Michèle Copeland takes editorial role

By David Tingley

It’s a pleasure to introduce Michèle Copeland to you, our new editorial assistant on the magazine. Michèle has lived in the village for the past three years, having first heard about Hurstpierpoint through her involvement in the twinning project with French town St Martin de Boscherville - from the other side! Michèle, although born in London, has spent a good deal of her life on the continent occupied with - among other things - her family, teaching English and the Alexander Technique and running a small publishing house near Paris.

Michèle’s role at Hurst Life will be to keep in touch with everything that is going on in the village, respond to enquiries from readers and write feature articles for our pages on a monthly basis.

If you have an idea for a story, or just want to say Hi, then do please send an email to us at editor@hurstlife.co.uk – where she will happily respond. Among other things, we would love a few residents to complete our 5 mins with feature (it literally takes five minutes max!) and also any suggestions for our Village People feature - where we meet and tell someone’s story in more detail following an interview. 

 

Don’t be shy! Most of us love to learn more about folk in our communities - and Hurstpierpoint is packed with so many fascinating individuals; you’ve all got a story to tell. It’s not about being famous or a public figure! Give us a tip-off about your neighbour or best mate.

Michèle commented: “I’m really looking forward to meeting more local people and also getting stuck into writing again.”

Emma Warner - The IT Girl, Hurstpierpoint - why I advertise in Hurst Life magazine [video]

Emma Warner runs The IT GIrl, a computer support and training company based in Hurstpierpoint. In this video Emma explains that she's had more enquiries and new business from her advert in Hurst Life magazine for the last six months than from all of her other previous advertising put together - that list includes smaller parish magazines AND local newspapers! 

Would you like to promote your business to the people of Hurstpierpoint? Are you looking to promote your product or service in and around West Sussex. We have a family of three magazines Hurst Life, Lindfield Life and Cuckfield Life - with a combined magazine print run of over 12,000 copies - including distribution throughout those communities by door-to-door teams plus picks up from the High Street and also through Sainsburys in Haywards Heath and also Tesco superstore in Burgess Hill. 

Talk to us today to advertise your business in our local community magazines that work for you.

 

Fire in Hurstpierpoint High Street - Village pulls out the stops in wake of fire

By Deb Hollywood

Friday 9th September saw a dramatic turn of events in the High Street. Afternoon school buses were diverted via Burgess Hill, and neighbouring shops and flats ere evacuated as a fie broke out at Hurstpierpoint Pet Supplies.

Fire crews arrived swiftly at the scene, as plumes of black smoke filled the sy above. Extinguishing the fie was obviously the priority, and it was a sorrowful sight witnessing residents and shopkeepers unable to re-enter their premises.

By now, no doubt, most residents are aware that, at the time of going to print, the pet shop is closed until further notice. Lee and Andree Tite who run the shop, ably assisted by daughters Tallulah and Roberta, are hoping to open a temporary shop in the village until they are able to return to their original site.

“STOP PRESS: Pet Shop reopening early October at The Cook Shop building on Cuckfield Road roundabout. ”
— Hurstpierpoint Hub

Resident Jacqueline Small responded swiftly, speaking for many, when she suggested creating a Just Giving page online to help Lee and Andree get back on their feet. Additionally, Tony Brown responded by setting up collection buckets at various locations in the High Street. It is a testament to the popularity of the family and the generosity of the community that this fundraising was taken up so positively. Within a week donations exceeded £3,365. Way in excess of the original £500 aim.

Lee and Andree were overwhelmed by the response saying: “We can’t believe all the love! The most important thing is that everyone was safe and managed to get out in time, especially Stella the dog. The fie forensics will  hopefully be able to give us some answers. 

“The fie has completely ruined the Coop and the back half of our shop, and the rest of the shop is completely black with smoke.”

From the view of the rear of the building it’s clear that the fie service did an amazing job in stopping the fie from spreading further, protecting both lives and premises. 

Other village traders have responded by having more of their usual stock available, particularly staple items, to minimise any inconvenience for local shoppers from the closure of the Co-op.

Shoppers should also note that parking in the short-term Brown Twins Road car park has recently increased from two to three hours. Traders hope that customers will stay loyal to local shopping in the meantime.

Lee and Andree have recommended Pet Supplies Sussex in Burgess Hill until they are up on their feet again.

