The Repair Café in Hassocks relocating in January 2023

By Juliet Merrifield, HKD Transition

From 28th January, the Repair Café will be relocating to the Age Concern Centre on Dale Avenue. Along with Hassocks Village Market, we’ll be part of a new village hub and we hope to see lots of people there.

You can bring items for repair between 9.30-11.30 am. We can usually complete simpler repairs that morning by 12.30pm, and more complex tasks can be taken home by our repairers for pick up later. No need to book, but if you’re not sure we can work on something, do email or message us on Facebook.

The Repair Café’s second year was very successful, with many more items brought for repair: a grand total of 246 assorted hedge trimmers, toasters, radios, clocks, vacuum cleaners and jackets, shirts and coats needing zips and buttons. There were also some more unusual items successfully repaired: a 60-year-old doll missing an arm, a raclette grill, a violin, a 70-year-old leather holdall, a small wooden box with a ‘magic’ closure and a toy rabbit that had been chewed by a puppy.

Thanks to generous donations we covered all our costs and ended the year with a small surplus. Our amazing and talented repairers achieved an 80% success rate – not everything is repairable but we can have a go and more often than not we can get things fixed. We can also offer advice on items that you may be able to fix yourself or refer you to professionals who can help with things that we can’t.

We’re always keen to recruit new repairers to keep up with rising demand so if you’re good at fixing things, whether electrical items, sharpening tools, sewing zips or other more specialist items please do contact us at repaircafe@hkdtransition.org.uk.

Mid Sussex Applauds recognise The Monday Group in Hassocks - 2022

The Mid Sussex Applauds Awards 2022 took place on Sunday 20th of November, showcasing the amazing people, groups and organisations in Mid Sussex.

The ‘Take Pride in Mid Sussex’ category recognises residents who dedicate their time and energy into keeping Mid Sussex clean and green, take pride in their local area by creating community gardens, painting local spaces, upcycling or encouraging others to recycle. Dedicated Hassocks volunteers at The Monday Group were joint winners of this category, which was sponsored by ID Verde.

The Monday Group is made up of volunteers who build and maintain stiles and other wooden structures on public rights-of-way across the district and wider afield. In 2021 there have been 227 jobs completed including 73 stile repairs and 33 new stile, 56 clearance jobs and seven gates. Their work helps to open up access to nature and the outdoors, allowing many people who would otherwise struggle to enjoy the exercise and fresh air. Many of you will have walked on the extremely helpful new wooden walkways between Hassocks and Ditchling, or sat on one of their benches, climbed one of their stiles, or walked through one of their gates, such as the new kissing gate near Parklands Copse.

The Monday Group were also delighted to have been chosen as winners of the Peer Nominated Award. A nominator said: “The stiles are always well-finished, the work is done neatly and without fuss. Everyone who walks locally has occasion to grateful to this group.”

The Hassocks Village Market moves to Age Concern's car park from Jan 2023

From January 2023, Hassocks Village Market will be at a new site.

For twenty years, the market has been a familiar sight every month on the forecourt of National Tyres Centre, but now it is moving! Market Manager, Catriona Hawksley says: “A big thank you to the National Tyres Centre for hosting us. We’ve had lots of different managers and staff, and they’ve always been very supportive.” Catriona explains: “For a while, there’s been a lot of uncertainty about the market’s site because it might be developed at some point, so we’ve been on the look-out for somewhere new.”
She continues: “We’ve had lots of friendly talks with local charity, Age Concern, and we’re really excited to be moving the market to the Age Concern car park.”

The new site will have more space which will enable the market to include more stalls. But that’s not the only advantage! Catriona says: “The new site will be less noisy because it’s away from the road, making it a more pleasant and sociable shopping experience, more conducive to people meeting and chatting with friends.” All the usual stalls will be there: look out for fresh vegetables, meat, a bakery, cheese, beer, cakes, chocolate, plants, chutneys and jams, Middle-Eastern inspired foods and salads, Rushfield’s pies and sausage rolls, homemade soaps and natural cosmetics.

“We are hoping there will be more craft stalls too, such as jewellery and homemade candles,” adds Catriona. This is very much a local market. “Many of our stallholders live or produce their goods in Hassocks, while others are from nearby villages or towns.”

Local charity, Age Concern, will have their shop open and they will have their own stall. Market visitors will also be able to purchase hot drinks and light refreshments from their café.

