Qype: BP University Way in Brighton

Brighton

This is a fairly large petrol station located in the middle of the Vogue Gyratory (a roundabout). Not sure of the exact number, but it probably has a least a dozen pumps dispensing the normal stuff (variuos types of diesel & unleaded) and there’s also a LPG pump.

Also on the site is a Mark & Spencers Simply Food store and a ATM that doesn’t charge for withdrawal.

I use this filling station quite frequently and it is nearly always busy. You nearly always have to wait to get on to a pump.

The price isn’t the cheapest in town, but it’s also not the most expensive – sort of average really.
Check out my review of BP University Way – I am Steaders – on Qype

Qype: Ditchling Post Office in Hassocks

Hassocks – Public Services – Post Offices

I’ll declare a slight connection here: as one of the local postman I visit here regularly and know the owners quite well. However I’ll try my best to do an impartial review.

This is a typical village post office where the sub postmaster knows everyone. If you’re a local then the staff will do whatever they can to help you – I have known people leave piles of packets or boxes of letters to be dealt with when convenient and come back later to settle the bill. Official the Post Office is shut on Monday afternoons, but they will never turn anyone away!

Even if you’re not local, the staff are still really friendly and helpful. But you do have to remember this is Ditchling. It runs at it’s own pace. Don’t expect fast service.

As well as being the village post office, it is also a newsagent and in some respect a convenience store selling odd things such as headache tablets and toilet rolls. They often sell plants and fruit and veg on behalf of locals.

Located at the crossroads it is literally located at the centre of the village.
Check out my review of Ditchling Post Office – I am Steaders – on Qype

Qype: Martin The Newsagent Ltd in Hassocks

Hassocks – Public Services – Post Offices

This is a fairly average newsagents. It sells all the normal things you would expect to find: newspapers, magazines, sweets and cards. It also carries a small range of household items such as toilet rolls and other odds and ends.

It also has the local Post Office inside. At times this counter does get busy, especially as they sell Road Fund Licences (Car Tax) and neither of the other local ones do.

I would suggest avoiding this shop between 8.30 and 9.00 in the morning and again between 3.00 and 4.00 in the afternoo as it is on the route to and from school for the majority of the school children in the area – and they have to get their sweets!

The shop shuts at 5.30pm and the doors are usually locked before that – I know from experience! I have to visit the Post Office regularly for my job and occaisionally have to have the doors unlocked for me.

The staff are always friendly towards me and from what I can tell, to other customers as well.
Check out my review of Martin The Newsagent Ltd – I am Steaders – on Qype

Qype: Easy Hours in Brighton

Brighton

You know the situaion: you need a loaf of bread and nothing else. Do you drive five minutes to the local supermarket or walk two minutes to the corner shop?

I have to admit that I normally go to the supermarket to do my shopping, because being a penny pincher I nearly always by own label cheap stuff. However I guessed that it would cost more in petrol than the extra I would pay in the local shop, so I walked.

My local corner store has recently changed hands and this was I good chance to have a good look round.

They have a good range of products fro fresh fruit & veg to alcohol and frozen food to toilet rolls. The only draw back is that there isn’t much of a choice within a group of products. The prices varied from a loaf of Kingsmill actually being cheaper than Asda to a tin of Ambrosia rice being nearly three times the price!

So if you only need one or two things, or you know that their cheaper, then it’s good place to go; if you need choice, a big weekly or minthly shop, or just the cheap own label products, then I’m afraid it’s Sainsburys or Asda.

I would love to be able to do all my shopping locally, but on the limited budget I have, I’m afraid the big supermarkets still get most of my money
Check out my review of Easy Hours – I am Steaders – on Qype

Qype: Ashdown Forest in Forest Row

Forest Row

Ashdown Forest is a large area of open heathland at the north end of East & West Sussex. It is located on a ridge of sandstone and the soil is quite sandy.

It was originally a Royal Hunting area similar to the New Forest, and despite its being called a forest, originally it was mostly open heath.

The land is open to all, and most of it is available for the public to access. There are numerous car parks scattered around so that even on a busy day it should be possible to find somewhere to park.

At the northeast corner is the village of Hartfield. Here you will find Pooh Corner, a delightful shop selling Winnie the Pooh items (see seprate review). And just outside the village is Pooh Bridge where Pooh and his friends played Pooh Sticks.

Another place of interest, particular to children, is Ashdown Forest Llama park, also reviewed seperately.

There are several good pubs and restaurants in the area if you wish to have a drink or a meal.

One thing to watch out for is the deer. On one short stretch of road between Coleman’s Hatch and Chuck Hatch (such quaint names!) I must have seen a dozen deer. One actually stood beside the road and looked at me and for a few minutes we just stared at each other. Unfortunately the camera was in the boot of the car!

If you’re a first time visitor then I would suggest popping into the visitor centre on Coleman’s Hatch Road. This is also where the only public toilets are apart from the ones in the garden centre at Wych Cross.

