GRANDPARENTS and great grandparents have visited their young relatives at a Langley Green school.
To celebrate grandparents' week, parents, grandparents and great grandparents dropped in on youngsters at Our Lady Queen of Heaven Primary School on October 2.
Year 6 pupils escorted the visitors around the Hare Lane school before grandparents took part in lessons including art, PE, French and music.
The afternoon came to a close with tea and cake in the hall.
Irene Archer, a Year 5 teacher and the school's RE coordinator, said: "The feedback from grandparents was extremely positive with many commenting on how they enjoyed spending time with their grandchildren, their friends and teachers and how much school had changed since their own schooldays.
"The children had a great time and the school looks forward to celebrating this event annually."
A FLOOD-PRONE tunnel, which was thought to have been fixed, was left submerged again after days of heavy rain.
The tunnel links Furnace Green and Maidenbower, and is used by students getting to and from Oriel High School.
When it flooded again on Monday pupils had to wade through ankle-deep water or take a longer route to school.
Torrential downpours also caused part of a ceiling at Southgate Primary School to collapse, requiring reception pupils to stay at home with their parents on Monday.
And the Environment Agency issued a flood warning on Monday as river levels in Crawley rose.
The flood alert for Ifield Brook and the Upper River Mole was removed just before midday yesterday (Tuesday) as levels started to fall again.
Earlier this year Oriel High pupil Hiba Khan started a petition to urge Network Rail to prevent flooding in the tunnel after getting fed up of trudging through thigh-high water.
As a result the company, which owns the tunnel, installed a new drainage system in February, which it was hoped had solved the problem.
Hiba's mother Tabiba Khanum, 37, from Sherwood Walk, Furnace Green, said: "It was really sad to hear that it's flooded again.
"The kids were having to go the long way to school – which takes 90 minutes extra – and some went through the flood. Others were turning away and the fields were really marshy.
"But I was told that in the morning it was flooded and by the afternoon there wasn't any water there.
"My speculation is that the autumn leaves might have clogged part of the drainage and it had seeped away by the afternoon."
Tabiba added that Hiba, 16, who goes to Oriel's sixth form, may have to ask more questions of Network Rail if the tunnel continues to flood.
A spokesman for Network Rail said the company was unaware of the flooding but that its maintenance team would be informed so they can carry out some checks.
The damage at Southgate Primary was caused over the weekend and was discovered on Monday morning by the school's caretaker.
Parents of the 90 reception children at the school, who are taught in a separate unit to the older pupils, were informed of the closure at 8am.
Head teacher Tom O'Donoghue said: "Where our three reception classes are, above the toilets there was a build-up of water on the roof.
"The ceiling came down into the toilets over the weekend."
Mr O'Donoghue added that reception pupils returned to the school, on Barrington Road, on Tuesday and could use different toilets while repairs were carried out.
On Christmas Eve last year parts of Crawley were badly affected by flooding when rivers burst their banks.
Willoughby Fields, in Ifield, home to Crawley Rugby Club and Popes Mead Bowls Club, temporarily became part of the River Mole after the river burst its banks.
Gables Nursing Home nearby was evacuated with an emergency rest centre being set up at the Civic Hall and Hazelwick Avenue East, outside Three Bridges station, was among a number of roads that had to be temporarily closed.
To avoid a repeat of these problems, a Crawley Borough Council spokesman said maintenance teams cleared culverts and grilles, which can become blocked and cause flooding, last Wednesday and Thursday, and on Monday and yesterday.
He said: "We have a routine maintenance programme of clearing grills and structures either weekly or monthly.
"In advance of heavy rain we check grilles and culverts and during prolonged rainfall we continue to undertake work during the wet weather."
A GRATEFUL dad has heaped praise on his four-year-old daughter who came to his rescue as he lay in agony on the floor unable to move.
Chris Balchin has battled cancer twice in the last eight years leaving him with only half a kidney, meaning he needs dialysis three times a week.
And on Monday of last week he suddenly collapsed on the floor at his home in Nuthurst Close, Ifield.
The 43-year-old, who is also epileptic and had to have his appendix taken out, uses a crutch to walk and was unable to move at all to reach his phone and call the emergency services.
Mr Balchin's young daughter, Mia, came to his rescue, though, by rushing out of another room with his mobile phone and a cushion to make sure he was comfortable as they waited for an ambulance.