The first Hassocks Village Market at the new site will be on 28th January from 9am to 12.30pm and thereafter on the 4th Saturday of the month, as usual. Why not go along and show your support?

A great fixture result for Hassocks FC this Boxing Day - 2022

Hassocks Football Club

By Scott Mccarthy

Boxing Day football is one of the great Christmas traditions in the United Kingdom. And yet it is one Hassocks has been starved of since 2018 thanks to the Southern Combination League fixtures computer giving the Robins a run of three December 26th away days in a row. Which is why there was such excitement when the 2022-23 schedule came out and the Beacon was given a Boxing Day game to host.

Crowds are always large and the 11am kick off time means that everyone attending can be back home by 1pm, having got some much needed fresh air (and hair of the dog from the Robins’ Bar if required) before round two of turkey, sprouts and the rest commences.

The other reason why non-league football on Boxing Day is so popular is because fixtures are reserved for local derbies. That added spice of friends playing each other on the pitch, colleagues supporting different teams from the sidelines and bragging rights up for grab will warm up even the coldest December morning.

Hassocks against Burgess Hill Town games on Boxing Day are the stuff of legend. When the Hillians won promotion to the Isthmian League, the Robins against St Francis Rangers became a staple of festive football with entertainment always guaranteed. In more recent times, Hassocks have taken on Haywards Heath Town over the holiday season. With no other Mid Sussex club in the Southern Combination Premier this season, it is Steyning Town who will provide the Boxing Day opposition. Geographically this may not be much of a local derby, but the two have frequently swapped players and managers in the past for there to be enough of an edge to the fixture. The similarities between the clubs provide another layer of intrigue. Both have struggled over recent years until this season, when both appointed new managers who have transformed their team’s fortunes to the point that both are eyeing up a top five finish. All the ingredients are there for a classic Boxing Day spent watching non-league football. It would be great to see you at the Beacon enjoying it.

Hassocks welcomes Sawai Thai Massage to the High Street

Say hello to Sawai Thai Massage

Sawai Khampha came to visit a friend in Hassocks and noticed there was no Thai massage shop here. She’s lived in Rottingdean for about four years, and says, “I was driving to London to work, and my husband complained he never saw me!” She spotted an empty shop she thought might be suitable. She says: “I talked it over with my husband and we decided it was a good idea.” She says: “The people in Hassocks are very friendly. I’ve chosen the right place!” At the end of November, another masseur will join Sawai’s team which means they can do a couple’s massage if people want treatments at the same time.

Sawai was born in Thailand. She completed a training programme in Thai Massage with the Union of Thai Traditional Medicine Society and The Association of Traditional Thai Reflexological Massage. Her grandfather was a masseur, and she wonders if this influenced her to take up the profession. When she first came to England, around 2003, she continued training, and achieved a Level 3 Certificate Diploma in Massage Therapy and a Diploma in Pregnancy Massage from the Fami Hair and Beauty Institute. “I love this job,” says Sawai, and adds: “In the beginning, I trained to help my husband who had back ache: he was a paramedic who did lots of lifting, and then, one day, he couldn’t get up.” She helped him recover and he now works in A&E in University Hospitals Sussex. Once he was better, Sawai wanted to use her skills to help other people. “People come in with different problems, such as back pain, sciatica or migraines.” Sawai looks forward to looking after everyone in Hassocks.

Hassocks Parish Council shares a community survey

What is the Hassocks Priorities Statement?

Hassocks Parish Council spent many years producing a Neighbourhood Plan which was finally agreed in 2020. That Plan was based on consultation carried out with the community between 2014 and 2016 and a lot of things have changed since then. For instance:
• We have left the European Union and seen some of the implications of that decision;
• Hassocks has grown and is continuing to grow with new residents joining our community;
• We have had a pandemic which significantly affected all our lives, and in some cases permanently changed the way we live and work;
• We are all more aware now of the climate and biodiversity crisis and some of the actions we can take to effect and adapt to that; and
• We now have the cost-of-living crisis and the prospect of a recession.

In the light of all these changes the Parish Council wants to update its understanding of the priorities that the community has for the parish of Hassocks (including Keymer and Clayton). However, it does not think it is the right time to review the Neighbourhood Plan itself as making the Plan was a very lengthy and costly exercise. Furthermore the current planning system is in flux both nationally and locally which increases the risk of any Plan we produce becoming out of date before it’s even finished.