Along with village residents, we at Hurst Life also wish all those afected a speedy return to normality. 

The Just Giving page closes on 8th October 2016

West Sussex County Council changes to school place applications

West Sussex County Council are urging parents to make sure they’ve done their homework when submitting school place applications.

Recent changes mean that schools will no longer send out reminder letters and so it falls to parents to ensure that applications are submitted on time.

If your child’s date of birth is between 1st September 2012 and 31st August 2013, it’s now time to apply for a school place. This can be done online at the website www.westsussex.gov.uk/admissions. If access to the internet is a problem, free access to apply is available at all West Sussex libraries and Children Family Centres.

This is the preferred method as the website provides the required information for completing an application, including details of all schools in West Sussex, the criteria for each and the relevant catchment area. Alternatively, a paper application form can be obtained by calling 03330 142 903.

The closing date for applications is Sunday 15th January 2017 and if received on time will take priority over those that are late. Online applications can be made from 3rd October. Contact should be made to schools directly for prospectuses and details of open events. 

Why is repeat advertising so important for your business?

By David Tingley, editor, Hurst Life magazine

One-off advertisements don't really work. I mean, sometimes they do, sure. But generally they don't! That's the reason why we recently stopped selling small, one-off placements in our family of three community magazines (Cuckfield Life, Lindfield Life & Hurst Life) - because feedback suggested that it wasn't good advice for our customers. 

Here is local marketing expert, Rebecca Jabbar (Strategic Marcomms), who explains what she thinks about why it makes good sense to advertise repeatedly...

What we want our customers doing is spending money on GOOD, EFFECTIVE advertising that gives them new customers consistently, so that THEIR BUSINESS GROWS and they tell lots of other businesses about how worthwhile it was ADVERTISING in our community magazines. 

That is our aim and that's just what we strive to do. Talk to us about advertising in Hurst Life today...

Hurstpierpoint new roads named after important women in the village's history

By Sophia Hunnisett

When my husband returned from a Parish Council meeting last year and shared a list of names that had been put forward for the roads of the latest housing development being planned in the village, I initially took little interest. It was only when he read them out, touching briefly on the context of some - names of historical figures of importance - that the pattern of the names struck me, and I felt something had to be addressed. Our village already has named tributes to men who made their mark in Hurstpierpoint, but what about the women?

It didn’t take me long to find the ‘Postcards of Hurstpierpoint’ books that my children took such interest in. I knew there were pictures of people in the village who had helped shape its history and, sure enough, in less than 10 minutes I had several names. Not only did these women contribute financially to the structure of the community but they were true philanthropists too: bequeathing valuable property to the aged, dedicating their lives to education, promoting women’s sports, devoting their energy to bringing children safely into the world and providing a safe haven for vulnerable members of society. And yet the names of these women have been largely buried in history. It was high time to honour them publicly. Why not, I thought, make a point of naming the roads of the new development after the women of Hurstpierpoint’s history?

Luckily the Parish Council fully supported the idea, and - with a bit of pressure - the Developer did too. Despite some arguments over the lengths of the new road names (the Parish Council insisted the full names of the women should be used, to make their gender clear) and a minor dispute over one name that the Developer felt would cause a problem for house-buyers (although living in Fanny Rowland Way would surely be a talking point rather than a repellent?!), the proposal was agreed. Not only will Spireswood Grange host the fist development dedicated to the women of Hurstpierpoint, but a special plaque in the estate will serve to inform the community of the remarkable contribution these women made to the village of which every resident is so proud.

I think this venture might go some small way to remind us that our community is, and always has been, shaped by a team of great men AND women. Since this decision, the Parish Council has agreed that all roads in new developments will be named after notable villagers – from the lowly street-cleaners who took pride in the appearance of the community, to the wealthy landowners and philanthropists who donated time, energy and resources to improve the lives of others.

(Extract from an article printed on page 22 of September 2016 Hurst Life magazine)

Letting your property in Hurstpierpoint with Village Letts

When Toby Carrington made the decision to move from Brighton to Cuckfield with his wife Alison there were no rural specific letting agents available.

This thought stayed with him for many years and resulted in him starting Village Letts, a new letting agency specialising purely in the letting of residential and commercial property in villages, hamlets and market towns. Village Letts allows those looking to rent a property in one of the many villages, hamlets or market towns in Sussex see what they have to offer in terms of the schools, bus and train links, local pubs, dog walks and so on via a comprehensive website.

