Hurst Players welcomes new Chairman and presents a Christmas Carol to remember

Newly elected Anne Hopper introduces herself to Hurst Life readers

I’ve always been interested in theatre, that’s how Colin and I met straight after secondary school with a shared interest in amateur theatre. I initially wanted to be a professional actress and was accepted for training at the Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama [as it was then] in Sidcup. Cutting a long story very short, it became very evident just how precarious the theatrical profession was, and still is, when the only job I could get was an administrative post in a local furniture shop earning the princely sum of one pound, nineteen shillings and eleven pence per week. Actually, not a bad wage back in the ‘fifties.Not long after filming the notorious “The War Game” directed by Peter Watkins for the BBC back in 1965 [not shown on the BBC for several years after but now available online] I changed career, not for the last time, and after moving to Cumbria became involved with the BBC’s local radio station as a broadcast journalist where I was lucky enough to be a producer and presenter with them until I retired just before our move south some forty-five years later.

Thank goodness for Hurst Players who welcomed us and allowed me to get involved very directly with every production they’ve staged since then. A company with a history from the 1930’s – nearly as old as me - with its own Theatre! And with enough gumption to set about raising thousands of pounds to refurbish the small but beautifully formed building, turning it into the modern and comfortable place to enjoy all kinds of entertainment that it is now.If you’re like me and can’t resist having a say about everything and anything its inevitable that eventually they call your bluff and ask you to join the Committee. I’ve been a committee member since 2018 and this year was elected Chairman. I’m not sure they quite realise what they’ve done but I shall do my best to encourage more people to come and join the Players, move us gently into the 21st century with the best plays we can be expected to produce and encourage audiences to seek us out, together with our colleagues from the Village Cinema and ensure that the Players Theatre at 147 High Street is where you come to be entertained.

To read the whole article about Anne and her journey into Hurst Players pick up a copy of Hurst Life today and turn to page 12.

Dickens come to Hurst By Anne Hopper
“So far – so good,” [Linda Burton – co-director of “A Christmas Carol”] “Well done us” responded Jan Bell, her co-director, “Now all we have to do is get this show on the road!” Just part of a conversation back in late September. But the practicalities of getting this show “on the road”, or ready for a total of nine performances just before Christmas rather swiftly cleared the heads of all gathered together to decide, and then celebrate completion of casting, after the burning of much midnight oil and several weeks of auditions. For a start there are forty characters in the play, so a root and branch approach was needed, resulting in all being played by a cast of just twenty! For Linda Burton and Jan Bell, no strangers to appearances on stage, this is their first time as Directors: “We’re relishing the challenge. A Christmas is still capable of involving people in a way that some more modern tales don’t – and its now our job to bring it to life for today’s audiences.” A Christmas Carol will run from 9th to 18th December – tickets available from 4th November online at www.hurstplayers.org.uk – and in person at the Theatre Box Office on Saturday mornings to be announced.

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.

Hurstpierpoint & Sayers Common Parish Council News - November 2021

Here we list a couple of highlights from the Parish Council’s new letter - November 2021
Click the pictures to see the whole page or pick up a copy of Hurst Life today.

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Hurst Meadows Volunteers

Thanks to all the volunteers (both feline and human) who worked hard in September raking and collecting the hay from the Heritage Orchard. This really was a huge (and very tiring!) task which you tackled with enthusiasm and good humour.

Thank you also to our Butterfly Volunteers who have been out in Hurst Meadows surveying and recording these beautiful insects over the summer. Butterflies respond quickly to changes in habitat suitability so counting the different species of butterfly and their numbers over time will help monitor the success of the habitat management in Hurst Meadows. We are pleased to say that a fabulous 26 species of butterfly were recorded this year in the Meadows including these lovely Comma butterflies feeding from blackberries in the hedgerow at the edge of Fifteen Acre Field.If you would like to be part of the Hurst Meadows volunteer group and help with surveys and/or management tasks, please contact the Parish Office.

