hurstpierpoint

Hurstpierpoint's Remembrance Sunday

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.

Danny House Bonfire & Fireworks

Welcome to Hurst Life’s Hurstpierpoint Bonfire Night event page. Here you will find our most recent information for everything bonfire and fireworks at Danny House.

See also, Danny House Bonfire & Fireworks


Danny Bonfire and Fireworks – 3rd November 2024

By Andrew Hair

Danny Family Bonfire and Fireworks returns for its 27th evening and will be celebrated with a spectacular display of fireworks from our new firework maestros Aurora, on Sunday 3rd November. Please note the earlier times below. Families are again welcome to share the event to be held in Danny Park, New Way Lane, Hurstpierpoint.

The event is organised by Hurstpierpoint Gymnastics Club with assistance from Oldland Mill Trust and Friends of Hassocks Infant School. They, and Albourne, Birchwood Grove, London Meed and Southway Schools will benefit from your support. The Hassocks will be running their ever-popular BBQ, so come and enjoy the evening.

Take a ‘Guy’ to the Best Guy Competition before 4.50pm and one child will be given free admission. For safety reasons - no private fireworks or sparklers etc. Sorry, but no parking (due to ground conditions). Limited parking will be available for Blue Badge holders – please allow extra time. Food will be available on site.

Timings on the night...
4.30pm Gates open
5pm Best Guy competition judging
5.30pm (approx.) Fireworks Display
5.50pm (approx.) Bonfire lit with all the guys and the Best Guy on top

Ticket prices are unchanged from last year. Children Under 3 or with a Guy are free (one Guy gives admittance to one child). Children or adults £7. Families including up to two adults and three children £15. Discounted eTickets available on dannybonfire.co.uk where you can choose which organisation to support. Tickets will also be available from Pierpoint Pets in Hurstpierpoint and from QD Stationery in Hassocks.

In the event of bad weather, please check www.hurstpierpointgym.co.uk for the up-to-date news on postponement.

West Gallery Music restarts in Hurst

By Margaret Carey

DATE ERROR PRINTED: In the printed magazine the date of this event was incorrect. Saturday 20th November 2021 IS the actual date of ‘S’Wonderful Gershwin’ show.
— West Gallery Music

When the West Gallery was constructed in Holy Trinity Church to provide additional seating space above the new gathering area, it very soon emerged as a great space for music, with its position high up in the building with the resonance of the roof rafters making the sound mellow and warm. There’s a long tradition of ‘west gallery music’ in churches, going back centuries, with local groups writing and performing songs relating to their own towns and villages.

So, here we were, with a great space for all sorts of music, and a community building which needs to be shared with everyone, whether or not they are Sunday churchgoers. An initial evening to try it out and see whether there would be an audience proved very popular, so, off we went with early evening music and song, up in the gallery – accompanied, of course, by a glass of wine or two. With gaps for the summer holidays and Hurst Festival, the West Gallery Evenings continued throughout the year, but were forced to stop during lockdown.

And now we are particularly delighted to be starting up again, with a programme from October to May all confirmed. The events are nearly always on the third Saturday of each month starting at 6pm and ending at 7.30pm with a drinks interval. The church is licensed, as the hundreds of people who attended Festival events know well, so a glass of wine in the interval is assured!

You can turn up and pay your £5 on the door, but it does help us to put out the approximately right number of chairs if you can email in advance - but don’t worry if you can’t, just come!

Saturday 20th November brings us Alan Leith and Marcus Martin with their ‘S’Wonderful Gershwin’ show. The title says it all really!

Therapist Louise tries something new

Louise Payne, started Rehab at Home Mid Sussex

Louise Payne, started Rehab at Home Mid Sussex

Lifelong Hurst resident and chartered physiotherapist Louise Payne has recently set up her own business called Rehab at Home (Mid Sussex), which she will run alongside her current NHS and hospice work.

Born and brought up in Hurstpierpoint, Louise lives with her husband and two grown-up sons, with both her boys following in her footsteps by attending St Lawrence and Downlands schools and are now both in further or higher education.

