January's listings for Hurst Village Cinema

By Mike Thatcher

Thanks for your continued support of the village cinema and I hope you find something in January’s films to suit you.

We start on Thursday 11th at 8pm with Freemont (12A, 91 mins). Donya, a former translator for the US in Afghanistan, now works for a Chinese fortune cookie factory in San Francisco. In a moment of sudden revelation, she decides to send out a special message in a cookie, which is not without its consequences. It contains perhaps one of the best off-screen sound effects I have ever heard (you’ll know it when you hear it) and Gregg Turkington portrays possibly my favourite movie shrink ever. A charming, wry, thoughtful and funny film.

Then on Friday 26th at 8pm we screen Shiva Baby (15, 77 mins). ‘Painfully funny’ is all too often used for comedies but it absolutely applies to this film. College student Danielle attends a Jewish funeral service with her family and is seemingly judged whichever room she enters; whilst being outshone by her ex-girlfriend she also comes face-to-face with her sugar daddy and his family. Each room brings a new set of unpleasantries which ramps up our levels of buttock clenching. Shiva Baby is a comedy that feels both universally relatable in its depiction of awkward family dynamics and very specific to Danielle’s experience of watching her sex life collide with her religious community. It is no surprise to learn that it is largely autobiographical for first-time director Emma Seligman, as it feels very personal and real; a cultural comedy that is imminently relatable to everyone. And very funny.

Finally, we show The Great Escaper (12A, 97 mins), starring Michael Caine, on Sunday 28th at 3pm. Based on a true story about pensioner Bernard Jordan who, in 2014, absconded from his care home in Hove to attend an event in France marking the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings. It was a story that captured the imagination of the world; Bernie seemed to embody the defiant, ‘can-do’ spirit of a generation that was fast disappearing. Glenda Jackson’s last performance before she died and Michael Caine hinted it would also be his last offering and they are both superb in this. A moving and surprisingly nuanced drama offering far more than flag-waving nostalgia. On paper The Great Escaper looks like the softest of tearjerkers, but Caine’s performance and an unsentimental script, lends it unexpected gravitas.

Tickets from www.hurstfilms.com or at Mishon Mackay.

Gibsons of Hurst is still trading

Gibsons trades again
When Hurst residents Jordan and Leila saw the news on Hurst Hub before Christmas that Gibsons was closing, they thought they ‘couldn’t let in happen’ and sprang into action. After one meeting with Paul Gibson, they took over the business and have seen steady trade ever since. “It all happened very quickly,” said Leila, “and the support from the village has been amazing.” Her father was the gardener to the Bishop of Exeter, so providing produce runs in her family.

Jordan has run a landscape gardening business for 20 years and with three young children they felt the time was right for a new challenge. Jordan’s experience will not be wasted, as they hope to be able to sell perennials from the shop in due course. “We hope to make some changes, but we are not reinventing the wheel; we will carry on selling fresh, local produce,” commented Leila. They have already installed a card-reader, which 90% of customers are taking advantage of, are open six days a week and they will be supporting the local food bank with a gift card scheme. One customer told Hurst Life: “I think it’s amazing what they’ve done for the community by keeping the shop open and I hope they make a success of it.”

Behind the counter of Hurst's own Charlotte Grace Casuals with Linda Wood

As the run up to Christmas begins, Mike met up with owner of High Street boutique Charlotte Grace. There must be something in the water in Highfield Drive. Last time I was there with my Hurst Life pad and sharpened pencil in hand, Nick Bartlett’s boyish looks defied his age. This time when Linda told me she moved to Sussex when she was 21, almost 40 years ago, I stepped in to correct her maths; but it was correct and I was once again issuing clumsy compliments.

Growing up in North London, the first three years of her working life will be familiar to many who were raised in the capital: “It was nightclubs in Leicester Square, Bacardi’s and Coke, which I think was the cheapest drink available then, and taking the night bus home.” Her first Saturday job was in Wood Green as a runner for a retailer. “This gentleman had two clothes shops and one was bit more upmarket than the other. The five Saturday girls were very ‘hard-sell’ and often they would phone the other shop to check for an item.” This is where Linda came in as she’d rush to the other shop, meeting their Saturday girl halfway they would swap items. All the while the customer was ‘being held hostage’ back at the store. I was disproportionately pleased for some reason when Linda revealed what she did in America for a month after leaving school, whilst staying with an aunt in California. It would be a stretch to say it was an ambition of mine to meet someone who sold encyclopaedias door-to-door but I was pretty sure it was never going to happen. And it was every bit American as I thought it would be. “They gave us a road each and told us ‘This is your dream, you have to dream’, and we carried a photo with us of something to strive for, in my case a Mercedes. I didn’t sell one single encyclopaedia but it didn’t matter because it’s my aunt’s company. In fact, I’m not sure I even got to enter anyone’s house; it was my aunt who had the gift of the gab, not me.”

