Hurst Players
…Agatha Christie Witness for the Prosecution
Starting on 8th April until the 12th, starting at 7.30pm in Players Theatre Hurstpierpoint.
Tickets, £14, are available online at www.hurstplayers.org.uk or in person at the threatre box office from Monday 15th March, Saturday mornings, 10am until midday
By Jenny Brown
The Hurst village community gave a great welcome to Ukrainians fleeing their homeland. In a variety of ways, different people and groups have helped out. Most of the earlier guests have now settled, found work and are in their own rental property either in Hurst or nearby.
However, as the 3rd anniversary of the latest Russian invasion of Ukraine comes round, there is still uncertainty about the future. Many of our local Ukrainian friends have family members in increasingly dangerous situations, and some would like to bring them to the UK for safety. For example, one local Ukrainian lady living in Hurst with her primary age child is looking for someone willing to host her parents (in their mid-60s). Currently, the UK government is granting visas for 18 months, and offering a ‘thank you ‘ payment of £350 per month to hosts. The commitment to host is six months.
If you think you might be able to help, or you know someone who might, please get in touch for more information: jenny.brown1106@gmail.com.
Over the last few years, and with the active support of our MSDC Ward Councillors (latterly Cllr Geoff Zeidler), the Parish Council has been seeking the restoration of the Berrylands Farm Pond at Sayers Common. It has increasingly been lost in the undergrowth, along with the Sayers Common village sign. The change in the MSDC grounds maintenance contractor to Glendale has provided the opportunity for some of the undergrowth and trees to be cleared, and for the volunteers of our local Woodland Flora and Fauna Group to now focus on improving the health of the pond. The Group are always looking for volunteers so please contact the Office if you wish to help. Meanwhile, the village sign needed a good clean. The Parish Council has taken it down and the SCVS have very kindly volunteered to repaint it.
Weekly from April to September, volunteers walk the same route recording numbers and species of butterflies. This helps us monitor the health of the Meadows as a habitat for wildlife. The data is then sent to Butterfly Conservation to form part of the national picture. If you are interested in taking part in spotting and recording these beautiful insects, find out more on Thursday 27 March 1.30 - 3.00 pm Village Centre, Hurstpierpoint.
To read the full newsletter, pick up your copy of March’s Hurst Life or click the images to enlarge them.
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More than 99% of Mid Sussex residents believe that recycling is important with more than 91% making an effort to recycle at home, according to a survey carried out in January by West Sussex County Council.
Of those surveyed, a majority of 51% said they were very happy with their current fortnightly collection service for general waste and recycling, batteries and small electricals.
Although 43.7% said they rarely threw items in the rubbish bin because they were unsure if they could be recycled, nearly 40% said they were sometimes unsure about what could go in their recycling bin.
Items that caused most confusion for recycling were plant pots, garden waste, shredded paper and batteries.
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Councillor Chris Hobbs, Cabinet Member for Leisure and Customer Services at Mid Sussex District Council, said: “It’s fantastic, and very heartening, to see that so many of our residents support recycling. We’ve got a really helpful guide on what can, and can’t, be recycled so that we can get even more items out of the general rubbish bin and into recycling. One of the key things to remember is that everything going into the recycling bin has to be clean, dry and loose and not in a plastic bag.”
The recycling rate in Mid Sussex is already 41.8% which puts the district well on its way to hitting the Government’s national recycling target of 55% by 2035.
To read the full newsletter, pick up your copy of March’s Hurst Life or click the images to enlarge them.
Welcome to Hurst Life’s St Lawrence Fair event page. Here you will find our most recent information for everything regarding the fair.
Since the 14th century, the village of Hurstpierpoint has celebrated the Feast of St Lawrence with a village fair. The fair is one of the oldest in the United Kingdom.
See also, St Lawrence Fair
St Lawrence Fair 2025 confirmed for 4th and 5th July! More details to come.
St. Lawrence Fair is almost upon us…we look forward to seeing you over the weekend on South Avenue recreation ground.
Friday 5th July
Teddy Bears Picnic – 12.30-2.30pm; come along to enjoy a magic show, cake decorating and a craft activity, a carousel ride and an ice lolly - £2 contribution.
