Gill Milner
Another passing away of a much loved villager. Gill had lived at the Old Post Office for many years and had operated the shop there in the days when Fulking had a shop! More recently her health had made it necessary for her to join family in Sheffield but before going she had become a stalwart of the Toddlers Group and a highly respected member of the Quotations Group. The last couple of years have been sad ones with villagers passing away. We will miss you Gill.

Fulking Fair 2023
Having moved the fair to a new location at Long Clays field on the Edburton Road it was always going to be very much a trial and error year.  Driven by Sally’s tremendous enthusiasm and with dedicated support from the rest of the committee, a very acceptable fair evolved. The weather stayed dry, but the wind gave rise to quite a few problems and, it is fair to say, did have a detrimental effect on the event as many as one in three stallholders crying off. Despite all this the fair was a success. The food, drinks, music, demonstrations, tombola, tug of war, children’s games, stalls, donations, parking, access, direction signs all worked very well. And to top it all, Ann Bolton of RSPCA reports that they had a most successful day. Wherever the fair is held it will always be dependant on good summer weather and so I was left with the impression that Long Clays is worth another go in 2024, but with strict control over the placement of stalls and demonstrations. The annual fair brings villagers together better than any other event and justifies the effort purely on social grounds. Early unconfirmed reports indicate a surplus of around £1000 on the day. One special thank you to the Steel Tribe Band for putting on such a foot stomping performance, please come back next year.

Fulking Fair
This year’s fair will, as usual, be centred on the RSPCA fun dog show. In addition there will be childrens games, tattoo face painting, a competition, races and Tug of War. Food will include Crepes, Fudge, BBQ, Hot dogs, Pies, Bakeries, Pizzas, Ice Cream, Cakes, Biltong, Fresh fruit, Hot caramelized sandwiches, Homemade cakes, Preserves, Indian home cooking. Liquid refreshment by the Shepherd & Dog, teas, coffees, beers & wines, cocktails. Demonstrations by HART, Woodland Trust, hedgelaying, woodworking, Sussex Wildlife Trust, Henfield spinners & weavers. Music by Tenderhooks, Henfield Ukulele band, Pyecombe Choir. Doggie things like pet portraits, dog collars, dog & pet food, dog training. Sales stalls including childrens books, jewellery, leatherwork, bric a brac, caps & hats, ladies clothing, cards & gifts, flowers. Information from Fulking Parish Council, Sustainable Henfield 2030. AND an exceptional TOMBOLA to win great value prizes.

Ok! So I know we are missing a couple of F-16 fighters and a troop of Chieftain tanks but you can’t say we didn’t try!!

All of this takes a number of volunteers to make it work in an acceptable manner. If you have not already done so please contact Sally Brownie to see what you can do to help.

Charmayne Diamond
Alas! What a rotten year we have just had and now more news of another ex- Fulking villager who has passed away. Charmayne was a most enthusiastic villager and greatly enlivened the annual Call my Bluff wine quizzes. I was fortunate enough to be sitting in the Theatre Royal in Brighton with her and Lee on the evening when the Argus award for ‘Best Community event in Sussex’ was awarded to Fulking for the Fair and the three of us went on stage to receive the award. She was so excited. This could only have been achieved with her generosity in running the Dog Show and letting us use her two fields adjacent to her house for the fair. I hope it would not be incorrect to say she was genuinely one of those ‘larger than life’ people who very occasionally cross one’s path. Goodbye Charm!

Bob Rowland