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This is the first published Electronic Newspaper for 
Shoreham-by-Sea and the Adur Valley & District, West Sussex, England

     21 July  2001: Volume 3  Issue 24
Local News

19 July 2001
Ropetackle Public Meeting
Over 250 members of the public packed the Shoreham Centre to hear about the Community Plans for Ropetackle.
The meeting was not about the plans but about the community facility which was part of the Ropetackle Development Brief.
Tim Loughton MP has invited the local community to write in to him as head of the Committee informing the Committee of what community facilities are lacking in Shoreham and Adur.
The real snag is that it is a condition that the community facilities are sustainable. This seems to mean that they would pay for themselves. Not the capital cost, but the running costs, presumably including maintenance of the buildings.
Most of people at the meeting wanted to talk about the loss of the access and views across the river, the high density of the development and blocking off of the Public Hard. The design standard of the building in the area south of Little High Street was considered to be important. 
 

South Downs National Park : Proposed Area
http://www.countryside.gov.uk/reception/papers/Areaofsearchmap.jpg

Click on the URL for the complete map


The footpaths to Lancing Ring are now open.

West Sussex County Council announce most paths are now open, unless they are inhabited or used by farm livestock, or farm animals are nearby. 

The cycle path from Old Shoreham is officially open.
 
 

Weather Forecast

Please send any comments to: Andy Horton
Glaucus@hotmail.com

Wildlife Notes

Peacock Butterfly (Photograph by Ray Hamblett)

20 July 2001
A Painted Lady Butterfly landed on the Verbena bonariensis in my Lancing garden (TQ 186 045). This plant is rich in nectar and particularly attractive to butterflies.

Report by Ray Hamblett
Butterflies of Lancing
 

18 July 2001
The Sussex branch of the Butterfly Conservation Society arranged a walk on Mill Hill  in the morning. The long grasses were still soaked from yesterday's downpour. I did not make the 11:00 am start but I went up there a couple of hours later and they were no longer around. The blue butterflies were not out yet and it preceded the school holidays, so it could be seen as a strange date to choose. The only insect of note was a solitary Burnet Moth south of the car park (TQ 212 072) . 
Pictures of the Burnet Moths
There was a fair selection of butterflies including Small Skippers.

17 July 2001
It needed torrential rain and a near gale to dislodge a 95 mm pine cone which nearly landed on my head. It came from one of a couple of old pine trees just south of the western tennis pavilion in Buckingham Park. I have tentatively identified these trees as Monterey Pine, Pinus radiata. 

16 July 2001
A Gatekeeper Butterfly settled in my wild garden in Corbyn Crescent, Shoreham (TQ 224 053), opening its wings to reveal the splendid orange upperside lined with brown. 

15 July 2001
A pair of Comma Butterflies fluttered around and finally settled briefly in my wild garden, without nettles,  in Corbyn Crescent, Shoreham (TQ 224 053).  This is my first definite report of these butterflies on the Nature Notes web pages. House Martins flew overhead from Middle Road allotments. 
A handful of small Gatekeeper Butterflies fluttered around the Blackthorn (Sloe) bushes (TQ 207 055) and other scrub around the towpath on the eastern of perimeter of Shoreham Airport. 
At the Old Fort (TQ 234 046), the Common Lizards, Lacerata vivipara, with exceptionally mottled markings, have found new places to hide after the flint wall has been repaired. The exceptionally speckled markings of the lizard are found in the European Wall Lizard, Podarcis muralis. (This latter species were kept in the back garden of a house in Old Fort Road and could be escapes. However, lizards were definitely present in the 1960s on the walls of the Old Fort and this pre-dated the presence of lizards in the garden of a herpetologist.)
Earlier Report of the Flint Wall Repairs
Postscript:  these lizards have now been definitely identified as the Wall Lizard, Podarcis muralis.

Local Lizard Comparison Photographs

13 July 2001
Butterflies between the bridleway (TQ 228 067) skirting Slonk Hill Farm and Mossy Bottom Barn included Small Tortoiseshells, Red Admirals and at least one Painted Lady (TQ 225 074), all species eventually settling on the chalk path, and all the butterflies were in perfect colourful condition. 
The skies around New Erringham Farm were filled with the low flying aerobatic displays of House Martins and Swallows, perhaps Swifts as well. 

