Southern bosses have called for fresh talks with union officials to avert a two-day rail strike planned in a fortnight.
Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) has been locked in a bitter dispute with the RMT union for months over plans for conductors to become on-board supervisors.
Drivers would operate train doors instead of the conductors, something the union has objected to on safety grounds.
It has already held four walkouts since April and has planned a 48-hour strike starting on Wednesday September 7 after talks to end the dispute broke down last week.
But GTR, which runs Southern, Gatwick Express, and Thameslink services, has urged the RMT to return to the negotiating table.
Alex Foulds, Southern’s passenger services director, said: “We’ve had a summer of travel chaos for hundreds of thousands of people and they are now proposing yet more misery and disruption in the week when people go back to work and back to school.
“This futile dispute is not about safety and no-one is losing their jobs or taking a pay cut.
“The fact is we are creating good jobs - jobs that attracted over 850 enquiries within 24 hours of being advertised, with good terms and conditions. We’ve made a fair and comprehensive offer and perhaps it’s an offer that the RMT should put to their members to consider.
“Mick Cash [general secretary at the RMT] says it’s an urgent priority to talk. We 100 per cent agree and our door remains open to the RMT to sit round the table with us, directly or back at Acas, to find a solution.
“Customers are expecting and demanding that we both make every conceivable effort to find a way forward. For our part we remain ready, willing and able to do that and we’ll clear the diary to try and sort it.
“We have an open mind to all options that lead to the implementation of our proposal to introduce the new on-board roles on our trains and enhance the services we want to provide our customers. Enough is enough. Let’s stop the strikes and settle it! We need to get back on track and give customers and staff their normal lives back.”
In response Mr Cash said: “RMT is committed to serious and genuine talks and has been right from the moment that the proposals on the guards on Southern were first unveiled.
“That position has not changed and we remain committed to getting back round the table with the company in proper negotiations. That talks process has been repeatedly undermined by Southern trying to bind us into a set of rigid pre-conditions.
“A major obstacle to progress now is the fact that Southern fired the starting gun on the dash to Driver Only Operation at the weekend. We would call on the company to row back, get back round the table and allow talks to take place without preconditions and without the immediate threat to the safety critical role hanging over our members heads.”
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Southern calls for fresh talks to avert two-day rail strike


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England’s Medieval Festival will take place at Herstmonceux Castle over the bank holiday weekend.
Now in its 24th year, and thought to be the largest of its kind in the UK, the event will take place from August 27 to 29.
People can expect a range of activities and entertainment, such as jousting; falconry; daily grand parades, battles and an evening torch-lit procession; six stages with daily theatre, music, dance, storytelling and more; and hundreds of craftsmen, traders and workshops, such as wood weaving, blacksmith forging, calligraphy, brass rubbing, candle making, and stone carving.
There will also be an outdoor evening cinema, fire shows, skittles and on the Saturday (August 28) there will be a four-course banquet in the castle’s grand ballroom.
Other attractions include an archery tournament, battle siege and medieval music.
For children there is Kid’s Kingdom with circus skills workshops, dragon puppet shows, castle carriage rides and magicians.
A spokesperson for the festival said, “We are sure that you will have a magical medieval experience, whether this is the first time that you are attending our festival, or like many, are returning for another year - just as it is for many of the medieval re-enactors, performers and tradespeople who participate.
“Year over year, no two Festivals are alike, new faces appear, displays get bigger and more spectacular, and the number of visitors increase.
“England’s Medieval Festival is the most authentic, one-of-a-kind event with a very special blend of history and fun for the whole family.
“It is the largest of its kind in the UK, where you can always count on a warm welcome and a day out like no other.
“From the moment you enter the Festival you will be surrounded by the sights, smells and excitement of medieval times.”
For people wanting to make a whole weekend of it there is camping and glamping, or you could even live like a King or Queen and sleep in a Herstmonceux Castle room for the night overlooking the moat and beautiful gardens.
For more details, and to buy day, weekend or event tickets, visit www.englandsmedievalfestival.com.
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Historic castle setting for massive Medieval Festival this weekend


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There’s nothing like a gripping thriller or crime novel to sink your teeth into during your summer holiday.
And one man who knows a thing or two about the genre is Simon Brett OBE. As a crime fiction writer, from novels, plays, TV shows and radio and former president of the Detection Club – a society set up in the 1930s by a group of mystery writers including Agatha Christie and Dorothy L Sayers, who better to give you a guide to the best contemporary crime novels to add to your holiday reading list.
Watch the video where Simon and writer Emma Kenny count down the top 10 best-selling crime novels of all time on Kobo – and find out some fascinating facts about the novels and authors who wrote them.
Top 10 Bestselling Crime Novels of all Time from Kobo
1 One Cold Night - Katia Lief
2 The Husband’s Secret - Liane Moriarty
3 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson
4 Gone Again - Doug Johnstone
5 The Cuckoo’s Calling - Robert Galbraith
6 The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets’ Nest - Stieg Larsson
7 The Girl Who Played With Fire - Stieg Larsson
8 The Detective’s Daughter - Lesley Thomson
9 Never Tell - Alafair Burke
10 Taken - Jacqui Rose

Top 10 best-selling crime novels of last five years on Kobo revealed


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The art of printmaking is to be celebrated with a series of events in Hastings former print and publishing quarter this September.
Page Break is a short season of events, from 1 -10 September, celebrating the history, people and trades of FJ Parsons print and publishing company.
The events are set in and around The Printworks, Rock House and The Observer Building, where FJ Parsons once employed around 1,000 people, as well as at Hastings Museum.
“A job for life at FJ Parsons was something to aspire to,” says Dawn Dublin, who is programming the events and co-producing with MSL Projects. “Apprenticeships, specialist skills and learned trades contributed to a vibrant and creative occupational printing community.”
In the 1980s computerised roles took over the printer’s unique crafts and the fortunes of FJ Parsons and its buildings took a downward turn. Traditional skills such as typesetting, composition, linotype and book binding looked set to disappear forever as the jobs vanished and the buildings became derelict.
However, instead of being wiped out forever, Hastings old print buildings are making a comeback as are the crafts they once housed.
“There are new creative businesses springing up in these buildings now and traditional printing skills are enjoying a global resurgence,” says Dawn. “Page Break is a celebration of these skills and the people who practiced them, in the buildings where they worked.”
Events, which are all free, include a letterpress workshop, linocut demonstrations with illustrator Aiden Saunders, an illustration workshop with artist and writer, Christopher Hoggins, a Family Fun Print Day, Fanzine Workshop with local artists Danny Pockets and Peter Quinnell and a Pinhole Camera workshop with photographer Alex Brattell.
The programme concludes with a day-long event, which includes an exhibition, a film screening and a live-streamed discussion with contemporary digital journalists and representatives from the classic age of print journalism.
On Thursday September 1 children aged seven-plus can explore letterpress printing at a free Family Print Day at Hastings Museum (11am-4pm). Local print-makers, Lucky Budgie and Make Ready Studios will run this drop-in workshop (children must be accompanied by an adult). Participants will learn to set a simple design with wood type and choose colours before their design is printed using the museum’s vintage letterpress.
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Season of events aims to celebrate the history of local printmaking


Hastings United Football Club is set for a welcome boost of firepower for a double bill of Bank Holiday action.
The striker crisis which gripped United for last weekend’s FA Cup clash away to Cray Valley (PM) has eased for the league games away to Chipstead today (Saturday) and at home to East Grinstead Town on Monday.
Harry Stannard on the charge against Cray Valley (PM). Picture courtesy Scott White
Jack Harris will remain sidelined by his ankle injury, but Jay May is back and should be fit enough to start both matches.
Frannie Collin has regained fitness and is likely to be on the bench today, while Bright Temba - who like Collin has been out since pre-season - trained on Tuesday night and is available for selection.
United do have one or two issues in defence, however. Richard Davies is unavailable, while manager Darren Hare says he might rest Steve Watt today with a view to bringing him back on Monday. Watt’s been in the wars with a broken toe, sore calf and a black eye.
Hare has recalled Richie Welch from AFC Uckfield Town and he could well slot in at full-back as United seek to add to the four points they picked up in their opening two Ryman Football League Division One South matches.
Chipstead have picked up one point from a possible six so far, while Grinstead have yet to get off the mark. Both clubs finished in the bottom five last season.
“It’s still early days, but we certainly need to win one out of the two, if not win one and draw one,” said Hare, who added that his team might have a slightly different shape against Grinstead. “It’s important we get a bit of momentum going at this early stage.
“I would like to win every game obviously, but we’re unbeaten and we want to continue that unbeaten run up to 10 games if we possibly can.”
With United scheduled to play 10 matches between now and the end of September, Hare says he is looking to add to his squad.
“There’s a couple on the radar at the moment,” he said. “I had a chat with the board of directors the other day and they’re still fully supportive of me strengthening if I need to.
“We’re still looking to add one or two. I don’t really want to rely on the loan market if I can help it, but I’ll probably have to dip into it at some stage.”
Hare regarded the 2-0 victory at Cray Valley as a case of ‘job done’ and is looking forward to another away tie, against Camberley Town, in first round qualifying on Saturday September 3.
“I was pleased to get through,” he said. “I was nervous going into the game I have to say, but I thought we approached the game in the appropriate manner.
“We had a good report on them, we knew their strengths and we nullified that pretty well. We got the shape right and we did fine.”
United are running a coach to Chipstead, leaving The Pilot Field at 11.45am. The cost is £20 for adults, £15 for supporters’ club members and £8 for under-18s. To book a place, email davidrussell881@hotmail.co.uk or call 07970 332270.
TODAY'S FOOTBALL FIXTURES
RYMAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Division 1 South (3pm)
Chipstead v Hastings United
MACRON STORE SOUTHERN COMBINATION FOOTBALL LEAGUE (3pm)
Division 1
Selsey v Little Common
St Francis Rangers v Bexhill United
Division 2
Westfield v Cowfold
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United attacking boost for Bank Holiday double


