Once again Barmed was home to TV host and DJ Toby Anstis.
Toby was more than happy to have his picture taken with two lovely people
Shelley went along to speak to Toby and ask him about the famous people he had interviewed in the past.
Toby is always there for the public
Toby is back down at BarMed on the 17th December. Don’t miss it!
Where you at BarMed on this evening? You might see yourself on the footage 
Be the best with one year to go …
Celebrate one year to go until the London 2012 Games by organising an event for Open Weekend 2011.
The theme for the fourth Open Weekend is ‘showcasing your best’. Sport, art, dance, film, music, and heritage events can all be part of the nationwide Open Weekend activities from Friday July 22 to Sunday July 24, 2011.
West Sussex County Council Cabinet Member for Environment and Economy Deborah Urquhart said: “Last year thousands of people across West Sussex enjoyed taking part in events put on by many organisations including leisure centres, libraries, museums and galleries.
“Blue Touch Paper Carnival weaved its way around Horsham’s Sparks in the Park event, sports taster sessions at K2 Crawley and East Grinstead Leisure Centre introduced new people to different activities, and Chichester’s Pallant House Gallery opened its doors for free.
“I’m certain this year will be even bigger and better as enthusiasm grows across West Sussex with one year to go.”
Organisations are encouraged to get involved. If you’re putting on an event you need to register it with the London2012.com website by the end of June. Also please email info@westsussex-aheadofthegame.com so it can be added to the list of events that will be promoted across the county.
Supported by BP and launched in 2008 with the start of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad, more than a million people from around the UK have taken part in Open Weekend activities in the past three years.
Come and join us on opening night of Crawley Fleadh 2011 with a ‘CRAWLEY CEILI’ on Friday 11th March
Well-known musician Mick ‘Banjo’ O’Connor and his band provide the entertainment on a night not to be missed.
The Mayor of Crawley, Cllr Lee Burke will open proceedings and be piped in by a Scottish Piper.
ADMISSION FREE – so come early.
Friday 11th March @ 20:00
The Wingspan Club, Whitworth Road, Crawley, RH11 7SS
Crawley Fleadh 2011 now in its seventh year is as much about cultural awareness as well as education and entertainment and will introduce visitors to Celtic culture through a Ceili Night with history and language lectures and Irish film shows. There are tin whistle and bodhrán classes and an Irish cookery course also programmed. Music and dance workshops are also scheduled to add to this unique mix. We are also involved with some of the Crawley schools with story telling in the junior schools and Celtic design and art and design in the upper ones
The Hawth is Going Global once again
£99,999 Arts Council Grant
The Hawth Crawley is delighted to announce that it has secured a grant of £99,999 supported by the National Lottery, through Arts Council England to develop and promote Going Global II, an audience development programme designed to offer audiences culturally diverse and international work in Crawley over the next two years.
Going Global II will give The Hawth the chance to further its programme of culturally diverse and international performances. The theatre will continue to showcase South Asian and African-Caribbean work while developing programming for emerging communities including Eastern European and Portuguese. The grant will also enable The Hawth to commission and co-produce culturally diverse work specifically for children to enjoy and to bring diverse communities together.
Councillor Lenny Walker, Cabinet member for Leisure and Cultural Services at Crawley Borough Council, said: “This is fantastic news and I’m delighted that we will be offering even more culturally diverse and international work at The Hawth. I hope the securing of this funding and the new programme enables more people to experience the arts locally.”
Sally Abbott, Regional Director, Arts Council England, said: “The Arts Council believes that the arts should be enjoyed by as many people as possible, and a project that seeks to widen engagement fits in with our mission of great art for everyone. We are delighted to be supporting this project and look forward to seeing people across Crawley enjoying the arts.”