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Public Toilets in Hurstpierpoint

Residents will be aware of concern in the media at the closure of many council-run public toilets in the UK in order to save money at a time of tight budgets. We wish to reassure residents that the Parish Council is committed to continuing to maintain our public toilets in Trinity Road (opposite St Lawrence School) and in Pitt Lane (adjacent to South Avenue recreation ground.) We believe that despite the cost, toilets are an important public health facility and that closure of public toilets disproportionally affects the most vulnerable including children and the elderly and those with medical conditions and/or disabilities. In addition, with the increase in online shopping resulting in many more home delivery vans on the roads, we think it is important that safe, hygienic facilities are provided for drivers as well as for those who shop in our High Street. Our public toilets are well-maintained and cleaned twice daily. Any concerns should be reported to the Parish Office.

Council offices: Village Centre, Trinity Road, Hurstpierpoint, BN6 9UYTel: 01273 833264 Email: office@hurstpierpoint-pc.gov.uk
www.hurstpierpoint-pc.gov.uk

A dramatic start to Hurst Football Club's 2021 season

Season kicks off

By Ed Bartram

The football season is now in full swing, and the village side enjoyed their season openers at Fairfield last month with a triple-header. The 1st team, reserves and 3rd team were all at home which, when combined with the lure of a barbecue and the long-awaited reopening of the clubhouse bar, drew a couple of hundred spectators throughout the day.

Both on and off the pitch, things started slowly; the 3rd team kicked off first but quickly fell behind to Plumpton Athletic, and a no-show from the promised barbecue chef caused much concern. But then the Powell family came to the rescue; striker Dan Powell scored a screamer to restore some hope on the pitch, whilst Tim Powell from The Horse Inn arrived with some emergency burgers and sausages.

The game ended in a 4-1 defeat for the 3rd team, but a much improved second half display gave reason for optimism. The 1st team followed, hosting a young and lively Roffey side. A structured and professional display from Hurst allowed Roffey to cause little threat going forward. At the other end of the pitch, the attacking players caused problems all afternoon, creating some good goalscoring chances and winning two penalties, both of which were converted by Ed Bartram. A comfortable 2-0 win. The game of the day was undoubtedly the late game, when the reserves hosted Ditchling reserves. With their 1st team game postponed, Ditchling arrived with a strong team and strolled to a 3-1 half-time lead. However, Hurstpierpoint’s spirit can never be questioned, and when Josh Messer and Craig Mallon scored goals to level the score line, there was a feeling that the game was only going to end in one way. Young striker Dan Adams made sure of that, smashing home a late winner to make it six points from a possible nine on the day for the Blue Dogs.

The club would like to put on record our thanks to everyone who helped during the day, our sponsors, and everyone who came along to cheer the team on. There is plenty of football to be played at Fairfield this season, and supporters are always welcome.

The new Hurstpierpoint Heritage Trail

By Kate Folley

As a resident of Hurstpierpoint for a number of years, I felt I was pretty familiar with its hidden gems and historical nooks and crannies. When visitors descended I would happily, with a mock air of authority, point out local landmarks, quote dates and the Domesday book and make links to William the Conqueror. That, however, was the extent of my knowledge.

So, when asked to review the ‘Hurstpierpoint Heritage Trail’ produced by the dedicated and highly passionate members of the Hurstpierpoint Society, I was truly delighted. I was presented with a beautifully designed pamphlet. The historical scene set in two brief paragraphs then … follow the arrows … 32 points of historical interest to explore in the village.

A map, a ‘start here’, picture clues and even QR codes - a veritable treasure map of the past. My son pointed out that it was the kind of quality pamphlet you pick from the AirBnB folder, whilst leaving the other garish ones aside (you know the ones I mean).

So armed with a husband and an enthusiastic teenager we rose to the challenge and set off to and trial the trail. Starting at the village garden, past the village’s namesake you are guided through 400 years of history embodied in a coaching inn, communal wash house and lavatories. You then pass through Policeman’s Lane (origins of the name intrigues me - this is where we used the QR code or you can click here) and weave between a collection of beautiful cottages (by the way, turn left after Cowdrays and continue along the footpath to the Brighton Rd, otherwise you’ll end up on an equally but delightful walk but through the fields).

