Posts by Rottingdean | Rottingdean

Rottingdean In Bloom – South & South East in Bloom awards

September 22, 2016 by Rottingdean Leave a Comment

Our village did extremely well when the results of the South & South East in Bloom awards were announced, to an audience of some 400 delegates at the presentation in Fareham, held on Wednesday 14th September, which were as follows: –

Large Conservation area
Beacon Hill Nature Reserve – Gold

Heritage Park & Gardens
The Grange – Silver Gilt (Out of 200 points we were just 2 short of Gold)

Church Grounds
St. Margaret’s Parish Church – Silver Gilt and Category Winner (Out of 200 points we were just 3 short of Gold)

Then on the following afternoon the Brighton & Hove City in Bloom awards were held and our two entries won first prizes throughout the entire City namely: –

The Best Street Urban Area
Rottingdean High Street (Joint First)

Best Community Garden
The Grange

JaxMar Gallery Now Officially Open

September 21, 2016 by Rottingdean Leave a Comment

The JaxMar Gallery was officially launched on 4 August 2016 by his Worshipful the Honourable Mayor of Brighton and Hove Cllr Pete West.

It is a family run gallery which showcases an eclectic collection of Art from Africa. Our mantra is Ubuntu, an old African saying that encapsulates the need for community. “I am because you are.”
A saying which is indicative of how interwoven all our lives are and how a tapestry of connections allow us to love, respect and rely on our neighbours.

Having chosen Rottingdean as the place to establish our gallery, we value our community both here and in Saltdean.

We have, already, as we’re adjacent to the Martlets Hospice charity shop completed a 24 hour painting challenge where we painted non stop in a bid to raise funds for this community charity. We exceeded our target of £300.

The JaxMar gallery has also redecorated the Saltdean community hall behind the lido with a fresh lick of paint and spanking new curtains in an effort to create a welcoming clean fresh place for the community to enjoy.

At our gallery we want to make Art accessible to all where it can be appreciated but not in an intimidating environment.

Our collection is affordable yet showcases contemporary artists whose work are showcased in other galleries in South Africa and some of whom have had international exhibitions.

We celebrate African culture and community with our vibrant works and through this are able to increase our philanthropic efforts via our family based philanthropic establishment, The Wheatfield Estate Foundation Trust (WEFT) which has ploughed thousands of pounds into educating disadvantaged students in South Africa, taken a keen interest in feeding the hungry and homeless and also assisting in small ways with the elderly.

The gallery also exhibits handmade beadwork ranging from necklaces and bracelets to a full-sized lion affectionately named Simba.

The artisans who produce this work are supported by the gallery via WEFT and we endeavour to educate them or their families via the proceeds generated from sales.

We celebrate the attention to detail by the artisans and all the quirky attributes that are indicative of handmade goods. We also showcase recycled goods and have a majestic animal Springbok head made from up cycled coke cans.

Please pop in and meet Jax and Michael the owners or any one of our daughters, Gemma and Isabella or our sons George and Alfie.

Continue reading “JaxMar Gallery Now Officially Open” »

Russian billionaire drops by Rottingdean on his UK cruise

September 17, 2016 by Rottingdean 1 Comment

Motor Yacht A, a luxury motor yacht apparently belonging to the Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko can be seen this afternoon anchored off the coast between Rottingdean and Ovingdean. Currently cruising it is on its way from London.

The unconventional designed Motor Yacht A was designed by Philippe Starck and engineered by naval architect Martin Francis. The yacht was built by the Blohm + Voss shipyard in Kiel, and
refitted in Auckland two and a half years ago and has a crew of 42, gross weight of 5959 tonnes, is 118 metres long, a beam of 18 metres and draft of 5.5 metres. It has no fewer than three swimming pools (including one with a glass floor), luxurious cabins and is one of the 25 largest superyachts in the world.

For anyone interested, the owner put the vessel on the market earlier this year for around $300 million!

Queen Vic Community Choir

September 14, 2016 by Rottingdean 3 Comments

It’s a very big Saturday for The Queen Vic this week!

Firstly, They’ve got the Cambria Choir travelling down from London for their annual Summer jolly. Their performance last year was just phenomenal – utterly chaotic, loud fun – our favourite kind of fun! Two-dozen or so voices filling their little pub is spine-tingling stuff!

Secondly, they’re launching our very own Queen Vic Choir! Their very own community choir – audition-free, purely for pleasure, and rehearsing in Rottingdean. The aim isn’t to produce concert-hall standard singing, but to enjoy the unique pleasure that comes from singing as part of a group.

