Fourteen members of the Chichester Society enjoyed a tasting tour of the West Dean Fruit garden on 21 September, led by David Wilson who works there as a volunteer with the apples.
David explaining West Dean’s apple collection
David also added the history of some of the varieties; Granny Smith, who was a Sussex woman from Rye, though she raised her apple in Australia after emigrating; the oldest recorded Sussex variety, Golden Pippin from Parham Park, dating from 1629; Red Devil, so sensitive to sunlight that you can stencil your initials on it; Margil, originally grown at the Palace of Versailles; and Howgate Wonder from the Isle of Wight which for many years held the recordof the world’s heaviest apple, over 4lb!
At the end of the tour, the party confessed to being ‘appled out’!
CLUES Across
7 Ill-lit (6)
8 Tend (4-2)
9 Monster (4)
10 Maize part (8)
11 One-eyed giant (7)
13 Bend down (5)
15 Incubate (5)
17 Limbless reptile (7)
20 Point where snow covers ground (4,4)
21 System of weights esp. gems (4)
23 Story not narrated (6)
24 Space devoid of
matter (6)
Down
1 Sell or strike (4)
2 Of or relating to the north (6)
3 Fainting (med) (7)
4 Fame, honour (5)
5 Surgical knife (6)
6 Obstinate (8)
12 Desire (8)
14 Gain, obtain (7)
16 Stockman, rancher (6)
18 A coup (6)
19 An accent mark (5)
22 Large scale artistic work (4)
Society member Caroline Hutchings reports on an enjoyable evening.
Some of the best regional wines from Northern Italy, were savoured by members of the Chichester Society at Hennings Wine Tasting in North street on Thursday 28th July.
Hannah describing the wines
The evening commenced with Hennings team member Hannah giving an introduction before going on to describe our 9 wine tastings, accompanied by bread, olives/oil, cheese and Parma ham.
First on the list was Nani Rizzi Valdobbiadene Millesimato DOCG 2014, a sparkling wine with fine bubbles from Veneto. The Glera (prosecco) grape has been grown for hundreds of years.
Girlan Aime Gewurztraminer 2015 is a new wine from Alto Adige – a boundary between Austria and Italy and grown high up in the mountains. The grapes are protected from the cold wind by the Alps to the north and benefits from the Mediterranean climate to the south. The dry, sandy, mineral rich soil combines with the high temperature fluctuation between night and day, creating a fantastic aromatic Gewürz with a subtle spice.
Alex from Hennings pouring the wines
Soave Pieropan La Rocca 2014 from Veneto – a rich wine grown just below Verona
The Pieropan family have produced wines in Soave since the 1860’s. 2014 was one of the trickiest vintages seen since 1984 with its mild, wet winter when pests and pathogens flourished.
Torricella Chardonnay 2013 – a pale, straw colour wine from Tuscany. The nose has a concentration of white fruit scents, citrus notes and aromatic herbs. It has a good balance between freshness and minerality. 80% Chardonnay and 20% Sauvignon Blanc.
Comparing notesPosing questions
Mystery Wine – this turned out to be a juicy, sparkling red Lambrusco grape. Most unusual, but personally, not to my taste (or others)!
Dolcetto D’Alba Cascina Morassino 2014 – a Dolcetto grape from Piedmont. ( lovely Dolcetto – translated as ‘little sweet one’). A delicious, full juicy red with a lovely redcurrant flavour.
Deciding which they prefer
Fletcher X 13 – another Piedmont wine of power and elegance. Good, unfiltered wine, also suitable for vegans.
Barolo Essenze Terre Da Vino 2011 – grown in the south facing hills of Piedmont and keeps for 10 -15 years. Aroma of rose, berry spice and tilled earth.
Araldica Moscato Passito Palazzina 2013 37.5cl – our last wine of the evening from Piedmont. The grapes are dried for 45 days before fermentation losing 40% of weight during the dehydration. Rich and intense with a honey flavour but balanced with a crisp, fresh acidity. A wonderful dessert wine and a great one to end on!
Society Chairman Richard Childs giving thanks
All the wines were able to be purchased or ordered, with a discount applied on the evening.
In all, a great, informative evening, enjoying fascinating wines and socialising with other group members. Would love to try other regions – perhaps it could be an annual event?
(Photos courtesy of Caroline Hutchings and Bob Wiggins)
The forthcoming September 2016 issue of the Chichester Society Newsletter includes an article by Society member Christopher Mead-Briggs entitled ‘Chichester must accommodate more housing – but how?’ In it he references the following reports which can be viewed by clicking on their titles:
Cathedral Cities in Peril
by Foster and Partners with input from English Heritage
and Terence O’Rourke MBE
18 March 2015
They can be read on screen but the best way to read the second report is to print it out because of the size of the font and the illustrative material.
Notes on the Cathedral Cities and Historic Towns Report
1. The report was written by Lord March and Terence O’Rourke MBE in March 2015 and followed an appreciation of the forecast growth of Chichester and its planned expansion. This led to a much wider review of the impact on other similar cities and towns.
