Shipley Parish News

On our door step: Knepp rewilding in action with the first pair of storks to successfully breed in the wild for hundreds of years. Here the male is bringing more nesting material and food for the chicks

June and July 2020 Shipley Parish News

COVID-19 Restrictions

THE CHURCH IS OPEN BY APPOINTMENT ONLY

The Church is now open for private prayer and reflection. However as there are no washing facilities there is an appointment system. If you wish to come and pray, please contact the Church Wardens (details below) and they will arrange a time to unlock the Church for you.

There are many online resources, please go to:

www.shipley.church (where we will make regular updates on what is happening at Shipley, including a weekly “Sermon” to ponder.)

AChurchNearYou.com (run by the Church of England)

https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/c oronavirus-covid-19-guidance-churches#na to find online resources for Prayer.

Also please remember while you might be isolating yourself from others you are never alone.

If you need practical help, or just someone to talk to please contact me on: [email protected] or phone 07720288807

Gavin Kenny Church Warden

Calendars: The restrictions mean that there are no Church Calendars for Shipley at the moment. There will be no regular services at the Church. Likewise, the flower rota and cleaning rota are both currently cancelled.

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Parish directory

Church Gavin Kenny T: 01403 734387 Wardens Meadowcroft, Polecat Lane, E: [email protected] Copsale, RH13 6QR

Richard Killner T: 01403 741974 1 New Cottage, Pound Farm E: [email protected] Shipley RH13 8QB

Honorary Colin West T: 01403 741912 Treasurer E: [email protected]

Honorary Jo Nunn T: 01403 741329 Secretary E: [email protected]

Organist and Peter Sanderson T: 01403 741170 Choirmaster E: [email protected]

Assistant Anne Haimes T: 01403 218061 Organist Sunday School Liz Cockerill T: 01403 731818 E: [email protected]

Safeguarding Andy Guy T: 01403 730164 officer E: [email protected]

Bell Captain Simon Meyer T: 01403 741131 E: [email protected]

Bell Secretary Sue Meyer T: 01403 741131

Andrew Hall Jane Gardner T: 01403 741542 Amanda Jupp E: [email protected]

Magazine John Davies T: 01403 741657 advertising E: [email protected]

Magazine Lucy West T: 01403 741912 subscriptions

Magazine Greg & Rachel Huitson-Little T: 01403 741469 editors E: [email protected]

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The Churchwardens’ letter

As you read this, we are now into Summer proper, although Spring has been so hot anyone would be excused for thinking we had skipped it altogether. Here in Shipley we are so blessed to be living in some of the finest countryside anywhere in the country, where combined with the fine weather has meant lockdown has not been as harsh as it has for others. Even our local pubs have turned themselves into rather good grocers saving us from the huge queue and infection risk of the local supermarkets. Think of those in London, confined to a small flat, with no garden and possibly no balcony either and by comparison we are very fortunate indeed. However as we edge slowly towards a loosening of the lock-down rules, please remember lock-down hasn’t ended, in-truth they have been eased only very slightly and while some may now think we can now go back to how it was before, I would urge everyone to use common sense, resist peer pressure and keep your travel and socialising to a minimum, for while you may only mix with six other people, you are also mixing with the five other people each of your friends also mixed with and so on. I am hopeful that in the next two months we may start to see Church Services start once more, but we will follow the direction of the Bishop in Chichester, who in turn will be directed by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Government. Needless to say we will not be looking to take risks. On a lighter note, vicars get bored too and I have already had volunteers from our vicar team to take services once more in Shipley once we are allowed to, they all love our Church so much. While I think of our Church, I must say that the graveyard is looking wonderful and is admired every day by families using the footpath or visiting the graves, thanks to the hard work of Nicky Killner. I would also like to thank the team from the Shipley Hub who have volunteered to look after some of the neglected graves, it makes such a difference. If you have time on your hands, please come and adopt a grave, it does not take long and makes a huge difference. We want to encourage more flowers and less thistles and nettles. I would also like to officially thank Sarah for all her hard work as my fellow Church Warden, she worked tirelessly to support Shipley and did a great job, coming up with some wonderful ideas to make the Church more welcoming and inclusive she will be a hard act to follow. Stepping up to that challenge I would like to welcome Richard Killner as the new Church Warden. Now two months in post and he hasn’t run screaming from the (on-line) PCC meetings, yet! It is an unusual time for the Church as the moment, the mainstay of our faith, the Sunday Service has been taken from us and yet when I look at all the good work of the Shipley Hub, neighbours checking on each other, the general outreach of caring from all of the community I see the power of Christian belief in everyone’s

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actions, every day. It is a wonderful thing our Shipley Community, this is the foundation of the Christian faith, to care for each other and treat others as you would have them treat you. Finally, for those of you who are missing their Sunday fix of hymns and worship, I would like to thank Peter Sanderson for putting together each Sunday a short service that you can do at home. It gives us something to ponder, a hymn and the Gospel readings for the day.

You can find them each Sunday at www.shipley.church

Yours in Christ

Gavin and Richard

—

PS: I wanted to say a big thank you to Nicky Killner, for raising money for the Church, even during lockdown, by conducting a plant sale. Nicky, thank you so much for all your help it is really appreciated - Gavin

Shipley Parish News: How do I get my copy?

Last time, we tried to distribute The Shipley Parish News to as many people as possible in the Parish, thanks to the kind help of our posties and of Freemans in Horsham. At the moment the costs of printing and distributing it to everyone means we won’t be able to keep that up, but never say never!

There are currently two ways to get the Shipley Parish News:

1: Speak to Lucy West, on 01403 741912, to have a copy delivered to your door by our team of distributers. A subscription to the printed copy is just £6 a year.

Or 2: If you would a PDF sent to you by email for free, please email the Church Wardens at [email protected] with your name and email address, with the subject of “Parish E-Zine” and they will add you to the mailing list!

