Category: Fulking Fair

Bobservation 46: Village Happenings

Call My Bluff Fulking 2018
Call My Bluff
We have been doing a Call My Bluff evening for quite a few years now and the original formula seems to continue to be popular. On Friday 27th July the evening was as riotous as ever with some really obscure wines. Eight tables of eight contestants and the winning  table succeeded in spite of protests about skulduggery, which were ignored by the judges, one of whom was persuaded by the flattering limerick that won the tiebreak!. Once again many thanks to Dave and Emily from the Shepherd & Dog for all their generosity and hard work, Jackie for her knowledgeable performance, Michael for his complicated scoring, Jay and Louise for such a good raffle, Nick for everything and the few of you who helped clear up afterwards.

Fulking Fair
The Fair was cancelled due to incredibly unlucky stormy weather in the middle of a heat wave. This was most disappointing after all the hard work that had gone into all of the preparation. The Social Committee and helpers give up a lot of their spare time to create an annual event which has become a feature of the Sussex summer. Many thanks to all of them.

Allsorts Fun Dog Show
To try to salvage something from the cancellation of the Fair an Allsorts Fun Dog Show will now take place in the North Town Field on Sunday 5 August from midday till 4pm. Parking in Downside Meadow. Light refreshments and ice creams will be available and of course the Shepherd & Dog will be open as usual. If you have a dog PLEASE join us, if you don’t then borrow one!

Bobservation 45: Fulking Fair

Becoming quite an annual habit, Fulking Fair is again with us, this time on Sunday 29th July from midday until 5pm and Allsorts Dog Rescue are joining us from 12.30 until 3pm with a ’fun’ dog show.
The Fair will be opened by the Marta Scott dancers moving from the car park in Downside Meadow along the Street to the North Town Field at 12 noon. There will be an extensive array of stalls along the Street including Fish & chips outside the Old Post Office. Teas and excellent home made cakes can be had at the village hall.
Pony rides for children at the back of the Shepherd & Dog which itself will be open for business. Once again they have generously donated the marquee hire and will be running the bar in the North Town Field where there will be live music led by local group Sold as Seen supported by the Shoreham all stars and others.
A good range of hot and cold food including Rushfields pies, Artisan Bakehouse, French Revolution crepes, Doughnuts and Ice Creams.
Childrens’ games will have Puppet show, Tattoo painting, a Bouncy Castle, Stocks, Coconut Shy, Whack the Rat, Hook the Duck and more. Tombola for adults and one for children. Lots of craft and produce stalls and demonstrations. Tug of War competitions for all ages, sizes and whatever will follow the dog show.
There may be traffic hold ups in the Street and if possible it would be best if village drivers can avoid using the Street at all on that day. We put a lot of work into making this fair enjoyable so why not come and support us with your families and dog(s) and enjoy the day with us?

Footnote
Had a male Purple Emperor butterfly land on Pam’s shoulder today!

Bobservation 44: Call My Bluff

We have been having Call my Bluff wine quiz evenings for the best part of 20 years now. The original one was in the village hall and quizzed by the staff from Wine Rack (alas long gone!) from Henfield.

Since then there have been various locations and the current marquee in the North Town Field is where we will be on Friday July 27th at 7 for 7.30pm.
We will have 4 white and 4 red wines to taste and be quizzed on by the three ‘experts’. This year we have managed to acquire the expertise of a lady (incognito) whose knowledge of wines of the world can only be described as legendary. She will join the precocious duo of Dave (S&D) and Bob (DG).

Tables of eight are £110 or single seats at £15. Interest has been encouraging so you are advised to book your table/seat now by phoning Bob on 271 or emailing him on bob.pamrowland @btinternet.com.
Tasty nibbles will be provided by the Shepherd & Dog so there is no need to bring your own food.
A word of warning to the more prudish villagers (if any) rude and insulting words may be used in the wine descriptions. There will be an attractive raffle and a prize for the winning table. An amusing evening is guaranteed. Use of toilets is free but unassisted!

Bobservation 41: Parish Councillors

Parish Councillors are elected by villagers, on the Register of Electors, every four years. The next election will be in May 2020.
There are five councillors of whom any three may create a quorum for a meeting. On election the councillors appoint a Chair and a Vice-Chair. If a councillor resigns the remaining councillors appoint a councillor for the remainder of the term. At the end of the term all councillors resign but may offer themselves for re-election.
Standing Orders guide councillors on what they may and may not do. Interpretations vary but, in my opinion, it is anticipated that councillors will attend four meetings each year on the second Thursday of January, April, July and October as well as the Annual Parish meeting in May.
Planning meetings are held as soon as possible after the notification of a relevant application and councillors, the opinion of the Parish Council is then submitted to South Downs National Park.
The last, but not least, member of the team is the Parish Clerk who is a salaried employee, is in control of its working and is there to advise and ensure that the law is complied with and the Standing Orders enacted.
A Parish councillor is a voluntary post, is non political and unpaid. This is the primary level of the Democratic process and should be treasured as such. The next elected levels are District Council (Mid Sussex District Council), County Council (West Sussex County Council) and Parliament, these latter three being political and in various degrees remunerated.
I do implore you to consider standing as a Parish Councillor. Although maddening at times, there is a great deal of satisfaction in knowing you have done your bit for the Parish and you will get to know a great deal about the village.
Currently we are being very well served by Miles (an exceptional Chair), Mark, Linda, Michael and our latest recruit Karen. So far as I can remember villagers who ‘have done their bit!’ and are still living in Fulking are Bob, Carolyn, Dave, Jen G, Jen P, Margaret, Mick, Pam, Paula(Clerk), Richard and Sheena.