“I enjoy running and you may see me pounding the pavements of Hurst, and four years ago I ran the Brighton Marathon in aid of St Peter & St James Hospice. As a family we all enjoy village life, especially the St Lawrence Fair which I’ve tried to attend every year since my childhood.”

Louise is a chartered physiotherapist with over 25 years experience working in the NHS and is the Senior Community Physiotherapist / Team Leader at The Princess Royal Hospital. She also works part time as a Senior Palliative Care Physiotherapist at St Peter & St James Hospice.

She hopes the new venture will provide a community physiotherapy service to allow individuals to restore and maintain independence and function within and around their own home as well as offering community physiotherapy after completion of NHS rehabilitation.

“Having worked for the NHS for the past 27 years, it has been evident to me that there is a gap in the services provided for the elderly or patients with long term conditions and through Rehab at Home, I hope to fill this gap.”

For additional information or to book an appointment please call 07732 947615 or email rehabathomemidsussex@outlook.com.

Outdoor theatre plays at Danny House, Hurstpierpoint

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With so many live performances having been cancelled due to Covid-19, professional theatre company This Is My Theatre has worked out a plan to still play to outdoor venues this summer, including Danny House in Hurstpierpoint.

Ethan Taylor from the production company said: “Although 2020 isn’t quite the year any of us thought it would be, we are very excited to be one of the first theatre companies in the country to be dusting ourselves off and getting back on the road, and we are sure that our fun-filled show (packed with sword fights, puppetry and live music) will bring some much-needed joy this summer.”

The Three Musketeers will play as an open air show in the grounds of Danny House on Sunday 30th August at 3pm.

Rather than individual tickets on sale, the audience capacity will be made up from a series of ‘squares’ – sold per square metre, to cater for different size households. For instance a medium space is one metre square and suitable for either two adults sitting on a rug on their own. Or it could house one adult and two children, or four children.

Picnic spaces will be marked by coloured spaces on the ground and separated by 2m distances between each one. The show will run for approximately 1 hour 15 minutes with no interval to limit movement around the site.

To buy space for your household, go to: www.thisismytheatre.com

Matthews Plumbing gets new customers every month with Hurst Life magazine

Terry Matthews, owner of Matthews Plumbing, talks in this video about the effectiveness of advertising with Hurst Life (and the other Kipper Life titles) to get new customers for his plumbing and maintenance business. In it, Terry explains that his business enjoys between 10-13 new customers every month thanks to Kipper Life.

If you would like to promote your business in Hurst Life magazine on a monthly basis, get in touch with us here…

Hurst's Ladymead Care Home benefits from freebies

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A local business donated food luxuries which they cannot sell during the current lock-down to local care homes as an Easter treat for staff and residents.

Family-run South Downs Nurseries donated Easter chocolate and delicacies on Good Friday.

Not surprisingly, Cameron Wallis from the Hassocks business received a warm welcome everywhere he went, including Ladymead in Hurstpierpoint.  

The garden centre's general manager, Steve Parsons said: “The garden centre is closed at the moment and with food due to go out of date before we re-open, we wanted to make sure it was sent somewhere it could be enjoyed.”

Many of the items given were from the expansive Sussex Food Hall but would likely have been out-of-date before it could re-open. A donation was also made to a local food bank

My turn cooking dinner: Belle's Immunity Friendly Mango Curry

By David Tingley, editor

Just like every month, in April’s magazine we featured a recipe by our Hurst resident culinary expert Belle Amatt - who reminds us that mangoes are rich in vitamins A and C, two nutrients which are known to have a positive effect on our immune system - glad news at these times of Coronavirus.

Since ‘lockdown’, all of us in our house have taken it in turns to cook the dinner - a very positive change, which I am hoping might catch on AFTER lockdown restrictions have come to an end! - and I have been meaning to try Belle’s Mango Curry recipe since I saw the content come in to us.

Belle’s recipe actually says HALF a RED onion. Seems a shame not to use the whole thing, and I only had a white onion in on the day!