Instead, we have taken up one of the ideas in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill currently going through Parliament to produce a Neighbourhood Priorities Statement. This is a much simpler document that can be produced far more quickly. It can also cover a significantly wider remit than just planning and include everything that makes Hassocks the place that it is. A Priorities Statement does what it says on the tin - it sets out what a community thinks are the most important issues for its area and how they should be addressed. This will then inform the Parish Council’s work plan and how it spends its resources. It will also guide how it responds to consultations by other organisations and will help those organisations understand what Hassocks residents and businesses need and take that into account when providing services and facilities.

You can help us by completing the paper survey in this magazine (Hassocks Life December 22) or online. This survey asks:
1. What do we want Hassocks to be like in 10 years’ time? (The Vision) and
2. What are the most important issues for our area and how should they be addressed to achieve this vision? (The Priorities).

Hassocks Neighbourhood Priorities Statement

For further details and a link to the online survey please see www.hassocks-pc.gov.uk If you have a smart device, you can also scan this QR code below to complete the survey electronically. Alternatively key in (or click) this link into your browser: www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/HLNRR99

Collect up your stamps for Cats Protection

Cats protection stamp collection

One local lady is carrying on her collection of charity stamps. Stella Law explained: “Christmas is a time when we particularly receive more cards and letters than normal, and so it’s a great time to remind your readers that there is something positive that stamps can be used for, after their initial purpose in the post has been fulfilled.”

Stella (aka Stella the Stamp!) collects stamps from ones and twos, right up to whole sackfuls. “I can take any stamps really. The format of the stamps changes in January, making the old ones obsolete, but I can still take these for the funds I collect for. In these most difficult times that we find ourselves in, every little helps.”

Money raised for the stamp collections goes to the local branch of Cats Protection, based at Cuckfield Cattery. Following the closure of Nationwide building society branches in Hurst and Hassocks, a friend of Stella’s in the area, has offered to be a collection point for charity stamps at 2 Dale Terrace in Hassocks. You can also take stamps to Stella direct (Stella the Stamp, 17 Barnard Gate, Balcombe Road, Haywards Heath, RH16 1PQ) or to Cuckfield Cattery (Deaks Lane, Cuckfield).

Finding the elves on shelves in Hassocks again this December 2022

Marchants Estate Agents Elf on a shelf

By Bennita Adair George, Marchants Estate Agents

At Marchants, we are thrilled to once again be bringing the elves back to Hassocks High Street this December! Raising money for St Peter and St James Hospice is the main aim, but the event does so much more than just fundraise. It adds a sense of Christmas joy to the school walks home, evening dog walks or even daily commute.

Our local stores here in Hassocks have served the community with smiles and open doors for many years, especially in the hard times, and it is great to unite and welcome a bit of lighthearted fun!

Each elf will be hiding in the shop windows, just follow the elf trail and donate your £1 at the final point to be entered into the prize raffle! Elf trail maps can be collected outside Marchants Estate Agents from 1st December.

Hassocks Parish Council - Community Consultation

Priorities Statement - Hassocks Parish Council

Hassocks Parish Council is preparing a ‘Priorities Statement’ that will explain the important issues for the residents and business of Hassocks, Keymer and Clayton over the next ten years. It will use this Statement to inform its own work plan and its consultation responses to the reviews of the Mid Sussex District Plan and the South Downs Local Plan.
You can help us make this Priorities Statement as accurate as possible by:

Priorities Statement - Hassocks Parish Council

  1. Attending one of the virtual workshops on the 15th November 2022 (see second picture)

  2. Competing the survey that will be in the December copy of Hassocks Life. This can be done via a link or QR code, or as a hard copy by posting it into the Parish Council’s letterbox.

  3. Attending a drop in session on Saturday 18th February 10am-1pm at Adastra Hall to see the results of the survey and have the opportunity to discuss how the Priorities Statement should reflect local views.

To read the full council announcement please click to enlarge the pictures or pick up a copy of November’s Hassocks life.

Energy saving tips from Community Energy Fair at Adastra Hall, Hassocks

Community Energy Fair (organised by HKD Transition) was well-attended in Hassocks in October. These tips were shared there.