2. It makes key recommendations in a succinct and readable form in a booklet of just 6 pages.
3. It followed the publication in October 2014 of a very detailed report of 178 pages produced by Richard Bate and others for English Heritage entitled “The Sustainable Growth of Cathedral Cities and Historic Towns”. That report is on the English Heritage web here.
Notes on the Cathedral Cities in Peril Report
(This pdf file presents on-screen in a sideways format which requires use of a right click of the mouse when positioned over the text of the report. Choose “rotate” to turn the text clockwise – it requires three clicks to complete the rotation.)
1. This report is an important core document written by the leading architectural practice of Foster + Partners jointly with Terence O’Rourke MBE and runs to 59 pages. It outlines the need to provide good quality housing to meet the needs of a fast growing population and recognises the attraction of our historic towns as places to live and work. They explain that the challenge will be to provide for that growth in such high quality locations without damage to their intrinsic character. It was published in March 2015.
2. The authors have considered the similarities that the English historic towns possess, many having medieval city walls, narrow streets and a large number of listed buildings. They stress the need to encourage local councils to accommodate high quality design combining constructive conservation, regeneration and infill, and the use of compulsory purchase powers where necessary to combine old with new. They suggest connecting fragmented areas lying outside the core with good public transport. They encourage community led schemes.
3. Four Cathedral Cities are considered in some detail and are compared with four cities in Europe. Conclusions are reached and then tested using Kings Lynn as the example.
4. Their six recommendations appear at the end of the report and should be read across the pages because each refers to three issues: a) the supporting national framework for each recommendation, b) the implementation barriers and c) the proposed changes to policy.
‘There are sound and clear cut reasons for refusing planning permission in the absence of any commitment to provide the Southern Access Road prior to the development of the site‘ so state The Chichester Society and the East Broyle, Parklands, Westgate and Orchard Street/Old Somerstown Residents Associations in a joint submission to the Local Council.
They further state ‘In the absence of any commitment to the provision of the Southern Access to the Via Ravenna roundabout and not to Westgate to be in place before construction of the houses in Phase 1 the application 14/04301 should be refused’.
In this BBC Radio 4 point of view broadcast on 10 June Roger Scruton addresses how we should prioritise beauty when building the countryside – Beauty in my back yard (BIMBY) not NIMBY. To listen to it click here.
BIMBY arises from the Prince’s Foundation and comprises a Toolkit with a series of workshops that guides a community through creating a BIMBY Housing Manual for their own area.
The toolkit has 3 workshops to help a community decide what it wants as a community. The outcome of the toolkit is a series of standards for developers to follow in the form of a Housing Manual. There is also guidance on how to get the Manual adopted as part of the formal planning process.
CLUES Across
7 Small pocket (6)
8 Get the better of (6)
9 Unpleasantly and excessively suave (4)
10 Correspondence without an envelope (8)
11 Self-aggrandisement (3,4)
13 Buffoon (5)
15 Type of quick bread (5)
17 Fundamental principle (7)
20 Type of sausage (8)
21 Hurt (4)
22 Expresses a condition; ought (6)
23 Render capable (6) Down
1 Part of footpath (6)
2 Watery part of milk (4)
3 Tending to check bleeding (7)
4 Snare (5)
5 Martinet (8)
6 Crease (6)
12 Besotted, soused (6,2)
14 Decorate tastelessly (7)
16 Day care centre (6)
18 Lacking warmth of feeling (6)
19 Ruffian, disorderly (5)
21 Natural fuel (4)
Proposals: Outline planning application with all matters reserved (except for access) for the first phase of development for up to 750 homes with access from Old Broyle Road, temporary access from Clay Lane, a local centre (with associated employment, retail and community uses), primary school, informal and formal open space (including a Country Park), playing pitches, associated landscaping, utilities and drainage infrastructure with on site foul sewage package treatment plant or pumping station with connection to Tangmere Waste Water Treatment Works.
Society response: A very short period of time was given for a response to be made to the Planning Application CC/14/04301/OUT. In our initial response (click here) Chairman Richard Childs objects to the failure adequately to consult and considers that this Masterplan must be revised to create a southern access route from the start of Phase 1 so that construction traffic can be directed from Cathedral Way roundabout direct to the new development. A more formal response is being prepared.
Meanwhile – The Council invite observations on the above application by 7 June 2016. To view the application click on the application number above.
Chichester Conservation Area Character Appraisal, published in March 2005 has been reviewed and updated by the Council as part of a program to update all the districts conservation area appraisals. The review (available here) of the conservation area included an examination of the existing boundaries of the conservation area to consider the potential for other areas to be included and, if appropriate, where existing areas should be excluded.
A public consultation ended 3 June 2016 on the revised character appraisal document, proposed changes to the conservation area boundary, and proposals for additional planning controls, through the use of Article 4 Direction, to protect the area’s character .
The Chichester Society submitted its response which can be viewed here.
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