Watoto Children’s Choir comes to Hurstpierpoint

Watoto Children’s Choir

The Watoto Children’s Choir from Uganda is currently on a 3-month UK tour, where they are set to perform to nearly 100,000 people in churches, schools and community spaces across the nation. In years gone by they have performed for Her Majesty The Queen, US Presidents and countless governments in parliaments across the globe, sharing their stories of hope through song and dance. The Watoto Children’s Choir has recently released a new album ‘Better Days - There Is Hope’.

The Watoto Children’s Choir will be performing in a free concert this month, taking place at Holy Trinity Church, Hurstpierpoint on 24th May at 6.30pm.

Executive Director of Watoto UK Andrew White says: “We are delighted to continue the UK tour in Hurstpierpoint, as we seek to raise awareness of the incredible work of Watoto in caring for vulnerable women and placing the orphans in families across Uganda and South Sudan.
”Other than going to Africa yourself, what better way to learn about all the good work Watoto is doing, than through this heartwarming, musical performance. The proceeds made from the album will help Watoto continue to provide vulnerable children with an education, medical care, a safe place to call home, and most of all, the love of a family.”

Mid Sussex District Council May 2024 update

Planning is approved for Burgess Hill Centre for Outdoor Sport

The planning application for the new state-of-the-art Centre for Outdoor Sport in Burgess Hill has been given the green light, marking a significant milestone in the town’s sporting landscape, with works set to start this spring. Situated on an 8.6-hectare block of land within the Brookleigh development, the Centre for Outdoor Sport (CfOS) will provide first-class facilities for the district and would not have been possible without the support from Homes England. The sports mix, refined over three years through extensive engagement, consultation and data analysis, will complement the district’s existing sports infrastructure, offering a variety of sports. The development of the CfOS is one piece of the jigsaw of sports provision across the district.

Mid Sussex Matters

Sign up to our digital newsletter! We have launched a digital Mid Sussex Matters newsletter, a monthly email to help residents stay up-to-date with what’s going on at the Council and in the wider District. It will include local events, opportunities to share feedback about new initiatives, and stories that impact our communities. To sign up, please visit our website and search ‘Mid Sussex Matters’ to subscribe.

To read the council’s full newsletter please click to enlarge the images provided, or pick up a copy of May’s Hurst Life.

Cuckfield Music Festival - June 2024

13-15th June 2024 at Holy Trinity Church, Cuckfield & Warden Park Academy

Evening concerts
Schools Concert 6pm, Thurs 13th June
DIVA 7pm, Friday 14th June
Claire Martin OBE 7pm, Sat 15th June

Free Lunchtime Concerts
Molly Hord 1pm, Thursday 13th June
Paul Gregory 1pm, Friday 14th June


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Tickets and more information here: www.cuckfieldmusicfest.co.uk

Hurst Village Cinema's upcoming listings

Thank you for your support this year, it has been a pleasure to be able to put on films for you and once again, thanks to the Players Theatre for providing such an amazing venue.

We start with Parallel Mothers (15) on Thursday 9th at 8pm. Two women, who are both unexpectedly pregnant, meet in a maternity room. Janis (Cruz) is middle-aged, doesn’t regret it and is exultant. The other, Ana, an adolescent, is scared, repentant and traumatised. Janis tries to encourage her while they move like sleepwalkers along the hospital corridors. The few words they exchange in these hours will create a very close link between the two, which by chance, develops and complicates, and changes their lives in a decisive way. Vintage Almodavar, with bright colours, sense of theatre and plot twists.

Then on Friday 24th at 8pm we screen Paterson (15). A long overdue appearance at HVC for a Jim Jarmusch film, this gently observed film centres on a bus driver (Adam Driver) who lives in Paterson, New Jersey, home to many famous poets and artists. As he goes about his routine life, he observes life and picks up snippets from his customers, using them as inspiration for his poetry. His wife Laura is very supportive and champions his gift for writing. There is a gentle rhythm to the film, not unlike a poem itself and Driver gives a wonderfully understated and restrained performance.