Ten easy things that cost nothing and save a bit

1.     Avoid standby – switch off at the plug items like DVD players, TVs, phone chargers, printers that are not in constant use.  The Centre for Sustainable Energy calculates that ‘a typical household could save between £50 and £90 a year just by remembering to turn off appliances left on standby’

2.     Turn off lights in rooms not being used

3.     Turn down radiators in rooms not being used

4.     Keep your central heating thermostat around 18-21 degrees.  Turn off heating at night and when you’re out

5.     Keep your fridge around 3-5 degrees and defrost regularly (the ice makes it work harder to keep things cool)

6.     Wash laundry at 30 degrees except for bedding and towels (the NHS advises washing these at 60 degrees)

7.     Fill the kettle with only the amount of water you need to use

8.     Have showers rather than a bath and keep them short

9.     Close curtains at night

10.  Set up an outside clothesline or indoor drying rack (put this in a room that’s not being used, near an open window, and close the door to the rest of the house)

Low cost DIY energy saving that also keeps you warm

Look for cold air coming into the house and fill the gaps:

o   Draught-proof windows and doors with foam strips or brush strips – but remember your home needs some ventilation so don’t seal kitchen or bathroom windows. Read about options here - Read about options here: https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/advice/draught-proofing/  

o   Make your own draught excluder for outside doors https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqPcDkAJVbM

o   Fit a cover to your letterbox

o   Buy a chimney balloon to stop losing warm air up the chimney

o   If you have a condensing combi boiler you can safely turn down the flow temperature to save gas (instructions …)

Hassocks Life recycling guru Colin McFarlin

Low cost energy saving measures

o   Replace old lightbulbs with LED

o   If you have single glazed windows add another layer – plastic film is cheap and available

o   If you have cold floors carpet or rugs can help, and often are available cheaply from charity shops and Freegle

o   Get a warmer duvet for winter

o   Put reflective panels behind radiators

o   Consider using an electric room heater if you only need to heat one room at a time

o   If you have a hot water tank make sure it has a jacket on to keep hot water hot

o   Get a slow cooker and/or a microwave, which are cheaper to use than an oven

 Energy saving actions that cost more but also save more

ü  Insulate loft, walls, floors if you can.  A quarter of household heat is lost through poorly insulated lofts and roofs and a third through uninsulated walls

ü  Double or triple glaze all windows

ü  When your boiler needs replacing consider options like a heat pump that save energy long-term. Good review of options here: https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/energy-at-home/heating-your-home/

ü  When you need to replace failing appliances look for the most energy efficient models (e.g. A***); these may cost more upfront but will save you money over their lifetime

Help and advice for energy saving

Financial support – National programmes

Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme - If anyone in your household is receiving benefits your energy company is obliged to install energy efficiency measures.  Contact your energy supplier and ask what help they can provide through the Energy Company Obligation (ECO).

Warm Home Discount Scheme - £140 off energy bill for those on low income or in receipt of the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit. www.gov.uk/the-warm-home-discount-scheme

Flexible Home Improvement Loan (FHIL): a loan for homeowners aged 60+ to improve the warmth, comfort, condition, safety or security of their homes. See www.fhil.org/

Financial support – Local programmes

Warmer Homes programme available across West Sussex with the aim to improve the energy efficiency of low income and low energy performance homes. More information here:  https://www.warmerhomes.org.uk/about

Energy advice

Find Ways to save energy in your home – an online government resource to help you identify home improvements that can save energy and keep you warm: https://www.gov.uk/improve-energy-efficiency

Useful websites:

Energy Saving Trust - https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/energy-at-home/

Low Carbon West Oxford - https://www.lowcarbonwestoxford.org.uk/energy-use-at-home/

West Sussex County Council, Solar Together group buying scheme for solar panels and batteries - https://solartogether.co.uk/westsussex/home

 

Adastra Park says goodbye to our last DownsFest - 2022

By Michelle Binks, organiser

It is with great sadness that I announce that DOWNSFEST will not be held again. The DownsFest ambition was to bring entertainment to the community in a festival environment supporting local acts and giving the opportunity of a ‘Glastonbury’ experience whilst raising funds for St Peter and St James Hospice. DownsFest is a self-funding scheme and was run by a core team of three, who have collectively dedicated over 3,100 hours of their own time, planning and organising the 2022 event.