Shows already set to attract the crowds include Tavaziva Dance’s Wild Dog capturing the beauty and elegance of Africa as part of Black History Month, The Jingle Dress which will transport little ones to Native America and there will be breathtaking dance in The Shiver which combines classical Indian dance and poetry by acclaimed poet and playwright Lemn Sissay. In the coming years The Hawth hopes to engage almost 200 artists, performers and theatre companies in order to attract new audiences with shows and workshops, giving everyone the chance to experience different cultures and create links with different communities.
This grant has also created an exciting new role at The Hawth as the theatre are now looking for an Audience Development Assistant to actively promote Going Global and co-ordinate community projects for the next two years. Anyone interested in the role can express an interest by emailing info@hawth.co.uk for more information.
CRAWLEY BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Every year Crawley Black History Month gets bigger and better and this year is no exception with sixteen events across the town, many of which are free so there are plenty of reasons to celebrate.
The fun gets started in Queen Square on Saturday 2 October between 11am and 4pm with Crawley Black History Month Kick Off, a day of music, dance, fashion and food for everyone to enjoy. On Saturday 16 October Crawley Library will be holding Word From Africa, full of events based around some of the 2000 African languages, a number of which are spoken in Crawley.
The month of events is rounded off with one big celebration at The Hawth. On Saturday 30 October The Grand Finale will hit the stage at 7.30pm with professional acts alongside community performers. The fabulous band Baraka will have audiences up and dancing as they combine dance African highlife, South African Township, Calypso and Reggae music to create a sound your feet won’t be able to resist.
To really get into the spirit of the evening you can come along and sample delicious African dishes at the Arts Café at The Hawth and why not come along in traditional dress? Whatever you wear make sure you come ready to party!
These are just some of the highlights of the month, other events at The Hawth include Island Life, an evening of Diego Garcian Culture (13 Oct) offering an uplifting night of song and Sega dancing in The Studio, Wild Dog (14 Oct) a new dance show from Tavaziva Dance combining African dance and music with Western theatre and
The Day The Waters Came (19 Oct) a drama exploring the effects of Hurricane Katrina on thousands of black American citizens in New Orleans.
Little ones have plenty to enjoy too with Handa’s Surprise (16 Oct) returning to The Hawth Studio to transport them on a magical journey to Kenya, The Jingle Dress
(30 Oct) will enthral ages 3-5 with it’s dance narrative and colourful costumes and for 9 to 14 year olds who love sport why not sign up for the 6-a-side Football Tournament at the 3G pitch at Broadfield Stadium (30 Oct).
This year also sees the launch of the Crawley Black History website with full details of the programme, great pictures from last year and the opportunity for you give us feedback and contribute any of your own images.
If you would like to find out more about how you can get involved with any of the events above please visit www.crawleyblackhistory.co.uk or call The Hawth on 01293 553636 and ask for a flyer.
K2 Crawley receives IFI Award
K2 Crawley, which is run by leading not-for-profit leisure trust Freedom Leisure, has been awarded a ‘Provisional Level’ Inclusive Fitness Initiative (IFI) Award. The trust has worked closely with Crawley Wellbeing and Crawley Borough Council to increase the inclusion of disabled people, of all ages, at K2 Crawley. The presentation of the IFI Award verifies that the centre facilities, its staff and the equipment available, offer truly inclusive opportunities.
On a national basis, only 8.8%* of disabled people are regularly physically active and Freedom Leisure and its partners are actively working to encourage more local people with disabilities to participate in sport and exercise. In order for the centre to receive the award, Freedom Leisure has ensured that there is equipment in the gym to allow disabled members to enjoy a work out. There are sufficient and accessible parking bays and toilet and changing facilities.. There are further improvements planned between now and the end of the year, including £12,000 worth of new fitness equipment. To enable as many people as possible to be able to participate in exercise the centre offers a range of pricing options..
