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

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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

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

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 - 

Think first, Shop Hurst and support local traders campaign in Hurstpierpoint

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By Lucy Webb

Columbines beauty salon celebrated its 25th year of trading last month, so who better than its founder and owner Ann Winney to come up with a fantastic idea to promote shopping in our High Street?

You may have started to notice some great little jute bags on people’s shoulders recently with the words: ‘Think First, Shop Hurst and support local!’. Indeed, they have been spotted as far afield as Burgess Hill, but what is the story behind them?

Ann explained: “I was conscious that there were a lot of new properties being built in the village, so therefore lots of newcomers. I felt it was important to encourage these new residents to shop locally. Then I came up with the idea of the bags to help bring our High Street to people’s attention.”

Available for free to new residents, they are distributed by estate agents and development sales offices, so when you collect the keys to your new home you get a jute bag full of goodies. Each one contains contact information, special offers and free samples from many of our High Street businesses. These include wild bird seed from the pet shop, toothbrush and toothpaste from the dentist and a wooden spatula from the Cook Shop.

The bags themselves are also available to everyone from many of the High Street shops for £3, and are a fantastic, environmentally friendly way of spreading the ‘shop local’ message. 

The bags, although the brain child of Ann who rallied High Street businesses to get involved and filled them all too, were paid for by the Parish Council, Hurst Community shop and the Co-op, with all proceeds from sales going back into buying more bags. 

Ann commented: “Our High Street has seen a lot of changes over the years, with shops coming and going. At one time we had a lot of banks and then most of them closed. Everyone thought it would be the end of the High Street; but we’re still here. We are all doing what we can to make Hurst a real destination for local shoppers.”

It’s no doubt that Ann’s positivity and drive have contributed towards her business being so successful over the years, and this can-do attitude is an important factor in helping the High Street to become as great and profitable as we all know it can be.

Hurst estate agent runs for charity

One of the village estate agents really is going the extra mile later this month when she takes on the Virgin Money London Marathon to raise money for Arthritis Research UK.

Alexa Mallet, who works at Marcus Grimes Estate Agents on the High Street, is hoping to raise £2,000 for the charity which is very close to her heart, when she runs 26.2 miles with her friend Heather Smith on 24th April.

Two years ago Alexa’s mum passed away. She suffered from osteoarthritis, and she always said that she would like to do something to help other families going through similar situations. “This year was the year,”

Alexa explained, “and I’ve been training since October.” Reflecting on the hard winter training on the dark and cold mornings, she commented: “My mum went through far worse – how dare I complain?

“My poor mum went from being the central point around which our family revolved, and a dynamic force of nature, to constant pain, immobility and utter reliance on others.”

Alexa is keenly supported by both her marathon buddy Heather (who is running for Epilepsy Research UK in memory of her daughter Faith) and her close family; pivotal to this is her dad, Maurice Pound. Marcus Grimes is organising a charity golf day to help Alexa achieve her target. If you would like to sponsor Alexa, or read more of her story, you can do so at: www.justgiving.com/AlexaMallet. Heather’s just giving page for Epilepsy Research UK is https://www.justgiving.com/heatherepilepsyresearch

Hurstpierpoint Traders Association is all change

Hurstpierpoint Traders Association has recently had a change in leadership with David Hampson and Gill Blackburn being appointed to co-chair the organisation.

The pair take over from Lucy Driver, of Southdowns Cellars, who chaired the group for three years. “All of us are tremendously grateful to Lucy,” Gill commented. “She did a great job over a long period of time. Our job is now to follow in her footsteps and we are both very excited about this next chapter in Hurstpierpoint’s shopping history.”

The group has its fist meeting under the new leadership at the beginning of this month and there will be plenty of ideas on the table for traders to collectively consider in order to make an impact on the village shopping experience. “There is lots to be positive about in Hurst,” Gill continued, “and that’s what we will be focusing our attention on now as a Traders Association.”

Albourne's Pop Up Pub - Albourne Village Hall, West Sussex

By Lucy Webb

The pop up pub in Albourne Village Hall, launched in July 2015 and held every Friday evening, is a bid to bring locals together and provide a weekly social event for Albourne and its growing numbers of residents and workers.

The pub was an idea put forward by Meg Price, who is the Chairman of Albourne Parish Council, and who responded to the question; how do we introduce new people into the village and to each other, and help them to feel as though they are part of a community?

