On Saturday 16th July at The Corner Cafe (in St Andrews Church, Furnace Green) the Mayor Carol Eade was the guest of honour. The event was in aid of Kaana a UK registered charity working in Uganda to stop babies begging on the streets of Kampala. A similar event last year with an attendance of over 60 women all from Crawley. Headed up by Maureen Mwagale the event was attended by many.
All the women were dressed in African dress including Mayor Carol Eade.
We sent Shelley down to experience the event. The food was amazing, the company was great and the event was well worth a visit.
We took some pictures of the event for you to enjoy.
On Friday 29th April 2011 the world looked on as Prince William married Catherine Middleton.
After the very emotional ceremony the good people of Crawley went on to celebrate in style! Flags donned the streets along with lots of food and refreshments all in preparation of the street parties.
We would like to thank the lovely people at Malthouse Road for the veggie burger, all the residents of Matthews Drive for the chocolate and lemonade, the fab people at Furnace Farm Road for the shandy and burger (and apologies for smashing the glass….ooops). Drake Road residents supplied us with a yummy bit of BBQ’ed chicken and last but not least the pint donated by The Half Moon before we settled down at The Windmill, Gossops Green to relax and enjoy the rest of the day.
You all did Crawley proud. We look forward to the next street parties
English Touring Opera returns to The Hawth, Crawley with an exciting programme featuring the UK première tour of an opera based on Roald Dahl’s book, Fantastic Mr Fox by Tobias Picker alongside rarely-performed masterpieces by Mozart and Puccini.
Fantastic Mr Fox (Thur 31 March, 7pm, performed in English) explores the relationship between man and nature – pitting three farmers and their digger (played by acclaimed mezzo-soprano Fiona Kimm) against a fox and his family. Cunning to the last, Mr Fox (played by exciting young baritone Nicholas Merryweather) devises a plan to “outfox” the blundering villains.
The production, directed by ETO’s award-winning artistic associate Tim Yealland, features professional soloists alongside 21 local school children from St Andrews C of E Primary School, Furnace Green who play a skulk of fox cubs and a chorus of trees. ETO’s production is the UK première of the full version of Tobias Picker’s adaptation of Roald Dahl short story, with a libretto by Donald Sturrock.
On Friday 1 April, 7.30pm, ETO presents a performance featuring two, one-hour long Puccini operas performed in Italian/English subtitles. These two short works, Il tabarro and Gianni Schicchi are Puccini’s most perfect and perfectly contrasting masterpieces. Il tabarro is a moody, grotesque thriller that takes place on barge in Paris and Gianni Schicchi, a sparkling Florentine comedy.
Completing the Spring season in Crawley is La clemenza di Tito on Saturday 2 April at 7.30pm, a bold production of a rarely-performed masterpiece by Mozart (performed in English /a captioned performance). ETO has a proud history of presenting exceptional productions of Mozart at The Hawth, the last being The Marriage of Figaro in spring last year. Bringing this colourful production to Crawley is a cast of fearless singers, including Julia Riley (acclaimed in ETO’s past production of Anna Bolena) playing Sesto, who is torn between his loyalty to the emperor Titus (Mark Wilde) and his love for Vitellia (Gillian Ramm).
Tickets: £27, £16.50 (discounts: £25). Book for two operas: £42, book for three operas: £60.
Fantastic Mr Fox: Schools: £9 each, Family of three: £40.50, Family of four: £50.
Free pre-show talks prior to the operas on Friday and Saturday at 6.30pm. Please reserve in advance at the Box Office.
Crawley Wellbeing as transformed the lives of 75 children through its MEND programme.
MEND is a programme for overweight and obese children aged between seven and 13, plus their families. It places equal emphasis on mind, exercise, nutrition and do it (MEND) and helps reduce obesity through better nutrition and exercise.
It combines all the elements known to be vital in treating and preventing obesity in children, including family involvement, practical education in nutrition, increasing physical activity and behavioural change.