Lastly, for your diary the Fair on Sunday 29 July will now include an Allsorts Dog Rescue Fun Dog Show , Shoreham Allstars music, Marta Scott dancers, Pony Rides, Punjabi Street Food, Owls about town, Blooming Good Nursery as well as all the old favourites. Updates will be incorporated into ‘Fulking Fair’ on the village web site.

Bobservation 40: Winter/Spring

Bluebell green background - April 2015It seems to have been a long wet dull winter and the ground is soggier than usual, making walking with the dog difficult because of the muddy conditions. The skies seem to have been unceasingly grey and sunshine has been at a premium.  However at times like this the beginning of Spring is all the more welcome. At Furzefield we have primrose, snowdrop, celundine, daisy and crocus in flower, daffodils in bud and hazel catkins hanging from the trees. The winter avalanche of leaves and acorns has passed and the unwelcome amount of rain seems to have encouraged the bluebells whose leaf is well advanced and should lead on to an exceptional year of flowers mid to end of April. I do invite you to come and enjoy the carpet of blue when it arrives.

It is at times like these that, hopefully, a warm and sunny summer will follow. How fortunate we are to live in such a wonderful  environment!  Fulking is indeed a gem and is one of the finest jewels in the crown of the South Downs National Park and deserves all our efforts to preserve it that way.

Plans for the Fair on Sunday 29 July and the Call my Bluff on Friday 27 July are well under way. If you are interested in the latter give me a shout (271). Now is the time to have a look in your wine rack for the Tombola and let Louise & Jay (773) have those bottles someone brought as a gift but you are NEVER going to drink!

Bobservation 37: Migration, Dogs & Maps

Banner with estate agents logosMigration
At the risk of being corrected over omissions I think that over the last seven years, the number of properties sold, for sale or for letting in Fulking has been interesting. A little research shows that the properties involved in migration of any sort were:

Arcadia, Badger Brook, Badgerwood House, Barn Cottage, The Cabbage Patch, 15,21,29 & 41 Clappers Lane, Customary Cottage, Downside, Four Acres, Furzefield, Hillbrook, Hillside, Kent Cottage, Little Down, The Old Bakehouse, Oldwood, The Paddock, Perching Barn, Perching Manor, Pippins, 2 Septima Cottages, 1 & 2 Southview Cottages, 3 Teapot Row, Thatchly,  Timbers, West Dean, West Orchard, Yew Tree Cottage.

That is 32 out of 137 or 23% of properties either sold, let or offered for sale! I find this interesting because in a parish like Fulking there is an old world feeling of permanence of residence which obviously is incorrect. As for Furzefield I think the impossibility of finding a suitable property in Henfield  to move to may scupper any hopes you may have of stopping future Bobservations!
Most recent emigrants are Clive and Kate both of whom  we shall miss. Kate was a very good Chair of the Parish Council at a difficult time. Parking will be easier in the Street!

Fun Dog Show
It has been agreed to hold a fun dog show in the North Town Field as part of the fair on Sunday July 29th 2018. Is there someone who would like to take on the organisation of this lighthearted event with full support from the Social Committee? If you would like to discuss it give me call on 857271 or email bob.pamrowland@btinternet.com

House Map
If you have not already looked at the magnificent Fulking Village web-site I suggest you  take the trouble to look at  ‘About our village’ and scroll down to ‘House Map’. Every residence in the parish has been marked on the map and indeed so have properties adjacent to Fulking. What a lot of amazing information has been put at everyone’s disposal.  Many thanks to Gerald, John and Miles for putting all this together.

Bobservation No.36: Social Committee

Entrance to NTF on Fair DayThe results of this year’s fair were a very creditable profit of £1,450. This was assisted by the generosity of the Shepherd & Dog donating the net cost of the marquee and furnishings after allowing for the Call My Bluff net income.
The fair is organised by the Fulking Social Committee with the vital help of volunteers who are the backbone of the event. Full accounts of the fair are available from Nick Hughes the treasurer.
Dates for your diaries are:
Friday 8th December – Christmas Party in the village hall from 6pm, which I now know clashes with the village ladies pub night at the Shepherd & Dog but hopefully these ladies will be able to call in and say Merry Christmas on their way;
Friday 27th July 2018 – Call My Bluff in the marquee in the North Town Field and
Sunday 29 July 2018 – Fulking Fair also in the North Town Field from noon till 4pm.

The bottom line of all this is to get some more members of the Social Committee. It is only as onerous as you want it to be and you will be welcomed with enthusiasm. We meet about half a dozen times a year generally on a midweek evening at 8pm and have an Annual General Meeting which this time will be in the village hall at 7pm on Wednesday 31 January 2018.
The Social Committee is a great way for new arrivals and their families to meet other villagers and offer new ideas. Please give me a call on 271 or email me at bob.pamrowland@btinternet.com if you are interested in joining us.

Lastly I understand that Harry & Charmayne Diamond have sold Downside and will be leaving us after Christmas. They have been such an important part of the Social Committee and their generous loan of Downside Meadow has meant a big difference in being able to hold the annual fair. I am sure all villagers would want to wish them every happiness in their next home.