150 years ago, Albourne was primarily  a farming community, but today it’s home to many new small to medium sized businesses, along with many new residents.

It seems to be a general feeling amongst Albourne residents that they need a more central designated meeting/social space. This is partly because the church is not actually in the centre of the village, and there is no high street to speak of with the usual cafes, pubs and public spaces that people traditionally get together in. Albourne parish council has listened to its residents concerns about their feelings of isolation within the village, and decided that the Village Hall should become more of a community focus and general meeting point for locals.

At the pub’s opening on a Sunday afternoon in July last year, there were 20 or so bartenders, who are all volunteers, and the pub enjoyed an impressive 40 to 50 visitors. There was also a  good turn out at a special Christmas themed evening last year, with visitors enjoying  mulled wine and mince pies.

Local businesses provide the drinks, such as Giles Cutlack at South Downs Cellars in charge of organising wine, and the Dark Star brewery of Partridge Green providing beer.

The Village Hall has recently benefited from refurbishment, and the committee hope to be given the go ahead to improve the kitchen facilities, which will in turn open up the options for social activities.

Other potential ideas have emerged from meetings of a newly formed committee to decide on events that could be held at the Village Hall later this year. These include a Christmas fair with a Santa’s grotto, a craft fair showcasing the many varied arts and crafts produced in the area, film night, race nights, live music and quizz nights too.

There could also be a family fun day planned for the summer, as the hall does have some outside space that could lend itself well to this type of event.

So whether you’re an Albourne resident looking to get to know your neighbours, or someone from outside the village keen to meet new people from the village you generally just drive through, visit the pop up pub for a pint or a glass of something local and make some new friends.

The Mid Sussex Older People’s council have also set up Afternoon Tea events at the village hall, and this is now run by Ann Higginson, who is the Chairman of the Village Hall Management Committee. Ann hopes that this event will attract a wide range of people, as she says, ‘everyone is welcome’, so it’s worth a visit to enjoy a cuppa, some cake and a good old natter. This is held on the fist Tuesday of every month between 2.30-4.30pm at the Albourne Village Hall.

The pop up pub is held every Friday from 8.30-10.30pm at the Albourne Village Hall, The Street, Albourne.

Terl Bryant - Village People, Hurstpierpoint

Terl Bryant

Lucy Webb meets the drummer and percussionist Terl Bryant, and finds out moe about his impressive life’s work in the music industry

By Lucy Webb

One of the things one gets used to whilst living in the countryside is the difficulty of finding people’s home, and locating Terl’s was a good example of this. He lives in a road near the College Lane end of Hurst but, as is often the case, I only have a house name to work with.

I’m no exception to this. Living in a road where the houses only have names, I’m up there with Terl for tricky to find addesses.

After driving up and down a bit, I employ the old window-winding question to a local looking type with obligatory wellies and dog. She thought for a moment and after exclaiming that she knew the house, her son was friends with Terl’s son and to look out for “a wonderful cherry red VW van in the driveway”. Now I had a lot more to go on.

In a couple of minutes I located said cherry red VW, and was soon to discover the necessity of this van quite quickly after being invited into Terl’s house.

He and his wife, Jules, welcomed me with a smile and a cofee, she a kind of countrified ounger Jerry Hall type who is a writer of children’s books. Terl is a laid-back, tall, cool kind of chap, with an easy manner and great hair. Here was Hurst’s answer to a rock and roll glamour couple, and I found myself imagining that they probably held rather fabulous dinner parties with equally fabulous guests.

We settled down in the living room of the house that Terl and his family have lived in since 2005. He and Jules have six children (two girls, four boys), hence the need for the van, and despite this their home is the picture of serenity. The younger children were at school and the older ones, as teenagers are known to do, were either asleep or had slipped out of the house undetected.

Terl took me back to the very beginning of his career, explaining that he is originally from Northamptonshire, and left school at sixteen to become a drummer. He tells me he had no business plan and yet this wonderfully solid decision at such a young age seems similar to the kind of drive you would need to become an entrepreneur.

Terl’s parents were artists who met at art school, and actively encouraged their son’s career choice. He admits he was very much influenced in his love of music by hi father’s love of rock and roll. Listening to a wide range of music from punk to jazz, Elvis Costello to Deep Purple, Terl began drumming for bands around the Midlands, including a band called Stranger. He remembers with a slight wince that the band auditioned Fish (lead singer of Marillion and later Fish of solo artist fame), however the two founding members of the band didn’t want him. Terl and another band member knew at that point that they had found something great in Fish, and felt disillusioned with the band after this. Terl decided a change of scene was needed and, following an invitation from his parents’ friends, upped and left for California in 1981.

