St Leonard’s forest near Horsham is steeped in folklore. The traditional story tells of a Frankish nobleman called St Leonard who travelled to Horsham to live. He was born circa 485AD and was thought to have died at the age of 74 in 559AD. He was baptised at the court of King Clovis in 489AD by St Remigius, Bishop of Rheims. Once he was baptised, he chose a life of religion. Once in Horsham, he prayed for the safe delivery of Clovis’ child and it was granted. As a reward for his religious work, St Leonard was given as much land as he could ride round on a donkey in a day. He chose the forest and so it was named after him. He established a monastery on the land at Noblac near Limoges and became its abbot. Once he was an old man he chose to live his life as a hermit in the forest. This is when events would have it that he would become a legend. The last dragon in England landed in the forest and came upon St Leonard. The old man fought with the dragon until it lay slain on the ground, ending the existence of dragons in England. During the battle, St Leonard was injured. Where his blood touched the ground Lilies of the Valley sprang to life. These still grow even now in an area of the forest known as The Lily Beds. As a reward for defeating the dragon, St Leonard asked for snakes to be banished from the forest and for the nightingales to be silenced so they would no longer interrupt his prayers.

Worthing

There is an oak that stands near Broadwater Green called The Midsummer Tree. It is said to be around 300 years old. The legend of the tree was first recorded in 1868 by folklorist Charlotte Latham. The legend said that on Midsummer’s Eve skeletons would rise from the tree and dance around it until dawn. With the rising of the sun, they would sink back into the ground. This belief died out in the 19^th Century.

Folklore surrounded the bottomless ponds called knuckerholes. It was said that monsters called knuckers, dragon-like creatures that fed on local livestock and villagers, lived in these ponds. Their wings were too small to allow them to fly and they were usually brown-red or blue-green in colour. There are various stories of the knuckers being slain. One tells of a local farmer boy tricking a knucker into eating a poisoned pie. He lured the knucker out by placing the pie on a cart led by a horse. The knucker ate the whole lot up and subsequently died. The boy then returned to where the knucker lay and cut off its head to be sure it would not rise again. There were several knuckerholes in Sussex. One such pond was in Worthing by Ham Bridge.

Another legend speaks of a tunnel that went on for miles underground from the now-demolished medieval Offington Hall to the Neolithic flint mine and Iron Age hill fort at Cissbury. The tunnel had been sealed so that no one could get down it. The owner of Offington Hall has hidden treasure at the far end of the tunnel and offered half of it to anyone who could clear the passage and retrieve it. Many people tried to get through the underground pass by digging away at the earth, but they were all driven back by large snakes that sprang at them angrily, hissing and snapping their jaws. No one ever managed to find the treasure.

1. If possible, stay out of the sun during peak hours. These are between 10am and 3pm during the summer season. It is best to stay indoors so you are out of the sun completely.
2. Stay covered up. Long-sleeved shirts work well, and wearing cotton will allow your skin to breathe. Floppy hats and large umbrellas will protect your scalp and face. Some sports stores even sell clothing with inbuilt sun protection.
3. Use sun cream on any exposed skin. It is recommended that you wear SPF 45 or higher as this allows a couple of hours in the sun before you need to reapply it. If you cannot find any sun sticks especially for your lips, Vaseline works well. If you go in the water, you will need to reapply your sun cream as soon as you get out as it will have washed off. Be sure to apply the cream to all areas of exposed skin. Often the backs of knees, back of the neck, elbows, and the backs of ears are forgotten. Also make sure you thoroughly apply it to your feet if you are going to wear sandals, flip-slops, or going bare-foot. Make sure you apply your sun cream at least half an hour before going in the sun so that it can be most effective.
4. Put a small amount of oil or sun cream in your hair so that your scalp does not burn. If you are not comfortable doing this, make sure you wear a hat. Also remember to wear large sunglasses to protect the skin around your eyes from burning.
5. Just because it’s cloudy, it does not mean you are protected from the sun. UV rays can penetrate the clouds and burn you, so wear sun cream then as well.
6. Don’t purposefully lie in the sun trying to get a tan. This will just damage your skin and you are likely to get burnt the first few times you do it in the season before you figure out how long you can lie there without burning. The best way to get a tan without causing yourself too much damage is to go out in the sun for short periods of time so that the tan builds up gradually.
7. At the same time, do not avoid the sun completely. If you have no exposure at all then you can develop a vitamin D deficiency, so it is beneficial to spend a short amount of time each day in the sun without wearing sun cream.
8. You can sometimes find that you apply sun cream but your nose or shoulders still burn slightly after being outdoors for a day. This is because perspiration dilutes the sun cream, reducing its protection. To avoid this, apply the sun cream more often and moisturise those areas so that they do not become dried out by the sun.
9. If you are unfortunate enough to get burnt, buy some Aloe Vera to put on it. It is soothing and is suitable for even sensitive skin. It will absorb into your skin on its own, so there is no need to rub it in. Vinegar is also good to put on as it stops the sun burn from stinging. Applying lots of moisturiser to the burnt areas can also help the skin heal more quickly and help to prevent long-term damage such as premature wrinkling.
10. Remember, the sun not only causes sun burn, but it can also cause heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Make sure you stay hydrated all day.
11. Tanning salons are also dangerous. They promote the fact that they offer a more controlled form of exposure and limit the more dangerous UVB rays, but you are still being exposed to UVA rays. They can still damage the skin and cause sun burn.

