Viva Lewes Issue #160 January 2020

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160
VIVALEWES
EDITORIAL
What does ‘Back to the drawing board’ conjure up for you? For me, it’s ideas
about a fresh start, clean slate – which January can feel like, especially under
its white wintry sky. (And, of course, those New Year’s resolutions. Or
hair shirts, as Eleanor Knight gently characterises them…)
But I also like the literal, tangible picture of those who work at
drawing boards. Our lovely sketchbook cover, drawn by Julian Bell,
sets the pace. As well as hearing from him about the endangered art of drawing, we also visit
historical illustrator Andy Gammon, with his meticulous, also hand-drawn, pictures. And talk to
architect and environmental activist, Duncan Baker-Brown, who shares his perspective on the
climate emergency – and a HOPEFUL plan for all our futures.
Meanwhile our ‘Inside left’ picture transports us back to Lewes 1954 – and a studio of SEEboard
planners. Priory School art teacher Bianca Faricy shares a few of her favourite things (aside
from the easel). And photographer David Stacey visits a few (other) local architects. We also get
a glimpse of a couple of new restoration projects: the gold-leafed weathervane on St Thomas
à Becket; while Carlotta Luke photographs the housing association development underway at
Shoreham Harbour.
So then, back to that future. How are we all faring now, post-election? (We’re dotting the i’s on
this issue the morning after…) Labour Councillor Rebecca Cooper is speaking on how politics
affects public health at the Headstrong Club this month. Oh dear.... Back to the drawing board?
THE TEAM
.....................
EDITOR: Charlotte Gann charlotte@vivamagazines.com
SUB-EDITOR: David Jarman
PRODUCTION EDITOR: Joe Fuller joe@vivamagazines.com
ACTING ART DIRECTOR: Rebecca Cunningham rebecca@vivamagazines.com
ADVERTISING: Sarah Hunnisett, Amanda Meynell advertising@vivamagazines.com
EDITORIAL / ADMIN ASSISTANT / HAND MODEL: Kelly Mechen admin@vivamagazines.com
DISTRIBUTION: David Pardue distribution@vivamagazines.com
CONTRIBUTORS: Jacqui Bealing, Julian Bell, Michael Blencowe, Hasia Curtis, Mark Greco, Anita Hall,
John Henty, Robin Houghton, Eleanor Knight, Dexter Lee, Alex Leith, Lizzie Lower, Carlotta Luke,
Nione Meakin, Anna Morgan and Galia Pike.
PUBLISHER: Becky Ramsden becky@vivamagazines.com
Viva Lewes is based at Lewes House, 32 High St, Lewes, BN7 2LX, all enquiries 01273 488882

seedy
saturday
lewes
Saturday 1st February 2020
Lewes Town Hall
10am - 3pm
Adults £1.00 Kids free
Seed swap Talks Children’s activities
Community growing projects
Tool sharpening Café
Usual and unusual seeds and plants
Kate Bradbury
Make your Garden a Wildlife Haven
Sarah Nelson and Penny Jones
No-Dig Gardening and Hugelkultur
Cherry Buckwell
Grow Trees from Seeds
E: seedysaturdaylewes@gmail.com
www.commoncause.org.uk/seedysaturday

THE ‘BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD’ ISSUE
CONTENTS
Photo by Carlotta Luke
Bits and bobs.
8-25. Julian Bell on the art of drawing;
Duncan Baker-Brown explores our
sustainable future; Photo of the month
on the Ouse; Five minutes with Priory
School art teacher Bianca Faricy; the
word flies far; St Thomas’s newly
glinting weathervane; an invitation to
sing Monteverdi; Meet Blackjack, and
Cats Protection; also Roma of Lewes;
two local books reviewed; Carlotta
Luke photographs Shoreham Harbour;
and Craig goes meta, and realises he’s
an illustration.
Columns.
27-31. David Jarman looks at puzzling
pictures; John Henty on walking
backwards; and Eleanor Knight on
cumulative gloom.
23
37
39
On this month.
33-44. Tom Reeves pictures Lewes in
Camera – who better to? Ruth Ware
explores the ultimate whodunit at
The Lewes Lit; 1927 Roots, quirky
animation; Joe Fuller waxes lyrical in awe
of Beethoven, and the Heath Quartet;
it’s Dick Whittington time at St Mary’s
Panto; Rebecca Cooper talks politics
and public health at the Headstrong;
and Dexter Lee gives us the Lewes film
lowdown.
Art.
46-53. Introducing Hastings
Contemporary. Plus, Art and about
including Chalk Gallery and Wildflowers
at the Castle Barbican.
Listings.
55-73. Diary dates; Gigs of the month;
Classical roundup with the Nicholas
Yonge Society, and others; Freetime
listings, and win tickets to Lewes Drama
Collective’s His Dark Materials part 2;
review of National Trust kids’ nature
almanac; Lewes Children’s Bookgroup
talk on inclusivity in children’s literature;
plus a profile of the director of the
Brighton Waldorf School.
Photo by Simon Way
5

THE ‘BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD’ ISSUE
Food.
75-79. Alex Leith dines out at the
Sussex Ox; lovely, spicy, winterwarmer
recipe from Hannah’s, at
Soulfit; and we also check out the
excellent Soul Soup café at the Unity
Centre.
80
The way we work.
80-83. Architects around the town –
photographed by David Stacey.
76
Photo by David Stacey
Photo by Rebecca Cunningham
Features.
85-94. Back to the drawing board at
East Sussex College; digital future
centre at the University of Sussex;
illustrator Andy Gammon on keeping
a record; Lewes FC’s Zoe Ness on
recovery time; Michael Blencowe
hides from a squirrel; plus, Lewes
business news.
Inside left.
106. SEEboard planners at their
drawing boards, 1954.
VIVA DEADLINES
We plan each magazine six weeks ahead, with a mid-month
advertising/copy deadline. Please send details of planned events
to admin@vivamagazines.com, and for any advertising queries:
advertising@vivamagazines.com, or call 01273 488882.
Remember to recycle your Viva.
Every care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of our content.
Viva Lewes magazine cannot be held responsible for any omissions,
errors or alterations. The views expressed by columnists do not
necessarily represent the view of Viva Magazines.
Viva retains copyright for any artwork we create.
Love me or recycle me. Illustration by Chloë King
6

THIS MONTH’S COVER ARTIST
Julian Bell, who among other
things teaches at the Royal
Drawing School, believes
in the craft of drawing. The
school was set up, he tells me,
in 2000 because there was a
fear that the practice of drawing
was being marginalised,
and it needed supporting. Last
autumn Thames and Hudson
published a book which
emerged from the school, and
was “compered” by Julian,
called Ways of Drawing.
Besides working as a painter,
Julian writes and lectures. But
the painting comes first. And
the drawing, for him, always
comes before the painting.
His most recent exhibition,
called When the City is Built,
“depicted London through
the eyes of four or five people
passing through the city. I
love stories,” he says, “though
it’s not important for viewers
to know precisely the story
I’m thinking of. I mocked up
metropolitan scenes – like the
interior of a tube carriage –
getting friends to pose in my
studio in the country.” His
method is to draw and redraw.
“I am a drawing-led artist,”
he says. “The seeds then blossom,
thinking about colour.
Choosing the colours, at that
point, is a piece of cake. And a
pleasure.”
So why London? “I haven’t
lived there for 40 years. On the
other hand, my whole life has
been spent going up and down.
And London is the big one.”
He says the capital feels
livelier than it was when he
and his wife Jenny lived there
in the 1970s, “when more of
the city’s life went on behind
closed doors. Now, more life
takes place on the streets. It’s
become a world city.”
The pictures exude warmth.
“Well, I’m no satirist, I’m
8

JULIAN BELL
no Hogarth. Contemporary
London may be a mess, but
when are things not a mess? I
like rather steadily observing
people and imagining things,
and trying to see things
broadly.” One painting is a
summer night scene. A tired
professional mother with her
unsleeping baby on her lap
sits before an open window,
Facetimeing – a glass of wine
waiting on her desk. “There’s
the city lights beyond the
window and someone in crisis
beyond the screen – there’s
care there, I hope”, says Julian.
His “largest adventure in
writing”, as he puts it, was an
earlier Thames and Hudson
book: Mirror of the World. “I
had been teaching international
students, and I thought
we needed an art history that
reflected all the traditions
behind them interweaving.”
Thames and Hudson gave
him an advance for this global
history, and with Jenny, he
travelled to research – “we got
as far as India.” Choosing the
book’s pictures was, he says,
“sheer joy. I had no insistent
theory”, he tells me, “as much
as to say this is all human –
wherever, whenever – someone
with a brush or a chisel
has made these.”
So how and why, for our
cover? “I wanted to draw
the act of drawing”, he says.
“Drawing like this is, for me,
rehearsing the landscape, in
my head – pulling out the way
it’s structured; pushing the
visual information – in this
case, especially, the conjunction
of road, river and railway…
Pushing my luck, too: I
almost tumbled down the cliff
making it. That fencing on
Chapel Hill has been sorely
neglected!” Charlotte Gann
sarahokane.co.uk / jbell.co.uk
9

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Photo by Charlotte Gann
MY LEWES: DUNCAN BAKER-BROWN
When did you move to Lewes, and why? In
1990. I’d been living in Nunhead, South London
and my girlfriend Kate (now wife) was living near
Tunbridge Wells. I’d been studying Architecture
part-time at what was then North London Poly,
and also working in a practice. I decided I wanted
to study full-time – and for various reasons ended
up at the University of Brighton. We moved to
Lewes by accident, because we couldn’t find a flat
in Brighton. We rented the black tile house in
Western Road (next to the loos) for six months.
I knew nothing of Lewes, to the extent that first
Bonfire night, I was working from home and saw
a faint shimmer at the curtain; drawing it back, I
found Vikings with burning crosses.
Today we live in the sustainable house we built
– SparrowHouse, on the Nevill. The idea was to
prove that green could be cheap – the build cost
£147,000. We didn’t use normal materials, and we
didn’t use many. All the insulation is sheep’s wool;
the timber frame, and sweet chestnut cladding
locally sourced; the white walls and ceilings, clay.
You run BBM Sustainable Design? I do, with
long-term partner Ian McKay; we met at uni.
Today the business is based in Cooksbridge
Station House. Ian and I got together to enter
RIBA’s House of the Future competition, which
we won, in 1993. Sustainability has always been
an uncool thing to be preoccupied with; we’ve
always been preoccupied with it. And together
we won six competitions from the mid-90s to the
noughties, including the Greenwich Millennium
Village. The best thing about that, in the long
run, was getting legendary Ralph Erskine – a
British architect who’d long decamped to
Sweden, and was then in his 80s – on board. His
masterplan included new wetlands for wildfowl
that today provide their wonderful microclimate.
How do you see the future? Three quarters
of people in the UK now live in local authority
areas that have declared a climate and ecological
emergency. All because of Greta! And nowhere
does this matter more than in the construction
industry. Construction uses half the harvested
raw materials, and accounts for half our carbon
emissions. It generates 60% of our total waste
annually. If we can sort out the way we procure,
inhabit and restore (not demolish) buildings, we’ll
have a real impact. It’s why we built the Waste
House in Brighton: Europe’s first building made
from over 90% material other people threw away.
We recently added tiles made from oyster shells
from English’s restaurant, which gets through
about 1,000 oyster shells a week.
For the last 25 years people have been writing
sustainability strategies and shelving them.
Now plans are actually being implemented;
sustainability is becoming economically attractive.
We are moving towards a circular economy:
designing things for perpetual use, not throwing
them away. I’m really sad about the things we’re
losing – watching the Amazon and Arctic burn,
watching Australia burn.... But I’m determinedly
rolling up my sleeves and doing something. We
have to. We’ve got kids. Charlotte Gann
bbm-architects.co.uk
11

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PHOTO OF THE MONTH
FLOATING WORLD
Maurício Vieira sent in a group of glorious
shots from a morning’s paddleboarding on the
Ouse. We chose this one because it looks so
exotic: it hardly looks like Lewes at all.
Maurício wrote: ‘Last Saturday Nov the
9th quite early (around 7am) on a stunning
morning me and a few friends from Kingston
went for a paddle from Southease Bridge
up the river. It was a cracking morning with
awesome pictures that I would love to share
with you guys!
Early 2020 we will go again: more to come
from this great place.’
We look forward to those too, Maurício. We
loved these photos.
Please send your pictures, taken in and around
Lewes, to photos@vivamagazines.com, or tweet
@VivaLewes. We’ll choose one, which wins
the photographer £20, to be picked up from
our office after publication. Unless previously
arranged, we reserve the right to use all pictures
in future issues of Viva magazines or online.
13

BITS AND BOBS
FIVE MINUTES WITH...
J M Furniture Ltd
TRADING IN LEWES SINCE SEPT 1999
Bianca Faricy has taught
Art & Photography at Priory
since (‘gulp’) 2001, and
been Curriculum Leader
of Visual & Performing
Arts for four years. She
studied Critical Fine Art
Practice at the University
of Brighton, and a PGCE at Goldsmiths. She
lives in Brighton.
WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY? Being blown
away by a gig, exhibition or theatre production.
Finding innovative ways to reduce waste and
plastic. Making others happy, and a board game
in the pub once my ‘to do’ lists are all ticked.
WHAT IS YOUR TOP FILM / BOOK?
Argh! I have to narrow it down: The Favourite,
for being a surreal and visual feast; and, for top
book, Perfume by Patrick Süskind.
Bespoke custom made furniture and kitchens.
We welcome commissions of all sizes and budgets.
01273 472924 | sales@jmfurniture.co.uk
www.jmfurniture.co.uk
WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE TV SHOW/
VIDEO GAME/ PODCAST? Podcasts:
Reasons to be Cheerful, Adam Buxton and The
Moth. TV: Taskmaster and Would I Lie to You?
for light relief.
TOP PLACES TO EAT OUT OR DRINK,
IN LEWES? Depot and Café Du Jardin, The
Swan and Lewes Arms.
WHO ARE YOUR HEROES? My gran, for
maintaining an open mind and heart with
her huge, bonkers family. She was kindness
personified, and once gave shelter to a whole
family overnight who were stranded in the
rain. And my old Head of Department, John
Stratton aka Stratty, for being an inspirational
art teacher and leader through his kindness and
humour. To both I’ll be forever grateful.
14

TRIPS AND BOBS
SPREAD THE WORD
Viva Lewes has been far-flung this month!
John and Viv Bewick from Kingston sent in
this wonderful picture. John wrote: ‘you may be
interested in the magazine reaching the Tiger’s
Nest (Taktsang Palphug) Monastery at 3,200m as
well as many other places during our holiday in
Bhutan. Photo taken by our guide Nidup. It really
is a beautiful country.’
And Paul Smith sent the striking shot below. He
was, he wrote, ‘just about to board the legendary
Ghan train in South Australia bound for Alice
Springs, with a copy of Viva Lewes of course!’
Keep taking us with you and spreading the word.
Send your photos and a few words about you and
your trip to hello@vivamagazines.com.
15