They have some great talent lined up to lead the choir, but they are waiting till they have members signed up so can agree rehearsal schedules and the like. Let them know you’re interested by emailing choir@thequeenvic.co.uk and we’ll be in touch!

Here’s the Cambria Choir performing at their home this Summer. Pure joy!

https://www.facebook.com/CambriaChoir/videos/vb.719834764805106/997324840389429/

Beacon Hill LNR AGM and Open Public Meeting Friday 16th September 2016

September 13, 2016 by Rottingdean Leave a Comment

Friends Of Beacon Hill would like to invite you to the evening meeting (16th September, 19:30 at the Whiteway Centre), where we will be holding our AGM to give you an update of the activities of Friends Of Beacon Hill (FOBH) over the past year and our future plans.

This year, in addition to our usual update, a few of our committee members have reached the end of their current term and we be holding elections for these positions (treasurer, committee member x3) at the end of the meeting. If you would like details of members standing for re-election or are interested in standing yourself, please contact us by email or come along to one of the work sessions before the AGM.

The next Friends of Beacon Hill Work session is on Thursday the 15th of September. (meeting at the notice board near the Longhill road entrance to the reserve at 10am).

We look forward to seeing you at either the work sessions or the AGM (or both).

Please find attached the agenda for the meeting on the 16th – bhlnr-agm-agenda.pdf

THE GRANGE ART GALLERY. 6th – 18th OCTOBER. ROB UPWARD’S EXHIBITION “HIGH AND LOW”

September 6, 2016 by Rottingdean Leave a Comment

“In my latter years, I have travelled extensively, and have become fascinated by the predominant colours in different landscapes; for example, the red/brown vastness of the Nullarbor Plain in Central Australia, the black lava fields of Hawaii, and the haunting pale blues and greens of the Alaskan glaciers.”

Rob Upward’s words give the title to his exhibition: called “High and Low”, because his paintings show varied colours and landscapes from mountains to sea.

Rob was born on the Isle of Wight, but has lived in Saltdean for many years. His working life was in Special Education, for twenty years he was head teacher of a Brighton Special School. He admits that he had no formal art training beyond A-level, but spanning these working years painting was always a hobby, a form of relaxation; he describes himself then as a Sunday Painter. But with retirement, came more time to take his art work more seriously.

“I learnt new techniques, styles, used a range of media. Although I have worked in water colour and gouache, I have found the immediacy and vibrancy of acrylics best suited to my painting. More recently, I have attended a series of life-drawing classes to include, where appropriate, the human figure in my landscapes.”

This will be Rob’s fifth one-person show at the Grange Art Gallery. He has also had exhibitions at the Crypt Gallery in Seaford and in a Brighton coffee shop in the Laines. He says that he has been particularly influenced by the French impressionists, and the Canadian group of seven artists. But essentially, he now tries to paint the world, and more recently the people in it, as he sees it.

“I paint because I have to, it’s a compulsion – more than a hobby.”

Marian Philips

Can You Hear Those Distant Drums Getting Louder?

September 5, 2016 by Rottingdean Leave a Comment

Picture by Roz Bassford-South

Can you hear those distant drums getting louder? Have you heard loud bangs coming from the beach at night? Worry not, your ears do not deceive you…. As Autumn approaches, Rottingdean Smugglers are on the march. We can’t wait for the nights to draw in, the weather to cool and the drumming to start.

This year, on 3rd December, Rottingdean celebrates once again its iconic Smugglers Night, which combines all kinds of fire, noise, light and devilry in a unique coastal setting. Our Smugglers Night marks our proud piratical history, whilst also giving us an excuse to throw a pre-Christmas party that our rabble-rousing ancestors would have been proud of. Everyone is invited, from the little to the mighty, because back in them ol’ smuggling days, even the clergy were at it.

As anticipation builds in the afternoon, children can do face-painting, create sculptures to carry in the procession, meet Father Christmas or watch a puppet show from 2pm. Adults can get in the spirit in one of our 5 historic pubs, all serving incredible food to fuel you for marching and merry-making. During the festival atmosphere, with stalls and shops offering snacks, drinks and goodies, you can watch the incredible Blind Veterans walking across fire at the Terraces from 4.30pm.

At 7pm we gather hundreds of like-minded pirates and smugglers together to march with flaming torches through the village streets, gathering on the Green to remember Rudyard Kipling to the backing track of hypnotic drumming from the talented bands of Sussex. On the beacon by the ancient windmill, the bangers will begin, marking the beginning of the march back to the beach.