Important note: by sending an email asking to receive an electronic copy of the Parish Magazine you are agreeing to your email being held on a list for the purpose of being send emails from Shipley Church. You can stop this at any time by emailing [email protected] with the words “STOP” in the subject line.

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Editor’s letter

Welcome to the June and July Shipley Parish News!

I write this… from home. It would be a bit of a surprise to be fair if I had said anything else. We’re getting onto three months of lockdown and whilst there are some small relaxations in the rules and guidance, I’m not sure I’ll be heading to London or overseas for the foreseeable future, and possibly not even this year. This has met with mixed reactions at home. On the one hand, Yellow-Dog is delighted. There is still some disgruntlement that the snooker has been put back until July, and she has been less than enamoured with the lack of Formula One. However, with us at home, the doors to the garden are open and she is able to lay outside for much of the day, gently toasting her fur in the sunshine and occasionally rolling over to avoid making too much of a dent in the lawn. On the other hand, Black-Dog’s initial enthusiasm has certainly waned. First she was delighted to have us here: regular walks morning and night, increasing in length as Mrs Editor and I took the chance to explore more of the footpaths in and around the Parish. It has, for Black-Dog, been a veritable tennis-ball- chasing treat. But as the weeks have gone on, she’s not so sure about all this exercise. I can sympathise with that. Part of the problem is that Yellow-Dog has achieved a new status of “getting old”, and so is now spared some of the longer walks “to protect her bones”. She’s not that bothered about this, and frankly I think she is playing up to the role. If the four of us go out, Yellow-Dog and I will join the first part of a “long” walk but have an escape route and short-cut back home. Yellow-Dog can then sniff and amble with me to her heart’s content, taking in all that the Shipley countryside has to offer, leaving Black-Dog to be dragged round the full circuit at pace by Mrs Editor. Only last weekend those sorrowful eyes looked back as the realisation dawned of yet another high-speed march, jealous of the inevitable cuddles, attention and “one-to-one” time that Yellow-Dog was about to enjoy. The real driver of all of this change, though, is a yet another electronic device that has arrived in Parish News HQ. You may remember, dear reader, that Herbert took residence just after Christmas, the robotic vacuum cleaner that decided to launch a ferocious attack on a slumbering Black-Dog. I’m pleased to report that peace has been made, and Herbert generally keeps himself to himself, unusually in the cupboard that Black-Dog has now taken to sleeping in front of. Smart dog. Herbert was a mere amateur though. Something far more insidious has arrived, and this time it’s gone right to the heart of Parish News HQ. No, not Yellow-Dog, but the Commander-in-Chief and head Aga-Wrangler, Mrs Editor herself. People of Shipley, meet Greg-the-Garmin.

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Who, or what, is this new arrival I hear you ask? Well allow me to explain. Many parishioners will have pedometers, which measure the number of steps one takes in a day. Greg-the-Garmin takes this idea but multiplies it exponentially. It records all manner of statistics associated with daily activity: heart beat, breathes per minute, calories burned, number of steps, speed, elevation, etc etc. Anything and everything you wanted to know. It does this while you sleep, too, so you can see in the morning how much light, deep and REM sleep you had. This thing knows everything. It even tracks your location via GPS… it knows precisely where you are and exactly where you have been. Officially it’s an “activity watch”, and Mrs Editor has been wearing one on her wrist for the last month. She called it “Greg” because if the real Greg, me, didn’t want to go out with her for whatever reason, she could still take a Greg with her, and I would always be with her. True love, eh? I first likened this “thing” to one of those electronic ankle tags that prisoners wear if they are released early. It has that feel, always monitoring. Woe-betide you if you take it off, for it shall know. I have, though, come to realise that it’s more like having a personal trainer permanently around your wrist: a fitness handcuff maybe. Why’s that? Well Greg-the-Garmin sets goals. First, it was pretty reasonable in its demands: 10 flights of stairs climbed, 10,000 steps in a day. That is achievable, especially for those not living in bungalows and having dogs to walk, and it gives you a real sense of achievement and pride at hitting those goals. But give it an inch and it’ll take miles… literally… because the more you walk, the higher the next day’s goal becomes. At one point poor Mrs Editor, having hit the steps goal ten days in a row, was being asked to do nearly 20,000 steps in a day. Nothing is ever good enough for Greg-the-Garmin; it always wants more. And just to add insult to injury, if you sit down for any length of time, it’ll beep, buzz and tell you to “be more active”. And it’s here you see just how evil and manipulative Greg-the-Garmin really is. It gets into your head. It knows just how to massage your ego enough that, having achieved a goal one day, you feel empowered to achieve the next goal, and the next, and the next. It provides data… data which brings out the competitive streak in you, always tempting you to try that little bit harder. To walk a particular route just a little bit faster. To get that heart going just a little bit more for a little bit longer. To burn just a few more calories. Sounds great? You might say the thing is a sports psychologist on straps. But for Black-Dog, on the sharp end of its demands, it’s a malevolent, mind controlling and devious creature from outer space, hell bent on making a canine’s life an exhausting misery. She cannot wait for us to go back to the office.

Until next time, stay safe everyone,

Greg and Rachel [email protected] or 01403 741469

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Thought for the Week

A Self-Service during Lockdown

Peter Sanderson

It’s ten minutes to eight and time for “Thought for the Day”. BBC Radio 4’s regular spot in the Today programme is perhaps the most protected three minutes on radio. It can be variously brilliant or boring, witty and interesting, or it can pose a profound moral dilemma. It is not even to everyone’s taste, but there are many listeners who welcome a few minutes of calm reflection.

This prompted the idea that in some way we should enable our church in Shipley to have a voice, while there are no services being held and the church building itself is having to be kept closed because of the Coronavirus pandemic.