BITS AND BOBS
SHINING OUT
St Thomas à Becket, in the Cliffe, is sporting a
splendidly restored weathervane. Its first, original
one, which dated from 1620, ended up on Harvey’s
Brewery, just down the road. This one dates
from 1756. Then churchwardens Arnold Tasker
and Thomas Baldy incorporated their own initials
into the design.
“Yes, it does seem rather cheeky,” smiles church
architect Andrew Goodwin, of Mackellar Schwerdt,
when I sit down in his offices in the Old
Library, Albion Street.
“The weathervane was made from copper, with a
lead tip, then covered in gold leaf. St Thomas’s is
a grade II* listed church. We were doing restoration
work anyway, on the tower, and putting the
scaffolding up alone is of course very expensive.
So, while up there, we thought now was a good
moment to restore the poor old weathervane,
which was looking very tired.
“I phoned around metal workers – first of all
blacksmiths, but then others – until we landed on
PMF Metalwork & Design in Newhaven, who
did an excellent job. We then called on a local
gilder signwriter – Brian Neal Carter Signs of
Seaford – who added the gold leaf finish.”
The picture above shows the new weathervane on
the day, and in the frame, it was delivered. “We
winched it up on a pulley”, says Andrew. “Three
of us had to climb up – it’s heavier than it looks –
and then Andrew Rainford (of Profurb Construction),
slotted it into place. I think it looks really
nice – now shining out across the rooftops of
Lewes...” Charlotte Gann
Photos by Andrew Goodwin
01273 317403
07879 573040
info@plumberlewes.co.uk
www.plumberlewes.co.uk
Bathroom renovation | Boiler installation,
service and repair | Small plumbing works
1 Valence Rd, Lewes

BITS AND SONGS
COME SING MONTEVERDI VESPERS
The Fletching Singers is a choir of about 50 regular
members which meets weekly, on Tuesday evenings, in
the village of Fletching, near Uckfield. Their rehearsals
culminate in three or four concerts a year, performed in
Sussex churches, and this January they’re throwing open
their doors to invite new members. “We’re a friendly and
informal group”, says committee member Catherine Older, “and you’d be so welcome!”
From this month, the choir, led by early music expert Michael Fields, will be preparing
Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610, towards a performance on 28th March. “We’d like to invite any
singers interested in taking up the rare opportunity to sing this work to join us”, says Catherine.
Why not take a punt, and try something different? The choir is a mix of experienced music-reading
choral singers, and others who ‘enjoy singing in congenial company’, says the website.
‘The wide range of ability enables us to perform some of the great masterpieces of the choral
repertoire, such as Bach’s St John Passion or Mozart’s Requiem, as well as songs from the shows,
partsongs, madrigals and folk songs.’ Charlotte Gann
Rehearsals for Monteverdi Vespers will begin on 7th January, in Fletching Village Hall, 7.45-9.45pm.
Contact Alannah on 01825 760709 if you’d like to sing. fletchingsingers.co.uk
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BITS AND BOX
CHARITY BOX:
CATS PROTECTION
How did the charity
come about? It was
started in 1927 by animal
campaigner Jessey
Wade and a small group
of like-minded people.
Back then, cats were
seen very differently,
and we didn’t have the
relationship with them
that we have now. They
were viewed almost as
pests. Jessey wanted
to change that and to
improve the status of
cats. It started on a very
small scale in her back garden, and gradually
advanced to where we are now, with over 256
branches and 30 adoption centres throughout
the UK.
How about the Cat Centre in Chelwood
Gate? We are the largest centre in the Cats
Protection organisation, and the only one with
a veterinary centre on site. In fact, at the time
of build in 2004, we were the largest cattery in
Europe. We have 202 pens and seven different
wings – two are homing wings and the others
are for admissions, maternity and isolation. We
typically have around 200 cats and kittens at
any one time, with that number fluctuating as
cats leave and come in.
What does the charity do? We rehome cats
and kittens, provide information on their health
and needs, and campaign on issues such as
neutering and micro-chipping. At the time of
our 90th anniversary in 2017, Cats Protection
had rehomed over 1.5 million cats, and, here at
the Cat Centre, we found homes for 1,057 cats
and kittens in 2018.
Around 95 per cent
of the cats here come
from homes where
something has happened
so that they can
no longer keep the cat.
Someone might have
lost their job, become
ill or had to go into
care, or to move into
rented accommodation
where they aren’t
allowed pets. There can
be all sorts of different
reasons, and we are
here to help, not judge.
The remaining five per cent are strays. They are
often in a bad state of health and may not have
been socialised with other animals or people.
Our current Cat of the Month, Blackjack (pictured),
was a stray – you can see from his ears
that he’s had a hard time – and he’s the sweetest
boy. He just wants to stay inside and sleep!
How can people get involved? We don’t get
any funding, so we rely entirely on donations
and the support of volunteers. We run regular
fundraising events, and we welcome volunteers
here at the Centre. People can also donate
food, cat toys and towels, or sponsor a pen and
the cats that go through it. Or they can come
along to our shop and café, or enjoy our nature
trail. There’s plenty to do on site, even if you
don’t want to adopt a cat – and, if you do, it’s
much better to come to us than go to a private
breeder or dealer. The difference is that we’re
doing it for love, while they’re doing it for
money… Anita Hall interviewed Deputy Manager
Tania Marsh
ncac.cats.org.uk
18

BITS AND DOGS
PETS OF LEWES
Roma, 20 months, Romanian street dog.
Loves: damsons, Blenheim Palace, the pursuit of happiness.
Hates: magpies, persistent skin blemishes, coloured
grouting, Cubists.
Story: Roma came to England from Romania at four and
a half months after a traumatic (and completely legal) van
journey. She was kept by charity Asociatia Paws United
(paws-hope.com/asociatia-paws-united) for two weeks, to gain
weight prior to rehoming as she was very thin. Nowadays, she loves haring through flooded fields,
mousing and extending her pan-Asian cuisine repertoire.
Sadly, dogs are just as susceptible to PTSD and anxiety as humans. Your dog won’t get it because you
tapped his nose a little too zealously after he ate a whole roast chicken and grandpa’s moccasins, but
a serious accident, abandonment, the loss of an owner, or physical or emotional abuse could lead to
a range of behaviours from howling to soiling in the house. All is not lost, however. Desensitisation,
(where the aim is to get your dog to associate their anxiety trigger with treats, not trauma) and
positive reinforcement training can do wonders.
Words by @dogsoflewes
This painting is of Roma, by his owner Pat Thornton
my vet’s open
all night
Susan Hart, Lewes.
The Coastway Vets’ veterinary hospital
in central Brighton is open 24 hours a
day for emergency cases and provides
cover for most of the region’s vets every
evening, weekend and bank holiday.
For more details call:
01273 478100
coastwayvets.co.uk

BITS AND BOOKS
BOOK REVIEW: UNDERSTOOD BACKWARDS BY CAROLINE PYBUS
‘Life can only be understood backwards; but it
must be lived forwards.’ This quote, from Danish
philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, sets the pace
well for this lively, lucid and touching memoir
written by an author who has lived in Lewes
since 1973, but before that had a life which took
her across the globe. Writing with grace, she
reflects on the influences and experiences that
shaped her, and the life that then unfolded.
The book is intricately yet intimately written
in remarkably clean, clear prose which I found
compelling and very readable. Her childhood
was advantaged in some ways, while lacking in
others. We travel with Caroline and her sister
Penelope, (their father in the Colonial Service),
around various houses and schools at home,
and from East Africa to South East Asia to the
Caribbean. As a young adult, Caroline invites us
to Copenhagen before heading to South Africa
as a Bishop’s secretary. Throughout there’s
plenty of visual detail:
‘At work I was given a
good-quality manual
typewriter on a card
table in the Bishop’s
study…’ We share experiences
of living in a
religious community,
and of hospitalisation,
before arriving in
Lewes. Each chapter
is painted with transporting energy, and exceptional
recall and – although she’s set out her
stall as firmly retrospective – she’s also good at
speaking from the Caroline of each age.
Overall, it’s her frankness I find disarming,
coupled with a willingness to ponder both inner
and outer experience. The book grapples with
lack, loss and faith.
Charlotte Gann
BOOK REVIEW: REMEMBERING BLUE BY COLIN BELL
This first collection of poems also reflects on a
life lived. On the back cover, its author writes:
‘These poems were written during ten years
recovering from a life-threatening brain haemorrhage.’
Although not the main emphasis of
the book, the poems set in hospital are touching
and relatable: ‘I lie here, a stretchered case, /
intensively cared-for’; or ‘No-time later, a nurse
draws the curtains, / I think of nets in livingroom
windows.’
Some of the vulnerability captured round the
edges – or, as he says ‘tangentially’ – I also
found moving, in odd little crannies: ‘A cup
without a saucer is a lonely sight / – sadder than
a saucer without a cup’. In ‘Ten-Finger Exercise’,
he taps out words on his fingers, noticing
ones that add up to ten: ‘Frightened makes ten
and feels like a hug
– / it’s somewhere to
bury my head.’
The author is based
in Lewes, and there
are a few local treats
too: Lewes Castle
characterised as
sucking in its stomach,
and ‘crooning
oldie-world ballads
at teatime’. Or, in ‘Miss Prism’s Handbag’:
‘Corkscrews flex in Lewes. / Logs on the fire, / a
circle of sofas. / My familiar small town’s familiars
/ wait for me there, / cloistered in terraces
on silent streets.’
Charlotte Gann
21

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PHOTOGRAPHY
CARLOTTA LUKE
FOCUS ON: SHOREHAM HARBOUR
I’m documenting the construction of 540 flats
along the River Adur, the first major step in the
regeneration of the western arm of Shoreham
Harbour. Housing association Southern Housing
Group is behind the development, which will
create affordable housing alongside open market
tenures. The entire first year (of the five-year
project) is being spent building a new river wall,
decontaminating the site and lifting it above the
flood zone – a process that uncovers remains of
the area’s industrial and maritime past.
freewharf.info / carlottaluke.com
23

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COLUMN
David Jarman
My back pages
To Pallant House in Chichester with my friend
Barry O’Connell, to see, among other things, a
display of the work of Prunella Clough, marking
the centenary of the artist’s birth. It proves to
be a very rewarding show, marred only by one
work entitled something like ‘Sunrise in Mining
Town’ (I noted the title but can’t decipher my
handwriting) which Barry awarded his ‘worst
hung and lit picture in a public gallery in
2019’ prize. In a display cabinet there’s a copy
of a 1949 Picture Post, open at the page where
Prunella Clough, among others, is asked about
her approach to art. She begins: ‘Each painting
is an exploration in unknown country; or, as
Manet said, it is like throwing oneself into the
sea to learn to swim.’ I liked this remark, and it
reminded me of the last time I saw a Prunella
Clough show, and for a particular reason. It was
in 2016 at the Jerwood in Hastings – back in
those days when it was still the Jerwood. Then,
the artist was quoted: ‘It’s just paint in the end,
you push it round ’til it works – that’s all. You get
better at it over the years… you’ve just got to
keep on doing it.’ I quoted this in the July 2016
issue of Viva Lewes during my account of an
interview with Giglia Sprigge, before her show
at the, then, Hop Gallery. I thought Giglia’s
down-to-earth, no-nonsense approach to art
very similar to that of Prunella Clough. Shortly
before my visit to Chichester had come the sad,
though not unexpected news of Giglia’s death.
I didn’t know her very well, felt honoured to
be invited to twice yearly drinks parties at her
home. By all accounts she was a rather remarkable
person. She certainly came across that way
when I interviewed her.
My Chichester outing was also a few days
before the General Election. The main Pallant
exhibition, Radical Women: Jessica Dismorr and
her Contemporaries prompted some particularly
random remarks in the visitors’ book. ‘Radical
Women would have been against Brexit’ read
one. ‘Anyone who votes Tory after seeing this
exhibition should be ashamed’ read another.
My favourite exhibition in 2019 was that of the
Finnish artist, Helene Schjerfbeck at the Royal
Academy. A revelation. But I especially loved
the labels to the pictures, demonstrating the
sweetly baffled curatorial comments concerning
the apparent mismatch between some pictures’
titles and their subject matter. One painting, of a
girl looking rather like a clown, is entitled ‘The
Skier: English Girl.’ The curators’ comment: ‘it
is not known whether Mabel Ellis, the English
model for this unusual portrait was a skier although
her caked make-up may
have acted as sun protection, as
required when skiing.’ As the
picture dates from 1909, this
seems an unlikely explanation.
Another, of her nephew Mans
Schjerfbeck, is
entitled ‘The
Motorist’:
‘Here Mans, a
school teacher, is
cast as a dashing
motorist – whereas,
in reality he did not
own a car or even
have a driving
licence.’
Illustration by Charlotte Gann
27

COLUMN
Lewes Out Loud
Plenty more Henty
Much as I enjoy choosing
Christmas cards in Lewes
House each year and despite
the pleasurable time spent
opening the colourful replies
and hearing news from
friends, far and wide, there is
always the knowledge that six
days or so into the New Year,
they will all have to be taken
down and dispensed with.
We have reached that stage
in our house. There’s bits of
tinsel still in the carpet, the
Bart Simpson Santa has had
his batteries removed yet
again and everything is back to normal.
You know, if there is one word in the English
language that gets my back up, it’s the word
‘back’ with all its negative connotations. Dare I
say ‘backstop’ in 2020? See what I mean?
Oddly enough, my hero, Spike Milligan,
favoured the word. His parents lived in the
Australian Outback and he famously sang of
‘Walking Backwards for Christmas’. The Goons,
when recording their iconic radio show, would
frequently refer to ‘going round the back for
the old brandy’ where Harry Secombe would dispense
glasses of milk heavily laced with brandy.
As a football commentator way back, I was conversant
with the term ‘back to square one’ which
originated when early sports broadcasters would
describe a game for those at home. They used a
representation of the playing pitch divided into
squares and this was also available to the listener
who could therefore follow the action. Returning
the ball to square one was presumably a back pass
to the goalkeeper – not allowed
in the game today.
How coverage of football
has changed over the years
and it won’t be long before
someone discovers a way
of inserting a miniature
camera into the ball itself!
As for the New Year? For
me it’s back to the drawing
board. A blank page perhaps
similar to the one I
spotted in a pre-Christmas
television supplement. To
the left of ITV’s double
page advertisement, a
mock programme schedule urged people to ‘Find
the time to talk’. ‘Tonight’, it went on, ‘hit pause,
press mute’ and later ‘this evening, the TV can
wait, Talk, Listen, Catch up’.
On the right, no programme details, just a completely
blank page and I thought to myself, well
done ITV! That would have cost a sizeable sum
of advertising money and yet, would sadly be regarded
by others as counterproductive. Not me.
Talking to people is crucial and not just close
friends and family, of course, but strangers as
well. One of my resolutions for the New Year is
to carry on doing precisely that in the town, on
your behalf. The occasional smile helps as well so
this month I say thanks to cheery assistant Kirsty
in WH Smith, who sorted out my payment
problems on checkout in a very friendly way,
great smile! Finally, overheard on School Hill
“Lewes is full of a certain kind of person and I’m
beginning to think I’m one of them!”
Happy New Year! John Henty
29