With an emphasis on practical, fun learning the programme is designed to deliver sustained improvements in families’ diets, fitness levels and overall health.
Crawley Wellbeing has now run 10 MEND courses in the past two years, helping
75 children and 150 parents live healthier lives. It’s compulsory for parents to attend.
Councillor Lenny Walker, Cabinet member for Leisure and Cultural Services,
said: “This programme empowers children and their families with the knowledge and skills to beat obesity.
“It has already helped many overweight children and their families to lead much healthier and active lifestyles. This, along with the swimming referral programme, demonstrates that Crawley Borough Council and our partners are committed in helping to improve the lives of the residents who need it most.
“More courses are planned so if you have concerns about your child’s weight, get in touch with Crawley Wellbeing.”
The next MEND programme launches on Monday October 4. For more information call Matt Laird at Crawley Wellbeing on 01293 585350 or visit www.crawley.gov.uk/active and follow the link to the MEND page.
Crawley Farmers’ Market returns next Sunday (September 12) from 10am-4pm.
Shoppers will be able to sample delights from more than 20 stalls in Queens Square with meats, vegetables, pastries, breads, cheeses and much more to choose from.
The market will be packed with local produce from Sussex, Surrey, Kent and Hampshire and is run by a locally-based stallholder.
The market will return to Queens Square on the second Sunday of each month.
Calling all groups and organisations who run activities and services for children and young people aged 10 and over in Crawley.
Crawley Strategic Youth Action Partnership (CSYAP) is looking at the services available to young people in the town. This review will focus on identifying where activities and services are available and what young people think of them.
The outcome of the review will be used by local partner agencies – Crawley Borough Council, Spurgeons Childcare, Sussex Police, West Sussex County Council’s Youth Service and West Sussex Council for Voluntary Youth Service
- to ensure future services better meet the needs of Crawley’s young people.
If you are providing services and activities for young people we want to hear from you. CSYAP has created a form for organisations to complete, which will enable it to monitor what is happening, where it’s happening and how.
This will make CSYAP better placed to respond to the needs of young people.
Groups can fill in the online form by visiting www.crawley.gov.uk/youngactive and clicking on the second survey on the page. The forms must be completed by Friday September 17.
Councillor Nigel Boxall, Cabinet member for Community Engagement, said: “I strongly urge all groups to fill in this survey. A wide range of responses will give us a much better idea of what activities are currently on offer for children and young people locally and where there are gaps.
“We want to know more about what is out there but we need your help. So please go online and fill in the survey.”
When the review is complete, CSYAP will be seeking funding to establish a website for young people. All the information collected will be included on a database of events and activities on the site.
The website will be accessible for both young people and organisations who provide services so that young people can always find out about the latest services and activities available for them.
If you are a young person in Crawley, you can complete our online survey on the same page – www.crawley.gov.uk/youngactive – giving your views on activities and services.
A community event at Gossops Green Parade will have fun for all the family and give residents a chance to find out what’s happening in their neighbourhood.
Come to the Parade, which is supported by The Windmill pub and St Alban’s Church, also gives visitors to the parade an opportunity to meet their local councillors and Neighbourhood Policing Team.
The Let’s FACE it! team will also be at Gossops Green to do a makeover of one of the flower beds. Visitors can help plant the beds and spruce up their parade.
The event takes place on Saturday September 4 from 10am-2pm. For more information contact Kathryn Ripley, Community Development Officer, on 01293
Crawley Borough Council is helping the town support the victims of the Pakistani flood disaster by making it easy to donate to the cause.
Anyone who wants to donate, including larger amounts generated through fundraising, can do so at the Town Hall or on the council website.
Cashiers will take donations at the Town Hall between 9.30am and 3.30pm or you can give online by logging onto www.crawley.go.uk/fundraising and following the link; a downloadable postal donation form is also available.
All money taken by Crawley Council will go to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), an umbrella organisation for 13 UK based aid agencies.