The trail continues back up onto the High Street but you are quickly whipped away from the contemporary bustle to Furlong Lane and flint towers that were supposed to deter the French from invasion. Continue through to where cattle grazed, now the recreational ground for the locals and past magnificent 19th century villas. Take time to breathe in the heady scent of the eucalyptus as you swing by and wander towards the church and Millennium gardens, where the wooden tree folk will give you an excuse to rest a while. The trail continues back onto the High Street and you feel satisfactorily ‘circled’, just before cornering by Hampers Deli (perfect snack point).

I particularly liked the note of the old graffiti carved into the sandstone wall, something I have never noticed and became fascinated by: ’ R.Bartley 1904’ and ‘M @ Haz’ sit side by side. A few more landmarks are noted in the High Street, with a kindly nod to the shops and encouragement to visit ‘the many purveyors of sustenance’ in Hurst. A thoroughly enjoyable couple of hours discovering a village I thought I knew. I encourage you all, locals and visitors alike - go trial that trail.

Join the trail through us, right here! Use this link to start your adventure today: https://hurstpierpointsociety.org.uk/hurstpierpoint-heritage-walk/

An update from Hurst Parish Council

Parish Council Meetings October 2021

Due to Covid-19 restrictions please check the Parish Council Notice Boards, or our website to confirm the meeting location. Members of the public are welcome to attend these meetings, and all commence at 7.30pm.

Thursday 7th October 2021 - Community Engagement Committee

Thursday 14th October 2021 - Finance & Governance Committee

Thursday 21st October 2021 - Full Council

Thursday 28th October 2021 - Planning & Environment Committee

To read the news click on the pictures below:

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Next annual meeting of the Hurstpierpoint Society

By David Clarke, secretary, Hurstpierpoint Society

The Hurstpierpoint Society will hold the Annual General Meeting for all members at 2pm on Saturday 2nd October. This will be in the Main Hall at the Village Centre, allowing members to sit well distanced. In 2020, because of the coronavirus pandemic, the AGM had to be held remotely, though nearly twice as many members participated by sending in proxy voting forms, making helpful comments and asking useful questions.

So, at this AGM there will be a resolution that for all future general meetings members will be able to vote through a proxy. However, in order for this to be introduced, there must be at least 30 members actually present in the room in October. Another important item on the agenda will be the Hurstpierpoint Heritage Trail. This guide to the history of the village, told through its buildings and the people who lived in them, should have been launched by the time you receive this copy of Hurst Life. The Society is very grateful for the support of the Parish Council. More details next month. Full details of the agenda for the meeting will be included for all members of the Society in a newsletter to be delivered to their houses in early September.

Hurstpierpoint & Sayers Common Parish Council September Newsletter

Hurst Life’s September issue has an update from Hurstpierpoint & Sayers Common Parish Council with news from around the parish. Below, we have gathered a sample for you to savour or go grab an issue today to read the whole piece.

Reeds Lane Recreation Ground

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Work has started on improving drainage at the Reeds Lane Recreation Ground to try to enable this very wet area to be used throughout the year. Following this, new play equipment will finally be able to be installed. Apologies to residents on the delay to this project. Section 106 funding can only be released on first occupation of the new houses on Kingsland Laine. Unfortunately, due to Covid, construction here has been much slower than usual. However, MSDC have now confirmed that they have now received the section 106 funding from the developer and therefore we can now proceed with an application for funds to refit the play area.

Christmas Lights

We are hoping to build on the success of the Christmas tree and lights in Hurstpierpoint by installing lights on lampposts in Sayers Common. Residents have voted on their preferred design; funding is in place in partnership with the Sayers Common Community Shop and we are now going through the extensive testing process that is needed to do this safely. The schedule for this is tight but we very much hope that these lights can be in place for Christmas 2021.

Therapist Louise tries something new

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.

Hurst's central pub - the New Inn

I met Murray at the New Inn on a Monday, so we had the place to ourselves. “For some reason the whole of Hurst seems to shut down on this day; we kept open for a few years on Mondays but in the end it wasn’t worth it.” Many business owners have had ups and downs over the last 18 months and none more so than landlords and he very much hopes that by the time you are reading this, there will be punters standing at the bar again, being served drinks.