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1:00pm - 4:00pm
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Come along and visit live classroom lessons, see pupil
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COLUMN
Eleanor Knight
Keyboard worrier
The voice of Satan is one you may not wish to
hear as the year’s hinges creak onto vistas new.
However, I fear I might be it, so I’m giving you
this chance to look away now. You have been
warned.
Congratulations! You have successfully completed
the gastronomic/emotional/logistical
assault course that is the festive season. You
have taken down the decorations, recycled the
Christmas tree, used up all the leftovers, posted
the winceyette nightdress that your maiden aunt
left behind back to Kilmarnock. You deserve a
medal. But what do you get instead? A hair shirt.
Why do we do it? Dry January, Veganuary,
Gym-January, Anything-but-enjoying-yourselfanuary
– take your pick. It’s as if we’re so eager
for the forthcoming deprivations of Lent we just
can’t wait to dive into self-denial mode. Pass me
my birch, I’ve almost finished in this nice cold
shower. Is that a recipe for a deliciously purgative
chia seed porridge? Do let me try. Want to
join me for press-ups in the park at 5am?
If you want to know why people are at their
lowest in February, look no further than the
cumulative gloom cast by wilfully self-imposed
post-festive hardships. We’re so hardwired
to the idea that pleasure must be followed by
punishment that, having eaten extensively of
the fruit of the tree of good and evil – by which
I mean got through the Quality Street in front
of a box set – we feel compelled to atone by
making the coldest month of the year a test of
endurance and one that is, more often than not,
doomed to failure. *
Well I’m not having it. January is a brilliant
month. The air is cold, the sky is clear, the sun
shines (it does, I promise), and if there is a whiff
of astringency about it’s because those lovely
Seville oranges are once more in the shops,
and there’s nothing like stirring a bubbling vat
of marmalade or seeing the sun shine through
those glistening amber jars to raise the spirits as
the year gets underway. Even if preserving’s not
your thing, then a month in pursuit of alternative
sensory pleasures can’t be bad: epicurism
and lust are both excellent ways of keeping the
central heating bill down.
By all means think of New Year as a reboot.
I can only imagine that over the holidays the
entire nation has, as one, and with grateful
thanks, gone slouching towards the socket board
and switched itself off and then – eventually – on
again. Whatever has happened out there in the
world, here we are again, just the same, but with
our synapses refreshed and ready for anything.
So why not start them off with a little treat?
Happy New Year!
* If you really
want to dwell
on the doctrine
of original sin
through the long
winter evenings
then Milton’s
Paradise Lost is as
good a place as
any to start,
though
you’ll
find
Adam’s a
bit wet.
Illustration by Hasia Curtis
31

ON THIS MONTH: PHOTOGRAPHY
The Edward Reeves archive
‘The Lewes family album’
In 1858, when commercial
photography was in its infancy,
Edward Reeves set up a photographic
studio at 159 High Street,
Lewes.
“He was apprenticed as a watchmaker,
but had been describing
himself as a Photographic Artist
since 1855,” says his great-grandson
Tom Reeves, still running the
studio from the same premises, as
his father and grandfather did before him.
Tom, of course, takes portraits and wedding
photography as well as commercial shoots,
meaning that the studio is almost certainly the
longest running of its kind in the world.
What makes the business even more remarkable
is that none of the original glass plates – or
subsequent film negatives – have ever been
thrown away, and each image has a written entry
in a record book, noting the subject and date of
the photo. So Tom – partnered in the business
by his wife Tania – is sitting on a unique archive
of local history, which keeps him extremely busy,
when he’s not behind the camera.
“There are over half a million images from
the pre-digital age,” he says, “and of the stuff I
didn’t take, I reckon I’ve only seen 10% of it.
There’s a lot of work to be done archiving it
and digitising the images and notes. There are
a lot of surprises in store. Some people call it
‘The Lewes family album’.”
In the last six years he’s been aided in the task
by Brigitte Lardinois, a Lewes resident who is
Senior Research Director of the University of
the Arts in London. She has helped curate the
acclaimed annual ‘Stories Seen through a Glass
Plate’ lightbox exhibition, in town
centre shop windows.
Tom regularly gives illustrated talks
on different aspects of the archive,
and in January is presenting around
100 images at the Lewes Little
Theatre. The aim of his Lewes in
Camera talk will be to present a
history of the business “looking at
how the different technology available
through the ages affected the
sort of pictures that were taken.”
“Great-grandfather Edward worked with wetplate
collodion negatives,” he explains, “which
had to be processed immediately, in a makeshift
darkroom; this made outside photography a
tricky process. His son Benjamin inherited a
thriving business in 1904, which was by then
using dry-plate negatives, which made cameras
more versatile. My father Edward took over in
1948, and his era saw the advent of roll film,
colour photography and electronic flash, among
other things.”
The big change in Tom’s tenure has been the
birth of digital photography. “Wedding photography
used to comprise a couple of group shots,
usually in the studio,” he says. “Now you shoot
and shoot and shoot.”
Ironically, the digital images are less easy to
store than the old glass plates. “With those, it
was just a case of putting them in a cupboard.
Now you have to store them digitally, and continually
back them up as technology progresses.
They are much more at risk than the Victorian
images.” Alex Leith
Lewes in Camera, Lewes Little Theatre, 5th Jan,
2.30pm
33

JO O’SULLIVAN
MARRIAGE STORY...
... or horror story?
If you have the chance to see Marriage Story
in cinemas and on Netflix then do. I now
quote an ex client who recently emailed me:
‘... it is in some ways a horror story of how
badly good people can mess up the process
of separating despite their best intentions.
Adam Driver & Scarlett Johansson are both
great in it, by the way, but... it’s a hard watch
as far as the heartbreak goes.’
’Anyway, I walked out thinking very much
about what happened back in 201- and
feeling strongly that I wanted to thank
you again for helping me through that
tough time with clarity, kindness, rigour
and generosity. (I suspect you probably
undercharged me too.) I count myself very
lucky to have found someone who focussed
us both towards mediation rather than
pointless arguments, and who constantly
encouraged us to put our kids first rather
than our broken hearts.’
The lawyers did everything right legally in
the film – seizing jurisdiction and trying to
‘win’. But it was wrong for this couple. They
just needed time to grieve, for some of the
anger to go and for things to settle down.
Rushing to law can often be the worst thing
to do! Once engaged in the court process
things can unravel really quickly.
Ultimately, if you can both keep focussed on
the future and give yourselves time it’ll all
work out. There are times when urgent legal
action is needed (obviously take legal advice)
but consider carefully whether you can use
a process like mediation or collaborative
practice which are designed to keep a fragile
relationship going for long enough to allow
the heartbreak to heal.
Please call to discuss what might be the best process for you
on 07780676212 or email jo@osullivanfamilylaw.com
For more details about how I work visit
www.osullivanfamilylaw.com

ON THIS MONTH: TALK
Ruth Ware
Familiar haunts
Halfway though writing her
fifth psychological crime
thriller, best-selling novelist
Ruth Ware realised that she was
unconsciously treading a wellbeaten
track.
“I was interested in writing a
book about digital abuse,” she
explains, sipping a decaf cappuccino
in a Brighton café. “I
kept stumbling across more and
more cases in the news – typically
situations where one partner
sets up a complex hi-tech
home system, then when the relationship
breaks down, uses it
as a means of control. You can hack into a system
and manipulate the temperature, blast music out
in the middle of the night, activate a smart lock
making an escape exit into a locked door….”
She started working on a plot whereby a nanny
gets a new job looking after two kids in a remote
house in the Scottish Highlands, which is superequipped
with every smart device imaginable;
she becomes increasingly distressed as strange
things start happening around her.
“Then I thought: ‘nanny goes crazy with two
small kids to look after…’” smiles Ruth, “…that
sounds familiar.” She hadn’t read Henry James’
classic ghost story The Turn of the Screw, but she
knew all about it. “It’s a literary touchstone,” she
says, “and the inspiration for films like The Others.
I decided I had to read it: if I was treading
the same territory, I wanted it to be conscious,
not accidental.” The eventual title of the book –
The Turn of the Key – is “a nod to thank him for
doing it first… though the issues
he raised are perennial.”
As in James’ story, there’s a
framing device that kickstarts
the action. “One of the problems
in a psychological thriller
is that the crime almost
necessarily comes a long
way into the book, so, early
on, you have to signal to the
reader that stuff is eventually
going to hit the fan.” In this
case a flashback narrative is
related in the form of a letter
written by the nanny. She’s
been accused of the murder
of one of the children in her charge, and is trying
to persuade a lawyer to defend her. But to
what extent is she telling the truth?
“One of the defining characteristics of the genre
is the unreliable narrator,” explains Ruth. “The
reader stands in for the lawyer, assessing the
evidence, trying to work out what the nanny
might be hiding.”
Three of Ware’s previous novels are being
adapted for TV or film, and I wouldn’t be
surprised if The Turn of the Key ends up on our
screens, too. Does Ruth, I wonder, bear such
adaptations in mind, as she’s writing her novels?
“No,” she says. “It’s very flattering, and I think
long-form TV series are among the most interesting
cultural genres of our times… but if that
were my endgame, I’d have become a screenwriter,
not a novelist.” Alex Leith
The Lewes Lit, 21st Jan, 7.30pm
lewesliterarysociety.co.uk
Photo by Gemma Day
35

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1927 Roots
Animated stage show based on an index
From the tale of a man who shares his house with
Poverty to a cat that consumes everything it sees,
the folk stories that make up 1927’s latest animated
stage show Roots offer a glimpse into a world both
familiar and strange.
The company behind touring hits including Golem
and The Animals and Children Took to the Streets has
delved into The British Library’s Aarne Index – a
collection of thousands of traditional stories from
all over the world – to create a show that depicts a
weird, warped parade of cannibalistic parents and
tyrannical ogres. As ever, the multimedia company
draws on an eclectic range of styles and influences
to bring the stories to life, from the Surrealist
paintings of Max Ernst to the films of 1960s
French New Wave director Jean-Luc Godard.
The show also harks back to the company’s own
‘roots’, explains co-founder Paul Barritt, whose
distinctive style of animation runs through all their
work. “When we started out in 2005 our shows
were far more stripped-back, partly because they
were made with limited resources. They have got
bigger and bigger since and we wanted to take a
step back, to get back to our essence.” The 1927
aesthetic has frequently been compared to that of
“a weird fairytale”, he says, and the magical and
mythical has long informed work such as 2015
show Golem, inspired by a Jewish folk tale about a
man who fashions a creature out of clay to work
for him. “It made sense to make something that
was directly drawn from that context.” The stories
collected in the Aarne Index offered an interesting
starting point, in part due to their brevity: “The index
only gives a brief synopsis of each tale so Suze
[Andrade, co-founder, director and writer] just
used them as a springboard for her imagination.”
While the stories were collected at the turn of the
20th century there is a timeless quality to them,
Barritt goes on. “These sorts of tales have always
been a means of understanding the world and of
making sense of the challenges humans face. Some
of them are undoubtedly a product of their time
but there is a lot that still rings true today.”
While it’s a more pared-back show than their previous
appearances in Brighton, it still bears all the
1927 hallmarks, Barritt says, from the breathtaking
melding of animation, performance and film, to a
live musical score performed on instruments from
a berimbau – a Brazilian, single-string musical
bow made from a gourd – to a donkey’s jaw. Well,
actually, the donkey’s jaw has been dropped now,
Barritt explains. “It doesn’t really work in a touring
show. Places like Australia just won’t let you in with
something like that.” The pitfalls of navigating
customs with a few bones in your holdall; it’s not
a typical workplace problem, but perhaps not so
unusual in the rabbit-hole world of 1927.
Nione Meakin
Roots, The Old Market, Brighton, Jan 3rd-18th.
theoldmarket.com
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ON THIS MONTH: MUSIC
Heath Quartet
Extrovert Beethoven,
free for under 25s
Photo by Simon Way
A string quartet is a great first classical concert
for someone more accustomed to rock or pop
gigs. “It’s a much more personal and intimate
experience than an orchestra or a bigger group”
explains Christopher Murray, cellist in The
Heath Quartet. “Every performance will go
differently, due to the mood, the audience, the
venue. There are far fewer people on stage so
what each person is doing counts for a lot more.
Over a couple of pieces, you get to know these
people as musicians, individually.”
As someone raised on rock and pop music
myself, Brighton Dome and Strings Attached’s
Coffee Concert series has played a large part in
introducing me to the rich world of chamber
music. Beethoven’s string quartets can be breathtaking
when heard live, which might partly be
due to what Christopher calls “the physical
sense” of his music. “You really play with your
body: you have to really go for it.”
The first piece to be performed at ACCA will
be Beethoven’s String Quartet in D Major Op.18
No.3. “A very charming, very sunny, optimistic
piece. It’s got a wonderful spirit to it. A fantastic
fourth movement, really virtuosic. Beethoven
asked a lot of the musicians, for them to be
incredibly skilful in their ensemble playing. It’s
really exciting to hear.”
Brahms’ String Quartet in A Minor Op. 51 No.2
will come next, a piece Christopher describes as
“nostalgic and elegiac”. We’re both most excited
about Beethoven’s String Quartet in C major
Op.59 No.3 however, his favourite Beethoven to
perform. “It’s so much fun, and so generous. Extrovert,
and it has this real warmth to it. There
are moments where the cello is surprisingly
agile, which usually gets a bit of a surprised titter
from the audience.”
Christopher particularly enjoys playing the
pizzicato parts (plucked strings) in the second
movement of the Op.59. It’s a beautiful movement
that I recommend hearing at home before
the concert: a folk tune is explored through all
four instruments (two violins, viola and cello) in
mesmerising, melodious fashion.
The Heath Quartet have been performing at the
Coffee Concerts “for at least ten years. We’ve
got to know people in the audience quite well.
People often stay around afterwards and mingle
and chat.” The concerts are linked to the nationwide
Cavatina scheme, which offers free tickets
to anyone aged between eight and 25: interested
young people can collect tickets from Brighton
Dome or ACCA’s ticket offices.
“People often say there’s a crisis because audiences
are aging. I don’t really buy that. To go
to hear quartet music, which is often quite
complicated music, it can help to get to know
the stuff beforehand. But on the other hand it’s
a great experience for young people to hear it
fresh, without any preconceptions. So it’s open
for everyone.”
Joe Fuller
26th Jan, ACCA, 11am, brightondome.org
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ON THIS MONTH: PANTOMIME
Dick Whittington
St Mary’s Panto
And now for a little light
relief… in the shape of
the annual, legendary St
Mary’s Panto. This year
the family society is returning
to Dick Whittington,
the panto they last put
on six years ago. “That
year,” Lucy Newth – who’s
reprising her role as Dick
W, as well as co-directing – tells me, “I realised
I was pregnant a couple of days before Dress
Rehearsal. I had to keep it quiet, and pretend to
be drinking the port in the dressing room…”
Lucy is co-directing, as she did last year, with
Louise Hackett. They clearly enjoyed the
experience so much they’ve returned for more.
But that’s what St Mary’s Panto is all about. “It’s
such fun throughout,” Lucy says, “people always
come back for more, and to try the next thing.”
Lucy started out as a schoolchild in the chorus;
today she’s a mum playing ‘principal boy’, and
she loves it.
“I like playing the male. We’re very traditional,
and still have a woman play the principal boy. It’s
really good fun – plenty of thigh slapping.”
Of course, there’s always a Dame, too – Jon
Borthwick has played this for the last six pantos
– and has, Lucy says, “a great rapport with the
kids, which is what is needed”. The chorus – in
this story, the sailors and the rats – are played by
children of Y1 (so aged six ish) up. “And for the
first time this year, we have boys in the chorus:
three are joining us this year, which we’re
excited about.”
Everyone finds their place, whether on stage or
behind the scenes. “People are so loyal to the
panto,” says Lucy, “we all
want to stay onboard. So
our Props Master started
in the chorus, decided
performing wasn’t for her,
but has found the perfect
role. Our choreographer
Emily Hazle has been
involved since she was in
the chorus aged five.
So, who’s Louise playing this year, I ask? “The
Fairy,” says Lucy. “It works: we mainly direct the
sections of the piece the other’s leading in. And
Eleanor is playing my cat. She too started in the
chorus and has come through with us.”
Dick Whittington is a really good story, says
Lucy. “He travels to the city hoping to find
streets of gold. Of course, he’s disappointed. But
he does meet Alice…” After trials and tribulations
– unfair accusations, a shipwreck, and rat
epidemic, thankfully brought under control by
Dick Whittington’s cat, and to the gratitude of
the Sultan of Morocco – he returns triumphant
and (yes, thanks to magic), becomes the Mayor
of London.
So, are there any political jokes after the difficult
year we’ve all just lived through? “I think, if
anything, we’ve rather avoided politics: there’s
been so much of it. We’re offering escapism. But
there are local jokes – about Bonfire, etc.”
Maybe just what’s needed. And certainly, a date
in the diary for any households with young
children… Charlotte Gann
St Mary’s Social Centre from 11th-18th January.
11th, performances at 2pm and 7pm; 12th, 12pm
and 5pm; 14th-17th, 7pm; 18th, at 2pm and 7pm.
For tickets call 01273 477733; stmaryspanto.org
Photo by Lee Sylvester
41

