By Deb Hollywood
We are lucky that we live in, what seems to me, an extraordinarily creative and talented area. There are some Hurstpierpoint residents who could grace the pages of the national media and be instantly recognised. There are many others who still deserve our recognition, and, for me, Steve Scott is one of these.
Steve, wife Annette, daughter Francesca and son Ollie arrived in Hurst 25 years ago with youngest daughter Emily making her appearance four weeks after their move. At that time, Steve was a Detective Sergeant with Sussex Police. Hurstpierpoint felt like the ideal place for him to access work across the county without uprooting the family every time there was a change in his work role.
It is clear from chatting with Steve that his introduction to village life came from his involvement in his children’s school life and activities. At many times over the years this has been as one half of a double act – think Barker and Corbett, Morecambe and Wise, Flannagan and Allen (look them up if you don’t know!) – alongside none other than Jerzy Lewandowski. Having met the Lewandowski family through their respective children (combined think Family Von Trapp), Jerzy approached Steve to help with the St Lawrence School PTA Fete, saying: “We need a van!” Steve came up trumps with a Police Carrier, not fully knowing its intended use, but all became clear as he drove across the school field, the back doors were flung open, and an assortment of parents and teachers dressed as ‘Gladys-ators’ jumped out in full fancy dress! (As you read on, you’ll see fancy dress is a recurrent theme!)
From this, Steve, pleased to help out, started to MC the school summer fetes for a few years. He says now: “I should have known with Jerzy as a friend that it wouldn’t end there!” When Jerzy took over as chair of the St Lawrence Fair, he asked Steve to take on the position of vice chair. Short of time, but with his arm twisted, he agreed to help out! It was during this period that Steve, and you may well recognise him from these as opposed to his ‘civvies’, led and MC’d the fair as Captain Hook, Judge Dread and Michael Schumacher!
The full article is published in the August 2016 issue of Hurst Life magazine.