- Radios, especially suitable for elderly people
- wind-up 12-LED lantern and battery/mains-powered 16-LED lamp for low energy consumption during power cuts
- Communications
- The Brighton & Hove Warm Homes Project
- Help for the elderly and disabled
- Sussex Countryside - events and outings, and how to get there
- Sussex wildlife (fauna) and Downland (flora)
- History and Reference
- Local Artists
Radios, especially suitable for elderly people
Reasonably priced radios with accessible "on board" controls and good quality audio
Stop collecting remote controls. It is much easier if the necessary buttons are on the device itself, and are easy to locate. And to avoid the complication of switching on all the components (tuner, amplifier etc) of a hi-fi system before you can simply listen the radio, consider the simplicity of just one item with decent built-in audio speakers of its own. The Roberts RD21B(ECO4) Ecologic 4 DAB/FM RDS Digital Stereo Radio, providing excellent audio for listening in larger rooms such as the living-room, can be located near to where the user sits or sleeps.
A DAB/FM radio suitable for the living-room, bedroom or garden
I recently bought a Roberts RD21B(ECO4) Ecologic 4 DAB/FM RDS Digital Stereo Radio for an elderly person who was no longer motivated to use the complicated hi-fi rack system on the opposite side of his living-room. Many elderly people living in their own homes are currently deprived of the pleasure of radio because nobody has bothered to help them acquire and set up simple-to-use, accessible systems. Instead they are confronted with a confusing collection of remote controls. The controls on the Roberts radio (below) are both on the radio itself and easily identifiable by sight or touch. This avoids the eye-strain involved in identifying small, similar-looking buttons on some other makes of radio or the confusing remotes offered as apologies for bad design. The Roberts RD21B(ECO4) Ecologic 4 DAB/FM RDS Digital Stereo Radio could be the ideal present for someone who is no longer able to search for remote controls with small buttons. The radio also uses just a conventional 3-pin plug to connect to the electric mains, not one of those clumsy AC/DC adapter plugs which get hot. It can also run on batteries (e.g. in the garden) and boasts 150 hours of battery life.
A--ON/OFF SWITCH (coloured green)
B--PRE-SET BUTTONS
C--TUNING (no need to use once pre-sets have been chosen)
D--VOLUME (easy-to-find large round knob)
If you do decide to improve access to the radio (e.g. for an elderly person) it may also be desirable to supply a shelving unit to allow the user to keep the radio near them together with other items they wish to have next to where they sit.
The Langdale Beech / Silver Computer Table / TV Stand for TVs of up to 24 offers a reasonably-priced option.
Product dimensions of the above radio are 29.5cm wide x 11.5cm deep x 16.5 cm high, while the above shelving unit measures 60cm wide x 45cm deep x 76cm high with 33.5 cm (of height) between shelf-divisions.
Click here for other shelving options
A decent 3-band portable radio for the small kitchen or bathroom
I have also acquired a Roberts R9993 3-Band Portable Radio - a small portable (battery) radio for the elderly person to use in the kitchen while he is preparing his lunch. The ON/OFF is the same dial as the one used to adjust the VOLUME on the side, a traditional arrangement with which an elderly person would be familiar. The audio quality is also very good for a budget-priced radio. It is also suitable for use in the garden.
The Roberts R9993 is a 3-Band Portable Radio, offering FM, Long Wave and Medium Wave receptions. I would assume that listeners in most areas would tune to FM, since this normally offers the best reception. I considered whether I should be providing a new FM radio (as opposed to DAB) in the light of the SWITCH-OFF as broadcasters in the UK change over to digital. According to a Wikipedia article, the final report (written by Digital Radio Working Group) says FM should be switched off between 2017 and 2022.
wind-up 12-LED lantern and battery/mains-powered 16-LED lamp for low energy consumption during power cuts
Pound Hill, Crawley, had a long power cut on 16th November affecting over 200 people. Rather than have elderly friends and relatives search for candles and matches, a good early Christmas present to help them in the next power cut may be any or all of the following:
16LED CRAFTLIGHT MAINS OR BATTERY OPERATED 2500LUX FULL SPECTRUM SUITABLE FOR SAD: FREE SHIPPING ON THIS ITEM UNTIL CHRISTMAS - uses 3 AA batteries or mains adapter
I was drawn to this by the generous amount of white light and the efficient use of batteries
Duracell Plus Alkaline AA Batteries Pack of 12 MN1500
In a power cut, it could be that rechargable batteries have not been recently charged, so I have gone for the normal ones.