Crawley Council is also calling on fundraisers to register their events online, through the council’s Events Directory, to help promote them; community groups can also register themselves on the Community Directory to make it easier for people to contact them.
The Pakistani floods have left 14 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, according to UN estimates – more than the scale of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
Leader of Crawley Borough Council, Bob Lanzer, said: “This is another terrible disaster that requires people to pull together and raise much-needed funds to help the millions of people impacted by this tragic event.
“We have a strong Pakistani community in Crawley and no doubt there will be people in the town who have been affected by this in some way. We want to make it easier for them and the rest of the community to support the people in Pakistan.”
Kids are set for a fun-filled summer day at Cherry Lane Adventure Playground next week.
The Langley Green based playground is holding its annual fun day on Thursday 19th August between 11am and 4pm.
The day will host a range of activities for kids including inflatable fun, face painting, tombola, coconut shy, dance, skateboarding and football competitions.
And to top it all off belly dancing and street dance will take place on the stage.
Entry to the fun day is free although a £3 wrist band will offer unlimited inflatable fun.
For more information contact the playground on 01293 516163
On Saturday 31st July and Sunday 1st August the annual Mela was held at the Hawth.
Consisting of information stands, such as the ‘Stop West Sussex going to waste’ campaign and the ‘Give Blood’ stand there was food galore of all types, a fun fair and music and dance from varying cultures.
Attended by the Mayor Lee Burke and Mayoress Ali Burke, the day was full of colour and sounds. We took alot of pictures and video which we hope will tell the story of this great event on their own. We would like to congratulate the Hawth and their staff for once again making it a safe and enjoyable event for all to enjoy.
Perfomers included the Diego Garcian/Reggae/Seggae Band, Filipino Dancers, Tanvee and Tiyana, Tariq and Reis, Monica Patel, Grizzly South feat. If-E, Maxwell, KK, Amy Othieno, Billy Delaney and friends and many more!
Did you attend the Mela? If you have any feedback, please feel free to comment below
On Saturday 31st July, the official launch of the Irish & Celtic Cultural Society festivities was kicked off with good food, excellent dancing, fine music and great company.
Attended by Councillors Bob and Brenda Burgess, Bob Lanzer, His Worshipful the Mayor Councillor Lee Burke and Mayoress Councillor Ali Burke, and many more. The guinness flowed, the band played and the food went down a treat.
2010 sees the 15th Annual Irish Festival on the 29th August. Last year was a huge success, even though the weather was not too bright. This year, we are hoping the sun will smile down on this brilliant event hosting music, stands, dancing and of course the beer tent.
The Launch Party was hosted by the Celtic and Irish Cultural Society in the presence of the Mayor of Crawley Cllr Lee Burke together and Mr Michael Keavney of the Irish Embassy and some invited guests including the sponsors, supporters, volunteers and helpers that made last years festival the success it has become.
A light buffet was served to a backdrop of live music – by one of the bands ‘Dun the Vail’ who will be playing at the Festival. A special dance display was also a treat of the evening. We were also treated to a performance from ‘Just Kelly’ who just happened to be passing by. Thank you Kelly!
The centre piece of the night was the ‘toasting’ to the success of the festival including the cutting of the 15th Anniversary cake with the Mayor saying a few words about the festival and the CICS and asking all in attendance to drink to the festival’s success and the cutting of the 15th Anniversary cake.
The Festival attracts up to seven thousand visitors to the town from throughout Crawley, Sussex and the Southeast of England and has built a reputation as a great family day out over the August weekend. The event showcases some of the best musical talent from Britain and Ireland on three live entertainment stages, showing modern, traditional Irish music and open dance competitions. This year it featuring heavily on the younger element of the community with a special children’s entertainment marquee involving games, song and story with particular emphasis on Irish traditions and folklore. In addition, sport and cultural identity are each featured prominently with Ceili and Set dancing, GAA sports, tug-o-war, a funfair, various food and craft stalls and displays with the added attraction of a licensed beer tent.
