Hassocks Life

Mid Sussex District Council September newsletter - 2024

Four Mid Sussex District Council parks receive coveted Green Flag Award


Mid Sussex District Council is delighted to announce that four parks in the District have received Green Flag Awards after achieving an international quality mark for parks and green spaces. Beech Hurst Gardens and Victoria Park in Haywards Heath, St. John’s Park in Burgess Hill, and East Court and Ashplats Park in East Grinstead, in collaboration with East Grinstead Town Council and East Grinstead Memorial Estates, have been officially recognised as some of the country’s finest parks.

The news is testament to the hard work and dedication of the team that care for the green spaces in the District so that visitors and residents alike can enjoy them. Councillor Chris Hobbs, Cabinet Member for Leisure and Customer Services, said: “We are thrilled that four of our parks have received the Green Flag Award. This award highlights the hard work and dedication of our team who ensure our parks are well-maintained and enjoyable for everyone.
“It is wonderful to see our green spaces recognised as some of the best in the country and we are committed to keeping these parks beautiful for our residents and visitors to enjoy.”

The Green Flag Award scheme, managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy under licence from the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, recognises and rewards well-managed parks and green spaces, setting the benchmark standard for the management of green spaces across the United Kingdom and around the world.

To read the full newsletter, pick up your copy of September’s Hassocks Life today or click the images to enlarge them.

Catch up with Hassocks Goes Gold events this September - 2024

By Rachel Bartlett-Bundy

By the time you read this, the Giant Gold Bow Trail will be up! Other gold events in September include:

• The Parklands Road Art Exhibition is on all month. Come and see the wonderful dragon art poster competition entries from all ages, displayed in the windows of the generous residents of Parklands Road.
• Make sure you get your Dragon Poster! Only £1 from QD Stationery.
• Saturday 7th from 2pm to 3.30pm; Rockin’ Paul Going Gold will perform a selection of Rock’n’Roll, Rockabilly, Country & R&B hits outside 34 Fir Tree Way. Bring a chair or blanket to sit on the lawn!
• Saturday 7th from 2pm to 2.45pm; Parent & Child Yoga class from CJ Yoga at Profiles Health & Beauty (£15 per pair. Contact cjyoga@yahoo.co.uk to book).
• The Golden Gala on Friday 27th is now sold out! We look forward to our annual Golden Gala, a fabulous, themed quiz night including live jazz, pudding auction and raffle at The Hassocks Pub.
• HCO Village Market at Age Concern on Saturday 28thSeptember from 9am to 12.30pm. Don’t miss our crafts stall, soft toy tombola and the ever the popular alcohol tombola.
• Facebook Daily Auction, with different new items and services each day on a 24-hour rolling auction. Bag a bargain and raise funds for children’s cancer at the same time. New auctions start at 8pm every day!
• Follow HassocksGoesGold on Facebook or Instagram: Join in the fun! Keep up with the various gold events, news and bid on the other auction prizes!

If you can donate new items or services for the auction, please contact Rachel on hgg@pearlpower.co.uk to help raise funds. All donations to www.justgiving.com/page/hgg2024 Volunteers and helpers are always welcome. Please email!

August 2024 | Hassocks Parish Council News

LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO DO OVER THE SUMMER HOLIDAYS?

Come and play tennis at Adastra park community tennis courts

To Book visit https://clubspark.lta.org.uk/AdastraPark/HowToBook


The Role of a Parish Council on Planning Matters

The role of the Parish Council in planning, is to represent local views; drawing on local knowledge to raise areas of concern, inform, debate and add value to the process. Parish Councils are what is known as statutory consultees in the planning process. They must be informed of all planning applications and any amendments to those applications, within the parish. However, it is the local planning authority which is responsible for the majority of planning matters and makes the final decision on planning applications. The planning authorities for Hassocks are Mid Sussex District Council (MSDC) and the South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA).