Cooper & Son
Funeral Directors
Visiting our funeral home you will be greeted
by our Funeral Director, Damian Norman.
Together with his team, Damian plays a very
active role in the local Lewes community,
hosting regular coffee mornings and supporting
up and coming artists in the area by displaying
their works in our funeral home window.
42 High Street, Lewes | 01273 475 557
Also at Seaford, Uckfi eld & Heathfi eld www.cpjfi eld.co.uk
Facial
rejuvenation
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undeniable results that relaxes the muscles of facial
expression, wrinkles are made less visible, resulting in
a more natural and rejuvenated look.
Steven Kell and Fay Jones have attended Professor
Bob Khanna's advanced course and are now bringing
his techniques to Lewes and Sussex. Fay also provides
Dermal Fillers.
It is very important to discuss your goals and
expectations before making a decision, and we want
you to be fully and properly prepared.
Our consultations are held at Lewes High Street
Dental Practice. Consultations are totally confidential,
and there is absolutely no obligation to proceed.
60 High Street Lewes East Sussex
01273 478240 | info@lewesdental.co.uk

ON THIS MONTH: TALK
How does politics affect our health?
Rebecca Cooper at The Headstrong Club
Rebecca Cooper is a public
health consultant, set to appear
at The Headstrong Club this
month to discuss how politics
can affect our health. She’s
also a Labour councillor in
Worthing West: I speak to her
on 4th December when she can
spare 20 minutes from her general
election chaos: “running
around, speaking to people,
doing hustings”. But what is
public health?
“It’s about all the things we can do for a population
to keep them healthy. It ranges from infectious
diseases to physical activity, healthy diet,
mental wellbeing. It tends to be where politics
meets medicine.”
The event will see Rebecca presenting evidence
and perspectives on the nature of inequality in
society, followed by a discussion. “I’m always
interested in the rights and wrongs of what we
do. The nanny state question always comes up: to
what extent should the government be intervening
to make people’s lives better? At what level
does that become acceptable or unacceptable,
given the inequalities in our society are quite
large, and the health inequalities marked.
“What I like about it is that people tend to have
opinions about these things, whether they realise
it or not. It tends to get people fired up, which is
great.” Rebecca emails me some examples of the
evidence she will be presenting, including the fact
that ‘people living in the poorest neighbourhoods
in England will on average die seven years earlier
than people living in the richest neighbourhoods’,
according to The Marmot Review
into health inequalities in
England, which resulted in the
Fair Society, Healthy Lives report
published in 2010.
The talk will also tackle the
question of how much difference
which political party is in power
makes to our public health. And
we touch on how our first-pastthe-post
voting system can lead
to voters feeling disempowered.
“For me, every vote should
count. You shouldn’t have a seat where it doesn’t
matter if you vote or not, because there’s such a
big majority. I do think the parliamentary system
is long overdue a reform. It’s not a simple thing to
do, but I think it’s something we should aspire to
as a functioning democracy.
“On a national level, by the time you publish this,
the general election will be over. The Conservatives
have been in power for the last ten years
and it’s no secret that they have made austerity
their raison d’être, in terms of what they think is
important for this country. As a Labour candidate
I disagree with what they’ve done.
“But on a local government level, it’s good to have
different voices. I was the first Labour councillor
in Worthing for 41 years: we now have a group
of ten. If you’ve just had one set of voices for a
long time, ideas get forgotten and you lose a bit
of your momentum and enthusiasm. Hopefully,
having more voices helps people to step up and
do better things.” Joe Fuller
The Elephant And Castle, 17th, 8pm,
headstrongclub.co.uk
43

ON THIS MONTH: FILM
Jojo Rabbit, Wendy and Lucy, Purple Rain
Film ’20
Dexter Lee’s cinema round-up
It’s that time of the year when potential Oscarwinning
movies are released, so prepare yourself
for some Hollywood heavyweights at Depot. The
week beginning Friday 3rd January sees the arrival
of Greta Gerwig’s Little Women and the brilliant-looking
Taika Waititi comedy Jojo Rabbit.
Sam Mendes’ 1917 and acclaimed Adam Sandler
vehicle Uncut Gems start on the 10th (Sandler
even made the front cover of Little White Lies).
The 17th sees the launch of the #MeToo movie
Bombshell, with Nicole Kidman, as well as Terrence
Malick’s latest A Hidden Life. From the
24th you can see Armando Iannucci’s comedy
The Personal History of David Copperfield, as well as
Seberg, starring Kristen Stewart as the American
New Wave-darling gamine Jean Seberg. Finally,
from the 31st, Robert Eggers psychological
drama The Lighthouse, starring Willem Dafoe and
Robert Pattinson, starts its run. You’ll be hearing
plenty about all those movies in the mass media,
once the tinsel’s back in the loft.
Onto Depot’s one-offs: there are three films left
in the BFI’s ‘musical’ series. Pakeezah (5th) is a
1972 Indian movie, painstakingly made over years
by director Kamal Amrohi as a swansong for his
wife Meena Kumari, who died shortly after its
release. West Side Story (12th) marks a welcome
return for the Sharks and the Jets, with a Q&A afterwards
with Glyndebourne art director Stephen
Langridge, who helped stage an opera version in
2016. Purple Rain (18th), featuring the late genius
Prince, is preceded by a VJ set and followed by
a DJ set from the experience enhancers We Are
Parable. There’s another musical of sorts on the
16th, the brilliant ‘mockumentary’ This is Spinal
Tap, Rob Reiner’s 1984 ground-breaker, introducing
a (fictitious, but a lot of people fell for it)
heavy rock band trying to break America.
The Voigt Club continues apace with the 1962
Sam Peckinpah film Ride the High Country (13th),
which was released in the States as the opener in
a double bill, then went on to win the Best Movie
award at Cannes. There’s also a six-session course
on Westerns run by Robert Senior, starting on
the 27th (films tba). As ever, you can watch the
movies without attending the course.
Finally, from Depot’s one-offs in January, there’s
a welcome screening for the dark, dark comedy
Life is Beautiful (26th), directed and co-written
by, and starring, Italian comic Roberto Benigni,
screened to mark Holocaust Awareness Week.
Lewes Film Club is showing three films at the
All Saints in January, starting with the brilliant
black and white Cannes Palme d’Or-winning
drama Cold War (10th), directed by Pawel
Pawlikowski, a behind the Iron Curtain love
story. Wendy and Lucy (24th) is a minimalist
independent 2008 movie by Kelly Reichardt,
about a penniless young woman embarking
on a job-hunting road trip to Alaska, with her
Alsatian. And finally All My Life’s Buried Here: the
Story of George Butterworth (28th) is a documentary
about the English composer killed at the
Somme in 1916.
44

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ART
Anne Ryan
Earthly Delites
I take my leave from Anne Ryan, a slight figure
in colourful trainers and a bouffant of grey hair,
in the main downstairs space of the Hastings
Contemporary art gallery, formerly known as The
Jerwood.
The walls are filled with large oil works by Victor
Willing, whose exhibition is showing till January
5th, before Anne takes up the space on the 18th.
She has a tape measure in her hands. She’s got a
lot of curating to do before her show is ready to
be seen.
She’s been telling me about her latest body of
sculptural paintings, akin to a body of work she’s
shown recently at a gallery in Rome, where she
spent three months preparing the material. “I was
going around the place drawing everything that
took my fancy. I’d run out of paper and had to use
the card on the back of the pad. That was the basis
for these pieces. They stand up, on the ground.
Some of them have three sides, some five. People
walk round them. They spend a bit of time with
Left: ‘Untitled#03, 2019’. Above: ‘Disco Legs, 2018’. By Anne Ryan
46

ART
them. For any painter, that’s great.”
The pieces for the new show are a mix of collage
and acrylic painting. The subject matter is
things that Anne has noticed, travelling round
her adopted home city of London (she originally
hails from Limerick, in the west of Ireland). You
can tell a lot about her from the subject matter.
“Everyday stuff,” she explains. “Lots of gigs, musicians,
clubs. People doing nothing, hanging out,
drinking and smoking. A bold young woman with
her belly on show. Sinking boats. Four people
doing gymnastics on the back of a horse.”
She shows me some images on her computer.
The figures are not always complete: some are
missing heads and limbs. It’s a jumble of colourful
body parts: very vital, implying a great deal of
movement. These pieces will be artfully arranged
around the floor space, at different levels, with
ceramic works on the walls.
Interestingly, all the pieces have holes cut out
of them. “The spaces are as important as the
figures,” she tells me. “When you’re faced with
holes, it gives you room to invent. The image
breaks down in front of your eyes, and something
else appears.”
Upstairs, she’s curating another show. “Eight
other artists. Some of them I’ve taught [at St
Martin’s, and Camberwell], others I just like.
I’m always in people’s studios. It’s very playful: a
contemporary take on surrealism.”
She’s as influenced, she tells me, by musicians
as she is by other artists. “Have you ever seen
Snapped Ankles?” she asks. “I’d never heard
them before the gig I went to recently. I love not
knowing what to expect. Then you can trust your
own judgement, by looking and seeing. That’s
important, for an artist.”
As I leave the gallery, I realise I still don’t know
what to expect, fully, from Anne Ryan’s exhibition.
This, I realise, is a good thing. Alex Leith
Earthly Delites, Hastings Contemporary Gallery,
Jan 18th-March 22nd, hastingscontemporary.org
‘Bend Over, 2019’ by Anne Ryan
47

Original Art
in the
Heart of Sussex
The Art
of
Temptation
Come and be tempted by a selection of paintings, fused
glass, ceramics, prints and cards at reduced prices
6th January
to
23rd February
2020
Gina Lelliott ‘Winter Solstice’
Chalk Gallery
4 North Street
Lewes BN7 2PA
01273 474477
Open everyday 10am to 5pm
chalkgallerylewes.co.uk
Artist-run gallery

ART
ART & ABOUT
In town this month
Nichola Campbell
The newly refurbished Chalk Gallery
opens after their Christmas break on 6th
January. Their first show of 2020 is The Art
of Temptation: a group exhibition including
pieces from all the Chalk artists. Choose
from a broad selection of original, affordable
artworks in a variety of media, all offered
at reduced prices for a limited period
only. The exhibition continues until 23rd
February. (chalkgallerylewes.co.uk)
Gabrielle Lord
In a Field of Flowers
– an exhibition of
Sussex Flora from
the extensive collections
of the Sussex
Archaeological
Society – continues
at Barbican House
Museum. Drawn
from six discrete
collections created
by eight, predominantly women, artists the
watercolour paintings depict the wild plants
and flowers of Sussex in the 19th and early
20th centuries. While the paintings do not follow
the strict conventions of scientific botanical
illustration, the location and nature of the
plants is recorded,
capturing a landscape
of familiar
species as well as
others that are
now under threat.
An exhibition for
horticulturalists,
historians and art
lovers alike. (Continues
until the end
of April.)
If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to
get creative, Louise Bell offers beginners
pottery workshops at the Blue Door Studio,
with courses in hand building techniques
and surface decoration. Up the road, at
the Star Pottery, Mohamed Hamid offers
taster sessions for would-be potters wanting
to work on the wheel. Down in the Cliffe,
DOLLY can get you making and mending
your own clothes, with one-off sessions,
ongoing courses and one-to-one sewing tuition.
There are
drawing, painting
and printing
courses all over:
maybe check out
Paddock Studios,
or the Paint
Club at Fuego
Lounge.
East Sussex College’s exhibition of its
entries for this year’s Royal Opera House
Design Challenge is open Thursday 16th
6-8pm, and Saturday 18th, 10am-2pm. See
posters, merchandise, wigs, make-up designs,
props, sets and costume designs – this
year all inspired by Puccini’s La Bohème.
DOLLY
49