Junior Disco – 6pm – 7.15pm; pre-book tickets from Fabulous Floors: £4 in advance, £5 on the door - includes a snack and unlimited water/squash.
Hurst Band Night – 6pm -10.30pm; live music, Hurst’BAR’point and food by Village Pizza Kitchen and Hurst Butchers - a great evening’s entertainment.
Saturday 6th July
Come along, support the procession, cheer on the fun run, visit the stalls and street food market (lots of good food to sample), have a drink from Hurst’BAR’point or tea tent, watch the arena performances, enjoy Harris’ Funfair and take part in the competitions:
• Party games in the arena for younger children
• Trolley dash
• Tug of War
• Chuck the Re-Usable Welly
Finally, if you’re able to support the fair financially in any way, it’s easy - simply scan the QR code on any of the fair posters or the front of the programme to be taken directly to Paypal to make a donation. There will be road closures from 12.30pm on the day, so check our website for details - www.stlawrencefair.co.uk Thank you so much in advance - here’s to a great Fair weekend - we look forward to seeing you there!
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At Hurst Life, we’d like to encourage everyone living and working in the village to familiarise themselves with the sites of the life-saving defibrillator machines and learn how to use them.
An estimated 60,000 people each year in the UK have an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and, sadly, less than 10% of those people will survive. Yet if a bystander is able to start CPR, they could double a person’s chances of survival.
Hurstpierpoint has seven machines: one on the outside wall at the Fairfield Rec on Cuckfield Road, another is situated at the bowls club on South Avenue Rec, a third is inside the medical centre on Trinity Road and one is mounted on the wall in the alleyway next to Morley’s on the High Street. There are also defibs available at Court Bushes Community Hub and the Village Centre. Both of these units can be unlocked by a code given by the 999 operator.
Another defibrillator was installed in the village, paid for by Burgess Hill Lions, is located at the St Peter & St James Hospice Distribution Centre on Albourne Road.
The most recent defibrillator has been installed at the Sportsman Pub in Goddards Green. The unit was kindly donated by Downlands School.
In Sayers Common, there is one on the outside wall of the Community Shop (by the door to the hall), while in Albourne there is one inside the primary school, in the gym of Wickwoods Country Club (up Shaves Wood Lane) and one mounted on the outside wall of Albourne Village Hall, to the right of the entrance doors. Not all of these will be available 24/7 but the outside ones listed (pictured) should be.
All of the machines are portable and contain full instructions. Plus, if you are on the phone to 999, the operator will be able to talk you through using these public devices in real time.
A good place for more information is the British Heart Foundation’s website: www.defibfinder.uk - which gives a live listing to all registered defibs, plus FAQs about using them. If you have any information about changes to these defibrillators, then do please let us know, so we can update our knowledge for next time.
Children can look forward to more free fun Playdays for the February half-term. Organised by Mid Sussex District Council, the indoor events will be run from 2pm – 4pm and there’s no need to book, just turn up and take part. There’ll be a host of different activities for children, up to age 10, at the following venues:
• Tuesday 18th Feb @ Kings Centre, Burgess Hill, RH15 9LR
• Wednesday 19th Feb @ Jubilee Centre, East Grinstead, RH19 2HL
• Friday 21st Feb @ Dolphin Leisure Centre, Haywards Heath, RH16 1LY
Cllr Anne-Marie Cooke, Cabinet Member for Communities and Communications, said: “Our popular free Playdays are back for February half-term. We’re so pleased to be organising these free activities for local families once again. Please come along and join in. We’ll see you there!”
To read the full newsletter, pick up your copy of February’s Hurst Life today or click the images to enlarge them.
Village Pizza Kitchen (VPK) has recently relocated across the road to 155 High Street, where they are now operating as a restaurant, whilst still offering takeaway.
Having outgrown their premises at 126 High Street, VPK identified 155 as a new potential site when it was still operating as Feathers Boutique, before it briefly became Hurst Restoration. They have transformed the space into a cosy and stylish restaurant, offering their award-winning pizzas and an enhanced selection of pasta dishes, starters and puddings, along with an excellent wine list.
