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.

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.

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.

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.

Hurst Players present Red Riding Hood panto this festive season

By Anne Hopper

It’s panto time – “O yes, it is”!! Couldn’t resist that, but perhaps I should have, especially this early in the season! Auditions for the adult cast took place in late August – when few people were thinking of entertainment over Christmas and New Year – but the fairly recent change to autumnal temperatures will soon see the recently appointed cast of children joining the grown-ups now busy learning their lines for The Players’ 2023 pantomime - Red Riding Hood.
The youngsters will ease in gently with an hour of rehearsal each week during November, under the skilled tuition of Annette Squire, joining the adult cast for full rehearsals from December onwards.

Meantime, The Players are busy organising the essential backstage team – we are always interested in welcoming people who would like to be involved, but who shy away from actually performing. If that’s you – why not see what the Players can offer you – and if you would like to know more, do get in touch with us. Once again, the Players’ “panto-supremo” Bob Sampson is both writer and director and he will be happy to respond to any enquiries about backstage work – or help with lighting and sounds for those who love fiddling with switches! Please contact him directly at: sampson.bob@gmail.com. Online bookings open on 25th November but if you prefer to buy your tickets personally come along to the Theatre Box Office on the High Street on any Saturday morning from 2nd December from 10am to 1pm. We’ll have up to date information on booking tickets on the Players website: https://hurstplayers.org.uk/ Please get in touch - but beware of the wolf!

Hurstpierpoint & Sayers Common Council newsletter - Nov 2023

Hurst Meadows Heritage Orchard

Thank you so much to all the local volunteers who came to assist with the raking of the Orchard following the annual cut. This will give the wildflowers and the fruit trees the best chance of flourishing next year. We are delighted that, thanks to the hard work of orchard manager Martin Sadler, Plant Heritage have added our community orchard to the National Plant Collections directory. This reflects the value of this collection of historic Sussex apple trees. Congratulations Martin!



Section 106 Monies / Developer Contributions

Under section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, financial contributions can be sought from developers towards the costs of providing community and social infrastructure, the need for which has arisen because of a new development taking place. This funding is commonly known either as ‘section 106 monies’ or ‘developer contributions.’ The Parish Council will always seek to apply for section 106 funding for local projects wherever possible, and some examples of where we have been successful in doing so recently can be found within this article.

Please click the images to read the full newsletter or pick up a copy of November’s Hurst Life today.

In brief look at Sayers Common history

By Michael Bailey

For many years it might have been thought that Sayers Common sat in the shadow of Hurstpierpoint. Both villages are old, as is apparent from some of the buildings in them, and both for example, record the numbers of residents called for service in WW 1 (in Sayers Common over 50 gave service and 6 never returned). But the main difference between the two until the 1990s was that the road through Sayers Common happened to be the main road between Brighton and London, the A23.

Motorists up to the 1990s will recall driving the single carriage road from Pycombe past the Muddleswood Crossroads (then an accident black spot) then continuing the single line of traffic through Sayers Common to the Bolney Crossroads (also then another black spot!) . With the increasing number of cars and other transport in the 1950s to 1980s the road was very busy and not the ideal place to encourage new residents.

Drone footage over Sayers Common - September 2023

Then, with the construction of the then new road, now the A23, all changed. The road through the village, London Road, is just for local traffic and that almost immediately resulted in the village becoming an ideal location for residential development to satisfy the ongoing demand for new homes.

Berrylands Farm was the first big development and followed by smaller ones until more recently Linden Homes started and continue to build homes on the western side of the village. More are coming off Reeds Lane and according to the Mid Sussex Development plans even more may be contemplated.

In tandem with new housing the recent past has seen the establishing of a special school by LVS, the creation of a thriving Community Shop and one of the largest suppliers of aircraft parts sits on the village outskirts. Many residents will also have benefited from SpaMedica which carries out NHS eye surgery from the Kings Centre.