Having a disability should not be a barrier to keeping fit and being able to enjoy exercise. With easy disabled access, trained staff and the right equipment, Freedom Leisure aims to make using the gym a trouble-free and a fun experience. Freedom Leisure’s friendly and fully trained staff can help to create exercise programmes that will increase physical activity at a level that suits the individual, they are also there to support, motivate and help people to achieve their personal goals. All this helps make the change to a more physically active lifestyle as easy as possible which can reduce the risk of some cancers, cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes and obesity.
Chris Lovelock Centre Manager at K2 Crawley commented, ‘The increased investment in the centre has made a tangible difference to our disabled customers’ experience here at K2 Crawley. It is important to the whole Freedom Leisure team that we provide accessible facilities and a wide variety of activities for all members of the local community. These improvements and those set for the future are great steps forward in providing more fitness activities for all who wish to use K2 Crawley.’
Councillor Lenny Walker, Cabinet member for Leisure and Cultural Services at Crawley Borough Council, said: “This is great news for Freedom Leisure, Crawley Wellbeing and the council. We try very hard to make our services accessible to all and K2 Crawley is no exception. The fact that it is the only approved 2012 Paralympic training camp in Sussex proves this.”
For more information on the new autumn timetable please
visit www.freedom-leisure.co.uk or call 01293 585 300.
On Sunday 29th August the 15th annual Irish Festival kicked off in style.
Attended by many including the Mayor Lee Burke and Mayoress Ali Burke, the event was well organised and continued without a hitch…..oh except the downpour! Ok, so it rained for about an hour, but let us tell you, this did not stop the party. In fact, the ‘after rain’ show was probably more eventful than the morning when the skies were dark. The sun shone and blue skies covered us like a warm blanket. The wet dried up and the air filled with the smell of a summers day. We had our tent (until the wind blew it away of course) where the CHT cam was well received. You can view all the videos on CHT.TV
Crawley Happy Times was privileged to be a part of this great event including the launch night at the Emerald Club. We took some pictures which we hope will tell the story on our behalf, and of course video of some of the performers.
We would like to say a big well done to all involved and to all who performed and danced, and of course to those who attended.
Pictures:
Videos:
The Irish Festival is this Sunday. The weather is going to be good (fingers crossed) and everything is being put in place. There will be lots on offer including music, stalls, fun fair rides, Irish dancing by various dancing schools, childrens corner and of course the beer tent.
The CICS (Celtic and Irish Cultural Society) have worked tirelesessly all year to make this, the 15th annual Irish Festival as good, maybe even bettr than the fourteen before.
The last meeting was held last night at the Emerald Club who will be open for tea, coffes, cakes and other lovely nibbles.
Here are some of the great offers available on the day.
The Gatwick Diamond Rotary Club – “Vinnie needs a new home”
This Year’s Irish Festival is being held on Sunday 29th Aug 2010 between 11:30 and 7:00pm at Southgate Playing Fields, Southgate Avenue, Crawley,
Don’t miss this chance to win Vinnie
Vinnie has become too hot to handle and needs a new home.
Raffle Tickets will be on sale at £1 each and the Raffle will probably take place at about 5pm depending on demand.
All Money raised by us with our various activities that day will go to the following very worthy Local causes :-
Crawley Open House, Down’s Syndrome and Home-Start Crawley & Horsham (Home-Start is also the Mayor’s chosen Charity for this Year)
The music line up:
Crawley Happy Times will be present so please come and say hello and see what surprises we have in store for you!
Gossops Green gets ready for event
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
438633 or email kathryn.ripley@crawley.gov.uk
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.
Future of market towns top of the agenda
The importance of market towns was highlighted at an event hosted by West Sussex County Council at Lodge Hill in Pulborough last week.
The event was for local authorities, community partnerships and other interested parties, to discuss how they can the support market towns in the future.
A market town’s main function is to act as a market place for the surrounding town and support an economy and community. Local ones stretch right across West Sussex, from Midhurst to Hassocks. These towns all face challenges from the economic downturn and impacts from changing shopping habits.
County Council Cabinet Member for Environment and Economy, Deborah Urquhart, said: “Market towns do not only serve the town itself but are a hub for wider communities.