Proteam TO1012 - 12 LED Wind Up Energy Saving Large Lantern
If batteries or candles have been used up, the wind-up lantern still offers a solution which many elderly people will take to.
Communications
Train Times UK |
National Express Coaches |
London Transport |
Sussex Links | search The Guardian Newspaper
World Clock | Live Rail Departure Boards: London Road Brighton | Brighton Station | Falmer
Lewes | Haywards Heath | Three Bridges | Gatwick Airport | London Victoria
Brighton & Hove bus times: Index | 1 | 2 | 5 and 5A | 5B | 6 | 7 | 25| 27 | 49 | 26 46 and 46A | 50 and 50A
Live bus departure boards for The Round Hill and Lewes Rd Sainsbury and The Open Market and Brighton Station Stop H
- Google Satellite Map of Brighton & Hove and surrounding area.
- Prices for post within UK | International prices for Airmail and Surface Mail | Royal Mail - track and trace
- The Round Hill Community Group - web-based resource for exchanging ideas, information, requests, advice etc through an email list, for all residents of the Round Hill area of Brighton UK - residents may join the Group from this link.
- The Argus Forums - discussion of local issues of the day.
- Dump The Dump Campaign Web Site and Blog: read the latest on Onyx's proposal for Hollingdean Depot. Use the blog to join in the discussion and upload comments. See also The Take It Back Campaign.
- Write to your local representatives - online access to our MP David Lepper, our 3 local councillors and the 10 South East MEPs representing us in the European Parliament.
- Brighton & Hove Issues Forum : discuss local issues with your local Councillors & other influential residents.
- BBC Action Network for Brighton & Hove and BBC Southern Counties
- School web sites for Brighton & Hove. Downs Infant and Downs Junior.
- Brighton Library Catalogue | W. Sussex Library Catalogue and Archives | E. Sussex E-library search
- The Argus | News Archive | Letters Page
- What's on at the Duke of York's Cinema?
The Brighton & Hove Warm-Homes project
A new Council initiative - The Brighton & Hove Warm-Homes project - has just been launched to tackle challenges of energy efficiency and fuel poverty. Under this initiative, Brighton and Hove residents may be eligible for grants of up to 100% to cover the costs of • Heating • Cavity Wall Insulation and • Loft Insulation.
Many parts of Brighton and Hove are windy and cold at this time of year, especially in Sea Front locations or on hills. The city's housing stock is also fairly old, so there are many homes with poor energy-efficiency, which may lack cavity wall &/or loft insulation.
Residents who could most benefit from this generous scheme may be fairly isolated and without Internet access. If you have friends, relatives or acquaintances in this position, living in any part of Brighton and Hove, you might consider printing this out or getting details sent to them by the Council, if they have not already been informed. The scheme aims to make Brighton and Hove residents' homes warmer and more energy efficient, and to reduce their fuel bills.
Grants of up to 100% (*) available for:
- Heating
- Cavity Wall Insulation
- Loft Insulation
We can also offer you a free confidential Benefit Entitlement Check. To apply or for information call free on:
0800 048 0727
(*) If you receive certain qualifying benefits or meet age or income criteria, you may qualify for the work to be carried out free of charge. For a full list of benefits & qualifying criteria please call freephone 0800 048 0727.
A generous scheme regardless of circumstances
For those who do not meet qualifying criteria loft & cavity wall insulation will each be charged at £199 inc VAT for most properties.
This offer is subject to a site survey & additional charges may be payable for larger properties. This offer is available for residents in Brighton & Hove City Council area only.
Who is funding and delivering this scheme?
Brighton & Hove Warm-Homes is a new proactive area-based fuel poverty initiative that is being led by Brighton & Hove City Council. This project has been made possible as a result of a successful bid for a government grant under Defra’s Community Energy Efficiency Fund (CEEF) programme. The funding will be used to finance the initial stages of developing and launching the project, which is scheduled to continue until 2010.
Tackling local fuel poverty is a high priority for the council, and this initiative will enable us to help many residents of Brighton & Hove to enjoy the benefits of affordable warmth. The council is working with Climate Energy (its appointed Managing Partner), EDF Energy and Anchor Staying Put Brighton & Hove in delivering Brighton & Hove Warm-Homes.