He grew up in Surrey and his first job was in a bank in Clacton-on-Sea, ‘in the days when you could get a bank job with O’levels.’ He progressed to a finance company in the Midlands, specialising in asset finance for the printing industry, which 25 years ago was thriving. Nearly 15 years ago he and his wife Chris moved to the village, at the far end of Langton Lane and the New Inn became his pub of choice. “It’s smack in the centre of Hurst and it’s got a massive amount of history. It seems every other customer who comes in here to drink has either worked here or slept upstairs at some point during their lives, so everybody knows it.”

Then one day the landlord announced he was selling, and he thought ‘well maybe I could do that, and wind down a bit’, rather than try to pursue a career that was essentially finished, due the internet and advanced home printing. So, he took the plunge and bought it in 2016. “I didn’t quite get that right, if I’m honest with you, as I’ve had to wind up rather than down! This is a full-time occupation and there’s no other way around it.” Like many landlords and B&B owners who had envisaged a quiet life leading into retirement, he had a rude awakening. “I thought I could dip in and out; when you’re the wrong side of the bar you think you could do it, but there’s so much involved in running a successful pub.”

It became clear to them early on that living two miles away was not working out, so they renovated the four-bedroom flat above the pub and rented their house out, an arrangement that comes to an end this month. Chris is a music teacher by profession but gave up and joined the business to help Murray run it. “We went from a situation living in Langton Lane where we never saw anybody from one day to the next to here where we now know everybody. And I love it, walking down the street saying good morning to everybody and everybody’s friendly, and I wouldn’t change that for the world.

Turn to page 18 of August’s Hurst Life to learn more about the life of a landlord and his dogs.

Interview with Dr Winn partner GP, Mid Sussex Health Care in Hurst

By Louise Evatt, Chair of Mid Sussex Health Care Patient Participation Group

The past year plunged our National Health Service into a state of emergency, requiring many sudden changes to the ways patients access health care. It’s been frustrating, worrying and difficult for the community and the practitioners alike. The demands on doctors’ surgeries are higher than they have ever been. The Times reported that in March this year the UK had hit the highest consultations on record, a staggering 28 million. So how has this impacted locally?

The PPG interviewed Dr Miriam Winn, Partner GP at Mid Sussex Health Care, who shared her experiences over the past 19 months. “In early 2020 the practice had to adapt its ways of working. We rapidly needed to move to a total triage model - this was under the direction of NHS England and it was very different to the way we had previously been working. We needed to start screening our patients by finding out what their problem was and how best to manage them whilst keeping patients safe and keeping staff safe.”

Dr Winn recalled the amount of unknowns they had to work with and the speed at which they had to react. She explained how they set up systems to be able to quickly adapt, including the creation of a team to make rapid decisions on a daily basis. “The team met every morning to respond to the information coming through. We also held daily huddles with all staff to explain changes being made and get feedback on how things were going, ensuring staff concerns staff were heard.”

At this time the community was concerned to see the sudden changes, particularly the closure of the Ditchling surgery and the limited access to the Hassocks surgery. Dr Winn explained the rationale for these changes. “We were worried about patients coming into the practice who may be potentially infected and therefore we needed to limit the amount of contact that our staff were having with patients, and we were also rapidly losing staff because they were developing coughs themselves, so needed to isolate, or needed to be at home with family members that were isolating. So we didn’t have enough staff available to open all three sites in a safe way.”

It has been a common misconception that GP practices have been closed throughout the lockdown. “We’ve been here all along,” said Dr Winn, “seeing patients face-to-face in the safest way that’s possible”. She explained how they needed to triage patients to know whether they should be seen in a Covid-secure environment or whether they had potential Covid symptoms and should be seen at the ‘hot hub’. “It was also important to keep our Hurstpierpoint site as a ‘cold site’ so that we could bring in vulnerable patients for blood tests or other appointments and they could be assured that it was as safe as possible. Vulnerable staff could also be assured that they were safe to be at work and worked only at the cold site.”