The event is run by The Celtic and Irish Cultural Society, which was formed to promote a greater understanding of Celtic and Irish traditions to Crawley and the surrounding areas. With support from Crawley Borough Council and West Sussex County Council it is featured heavily in regional printed and radio media as well as the local weekly and Irish themed publications. Further details about the society and previous events can be found online at www.celtic-irish.co.uk
Crawley Happy Times were invited down to experience the evening. We took some pictures and video for you to enjoy.
Tenants will have a fun chance to get involved and have their on Crawley Homes and council housing at a festival next month.
The Crawley Homes tenants’ festival takes place in Queens Square on Tuesday August 10 from 11am-3pm with food tastings, prize draws, mini DIY courses, crime prevention advice, arts and crafts for kids and all round family fun.
Tenants will also be able to say what they think of Crawley Homes and council housing with Cabcam, a converted London taxi.
The event will also promote tenant involvement to a wider audience, showing tenants how they can get involved with different panels and groups so they can have their say on how services are run.
Councillor Lee Gilroy, Cabinet member for Housing, said: “The tenants’
festival is a great opportunity for residents living in the council’s 8,000 properties to have their say on the service they receive.
“It is also a chance for them to get involved on a more regular basis by joining one of the panels or forums who will be there on the day.”
Tenants who are already involved in shaping the service will be there, explaining why they got involved and what they do.
For more information contact the Resident Involvement Team on 01293 438434.
A team of 18 volunteers from EDF Energy Network worked alongside Crawley Borough Council officers at the Interfaith Community Garden in West Green Park on Thursday June 17 – Green Britain Day.
Kim Colella, a legal administrative assistant and organiser of the Let’s FACE it! volunteering event from EDF, was pleased to be ‘doing something green for the team’.
She said: “Being a Crawley resident all my life I thought it was time to give something back to the community and what better day to do it on than Green Britain Day! The Interfaith Garden is such a worthwhile project.”
Ruth Growney, Let’s FACE it! coordinator for Crawley Borough Council, said:
“We had a really good day, the weather was brilliant (which always helps) and the teams cleared loads of thistles and weeds from the garden.
“Why is it that the weeds always grow faster than the plants you want?
Seriously though, we really value the work undertaken by volunteers from the business community. They are a real help with projects such as this one.”
“Didn’t we have a lovely time the day we went to the Ifield May Day Fayre”
Games, prizes, fun rides, music, demonstrations, dancing, singing, performances, food and drink. And it didn’t end there.
For those who attended the Ifield May Day Fayre at St Margarets Church and Ifield Barn Theatre, you will know what we are talking about. The event was well organised with plenty of variety to keep everyone happy. It was lovely to see children laughing and enjoying such simple rides such as the Boat Swings supplied by a school in Crawley, made by the caretaker some years back. The church supplied singing from various choirs and soloists, all exceptional. With stalls galore ranging from plants to food from local farmers, there was something for everyone. The May Day queen looked gorgeous!
The day went without a hitch. Even though the rain fell sporadically, this did not dampen the spirits of all who attended and organisers alike. We were, as always, honoured by the presence of our Mayor Brenda Burgess and Councillor Bob Burgess who brightened up the day with their friendly professional personalities.
We would like to thank everyone involved for making the day a great success and a thoroughly enjoyable day for us all. We had such a great day, we didn’t get a chance to get all the names of all who took part, which we apologies for.
We took some pictures and video for you to see. We would like to give special thanks to Alan Burgess of Ifield who kindly gave us permission to use his great photos taken on the day.
We are unsure why the video in the church is so blurred, but you can still hear how beautiful they sounded, so worth a listen! Watch out for when we get new video equipment lol!
St Georges Day/weekend came round for another year and the town was decorated white and red!
