It's a bit of a slow news week, apart from our now-nationally-famous swan, who proved to be stationary on the ice during the big freeze, rather than stuck in it. We trust you're enjoying the higher temperatures, and urge you to make the most of them by attending one or more of the events we've listed. Please note that the Lewes Rep's performances of Playing Pinter, scheduled over the next two weekends, have been postponed until March, due to ill health.
Court disappearance
In 1986 the late Princess Diana came to Lewes to open the new Magistrate’s Court, which, of course, closed down last year as a result of Government cuts. And now, the building is up for sale: offers of more than a million are being considered. Estate Agents Jones Lang LaSalle are handling the deal, and they figure that the bomb-proof building would suit future use for educational, health service, financial service, office, cultural and community services or entertainment purposes. Could this be the ideal venue for Lewes’ much hoped-for permanent cinema?
Swan Pond
East Sussex Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service were called out no fewer than 27 times during the cold snap, by people concerned that the lone swan there was stuck in the ice. While they expressed gratitude about the concern for the animal, they pointed out that each call-out costs in the region of sixty quid, and that swans don’t generally get stuck in ice, they’re perfectly happy just to sit on it, leg tucked under their feathers, as this one was doing. Pic by Mayor John Stockdale.
Solar Pan
Lewes players will soon be walking on sunshine as Lewes FC are having 180 solar panels installed on the roof of the Gardeners Arms Stand at the Dripping Pan. This will bring the club closer to becoming carbon-neutral and earn it money through the Government’s Feed-In-Tariff scheme. Share-holders can contribute by donating or loaning £450 per panel. Contact Steve Duly to find out more: steve.duly@lewesfc.com
Former postie's weather report
This week our crystal ball meteorologist texted his report from a car on the M4 while hotfooting it to a wedding in Wales (don't worry, he was in the passenger seat). "Mixed bag over the next seven days," he wrote, "with a cold snap Sunday and Monday before mild wet weather returns on Tuesday." The BBC, meanwhile, predict Sunday to be a lovely sunny day, so if you're in the market for a long walk, that looks like your best bet.
Columns and contributors
A bit of a slow week on the columnist front, too, with half-term taking its toll. But we do have three regulars reporting in: curmudgeonly Catlin hails a hero, Michael Munday enjoys a three-generational week, and Adrienne Campbell keeps up her task of buying nothing new... apart from the odd pint in the Ellie. This week's contributors are Beth Miller, Caitlin Hayward-Tapp, Alex Leith, Katie Moorman and il stimabile Francesco Andreoli.
Thurs 16th: Lecture –The Diggers in the English revolution
Organised by U3A, this lecture will be delivered by Professor William Lamont. The Diggers were a radical group who in 1649 began occupying the waste lands at St Georges Hill in Surrey, rallying the poor people to join them. Plus ça change.
Town Hall, 2.30pm, free
Thurs 16th – Sat 18th: Theatre – The Importance of Being Earnest
All together now: “A HANDbag?!” Fizzing with great comic characters and quotable lines, this production by Synergy Theatre of Wilde’s famous play will surely be appreciated by “all serious people.” (The play’s subtitle is, “A Trivial Comedy for Serious People.”)
Priory School hall, 7.30pm (6.30pm Fri), £8-£14, 301444
Thurs 16th - Sun 19th : Photography exhibition
The Railway Land Trust have mounted an exhibition of the photos they were sent for their recent competition. You can see all the competition entries, alongside the work of local photographer David Bradford, whose marvellous frog is pictured on the left.
Linklater Pavilion, every day except Mondays, 11am-3pm, free.
Thurs 16th: Gig - The Moonlighters
An acoustic set played by the Moonlighters, a side project of the Lewes based covers group The Moonshine Band.
Firle Artists are staging an ‘Impromptu Expo’ in Alfriston, featuring painting, sculpture and printmaking. The artists include sometime Viva cover artist Vanessa Mooncie, plus Paul Stevens, Linda Felcey, Emily Warren and others.