“I’m incredibly impressed with how the
club leads through action, not words and
it is an honour to be joining the team.
My ambition is clear – for Lewes FC to be
the best club in the world, for everybody
to know about it, and for others to learn
from the example we are setting.”
Maggie Murphy, General Manager, Lewes FC
Lewes FC is the only football club in the world to
pay its women's team the same as its men's team.
Endorse us, support us and help us do more.
JOIN THE CLUB:
www.lewesfc.com/owners

ART
Out of town
200 Seasons, the expansive retrospective of work by British
sculptor David Nash continues at Towner. With only a
month left to run (the exhibition closes on 2nd February),
we highly recommend a visit to see the galleries filled with
Nash’s monumental wooden sculptures. Brink – an exhibition
of works from the Towner collection curated by Caroline
Lucas – continues alongside. Both Nash and Lucas are
strongly influenced by landscape and environment, creating a
dialogue between the two shows.
Also coming to an end this month, Post-Impressionist Living:
The Omega Workshops continues at Charleston until the
19th January. 100 years after the pioneering Workshops
closed their doors, the exhibition explores their philosophy
and beginnings and brings together a huge selection of
their decorative homewares, furniture and fabrics against a
fittingly Bloomsbury backdrop.
Teacup and saucer, designed by Roger Fry, made at the factory of Carter, Stabler & Adams for
the Omega Workshops, c 1914. © Victoria & Albert Museum
TOWNER Eastbourne
Alan Davie
and
David Hockney
Early Works
15 February to 31 May 2020
Devonshire Park, BN21 4JJ
@TownerGallery
#EastbourneALIVE
www.townereastbourne.org.uk
Towner Members can enjoy unlimited
free access to this ticketed show.
Join for as little as £35 per year.
David Hockney, Arizona, 1964, acrylic on canvas, 60 60 ins
© David Hockney, photo: Fabrice Gibert

ART
Out of town continued
Pottery Classes
for Beginners
Cthuluscene, an exhibition of work by David
Blandy and Claire Barrett, is at ONCA
Gallery in Brighton from 23rd January until
5th February. Bringing together three films
that address the climate crisis and humanity’s
collective future, the artists use voiceover,
folk tales and poetry to explore ‘the history
of scientific inquiry, the parallel evolution
of ideas, and what we do now that the paradigms
of the post-industrial world are breaking
down’. Join the artists for a free role-play
gaming workshop on 29th January, 6-9pm.
See onca.org.uk
Learn hand-building skills
and decorating techniques
in small groups at the Blue
Door Studio behind Union
Music Store in Lewes.
TUESDAYS:
10am – 12.30pm starts January 7th – 4 weeks
THURSDAYS:
6pm – 8.30pm starts January 9th – 4 weeks
SATURDAYS:
10am – 12.30pm starts January 11th – 4 weeks
4 week block - £180
(Includes all materials + firings)
OPEN CALL: Towner are inviting submissions
for Towner International, a major
new biennial exhibition of contemporary
art that will take place at Towner in 2020.
Submissions are welcome from professional
artists across the UK and internationally,
with at least one third of exhibiting
artists to be selected from the South East.
The deadline is 17th January. Visit
townereastbourne.org.uk
53

Jan listings
WEDNESDAY 1
Holly Hike. A guided hike around the lesserknown
parts of the estate. Hot drink included.
Sheffield Park, 1030am-12.30pm, £10, see
nationaltrust.org.uk/sheffield-park-and-garden.
SUNDAY 5
Christmas Tree Collection. The Rotary Club
of Lewes Barbican will be collecting trees in
the Houndean and Barons Down area, Malling,
Nevill, Southover, Kingston, Pells and Western
Road. From 10am, contact cindy.field@hotmail.
co.uk.
Sussex National Raceday. For details, see
plumptonracecourse.co.uk.
Lewes in Camera. Tom Reeves talks about the
early days of photography in Lewes, how the
nature of photography has changed over 160
years, illustrated with photographs from the extensive
archive. Lewes Little Theatre, 2.30pm,
£5, see page 33.
TUESDAY 7
Life Drawing. Drop-in session, bring your
own materials. Lewes Arms, 7.30pm, £5.
THURSDAY 9
Comedy at the Con. With Jimmy McGhie,
Patrick Spicer and Caroline Mabey (below).
Con Club, 7.30pm, £9-£12.
The Hostile Environment. Author Maya
Goodfellow and Naqeeb Saide discuss how migrants
became the scapegoats of contemporary
mainstream politics. Christ Church main hall,
Prince Edward’s Road, 7.30pm, free.
FRIDAY 10
Film: Cold War (15). All Saints, 8pm,
£5/£2.50.
Dick Whittington. Annual St Mary’s Panto.
See stmaryspanto.org, and page 41.
MONDAY 13
The History of St John sub Castro. Lewes
History Group talk with Stuart Billington,
telling the history of St John sub Castro in the
Pells, from its origins in Anglo-Saxon times;
through the coming of the Normans; the trauma
of the Reformation; the demolition of the
ancient church; the erection of the Victorian
edifice; and finally to its transformation into
the 21st century church which we know today.
King’s Church, 7pm for 7.30pm, £1/£3.
Still from Cold War © Filmcoopi
THURSDAY 16
The Sleeping Beauty. Royal Ballet screening.
Depot, 7.15pm, £17.50/£15.
FRIDAY 17
Romano-British Settlements in the Ouse
Valley. Lewes Archaeological Group talk by
Dr David Rudling, Lewes Town Hall Lecture
Room, 7.30pm, £4/£3, free entry for under 25s.
55

Sallie Sullivan & Ali Hahlo will offer
FREE CLASS 2-2.45pm
Plus TALK &YOGA FILM 3-4.30pm
At SOULFIT studio, LEWES
Book 01273 009509/ info@wearesoulfit.com
MON 17 – SAT 22 FEB 2020
www.eastbournetheatres.co.uk
01323 412000

Jan listings (cont.)
FRIDAY 17 (CONT.)
How Does Politics Affect Our Health?
Headstrong Club talk and discussion with
Rebecca Cooper, see page 43.
SATURDAY 18
Repair Café. Take along
damaged clothes, broken
electrical appliances,
bicycles, china, jewellery
and more. Tea, coffee and cake
will be available. Landport
Community Hub, BN7 2SU,
2pm-5pm, no charge is made but donations are
welcome, see lewesrepaircafe.org.uk.
Vegan Evening: Mind, Body & Spirit. Talk,
food tasting with Café12/31, spices from Seven
Sisters Spices, Q&A and recipes to take away.
Café12/31 TRINITY St John sub Castro, 7pm,
£10/£12.
National Iyengar
Yoga Day – an introduction
to yoga.
Free introductory
yoga class, suitable
for all ages and
abilities, plus yoga
demonstration, talk, film and refreshments.
Soulfit Studio, 47 Western Road, times tbc.
MONDAY 20
Lewes & District Soroptimist Club. Talk
with ESFRS’ Assistant Chief Fire Officer &
Director of Service Delivery, Mark Andrews
and some of the ESFRS crew. The focus will
be on women’s recruitment within the Fire &
Rescue Service – the challenges and solutions.
There will also be a Q&A session. ASK
restaurant, 7pm, contact lewes.soroptimistinternational@mail.com.
Lewes Camera Club talk. With Matt
Armstrong-Ford on ‘Safari’. St Mary’s Supporters
Club, Christie Road, 7.30pm, £5.
57

Lewes
Little
Theatre
By David and Robert Goodale
Directed by Rebecca Warnett
Saturday 21 March - Saturday
28 March 7:45pm excluding
Sunday. Matinee Saturday 28
March 2:45pm.
www.lewestheatre.org
Box Office: 01273 474826
£12/Members £8
Jeeves and
Wooster
in Perfect Nonsense

Jan listings (cont.)
TUESDAY 21
Life Drawing. Drop-in
session, bring your own
materials. Lewes Arms,
7.30pm, £5.
The Lewes Lit talk.
With best-selling
author Ruth Ware. All
Saints, 8pm, £10, see
page 35.
WEDNESDAY 22
Brighton Before the Pavilion. Illustrated talk
with Dr Geoffrey Mead. The Keep, 5.30pm-
6.30pm, £5.
THURSDAY 23
The Group. Meet new friends in a welcoming
atmosphere. For those 50+ and unattached. A
pub in Lewes, 8pm, see thegroup.org.uk.
FRIDAY 24
Film: Wendy and
Lucy (15). All Saints,
8pm, £5/£2.50.
SATURDAY 25 –
MONDAY 27
Standing Together. A weekend of events
commemorating Holocaust Memorial Day, including
a writing workshop (25th, Depot, 2pm-
5pm, free, ticketed); concert, Coming Together
Through Music (25th, TRINITY St John sub
Castro, 7.30pm, free with retiring collection);
film, Life is Beautiful (26th, Depot, 2pm, ticketed);
music and poetry (26th, Depot Studio,
7pm, free); vigil (27th, 6pm, Cliffe Bridge).
TUESDAY 28
Film: All My Life’s Buried Here. The Story
of George Butterworth. All Saints, 8pm,
£5/£2.50.
Still from ‘Wendy and Lucy’
© Studio Produzent
59

DITCH THE
Detox
DECADES
LEWES TOWN HALL
TOP DJS. BAR. COCKTAILS
TICKETS £8 IN ADVANCE AVAILABLE FROM
UNION MUSIC STORE AND KINGS FRAMERS
£10 ON THE DOOR
@patinalewes
facebook/Patina
patinalewes.com
Tina Deubert,
Nutritional Therapist,
Teacher and Cook
www.foodworks4u.co.uk
tinadeubert@gmail.com
01273 483501
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Jan listings (cont.)
TUESDAY 28 (CONT.)
Death Café. Hosted conversations about death
and dying, easing people’s fears and the notion
that death is taboo. The Dorset, 12.30pm-
2.30pm, free (small donations accepted).
WEDNESDAY 29
Inclusivity in Children’s
Books. Daniel
Hahn in conversation
with Candy Gourlay
and One Third
Stories, hosted by
Lewes Children’s Book
Group. See page 71. Council Chamber, Lewes
Town Hall, 7.30pm for 8pm, free.
La Bohème. Royal Opera House screening
of Puccini’s opera of young love in 19th-century
Paris. Depot, 7.45pm, £17.50-£20.
THURSDAY 30
Remembering
Blue. Lewes poet
Colin Bell launches
his poetry collection
Remembering Blue
with fellow poet
Paul Matthews,
reading from This
Naked Light. Hosted
by poet Lisa Dart.
Elephant & Castle,
7.30pm, free.
61

Join the 1,500 who already own a
share in Lewes Football Club.
www.lewesfc.com/owners

GIG GUIDE: JANUARY
GIG OF THE MONTH:
THE COPPER FAMILY
You can trace The Copper Family of Rottingdean
and their local roots all the way back
to 1784 (check out the family tree on their
website, along with some great archive photos).
One member even went to school in Lewes. For
centuries the family have been singing with a distinctive
style of vocal harmony. Their repertoire
of unusual songs have been lovingly passed down through the years. This folk dynasty is still going
strong, with the younger members seeming as enthusiastic about the old songs as the generations
before them. If you haven’t had the pleasure of watching this remarkable family perform, don’t miss
their visit to Lewes Saturday Folk Club this month.
Saturday 4th, Elephant & Castle, 8pm, £12
THURSDAY 2
Owen Ridley’s New Year Update. Comedy
with musical support from Joe King. Lamb,
8pm, free
FRIDAY 3
The Magnificent Kevens. Pop-up busking
troupe. Lamb, 8pm, free
SATURDAY 4
The Chain Gang, featuring Steve ‘Snips’
Parsons. Rock/soul. Lamb, 8pm, free
The Copper Family. Folk, Sussex trad, unaccompanied
vocal harmony. Elephant & Castle,
8pm, £12
Kit Trigg. Blues/rock. Lansdown, 8pm, free
SUNDAY 5
English dance tunes session – bring instruments.
Folk, English trad. The Volunteer,
12pm, free
MONDAY 6
Alan Barnes. Jazz. Snowdrop, 8pm, free
TUESDAY 7
English dance tunes session – bring instruments.
Folk, English trad. John Harvey Tavern,
8pm, free
FRIDAY 10
The Boys. Punk. Con Club, 7.30pm, £16
The Long Haul. Five-piece country rock.
Lamb, 8pm, free
SATURDAY 11
Loose Caboose. DJ night. The Con Club,
7.30pm, £6
Photo of The Boys by Lothar Felkel
63

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Free bottle of wine with any lunch or dinner,
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GIG GUIDE: JANUARY
MONDAY 20
Jason Henson. Jazz. Snowdrop, 8pm, free
Wassailing ceremony
SATURDAY 11 (CONT.)
American Sector. Americana covers and Texas
swing. Lamb, 8pm, free
Wassail. With candles, fire, Wassail bowl,
Twelfth Cake. Folk, English trad, indoor wassailing
ceremony. Elephant & Castle, 8pm, £4
Wild Pansies. Blues/folk/country. Lansdown,
8pm, free
THURSDAY 23
Winter Beats. Soulful electronica and hip hop,
performed live by Crewdson, Alphabets Heaven
& friends. Lamb, 8pm, free
FRIDAY 24
The Stevie Watts Trio. Soul jazz. Lamb, 8pm,
free
SATURDAY 25
Dom Prag. Folk, mainly trad songs with guitar.
Elephant & Castle, 8pm, £6
Supernatural Things. Funk & Soul. Lamb,
8pm, free
SUNDAY 12
TJ Walker. Country/Americana. Promoting
new album The Long Game. Lamb, 8pm, free
SUNDAY 26
Pam & De Femmes. International cabaret.
Lamb, 8pm, free
MONDAY 13
Charlotte Glasson. Jazz. Snowdrop, 8pm, free
MONDAY 27
Lucy Pickering. Jazz. Snowdrop, 8pm, free
TUESDAY 14
Concertinas Anonymous practice session.
Folk & Misc. Elephant & Castle, 8pm, free
SATURDAY 18
Sussex All-Day Singaround. Folk, mainly
English trad. Royal Oak, Barcombe, 11am-
11pm, free
Sam Walker. Multi-instrumental singer/songwriter.
Lansdown, 8pm, free
TUESDAY 28
John Grant. Stripped-back live show with
support from Dog in the Snow. Attenborough
Centre, 8pm, £30
FRIDAY 31
Victory Through Sound. Indie rock. Lamb,
8pm, free
SUNDAY 19
English dance tunes session – bring instruments.
Folk, English trad. Elephant & Castle,
12pm, free
Jaz Delorean. Solo show from front man of
Tankus the Henge. Lansdown, 8pm, free
Lewkulele. Singalong. Lamb, 8pm, free
Dom Prag at the Elephant & Castle
65