The Parish Council (PC) can only comment on planning applications in the same way as members of the public. Any comments submitted by the PC must be agreed during a publicly called Parish Council meeting, which in the case of Hassocks, is the Parish Council Planning Committee. Hassocks PC Planning Committee meets on a Monday evening at 7.30pm (with the exception of Bank Holidays) every three weeks throughout the year; the date of these meetings and agendas are published on the Hassocks Parish Council (HPC) website and noticeboard. The meeting minutes are also published on the website. HPC endeavours to publish the agenda for forthcoming meetings of the Planning Committee at least five days in advance of the meeting date to allow members of the public time to comment on any applications on the agenda, in writing or at the public meeting.

Members of the public are welcome to attend all HPC planning meetings and have the opportunity to speak on any application which is included on the agenda for that meeting. There is a designated Public Participation period of fifteen minutes in total for this purpose, prior to the Committee considering applications. Once the Committee proceeds with considering applications, no further public participation is permitted other than if invited by the Chair. However all members of the public are very welcome to stay and observe the Committee’s deliberations. Comments agreed in the council meeting are then submitted in writing by the Parish Clerk to the relevant planning authority for consideration.

Prior to the meeting, members of the HPC Planning Committee review all documents online detailing each application on the agenda. These documents are available to view through visiting the relevant local authority website planning pages, which can be accessed via the links below: MSDC - https://www.midsussex.gov.uk/planning-building/view-and-comment-onplanning-applications/

SDNPA - https://www.southdowns.gov.uk/planning-applications/find-an-application/

To read the full newsletter, please click the images to enlarge them or pick up your copy of August’s Hassocks Life.

Hassocks Goes Gold poster competition - 2024

competition winners

By Rachel BartlettBundy

What a wonderful response to the Hassocks Goes Gold poster competition this year! The 2024 theme of Gold Dragons has really captured the imagination of our local artists! Don’t miss all 157 entries displayed in the month-long Parklands Road Street Exhibition in September. The winners and runners-up listed below will all be featured on the shiny Gold poster available to buy from QD, the Hassocks Market and door-to-door from our wonderful volunteers – do let me know if you’d like to help out on your street! Look out for Taylor’s entry on the cover of next month’s Hassocks Life magazine.

• Pre-School Winner: Nell Milton, with Runner-Up: Rocco Gratton
• Hassocks Infants Winner: Quentin Browning, with Runners-Up: Max Leighton Griffiths & Theeran Mohanaraj
• Windmills Junior Winner: Luna Woodbridge, with Runners-Up: Maisie May Smith & Theo Emmett Bloomfield
• Downlands Winner: Taylor Radmall, with Runners-Up: Erin Poat & Dexter Carmichael
• Adult Winner: Kelly Woodbridge

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By Rachel BartlettBundy

Hassocks Goes Gold returns for September 2024, but the fun starts now! This year’s theme is dragons! We are kicking off with the annual drawing competition for the gold poster, open to all ages! Adults included. Who doesn’t love a dragon? Be they f ierce, fire-breathing ferocious beasts jealously guarding their shimmering treasure or their cuter, animated, magical, guardian spirit cousins, there is a dragon to suit every mood!

Draw your very own dragon or colour in the pre-printed one… In September, winners from each age category will receive fabulous prizes, and feature on the Hassocks Goes Gold poster! Plus, all entries will be included in the annual Parklands Road Art Gallery.

Entries must be on official entry forms, available to download on the Hassocks Goes Gold Facebook page, via the village schools or in good old-fashioned printed paper form from QD Stationers! The deadline for entries is Friday the 5th July.

But, of course, it’s never just about the poster! The Sunflower Competition is on right now and, in September, the sponsored trail of Giant Gold Bows will be back, along with the ever-popular daily Facebook auctions, the village market craft, face painting and tombola stalls, as well as the Golden Gala finale extravaganza on Friday the 27th September.

The #PearlPower fund for research to fight childhood cancers stands at nearly £105K. It’s a fantastic achievement and we’re so proud that it has already funded two new research projects, but there is so much more that needs to be done, and so much more awareness that needs to be raised.