It’s now been well over a year since the rapid response to Covid began and unfortunately things are still very different to what they once were. We asked Dr Winn how it is now for the practice and its staff. “We’re still doing total triage all day. That will hopefully change soon. At 8.30am it’s all go. Our phone lines open and morning clinics start.” She explains that each GP sees 32 patients either over the phone or at the surgery, during morning and afternoon sessions. In between the two sessions they make home visits, put through patients, send off prescriptions and respond to contact made via E-consult. We all stay on until the job is done, so currently it is an extremely long day for us all.” Dr Winn chatted at length about all the changes, what might remain long into the future and what should eventually come to an end. We discussed reduced contact with the GP, and an increased digital service that the media recently predicted. She remains very positive that MSHC are on the right road ahead. “The rapid pace of change has certainly forced the practice to try new things such as online appointments, but all of us miss that face-to-face interaction with patients. We don’t have any intention to work only remotely, but we will still have online services so that patients have a choice.”

Dr Winn talked about the increased patient choice as a positive to have come out of the changes. She also explained that within the practice, it has also brought teams together to think about how best to manage the problems and to think outside the box, like providing oxygen monitors at home to patients with Covid symptoms. She hopes that patients understand the challenges they have had and welcome any feedback patients may have. The PPG would like to thank Dr Winn for this interview and also thank her and all MSHC colleagues for the efforts they have gone to, to keep our local health care going to support us through the pandemic.

Hurstpierpoint & Sayers Common Parish Council

The Annual Parish Meeting is an ancient custom designed for those on the parish electoral roll to discuss parish affairs. It must be held between 1st March and 1st June and not be before 6pm. Previously, the forum has taken place in the Village Centre, with approximately 50+ residents in attendance. Last year, due to the Coronavirus Pandemic and the associated lock-down measures, the meeting was sadly cancelled and replaced by an Annual Report which was published on the Parish Council’s website. This year, anticipating a lack of certainty over being able to a hold the meeting in person, the Parish Council agreed to publish its Annual Report on the Parish Council’s website, but also to embrace technology and to hold the meeting via a webinar on 18th May 2021. We widened the scope under the theme “Working together for a sustainable future”. There were some great presentations covering the range from recycling in the community, managing the Hurst Meadows for wildlife and the community, Hurst Rethink, The Lost Woods Project, to Sustainable Development. They were topped by very focussed videos from both St Lawrence School and Downlands School Students.

We had about 68 logged on to the webinar with a wider demographic to those who have previously attended this meeting in person at the Village Centre. The presentations were both thought-provoking and full of related updates. There was even a quiz to establish exactly which local authority is responsible for which service. We will be drawing upon some of the detail from the presentations and follow up questions to help us to develop further our Environmental Policy into one which will both support the operations and output of the Parish Council, and in some way meet the aspirations of our residents as well. If you missed the webinar the presentations are now accessible via our website at www.hurstpierpointpc.gov.uk/speakerspresentations-from-the-annual-parish-meeting/

Parish Council News published monthly

Village Centre, Trinity Road, Hurstpierpoint, BN6 9UY

Call: 01273 833264
Email: hurstpierpoint.pc@btinternet.com

www.hurstpierpoint-pc.org.uk

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A piece of Hurst's history - The closure of St Luke's Catholic Church

By Steve Turner

The small Catholic Church at 123 Cuckfield Road, looks every bit like a house, save for the large sign saying ‘St Luke’s Catholic Church’ and the small wooden cross on the gable end of the main roof. Sandwiched between the Church owned cottages either side, it has been part of the Hurstpierpoint landscape and focal point of worship for generations of local Catholics.

Originally an Anglican meeting room, it was acquired, along with the two cottages in 1925 for the princely sum of £425, loaned by the Diocese and paid back by the parish through enthusiastic fundraising, particularly by the Stringer and Gladman families who organised dances and Whist Drives (a card game social gathering).

The altar was made and presented by the Carthusian community at the monastery near Cowfold and the sanctuary lamp given by Lady Augusta Miller, of Wanbarrow Farm. A blue and gold damask curtain hung behind the altar. Early Mass attendances were about 20/30 on a Sunday but over the years the Church has been extended and was seeing numbers of 60/70.

Extensions saw the rear wall moved back to provide a new altar space in 1928 at a cost of £700. A side chapel was built in 1963, another extension provided a sacristy and cloakroom facilities in 1959; these extensions used garden space of the two cottages either side but being Church property this wasn’t a problem.