CLASSICAL ROUND-UP: JANUARY
FRI 24, 7.45PM
Nicholas Yonge Society. In a town bursting with
choirs, orchestras and festivals, the Nicholas Yonge
Society quietly goes about its business of presenting
fine chamber music, something it’s been doing for
over 50 years. In this month’s concert, the Carducci
String Quartet will be playing quartets by Beethoven
(the Serioso), Britten (No 1 in D major) and Mendelssohn
(No. 6 in F minor). But the Carduccis have
a reputation for championing contemporary repertoire, and for this concert they’ll be joined by
Kate Whitley to perform her new Piano Quintet. Thirty-year-old Kate writes music for ballets,
choirs and orchestras and her works have been performed on Radio 3 and at the BBC Proms.
She also co-runs the Multi Storey Orchestra who perform in (you’ve guessed it) multi storey car
parks. Meanwhile the Guardian calls her music ‘unpretentious, appealingly vigorous and visceral’.
Take this opportunity to hear for yourself.
Cliffe Building, East Sussex College, Mountfield Road, £16, free for 8-25 year-olds, available from
Baldwins Travel, nyslewes.org.uk
PICK
OF THE
MONTH
Photo by Andy Holdsworth Photography
SATURDAY 18, 7.45PM
Musicians of All Saints. The start of the new
year seems to be a good month for new music,
as the Musicians of All Saints continue their
second Living British Composers season. Ric
Graebner directs the players in a programme
that includes the second performance of his own
Clarinet Concerto (solo clarinet Steve Dummer)
and the first performance of a version of Guy
Richardson’s Houriya (Freedom). Alongside this
will be Mendelssohn String Symphony No.6 in
E flat major and Schubert Rondo for Violin and
Strings D.438 with Chris Phipps on solo violin.
Peter Copley introduces the programme in a
pre-concert talk at 7.10pm.
Southover Church, £12 regular, £9 concession,
under 18s free, mas-lewes.co.uk
SUNDAY 26, 11AM
Heath Quartet in association with Strings
Attached. Since winning the Royal Philharmonic
Society’s Young Artists Award in 2013 the
Heath Quartet have been earning a reputation as
one of the most exciting British chamber groups
performing today. At the Attenborough Centre
this month they’ll be playing string quartets by
Beethoven and Brahms. See page 39.
Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts,
£18.50, concessions £16, attenboroughcentre.com
SUNDAY 26, 4PM
Corelli Ensemble. A typically exuberant concert
from the Corelli Ensemble features Mozart
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, Handel Concerto Grosso
Op 6 no. 2 and Beethoven Romance for Violin in
F with solo violinist Maeve Jenkinson. Also in
the mix is John Rutter’s Suite for Strings, based
on British folk tunes. A warming way to see out
what often feels like the darkest month in more
ways than one.
St Pancras Church, £12 in advance from the website
or Lewes TIC, £14 on the door. Children free.
corelliensemble.co.uk
Robin Houghton
67

www.iford-kingston.sch.uk
LEARN TOGETHER, PLAY TOGETHER, LIVE TOGETHER
Is your child due to start school in September 2020?
There is still time to visit our school before the 15th
January 2020 application deadline
We also have places available in other year
groups. Please contact us for further information
“Teaching is consistently strong across the school.
Pupils achieve well as a result.” Ofsted 2019
T: 01273 474973 E: office@iford-kingston.e-sussex.sch.uk
THE BROADWAY & WEST END HIT MUSICAL
NATURAL WOMAN • THE LOCOMOTION
YOU’VE GOT A FRIEND • ONE FINE DAY
WILL YOU LOVE ME TOMORROW
UP ON THE ROOF
‘A TAPESTRY
OF GREATEST HITS’
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TUE 11 – SAT 15 FEB
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FreeTIME
êêêê
UNTIL SUNDAY 5
Christmas at Nymans. Family crafts, froggy
storytelling and lots of drop-in activities. See
nationaltrust.org.uk/nymans.
SATURDAY 18
Nellie’s Arctic Adventures. A trail around the
garden telling the story of Nellie Peel, one of
the first women to travel to the Arctic Circle,
in 1893. Her journey will be re-created using
Nellie’s own words from the book published
on her return. For more information visit
nationaltrust.org.uk/sheffield-park-and-garden.
WEDNESDAY 1
New Year’s Day Concert. Music from The
Ray Campbell Dance Band, mulled wine and
mince pies. Eastbourne Band Stand, 11am, free.
SUNDAY 5
Look Think Make. Drop-in family-friendly
activities, with support from DLWP staff and
volunteers. De La Warr Pavilion, 2pm, £1.
UNTIL SUNDAY 12
Jack & the Beanstalk. Expect live music,
colourful sets, amazing costumes, spectacular
special effects and plenty of comedy, fun
and laughter. Devonshire Park Theatre,
Eastbourne, see eastbournetheatres.co.uk.
Togi’s Team
– Food and
Feasting.
Investigate
ancient food
and drink
and find out
how and why people celebrated in the past.
Create an ancient feast to share using real
Roman recipes. Togi’s Team is a club for
budding young archaeologists aged 6+ years.
Fishbourne Roman Palace, 10am-12.30pm,
£15, see sussexpast.co.uk.
TUESDAY 28 & WEDNESDAY 29
Meet Me a Tree: A Very First Opera.
Exciting and interactive musical adventure for
babies, presented by Hurly Burly Theatre. Sing
with blackbirds, march through fallen leaves
and feel the wind in this multisensory journey
through a year in the life
of a tree. With gentle
classical music by
Schumann, Delibes and
Monteverdi alongside
familiar nursery rhymes
and original songs. Chichester
Festival Theatre, see cft.org.uk.
69

COMPETITION
His Dark Materials
with Lewes Drama Collective
êêêê
Lewes Drama Collective present part two of His Dark
Materials next month, a year on from their successful
production of the first instalment last January. Re-join
young heroine Lyra Belacqua (aka Lyra Silvertongue),
her trusty dæmon Pantalaimon and loyal friend Will
Parry as they continue their overwhelming quest to
stop the forces of evil, making the arduous journey
to the ‘republic of heaven’ through the dark and haunting land of the dead, where they encounter
some fantastical and frightening beings. Once again LDC have kindly offered us a family ticket (two
adults and two children) along with a show programme and interval refreshments to give to a lucky
reader. To get into the draw to win this prize (choose between performances on 1st, 2nd, 8th or 9th
of Feb) answer the following question: Who is Iorek Byrnison?
Please send your answers as well as your name, telephone number and address by Wednesday 22nd Jan
and check vivamagazines.com for Ts & Cs. Tickets otherwise cost £9.50/£7.50, performances 1st, 2nd,
8th and 9th February, 3.30pm at the All Saints Centre
BOOK REVIEW
2020 Nature Month-By-Month
by Anna Wilson and Elly Johnz
Kick off this new year with the National Trust’s 2020 Nature Month-By-
Month almanac. This handy guide for children is a whizz-bang tour of
nature and culture throughout the year.
January celebrates the pagan festival of wassailing, Lohri and Chinese
New Year and includes a recipe for Twelfth Night Cake. February (from
the Latin word februum, meaning purification, did you know?) helps
readers know their cumulonimbus from their nimbostratus. In March
readers learn to get handy with tools and make a nest box for the garden.
Each chapter is packed with information about constellations, the history
of colourful festivals and facts about wildlife.
A friendly and gentle narration make this book suitable for every curious
family, no matter how much or little they know about nature. The range
of subjects and the bite-sized chunks make it easy to dip in and out of too. Want to know the best
time in 2020 to spot meteors or see a murmuration of starlings? Dive into this wonderfully colourful,
inclusive and joyous exploration of our world. Anna, Bags of Books
Find it at Bags of Books with 20% off throughout January
êêêê
70

êêêê
Lewes Children’s
Book Group
Looking at inclusivity
What do books mean to you? Do you
consider yourself a life-long fan, or is your
reading limited to emails and the occasional
newspaper? If you fall into the former category,
the chances are you developed your
love of books at a young age.
It is this early introduction to reading
that is one of the main aims of the Lewes
Children’s Book Group, which is part of
the Federation of Children’s Book Groups,
and was founded 45 years ago by librarian
Diana Rogers.
Staffed and run entirely by volunteers,
LCBG hosts talks by visiting children’s authors
and illustrators, and runs book swaps
three times a year. It also donates children’s
books to local schools, charities, and GP
and dental surgeries, and is involved in the
Children’s Book Award each year.
Laura Brett is one of its committee members,
as well as a librarian who specialises in
children’s literature. “It’s all about bringing
children and stories together in an inclusive
way,” she says. “All our events are free, as
we want to make books as accessible as possible
to children of all ages.”
LCGB’s next event will be taking a deeper
look at the issue of inclusivity, as it is holding
a talk on how minorities of all kinds are
represented – or not – in children’s books.
It is a topic that is ripe for discussion, says
Laura, as research carried out in 2018 by
the Centre of Literacy in Primary Education
found the representation of ethnic minorities,
for instance, in children’s literature
to be just four per cent. By 2019 that had
increased to seven per cent – an upward
trend that Laura is keen to encourage.
“Children want to see themselves in books,”
she explains. “We have children’s author
Candy Gourlay speaking at the event, and
she is from the Philippines and grew up
there. She says that as a child she wondered
why she couldn’t see herself in the books
she read, and that she couldn’t identify with
worlds that included things like snow. It
was like science fiction! When she moved
to the UK, she began writing books to
address this – books that are about identity
and being happy as you are.”
Other guests joining the discussion include
Jonny Pryn of One Third Stories – a
subscription-based service that provides
bedtime stories which gradually introduce
children to foreign languages – and children’s
book translator Daniel Hahn.
“It’s going to be great,” says Laura, “and it’s
free and open to everyone, from adults to
teenagers and older children – the perfect
way to spend a January evening!” Anita Hall
Inclusivity in Children’s Books is on 29th January
at 7.30pm in the Council Chamber, Lewes
Town Hall. leweschildrensbookgroup.org.uk
71

Damian Mooncie
Director, Brighton Waldorf School
Until 2019, your school
was called the ‘Brighton
Steiner School’. Why the
name change? Dr Rudolf
Steiner founded the first
school 100 years ago, in a
factory in Stuttgart, the
‘Waldorf-Astoria’ from which
the schooling takes its name.
There are now over 1,150
schools, all over the world, and
everywhere apart from the
UK they are called ‘Waldorf
Schools’. We rebranded to
mark the anniversary, and to
connect with the worldwide
Waldorf family of schools.
We have recently added new
subject strands, of ecology, and
global citizenship.
What, in a nutshell, is a
‘Steiner’ (or ‘Waldorf’)
education? In a nutshell?
Creativity is encouraged, to
enable children to discover
themselves and develop their
individuality. The purpose
is for children to become
well-rounded individuals both
in their learning and their
emotions, so they can set forth
into adulthood with confidence
in their ability and a deep
understanding of themselves.
So it’s very different from
traditional schooling? In
mainstream school, children
are expected to park their
childhood at the school gate.
Waldorf Education ensures
that childhood is an intrinsic
element of schooling, and
that learning supports and
nourishes the individual at this
crucial development stage of
their life. We are, in effect, an
extension of home life. In the
morning children leave their
family home, and come to
their school home.
What about ‘the three Rs’?
Children are not taught formal
literacy and numeracy skills
until they are seven, which
72

EDUCATION
is the norm in continental
Europe. By age 11 our pupils
have comparable numeracy
and literacy levels as children
educated in mainstream
education: they have ‘caught
up’, if you like, having acquired
many more life skills, besides.
What about assessment
tests? There are no SATS and
no CATS. The emphasis isn’t
about learning how to pass
exams, it’s on learning towards
a better life. The children
don’t undergo any formal
exams until their GCSEs.
What is the age range of
children in the school? There
are parent and child groups,
with six-month-old infants.
Kindergarten (Early Years)
starts at two-and-a-half. The
oldest students are studying for
their GCSEs. Each year group
has a maximum of 25 children
in a class, and usually between
15 and 20.
It’s a private school, right?
We are an independent school,
and I wish it were government
funded! As such, parents have
to pay fees, but as a charity
there are no shareholders, our
school is more affordable than
most other private schools.
Fees on average are £2,200 a
term per child.
Do students usually go on to
do A Levels and university?
All the year 11 students take
a ‘portfolio’ of seven GCSEs,
which enables access to all
A Level options for College.
Our pupils go on to colleges
to do A Levels, some go
into apprenticeships in the
workplace, I was Steinereducated,
and started my
working life as a sculptor,
before becoming a teacher!
Interview by Alex Leith
Open Days January 23rd
& 24th. More info at
brightonwaldorfschool.org
73

enjoy a
complimentary
bottle of wine
- Choose from either -
Maison l`Aiglon Chardonnay
or
Chemin de Marquiére Merlot
To redeem, simply present this advert when dining
Côte Brasserie Lewes
82 HIGH STREET, BN7 1XW
01273 311 344 | www.cote.co.uk/lewes
Valid until 31/01/20 at Côte Lewes only. One
complimentary bottle of wine when 2 or more guests dine from our À La
Carte menu. Offer can only be used once and cannot be used in
conjunction with any other offer or Set Menu.
Lewes_VivaLewes_January2020.indd 1 12/12/2019 14:28:50
Pick up a Viva Brighton.
Cover art by Peter James Field.
Find a copy at Lewes House and
throughout Brighton.
vivamagazines.com

