Crawley News – Summer 2009

June 17, 2009

Ex-Woolworths Management Team open Toy Shop in Crawley

Stephen Barnes and Mark Buschhaus were the assistant and store manager of Crawley Woolworths, which sadly closed its doors for the last time on the 3rd January after Woolworths Plc had gone into administration. Stephen from East Grinstead, and Mark, father of three from Crawley, had between them worked for Woolworths for 23 years. In January, they and 60 colleagues of the Crawley branch were all made redundant, which was probably one of the hardest times of their careers for all involved. It wasn’t just work, it was like a family, with some colleagues having been there for over thirty years. The whole store team still meet every four weeks, to catch up with friends, and share information on any job vacancies in the local area. In February, after feedback from family and friends, and following Woolworths and the Disney store going in January, they felt there was definitely a gap in Crawley town centre for a toy/party shop. From this, the idea of the Toy Barnhaus was hatched, to deliver pocket money priced toys, plus key brands, and a one stop shop for children’s parties. From the initial idea to store opening in only six weeks, a great deal of support was used from previous store managers and ex-colleagues to achieve this. The keys to the shop were only obtained a week before the grand opening on the 28th March, with fixtures and stock all arriving and being set up within this short period. There was great interest from the local press, with pieces appearing on local TV, radio, and in newspapers. Since opening, the support from past and new customers, friends and family has been amazing, and being an independent store now, they are able to listen to what customers want, and change what they sell according to that feedback. With new ranges of children’s dressing up costumes, kids lunchboxes, and an extensive range of puzzles being added, there will always be something new for customers to see. Mark and Stephen look forward to seeing you soon at the Toy Barnhaus on the upper level in the County Mall.

Active toddler group arrives!

Wiggle Jiggle Story Club is a unique, interactive toddler group which aims to stimulate and entertain 2-5 year olds through fun storytelling, incorporating play, songs and movement. There’s a chance to meet cheeky Wiggle the sock puppet and Jiggle the tickly spider glove too! The club positively encourages child participation, fuelling imaginations and building confidence. The group is run by Tracy Nampala, a mum and children’s TV producer with 7 years experience of producing pre-school shows for CBeebies, Disney and Channel Five. The Story Club is based on childrens’ amazing ability to find the magic in everyday objects. Things that are familiar to every child like a cardboard box, kitchen roll, pots and pans are crucial to each story. Each child sitting inside their cardboard box excitedly prepares to launch into space in their shiny rockets! A kitchen roll becomes a pirate’s telescope and a thrilling treasure hunt commences! Wiggle Jiggle Story Club includes regular songs (the Welcome Song, the Wiggle Jiggle Warm Up Song and the Goodbye Song) as well as ditties relevant to each active story adventure. Wiggle Jiggle Story Club will be making its exciting debut in Crawley, June 2009. The weekly 1 hour sessions will be pre-booked.

Crawley have a new Craft Fair

The fair (in Queens Square) will start on Sunday the 21st of June from 10:00 to 4:00pm and be repeated at Christmas on Saturday the 12th December. Crawley Town Centre Partnership is launching this new event as part of Crawley festival. This exciting event will combine stalls from Crawley’s permanent craft community at Tilgate Park with work from many more local artists. Visitors to Queens Square (in the town centre near the mall) will be able to browse and buy unique quality local crafts from the stalls. There will be children’s craft activities including paint your own pottery and face painting. Live music will be provided by musicians in the band stand. Interested in exhibiting artwork? 28 3 x 3 meter spaces are available to crafts people now for only £30. (Spaces can be split up between several artists). Please contact: Kirsteen Benson Bagsythat Pottery, Tilgate Park, Crawley, RH105PQ  crawleyfair@yahoo.co.uk www.crawleycraftfair.co.uk

Do something brilliant with a Bike!