Belle’s recipe actually says HALF a RED onion. Seems a shame not to use the whole thing, and I only had a white onion in on the day!

In yet another ‘adaption’ to her recipe, I also used the whole tin of Coconut Milk - to save wasting it. I guess it made it wetter than she had intended. But still great!

In yet another ‘adaption’ to her recipe, I also used the whole tin of Coconut Milk - to save wasting it. I guess it made it wetter than she had intended. But still great!

According to Belle the key to this recipe is UNRIPE mangoes: full disclosure, I bought these 3 mangoes about a week before I got chance to use them. It still tasted yummy though!

According to Belle the key to this recipe is UNRIPE mangoes: full disclosure, I bought these 3 mangoes about a week before I got chance to use them. It still tasted yummy though!

Here’s the final dinner served up! It was a really good, alternative (and vegan-friendly) to other perhaps more popular curries.

Here’s the final dinner served up! It was a really good, alternative (and vegan-friendly) to other perhaps more popular curries.


Sri Lankan Mango Curry Recipe

Hurstpierpoint community rallies to support Louisa

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In January 2019 Louisa Sargent, 38, was diagnosed with advanced melanoma; an aggressive skin cancer that has now spread to other parts of her body.

She has over this past year received a number of debilitating cancer treatments, with emergency spinal surgery being needed just before Christmas.

At the end February the NHS confirmed that they now have no further treatment options for her. Without support from elsewhere her time is now extremely limited. Louisa’s ability to endure the past 12 months has been an inspiration to us all. In short, Louisa is the mother and parent that we all aspire to be. In facing nothing short of a worst nightmare scenario for any parent, she has been ever present at Christmas nativities, school events and countless football and dance events that are so important to Henry (6) and Isla (8) her two incredible children.

She has simply got on with life; embracing any good news she’s received, and dealing with the bad as only one more challenge to focus on overcoming. She has remained the selfless, endlessly kind and loving person everyone has always known her to be.

At the beginning of March Lou and her family made the drive to Germany to try a new medical treatment available - Dendritic Cell therapy. The treatment alone is likely to cost £40,000 and they also need to fund accommodation and costs for her family to be there supporting her.

Fundraising activities are currently spread across friends, family, Twineham School and Hurstpierpoint residents, which was to include the now postponed Brighton and London Marathons.

We are grateful for all donations (www.gofundme.com/f/2qf7bx-lou039s-healing-fund) and other fundraising avenues.

Email chiropracticuk at gmail.com for more information on any of the following: 100km Bike Ride around the Isle of Wight (3rd May), Tough Mudder, London West (10th May), Three Peaks Yorkshire (7th June) and Serpent Trail 50k Ultramarathon (11th July). Thank you.

Food Bank in Hurstpierpoint reopens

The Hurstpierpoint Community Food Bank has opened again at Court Bushes Community Hub in Willow Way. Vouchers can be obtained from St Lawrence School, Hurstpierpoint Preschool, Mid Sussex Healthcare (Trinity Road), The Point church, Holy Trinity church, the Methodist church and the Good News church.

“We are hugely excited that our Hurstpierpoint Community Food Bank has now re-opened in the newly refurbished, purpose built Hurst Community centre at Court Bushes,” said Food Bank coordinator Cheri McCarthy. “In these precarious economic times, unfortunately there are still many families really struggling to stay afloat and now as well as nonperishable food, we are able to provide some sanitary products.” The local charity shop has also kindly donated clothes of all kinds and sizes (including shoes and some school uniforms).

The Food Bank runs every Wednesday from 10am until 2pm and they look forward to providing help for anybody in need.

Village People: Clive Miller

Clive Miller

By Mike Thatcher

I admitted to Clive, as we spoke in his kitchen at his cottage in Albourne, that I was as guilty as anyone that the High Street had lost its fishmonger; I loved the idea that it was there but didn’t use it enough and now regret its loss. Was he worried, in the long-term, that this could also happen to the butcher?