Our final offering is The Miracle Club (12) at 3pm on Sunday 26th. Set in 1967 the film follows the story of three generations of close friends, Lily (Maggie Smith), Eileen (Kathy Bates), and Dolly (Agnes O’Casey) of Ballygar, a hard-knocks community in Dublin, who have one tantalising dream: to win a pilgrimage to the sacred French town of Lourdes. When the chance to win presents itself, the women seize it. However, just before their trip, their old friend Chrissie (Laura Linney) arrives in Ballygar for her mother’s funeral, dampening their good mood and well-laid plans. The women secure tickets and set out on the journey that they hope will change their lives, with Chrissie, a sceptical traveller, joining in place of Chrissie’s mother. Warming Sunday afternoon fare, with a stella cast.

Hassocks Hotel presents Bomb Bomb Bingo with Cherry Bomb

Bomb Bomb Bingo with Cherry Bomb

Join us for a fun-packed evening with musical bingo, games and cabaret with Brighton Drag Queen Cherry Bomb.

Friday 31st May, 7-11pm at Hassocks Hotel, BN6 8HN

£25pp - all proceeds will go to local disability charity, Kangaroos

Tickets here

Hurstpierpoint Parish Council News - May 2024

Dementia Safe Places

Have you noticed these f lower stickers on the windows of some of the shops, offices, and other premises around the villages? The flower sticker shows that the building is a “Safe Place” location. The ‘Safe Place’ project was created by the Parish Council to ensure that people living with dementia feel understood and able to maintain their independence and lead fulfilling lives in their local community. It gives the person somewhere safe to wait if they are feeling lost or upset rather than having to be taken to the police station which can be extremely traumatic for them.

Staff in all the Safe Places have received training from a local charity on how to support lost and distressed people in this situation. The Parish Council would like to expand this project by extending the number of shops and other premises taking part. Training and full information would be provided. If you would like to be involved with this project by becoming a ‘Safe Place’ please do contact the Parish Office by the end of May. If you are currently a “Safe Place” and would like more training or information, please do also get in touch.

To read the full council newsletter, please click the images to enlarge them or pick up your copy of May’s Hurst Life and turn to page 36.

Your nearest defibrillator in Hurstpierpoint and Sayers Common

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At Hurst Life we’d like to encourage everyone living and working in the village to familiarise themselves with the sites of the life-saving defibrillator machines and learn how to use them.

An estimated 60,000 people each year in the UK have an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and, sadly, less than 10% of those people will survive. Yet if a bystander is able to start CPR they could double a person’s chances of survival.

Hurstpierpoint has seven machines: one on the outside wall at the Fairfield Rec on Cuckfield Road, another is situated at the bowls club on South Avenue Rec, a third is inside the medical centre on Trinity Road and one is mounted on the wall in the alleyway next to Morley’s on the High Street. There are also defibs available at Court Bushes Community Hub and the Village Centre. Both of these units can be unlocked by a code given by the 999 operator.
The most recent defibrillator to be installed in the village was paid for by Burgess Hill Lions, and is located at the St Peter & St James Hospice Distribution Centre on Albourne Road.

In Sayers Common, there is one on the outside wall of the Community Shop (by the door to the hall), while in Albourne there is one inside the primary school, in the gym of Wickwoods Country Club (up Shaves Wood Lane) and one mounted on the outside wall of Albourne Village Hall, to the right of the entrance doors. Not all of these will be available 24/7 but the outside ones listed (pictured) should be.

All of the machines are portable and contain full instructions, but why not give yourself a head start with an online tutorial? The Resuscitation Council (UK) has produced plenty of information to help us all learn more about what to do in these dramatic and highly pressured times, should we find ourselves involved. You can watch videos and play interactive games to increase your understanding. You can even download an app - see www.resus.org.uk/apps/lifesaver for more information.

Please give it a go. If you have any information about changes to these defibrillators, then do please let us know, so we can update our knowledge for next time.

Hurst Open Gardens seek new participants

By Prue Heron

Open Garden will take place on Sunday 16th June, 1pm to 5.30pm, providing you with all the treats you have come to expect from Hurst Open Gardens – including that hidden-away oasis of peace, the majesty of a manicured lawn, views to die for, flowers of every variety – with plenty of locally grown plants to buy for yourself. There’ll be tea and home-made cake, entertainment to soothe you, stalls with local goodies and much, much more.

We have had a wonderful response for our call for gardens but need a few more to complete the event. If you’re thinking you’d like to but are unsure, then one of our last year’s gardener’s comments should reassure you: “I am an enthusiastic and seasoned punter of Open Gardens events across Sussex and Hampshire. They are always an inspiring and motiving celebration of people’s outside personal spaces shared for the joy they bring and for charitable ends. I fought my imposter syndrome which questioned whether my 10m by 7.75m north facing back garden with challenging clay soil was worthy or sufficiently interesting and, setting aside my doubts, agreed to take part. The bubble of chatter from the constant flow of visitors snaking to and from the garage all afternoon dispelled any misgivings I may have had. It was lovely to take part and maybe my garden has inspired you.”