“The information we wanted when we moved was down to ourselves to find out,” Toby explained. “We were lucky as my wife Alison grew up in the neighbouring village of Balcombe, but for those who don’t know the areas, finding out more about the villages they are interested in can take up a lot of precious time. We hope to reduce that by supplying as much information on the villages as we can.” Toby has been in the sales and letting industry for 30 years and lectures in Housing Law and Regulations to both landlords and agents all over England and Wales. Toby’s expertise has led to some high profile appointments. He was interviewed by Kate Falkner, one of the country’s leading independent property experts, on repairing obligations in letting. And he trained the two deputy mayors under Boris Johnson, the course that all landlords and agents have to take if they want to work with the London local authorities. He is currently part of a team training landlords and agents in Wales for the National Assembly under the Rent Smart Wales Scheme, so he certainly knows the business of letting inside and out. “I understand what it is like to be a landlord,” Toby continued. “I am one myself. I also know the importance of getting it right, which is why we not only credit check every tenant but we insure all of our rents throughout the term of the tenancy for free.”

Toby has had the idea of starting a rural specific letting agency for some time, but since he launched the company in May he tells us they have gone from strength to strength adding new villages as they go.

“It’s been really amazing how the business has taken of, as well as being very interesting and good fun doing the research for the website. You find ourself driving through a village or hamlet and suddenly you’re saying to yourself ‘I could live here’, and I think that’s how it starts for a lot of people when they realise they want that village lifestyle.”

Village Letts is obviously into the village scene and looks to promote activities and businesses on their site. Toby explained: “We love the idea of villages telling us about what’s on, the history and encourage their involvement. We will happily publish their photos and write ups. We have listed a number of villages so far including Hurstpierpoint, and are expanding on it on a daily basis. We also want businesses to send in information about themselves and they’ll get listed for free, but obviously we are also looking for landlords. I hope that any landlords reading this will understand what we are trying to achieve, like what we are doing and want to use us.”

If you are looking to rent out your property or are looking for a property to rent, then you can contact Toby on 01273 655557 or by email info@villageletts.comIf you are just interested in looking at the different villages listed so far and what they have to offer, then check out the website www.villageletts.com

You can also follow Village Letts on Twitter @Village_Letts and on Facebook too.

Downlands Community School says goodbye to Mrs Hetherton

After twenty six years at Downlands, the school said ‘Farewell’ to Headteacher Rose Hetherton at the end of last term.  

Old and current staff mingled with former and current governors, PTA members and local residents as well as Rose’s former teachers during a summer afternoon tea held in July to wish her well in her well-earned retirement after seven successful years as Head of Downlands Community School.  

Di Hunt, the current Chair of Governors, gave a moving speech about the fantastic contribution Rose has made to the school and the local community during her time at the school.  

Mark Wignall takes over as new Headteacher from this month.

Mr Wignall was previously one of the school’s deputy headteachers.

The Governors of the Hassocks school felt that Mr Wignall was the best candidate to continue moving Downlands forward. “With the major build project on the horizon and an increase in pupil numbers we are sure that Mr Wignall will do an excellent job in maintaining the values and ethos of the school,” one commented.   

Albourne Village Neighbourhood Plan Referendum - 1st Sept 2016

The referendum on the Albourne Neighbourhood Plan takes place on Thursday 1st September 2016 in Albourne Village Hall.

Albourne Parish Council urges all residents entitled to vote in Albourne to take part in the referendum and to vote ‘yes’ in support of the proposal: ‘Do you want Mid Sussex District Council and South Downs National Park Authority to use the Neighbourhood Plan for Albourne Parish area to help decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?’

The Plan aims to give local planning decisions to local people, not developers, and to protect Albourne against unwanted development.

Please see the Albourne Parish Council website for further details www.albourneparishcouncil.co.uk

What is an advertorial page in Hurst Life magazine?

Potential customers often ask us what is an advertorial?

Quite simply, an advertorial is a page that is made up of a story and images and set just like all the other pages in the magazine (news, feature, etc) but it is a page that has been paid for, and you can therefore 'sell from the page'. 