The NSPCC is calling on families in the Crawley, Horsham and surrounding areas to do something brilliant with their bike this summer and join hundreds taking up the BIG BIKE RIDE challenge and raise money to change childrens’ lives. The Sussex BIG BIKE RIDE, sponsored by Network Rail on Sunday 19th July heads off from the stunning grounds of Christ’s Hospital School, Horsham, and you can choose from one of three fantastic off road routes: 25km Castle Loop A great challenge for those who need to get back on their bike, this mixed terrain route goes via Sedgwick Park and Castle ruins. 50km River Route – this undulating route, partly traffic free, heads south along the Downs link to the River Adur before returning back to the school via some great off road tracks. 75km Devils Trail – a tough challenge which reaches the South Downs and climbs the renowned Devils Dyke for some amazing views, before returning on a variety of country lanes and off-road tracks. There will also be music, food, drink and plenty of support for you and your bike so it’s set to be a great day! The entry fee is £10 and includes your full event pack plus a BIG BIKE RIDE t-shirt and medal on the day. The event is open to anyone over the age of 12 years and all under 16s must be accompanied by an adult. Alternatively, why not organise your own BIG BIKE RIDE for you and your friends? It couldn’t be easier! All you need to do is sign up for your free organiser’s pack and set a date and distance. Ask your friends, family and colleagues if they’d like to join you, then set yourself a sponsorship target and complete your challenge! By raising sponsorship for taking part you will be supporting the NSPCC Child’s Voice Appeal to ensure that no child’s cry for help goes unheard. So go on, do something brilliant with your bike and raise money for the Child’s Voice Appeal – together we can help to ensure every child has someone to turn to. To find out more, visit www.bigbikeride.co.uk or call 0845 130 3073

The Ultimate Kids Camp

Guaranteed peace of mind for parents and maximum FUN for kids! Barracudas camps have seventeen years of experience in providing activities for children, between the ages of 4 ½ to 16 years. From two small camps in 1992, Barracudas wide range of activities and friendly staff has proved popular enough to merit 26 exciting locations throughout the South East of the UK, with one located in Horsham, West Sussex. Barracudas is the only activity day camp operator in the UK to be listed in OFSTED’s ‘Outstanding providers list’! Consequently, parents can be sure that their child is in safe hands. The Camps motto is to ‘give every child such an amazing experience they can’t wait to come back’ and staff are so sure of delivering this, that if it is a child’s first time at the camp and they do not enjoy it parents will get a complete refund and a £10 voucher.Children will experience enormous enjoyment, trying activities such as archery, trampoline, motor sports, football, swimming, circus skills, dance and drama, to name but a few! All activities are included in the standard price, from just £114.50 per week*. That’s equivalent to an amazing £22.90 per day and definitely the best value activity day camp around for parents today. The Camps are open Monday to Friday, from 8.30am- 5.30pm. Busy parents can also take advantage of the Early and Late Clubs, which extend the day from 8am – 6pm. Thousands of parents have already booked their children into Barracudas Multi-Activity Day Camps for this summer, with 2009 once again set to be a fun packed and successful year! To receive a FREE full colour brochure and DVD, call Barracudas on 0845 123 5299 or visit www.barracudas.co.uk. *subject to availability

Celebrities support Billingshurst Infant School’s Summer Sizzler

This year Billingshurst Infant School & FOTSA (Friends of the School Association) will be holding their annual Summer Sizzler on Saturday 4th July 2009 11am until 1.30pm. The theme of this year’s Sizzler is Cowboys and the Wild West. Entry is £1 per family, which includes entry into the children’s fancy dress competition and a goody bag for the first 200 families. One of the main attractions of the day will be the celebrity auction, the school has managed to obtain more than 20 signed items from a temperamental 3 star Michelin chef to sporting heroes for the event. A list of the items is detailed below. The auction is open to everyone and there are three ways to bid on your item:-

Via e-mail fotsa@hotmail.com

By posting your bid to the school – please mark the envelope clearly with the word AUCTION

Finally, in person on the day at the Sizzler

Your bid will be acknowledged and we will inform you if you have been out bided on your item. PLEASE DO NOT PHONE THE SCHOOL, AS THESE BIDS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. The money raised will go towards a new fish tank and a tree house in the outdoor play area. Miss Serena Nicholls, Acting Headmistress commented “This promises to be a fantastic event for the whole family. FOTSA have been extremely busy thinking up creative ideas for activities and entertainment. Come along and join in with the fun!”

Going on a Bear Hunt

Adapted from the picture book written by Michael Rosen and illustrated by Helen Oxenbury WE’RE GOING ON A BEAR HUNT brings this ever popular Smarties Book Prize winner to life for children age 3 plus. Director Sally Cookson’s loving adaptation and Benji Bower’s versatile score will enthral children as they journey through the gigantic swishy swashy grass, the splishy splashy river and the thick oozy, squelchy mud. Children’s Laureate, Michael Rosen has been described by Poetry critic Morag Styles as “one of the most significant figures in contemporary children’s poetry.” Hardly surprising when Rosen has been involved with over 140 books and anthologies, including You Wait Til I’m Older Than You, Lunch Boxes Don’t Fly, No Breathing In Class and of course We’re Going On A Bear Hunt. Join in the hunt and don’t be scared – it’s time to find out what surprise awaits you in the cave on the other side of the forest! Book now for performances on 1st and 2nd July.

