October 2022 by Peter S
Review of the Apple Tree Café, Bucks Green, Rudgwick, Horsham, RH12 3JJ, Sussex The Bucks Green community is on both sides of the A281. The houses on the south side have gardens that abut a large playing field. A strategic gate in the hedge provides the people living there with immediate access into the field ? a garden that leads to green space. What an advantage. It was clear from the large number of people who were there day after day through into the evening ? playing organized sports, working out, walking the dog, kids in tow and/or simply seated in one of a number of conveniently located wooden benches and enjoying watching the others and/or greeting those passing by ? of the enormous social value of the place. Clearly, these were mainly local people given the casual nature of the meet/talking groups that formed and then split up as the people went their ways. This was rural Sussex at its most benign and particularly on a dry, warm and sunny day in summer. The playing field in Bucks Green is a King George V Playing Field. The descriptor was a first time for us ? we had neither known of them nor appreciated the original significance of these fields to commemorate the memory of this monarch. The King George V Foundation established a network of parks, playing fields, recreational grounds and green spaces across the UK in 1936 in memory of HM King George V who died that year. In fact, there are 471 King George V Fields in total covering >2,000 ha. They are protected in perpetuity such that local communities will always have them available for sports, recreation and/or somewhere to simply sit and enjoy your community. And where does the Apple Tree Café come into this? It?s in the main public building ? Sports & Community Centre - servicing the entire playing field. It?s at the end of the road that links the playing field with the busy Guildford-Horsham A281. There?s a convenient car park next to the Apple Tree Café. The Apple Tree Café is out-of-the-way for local people except for those in the small community of Bucks Green living within easy walking distance. Otherwise, you may need to drive or bike there like, for example, those who regularly play/attend sporting events in the playing field. On a fine day with the field full of players/spectators ? tennis, soccer, cricket according to season - the café and the seats/sunshades outside are full; other times the place seemed to be relatively empty. The cafe is at one end of the building with an extended sitting out area next to the playing field with scattered seats/tables/sunshades. Whether seeking shade or shelter from the weather ? according to the season ? the café is clearly there to provide warm/cold drinks, sandwiches, cakes, pizze, soups, snacks of all kinds and picnic boxes for the kids. Inside the café there is a single public dining room with bench seats against the wall and separate stand-alone tables for four. The small counter is at the far end as you enter. The café is tastefully decorated in two tone grey/ivory walls, new-looking steel frame tables/chairs with plastic/wooden decorative tops. A pot of plants featured on each table. Wall menus described the food, drinks and pizze available - the latter with three options within the price range £8.50-£10.50. Cosy inside in winter comes to mind. Next door to the café is ?Little Street? ? commercial children?s play centre based around role play in a make-believe small town ? that encourages/teaches children to explore the world around them; to enjoy the delights of imagination. Clearly, the two places work closely together. We visited the playing fields sufficient number of times to share in the open spaces available for casual walking, exploring the tracks in the wooded valley to one side and to play games with the kids as-and-when they returned from school of an afternoon. There is also a children?s playground and a skate park at the far end of the playing field from the café. And the Apple Café? We never did take our coffee there ? and this notwithstanding our intention to do so ? but we did enjoy t
