Latest News of Local Interest

Bobservation No. 129: Nearby Festival

Posted on Sunday 1st June 2025

Henfield Festival of Gardens & Arts

Well worth a visit to this Event which has been taking place for 26 years and is well worth a stroll around Henfield on either Saturday or Sunday June 7 & 8. Individual gardens are open to the public on one day or the other and in some cases both days. Open from 11am till 5pm full details of gardens, artists, and musicians can be obtained from the website: www.henfieldgardensandarts.net. Or you might be lucky to get a hard copy of the programme from one of the shops in Henfield High Street. Entry is free but please bring cash to donate to one of each venue’s own charities.

Annual Parish Meeting

Posted on Tuesday 6th May 2025

The ANNUAL MEETING OF COUNCIL & ANNUAL PARISH MEETING will be held on WEDNESDAY 14TH May 2025 at 7.30pm at Fulking Village Hall.

Public Participation: There will be a period of 15 minutes set aside at the beginning of the meeting for the public to ask questions or make comments on items on the Agenda. Comments on items not appearing on the agenda can be made at the chairman’s discretion.

Agenda: Annual Meeting of Council

25/026/AMC Chairman’s Welcome followed by Election of Chair & Vice Chair

Agenda: Annual Parish Meeting

25/027/APM Apologies for Absence

25/028/APM Approval of previous years’ minutes Annual Parish Meeting 14th May 2024

25/029/APM Chairman’s report

25/030/APM Reports from District & County Councillors

25/031/APM. To consider and agree the Internal Audit Report Letter dated 20/04/2025.

25/032/APM. To consider and agree the Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR) for the year ending 31 March 2025 ensuring it accurately presents the financial management of the Council as required by the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015.

25/033/PM Village Hall

25/034/PM Planning Application – SDNP/25/01663/CND

Proposal: Change of Condition 2 (Approved plans) for SDNP/24/01324/HOUS.

Location: Furzefield , Clappers Lane, Fulking, West Sussex, BN5 9NJ

25/035/PM Planning Application – SDNPA/24/05059/LDP

Proposal: Use of the land as a recreational campsite for not more than 60 days in total in the calendar year 2025. There are not more than 50 pitches. The moveable structures shown on the site plan are solely for the purposes of the permitted use.

Location: The Springs , Edburton Road, Edburton, West Sussex, BN5 9LN

Date of next Ordinary Meeting Thursday 3rd July 2025.

Bobservation No. 128: Getting About

Posted on Thursday 1st May 2025

Village Hall Fund
Seeking to achieve the purchase of the Fulking village hall, chapel and adjacent land for £85,000 by 31 December it is reported that £20,000 has already been collected. This is a magnificent start to the campaign.
I wish the committee success in what they are seeking to achieve and will follow with great interest the magnificent £barometer that Jen Green has created and displayed at the foot of the hall steps. It would be good to be able to see the current collection amount on a day to day basis on the village web site.
Travel
Having just had my 94 birthday and reflecting on the many shortcomings in my slightly indulged life I find that age, most of all, makes it is very difficult to travel any distance. Therefore I urge you, if you have the inclination and means, to travel as much as you can afford while you are able.
Travel is a great stimulus for reflection and pleasure as well as an opportunity to learn about other people and places. Quite recently an article in Tripadvisor voted Elafonisi in Crete as the best beach in the world and I remember managing to see it in about 1985 when it was completely empty of people. It was quite beautiful. Now it is a popular sideshow and according to the current pictures of it is a crowded tourist attraction.
So, the warning is to take great care in researching where you are going to and plan very carefully how and when you are going to achieve the most satisfying trip.

Bobservation No. 127: Fulking Village History

Posted on Tuesday 1st April 2025

Fulking_Village_Hall_posterized It is not popularly known that in the sixteenth century the local baron, Sir John Poyynings, who held the title of Lord of the Manor, offered the (then) village hall to the villagers to use for protecting their pigs from predation. This at a price of 6 hens, 23 eggs, 4 rabbits, 4 hours of tree felling, services of 7 virgins, use of 4 drummer boys, 1 gallon of mead, 6 bundles of firewood and an artist’s impression of the lady of the manor in crayon. After three months the village elders decided to discuss the offer and agreed to hold a public meeting before the next leap year. Regrettably before the meeting was held Sir John had absconded to Molliscombe with several of the village wives and as an atonement for his sins donated the hall to the Church of England. What right the Baron had to dispose of the hall in this manner we shall never know. 1/4/25

Bobservation No: 126. Domestic and International Matters

Posted on Saturday 1st March 2025

Village Hall
I read in BN5 that the fund-raising for the purchase of the village hall is underway. I sincerely wish the committee every success in this impressive and much needed venture.

Domestic Weather
This seems like the longest and most demanding autumn and winter in living memory and it is not even finished yet!. It has been quite chilly at times but not as cold as it used to be. The downside has been the rain and generally damp climate. There have been excessive water flooding problems in Clappers Lane and footpaths and gardens have been saturated. There is just a feeling of Spring with primroses and daffodils appearing everywhere.