Founder and Owner, Jo Malone, who has lived in Hurstpierpoint for 15 years, said: “We are really excited to finally introduce an Italian style restaurant to Hurstpierpoint. It is something myself and many others I know have always felt that the village needed. We have built up an incredible customer base since we f irst launched Village Pizza Kitchen during lockdown four years ago and it is wonderful to be able to see them now enjoying our delicious pizzas straight out of the oven!”
Village Pizza Kitchen has gone from strength to strength since its inception in 2020, having won a number of awards, including recently being named as the UK’s Best Independent Pizza Takeaway by the prestigious industry body, the Pizza, Pasta & Italian Association, for the second year in a row. They also now have their own dedicated kiosk inside the iconic Amex stadium, where they additionally supply pizzas for the corporate hospitality lounges.
Village Pizza Kitchen is open for lunch and dinner Tuesday to Saturday.
A reminder that the Parish Council continues to support the monthly Memory Cafes run by AgeUK in Hurstpierpoint and Hassocks. These are aimed at people who are experiencing memory loss whether they have a diagnosis or not and their families/partners/ carers. These get togethers are informal and fun as well as providing support and advice. The next Hurstpierpoint & Sayers Common Memory Café will be on Tuesday 4th February at Court Bushes Community Hub, Willow Way from 2pm - 4pm. From 11th March, Memory Cafes at Court Bushes will take place on the second Tuesday of the month, also from 2pm – 4pm. There will also be a café twice monthly at Adastra Hall in Hassocks on the first and third Tuesday of the month from 10:30am – 12:30pm. To find out more please call 01444 450248, or email midsussex@ageukwsbh.org.uk
Parking around the Health Centre in Trinity Road has become very congested at certain times. This area is used for parking by several different groups including local residents, people working in the High Street, health centre staff and visitors, school staff and parents, and shoppers. Unfortunately, parked cars are beginning to block access to the health centre and to properties beyond that for larger vehicles such as ambulances, f ire engines etc. This is obviously of great concern. In addition, sight lines, especially at junctions are being obscured and this could lead to accidents. Several additional double yellow lines are therefore proposed around the junctions and can be viewed on our website. If you agree with these changes, please email the Parish Council to say so. Your emails will be passed to WSCC as evidence of support for the scheme.
To read the full newsletter, please pick up your copy of February’s Hurst Life or click the images to enlarge them.
March’s Hurst Life
Copy date 18th February
Delivery between 1st - 7th March
April’s Hurst Life
Copy date 18th March
Delivery between 29th Mar - 4th April
May’s Hurst Life
Copy date 15th April
Delivery between 26th April - 2nd May
June’s Hurst Life
Copy date 13th May
Delivery between 24th - 30th May
July’s Hurst Life
Copy date 10th June
Delivery between 21st - 27th June
August’s Hurst Life
Copy date 15th July
Delivery between 26th July - 1st August
September’s Hurst Life
Copy date 19th August
Delivery between 30th August - 5th September
October’s Hurst Life
Copy date 16th September
Delivery between 27th September - 3rd October
November’s Hurst Life
Copy date 14th October
Delivery between 25th - 31st October
December’s Hurst Life
Copy date 11th November
Delivery between 22nd - 28th November
By Mike Thatcher
A happy New Year to you all. It’s a busy month with four films, including the best film ever made, so I’ll crack on.
On Thursday 9th at 7.30pm we show Pan’s Labyrinth (15), Guillermo del Toro’s classic from 2006. For years I avoided this film, largely because of its label of ‘fantasy.’ Eventually, I decided to see what all the fuss was about and it blew me away. Set in post-Civil War Spain in 1944, it follows Ofelia, who escapes into a mystical labyrinth to avoid the brutal reality of her world dominated by her sadistic stepfather, Captain Vidal, brilliantly played by Sergi López. If you’ve heard of it but not seen it, come and see what all the fuss is about for yourself.