Coach House Gallery, Alfriston, every day 11am-5pm. Mulled cider and conversation with the artists on Sun 19th 1-5pm. firleartists.co.uk
Fri 17th: Lewes Film Club – Winter’s Bone
Set in rural Missouri, this film stars Jenny Lawrence as a young mountain girl who has to keep her family together while she searches for her drug-dealing father. Winner of the 2010 Grand Jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival and nominated for four Oscars, this is a “harsh story full of harsh characters with a rather brutal ending” (according to our film reviewer Dexter Lee in our February handbook).
Transition Town Lewes will be screening this documentary about people ‘living simply’ as part of a ‘global humanitarian movement’. Attendees are invited to stay for tea and discussion after the film.
Also known as ‘Jack of Kent,’ lawyer David Allen Green is legal correspondent of the New Statesman. Most famous recently for representing Paul Chambers in the Twitter joke trial, and giving evidence at the Leveson inquiry, his greatest triumph came when we interviewed him for our February handbook. His talk, entitled ‘Skepticism in the fields of law, media and policy’ should make for a fascinating evening.
Elephant & Castle, 8pm, £3
Sat 18th: Table Top Sale
Fundraiser for St John Sub Castro, with clothes, jams, cakes, books, toys and gifts for sale.
Cliffe Church Hall, 9.30am, free, susan.harris12@yahoo.co.uk
Sat 18th: Fundraising event - Posh nosh and posh frocks
A fine-dining fundraiser for Lewes Passion Play Group.
Christ Church Hall, 7.30pm, £15, booking essential, 475438
Sat 18th: Music and dancing - Frostyfest
Come and shake off those winter blues. Live bands include Furry Hopkins, Lucy and the Scamps, Mark Chadwick from the Levellers, and Brighton funsters Tragic Roundabout.
All Saints, 8pm-midnight, £5 in advance from Si's Sounds and Union Music Store
Sat 18th–Thurs March 1st: Exhibition – Mary Smythe
Mary Smythe returns with her latest collection. 'These paintings have evolved from a lost-and-found grid pattern on square canvas, which has guided her painting intuitively' says her blurb. The paintings look great, in a Bridget Riley sort of way; perhaps a trip to see them might help decipher what the hell that means.
Hop Gallery, Tues-Sat 10.30am-5pm; Sun 12noon-5pm; closed Monday.
Sun 19th: Organ recital
Susan Bain plays pieces by JS Bach, John Stanley and Sweelink.
St Michael’s Church, 3pm, free (collection in aid of church appeal)
Sun 19th: Concert - Musicians of All Saints
Playing a selection from Sibelius, Mendelssohn and Haydn. Soloists are Andrew Meredith and Andrew Sutton.
All Saints, 7.45pm. £10 (£7conc.) kids free. Tickets 473229 or on the door. mas-lewes.co.uk
Sun 19th: Tosca at Trading Boundaries
Continuing in their tradition of hard-to-predict musical events, Trading Boundaries are putting on this performance by the New London Opera Players. Tosca is of course a powerful and passionate love story, so if you’ve messed up Valentine’s Day you could make up for it by taking your loved one to this supper-and-singing extravaganza.
Trading Boundaries, Sheffield Green, doors open 6.30pm, £85 incl four course supper, 01825 790200, tradingboundaries.com
Tues 21st: Discussion - Fulfilling Work Social
A discussion on the statement ‘Work is effort expended to create something of value for self or others', asking attendees what, if anything, makes work fulfilling.
All welcome to this very popular cafe run by members of the Oyster Project charity based in Lewes.
All Saints Centre, 12noon-2pm, free.
Thurs 23rd: Club Night - Kiss My Disco
A travelling club night run by adults with learning difficulties will be making its way to Lewes, open to all over 18s.
The Volunteer, 7-11pm, £3.
Thurs 23rd: Event - Bingo!
Man alive! Kelly’s eye’s coming to the PM’s den. The Con Club is bringing bingo back into fashion with cards at only £1. As ABBA once said, the winner takes it all.
