Site member briefing on what’s what, and this and that…

First up…

The upcoming Homeward Bound Festival will feature Rottingdean.

A joyous sea-themed festival of music, food and culture within The Living Coast

Homeward Bound is a hearty celebration of life and sea! Join us on the Sussex coast on the 2 & 3 October 2021 to sample the folk music and flavours, tales and traditions, natural riches and engineering ingenuity that have shaped life on this pebbly, chalk-cliffed stretch of coast.nFrom the clanking industrial ports of Shoreham and Newhaven to the rockpools of Rottingdean and the whimsical piers of Brighton & Hove, there’s always been plenty to lure sailors, smugglers, fishermen and day-trippers to these shingle shores. This October we’ll be celebrating it all…

Rottingdean Guided Walk: A guided walk starting at The Grange and its museum showing the history of smuggling and the Daddy Long Legs, moving onto to the village church and the vicar who was involved with smuggling, the opportunity to see a short family-orientated theatre piece in the churchyard, a walk through the village pointing out the locations of smugglers’ tunnels, the beach and finally a visit inside the Windmill and its association with smuggling and a viewing of sea paintings by a local village artist.

Sunday 3rd October at 14:30 for more details ,click here

Sydney contact – RH’s worldwide reach!

We recently announced the passing of Barry Hinchcliff in August and after revealing the sad new on the site received this:

“Good afternoon, via lockdown in Sydney. Was a pupil of Barry’s from 1967-71, at Longhill.(Left there aged 15.) Pleasant guy from memory although it was many decades ago ! Most of the teaching staff were very good people in those times….. Very familiar with Rottingdean as lived in Woodingdean many yrs. Building manager of an icon in Sydney’s Bellevue Hill. “Silchester” ; heritage bldg & home to many rich & famous people.(Including a PM.) Built late 1920’s, & designed by a brilliant architect from London.Prof. Lesley Wilkinson. Intend to finish up soon.The city has been ruined,……. All the best ! Ken Clarke”.

“Silchester” front entrance, Bellevue Hill, Sydney

Ken then sent the photo above with these comments:

“This heritage bldg, home to Sir Joseph Cook, fmr PM. Also links with British Royals.

Tony Chisholm was the godson of King Edward V111, the King who abdicated after 326 days.

Best from Barry’s fmr pupil ! Ken Clarke. Longhill 1967-71”.

Thanks for getting in touch Ken. Just goes to show that Rottingdean Heritage does reach all around the world!

By the way has anyone been to “Silchester”? Please comment below.

What’s On in The Gallery: On NOW

On NEXT: 29th September to 17th October:

Paintings, Pottery and Patterns

Kimmy Priggen and friends

Kimmy says:

“I love animals and started painting in watercolours and using a pen to outline them which seemed to suddenly pull them together. These seemed to be popular and many of the originals sold so I thought I’d take the plunge and get prints and cards produced. This has made my art available to more people, which I love. ‘Silly Cow’ below will be in the exhibition as an original and I also have prints and cards available”.

“Pet portrait commissions are always my main ‘bread and butter’ and I love capturing their personalities but I’ve enjoyed branching out into other subjects like landscapes and flowers in acrylics, oils and watercolours”.

“I moved to Saltdean with my hubby and dachshund dog a year ago and love it so much here! It’s so nice to be part of the community now after a quiet start in lockdown.

I have three really talented artisans joining me for the exhibition and I hope you’ll want to come along and take a look?”

Finally…Sites for tree lovers in Brighton – but none highlighted in Rottingdean?

This from one of of our valued volunteers:

The TiCL Project got widely publicised last year and was run locally by Vivienne Barton.

There has now been a leaflet printed called Special Trees of Brighton and Hove and there is also an online map showing trees across the city, but there are none showing for Rottingdean. Anybody can download the App and upload photos. The Mulberry tree in Kipling Gardens springs to mind.

Here’s a link to the site showing notable trees in Brighton.

And this tree related site was also suggested to us: Tree Talk

Would one of you be interested in creating a local daily tree walk that you could share with us? Let us know.