In 2019, the festival ran at a loss but we decided to try once again, as well as fundraising for St Peter and St James Hospice. In 2019, we gave £1,000 to the hospice and this year we managed to raise funds to pay for a days’ nursing at the hospice. DownsFest fixed costs were over £30,000 to put on! Sadly, the ticket sales failed to cover these costs. We had some great sponsors but not enough for such a big undertaking. We did not take any payment for our time, in contradiction to some online rumours.

We did extensive research in the area and DownsFest was one of the cheapest events to attend in the locality, especially with the full day on stage performances and circus programme once inside. We have realised we have achieved something amazing with DownsFest 2022. And we got some great feedback from our festival goers this year.

I am so proud and sincerely grateful to all the help and support given by my DownsFest team: Kelly and Nick who were my backbone, and to Sarah as stage manager and Phil, music director and photographer Chris. Also, thank you to all the volunteers that helped over the two days.

Hassocks community supports Kangaroos childrens' charity

By Sue Anson

On the 2nd of July, we had our Jubilee Street party for the Hassocks community, which took place in Friars Oak Road outside of St Francis Church. The garden was a children’s zone with a bouncy castle, craft, and garden games. The church was transformed into a lovely cream tea venue. The main hall was a dedicated area for babies and toddlers. We set up tables in the closed off street, covered in union jack tablecloths and adorned the street with bunting. We had water pistols, hula hoops and skipping ropes for the children as well as some wacky races organised. The raffle, with its great prizes, drew a big crowd. Music was provided by the church band and the local ladies’ choir. There was a fancy-dress competition. We had a BBQ that ran all afternoon, salads, cakes, and puddings galore for people to feast on. Over 400 people attended in the glorious weather.

We didn’t charge but asked people to donate. Because of everyone’s generosity and, after our minimal costs were covered, with so much of what we provided being donated, we managed to raise £1,560 for charity. This is a phenomenal amount and an amazing bonus for a great day. We have chosen Kangaroos this time as our recipient, a local children’s charity who work with disabled young people. We have presented them with a cheque for £780. The other £780 will go towards our parish’s community work such as the food bank, youth work, our Cameo and Hug in a Mug groups. We want to say a huge thank you to everyone who came and contributed in any way. We can’t wait for the next event!

Adastra Hall is looking for volunteers from the Hassocks community

Adastra Hall

By Chris Hobbs, Chair, Hassocks Community Association, Adastra Hall Management Committee

Long-standing residents of Hassocks will remember the concerted effort of Hassocks Community Association members in the early 80s to raise funds to get Adastra Hall built. A village lottery? The lottery ticket box on Orion Parade? Hassocks Fayre? Well, the team did it and 35 years ago, thanks to a great village effort, in 1987 Adastra Hall opened. Fast forward to today, and the hall is more popular than ever. All three rooms - the Main Hall, the Green Room and the Committee Room are in regular use for music lessons, group and club meetings, art classes, exercise classes, family parties, blood donor sessions, Jazz shows - you name it, and Adastra Hall can host it.

Running the hall is the ‘hobby’ of a volunteer management committee of seven, led by new Chair Chris Hobbs, who is now looking for additional support. The group meets monthly for a business meeting, then work continues in between sessions with each person taking a specific project forward. Already this year, the team has installed free Wi-Fi, replaced all the lighting for LED, had the floor re-varnished and launched a new website at www.adastrahall.com

On the project list are new hall curtains, new stage curtains, a revamp of the “Green Room” and much more... But to keep the hall going and make it the best it can be, the Committee are looking for three new volunteers - someone to help manage the property task list, someone to help develop the community clubs the hall runs, and someone who has project management skills to help lead a potential front-of-house refurbishment in 2023.

Do you have some hours to spare and want to give something back to the community? In the first instance, drop Chris a line - chris.hobbs@adastrahall.co.uk to find out more.

Adastra Bowling Club is visited by Chelsea Pensioners

By David Reader

Wednesday 20th July will live long in the memories of the members of Adastra Bowling Club following the visit of the Royal Hospital Chelsea (Chelsea Pensioners). They arrived at Hassocks Parish Council offices having travelled from London by luxury coach. They disembarked and clothed themselves in their famous scarlet tunics and marched at ‘pensioners’ pace’ to the bowling green.