Climate Energy will manage delivery of the project by means of:
- Targeted mail shots with follow-up visits by trained assessors
- Citywide publicity
- Provision of benefit entitlement checks
- Arranging property surveys
- Organising installation of energy efficiency measures
Climate Energy will also be responsible for providing a high standard of customer care and for quality control.
EDF Energy have committed to making a major financial contribution towards the cost of energy efficiency measures delivered through this programme. This contribution will constitute a key element of EDF Energy’s Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) programme. Specifically, EDF Energy will fund the whole cost of insulation measures (loft insulation and cavity wall insulation) for householders who receive qualifying benefits and will part-fund such measures for other residents.
Anchor Staying Put Brighton & Hove’s ‘Keep the Home Fires Burning’ project will provide assistance to older people with health problems and families with disabled children in arranging to have insulation measures and/or heating improvements carried out to their homes.
The Council’s Benefits Take-up Team will provide additional support to vulnerable householders who require assistance in making a claim for benefits.
For more information or to apply for any of the services available through Brighton & Hove Warm-Homes telephone:
Freephone 0800 048 0727
Help for the elderly and disabled
- Anchor Staying Put - Our aim is to provide you with guidance and assistance to carry out whatever repairs, improvements or adaptations are necessary to help you to continue living in your own home. We will help you through the process of having work carried out from beginning to end. And, as a not-for-profit organisation, our main concern is ensuring you receive the best possible service with the minimum of worry. Roofing, chimneys and gutters, Structural, Extensions, Doors and windows, Damp proofing, Plumbing, Rewiring and electrical work, Insulation, Heating and gas fire service, Adaptations including showers, downstairs toilets and downstairs bedrooms Security improvements.
For Crawley and Mid-Sussex: 49 Perrymount Road, Haywards Heath RH16 3BN, Contact Clare on Tel: 01444 415 475 or email: midsusssexandcrawley@anchor.org.uk
For Brighton and Hove: Intergen House, 2nd Floor, 56/67 Western Road, Hove BN3 2JQ, Tel: 01273 820895, email: stayingput.brightonhove@anchor.org.uk. - Disability grants - Crawley Council has schemes to help older and vulnerable people to remain living independently in their own homes. People with disabilities may be able to apply for a means-tested grant of up to £25,000 to adapt their homes. These can be used for such things as widening doors, access ramps, stair lifts and level access showers. To qualify, you will need to be assessed by an Occupational Therapist from Crawley Social Services Department. Call West Sussex Social & Caring Services on 01293 895100 or the Council on 01293 438418.
- Access Mobility - the South's leading supplier of adaptations. are suppliers for disabled kitchen fittings & disabled bathroom equipment and for use by less able people, based in Burgess Hill.
- Community Equipment Service, Littlehampton - , this West Sussex based service (thought to be the largest of its kind in the country) is run by NRS National Care on behalf of West Sussex County Council and the five Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) in West Sussex: Adur, Arun and Worthing, Crawley, Horsham and Chanctonbury, Mid Sussex and Western Sussex. The service runs from a central depot in Littlehampton, providing equipment like: (a) Daily Living equipment like bath seats, toilet frames and grab rails (b) Hoists and manual handling equipment (c) Nursing equipment such as special beds and pressure prevention mattresses (d) Equipment for people with sensory impairments (e.g. blind, partially sighted, Deaf, deafened or hard of hearing) (e) Specialist equipment for children with physical disabilities(f) The new service means health and social care professionals including Occupational Therapists, Community Nurses and Physiotherapists can place equipment orders electronically and will be able to track the process of an order online
- OT Connect - The adults' OT service for West Sussex. To qualify for an assessment by the occupational therapists working with adults, which liaise closely with health service colleagues and the eight local district and borough councils, you would usually need to be referred by your GP or local social services. To make a referral, please contact your local adults' office. Or contact OT Connect Direct use their eligibility criteria to decide whether they can help and the level of priority if they can. There might be a six-month wait. Where possible, they try to authorise technicians to deliver and fit small items to help reduce service delays to people who have urgent need of our help.
- Carelink alarms for elderly or disabled residents in Brighton and Hove
- Community alarms for elderly or disabled residents in West Sussex.
- DLF Data - The UK's only comprehensive, impartial database of disability equipment.
- Disabled Living Foundation - Factsheets giving general advice, find equipment, bath & shower information, professional product database.