Bakers – we welcome your home-made cakes with open arms – ditto gardeners with plants to spare – they really help swell the final coffers – all of which go to our local St Peter and St James Hospice.

We’d love to hear from you. Please phone Prue on 07769 904724/01273 835064 or email on prueheron@ gmail.com. Contact details are also on our website and FB page. Keep an eye on both for regular updates about the event, including tickets information. www.hurstpierpointopengardens.co.uk

Hurst & Sayers Common Parish Council News - April 24

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Are you interested in local nature?

Save the Date - Annual Parish Meeting Tuesday 21 May

We know many of our residents, value and want to protect nature and the countryside. The theme for this year’s Annual Parish Meeting will therefore be “Beyond Your Doorstep: Discover the Hidden Nature in our Parish.”

We have some interesting speakers booked and we have invited our local environmental and wildlife groups to have stalls. Come and find out about Hurstpierpoint and Sayers Common’s swifts, barn owls, frogs and other resident wildlife and what you can do to encourage and protect them.

If you are part of a local group and would like a (free) stall at this event, please contact the Parish Office.


To read the full newsletter click the images to enlarge them, or pick up a copy of April’s Hurst Life and turn to page 14.

Mid Sussex District Council news - April 2024

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Funding available for energy efficiency upgrades with the Warmer Homes Programme

The Warmer Homes Programme offers significant funding of up to £25,000 for various energy-efficiency upgrades like insulation, air source heat pumps, and solar PV panels, all aimed at lowering your energy bills and keeping your home comfortable year-round. This opportunity is available until March 2025, so take advantage of this chance to strengthen your home against weather extremes and reduce your carbon footprint.

By joining the Warmer Homes Programme, you not only enhance your living conditions but also contribute to a more sustainable future. Get in touch now to see if you are eligible, and to experience increased comfort, lower energy costs, and a greener community. For more details and to see if you are eligible, please visit www.warmerhomes.org.uk/programme or call the team for free on 0800 038 5757.

To read the full newsletter click the images to enlarge them, or pick up a copy of April’s Hurst Life and turn to page 30.

Recommendations to visit Hurst Library

Book review - Bullet Train by Kotaro Isaka

By Clair Stanton

Onboard the Bullet Train heading from Tokyo to Morioka are five killers with their own personal agendas who spend the journey trying to outwit one another. The train makes very few stops and is sparsely occupied, making the characters’ movements through the train a balancing act as they try to conceal their activities whilst avoiding alarming the other passengers. (Which makes Brad Pitt a surprising choice to play the lead in the film version!)

A suitcase of money, an unlucky assassin, and a criminal obsessed with Thomas the Tank Engine are just a few of the elements involved, so it’s fair to say that this is not a very realistic thriller: but it rattles along at breakneck speed and it’s a fascinating glimpse of a Japan far away from the clichéd image of geishas and cherry blossoms.

Are you taking part in the West Sussex Libraries Reading Journey 2024? As March’s theme is ‘A bump in the road: a book about travel’, this title will fit. Pick up a copy on your next visit to Hurst Library, there will be copies on display throughout March.

Easter services across Hurstpierpoint & Sayers Common - 2024

Christians and churches across Hurstpierpoint will join together on Good Friday at 10.30am for a Walk of Witness, which will start at South Avenue.
You would be warmly welcome to join us for this, or for any of the services taking place across the village during Holy Week.

Holy Trinity Church

www.holytrinityhpp.org High Street, Hurstpierpoint. 01273 835109 - hurstparishoffice@gmail.com

25th, 26th and 27th March
7.30pm – Holy Communion during Holy Week

Maundy Thursday – 28th March
7.30pm – Sung Eucharist for Maundy Thursday

Good Friday – 29th March
12-2pm - quiet time and space for prayer and reflection on the journey of the Cross. Please come and go as you please, in quietness.
2pm - Last Hour at the Cross

Holy Saturday – 30th March
7.30pm – Easter Vigil

Easter Sunday – 31st March
8am - Easter Communion – a simple said service
9.30am – Easter Communion – a sung service with choir
11am – Easter Celebration Communion – a beautiful service for people of all ages, with songs and activities for children, followed by an Easter Egg Hunt

