Author: Miles

Bobservation No. 134: Call My Bluff Wine Quiz

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

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.

Bobservation No. 132: Old Friends and Quotations


Quotations Group
This group continues to meet in the village hall at 11am on Mondays. It is a friendly group of villagers who have become good friends. Each meeting has a catalyst of a word chosen by popular demand around which the meeting is based. Attendances are rarely more than ten which we have found is an ideal number for a discussion. We seem to be mostly female but welcome anyone. Discussions are friendly and cover any subject that those present care to bring up.  It would be of great value if more and similar groups could meet up and possibly discuss local ideas and problems as well as international matters.

Old Friends
Just bumped into Harry Diamond in a restaurant. He was looking very fit and it reminded me of an occasion probably twenty years ago or more: I was then Chair of the Parish Council and Harry and I met the Chair of Mid Sussex District Council (MSDC) in the field next to Harry’s house whish was too large for just he and Charmaine to live in. The  purpose of the meeting was to discuss the possibility of Harry transferring the whole of his bottom field to the Parish Council, completely free with no charges whatsoever so that that a new village hall with adjacent parking might be built. In exchange for this very generous and highly practical offer Harry was to get planning permission to build a smaller house than his own in the adjacent field. The MSDC Chair immediately dismissed the offer saying ‘we don’t do deals at MSDC’. So that is why a considerable amount of money is being raised to acquire the current village hall.

Bobservation No. 131: Fulking Village Hall

The fund raising appears to be on target for the acquisition of the Village Hall from the Church.
It would be good to know that plans are in place for the really necessary repair and maintenance work that is going to need to be funded.
Because I am aged and disabled I am particularly concerned about the highly dangerous steps and entrance door opening out onto those steps. Wheelchair access is impossible which excludes anyone with that need from attending the hall. In order to update this entrance from the entrance gate to the front door must cost several thousand pounds and I hope this has been budgeted for in future costings.

In setting out the foregoing I am only expressing concern that the enthusiasm for acquiring the hall has not obscured the serious costs that are going to be needed to improve and indeed maintain the hall, if it is going to continue to be the asset it has been in the past.

Bobservation No. 130: NHS Care

Having just spent nearly a fortnight in the Cardiac ward
of the Royal Sussex County Hospital followed by a further two weeks
in the Furzefield Manor care home at Sayers Common I have
to comment on the quite extraordinary level of kindness given
by the nursing staff at both NHS and private establishments.
At both of these I received a level of care I did not expect and
find it making me very proud of the wonderful way patients such
as myself are treated in Britain.

Bobservation No. 129: Nearby Festival

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.

Bobservation No. 128: Getting About

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

Fulking_Village_Hall_posterizedIt 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