For the last monthly meeting of the Group in 2019 Ian Everest came along to enlighten us and also create some nostalgia with a fascinating film and narration of life on a Sussex downland farm. Ian’s interest in the history of Sussex farming dates back to his childhood, which was spent living on a 1,000 acre downland farm on which his father worked.

In his teenage years Ian worked on farms in the Ouse Valley before attending Plumpton Agricultural College. After further practical farm activity, he worked at a farm animal-disease research centre before entering into farming-related commercial activities.

His talk looked at life on Manor Farm, Bishopstone, during the 1950’s and is based on a cine film made by farmer John Willett. After attending the Royal Agricultural College at Cirencester, John was keen to start modernising the farm by adopting new techniques and acquiring modern machinery.  His father was reluctant to change with the times, and the film gives an interesting insight into the demise of the old ways of farming practices and the gradual change with the introduction of modern labour saving machinery.

More than thirty men were employed on the farm at harvest time but reducing to twenty at other times of the year. It was a tough life with little financial reward for the workers, but the men were highly skilled in many aspects of their work. Skills not learnt at school or college, but passed down to them by their forbears.

Due to their differing ideas on running the farm, John and his father did not always see eye to eye, so the filming sessions had two purposes. Curiously one was to keep John occupied and away from his father (!) although it was soon apparent that the farm labourers worked much harder during the making of the cine film.

Sadly the farm was eventually split up and sold but some of the farm buildings still exist and have been converted into residential premises.

After attendees enjoyed tea and mince pies Tricia Hall and Graham Tuppen took to the floor to jointly present the popular Nature Notes slot. The renowned broadcaster and natural historian David Attenborough is supporting a campaign to help save the kelp forests off the Sussex coast. Kelp is the name given to a group of brown seaweeds; usually large in size and these plants are capable of forming dense aggregations in underwater forests.  Tricia and Graham were keen to inform members of the damage that has been caused to this most vulnerable biodiverse environment. According to one estimate, globally it can absorb about 600 million tonnes of carbon a year, twice as much as the UK emits annually. This campaign was launched by the Sussex Wildlife Trust and the Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority to introduce an inshore trawler exclusion zone to help the kelp regenerate.

An impromptu collection in aid of the Woodland Trust appeal to ‘Plant a Tree to Save the World’ resulted in attendees donating £90 which will be matched from Ferring Conservation Group’s fund.

Ed Miller concluded the meeting with planning news and advised members that a revised planning application had been submitted by the owners of Elm Lodge in Tamarisk Way, Ferring for an additional property to be built in the back garden. Also the proposal for 465 homes to be built on the Northern Goring Gap is expected soon.

Kate Bradbury, an award winning author and journalist was warmly welcomed to Ferring Conservation Group’s October meeting. Kate is the author of several books including ‘The Wildlife Gardener’ and is the editor of the wildlife pages of BBC Gardener’s World Magazine. She regularly writes articles for newspapers and often appears on BBC Spring and Autumn Watch programmes.

Kate is passionate about organic, wildlife-friendly gardening and can see the potential in our gardens for preserving many species. She gardens on a small patch of land in Brighton and delights in the wildlife it has attracted in a relatively short space of time. Her many tips include growing native plants (just one native tree can support hundreds of different species – providing flowers for pollinators, leaves for caterpillars and then seeds or fruit for birds in autumn). Kate explained that non-natives have a great role in gardens too – especially for pollinating insects, but it is the natives that attract the leaf munchers, such as caterpillars, that also need leaves to assist breeding. Being at the bottom of the food chain these invertebrates are vitally important to anything from hedgehogs to frogs, toads, newts, birds and bats. In a small garden Kate recommended forget-me-knots, primroses and foxgloves as ideal plants to attract pollinators and if you have the room for a tree, a Silver Birch or standard Hawthorn would be ideal. If a small pond is viable then it should be shallow for insects to breed and pebbles should be placed on one side to create a beach, so that birds and bees can drink from the water’s edge.

Graham Tuppen took the floor at the second half of the meeting to deliver the Nature Notes slot. He informed the audience that the lagoons by the Rife were at last full from the recent rainfall and went on to report that the wet fields had attracted plenty of wading birds and gulls. Parasol mushrooms were abundant along the Ilex with the flowering ivy keeping bees busy and were attractive for hoverflies and wasps. Also many acorns were evident as well as seed from sycamore and hawthorn trees; again very helpful for wildlife. Graham also reported the sighting of a seal in the sea near to the Bluebird Café.