Good News Church

www.goodnewshurst.co.uk 149 High Street, Hurstpierpoint. David Lowries - david@goodnewshurst.co.uk

Easter Sunday – 31st March
10.30am - Easter Sunday Family Service

The Parish of Albourne, Sayers Common and Twineham

Contact: Rev Rachel Cornish - rev.rachelcornish@gmail.com. You can also find us on ‘A Church Near You’

Monday 25th March
4pm - Evening Prayer at St Bartholomew, Albourne

Tuesday 26th March
4pm - Evening Prayer at Christ Church, Sayers Common

Wednesday 27th March
4pm - Evening Prayer at St Peter, Twineham

Maundy Thursday – 28th March
7pm - Holy Communion at Christ Church, Sayers Common

Good Friday – 29th March
11am - Morning Service at St Peter, Twineham Holy

Saturday – 30th March
10-11.30am – Messy Church with crafts and fun for children at Christ Church, Sayers Common

Easter Sunday – 31st March
10am - Parish Eucharist at St Bartholomew, Albourne

Hurstpierpoint & Sayers Common Parish Council news - Feb 24

We need you!

The Mid Sussex District Plan proposes to more than double the number of existing dwellings in the immediate area through the addition of nearly 4,000 new homes. Mid Sussex District Council (MSDC) is currently reviewing the Mid Sussex District Plan that was adopted in March 2018.

In accordance with legislation and national policy the Plan must be reviewed every five years and updated as necessary. In December 2022 the Parish Council commented on the first draft of the revised District Plan published by MSDC and those comments can be found on our Hurst Life website here.
This Plan if enacted will radically change the nature of our parish. We would urge all residents and interested local groups to take the time to respond before the deadline of 23rd February.

The MSDC website address is www.midsussex.inconsult.uk/districtplanreg19 where there is an online questionnaire, but you can also email: policyconsultation@midsussex.gov.uk or write to Planning Policy, Mid Sussex District Council, Oaklands, Oakland Road, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH16 1SS. You can also contact the Planning Policy Team by telephone on 01444 477053.

Comments may carry more weight if any criticism of aspects of the plan is accompanied by suggestions of positive alternatives.

More information on the detail of the Plan and the likely response from the Parish Council (as well as the rest of their newsletter) can be found on the images provided - click to enlarge, or inside February’s issue of Hurst Life from page 28.

St Lawrence Fair weekend 2024 picks a green theme

By Lona McDonald

We’re looking forward to a fabulous St Lawrence Fair weekend this year - keep the date free, the Fair will be held on Saturday 6th July, with many of the usual events leading up to it. Follow us on social media, and also our website, to keep up to date with all the latest news: www.stlawrencefair.co.uk

Following our AGM in October, we would like to welcome back many of our previous committee members who are staying with us for another year, extend a very warm welcome to our new committee members and offer heartfelt thanks to our outgoing committee members who have put in so much over the last few years to make the Fair the success it is.

We’re very happy to confirm that the Executive Committee for 2024 are unchanged, and planning is already underway for this year’s events:
Co-Chairs: Nic Stenning and Rachael Babister
Treasurer: Simon Winnard
Secretary: Lona McDonald

The Fair is organised by a small committee of around eight volunteers, with a few additional non-committee volunteers, without whom we couldn’t do what we do. As always, we would welcome anyone who would like to get involved and to any extent - from helping to put posters up to advertise events, to being more involved with any of our sub-groups or helping out on the day… and many other things. If you would like to find out more, drop us an email at stlawrencefair@gmail.com - we’d love to hear from you!

And finally…after a broad public poll and a vote which included representatives from many of the groups who regularly enter our procession, we’re thrilled to announce the theme for 2024... HURST GOES GREEN. This can be anything from sustainable living, nature and eco-friendly activities to literally anything green: Shrek, green fruit and veg, Kermit the Frog…the list goes on…we look forward to seeing how creative Hurstpierpoint can be with this!

For those of you joining us at our fundraising quiz on 9th February, we look forward to seeing you there - and if you’re not able to join us, we will be holding another fundraising event in the next few months - thank you for your support!