A gallery was provided in 1958 and outer porch provided in 1965; all this work allowed more seating to be provided for the vibrant and ever-growing number of worshippers. The rear extension includes two beautiful stain glass windows, depicting ‘St Luke the painter’ and ‘St Luke the doctor’ commissioned by Mgr. Canon Jeffrey Haydn Scott in about the year 2000.

The cottages either side have provided accommodation over the years for retired housekeepers and priests alike; a well-beloved priest and first ‘Parish Priest’ Fr Stuart Bell lived at 125 from 1978 until the Priest’s House at Keymer was built in 1985. Keymer and Hurstpierpoint having been previously under the administration of St Wilfrid’s in Burgess Hill. He regularly took groups of us to Lourdes each Easter to assist with the disabled pilgrims, assisted by another local parishioner, Paddy Kite.

There have been, as you would expect, a succession of priests over the years, all contributing, whether their tenure was long or short, to the wellbeing and needs of the Parish. Canon John Stapleton is worthy of a mention for his passion for music and installing a pedal organ.

Countless numbers of unsung heroes have contributed to the successful running of the Church.

Pick up a copy of July’s Hurst Life today to read about all the other people who contributed to the beating heart of St Luke’s.

St Lawrence Primary in Hurstpierpoint says goodbye to Crossing Patrol Officer

She has been a familiar to sight for over 30 years on Cuckfield Rd during term time, as the Crossing Patrol officer, but Helen Smith finally hung up her high-vis jacket and prepared to pass on the ‘lollipop’ baton, to take a well earned retirement this summer.

She was presented with flowers and well-wishers’ cards at the school by some Year 6 students and she wrote this note to children and parents of St Lawrence:

“Dear all. The time has come for me to hang up my rather unflattering hat for the final time and retire! I have enjoyed every minute of being St Lawrence School’s Lollipop lady and will miss you all. The children have been an absolute pleasure to work with, always friendly, polite and well behaved - they are a credit to themselves, their parents and the school. All being well, arrangements are in hand for cover to be provided from the 9th of June but there is now a vacancy for a full time School Crossing Patrol. I can thoroughly recommend the job and if anyone is interested, I would be happy to answer any questions they might have. Wishing everyone at St Lawrence all the best for the future.” Helen Smith

South Downs Refugee Project - community togetherness

An article in the April issue of Hassocks Life has helped a new community group get off to a flying start. The South Downs Refugee Project is a new, non-profit, voluntary group centred in Hassocks, and extending to Hurst, Keymer and Ditchling. The aim of the group is to welcome a refugee family to the area under the UK government’s Community Sponsorship scheme, and support them over a two-year period as they resettle here.

“There are twelve of us in the steering group, and even though we all came from the village, we didn’t know each other,” says Sally Miller, “it’s been really interesting to get to know new people.” It is not just the steering group who are involved. “There are already lots of other people supporting the project too, and we hope local businesses will become involved too,” adds Sally.

Community Sponsorship is built on the power of local people coming together to raise funds for the resettlement process, finding suitable accommodation for the family, and building up a network of local people who will support the family once they arrive. To date, the scheme has resettled hundreds of refugees. Tom Bailey, project chair, said: “The pandemic has shown us all how much difference local communities can make in times of difficulty, so we felt there was no better time to get started with welcoming a new family into our area. There’s plenty to do so we’re really going for it. The response so far has been fantastic, and we’re really looking forward to spreading the word and building a strong network of local support.”

The group are busy planning activities for a little later in the year, with a launch event planned for the summer, and a fundraising concert (‘Raise the Roof’) on 28th August at Danny House in Hurst - tickets are available via the group’s website here.

Jazz vocalist Lou Beckerman, pianist Joss Peach and their multi-talented friends are coming together in the beautiful setting of Danny House for the fundraising concert. “It will be a warm and vibrant evening of jazz and folk,” explains Lou. Hassocks folk duo and songwriters, Mike and Reina Reinstein, will also be performing, as well as Terry Pack, Kate Hogg and Sarah Carpenter.

Other activities may include a family ceilidh in November and a golf day, quiz, and comedy night organised by Chris at the Purple Carrot. The group aims to raise £15,000 and have already opened a JustGiving page. “In terms of when the family might arrive, we’re talking a year or so. It’s a long, slow, thorough process,” explains Sally Miller. “It’s about empowerment and in the long run, making ourselves unnecessary. This is for the benefit of the family, but we also want this to be an enriching process for the whole community.”