“No, I think there is always going to be a niche for butchers and people will always enjoy meat. And just as importantly they enjoy the cooking of it; from the sirloin joint to the everyday ‘St Lawrence’ sausage. The traditional roast at the weekend is still going strong, as well as BBQs during the summer.” Naturally, he is aware of changing habits and attitudes in the food industry as a whole. “We all care so much about what we eat and, in this day and age, we want to know it is of the best quality.

What people really care about is that what they’re eating has been well reared and enjoyed a good life.” It’s all a very different picture from when he started out in the profession. Soon after leaving college he got a job at Smith’s the butchers, in the building now occupied by Marrams.

[Read the full story on page 24 of September' 2019’s Hurst Life magazine]

Court Bushes Community Hub, Willow Way, Hurstpierpoint

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The Ex-Serviceman’s Club in Hurstpierpoint has been reinvented

By David Tingley

The Ex-Serviceman’s Club has been closed for nearly two years, but there has been lots of positive work going on in the background, thanks to Mid Sussex District Council (MSDC).

The club had experienced some challenges latterly which resulted in MSDC repossessing the building off Willow Way back in December 2017.

Unfortunately, during that month a fire was started in a wheelie bin outside the centre, which took hold and spread into the eaves and roof of the building causing tens of thousands of pounds worth of damage to the empty site. This gave the Council both a problem but also an opportunity.

There had already been a series of conversations with local interested parties to try to ensure that the club building was able to be used for the good of the community. District Councillor and Hurst resident Colin Trumble chaired and hosted a meeting back in November 2017 at Haywards Heath Town Hall. The result of that was the creation of a Steering Group whose members comprised of representatives from the Parish Council, MSDC, the Club, local churches and other community groups.

Following the repossession, fire damage and assessment, MSDC agreed a plan to spend money on renovating the site with Hurstpierpoint & Sayers Common Parish Council committing to take the lease for the building and grounds.

Paul Williams, Project Surveyor for MSDC, explained: “The fire damage was extensive and smoke had affected almost every aspect of the inside of the building.” Paul worked alongside the Steering Group to create a completely new plan for the space which would seek to be both flexible and practical. “Fortunately we were able to reuse some equipment and furniture from recently decommissioned Martlets Hall in Burgess Hill – which included the bar and kitchen equipment.”

The new building – named Court Bushes Community Hub – now comprises of three independent spaces.

A small room with a bar and kitchen is at the back of the building. This area has one wall which is entirely bifold doors and will open out onto a decked garden area.

On the opposite side of the site is a completely self-sufficient nursery premises, fitted with its own set of toilets, a manager’s office and separate entrance from the car park. This large, bright room includes access to a generous enclosed outside space too. The Parish Council have already agreed to rent this space to a local nursery school (Kiddie Capers) from September.

Then the main space is a large and bright room, now completely open, which includes storage facilities, a dancefloor area and a hatch through to a well-planned kitchen. This area also has its own bi-fold doors, opening out to the grassy field outside.

Each of these spaces can be let independently, and all enquiries should be direct to the Parish Council office on 01273 833264 or see the recently launched website: www.hurstpierpointvillagehalls.org

Colin Trumble explained: “I am delighted that this building has been given a new lease of life. Although it doesn’t always happen, this really is a triumph of ‘design by committee’ – as so many from the community have been part of what has now been built.”

“The original Ex-Serviceman’s Club was opened over 100 years ago in Hurst,” commented MSDC Councillor Joy Dennis, “as a response from the community to help those who fought for our country. Now, in different times, it’s great to see the revitalised Court Bushes site being open and available to be used for all in Hurstpierpoint.”

To celebrate the opening of Court Bushes Community
Hub there is a Fun Day planned for Saturday 1st June
(1-3pm), which will include craft activities for kids, a soft
play area, café, bouncy castle, a DJ and Popsteps dance
classes – as well as officially cutting the ribbon! All are
invited to go along and see the revitalised building.