We therefore began a weekly series of short articles at the beginning of May that briefly explores the idea of a “Thought for the Week”. These are posted on the church website www.shipley.church as well as on the Shipley Parish Community, West Sussex website via Facebook, on every Sunday.

They take as their theme a bible reading set from the church calendar, a short commentary and single prayer, with a verse quoted from a favourite hymn. Included here are a couple of recent examples.

If there is anyone without access to the internet who would like to see these, but can’t, please let either of the churchwardens know. Alternatively contact Peter on 01403 741170 or email [email protected]. We can then arrange for a hard copy to be made available.

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Sunday 24th May 2020 Ascension

Thought for the week – I am with you always.

The Feast of the Ascension shows how Jesus went ahead from the time of his earthly existence to prepare a place in heaven for his followers. His leaving instructions to his disciples were that they should spread the gospel and continue Jesus’s teaching and ministry, acting in his name and with his authority. They would see him no more, yet paradoxically he assured them he would remain with them until the end of time. (Matthew 28. 16-21) – “Immortal, invisible, God only wise; In light inaccessible hid from our eyes.” – but they were not left alone. Nor are we: The song “You’ll never walk alone”, written by Oscar Hammerstein and composed by Richard Rogers for their 1945 musical Carousel, which later became one of the most famous football anthems in the world, says it all: “Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart and you’ll never walk alone.”

Hymn for the Day Alleluya, sing to Jesus,

In v2 the lovely words say:

Alleluya, not as orphans Are we left in sorrow now; Alleluya, he is near us, Faith believes, nor questions how; Though the cloud from sight received him When the forty days were o’er, Shall our hearts forget his promise, “I am with you evermore”?

We pray for those infected by the coronavirus around the world, for those who care for them, for health specialists and authorities who are combatting the spread of infection, for all providing essential services, and of course for all who at this time are feeling anxious.

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Sunday 31st May 2020 Whitsun

Thought for the week – Peace be with you.

Whit Sunday marks the moment when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples after Christ had ascended to heaven. They experienced a mysterious and supernatural phenomenon of awesome power, accompanied by signs of fire and wind, that gave them new powers of divine authority enabling a lasting relationship with God and the beginning of a life-long process of transformation into the likeness of Christ. A dramatic event, difficult for us to contemplate or to imagine. Jesus also appeared to them, and he said, “Peace be with you”. (John 20. 19-23) This was an enduring and inner peace, unhindered by the world’s strife (John 14.27). John Rutter’s “Gaelic Blessing”, written in 1978 for a choir wishing to give a farewell gift to their musical director, takes its text from an inscription found on a stone in a remote place in Ireland and speaks solely of Peace: “Deep peace of the running waves to you; Deep peace of the flowing air to you; Deep peace of the quiet earth to you …etc. and ends with, Deep peace of Christ to you.”

Hymn for the Day Like a mighty river flowing Like a mighty river flowing; Like a flower in beauty growing; Far beyond all human knowing, Is the perfect peace of God.

Prayers We pray for the eventual reopening of our church, which for many is a comfort and inspiration that we get from coming together to worship God and to pray. It’s a building that connects us to both past and present, and acts as the beating heart of our neighbourhood.

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To the BBC… how lockdown affects us

Earlier this year, after losing her Mum, Lynette Coates wrote a letter with BBC Sussex for their “Sunday Breakfast with Emily Jeffrey” radio show about not having the Church open in times of loss. She’s kindly sharing it with us, too

Dear Emily

I lost my Mum to the virus on April 5th, and couldn’t say goodbye or hold her hand. All I needed to do that morning and during the days following was to sit in my local church of Shipley in its peaceful setting and talk and listen to God. I could not, due to the lockdown. This has been a massive issue to accept and to deal with in my mind especially while grieving. I miss singing with the congregation, and I miss just sitting next to someone and having a chat. Sharing a memory together is a priceless moment with a friend. Not being able to have a church service for Mum’s funeral was also hard to accept. Having a church to go to helps with “Mum”, Brenda Walker, closure especially when someone has died. who died on 5 April aged 88

I have my bible, I have a garden, so I am lucky to be able to sit listening to the birds which Mum loved to do. To be amongst nature and wildlife, I feel, brings me nearer to God in times of duress and solitude. Doing this also helps me to remember Mum and to keep smiling as she would have done through the war years. I am looking forward to having our first church service later in the year when anyone can feel they can be with others, so that we can unite as one family which will make us stronger individually.

The hymn, “The Lord’s my Shepherd” was Mum’s favourite, and she wanted this hymn at her funeral. Sadly we were not allowed to have music. Stay safe.

Lynette Coates

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A dream blooms...

Your Editor catches up with Natalie Carroll, who has started up her very own cut flowers business from her back garden

Natalie Carroll has always had a love of flowers. If you’ll excuse the pun, it stems back to her university days, when she used to help her mother in the garden. Years working as a pharmacist meant she had little time (and space) to do much, but when she and her family moved to Coolham, that all changed and she’s now been able to develop her love of flowers. Then, two years ago, she was given some large timbers to make three raised beds (3m x 3m each) in a neglected area of the garden. There and then, the dream of her very own cutting garden was born. Even in the cold, dark and wet months of winter, the garden provides a great escape, albeit by way of a cup of tea in the warm, paging through seed catalogues and start planning what beautiful plants to grow the following year.

Most people in the parish know gardening has a positive affect on one's mental and physical health. With three children (pictured above), Natalie says the garden is her escape and sanity saver!