The group will be at the Hassocks Village Market at the end of July. “I’d encourage anyone who’s interested in finding out more about the project, our planned events and activities, and how they might get involved to come and have a chat at the village market on July 24th, or go to our website: www.southdownsrefugeeproject.org” said Tom.

Hurst's very own Hedgehog Haven

By Ann Winney, Hurst Hedgehog Haven

This is the time of year when we start to see a few hoglets from disturbed nests, little ones getting lost on foraging trips and everything in between. Carol is poised by the incubator ready for the two-hourly feeds and endless cleaning. But we have just had a hog in, with the usual symptoms; found out in the day, dehydrated, lots of internal parasites but she has been getting fatter and fatter so this can only mean one thing - she is pregnant.

Every rescue at some stage faces this dilemma, it would of course be much better for her to have her babies in the wild but she is only part way through her treatment. So, we have her in a massive zoo zone with a large wooden house with lots of lovely hay, as well as a camera trained on her so the we can keep a close eye. This will be a great learning opportunity for use to see how she gives birth, how long that takes and how she cares for her babies. We are like expectant aunties!

At the other end of the scale, we have had five days in a row where hogs have needed to be put to sleep. Their injuries were just too severe; our vets are very good and often fit us in at a moment’s notice. This is often hard but it’s the kindest thing we can do for them. I am very lucky to have my little gang of volunteers to talk through each case, these ladies were complete strangers and are now dear friends working with one goal, to help get hedgehogs healthy and back to the wild.

Ann Winney Hurst Hedgehog Haven, Tel 07787 515296

New Hurstpierpoint magazine launches: BBQ – Fire, Food & Outdoor Living

When lockdown forced everyone to cook at home, out came the barbecues and, for one Hurstpierpoint couple, out came a brand-new magazine called BBQ to provide live fire inspiration and recipes. Rupert and Kelly Bates launched ‘BBQ – Fire, Food & Outdoor Living’ last spring, appealing to pit masters, enthusiasts and novices alike. “We realised, while plenty of food magazines and cooking content out there, there was nothing focused on BBQ and al fresco dining – something for anyone simply enjoying cooking outside for family and friends, eager to learn more and have a lot of fun in the process. Light a fire and you start a party,” said Rupert.

“BBQ is a quarterly publication and we have just published our fourth issue and with the website – www.thebbqmag.com - going from strength to strength. We’re delighted with the response and as well as through subscriptions, the magazine is also available in selected butchers, farm shops, garden centres, hotels and restaurants,” said Kelly.

It is not all about cooking and eating at home. The magazine features the best live restaurants and pubs, looking to support the hospitality industry which has taken such a hammering during the pandemic.

Pick up a copy of June’s Hurst Life to find out which celebrities and Michelin-starred chefs have been talking to BBQ.

World Earth Day 2021 at Albourne Primary School

Written by five Yr 6 pupils

This year has been tough as we all know, but five Yr 6s from Albourne Primary School have still made an effort to plan a fun filled World Earth Day for their school. They have partnered up with Spirit of the Wild to spread awareness in their community of climate change, pollution and deforestation.

World Earth Day is an annual event celebrated on 22nd April to support the environment. It was first celebrated in 1970 in America. A senator from Wisconsin organised the event and protests and rallies took place all over America. By 1990, Earth Day was a national event celebrated by more than 140 different countries around the globe.

Spirit of the Wild brought in animals from their small private zoo to show the classes and to teach them about the animals’ environment and skills to survive. They brought in amphibians, reptiles, birds, invertebrates and mammals. Some of the animals included Morpheus a rare golden eagle, Flinty a small parrot known as a Caique, Tinker a cuddly skunk and a 7 foot Burmese python called Thanos.

The five girls planned eco activities for each class. In the classes they created their own environmentally friendly invention and found out their carbon footprints. The school also took part in the spiritual arts competition, a small competition about art and the environment.

