed</strong>, and one would have ne<strong>ed</strong><strong>ed</strong> a crystal<br />
ball of one’s own to discover when the ‘The Lady of<br />
Light’ was likely to return.<br />
Further along the seafront, the bandstand celebrates<br />
its 75th birthday on 28th <strong>July</strong>. Regular entertainment<br />
D Ay o u t<br />
includes Gilbert and Sullivan and tribute bands<br />
and nights when you are urg<strong>ed</strong> to ‘wave your flag<br />
to all the traditional proms sing-a-longs’. Our<br />
own Proms in the Paddock happens once a year.<br />
In Eastbourne, ‘band concerts culminating in a<br />
spectacular fireworks display to the 1812 overture’,<br />
take place every W<strong>ed</strong>nesday! But on the afternoon I<br />
visit<strong>ed</strong>, the bandstand was like a morgue. Suddenly<br />
a nearby boutique hotel (one of a chain own<strong>ed</strong> by<br />
John Malkovich), call<strong>ed</strong> ‘The Big Sleep’, Raymond<br />
Chandler’s metaphor for death, did not seem quite<br />
so infelicitously nam<strong>ed</strong>.<br />
Even the wonderful Dotto train, ferrying passengers<br />
the length of the seafront, seem<strong>ed</strong> less regular<br />
than I remember<strong>ed</strong>. Eventually I track<strong>ed</strong> it down<br />
at Holywell. With the driver parping his horn and<br />
waving at passers-by, who all seem<strong>ed</strong> ridiculously<br />
pleas<strong>ed</strong> to see the train, it remind<strong>ed</strong> me of the<br />
friendly firemen in David Lynch’s Blue Velvet,<br />
waving at the residents of Lumberton.<br />
I disembark<strong>ed</strong> at The Wish Tower. This Martello<br />
Tower was the subject of a 1944 article in the Sussex<br />
County Magazine written by Lieutenant-Colonel F.<br />
S. Garwood. A joint exhibition devot<strong>ed</strong> to his son-inlaw,<br />
Eric, and grandson, James Ravilious <strong>opens</strong> at the<br />
Towner Art Gallery on 3rd <strong>July</strong>.<br />
4 9
There was fair bit of smirking when I mention<strong>ed</strong><br />
that <strong>Viva</strong>’s designer Katie and I were going to the<br />
Cock for lunch. Actually, for all those sniggering<br />
at the back, the pretty, white 16th century pub was<br />
once a coaching inn, and the name comes from the<br />
practice of keeping an extra ‘cock’ horse at the foot<br />
of steep hills to assist with hauling up heavy loads<br />
(as in the nursery rhyme ‘ride a cock horse’ – which<br />
relates to the incident when Queen Elizabeth’s<br />
carriage wheel broke, and she had to ride the white<br />
‘cock’ horse up the hill into Banbury).<br />
The Cock is locat<strong>ed</strong> just off the A26 near Ringmer,<br />
close to Goldcliff Nurseries, and we arrive there by<br />
car on a gorgeous sunny lunchtime to find a pretty<br />
white pub with a pleasant garden in several sections.<br />
We decide to eat outside on the patio area, which<br />
has views over the Downs, when you’re standing up<br />
at least. Although we’re early, quite a few tables are<br />
already occupi<strong>ed</strong>; it’s clearly a popular place to eat.<br />
Because there are so many shrubs and old trees, you<br />
don’t feel too close to the main road, but you do still<br />
hear traffic noise. We head inside to order at the bar.<br />
With an inglenook fireplace and regulars around the<br />
bar, this isn’t a gastropub, it’s a proper, traditional<br />
pubby sort of pub, the sort my dad sought out<br />
whenever he went on long walks. And inde<strong>ed</strong>,<br />
there is a popular walk that ends up here (you<br />
can find details by googling ‘Wellingham walk’).<br />
I notice a pleasant dining area along the corridor.<br />
Once a Watney’s Pub, now a freehouse, The Cock<br />
is featur<strong>ed</strong> in the recent issue of the Good Pub<br />
w w w. V I VA L e w e s . C o M<br />
THE COCK INN<br />
Zingy marlin just off the A26<br />
F o o D<br />
Photo: Katie Moorman<br />
Guide, and I notice several fine ales, including Dark<br />
Star and Harveys, on tap, as well as the excellent<br />
Weston’s cider.<br />
We scan a somewhat overwhelming list of dishes on<br />
a blackboard, in addition to an extensive bar menu.<br />
Options include: Sussex lamb chops, steak and<br />
kidney pie, liver and bacon, ham, egg and chips and<br />
various sandwiches. I decide on the daily fish special<br />
from the blackboard: marlin with citrus and chilli<br />
(£10.95), and choose salad and chips to go with it.<br />
Katie orders a steak sandwich from the bar menu<br />
(£6.50), which also comes with chips. We both have<br />
glasses of sparkling elderflower (£1.95). We put the<br />
umbrella up for shade over our table and sip the<br />
refreshing elderflower fizz as we wait for the <strong>food</strong>,<br />
which arrives promptly. On top of my marlin steak<br />
is chopp<strong>ed</strong> parsley, lemon peel and chilli. It’s zingy<br />
and tasty, the chips are crisp and the salad is nicely<br />
dress<strong>ed</strong>. Katie’s steak is fine, but ‘a little on the<br />
chewy side’, she says. We finish by sharing an Eton<br />
Mess (£4.95), which is the best dish of all. It comes<br />
in a sundae glass, and is r<strong>ed</strong> and white strip<strong>ed</strong> like<br />
a barber’s sign. We dig our long spoons deep into a<br />
concoction of whipp<strong>ed</strong> cream, crush<strong>ed</strong> meringue,<br />
chopp<strong>ed</strong> fresh strawberries and strawberry coulis.<br />
Sweet, creamy and delicious; it’s a perfect summer<br />
pudding. Emma Chaplin<br />
Dogs welcome. Roasts on Sundays. Booking advisable<br />
for the restaurant. The Cock Inn, Uckfield Road,<br />
Ringmer, 01273 812040. www.cockpub.co.uk<br />
5 1
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*excludes drinks, not to be us<strong>ed</strong> in conjunction with any other<br />
offer<br />
BALTICA<br />
Polish soup in a Polish pot<br />
F o o D<br />
photo: Rob Read<br />
Baltica at the Westgate bottleneck is just a short<br />
sidefoot pass from the <strong>Viva</strong> offices. We wonder if it<br />
could be set to become a regular temptation.<br />
145 has been through a number of incarnations that<br />
have never quite hit the spot since its successful<br />
Circa days. But it may now have found the right new<br />
inhabitant.<br />
Baltica is a combin<strong>ed</strong> café and Polish pottery shop.<br />
The curving white rear space displays the pottery<br />
wares beautifully. Lloyd-Loom style seating and<br />
polish<strong>ed</strong> wood tables mark out the window-front café<br />
area.<br />
For lunch, entertaining an experienc<strong>ed</strong> café habitué,<br />
we fac<strong>ed</strong> a well-consider<strong>ed</strong> soup, sandwich and salad<br />
menu which brought to mind our flâneur days at the<br />
University of California, Berkeley. With two soups<br />
of the day on offer I plump<strong>ed</strong> for Polish spring green<br />
with dill, which offer<strong>ed</strong> delicate and earthy flavours<br />
and wheatmeal breads. Ms Experience the quiche<br />
with salads - which hits the spot.<br />
All <strong>food</strong> is serv<strong>ed</strong> in the Polish pottery. And fittingly<br />
excellent coffee and properly display<strong>ed</strong> homemade<br />
cakes are on offer.<br />
Some say the acoustics are too lively as the coffee<br />
machine steams and the chatter bounces off the<br />
wall. But to us this is a sign of bustling popularity. If<br />
we’d stumbl<strong>ed</strong> across this place in the backstreets of<br />
Berkeley then we’d have thought it was a really nice<br />
find. This time we think 145 has a keeper. Rob Read<br />
Baltica, 145 High Street (483449). Open Mon-Fri 8.30-<br />
5pm, Sun 11-4pm. Wi-fi connect<strong>ed</strong>.<br />
5 3
GRAB AND GO<br />
The summer months are the time for picnics and you want no-nonsense dishes that<br />
are easy to prepare and eat, says Bill Collison.<br />
Let’s work on the positive – though risky –<br />
assumption that we are having a very good summer<br />
and that we’re all taking advantage of it and eating<br />
outside as often as possible.<br />
Sometimes, this might mean just taking our plate<br />
and fork and heading out into the garden, other<br />
times it could be a trip to the Grange or up on the<br />
Downs or the beach. The point is, we’re looking<br />
for grab and go <strong>food</strong> that can quickly be slipp<strong>ed</strong> on<br />
to a plate or into a few bags and off and out of the<br />
house in no time.<br />
Sandwiches are the obvious choice – good bread<br />
slic<strong>ed</strong>, fill<strong>ed</strong> and wrapp<strong>ed</strong> in minutes. Big salads are<br />
another good call, especially when you’re covering<br />
all the essentials in one dish that can easily be<br />
spoon<strong>ed</strong> into bowls – like a chicken Caesar salad<br />
or, say, a blue cheese, walnuts and figs combination.<br />
Plenty of healthy and fresh ingr<strong>ed</strong>ients in one<br />
container is what you want, rather than lots of<br />
fiddly plastic tubs of different bits and pieces.<br />
A very good dish for picnics – and not an obvious<br />
one – is frittata. Or omelette. Or tortilla. Oddly,<br />
there isn’t an English term, but no matter – a fri<strong>ed</strong><br />
(or, in this case, bak<strong>ed</strong>) egg-bas<strong>ed</strong> dish is what I’m<br />
talking about. Tortilla di patate, the classic Spanish<br />
tapas dish of eggs, potatoes and onions, is a good<br />
example, as it holds its shape well and is just as<br />
tasty cold as warm and doesn’t mind sitting around<br />
for a bit. It’s very good between slices of bread for<br />
children who have been running around all day<br />
and are beginning to flag.<br />
This recipe for Scalpaccia was given to me by my<br />
good friend Carrie Whyte and it’s such a quick and<br />
easy, healthy and flavoursome summery dish. Plus,<br />
w w w. V I VA L e w e s . C o M<br />
it’s also a very good way of using up courgettes<br />
when they start taking over the vegetable plot.<br />
It’s one of those recipes that has been on a proper<br />
journey - given to Carrie by her mother, who in<br />
turn pick<strong>ed</strong> it up from a friend in Tuscany. Carrie<br />
says with a big green salad, it’s a gorgeous and<br />
perfect ladies’ lunch. And I can see that it would<br />
be. It is also, though, good picnic <strong>food</strong> as it holds<br />
its shape. All you ne<strong>ed</strong> to go with it is a big salad<br />
and, if you like, some chutney.<br />
F o o D<br />
Scalpaccia<br />
14oz courgettes, cut into chunks<br />
3 large spring onions, roughly chopp<strong>ed</strong><br />
1 clove of garlic, crush<strong>ed</strong><br />
½ cup of milk and water<br />
4 tbsps plain flour<br />
2 eggs<br />
4 tbsps Parmesan, grat<strong>ed</strong><br />
salt and pepper<br />
olive oil<br />
Preheat the oven to 200°c. Put courgettes, spring<br />
onions and garlic into the blender and blitz briefly<br />
just to break them down a bit. Beat the eggs, flour,<br />
milk and water to a smooth batter. Add to the<br />
blender with ¾ of the Parmesan. Blitz again ‘till the<br />
mixture looks grainy. Lightly oil a 20cm flan dish (or<br />
thereabouts) and pour in the mixture. Scatter the<br />
remaining Parmesan across the top and drizzle with a<br />
tablespoonful of olive oil. Bake in the oven for about<br />
30 minutes, until the dish is set and golden.<br />
Picture by Lucy Mountain<br />
5 5
5 6<br />
Cheese Please<br />
Burger cheeses<br />
R<strong>ed</strong> Devil<br />