Full story published in the March 2016 issue of Hurst Life

www.terlbryant.com

Get arty at Poponin in Hurstpierpoint

Poponin Craft Shop in Hurstpierpoint

The eternal question of how to entertain the kids may well have been answered with the opening of Poponin, a brand new arts and crafts shop and business owned by Jess Adams, and run with the assistance of Stacey Armstrong and the team.

What was the Mint House has been transformed, with wooden benches, funky wallpaper and art materials galore.

Jess and Stacey will help you choose a project, help you gather together all the bits and pieces you need and away you go. They’re super helpful, but if you feel like you just want to be left alone to express your inner Van Gogh, they leave you to get on with it too.

Don’t worry about making too much mess, it’s all part of the creative process; and there are many projects to choose from, including painting masks and money boxes, making jewellery trees and puppets, decorating mugs, designing your own sword, painting ceramics, the list is endless.

If you’re faced with a school project and don’t have the correct glitter/toilet rolls/tissue paper required to make that international space station, Poponin will help you create your masterpiece.

Poponin isn’t just for kids, the space is designed for everyone to take part, with adult painting /craft parties available, and learning to knit, life drawing, learning to sew and many more workshops in the pipeline. Poponin would love you to get in touch if you’re interested in teaching anything arts and crafts based, or just ‘pop in’ and check out the space for yourself.

Local lad Sam Heading takes karting champion title

Ten year old Sam Heading from Hurstpierpoint became the Buckmore Park 2015 Honda Cadet Champion in the under 14 category at the end of last year. This was his first season at Honda, and a very exciting win for him as this is a title that Lewis Hamilton held when he was Sam’s age.

Sam started out on his quad bike when he was only two years old, and his family realised very quickly that he showed a natural talent straight away.

When Sam was eight his parents took him to Qleisure, an 800 metre outdoor karting track in Albourne, and he subsequently qualified on pole in his first race there, finishing in second place.

The experts at QLeisure felt that Sam was too talented to not pursue karting, so he was whisked off to Bayford Meadows Kart Circuit in Kent to see what owner driver racing was all about. He passed his MSA (Motor Sports Associations) licence two years ago and now races most weekends all over the country.

Sam also came third in the Kent championships and is entering the Super One British Karting championships in 2016 for England, Wales and Scotland. Hurst Life (along with the rest of the village!) wish Sam the best of luck in this, and all his future races!

Hurstpierpoint Foodbank opens in the village

Hurstpierpoint Foodbank volunteers at Willow Way Social Club

Hurstpierpoint Food Bank has been set up to help people in crisis in Hurstpierpoint and the surrounding local area. 

The branch was opened up because of a need identified in the local area. Some may be surprised that the need is even higher than that of nearby Hassocks.

Members of Mid Sussex Green Party were told about this from the Burgess Hill Food bank and Nikki Sanger from Hurstpierpoint took on the role of co-ordinator for Hurstpierpoint and Burgess Hill Food banks.

Nikki said: “I was told that the closest food bank to Hurstpierpoint is Burgess Hill, and this can mean over a two hour round trip to pick up food. I remembered what it was like to have small children, little money and having to travel on buses to get basic provisions and I wanted to help.”

Keith Taylor MEP said: “I cannot praise those who have set up Hurstpierpoint Food Bank highly enough. They are doing a great service to their community. “The Hurstpierpoint Food Bank will be a lifeline to those in need. But at the same time, the fact that yet another food bank has had to be set up is a stain on the government’s record on poverty. Nobody in the sixth largest economy in the world should be in such poverty that they rely on food handouts.”

Full article is published in the February 2016 issue of Hurst Life magazine

To donate food...

If you would like to donate food or volunteer then please get in touch via our Facebook page or pop in on a Wednesday morning and donate food there and then. Non-perishable items only please as listed below:

Milk – long life or powdered

Tomatoes – tins and cartons

Tea bags and instant coffee

Baked beans & tinned spaghetti

Hot Chocolate

Tinned vegetables

Fruit juice – carton or bottle

Stock cubes

Bottles of squash

Jam, marmalade or peanut butter

Soup – tins or packets

Breakfast cereals

Pasta sauces – including cheese

Biscuits or snack bars

Tinned meat – including hot dogs

Nuts and dried fruit

Meat pies in tins

Sugar

Tinned fish

Tinned fruit

Instant mashed potato

Sponge puddings – tins

Rice, pasta and Pot Noodles

Rice pudding, semolina, custard – tins or pots

Tin of filled pasta e.g. ravioli

Dietetic foods – low sugar varieties

for those with diabetes and gluten

free for those with coeliac disease

To get help...