He said: "Out of nowhere I doubled up in pain and collapsed on the floor. I screamed because I was in total agony and couldn't move at all.
"My little girl came rushing to me and could see I was in a bad way. She disappeared and without prompting grabbed my phone to help me dial 999 and brought me a cushion which she placed under my head.
"Mia remained very calm as we waited for the ambulance to arrive."
Mr Balchin was rushed to Brighton General Hospital by ambulance, throwing up five times on the journey, where he was kept in for tests until the early hours of the morning.
The father is due to go back to hospital for further tests and X-rays.
Mr Balchin admits it terrifies him to think about what could have happened to him if Mia had not been there.
"I would have been in serious trouble," he added.
"If I had been sick in the position I was stuck on the floor I could have stopped breathing.
"Without Mia I would have been laying there helpless for about 30 minutes before my wife Clare got in from work.
"There was no way I could have ever got to the phone myself to raise the emergency. Mia had never seen me like that before and I am so proud of how she reacted.
"We have taught her about health and safety in the past and what dialling 999 means in case she ever found me sick.
"It was incredible how she instinctively knew what to do without me asking. She earned herself lots of extra sweets for saving me."
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Crawley boxer Ben Jones is hoping it is fourth time lucky after setting a new date for his world title fight against Poland number one Krzysztof Cieslak.
Jones' shot at the vacant IBA super-featherweight title has already been postponed on three separate occasions due to problems with the venue, injuries to boxers on the undercard and mostly recently, Cieslak withdrawing with a virus.
But the fight has now been set for Saturday, November 8 at Kent's Bluewater Shopping Centre – a venue even Jones admits he was unaware of until last week.
"They told me it was all sorted on Friday, but I've got to admit, I'd been shopping there quite a few times but didn't know they had a boxing venue," the 32-year-old said.
"I've had a look now and it's a massive venue, about 5,000 capacity, it's really impressive.
"It's not that far away either, and has lots of free parking, so I'm hoping people come to support me."
Less than two months after the last date was postponed, Jones has kept himself in good shape and insists the delays are all part and parcel of being a boxer.
"We were all set for a month ago so I've kept things ticking over and then obviously had a month's notice ahead of the new date, so that's fine," he said.
"I've been looking forward to this fight for months now but it's something to focus on.
"We have been very unlucky with postponements but it is just part of boxing, in fact, it's just part of the entertainment business.
"You run the risk of someone getting injured or ill or a venue falling through, but I'm hoping we will get the fight done this time."
Jones had been due to fight Cieslak at Wembley Arena in mid-September, on the undercard of George Groves' European super-middleweight title fight with Christopher Rebrasse, before the Polish man fell ill.
Previously, Jones' shot at the title has been delayed after plans to stage it at Crawley Town's Checkatrade Stadium in May broke down at the last minute, and then it was scheduled for the O2 Arena in early September but was put back two weeks and switched to Wembley after an injury to one of the fighters on the undercard.
A MAIDENBOWER after school club has celebrated its tenth birthday with face painting, nail art and a bouncy castle.
The Jungle Club, based in a room at Maidenbower Infant School, on Harvest Road, has cared for more than 350 children in the decade it has been running.
Past and present members of the club were invited to Saturday's celebrations, held at Maidenbower Junior School.
Director of the Jungle Club Charmaine Gooding said: "We had a party and it was very good. There was a good turnout.
"Some of the children said 'this is the best day ever'. One boy said 'this is the best party I have ever been to'."
About 50 children attended with their families on the day and took part in activities ranging from getting glitter tattoos to icing biscuits.
Mrs Gooding, from Halland Close, Three Bridges, said: "We were the first after school club ever to be based in a school in Crawley, so by nature we are the longest running club based in a school."
The club opened in September 2004 with an average of 15 children attending each day.
Attendance has risen to more than 30 kids a day and there is now also a breakfast club.
Mrs Gooding, 58, added: "The freedom for children to play – that is what makes us so popular.
"From the children's point of view it's because they have the freedom to be creative and express themselves through play.
"For the parents it's because they know their children are well looked after."
THE family of a young man who died suddenly from a brain haemorrhage but gave the ultimate gift of life through organ donation have received an award in his honour.