Natalie explains that 90% of flowers sold by UK florists and supermarkets have travelled from either The Netherlands or travelled thousands of miles from countries such as Colombia, Ecuador and Kenya. We are so aware of food air- miles, but have you thought of the air-miles associated with the flowers you buy and their environmental impact? She also explains that commercial

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flowers are treated with chemicals that slow the flower blooming process, and are shipped in refrigerated containers which adds even more to the environmental impact. Surely a luxury item such as flowers should not have such a significant environmental impact. Bearing in mind that the UK spends around £2 billion on flowers, perhaps it’s time to start thinking about "flower miles" when we buy flowers for ourselves, friends and relatives. In addition to a lower carbon footprint, British grown flowers have important benefits for our environment. The flowers produce a source of nectar for pollinators such as bees and butterflies. Many British flowers are fragrant, something that is often bred out of commercially grown flowers, as the fragrance part shortens the life spans. Compared to commercial flowers which have to be robust enough to withstand the handling and transport across countries, British flowers are often more delicate. Flowers are freshly picked, usually by the grower.

To minimise the impact further, Natalie aims to make her flower wrapping environmentally friendly, by using upcycled glass jars and flower wrapping paper that is compostable, avoiding plastic wraps that are often found on supermarket flowers. She also tries to use "food waste" on her plants such as tea leaves on the roses, and baked and then crushed egg shells to deter slugs from munching her plants. A tip if ever there was one!

The flowers available change with the seasons, so you won't be able to get roses and peonies all year round.

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Rather, you will be able to celebrate the changing seasons with different flowers being available from Hellebores, Snowdrops, Narcissi, Tulips and other Spring bulbs to Cerinthe, Peonies, Sweetpeas, Snapdragons, Nigella, Sweet rocket, Roses, Ammi, Orlaya, Scabious, Cornflowers, Larkspur and Dahlias in the summer months. Natalie says that the variety of beautiful flowers that we can grow in the UK always makes her wonder why we buy commercially produced flowers, which lack fragrance and are all bred to be as perfect as possible.

Thus far Natalie has been making gift bouquets for friends and family. She’s not a trained florist, but says that fortunately the garden provides beautiful flowers that help make up for her lack of formal training!

Several florists have started to buy her locally grown flowers, too: last June she started supplying her flowers to Bryant & Bloom (based in Brooks Green) who tries to use British flowers where possible. Towards the end of the 2019 growing season she was also approached by Fleurs in Horsham to supply a weekly bucket of flowers.

This year, Natalie’s also kindly providing Shipley Church with bouquets throughout the growing season, for the PCC and Church Wardens to send to various deserving people in the parish. Thank you Natalie!

If you would like a bouquet of seasonal flowers or a bucket of flowers to arrange yourself at home, all grown right here in our own Parish, you can contact Natalie at [email protected].

You can also find her on Instagram (coolhamblooms)

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Churchyard Tidy-up Volunteers Welcome!

Jean Wright reports

A small group of us have got together following Helen Gibbs' suggestion in "The Hub" that we start a community project to give us some outlet for our energies during lockdown. When I put forward the idea of a churchyard tidy up I had no idea it would be me organising it!

I'm delighted to be able to do this as the churchyard is such a beautiful space to be working in, as importantly, we can keep our distances and best of all I have met some lovely people I wouldn't otherwise have been able to.

We have consulted the church wardens who are doing such a terrific job of keeping the paths mowed and strimmed. Our role is to get up close to the areas where the mower can't reach and to clear away undergrowth to reveal names and loving inscriptions long hidden.

We try and do an hour about twice a week, and already we can see a difference. It's a pleasure working alongside my helpers, the youngest of whom is six years old!

Do join us if you'd like to - we work at our own pace and abilities.

My number is 741986 or 07768 566147.

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Belloc project concludes as South Downs Generations project launched

Lucy West reports

This July marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of Hilaire Belloc. Renowned in his lifetime as a poet of great wit (and not just for the Cautionary Tales), a historian, essayist, man of fervent Catholic faith and prolific writer, Belloc spent more than half his life living at King’s Land in Shipley.

Belloc was born just outside Paris on 27th July 1870, a couple of months before France’s devastating defeat in the Franco-Prussian War. His French father Louis Belloc died suddenly when Hilaire was two years old and his English mother Bessie took her young son and his sister to live in England, settling in Slindon near Arundel. Thus began Belloc’s love of the Sussex countryside and downs, which was to last his whole life.

Two years ago the Heritage Lottery funded Belloc, Broadwood and Beyond project was set up to research the life and times of Hilaire Belloc, writer of Sussex songs in the folk tradition and Lucy Broadwood, the folk song collector who is buried in Rusper. Lucy was the niece of the Reverend John Broadwood, who pioneered the late Victorian folk song revival. The project was managed by local historian Chris Hare, who ran monthly workshops in Rusper and Worthing teaching some of the songs written by Hilaire Belloc and songs collected by Lucy Broadwood.

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One other aim of the project was to bring these songs to the younger generation and workshops were held last year in Shipley and Rusper schools and much fun was had by all. The project concluded with a concert in Rusper church and Chris is in the process of finalising a book too. The website is really informative www.belloc-broadwood.org.uk and you can see photos of the workshops and hear recordings of some of these songs. The most extraordinary are recordings of four songs sung by Belloc himself, Tarantella, The Winged Horse, Ha’nacker Mill and The Islands.

Chris’s latest project is entitled South Downs Generations and is a living history project in partnership with The Friends of the South Downs and four West Sussex primary schools, among them Shipley. This will involve research into the old school log books and oral history interviews bringing old and young together to explore their common heritage.

Shipley School is fortunate in having an almost complete set of log books dating back to the 1870s and recording in great detail the day to day life of a small Sussex school. These will be digitised to preserve them for future generations. They are an incredibly valuable resource and Jean Wright of the Shipley History Society has already done a lot of research into the log books, which she has brought together in a series of booklets. If you would like to know more about this project, do have a look at their website www.southdownsgenerations.org.uk

Belloc feared for the future of Sussex and worried that the peace of the countryside would be damaged for ever by the blight of cars and urban development. He was an enthusiastic walker and his long walk across Sussex is immortalised in his book The Four Men. You can’t help but think that he would have approved of lockdown! Our skies quieter than we have ever known them, fewer cars on the roads, people walking, cycling, taking time to talk to one another, and to appreciate this beautiful corner of Sussex.