Ice cream vans are regulary spotted at Long, Gill’s Lap and King Standing car parks, and they may visit some of the others.

I’ve spent many hours in this area and I hope you enjoy it as well – it’s not possible to list all of the attractions in this review. Come and visit.
Check out my review of Ashdown Forest – I am Steaders – on Qype

Qype: Asdown Forest Visitor Centre in Forest Row

Forest Row

The Conservators of Ashdown Forest are the people responsible for the running of the Forest, in effect the local council. Nothing can happen withing its boundaries without their permission – even laid down rules for the Army during the First World War!

At their office just outside Wych Cross the run a visitor centre. It has a small museum about the Forest and also an area for temporary displays. When I visited there was a display of the Forest at war from the Bronze Age up to the First World War.

There is a small shop selling books and small gifts, and a large collection of leaflets and maps. Several of these give details of walks around the area.

There is also an Education area, which is presumably for groups of school children and the like.

There are also boards detail what the Rangers are currently doing, where the sheep are grazing and what birds can be seen.

Also, and most important, there are clean tiolets! As there are no other public ones in the Forest, I suggest you make a note of their location!

There are several car parks within a ten minute drive from here where you can explore the Forest at will, but I would suggest coming here first.

And watch out for the deer – on the ten minute drive from here to Hartfield I must have seen a dozen cross the road in front of me. Only problem was the camera was in the boot of the car – so keep yours handy if you want to get some pictures.
Check out my review of Asdown Forest Visitor Centre – I am Steaders – on Qype

Qype: Conservators Of Ashdown Forest in Forest Row

Forest Row

The Conservators of Ashdown Forest are the people responsible for the running of the Forest, in effect the local council. Nothing can happen withing its boundaries without their permission – even laid down rules for the Army during the First World War!

At their office just outside Wych Cross the run a visitor centre. It has a small museum about the Forest and also an area for temporary displays. When I visited there was a display of the Forest at war from the Bronze Age up to the First World War.

There is a small shop selling books and small gifts, and a large collection of leaflets and maps. Several of these give details of walks around the area.

There is also an Education area, which is presumably for groups of school children and the like.

There are also boards detail what the Rangers are currently doing, where the sheep are grazing and what birds can be seen.

Also, and most important, there are clean tiolets! As there are no other public ones in the Forest, I suggest you make a note of their location!

There are several car parks within a ten minute drive from here where you can explore the Forest at will, but I would suggest coming here first.

And watch out for the deer – on the ten minute drive from here to Hartfield I must have seen a dozen cross the road in front of me. Only problem was the camera was in the boot of the car – so keep yours handy if you want to get some pictures.
Check out my review of Conservators Of Ashdown Forest – I am Steaders – on Qype

Qype: Pooh Corner in Hartfield

Hartfield – Shopping – Gifts & Cards

The place to go if you are interested in Winnie The Pooh!

This shop has anything and everything you could possibly want with Pooh on. It seels books, cuttlery, sweets, clothing and much much more.

It is a good place to go to first if you intend visiting/finding Pooh’s Bridge which is just down the road. You can buy a leaflet giving details of where to park and how to get to the bridge. And they also sell the “Official Pooh Sticks Rule Book”!

There is also a coffee shop which is very handy as it’s about the only place in the village to get a drink or cake other than the two pubs.

There is also a toilet tucked away at the back, and if you have children in your party and are heading off to Pooh Bridge, then I would suggest making full use of this facility as there is nothing at all at the Bridge.
Check out my review of Pooh Corner – I am Steaders – on Qype

Qype: Anchor Inn in Hartfield

Hartfield – Pubs & Bars – Pubs

I’m sitting here in the beer garden, enjoying the late summer sun, having just demolished a wonderful cheese & coleslaw baguette. Mmm!

This is a reasonably sized pub in the middle of Winnie-the-Pooh village. It has two bars and a beer garden.

And it serves wonderful homemade food, from roasts to burgers and cheesy chips to baguettes. My baguette was warm and stuffed with cheese and coleslaw and was served with chips and more coleslaw! The only problem is that I’m now too full for dessert!

It is a traditional country pub and has a range of real ales including Harveys and Horsham.
Check out my review of Anchor Inn – I am Steaders – on Qype

Qype: Pinocchio in Brighton

Brighton – Restaurants – Italian & Pizza

The ideal place to eat before going to see a show at either the Theatre Royal or the Dome.

The food is great with a wide range of pizza, pasta and other dishes. We went for the 2 course deal which is only slightly more expensive than a main course, so saving a fair bit. There is also a 3 course which we didn’t have time for, but saves even more.

I would however suggest that you don’t sit outside when it’s raining. Even though the seats have a canopy over them, I still ended up getting wet as the water poured of the canopy, hit the flower pots and splashed back onto me – much to the amusement of my campanions!

The staff were friendly and helpful, even though it took us a long time deciding wether we would be sitting inside or out, who was sitting on what table and what we wanted to eat.

Check out my review of Pinocchio – I am Steaders – on Qype