- The Brighton and Hove Daily Living Centre - Free impartial information and advice, available to anyone, on all aspects of daily living equipment. We have an information service, an in-house Occupational Therapist and an equipment display comprising of products for physical, visual and hearing impairments. We are open Monday to Friday from 10am until 4pm for telephone enquiries and general information. For the trial of equipment we run a ‘drop in day’ every Wednesday and offer appointments with our Occupational Therapist on all other weekdays.
- Visual Guide (PDF) to The Brighton and Hove Daily Living Centre.
- Mobility Equipment Suppliers in Brighton and Hove
Sussex Countryside - events and outings, and how to get there
- National Trust Events Diary specify your favourite NT property (e.g. Devil's Dyke Estate) to see what is organised for the weeks ahead. The National Trust protects and opens to the public over 300 historic houses and gardens and 49 industrial monuments and mills. The National Trust also looks after forests, woods, fens, beaches, farmland, downs, moorland, islands, archaeological remains, castles, nature reserves, villages - for ever, for everyone.
- Timetable for Brighton's 77 bus to Devil's Dyke
- Timetable for Brighton's 78 bus to Stanmer Park
- Timetable for Brighton's 79 bus to Ditchling Beacon
- South East National Trails - the South Downs Way - Leisure on your doorstep: The 160 kilometre long South Downs Way follows the old routes and droveways along the chalk escarpment and ridges of the South Downs. The route provides the visitor with the opportunity "to get away from it all" without having to travel too far in this busy part of England.
- Rural Ways - a Government Agency and County Council Partnership, which includes information of Farmers' Markets. Rural Ways is your online gateway to the countryside. We have hundreds of walking, cycling and horse-riding routes for you to explore, as well as, a whole host of information to help you and your family enjoy the South East's rich rural landscape.
- The Ramblers' Association - we work to promote everyday walking to everyone, of all ages, backgrounds and abilities, in towns and cities as well as in the countryside, as part of a healthy lifestyle.
- Ramblers' Association Publications for walkers
- Tourism South East endorses the Green Tourism Business Scheme (GTBS) and encourages tourism businesses to be environmentally friendly, whether they are hotels or guest houses, bed and breakfasts or self-catering or tourist attractions. The GTBS has over 1,300 members in the UK, over 100 of which are in the South East, all of whom are rigorously assessed and given a Bronze, Silver or Gold Award, depending on the level of environmental good practice they achieve. By using a Green Tourism Business Scheme accredited businesses, you will also be making a contribution to keeping the South East special.
- Wakehurst Place - part of Kew Gardens in Ardingly, Sussex - home of an important seed bank. The mission of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is: To inspire and deliver science-based plant conservation worldwide, enhancing the quality of life.
- Events diary for Glynde - a picturesque East Sussex village with an interesting history - good for blackberrying, walks and opera.
Sussex wildlife (fauna) and Downland (flora)
- www.citywildlife.org.uk Register as a Nature Warden and log your local wildlife. See photos from the air and large-scale maps of the open spaces near you.
- "Whitehawk Hill - Where the Turf Meets the Surf" by David Bangs, 78 Ewhurst Road Brighton BN2 4AJ for Friends of Whitehawk Hill
- Natural England will work for people, places and nature, to enhance biodiversity, landscapes and wildlife in rural, urban, coastal and marine areas; promoting access, recreation and public well-being, and contributing to the way natural resources are managed so that they can be enjoyed now and in the future.
- Sussex Wildlife Trust aims to conserve the Sussex Landscape, Wildlife, and its habitats, and to use its knowledge and expertise to help the people of Sussex to enjoy, understand and take action to this end. With more than 23,500 members and 5,800 junior ‘Wildlife Watch’ members, The Trust manages 3,500 acres of land, which include some of the finest wild places in Sussex. Over 450 active volunteers are involved in all aspects of the Trusts work and together work more than 6,500 days a year for the Trust.
- The Sussex Biodiversity Record Centre, one of the many record centres around the UK, is a repository, custodian, manager and interpreter of high-quality biodiversity and environmental information for the two counties of East and West Sussex, in the south-east of England. We are a small but dedicated team of environmental data management experts, ecologists and IT specialists.
- The South Downs Joint Committee participate in consultations on the management of the South Downs.
- Visit The South Downs - set up to help you explore the South Downs and get the most out of your visit to this internationally important landscape. Includes info on how to get to The Downs without using a car.
