A W E E K L Y C E L E B R AT I O N O F T H E S U S S E X C H A R A C T E R

Next Sunday (March 14) is Mothering Sunday. Now is the time to start planning that extra special treat.With the weather warming up and the days gettingnoticably longer, it is the perfect time to shake of

the remains of a very long and hard winter and breathe insome fresh air. To encourage us all to get out and about theNational Trust is offering free admission to mothers at certainof their properties next Sunday.One such is Alfriston Clergy House. Always a popular

destination, a trip to the house can be combined with thevaried amenities of this most lovely of downland villages. If the weather is kind then a gentle stroll along the river bank takes some beating. For tea and the most delicious cakestry the stylish surroundings of Badger's Tea House, whileMuch Ado Books can always be relied upon for unusual andwell-chosen books. (Do take advantage of their gift wrappingservices if you really want to impress Mum!)

Live & learnEvery Sussex river had itswatermills in the past, andsome had many - for exampleeven the Western Rother, arelatively small river, once had13 spaced along it, of which thelast, Terwick Mill, closed in1966. Six Sussex watermillscan still be visited and seen inaction, including the following.Park Mill, Bateman's,

Burwash. Dating from the1750s, this mill is adjacent toKipling's last Sussex home andfeatures in a number of hisstories.Isfield Watermill. Dating

from 1684, but rebuilt andmodernised in 1817.Lurgashall Watermill,

Weald and Downland OpenAir Museum, Singleton.Dating from the 17th century,and given to the museum in1973. Flour ground at the millis sold in the museum shop.

Here is a miscellany of old Sussex words

taken from A Dictionary ofSussex Dialect by theReverend W.D. Parishpublished by Snake RiverPress at £8.99.

Chizzly: Gritty; harsh and dryunder the teeth.

File: A cunning, deceitfulperson. In the same sense theword is used in speaking of ahare running her file.

Husser-and-squencher:A pot of beer with a dram ofgin in it.

Lope-off: To go away in asecret, sly manner (probablyconnected to the word elope).

Ship: Sheep, seldom used inthe singular.

1. Name the author and gardenerwho lived at Bateman's.

2. Which Sussex garden is hometo wallabies?

3. What material does Coadeimmitate?

4. Who designed the famous pergola at West Dean Gardens?

5. Where is theSylvia StandingGarden?

All those who have visited the wonderfulchalk garden at Highdown, Worthing, maybe interested to know more about itsmaker. The appellations 'war hero', 'biggame hunter' and 'fearless jockey' are notoften listed alongside that of 'gardener',yet Sir Frederick Claude Stern was asmuch an accomplished plantsman as aman of action. A man as much of themind as of the world, this polymath must

surely be classed as a true Sussex gardener as he transformedan unpromising site into a flourishing garden, which is stilltoday an inspiration for all those who garden on chalk.

Primarily a plantsman with a scientist's scholarly and empir-ical approach, Stern set out on something of a crusade toprove that plants worthy of garden status could grow, andindeed thrive, on downland chalk. An advocate of the 'right-plant, right place' philosophy, he tirelessly experimented witha wide range of material from all over the globe.

Read more in Inspiring Sussex Gardeners by LorraineHarrison, illustrated by Sarah Young.

Email your answers, along with your name and addressto: editorial@snakeriverpress.co.uk. The sender of thefirst set of correct answers received wins a copy ofInspiring Sussex Gardeners by Lorraine Harrison worth £8.99. The correct answers will be posted atwww.snakeriverpress.co.uk next Saturday.

Sussex Celebrity

Sir Frederick Stern1884-1967

Yes it's that time of year againand today sees the reopeningof the much-loved SussexSheep Centre at East Dean.Between now and May 3visitors can witness the marvelthat is lambing time. Later inthe year, between July 3 andSeptember 5 there is sheepshearing and milking.Along with the local

Southdown, the centre is home

to a host of breeds includingthe Castlemilk Moorit, theGreyface Dartmoor and thestrikingly hairy WhitefacedWoodland.Entry costs £5 for adults,

£4 for children and £17 for afamily ticket and makes areally memorable day out with a difference. Call 01323423302 for details or visitwww.sheepcentre.co.uk.

If any readers were promptedby a recent feature in SussexBookends to visit The DarkMonarch exhibition currentlyshowing at Eastbourne'sTowner Art Gallery, then they may wish to return forThe Dark Weekend event.Held today and tomorrow itpromises to be 'a magicalweekend of dark film,activities, workshops and

conversation inspired bythemes in The DarkMonarch'.Tonight between 7-10pm

there is The Dark Silent Discowhich includes 'spooky'photography and Elizabethanpunk fashion workshops. DarkPlaces and Mysterious Facesis a free drop-in event for allages tomorrow from 11am -5pm, call 01323 434670.

Lost words

Out & About in Sussex Dark weekend

Gardens Quiz