Then, on Thursday 16th at 7.30pm, we screen Sword of Trust (15). We don’t deliberately avoid showing comedies at HVC, it is just that good ones are really hard to find. This laid-back film from Lynn Shelton is a well-timed reminder that Americans can indeed poke fun at themselves, with delightful results. It follows pawnshop owner Mel, (played by Marc Maron, who also provides the deep South bluesy soundtrack), who becomes entangled in a bizarre conspiracy involving Civil War truthers. Blending humour with social satire, it shows real characters reacting normally and unheroically under pressure.
And then, ladies and gentleman, in my opinion, the greatest film ever made and perfect in every way: Magnolia (18) on Friday 24th at 7.30pm. Writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson admitted he is resigned to never making another film as good as this, and he made There Will be Blood, Boogie Nights and The Phantom Thread. It centres around seven intertwined stories in the San Fernando Valley, stories of flawed, complex characters struggling with trauma, regret and the desire for redemption. A stella cast, (Philip Seymour Hoffman, William H. Macy, Julianne Moore, Tom Cruise, John C. Reilly) who produce pitch-perfect performances and a brilliant score by Aimee Mann. The ultimate ‘come and see what all the fuss is about’ film.
We round off on Sunday 26th at 3pm with Perfect Days (PG). One of those films you know you are in safe hands from the start and that you won’t be sent on an emotional rollercoaster. Wim Wenders’ Perfect Days is a quiet, contemplative exploration of solitude and routine, following a Tokyo restroom cleaner named Hirayama. Through his meticulous daily rituals, we see beauty in ordinary moments: cleaning, listening to music, and taking in small details of city life.
Around 80% of residents in Mid Sussex pay their council tax by direct debit. Now Mid Sussex District Council is encouraging more people to switch and pay the same way.
Cllr Simon Hicks, Cabinet Member for Finance, Revenue and Benefits, said: “Direct debit is the easiest and most efficient way of paying your council tax. You have a choice of three dates for payment and you can pay over 10 or 12 months as well as annually or biannually.
“Most of our residents choose direct debit because it’s easy, safe and secure. We never take more than the amount you have to pay and it renews automatically each year. It also keeps our administration costs down. Paying by direct debit also means residents never get into arrears with payments. For those who are in arrears, we have now introduced text messaging, emails and calls, as a reminder to pay before we need to go through a formal process of recovering the outstanding amount of council tax.”
For further information on how to pay by direct debit, go to www.midsussex.gov.uk and search “how to pay”.
This service restarts on Monday 6th January 2025. For more information visit the link above.
To read the full newsletter, click the images to enlarge them or pick up your copy of January’s Hurst Life.
January can be a dark and depressing winter month. Maybe this is why our ancestors came up with all sorts of communal festivities to lighten the gloom!
Wassailing is an old Twelfth Night custom to ensure a good apple harvest in the year ahead through singing, processing and generally having fun. This aims to frighten away the bad spirits and encourage the trees to produce lots of fruit.
The second (free!) Hurstpierpoint Wassail will be taking place in Hurst Meadows and the Millennium Garden on Saturday 11th January 2025.
Please come along and join us at the evening Wassail, bring LED torches and lights (no flames please) and/or the preceding Wassail Workshop.
For more information or to sign up for the workshop visit: www.hurstpierpoint-pc.gov.uk/wassail, or contact the Parish office team.
More information about the ancient custom of wassailing can be found on the National Trust website: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/discover/history/art-collections/wassailing-ritual-and-revelry
To read the full newsletter, please pick up your copy of Hurst Life or click the images to enlarge them.
Welcome to Hurst Life’s Santa Sunday event page. Here you will find our most recent information for everything about the event.
A magical Christmas Market in the heart of Hurstpierpoint! Join us for a festive celebration filled with live music, delicious treats, and plenty of Christmas shopping. Bring the family along for fun kids’ activities, exciting fairground rides, and a chance to meet Father Christmas himself! Get into the holiday spirit with us and make unforgettable memories.