International matters
I cannot remember such a concerning world- wide situation. There have been, and still are, many conflicts in the world, mostly totally unnecessary. Surely with a modicum of goodwill and common sense the major powers could support and strengthen the United Nations Organisation to a degree that eliminates and continues to eliminate war globally. This would enable most countries to redirect vast amounts of spending from armaments to climate change and providing the basic needs of all peoples worldwide. If this is not attainable then I cannot see any liveable future for our descendants. I am glad to be moving towards the end of life rather than the beginning.

Bobservation No.125: Courage and Idiocy

Posted on Saturday 1st February 2025

Courage
I was very moved by the speech made by Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde at the Washington prayer service for the inauguration of Donald Trump as President of the USA last week. Not many of us would be willing to publicly , and justifiably, criticise the head of state to his face and in public. She rates very highly in my book.

Fulking Village Hall
The recent highly successful open meeting in and on the subject of the village hall seems to have hopefully, at last, opened up the subject of the acquisition of the property from the Church. Of course there are some villagers who feel that the acquisition should be made as a free gift to Fulking Village and in spite of what evidence there is to show that the property is an asset of the Church, I would have thought that as gesture of goodwill and in view of the considerable sums that have been spent by villagers over the years on maintaining the property this might be the case.

Idiocy
I have only just discovered one of the most idiotic ‘improvements’ in abbreviations I have ever seen. AD which used to mean Anno Dominae being a year since the birth of Christ and BC which meant a year before the birth of Christ have each been revised as CE and BCE, now meaning Common Era and Before the Common Era. This has been done presumably to appease other religions than those following Christ. As an atheist I cannot think of a more stupid idea. Two perfectly good abbreviations now dispensed with to pander to a bunch of religious nutters. Globally the cost of this alteration must be astronomic. I intend to keep using the old method!

Agenda for Fulking Parish Council Meeting Thursday 16th January 2025

Posted on Friday 10th January 2025

You are cordially invited to the Ordinary Meeting of Fulking Parish Council on Thursday 16th January 2025 at 7.30pm to be held at Fulking Village Hall. The meeting will consider the items set out below.

AGENDA

25/001/OM. Apologies for Absence.

25/002/OM. Declaration of Members’ Interests.

25/003/OM. Approve the Minutes of Ordinary Council Meeting of 17th October 2024 and Planning Meeting 18th November 2024

The minutes, subject to any amendments, to be approved and signed as a true record of the meeting.

25/004/OM. Reports from District and County Councillors.

25/005/OM. Matters Arising & Outstanding Actions To clarify and report on actions brought forward from the last meeting.

Ram Pump House Roof
Notice board

25/006/OM. Operation Crackdown

25/007/OM. Proposed Campsite at The Springs SDNP/24/05059/LDP

25/008/OM. 2025 – 2026 Precept

25/009/OM. Village Hall

25/010/OM. Small Acres Update

25/011/OM. Information Items. To receive information and items for the agenda at future meetings.

25/012/OM. Correspondence. To discuss correspondence and respond to correspondence received.

25/013/OM. Financial Matters. To receive the report on the Council’s income and to approve future expenditure.

25/014/OM. To set a date of Annual General Meeting of the Council and Annual Parish Meeting:

Dates 2025 Ordinary Parish Council Meetings: Thursday 10th April 2025

Thursday 10th July 2025

Thursday 9th October 2025

Provisional Annual Parish Meeting Thursday 15th May 2025.

Bobservation No. 124: Speak of the Devil

Posted on Wednesday 1st January 2025

Front cover of Devils Dyke book with image of devil and promotion of Devil's Dyke park The Devil’s Dyke
Martin Easdown has put together a most delightful and informative softback (A4size) history of the Dyke. This has extensive details of the three railways connected with area. Marvellous photographs from various archives including many of which come from the collection of Steve Poyntz. The original hard back edition was published in 2023 (limited to 100 copies) and was again published in 2024 by Marsteila & Brighton & Hove Museums. I got my copy from the dedicated Poynings villager Sheila Marshall who had a few copies for sale at £10. This is an absolute ‘steal’ for anyone interested in local history or who uses the great pleasure of the local Downland for dog walking etc.
The Church of England
My oh my! what a ghastly mess the Church of England finds itself in, culminating for the present, with the resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby. To my simplistic eye it looks very much that the only acceptable way forward would be to appoint a lady bishop as head of the Church and give her the authority to sort out the whole indecent mess. Whilst I am not a member of the Church I do feel there was a nationally stabilizing base emanating from its position. This is likely to erode very quickly unless positive action is taken. My sympathies lie with the many who choose to support this very old institution. It must be very disappointing and confusing for them.
Felicitations
I take this opportunity to wish you all very happy, successful and most importantly a healthy New Year. I believe that 2025 may well be a year of national re-emergence from the last sad decade. I hope to join you in this success, my heart still belongs to Fulking!