1. Get plenty of sleep. The reason why we sleep is to allow our bodies to recharge. The body responds most effectively to a regular sleeping pattern with uninterrupted sleep. It is the most efficient way of boosting your immune system, so try to get into a routine.
2. Drink plenty of water every day. The body needs to stay hydrated to work efficiently. Water helps your body assimilate nutrients and convert food into energy. It also helps to remove impurities from the body. Don’t overdo it though! Drinking too much water can upset your balance of salt and electrolytes. Stay hydrated, but don’t force yourself to drink too much.
3. Make sure you fit in some regular exercise as often as possible. Ideally you should do 30 minutes of exercise every day. Moderately paced walking is sufficient. The exercise helps boost your metabolism and increase your body’s ability to fight disease. It also helps you sleep better at night!
4. Eat a healthy balanced diet. Avoid eating too much sugar, especially refined sugar. This makes your immune system sluggish. Include protein in your diet as this will protect and build your lean muscle mass. Healthy carbohydrates from fresh fruits and vegetables are also invaluable for the body’s defence. You have to make sure your body is healthy on the inside so you can feel good on the outside.
5. Try to take high quality vitamins or mineral supplements daily. Most of us are not getting to nutrients we need out of our diet, so taking a good supplement helps you get what you need without having to think too much about changing the way you eat. A lot of the food we eat these days lose a lot of their nutrients during transport and processing before reaching the shops, so you might think you are taking in what you need but the reality could be very different.
6. Wash your hands frequently. We pick up germs everywhere we go. They are on door handles, trolleys, bus handles, and most other items used by large numbers of people. To avoid spreading these germs and getting them into your body, wash your hands when you can after being in a public place or carry a liquid hand sanitizer with you that you can use when needed. A lot of people think that colds are spread mainly by the viruses being carried on droplets of moisture in the air that are then breathed in, but now it is known that most colds are more likely to be passed from person to person on our hands.
7. Don’t touch your nose any eyes unless you have to. We all touch our face many times a day, even unconsciously. If you have the cold virus on your hands when you do, it is very easy for it to be transferred into your body through the tear ducts, nose, and mouth.
8. Wrap up when it’s cold. Studies have shown that people who wrap up warm are less likely to catch a cold than those that don’t. Remember to cover up your nose as well. There is a new theory that the cold virus can multiply more quickly in the nose if the cells are cold, allowing it to spread faster.
9. Try to reduce stress as much as possible. A lot of people do not realise how much our mental state effects the rest of our body. When we are stressed, different hormones are released into the body which can suppress our immune system. Staying positive and happy actually helps fight against disease.

Bell’s family was known in the science and research world long before he was born. His grandfather, father, and brother were all associated with work on elocution and speech. Bell’s own mother and wife were both deaf, which profoundly influenced his life’s work. His research was focused on hearing and speech, which further led him to experiment with hearing devices. This eventually culminated in 1876 when Bell was awarded the first US patent for the telephone. Although this was seen as his greatest accomplishment, Bell later saw his most famous invention as an intrusion on his real work as a scientist. He even refused to have a telephone in his study.

Later in Bell’s life, he was accredited with numerous other inventions. These include his groundbreaking work in optical telecommunications, hydrofoils, and aeronautics. In 1888, Bell became one of the founding members of the National Geographic Society. Alexander Bell died 2^nd August 1922 aged 75.