September in Hassocks is all about gold, it’s all about raising awareness and research funds for the Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group, it’s all about Community Fun and this year it’s all about dragons! Find out more: www.facebook.com/groups/hassocksgoesgold/

Americana and Ale Festival in Hassocks hosts local and international artists

Americana and Ale Festival

This year’s Mid Sussex Americana and Ale Festival has a particularly strong community focus on the Sunday. Jim Walker says: “Our local lucky charms, Hassocks very own The Self Help Group are back to charm you all, with their unique and captivating songs.”

Local musician and radio presenter, Ben Featherstone will perform some of his well-known songs, and an exclusive album preview of his new album,‘Tomorrow’s Heart’. Jim Walker says: “Expect heartfelt lyrics, a strong stage presence, and a unique fingerstyle guitar playing.” Featherstone has previously shared the bill with renowned artists such as The Libertines and Guy Garvey, and will be joined on stage by musicians who have performed with some iconic acts. Jim Walker elaborates: “This performance is particularly special as Featherstone rarely plays live with string players, especially those that are usually reserved for the Albert Hall, making it an event not to be missed at 4pm on 25th August.”

Hassocks name, Ian Roland, will appear as a trio with Dave Coomber on bass and James Chapman on drums. Listen out for The Equatorial Group from Eastbourne and Tapes for Diane from Brighton. In addition, Trevor Moss and Hannah-Lou are making a very welcome return from Hastings; the duo have released five critically acclaimed studio albums.

Some international artists are coming from much further away! Ashley Campbell and Thor Jensen form a unique meeting of musical genres. Jim Walker says: “With Ashley coming from the world of country and Americana and Thor having a diverse background from rock to gypsy jazz, they create a fresh sound as a duo.” Mid Sussex Music & Ale Festival takes place on the 24th and 25th August. The doors open at 2pm to 11pm each day. Tickets available at: thehassocks.co.uk

Hassocks history: the Turners of Oldland

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By Richard Ware

The Oldland farm estate and its restored windmill look out over Keymer from the greensand ridge. For over 300 years, ‘Oldland’ belonged to nine generations of one family, the Turners, originally from Horsted Keynes.

Little is known about the first two generations, but in the third generation, Thomas Turner acquired many other farms and mills in the area, becoming the highest-rated local landowner by 1621. His son, Richard, acquired a coat of arms and rebuilt the Oldland mansion in brick. Subsequent generations dissipated the wealth, selling land and taking on debt to fund their gentry lifestyle. They quarrelled about money, on several occasions taking family disputes to the Court of Chancery in London.

By the 1820s, the remaining estate was heavily mortgaged. The last Turner, another Thomas, struggled to make a living. He leased a sheep farm at Sompting, which failed because of falling agricultural prices, then worked as a land agent for the Marquis of Bristol in Suffolk, and later became clerk to the trustees of the workhouse at Firle. However, he also found time to play cricket and give evidence to a House of Lords committee. Along with his cricket scores, some of his letters survive, recording his marriage to one cousin and a bitter dispute (over a horse) with her brother.

Only after his mother’s death in 1847 could Thomas afford to live at Oldland. He finally sold it and moved to Tunbridge Wells in 1863, but as a parting gift, he paid for a stained-glass window in Keymer Church, commemorating ancestors who had lived in Keymer since Tudor times.

All about Age Concern Hassocks

Deirdre Huston popped into Age Concern to chat with Assistant Centre Manager, Lindsey Fitch, about what’s on at this village hub.

Newcomers to the village may not be aware that we have a thriving Age Concern centre off Dale Avenue, near the small green and the high street. Lindsey explains: “We try to tell people we’re here, but, unfortunately, because we’re tucked away, sometimes people miss us, or they don’t realise how much happens here.” For over thirty years, the centre, which is run by a local independent charity, has been helping older people in this area.

Lindsey says: “Our aim is to improve the lives of older people in Hassocks and the surrounding villages by providing a caring and friendly environment for all.” Every weekday, the dining room caters for both regular and occasional visitors who enjoy a homecooked three course meal for only £7. We ask people to book in advance or up to 10am on the day they wish to dine with us. We also run a Minibus on a Tuesday and Thursday picking up from Hassocks and the surrounding Villages. Lindsey says: “Lunch is a delicious experience which our clients enjoy very much.”