Barbers vintage<br />
Y-feni(mustard)<br />
Harlech(horseradish)<br />
Blue Cheese<br />
Lighter cheeses<br />
Feta<br />
Halloumi<br />
Mozzarella<br />
Sister Sarah<br />
Rosary goat<br />
We also have a<br />
selection of<br />
chutneys and<br />
marinades for<br />
all types of<br />
dishes.<br />
46 Hight Street, <strong>Lewes</strong>, East Sussex. BN7 2DD. 01273 481048<br />
www.cheesepleaseonline.co.uk/cheeseplease@btconnect.com<br />
CAFÉ &<br />
POTTERY<br />
145 HIGH STREET<br />
LEWES<br />
BN7 1XT<br />
01273 483449<br />
OPEN NOW<br />
Post Office & Stores with<br />
Centre of Ripe Village, Near <strong>Lewes</strong> BN8 6AS<br />
Beautiful rural location with free parking, only 10 minutes drive from <strong>Lewes</strong><br />
fresh meat ❋ fresh vegetables ❋ fresh fish ❋ local<br />
produce ❋ cheese ❋ continental meats ❋ ready made<br />
meals ❋ bread ❋ milk ❋ deli counter ❋ dry cleaning ❋<br />
shoe and clothing repair ❋ tinn<strong>ed</strong> goods ❋ household<br />
items ❋ stationery<br />
Shop Hours: Monday to Friday 9am to 1pm and 4pm to 6pm. Saturday 9am to 1pm<br />
Tel: 01323 811118 or 811811<br />
www.kudos<strong>food</strong>s.co.uk
ELEGANT TARTS<br />
CLASSIC CROISSANTS &<br />
TRADITIONAL FRENCH BREAD<br />
FRENCH PATISSERIE<br />
light lunches, treats & afternoon tea<br />
eat in or take away<br />
COURTYARD GARDEN SEATING<br />
5 STATION STREET, LEWES<br />
TELEPHONE: 01273 483211<br />
celebration cakes made to order<br />
hours: mon-fri 8.00 - 5.30, sat 8.30 - 5.30<br />
( open sunday during artwave )<br />
come drink, come eat, come sleep<br />
• Large outside area<br />
• Separate non-smoking<br />
and smoking seating areas<br />
• Restaurant, bar and snack menus<br />
• Seasonal Harveys ales on draught<br />
• 4* accommodation – six en-suite<br />
b<strong>ed</strong>rooms<br />
<strong>Lewes</strong>’s premier pub restaurant specialising in sea<strong>food</strong><br />
22 Malling Street, <strong>Lewes</strong> BN7 2RD<br />
01273 474823 • www.th<strong>ed</strong>orsetlewes.com<br />
t h e N I b b L e r<br />
photo: Katie moorman<br />
BLUE SKY EATING<br />
Plein-air eateries in and around town<br />
Eating outside can be a delightful experience. Even if<br />
it starts raining, or you get dive-bomb<strong>ed</strong> by <strong>mid</strong>ges,<br />
it’s fun to enjoy the light summer evenings in the<br />
beautiful surroundings of our town, so here’s a roundup<br />
of places with good outdoor space. The terrace at<br />
Pelham House (above) is particularly fine, and once<br />
you’ve enter<strong>ed</strong> that wall<strong>ed</strong> garden, it feels like being<br />
on holiday. You get fantastic views down towards<br />
Newhaven, and as the sun, and a few cocktails,<br />
slip down, expect to be startl<strong>ed</strong> by some weird and<br />
wonderful sculpture lurking in the undergrowth.<br />
The White Hart terrace has even more stunning<br />
views of the sunset. Lincoln’s have made their<br />
upstairs terrace a smart, central (yet hidden) suntrap,<br />
with views up to Brack Mount. Shelleys garden is<br />
lush and seclud<strong>ed</strong>, and outdoor space at The Swan<br />
is great. On Station Street, <strong>Lewes</strong> Patisserie has a<br />
pretty courtyard out back, as does the Garden Room<br />
Café. Famiglia Lazzati’s have a pleasant cover<strong>ed</strong><br />
patio area. In Cliffe, you’re almost overlooking the<br />
river outside the John Harvey Tavern, but you have<br />
to venture into the Argos carpark if you really want<br />
to smell the Ouse. Then there’s the deck at the Real<br />
Eating Co, the brick courtyard at The Dorset<br />
and the quirky garden below the white cliffs at the<br />
Snowdrop. The Chalkpit also has a very good, childfriendly<br />
garden. Other pub news: congratulations<br />
to The Blacksmiths Arms in Offham for recently<br />
being Highly Commend<strong>ed</strong> by the AA for their <strong>food</strong>,<br />
as well as having their four black stars made into gold<br />
ones. Finally, The Pelham Arms (which itself offers<br />
an outside terrace) have a new chef on board. Happy<br />
al fresco nibbling.<br />
Food news? Email thenibbler@vivalewes.com<br />
5 7
5 8<br />
BARCOMBE<br />
NURSERIES UK5 G2272<br />
VEGETABLE GROWERS<br />
LOCAL ORGANIC BOX SCHEME<br />
free delivery to your door<br />
Mill Lane, Barcombe, Nr <strong>Lewes</strong>, BN8 5TH.<br />
Telephone: 01273 400011<br />
www.barcombenurseries.com<br />
barcombenurseries@tiscali.co.uk<br />
Visit our friendly, oak-beam<strong>ed</strong><br />
Free House just down the<br />
road in beautiful Rodmell.<br />
Why not enjoy a delicious meal<br />
before or after a lovely circular<br />
South Downs or river walk?<br />
Children and dogs welcome.<br />
Real Ale, Pretty Patio, Sunday<br />
Roasts, Daily Papers, Wii, TV,<br />
Table Football, Monthly Quiz.<br />
www.abergavennyarms.com<br />
01273 472416<br />
Open all day, every day
photo: tara fisher<br />
Easy pizza tarts<br />
Amanda Grant jazzes up a classic Italian staple<br />
K I D s ’ K I t C h e N<br />
Have you grown some tomato plants this year? If the answer is yes, you might have some ripe juicy<br />
tomatoes on the plant ready for picking to make these tarts. If you haven’t grown your own, choose some<br />
sweet cherry tomatoes from the greengrocer. Vera often has some lovely ones at the top of town.<br />
If you like Pizza Margherita you will probably agree that tomatoes, a little cheese and some fresh basil is a<br />
really good combination of flavours. This is why these tarts taste so good.<br />
However, once you have master<strong>ed</strong> the art of making these pizza tarts you may like to experiment with<br />
other toppings like tomatoes, cheese and olives with ham or tuna. You could also make sweet tarts instead<br />
of savoury. My children like spreading the pastry with jam and then covering with slices of fresh fruit like<br />
peaches or apples.<br />
Makes: 4 tarts | Preparation time: 20 minutes | Cooking time: 15 minutes<br />
a little plain flour, 375g puff pastry sheet or block of puff pastry, 4 tbsp sundri<strong>ed</strong> tomato paste or olive<br />
tapenade , 20 ripe cherry tomatoes, 1 ball mozzarella cheese or Parmesan, handful basil leaves for the top.<br />
Turn the oven on to 200 C / 400 F / gas mark 7. Sprinkle some flour on a work surface. Cut the pastry<br />
sheet into 6 squares, or you may prefer to cut out circles. If you have bought a block of pastry you will<br />
ne<strong>ed</strong> to roll it until it is about the same thickness as a pound coin.<br />
Grease a baking tray or cut some baking paper to fit the tray. Put the pastry squares or circles onto the<br />
tray.<br />
Spread a little sundri<strong>ed</strong> tomato pesto or olive tapenade over the pastry just like you would spread butter<br />
on to toast.<br />
Slice the tomatoes into thin slices and scatter over the pastry in a layer.<br />
Tear the mozzarella cheese into small pieces and scatter over the tomatoes.<br />
Using oven gloves, put the tray into the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until the pastry has puff<strong>ed</strong> up<br />
and is golden and the cheese has melt<strong>ed</strong>. The, again using oven gloves take the tray out of the oven and<br />
sprinkle with fresh basil leaves.<br />
Adapt<strong>ed</strong> from a recipe in Amanda’s recent book, Grow it, Cook it, review<strong>ed</strong> in this issue.<br />
5 9
6 0
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MrCycles.co.uk<br />
SUMMER fURNITURE<br />
Sun yourself in comfort<br />
s h o P P I N G<br />
photo : Katie moorman<br />
The idea of relaxing in a deckchair with a glass<br />
of Pimm’s is most appealing, although it’s hard<br />
to get up without chucking ice-cubes down<br />
your cleavage. But where can you buy stylish<br />
garden furniture in <strong>Lewes</strong> now that Parterre<br />
and Elphick’s are no more? Argos, Homebase<br />
and the <strong>Lewes</strong> Garden Centre are the obvious<br />
places. But Kings Framers have gorgeous, strip<strong>ed</strong><br />
canvas folding stools and you can order deck<br />
chairs and windbreaks to match. Gardener &<br />
Cook stock both vintage garden furniture and<br />
new items, like their paint<strong>ed</strong> metal Montpelier<br />
bench (pictur<strong>ed</strong>). The Pine Chest on Market<br />
Street have a small collapsible teak table set<br />
with two chairs, and they sell rope ladders and<br />
tree swings too. There are possibilities in places<br />
you might not have thought of: Bunce’s will<br />
get garden furniture in for you if you order it,<br />
and Percy’s Fishing Tackle sell <strong>camping</strong> chairs.<br />
But if you don’t mind old items for your garden,<br />
it’s worth mooching around the quirky depths<br />
of the many antique shops in <strong>Lewes</strong>. You could<br />
spend a good part of a day looking around Cliffe<br />
Antiques Centre, Pastorale Antiques, <strong>Lewes</strong><br />
Flea Market, Church Hill Antique Centre or<br />
downstairs in Fur, Feather and Fins. Gorringes<br />
weekly Monday Garden Street auction often<br />
has garden objects such as statues. But the<br />
ultimate garden accessory would have to be a<br />
custom-made tree house by <strong>Viva</strong>’s Pipe Passage<br />
neighbour, Russell Harvey of Treetops (07771<br />
762342). One of his commissions is a tree house<br />
with a platform that extends over a river, for a<br />
grandmother who sometimes sleeps in it.<br />
Emma Chaplin<br />
6 1
51 High Street <strong>Lewes</strong><br />
East Sussex BN7 1XE<br />
tel: 01273 477255<br />
128 South Road<br />
Haywards Heath<br />
West Sussex RH16 4LT<br />
tel: 01444 454888<br />
e: david@davidsmithjewellery.com<br />
www.davidsmithjewellery.com<br />
Harvey Self Drive<br />
Taking Risk out of Rental....<br />
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• Largest Merc<strong>ed</strong>es fleet<br />
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• Quality vehicles at<br />
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• Comprehensive 25 item<br />
safety inspection carri<strong>ed</strong><br />
out before each hire<br />
• 24 hour 365 day Merc<strong>ed</strong>es<br />
breakdown cover<br />
• No mileage charge<br />
• FREE evening collection<br />
(subject to availability)<br />
• Ample free parking<br />
Also available are sack trolleys & ratchet straps for hire<br />
Tel: (01273) 833154<br />
Newhouse Farm, Cuckfield Road, Hurstpierpoint, Sussex BN6 9LL<br />
www.vht-rentals.co.uk<br />
David Smith Jewellery<br />
Rubelite Tourmaline<br />
3,42 carats with<br />
Diamonds pave set<br />
on 18ct 4-claw ring<br />
Upstairs at Riverside<br />
haberdashery, fabric<br />
and knitting yarns<br />
ribbons, lace, cord,<br />
trims threads, tape,<br />
buttons, dyes, elastic,<br />
zips, scissors, pins,<br />
ne<strong>ed</strong>les, bobbins,<br />
boning and interfacing,<br />
knitting & sewing<br />
patterns, gifts & kits<br />
ideas, inspiration and<br />
craft books<br />
12-14 Riverside, Cliffe Bridge,<br />
High Street, <strong>Lewes</strong>, BN7 2RE<br />
01273 473 577
THE<br />
fOUNDRY<br />
GALLERY<br />
From heavy metal, to fine art<br />
w w w. V I VA L e w e s . C o M<br />
b r I C K s A N D M o r tA r<br />
I liv<strong>ed</strong> on North Street as a child<br />
and often pass<strong>ed</strong> the Artemis Arts’<br />
Foundry Gallery, then Morris Road<br />
Garage, on my way to the ducks<br />
or the dentist. I tell this to Wenda<br />