Distribution of food is through a voucher system.

To receive food, clients will need to obtain a voucher from one of our partner agencies. We have only one distribution point for vouchers in Hurstpierpoint at present:

Sussex Downs Children and Family Centre
Hurstpierpoint Village Centre
Mondays 9.30am-12noon, Fridays 1-3pm
01444 255477 / 01273 467968

There are other partner agencies including: Burgess Hill Citizens Advice Bureau, Sussex Police, Housing Needs Department (MSDC), Job Centre Plus in Haywards Heath and Youth Homelessness Prevention Team in Burgess Hill. See the here for more details.

Bags of food, individual or enough for three days for a family of four, will be available once a week in Hurstpierpoint at The Melting Pot Cafe at the Social Club, Willow Way, on Wednesdays from 9-11am. If this is difficult for you to attend, then please get in touch with one of our volunteers who may be able to arrange a mutually convenient pick-up point for you.

5 minutes with... Rachael Babister

Rachael Babister

How long have you lived in Hurstpierpoint?
Six years.

What’s the best thing about being here?
The friends I’ve made and being so close to the South Downs and Brighton.

Favourite ice cream flavour?
It has to be mint choc chip!

How many houses have you lived in?
Eight in total, just two in the village.

Favourite holiday destination?
I have a great love of Ibiza.

Your most enjoyable event in the village?
It has to be the St Lawrence Village Fair of course!

Do you share your home with anyone?
My fab hubby Baz, my two gorgeous daughters Lyddia & Caitlin, and not forgetting our furry pets, Twiglet and Splodge.

Song you play the most?
That’s a tricky one - there isn’t really just one. I do love a bit of cheesy pop though!

Mac or PC?
Most definitely Mac.

Your most frequented village shop?
Probably the Co-Op… although some may say The New Inn!

What’s your proudest moment?
Making my family - marrying my husband and having our daughters.

Coke, juice or water?
Ice cold water.

Your advice for life?
Live it! Don’t worry about what other people think and just do what makes you happy!

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WE NEED YOU! If you would like to complete the '5 Mins With' questions (above) please email your answers to us via email to: editor@hurstlife.co.uk - thank you.

Hurst Village Cinema

By David Saitch

We have just completed our first year of live broadcasts from the National Theatre and, at the end of the year, the first live broadcast from the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company. The broadcasts have been an absolute triumph and it is seen as very special to have the chance to see the live performances from such prestigious theatre companies on Hurstpierpoint High Street at such great value prices.

Our first live broadcast of 2016 is NT Live’s broadcast of Les Liaisons Dangereuses from the Donmar Warehouse on Thursday 28th January. Featuring an all-star cast, including Dominic West, Janet McTeer and Una Stubbs, this irresistible adaptation of Choderlos de Laclos’ novel of sex, intrigue and betrayal in prerevolutionary France is a must see. Tickets for live broadcasts are £10 members and £14 non-members. Doors/Bar 6.30pm, performance 7pm.

For our films, we open on Thursday 14th January with the uplifting, typically politically incorrect French comedy, Untouchable (PG). This irreverent story of an unlikely friendship between a handicapped millionaire and the streetwise ex-con he hires to look after him is both funny and inspiring. Later in the month, Friday 29th January, we have Alexander Payne’s most recent film, the witty and bittersweet road movie Nebraska (15). Bruce Dern is superb as the grumpy old man from Missouri who believes he has won a million dollars and is determined to get to Lincoln, Nebraska to collect it, despite his family’s attempts to persuade him that it is a hoax. Tickets for our weeknight films are £4 members and £6 non-members. Doors/Bar 7.30pm, film 8pm.

On Saturday 30th January for families we have a charity screening of the film the wonderfully funny and entertaining new adaptation of Paddington (PG). Tickets for our Saturday Cinema films are £4. Doors 2.30pm, film 3pm.

This month our Sunday Cinema screening is the brilliant and moving true story, Philomena (PG) on 31st January. Tickets for our Sunday Cinema films are £3. Doors 3pm, film 3.30pm. Tickets for our films can be bought online at www.hustfilms.com, at Mishon Mackay on Hurstpierpoint High Street, or call us on 01273 835875.