The friendly, welcoming day centre lunches are aimed at clients aged 55 plus. However, anyone can drop by to have a browse in the shop or purchase a hot or cold drink and a slice of homemade cake. The coffee shop is open from 9am to 3pm from Monday toFriday and 9am to 11.45 on a Saturday. The terrace and Community Garden help provide a relaxing space where people can enjoy being outdoors.

The centre offers outings to places like Birling Gap and One Garden at Stanmer. “Those two outings are very popular, and people seem to really enjoy them,” says Lindsey.

Some services are run by independents who make a small charge. You must book, directly, in advance for the hairdresser, chiropodist, massage, reiki and reflexology. There is no need to book various sociable activities which aim to improve the quality of people’s lives, including Chair Yoga on a Friday morning, Chair Pilates and Tai Chi on a Monday afternoon. The Tuesday Art Club offers people the chance to get out and be sociable. Lindsey says: “You bring your own artwork, in any medium, and then you can relax and enjoy making art in company.”

Hassocks Village Market and the Repair Shop are usually held at Age Concern on the 4th Saturday of each month. “Market Day is very good for us,” says Lindsey, “as it draws people here to see what else we offer.” She explains: “We would like people to see us as a community hub which has lots of other things going on, too.”

The centre has a light, well-sized charity shop to help raise funds. They are now holding a rummage sale every other month, with the next one on July 13th. Lindsey says: “The rummage sale offers us a last-ditch attempt to shift good quality stock and clothing from the shop, which we would prefer to sell rather than recycle.”

Prices are very reasonable with most adult clothes for one pound and children’s clothes for fifty pence. There is also a quality rail, where items are individually priced. “Those items are still a bargain,” says Lindsey, and adds: “We hope to welcome you to Age Concern soon.”

Join Marvellous Makers at Hassocks Library this summer

Do you know a child aged 4–11 years? Why not encourage them to take part in the 2024 Summer Reading Challenge, Marvellous Makers, at the library in the village?

The fun starts on Saturday 13th July. It’s free to join the library and free to take part! The challenge is to choose and read some amazing library books over the holiday.
Children also receive a fab fold-out poster and scratch-and-sniff stickers to track their progress. The more they read, the more exciting rewards they will receive! There are fun activities in the library too, including a character hunt with a prize draw.

Those who complete the challenge by Saturday 14th September are rewarded with a medal and certificate. There’s even a mini challenge for children under four years old! To find out more, watch our Marvellous Makers video and sign up for the challenge at https://arena.westsussex.gov.uk/src

Mid Sussex District Council July update - 2024

WORK WITH US!

These are exciting times in Mid Sussex. Our focus is on creating a place where everyone who lives and works in Mid Sussex can thrive. We have ambitious plans to ensure we achieve this vision, and we welcome driven, motivated and forward-thinking individuals, to join us in delivering outstanding services. We are especially looking for a Senior Planning Solicitor, but all our vacancies can be found by visiting: https://www.midsussex.gov.uk/job-vacancies


To read the full newsletter please pick up your copy of Hassocks Life or click the images to enlarge them.

Hassocks National Garden Scheme Trail 2024 - Sunday 23rd June

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By Jane Baker

This year, the Hassocks National Garden Scheme Trail is on Sunday 23rd June, from 1 to 5pm.

The trail is unusual because there are three very different gardens, a stretch of ancient woodland plus allotments, all to explore on a walkable trail. The best place to start the trail is at the popular Parklands Road Allotments, almost hidden down the end of Parklands Road. There are spectacular views across to the Downs towards Jack and Jill Windmills. Following the map, you walk through the ancient woodland to Lodge Lane where there are three gardens to visit, plus refreshments.

The wonderful wildlife/cottage garden at Lodge House is tucked away. As expected, it is not manicured, but there is much to see and discover! Nearby is The Old Thatch, a gem of a cottage garden boasting some spectacular sweet peas. Over at 5, Ewart Close, there is a mix of planting plus the opportunity to discover how the family is attracting and supporting hedgehogs.