12 July 2001
Dragonflies
About a dozen of the stout-bodied dragonflies flew rapidly over the Lancing Ring dewpond. They flew much too quickly to ascertain any of the smaller details which is necessary to confirm identification. Both males and females chased each other in the breeze. However, a brown female dragonfly settled for about two seconds a couple of metres away and there was just time to spot at  least three large spots of bright orange on one side of the darker brown abdomen. This together with the brown bulky nature of the flattish abdomen, made to look more bulky by the brown on the base of the wings makes me identify this spectacular insect as the Broad-bodied Chaser, Libellula depressa. The appearance of bright green Emperor Dragonfly, female, was comparatively dull and inactive. A Blue-tailed Damselfly tried to hide its then abdomen along a thin waterside reed. 
British Dragonfly Society Species Checklist

11 July 2001
All boats remain in harbour as the beach shingle is rolled about by the Fresh Breeze (Force 5 +) without rain, with many white horses. The shingle that had been levelled with the renovation to the Inner West Arm of Shoreham Harbour sea defences south of Soldier's Point, near the Old Fort, last year, had now been reformed by the wind and returned to its former undulations, with the return of the common shingle plants including Sea Kale, Sea Beet, Yellow-horned Poppy, Sea Campion, Spear-leaved Orache and the common weed of wild places, the Sow Thistle was abundant.  
Beaufort Scale (sea)

9 July 2001
The remains of two large mature Adders were found trapped in garden netting in Lancing Manor Allotments.

Report by Ray Hamblett
7 July 2001
The promised torrential rain arrives at about 5:00 pm with grumblings of thunder. Although it seemed no more than a prolonged heavy shower, a figure of 34 mm was recorded in 3 hours, according to BBC 1 Southern News. I was able to verify this reading exactly using the bucket method. . 

5 July 2001
Butterflies
On the long mostly straight steadily uphill path from Southwick Hill to Truleigh Hill, Small Tortoiseshell Butterflies were common (75 +) (this total possibly included some strong-flying Painted Ladies and Commas), but there were also Meadow Browns (30+), Marbled Whites, (25+), Small Skippers (20+) Red Admirals (12+) and an occasional Small White Butterfly in decreasing order of prevalency.


Marbled White Butterflies (Photographs by Ray Hamblett)

Marbled White Butterflies

In contrast on Mill Hill, where nettles on the downs are uncommon and the meadows unspoiled, the Meadow Browns (40 +) were the commonest butterfly in the open but where the grass became longer they were replaced by Marbled Whites (40+) feeding on Greater Knapweed, and in the scrub, a handful of Gatekeeper Butterflies could be easily separated from the Meadow Browns by their smaller size and double eye-spot on the underside. They remained settled for long periods with the wings folded. At first the double eye-spots could be seen, but after awhile the fawnish bit covered up the orange and the eye-spot. Large Skipper Butterflies were a bit battered but like the Gatekeeper stayed still, but with their wings open. Red Admirals flew energetically in the small copse. 
Small Scabious and Pyramid Orchids were in flower. 
Adur Valley Butterflies (Link)

Shoreham seems to have missed the thunder and electrical storms in other parts of the south coast (notably Dorset), but it is exceptionally and uncomfortably muggy (wet and humid with warm showers). Just before dawn the gulls, Herring Gulls are squawking a lot just like they do throughout the day in nearby Hove. On top of the new houses near Eastern Avenue railway crossing gates, Shoreham (TQ 224 053), there seems to be two gulls that are unusual for Shoreham, looking smaller and with much darker primary feathers than the Herring Gull, and my first choice identification of these birds is the Lesser Black-backed Gull. Their legs are a greenish-yellow colour.
Lesser Black-backed and yellow-legged Gulls (Link for more information)
BMLSS Sea Birds
Sea Birds Portfolio (Photographs by Nicolas Jouault)
UK Birding Discussion Forum
Sussex Ornithological Society News

July 2001
The crew of the Sussex Sea Fisheries Protection vessel "Watchful" spot a Bottle-nosed Dolphin, Tursiops truncatus, in the approaches to Shoreham harbour. 
Sussex Dolphins

Lancing Nature & History - July 2001 Newsletter 

Poem or Literature
 

Sussex by the Sea

Now is the time for marching, 
Now let your hearts be gay, 
Hark to the merry bugles 
Sounding along our way. 
So let your voices ring my boys, 
And take the time from me, 
And I'll sing you a song as we march along, 
Of Sussex by the Sea! 

For Sussex by the Sea ! 
Oh Sussex, Sussex by the Sea ! 
Good old Sussex by the Sea ! 
You may tell them all that we stand or fall, 
For Sussex by the Sea 

We're the men from Sussex, 
Sussex by the Sea. 
We plough and sow and reap and mow, 
And useful men are we; 
And when you go to Sussex, 
Whoever you may be, 
You may tell them all that we stand or fall 
For Sussex by the Sea! 

(chorus) 

Up in the morning early, 
Start at the break of day; 
March till the evening shadows 
Tell us it's time to stay. 
We're always moving on my boys, 
So take the time from me, 
And sing this song as we march along, Of Sussex by the Sea. 