See also, Hurst’s Secret Santa
Santa’s Fun Sunday
By Rob Fisher
The fun-packed Hurst Santa Sunday is now just around the corner, and there’s something for everyone this year! We’ve got Santa himself in his grotto, Santa paws (for our furry friends), snow machines, face painting, teacup rides, a magician, hook a duck and wood-turning demonstrations. There’s an amazing variety of stall holders including: AbiliTea, Garden Sage, Enchanted Bookcase, Generation Distillers, Melt my Heart, Optimize Nutrition, Southdown Woodturners to name but a few. You can expect some fabulous musical entertainment all along the High Street including a rock choir, brass band, as well as singer Tobias back by popular demand. Enjoy great food including festive treats from the likes of Marples Cakery, Krishna Cuisine, Oui Crêperie and Whambam Pakora. There’s also Fudge Delights and Lozza’s Bakes.
It’s all happening on December 1st 12.30-4.30pm on the High Street that will be closed to traffic. Special thanks once again to all our wonderful sponsors – Fabulous Floors, the Parish Council, Hurst Charity Shop as well as Hurst College who help make it all possible. www.hurstsecretsanta.co.uk and for the latest info Instagram: @santa_sunda
Welcome to Hurst Life’s churches of Hurspierpoint & Sayers Common Christmas services event page. Here you will find our most recent information for everything Christmas in our churches.
See also, Holy Trinity Hurstpierpoint, The parish of Albourne, Sayers Common and Twineham, Good News Church Hurstpierpoint
High Street, Hurstpierpoint, BN6 9TS
www.holytrinityhpp.org
Wednesday 4th December
7.30pm Mothers’ Union Advent Evening with carols, readings, mulled wine and mince pies Tickets available from Judy Leech 01273 833954
Sunday 8th December
3-4.30pm - Family Christmas Crafts. Crafts and activities for pre-school & primary aged children
Sunday 22nd December
6pm - Candlelit Carol Service followed by mulled wine and mince pies
Christmas Eve
3-4.30pm Crib Services. A lively services for all ages. Children are invited to dress as a favourite nativity character
11.30pm Midnight Mass
Christmas Day
8am - Christmas Communion – a simple said service
10am - Christmas Family Communion. A service for all the family
149 High Street, Hurstpierpoint, BN6 9PU www.goodnewshurst.co.uk
Sunday 22nd December
3.30pm - Carols and Cakes – an informal carol service
Christmas Day
10am - Christmas Day Service - Come and celebrate with us our Saviour’s birth
ascat.ad@yahoo.com – You can also find us on www.achurchnearyou.com
Sunday 15th December
6pm - Nine Lessons and Carols at St Bartholomew’s, Albourne
Friday 20th December
6pm - Carol Service at Christ Church, Sayers Common
Christmas Eve
4pm - Crib Service (with live animals) at St Peter’s, Twineham
8pm - Midnight Mass at St Bartholomew’s, Albourne
Christmas Day
10am - Parish Eucharist at Christ Church, Sayers Common
Rubbish, recycling and food waste collections will change between 23rd December until 3rd January for the Christmas and New Year period and garden collections will pause for two weeks.
Festive Collection Date
Saturday 21st December
Monday 23rd December
Tuesday 24th December
Friday 27th December
Saturday 28th December
No Change
No Change
Thursday 2nd January 2025
Friday 3rd January
Saturday 4th January
No Change
Normal Collection Date
Monday 23rd December
Tuesday 24th December
Wednesday 25th December
Thursday 26th December
Friday 27th December
Monday 30th December
Tuesday 31st December
Wednesday 1st January
Thursday 2nd January
Friday 3rd January
Monday 6th January onwards
To read the full newsletter click the images to enlarge them or pick up your copy of December’s Hurst Life.
Are you looking for a very short accessible circular walk with impressive views, beautiful trees, rolling fields, the sound of birdsong and benches to sit and rest and take all this in? The new cyclepath through Hurst Meadows from the eastern end of Trinity Road makes the countryside accessible for everyone. It is all-weather and suitable for buggies, wheelchairs and those with limited mobility.
Combining a walk along the cyclepath with a return along the Millennium Garden path makes for a varied and interesting short ramble. There really is so much to see and enjoy in just a very small area. Things to look out for include the kestrel which has taken to hovering over the part of Fifteen Acres field adjacent to the cyclepath, the old apple trees which were once part of the orchard of St. Georges House and the animals and birds carved from the Monterey pine tree which once stood in the House gardens. You will be able to see nature recovery taking place in the ex-arable fields and hear the green woodpeckers calling from the trees that surround them. Last year we heard skylarks above Hurst Meadows in January so if you are very lucky you may also be rewarded by hearing their beautiful song.