Raise a glass in his memory on 27th July!

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Shipley History Society

Gina Larcombe reports from the Shipley History Society

VE Day 75th Anniversary May 8th 2020

In preparation for this important anniversary, our Secretary Jean Wright, with the help of Committee Member Ian Miles, researched the lives and war records of the servicemen of Shipley Parish who lost their lives in World War 2. These biographies were then emailed to our members in the days before the anniversary. The work and time involved for this project was immense and daunting and our thanks go to Jean and Ian for their determination in getting the task completed and presented in such a professional way. Further to this Jean and Ray Wright then tidied the graves of the servicemen ready for the anniversary and for this we also give our grateful thanks.

On May 8th, a small representative group from the Shipley History Society gathered in the Churchyard to lay flowers on the graves of the servicemen and to pay their respects. The short and very informal ceremony was enhanced by a nightingale singing loudly and beautifully providing a fitting and respectful accompaniment.

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Thank you to Malcolm Green for the beautiful photographs of the occasion. You can see that we all observed ‘social distancing’ protocol!

Anyone who would like copies of the WW2 Memorial biographies should email the secretary at [email protected]. You don't need to be a member of the Society.

Thursday 26th November at 7.30pm: The Shipley History Society AGM This event may have to be postponed: we will keep our members updated.

Covid-19: please note that all meetings are cancelled until it is safe to resume. The health of our members, family and friends is paramount. When it is safe to resume our meetings, we will rearrange dates where necessary and publish a new programme. Thank you for your understanding in these difficult times.

Unless otherwise stated, all the Shipley History Society meetings are held at Andrew Hall, Shipley, RH13 8PH All events are free to members (membership is £10 per year) or £3 for guests.

You can contact the Society at [email protected] or ring Jean Wright on 01403 741986. You can find Shipley History Society on the Shipley Parish Council website www.shipleyparishcouncil.org.uk and follow the Sports and Recreation link.

Defibrillators Where's your nearest?

We have five defibrillators around the parish are it’s good to know where they are sited. As Shipley is widely dispersed, the nearest may be found at the following locations:

 Foxfield Cottages phone box on the Shipley Road  Shipley Football Club  Coolham Village Hall  Dial Post Village Hall  William Penn School (this last during school hours only).

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Phone… book?

Your editor reports from a project to rejuvenate a tired old phone box

Nestled on a little patch of grass on Dragons Lane, not far off the A272, sat a tired old phone box. It was red, just, but its paint wasn’t in great condition, faded and in places peeling. It needed some love and attention… which is precisely what Sarah Cuthbertson has given it! It now sits proudly in the village, bright shiny red, just as phone boxes should be.

But surely, you ask, why? What use is a phone box these days? Well, it’s been given a whole new lease of life as a book exchange!

Sarah explains that she started looking into the phone box a couple of years ago. Conversations with the Parish Council confirmed that the phone box could be “adopted” and actually that had already happened. Researching on Wikipedia, this particular box is what’s known as a K6 phone box, first introduced in 1936 and was designed to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of King George V; hence sometimes it is known as the Jubilee kiosk. The crown at the top is the “St Edwards Crown” and suggests this box dates from after the coronation of our current Queen. K6 boxes are by far the most common phone boxes in the UK.

The paint for phone boxes is a very specific paint - and not cheap! Sarah therefore went about getting a grant and once achieved, ordered the paint. Thinking it might be a project for a quiet moment, perhaps it was fate that the paint arrived in the first week of lock-down!

One important lesson learned is that you should never, ever, leave masking tape on glass for any period of time. Says Sarah, “it welded itself to the glass”! This, confesses your editor, is a mistake he has also made, just the once, never again. Getting masking tape off was perhaps the worst part of the whole project.

Left: masked up mid-painting

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Right: now cleaned up and ready to go!

Sarah also explains that originally, the crowns at the tops of each side would have remained painted red. However, she snuck out one evening to paint it gold, which I think you’ll agree does make it look better! Actually, it turns out that since the 1990s British Telecom has also been painting the crowns gold, so perhaps there should be no guilty feelings…

Inside the box, thanks to the generosity of local firm Green Manor, are a number shelves for the all important books. The shelves themselves are a bit of a story. Somewhere along the line the measurements went wrong, and five massive sheets of board were delivered to Sarah rather than the 14cm by 80cm slivers she was looking for. Cue some fun with a circular saw! A plea on Facebook for some screws and all are now firmly in place and painted black. A little patch of carpet and it’s nearly all finished.

So to the books: many from recent jumble sales and other donations, a box of books for children on the floor. The idea is to keep the books changing: books can be kept, replaced or exchanged, and, if there’s space, you can add some more books in. Now it is finished, people have been stopping and looking in already. When will you?

COMPETITION TIME!

There remains one thing to do: complete the panels at the top of the box. But Sarah’s stuck as to what to call the box! So readers, over to you. There’s a tray of Just Brownies awaiting the best ideas: email them to [email protected] by 31 July.

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Honey, shall we buy a pub?

Tanya Barnes-Egan provides this update from the Selsey Arms

Just over two years ago, Kenny Easton and Belinda Grover became the new landlord and landlady of The Selsey Arms. For them it was quite a career change - for over 35 years, Kenny had been working all over the world as a mechanical engineer and for over 30 years, Belinda had been running her own hairdressing business. So why a pub? “We first met in a pub and whilst having a drink in a pub one day, decided to by a pub.” As you do! Two years on, Kenny and Belinda and not forgetting their lovely dog Piper have truly fitted into village life. “When you move to such a rural area, you are never quite sure how things will work out. Early on, we did wonder if we had done the right thing, but we have been really Kenny and Belinda, welcomed to Coolham and have made Landlord and Landlady of the Selsey Arms some really good friends here.”