“They are places for people, businesses and visitors to meet, trade and enjoy the variety of facilities, providing services such as doctors, libraries, and leisure centres.”
A range of projects were showcased which had been supported under a government funded Small Rural Towns Programme.
These included new river pontoons at Arundel, enhanced childcare facilities at Billingshurst, shop front improvements at Selsey and Midhurst, a one-stop advice centre at Storrington, and proposals for a cycle hire scheme in Hassocks.
All had been developed by local people who want to help their towns.
Deborah said: “We want to keep these towns vibrant and expanding, and this event has enabled us to see where support is needed.
“As part of the government’s ‘Big Society’ idea, we want to give communities a greater influence over what and how services are provided.
“This event proved successful in seeing how we can move forward with the county’s market towns.”
High energy team clears Interfaith Garden
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.”
Crawley Happy Times were graced with a visit from Amy Othieno who bought us a copy of her latest album.
Amy has been singing since she could talk and is now on her second album. Amy, a local artist, recently released some great songs on her new album ‘Tryna Get By’. We first met young Amy at the Black History Event at the Hawth back in October ’09 where she sang for the audience which included special guest, Kezia Obama, stepmother of US president Barack Obama.
Amy is very passionate about her music, writing and compiling all her own songs. Amy told us “I try not to stick to one type of music as being labelled as a reggae, rap or hip hop artist can limit the audience you can play too. Times constantly change within the music industry and what the public like so it’s nice to keep moving with the times”.
Amy has played in many clubs and events but is now looking to break into the recording studios with a record label behind her. We feel with Amy’s commitment and drive this will be around the corner at this rate.
We asked Amy where people can purchase her album. Amy said it is in various shops in Crawley or you can contact her via email amyothieno@yahoo.co.uk.
Amy had heard of someone else famous in Crawley and was excited to meet them. We are, of course, talking about CHT Finger Puppet!
Shelley interviewed Amy in the CHT offices and here it is for you to see
On Tuesday 2nd January singer songwriters fought their way to the Apple Tree in West Green, Crawley to show off their talents.
The brave and intrepid (and some possibly a bit insane) members of the Crawley’s music community turned out in artic conditions to perform at The Apple Tree’s singer songwriter night. The first to arrive was Danny Dangerously and Rory Flynn closely followed by the guys who collectively make up the rock band “Soma” Ryan Howlett, Tim Rowell and Luke Ogden. Crawley music veteran Ken Birch provided the P.A. system. Kenalso played for the crowd.
After a number of inspired performances, which were recorded by Jonathan Head. Carl is currently setting up a MySpace page where you will be able to see these great performances.
It was decided to bring the night to an early conclusion in the face of deteriorating weather conditions, allowing people to get home safely.
It turns out the band named “Soma” featuring Ryan Howlett, Tim Rowell and Luke Ogden are in search of a new band name and are looking for inspiration from the people of Crawley. If you have any suggestions, please send them to editor@crawleyhappytimes.co.uk.
The next singer songwriter night is Tuesday 2nd February. If you missed this one, put a date in your diary.
We thank Carl Brooks for this article and the pictures.
On Thursday 26th November, the community of Crawley came together to see some of the most remarkable youngsters within our community receive awards and medals.
Organised by Crawley Borough Council in partnership with West Sussex Council for Voluntary Youth Service, Sussex Police, West Sussex County Council and Crawley School Sports Partnership, more than 400 under 25′s were recognised for the difference they’ve made to Crawley and its community.
Twelve outstanding young people received awards under four categories; Community, Sport, Art and Personal Achievement, all sponsored by local organisations, voluntary groups and businesses.