Disappointingly, Crawley did not have any real festivities for this occasion, so on Saturday 24th April, we ventured into Horley town centre where the day was being celebrated in style! With their own Mayor Simon Marshall accompanied by the Mayor of Crawley Brenda Burgess (who looked stunning in a red and white outfit), the community of Horley congregated around a mass of stalls, morris dancers and performances from various companies and schools. They even ceremonially released a mass of white balloons for the traditional balloon race. We were also honoured to meet the Queen! We had a lovely time and took some pictures for you.
Then, it was off to Broadfield Stadium for the Family Fun Open Day. There was food, drink, children’s mini fairground rides, bouncy castle and great displays of football by several of the junior and senior teams on the pitch. We were made to feel very welcome and had a lovely time (even got a bit of a tan as it was so hot). Again we took some pictures for you to enjoy. On the way home we bumped into our very good friends from the Bullseye Scooter Club who were taking a break on the side of the road. We look forward to seeing more of them at the May Day Fair in Ifield on May 3rd!
The day did not end there! We then went into town to the Railway to see a great performance from The Rightous & the Wicked and to say hello to Jackie Cook (Landlady) and friends.
We then made our way over to the Swan to jump to the sound of Highway Jones who even sang a song especially for us
The evening ended with our good friends, Sam & team at Bar Med. We bumped into a familiar face whom some of you may know as Skeggsy! It was nice to see Gordon out on the town and enjoying himself (although we nearly didn’t recognise him without his decks lol).
All in all a great day! We would love to see Crawley celebrate St Georges Day in some form or another next year, and will do all we can to make it happen, so watch this space!
We would like to thank everyone who made this weekend special and for being part of us here at Crawley Happy Times!
Did you do anything special this weekend? Then tell us! xx
Last Thursday Crawley Happy Times was invited down to the recently opened Cha Tea Room for a cup of tea and cake.
Pat Hollington, greeted us with a smile and politely showed us to a fine looking clean table and chairs where we sat comfortably.
This quaint, pretty room based in the George Hotel (to the left as you go in through the main doors and up a few steps) is just lovely. It holds a warm inviting atmosphere with great views out onto the High Street. The light streams in from the big windows filling the room, making it a perfect area to sit in with a good book whilst sipping hot tea and nibbling on a delicious cake. The menu also boasts of Bagels, croissants, gateauxs, paninis, toasted sandwiches and even beer and wine.
Crawley is missing a refined inexpensive peaceful area to relax in for a break from the hustle of the town. But no more! The Cha Tea Room fills this gap adequately. It makes a perfect addition to the George Hotels already well established services. Dating back to 1615 this former Coaching Inn, is steeped in history and character. The Cha Tea Room brings this character to life!
Pat told us Dawn, her daughter, runs the business but was unable to attend due to other commitments. Dawn was made redundent from Iceland leaving her at a loose end, when the owner of the George Hotel asked Pat if she knew anyone who might be looking to run a new venture. Pat instantly thought of Dawn and the rest is history. Along with Dawn’s father Marshall, who helps when he can, there is a real family feel to the business.
While we were visiting, we were joined by a couple who sat at another table to enjoy their first taste of the Cha Tea Room. They told us they thought is was a lovely concept with great service. The tea was hot and the cakes were delicious said the lady, adding, we will be back next week for sure.
Please show your support by visiting Dawn and Pat for tea at the Cha Team Room in the George Hotel. Any visit made in February will include a free cake with ever ‘pot for two’ bought. Please quote CHT3 when ordering and mention where you read about them
We end by thanking Dawn and Pat for their hospitality. We wish them all the best for the future and look forward to visiting again soon.
We interviewed Pat and spoke briefly to the couple visiting the Cha Tea Room
Sussex Bootcamps are making it a priority to help those less fortunate than them over the Xmas period. And this is how they are doing it.
On Monday 14th, Wednesday 16th and Friday 18th December, Sussex Bootcamps are offering free sessions to their fitness classes for anyone who is interested. The only requirement is to bring some food to be donated to Open House in Three Bridges.