The Selsey Arms is a traditional 16th Century country pub which during its long history has also been known as the Duke's Head, and The King of Prussia. During WWII Coolham was home to an Advanced Landing Ground which is still known today as RAF Coolham. Used to support the D- Day landings between April 1944 and January 1945 mainly Polish and British airmen were camped ready for action with The Selsey Arms being their local. Some may

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have noticed the monument outside which lists the names of those who died, and to this day, you will often see a candle burning there, left by one of the many visitors from around the world who come and pay their respects. Over the last couple of years, Kenny and Belinda have introduced a number of renovations to the pub, from the start paying particular attention to this historical significance. Inside the newly decorated pub, you will find lots of references to the RAF and Coolham Airfield with displays of uniforms, photographs and even a propeller. Last year, Kenny and Belinda also hosted an unveiling of a new plaque to commemorate the 15 young airmen – one Canadian, six British and eight Polish – who gave their lives while serving at Coolham. Outside they have also added a decking area, overlooking a brook with views towards the Airfield and the South Downs. When lockdown was announced, Kenny turned his attention to his latest project and has been creating a new piece of Coolham history. Constructing a full-scale model of a Vickers Supermarine Spitfire (MK IX) complete with invasion stripes!

There is a little more to do to complete the project and the final unveiling ceremony will see locals being invited along to come along to sign the plane. Until then, over the last couple of weeks, attention has turned to giving the outside of the pub a brand-new facelift in the hope that very soon, on some sunny day, we’ll meet again!

Telephone 01403 741537 or see www.theselseyarms.co.uk, Also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/theselseyarms/

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Remember, Shipley’s Hub Volunteers are here to help!

The Backup Hub phone number is 07786 693000

If you need shopping, a prescription collecting or a friendly chat do call!

Covid-19 Information, advice and local support at www.ShipleyHub.co.uk

CALLING ALL SHIPLEY PARISH RESIDENTS... WE NEED YOUR PICTURES!

The Shipley Hub is running a photo competition for everyone to get involved in; there is no upper or lower age limit and you don’t need to be a pro! During your time in the lockdown have you completed a long awaited project, spent more time with nature, cycling and walking, started gardening or baking? Whether it be plants or pets, kids or parents, some funny or sad moments, anything that for you that captures “Lockdown 2020”. The photos will be showcased in a photo gallery on the Shipley Hub website and prizes will be awarded to our favourites. Please email your chosen picture(s) to [email protected] in .jpg format if you can (don’t worry if that is a foreign language, just send them) and they will get them on the Shipley Hub website! It could be a really interesting collection. The Shipley Hub’s aim is a little more than just a photo competition though. If there are enough entries, the plan is to collate them into a book to create the Shipley Parish Lockdown Story, and sell them to raise money for local charities.

GET YOUR CAMERAS AND PHONES AND START SNAPPING!

Visit the gallery and other local info at www.ShipleyHub.co.uk

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Safe:Space relaunched

From the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner’s team

‘Safe Space Sussex’ is an online directory of local victim services, created by Police & Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne. In response to the ‘lockdown’ and concerns raised around crimes like Domestic Abuse, this site has been upgraded and advice has been shared on social media (@SussexPCC) to help victims covertly reach out for help whilst stuck in isolation – search for #SafeSpaceSussex, or head to https:// www.safespacesussex.org.uk/ Many services have expressed their concerns about victims of crime not feeling able to safely reach out for help. They have seen a decrease in engagement from victims with reports of crimes (like domestic abuse) made to Sussex Police, reducing by around 4%. It’s vital that residents are aware of the support that is still available if they need it. Safe Space Sussex has been equipped with a new search tool so that within 10 seconds, victims of any crime can find the service they need. It also has a ‘leave site now’ button that users can press to quickly exit the site. Tailored guidance has been shared across social media community groups on how victims can access the new website covertly, using incognito tabs, as they may be living with their perpetrators during ‘lockdown’ and their search history may be monitored as a result. Victims can also covertly let Sussex Police know they are in danger. The '55' technology is in place for those too scared to speak, to alert a call handler to the fact they need help by pressing 55 on their phone once they've dialled 999. There is still help and support available for all victims of crime during the Covid crisis. If you find yourself in an emergency where you think you or others may be in immediate danger dial 999. Sussex Police are always there for you when you need them.

The website www.safespacesussex.org.uk has all the information on support services who can help any victim of crime across Sussex. If you would prefer not to contact the police you can report a crime anonymously via Crimestoppers online: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/forms/ give-information-anonymously or by calling 0800 555 111

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Shipley Virtual Camp

On Thursday 30th April, the members and families of 1st Shipley Scout Group took part in a world record attempt. Collectively they joined just over 95,000 Scouts and Guides from a total of 68 countries from around the world in a virtual camp. From setting up dens in the lounge, to tents in the garden everyone found their own way of camping in or around their homes. What’s more after everyone had enjoyed their traditional cooked camp breakfasts on the Friday, the group were set a selection of challenges from each section at 1st Shipley Scout group. First up was the Beaver challenge, tasking the group with finding a collection of household items in an exciting treasure hunt. Then there was the Cub challenge, asking the group to make a practical item out of recyclable materials, there were lots of creations such as bird feeders, watering cans and stilts. Next up was the Scout challenge, a Group favourite! Everyone was tasked with creating the best paper aeroplane, each family shared videos of their fastest paper aeroplanes wining the individual races. Last but not least was the Explorer Scout challenge. Each member of the group was challenged to flip their scout scarf from their foot to their head in one smooth motion. Easily achieved by some and a work in progress for others, everyone had great fun attempting it. All in all, the virtual group camp created a great distraction for all members during this challenging time and was thoroughly enjoyed by all members. Most of all, it reminded everyone that no matter how long it is until the Scout group reunites, everyone can experience Scouting adventures anywhere, anytime and with everyone. Julian Peters

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Hello, the Countryman!