Planning news concluded the meeting with Ed Miller reporting that the planning application submitted by Worthing Council for the erection of beach huts along the seafront in Goring-by-Sea, had been withdrawn. The two warehouse units proposed on land adjacent to McIntyre’s Lane had been refused by Arun DC, along with the additional house in the back garden of The Old Flint House within the Ferring conservation area. Ed also advised that Arun DC had received a new application by Peugeot for an advertising sign on the forecourt of their garage along the A259. It was also reported that according to Persimmon’s architect, present at the public consultation afternoon held on 7th October at the Assembly Rooms in Worthing, the submission of an outline planning application to Worthing DC and Arun DC for 465 homes in the Northern Goring Gap was imminent.

Charlotte Owen from the Sussex Wildlife Trust (SWT) was welcomed to Ferring Conservation Group’s September meeting to tell members and visitors about her role as a Wild Call Officer, which she described as ‘the best job in the world’. Charlotte illustrated her talk with many delightful photographs.

Based at Wood Mills, the headquarters of the SWT, Charlotte mans a helpline for the 1.6 million residents of Sussex answering a huge variety of wildlife related questions. A lot can happen in a year and with between 1500 to 2000 inquiries it is a not only a very busy job but also a very interesting one.

As Sussex is blessed with contrasting landscapes such as the coastline, the South Downs, heathland, woodland and wetlands that attract a diverse range of wildlife there is never a dull moment. The seasons often give a clue to the type of questions posed. In early spring newly emerged hedgehogs, toads, grass snakes, lizards and adders become more active and are easier to spot and can bring forth a variety of questions from the public – such as how to attract hedgehogs into gardens and how to deter squirrels. Also help is requested in solving mysterious footprints in gardens and the appearance of holes in lawns.

Charlotte admits to sometimes using Google to help answer questions and this helped enormously when an email popped into her inbox from a sender asking advice as they had two Black Bears in their garden (unusual for Sussex she thought!). Fortunately the request came from overseas and Charlotte was able to quickly refer the sender to a website dedicated to Black Bears.

After a break for tea and biscuits Graham Tuppen took the floor to deliver the ever popular Nature Notes. Graham advised members that the September working party had tidied the wildflower bed in Little Twitten and the cut grass had been raked up on the verge along Sea Lane with help from volunteers from ‘The Good Gym’. A variety of birds had been spotted including a Kingfisher on the Rife together with a Grey Wagtail. Unfortunately all of the ponds and lagoons next to the Rife had dried up.

Ed Miller concluded the meeting with planning news by advising that the application for the large lit advertising sign proposed by the Peugeot Garage on the A259 had been refused. There were still some undecided applications and also three appeals awaiting decisions by the Planning Inspector.

Bernie Forbes, the current President of the Shoreham and District Ornithological Society, was welcomed to Ferring Conservation Group’s July meeting to impart his vast knowledge of birds and his favourite locations in the county to view them. Bernie explained that lesser known bird spotting areas such as Shoreham Napoleonic Fort, the Downs around Lancing College, Cissbury Ring, the Norfolk Estate at Burpham, Amberley Castle and strangely, old sewage works, were popular areas that attract many varieties of birds. Bernie is regularly accompanied by his good friend and fellow bird enthusiast Dorian Mason, a resident of Ferring and also a member of Ferring Conservation Group, whose many excellent photographs were utilised by Bernie to illustrate his talk.

Bernie has demonstrated his proven track record for finding rare species including the Gyr Falcon and the first and second Pallid Harrier in the county of Sussex. As an active RSPB volunteer and a participant in work around Pagham Harbour Bernie contributes to local bird reports and is also renowned for constructing the many benches and some of the steps and stiles around the area.

Many of Bernie’s sightings have been close to Ferring where he has been fortunate enough to spot Common and Jack Snipe near to the Rife, a Snow Bunting on Goring Beach, a Sandpiper and numerous Wood Lark at Shoreham Airport and a Great Spotted Cuckoo near to Lancing College. He recommended Burpham as an ideal location to see Raptors and Finches and praised the Duke of Norfolk’s Estate near Arundel in their successful efforts to breed Grey Partridge.

After refreshments Tricia Hall discussed her recent holiday in Northern Greece and the many butterflies and birds that she observed there, illustrating her talk with colourful photographs of some of her discoveries.

Ed Miller concluded the meeting with news that the Appeal for the 2 proposed properties in the garden of 21 Ocean Drive had been dismissed. The proposed marking out of part of the Bluebird Café car park had been approved. The proposed property in the garden of Elm Lodge, Tamarisk Way had gone to Appeal and a new planning application had been lodged for a property to be built in the garden of the Old Flint House in Church Lane. This property is 17th Century in part and lies within the Conservation Area in Ferring.