We spoke to Ben, senior instructor at Sussex Bootcamps who told us “We wanted to give something back to the community for all the support they have given us over the last year so we decided to do three free sessions which would help others in return. All you need to do is just bring some food and you can workout at Sussex’s leading fitness Bootcamp on December 14th, 16th And 18th for free. We are calling it “Turkey-Busting Workouts” because the session will burn off those pre Christmas calories. All food donations are going to Crawley Open House, Emmaus Homeless Charity, Brighton and Burgess Hill District Lions Club. We’re planning on making this an annual tradition here, as Christmas is such a wonderful family and friends occasion, and a time to show our appreciation for all we have, especially our health”.
Sussex Bootcamps Turkey-Busting Workouts are open to all Sussex residents and their family and friends on Monday 14th, Wednesday 16th ,and Friday 18th December in : -
Haywards Heath (6.15am, 8.30am, 9.30am, 6.15pm and 7.15pm
Horsham (6.15am, 8.30am, 9.30am, 6.15pm and 7.15pm)
Crawley (6.15pm and 7.15pm)
All Camps are 45 minutes long and you can attend every session that week, two sessions or just the one. We understand that this time of year is probably your busiest so it’s up to you how many session you want to do.
The worshipful the Mayor Brenda Burgess is going to make a guest appearance at the session on Monday 14th December at Hazelwick School on the 6.15pm session, joining in on the training. Open House is the Mayor’s chosen charity so was happy to join in for this great cause. Ben said “we are really looking forward to seeing Mayor Brenda Burgess on Monday. We feel it is a great cause and really appreciate the Mayor’s support and participation”.
Shelley from Crawley Happy Times will also be attending the three free sessions, so do register your place soon!
Please visit here to register your interest and save your place. Spaces are restricted so please register as soon as you can.
It’s a blast
Ben told us “As you can see, everyone has a blast at Sussex Bootcamps regardless of age and fitness level. And we’ll make sure you do too. There’s no need to be anxious about coming to camp if you’re a little out of shape, we’re not going to make you do anything crazy – that would just defeat the purpose.
All we want you to do is come out and have fun, burn off some pre Christmas calories, and feel great while helping those who could use some help this Christams (just one can of food goes a long way)”.
Because NOTHING makes you feel better, more alive and more engaged (so you can really enjoy your Christams) than getting your body moving and your heart pumping…and helping those less fortunate at the same time.
Here is some footage of previous classes, which are a lot of fun as well as being good for your health.
A very Merry Christmas from all at Sussex Bootcamps
Based on nominations from the Crawley public, the Trust are selecting two people to become special matchday guests of the club, with executive package tickets, which includes:
Dedicated seating in the Directors Area
Complimentary hot buffet meal, with a glass of wine or soft drink
Complimentary match-day programme
Team sheet
Half time tea, coffee & biscuits
Big screen television showing live sport
Regular visits by team management and players
Exclusive pay bar facility
Exclusive raffles
Read more about the wonderful work of the Trust here…
Last night was the first of many for the 2009/2010 season. Shelley went along to see what it was all about. There was some confusion about our attendance at this event but we had a knight in shining armour walk through the door, to save us, in the form of Zaff Khan (owner of Metro Cars) who kindly gave Shelley a VIP wrist band and made her feel most welcome at their table and seating area in the stalls. Our thanks goes to Zaff
The atmosphere was impressive with all the devoted football fans and of course the star guests. Lee from Food Time were serving up hot sausage and mash, which was delicious and the staff from the football club were busy making sure everyone was happy and comfortable.