We have had so many positive comments about the cyclepath and it really has been heartening to see just how many people of all ages are using it.
To read the full newsletter, click the images to enlarge them or pick up your copy of December’s Hurst Life today.
Welcome to Hurst Life’s Remembrance information page. Here you will find our most recent information for all things Remembrance Sunday.
See also, Hurstpierpoint & Sayers Common Parish Council
and Holy Trinity Church, Hurst
Remembrance Sunday 10th November 2024
On Sunday 10th November, Hurstpierpoint will once again come to a standstill to remember those who gave their lives for our freedoms.
In preparation for the event this year, we have had the village war memorial professionally cleaned by stonemasons.
The morning will include the parade from South Avenue to the war memorial for the outdoor service, followed by in indoor service at Holy Trinity Church on the High Street. Please note that road closures will be in place from 10am until 1pm to facilitate the parade and service.
Welcome to Hurst Life’s HURSTfolk event page. Here you will find our most recent information for everything regarding the festival.
HURSTfolk is the brainchild of Hurstpierpoint resident, Debbie Clare. Debbie is drawing upon her extensive live music career to weave together this community-focused weekend of live music performances.
See also, HURSTfolk
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David Courtney & Dan Whaley
Players Theatre Saturday 23rd November, 3pm £5
David Courtney, a Grammy-nominated songwriter and producer, will be giving a rare, intimate interview in his home village of Hurstpierpoint to discuss his autobiography, Giving It All Away.
Greta Scacchi & Peter Guttridge
Players Theatre Saturday 23rd November, 7pm £5
In conversation with Peter Guttridge – novelist and former journalist who regularly interviews at book festivals across the country – this event promises to be a highlight of the festival, offering a chance to hear behind-the-scenes stories and career highlights from this highly accomplished actress.
Bryony Hill & Daryn Buckley - Robins in my Kitchen book launch
Danny House Sunday 24th November 12.30pm £5
Join us for an exclusive book launch event featuring the acclaimed artist and author Bryony Hill, who will be interviewed by beloved local radio DJ Daryn Buckley.
Tickets and more information visit www.hurstfolk.org
Welcome to Hurst Life’s Hurst Festival event page. Here you will find our most recent information for the two week September festival.
A registered charity, Hurst Festival was conceived in 2004 by a merry band of friends over dinner, impressed by the wealth of talent in our village. It has one aim; to provide people with two weeks of enjoyment in September during which we can meet each other, experience something new and feel connected to our community.
See also, Hurst Festival
2025 information coming mid 2025!
Hurst Festival 2024 round-up
By Katherine Jackman
What a fabulous success Hurst Festival 2024 was – the 20th year! To celebrate this milestone, we brought back all your favourite performers in a ‘Best of Hurst Festival’ including Richard Durrant, Stephen Grant and Anckorn & Dolavich.
The ever-popular Hurst Open Studios, live band nights, jazz, opera, poetry, soirees, children and family shows, cinema, Hurst Players, talks, wellbeing, walks and tours were mostly sold out with the Elton John Experience providing a fabulous last Saturday night party in the church.
‘Super Sunday’ filled South Avenue recreation ground with stalls, theatre, a fully stocked bar, live music and family entertainment. With free workshops from Create Space and Poponin and free inflatables for the children there was something for everyone. The live entertainment included the amazing Silly Science with free workshops after the show plus live music from local band Breeze In. Burgess Hill Youth Marching Band started off the proceedings plus a gymnastics display from the Hurstpierpoint Gymnastics Club.
Added to these locals was a smorgasbord of independent traders of all kinds including food, charity stalls and craft, clothes and book stalls and thanks to everyone who supported our Hurst Festival bar on the Recreation Ground, which helps pay for all the free entertainment on the day.
As a registered Charity, Hurst Festival relies on our brilliant team of volunteers, and we thank them heartily as it wouldn’t happen without you! If you wish to help out during Hurst Festival 2025 or before, please contact us at admin@hurstfestival.org.
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