Yapton & Ford John Dickeson 01243 551972 PARISH COUNCIL: Ford Parish Council at their meeting in January received a report on the insurance for the Memorial Gardens. The garden and furniture is valued at £3,300 and the premium per annum is £41.73. This has had to be taken out because of the vandalism suffered in the past. The insurance will cover this, although there will be an excess to pay in the event of another costly attack.

The Village Hall millennium clock has been installed although Yapton Parish Council were unsuccessful in their application for a grant to help fund it. The parish council will consider paying a sum towards it when the final account is received.

Appeal by Gleeson Homes re the site near Burndell Road: A letter has been sent to the Department of the Environment in support of Arun District Council's request for the Inspector to take into consideration the material changes, e.g. the new draft of the Local Pan and comments made on an appeal decision for houses in Aldingbourne. This will further delay a decision on the application.

A request for a donation by the Samaritans was awarded £50.

The final item in the agenda was the precept for the coming year. After considerable discussion it was decided to increase this to £8,000 from £7,000, a relatively small amount and the first rise in four years.

Forest Row and Ashurst Wood Pauline Maynard 01342 823618

RECITAL: An evening of Chopin piano music will be performed by Adolfo Barabine at the Christian Community Centre, Forest Row, tomorrow at 8pm. Entrance on the door, £6 and £4 concessions.

FOR BUDDING WRITERS: Are you returning to work or study and need to brush up on your writing skills? If so, there is a free introductory session on how to accomplish essays, projects, reports, proposals, articles etc, on Wednesday between 9.30 and 11am in the Community Centre in Forest Row.

The session will be led by writer and journalist Monica Suswin, who will advise on how to find the time to write, how to make space and how to juggle your way through the demands of family and study.

This free introductory session will be followed by a Succeed with Writing Tasks course commencing on Wednesday, February 16. Further information from Terry Harrington on (01342) 823410.

WINDOW DISPLAYS: Cadari won the first prize in the Forest Row Festive Window Display competition over the Christmas period with Foresta Travel coming second. The competition was run by the parish council and the awards will be presented at the open parish meeting on May 2.

CONCERTS: Forest Row Orchestra is giving a concert at 11am on Saturday in the Freshfield Hall. The programme includes Bizet's Carrillion and Sarandalo, a clarinet concerto by Anton Dimmler and Schubert's Unfinished Symphony. The soloist is Paul Riley.

Proceeds will go towards the Forest Row School's Click On project. Tickets are £3 on the door and coffee will be served in the interval. The orchestra would warmly welcome some more string players of Grade IV and above. Ring Heather Douch on 822241.

Sussex Cantorum are giving a concert on Saturday at Our Lady and St Peter's Church in East Grinstead at 8pm. It features local musicians and soloists and the work of Nick Nye, a local teacher, who composed the words of The Cry of the Unicorn to music by Simon Austin, who conducts the Cantorum.

Other works in the programme include music by Josquin, Schutz, Monteverdi, Haydn, Parry, Poulenc and Bach. Tickets are available from Bullfrog Music

on 01342 315602, or the church itself, and are priced at £7 with

£5 concessions to include refreshments.

eastbourne Dee Sharpe 01323 649986

FOR OVER-55s: Eastbourne Central U3A is a club for the over 55s who are interested in life and learning.

They meet regularly at the Friends Meeting House in Wish Road in Eastbourne. Study groups including biographies, computer literacy, crime and thriller fiction, current affairs, play-reading, poetry and verse, music appreciation and many more, meet on a regular basis in members' homes or classrooms donated by Eastbourne College of Arts and Technology.

Talks and lectures usually take place at the main meetings on Thursday afternoons. Recent talks have included Common Market and the Single Currency, Heritage Coastline, Travels in Romania and the World Wide Internet. There are also all-day Saturday courses usually held at one of the two local universities.

Members are from all walks of life, with or without any formal qualifications. To find out more phone 504641.

SAATCHI DONATIONS: An exhibition of works which were donated by Charles Saatchi is at the Towner Art Gallery in Church Street until March 26. The exhibition includes artists whose works were part of the 1997 Sensation show at London's Royal Academy of Arts. Saatchi donated them to the Arts Council in 1999.

Lancing Gordon White 01903 761910

ORCHIDS: The next meeting of the Southern Counties Orchid Society takes place at the de Brocks Suite, Lancing Manor Leisure Centre, on Wednesday at 7.30pm. If you have an orchid plant bring it along because the point of discussion this month is potting and problems. On Saturday, March 11, our annual show is to be held at the Durrington Community Centre from 11.30am-4.30pm.

THANKS: Lancing Rangers Football Club thank all those who supported their Christmas bazaar where the grand sum of £770 was raised in aid of funds.

FASHION: The NSPCC Rose Fashion Roadshow will present ladies' fashions at the Methodist Church Hall, Chester Avenue, Lancing, on behalf of the NSPCC Lancing District on Tuesday, February 29, at 7.45pm. Tickets only £2.50. Phone Mrs Collins on 01903 764406.

JAZZ: At 8.30 tonight, the Marquis of Granby, Sompting, present Pat Halcox, Chris Barber's trumpet player for 40 years, plus Sid Bailey's Tailgate Six with Sid on trombone, Bob Jenkins clarinet, Stan Morrison banjo, John Boyett bass and Ken Saunders drums.

KNOLL & WEST NEVILL Glenys Bowley 01273 882050

COMMUNITY CENTRE: Regular events at St Richard's Community Centre each week include:

Local teenagers continue to run a successful coffee bar at St Richard's every Wednesday evening between 9-11am.

Knoll lunch club every Thursday afternoon, 12-2.30pm. Lunch is followed by bingo. Transport may be available. Contact 414483.

Knoll After-School Club, Monday-Thursday 3.45-6pm. £1.25 per session. If more than one child in family £1 per session. Call Anna on 410858.

The After School Club are currently looking for volunteers. If you would like to gain experience of supervising and assisting children between five and 12 with mixed abilities in a variety of activities, send a SAE to: Knoll After School Club, St Richard's Community Centre, Egmont Road, Hove, BN2 2EB, for more information.

Bingo at St Richard's every Thursday and Saturday evenings, 7.15-9.15pm.

Are you interested in photography, developing and printing, or just want to find out how to get the best of your camera? There is a free open evening on these and other photography related issues for all local residents at St Richard's on Tuesday, 7-9.30pm. Call Fintan on 410858.

Saltdean and Rottingdean Ray Wootton 01273 302872

DIARY DATES: Saltdean's St Nicholas Pre-school playgroup are holding a jumble sale at St Nicholas church Hall on Saturday, 10am-1pm.

Also on Saturday, Saltdean Primary School PTA present Micky Hart and the Hartbreakers. Tickets from the school office.

Saltdean and District Horticultural Society hold their monthly meeting at St Nicholas' Church Hall on Monday at 8pm. Robin Stone, will talk about Companion Planting.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.