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Railway station staff are due to strike over cuts to ticket office opening hours planned across Sussex.
The RMT union has already called a 48-hour strike starting Wednesday September 7 over Govia Thameslink Railway’s plans to change the role of conductors to on-board supervisors on Southern services.
Now RMT members will also hold a 24-hour walkout on September 7 over GTR’s plans to cut the opening hours of its station ticket offices.
The union fears the reorganisation will affect dispatchers and barrier staff in the near future.
Mick Cash, RMT general secretary, said; “The Govia Thamelink franchise is in meltdown and not fit for purpose. Not content with axing catering services, closing ticket offices and attacking the role of their guards they now want to threaten 130 station jobs and compromise the safety of both their passengers and staff alike.
“Our members have made it clear that they will not stand by while this basket-case franchise unleashes yet another attack on jobs and services in the drive for profits and that is why we have no option but to take strike action.
“These cuts plans fly in the face of the response from the thousands of passengers who objected to the closure of ticket offices and the de-staffing of stations as Govia drives on with plans for a “faceless railway” where the public are left to fend for themselves on rammed-out, dangerous and unreliable services.
“It is about time Govia Thameslink started acting responsibly, halted their cuts plans and got round the table with the union in serious and genuine talks.”
Proposals would see most ticket offices across Sussex open on weekday peak times only, typically between 7-10am, with ‘station hosts’ selling tickets on concourses at other times of the day.
Both Falmer and Lancing’s offices are set to close completely, while locations facing cuts include Angmering, Barnham, Bexhill, Bognor Regis, Burgess Hill, Chichester, Crawley, East Grinstead, Eastbourne, Hassocks, Horley, Horsham, Hove, Lewes, Littlehampton, Polegate, Portslade, Shoreham, and Worthing.
Late last week the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) started to ballot more than 250 ticket office and platform staff, with the results due to be announced on Friday September 2.
Manuel Cortes, general secretary of the TSSA, said: “We cannot stand by and allow GTR to reduce Southern Railway to a second class operation which is not fit for passengers and staff.
“Passengers have suffered enough over the past few months and it is now time for Chris Grayling [Transport Secretary] to act. GTR should be stripped off this franchise and it should be handed over to the publicly run Transport for London as Sadiq Khan has suggested.
“Then we will have a publicly run franchise which will be operating in the public interest, not in the interest of private shareholders.”
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BREAKING NEWS: Railway station staff to strike over ticket office cuts


St Leonards based fine art photographer Lin Gregory has been invited to exhibit her latest project, Between Land And Sea, at the Farley Farm Gallery in Chiddingly, East Sussex.
Her work can be viewed from August 28 until October 30.
The invitation came from Antony Penrose, photographer, who is also author and director of the Lee Miller Archive and the Penrose Collection based at Farley Farm House - home of the Surrealists.
Lin has always had a love of landscape and much of her work is of that genre. She seeks to capture the spirit of a place, evoking the atmosphere that she senses there, using light as her tool. Between Land And Sea represents a journey along the East Sussex coast, capturing the landmarks along the space where the land meets the sea.
Lin said: “The seed of this project first came to me in 2010 after Hastings Pier was the subject of an arson attack that threatened its existence. As a photographer I see a pier as the focal point when walking along a seafront. Yet, after the fire, the possibility of there being an empty space where the remains stood led me to document the many structures along the ever-changing coastline before they too are destroyed or reshaped. For Hastings Pier there has been a new beginning, yet for many of the other structures their future is far less secure.“
Lin has used ‘slow photography’ in the creation of this project, making images with long exposures to convey a feeling for the solidity yet impermanence of our coastline, both natural and manmade over the passage of time. The resultant images produced are befitting of a show at the home of the Surrealists.
“Lin’s images invite us to enter a surrealist dream work populated by strange creatures, where the sea is solid and the sky endless. With complete naturalness she brings us her discovery of the marvellous in the every day,” said Antony Penrose.
The exhibition is also part of PhotoHastings, the South East’s newest photography festival which runs from September and will boast exhibitions, events and workshops in and around Hastings, St Leonards and further afield. Further information available at www.farleyfarmhouse.co.uk.
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Since its humble beginnings on BBC 2 in 2010, Great British Bake Off in the last six years has become a national institution and a ratings juggernaut, with last year’s final attracting more than 15 million viewers and making it the biggest television event of 2015.
And with the culinary classic hitting our screens again tonight, not only are TV insiders predicting it will be the most watched hour of television in 2016 so far, but a poll shows it’s by far and away the nation’s favourite reality talent show, completely outshining the likes of Strictly, Britain’s Got Talent and the X-Factor and well ahead of its biggest foodie TV rival MasterChef.
The survey by digital retailer Very also found that it is the show we are most likely to take to social media to tweet or talk about on Facebook.
It’s the show’s controversial moments, as well as some superb baking and fantastic baking-banter between hosts Mel and Sue, and the wonderful Mary Berry, that make it such a ratings smash. And it seems the show is also having a positive impact on retailers, with some even noticing a surge in television sales ahead of the show’s return that rivals demand usually seen ahead of big sporting events.
“Big TV events such as the Olympics often result in a peak in sales of televisions as people want to feel like they’re part of the action. But it’s not just sport on the box that can lead to a spike and last year we actually saw an increase in searches for TVs in the run up to The Great British Bake Off,” said Brendan Shepard from digital retailer Very.
“With Bake Off now probably the biggest TV show in Britain, we expect to see this trend again this year, with everyone getting ready for another autumn of exciting telly.”
The survey also shows whether it’s Bake Off or box sets, we are still a nation of TV addicts, with a third of Brits saying they would prefer to stay in and watch TV than go out, while one in ten have not left the house for an entire weekend because they are so engrossed in a TV series or boxset.
Game of Thrones was voted the best boxset or series of all time ahead of Downton Abbey, Breaking Bad, Sex and the City and Band of Brothers.
The fantasy smash hit was also rated as the TV show those who haven’t watched it need to see, ahead of Breaking Bad, House of Cards and Orange is the New Black.
http://www.very.co.uk/electricals/televisions/e/b/4740

As Bake Off kicks off tonight poll shows it’s our all-time favourite reality talent show


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Graham Wagg’s three wicket burst in four balls completely changed the course of Sussex’s innings and also the game as the visitors lost their last eight wickets for only 51 runs in 25 overs.
The Glamorgan seamer thrived in the cloudy conditions, and during his spell also claimed his 200th first class wicket for Glamorgan.
Sussex were indebted to Chris Nash, who struck the 22nd century of his career, before Glamorgan reached 50 for 1 in their second innings- a lead of 19.
Sussex had resumed on 111 for 1 with night watchman Danny Briggs giving Nash useful support, and the second wicket pair had added 69 before Nash called his partner for a risky single in the last over before lunch with Briggs comfortably run out for 36.
Briggs had been fortunate to survive an excellent opening spell against Tim Van Der Gugten who regularly passed the outside edge, but Briggs’ determination carried him through until his dismissal.
Nash, meanwhile played watchfully, sharing a partnership of 52 with Luke Wells before Wells was bowled by Craig Meschede, and at 232 for 3, Sussex were in sight of a substantial first innings lead before Wagg’s dramatic over and the subsequent collapse.
Nash had completed his third championship century of the season from 284 balls with 18 fours, when Wagg began his 18th over; with his second ball Christian Davies edged to the wicketkeeper, his fourth dismissed Luke Wright who wafted outside the off stump, then the next delivery bowled David Wiese.
An early tea was then taken because of bad light, which might have made the three batsmen dismissed by Wagg wonder why the decision had not been taken before the over had started.
After the break, Nash’s six and half hour vigil ended when he was bowled by Van Der Gugten for 132, and the tail quickly followed with Glamorgan’s seamers rewarded for their accuracy throughout the innings.
Apart from David Lloyd, who only bowled one over, Van der Gugten, Meschede and Wagg’s economy rate was under three runs an over with Hogan’s under two.
When Glamorgan started their second innings, 31 runs adrift, Selman did manage to get off the mark after four successive ducks, but did not last long before he was leg before in Steve Magoffin’s second over.
Nash praised Glamorgan’s bowlers after his century: “They bowled really well, in the right areas, and kept it tight throughout the innings”.
He also praised Briggs who as nightwatchman put on 69 for the second wicket, saying: “Danny helped me a lot and is in the form of his life with the bat these days. We are still in the game, and need to fight back tomorrow.”
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Sussex collapse changes course of Glamorgan clash