We had the pleasure of talking to three of the judges and sponsors. Martin Stone of Topsy Turvy, sponsor of the Dance and Drama Award, Jim Hayton of Crawley Metals Supplies, sponsor of the Visual Arts Award and Michael Langley, Deputy District Commander for West Sussex Fire & Rescue, sponsors of the Music Award. This is what they told Shelley…
Compared competantly by Kirk Campbell and Sophie Campbell, the night was full of emotion and pride, both from the parents of the nominees and winners, also from the awardees.
With great performances by Young-B, The Divas, Thomas Bennett Community College and Euphoric Dance.
Euphoric Dancers perform at the Youth Awards 2009
As we sat listening to the reasons why these young individuals were being rewarded, we felt quite humble in their presence.
Last years winner of the Laser Hub Music Award was Billy Delaney who performed at this years ceremony.
Daniel Horwood, from Bewbush, won the Sussex Police Courage Award. Daniel was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in October 2008, a few months before he was to sit his GCSE’s. Daniel, just seventeen, suffered countless blood transfusions, lumbar punctures, injections and various cocktails of drugs as his exams approached. Daniel even suffered a suspected stroke which left him paralysed for days. Through his pure determination and support from friends, family and school tutors, Daniel sat his exmas and passed with flying colours. He even got a standing ovasion at the school leaving party.
Other personal achievement awards were also given to Gilberto Silva and Charlotte Schillinger.
Gilberto’s autism and severe learning difficulties did not stop him achieving the highest possible exam marks for his age group at maths, winning the West Sussex Youth Service Education Award.
Charlotte is a dedicated member of the scouts who has been an inspiration to adults and children who have met her through the 2nd Ifield Scout Group. For this and many other achievements, she won the Apollo Group Inspiration Award.
Community
Lena Finch, who cares for her disabled mum, was honoured at the awards. Lena has been helping care for her Mum for ten years, taking more and more responsibility over this period. Lena is her Mum’s main carer.
Other community awards were won by Reniece Robinson and Luke May.
Reniece collected the Let’s FACE It Environment Award for her conservation work, which included helping launch a paper recycling scheme at her school.
Luke deservadly won the Crawley Young Persons Council Volunteer Award for his dedicated work at Dormans Youth Arts Centre.
Arts
Footloose were presented with the Topsy Turvy Dance and Drama Award
Footloose, a dance group for young people with learning disabilities won an arts award. Footloose creates high-quality contemporary dance which members then perform at venues around the south east. The group meets every week at Manor Green Primary School.
Awards organisers said Footloose members treat each other with respect and compassion and new members are always welcome.
Jamie Friday was awarded The West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service Music Award for his tireless support and help running music events whic then gave other performers the chance to perform. Jamie used to visit Dormans Youth Club as just another member but soon made his presence known as a helpful and resourceful individual.
Bewbush Youth Centre was awarded the Crawley Metal Supplies Visual Arts Award for its graffiti art project in Dorsten Square. Youngsters took part in a six-week project to design art for the boards around the old community centre and Dorsten pub, which has helped brighten the area during the current regeneration project.
Sports
At the young age of just ten, Jack has won more than 150 trophies. Jack, from Furnace Green, trains four times a week with the Crawley Black Belt Academy, helping train the young members as well as his own training.
Jack collected the Eezehaul Sports Person Award on crutches, having broken his foot falling off his bike. Jack has won a host of competitions and has been doing martial arts since the age of four, achieving a second dan black belt. Jack is also a member of Team Fusion, a group of Britain’s best young martial artists and dance performers.
At the awards, Jack was described as a “confident and well grounded” person and a “role model for others”.
The Freedom Leisure Sports Team Award was won by a group of talented young gymnasts.
Hawth Gymnastics Teamgym (junior) members gave up shopping trips and time with friends to train for thirteen hours a week and are ranked third in the country.
Tessa Stokes won the Crawley School Sports Partnership Sports Volunteer Award for her work with the young sports ambassador project.