You may have seen in the Shipley Hub Newsletter that a stunning new painting of the Countryman Inn has been commissioned from local artist Julia Stubbs! The picture was commissioned to say ”thank you” to Alan and his staff for everything they have done for the community during the pandemic. Alan was truly lost for words when it was presented to him informally just recently.

Have you signed?

We would like as many people as possible to sign the picture around the edge to remember these strange times. The picture is safely tucked away at the moment ahead of being framed and hung, but there’s still time and space… if you would like to sign the picture please ask Alan when you are next in the pub!

Ginny and Nick de Zoete

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Kingerlee Konundrum

Michael Kingerlee ponders when to plant seeds

I have always looked at my seed packets and used the instruction as a guide as to when the seeds should be sown. This perhaps is no longer worth doing as I and so many other gardeners seem to be always complaining about the germination of their seeds. This I am now sure is entirely due to the ground temperature which has been fluctuating dramatically with the weather extremes that we are now having. At Easter this year it was like mid-summer and I rushed to sow various seeds, but the ground temperature was too hot and dry for a lot of them to germinate. Now in early May it has been very cold and the ground was as cold as it was in February and nothing is coming up either. So I am now going to look more closely at the soil temperature before I start to sow. The chart below gives the best temperature for the planting of various vegetables: Green is best, orange is okay, temperatures in Celsius. Hopefully this will stop me moaning about germination of my seeds!

However I am not sure that this will work. On the 16th May when it was quite warm and sunny my veg plot had a soil temperature of 20c, perfect for sowing French and Runner Beans and various other seeds. On 17th May however, the plot was down to 15c making it more suitable for Broad Beans and almost too cold for the germination of French and Runners. On a small shady bed near by the temperature was down to 12c. Yet another Konundrum to ponder!

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Gina cooks… ...Salmon and Crab Quiche

This recipe came about during the Covid-19 lock-down when I was rummaging through odds and ends in the freezer looking for things that needed using up. It’s amazing what you discover in the depths that can be put to good use and the result of my rummaging was this happy combination of ingredients!

Ingredients

Shortcrust pastry – enough to line a deep, 9inch/23cm flan dish (6oz/175g flour, 3oz/75g lard and butter mixed should be plenty) 1 salmon fillet, lightly poached 100g crab meat, thawed if frozen but tinned will do just as well. 2oz / 50g cream cheese, mascarpone or ricotta 3 eggs Milk Freshly ground salt and pepper

Method

Line the flan dish with pastry but don’t trim the edges – leave some excess pastry hanging over the side. This can be trimmed after cooking. Bake blind if you wish but you won’t need to if you have an Aga.

Remove any skin from the salmon, roughly flake and sprinkle evenly over the pastry. Break up the crab meat and sprinkle that over the salmon.

Break the eggs into a measuring jug and add the cream cheese. Beat together but don’t worry too much about lumps – small ones are fine. Now while still beating, add enough milk to the 1 pint marker / (600ml). Season to taste and pour into the flan. Place on the floor of the Aga roasting oven for about 45 minutes or at 170°C in a conventional oven. The top should be golden and the filling will be fluffy and mousse-like. Delicious! Gina Larcombe

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Countryman

The year 2020 was the start of new decade and many people will have had lots of hope and dreams, events planned and anticipation. However, the pandemic that has ravage the world caused havoc here in the UK and across the world. The covid-19 lockdown caused such sadness, isolation, fear, heartache and pain for so many families whose lives have been changed by tragedy. So many special occasions and events have been postponed or cancelled. I have never seen anything like it my lifetime. Our world has changed but our community is definitely stronger for the experience. In the face of adversity there are a lot of positives to come out of this horrendous crisis.

The good news story of lockdown from a nature perspective for me was the success of the white stork project underway at the Knepp Castle Estate. After two years of the project there was some amazing news that two pairs successfully reared young this year. This is of great national significance as it is the first time in hundreds of years that storks have bred in the wild in the UK. The photograph below was taken in the early morning keeping a safe distance in order not to disturb the birds. I’d arrive before sunrise and sit and wait, I’d watch deer and other birds and was surprised to see the parent storks feeding before sunrise. The parent would forage in the field right in front of me and take the food and extra nesting material back to the nest. The debris would be placed carefully to reinforce the nest, and the food would be regurgitated for the hungry and growing chicks. The incoming bird would then take a shift on the nest and the other bird would fly off The first of the Storks to born in the wild since 1416 and forage for more food.

The white stork project has a target to have a self-sustaining breeding colony in 10 years. These first chicks are a major step towards achieving that goal and a brilliant endorsement for the rewilding project and conservation work that is ongoing in the Knepp estate. Congratulations to Lucy Groves, the white stork project manager, and all of the stakeholders for this initial success. As one of the

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many White Stork volunteers I will be able to do a shift on the feeding rota now the lockdown rules are easing. The captive birds are fed regularly and then they are re-introduced into the wild. Needless to say, I cannot wait to get back into the enclosure to see and feed the captive birds.

Whilst I waited for the parent birds to return to nest, I would sit still and quiet and it is amazing what you can see if you just watch and listen. My favourite sight was the two fallow deer who were chasing round the fields in front of me. I watched them for 5 minutes and although I don’t fully understand their Young fallow deer having fun behaviour, it looked like they were just having fun.

Photographing wildlife can be a little like fishing, some days you can spend all day fishing and come home empty handed but, on some days, you have that magic moment you get a bite and the line goes tight and you know you have a perfect catch. Lockdown certainly gave me more time for my photography and my early mornings and patience paid off on several occasions. Patience, planning, technical knowledge and good luck make for good wildlife photography.