Bradley – who runs the venue with that were mov<strong>ed</strong> from terraces that stood where the car park is. The<br />
Christine Hall – and she smiles, globe-shap<strong>ed</strong> marker has also disappear<strong>ed</strong>. Wenda tells me it was<br />
“So you know the place well then!” seen bundl<strong>ed</strong> into a white van, and was never return<strong>ed</strong>.<br />
But when I recall what Mum call<strong>ed</strong> Occasionally, workers were recruit<strong>ed</strong> on release from <strong>Lewes</strong> Prison,<br />
the “ass-end” of town, I feel mildly but many left when they found the heat<strong>ed</strong> conditions too tough.<br />
apologetic. In those days, the shops The building caught fire regularly, hence the name, and would<br />
in <strong>Lewes</strong> mostly sold boring stuff. flood, forcing employees to guess the locations of treacherous pits.<br />
The space has been manag<strong>ed</strong> by Sarah Hitchings is the curator of an oral history of the Phoenix<br />
Artemis Arts, a Heritage Lottery in collaboration with Artemis Arts. She was told by one former<br />
fund<strong>ed</strong> charity, since 2006, but this employee that you had to, “Be on your toes every second of every<br />
is the first time I’ve been inside. The minute of every hour of the days you were there”.<br />
building is, as a friend describ<strong>ed</strong>, Today there is nothing to be fearful of, merely a semi-circle of<br />
“like a Manhattan loft”. It’s vast and plastic chairs and a mingling rehearsal cast. The group are preparing<br />
shabby, adorn<strong>ed</strong> with r<strong>ed</strong>, metal for next summer’s Phoenix Cantata, a choral work compos<strong>ed</strong> by<br />
remnants of an industrial past. Helen Glavin, inspir<strong>ed</strong> by the Ironworks’ history and spic<strong>ed</strong> with<br />
The Foundry Gallery was once the folklore. Wenda introduces me to the legend of Gil the <strong>Giant</strong><br />
fabricating shop of the immense who hurl<strong>ed</strong> an iron hammer from Mount Caburn, and I am again<br />
Phoenix Iron and Steel Works that remind<strong>ed</strong> that I am not in a London squat or New York loft.<br />
stretch<strong>ed</strong> from North Street to the Artemis Arts’ goal is to bring art, culture and heritage to ‘new<br />
tree that had pigeons in, by Waitrose. audiences’. They took over the space while controversial plans for<br />
The Ironworks was found<strong>ed</strong> by John the now-defunct Phoenix Quarter housing and retail development<br />
Every in 1832, and was run by four were debat<strong>ed</strong>. They will remain until the site’s future is decid<strong>ed</strong>,<br />
generations of his family until it was and, it’s to be hop<strong>ed</strong>, beyond. The venue’s current incarnation has<br />
asset stripp<strong>ed</strong> in 1978. Its vast output growing support, a diverse sch<strong>ed</strong>ule and complements the fully us<strong>ed</strong><br />
includ<strong>ed</strong> the railings for St Paul’s Town Hall and Priory School facilities. Project Officer, Chris Ient<br />
Cath<strong>ed</strong>ral and structural metalwork says, “We have shown that there’s a ne<strong>ed</strong>.”<br />
for Brighton Pier and <strong>Lewes</strong> Station. “History shows <strong>Lewes</strong> in a different light,” Chris continues, and in<br />
The Meridian Marker was made respect of the Phoenix it is hard to disagree. As Kay Walton says in<br />
there as a gift from Henry Every at her poem Still Standing, “Once the workhorse, now the muse.”<br />
the opening of Landport Estate in Chloë King<br />
1938. Landport hous<strong>ed</strong> many families From <strong>July</strong> 9-11, The Foundry hosts Artists Unit<strong>ed</strong>, see page 27<br />
6 3
SALTDEAN<br />
Take me to your lido
poster design<strong>ed</strong> by ever Creative<br />
Saltdean has row after row of<br />
hillside bungalows that are<br />
pleasant enough, and enjoy<br />
stunning views, but the impression<br />
most people get driving through<br />
the place on the coast road,<br />
is of a blur of houses linking<br />
historic Rottingdean and modern<br />
Telscombe Cliffs.<br />
To some extent, it is also a<br />
community divid<strong>ed</strong> by its main<br />
shopping street. Anything west<br />
of Longridge Avenue lies in<br />
Brighton and Hove, anything<br />
east, in <strong>Lewes</strong> District Council.<br />
The one stunning landmark<br />
which marks Saltdean out as<br />
being distinct is the art deco lido<br />
on the seafront, with its curv<strong>ed</strong>,<br />
white poolhouse built to look like<br />
the prow of a ship. So perhaps<br />
it’s not surprising that the threat,<br />
by Buckinghamshire-bas<strong>ed</strong><br />
leaseholder Dennis Audley, to<br />
concrete it in and build 102 flats,<br />
recently brought together the<br />
people from both sides of Saltdean<br />
to vociferously object.<br />
It’s curious that Saltdean should<br />
have such a stunning lido in the<br />
first place. On this matter, I speak<br />
to local residents Liz Kempshall<br />
and Sandra Turvey, and consult<br />
Douglas d’Enno, author of The<br />
Saltdean Story. I discover that<br />
the area once compris<strong>ed</strong> little<br />
more than farmland and a few<br />
coastguard cottages. The name<br />
denotes ‘valley of salt’.<br />
In 1914, Charles Neville, later<br />
founder of Peacehaven, bought<br />
up large tracts of downland and<br />
develop<strong>ed</strong> the Saltdean portion<br />
under the name of the Saltdean<br />
Estate Company. By 1938, there<br />
were 802 houses. Concern about<br />
over-development was voic<strong>ed</strong> by<br />
the Residents’ Association, with<br />
the Brighton Gazette fearing it<br />
would become a ‘bungalow town’.<br />
The Association successfully<br />
campaign<strong>ed</strong> for better amenities<br />
from the Estate Company, such as<br />
a telephone kiosk, better lighting<br />
and proper roads.<br />
Neville commission<strong>ed</strong> architect<br />
RWH Jones to design the<br />
elegant Ocean Hotel, as well as<br />
the Saltdean Lido. The hotel<br />
complex, built in 1938, had its own<br />
swimming pool, 426 b<strong>ed</strong>rooms<br />
with central heating, and a<br />
fashionable American-style bar.<br />
The ballroom floor was reput<strong>ed</strong>ly<br />
‘the finest in England’.<br />
The Lido was design<strong>ed</strong> to<br />
accommodate 500 bathers. There<br />
was a fountain, a three-tier diving<br />
board, separate paddling pool<br />
and a boating lake, all floodlit at<br />
night. The October 1938 issue of<br />
the Building journal describ<strong>ed</strong> it<br />
as ‘certainly one of the few really<br />
first-class designs of its type in the<br />
country’.<br />
WW2 soon put a rude stop to<br />
Saltdean’s development as a wellheel<strong>ed</strong><br />
resort. The hotel was taken<br />
over by Butlin’s in 1952, becoming<br />
their high-end ‘honeymoon hotel’,<br />
but this fell into decline over<br />
the decades, and although the<br />
magnificent frontage is still intact,<br />
it has been convert<strong>ed</strong> into flats.<br />
The lido became derelict and<br />
was us<strong>ed</strong> by local children to<br />
play in, even to skate on one year<br />
when it froze over. In <strong>July</strong> 1964,<br />
it reopen<strong>ed</strong>, after restoration by<br />
Brighton Council.<br />
I recently became aware of the<br />
pool’s fight for survival after<br />
spotting the striking campaign<br />
poster for the Save Saltdean Lido<br />
campaign, design<strong>ed</strong> by Dave<br />
Marcar of the Ever Creative ad<br />
V I VA V I L L A G e s<br />
agency, which we’ve us<strong>ed</strong> to<br />
illustrate this piece. Campaign<br />
chief Rebecca Crook fill<strong>ed</strong> me<br />
in on what’s been going on. In<br />
March 2010, Audley put forward<br />
his proposals to close the lido,<br />
at a public meeting, attend<strong>ed</strong> by<br />
more than five hundr<strong>ed</strong> local<br />
people. Audley claims the pool is<br />
not profitable, but Rebecca says<br />
he has made little effort to make<br />
it so. Audley later re-submitt<strong>ed</strong><br />
his plans, to keep the pool and<br />
have fewer units, but Rebecca<br />
now says the aim of the campaign<br />
is ‘for a community-bas<strong>ed</strong> group<br />
to operate the site investing all<br />
profits back into the building.’<br />
As well as a lot of support from<br />
local residents, the campaign<br />
has the backing of Rottingdean<br />
Coastal Council. Rebecca<br />
explain<strong>ed</strong> that they are seeking<br />
to get the Lido’s grade 2 listing<br />
chang<strong>ed</strong> to grade 2*, working with<br />
Conran & Partners architects, as<br />
well as talking to other successful<br />
lidos in the UK, like Brockwell.<br />
I feel it’s appropriate, since I’m<br />
writing about the lido, to swim<br />
there. I visit on a glorious sunny<br />
morning. The young lifeguard<br />
taking the £4 entrance fee sits at<br />
a plastic table by the entrance.<br />
There is no information anywhere<br />
about opening times. Despite a<br />
slight air of neglect, it is amazing,<br />
like a 1930s Hollywood movie<br />
set. The water is cold of course,<br />
but as a Pells regular I’m us<strong>ed</strong> to<br />
that. There is something magical<br />
about swimming in a pool so<br />
close to the sea, with water the<br />
vivid, shimmering turquoise of a<br />
Hockney painting. I hope Saltdean<br />
residents win their battle and keep<br />
their beautiful pool. Emma C<br />
www.saltdeanlidocampaign.org<br />
6 5
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Telephone 01273 405900 www.astburys.co.uk Falcon Wharf, <strong>Lewes</strong>
‘adonis blue mating fight’ by Crispin holloway<br />
BUTTERfLY WALK<br />
Climate-change barometers, fluttering by<br />
Every week from the beginning of April to the end<br />
of September, Crispin Holloway follows the same<br />
circuitous 2.5km walk around a section of Malling<br />
Down, logging the species of every butterfly he<br />
sees, relating information into a Dictaphone.<br />
This time, on a lovely <strong>mid</strong>-June morning, I’m<br />
tagging along, to see what it is all about.<br />
“Entering section one,” he records, as we start our<br />
patrol, having park<strong>ed</strong> in a layby on the Ringmer<br />
Road, and walk<strong>ed</strong> to the start of his ‘transect’<br />
among the other-worldly craters and hillocks left<br />
by WW2 mortar and grenade practice. “10.10am.<br />
Sixteen degrees Celsius.” And then we’re off. “Male<br />
Common Blue,” he says, spotting a sky-colour<strong>ed</strong><br />
fluttering of wings to his right. “One male Adonis<br />
Blue. One Small Heath.”<br />
This may seem like trainspotter-like behaviour,<br />
but there’s more than meets the eye to butterflymonitoring.<br />
“My father took over the Malling<br />
transect in 1986, follow<strong>ed</strong> by me in 1996,” he says.<br />
“It’s one of 1465 in the country. This consistent<br />
method of recording over the years identifies the<br />
decline and rise of different butterfly species.”<br />
He shows me pages full of graphs, showing the<br />
prevalence of 30-odd different types of butterfly<br />
between 1984 and 2009. Butterflies, he tells<br />
me, are easy to record, and have specific habitat<br />
requirements. Malling Down, maintain<strong>ed</strong> by the<br />
Sussex Wildlife Trust, is one of the best sites in the<br />
UK for very rare species such as Adonis Blue and<br />