All this helps Sayers Common to be a pleasant and convenient place in which to live and it emerged from the shadows many years ago. It is now a substantial and growing community in its own right but is the only “Downlands Village” without its own parish council despite having petitioned for one in 2019.

The Village Society (free to all residents) plays a leading role in conserving and enhancing the characteristics of the village and village life and in encouraging community activities while the welfare of the wildlife in the area is fostered by a Flora and Fauna Society.

Hurstpierpoint Advent Calendar 2023

By the Hurst ReThink

Community Join us as we return this year to partake in our village’s Christmas spirit by creating a festive display in your front window. It will need to be visible to the road and passers-by, ready to be lit and unveiled on you allocated advent day, from 5-8pm. All addresses to be lit on 24th December to mark the night before Christmas. Apply with your address and available dates by 27th October to hurstadvent@ gmail.com.

Hurstpierpoint & Sayers Common Parish Council news - October

Learn How to Save a Life - Free First Aid Training

Friday 6th October 6.30pm – 8pm Hurstpierpoint Village Centre Conference Room Would you like to learn how to save a life in an emergency including how to use a defibrillator?

The Parish Council has organised this free training session open to all residents. To book your free place please email or call the Parish Office office@ hurstpierpoint-pc.gov.uk or 01273 833264.

Hurstpierpoint Village Centre

The Parish Council is sole Trustee of the Village Centre Charity and must act in a Trustee capacity when required. This involves having a separate bank account, separate Trustee meetings and filing an annual return to the Charity Commission. The building is owned by the County Council and leased to the Parish Council, so the only function of the Charity is the management of the building and taking bookings. This work is undertaken by the Parish Council staff team and a management fee is charged to the Charity for their time. The Parish Council, acting as Trustees of the Village Centre, are considering dissolving the Charity so that the building is managed by the Parish Council directly. If anyone wishes to comment on this proposal, please do let us know.

To read the whole newsletter please click to enlarge the pictures or pick up your copy of October’s Hurst Life today.

Hurst Cricket Club news

By Rob Sawyer

On 2nd September, Hurst CC had our own version of Super Saturday. The equation was simple: our 1st XI needed a win to guarantee promotion and our 2nd XI needed at least ten points to avoid being one of four teams relegated.

Away at Ifield CC, the 1s won the toss and chose to bat and had a steady start reaching 79/1 in 19 overs. Back at Fairfield things were going to plan. Having won the toss the 2s found themselves with ball in hand and taking regular St Peters wickets, never allowing their batters to gain the upper hand. Once again, and for the umpteenth time, it was Neil Crickmore who did the bulk of the damage, taking four of the top six.

Over at the home of Ifield CC, brows were being mopped and not just because of the intense heat. Almost exactly one year ago we blew our promotion chances on the last day of the season, it was starting to look like history would repeat itself. After Alex Bushell, Jimmy Llyod and skipper Matt Parsons departed, the required acceleration did not go as plan with a clatter of wickets, leaving us at 130/5 in 31 with promotion in the balance. The sound of leather on wood accompanying a late order collapse to 168 all out, not nearly enough.

At Fairfield, there was a collective sigh of relief as St Peters were bowled out for 131, supplying us with the ten points required to guarantee survival. The fact that an eventual ten run defeat was the result was irrelevant and all eyes turned to Ifield Green where the home teams reply started.

We had a great start, Oscar Harman making the breakthrough, then Jimmy Llyod took two quick wickets. Although wickets fell regularly it was looking like we would once again snatch defeat from the jaws of promotion. Step forward Alex Bushell with four wickets. Still, at 130/7, it was in the balance. In the end we did it, winning by just ten runs. Having lost out on promotion in the two previous seasons, the feeling was one of relief more than triumph although that was put aside once everyone made their way back to Fairfield for a double celebration.

All in all, season 2023, the 306th in our long history, was a successful one and as the footballers take over the pavilion and the sight screens and covers are put away, we can look forward with optimism to 2024. Have a great winter!

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