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Little Common’s footballers returned from their longest trip of the season with a hard-fought win.
Liam Foster’s double blast gave the Commoners a 2-1 victory away to Selsey in Macron Store Southern Combination Football League Division One yesterday (Saturday).
The Bank Holiday traffic saw the Commoners arrive late at the Bunn Leisure Stadium, and player-manager Russell Eldridge was forced into two changes with Jamie Crone and George Aston unavailable.
In scorching conditions, Common were first to create a clearcut chance when Harry Saville found Lewis Hole, but his low effort was turned round the post by the home goalkeeper.
Cameron Burgon went close when his long range shot shaved the outside of the post following a neat pull-back from Hole, who was then unable to make full connection with a Saville cross when well placed.
The home team also saw chances go begging, firstly from a goalmouth scramble as the ball pinged around the area and then following a long throw when Common goalkeeper Matt Cruttwell got down well to push an effort past the post.
The Commoners opened the scoring in the 33rd minute when Hole pulled the ball back to the edge of the area for Foster to rifle a low first time shot into the corner of the net beyond the despairing dive of the home stopper.
Selsey continued to look dangerous from their long throws into the area, but the Commoners held firm to preserve a 1-0 half time lead.
Selsey began the second half the stronger of the two teams as they went in search of an equaliser, although the Common defence stood firm and dealt with the initial pressure before playing their way back into game and creating a chance for Hole which went agonisingly wide of the upright.
Cruttwell pushed a fierce drive wide of the post before Selsey drew level when another long throw into the Common area saw an unmarked Cameron Correll head beyond Cruttwell.
Jake Sherwood saw an effort just drift wide, but the Commoners did not have to wait long to retake the lead. Hole’s delivery across the area found an unmarked Foster, who buried his and Common’s second of the match.
Selsey were reduced to 10 men for the final 10 minutes following an injury to their forward, but then missed a glorious chance to equalise when the ball was blazed over from close range following a ricochet in the Common area.
Common continued to look dangerous on the break and were able to see out the closing stages relatively comfortably to earn three valuable points.
Common: Cruttwell, Cooper (Wells), Curteis, Eldridge, Ammoun, Cruikshank, Foster, Sherwood. Hole, Saville (Bristow), Burgon.
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Following the search for a missing swimmer earlier today and a string of beach deaths in Sussex, the safety of our seas has been called into question.
Today’s search for the woman at Camber Sands in East Sussex was called off after she identified herself to the RNLI at 11.45am. A coastguard spokesperson said the reason for the large-scale search, which also involved the police, was because ‘it is a dangerous beach’ and it was reported before lifeguards were on duty at 9am. Read more here.
But it begs the question: can more be done to prevent deaths like the five men who lost their lives on Wednesday at Camber Sands, or the man who drowned in the sea at Bognor Regis?
Have your say in our poll.
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A plucky puss who saved the day by waking a family as a fire engulfed their home has been crowned overall winner in Cats Protection’s National Cat Awards 2016, sponsored by PURINA®.
Five-year-old Tink leapt onto a bed to raise the alarm as the blaze took hold while owners Claire and Russell Hopkinson and sons Jake, 19, and Scott, 22, slept in their home in Shrewsbury, Shropshire.
At the awards ceremony, held at The Savoy in London on Thursday (4 August), the brave tortoiseshell moggy was crowned overall winner after first scooping the Hero Cat category.
Claire, who was at the ceremony to accept Tink’s award, said: “Tink has always been a much-loved pet but not a day goes past when I’m not grateful for her actions on that day. If it wasn’t for her the outcome could have been horrific, she is our true hero.”
The family had been sleeping at their home in the early hours one morning in February when an electrical fault in a neighbouring property sparked the fire.
Claire said: “I was fast asleep when I felt this thud on my legs and realised it was Tink. She doesn’t sleep on our bed and it was unlike her to be on it. As soon as I opened my eyes all I could see was white smoke.
“My two sons sleep with their doors shut and when I opened Scott’s door, this thick black smoke bellowed out. The smoke had passed through the vent straight into his room and he was fast asleep. Because his door was shut the smoke hadn’t yet reached the fire alarm – without Tink waking me Scott would have been in huge danger.
“We quickly got out of the house but, in the commotion, Tink took fright and hid behind a cupboard. When the firefighters arrived they asked if anyone was in the house and we explained our cat was.
“A firefighter went in and found her but, when he brought her out, she was unconscious and limp. We were heartbroken and thought we’d lost her. But the firefighters had a special oxygen mask for animals and Scott sat in the fire engine holding it on her for an hour until she came round.
“I can’t explain how relieved and happy we were she pulled through. Tink is a truly special cat, we love her to bits. She’s our hero and an essential part of our family and we’re so proud of her for what she did.”
Cats Protection’s National Cat Awards is the UK’s largest celebration of real-life stories of companionship, bravery and survival in the cat world.
Tink was first chosen as the winner of the Hero Cat category by celebrity judge, actress Anita Dobson, before being chosen as overall winner by a panel of judges comprising of actor Paul Copley, singer Saffron Sprackling, former Hollyoaks actors Carley Stenson and Danny Mac and musician Rick Wakeman.
Other celebrities at the ceremony - hosted by BBC announcer and “voice of the balls” Alan Dedicoat – were TV psychologist Jo Hemmings, and Commonwealth Games gold medallist clay target shooter Charlotte Kerwood.
Anita said: “Tink’s story really stood out because it really tugged on my heartstrings, particularly the part where he passed out and had to be resuscitated by firefighters. He is a true hero!”
As well as the honour of being crowned National Cat of the Year, Tink and her owners received a prize of a trophy, a pet store voucher, a year’s subscription to Cats Protection’s The Cat magazine and a three-month supply of PURINA® pet food.
Kate Bunting, the awards organiser at Cats Protection, said Tink’s story was an inspiring one.
“Tink’s truly remarkable and it just goes to show how important cats are to family life. Her quick thinking alerted the whole family to a potential disaster,” she said.
“It was particularly poignant to hear how devastated the family were when they thought Tink had succumbed to smoke inhalation. It shows how important cats are to family life and we are so pleased that she managed to pull through.”
Tink follows in the paw prints of a long line of feline heroes honoured by Cats Protection. Previous winners have included Jessi-Cat, who was celebrated for helping a seven-year-old boy cope with Selective Mutism, a condition which affects his ability to speak and Nelson, a one-eyed former stray from County Durham, who survived nearly drowning and 15 years living rough.
The winners of the other categories were:
- Houdini from Stoke-On-Trent who won the Furr-ever Friends prize – For the family of schoolboy Harri Cossburn, Houdini is not only a much-loved pet but he is also an in-house therapy cat. Harri, 10, is on the autistic spectrum and suffers from anxiety attacks, finding it difficult to be alone. But since two-year-old Houdini came into his life, Harri has found a constant source of comfort, support and friendship.
- Jessie from Peterborough who won Outstanding Rescue Cat - Life for Tracey Jessop-Thompson and her husband Stephen changed forever when their 18-year-old daughter Lucy died suddenly from a cardiac arrest as a result of an undiagnosed heart condition. As the devastated couple went about slowly rebuilding their lives, they found comfort, support and joy in the most unexpected of places – a tiny rescue kitten called Jessie. Now aged one, fun-loving Jessie has given the couple the strength to embark on charity work to raise awareness of heart conditions in young people.
- Peggy from Dundee who took home the Cats Protection Special Recognition Award - Tortoiseshell puss Peggy was recognised for her companionship, loyalty and support which transformed the life of owner Kirsty Oliphant. Kirsty, 23, was at rock bottom when she adopted Peggy – then aged 16 and suffering from FIV- from Cats Protection’s Dundee & District Branch in 2014. With a long history of mental health issues, Kirsty had frequently been admitted to a psychiatric hospital following a series of suicide attempts. But after adopting Peggy, life changed almost overnight for Kirsty and she is now well enough to undertake a university course to study mental health nursing later this year.
- Smokie from Woking who won the Purina® Better Together category - Six-year-old Smokie was in a bad way when she turned up as a bedraggled stray on Jane Leggott’s doorstep. Suffering with a congenital eye problem, her vision was impaired and she was desperately in need of someone to take care of her. Deciding to keep her, Jane had no idea how much Smokie would come to mean to her family, especially son Stefan, then aged 18, who was struggling to cope with the death of his stepfather.
- Spike from Abergavenny who was awarded Most Caring Cat - When a rare illness left Maria Price paralysed almost overnight, her world fell apart around her. After a month in hospital, the 38-year-old faced a long battle to adjust to her condition and find the strength to recover. Support, companionship and inspiration came in the form of her seven-year-old cat Spike.