On returning from her six-month American trip, she got a job in the Oxford Street branch of Debenhams selling umbrellas in the run up to Christmas before Find, follow and share us on Facebook, Twitter and taking up her first proper job with a Japanese bank. “I was transferring millions of yen in and out every day, essentially just number crunching, and it was very boring, so I only lasted nine months.” She applied for three-month post at Rentokil and ended up staying five years.

It was in the East Grinstead branch of Rentokil that she met her husband Bob and they moved to Haywards Heath, in a flat above The Orchards, which was ‘great for people watching’. Linda worked for a market research company concentrating on product pick up and quality control for Coca-Cola. They would collect samples from Zambia or Nigeria, for example, and send them back to Coca-Cola for analysis. “Being able to walk to work was a big bonus. We actually slept through the storm of ’87 and in the morning, I climbed over fallen oak trees on my way work.”

During this time, she was keeping her hand in at retail, doing shows at weekends, selling clothes and jewellery amongst other things. She had a stall at Mabel’s Emporium in Burgess Hill and her dining room was one huge stock-room. But the weekend show scene was a quite a lot of work for slender returns and she was looking for an alternative. “I was driving past the empty shop on the High Street in February, just before lockdown and I thought, ‘why not?’. I had all the stock, so I went for it.” November 2021 She opened on the 3rd March 2020 and the country went into lockdown on the 21st but Linda is very philosophical about it, taking the view that everyone was in the same boat. The new challenge now, with disruptions to shipping and transport, is getting deliveries on time. Charlotte Grace stocks a mixture of clothing, gifts, greetings cards and jewellery for all budgets and tries to appeal to all age groups.

To read the whole story of Linda and Charlotte Grace Casuals pick up a copy of November’s Hurst Life and turn to page 22.

Hurst shoppers get exclusive vouchers for their High Street

By Mike Thatcher

To everyone’s relief and delight, our High Street sprung back into action in April after government restrictions started to be lifted. Our resilient traders have been in this position before and this time round Hurst Life is delighted to be able to offer our readers a discount voucher for many of the shops in Hurst.

We spoke to many of the traders, some of course who have been open throughout, about their thoughts on the latest development. Jo Mallone, from Village Pizza, echoed many who have been trading already: “We are delighted that our retail and hospitality friends and neighbours will be reopening over the coming weeks and very much look forward to the High Street regaining its wonderful vibrant village vibe once again.”

The difference between this easing and the one last summer is, of course, that the vaccination process is well underway and it is hoped by all concerned that this is the beginning of the end for restrictions.

To read the full article and to find the amazing vouchers available, pick up a copy of May’s Hurst Life magazine.

Hurst High Street's very own Village Pizza Kitchen

Earlier this summer, having been made redundant due to Covid, Jo Malone, along with her husband James trialled a pop-up food delivery service, The Village Kitchen. Following its success, they decided to further develop the concept and to fulfil what they considered to be a gap in the local market for artisan pizza and freshly made pasta dishes by launching the Village Pizza Kitchen at what was previously the Ruby Watts shop on the High Street.

Whilst pizza and pasta of course traditionally originates from Italy, with so much fantastic produce being grown and made here in the UK, Jo and James were passionate about showcasing British ingredients where possible - which is reflected in all of their dishes. The pizzas are handmade using a blend of stoneground wholegrain and 00 flours produced by ancient Cotswolds mills, whilst many of the toppings are from Sussex - including charcuterie from Steyning, cheeses from Balcombe, Brighton and Lewes and chillies from Ashurst.

Whilst most of the ingredients are British, Chef Simonetta Held brings her Italian influence to the dishes. Born near Rome and having been brought up cooking with her Nonnas from Venice and the Amalfi Coast, Simonetta loves nothing more than being in the kitchen cooking up a storm! Simonetta is joined by local chef, James Whittle, who having cut his teeth as an apprentice at The Fig Tree, is an expert when it comes to hand stretching pizzas - having made thousands of pizzas during his time with The Pizza Oven Company.

Since launching at the end of December, the team have been exceedingly busy - serving over 4000 pizzas, as well as pasta dishes, sides and desserts!

The Village Pizza Kitchen is open for takeaway:
12pm to 8:30pm Tuesdays to Thursdays
12pm to 9pm Fridays and Saturdays

Local delivery is currently available weekday lunchtimes, but is due to be extended to evenings over the coming weeks.

Order now on Village Pizza Kitchen Online