The High Street welcomed a new shop last month as Hurst i wear opened its doors to customers. Owner Lin O’Hara, a former Hurst resident, is delighted to be able to finally set up a shop on our High Street. “We used to live in Hurst and always wanted a shop here but then found the one in Cuckfield and so moved there.”

Both Lin and her partner Natalie have been in the optics trade for many years and Natalie will continue to run the shop in Cuckfield, where their lab is located. Hurst i wear do not do sight tests, with customers just bringing their prescriptions into the shop. Lin has already noticed the change from her other shop: “This is much busier than Cuckfield, especially in the mornings. It’s a nice High Street, with so many people looking in and waving and smiling. People introduced themselves as we were renovating and other traders came in and introduced themselves, which we didn’t experience elsewhere.” The opening Saturday was very busy and Lin was particularly pleased that no one asked about sight tests, indicating that the customers already understood the concept of the shop. She looks forward to being a presence on the High Street for many years to come: “It’s a nice little village, you do have something of everything here. There’s a lot going on, and with the Hurst Hub everyone is interacting with everyone else.”