From the floodlit Terraces (ideal for wheelchairs and buggies) you can watch the giant pirate ship get set on fire as the crowds gather and anticipation rises for the fireworks.

The incredible finale at 8.30pm comes as fireworks more awe-inspiring than ever before bang, swoop and blow up the night sky, reflected in the inky sea where so many past misdemeanors have taken place.

Of course, thousands of pirates and smugglers cannot organise themselves. Volunteers most welcome: a great time is guaranteed with a smuggler’s handshake. If you can help, please contact email info@rottindeansmugglers.co.uk.

AUTUMN ART EXHIBITIONS AT THE GRANGE

August 31, 2016 by Rottingdean Leave a Comment

In October and November, the Grange Art Gallery opens its doors to wide ranging and thought provoking exhibitions. Prepare to have your ideas and perceptions challenged.

6 – 18 October. Rob Upward. “High and Low.”
This is Rob Upward’s fifth one-person exhibition at the Grange Art Gallery, and he has called it “High and Low”, because his thirty paintings look at landscape from mountains to sea. “I have become fascinated by the predominant colours in different landscapes; for example, the red-brown vastness of the Nullarbor Plain in Australia, the black lava fields of Hawaii.”

20 October – l November. Amanda Davidson. “Imagination. Dead Imagine” (Samuel Beckett)
Amanda Davidson is a published children’s book illustrator, author, who works mainly in pen and ink, watercolour, oils and acrylic. In this exhibition, shared with Vince Donlin, they explore the meaning of self, perception, bereavement, imagination, love and life in paint.

23-15 November. Society of Sussex Painters.
“The work of members has always been fresh, lively, contemporary” says Barry Hinchliff, the society’s president. And this year’s exhibition will show the work of fifteen to twenty Sussex artists, each contributing up to four pieces of work. The society was formed in 1924. Since then, they have had annual and bi-annual shows, very often at The Grange.

17 – 29 November. Jim MacAirt. “Zen TV”
“We are mesmerized with phones, i-pads and widescreen tvs. I see that we are trapped in devices,” says Jim MacAirt. In this exhibition, he offers an antithesis to today’s intense preoccupation with watching. Showing abstractions, images that require no dialogue or theory.

Marian Philips

ROTTINGDEAN IN BLOOM AUGUST 2016

August 13, 2016 by Rottingdean Leave a Comment

Once again, our small band of willing volunteers has been working feverishly to enhance the village and where the containers are concerned, we have endeavoured to adopt our National colours in acknowledgement of the Queen’s 90th Birthday year.

Also, the response for the hanging basket sponsorships has been overwhelming, to a point where there were no other viable lamppost brackets available. To all those subscribers, we offer our grateful appreciation for your support as, without these financial contributions, we would find it difficult to make ends meet. These sentiments equally apply to our own Parish Council and the B & HCC’s Sustainability Grant which, over and above all our other expenditure, allows us to carry forward a modest reserve into next year.

As for the two regional competitions: Beacon Hill Nature Reserve, The Grange and St. Margaret’s Church grounds have again been re-entered for the South and South East in Bloom awards and the village High Street, Nevill Road and The Grange have been nominated for the City in Bloom contests, each in their respective categories, in the hope that our achievements may be even more fruitful than hitherto.

Both results will be published in our next issue, but any of us attending the S & SEIB presentations will need to travel to Farnham in Surrey instead of the Amex Stadium just up the road, as has been the case for the last two years and finally if there is anyone else who would like to assist either physically or financially, I will be extremely pleased to hear from you on 01273 302431.

Harold Williams

200 CLUB JUNE PRIZE DRAW

August 13, 2016 by Rottingdean Leave a Comment

I am pleased to announce the JUNE results as follows:

1st – PETER LEIGH – £50.00 – Rottingdean Resident
2nd – SUZANNE RAYMOND – £25.00 – Friend of Rottingdean
3rd – IRENE SKINNER – £15.00 – Rottingdean Resident
4th – TRACY COOPER – £10.00 – Friend of Rottingdean

The July draw has been purposely delayed, in order to reconcile all the current Bankers Standing Orders and therefore this will take place, together with the August Draw, in NatWest Bank – Peacehaven Branch early in the month.

So far, the response has been extremely encouraging, but any last minute punters still have a few more days to join the “club”, where the Post Office or Madwaxcandles in the High Street, hold the necessary application forms and the lucky numbered receipt books.

Alternatively, you can give me a call on 01273 302431, when I will arrange to provide you with the respective application form, and to all members we wish you the very best of good fortune during the coming year.