You do not have to be a member to come to the Village Cinema, but membership is still only £10 per annum.

100 Good Advertising Headlines (Victor Schwab)

Victor Schwab was a marketing guru who was one of the most famous direct marketing copywriters of all time. He was born in New Jersey in 1898, with his most prolific period of work being in the 1930/40s America where he ran Schwab & Beatty ad agency. 

In 1941 he ran a series of advertisements for his agency, one of which listed '100 Good Advertising Headlines - and why they were so profitable' - they were huge full page adverts with over 3,000 words on. 

Here's a sample of some of them below, but you can download the PDF to read all one hundred by clicking the image here. If you print it, do so on a very LARGE sheet of paper! 

6. HOW A NEW DISCOVERY MADE A PLAIN GIRL BEAUTIFUL

Wide appeal; there are more plain girls than beautiful ones — and just about all of them want to be better looking.

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12. HANDS THAT LOOK LOVELIER IN 24 HOURS — OR YOUR MONEY BACK

Universal appeal to women. Result guaranteed: “Or Your Money Back.”

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34. IS THE LIFE OF A CHILD WORTH $1 TO YOU?

Trenchant headline for a brake-relining service. Strong emotional appeal: how the life of a little child may be snuffed out by an accident due to your ineffective brakes.

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38. HOW TO TAKE OUT STAINS…USE (PRODUCT NAME) AND FOLLOW THESE EASY DIRECTIONS

An example of a good “service” ad — one which, besides being relevantly tied up with the product, also contains helpful information usable in itself. (Such ads often have considerable longevity because they are cut out and used for future reference.)

Downlands School staff get into BBC Children in Need

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Staff team go back to school for charity

While the children were all dressing down, some of the admin team at Downlands were in full school uniform. Although the standard of dress was not up to Headteacher Rose Hetherton’s exacting standards - with some very short skirts, trendy trainers, badges that read ‘Perfect’ instead of ‘Prefect’ and the absolute no-no - earphones - it was all done for a fantastic cause.

The wonderful, and very stylishly dressed in non-school uniform, students at Downlands School raised a fantastic £1,200.15 for BBC Children in Need at the event held last month.

Village People: Linda Levett

By Lucy Webb

Linda Levett might be among the busiest retired people I have ever met! A Hurstpierpoint resident for eight years, Linda lives with her husband John. She is a fundraiser for Alzheimer’s Research UK, helps to run the bar at the St Lawrence Fair, Hurst-Bar-Point, not to mention spending time with her family (including eight grandchildren) and pursuing all her interests and hobbies - bird watching, walking and supporting Portsmouth Football Club! She also helped out as Assistant Editor for Hurst Life in the early months, but most impressive of all, she is currently the High Chief Ranger (National President) of the Foresters Friendly Society.

I managed to pin this busy lady down and get her to explain a bit more about the Society she has been a lifelong member of. On first hearing about The Foresters Friendly Society, I imagined a group of tree loving folk, but Linda and her husband John soon filled me in about this age old, countrywide Branch Society founded in Leeds in 1834.

“We don’t know exactly why the Society was called this, perhaps forestry was a dangerous business to be in and the Society was established to give financial assistance to the workers and their families if they were injured or killed?”

The Ancient Order of Foresters (AOF) became a registered Friendly Society in 1834, although there is evidence that it existed as a society as early as 1790. 

Read the rest of the story in the November 2015 issue of Hurst Life...

To find out more about the Foresters Friendly Society click here www.forestersfriendlysociety.co.uk

Hurst Late Night Shopping event 2015

The traders in the village will be holding their annual Christmas Late Night Shopping event next month. 

The popular event that sees crowds turn out in all weathers is a chance for residents to spend some time browsing (and buying) from local retailers to tick off a few Christmas presents from the list. 

This year’s event will take place on Thursday 3rd December 2015 from 6pm. 

More information in our December issue.