Silver-spott<strong>ed</strong> Skipper. It is carefully manag<strong>ed</strong> by<br />
w w w. V I VA L e w e s . C o M<br />
N At u r e<br />
the charity as ancient chalk grassland. Trust-own<strong>ed</strong><br />
sheep, along with rabbits, graze the turf to a perfect<br />
length to provide right-temperature shelter for the<br />
butterflies’ ne<strong>ed</strong>s, and the multi-species ecosystem<br />
allows for a rich variety of different types. “I’ve<br />
seen 34 different species of butterfly in this area,”<br />
says Crispin. “But of course that allows for a few<br />
freak vagrants.”<br />
“You could say that butterflies are like canaries in a<br />
coal mine,” he continues, as we move into Section<br />
3 of our walk. “The abundance or rarity of species<br />
are good indicators of the state of the environment,<br />
allowing us to assess the impact of climate change<br />
and government policy initiatives… Two male<br />
Adonis Blue”.<br />
It’s fascinating seeing this familiar habitat through<br />
the expert eyes of someone who can classify every<br />
species of grass we tread on, from bushy Yorkshire<br />
fog, to spiky Sheep’s Fescue, via worryingly large<br />
patches of invasive Tor-grass. At one point Crispin<br />
spots a damag<strong>ed</strong> male Adonis Blue on the ground<br />
and we get down close to examine its wings, fray<strong>ed</strong>,<br />
most probably, from fighting other butterflies while<br />
mating. While we’re down there, he points out the<br />
rich micro-system on the same patch of ground,<br />
including a number of spiders, who can fe<strong>ed</strong> on<br />
such weaken<strong>ed</strong> butterflies.<br />
The most exciting moment comes on Section 6 of<br />
the transect, on the slope of the combe overlooking<br />
the bottom-hugging allotments. “Isn’t that…” says<br />
Crispin, and he charges up the steep slope. I follow<br />
a little behind, caught up in this sudden increase in<br />
enthusiasm. “One Small Tortoiseshell,” he rejoices,<br />
into his Dictaphone, adding, to me, “that’s the first<br />
summer-generation Small Tortoiseshell I’ve seen<br />
this year.” Mine too, I guess. I tell Crispin that a<br />
walk on the Downs will never be quite the same for<br />
me again, and I mean it. Alex Leith<br />
For details of a guid<strong>ed</strong> Malling Down walk by Crispin<br />
at 10am on Aug 8th, call 07760 237859<br />
6 7
I didn’t play much cricket at school. Partly because<br />
I was half-decent at tennis, but also because during<br />
my first session in the nets, a cricket ball smash<strong>ed</strong><br />
into my nose, resulting in blood-splatter<strong>ed</strong> pads.<br />
My lasting memory, as I was help<strong>ed</strong> off towards to<br />
the m<strong>ed</strong>ical room, was the sports master shouting<br />
“Williams, you’ll pay for those pads if the blood<br />
doesn’t come out”. Part of the joy of a 1970s<br />
Grammar School <strong>ed</strong>ucation I guess.<br />
However, having recently watch<strong>ed</strong> a <strong>Lewes</strong><br />
Cricket Academy session at Western Road School,<br />
it appears that schools coaching is a much more<br />
positive affair nowadays - not least that they<br />
practice with the ‘Incr<strong>ed</strong>iball’. It looks like a<br />
real cricket ball, with a seam and everything, but<br />
crucially, it’s a lot softer and unlikely to fracture<br />
facial bones. I decide to arrange a session.<br />
I’m greet<strong>ed</strong> at the playing fields by Kevin<br />
Allosbrook who’s kindly agre<strong>ed</strong> to teach me the<br />
basics of cricket after running a cricket club for an<br />
eager bunch of year 5/6 kids. We start with batting<br />
- and though it’s dawn<strong>ed</strong> on me that I’ll be using<br />
the nose-splitting hard ball, I press on. I’m dress<strong>ed</strong><br />
up in pads, and a helmet - and feel comparatively<br />
comfortable as Kevin starts to bowl at me. I hit a<br />
few with the meat of the bat, but as many skew off<br />
to the sides and we accept I ne<strong>ed</strong> a lot of practice<br />
on my technique. We try fielding and I’m a fairly<br />
decent catcher - happily diving to the side for my<br />
‘slip’ catches, and relatively competent under the<br />
high ball.<br />
w w w. V I VA L e w e s . C o M<br />
CRICKET<br />
Nick Williams bowls a doosra<br />
h e A L t h & F I t N e s s<br />
photos: Katie moorman<br />
Finally, we switch to bowling, and I announce<br />
that the <strong>ed</strong>itor of <strong>Viva</strong> <strong>Lewes</strong> has challeng<strong>ed</strong> me<br />
to bowl a googly. Kevin explains that, as I’m<br />
left-hand<strong>ed</strong>, it’s not actually possible, because the<br />
equivalent of a googly from a left-hand<strong>ed</strong> bowler<br />
is call<strong>ed</strong> a chinaman or doosra (from the Hindi<br />
and Urdu word for ‘second’ or ‘other’). Confus<strong>ed</strong>,<br />
but not daunt<strong>ed</strong>, I press on with the task. To be<br />
honest, bowling it in a straight line is hard enough,<br />
so trying to release the ball out of the back of<br />
my hand at the top of the flight, appears virtually<br />
impossible. Most of my efforts go aimlessly wide,<br />
but then suddenly one comes out of my hand in a<br />
completely different way, heads skywards, pitches<br />
on a length and cuts viciously to one side. Kevin<br />
gets his bat on it and the ball spins crazily off it<br />
in to the slip area. I feel fantastic, even after the<br />
next attempt goes about seven yards wide. For<br />
the rest of the session I practice line and length,<br />
and different finger positions on the ball, trying<br />
to impart differing degrees of spin on the ball. I<br />
get nowhere repeating my “ball of the century”,<br />
but now I know it’s in there, I’ll be trying to find it<br />
again real soon…<br />
<strong>Lewes</strong> Cricket Academy is a joint venture schools<br />
coaching programme run by <strong>Lewes</strong> Priory and<br />
<strong>Lewes</strong> St Michael’s Cricket Clubs, Adult sessions<br />
are available every Thursday evening at the Stanley<br />
Turner Ground. For more information, contact:<br />
mike.bonsor@lewescricketacademy.co.uk phil.lucas@<br />
lewescricketacademy.co.uk<br />
6 9
STOOLBALL<br />
Emma Chaplin bowls ‘em over<br />
There is little that gets me work<strong>ed</strong> up into a sweat<br />
these days, and I say that with some regret. But<br />
that certainly chang<strong>ed</strong> when I went along with<br />
<strong>Viva</strong>’s Katie to the Convent Fields behind the<br />
Dripping Pan assuming we were going to watch<br />
an East Sussex County Council League stoolball<br />
match. We spot my contact, Barbara Arnold,<br />
banging in one of the wickets and go over to say<br />
hello. At which point the nature of the assignment<br />
changes dramatically.<br />
“We ne<strong>ed</strong> one of you to play, we’re a woman<br />
short”. Theirs is a mix<strong>ed</strong> team of eleven players,<br />
and you ne<strong>ed</strong> at least two women. “And I can’t<br />
bowl, so whoever plays will ne<strong>ed</strong> to bowl every<br />
other over.” Katie mutters something about<br />
ne<strong>ed</strong>ing to catch a train. Down to me then. I<br />
feel nervous, having never play<strong>ed</strong> before, but<br />
it’s a lovely summer evening and the team, who<br />
call themselves Looney District Council, don’t<br />
look like they’ll bite if it all goes horribly wrong.<br />
“Perhaps you’d better explain the rules,” I say.<br />
I know stoolball is a very old Sussex game, and<br />
is allud<strong>ed</strong> to in Shakespeare and Fletcher’s Two<br />
Noble Kinsmen. Also, that it may have originally<br />
been play<strong>ed</strong> by milkmaids using their milking<br />
stools as wickets. “It’s like cricket but with the<br />
wicket up on a pole. Why not give it a go?”<br />
Barbara says, and hands me a bat with a round,<br />
flat end. The ball is small and hard, and you bowl<br />
underarm, aiming for the high square metal<br />
w w w. V I VA L e w e s . C o M<br />
s P o r t<br />
photo by Katie moorman<br />
wicket. I’m better at it than I fear<strong>ed</strong>.<br />
The game begins, with the opposing ‘May Gurney’<br />
team batting first. Katie tries to take photos<br />
without getting hit by a ball. The men in my<br />
team are spread out around the pitch as fielders.<br />
Barbara is wicket keeper. I throw from a standstill<br />
from one of two white lines in centre of the green.<br />
Between each of my eight-ball overs, I field. At one<br />
point, my ball connects with the target and I take<br />
a wicket.<br />
Although competitive, it’s friendly too, with<br />
everyone being encouraging. May Gurney finish<br />
with a total of 117 runs. It’s our turn to bat, and I<br />
end up being partner<strong>ed</strong> with Dave, who is good<br />
at getting runs. Which is fine when it goes over<br />
the boundary, but for the ones, twos and threes,<br />
of which there are many, it becomes exhausting,<br />
since I haven’t run that fast or frequently for years.<br />
But I’m not disgracing myself and manage six runs<br />
of my own. Finally, and frankly with some relief,<br />
I am run out, and ne<strong>ed</strong> to head home. The next<br />
day, aching and sore, especially my left shoulder,<br />
I check in with Barbara to see how we did. “We<br />
won!” she says. “We overtook their total. It’s our<br />
first win of the season, so you’re got the job if you<br />
want it.” Stranger things have happen<strong>ed</strong>, and there<br />
really was something special about playing such a<br />
wonderful old game on a warm summer evening<br />
against the beautiful backdrop of <strong>Lewes</strong>.<br />
www.stoolball.org.uk/lewes<br />
7 1
photo: James boyes<br />
‘ERE WE GO AGAIN<br />
A new season for the Rooks - under new management?<br />
<strong>Lewes</strong> FC will kick off the 2010/11 season with an<br />
away friendly against Worthing on Saturday <strong>July</strong><br />
17th (3pm) - just six days after the World Cup Final<br />
signals the end of the 2009/10 term.<br />
As we go to press, though, we are still unsure as to<br />
whether The Rooks will be run next season by the<br />
existing regime, or a new group, which is planning<br />
to turn the club into a community-run organisation,<br />
in which fan-members have equal votes in regular<br />
elections held to decide who sits on the board.<br />
We’ll keep you in touch with any news on that<br />
exciting front both in this space and in the pages<br />
of www.vivalewes.com, our weekly web magazine.<br />
It’s only fair to say that the directorship of <strong>Viva</strong><br />
<strong>Lewes</strong> is involv<strong>ed</strong> with the transition project, and<br />
that we’re hoping for a smooth turnaround which<br />
incorporates all the volunteers who have done so<br />
much in recent years to keep the club afloat.<br />
Whatever’s been happening behind the scenes,<br />
Steve Ibbitson has been busy over the summer<br />
developing a new squad compos<strong>ed</strong> of existing<br />
<strong>Lewes</strong> players and new signings, having absorb<strong>ed</strong><br />
the loss of a couple of key players.<br />
Top scorer Joe Keehan has been sign<strong>ed</strong> by<br />
Conference Premier side Rushden and Diamonds,<br />
and goalkeeper and Player of the Season Rikki<br />
Banks has mov<strong>ed</strong> to Eastbourne Borough, but there<br />
has been plenty of movement in the other direction<br />