We appreciate being able to have the teas at St Edward’s Church on Lodge Lane, provided by volunteers from Woodlands Meed College for young people with special needs. You can, of course, visit St Edward’s Church, for your teas and cake several times. If you cannot visit the trail, then why not support the college and nip along for a social visit and teas?

The National Garden Scheme has just won a gold award at Chelsea Flower Show. The NGS supports nursing, caring and community charities such as Parkinson’s, Marie Curie, Macmillan. In fact, the Hassocks Community Garden at Age Concern received a grant from the NGS in support of their community involvement. We look forward to seeing you on the Trail.

Mid Sussex District Council June update - 2024

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WORK WITH US!

These are exciting times in Mid Sussex. Our focus is on creating a place where everyone who lives and works in Mid Sussex can thrive. We have ambitious plans to ensure we achieve this vision, and we welcome driven, motivated and forward-thinking individuals, to join us in delivering outstanding services. We are especially looking for a Senior Planning Solicitor, but all our vacancies can be found by visiting: https://www.midsussex.gov.uk/job-vacancies


To read the full newsletter please pick up your copy of Hassocks Life or click the images to enlarge them.

Cuckfield Music Festival 2024

Cuckfield Music Festival 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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Cuckfield Music Festival 2024

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

Keymer and Hassocks Cricket Club news

By Frank McCabe

Wherever you may go in the UK, amateur sports teams share the same problems. Up and down the country at cricket grounds large and small, the same sounds can be heard at this time of year: the scowl of the groundsman as he issues grim warnings about “the amount of rain we’ve had”. The cries of a newborn child, which means a star batsman won’t be available this season. And the creaking of ageing backs that haven’t been tested since the end of September.

The increasingly unpredictable climate is a recent addition to the list of difficulties. Last year we endured the wettest March since the 1970s, and yet only two summers ago we went an unprecedented eighteen consecutive Saturdays without a drop of rain. Our lives are busier than ever, so getting eleven grown men to commit seven hours of their weekend to what is (when all’s said and done) a game, is proving increasingly hard.

Cricket is under pressure in schools (it needs a lot of land and a lot of equipment), which means the pipeline of players into local clubs has shrivelled.

And yet, we’re still here. While we can’t be complacent about our continued ability to overcome these hurdles (the nearby cricket club at Clayton folded a few years back), Keymer and Hassocks has shown remarkable resilience in its 124-year history. The club is a member of the Sussex League, the largest cricket league in the world with 330 teams competing in 34 divisions, so there is plenty of local competition for the best players. In fact, there are a few ‘away’ games this season that we could walk to if transport is scarce.

Our club, like all the others, survives because of oldfashioned selflessness. The willingness of individuals to contribute to a collective, unpaid and often unthanked. In a world that is becoming increasingly individualistic, amateur sport is a beacon of generosity and altruism. Long may it continue, come rain or shine. We hope the future custodians of the club will be wrestling with the same problems – and a few new ones no doubt – 124 years from now.

Mid Sussex District Council May newsletter 2024

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

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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 Hassocks Life.

Hassocks Goes Gold Sunflower Competition 2024

By Rachel Barton

We are delighted to announce our 5th annual Hassocks Goes Gold Sunflower Growing Competition. Could you be the lucky winner of the tallest or prettiest sunflower in 2024?

The competition is open to all ages and to anyone living in Hassocks. Also eligible are any children who attend a school in Hassocks (whether they live in the village or not). We encourage entrants to plant sunflowers in front gardens if possible so that Hassocks residents can enjoy the flowers. Many thanks to our sponsor Matt from Maple Leaf Gardens who has generously agreed to support this competition again.

To enter, post your sunflower photo (and sunflower height in centimetres if entering the tallest sunflower category) on the Hassocks Goes Gold Facebook page or email to sunflowers4hassocks@gmail.com. The closing date is 24th August. Winners will be announced on 1st September to mark the beginning of Hassocks Goes Gold month. Good luck!