Video: ‘Cat of the Year’ announced at national awards


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A man from Hove who bombarded Sussex Police’s contact centre with 3,000 emails in just six hours has been handed a suspended sentence.
The incident, which happened in October 2014, meant the police’s contact centre was ‘significantly impaired’ for six hours.
A police statement says that Kyoji Mochizuki, 28, of Mansfield Road, Hove, appeared for sentencing at Lewes Crown Court on Friday (August 19) after pleading guilty at Hove Crown Court in July to four counts of unauthorised acts with intent to impair the operation of or prevent/hinder access to a computer, contrary to Section 3 of the Computer Misuse Act 1990.
He was given a ten-month jail sentence, suspended for 18 months.
The statements adds that the court heard how on October 26, 2014, Mochizuki – also known as Tariq Elmughrabi and Taz Rider – sent around 3,000 emails from various domains to the Sussex Police contact centre at 9.25am.
It was to tie up the force’s email system for more than six hours.
During this time Sussex Police said its contact centre and the non-urgent reporting mechanism for the public was hindered.
It took staff a further 11 hours to restore the email inbox to full operation order.
Earlier that year, in February, an email was received from a sender purporting to be from a man working for a company called Uberex, threatening to attack Sussex Police services in revenge for the force seizing electronic property belonging to Mochizuki in connection with another case, for which he was on bail.
Police said Mochizuki was identified as being a director of that company.
On Monday, November 10, at 5.45am, more emails started to arrive in the public contact centre from a ‘hackerforhire’ domain with the subject line ‘Contact UBX Technology’, in what police called ‘a deliberate attempt to flood the system’.
The statement adds that on November 20, the Surrey and Sussex Cyber Crime Unit raided Mochizuki’s home address and seized a number of items including a computer, a CCTV system that covered all rooms in his house, the entrance and the exterior.
When interviewed he claimed to have carried out work for the FBI and the NCA (National Crime Agency).
He stated that he worked for a company called Uberex as an ethical hacker and with the people whose names were used on the attacking emails.
However, he was unable to put police in contact with them.
Detective Constable Paul Constable from the Surrey and Sussex Cyber Crime Unit said: “In addition to Sussex Police, Mochizuki launched an attack on Brighton and Hove City Council’s email system after he had been summonsed for failing to pay his tax. Their system effectively captured the 2,000 emails aimed at the council tax email inbox.
“An Essex-based insurance company insured a company called Xerosec, which made a claim in 2013 for £36.576.11 due to their computer system overheating after a hacker attack. They paid a sum of £10,000 in settlement to Kyoji Mochizuki of Mansfield Drive, Hove. The following year, the company claimed for equipment damaged in a power surge. The insurer asked to examine the equipment, but was told that was not possible and then received correspondence from the managing director of Xerosec complaining about their incompetence.
“The insurer sent a representative to visit the company where he met with a relative of the accused who stated she had no knowledge of the claim and had been appointed as MD without being consulted. The claim was subsequently refused and on November 6 three of the insurer’s email addresses, including that of the person dealing with the claim, were subject to a denial of service attack.”
Detective Inspector Andrew Haslam, also from the Cyber Crime Unit said: “The scale of Mochizuki’s activities and deceit is breath-taking. Behind each of the events mentioned in court lie a complex web of aliases, email addresses, false employees and considerable technological skill, sadly put to criminal use.
“His attacks on Sussex Police cost nearly £4000 in specialist time to resolve, but of far worse consequence was the significant amount of time lost by contact centre staff that should have been devoted to non-emergency callers and others making contact through email.
“However, I would stress that our 999 emergency operation was not affected by his attacks, nor our operational response effectiveness. The security of the emails from the public was not compromised in any way and there was no impact on any other force IT, email address, web or telephony systems.
“Since the attack, a significant amount of work has taken place to improve the resilience and security of all our IT systems, including emails.” Mochizuki, who had been remanded in custody since breaching bail conditions in June last year, was released upon sentencing.

COUNTY NEWS: Man sentenced for cyber attacks on police contact centre


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The swimmer believed to have been missing at Camber Sands has been found, the coastguard has announced.
In a statement released by HM Coastguard, it said the reason for the major search was that lifeguards were not on duty at the time it was reported. Click here to read more about the search.
The RNLI has provided five to six lifeguards who are working from 9am to 6pm this Bank Holiday weekend.
A spokesperson for the coastguard said: “There was major reason for concern as this is a dangerous beach and lifeguards were not on yet on duty at the time the swimmer was missed. It’s a great relief that this person has been found safe and well.”
It comes after five men lost their lives at the beach on Wednesday.
A statement from Sussex Police said: “Police were called at around 9.40am on Sunday to report concern for the welfare of a woman who was seen entering the sea on Camber Sands Beach at around 8am.
“It was believed the woman, who was described as white with dark hair and wearing a black swimming costume, had left a pair of sandals on the beach which had still not been retrieved.
“Officers helped both the Coastguard and RNLI conduct a thorough search of the coastline, which included the Coastguard helicopter.
“A woman matching the description of the swimmer called the RNLI at around 11.45 am to identify herself.
“The search has been called off and police are no longer dealing.”
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UPDATE: Missing swimmer ‘found safe and well’


Andy Hamblin started his creative career at Southend School of Art and Design and was a successful international commercial artist for over 30 years, winning several creative industry awards.
A professional fine artist for the past five years, Andy is driven to capture in every painting his deep and profound love of the Sussex and Kent countryside and his personal connection with the wildlife he encounters. Andy portrays in his paintings the detailed beauty and intricate textures that nature creates, seemingly undiscovered by people.
Andy said: “In today’s fast-pace society, do people really see the natural beauty around them? After viewing my paintings, people often view landscapes in a totally different way, appreciating the complexity of trees close-up, the variety of landscapes around them and closely study the array of endless sky formations.”
People also connect to his paintings on an intimate level, having eye-to-eye contact with the wildlife encountered by Andy on canvas. Viewers often comment on the amazing ‘life-like appearance’ of the paintings with an emotional and personal response.
Andy spends weeks and sometimes months exploring and searching the perfect mix of lighting and weather conditions to suit a variety of scenery. From Petworth Park, South Downs, Ashdown Forest, Knole Park to the North Kent Marshes, he patiently captures an original photograph for studio reference, before committing to the canvas.
Since moving to his 16th Century cottage studio, Andy has absorbed the atmosphere around him, sensing the connection that the ‘great masters’ lived through when creating their classic landscapes. From the success of Andy’s ‘one man’ Ightham, Kent exhibition in May, his landscape paintings continue that journey of discovery. Exhibition open on Saturday November 12 and Saturday November 13 from 9-10pm.
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Deep response to artist’s work in natural world


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Albion signed Belgium international defender Sebastien Pocognoli from West Brom on a season-long loan last night.
The 29-year-old left back adds competition to Brighton’s full-back areas, with Gaetan Bong the only recognised senior left-back in the squad, while Liam Rosenior missed the Newcastle game with the ankle injury he sustained at Reading.
Albion boss Chris Hughton said: “We are delighted to add Sebastien to our squad, as the injury to Liam has left us a little bit short of cover in both full-back positions.
“Sebastien has a vast amount of experience having played in some of the top divisions in Europe, as well as in the Champions League. He is the type of quality player we want to add to the squad, and we are looking forward to working with him.”
Pocognoli began his career in the youth team at Standard Liege before moving to Genk at the age of 15.
He made his first team debut aged just 16, and went on to make a total of 46 appearances before moving to Dutch side AZ Alkmaar. After 70 appearances and five goals for the Dutch outfit he returned to Standard Liege, where he played 98 times, scoring twice. A move to the Bundesliga followed with Hannover 96, before switching to the Premier League with West Brom in July 2014. He has made 21 appearances for the Baggies. Pocognoli has represented his country at under 16, 17, 19 and 21 levels, as well as making six appearances for Belgium in the Beijing Olympics. He has won 11 senior caps.
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Pocognoli joins Brighton on season-long loan