w w w. V I VA L e w e s . C o M<br />
F o o t b A L L<br />
to make up for those losses. Two familiar names<br />
moving to the Pan are Rob Gradwell – whose onloan<br />
goals help<strong>ed</strong> <strong>Lewes</strong> stay up last season, and<br />
Simon Wormull, the canny veteran <strong>mid</strong>fielder who<br />
was a key member of the Steve King promotion<br />
team in 2008.<br />
Other signings include <strong>mid</strong>fielder Lewis Ide,<br />
experienc<strong>ed</strong> centre-back Mark Pullen, goalkeeper<br />
Chris Winterton, and long-term target Sonny<br />
Cobbs, who was the skipper of the Albion youth<br />
team which recently reach<strong>ed</strong> the semi-finals of the<br />
FA Youth Cup.<br />
Two home friendlies have been arrang<strong>ed</strong>, and<br />
Ibbitson is hoping for big crowds to watch the<br />
Rooks test their mettle against Conference Premier<br />
opposition - local rivals Crawley (Monday <strong>July</strong><br />
26th, 7.30pm) and Hayes and Yeading (Saturday<br />
<strong>July</strong> 31st, 3pm). <strong>Lewes</strong> finish<strong>ed</strong> last season on a<br />
real high, with five wins in their last eight fixtures<br />
resulting in the team finishing above Worcester, and<br />
out of the three relegation places. Everyone at the<br />
club is hoping that the feelgood factor which this<br />
engender<strong>ed</strong> will carry over into the new season.<br />
The Rooks complete their pre-season friendly<br />
fixtures with an away game against Eastbourne<br />
Town on Friday 6th of August, but it’s their match<br />
three days earlier across town at the Langney<br />
Sports Club (Tues 3rd, 7.30pm) against Eastbourne<br />
Borough that most sets the pulse racing. Borough,<br />
the team <strong>Lewes</strong> fans pretend they don’t give a<br />
damn about, were promotion rivals with <strong>Lewes</strong><br />
throughout the 2007/8 season, which result<strong>ed</strong> in a<br />
fierce rivalry between the clubs.<br />
The Blue Square South season kicks off on August<br />
14th; the fixtures for the new season won’t be<br />
announc<strong>ed</strong> until early <strong>July</strong>. Meanwhile Rooks fans<br />
are invit<strong>ed</strong> – as they were last year – to help spruce<br />
up the Dripping Pan on Sunday 4th and 11th <strong>July</strong><br />
from 10.30am to 12.30. Information about this and<br />
all other <strong>Lewes</strong> FC matters can be found at the<br />
excellent www.lewesfc.com.<br />
7 3
EB-AD-JUN10_VIVA AD_v1:FRIDAY AD 19/5/10 16:38 Page 1<br />
High Street, Barcombe, Near <strong>Lewes</strong>, BN8 5DH Telephone 01273 401526<br />
Opening Hours<br />
Monday to<br />
Saturday 9.30am<br />
to 5.30pm<br />
Start-rite, Camper<br />
Ecco, Converse, Petasil,<br />
Geox, Buckle My Shoe<br />
Birkenstock and more<br />
Some brands are available<br />
in women’s sizes<br />
w w w. e l i z a b r o w n . c o . u k<br />
New Spring and<br />
Summer 2010 range<br />
now here<br />
Please phone for details
photo: emma Chaplin<br />
borde hill<br />
Zip-wire fun and ornate gardens<br />
Many may know Borde Hill, just north of Haywards<br />
Heath, for the excellent Jeremy’s restaurant, Elvira<br />
Café, or for the lovely gardens. But it has also had<br />
an adventure playground for many years.<br />
The management have recently built an entirely<br />
new version, so I went along with my sister, my<br />
colleague Beth and all of our five kids (ag<strong>ed</strong> 4-13)<br />
to try it out. We pick, by fluke, a beautiful day, and<br />
so the shade of one of the variety of large old trees<br />
makes a welcome picnic spot to dump our <strong>food</strong> and<br />
our blankets.<br />
The playground is completely enclos<strong>ed</strong>, and<br />
includes a number of wooden climbing frames,<br />
swings for young children as well as a pretty zippy<br />
zip-wire, that goes down well with my eight year<br />
old. I’d say that most of the playground equipment<br />
is aim<strong>ed</strong> at younger kids, maybe 3-7 being the ideal<br />
age range. We adults mostly remain chatting on<br />
our picnic blankets, occasionally venturing down to<br />
rescue a small child stuck at the bottom of a rope<br />
climbing tunnel, or feeling a bit too wobbly on the<br />
wobbly rope bridge.<br />
The scatter<strong>ed</strong> tribe return to eat lunch before an<br />
adult volunteer nips back to the car park to dump<br />
baskets and blankets. Then we all head through<br />
the shop to enter the gardens (via the loos),<br />
w w w. V I VA L e w e s . C o M<br />
V I VA K I D s<br />
peering at our maps to work out a route. We end<br />
up meandering around the twisty paths, up and<br />
down steps, finding ponds and fountains, glades<br />
and manicur<strong>ed</strong> h<strong>ed</strong>ges, statues, a rose garden, the<br />
‘Garden of Allah’ and some Victorian greenhouses.<br />
But our favourite spot, perhaps because it provid<strong>ed</strong><br />
such peaceful and pleasant shade on a hot day, was<br />
the Italian Garden, with its beautiful rectangular lily<br />
pond, surround<strong>ed</strong> by benches. What fascinat<strong>ed</strong> the<br />
kids was the open gully where water trickl<strong>ed</strong> from<br />
the mouth of a stone lion down to the pond. They<br />
were kept happy for ages, poking at green slime<br />
with sticks.<br />
Borde Hill is lovely. It’s large enough for you to<br />
be able to get away from other people if you want<br />
to, but not so large it overwhelm<strong>ed</strong> the youngest<br />
children trying to walk around it. A considerable<br />
amount of intermittent shade can be found on a hot<br />
day, and a woodland gazebo provid<strong>ed</strong> a perfect spot<br />
for a drink, a sit down and an impressive impromptu<br />
magic turn from Beth. Emma Chaplin<br />
Open daily, March-October, 10-6pm. Admission:<br />
adults £7.50/6.50, children £4.50. Borde Hill also<br />
holds a variety of events, such as kids’ summer fun,<br />
jazz picnics and Battle Proms. See website for details<br />
(www.bordehill.co.uk)<br />
7 5
w w w. V I VA L e w e s . C o M<br />
SHADES<br />
The big decision: Elvis Costello, or Top Gun?<br />
Buying sunglasses during my 80s Blues Brothers<br />
phase (Jake in case you’re wondering) was easy -<br />
always Ray-Ban Wayfarers.<br />
There was also the option of a spare cheapo fake<br />
‘fashion’ pair from the local market, or a dodgy<br />
beach kiosk.<br />
All that though was before my eyesight<br />
diminish<strong>ed</strong>, and the add<strong>ed</strong> cost of prescription<br />
lenses kick<strong>ed</strong> in - not cheap in a Ray-Ban, I can<br />
tell you.<br />
When I spott<strong>ed</strong> a sign in Specsavers window<br />
offering ‘free prescription sunglasses’, then,<br />
I was through the door like a shot. The deal,<br />
as it turn<strong>ed</strong> out, was 2 for 1, but as I was after<br />
a second pair of normal glasses anyway, I was<br />
looking at a free pair of sunglasses on top.<br />
Now all I had to do was choose…<br />
I enlist<strong>ed</strong> help from Trisha, the branch manager,<br />
who’d experienc<strong>ed</strong> a previous eighteen-month<br />
saga of me trying to select a second pair of<br />
glasses. So at least she knew what to expect.<br />
Curv<strong>ed</strong> lenses and certain brands, I discover<strong>ed</strong>,<br />
would not be suitable for my prescription. So my<br />
choice was getting more limit<strong>ed</strong> - but there was<br />
still fatal room for deliberation.<br />
Trish found suitable frames for my roundish<br />
face, which sat, crucially, parallel with my<br />
eyebrows. All had larger lenses than I would<br />
have chosen, but as Trish explain<strong>ed</strong>, they cover<strong>ed</strong><br />
my whole eye socket and would be much more<br />
effective at keeping the sun out.<br />
By now, we’d r<strong>ed</strong>uc<strong>ed</strong> my choice to three pairs.<br />
The decision was further complicat<strong>ed</strong> by the fact<br />
w e t r y o u t<br />
that my favour<strong>ed</strong> pair of ‘Animal’ frames came in<br />
black or silver, and we disagre<strong>ed</strong> on which one<br />
suit<strong>ed</strong> me best.<br />
Alternatively, there was a pair of seventies-style<br />
frames with a double nose bridge (also ‘Animals’)<br />
or some lightweight (plastic) Nikes.<br />
I’d like to say that I’m not bother<strong>ed</strong> about<br />
brands, but the truth is, I probably am. I like a<br />
lot of Nike gear. So they made it through to the<br />
final three.<br />
By this stage my rambling deliberations had<br />
involv<strong>ed</strong> at least four members of staff, and in a<br />
probably unprec<strong>ed</strong>ent<strong>ed</strong> move, they gave me all<br />
three pairs to take home to deliberate upon.<br />
Before I left, we discuss<strong>ed</strong> polarisation, and this<br />
was the major revelation in the process for me.<br />
After a couple of quick comparative tests I was<br />
happily signing up for the £50 worth of antiglare<br />
on offer.<br />
On the way out I spott<strong>ed</strong> a Top Gun style<br />
teardrop pair, and expectantly plac<strong>ed</strong> them<br />
on my face. The negative expression on four<br />
separate Specsavers staff faces told me all I<br />
ne<strong>ed</strong><strong>ed</strong> to know.<br />
Nick Williams<br />
7 7
sy_<strong>Viva</strong>_128mm x 90mm.qxd 19/12/07 16:35 Page 1<br />
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First of all, may I just answer three questions<br />
regarding my curious appearance in the June<br />
<strong>ed</strong>ition of <strong>Viva</strong> <strong>Lewes</strong>? 1. I was standing on our<br />
roof because the photographer lik<strong>ed</strong> the view from<br />
it towards Newhaven. He actually preferr<strong>ed</strong> it to<br />
me if I’m being totally honest.<br />
2. I did not steal the ice cream cone from a seafront<br />
café in Bexhill! It was acquir<strong>ed</strong> legitimately at Julian<br />
Dawson’s weekly auction in <strong>Lewes</strong> a couple of years<br />
back (more about that in future articles).<br />
3. The baggy trousers were a mistake, but be<br />
thankful I wasn’t wearing shorts…<br />
Right – having clear<strong>ed</strong> that up – perhaps I’d better<br />
explain the thinking behind this new monthly<br />
feature. Amongst many other things, I’ve always<br />
been a collector of what you might describe as<br />
‘quirky antiques’. In fact the more bizarre an item,<br />
the better I have lik<strong>ed</strong> it. When I liv<strong>ed</strong> in Brighton<br />
two telephone kiosks were acquir<strong>ed</strong>, a brick from<br />
the demolish<strong>ed</strong> Cavern Club in Liverpool was<br />
deliver<strong>ed</strong> to our house by Securicor and my wife,<br />
Sylvia, did turn down the opportunity on one crazy<br />
occasion to co-own a 1950s juke box. It simply<br />
would not go through our front door – without<br />
taking the ancient door off first!<br />
Seeking such odd objects brought me to <strong>Lewes</strong><br />
from time to time and today – living here – it’s<br />
almost like having the key to a permanently open<strong>ed</strong><br />
Aladdin’s Cave. Happily there are so many excellent<br />
antique centres, auction houses, flea markets and<br />
quality charity shops in town that I thought it made<br />
sense to suggest to the <strong>ed</strong>itor that a regular feature<br />
on ‘collecting’ would be a useful addition to his<br />
w w w. V I VA L e w e s . C o M<br />