The Con Club, 7.30pm, free, email@sarahclowes.plus.com, lewesconclub.com
Thurs 23rd: Gig - David Celia & Joan Besen
All the way from Toronto, David Celia and Joan Besen will be in Lewes as part of their UK tour, playing "roots-rock with hints of folk wrapped up in a pop package". David, no stranger to this town, has recently been featured on BBC Radio2, and comes highly recommended by critics in Canada, Germany and the UK, while Joan is a celebrated songwriter in Canada, having struck gold at the Canadian Country Music Awards and the Juno Awards.
Take a trip down memory lane at this celebration of 60 years of Wallands School, open to pupils and teachers past and present, with a display of memorabilia to peruse over a celebratory cuppa.
Wallands School, 9.15-11.15am, free.
Fri 24th: Concert - Lewes Orchestra
Accompanied by Sussex based mezzo-soprano Lucy Williams, Lewes Orchestra will be venturing out to Uckfield to play Elgar, Massenet and Sibelius.
Uckfield Civic Centre, 7.30pm, £10/5 under 18s.
Sat 25th: Football - Lewes v East Thurrock
Fingers crossed for good weather to finally come our way as Lewes take on East Thurrock. Let’s hope for a big crowd in what is the first game at the Dripping Pan for nearly a month. There have been a few ins and outs since then, as Simon Wormull shapes his post-King team; Rooks fans will give a big welcome back to the Pan to former skipper, player of the season, and all round good egg Chris Breach. East Thurrock are currently 16th in the table; the Rooks are still 7th and in contention for the play-offs. Pic by James Boyes.
The Dripping Pan, 3pm, £10/£5 concs/kids go free, lewesfc.com
Sat 25th-Sun March 4th: Exhibition - The Service of Clouds
Sussex artist Tom Benjamin exhibits his evocative paintings, bringing the turbulent beauty of the outside world to the canvas. We've used one of Tom's paintings 'Field in Winter Sun', as this week's cover.
St Anne’s Galleries, (weekends only, or by appointment), free, sok@stannesgalleries.com, 07777 691050
Sat 25th: Astronomy in the Pub
A night of ‘Astronomical Discovery’ - experts on hand to answer questions, and telescopes set up in the garden for some late-night stargazing. Let’s hope for clear skies. All ages welcome.
Horns Lodge, South Chailey, 6pm-12am, free.
Sat 25th: Launch - Facing It
Actress Harriet Walter (left) is launching her new book, Facing It, inspired by her experiences of the acting world as she grew older and her feelings on the “general societal prejudice against older women”. The book brings together photos of older women with various quotes and thoughts from literary figures and Harriet herself.
IEKO (School Hill), 7pm, free.
Sat 25th: Fundraiser Dinner and Show
A variety show featuring mind reader Dr. Graham P Jolly, blue comedian Adger Brown (left) and hypnotist Barrie St John, all to be enjoyed over a three-course meal. With a dress code of ‘lounge suits and cocktail dresses’, attendees will be looking fabulous while helping to raise money for Teenage Cancer Trust.
The White Hart, 7pm-Midnight, £50
Sun 26th: Charity Concert
Two enterprising year 9 students from Priory School are bringing together young musicians of Lewes to raise money for the Hout Bay Music Project, a charity based in South Africa that teaches children music and lifeskills.
South Malling School, 2pm, donations.
Gigs
Thur 16th
Jeff Davis. Folk. Royal Oak. 8pm, £7
The Moonlighters. Acoustic set. Kings Head, 8.30pm, free.