1. Park in a public area whenever possible. You want as many witnesses as possible. This makes it a lot harder for thieves to even have a chance of stealing your car. At night, make sure you park in a well-lit area. Chances are, someone would see someone trying to steal your car so thieves will be less likely to attempt it. If you have a garage use it. The thief would have to break into your house, not just your car, which makes their task a lot more difficult so they are likely to avoid it.
2. Keep the windows closed and the car locked, even when parked outside your house or in your garage. You would be surprised at how many cars are stolen because the doors were left unlocked and the keys in the ignition!
3. Hide all valuables hidden when in your car. Preferably, you should not leave any valuables in the car. They make it more appealing to thieves to steal the car, or simply break into it for the valuables. Ideally, you should buy a removable stereo that you can lock away or take with you.
4. Consider using a visible mechanical locking device to lock the steering wheel. The less effort needed to steal the car, the more likely it will be stolen. Try and put as many obstacles in the thieves way as possible. Also consider having an alarm system installed. This will not only deter thieves, but it will also bring your insurance down!
5. Going back to when you purchase a car, try looking up the popularity the make and model has of being stolen. Some cars have a higher incidence of theft than others simply because they are more appealing.
6. Don’t leave the documents for your car in the vehicle. These will only assist thieves once they have stolen the car. You don’t want to give them any help along the way!
7. If you are leaving your car for a long time, such as going on holiday, disconnect the battery or coil wire from the distributor cap. That way the car won’t start if a thief successfully breaks into it. They are not likely to hang around trying to figure out why the car’s not starting.
8. Have the vehicle identification number (VIN) etched onto the doors, bumpers, and windows of your car with an electric engraver. Also consider etching it somewhere inconspicuous on anything that could be sold separately, such as wheels and stereo equipment. This helps to discourage professional thieves as these markings would have to be removed before selling the car as they identify it as belonging to you. Make sure you keep a record of the VIN for yourself to give to police if your car is ever stolen and tell them where it is marked on the car. Be careful when etching the VIN on the windows of older Hondas because this actually makes it easier for thieves to steal the car.
9. Make sure your hand brake is on when you leave the car and park with your wheels turned towards the curb. This makes it more difficult for thieves to tow your car.

10.  Consider subscribing to a service like On-Star or BMW Assist if your manufacturer offers one as these services often have Stolen Vehicle Location and can remotely track and locate your vehicle. The manufacturer can then work with police to locate and recovery your vehicle quickly. You can also purchase 3^rd Party GPS or GPS/Cellular based tracking systems. These are effectively the same thing but can be bought by anyone. They come with a monthly fee, but it’s worth it if your car gets stolen! Some even allow you to track your car personally from your computer.

Remember, the most important thing for you to do if your car gets stolen is to report it to the police as soon as possible. Do not give the thief any more time to get your car sold on than necessary! We all hope it will never happen, but at least if we prepare for it then we can say we did all we could to prevent the theft.

The full moon is a lunar phase that occurs when the moon is in opposition with the sun. The moon and sun are on opposite sides of the earth, so the ‘face’, or hemisphere of the moon that faces the earth, is almost fully illuminated and appears round. This is the only time when the far side of the moon, the side we cannot see, is fully ‘in the dark’.

There are approximately 29.53 days between similar lunar phases. Therefore, it is said that the ‘lunar month’ is roughly 29 or 30 days long.

There is a lot of folklore surrounding full moons. They are traditionally associated with temporal insomnia and insanity. This is where the terms lunacy and lunatic have derived from. Psychologists however have found no strong evidence to connect the effects on human behavior at that time of the month with the full moon. A study was carried out in both England and Australia into the admission of dog bite victims at the time of the full moon. In England, it was shown that dog bites were twice as common during the full moon than other times, but in Australia it was noted that they were less likely.

Werewolves are thought to be mythical creatures associated with the full moon. They are also known as lycanthropes and are humans that shape-shift into wolf-like creatures at the time of the full moon. It is thought that people become werewolves by being bitten or purposefully scratched by other werewolves, or perhaps by being cursed. They are attributed with super-human strength and senses, beyond that of  both man and wolf.