Shelley had the pleasure of meeting Thad who is heavily involved with the Devils Trust. Thad is currently actively promoting his ‘Wags for a Day’ campaign. You can read more about this here…
Thad introduced Shelley to the main star guest for this event, Dan Walker, presenter of Football Focus. Dan, ex Hazelwick pupil who resided in Ifield, told Shelley “I am originally from Crawley so it is lovely to come back for such a great occassion. In fact, it is quite an honour to be nominated as the special guest for the first Local Heroes event.” Shelley asked Dan what his thoughts were on Crawley. Dan said “Crawley is becoming very trendy. It has changed alot from the small town it used to be, but all in a good way.” Dan and Shelley sat reminiscent of the old days when they used to visit Pepes Golden Griddle and the cinema, now Bar Med. The town has definitely changed dramatically over the last ten years.
Dan Walker, Presenter of Football Focus & Shelley from Crawley Happy Times
Next to Dan sat Mark Cole, Editor of Football Focus. Shelley asked Mark how he felt about the event. Mark told Shelley “I have been really looking forward to it and I would like to thank Dan for inviting me. It is nice to do something different. Conference premier football matches are the grass roots of football so it’s refreshing to watch.” Shelley went on to ask Mark if he had ever visited Crawley in the past and what his thoughts were on the town. Mark said ” I have never been to Crawley before but have heard lots of good things about it from Dan.” Mark told Shelley he lives in Bristol therefore a Bristol Rovers fan.
Sat next to Mark was Paul Armstrong, Editor of Match of the Day. Paul told Shelley “this is my second visit to Crawley and I think it is a lovely town. Dan kindly invited us to the event and we are happy to be here. It is nice to see football on this level.”
Shelley found all three guests very friendly and down to earth. It was a pleasure to meet them.
After the lovely hot food and a glass of wine Shelley sat in the stalls with Zaff and his friends and family and watched what can only be described as a thriller of a match. It was Crawley Town V Oxford United. Crawley scored the first goal in the fifteenth minute, driven into the back of the net by Thomas Pinault (later named player of the match). By half time the Crawley fans were on the edge of their seats praying for the score to stay at 1-0.
The second half was just nail biting! Crawley Town played well but the second goal came from Adam Chapman from Oxford United in the eighty second minute. Crawley fought tooth and nail to keep in the game but were pipped to the post in the nineteeth minute by a smashing goal from James Constable, shatteringCrawley Town’s dreams of a win against Oxford United. There were plenty of solomn faces in the stalls but they should not feel so glum as Crawley Town are fourteenth in the league and Oxford United are at the top. As the score ended 1-2 we feel Crawley should be proud of their performance, learning from any mistakes, taking the knowledge with them into the next match. It was a fine effort from Crawley Town. You can view the league here…
So, the event came to a close and it was time to make our way home. Shelley was just about to leave when she caught site of a very happy man indeed. His team had just won and he was smiling from ear to ear. Do you recognise this man?
Shelley bumped into Jim Rosenthal at Crawley Town Football Club
On Saturday, 22nd of August, Crawley Happy Times were invited down to Gratton’s Park for the annual Cancer Rally Day. Numerous teams entered the rally, a rally where one member of a team must be on the track at all times between 14:00 Saturday to 14:00 Sunday: a whole 24 hours of walking round the track! It was a very colourful, positive atmosphere, with some vibrant stands selling goods varying from cakes, jewellery, hand-made sand ornaments and other interesting items, all being sold to raise money for Cancer Research.
Such a hot day, such lovely people
Wayne & Sam, Emergency First Response
Definitely 'More The Merrier'
Mac's Ices cooling down the day
The teams who entered gave themselves names and designated Captains. Some were business owners, whereas some were just there to support a family member or friend. They were: -
Team Yummy: Capt. Lisa Stone - Prawn Hunters, Capt. Becky Gardner – Amigos Para Siempre, Capt. Kate Concheiro – Sussex Parties, Capt. Mark Farrington – Shooting Stars, Capt. Carolyn Tyrer – The Jays, Capt. Bal Ward – Sugar Rush, Capt. Gaynor Stocker – More The Merrier, Capt. Sarah Clapp – Just Wills, Capt. Tony Neale – The Red Runners, Capt. Deborah Davies – Jamies Midnight Runners, Capt. Jamie Nayee – Berrins Beauties, Capt. Berrin Penlington – Crawley & Gatwick Chambers of Commerce, Capt. Reverend Francis Pole – Bussom Buddies, Capt. Amber Matheson – The Double Ds, Capt. Sandra Duke.