Craig Botting passed away in April last year, having collapsed after returning home from a walk along the Worth Way with his parents.
The 24-year-old was fit, healthy, a talented cricketer and had no known medical problems.
The family of the former Hazelwick School pupil, who was from Balcombe having previously lived in Pound Hill, chose to donate his organs.
They helped to save the lives of two people and prolong the life of another person.
Last week his family attended a ceremony in London, where they received the Order of St John which was posthumously awarded to Craig.
Christine Botting, Craig's mum, said: "It was really difficult to be there but we were really honoured to be a part of it and for Craig to be recognised.
"It helped us to understand that we are not alone.
"We desperately miss Craig every day, he was absolutely adored."
The family receives updates about how the recipients of Craig's organs are doing.
His heart was donated to a man on the "super urgent" list and his kidneys went to two other men, one of whom also received his pancreas.
Mrs Botting added: "Craig was super fit so his organs were all in A1 condition.
"The man who received Craig's heart is doing brilliantly well.
"Doctors feared he wouldn't survive the night before the transplant but he then walked out of hospital 12 days later.
"The man who got one of his kidneys is now doing so well that they are reducing the drugs he is on.
"The man who received his second kidney and pancreas sadly died on what would have been Craig's 25th birthday.
"He survived a few more weeks, though, thanks to Craig.
"When we are going through a low as a family we like to get an update on how they are doing.
"We feel delighted to know there are people out there living life to the full thanks to Craig."
Since Craig's death his family have also raised £9,500 for the Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance, which came to his aid when he collapsed.
The award posthumously given to Craig is presented to families and loved ones of those who saved and improved other people's lives through organ donations.
Stephen Foakes, chair of the group which hands out the awards, said: "With around three people dying every day due to the shortage of organs, these donors and their families have carried out an inspirational act to help others to live.
"We hope the example they have set will encourage many more to follow in their footsteps and agree to become an organ donor."
A total of 49 people who donated their organs were celebrated at the event.
To join the NHS Organ Donor Register visit www.organdonation.nhs.uk or call 0300 1232323.
TWO animal rescue centres in Crawley have reached "crisis point" with more than 100 guinea pigs in their care.
Space has all but run out at Crawley Guinea Pig Rescue and Palace Piggie Rescue, and they are having to turn new arrivals away on a daily basis.
Jenny Dorney, who runs Crawley Guinea Pig Rescue from her home in Shetland Close, Pound Hill, has never known so many of the pets to be given up at the same time.
"It seems at the moment to be at its all-time worst," she said.
"It seems that a lot of people are having to move out of accommodation they're in and going into places that don't allow animals, so whether that's the credit crunch, I don't know.
"Then we get people who become bored of their pets."
Miss Dorney added that the re-homing process is also "quite slow" at present with people not coming forward to take the pets.
She said: "It's got to the point where we are stacking cages on top of another one.
"We don't want to do that as we want to give each animal quality time. And having to say no to people is horrendous.
"We always try and find space at other rescue centres. I am just about to take 16 guinea pigs to a rescue centre in Oxford."
Miss Dorney has been rescuing guinea pigs for six years and has about 40 at her home, alongside a disabled rabbit and a chinchilla with a condition called head tilt.
"I started taking in guinea pigs from places like Gumtree and the Friday Ad where I saw them going for free," she explained.
"Some of them were quite ill with things their owners should have known about. Initially I had eight and my partner said 'no more'.
"But now we have come to the agreement that as long as they stay out in the summer house and the wendy house and they don't come indoors, apart from the ill ones, he's OK with that."
Miss Dorney finances the rescue centre herself so is always grateful for donations.
Palace Piggie Rescue, in Ringwood Close, Furnace Green, is similarly struggling to find space for the pets, with about 70 guinea pigs in its care.
Miss Dorney says guinea pigs make great pets – but urged people to make sure they are prepared to look after them for the duration of the animals' lives.
She said: "Their needs are a hutch or an indoor cage and also for the summer months they need an enclosed run in the garden.
"People can have them in flats, and they can have them running out on the carpet, if they don't mind their carpet being pooed over. But our dog will eat it – he loves it."
Anyone wanting to give a guinea pig a home can call Miss Dorney on 07554 831072 or visit www.crawleyguineapigrescue. org