Years 1 to 6 all did spectacular art pieces to do with the environment that were entered into a school competition and made mixed media presentations. Reception made paper plate jellyfish and did ocean conservation work that related to their topics. The year 6s enjoyed the day in the New Year 6 classroom equipped with two rooms, one for group work and the other being the main classroom. The classroom’s build had been put on hold due to Covid but it was finished in time for the start of the new year. It is detached from the main building of the school.

Half of the money that Albourne School raised was generously given to the WWF (World Wildlife Fund) to help them fight climate change, deforestation and pollution. The WWF works tirelessly by putting nature first and making our food system sustainable. They are the world’s leading independent conservation organisation and they work on every continent to stop dramatic declines in wildlife numbers. The other half of the money will go towards making the grassy area next to the year 6 classroom spacious and environmentally friendly.

Overall world earth day was a great success, filled with fun and enjoyment for all ages. Even the Albourne play group got involved with Spirit of the Wild and the arts and crafts of World Earth Day.

League campaign concluded for Hurstpierpoint Football Club

By Ed Bartram

To borrow a cliché, it’s been a season of two halves for Hurstpierpoint Football Club, but their Mid Sussex League campaign finally limped to its conclusion last month.

With the Championship division split into a top and bottom half, the 1st Team competed in a seven team mini-league to avoid relegation. It turned out to be a fiercely competitive group, with no side managing to pull away at the top, and every side doing their all to pick up points at the opposite end of the table. This was highlighted by the fact that, with just two games to play, any team could finish top, and every side was two defeats away from relegation!

For Hurst, a 1-0 win away at Peacehaven on the final day secured safety and Intermediate football for a third successive season. Danny Beattie scored the crucial goal early on, but was then dismissed for a tackle deemed to have been made with ‘excessive force’. Despite playing the majority of the game with a man less, the Bluedogs held on for victory.

The Reserves also restarted with the threat of a relegation battle looming large, but five wins in their first six games saw the side rocket up the table and secure a comfortable mid-table position in Division 4 South. And whilst the young 3rd Team (primarily made up of youth team players from the village making their first foray into men’s football) didn’t manage to climb off of the bottom of the Division 5 South table, they did record their first win of the season with a 2-1 victory at home to Willingdon 3rd Team; eliminating the visitors from the title race in the process. Progress and deserved points for the players.

Everyone is relieved to wrap-up another difficult season, with optimism that 2021/22 will be a little more ‘normal’. The club hopes to regain the momentum on the pitch from the 2018/19 double-winning season, before COVID struck. Plans are already afoot to make the season memorable; Artemis Marketing have renewed their major club sponsorship and new kit and equipment is en route, whilst the Village Pizza Kitchen have agreed to supply the prize for the Player of the Month award; just a couple of the exciting developments taking place off the pitch.

Pre-season training begins mid-June, and the door is always open for new players, volunteers and supporters wanting to get involved with the village side. So, head to social media or contact hello@hurstpierpointfc.co.uk if you’d like to get in touch.

Hurst resident's fundraising bike ride for CALM

As a train driver based at Southern’s Brighton depot, Andy Johnson knows the upset and distress suicides can cause; there is an average of one suicide every single day on the UK rail network. So together with some of his fellow drivers, they’re riding the London- Brighton Cycle Ride this September to raise awareness and funds for CALM, the Campaign Against Living Miserably. This fantastic charity aims to reduce suicides amongst men, and offers help and support when it’s needed most.

“Let’s face it,” said Andy, “us chaps aren’t much good at talking about our feelings. We’re quite happy to discuss our bad back or a dodgy knee but when it comes to mental health it’s still a stigma that we brush under the carpet.”

Andy has been a Hurst resident for three years and is fiercely proud of the village and its community spirit. “I hope the community will join me in supporting this worthy cause and donate to our fundraising efforts.”

A lifesaving call to CALM costs the charity £8, so they want to raise £2,640 which means that for each mile each of the team cycles they will have paid for another essential call. His JustGiving page (www.justgiving.com/brightontraincrew) has all the details of the excellent work CALM does together with details of how to donate. They’re already over halfway to reaching their target but need every pound they can get. “Your donation might help save the life of your son, father, brother or uncle. But whoever it is, they’ll be so thankful that you supported a charity that saved their life.”