A number of Hassocks residents turned out to watch them and gave them loud applause as they marched past them. They were warmly welcomed by the Adastra Bowling Club president Barbara Hornby and members of the club. After a photo, they were served with tea and biscuits before changing into their bowling attire. The gentlemen’s changing room inside the Pavilion looked quite spectacular with the scarlet tunics neatly placed on their own wooden clothes hangers.

The game result was an honourable draw and the pensioners also congratulated the green keepers for such a wonderful surface. Following the game, a few drinks were consumed and quite a good social atmosphere created. The 53 portions of fish and chips arrived on time thanks to the hard work of Ilker and all his staff at Hassocks Fish & Chips and the visitors said how much they had enjoyed their day out in sunny Hassocks.

A cheque for £200 was donated to the Royal Hospital Charity, which was gratefully received. After a very enjoyable day, they returned to London, but not before they issued an invitation to Adastra Bowling Club to visit the Royal Hospital on a date to be arranged in 2023.

Hassocks flooding and how you can help

By Juliet Merrifield HKD & Fred Maillardet HCO

Are you thinking of paving your driveway or front garden? Did you know that rainwater running off your driveway or paved front garden may contribute to flooding in Hassocks?

Global warming is now recognised to be leading to more erratic weather patterns with more extremes of heat and rainfall expected in the UK. Hassocks has suffered from surface water flooding in recent years, the cause being twofold:
1. Heavy rain swells the flow in the chalk stream tributaries entering the village from the South Downs, and this can overflow the banks when it becomes excessive, particularly just above Spitalford Bridge.
2. Surface water draining from any hard surface will settle in the lowest adjacent area if not conducted away via the local underground drains. But remember that drains in Hassocks were built many years ago and were not designed to cope with increased rainfall.

The first of these can be substantially reduced if not eliminated by natural flood management techniques like the ‘leaky dams’ on the two main tributaries which are slowing the flow of water into the village. However, the second would appear to be increasing in frequency and severity due to the growing number of areas being paved over with non-permeable surfaces, particularly to accommodate parked vehicles outside houses. Such areas are liable to collect pollution including oil, petrol and brake dust which may then be washed off into drains which usually feed into the nearest stream.

Since 2008, planning permission is needed to construct or replace a driveway or patio of more than five square metres unless the materials are permeable. Permeable paving needs no planning permission, the recommended approaches being:
• The use of gravel or a mainly green grassed area with paved or reinforced tracks to accommodate the wheels.
• Directing water off an impermeable surface to a border, rain garden or soakaway.
• Using permeable block paving, porous asphalt or porous concrete constructed over a permeable subbase which could still be hardcore if sufficiently large stones are used to enable some water to be stored as well as passing through to the ground beneath.

The Environmental Agency’s Guidance on permeable surfacing contains much useful information on the options available, and how to accommodate driveway slopes, different underlying soils and maintenance requirements. https://bit.ly/3OHD8lm

Play Days on Tour is coming to Hassocks

The Mid Sussex District Council Play Days on Tour Summer 2022 programme will visit ten locations across the district twice a week throughout the school summer holidays. This programme delivers free activities for children and families, providing a range of activities including music, arts, circus skills and sports. The target age is under 10s but all children and young people can attend.

On Tuesday 26th July, Play Days on Tour will be in Adastra Park from 1pm to 3pm and there will be lots of things to do! Sussex Clubs for Young People will have their purple bus and will offer various arts and games activities. DJ Neel will be playing great music and running DJ workshops. Circus Allstars gives an opportunity to learn new circus skills. Jolf Golf will set up a 6-hole golf park for families to play together. Little Kickers encourage under 5s to have a go at learning some football skills. Poponin, who runs creative clubs and workshops in Hurstpierpoint will offer an art experience. There will be a trail around the park organised by Liz. MSDC Recycling Trail gives families a chance to solve clues. More activities are being added all the time, and if you can’t make this date, remember Play Days will visit other villages in Mid-Sussex, too, so check out the website: www.midsussex.gov.uk/playdays

A history of Oldland Mill in Keymer and two Jubilees

Left: 1887 Mill in celebratory mood Right: 2022 Jubilee Celebration

By Stephen Waite

In the week leading up to the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend celebrations, Oldland Mill Trust volunteers worked enthusiastically to ‘dress’ Oldland Mill, recreating the spectacle of the Mill dressed for the 1887 celebration of the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria.