Businesses with great stories make great advertorials. For instance, a new business that has just opened on the High Street, where they want to tell the owners’ backstory is ideal. Similarly, an organisation that has more complicated services on offer, may find it easier to explain what they do with an advertorial. Another great opportunity for advertorials in our magazines is a business that is based in, or has a specific connection to, the community itself. This makes the story very much relevant to the readership and more or less guarantees it will be read by a keen audience who love the place in which they live.

Advertorials are a great way for businesses to start their advertising with us in our community magazines. It allows for a story to be told to their potential audience, and then follow it up with repeated and consistent messages and branding, in the form of standard advertising... 

“An advertorial page is one which you can ‘sell from’”

Standard Advertising

What we would refer to as standard advertising is traditional display advertising. A specifically designed advert with clearly defined edges that has been branded to match the company or person it is advertising. These are sold - in our magazines, at least - in either quarter, half or full page slots. Plus, we also sell the premium positions of Inside Front Cover and Outside Back Cover. 

Editorial

Editorial content is all the other content that make up a magazine (news articles, features, what's on, competitions, write-ups, reviews, etc). Editorial content is not paid for and does not normally promote a profit-making business. 

For advertorials in our community magazines, we do limit the number per issue, in order to ensure that our readership doesn't feel like it is being sold to on every page. We think it’s right and proper that a magazine like ours should have plenty of community news and information, and this doesn't have a price tag attached to it. We just want to tell the stories of the village. 

Steve Scott - Village People, Hurstpierpoint

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. 

Balloon Girl book written by Hurstpierpoint's Bella Amatt

Belle Amatt wrote her modern day teenage tale Balloon Girl

By Belle Amatt

Balloon Girl is a modern day tale, a 21st century fable if you like, which charts the lives of a troubled but enchanting teen, Sylvie, and her mother, Anna. Through a series of flashbacks and memories, Sylvie explores how she became the 18 year old girl who stands on Brighton beach broken and lost in the depths of melancholy and regret. The journey we are taken on will explore our position as parents, our responsibility as role models and whether we can really blame our parents for our misgivings, and, if we do, can we forgive?

What inspired the premise you may well ask? Many years ago I led a series of child obesity projects in Sussex, working with both children and their families. The aim of the 12 week course was to offer a framework in which families could find the causes or the weight gain and so use this knowledge to push forward with helping their child’s weight loss. I learnt a huge amount about role-modelling, blame, denial and the drivers of success, those being honesty and open-mindedness. 

What works in these cases? A willingness to press the pause button at times, reflect on one’s own behaviour and consider how change is needed. The process requires a lot of self-acceptance, so is not always the easiest path.

This was the seed which prompted the theme. However, like all healthy seeds it grew into something bigger. This novel is much more than a tale of body image. It is about intricate family relationships, belief systems and conventionality. It may even evoke in some that depth of teenage passion which is all consuming and capable of reaching deep into the core.

Balloon Girl by Belle Amatt is available to download as an e-book from Amazon. 

Mid Sussex Golf Club appoints new head chef

Mid Sussex Golf Club Peter Howard chef

Mid Sussex Golf Club is proud to announce Peter Howard MCGB as the new Head Chef.

Howard, 45, is highly experienced having worked at some of the country’s top restaurants and establishments for over 29 years. His portfolio includes Head Chef at the Michelin rated Manley’s in Storrington,  London’s Café de Paris, Harley Street Clinic and Bryce’s Old School House (to name a few), and has chef managed local restaurants such as Limes Bistro in Lindfield an Kew at Wakehurst Place.

Peter is also a full member of The Association of Master Chefs of Great Britain, formed in 1980 – an organisation that furthers professional development through training and guidance and promotes the very best of British cuisine. Election to Full Master Chef status is by invitation only and is open to working chefs who can demonstrate they are at the top of their profession. 

Peter has stated: “I have a real, sincere aspiration and vision for the food offering at the club. I want to re-energise the kitchen and restaurant by introducing different foods and some newer trends to the menu. I would like to focus on local produce and suppliers, and hope to offer an opportunity to explore a new and more varied dining experience. I look forward to being part of the team to move the food ofering at the club forward.”

Peter joined the team last month and is pictured here with general managers Lee Andrews and Andrew Smith. The club’s motto is: ‘Where everyone is welcome’.

Mid Sussex Golf Club is open to the public for coffee, breakfast, lunches and afternoon teas. Plus lots of free parking, and wifi inside. he venue is available to book for weddings, events, parties and Sunday carvery lunches.