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Flash, the hand-reared baby sloth, has been thriving under the care of keepers at a Sussex zoo.
The youngster has doubled in weight and she is even enjoying the summer sunshine at Drusillas Park, with regular strolls around the zoo.
Rare baby sloth at Drusillas Park SUS-160730-112622001
The individuals responsible for Flash’s excellent progress are head keeper Mark Kenward, deputy head keeper Jason O’Connell and zoo keeper Gemma Romanis.
Together, the trio (or Team Flash as they have become known) have been working around the clock to care for the orphaned infant, after her mother passed away shortly after she was born.
Jason said: “We would never choose to hand-rear an animal but sadly in this case there really was no choice. Nevertheless, despite her difficult start we are absolutely delighted with Flash’s progress. She is the picture of health and is putting on weight, increasing from 585g to 1184g in just three months.
“Flash has a state-of-the-art incubator that provides her with the comfort and warmth she would have received from her mother. However, whenever possible we carry her with us and have even started taking her for a walk around the zoo on sunny days, for fresh air and a change of scenery.”
Rare baby sloth at Drusillas Park SUS-160730-112554001
The baby, named Flash by followers on Facebook, was born on Saturday, March 26 and is the first of its kind to arrive at the park in the zoo’s 91 year history. She requires feeding every three hours, even during the night, which is likely to continue for at least eight months.
Jason said: “She consumers up to 30mls of goat’s milk per feed from a sterilised bottle and she also enjoys vegetables and foliage too, particularly swede and sweetcorn. These take place throughout the night at midnight, 3am and 6am.
“During the evening she is particularly playful; she moves around a lot and likes climbing on the frame we have created for her. It can be hard work but it is a real privilege to care for her. She has become part of the family.”
Visit www.drusillas.co.uk for more information.
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COUNTY NEWS: Rare baby sloth is thriving at Sussex zoo


Fickle Friends may be under the radar at the moment, but Charlotte Pearson predicts big things.
For anyone heading to Reading and Leeds festivals this weekend or Together the People next month, you might be forgiven for thinking that Fickle Friends are the new kids on the block.
However, the Brighton band have been a firm fixture on the festival circuit for the last two years playing Bestival, BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend and Secret Garden Party.
“We have been going for a while,” says lead singer Natti Shiner. “But it isn’t until you get played on commercial radio that people say ‘oh wow those guys have come from nowhere’.
“The 1975 have been going for about eight years under different guises but it is only really now people are starting to take notice.”
Natti formed the band, made up of Harry Herrington on bass; Chris Hall on lead guitar; Sam Morris on drums and Jack Wilson on keyboards, about three years ago when the quintet met at the University of Brighton.
The name came not long after they formed, with Natti explaining that Fickle Friends was just meant to be a name to tide them over and the plan was initially to change it to something else.
“As time went on it kind of just stuck so we kept with it,” she smiles.
The band’s first EP Velvet was released in 2015 and Natti says they were very much a ‘DIY band’.
“That has shifted now as we have signed with a record label,” she explains. “The first EP we did ourselves and worked really hard to get it out.
“We have the luxury of someone else doing the work now and telling us when the singles are coming out.
“It is exciting and everything is a lot more structured than it was before.”
Releasing an EP was a great way for the band to show people what they are all about and Natti reveals that it got the band the buzz they needed to get noticed.
This lead to them being signed, with work then able to begin on an album which should be released at the end of this year.
The plan for the band is to record 17 songs and then pick the ones that will make the album.
“We are always writing and figuring out what we want the album to be,” explains Natti.
Fickle Friends’ sound has been described as upbeat with an 80s synth-pop feel to it, which is probably best illustrated by single ‘Swim’.
It is clear that many of their songs wouldn’t sound out of place on the 2011 film Drive’s motion picture soundtrack – something that crossed Natti’s mind when she heard former Radio 1’s DJ Zane Lowe curate such a thing with the likes of Bastille, The 1975, and CHVRCHES.
“I would love for the BBC, or anyone, to do a re-imagining of the soundtrack again. We would love to get on it and think our sound would fit really well,” she enthuses.
As for musical influences, Natti lists bands like Bombay Bicycle Club, Justice, Two Door Cinema Club, Friendly Fires and Michael Jackson, and admits you can hear a bit of all of them in Fickle Friends.
“Our sound has changed a lot over the years. I think it has got a lot more intelligent,” she reveals.
“Before it was really hectic and chaotic, but it would be because we would play bits and be like ‘oh I love that, put that in’, ‘that is great we need to have that’, so we would get it all in.
“Now we use sounds that complement each other so it works better as a song.”
The last few months have been hectic for the band, with a diary filled with festival appearances as well as trying to fit in recording their new album in LA.
“Our weekends would be filled with festivals then we would head over to America to record the album and then back over here for a performance,” reveals Natti.
The band have never played a festival in Brighton before so Natti says they are really looking forward to performing at Together the People this month at Preston Park.
The summer may be over, although many might debate it never really started, but thanks to Fickle Friends at least the sound of summer can continue well until the end of the year.
Fickle Friends will play the NME/Radio 1 stage at Reading Festival on Friday, August 26, and the same stage at Leeds Festival on Saturday, August 27.
Together the People takes place on September 3 and 4 at Preston Park, Brighton.
Other performers include Suede, Brian Wilson performing Pet Sounds, Peter Hook and the Light, The Horrors and Turin Breaks.
For more information on the line up and to buy tickets, visit www.togetherthepeople.co.uk
To find out more about Fickle Friends, visit www.ficklefriends.co.uk
For more features like this visit etcmag.net

Brighton band Fickle Friends to play at Reading and Leeds


Most of us have a mobile phone. We use it every day to keep in touch with work, friends and family and find out what’s going on in the world.
But what if the phone signal was used to scramble people’s brains, turning them into murdering savages?
That’s the basic plot of Cell.
In a cracking start to the movie, John Cusack plays Clay Riddell, an artist who is trying to contact his son and estranged wife while waiting at an airport.
All of a sudden everyone using a mobile phone hears a high pitched sound that turns them into homicidal maniacs; luckily Riddell’s battery has packed up.
Although not dead, these people act like all the zombies you’ve ever seen in movies, running around until someone actually does kill them.
Riddell manages to escape and teams up with a motley crew of people including Tom McCourt (Samuel L. Jackson) and Alice Maxwell (Isabelle Fuhrman).
Director Tod Williams serves up plenty of action, raising the tension, adding a few jump shocks and generally keeping the audience on the edge of its seat.
The final third may well split the audience into those happy with how the story goes and those who are disappointed.
I was OK with the final scenes but if you like all the loose ends tied up neatly then you’ll be frustrated.
The main cast all put in a good shift and it’s a particularly good role for Cusack.
The fact that the story is based on a Stephen King novel will attract an audience and at least give people a chance to make their own judgement on the film.