- South Downs Landscape Assessment learn about Chalk Downland and all the species it supports
- South Downs Conservation Volunteeers - People who give up their spare time and volunteer are very important to the future conservation of the South Downs. In 2006 the South Downs Volunteer Ranger Service celebrated its 25th Anniversary and currently contributes over 5000 work days per year to looking after the South Downs. The South Downs Youth Ranger Project is a brand new initiative for 16 to 18 year olds which aims to get younger people interested in the countryside around them and to help them to develop a sense of environmental responsibility.
- South Downs Adur Valley Wildlife. The Ardur Valley is near Shoreham-by-sea and is very rich in wild plants & butterflies. The pictures on this site provide practice in identifying those common to Sussex Chalk Downland habitats.
- Sussex Wildflowers - a selection of rare and interesting wild plants, their uses, folklore and where to see them, by Mary Briggs ISBN 1-898388-17-2 [Sussex Wildlife Trust]
History and Reference
- Local History Books - comprehensive lists of publications on Brighton and Hove
- Queenspark Books - publisher of local history books on Brighton and hove
- Brighton Books - Brighton Books Publishing is a partnership between Jacqueline Pollard and Selma Montford . They have been involved in publishing books together for 16 years. They were previously involved in the publication of six books under the imprint of the Lewis Cohen Urban Studies Centre at the University of Brighton, some of them jointly with QueenSpark Books.
- Hastings Press - We are a small, award-winning, independent publisher in Hastings, Sussex, UK. We specialise in local history books, women's history books, and those by local authors.
- My Brighton and Hove - community web site dealing with the living history of Brighton and Hove.
- Letter in the attic - Got any letters or diaries in your attic? If so, let My Brighton and Hove know by completing this online questionnaire. My Brighton and Hove and QueenSpark Books have started an exciting new project to create an archive of personal unpublished papers collected from the residents of Brighton and Hove.
- The Mass Observation archive specialises in material about everyday life in Britain. It contains papers generated by the original Mass Observation social research organisation (1937 to early 1950s), and newer material collected continuously since 1981. The Archive is in the care of the University of Sussex and is housed in the Library in Special Collections.
- Brighton and Hove History Maps - a proposal offering the prospect of an exciting project that could give very easy access to a wealth of local history.
- Books on local history can be borrowed &/or viewed at Brighton Library check their online catalogue first and The History Centre.
- City Books in Western Road (in the Brunswick area of Brighton and Hove) probably carries a better range of local history materials than any other bookshop in our city. These are displayed in the shop's basement.
- Rose Hill to Roundhill: a Brighton Community Pub. Brighton Books Publishing. 9.99 ISBN 1-90 1454-08-8 long-awaited book on Round Hill produced by local residents.
- The Encyclopaedia of Brighton by Timothy Carder ISBN 086 147 3159 [East Sussex County Libraries] is an excellent reference book (with a number of entries on Round Hill).
- Living in Brighton during the 1980s - this history site includes profiles of some well known Round Hill residents.
- History of Brighton and The Royal Pavilion with practice exercises for learners of English as a Second Language.
- History of Brighton's Open Market with details and pictures of current stalls.
- Plan of streets in the North Laine area with details and pictures of small traders.
- A straight line walk across Brighton - this site is not a walking guide, but records a slice of Brighton, a random cross-section, at a particular moment (or moments) in time, combining all kinds of information, whether about local history and stories, architecture and planning, street names and quirky notices, or companies and organisations.
- Brighton's Architecture
- Brighton & Hove Virtual Museum
- The Regency Town House
- Brighton and Hove City Museums
- Brighton & Hove in Pictures
- The Victorian Society - Victorian arts and architecture
- The Civic Trust - Champion of high urban design standards
- Listed Buildings in Brighton - pdf of Listed Buildings in Brighton and Hove
- The Old Market - Brunswick's centre of culture
- St Nicholas Church Green Spaces
- Brief history of Round Hill Crescent by taxi driver, Tony Deane.
- History of St Peter's Brighton with several references to the development of Roundhill.
- History of Glynde - East Sussex village between Lewes and Firle, famous for its opera house.
- National Sound Archive Catalogue at The British Library - radio broadcasts.
Local artists
Many residents in Brighton and Hove earn part of their keep through art, craft, and/or design. The Brighton Festival benefits from those among them who open their homes / studios to the public. Several Round Hill residents belong to the Beyond the Level Group..
Brighton Festival web sites: Main Festival and Festival Fringe