FULL LIST OF NOMINEES
ARTS AWARDS
Aidan Daniel
Adison Austin
James Newman
Callum Johnston
Callum Thompson
Ali Mehmood
Michael Bennett
Shakim Salim
Anthony Brikell
Tegan-Rose Newman
Louise Carpenter
Adrienne Hall
Jamie Friday
Ginah Wamulo
Lucy Muyanga
Charlotte Chorley
Liam Jenkinson
Josh Martin
Lucy Dorkings
HSM ‘Oaks Edition’ Dance and Drama Club
Awa Sarr
Charlotte Wadmore
Sabreen Ibrahim
Footloose Dance Group
Thomas Bennett Free 2 Dance Company
Stages Performing Arts
Kirsty Ayling
Usman Aslam
Sumera Hussain
Kyranne Barrett
Nikesh McHugh
Rikesh McHugh
Clayton Lear
Reece Hanslow
Ky Harper
COMMUNITY AWARDS
Reniece Robinson
Ryan Dawson
Jonathan Harrold
Keiran Joseph
Lena Finch
Becky King
Dani King
Jodie Hutchinson-Purcell
Keiran Pledger
Ashley Pledger
Lisa Cooper
Maddie Smith
Josie Fryers
Charlotte Goswell
Amy Davis-Dwan
Laila Hussain
Rhea Kneafsey
Katie Cleary
Ali Mehmood
Pravin Sanasy
Luke Taylor
Jamie Friday
Michael Hobbs
Sapna Shah
George Bick
Jamie White
Kara Mason
Michael Murphy
Eloisa Gordon
Sana Ghafoor
Leslie Edwards
Kennedy Mutongerwa
Vicki Elston
Billy Delaney
Lewis Fletcher
Tariq Khawaja
Ant Heron
Paige Sayers
Zahid Akram Khan
Sarim Qamar
Adil Hussain
Luke May
George O’ Keefe
Lauren Thynne
Adam Wanstall
Leanne Woods
Daria Czekajska
Stuart Bayliss
Ellis Payne
Emily Bartlett
Alexandra Armstrong
Frank Alfoldi
Owen Lumley
Lisa Brackpool
Michael Bond
Ben Freer
Kelly Halifax
Jasraj Nothay
Erin Witton
Chibs Ngona
Ramone Walkes
Reema Nawaz
1st Northgate Brownies
1st Ifield Brownie Pack
Cnetral Sussex Students
7th Crawley Beavers
Love in a Box Team
New Wybourne Youth Club
SPORTS AWARDS
Elizabeth Eves
George Penfold
Rebecca Potteton
Billy Hatcher
Chris Brownlee
Ross Mist
Gavin Brownlee
Charlotte Poole
Grant Goode
Poppy Weekes
Kirsty McAleney
Hayley Wise
Harry Phelps
Nathan Amin
Lee Tilbury
Isobel Sutherland -Basson
Leanne Penn
Jack Foyster
Sanjay Amin
Marcus Jones
Yasmin Mills
Keanu Kellett
Tessa Stokes
Tyler Whale
Thomas Bennett Free 2 Dance Company
The Oaks Girls Football Club
Hawth Gymnastics Team Gym (Junior)
St Margarets Multi-Sports Squad
Maidenbower Junior Y6 Footbal Team
PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
Allunay Bossoni Da Silva
Shazad Ali
Rafiullah Sharafyar
Sandrine Permal
Jema Assonne
Iiona Bartocha
Anam Ahmed
Waqas Akthar
Hassan Butt
Mohammed Mnili
Mariam Ahmed
Tom Parsons
Abigail Mott
Callum Macleod
Charlotte Schillinger
Danielle James
Jamie Friday
Zartaashia Khan
Stuart Bayliss
Sherri Devlin
Harry Ford
Nicole Thomas
Jade Carter
Joshua Arnold-Crews
Claire Arnold
Goerge Pollard
Daniel Horwood
James Foster
Luke Foster
Sian-Marie Keeping
Aazaz Rehman
Gilberto Junior de Sousa Silva
Leila Draude
Charlotte Devalmency
Lois Cook
Claire Anscomb
Nona Buckley-Irvine
Billy Delaney
Ramone Walkes
Ben Freer
Ant Heron
Paige Sayer
Erin Wilton
Tang Khawaja
James Sturkey
Liam Harris
Satheesan Nagendran
Ali Mehmood
Pammas Njie
This Christmas Crawley is leading the way to get the community into the festive mood. So what can you look forward too?