Tips for successful sunflowers!
By Matt of Maple Leaf Gardens

• Plant outside six inches apart for smaller varieties, 12 for larger
• Plant one to two inches deep
• Protect from frost, if forecast, and slugs (use grit, strulch, coffee grounds, and secateurs!)
• Sow in nine cm pots in greenhouse or cold frame to get a head start and greater protection. They can be potted on once more before planting out
• Choose a sunny position, water regularly and feed with tomato feed
• Stake securely especially for tall varieties
• Seek out orange and red varieties for something a little different

Local Hassocks dads start up Tennis Tots

Tennis Tots

Hurst resident, and LTA level 3 tennis coach, Joey de la Nougerède wanted his daughter Evie to start tennis as soon as she was steady on her feet. Joey looked around for a tennis toddler session and, finding nothing, invited some of Evie’s friends and invented some fun, racket-themed games; and so Tennis Tots was born.

Fellow Tennis Tots dad, David Keenan from Sayers Common, persuaded Joey to run a Sunday session in addition to the existing Monday group, and with David’s help, the session has grown to 20 children by word of mouth.

David and Joey have now taken the plunge, formed Tennis Tots Ltd. and booked the Triangle for three 45-minute sessions starting on Sunday 7th April. David commented: “Seeing the children improve week on week is really heart-warming. My daughter Ella always comes out with a beaming smile on her face.”

Parents Charlotte and Nick have brought their four-year-old, Lennon, to Tennis Tots for two years now. Charlotte says: “It’s a real community feel; all the parents are part of the session, and we have all become friends.” Joey describes tennis as a ‘gateway sport,’ where cognative and motor skills can transfer easily to other deciplines including football, cricket, golf and hockey.

Tennis Tots are offering two free sign-up sessions for local residents with children from age 14 months (must be walking) to seven years in a fun, happy environment, with all rackets and equipment provided.

Mondays: 11.15am at the Weald Tennis Club in Hassocks.
Sundays: 9.15am, 10.15am, and 11.15am at the Triangle in Burgess Hill.

For more information see: www.tennis-tots.com

Hassocks Junior Football Club supports The Street to School project

Hassocks Junior Football Club - provides footballing activities to over 300 youth players from Hassocks and the surrounding communities - recently donated all their previous football kit to children and young people in Ghana, Africa. The Street to School project where football plays a big part for children in helping them access education and healthcare is called Akwaaba Volunteers. Gordon Macleod and his family, who live in Hassocks, personally delivered the kit on behalf of the club.

Akwaaba Volunteers have been operating in Ghana since 2016, working with over 1000 young people and families in the local community. Jordan Palmer, cofounded the project, said, “Our main aim is to Brighten the future of the next generation, alleviate poverty and create better opportunities in life for underprivileged children and disadvantaged communities in Accra.” The project gives children and young people who want to play sport access to education, health care or good nutrition.

One of the Hassocks Juniors U14 football coaches took five large bags of kit out to the project in Ghana, thanks to the BA Community Branch who provided free excess baggage. Gordon also offered some training and support to the under 13s team and coaches while they were out there. This was a great opportunity for junior footballers in Accra to learn from a junior football coach from the UK, but also for the coach to learn from them. Coach Gordon said: “I was inspired by the skills, quality of play and dedication of these young footballers, who appreciate every opportunity they get to play football.”

He also found it moving to see how much the young people appreciated being given a kit and wanted to acknowledge the important work done by the project and co-founders King Boateng and Jordan Palmer who give children in poverty opportunities to learn and thrive through playing football. He comments: “It was also great for coaches and players back in Hassocks to see their kit go directly to the children who need it most. The kit was so popular that even children who don’t currently play football wanted to join in so that they could also have their own Hassocks football kit!”

Hassocks Junior Football Club Chairman, Stuart Doyle says: “Everyone at Hassocks Juniors is very proud of the work that we do as a club and it’s great to see disadvantaged children like those attending the Akwaaba Volunteers project benefitting from football.” He adds: “We would like to thank coaches, parents and players for their kind donations of kits and boots.” To find out more about Akwaaba Volunteers and the street to school football project, see: www.akwaabavolunteers.org.uk – If you would like to support a child through sport and education (£12 a month) you can contact the project founders via the website.