To make a reservation please call  01273 841835 or email Andrew Smith

www.midsussexgolfclub.co.uk

Community Cafe opens in Hurstpierpoint High Street

One Hurst resident has brought back a little more community to the High Street with the opening of Community Cafe late last month.

Ian Jury, who moved to the village two years ago from Camden with his partner Richard, has spent the last year or so finding the right location and planning the new venture – which is the latest café in a chain of community focused ventures managed by Ian.

After working in the youth care sector in Brighton, Ian created his own plan for a social enterprise cafe and was responsible for launching Community Diner at a youth hub in Islington.

Community Cafe here in Hurstpierpoint has many of the same principles, most notably providing a place for young people who may have had trouble with school or previous employment to find a way back to work. “We focus on ability, not disability,” Ian said, “as we take those who may have dyslexia, be on the autistic spectrum or just have not felt comfortable in an academic environment. We pull them out of that rut!”

Ian (pictured here with supervisor Leah Knight) insists that everything is top notch and finished at the refurbished shop at 124 High Street.Community Cafe, open 9.30am-5.30pm Tuesday to Friday and 10.30am-4.30pm at the weekend, will serve organic coffee and loose leaf Sussex tea alongside artisan breads, jacket potatoes and kids’ ice creams.

“Above all,” Ian continued, “we want to be welcoming to all. From family friendly fun to OAP afternoons, water bowls and treats for dogs to mother/baby mornings - we want to create a great vibe here in our modern, urban environment.”

A Royal appointment for Fergus Anckorn

Local magician and WWII veteran Fergus Anckorn recently attended a garden party at Buckingham Palace with The Not Forgotten Association. The charitable association was founded in 1920 and provides support for our injured service men and women of all ages.  He attended with his daughter Deborah, who lives in France.

Fergus, who is now in his 98th year, spent 3½ years in Japanese prisoner of war camps following the British defeat in Singapore in February 1942. Critically wounded during the height of the battle, having been blown up in his Artillery lorry, he was declared dead by a passing British colleague, who took his ‘dog’ indentity tags and handed them in for the casualty list. Luckily, he was not dead and was later taken into hospital and survived yet another ordeal, which was to be known as the Alexandra Hospital Massacre, whereupon the victorious Japanese army executed most of the patients and staff at the Hospital

For the full story see page 14 of the June 2016 issue of Hurst Life magazine

Fergus Anckorn with BGT 2016 winner Richard Jones and Ant and Dec

ADDENDUM: Fergus Anckorn takes part in the Britain's Got Talent Final as part of the magician finalist Richard Jones.

RIchard Jones went on to win the night, on Saturday 30th May 2016, with his captivating and poignant trick which paid homage and respect to his 'hero' Fergus - as he told some of Fergus' story of showing his captors in a Japanese PoW camp magic tricks, which ultimately, helped keep Fergus alive.

Hurstpierpoint Village Street Party for Queen's 90th birthday - Sunday 12th June 2016

All the village is looking forward to celebrating the 90th birthday of HM The Queen on Sunday 12th June.

Organised by a group of local traders and residents, Gill Blackburn explains that it will be a party atmosphere on the High Street that day: “We are all very excited about it. There will be so much going on, including facepainting, an open mic night on the green, children’s games and plenty of food to choose from.”

Other fun will include a dance performance by the children of St Lawrence School, a disco on the green, the chance to grab your selfie with Stephen from Googlebox, a plant and cake sale, raffle and a Prince and Princess dressing up competition for kids.

The road will be closed to traffic between 1.30-5.30pm on the day. There will be free tea and cake for the over 75s, plus a host of other catering options, including, the usual pubs and restaurants, ice cream, pizza van, BBQ, hog roast and a popup Mama Ghanouche.

Stall pitches are available for the afternoon, call Gill on 07748 630316. All proceeds from the day will go to St Peter & St James Hospice.

High Street trade issues in Hurstpierpoint: A Parish Council response

Stephen Hand, Chairman of Hurstpierpoint and Sayers Common Parish Council, explains the current status...

Background

Last summer’s project to redesign the road layout resulted from many residents telling us over many years that they were fed up with risking life and limb on the narrow pavements in the High Street. From 2012 the Parish and County Councils prepared a joint plan to address the issues, taking on board many suggestions from local groups and people during public exhibitions and meetings, and the advice of transport consultants. A number of options to the selected plan were analysed by professionals, including traffic lights, and all were rejected for various reasons.