Mid Sussex District Council news - Feb 24

We have advanced to the next stage in our District Plan making process

Mid Sussex District Council has given the green light to the latest stage of its District Plan, marking a major milestone in the plan-making process. The Regulation 19 submission draft, enhanced with key additions and protections based on community feedback, is now open for public consultation.

This achievement is the result of months of hard work and collaboration with various stakeholders, including invaluable input from local communities. Robert Eggleston, Leader of the Council, emphasised that reaching this stage has been challenging but underscores the hard work and compromises made by everyone involved.

The new District Plan aims to protect the local area while meeting the needs of the population, both now and in the future. The Mid Sussex District Plan 2021-2039 sets out a visionary framework, outlining the vision, strategy, and policy framework for the District until 2039. It also commits to essential policies and environmental protections for climate change and biodiversity in all new developments.

To find out more about the District Plan and the intricacies of the plan-making process visit the Mid Sussex District Council website and search ‘District Plan’. This also includes links to the Regulation 19 Consultation which runs from 12th January to 23rd February.

Mid Sussex District Council has also made a short video explaining why The District Plan is important for the future. The video makes it easier to understand the process of creating the plan and how it benefits the District’s future. To find out more and view the video, visit: www.midsussex.gov.uk/districtplan

To read the full newsletter please pick up your copy of Hurst Life today and turn to page 24, or, click the images provided to enlarge them.

January's listings for Hurst Village Cinema

By Mike Thatcher

Thanks for your continued support of the village cinema and I hope you find something in January’s films to suit you.

We start on Thursday 11th at 8pm with Freemont (12A, 91 mins). Donya, a former translator for the US in Afghanistan, now works for a Chinese fortune cookie factory in San Francisco. In a moment of sudden revelation, she decides to send out a special message in a cookie, which is not without its consequences. It contains perhaps one of the best off-screen sound effects I have ever heard (you’ll know it when you hear it) and Gregg Turkington portrays possibly my favourite movie shrink ever. A charming, wry, thoughtful and funny film.

Then on Friday 26th at 8pm we screen Shiva Baby (15, 77 mins). ‘Painfully funny’ is all too often used for comedies but it absolutely applies to this film. College student Danielle attends a Jewish funeral service with her family and is seemingly judged whichever room she enters; whilst being outshone by her ex-girlfriend she also comes face-to-face with her sugar daddy and his family. Each room brings a new set of unpleasantries which ramps up our levels of buttock clenching. Shiva Baby is a comedy that feels both universally relatable in its depiction of awkward family dynamics and very specific to Danielle’s experience of watching her sex life collide with her religious community. It is no surprise to learn that it is largely autobiographical for first-time director Emma Seligman, as it feels very personal and real; a cultural comedy that is imminently relatable to everyone. And very funny.

Finally, we show The Great Escaper (12A, 97 mins), starring Michael Caine, on Sunday 28th at 3pm. Based on a true story about pensioner Bernard Jordan who, in 2014, absconded from his care home in Hove to attend an event in France marking the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings. It was a story that captured the imagination of the world; Bernie seemed to embody the defiant, ‘can-do’ spirit of a generation that was fast disappearing. Glenda Jackson’s last performance before she died and Michael Caine hinted it would also be his last offering and they are both superb in this. A moving and surprisingly nuanced drama offering far more than flag-waving nostalgia. On paper The Great Escaper looks like the softest of tearjerkers, but Caine’s performance and an unsentimental script, lends it unexpected gravitas.

Tickets from www.hurstfilms.com or at Mishon Mackay.

Brighton Consort in Hurstpierpoint

By Mike Clemens

Brighton Consort, directed by renowned singer and conductor Greg Skidmore, will be returning to Hurstpierpoint in January with their latest programme of early choral music entitled “Double or Nothing – Renaissance music for double choir.” Among the many fascinating innovations in choral composition that took place during the 16th and 17th centuries, one of the most striking was the development of music written for two separate choirs. Many skilled composers of the period wrote musical lines for two groups of singers that swirl and interweave in quite complex ways, but at times come together to act like blocks or pillars. In their concert, Brighton Consort will present music by Allegri, Palestrina, Victoria, Monteverdi and others - all written in this compelling way for at least eight separate voice parts. The performance of this fascinating music will take place on Saturday 27th January at 3.00pm in Holy Trinity Church, Hurstpierpoint. Tickets (£12, concessions £6, under 12s free) and can be purchased online via the Brighton Consort website (https://www.brightonconsort.org.uk/), by ringing 01273 833746 or on the door.

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