Crawley Kung Fu Panda & Shelley
Lots of people came to help out
So many stands to choose from
Stand with lots of goodies
There were also a couple of stands helping to raise money, but not participating in the rally. They were Muriel Levett & Ruth Marchant, Sophie Scowen from Starbucks serving delicious hot coffee and Matthew Reid with a fabulous teddy stand. Sophie from Starbucks told us they were holding an instore raffle for the whole of August, with a lovely large hamper up for grabs. So do pop in and buy a raffle ticket if you’re passing.
Bev & Co always busy helping out
The teddy bear stand
All the volunteers from Emergency First Response
Young Alex Lewry back to the track
To cool us all down on such a hot day, we had the pleasure of an ice cream from Mack’s Ices, who pledged to make a large donation to Cancer research from the takings on the day.
Brave Alex has picture taken with Shelley
Lorraine and her daughter came in support of Crawley & Gatwick Chambers of Commerce
On track for a great cause
Some of the Double D's team
We met some amazing people at the event, all there with something in common; to support others and raise money at the same time. Some people were celebrating life as survivors of cancer, whereas others were still fighting for their lives but using every inch of energy to help during the day.
Morag Clapp sat in her chair, cheerfully watching as the day went on. We would never have guessed that Morag is currently undergoing chemotherapy for the third time in four years. We had a brief chat with Morag and wished her well, hoping we will have the pleasure of seeing her back next year. Walking round the field, we bumped into young Alex Lewry who was on the track, doing his part for the team. Alex looked the picture of health, so it was quite shocking when he told us about his brain tumour, at the young age of thirteen. Alex was declared clear in February 1999. We didn’t want to ask his age, but can imagine Alex is about 20 now, so his struggle was a long one. To still dedicate his time year on year just goes to show how this awful disease affects people. We wish Alex all the best for a healthy future.
Even the dog came in support
Laura assisting the little ones with Karaoke
The Judges listen carefully
The stage was set by Darren & Nickie Bow
Watching over the day were Emergency First Response. There were 20 dedicated staff keeping a vigilant eye on the event. We spoke to Jerry Marler, cook for the day, who told us he is a survivor of cancer and felt compelled to help out in any way he can. Jerry’s cooking must be good as the staff looked well fed!
There was plenty of entertainment too: Darren & Nickie Bow volunteered their time on stage to host the event, with karaoke from the children and music for the crowd and participants. We are sure their contribution to the day made it all that much nicer. More entertainment came from the Crawley Blackbelt Academy, led by Senior Instructor Wayne Beadell. The youngsters put on a wonderful display of Martial Arts.
There was also Crawley Kung Fu School present who are holding a woman’s self defence class in the future that is not to be missed. We will keep you updated as soon as we have more information.
All in all, the day was uplifting, emotional, fun, awe inspiring and hot! Our thanks go to those who welcomed us and had their pictures taken, those who shared their heart warming experiences and just generally made us feel privileged to be blessed with good health. We thoroughly enjoyed the day. Our personal thanks go to Michelle Matthews, who volunteered her time to take pictures for us.
We will keep you posted on the dates for next year as soon as we know. Crawley Happy Times are considering a team of their own next year. If you fancy being on our team, just write to us at shelley@crawleyhappytimes.co.uk
On Saturday 16th July at The Corner Cafe (in St Andrews Church, Furnace Green) the Mayor Carol Eade was the guest of honour. The event was in aid of Kaana a UK registered charity working in Uganda to stop babies begging on the streets of Kampala. A similar event last year with an attendance of over 60 women all from Crawley. Headed up by Maureen Mwagale the event was attended by many.