Current situation

It is clear from the public response since September that, although many people find the changes beneficial, some serious issues still remain in the public perception. These issues fall into two categories

1) High St Retail Economy – It has been reported that retail business turnover fell in August (the month of the changes) and September across all shops by between 10% and 60%. Currently, across all shops, it appears that this is still down by between 10% and 30%, although some report no drop in business. Several shops have closed, but it does seem that most are reopening in different ownership.

2) Continuing safety concerns – Regrettably, stories of pedestrians being brushed by cars, lorries and even buses climbing the pavements to squeeze past other vehicles continue. There is evidence from residents of the High Street that these incidents are less frequent than before the changes. Typically these are caused by bad - if not dangerous - driving rather than the road layout.

Parish Council response to issues

The Parish Council believes that, while the adverse publicity that has accompanied the road layout changes has deterred some people from coming to the village, there are a number of factors that are contributing to the current situation. The Council has resolved at its meeting of the 25th February to develop a joined up plan in conjunction with County and District Councils to address the concerns of Traders and Residents. The areas to be addressed will include

1) Business Promotion and Development

• Many rural High Streets are suffering serious downturns in business and many villages have vacant shops. Trends toward online and Retail Park shopping are affecting village shops everywhere, and the Parish Council will work with Economic Development staff from MSDC and WSCC to understand the wider economic picture for rural high streets and work with County and District Councillors to promote our High street and village generally using lessons from others.

• The Council is keen to work with traders to promote the attractiveness of our parish villages. We will initiate and support projects with this aim. For example, the Council has contributed to new ‘welcome bags’ for people moving into the village containing information and samples from the traders and information on services and societies.

• Lack of parking has been cited as a reason for falling trade in our High Street. The Council has requested MSDC to create ‘3 hour’ car parking bays in Brown Twins Road car park. This would allow people to stay longer to visit hairdressers, shops and cafes or restaurants. The Council will also look for ways to create parking at the east end of the village, which would help bring people in  from Hassocks and mean less traffic having to use the High Street.

2) Traffic Movement

The Council has commissioned an independent review of High Street operation to address concerns and make recommendations for improvement, including: 

• reviewing the operation and improving the marking of the loading bay outside the New Inn

• improving the visibility of signing for the current car parks in Trinity road and Brown Twins Road

• continuing to press MSDC for better parking enforcement in the High Street and elsewhere

• continuing to press Sussex Police to support eliminating the dangerous and antisocial driving taking place

Kevin Carey: Village People feature, Hurstpierpoint

Kevin Carey, Village People, Hurst Life

Hurstpierpoint has a fair few very recognisable residents, and who no doubt get stopped for a chat often on their way to the Co-op. Lucy Webb has yet to reach this level of local fame, but met with a man who is high on the list of VIP village people.

By Lucy Webb

Kevin & Margaret Carey, Hurst Life

My children often gasp at Kevin Carey as he walks down the street with his wife, Margaret. Partly due to spotting him in church and partly because of his trademark beard and windswept hair, they often whisper: “look mummy, it’s Jesus!” Actually, they rather shout this loudly, as whispering is a tone reserved for plotting against parents, but no doubt Kevin takes this kind of attention in his stride.

He and Margaret invited me to their house for a chat, and I was shown to Kevin’s ‘snuggery’, as he calls it. It’s an amazing room, a conservatory that looks out onto the rooftops of Hurst high street, the perfect hub for Kevin’s many and varied projects. His walls are lined with classical music and Braille books, and in front of him sits his keyboard, a specially adapted computer he is working on getting manufactured at a fraction of the current market price. More about that later.

Kevin tells me: “I have four jobs, and the one I care about the most is being a lay minister in Holy Trinity Church. I preach and teach there, and being a Christian is the most important thing in my life.”

Kevin is also the chairman of the board of the RNIB, commuting often into London to work at the charity which supports blind and partially sighted people. I’ve often wondered what it must be like for a blind person to enter the mayhem of a London commute, but he tells me that the staff at Victoria know him now, so they help him through barriers without being asked.

I ask the question that I’m assuming often goes unasked in our very British way, how do people react to his blindness day to day?

 

- full article printed in April 2016 Hurst Life magazine - 

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