FOOD
The Sussex Ox
Very locally sourced steak
What a fine feeling, after a muddy three-anda-half
hour yomp along the South Downs Way
from Eastbourne, to descend into the hamlet of
Milton Street, and to see the pub sign notifying us
that we’ve reached our destination: ‘The Sussex
Ox’. We’ve definitely earned lunch, my wife and I.
I’ve been before, of course, which means I’ve
really been looking forward to returning. The Ox,
you see, is owned by a local farmer, and much of
what’s on the menu is grown or reared in a nearby
field, making ‘food yards’ a more appropriate
term than ‘food miles’.
They serve a decent range of keg and cask ales,
too. Having left my boots in the hallway, I scan
the options and decide that an Unbarred Brewery
‘Apricot Sour’ sounds suitably thirst-slaking. And
so it proves to be: it’s refreshingly tart.
We are shown to a table by the window overlooking
the garden, and the gently rising hill beyond,
a verdant shade of recently rained-upon green.
The room has been painted buttermilk yellow:
it’s all wooden beams and old photos of the prize
bulls. There’s ample choice on the menu, but I
suspect I know what’s going to happen next.
“I’ll have the haddock soup and the fillet steak,”
says Rowena, opting, when asked, for ‘medium
rare’. “I’ll have the haddock soup and the fillet
steak,” I say. “Medium rare.” We have very
similar tastes: she likes ordering first so as not to
seem to be copying me. We also get some bread
and oil, and anchovies, to temper our hunger
while we wait.
The menu puts an asterisk after every item that’s
grown in the parish, so the exact nature of what
we’ve chosen is: ‘smoked haddock leek and potato
soup, poached duck egg*, truffle oil £8’, and ‘Fillet
steak*, Parmenter potatoes*, honey roasted root
vegetables, spinach, thyme jus £24’. This being
a family-run business, there’s every chance, I
ponder, that the chef knew the name of the cow
we’re about to eat.
The food is delicious, from the first dip of the
brown bread into the bowl of oil, to the last forkful
of steak. The latter, of course, is the real star of
the show, and it’s perfectly cooked, ever so slightly
charred on the outside, and pink inside. Even
Rowena, a harsh judge of over-cooked steaks,
offers her approval.
The Sussex Ox is the sort of place where you
don’t rush yourself. Even so, when we finish the
coffee we’ve ordered to wash down the warm
treacle tart with clotted cream (£6.50) that
has turned this into a four-course meal, we’re
surprised to realise that we’ve been there for two
hours. If it were summer, of course, we’d make
our way back onto the hills. But it’ll get dark
soon, so, happily sated, if £100+ poorer, we get a
taxi to Seaford train station instead.
Alex Leith
thesussexox.co.uk
Photos by Rowena Easton
75

76
Photo by Rebecca Cunningham

RECIPE
Spiced lentil and squash soup
Hannah Pilfold of Hannah’s, at Soulfit
I am the Hannah of Hannah’s Van. For 15 years
I worked for Sussex Police, a job I loved as a
prosecution caseworker, but cuts were making
our jobs seem more and more threatened, and
one day as I drove to work (and at a point when
my own children were very young), I thought
why is no one selling coffee to the parents in
these playgrounds?
I took the plunge, jacking in the day job, got
my van, and threw myself into the new venture:
driving round town, serving coffee – which I’ve
always loved – on the go. People were so supportive
in Lewes, which is also where I’ve lived
for the last 12 years.
I made lots of allies, including Jamie of Bun +
Bean. He and I share the same ethos: we want
the food and drink we serve to be as environmentally
friendly and ethically sourced as
possible.
Jamie took on the catering for the Soulfit café to
start with – last year – and I helped. From this
month, though, it will become ‘Hannah’s’.
I’m really excited about this new chapter, and
have hung up my van keys to busy myself
[when we spoke, at the beginning of December]
installing a cooker and getting the café
ready. During the winter months, I’ll be serving
hot soup, mamoosh pittas filled with roasted
vegetables and hummus, vegan cakes, oh and
my old staple, flapjack. I’ll probably move on to
salads as summer comes.
So, here I’m sharing a recipe for my spicy soup. I
use spices from Seven Sisters Spices – the Ras El
Hanout is packed with spices. I’ve always loved
cooking, especially on the savoury side, and am
looking forward to sharing this, and other delicious,
nutritious dishes.
Recipe serves four.
Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 onion, chopped;
2 sticks of celery, chopped; 1 clove of garlic, finely
chopped; 1 squash, peeled, deseeded and cut
into chunks; 1 bay leaf; pinch of salt; 1 tsp Ras
El Hanout; 1/2tsp dried chilli flakes (optional);
100g red split lentils; 1 pint hot vegetable stock.
Method: Heat the olive oil in a big pan then
sweat the onion, celery and garlic in it for 10
minutes on a low heat. Stir in the Ras El Hanout
and chilli flakes. Turn up and heat and fry
for a couple of minutes until the spices release
their aroma.
Add the squash, vegetable stock, bay leaf, lentils
and a pinch of salt. Stir and bring to a simmer.
Cook on a gentle simmer for about 25 minutes,
or until the squash is soft. Add more boiling
water if needed.
Once cooked remove the bay leaf and blend
until smooth. Serve in a bowl with a swirl of
Mesto Extra Virgin Olive oil, a sprinkle of Seven
Sisters’ Spices Almond Dukkah and a warmed
Mamoosh Pitta.
I love to make this dish in the New Year as it’s
warming and comforting but also really nourishing.
This will be one of the soups I’ll be serving
in the café in January.
As told to Charlotte Gann
Hannah’s opens at Soulfit, Tuesday to Friday until
2pm, and Saturday mornings, from 7th January.
wearesoulfit.com/hannahs
77

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FOOD
Soul Soup
Café in the Unity Centre
What a lovely little
café Soul Soup is,
in The Unity Centre
(what was the
Turkish Baths, next
to The Library).
It was only around
noon, on a nondescript
November
Monday when
we went, but the
tables (four or so) quickly filled.
The café, as the website sets out clearly, is run
as ‘a social business serving affordable plantbased
food that’s good for you & the planet’.
The daily, vegan dishes are made, largely, from
‘rescued produce that would have otherwise
gone to landfill’. The menu changes daily. It’s
posted online and, of course, on the blackboard
in the café.
Pete ordered a bowl of ‘Carrot & Orange
Soup’ with bread on the side (£3.50), and I
went for the ‘Roast Pepper & Onion, Pesto
Omelette’ (£6.50) which – being vegan, as is
all the food in Soul Soup – is made without
egg. The generous filling, of pepper and
onion, beautifully soft, and streaked with peagreen
coloured pesto, was served in a wrap
made from chickpea flour, and surrounded by
spinach leaves beautifully dressed in balsamic
vinegar. Delicious.
Pete was equally enthusiastic about his soup
– “lovely, very soupy” – which was thick and
comforting, but packed with flavour, including
a lovely strong tang of ginger.
The food, presentation and service were all excellent.
There’s also a ‘Pay it Forward’ loyalty
card scheme that passes food on to homelessness
charities. Charlotte Gann
soulsoup.cafe
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79

THE WAY WE WORK
This month, we asked Fine Art photographer David Stacey to
capture local architects at work, asking each of them:
What’s your New Year’s resolution?
davidstaceyphoto.com
Bryan Perry at Waterside Architects
‘I don’t like New Year’s resolutions because I always break them! But I am trying to live by
Aristotle’s dictum: “Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.”’

THE WAY WE WORK
Harriet Browne and Ben Jones at Ben Jones Architects
Harriet: ‘To put down the mouse and do more hand-drawing for both work and pleasure.’
Ben: ‘To make the time to do some design work on my own house!’

THE WAY WE WORK
Phill Brady and Ashley Phillips at Spruce Architecture
Phill: ‘Being a new business in town, my resolution is to get more
involved with local people and other local businesses.’

THE WAY WE WORK
Nicola Furner at Nicola Furner Architects
‘To spend more time with the people that matter, and to enhance my own creativity, through
sculpture, painting, writing, woodworking... anything to get those inventive thoughts flowing.’

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FEATURE
Digital Media Design
With or without words
One way to go back to the drawing board is to
retrain, or to hone one’s skills through study. So
I head to East Sussex College’s Lewes campus to
speak to 27 year old Harry James Corke. Harry
initially completed a Digital Media Design FDA
course in 2009, and is now enrolled in ESC’s
Digital Media Design top-up option, to turn
his foundation degree into a full BA Honours
degree. He decided to come back to “re-educate
myself after doing a series of jobs that I wasn’t
particularly interested in, where there wasn’t
much upward mobility”.
The courses are practically focused, with future
careers in mind. Harry is currently working on
a pitch for the D&AD New Blood Awards, for
example: a prestigious design award open to
students worldwide. He tells me that the professional
briefs that students are given for their
projects “vary massively”. One might be aimed
at getting people over the age of 65 to understand
what Intel products are, while another sees
students investigating how to make Lego appeal
to 13 to 18 year olds.
The skills students learn on the course vary massively
too. “Some students make cartoons, some
are interested in video editing. I enjoy doing posters,
fonts and logo designs. I love simple designs,
like really drilling something down.
“I always think with digital media, most of it
is just about communicating in different ways.
Animation, poster design, fonts. It’s all just forms
of communication: selling something, passing on
knowledge of something, with words or without
words… it’s fascinating.”
I’ve read some of the course prospectus, and
Harry handily explains what some unfamiliar
terms mean. ‘Time-based media’, for example,
covers forms of media such as the digital, moving
posters one sees on the escalators in the London
Underground. Harry sees time-based media as a
growing field: “I think Instagram and miniature
ads, that you can scroll past quickly and still pick
up on are going to keep getting bigger.”
One element of working in design that is “hammered”
into students is the importance of keeping
sketchbooks, referred to as ‘authoring’. “If your
idea looks good but you don’t have a sketchbook
to support it, that doesn’t really matter. Anyone
can have a flash in the pan idea. You need to understand
why it is good. When pitching to clients
you take all of the stuff with you so they can flick
through it while you deliver your pitch.”
Students get the chance to exhibit their completed
work in a graduate show in Fabrica,
Brighton, in early June. Harry is clearly happy to
be studying and designing again: “I really enjoy
being around other creative people. And the
freedom that the course has. The tutors will be
there whenever you need them: they give you
feedback on your ideas, but they won’t force you
into anything.” Joe Fuller
escg.ac.uk
Illustration by student Abigail Smith
85

FEATURE
New year, new job?
Digital Futures at Work Research Centre
If you’ve been with the same
employer for a while and are
thinking of moving on or trying
something new, you may
be surprised by how tough it’s
become out there.
Large companies (and many
small companies) have lengthy
selection procedures, which can include filling out
complicated questionnaires and reacting to online
fictitious scenarios to test your reasoning skills.
You may even be interviewed on screen by a robot,
programmed not just to record your answers
but to analyse your facial expressions and the
speed with which you respond. Dither and you’ll
be graded as “indecisive”; rush in and you might
be seen as not thoughtful enough.
In fact, you may need to go some way along the
process before you meet an actual human being.
But is this really the best way to find the right fit
between employee and employer?
“There are various reasons why companies are
using these recruitment methods,” says Jacqueline
O’Reilly, Professor of Human Resources at the
University of Sussex. She is leading an £8 million
Digital Futures at Work Research Centre, funded
by the Economic and Social Research Council to
look at how digital technologies are transforming
our working lives.
“In some cases they are concerned about creating
equality and diversity in their workforce, or it
could be that they’re not getting the right quality
of applicants.”
However, computer algorithms that are used to
help select candidates aren’t necessarily free from
discrimination. “It depends on the information
used to predict the behaviour of certain groups,”
says Jacqueline. “Unless the
questions are changed to be
more inclusive, you can reinforce
bias.”
Jacqueline, who is based in the
University of Sussex Business
School, has specialised in
looking at fairness at work,
equality and diversity, and government employment
strategies from youth to retirement.
So, in this new digital age, what is her advice for
jobseekers?
“Get on LinkedIn, make connections, and if
you’re applying through job platforms such as
Indeed.co.uk, make sure your application is relevant,
targeted and well crafted,” she says. “These
jobs are being advertised very widely, so you need
to make your application stand out; don’t just
click on automatic send and hope for luck.
“A good covering letter that states why you want
to work for the company, and that shows you have
done your research, is useful. But make it concise.
If it’s too verbose and rambling, it’ll do you more
harm than good.
“And if you have a video interview, it’s important
to let your personality shine through. Employers
want to see that you have the right attitude.”
Curiously, while digital recruitment technologies
are being adopted widely across the globe,
the take-up among smaller companies, especially
in the UK, is much slower, and something that
needs to be investigated more carefully, she adds.
The good news is that, in a place such as Brighton
and Hove, with its predominance of small, independent
companies, the old-fashioned method of
presenting yourself in person, with a CV, might
still be just as effective. Jacqui Bealing
87

Photo by Charlotte Gann
Andy Gammon
Historical illustrator
Andy Gammon grew up, and then studied
Art, in Canterbury. “As a boy, I could see the
Cathedral from my bedroom window,” he
says. “I used to draw it. Maybe that’s where
my interest in Art first joined with History.”
He also used to play with toy soldiers, and
today he shows me warmly the Crimean
soldiers he made from scratch – with papier
mâché and wire – which to this day adorn
one of his many shelves.
Graphic designer Andy – who did the pictures
for the ‘interpretation panels’ around Lewes
Priory Park, the illustrated Town Map and
many other local projects, including the town’s
Cycle Map, which you can pick up at the
tourist information office – has built a niche
for himself which has given him an insight
into Lewes’ history. That said, his work is by
no means limited to local projects – he has recently,
for instance, completed reconstruction
illustrations for a chapel at Bishop Auckland,
Co. Durham.
The work he shows me scattered around
his studio is extraordinarily detailed, and
meticulously researched. He teams up often
with archaeologists. “Together we are creating
documents, but instead of writing, I am drawing.
The archaeologists appreciate this – it
helps them get their message across.”
Andy also designs books – Pre Georgian Lewes
and Georgian Lewes by Colin Brent are two
he mentions. Back in the day he worked
for Greenpeace: he designed their book on
dolphins and the Rainbow Warrior poster-
88

MY SPACE
Photos by Andy Gammon
magazine. And he’s also just finished work on a
panel – one of three – for St John sub Castro.
He’s painted how the site may have looked,
and been used, before the church was built –
and he’s right: a picture brings dry information
to life.
Of course, there are birds in this painting’s
sky. There nearly always are in Andy’s work.
Two lovely commissioned paintings – which
you can see on his website – sit in the House
of Lords’ offices today. Both also prominently
and characteristically feature birds in flight.
The one of Lewes Town Wharf – a beautifully
meticulous riverside portrait – has two swans
bursting across its foreground. The other, of
Westminster’s Great College Street, naturally
features London pigeons. “There are birds
everywhere,” says Andy simply. “In any scene
you’ll find them.”
Andy starts a project, after conducting any
necessary research, by drawing it in pencil.
The drawings volley back and forth between
him and client, until the accuracy of every last
detail is verified and agreed. Then he stands at
his lightbox and traces the drawing into cleaner
lines onto new paper. This he then paints. He
rarely uses the computer for drawing, though
does, he says, occasionally apply colours in
Photoshop. When done, he scans the originals,
and sends digital artwork to the client. “This is
my bread and butter”, he smiles. “In my spare
time, I do silkscreen prints…”
So what, I ask to close, does history mean to
him? “It’s about continuity,” he says. “I like
the idea I know where things have come from.
I love the look, for instance, of old radios” –
indicating the one on his shelf – “they’re a
statement from a period, and ethos, that’s now
gone. I like remembering. I don’t live in the
past – I do want to record it.”
Charlotte Gann
andygammon.net
89