An update from Hassocks Community Organisation (HCO) - March 2024

Our valiant Trustee, Jonathan, recently had the tough job of paying a visit to the new management at the re-opened Greyhound Inn, ostensibly to tell them all about the Village Discount Card scheme and to persuade them, like many other traders in the village, to sign up.
Whilst enjoying their warm welcome, he was quite surprised to hear from the new landlords that despite having been Hassocks residents for many years they had never heard of HCO!

So, we clearly need to communicate more! But first, just a few more words about our very successful Village Discount Card (VDC) scheme. This was introduced several years ago as a gift to Supporters and had two primary objectives;
1. to encourage villagers who would like to support HCO and our many activities by signing up as regular Supporters.
2. by encouraging Supporters to shop locally we help maintain a lively and successful High Street, which will be to the benefit of all of our villagers, particular those who find it difficult to shop elsewhere.

We now have approximately 160 paid up HCO Supporters and would love to see some more growth in this number, after all, our population is fast approaching 9000! So please do spread the word and encourage friends, family and neighbours to join up. It really is very simple now and can be done on-line easily and quickly on the HCO website. We even have a few Supporters who don’t live in Hassocks but still support us so they can enjoy the benefits of the VDC offers. Subscribe online at www.hassockscommunity.org.uk/subscribe

CONTACTS:
Volunteers’ admin: volunteers@hassockscommunity.org.uk or 01273 846481
Supporters’ admin: togetherwithhco@hassockscommunity.org.uk or 01273 846841
General questions: enquiries@hassockscommunity.org.uk or 01273 844920 www.hassockscommunity.org.uk – A registered charity, number 1183097

To read the full article, please pick up a copy of March’s Hassocks Life today and turn to page 20.

Hassocks history - Parklands Road

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By Jonathan Taylor

‘Parklands’ was the name of a small estate with a large villa fronting Keymer Road, on the site now occupied by the forecourt of National Tyres and Autocare. Parklands Road was built along the western edge of the estate from which it takes its name. However, when it was first built, Parklands Road was called Bonchurch Road. The name was changed in 1907, after owners and occupiers of the road petitioned Keymer Parish Council. It’s not clear why the road was named after Bonchurch, a village on the Isle of Wight, nor why people objected to the name.

It is sometimes said the road was built to house those constructing the London and Brighton Railway, which opened in 1841. In fact, it appears to have been a speculative investment, and the road was not actually built until the late 1870s or early 1880s. At the time, Parklands was owned by James J G Saunders (1833-1889), a Brighton councillor, builders’ merchant and contractor. It is therefore possible that the road was built by Saunders; if not, it must at least have been built with his involvement. The first tenants were typically tradesmen: builders, painters, plasterers, and carpenters – the sorts of people who would have been Saunders’ customers and subcontractors.

Bonchurch Road and Woodsland Road were the first purely residential roads to be laid out in Hassocks, which until then had comprised little more than Keymer Road and the Station Approaches. Initially, terraced houses were built only on the east side of Bonchurch Road. The houses on the west side of the road were not built until about 1900. In the 1950s, the road, now called Parklands Road, was extended further south (where there had been allotments) and then east to join Windmill Avenue, to complete the road we know today.

Lack of drainage was a major problem on Bonchurch Road. The residents relied on cesspools, which required regular emptying, and frequently overflowed. It was reported to a Local Government Board Inquiry in 1896 that ‘the contents of [the cesspools] had to be carried through the houses [in Bonchurch Road] when emptied. If such an arrangement were continued, sooner or later a serious outbreak of fever might occur …’.

The problem was eventually solved by installing a proper system of sewers in Hassocks. This sewerage scheme was authorised in 1899 and completed in 1901. In the April 2023, Hassocks Life featured the sewer vent pipe on Lodge Lane in a local history article; that pipe would have been part of this scheme. Perhaps Bonchurch Road was renamed Parklands Road to disassociate it from the unsanitary conditions that had existed before the sewer system was installed.