It was always easy to work out how well a school had performed when it came to GCSEs.
You took the latest batch of A*s and compared them to last year’s results. Simple.
Millais School Head Teacher Alison Lodwick (Pic by Jon Rigby) SUS-150510-170504008
Things have changed now, and this year’s youngsters were the last to have their results rated at A*-G.
They will also be the last to take re-sits in November and were the first to have their progress examined under a tough new government system, which will see under-performing schools facing the wrath of Ofsted.
It’s all a little confusing and a lot to take in in one go, but let’s look at the changes one by one.
First, the grade changes. Next year’s results will be graded 9-1 rather than A*-G, with 9 being the highest.
It’s entirely up to the schools what they publish but the only thing that counts from this year is Progress 8. Department for Education
At the top of the pile, grades 9, 8 and 7 will be the equivalent of the current A*/A. The top 20 per cent of those students will receive a grade 9, which has been described as something akin to an A**.
There’s a new top target to aim for.
At the other end of the scale, grade 4 will be the equivalent of scraping a C pass, with grade 5 likely to be the standard set for what is now called a ‘good’ pass.
When it comes to re-sits, students will only be able to retake maths and English in November. No other subject re-sits will be allowed.
There had become something of a culture of re-sits over the past few years. If a child failed an exam, they could retake it until they got the result they wanted – and the result that looked best in the school’s league tables.
It was a bit like messing up a battle when playing a computer game then reloading and reloading until the battle was won. The end result was good but it didn’t really demonstrate any skill – just the ability to avoid making the same mistakes.
Finally we come to Progress 8, which is something of a headache to understand but has been well received by Sussex headteachers.
It’s also the important score when it comes to meeting the government’s required standards.
As one spokesman from the Department for Education put it: “It’s entirely up to the schools what they publish but the only thing that counts from this year is Progress 8.”
To put it simply, it’s a way of measuring the progress made by pupils from the end of primary school to the end of secondary school.
Each child’s progress is measured across eight subjects and then compared to the progress made by children all over the country who started with the same attainment level.
For example, if Anna started secondary school with high Key Stage 2 SATs results, her progress at the end of Year 11 would be judged against children who started from an equally high point.
If she entered secondary school with low SATs results, her progress would be measured against others who had an equally low starting point.
Children who attend independent schools, special schools, pupil referral units, alternative provision or hospital schools are not included in this system.
Anna’s Key Stage 2 score would have been used to predict her results in eight subject areas. Whether or nor she meets those expectations determines her Progress 8 score.
A score of zero means Anna performed exactly as predicted – all is well, progress has been made. Anything above zero means she made better than expected progress – which is good news for her school.
Anything below zero means her progress was not as high as expected.
That would be worrying for Anna’s school, because its overall Progress 8 score is calculated using the mean average of all its pupils’ scores.
The government has set a baseline standard of -0.5 for schools. If a school fails to reach that standard, an Ofsted inspection will be triggered.
As for the eight subjects which give Progress 8 its name, there is a heavy focus on core areas.
Each child must take maths and English plus three English Baccalaureate subjects such as science, computer science, history, geography and languages.
The maths is worth double points as is the English if the students takes both English language and English literature.
They can then include three subjects of choice – which must come from an approved list of qualifications if they are to count towards their score.
As mentioned, Progress 8 has been welcomed by many headteachers in Sussex.
Jules White, head of Tanbridge House School, said the new system was “much fairer”.
He added: “It ensures that a broader basket of subjects are counted but maths and English are still weighted - quite rightly - more heavily than other subjects.
“The old thresholds made a ‘C’ too important and now every grade counts. There still remains a problem that progress is measured from Key Stage 2 results which are far too variable at the moment.”
Dr Alison Lodwick, head of Millais School, agreed. She said: “I consider that measuring progress is a far more accurate method of judging achievement. Attainment can give a false impression of progress and therefore the starting point must be the baseline data for each child if progress is be accurately assessed.
“Therefore, when parents, employers, the press and the public in general gets used to the new way of looking and reporting results - as it sounds a bit complicated to many at the moment - it will be a fairer judgement on how much actual progress has been made by students and schools.”
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A platform on a small railway station in our local countryside is one of the poignant venues for a series of concerts marking the centenary of the First World War.
With the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme being remembered this summer, acclaimed folk trio Harp and a Monkey has teamed up with Arts Council England and the Western Front Association for this major musical project.
The trio’s latest series of free concerts at unusual sites across Britain with Great War links includes a show on Sunday September 4 at Bodiam Station, which is on the Kent and East Sussex Railway.
This performance is aimed at documenting the role that the rail network played in the war effort. It will take place in front of the railway wagon that bought home the body of Edith Cavell, the English nurse shot for spying, and later carried the body of the Unknown Warrior buried in Westminster Abbey.
The free concert follows the successful first phase of the project, which saw the band perform to the inmates of a prison that housed conscientious objectors, to disabled veterans on a community built for the maimed, and at the scene of a Zeppelin attack in the middle of the West Pennine Moors.
The performances will include field recordings and interviews with veterans, new songs and re-workings of traditional and contemporaneous songs and will be filmed for a documentary.
Harp and a Monkey front-man Martin Purdy, who is a First World War historian, author and broadcaster, said: “It is very exciting for us to perform this show at Bodiam as this railway is steeped in history and played its part in the war effort.
“The fact that we are being given the chance to have such a poignant and emotive backdrop as the Cavell Van is wonderful.
“We will be making a short documentary around the performance and intend to make sure that the role of the railways, including their attachment to some of the most interesting stories of the war, including those of Edith Cavell and the Unknown Warrior, are not forgotten.”
The railways were crucial for the movement of troops and equipment not only around Britain but also on foreign shores.
By the time Britain was just one month in to the war, trains travelling to just one of the key overseas departure points, at Southampton, had already transported 118,454 servicemen, 37,649 horses, 314 guns, 5,221 vehicles, 1,807 bicycles and 4,557 tons of baggage.
The other members of folk group Harp And A Monkey, which is making a big name for itself on the festival circuit, are Andy Smith, from Blackley in north Manchester and Simon Jones from Burnage, who is also an award winning photographer. All the shows are tied to the band’s critically acclaimed third album War Stories, released in July 2016.
The Bodiam concert will get underway in the station at 3pm on Sunday September 4 and is free to the public.
By Ged Henderson.

A heartfelt musical tribute to East Sussex’s own unsung war heroes


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Job losses at a sub-contractor working on Sussex’s patient transport service have been announced.
Since private company Coperforma took over the contract from South East Coast Ambulance Service in April, patients have complained about numerous incidents of crews being late or not turning up at all.
While performance has improved recently, one of the company’s sub-contractors VM Langfords went into administration earlier this year, forcing Coperforma to step in to guarantee jobs, pay, and conditions.
Now Docklands Medical Services (DMS), which took on some of the former Langfords employees, said it would be informing some of its staff that the company will be ‘terminating their employment’.
In a letter to staff, Christopher Arnall, chief executive officer at DMS, said: “I have no choice as my company finances dictate that I act quickly and decisively in order to secure the stability of the company and maintain a solvent and stable company going forward in order to provide our valuable service to the patients and maintain stable secure jobs for employees who remain with the business.”
He added: “When former Langford’s employees joined DMS I gave an undertaking to these employees that all such staff would remain on ‘the same terms and conditions that they were previously on’.
“At this time I was hoping to attract additional business/work into DMS in order to be able to finance this undertaking. Again sadly this has not happened.
“Having now had the time to review the finances of my business, my work load and also my resourcing requirements I can advise that unfortunately I am no longer in a position to be able to sustain the current headcount or the previously mentioned terms and conditions.
“Over the coming days I will be meeting with employees to discuss this situation in more detail and unfortunately I will need to advise some of our colleagues that I will be terminating their employment.”
He explained that any former Langfords employees who stayed with the company would be offered DMS’ standard terms and conditions.
Last week the GMB union, which represents staff at Docklands, called on Coperforma to be stripped of its contract, and is due to hold a strike on Monday September 5.
Gary Palmer, GMB organiser, said: “No more chances, no more waiting until the dust hopefully settles, the time has come to remove Coperfoma and all those that would put profit before patients and staff.”
A spokesman for Coperforma explained that after ‘early teething problems’ the PTS was now ‘working well’, and the contract dispute between DMS and its employees would not affect the service ‘in any way’.
Working with the CCG, Coperforma had put in place a plan to mobilise extra vehicles from other providers to fill any shortfall should the need arise during the dispute.
The spokesman said that all contractual payments from Coperforma to DMS, totalling £525,000, were up to date, and justified claims from previous employees at VM Langfords would be paid, but since many of these went back several months it would take the company some time to verify them all.

Job losses at patient transport service sub-contractor planned


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Just a few months after the devastating fire at St Michael’s hospice the generosity and hard work of hundreds of people has come to the fore after it was announced that the £1m Phoenix Appeal target has been reached.
Making the announcement was Celia Pike-Lees, Chief Executive St Michael’s Hospice. She said she is “very pleased” to announce the total money pledged towards the Phoenix Appeal, launched at the beginning of the year to help fund the re-building of the hospice following the fire, has reached the £1m target. She added: “This tremendous result reflects the importance of St Michael’s Hospice to the local community, and the generosity of a wide range of individual donors and grant giving trusts.”
The shock of the fire last July reverberated throughout the country. It was an unthinkable thing to have happened in such a place of sanctuary and care, but in the face of adversity, in true Great British spirit, hospice staff, volunteers and the community pulled out all the stops to make the hospice fit for the future.
Celia says the past year has been tough but the support of local people and organisations has been tremendous and made such a big difference. “It has helped us both to continue to provide our specialist palliative care to people with life-limiting illnesses across Hastings and Rother and also, through the Phoenix Appeal, to renovate the Hospice so that it can be a great asset to our community for years to come.
“We are truly grateful and could not have achieved it without the generosity of so many.”
The newly refurbished Hospice is set to re-open to in-patients and clinical staff on Monday, September 5.
The Observer Series has been honoured to support the Phoenix Appeal and Editor in Chief Gary Shipton says he is delighted that St Michael’s Hospice has reached its £1m Phoenix Appeal target and can now look to the future.
“To have raised £1m in less than a year is a fantastic achievement and testament to the generosity of the organisations, businesses and the local community - many of whom excelled themselves with a vast range of fundraising ideas and events,” he said.
“This is a truly wonderful result and the Observer has been proud to sponsor the appeal and to support a charity that is vital to our local community.”
Recently the Hospice invited members of the public, supporters and volunteers on guided tours to see the changes and improvements made to the building in the past year.
Visitors were taken through the reception/café area, along the ground floor in-patient ward, to an in-patient bedroom, highlighting features such as the low level lighting, flat screen wall-mounted TV, fridge and the calming colour palette and artwork. All bedrooms are ensuite, with a number of bedrooms also benefitting from hoists, allowing quick and easy movement to patients.
Visitors were impressed with what they saw. Comments included: “Absolutely brilliant. The hard work and dedication of all involved to achieve all of this, and have staff and patients back in 14 months, is outstanding.”
Another said: “The new Hospice looks like it has been well thought out and flows well – it must be the best in the country!”
Visit www.facebook.com/stmichaelshospice