Crawley in lights
This is Crawley Happy Times’ first christmas as an online newspaper for Crawley, so we are looking for the support of the community by coming out and celebrating with us and the rest of the town’s people. If for any reason you cannot get into town to see this fantastic event you can watch it via your internet access here…
Thursday 19 November – County Mall Christmas
lights switched on by a celebrity at 7pm. Town centre lights switched on too
Thursday 19-Saturday 21 November
Continental Market in Queens Square and live music
Continental Market in Queens Square
Saturday 21 November
Santa’s Grotto launch in the County Mall
Friday 27-Sunday 29 November
Christmas Music Festival in Queens Square
Crawley Millenium Concert Band will be playing for us whilst we shop
Friday 4-Sunday 6 December
Roller disco in the Queens Square
Monday 7 December
Crawley Millennium Concert Band’s Charity Family Christmas Concert at 7.30pm in County Mall.
Tickets from Toy Barnhaus, County Mall & on the Crawley Happy Times website
Saturday 12 December
Christmas Craft Market in Queens Square
Sunday 13 December
Live music and entertainment in Queens Square
Saturday 19-Sunday 20 December
Winter Wonderland in Queens Square
Christmas is coming and it’s time for the community of Crawley and all their friends and family to get ‘into the mood’. It’s also time for the annual christmas concert to get you in the christmas spirit.
In aid of Home Start and Crawley Shopmobility this year’s Christmas Concert is going to be loud, bright and talented.
For tickets please call 01293 574179. Also sold at Toy Barnhaus in the County Mall, Crawley. On Sunday 29th November and Saturday 5th December between 14:00 and 16:00 tickets are available on the lower ground reception in the County Mall. Priced at only £5 each or a family ticket of four £18 it is great value for a wonderful evening for the whole family, so get yours NOW! Alternatively you can purchase them online via the payment button below.
Sponsored and supported this year by HH Design and Crawley Happy Times. Both are Crawley companies, dedicated to looking after local people.
This is going to be an awesome event but can only be great with the support of the community, so we look forward to seeing you there :-) xx
On Sunday 11th October, ’09 Crawley Happy Times were honoured to visit the Wingspan in Crawley to join in the celebration of Viv Cooper’s life.
If you thought it would have been a solomn event, how wrong you would be. The music was consistent and the visitors sat reminiscent of Viv and how wonderful a person he was.
It seemed like Viv Cooper, who sadly lost his fight againt leukaemia at the age of 49, may have left a larger legacy than he could ever have imagined. His friends and family class Viv as a ‘legend’ which anyone would have trouble disputing.
Faye Morgan belting it out for Viv
Another great session
We spoke to various people during the days event and this is what they had to say.
Margaret, Viv’s sister told us how she wanted to thank everyone for being so supportive and how grateful they are for all the events before and after Viv’s passing. Margaret said “so many people turned up to the funeral, it was very humbling. It made us feel very proud and we felt he had a left a great legacy”.
Danny Martin (aka Danny Dangerously) said “I jammed today with two of the bands and have had a lovely time. It’s all about Viv and his memory. Viv was always encouraging to any new talent on the scene. Always thought out of the box musically”.
Dan Walton told us “I used to run the Apple Tree and Viv would come down every week. Viv even held his own Jazz & World music night. Viv was such a lovely guy. Always brightened my evening, a true performer. He would have been proud of today and of his children”.