(chorus) 

Sometimes your feet are weary 
Sometimes the way is long, 
Sometimes the day is dreary, 
Sometimes the world goes wrong; 
But if you let your voices ring, 
Your care will fly away, 
So we'll sing a song as we march along, Of Sussex by the Sea. 

(chorus) 

Light is the love of a soldier, 
That's what the ladies say, 
Lightly he goes a wooing, 
Lightly he rides away. 
In love and war we always are 
As fair as fair can be, 
And a soldier boy is a lady's joy In Sussex by the Sea! 

(chorus)

Far o'er the seas we wander, 
Wide thro' the world we roam; 
Far from the kind hearts yonder, 
Far from our dear old home; 
But ne'er shall we forget my boys, 
And true we'll ever be 
To the girls so kind that we left behind 
In Sussex by the Sea 

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/chalcraft/sussexby.htm

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/chalcraft/sussex_by_the_sea.mp3

Sussex by the Sea was written by the musician, composer and songwriter William Ward-Higgs in 1907, while he was living at Hollywood House in South Bersted, near Bognor, West Sussex. Ward-Higgs's grave is in Bersted churchyard. As well as being adopted by Brighton & Hove Albion (1910), it was also the official song of the Royal Sussex Army Regiment (1914).

In 1914, Sussex by the Sea was adopted as the Regimental song for the Royal Sussex Regiment. It became strongly associated with the club as the troops were billetted at the Goldstone Ground before being sent to fight in the First World War.The song was no doubt heard on numerous occasions whilst the troops were encamped at the ground, and therefore became attached to the football club. It has also retained its military links, despite the Royal Sussex Regiment having amalglamated with other local corps to form the Home Counties Battalion in 1958, which became the 1st-4th Battalion Queen's Regiment eight years later. The song can still apparently be heard on regimental days of the 3rd Battalion Queen's Regiment, who are the direct descendants of the orginal Sussex outfit. It has also been adopted as a county anthem, being traditionally played, for example, at the Sussex Bonfire Societies' November 5th celebrations in Lewes.
 

    Words of the Week

    iterative  | trtv |  a. & n. L15. [Fr. iteratif, -ive (in sense 1) and late L iterativus (in sense 2), f. as prec.: see -IVE.] A adj. 1 a Characterized by repeating or being repeated. L15.  b Math. Of the nature of, employing, or resulting from iteration. E20. 2 Gram. Denoting repetition of action; frequentative. E19. B n. Ling. 1 An iterative verb or aspect. M19. 2 A word expressing repetition of an action, sound, etc. M20.iteratively adv. M19. iterativeness n. M19.

    valedictory  | valdkt()ri |  a. & n. M17. [f. prec. + -ORY2.] A adj. 1 Spoken or delivered on taking farewell; of the nature of a valediction. M17.  2 Performed or done by way of valediction. E19.
    2 B. CHATWIN It was Utz who had arrangedthis valedictory breakfast.
     B n. 1 An oration or farewell address usu. given by the highest-ranking member of a graduating class at a N. American high school, college, or university. L18. 2 A valedictory statement or address made on leaving a position, person, etc. L19.valedictorian  | -trn |  n. (N. Amer.) a student who delivers a valedictory M18. valedictorily adv. (rare) M19.

    anaphylaxis  | anflakss |  n. E20. [mod.L, f. Gk ANA- + phulaxis watching, guarding.] Med. An acute allergic reaction to an antigen on reintroduction.anaphylactic a. of or pertaining to anaphylaxis; anaphylactic shock, extreme reaction to a second dose of an antigen: E20. anaphylactoid a. resembling anaphylaxis or anaphylactic shock E20.

    endemic  | endemk |  n. & a. M17. [Fr. endemique or mod.L endemicus, f. Gk endem(i)os, pertaining to a people, native, f. as EN-2 + demos people: see -IC.] A n. 1 An endemic disease. M17. 2 An endemic plant or animal. M20. 

    B adj. 1 (Of a disease, condition, etc.) habitually present in a certain area as a result of permanent local factors; of common occurrence; rife. E18. 2 Of a plant or animal: native to, and esp. restricted to, a certain country or area. M19. 

    cacophony  | kkf()ni |  n. M17. [Fr. cacophonie f. Gk kakophonia, f. as prec.: see -PHONY.] Discordant sound; an instance of this.cacophonic, cacophonical adjs. = CACOPHONOUS M19.

    homophone  | hmfn |  a. & n. E17. [Gk homophonos, f. as HOMO-, -PHONE.] A adj. Pronounced the same. rare. E17. 

    B n. Each of a set of words pronounced the same but of different meaning, origin, or spelling. Also, each of a set of symbols denoting the same sound or group of sounds. E17. 

    ---------------------------------------------------------
    Excerpted from The Oxford Interactive Encyclopedia
    Developed by The Learning Company, Inc. Copyright (c) 1997 TLC Properties Inc.

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    Farmer's Market

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