Category: Social

Bobservation 23. FSC & FF+FD

Boy throwing sponge at father, plus Bobservation 23 titleThe Fulking Social Committee has over the years raised quite a considerable amount for village facilities and social events. Indeed, we have just given £1,500 each to the North Town Field and the Village Hall Action Group. This has been done by a small number of very willing volunteers, but due principally to villagers moving away, the size of the Committee has reduced and we need some new blood. Indeed, two of us are getting pretty aged!

The Committee is a very mixed bunch so, whoever you are, you will not feel out of place and will be welcomed by all of us. Meetings are held on weekday evenings in the village hall about five times a year.

There are two main and regular annual events; the Fulking Fair and the Christmas party. In addition, we hold occasional other social events such as wine quizzes, lectures, slide shows and music by the younger villagers. New ideas are always welcomed. For more information, give me call on 271 or email bob.pamrowland@btinternet.com.

A very big thank you to all the villagers, their families and friends who made the 2016 Fulking Fair and Fun Day such a success. We raised £636 and the Shepherd & Dog very kindly gave a donation of £600 from their Call my Bluff evening. It is always dangerous to select specific items at the risk of disappointing others but here goes; I particularly want to thank the tea and cake ladies, their helpers, those who generously donated cakes, the road and car park marshals, the Street stallholders, the guys who laid out the stall places, the villagers who lent us the car parks and tractors and by no means least, the childrens’ games organizers.

Although it seems a long way ahead, please put Sunday 30th July 2017 in your diary for the next Fair. We have learnt a lot from the change of venue. To this end there’s Village Fair meeting in the Village Hall on Weds October 19th at 8pm.Your ideas are important if we are to get back our award of The Argus Community Event of the year.

Walk, Tea, Cake!

st catherines hospiceRenowned for its tasty teas and scrummy cakes, the annual Balcombe Walk will put on its famous spread again this year – on Sunday 11th September. And you can have some. The one small proviso is that you first of all enjoy a wonderful country walk and raise sponsorship or make a donation to support St. Catherine’s Hospice, Crawley.

For the 26th year, the Haywards Heath Support Group for St. Catherine’s Hospice is proud to present the Balcombe Fundraising Walk, at Victory Hall, Stockcroft Road, Balcombe RH17 6HP.

The Walk takes in some of the very best of the wonderful Sussex countryside, with fabulous views. You may want to take on the challenge of the full 12.5 mile circular route or you may set yourself a gentler target of 4, 6 or 9 miles; if you do that, we’ll send a chauffeur to get you back to Balcombe! Whatever your choice, you set your own pace and we’ll welcome your support. Afterwards you will have take and cake, and a certificate to mark your achievement on behalf of St Catherine’s.

If you’ve joined the Walk before, you’ll know what a great day you can have. If you haven’t, we want the chance to show you. Bring your family, your friends, your dogs on leads, and have a great day out.

Every day it costs St Catherine’s more than £17,000 to provide their free care to local people across Sussex and Surrey, so why not show your support by taking part in this year’s Balcombe Walk? Sign up today at www.stch.org.uk/balcombewalk or call the Events Team on 01293 447355. You can also sign up on the day itself and we hope to see lots of familiar and new faces there.

Bobservation 21. Fulking Fair and Fun Day

Purple Banner for Bobservation 21

We have had a good response to a plea for volunteers for Saturday 30th July but, as ever, there is still a need for various types of help:

The Teas Team are desperate for cakes!   Please ring Tricia (255) or Pam (271) with your promise of a donation (which can be homemade or shop bought, they won’t tell!) and to arrange delivery.  Even if you are bringing your cake on the day it is still important to let them know what you are bringing.  Teas will be served in and outside the village hall (weather permitting).

Tombola prizes of any type are much needed and can be delivered to Louise at 13 Clappers Lane or call her on 773.

Childrens’ Games.  Here Angela needs help in supervising the events which include Bouncy Castle, Stocks, Hook the Duck and Coconut Shy. Volunteers will have time to enjoy the other events but relief helpers would be very welcome. Please give Angela a call on 122.

Parking controllers are needed to direct the traffic to the parking in Downside Meadow, allocate spaces in the meadow and control traffic through the village. If you can help on this one give me a call on 271.
So, please:

  • Come to the fair on Saturday July 30th from 1pm till 5pm and make it a really successful day.
  • Come to Call my Bluff at the Shepherd & Dog at 7pm on Friday 29th July. Tickets from the pub are £15 each and include superior nibbles and ten, yes ten! wines to quandary over. Bring your own food and drink if you wish.
  • Be as helpful as you can to visitors from outside the village and remember this is a Fulking village and Shepherd & Dog combined event.
  • Be as cooperative as possible where traffic is concerned. There will almost certainly be some disruption in The Street due to pedestrians moving from Downside Meadow to the North Town Field. Nothing will be gained by getting upset or abusive.

Bobservation No 20

Bobservation Banner - Fair from the 90s with effects

I do encourage you all to take on board this year’s Fair and Fun Day is on Saturday 30th July. The venue has changed and will now be in the North Town Field and Shepherd & Dog.

However, parking for visitors will be, as last year, in Downside Meadow and the public will be directed along the Street to the North Town Field and the pub.  Along the way we will be having teas and cakes at the Village Hall and garden. The usual country craft and food stalls and lots of childrens’ events will be in the North Town Field

It would create a happy village atmosphere if some stalls could be operated by villagers or their children/grandchildren in the front gardens in the Street. I would suggest this would be a good way for some of the younger villagers to make a bit of pocket money by selling craft or food or drinks they have made or selected.

This is a new direction for the fair its success can only be guaranteed by the input from the villagers (and the weather!!).

The next Social Committee meeting to discuss the Fair is in the Village Hall at 8pm on Wednesday 22nd June. All helpers are welcome. For further information, call 271.

Stuff for hire

Stuff for hire

  • Tables x 6 (6’ x 2’ each) (wooden) — £4 each
  • New folding table £5
  • Gazebos x 4 (9’ x 9’ each) — £4 each
  • Crockery — chunky, but up to 80 dinner and side plates, bowls, cups & saucers — up to £10
  • Cutlery — up to 80 knives, forks, spoons, teaspoons, serving spoons and forks — up to £10
  • Supercars — no longer available

If you would like to hire anything please call Carolyn on 280.
All proceeds to Fulking Social Fund.

Bobservation No.19

Fulking Fair 2016

This year’s Fair will be held on Saturday 30th July organised by the Social Committee in co-operation with the Shepherd & Dog.
posterThere will be stalls in the North Town Field as well as demonstrations and plenty of childrens’ games. The fair will start at 1pm and continue until 5pm. Parking for the general public will be in Downside Meadow, the site of last year’s fair. The Shepherd & Dog will provide a marquee for live music, and food and drink will be available at the pub all day.

Obviously there will be some degree of traffic congestion in the Street but this will be alleviated by controllers at each end of the village. Quite a few pedestrians will probably be walking from Downside Meadow to the North Town Field and the pub, but every effort will be made to ensure safe transit for them.

I suggest that on the basis of ‘if you can’t beat them, join them’ villagers should make a note in their diaries that there may be some disruption and avoid using their cars that afternoon and bring their families and friends to the fair and make it a really good village social event. The success of the fair depends largely on village input.

If you would like to get hands-on and help with the fair, we are holding a Social Committee meeting in the village hall to organise the day at 8pm on Thursday 19th May and you are most welcome to come along. Suggestions are carefully considered but remember we want doers not talkers.