Talent galore, just kept coming
Even the young ones were glued to the performers
Speaking of Viv’s children, Dave, Viv’s brother told us Viv would have been so proud to see his son, Reece played the drums and his eldest daughter, Antonia sing with her friend Dani. Dave went on to say “the day has gone very well and I am impressed with the turn out. Dan Giles played some lovely blues and Viv would have been ‘chuffed to punch’ with the whole event. Viv was a great bloke, a great Dad and a great Uncle”. Margaret, Viv’s sister piped up at that moment pointing out that Viv’s jokes were the worst she had ever heard and crowned him ‘the king of bad jokes’.
Spencer Blackledge said in short “fantastic! Viv was a great guy. I am honoured to play here today”.
Malcolm Page & Dan 'Dangerously' Martin
Jo and her fantastic staff from the Wingspan
Faye
Morgan who is a local singer told us “it’s a worthy cause, I am really happy to be here. Hopefully we can make some money for the family”.
The Wingspan donated the venue free of charge. Jo Apps, the Manager told us “we are very glad to be the hosts for this event. We let it out free as it is for a good cause and hopefully the money will go to covering the funeral costs which the family had to pay for originally”.
Personally I don’t think I actually got to meet Viv, although I get the feeling our paths surely crossed at some time. What I can say is, the day was amazing! There was such a positive, cheerful vibe about the event, it almost felt like a birthday celebration rather than the alternative. If this is what the event organisers were looking to achieve, I would like to tell them, they did! Big time! What a day, what a man, what a legend :-)
For more infomation on the Wingspan and what it has to offer please visit here…
Jo told me membership costs £38.70pp and a family ticket (2 adults, 2 children U18) costs just £45.00 and we can personally recommend the food, yum yum
VIDEO’S
Billy Delaney aka Young-B is about to follow in the steps of others by re-instating Crawley on the map.
Billy Delaney's Music Award Certificate, Nov '09
Billy became known to most of us last year when he won the Laserhub Music Award at the Youth Awards 2008.
Andrew Snowden presents Billy with his award
We asked Billy what incited him to become a singer. Billy told us his influence mainly came from his family who were always playing music around the house. His Mum and Dad influenced him with various flavours of artists. Billy’s Mum likes to listen to George Michael, Usher, 50 Cent and Akon whereas his Dad is into his Scar music such as Madness, The Specials and Bad Manners. “My Nan was also a massive influence on me and encouraged me to get involved with music at an early age. Nan was also the one who put me forward for the award, which I am eternally grateful for” said Billy, adding that his Nan passed away shortly after.
Billy went on to say he originally attended Thomas Bennett school in Tilgate but after a bullying incident which involved a sharp object he moved to Ifield Community College where the Head Master, Dr. Lind, was a tremendous help to him and his future. Billy said “Dr. Lind is a great Head who was always there for me. He was always encouraging and extremely supportive”. Billy said drama played a massive part in building his confidence, teaching him how to express himself. “I liked the happy positive side of drama and even played Fat Sam in the Bugsy Malone school production”.
Billy left school in 2007 and decided to apply for a place at Northbrook Music College. After successfully achieving BTEC first diploma in music in July 2008, Billy then went on to take his music career very seriously. Along with some college friends Billy performed at several gigs. By January they had all gone their seperate ways. Billy then met Chris Foster aka Mr Rampz who assisted Billy in preparing for his future. By the end of January, ’09 they had set down three tracks and are in the process of working on more.
In November, ’09 Billy won the LaserHub Music Award for his musical talents. Billy’s music passed on a positive message and vibes about knife crime prevention to the youth of Crawley. Billy told us knife crime was starting to become a prominent problem within Crawley at that time, so he felt compelled to do something positive through his music.
Young-B making his mark
We asked Billy what his plans for the future are now. Billy said “I have lots of plans for the future, but am taking it slowly. We here at Crawley Happy Times, would like to wish Billy all the best in his career. We will keep an eye on Billy’s progress and keep you up-to-date. Good luck Billy!
Interview with Billy
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