New Inn, Hurst, wins best wine award

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Residents who took over the New Inn when it came on the market three years ago are celebrating success after beating off competition from 2,700 pubs around the UK to be named best pub for wine in national awards run by Heineken-owned Star Pubs & Bars.

Keen to preserve their beloved local, Chris and Murray Booker gave up their jobs in teaching and finance to take over The New Inn in 2016.

The couple have put a focus on offering produce from Sussex farms and suppliers, and their exceptional range of English wines and use of local vineyards, such as Albourne Estate, helped them scoop the prestigious award.

The New Inn was judged on stringent criteria ranging from the taste, smell and temperature of its wine to the composition of its wine menu and staff knowledge and came out on top in all categories. As well as being singled out for its selection of English wines, the judges specially commended the pub for its hand-picked wine list and unusual wines, its vegan and gluten free varieties and its wine and food tasting evenings, including its popular Taste of Sussex nights.

The Bookers received their award at a glittering ceremony at The Belfry resort in Sutton Coldfield from comedian Ed Byrne. The prize was a double celebration for Chris and Murray who are also marking their 30th wedding anniversary this year.

Chris said: “We’re delighted! When we took over The New Inn our only experience of pubs was as customers, so we’ve just tried to give people what we’d like to find. We’ve learnt a lot and loved every minute of it, but it has been hard work and it’s fantastic to have this recognition. We couldn’t have done it without our staff, the support of the village’s residents and the help of local suppliers.”

Comments Lawson Mountstevens, Star Pubs & Bars managing director: “This is a remarkable achievement for newcomers to the pub trade and well deserved.

The New Inn is a treat for anyone who enjoys a great traditional village pub, superb wine and excellent food. And Chris and Murray don’t just care for their wine, they pull a good pint too.”

Parish Council news - March 2019

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By Stephen Hand

As many will have seen, the new Village Gateways have been installed at the entry to the two villages of Hurstpierpoint and Sayers Common and in general have been positively received. Most people have commented that they do give a stronger sense of place, which was our intention in putting them in place.

Although New Year’s Day will be some weeks past when this page is published, I would like to thank everyone who made the effort to join the ‘Hurst Meadows Guided Walkabouts’ on that day. Some eighty people in total took part in the two walks and, from the lively discussions that took place, thoroughly enjoyed the guided tours of the three meadows which make up the fifty acres that now belong in perpetuity to the community. My thanks to Cllr. Claire Majsai and Advisory Board member Helen Brangwyn for organising the event, which will be repeated at Easter when the new orchard has been planted.

At its recent January meeting the Parish Council approved its budget for the year 2019-2020. In looking to next year we have taken account of our proposed management of the new Court Bushes Community Hub which will open in the spring. The new community building will be a flexible space that can be used in different ways by local community groups. A large hall area will be available for social functions or as a venue for activities like exercise classes and it is hoped that a nursery provider will use the space to provide local childcare. While MSDC has made most of the investment in refurbishing the building, it is proposed that the Parish Council will be responsible for the day to day financial operation of the Hub. MSDC will consider our management proposal in March, but meanwhile we believe that it is right for us to make provision to fund the early days of this hugely worthwhile project. In order to make sure we can do this while continuing to balance our budget, we have increased our Band D council tax by 5% which equates to an additional £3.42 per household per year. This budget and the financial results for the year 2018-2019 will be presented as usual at the Annual Parish Meeting in May.

Finally, in May there are local elections, including the chance to elect a new Parish Council. Anyone wishing to stand for election should contact the MSDC election office for further details. The deadline for candidates to submit nomination forms is 3rd April 2019.

Working close to home in Hurst

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Hurstpierpoint welcomes a new business venture this month with the opening of Desk Village on the High Street. It has been established by Hurst residents Matt Rosine and Danny Chadburn who, between them, currently have five children at St Lawrence School. The pair have already had a lot of interest from business professionals in the village who are looking to work in a shared space, rather than working from home.

