The community website of the village of Fulking, West Sussex
Sussex Wildlife Trust is offering a package of five field trips, from February to November 2014, led by Mike Russell, and including the Henfield Levels (February); The Burgh, Burpham (April); Stedham and Iping Commons (June); Chidham and Cobnor (September); and Amberley Wildbrooks (November). The subjects covered will include bird identification techniques; migration and seasonal factors in bird distribution; and habitats. This is a multi-session package: individual trips cannot be booked.
This website managed to deliver an average of just over a post a day during 2013. However, there are three areas of interest to many locals where our coverage has been very weak:
Unassisted, we are unlikely to be able to improve our coverage of these three areas in 2014. If you think you could help with one of them, please get in touch with John.
Thanks to the villagers who are transforming and using the village hall and thanks to local businesses who have supported them. For example: the village hall garden and our bench with a view.
Helen from Arcadia volunteered to improve the garden — do you remember the sad green plastic fence and patchy turf? When Helen shared her ideas with Rushfields Plant Centre in Poynings, they donated the bench! The attractive wooden fencing was reduced on request at AVS Fencing in Woodmancote and put up by Helen and Mike. Helen also planted the flower border and watered it through the driest summer.They were often spotted carrying watering cans down the street after a day’s work. Swains Farm Shop and Garden Centre in Woodmancote offered new turf and more next spring if needed.
People have asked who carved the beautiful lettering on the new bench. This was carved by cabinet maker Peter Jones of Nettledown. He also oiled it and delivered it ready for our shared pleasure.
Do please sit there and enjoy the view and the garden and perhaps be greeted by a passer-by. Or join the many village people who weed and paint and carry to keep the village hall going.
Gill Milner, Old Post Office
Following Nick Herbert’s show of support, Hassocks Community Cycle Hire is planning to expand. The West Sussex Gazette reports:
Hassocks Community Cycle Hire (HCCH) is looking to expand with a new building on Hassocks Station.The building, which is expected to open in the spring, is to have improved storage, workspace and administrative facilities and will be used in addition to the existing HCCH hut in the grounds of The Hassocks pub. .. Improvements at Hassocks will increase cycle storage capacity and security and reflect Southern Railway’s move to expand cycling facilities along its network.
Bob Rowland’s invaluable record of Fulking bird sightings over two decades has a new title — Fulking Bird Watch — and some new reference content. You will find it as ‘Bird Watch’ in the sidebar menu under ‘The Environment’. Check it out and follow some of the links provided. And if you see something that isn’t on the list, then let Bob have the details.
The annual village Christmas party was held in the greatly improved village hall on Friday 20 December. The evening was very well attended and many thanks to the principal organisers Jennie Wild and Carolyn Loveless, as well as all the other villagers who assisted. The mulled wine was excellent. A very successful tombola, which was enhanced by a magnificent hamper, donated by Jeremy’s the greengrocer in Henfield, raised £233 which well covered the existing shortfall in the amount required for the new fencing in the North Town Field.
Bob Rowland
The annual Halifax ‘places to live’ survey [PDF] has just been published. Hart, in Hampshire, tops the list [PDF] as usual. Mid Sussex is the leading Sussex district, closely followed by Horsham district.
| Hart | Mid Sussex | Horsham | Brighton & Hove | |
| District Rank | 1 | 17 | 20 | 249 |
| Weekly Earnings | 843 | 728 | 734 | 647 |
| Employment Rate % | 80.1 | 81.4 | 82.9 | 71.2 |
| Number of Rooms | 6.3 | 5.8 | 5.9 | 4.6 |
| Crime Rate | 16.6 | 13.5 | 14.2 | 30.6 |
| Population Density | 428 | 423 | 249 | 3,336 |
| Rainfall | 746 | 858 | 838 | 824 |
| Good Health % | 97.4 | 96.5 | 96.5 | 94.7 |
| Male Life Expectancy | 82.9 | 81.9 | 81.5 | 78.7 |