You did it! St Michael’s hospice has risen from the ashes to soar like a Phoenix


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Sussex motorists who are travelling to Kent can now use the M20 motorway after it reopened following a bridge collapse.
Highways England said the northbound lanes were fully reopened and two out of three of the southbound lanes had reopened after being closed between junctions one and four for more than a day.
The collision on the M20 is causing problems for anyone driving to Kent. Picture: Eddie Mitchell
The closure comes after a lorry struck a footbridge in Kent yesterday, causing it to collapse. Read more here.
Prior to the reopening, Highways England south east operations manager Gary Coleman said everything was being done to reopen the motorway again, but safety had to come first both for workers and drivers.
“We are facing a real challenge to lift two HGVs and a motorbike clear of the scene and deal with all of the rubble from the collapsed bridge strewn across both carriageways. “There is also the issue of the remaining part of the footbridge, which is still in place over the coast-bound side of the motorway. We have crews on scene ready to take action as soon as the police have completed their investigation. We also have cranes en route and lighting so work can continue through the night.
“We are doing everything we can to safely reopen the motorway, but we’d ask drivers to please bear with us as this is a complex operation and it will take time and skill to complete. We’ll keep everyone updated.”
The collision on the M20 is causing problems for anyone driving to Kent. Picture: Eddie Mitchell
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TRAFFIC UPDATE: Motorway reopens after bridge collapse


Three artists from 1066 country present a diverse, bright and colourful collection of work over the bank holiday weekend at Bodiam Castle.
The show is called Three Colourful Ladies, and taking part are Dawn Timmins, Sarah Flack and Penny Nice. It is open from Saturday August 27 until Monday August 29 from 10-5pm.
Dawn is an emerging amateur artist who has lived in the Hastings and Rother area for over 30 years. She has always enjoyed drawing and creating for relaxation and as a hobby. Described as quirky, light hearted, colourful and local, her work reflects a love of people, the land, sea and the beach as inspiration. Many pictures have accompanying verses. Dawn has developed a firm following of collectors for her art work following successful exhibitions and is hoping to develop her artistic career.
Penny Nice uses her love of local sea and landscapes plus personal connections as inspiration for her beautifully vibrant and colourful watercolour paintings which she often overlays with pastel. Many people will have visited her wonderful open studios held at her beach hut and cannot fail to have been inspired and impressed.
Sarah Flack is a professional artist, painter and print maker. She is also a tutor of highly-respected, and well-attended art classes in and around Hastings, Bexhill, Eastbourne, Battle and Rye.
Sarah attended Hastings College and later studied for an MA at Camberwell College of Art. She was also artist in residence at Intaglio Print in London and has exhibited extensively.
Her work uses many subtle layers of colour to tell its stories, often reflecting spiritual experiences in a joyous celebration of colour.
Dawn commented: “About a year ago whilst enjoying a few glasses of wine at a barbecue the idea of an art show at Bodiam Castle was suggested by Kerry, a friend who works there.
This was gratefully accepted and then followed by much panic leading to enormous pleasure when Sarah Flack and Penny Nice agreed to to the show with me.
All three of us have very different artistic styles and backgrounds which has led to the development of a beautiful and diverse collection of work.”
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Diverse and vibrant collection of work from three of our local artists


