Year 2005

The darts competition has been an inceasing money-spinner for good causes and was another winner in 2005.

35 teams from 19 local pubs and clubs took part, and a record of over £10,000 was raised in sponsorship by the players in this year’s Darts Marathon.

Pictured left, Paul Harris and Barry Reed at the Victory Inn, Staplefield,
count out the cash collected for Court Meadow School,
— watched over by the landlord, his assistant and Brian Davey.

And above, representatives of the winning teams (left to right) Richard Toomer, Sue King (Ansty Mixed), President Ivan Grundon, Jo Hedges (Head Teacher Court Meadow), Louise Gaffney (Ardingly Ladies). Front row: Jesse Edwards and Adam Guy (Ardingly Mens)

It seems that during an earlier District ten-pin bowling competition, the Haywards Heath club noticed that their team scores were quite a bit better than those of Cuckfield & Lindfield. Having suffered an almost endless run of defeats in the annual inter-club golf competition, Haywards Heath saw an opportunity to get some revenge in the ten-pin alley, and challenged the Cuckfield & Lindfield club to an annual bowling match.

On 9 March two teams from each side met. Cuckfield & Lindfield might easily have won, but there were some wild accusations of foul play which set the side back somewhat. It is believed the official result was a victory for Haywards Heath, but in any event there is serious talk in Cuckfield & Lindfield circles of a ban on foul play and the institution of a coaching plan. This competition may be worth watching.

Racing at Plumpton

... and another long-standing feature of the Club's fund-raising work took place on Easter Sunday
when for the 13th year running, members were collecting
for St Peter & St James Home & Hospice in Wivelsfield.

A few days after attending the RIBI Annual Conference at Manchester in April, RIBI President Gordon McInally and Cuckfield & Lindfield Past President Malcolm Wykes both attended the 50th Charter Anniversary Dinner of the Rotary Club of Sowerby Bridge (District 1040) at Bertie's Banqueting Suite in Elland, West Yorkshire. They are pictured (right) together with Sowerby Bridge President Roger Booth. Malcolm Wykes was a member of the Sowerby Bridge club in 1982-88.

Although the Yorkshire club only has 26 members at present, wives, former members, assorted bigwigs and guests swelled the attence at the dinner to more than 220. Normally members' wives are not invited to the Charter dinner, but to mark 50 years the rule was relaxed for this occasion.

Following the visit by Cuckfield & Lindfield to Novi Sad in June 2003, a party of members and wives from the Rotary Club of Novi Sad (Serbia) came here in late April. During the weekend they were taken on a guided walk in Lindfield, had dinner and a musical extravaganza at the Birch Hotel, went on the President's Walk on the Sunday morning, visited Alan Hancock's old mill and veteran car collection in Horsted Keynes, enjoyed fine dining with home hospitality on the Sunday evening, lunched the next day at the Old School Cuckfield, toured the Cuckfield Museum and went to the Cuckoo Fair. Finally they enjoyed a farewell dinner at the Haywards Heath Golf Club. Another highly successful Club exchange event.

The first President's Walk of the 2005/06 Rotary year, on 31 July 2005, marked the beginning also of the twelfth year of President's Walks since the start of this monthly Club event in 1994. This walk was led by Roger Sawyers.

Pictured left outside East Chiltington Church are the walkers that day, together with the usual escort of several black labradors (without which no President's Walk would be complete).