FOOTBALL
Zoe Ness
Great Scot
“Are you squeamish?”,
asks Zoe Ness, when I
ask her about the knee
injury that’s side-lined
her from striker duties
for Lewes FC since
October 27th.
I tell her “not particularly”,
but I can’t help
shuddering when she
shows me a picture,
on her phone, of the moment of contact with a
London City Lionesses player that so damaged
her cruciate ligament that she’s unlikely to play
again till February. In the image her leg is bent
wildly, unnaturally, out of position.
“Ugh,” I say, involuntarily.
“That’s the noise everyone makes,” she responds.
2019, it must be said, wasn’t a great year for the
forward, who was left out of the Scottish World
Cup squad in June, having played in the qualifiers.
It says a lot about her character that she went
to France anyway, to support her team-mates. “If
you can’t help on the field, it’s worth remembering
that it’s possible to help off it,” she says.
She’s drawing on the same vein of resilience
during her rehab period, living in a new town,
a long way from home. Ness, whose parents
are both Scottish, was born and brought up in
Durham, 300 miles north of Lewes. She moved
here in the summer after transferring from her
home-town team.
It so happens that Lewes are scheduled to play
Durham two days after we meet, and she’s taking
the opportunity to travel back home to catch up
with friends and family, and to watch the match.
“It’ll be very strange,” she says, of returning to
New Ferens Park,
where she had two
spells, separated by
a two-season stint in
Sweden. “I used to live
three minutes’ walk
from the ground. I
won’t be torn, though.”
“Some people have
compared me to Harry
Kane, or Teddy Sheringham,”
she tells me, when I ask her to describe
her playing style. “I’m not the quickest, but I am
good at being the focus of the attack, holding
the ball up, and bringing others into play.” It’s
also worth mentioning that she’s a cool-headed
goalscorer, adept at making intelligent runs to
confound defences. And that the team, which (as
I write) hasn’t picked up a point since her injury,
is desperately missing her.
“As a player I would always try to lead by example,”
she continues. “And to take games by the
scruff of the neck, when things were going wrong.
It feels a bit hopeless, being injured, but I’m determined
to learn from the experience, and make
myself useful, giving advice when it’s needed.”
Is she worried, I wonder, that Lewes might end
the season being relegated from the Women’s
Championship? “There are plenty of games
left,” she says. “We’re not playing badly, so I’m
sure we’ll turn it round. If we’re in the same
position in March… that’s when we’ll have to
start scrapping.”
By that time, it’s worth saying, Lewes should
have their Scotland international back in the
line-up, which will help their prospects no end.
Alex Leith
Photo by James Boyes
91

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WILDLIFE
Grey Squirrel
A tough nut to crack
Illustration by Mark Greco
I’m crouching behind my sofa hiding from a
squirrel. While I’m here peering angrily out of
the patio window it has given me time to reflect
on the emotional journey that has led me to
this place.
There was a time I was nuts about squirrels. As
soon as I could walk I was out shrieking through
the autumn leaves trying to grab a squirrel’s
bushy tail as it nimbly skedaddled up the nearest
sycamore. Looking back now I’m not sure what
I planned to do with a squirrel had I ever caught
one. Once caught it’s actually illegal to release a
Grey Squirrel because, despite their cute appearance,
squirrels are extremely destructive. Grey
Squirrels outcompete other animals for food and
resources, destroy trees and harbour diseases.
The main problem is that they shouldn’t really
be in Britain, they are a North American species.
We can blame Herbrand Russell, 11th Duke of
Bedford for their invite. Herbrand’s harebrained
plan was to import squirrels to embellish his
estate at the start of the last century. Distributing
squirrels as gifts he and his landowner chums
assisted their spread across England. Our wildlife
and landscape just wasn’t designed to accommodate
this brash new American. Our native Red
Squirrel, already in decline, was particularly hard
hit. Attempts have been made over the years to
control Britain’s Grey Squirrel population, but
these animals seem indestructible.
In the last few weeks the battle has arrived in my
back garden. I recently purchased a bird feeding
station, an elaborate chandelier draped in peanut
feeders, fat balls and coconut shells. Yet the
nuthatches, tits and finches are being usurped by
a Grey Squirrel. I’m paying pounds and getting
peanuts and it’s the squirrel who is packing his
cheek pouches. It feels like I have laid on a buffet
for my friends only to find some American bloke
(who I don’t particularly like) has turned up to
scoff the whole lot. For weeks we have been
locked in an ongoing arms race. I don’t want to
kill him – I just want him off my new bird feeder.
I’ve deployed Vaseline, peppers and counterbalances
but each time I’ve been outfoxed. He is agile,
acrobatic and very clever. Today I cracked. I
purchased a squirrel proof baffle (£15.99), a large
Perspex dome 100% guaranteed to make my
peanut feeder impregnable. I installed it as the
squirrel watched curiously, and with a confident
laugh I returned to my front room…to find the
squirrel was already back on the peanut feeder. I
have no idea how he’s doing it and he’s too smart
to climb there if he’s being watched. So here I
am, behind the sofa trying to find out his secret.
Whether trying to beat them nationally or just
in our back gardens it really isn’t reassuring to
know we’re being outsmarted by a rodent.
Michael Blencowe, Senior Learning & Engagement
Officer, Sussex Wildlife Trust
93

BUSINESS NEWS
The Hong Kong-owned brewery giants Greene
King have put the freehold of The Lamb Inn
up for sale: it’s on the market for £385,000 plus
VAT. This, we are informed by the pub’s current
management team, will not affect its short-term
incarnation as a live music venue, putting on
shows Thursday through Sunday. They are
sitting tenants, and will continue, they say, to
operate until the new owners – whoever they
may be – take over the place. Let’s hope it stays
as a pub.
We were pleased to pay a visit before Christmas
to the latest new addition to Lewes’ independent
shopping scene, Along Came She (pictured
right), in the corner unit of the Needlemakers,
looking onto Market Lane. The unit was vacated
by nørd, who, as you’ll have noticed, have moved
to Cliffe High Street. ACS is a clothes shop run
by a young mum for young mums: fashion and
print designer Emma makes ‘fun, stylish, colourful
and comfortable’ clothing. The very best of
luck to her!
We’d also like to welcome a new business to
Market Street, just around the corner. Hair for
Men is no more; the place has been taken over
by another barber, HJ Gentlemen, opening
their third branch. They set up in 2012 in East
Grinstead and have another premises in Forest
Row. They offer a wide range of styles, and can
give you a flat top or a hair tattoo, if that’s the
sort of thing you’re after. They also offer beard
trims and ear, nose and eyebrow waxing. It’ll be
hipster heaven in there.
Up on the High Street, next to the Castle sandwich
shop and opposite the Brewers, you might
have noticed Edwards and Todd trading, as a
pop-up, before Christmas. After a reboot early
in January, they’ll be opening permanently. They
sell what they describe as ‘contemporary gifts’:
Gary Edwards is a potter, so expect his sculptured
vessels, as well as all sorts of goods related
to British print-making, plus candles and soaps
and suchlike. You might have seen their goods on
sale at Art Fairs all around the South-East; some
of you will remember the E&T store in Museum
Street in Bloomsbury, which they ran for 20
years before moving to Sussex.
Plenty of congratulations are in order for local
businesses that have won 2019 awards recently.
Here’s to Lewes Depot (Sussex Business
Award for Corporate Social Responsibility
Excellence) and Body Happy (Sussex Business
Women in Excellence Award for Wellness
Business of the Year).
Finally, a very happy birthday to our friends
at The Print Room, on Station Street, who
will have been operating, in their very cheerful,
highly efficient and pleasingly quirky manner, for
ten years come January. Alex Leith
Send any news to alex@vivamagazines.com
94

DIRECTORY
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LESSONS & COURSES
FRESH & FEEL GOOD
EAT
Vegan Cooking and
Nutrition Workshops
With Nutritionist and Retreat Chef
Lucie Simon - 07594 760 471
www.eatfreshandfeelgood.com

LESSONS & COURSES, & OTHER SERVICES
HEALTH
Spanish
GCSE • Beginners • Conversation
Experienced and qualified teacher, central Lewes
Contact Sara on 07598 784579
Doctor P. Bermingham
Retired Consultant Psychiatrist.
Assoc. Medical Psychotherapy. Formerly SAP.
Psychotherapy for the psychological core of depression.
Suicidal ideation. Relapse. Supervision of therapists.
SoBS Ad 1/16 drpbermingham@gmail.com
Viva.qxp 15/10/2019 11:02 Page 1
WE OFFER SUPPORT TO ADULTS
BEREAVED OR AFFECTED BY SUICIDE
Phone Peter: 07902 084 397
Email: sobs.southdown@gmail.com
SURVIVORS OF BEREAVEMENT BY SUICIDE
Charity Number 1098815
www.andrewwells.co.uk
We can work it out
REFLEXOLOGY
THAI YOGA MASSAGE
INDIAN HEAD MASSAGE
Rachael 07917 842771
rachaeladarimassagetherapist.co.uk
• BUSINESS ACCOUNTS AND TAX
• MEDIA AND THE ARTS
• CONTRACTORS AND CONSULTANTS
• FRIENDLY AND FLEXIBLE
T: 01273 961334
E: aw@andrewwells.co.uk
FREE
initial
consultation
Andrew M Wells Accountancy
99 Western Road Lewes BN7 1RS
Andrew Wells_Viva Lewes_AW.indd 1 25/06/2012 09:05

HEALTH
Acupuncture, Alexander Technique, Bowen
Technique, Children’s Clinic, Counselling,
Psychotherapy, Family Therapy,
Herbal Medicine, Massage,
Nutritional Therapy, Life Coaching,
Physiotherapy, Pilates, Shiatsu,
Podiatry/Chiropody
VALENCE ROAD OSTEOPATHS
neck or back pain?
Lin Peters - OSTEOPATH
for the treatment of:
neck or low back pain • sports injuries • rheumatic
arthritic symptoms • pulled muscles • joint pain
stiffness • sciatica - trapped nerves • slipped discs
tension • frozen shoulders • cranial osteopathy
pre and post natal
www.lewesosteopath.co.uk
20 Valence Road Lewes 01273 476371
Sacha Allistone MBACP
‘A burden once lifted is lighter than air.’
— Ioannis Georgiadis
sachaallistone.com | 07909986812

Instrinsic Health Viva Advert 12.19 AW.qxp_6 06/12/2019
HEALTH
The Cliffe
Osteopathy &
Complementary
Health Clinic
Ruth Wharton
BA (Hons) BSc (Hons) Ost Med DO ND MSc Paediatric Ost
Biodynamic Cranial Osteopath
Sally Galloway
BA (Hons) Dip Nat Nut CNM MBANT MNNA CNCH reg
Nutritional Therapist
Art Therapy • Massage
Psychotherapy & Counselling
Meditation • Reflexology
Yoga for Autism • Supervision
32 Cliffe High Street • Lewes BN7 2AN
Anthea Barbary
LicAc MBAcC Dip I Hyp GQHP
Holistic Treatments
Swedish Body Massage
Indian Head Massage
Reflexology
Angelica 07401 131153
www.angelsaromahealing.com
LOW COST RATES AVAILABLE
Intrinsic Health, 32, Cliffe High Street, Lewes, BN7 2AN
Gift vouchers available to purchase
New Body
New Mind
Support to overcome obstacles
& move forwards in 2020
Hypnotherapy, NLP & Coaching appointments
at The Cliffe Clinic & via Skype
LYNNE RUSSELL BSc FSDSHom MARH MBIH(FR)
www.chantryhealth.com 07970 245118
OSTEOPATHY
Mandy Fischer BSc (Hons) Ost, DO, PG cert (canine)
Caroline Jack BOst, PG cert (canine)
Cameron Dowset MOst
HERBAL MEDICINE & REFLEXOLOGY
Julie Padgham-Undrell BSc (Hons) MCPP
PSYCHOTHERAPY
Julia Rivas BA (Hons), MA Psychotherapy
Tom Lockyer BA (Hons), Dip Cound MBACP
ACUPUNCTURE & HYPNOTHERAPY
Anthea Barbary LicAc MBAcC Dip I Hyp GQHP
HOMEOPATHY, COACHING, NLP
& HYPNOTHERAPY
Lynne Russell BSc FSDSHom MARH MBIH(FR)
01273 480900
23 Cliffe High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 2AH
www.lewesosteopath.com
Open Monday to Friday and Saturday mornings

INSIDE LEFT
LET THERE BE LIGHT
It’s 1954 and the country is just about getting
back on its feet after the war. Winston Churchill
– aged 80 – is in his second spell as Prime Minister,
and food rationing has just come to an end.
Wolverhampton Wanderers are Football League
Champions, Roger Bannister has run the first
under-four-minute mile, and many of Britain’s
major industries are under state control.
This includes the electricity industry, nationalised
in 1947, and divided into seven regional sectors.
The South-Eastern sector was named SEEboard
(South Eastern Electricity) and the Lewes
District HQ, including a plush showroom, was
at 80-81 High Street, where Balm and Mortgage
Matters now stand, and the building behind, on
St Swithun’s Lane.
SEEboard was a big local employer, often advertising
jobs in the Situations Vacant section of
the Sussex Express, looking for shorthand typists,
commercial assistants, installation inspectors,
‘demonstrators’ and, of course, electricians.
They were also a big advertiser, publicising their
wares (the showroom stocked refrigerators,
toasters, vacuum cleaners, electric irons and kettles)
as well as their services. If you wanted your
house rewired, SEEboard were a good option;
they could install electric water heaters, available
on hire-purchase (aka ‘the never-never’)
offering ‘no dust, no fumes – just gloriously hot
water the instant you want it’.
These SEEboard employees are hard at work,
under the watchful eye of, I assume, Lewes District
Manager GR Lincoln, in the office behind
the showroom, overlooking St Swithun’s Lane.
The fellow on the right is poring over a map,
the other three making plans at their drawing
boards.
The office, as you might imagine, is extremely
well lit. Look up at the ceiling, and you’ll see
the four state-of-the-art fluorescent light strips.
Once you notice these, you can’t unsee them:
the photographer – Edward Reeves, Tom’s
father – has given them some prominence,
perhaps to emphasise just how modern the
company is. Alex Leith
Thanks to Tom and Tania at Edward Reeves, 159
High Street (01273 473274) who sell old photos
from their archives as cards and prints.
106

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