The full moon also has religious representations. Many neopagans, such as Wiccans, hold a monthly ritual on the night of the full moon called an Esbat. It is thought that magical powers are at a climax at this time, allowing the practice of divination, healing works, and spell casting. Traditional Chinese religions also have the practice of ritual offerings to ancestors and deities on every full and new moon.

The duration of Lent is conventionally seen to be forty days, though the timing of the forty days are calculated differently by different denominations of Christianity. The forty days represent the time that, as written in the Bible, Jesus spent in the desert before the beginning of his public ministry. Whilst in the desert, Jesus endured several temptations from Satan, but refused them all, and was finally provided nourishment from angels as his reward once the forty days and nights were up.

In Western Catholicism, Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and concludes at the Ninth Hour of Holy Thursday or on Holy Saturday. This makes the duration of Lent either 44 or 46 days. This is because the six Sundays that occur during Lent are not counted. Instead, they are days of celebration, representing a ‘mini-Easter’, to commemorate Jesus’ victory over sin and death.

The practice of Lent was virtually universal in Christendom until the Protestant Reformation. Some Protestant churches do not observe Lent, but many do, such as Lutherans, Methodists, and Anglicans.

The name ‘Lent’ was also traditionally used to describe the period leading up to Christmas. The term Advent has since been officially recognised for this period.

It was not until the 18^th Century that Worthing developed and grew into more than just a hamlet. At that time, it became popular belief that bathing in sea water could cure a variety of diseases. Towards the later part of the 18^th Century, the rich began to visit the seaside as a matter of fashion and status. This is when many seaside resorts appeared, such as Brighton and Bognor Regis.

Worthing’s fortunes changed when Princess Amelia visited in 1798. It soon began to develop as other wealthy people wanted to follow in the footsteps of royalty. It was a rapid, but short-lived, development. The growth started in very early 19^th Century, with several new streets being built, but then slowed by mid-19^th Century.

1803 -  Local government in Worthing started as an Act of Parliament formed a body of men called Commissioners. They had the power to pave and clean the streets.

Visitors had easier access to Worthing as a turnpike road was built to the town. These roads were privately owned and had a fee for their usage, but it still provided a more convenient route to the town.

1807 -  The first theatre in Worthing opened.

The Prince Regent’s daughter, Princess Charlotte, visited Worthing.

1810 -  Worthing got its own market.

1829 -  A dispensary of free medicines was opened so the poor could have basic medical care.

1834 -  Lights became fuelled by gas.

1835 -  Worthing had its first Town Hall built.

1845 -  The railway finally reached Worthing.

1850 -  A ship called Lalla Rook was caught in a storm offshore. Local fishermen set out to rescue the ship, but their own boat sank, killing all 11 crew. A second rescue attempt was successful at saving all the crew of Lalla Rook.

1857 -  Worthing got a piped water supply.

1862 -  The first Worthing pier was built.

1881 – The first hospital opened.

1889 -  A new pier was built to replace the first opened in 1862.

1896 -  The first public library opened in Worthing.

The Salvation Army arrived in Worthing in the early 1880’s and was met with fierce opposition. In 1884, this opposition reached its peak when a rabble formed, calling themselves the ‘skeleton army’. This group began riots in Worthing to the extent where troops had to be called in to disperse them.

Worthing was not made into a borough until 1890, when it had a population of approximately 16,000. However, in 1893 typhoid broke out amongst the residents of the town, killing 188 people.

1901 -  Electricity came to Worthing

1908 -  A museum and art gallery were built.

1910 -  The Dome was built.

1914 -  The Connaught Theatre was built.

1921 -  A War Memorial was erected.

1924 -  Denton Gardens opened.

1926 -  The Pavilion Theatre was built.

1930 -  Marine Gardens were created.

1933 -  A new Town Hall was built.

1959 -  Worthing Lido opened.

1967 -  Highdown Gardens was given to the council.

1974 -  The Guildbourne Centre opened.

1975 -  A new library was built.

1989 -  Davidson Leisure Centre opened.

2000 -  Millennium Garden opened.

The first council houses were built in the 1920s and 1930s. In World War II, air raids reached Worthing, killing 44 people and destroying 97 houses.

In the early 20^th Century, Worthing grew rapidly in population as the town flourished as a seaside resort. By the late 1930s it was estimated that 62,000 people lived in Worthing. This was a dramatic increase from 16,000 within 40 years.

Today, the population of Worthing is estimated at 97,000.