Hurstpierpoint retailer scoops South East award

A Hurst wine merchant has recently been the recipient of an industry award. 
     South Downs Cellars, on the High Street, picked up the award for Regional Merchant of the Year for the South & South East at the glamorous black tie ceremony at London’s Hilton On Park Lane hotel over the summer. 
     Business owner Lucy Driver (pictured) was presented with the award by Peter McCombie MW (Master of Wine) on the night, which also saw a raft of large and small retailers and producers from all over the country celebrating their success too.
     Lucy commented: “The judges were looking at all aspects of a shop’s business, including what we were doing that was new. We have massively increased our range of craft beers this year due to customer demand and we’ve also introduced a loyalty card which creates your own online ‘cellar’ of all the products you have purchased either online or in store. Customers can make their own notes on these via the website for their future reference.”
     South Downs Cellars has been open in Hurstpierpoint for over 12 years now. Later this month their Autumn tastings programme will begin again – see in-store or online for details.

Also available on page 5.

Alison Nightingale - Village People

It began as a challenge to learn a new skill. As their three daughters – now aged 8, 11 and 13 – started to become more independent, Alison felt she needed an interest and so embarked on a four-year part-time degree course in vine-growing and wine production at nearby Plumpton College. This has enabled her to be as comfortable on a tractor taking in the latest harvest, as in analysing the alcohol content in the lab or marketing her range of white wines to local businesses.
     At the time, she had no ambition of setting up her own vineyard, although during her stint working overseas ahe had enjoyed visiting New World producers in New Zealand and Australia. It was the course, together with the growing success and interest in English wine, that inspired her.
     “The timing was perfect,” says Alison, who has already won several prestigious awards for her wines. “I was looking for a career which would fit around my family and I started vine growing when locally sourced food and drink was on the rise, with shoppers wanting to know more about the background of where their purchases came from and how they are made.”

Full article available on pages 22/23.

When Alison Nightingale and her husband Nick Cooper arrived in Hurstpierpoint 12 years ago, looking for a thriving village in which to bring up their young children, she could have scarcely imagined that she would end up helping to put Sussex wine on the map.
     Alison – who runs Albourne Estate, just outside Hurstpierpoint – is one of a small number of entrepreneurs whose vintages are starting to overturn prejudices about English wine and win a reputation among connoisseurs. 
     However, when she moved to Hurstpierpoint after a three year stint in Singapore – leaving behind a career in marketing with Heinz and Nestlé – she had no intention of turning what was an interest into a successful business.
     At first, Alison and Nick, who were living as a stopgap in London, just wanted somewhere away from the rat race, yet lively enough. “Nick was born in Steyning and knew the area well,” says Alison. “With trains from Hassocks it was easy enough for him to commute to London and we felt that Hurst was big enough to be a lively place to live but still a village with all of the benefits that this brings: a friendly community and somewhere I could easily push a pram.”
     And so the family moved into Western Road in 2003. An exciting chapter was about to open in their lives which was to see them swap village life for a farm – a farm set to be transformed into one of Sussex’s few dedicated vineyards.

Discover Hurst's hidden arts & crafts - Hurstpierpoint Open Studios

By Emily Volkert
With over 20 local artists showcasing a range of contemporary and traditional arts and crafts, the Hurstpierpoint Open Studios will once again be hosting its annual event, welcoming the public to view exhibitions and take a peek inside the artist’s workspace. Spread out over two weekends, starting 12th-13th September and concluding 19th-20th September, visitors can expect to take a walk through ‘a magical trail of local art’ spanning across 18 different venues throughout the village.
     Often found in an old garage or the back room of a house, strewn with colour swatches, unfinished canvasses and inspirational artefacts; an artist’s workplace can really give people an insight into the creative process and the creative mind. The Open Studios experience offers up a unique opportunity to take a ‘behind the scenes tour’, whilst you absorb yourself in the plethora of local talent on our doorstep. Folk will not only have the chance to view and purchase art but will be able to meet the artists themselves and even discuss commissioning individual pieces.
     Running into its 12th year, the event was first set up by local sculptor and painter Mike Cheetham, also an exhibitor, who was inspired by the Brighton Open Studios. “It was after visiting the Brighton Open Studios that I thought, ‘what a good idea for Hurstpierpoint’,” explains Mike. “I discovered that many other people shared the same view, so I got a group together, which was initially seven and it’s gone from there.”
     With a growing audience and an impressive artist line up, it’s evident that Mike and his band of supporters were indeed on to a good thing. There’s going to be a pre-event taster happening 10th August - 7th September, so keep an eye out for some of the artists’ work in various shops around the village. I was lucky enough to catch an exclusive glimpse of what’s to come and meet some of this year’s contributors at the home of veteran HOS exhibitor and event co-organiser Sylvia Thornhill. 

Full article available on page 13.