HENTY’S TWENTY<br />
How far can he take a Hampden Roar?<br />
A N t I Q u e s<br />
elite <strong>ed</strong>itorial stable.<br />
He agre<strong>ed</strong> and went on to suggest ...Well you<br />
know the BBC programme that gives people loads<br />
of twenty pound notes to go off and find valuable<br />
trinkets in a given time ? OK – this is <strong>Lewes</strong> and<br />
we’re all suppos<strong>ed</strong> to be tightening our belts, but I<br />
must admit that when Alex offer<strong>ed</strong> me ONE twenty<br />
pound note to fit in with the title “Henty’s Twenty”,<br />
I felt like saying “Erm … why don’t we call it<br />
Henty’s Plenty” instead ?<br />
However, I didn’t and anyway I like a challenge<br />
so here we go. What can one find in and around<br />
this super town of ours for no more than twenty<br />
quid a month? An item that is amusing, appealing<br />
and ultimately good accounting (i.e. a potential<br />
investment). Not a lot, you say, and you could<br />
be right, although I do remember a press trip to<br />
Hamburg in the 1960s when a young journalist<br />
from the South Wales Argus part<strong>ed</strong> with a similar<br />
amount in the Reeperbahn only to discover that it<br />
allow<strong>ed</strong> him to be beaten on his bare bottom by a<br />
muscular woman wielding a hair brush. Unlikely in<br />
<strong>Lewes</strong> don’t you think? Pardon?<br />
Sorry, I digress. Our object for starters this month<br />
is a Pop-Up book I purchas<strong>ed</strong> at the last Ardingly<br />
Fair. The Dan Dare book was publish<strong>ed</strong> just before<br />
Christmas in 1953 and cost me £8. According to the<br />
useful Miller’s Collectables Handbook 2010 – 2011<br />
(page 158) it is worth between £50 and £80. Get<br />
the drift? The next Ardingly Fair is on Tuesday and<br />
W<strong>ed</strong>nesday, <strong>July</strong> 20/21. Second day admission only<br />
£5 – doors open at 8 a.m. See you there?<br />
John Henty<br />
7 9
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RECIPES fOR<br />
DISASTER<br />
Ef Benson’s poisonous cookbook<br />
Although the artist Edward Burra liv<strong>ed</strong> pretty<br />
well all his life in Rye, he had a decid<strong>ed</strong>ly lovehate<br />
relationship with the town. An inveterate<br />
traveller, he was always plotting to get away,<br />
but whether his destination was Toulon or New<br />
Orleans, Havana or just the bars of the Old<br />
Town in Hastings, he invariably return<strong>ed</strong> to<br />
Rye, or ‘Tinkerbell Town’ as he call<strong>ed</strong> it in his<br />
extraordinary letters.<br />
Burra’s parents were pillars of Rye society. His<br />
father serv<strong>ed</strong> on the East Sussex County Council<br />
and was a member of countless local committees.<br />
As such he would have undoubt<strong>ed</strong>ly come across<br />
the writer EF Benson, most famous for his Mapp<br />
and Lucia novels. Although Benson rose to<br />
become Mayor of Rye between 1934 and 1937,<br />
he, like Edward Burra, would seem to have had<br />
a deeply ambivalent attitude to the town if his<br />
account of ‘Tilling’, his fictionalis<strong>ed</strong> equivalent of<br />
Rye, is anything to go by.<br />
In 1936, Benson submitt<strong>ed</strong> two contributions to<br />
A Cargo of Recipes, ‘collect<strong>ed</strong> in aid of the Rye,<br />
Winchelsea and District Memorial Hospital and<br />
print<strong>ed</strong> at Deacon’s Printing Works at Market<br />
Road in Rye’. His two recipes rejoice in the names<br />
of Cod à la Bourgeois and Pancakes à la Borgia.<br />
The latter reads as follows: ‘Procure a small piece<br />
of glass (any broken window will serve) about<br />
one inch square. Pound this in a mortar till its<br />
consistency is of the finest dust, and thoroughly<br />
mix it with six or eight times the amount of sift<strong>ed</strong><br />
sugar. Take three berries of deadly nightshade<br />
(belladonna), mince well and add ¼ oz. of<br />
foxglove se<strong>ed</strong> (digitalis), a dessertspoonfull of<br />
we<strong>ed</strong>killer (arsenic) and mix together in sufficient<br />
jam or honey to neutralise the taste of the other<br />
ingr<strong>ed</strong>ients. Spread this mixture over the surface<br />
of an ordinary pancake, roll it up in the usual<br />
w w w. V I VA L e w e s . C o M<br />
L I t e r A r y s u s s e x<br />
manner, and sprinkle thickly on the top the<br />
powder<strong>ed</strong> glass and sugar. Pass a salamander over<br />
it till the glass and sugar assumes the appearance<br />
and texture of caramel. NB Digitalis and<br />
belladonna may be procur<strong>ed</strong> from any chemist,<br />
but they are not always fresh, and it is wiser for<br />
this and other reasons to pick these ingr<strong>ed</strong>ients<br />
yourself. It is also advisable, when serving an<br />
enemy with this delicious dish, to explain that you<br />
never eat sweets yourself, but that this pancake is<br />
prepar<strong>ed</strong> according to an old family recipe.’<br />
Pancakes à la Borgia and another helpful piece<br />
of advice in A Cargo of Recipes suggest that<br />
the figuratively poisonous atmosphere of the<br />
dinner tables in Tilling may have been rather less<br />
figurative in 1930s Rye. Regarding Poison Bottles<br />
is the contribution of a certain Miss Burra (Burra’s<br />
sister? Burra himself?) and reads ‘If you have a<br />
deadly poison bottle on your m<strong>ed</strong>icine table, buy<br />
a penny bell, thread a riband through it and tie it<br />
to the neck of the bottle. If you pick up that bottle<br />
by mistake, the bell will tinkle out its warning’.<br />
David Jarman<br />
8 1
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MILLER<br />
When I go swimmin’ with the wimmin’,<br />
Ee I do have a real good time<br />
‘Totally up for it, Lad’, I heard Man of the House say, as I<br />
stagger<strong>ed</strong> in with the shopping. ‘I’ll tell the missus we’re just going<br />
for a drink.’<br />
Intrigu<strong>ed</strong>, I silently put down the bags.<br />
‘I know! Barenak<strong>ed</strong> ladies as far as the eye can see’, Man<br />
continu<strong>ed</strong>, and I readi<strong>ed</strong> myself to jump aboard the Conclusion<br />
Train to Obvious.<br />
‘See you there, Lad, dress code casual.’ Sniggering, he put down<br />
the phone, then deliver<strong>ed</strong> a classic double-take when he saw me<br />
posing coolly in the doorway, smoking a cheroot. The impact was<br />
only slightly marr<strong>ed</strong> by me coughing my guts out, and ten minutes<br />
pass<strong>ed</strong> before the interrogation could begin.<br />
Man stopp<strong>ed</strong> hovering solicitously with water and tissues and said,<br />
‘It’s a right-on political cause.’<br />
‘The nude swimming party at the Pells, presumably?’<br />
‘It’s to support, er’, he look<strong>ed</strong> quickly at the flier, ‘nak<strong>ed</strong> bike<br />
riding. It’s about sustainability and stuff.’<br />
‘Yes, the message about the vulnerability of cyclists is clearly stat<strong>ed</strong><br />
by a load of starkers old goats going swimming and leering.’<br />
Man sulk<strong>ed</strong>. ‘I’ll call Lad and cancel.’<br />
‘I think you should go’, I said.<br />
Man did another double-take. It’s good to retain an element of<br />
surprise in a long-term relationship, isn’t it? And it had occurr<strong>ed</strong><br />
to me that if he went, I could write about it without actually<br />
having to go. I only venture into a swimming pool if I’ve brought<br />
my Victorian bathing machine, from which I slowly emerge, clad<br />
from neck to ankle in a baggy knitt<strong>ed</strong> suit.<br />
Everyone loves the Pells though. If I’m not swimming I sit under<br />
a tree, tartan rug round my knees, watching the jollification.<br />
Teenagers snog on the table-tennis table, then leap into the<br />
hormone-freezing water. Toddlers excavate the paddling pool for<br />
treasure: Thing Two recently brought me a dead spider. Adults<br />
sunbathe and, depending on temperament, tut at noisy children,<br />
frown at petting adolescents, or scream at deceas<strong>ed</strong> arachnids.<br />
On Saturday, Man of the House slop<strong>ed</strong> off for a riotous evening<br />
w w w. V I VA L e w e s . C o M<br />
C o L u M N<br />
of au naturel splashing, while I<br />
enjoy<strong>ed</strong> a nice solitary time of<br />
macrame and absinthe. When<br />
he return<strong>ed</strong> he was grumpy,<br />
complaining that Lad had<br />
ditch<strong>ed</strong> him, no-one had talk<strong>ed</strong><br />
to him, and that he’d spent<br />
most of the time having to think<br />
about Ann Widdecombe.<br />
Lad came round next day with<br />
a different tale. ‘It was brilliant!<br />
Best night ever. Loads of lovely<br />
ladies.’ He start<strong>ed</strong> to unbutton<br />
his trousers. ‘That bird I really<br />
lik<strong>ed</strong> wrote her phone number<br />
across my derriere’, he said<br />
cheerily to Man, as I back<strong>ed</strong><br />
hastily out of the room, ‘can you<br />
copy it down?’<br />
Moments later Man laugh<strong>ed</strong><br />
so loudly, I had to come back<br />
in. Across the wobbly pink<br />
canvas, Lad’s new friend had<br />
written, ‘Seen enough thanks’, in<br />
waterproof marker pen.<br />
We took the kids to the Pells<br />
next day. Man brought a rug and<br />
sat under the tree with me. It<br />
was nice to have the company.<br />
8 3
This month’s column is d<strong>ed</strong>icat<strong>ed</strong> to a man<br />
many of you may never have heard of, but<br />
one who has given a great deal to the local<br />
community over the last 18 years.<br />
I refer to John Crawford, who retires on<br />
Friday <strong>July</strong> 2nd after 40 years service to local<br />
government, the last eighteen of them as Chief<br />
Executive of <strong>Lewes</strong> District Council.<br />
As leader of the council at the time, I head<strong>ed</strong><br />
the panel that appoint<strong>ed</strong> John back in 1992.<br />
He had previously been with the then Brighton<br />
Borough Council. I remember that we had<br />
about 45 candidates for the post, and in the<br />
end, we were in no doubt that he was our<br />
choice. It was perhaps the best appointment I<br />
ever made.<br />
On his first day, I arriv<strong>ed</strong> in his office having<br />
walk<strong>ed</strong> up the lovely garden of <strong>Lewes</strong> House.<br />
I was dress<strong>ed</strong> in jeans<br />
and my favourite<br />
hoop<strong>ed</strong> T-shirt.<br />
My hands<br />
were purple<br />
from picking<br />
mulberries<br />
on the way<br />
up, and<br />
I held a<br />
bunch of<br />
mushrooms<br />
recover<strong>ed</strong><br />
from the<br />
lawn.<br />
He was<br />
much too<br />
polite<br />
to say<br />
w w w. V I VA L e w e s . C o M<br />
NORMAN BAKER<br />
A tribute to a loyal public servant<br />
anything, but diplomatic though he was, his<br />
face betray<strong>ed</strong> a certain, well, alarm. “John,<br />
you’re working for a Liberal council now,” I<br />
told him, mischievously.<br />
John was always the consummate professional,<br />
but he was more than that. He was something<br />
that now seems sadly a bit old-fashion<strong>ed</strong>:<br />
someone who believes in public service. Unlike<br />
some council chiefs I have encounter<strong>ed</strong>, he<br />
did not have his own agenda, would always<br />
do his best to help councillors achieve what<br />
they want<strong>ed</strong>, and was content to remain in<br />