Claudius was a blood-thirsty Emperor who the people of Rome had grown to fear and hate. Known as Claudius the Cruel, he was having difficulty recruiting more soldiers for his bloody campaign and blamed it on Roman men not wanting to leave their loved ones. In an attempted to change this, his band all engagements and weddings in Rome. The priest Valentine and Saint Marius defied this order and secretly helped the Christian martyres by marrying couples in secret. When this good deed was discovered, Valentine was taken before the Prefect of Rome who condemned him to be beaten to death with clubs and be beheaded on February 14^th.

With either tale, in 496AD Pope Gelasius declared that February 14^th would be set aside to honour St. Valentine.

Over the years, St. Valentine became the patron saint of lovers as February 14^th started to be used as the day to exchange love messages. This grew into the sending of poems and gifts, such as flowers. It was even celebrated with social gatherings and balls. The date was finally commercialised in the 1800’s and has since become a say of sending valentine cards and gifts to your love or someone you admire.

The path starts at Guildford and closely follows closed railway routes all the way to Botolphs near Bramber. Here it joins the South Downs way and The Coastal Link path to Shoreham by Sea. The 36 mile route goes through some beautiful areas of countryside with some magnificent spots at Loxwood near the Wey and Arun Canal.

Besides the Downs Link, there are many areas of countryside in and around Steyning for walking. No matter your ability, you can find somewhere to enjoy a peaceful walk.

Chanctonbury and Cissbury Rings are the two most well known circular walks and rides on the South Downs. The various circular walks range between 3 and 10 miles in length.

The Adur Valley is also a popular area for walks and rides all between 3 and 12 miles long. Several of its routes meet up with the Downs Link along with the Bramber, Ashurst, and Wiston areas. These areas are not too elevated. There are more slopes rather than hills. The walks can take you through wild life areas, farmland, wetland, and woodland. Travelling between Washington and Hurstpierpoint reveals some stunning views of the South Downs.

If you are looking for a place to start your walk, one of the most recommended places is Fletchers Croft Car Park. This is next to the Steyning Centre near the Library.

This year, everyone is very excited to see what will happen next. Both brothers are keen to work hard and acheive as many awards as possible, Anthony vowing that this year he will will Class A and get the award for Top Gun. The competition between them will be intense. Congratulations to everyone that won an award for 2009 and good luck to everyone for 2010.

The Greeks had their own version of the myth. Cupid was referred to as Eros and was thought to be one of the primordial gods. This means he was one of the first gods born at the beginning of our universe. In this version of the legend, he was also depicted with a bow and quiver of arrows, along with wings. Both cultures have almost identical stories following the ancient god. His mother, Venus, was jealous of the princess Psyche. The princess was so beautiful and beloved by her subjects that her subjects forgot to worship Venus. The goddess was so enraged she ordered her son, Cupid, to use his bow and make Psyche fall in love with the vilest thing in the world. Cupid flew quietly into Psyche’s room one night after finally agreeing to his mother’s demands and goes to scratch her shoulder with an arrow so that she will fall in love with the first thing she sees. Venus had planned to place a disgusting creature in her room for when she woke. However, Psyche woke before Cupid had the chance to mark her and was astounded as, though he was invisible, the princess looked directly into his eyes. He was so taken aback that he accidentally scratched himself with his arrow and immediately fell in love with Psyche himself.

Every night after, Cupid would visit Psyche whilst she slept. He would keep himself invisible so that she could not see him and told her never to even try to see him. The princess, though told by her two older sisters that Cupid was a monster, tried to look at him. This greatly angered the god and he left her. Psyche looked all over the known world for his without success. Everywhere she went, Venus caused havoc and made her life a misery. Eventually, Cupid forgave Psyche and flew to her aid. He desperately wanted to be with her, so went to Jupiter, the leader of the gods, and begged him for his help. Jupiter called a full and formal council of the gods at Mount Olympus and granted Cupid his wish. He gifted Psyche with immortality so that she could be with him forever. Together, they had a daughter called either Voluptus or Hedone and Psyche became a goddess. Eventually she and Venus begrudgingly forgave each other. The name Psyche means soul.

Cupid has since become a symbol for Valentine’s Day. Most commonly, he is represented as a male baby with wings, wearing a nappy, and holding a bow and arrow. Occasionally with arrow tip will be in the shape of a heart.