If you look carefully at the two pictures, past and present, you will notice a number of differences. In 1887 the site of the Mill was devoid of trees, making the mill much easier to operate back then, than it would be now. Modes of transport and costumes also differ. Amongst the people gathered at the Mill in 1887, in addition to the local dignitaries, would have been Jesse Washington White, the miller. Jesse started working at the Mill around 1869, and organised the celebration at the Mill for the 20th June 1887, providing bunting and the large Union Flag affixed to the top of the Mill. Jesse live at the Mill House and died, aged 50, in 1891.

Hassocks Football Club appoints new coach

Hassocks Football Club are delighted to announce the appointment of James Westlake as the Robins’ new first team head coach. A hugely popular figure at the Beacon, Westlake has made 228 appearances for Hassocks across three spells spread over 11 years. He is planning to combine his new role with continuing as a player. Westlake first joined the club in 2010, signed from St Francis Rangers by Mickey Jewell. He was a mainstay of Jewell’s Hassocks side who finished fourth in the Premier Division in 2011-12, the club’s highest ever league position, before he returned to St Francis in 2013. A brief spell with Haywards Heath Town followed before Westlake re-joined the Robins midway through the 2015-16 season to help Hassocks escape relegation in the second half of the campaign under Mark Dalgleish and Phil Wickwar.

Westlake scaled back his football commitments in 2018, to focus on his running career. Two years later, he was lured back to football when appointed assistant manager of Loxwood. When his former Hassocks teammate, Spencer Slaughter, left Plaistow Road in 2021, Westlake soon followed to sign for Hassocks for a third time. The Robins were deep in relegation trouble, but his return helped spark another turnaround to finish 16th, some nine points clear of the bottom two. When the 2022-23 Premier Division season gets underway on Saturday 30th July, Westlake will aim to build on that improved second half of the campaign under his predecessor, Brad Sweetman. He has named Phil Gault and Tom Hughes as his assistants. Hassocks stalwart Phil Wickwar will continue to offer matchday support.

Harmony surrounding Pembury House gardens in Hassocks

You may have glimpsed a sea of snowdrops from the cinder track at Clayton, but did you know those dappled brick paths curve away to a wider secret garden? Or perhaps, thanks to the National Garden Scheme, you’ve been one of those lucky visitors who’ve benefited from a restorative spring visit. Deirdre Huston chatted with Jane and Nick Baker, to find out how they nurtured the gardens at Pembury House into a horticultural haven.

In 1983, they moved to Pembury House in Clayton. It was originally a three-bedroom house with an art déco fireplace in the dining room. “When we arrived,” says Jane, “I used to have terrible nightmares about the weeds whereas Nick saw the house and garden as a challenge.” Over the years, they’ve extended the house, in a style sympathetic to its origins and gardens, including the addition of a Victorian style glasshouse. Nick continues: “In those early days, I could come home and paint in the evenings, but then teaching changed.” Increased administration tasks, demands of parents and continuing governmental changes reduced their leisure time and, in 2006, the couple were pleased to retire. When they moved in, the garden was just mown grass with weed-ridden borders, alongside the cinder track. Over the years, they’ve added more land, making it three acres. The garden has evolved organically. “There was no real plan,” says Jane, ‘’except we knew we wanted to plant trees.” She remembers: “I used to drive to Heathfield and pick up slender tree seedlings or ‘whips’ and bring them home in the back of my orange VW beetle.” They would plant the trees on a Saturday, helped by old university friends. “In those days, in the winter, we’d have worn a balaclava and a woolly hat,” adds Nick. “It was much colder, then.” They planted a mixture of elm, oak, ash, alder, hornbeam and silver birch to create a balanced mixed woodland.

Jane and Nick have been welcoming visitors for 30 years. “Since 1992, when we started opening the garden, we’ve raised a total of £133,247 and there have been 21,624 adult visitors, 940 children and 292 dogs!” says Jane. They opened on the hottest day ever, the year their godson, Louis was born, and they also opened on the coldest day ever, one February! “It’s a lot of hard work just before you open,” says Nick, “so you get very tired.” As well as meeting challenges, they’ve learned how to make things run smoothly. Jane recalls: “The first year, we did the teas and there was parking on the village green. As it grew bigger, more people in Clayton helped, and we raised money for the church roof, too.”

To read more about Jane and Nick’s journey please pick up a copy of June’s Hassocks Life and turn to page 18.