the shadows, seeing the public role as one for<br />
elect<strong>ed</strong> councillors. And he chose to remain at<br />
<strong>Lewes</strong> District Council when he could easily<br />
have secur<strong>ed</strong> a job elsewhere with a bigger<br />
authority on a much better salary.<br />
John has also been the returning officer for<br />
all the General Elections at which I have<br />
been return<strong>ed</strong> – from 1997 to 2010 [see John<br />
Crawford interview in the May Election<br />
Special issue of <strong>Viva</strong> <strong>Lewes</strong>], but I had better<br />
not regard him as some sort of lucky mascot,<br />
given that he won’t be there next time. There<br />
is a huge amount of unseen work that must<br />
be carri<strong>ed</strong> out to ensure an election proce<strong>ed</strong>s<br />
successfully, and John has never falter<strong>ed</strong>. It is<br />
typical of his professionalism that he decid<strong>ed</strong><br />
to stay in the post until after the General<br />
Election just gone, to ensure all went smoothly<br />
and that his successor was not dropp<strong>ed</strong> in at<br />
the deep end.<br />
Lastly, I reflect that he will probably grimace<br />
at the fact that I have written this column<br />
about him, but I just couldn’t let his retirement<br />
go without publicly saying thank you. Anyway,<br />
as I surpris<strong>ed</strong> him on his first day, there’s a neat<br />
symmetry to doing so again on his last!<br />
C o L u M N<br />
8 5
TFS <strong>Viva</strong><strong>Lewes</strong> HP Advert.qxd 14/5/10 11:25 Page 1<br />
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BUSINESS BRIEFING<br />
The Chamber of Commerce continues to form a<br />
highly effective pressure group on local, business<br />
relat<strong>ed</strong>, planning matters. We remain one of the<br />
District Council’s most vocal consultees on planning<br />
applications and frequently provide a valuable<br />
counter-balance to the often strident opinions of<br />
other, non-commercial, pressure groups.<br />
Earlier this year, however, the Chamber found<br />
itself firmly alongside a wide spectrum of local<br />
opinion in opposing Tesco’s application to extend<br />
their existing store. Others shar<strong>ed</strong> our fear that<br />
not only would the proposal engulf a large area of<br />
much-ne<strong>ed</strong><strong>ed</strong> industrial premises, it would also be<br />
so large as to totally unbalance our existing retail<br />
offering. Tesco’s ambition remains the domination<br />
of the local retail sector, and their extension is firmly<br />
aim<strong>ed</strong> at taking market share from our existing,<br />
town centre multiples. Offer<strong>ed</strong> one-stop shopping<br />
for all household ne<strong>ed</strong>s under one roof, many will<br />
bypass the much wider choice offer<strong>ed</strong> by the High<br />
Street and opt for the easy parking option of a new<br />
superstore. We can only hope that the people of<br />
<strong>Lewes</strong> will not forget the many attractions of the<br />
town centre.<br />
Over the past year, plans have mov<strong>ed</strong> ahead, albeit<br />
slowly, for the r<strong>ed</strong>evelopment of the Eastgate<br />
and Bus Station sites. The relocation of Wenban<br />
Smith has creat<strong>ed</strong> the opportunity for a brand new,<br />
riverside Waitrose Store. This would free up the<br />
existing site for an interesting new mix of retail and<br />
residential development, as well as much ne<strong>ed</strong><strong>ed</strong><br />
extra car parking. We are very much at the stage<br />
of “watch this space”, but we are confident that the<br />
planners and the developers will fully involve the<br />
Chamber as their plans progress.<br />
<strong>Lewes</strong> faces an interesting and economically exciting<br />
future, and the Chamber will continue to work<br />
with the councils, residents and developers for the<br />
interests of all <strong>Lewes</strong> traders.<br />
Contact the Chamber via secretary@leweschamber.<br />
org.uk or on 01273 488212.
BUSINESS NEWS<br />
photo in the sand ship by Katie moorman<br />
There’s been movement in The Ne<strong>ed</strong>lemakers<br />
this month, starting with The Sand Ship, which has<br />
taken over the space us<strong>ed</strong> until February by Romeo<br />
Glass. The new shop is in fact run by Romeo’s<br />
original owner, Paul Summers, who tells us he is<br />
aiming to create “a gallery style, without gallery<br />
prices”. They are offering a selection of unusual<br />
gifts, such as fascinating glass bulb radiometers<br />
or beautiful crystal gardens, as well as sculptural<br />
pieces from as little as £5. (www.sandship.com).<br />
Meanwhile, the space previously us<strong>ed</strong> by Baltic<br />
Trader as a pottery shop has been transform<strong>ed</strong> in to<br />
a jewellery showroom for Alexis Dove Jewellery.<br />
Alexis tells us that the new space will showcase her<br />
collection, which is already stock<strong>ed</strong> in over 80 outlets<br />
nationwide, whilst her partner Justin Small will<br />
continue to work on his commissions, and run their<br />
jewellery repair service from their existing studio in<br />
the nearby Star Brewery (alexisdove.com).<br />
Down on Friars Walk, The Garden Room Gifts has<br />
sprung up, selling a range of gifts, garden furniture<br />
and greetings cards (no connection to the Garden<br />
Room café, found 200 yards around the corner in<br />
Station Street). We’ve also spott<strong>ed</strong> frenzi<strong>ed</strong> activity in<br />
the shop next to Fox & Sons on School Hill, which<br />
we understand will open as Mojo a gentleman’s gift<br />
shop in the very near future.<br />
Finally, we’d like to welcome Abeo IT Solutions to<br />
town. Husband and wife team Stuart and Lucy, have<br />
more than 20 years combin<strong>ed</strong> IT experience and<br />
are offering high-quality IT support and advice for<br />
both home users and small/m<strong>ed</strong>ium-siz<strong>ed</strong> businesses.<br />
If you want to know more, their offices are locat<strong>ed</strong><br />
at 85A High Street, <strong>Lewes</strong>, above Hilary Moore<br />
Flowers. (www.abeo-it.com).<br />
8 9
W<br />
What does your business do? We sell chocolate, but<br />
during the summer we also sell a range of homemade<br />
ice-creams and sorbets.<br />
How long have you been trading in <strong>Lewes</strong>? We<br />
open<strong>ed</strong> the shop in 1987 and start<strong>ed</strong> selling the icecream<br />
a couple of summers later.<br />
What persuad<strong>ed</strong> you to sell ice-cream? A<br />
combination of a very hot summer and a non-aircondition<strong>ed</strong><br />
shop. John us<strong>ed</strong> to make delightfully<br />
refreshing sorbets for our dinner parties and we decid<strong>ed</strong><br />
to sell a few from the shop. They were very popular, but<br />
people kept asking for ice-cream as well, so John add<strong>ed</strong><br />
double cream and a range was rapidly creat<strong>ed</strong>.<br />
How’s it made? John makes small batches (about 50)<br />
in our kitchen at home. The strawberry, for example, is<br />
a combination of fresh strawberries and double cream,<br />
which is blend<strong>ed</strong> and whisk<strong>ed</strong> before being pour<strong>ed</strong> into<br />
moulds. These are then plac<strong>ed</strong> in to the freezer - briefly<br />
remov<strong>ed</strong> after three hours for the sticks to be plac<strong>ed</strong><br />
in the mixture - then deep-frozen overnight. In the<br />
morning, we remove the ice-cream on its stick from the<br />
mould and hand-wrap in baking parchment, which both<br />
protects the ice cream and is also easy to remove for the<br />
customer.<br />
What flavours do you sell? Our mainstays are vanilla,<br />
mango and strawberry, with strawberry being the most<br />
popular, accounting for 70% of our sales.<br />
Any other flavours? We also sell a pink grapefruit<br />
sorbet, and John often has a special flavour on - at the<br />
moment a chocolate chilli ice cream.<br />
How much stock do you keep? We sell almost as soon<br />
as we make it, so I guess nothing stays in the freezer for<br />
photograph: Katie moorman<br />
TRADE SECRETS ELIZABETH & jOHN SYRETT - OWNERS Of BONNE BOUCHE<br />
more than a couple of days at a time.<br />
Who buys from you? We have a loyal customer base<br />
for chocolates and ice cream, plus of course passing<br />
trade, and school kids around 3.30pm.<br />
What’s the season for ice-cream? Our season runs<br />
from the first Bank Holiday in May, through to the end<br />
of September.<br />
Does it affect your chocolate sales? There’s a fairly<br />
symbiotic relationship between our chocolate and ice<br />
cream sales, with the weather playing a big part in<br />
things.<br />
Do people choose different chocolates in the<br />
summer? Not really, I’d say that our best sellers all<br />
year round remain the same, with our Champagne<br />
Truffle being by far the most popular. Violet Creams<br />
and Chocolate Ginger are also consistent favourites.<br />
Any new flavours this year? We’re starting to get a lot<br />
of requests for Salt Caramels - which could be because<br />
President Obama recently announc<strong>ed</strong> that they were<br />
his favourite.<br />
Is there anything you always get ask<strong>ed</strong>? Yes, even in<br />
winter we get ask<strong>ed</strong> if we have ice-cream! We did try<br />
it one year, and John experiment<strong>ed</strong> with a Christmas<br />
pudding ice-cream, but we’re normally too busy with<br />
the chocolates in the winter, and demand for ice-cream<br />
is understandably limit<strong>ed</strong>.<br />
Give a top tip to our readers: When buying<br />
chocolates always choose a wide selection unless you’re<br />
100% sure you know what the person getting them<br />
really likes.<br />
Interview with Nick Williams. Bonne Bouche, 3 St<br />
Martin’s Lane, 01273 472043<br />
9 1
CLIFFE OSTEOPATHS<br />
Osteopathy Mandy Fischer<br />
BSc (Hons) Ost, DO<br />
Osteopathy Steven Bettles<br />
MEd, BSc (Hons) Ost, BA, DO<br />
Acupuncture Tim Rofe<br />
& Osteopathy BSc (Hons) Ost, BAc MBAC, DO<br />
Hypnotherapy & EFT Lesley Isaacs<br />
Dip I Hyp GQHP, GHR<br />
Nutrition Nicki Edgell<br />
BA (Hons) PDNN<br />
01273 480900<br />
23 Cliffe High Street<br />
<strong>Lewes</strong>, East Sussex<br />
BN7 2AH<br />
www . lewesosteopath . com<br />
Open Mondays to Friday<br />
Saturday mornings<br />
Apple IT Support<br />
We �Think Different� in & around <strong>Lewes</strong><br />
� Mac OS Server/Client Networks<br />
� Broadband, Wir<strong>ed</strong> & WiFi Networks<br />
� Windows 7 / Vista / XP �SWITCHERS� to MAC<br />
� File Transfer, Data Recovery & OS Integration<br />
� Free friendly advice, 7 x 24 x 365 Support<br />
Telephone: 01273 470155 - Mobile: 07711 986610<br />
email: info@mac-help.me<br />
Mandy Fischer Osteopathy<br />
Mandy has practic<strong>ed</strong> in <strong>Lewes</strong> for the past 13 years<br />
and establish<strong>ed</strong> Cliffe Osteopaths three years ago.<br />
Osteopathy provides gentle, effective treatment<br />
of musculoskeletal conditions, including low<br />
back pain, joint pain, muscular tension, and<br />
sports injuries, and can provide relief to the pain<br />
and stiffness associat<strong>ed</strong> with arthritic joints.<br />
The range of osteopathic techniques available<br />
means that it is a suitable therapy for all ages,<br />
from infants to seniors.