Merlin Shepherd Trio. Jewish folk. Pelham Arms, 8.30pm, free
Ouse Valley Three . Americana. Lamb, 8.30pm, free Fri 17th
Full House. Rock covers. Con Club, 8pm, £4 (members free)
Starrlite Beatles. Tribute. Volunteer, 8pm, free Sat 18th
Emily Baker. Singer-songwriter. Union Music Store, 3pm, free
The Contenders. Blues. Snowdrop, 9pm, free
Buffo’s Wake. Gypsy folk. Lamb, 8.30pm, free
WYND. Eclectica. Con Club, 8pm, £3 (members free)
Frostyfest – Furry Hopkins, Lucy & the Scamps, Tragic Roundabout. All Saints, 8pm, £5
Rosie Hood. Trad folk. Elly, 8pm, £5 Sun 19th
Tracy Savage & James Lambeth. Jazz. Con Club, 3pm, free
Fruitful Sound System. DJ set. Snowdrop, 8pm, free Tues 21st
Folk. Royal Oak, 8pm, free Wed 22nd
Tab & Ben’s Acoustic Session. Snowdrop, 8pm, free
Jazz. John Harvey Tavern, 8pm, free Thurs 23rd
Dave Swarbrick. Folk. Royal Oak, 8pm, £8
Smokestack. Blues Trio. Kings Head, 8pm, free
Swing Ninjas. Swing. Pelham Arms, 8.30pm, free.
David Celia & Joan Besen. Roots-rock. The Lamb, 8.30pm, free
Atlantic Currants. Blues. The Snowdrop, 9pm, free Fri 24th
The Elevators. Blues Revue. Con Club, 8-11.30pm, £4/members free.
Fruitful Soundsystem. DJ Set. Royal Oak, 8pm, free
Rabbit Foot. Blues. Royal Oak, 8pm, £5. Sat 25th
The Informers. Blues. The Snowdrop, 9pm, free
The Doctors. Country rock. The Lamb, 8.30pm, free Sun 26th
Straw Dogs. Irish. Con Club, 3-5pm, free
Fruitful Sundays. DJ Set. Snowdrop, 8pm, free
Thanks to Francesco Andreoli, whose Lewes gig videos can be seen here
Viva Submissions:
If you have an event coming up in Lewes and you would like to see it in the Viva web magazine, please let us know. Although we include some larger happenings outside of town, we do not regularly include events in the rest of Lewes District. Businesses, please remember this space is primarily used for community, charity and cultural events such as exhibitions, talks and performances, we do not include workshops or courses. Web listings run for 11 days, Thurs – Sun and if we hear from you by 12pm on Weds each week, we’ll do our best to include what you have planned. Email beth@vivalewes.com with as many details as you can provide and, where possible, a photograph. If your group organises regular events in Lewes, please add Beth to your mailing list.
The Viva Lewes handbook goes to print around the 20th of each calendar month. We do not tend to accept unsolicited articles. If you have an event or activity that you wish to be considered for inclusion in our print edition, please let us know six weeks in advance of our print date.
Contacts:
Web Listings: beth@vivalewes.com
Handbook Listings: emma@vivalewes.com
Photo of the Week: alex@vivalewes.com
Ad Enquiries: steve@vivalewes.com
Publisher: nick@vivalewes.com
East Sussex Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service were called out no fewer than 27 times during the cold snap, by people concerned that the lone swan there was stuck in the ice. While they expressed gratitude about the concern for the animal, they pointed out that each call-out costs in the region of sixty quid, and that swans don’t generally get stuck in ice, they’re perfectly happy just to sit on it, leg tucked under their feathers, as this one was doing. Pic by Mayor John Stockdale.
Lewes players will soon be walking on sunshine as Lewes FC are having 180 solar panels installed on the roof of the Gardeners Arms Stand at the Dripping Pan. This will bring the club closer to becoming carbon-neutral and earn it money through the Government’s Feed-In-Tariff scheme. Share-holders can contribute by donating or loaning £450 per panel. Contact Steve Duly to find out more: 
All together now: “A HANDbag?!” Fizzing with great comic characters and quotable lines, this production by Synergy Theatre of Wilde’s famous play will surely be appreciated by “all serious people.” (The play’s subtitle is, “A Trivial Comedy for Serious People.”)
The Railway Land Trust have mounted an exhibition of the photos they were sent for their recent competition. You can see all the competition entries, alongside the work of local photographer David Bradford, whose marvellous frog is pictured on the left.
Firle Artists are staging an ‘Impromptu Expo’ in Alfriston, featuring painting, sculpture and printmaking. The artists include sometime Viva cover artist Vanessa Mooncie, plus Paul Stevens, Linda Felcey, Emily Warren and others.