I have been inspired by the many people who have worked through this tough time. I have been motivated by the many selfless acts of kindness, support and hard work to keep the community together, supported, fed and informed. There are too many individuals to mention them all but it has been heart-warming to witness the power of our community. The Shipley Volunteer Hub has been coordinated by Helen Gibbs, with Tim Mourdant of the Platinum Ambulance Service at Hoes Farm being a great support. The volunteer effort has played a vital role in ensuring the vulnerable, isolated and isolating residents have had regular contact and access to support, prescription and shopping from the local shops including the new Countryman Village Stores which has been a lifeline for many in the community.

The Horsham “posties” paid a wonderful tribute to memory of John Brooksbank, who sadly lost his battle with secondary cancer. John was our postman in Shipley for over 10 years and was so helpful and kind. John would stop for a

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quick chat, gratefully accept a cold drink when the weather was scorching.

The Horsham posties did a moving tribute to John, lining up delivery vehicles in Horsham for him on the day of his funeral and escorting him to Crawley Crematorium. It was fitting because they could not attend the funeral in person because of the Shipley postie Kerry doing her deliveries in fancy dress raising lockdown restrictions. money for St Catherine's Hospice

Kerry Haines is one of our new posties, and also one of the hub volunteers here in Shipley. She organised a fancy dress fundraiser on 25 April. which, together with other fundraising, has helped raise over £4,000 for St Catherine’s Hospice, who provide vital care to patients with life-limiting illnesses and helped care for John and his family. If you would like to donate you still can: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/horshamdeliveryoffice

Thank you to Kerry and all of our posties who have kept working through these difficult times!

Lockdown has given us all lots of opportunities. We exercised daily, I am fitter, I lost weight, I’m healthier. 14 more tonnes of manure was spread on our garden (resulting in another bad back). What a shame it is not Shipley Open Gardens this year as many gardens have received extra special attention during lockdown. Germination in our veggie patch has been spectacular this year with the exception of carrots which took two sowings to be successful. Even our mint seeds germinated which is hard to do at the best of times. Our sweetcorn is roaring away and so much further forward than last year. Our glut of seedlings, plant division of hardy perennials and excess grasses meant we were able give quite a few plants away to grateful friends and family. Grow well little plants!

On the 27th May as lockdown was easing, we returned to Sidlesham and Pagham Harbour, this time with our own lunch, a delicious Lobster Salad, a sparkling beverage and English Strawberries. It was a special occasion as we

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Birdwatching on our walk - Little Egret fishing at Pagham Harbour celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary, it was a beautiful sunny day and it seemed fitting to go a have an outdoor party, just the two of us in a place that we both love.

Victory in Europe day passed this year with limited formal commemorations. It was the 75th anniversary and I went to Shipley Church graveyard to pay my respects to the men who had served and died in the war.

We added a beautiful rose to our collection in the garden this year, Rosa Peace. A quote says “It is steeped in history and was named in 1945 to commemorate the end of World War II, having been smuggled out of France as a seedling during hostilities. Later that year Peace roses were given to delegations at the inaugural meeting of the United Nations with a note that read: We hope the Peace rose will influence men’s thoughts for everlasting world peace.”

Enjoy our new freedom as the lockdown restrictions are slowly lifted and stay safe.

Your Countryman

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Here at Parish News HQ, we’ve been listing a few of the places we’d like to visit once after lock-down. See how many you can find in the grid!

Some are more desperate than others… how many are on your list?

Barber Hotel Beauty therapist Pub garden Bookshop Pubs Cafe Quilting shop Car showroom Record fair Caribbean beach Restaurants Cinema Shoe shop Clothes shop Spa Concerts Swimming pool Curry house The office Gardens The races Garden centres The tip Gym Theatre Hairdresser

Shipley Parish News publication and submission dates

Contributions, articles, events, ideas, suggestions etc etc are always welcome here at Parish News HQ! If you have something you’d like to be included in the Parish News, do email us at [email protected].

Upcoming issues and outline submission deadlines as follows:

Publication Article submission deadline August and September 2020 24 July 2020 October and November 2020 18 September 2020 December 2020 and January 2021 20 November 2020 February and March 2021 22 January 2021

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THE DAN AND MORFA POPE MEMORIAL FUND

Shipley’s charity for young people

The Trustees of the fund would like all members of Shipley Parish to be aware of the above fund which was formed to help young people enhance talents they would otherwise have found difficult to develop due to lack of funds.

The terms of the Charity are as follows:

 The young person must be under 25.

 Must live in the ecclesiastical parish of Shipley (which includes Coolham, Brooks Green and Dragons Green)

 Or if not living in the parish, must attend or have previously attended Shipley C of E Primary school.

GRANTS

If you have a child, or are a young person who fits this description, we encourage you to get in touch and apply for a grant.

The fund has limited resources and it may not be possible to fund all applications, however, we promise we will consider them all.

Please contact Nicholas de Zoete at [email protected] if you are seeking a grant.

Registered charity no 10887795

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Sports and Activity clubs

Currently indoor sports and activity clubs are not meeting because of Covid-19. Outdoor ones might be. Here are the contact details of some local clubs:

 Badminton (Tuesday evenings): Peter Buckley on 07788 133965  Shipley Bowmen: (various times) Philip Baxter on 01403 741093 or go to https://shipleybowmen.co.uk  Shipley Petanque (Tuesday mornings): Melanie Roberts on 01403 782134  Short Mat bowling (Tuesday afternoons): Tony on 01403 731177 or go to www.southwaterbowlsclub.co.uk  Walking football club (Tuesday mornings) Philip Gibbs on 07786 070939

If you would like to include your sports or activity club, please email us at [email protected] with a short description and contact details, or call Greg or Rachel on 01403 741469

Health and Leisure Walks

Currently the Horsham Health Walks are suspended; we’ll include details once they restart. If you are planning ahead, a booklet containing the walks is available from the Walks Co-ordinator on 07720 714306 or online at www.horsham.gov.uk/leisurepages/Leisure/sports/walking