“Hurstpierpoint has an incredibly high concentration of professionals and business owners,” said Matt. “Many who work for global brands, television and record producers, for example, and we are looking to build a business community for those looking for human interaction during their working day.”

Matt has recently returned from 13 years in the USA working within professional football. Danny’s background is in web architecture and design, and he was responsible for the logo adorning the shop front.

The space will include a conference area, and the option for a permanent desk space will be available after three months as well as 24-hour access for those dealing with global time differences. Guest speakers and special events have also been planned.

For further information see: www.deskvillage.com

Hurstpierpoint Community Hub - building progress

Community Hub in Hurstpierpoint

Local residents had their first chance to see how work is progressing on the new Hurstpierpoint Community Hub in mid-December. The former Ex Serviceman’s Club at Court Bushes Recreation Ground has been empty since December 2017, and later that month a serious fire destroyed the interior of the building. Mid Sussex District Council is working with Hurstpierpoint Parish Council and local community groups to bring the building back into use as a community facility.

The new community building will be a flexible space that can be used in different ways by local community groups. A large hall area will be available for social functions like wedding receptions and birthday parties, as a space for social groups to meet or as a venue for positive activities like exercise classes. An area will be provided for community meetings to be held and it is hoped that a nursery provider will use the space to provide local childcare for nearby families.

Councillor Colin Trumble said: “Since November last year we’ve been working hard to bring this community centre back to life. We are hoping that by the middle of February it will be ready to use, with an opening probably sometime around Easter 2019.”

Noel Coward play at The New Inn, Hurstpierpoint

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Hurstpierpoint is delighted to be welcoming back the hugely successful and talented musical team of Sam Nixon and Alasdair Carson-Sheard. Following on from the well-received Twelfth Night, and a hugely successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe last year, the same directorial team bring you: I’ll See You Again - the Private Lives of Noel Coward and Gertrude Lawrence.

Departing from Shakespeare, combining biopic with outdoor theatre magic they are bringing a wonderful celebration of the lives and talent of that essential, erudite British gent Noel Coward and his shining, talented and funny co-star Gertrude Lawrence.

This evening of razor sharp wit, laugh out loud comedy and some of the most beautiful melodies written for the stage will be in the garden of the New Inn from Wednesday 4th to Friday 6th July, with an additional special matinee performance on Saturday 7th July.

For more details and to buy tickets visit: www.ginpalaceproductions.co.uk.

Hurstpierpoint crowdfunding for trishaw bikes

Cycling without Age Trishaw in Hurst

A Hurstpierpoint initiative has recently been featured on ITV's Meridian local news. 

Cycling without Age is scheme which has come over the water from Denmark, and is now spreading worldwide. 

Hurst resident and campaigner Bridget Hamilton is trying to raise the £7,000 necessary to buy a bike for the local area. 

The crowdfunding campaign page can be see here

High Street gets new retro shop - RetroSpective

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Hurstpierpoint High Street will be the home to a new retail outlet later this month when RetroSpective opens at number 89 – in the former Jam Pot shop.

The business is the brainchild of Lindsay Thompson and Tony Walsh who have had a stall in My Vintage, Hassocks for the last four years. Now the pair are going it alone, and are inviting like-minded potential stallholders to get in touch. “If you know someone who has a penchant for antiques and vintage items, or local high quality arts and crafts, then we’d love to talk to them,” Lindsay commented.

The shop will stock various types of products including upcycled furniture and accessories for every room in the house. But there will also be other items such as organic lavender products and pre-loved clothing for sale too.

Lindsay, who grew up in nearby Hassocks, says that Hurst is the perfect place to set up in business. “Hurstpierpoint is a lovely, historic and growing village (and one I very much enjoyed in my misspent youth!). We believe that the residents are keen to support their local high street, and we are keen to be part of that community and ensuring that it continues to thrive.”

At the time of going to print, the shop is currently undergoing a refit and it looks likely that RetroSpective will open its doors during February. Its hours will be 9.30am-5.30pm Monday to Saturday and Sunday’s 10am-4pm.

For more information call Lindsay on 07789 397284.