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In our weekly column, Back of the Net Ltd round-up the week’s football in Sussex and Surrey
AFC Uckfield 2-0 Littlehampton Town FC
Back of the Net
AFC Uckfield recorded their first league victory of the season with a 2-0 home win against Littlehampton Town FC. They now have four points from their first three league games.
Their star man on the day was Andrew Dalhouse who scored both goals for the U’s. The goals came either side of half time in what looked a convincing victory. The match was not all plain sailing though as Littlehampton still looked dangerous and won a penalty for their troubles. The resulting kick was admirably saved by new signing Matt Dann, who is looking to solidify his place as the first choice keeper.
This was the perfect result for Uckfield going in to the Bank Holiday Monday fixture against title favourites Haywards Heath Town, who have won their opening three games and scored 13 goals in the process.
Chester 4-0 Sutton United
Sutton United’s three-game win streak came to an abrupt halt as they were hammered 4-0 at Chester, who themselves had not won in three games.
The U’s were undone by two early goals and two late goals, in a match that was played in heavy rain. Chester’s Blaine Hudson opened the scoring after three minutes, and the lead was doubled four minutes later when Ryan Lloyd tapped in after Sutton ‘keeper Ross Worner did well to save Kane Richard’s effort. The U’s came back at the hosts and had decent chances, but were denied by an excellent Jon Worsnop performance between the Chester sticks. The competition was over on 83 minutes when Tom Shaw converted a penalty, and Richards added insult to injury in added time with his first of the season.
It was a blow to the U’s who have enjoyed a strong start to their National League campaign, despite being brandished ‘just a pub team from Sutton’ by other supporters. Sutton host 2nd place Dagenham & Redbridge on Monday.
Chipstead 3-3 Hastings United
Chipstead allowed a three goal lead to slip as spoils were shared at High Road. Raheem Sterling-Parker put The Chips ahead from the penalty spot after only 7 minutes, having been bundled over by the visiting keeper. He had the chance to score a second penalty 5 minutes later, when he was upended by a defender, but saw his effort saved. A great team goal then set up Chris O’Flaherty to double the lead on 18 minutes, and he slotted home with just 3 minutes later for 3-0.
However, a spirited Hastings side didn’t give up and were back in the game on 24 minutes, when their in-form striker Jay May seized on to a loose ball in defence and scored. He then converted a penalty 3 minutes later and completed his hat trick on 33 minutes with a lob from well outside the penalty area. Both sides had chances to score in the second half, Hastings coming closest after hitting the woodwork, but the action never quite matched that of the busy first half.
Up next for the Chips is a visit to Carshalton Athletic on Monday.
Crawley Down Gatwick 2-3 Eastbourne Town
The Anvil’s poor start to the season continues, and are still looking for their first win of the season after Saturday’s home defeat to Eastbourne. It was a terrible start for the hosts, who found themselves two goals down at half time.
Manager Paul Cooper’s half time team talk clearly made an impact, as a completely regenerated side came out and eventually drew level through goals from Kerran Boylan and Oli Leslie. The Anvils pushed for a late winner, but were caught on the break, conceding a penalty after a desperate challenge. Wes Tate converted the penalty on 87 minutes to steal all three points and break Anvil hearts, who must now look ahead to their trip to Broadbridge Heath and attempt to bring an end to their bad form.
Crawley Town 1-3 Notts County
Dermot Drummy’s side had not been beaten in the league going into this game, and we sitting pretty in second in League 2. An entertaining first half with plenty of chances for both sides finished goalless, James Collins coming closest for Reds when he broke through one-on-one with the keeper, who tipped his shot agonisingly past the post. The hosts came flying out of the blocks in the second half, taking the lead on 47 minutes with Enzio Boldewijn’s cool low finish from a well worked Crawley corner. The lead didn’t last long though, after some sloppy defending resulted in Collins knocking a low cross into his own net on 54 minutes. The visitors were ahead 10 minutes later; Adam Campbell bending in a strike from a tight angle at the edge of the box into the bottom corner.
Crawley struggled to get back in to the game after that blow, and the game was over four minutes from time when Jon Stead fired in a penalty after Andre Blackman handled in the area. After the game, Drummy said “I’ve told the boys they need to keep their heads up. We go again on Tuesday and we stay together on this journey.”
Dorking FC 1-5 Ash United
Dorking FC continued their poor form after they conceded five goals for the second home match in a row. The game started strongly for the Chicks, but strong play in possession was squandered by lack of composure in the final third. They were punished when Ash took the lead, but drew an equaliser just before half time from Owen Hunt to see the second half open nicely for a good contest.
However, the whistle had only just blown for the second half when two goals in the space of two minutes from United killed off the game. Heads dropped and whilst Dorking tried to build their way back into the game, their tired and inexperienced legs saw the side concede another two goals.
Press officer Roger Mahony:
“The scoreline didn’t reflect balance of play; it reflects the inexperience of players in the squad. We have brought in a manager to recruit local, young players and make them better that won’t happen overnight. There is already progress in the team, and it was all us in the first fifteen minutes. The next thing is to cut out the silly mistakes; two of Ash’s goals were breakaways. 1-1 was fair at half time, we had a hatful of chances and when we grabbed the equaliser we thought we could push on. Their two goals meant it took a bit of time to get our heads up again, and we played well in the last 15 and created some great chances, and at 3-2 we could have had the lift. We probably need one or two experienced players to help the squad develop.”
Horley Town 2-1 Hanworth Villa FC
Horley Town are still unbeaten after a 2-1 victory against Hanworth Villa. At the start of the day Hanworth were top of the league and favourites to win the match, but goals from Wetton and Robson saw Horley snatch the three points.
The home side were dominant in the first half, with the first goal coming fifteen minutes in. New signings Kyle Hough and Tate Greenway worked a corner into the box for Richard Wetton to put in at the front post. Then in the 28th minute, the right back Scott Robson went on a solo run and hit a fierce strike into the bottom corner from 20 yards out.
Hanworth came out stronger in the second half and took one of their chances in the 65th minute to send a few scares around the New Defence. They continued to press but the Horley defence stayed strong and even threatened a third on the counter. After two wins and two draws, Horley now sit in 7th on eight points.
Manager Ant Jupp was happy with the result:
“It was a very tough game against an unbeaten Hanworth. The first half we were very good and totally dominated. Hanworth got more into the game in the second half as expected and got a goal with a neat finish. We defended them well and had a couple of chances to wrap it up late on but their keeper made some good saves. Overall, a very good 3 points. Now onto Epsom away which once again will be very tough.”
Hythe Town 3-3 Horsham
Horsham earned a point against Hythe Town on Saturday, who finished 4th in the Isthmian League Division One South last season. Matt Dale stated that before the game, which finished 3-3, the side “would be happy to take a point.” However, he also stated:
“It’s disappointing we couldn’t hold onto the lead when we were 2-0 and 3-2 up, but Hythe are a good side and we would have expected them to throw everything at us.”
Most importantly, he said:
“It’s a point that’s got us off the mark and hopefully we can build on that on Monday against Lewes.”
Leiston 2-0 Burgess Hill Town
An 80th minute goal and 86th minute penalty saw Leiston grab the points late against Burgess Hill Town.
Before the match, Leiston had won all four of their opening fixtures and looked in a strong position to do so again. The Hillians had a few good chances at the start of both halves, but for most of the game focused on remaining solid defensively and kept Leiston away from their box. It saw an impressive goal from Matt Blake to break the deadlock, and the game was over when Josh James took down the Leiston forward.
Burgess Hill will be hoping for better as they face Folkestone Invicta this Bank Holiday Monday; a win could see them propel from 15th up to 6th.
After the game Ian Chapman said:
“We played some good football at times and we defended well. We had good chances to take the lead early in the 2nd half. If we had taken that we may have been able to have held on and take something from the game. As we found last season, this league is about fine margins and they took their chances in the last ten minutes.”
Merstham 3-4 Hendon
Merstham kept their first clean sheet of the season against Folkestone Invicta last Tuesday, taking a 0-0 draw, despite the absence of right back Michael Abnett. However, on Saturday, the side were involved in a seven goal thriller against Hendon, losing 4-3. Dan Bennett opened the scoring after nine minutes, but an own goal from Marc Okoye shortly followed.
Hendon fought back, scoring two more goals before Merstham managed to pull a goal back approaching half time. The opposition restored a two goal margin in the second half, but the Moatsiders netted a third before the final whistle.
Newcastle 3-0 Brighton
After a confident 4-2 win over Oxford United in the EFL Cup last Tuesday, Brighton were defeated 2-0 by promotion rivals Newcastle. Despite this result, Brighton are only five points adrift of first place as the side have accumulated eight points in five games. 3-0 wins against Nottingham Forest and Rotherham in the league exemplify the firepower which the Seagulls possess with the likes of Glenn Murray and Tomer Hemed.
The side will take a break this weekend, but on Saturday 10th September Brighton host Brentford. Three days later, the Seagulls encounter first placed Huddersfield.
Oakwood 2-2 Storrington
Oakwood came from behind to take a point against Storrington on Saturday as the final result ended 2-2. The side conceded two goals in the first half, scored by Liam Bouzan and Ross Fraser. In the 73rd minute, Gerald Manville pulled a goal back. 2-1. At last, in the 87th minute, Jack McNab netted the equaliser which earned the team a point. This afternoon, the club will face Midhurst & Easebourne.
Redhill 1-2 Balham
A promising start to the season saw Redhill defeat St. Francis Rangers 4-1 in the FA Cup and also win their opening league fixture against Frimley Green, defeating the side 2-0. Three days later, the side lost 2-1 against Chessington & Hook United and suffered a 6-1 defeat in the FA Cup to Lewes on Saturday 20th August.
Over the weekend, the Reds were on the end of a 2-1 loss to Balham. The latter are new to the Combined Counties League, finishing 2nd in the Surrey Elite Intermediate League last season and subsequently earning promotion. Today, Redhill take a trip to Worcester Park and will encounter Eversley & California on Saturday.
Rochdale 1-1 AFC Wimbledon
AFC Wimbledon are yet to record their first win in League One this season after a 1-all draw against Rochdale. The Dons came excruciatingly close though after they conceded an equaliser from 10-man Rochdale in the 5th minute of added time at the end of the match.
The game started well for Wimbledon after a quick counter attack saw Andy Barcham open the scoring with a header in the 12th minute. But Dale looked increasingly strong as the match went on with Allen rattling the crossbar and Dons keeper Ryan Clarke making a host of saves. When Rochdale player Camps was sent off for a second yellow card in the 82nd minute, the game looked all but over. Yet in the 95th minute with the final attack, Allen whipped a corner in that Clarke diverted into his own net.
After the game, manager Neal Ardley was in a reflective mood:
“We’ve lost a little bit of quality with the ball. We had fleeting moments when we looked good, but too often in the second-half we made bad decisions and lacked quality... There is loads to work on, but we are certainly positive about what we are doing. I said to the boys afterwards that ‘we do not turn on each other’. Part of what we had last season and what we want this season is team spirit and an unbelievable work ethic. We will try to keep that going.”
Sittingbourne 2-0 South Park
South Park take on Surrey rivals Dorking Wanderers in the first qualifying round of the FA Cup on Friday 2nd September after defeating Phoenix Sports 2-1 on the 20th August. In the league, the Sparks lost 2-0 against Sittingbourne of the weekend but will face Guernsey FC this afternoon.
Southwick 1-2 Lingfield
After thrashing Halisham Town 5-0 in a cup fixture on Saturday 20th August, Lingfield carried that confidence into their following league game as the side defeated Southwick 2-1 at the weekend. A penalty in the 68th minute was converted by David Heaton, followed by another goal in the 74th minute by Dan Frith.
Tomorrow night, Lingfield face St. Francis Rangers on the road. Another couple of away trips follow, including fixtures against AFC Varndeanians, Seaford Town and Halisham.
Tooting & Mitcham United 2-1 Dorking Wanderers
Dorking Wanderers’ 100% start to the season is over after being beaten at Imperial Fields. The hosts took the lead after Jordan Wilson slotted home after 23 minutes. Wanderers then held firm after more pressure from Tooting & Mitcham, and were level just before half time when Tom Tolfrey, continuing his fine goalscoring form, converted a penalty.
Wanderers were behind again just after the break, failing to deal with a quickly-taken Tooting thrown-in, the ball found Danny Bassett who hit early to grab the winner. Dorking Wanderers now sit 5th in the Ryman League South Division table, ahead of the visit of Molesey on Monday.
Walton Casuals 1-0 Three Bridges
Three Bridges are still without a win this league campaign after losing away at Walton Casuals thanks to Gabriel Odunaike’s goal. It was a closely contested game throughout, but it was Odunaike who proved to be the difference; his 41st minute goal coming just 10 minutes after having one ruled out for offside.
The Bridges have not won in all competitions so far this season, but will be hoping their luck changes on Bank Holiday Monday when they host Goldalming Town, who are yet to pick up a point in the league.
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Back of the Net: Sussex and Surrey football round-up


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This coming August weekend the Rye Jazz & Blues Festival will draw music lovers from across the South East with a feast of top class ticketed and free music performances.
Headline concerts on Saturday August 27 with UK Queen of Soul Mica Paris have been in high demand and organisers are delighted to announce additional standing tickets at £15. Acclaimed jazz singers Liane Carroll and Joe Stilgoe perform on Monday and there are a handful of seats still available plus standing tickets just released at £10.
Book through the festival website www.ryejazz.com - tickets may also be available on the door.
Today (Friday) sees Sky Arts Guitar Stars, Zayn Mohammed and Steve Morrison perform on the outdoor stage at the Kino Cinema from 7pm onwards. You can also experience the coolest Latin Jazz with Jazz Train at the Grapevine Champagne and Jazz Bar from 8pm and Andy Williams solo jazz guitar performs at La Maison boutique from 6pm. The Rye Bay Crew swing into the weekend at the Queens Head Rye from 8.30pm.
The weekend sees a vast number of performances across town with the Brass Funkeys at various locations in Rye, The Brillos, Louis Turpin and his Trio, Zoe Schwarz Blue Commotion, Kandela Mi Son, The Fabulous Red Diesel, Dom Pipkin’s band the Ikos, and Rod Pooley’s Funky Organ Trio, King Size Slim, Dave Barrett Jazz Trio, Carter Burton Trio, Manhattan Magic, Paul Richards & his Latin Trio perform the coolest Bossa Nova’s and Samba rhythms from 12.00 Midday at the Butter Market. On Sunday Rye Cricket Club hosts a fun family day of music and BBQ with the Jazz Nights All Stars from midday.
Monday has a unique solo jazz performance at the Grapevine with New Orleans pianist Dom Pipkin from 3pm, following Paul Richards and his Latin Trio from midday at the Butter Market. Violet Jive perform at the Kino outdoor stage from 3pm and the Jazz Funk Giants perform outside Simply Italian from 3pm. The old Borough Arms host the Paul Richards Latin Duo at 3pm and the Turpin Hubbard Blues Duo see out the weekend in style at the Ship Inn from 4pm.
For more updates or booking www.ryejazz.com.
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