Latest News of Local Interest

Bobservation No.135: Health Care

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Having spent several visits in NHS hospitals particularly Worthing I have to place on record the exceptional caring and attention I have received.

The amazing mixture of ethnicity leads me to suppose if immigrants did not exist the National Health Service would be a very different institution. I would guess that in some of the nursing employments the ratio must be at least 80% immigrant. This is no way a political comment just an eye-opener as to what is really happening on the ground.

In addition to this I have just been allowed home from hospital after a heart attack as a ‘virtual’ patient which frees up a bed in hospital and provides medical home care on an impressive scale. This will last for six weeks after leaving hospital and includes everything you would expect in hospital and, of course, being NHS is absolutely free, as is the inspection of your home to see if any safety measures can be put in place. Availability of zimmers, shower mats and stools and suchlike helpful things.
Hats off to Nye Bevan for originating the installation of this wonderful NHS which is the envy of so many other countries and their citizens.

Do please appreciate what we have got.

Village Hall Appeal Update

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What a year it’s been for Fulking!
Following a community consultation in January, we launched a bid to raise a daunting £85,000 to save our village hall. There followed a year-long programme of fundraising events, from Seedling Sunday, Farm Open Day and the Wimbledon Garden Party to the Charity Cricket Match, Ceilidh and Call My Bluff.
The Shepherd and Dog came up trumps with a £1 voluntary donation on every table, raising an incredible £4,000 to date, and most recently Sally Gunnell’s quiz at Preston Nomads raised over £3,600.
Still to come are the Fulking Xmas Party on Dec 12 and a Champagne Music Night on Dec 13.

The good news is that with £80,000 in the pot, we’ve very nearly made it, and the hall purchase is going ahead as we write. An enormous and heartfelt thank-you to everyone for your incredible generosity and support.

The even better news is that the whole community has come together behind the project as never before! Any surplus funds will go to hall improvement.

Fulking Parish Council Planning Meeting

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You are cordially invited to an Extraordinary Meeting of Fulking Parish Council on Tuesday 25th November 2025 at 7pm at Fulking Village Hall where the items below will be discussed.

AGENDA
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.

25/062/PM      Apologies for Absence.

25/063/PM      Declaration of Interests

25/064/PM       Planning matters- SDNP/25/04453/FUL
Proposal: Retrospective application for the siting of two static caravans and an amenity building
Location: Market Gardens, Clappers Lane, Fulking, West Sussex, BN5 9NH

25/065/PM. Planning Matters- SDNP/25/04591/LDE
Proposal: Use of Oldwood Cabin as a separate independent unit of residential accommodation.
Location: Oldwood , Clappers Lane, Fulking, West Sussex, BN5 9NJ

https://planningpublicaccess.southdowns.gov.uk/online-applications/

Next Ordinary Meeting set for Thursday 15th January 2026

123 New Bin Collection

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The new 123 waste collection (including food waste) rota starts next week – it looks as if Wednesday 5th November is the day for Fulking. Although MSDC say that their data glitch is fixed, please check your individual collection day here

Bobservation No. 134: Call My Bluff Wine Quiz

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Call my bluff wine quiz
Nick Hughes and I started this event to raise funds for the Social Committee. Through the years we have been supported by Quaff, Wine Rack and Tesco among others.
Initially we were helped by a friend of Nick’s but as it developed we did more of the organisation and pricing ourselves.

Call My Bluff Wine Quiz evenings have been held in the village hall, in the marquee at the annual village fair at various private homes, at Preston Nomads and at the Shepherd & Dog.
The ethos has been to keep the cost of admission as low as possible whilst enabling the guests to enjoy good wines and perhaps even learn a little about wine. The largest number of places we ever sold was 96 in the marquee.

We have tried to keep the inebriation at an acceptable level but I must confess on a few occasions it has ended up as a bit of a party. The three quizzers have been assisted by a crib sheet for each of the wines and allowed to embellish this as much as they care to.

I have personally had a great deal of pleasure presenting this evening and have descended into barely acceptable Limerick poetry at times.
Over the years we have raised quite a lot of money for the Social Committee.

Lastly, I wish the Village Hall fund raisers every success in their latest edition next month, of what, I hope, has become something of a Fulking tradition.

Call My Bluff Wine Evening – 7th November 6:30-10:30pm, Fulking Village Hall.

Bobservation No. 133: Hearing Aids

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Having used ‘Action for Deafness’ for quite a few years, in fact ever since they used to come regularly to the Henfield Village Hall, I was surprised when they announced their discontinuance and transfer to a private firm, Scrivens. On the face of it this appears to mean that the NHS is no longer offering free hearing aids and support. I am given to understand it is still possible to get free hearing aid support and indeed new hearing aids if you get referred to Scrivens by your GP. I have not had the occasion to find out how well this actually works but would be very interested in hearing from any villager who has tried to get referred.