Julian Clary Adds a touch of magic to Cinderella!

Comedian, television presenter and all-round entertainer, Julian Clary will add a touch of sparkle to the Hawth Theatre’s family pantomime, Cinderella, this Christmas. The most popular pantomime title of them all will be turned into a dazzling production complete with an abundance of comedy, stunning sets, outrageous costumes and even Shetland ponies, and will have the Hawth Theatre’s hallmark of quality entertainment for all ages. Julian, who brings his unique and original humour to the role of Dandini – Prince Charming’s aide de camp, said: “I’m really looking forward to appearing in Cinderella this Christmas. This is a glittering production of the most famous fairy story of all time and will really bring the spectacle and magic of pantomime to Crawley this festive season.” Produced and staged by Qdos Entertainment, the world’s largest pantomime producer, tickets for Cinderella are already flying out through to door, so don’t leave it any longer to book otherwise not even your Fairy Godmother will be able to get you at ticket! Cinderella runs at Crawley’s Hawth Theatre from 12 December 2009 to 3 January 2010.

Pitter Patterns first impressions

A company based in Surrey, Pitter Patterns captures your child’s first impressions, whether it be their fingerprint, hand or foot print or even a piece or art work. Helen Marcroft started the company in 2007, after having graduated from the Kent Institute of Art and Design, where she was awarded a BA Hons in silversmithing, goldsmithing and jewellery design. Helen originally started off as a designer jeweller, handcrafting one off bespoke pieces from her studio based in Surrey. After having her daughter and trying to juggle looking after her baby with her career, an all too familiar thing to mums, Helen started Pitter Patterns. Before long she realised how popular the demand was for fingerprint jewellery and now in 2009 the collection has greatly expanded. As well as offering baby keepsakes and wedding jewellery, this year will see the launch of Paw Print Jewellery. If you are an animal lover make sure you check the website to keep updated. The range of fine imprinted jewellery includes charms, pendants, necklaces, bracelets, key rings, cufflinks and similar. Each piece is engraved with the child’s name and presented in a stylish gift box. Impressions are taken by appointment, via a casting kit or there is always the option of hosting a Pitter Patterns Print Party. Pitter Patterns are now taking impressions on a regular basis at various venues across Surrey and Sussex. They will be visiting Mini Mayhem on a regular basis, a great new play area on the top floor on the County Mall in Crawley; as well as Sugar and Spice – your local baby store in East Grinstead. For further information, please contact Helen Marcroft. www.pitterpatterns.co.uk helen@pitterpatterns.co.uk or 01737 773768

Eric publishes his second book!

My name is Eric Richardson. I am 15 years old and I go to the Weald school in Billingshurst. Just over a month ago I received the proof copy of my new book, ‘The Medtak Curse’ from the publishers. This is the second book I have had published. It was incredibly exciting peeling away the packaging and seeing the cover’s artwork for the first time. There, in front of me, in full colour was the fantasy monster that I had created. Two and a half years ago had been a thrilling time when I launched my first book, ‘The Brink of Chaos’ when I was 12 years old, but this time it is even better because I already know that there are people waiting to read the next instalment…. ‘The Medtak Curse’ is the second in the trilogy and the land of Richareme remains in the deathly grip of tyrannical Lord Ladracsin. The heroes, Harthor, the mighty cleric, Zuboko, the half orc druid and Aerlyn and Lexon, the wood elf siblings continue in their quest to free the land from terror. To do so they must cross the mythical Medtak Bridge and overcome its multitude of demonic guardians. Only then, can they reach the malevolent city of Rakshar , home to Lord Ladracsin and his evil acolytes. The novel is a tale of heroic deeds and bloodcurdling adventure! I started to write the sequel as soon as the first novel was launched but it has been quite a long process as school work and exams have taken priority. I feel that my writing has matured with ‘The Medtak Curse’ and hope that the readers will be left thirsty for the final chapter in the Rakshar trilogy… Waterstones invited me back for another book signing to launch the fantasy adventure when it hit the shelves at the end of March. It was really great to see people excited at the prospect of reading something that I had written and it was a real buzz that they wanted me to sign copies for them. The Medtak Curse is available to buy from Waterstones and also to order from Amazon. From the sales of ‘The Brink of Chaos’ I donated 10% of the proceeds to my school’s ‘Africa Project’ which was raising money to build classrooms out in Kenya and as they are still fund raising I will do the same with ‘The Medtak Curse’.

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