DIRECTORY<br />
Please note that though we aim to only take advertising from reputable businesses, we cannot guarantee<br />
the quality of any work undertaken, and accept no responsibility or liability for any issues arising.<br />
To advertise in <strong>Viva</strong><strong>Lewes</strong> please call Steve on 01273 488882 or email steve@vivalewes.com<br />
LEWES<br />
<strong>Lewes</strong> High Street<br />
DENTAL PRACTICE<br />
Steven Kell<br />
BDS (U. Lond) MFGDP RCS (UK) DPDS (U. Brist)<br />
<strong>Lewes</strong> High Street Dental Practice offers a<br />
personalis<strong>ed</strong> approach to modern dentistry.<br />
Whether you are looking for a simple check-up or to<br />
improve your smile through cosmetic dentistry &<br />
tooth whitening, we are here to help.<br />
We are d<strong>ed</strong>icat<strong>ed</strong> to the provision of high quality<br />
dentistry in a caring and gentle way using the very<br />
latest dental techniques including dental implants.<br />
Due to recent refurbishment and expansion we are<br />
currently accepting new NHS patients for a limit<strong>ed</strong><br />
time<br />
<strong>Lewes</strong> High Street Dental Practice,<br />
60 High Street,<br />
<strong>Lewes</strong>,<br />
East Sussex,<br />
BN7 1XG<br />
Tel: 01273 478240<br />
Email: info@lewesdental.co.uk<br />
Web: www.lewesdental.co.uk
heaLth and WeLL beinG<br />
Fiona Condie SDSHom<br />
Homeopathy<br />
Yoga Therapy<br />
Coach House Clinic<br />
<strong>Lewes</strong><br />
01273 474419<br />
ww www.fionacondie.com<br />
Acupuncture<br />
Jeremy Marshall BSc MBAcC<br />
Special Offer<br />
£10 off one treatment<br />
Either initial consultation<br />
or follow up treatment<br />
Offer ends 31st <strong>July</strong><br />
Also free 30 minute<br />
consultations available<br />
Phone River clinic <strong>Lewes</strong> to book<br />
01273 475735<br />
or Jeremy Marshall for more details<br />
07929 742243<br />
www.acupunctureandtaichibrighton.co.uk
heaLth and WeLL beinG<br />
9 5
home
e 1<br />
home<br />
Jack Plane Carpenter<br />
Nice work, fair price,<br />
totally reliable.<br />
www.jackplanecarpentry.co.uk<br />
01273 483339 / 07887 993396<br />
PLUMBER<br />
taps • cisterns • WCs • radiators<br />
• bathroom suites<br />
www.plumbery.co.uk<br />
call Matthew Spencer on<br />
486621 or 07880 676262<br />
Painter and Decorator<br />
Niels Herdal<br />
01273 471399<br />
QUALITY CRAFTMANSHIP • FULLY INSURED • 25 YEARS EXPERIENCE<br />
9 7
9 8<br />
Lantern Ad2009 <strong>Viva</strong> 18/3/09 17:44 Page 1<br />
home<br />
simply stunning<br />
roof lanterns<br />
Want to transform a dark<br />
and gloomy space in your home?<br />
The design solution could be a roof lantern from<br />
Parsons Joinery. To create a room which is bath<strong>ed</strong> in<br />
natural light whilst providing a stunning architectural<br />
feature and dramatic views of the sky above…<br />
call us on 01273 814870<br />
www.parsonsjoinery.com<br />
Parsons Joinery are now FENSA register<strong>ed</strong>.<br />
Please refer to our website or call us for<br />
further information.
home<br />
Qs Electricalþ<br />
24/7 fair price emergency serviceþ<br />
Lighting consultation & designþ<br />
Rewires and upgradesþ<br />
Testing and inspectionþ<br />
Small jobs with pleasureþ<br />
Free energy efficiency adviceþ<br />
& discounts on installationþ<br />
Kevin Moore 07837814235þ<br />
Member of the National Association�<br />
of Professional Testers and Inspectors�<br />
Wooden sash window specialists<br />
Hidden brush pile system<br />
Eliminates draughts and sash rattle<br />
R<strong>ed</strong>uces noise and improves security<br />
Reinstate traditional sash windows<br />
Specialising in list<strong>ed</strong> buildings<br />
and Conservation Areas<br />
Repairing, servicing and improving<br />
traditional sash windows.<br />
Call us now on: 0800 731 5905<br />
www.slidingsashsolutions.co.uk info@slidingsashsolutions.co.uk<br />
6 Campbell Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 4QD
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home
home<br />
Trading Standards Approv<strong>ed</strong><br />
Expert Render Repairs<br />
Roof Repairs & Renewals<br />
Professional Damp Proofing<br />
Expert Door & Window Repairs<br />
Professional Painting & Decorating<br />
� Structural Repairs & Crack Stitching<br />
Telephone:<br />
Mobile:<br />
01273 550318<br />
07968 280611<br />
B R I G H T O N & H O V E C I T Y C O U N C I L<br />
T R A D I N G S T A N D A R D S A<br />
We are experts in all aspects of exterior repairs and r<strong>ed</strong>ecoration. We use only the best materials<br />
with extremely thorough preparation. We do not cut corners. Because of this you can rest assur<strong>ed</strong><br />
that our work will stand the test of time and look good for far longer than the usual ‘quick paint<br />
job’ which is inevitably a false economy. We pride ourselves on the quality of our service.<br />
Website: www.ppjconstruction.com<br />
E-mail: Info@ppjconstruction.com<br />
P P R O V E D<br />
1 0 1
1 0 2<br />
home<br />
Ollie<br />
Clark<br />
handYman seRViCe<br />
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Do you ne<strong>ed</strong> assistance?<br />
If so, we can come to your rescue<br />
07974 359 483<br />
Bas<strong>ed</strong> in <strong>Lewes</strong> and its Environs<br />
Odd jobs – Gardening – Moving<br />
Computers – Broadband – Email<br />
Digital photography advice<br />
Simple electrical or plumbing jobs<br />
Assemble flat-packs – Curtain rails<br />
Patios – Decking – Turf Lawns<br />
Hang pictures – Tiling - Gutters<br />
Fix things – Painting – Repairs<br />
Non-smoker - Police Vett<strong>ed</strong><br />
bespoke furniture<br />
carpentry<br />
painting & decorating<br />
f u r n i t u r e ollieclarkfurniture.co.uk<br />
£10 per hr (min 2hrs)<br />
Visit us at www.lassistant.co.uk<br />
lewes<br />
01273 479909<br />
07876 069681
GaRdens<br />
Beautiful Perennials, Shrubs, B<strong>ed</strong>ding Plants,<br />
Herbs & Vegetable Plants Grown in East Sussex<br />
Ideal for your Garden and Hanging Baskets<br />
One-Day Plant Sales<br />
Every 1st & 3rd Saturday of the month @<br />
The Trevor Arms, Glynde<br />
Every 2nd & 4th Saturday of the month @<br />
Caburn Cottages, Nr <strong>Lewes</strong><br />
9.30am - 4.30pm<br />
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Lessons and CoURses
Lessons & CoURses<br />
otheR seRViCes<br />
Seamstress and Theatrical Costumier<br />
Nina Murden<br />
· Repairs and alterations<br />
· Made to Measure<br />
· Costume<br />
· Curtains & Cushions<br />
Tel: 01273 470671<br />
nina.murden@gmail.com
i n s i d e L e f t<br />
BASH IN THE PAN<br />
thanks to <strong>ed</strong>ward Reeves, 159 high st, 473274, for the use of this photo<br />
The Dripping Pan has host<strong>ed</strong> various sporting events in <strong>Lewes</strong>, probably since the 17th century. In June,<br />
we featur<strong>ed</strong> sprinting male athletes. This month, also from the Reeves collection, we have an abundance of<br />
Sunday-best hoop<strong>ed</strong> skirts, bonnets and petticoats from the players (and observers) of a game of stoolball.<br />
Tom Reeves, who himself grew up attending the once hugely popular Jireh Chapel, tells me it is their<br />
Sunday School outing from about 1870. Back then, there were 300 children attending Sunday school. The<br />
congregation was so large that carriages bringing people to church from far and wide regularly caus<strong>ed</strong> a traffic<br />
jam backing up past Malling.<br />
In the centre of the picture, you can see the distinctive square wickets on sticks of the Sussex game (see page<br />
71) traditionally either play<strong>ed</strong> by women-only or mix<strong>ed</strong> sex teams. This team must be mix<strong>ed</strong>, since the Jireh<br />
Pastor of the time, Reverend Matthew Welland, is batting. It looks to have been a gentle, child-friendly<br />
version, since some onlookers (or are they fielders?) look remarkably close to the action. Behind the game of<br />
stoolball, we see several groups of children mix<strong>ed</strong> with a few adults, all holding hands in circles as if playing<br />
‘ring-a-ring-o’-roses’.<br />
The house to our right of the mound still stands on Mountfield Road. The most striking building is the flatroof<strong>ed</strong><br />
pavilion or clubhouse (cricket us<strong>ed</strong> to be play<strong>ed</strong> here of course). We can see trestle tables, presumably<br />
for a post-match tea, being set out under the arches. We initially assum<strong>ed</strong> the pavilion must have been<br />
demolish<strong>ed</strong>, but a trip down to the Pan reveals that, actually, it’s still standing. It is now the Rook Inn and<br />
team changing rooms, next to the Philcox Stand, and this lovely structure is almost entirely unrecognisable,<br />
conceal<strong>ed</strong> as it under paint and partial wood cladding with an extension out front which hides the arches. EC<br />
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