Set in rural Missouri, this film stars Jenny Lawrence as a young mountain girl who has to keep her family together while she searches for her drug-dealing father. Winner of the 2010 Grand Jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival and nominated for four Oscars, this is a “harsh story full of harsh characters with a rather brutal ending” (according to our film reviewer Dexter Lee in our February handbook).
Transition Town Lewes will be screening this documentary about people ‘living simply’ as part of a ‘global humanitarian movement’. Attendees are invited to stay for tea and discussion after the film.
Also known as ‘Jack of Kent,’ lawyer David Allen Green is legal correspondent of the New Statesman. Most famous recently for representing Paul Chambers in the Twitter joke trial, and giving evidence at the Leveson inquiry, his greatest triumph came when we interviewed him for our February handbook. His talk, entitled ‘Skepticism in the fields of law, media and policy’ should make for a fascinating evening.
Come and shake off those winter blues. Live bands include Furry Hopkins, Lucy and the Scamps, Mark Chadwick from the Levellers, and Brighton funsters Tragic Roundabout.
Mary Smythe returns with her latest collection. 'These paintings have evolved from a lost-and-found grid pattern on square canvas, which has guided her painting intuitively' says her blurb. The paintings look great, in a Bridget Riley sort of way; perhaps a trip to see them might help decipher what the hell that means. 
Susan Bain plays pieces by JS Bach, John Stanley and Sweelink.
Continuing in their tradition of hard-to-predict musical events, Trading Boundaries are putting on this performance by the New London Opera Players. Tosca is of course a powerful and passionate love story, so if you’ve messed up Valentine’s Day you could make up for it by taking your loved one to this supper-and-singing extravaganza.
A travelling club night run by adults with learning difficulties will be making its way to Lewes, open to all over 18s. 
Man alive! Kelly’s eye’s coming to the PM’s den. The Con Club is bringing bingo back into fashion with cards at only £1. As ABBA once said, the winner takes it all.
All the way from Toronto, David Celia and Joan Besen will be in Lewes as part of their UK tour, playing "roots-rock with hints of folk wrapped up in a pop package". David, no stranger to this town, has recently been featured on BBC Radio2, and comes highly recommended by critics in Canada, Germany and the UK, while Joan is a celebrated songwriter in Canada, having struck gold at the Canadian Country Music Awards and the Juno Awards.
Take a trip down memory lane at this celebration of 60 years of Wallands School, open to pupils and teachers past and present, with a display of memorabilia to peruse over a celebratory cuppa. 
Accompanied by Sussex based mezzo-soprano Lucy Williams, Lewes Orchestra will be venturing out to Uckfield to play Elgar, Massenet and Sibelius.
Fingers crossed for good weather to finally come our way as Lewes take on East Thurrock. Let’s hope for a big crowd in what is the first game at the Dripping Pan for nearly a month. There have been a few ins and outs since then, as Simon Wormull shapes his post-King team; Rooks fans will give a big welcome back to the Pan to former skipper, player of the season, and all round good egg Chris Breach. East Thurrock are currently 16th in the table; the Rooks are still 7th and in contention for the play-offs. Pic by James Boyes. 
Sussex artist Tom Benjamin exhibits his evocative paintings, bringing the turbulent beauty of the outside world to the canvas. We've used one of Tom's paintings 'Field in Winter Sun', as this week's cover. 
A night of ‘Astronomical Discovery’ - experts on hand to answer questions, and telescopes set up in the garden for some late-night stargazing. Let’s hope for clear skies. All ages welcome.
Actress Harriet Walter (left) is launching her new book, Facing It, inspired by her experiences of the acting world as she grew older and her feelings on the “general societal prejudice against older women”. The book brings together photos of older women with various quotes and thoughts from literary figures and Harriet herself.
A variety show featuring mind reader Dr. Graham P Jolly, blue comedian Adger Brown (left) and hypnotist Barrie St John, all to be enjoyed over a three-course meal. With a dress code of ‘lounge suits and cocktail dresses’, attendees will be looking fabulous while helping to raise money for Teenage Cancer Trust.
