Hurstpierpoint Village Voice

The new edition mentions Open Gardens on June 8 which last year raised an amazing £6,500 for St. Peter & St. James Hospice; a lovely interview with my friend and neighbour Diana Mason, and welcome to Susan Eskdale, the new Manager of Hurst Festival who has recently joined the team. The list at the end of each edition of Hurst Life gives information about regular and new meetings of all sorts.

Parish Council news pages:

VE Day 80th Anniversary: Some of our High Street shops are displaying information on the lives of the people whose names are engraved on our war memorials. In Sayers Common, seven people died in the Second World War, and in Hurstpierpoint eighteen people died. We continue to be grateful for their service and bravery. The bunting is up over the High Street to help to commemorate VE Day.

No Mow May: The Parish Council is leading by example and leaving some areas of lawn at Court Bushes unmown to provide the maximum benefit for butterflies. I am doing the same in my own garden, and am getting used to the dandelions and daisies which are, actually, very pretty flowers in their own right!

Annual Parish Meeting: Tuesday, May 13, 7 pm, Village Centre. This year’s theme is ‘Living Well: What is available in our community’. It will include short talks from local health and wellbeing services, clubs and businesses.

And thanks to the Community Charity for a generous grant to upgrade the number of fire doors in the Village Centre. Three new sets of doors ensure that the building is safe for us all.

HOLY TRINITY CHURCH: the interior has been a bit gloomy for some time as the high level lighting has deteriorated steadily. But new lighting is being installed and the building is now bright and welcoming. The church is open all day every day. Everyone is welcome to the building, just to sit in the peace and quiet, and of course to attend services. Details of all services are on www.holytrinityhpp.org.

FRIENDS OF WOLSTONBURY, May 21, 7.30 pm, Village Centre: Talk by Chris Horn on the History of Devil’s Dyke, plus short Annual General Meeting.

HURSTPIERPOINT HISTORICAL & GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY: Friday, May 30, 7:30 pm at Guide HQ. Please note this is a change from the talk previously advertised elsewhere - “Stories from the Sussex Downs” A talk on unusual historical aspects of the South Downs. These include the Home Guard Cavalry, a college for lady gardeners, ploughing matches and much more. The speaker is Ian Everest. Admission for non-members £4.00.

‘BEFRIENDED: MAKING A DIFFERENCE ONE SMILE AT A TIME’ (What an amazing description of our wonderful local organisation.) Befriended is absolutely delighted to bring the community choir to Holy Trinity Church in Hurstpierpoint for the summer term! Starting on Tuesday, April 29 and then every Tuesday afternoon from 2-3.30pm in the lovely Long Glass Room, this is the perfect opportunity to come together, enjoy the joy of music and make new friendships. And of course, we’ll have tea and cake. Everyone is very welcome.

RECYCLING: A very helpful piece of information from Claire Richard who reminds all gardeners who are starting to get outside to work in their gardens and buying plants to make them look good. Those plastic plant pots are not recyclable in a household blue bin, but they can be. Gather them together and pile them all up, and when going to Burgess Hill drop them in to B&Q who do recycle them, and they take them coming from any garden centre or supermarket. There is no collection bin, just hand them to an assistant.

THE WOODLAND FLORA AND FAUNA GROUP’S website which is www.thewoodlandfloraandfaunagroup.org.uk has very encouraging and fascinating information about conservation of bats, barn owls, dormice and other creatures, their habitats, diets and behaviour. Thanks to Michael for this excellent update on the nature that surrounds us.

EARLY EVENING MUSIC IN HOLY TRINITY: On Saturday, May 17, the acclaimed Blue Cafe Trio with Magdalena Reising, Terry Seabrook & Shane Hill, whose performances sell out wherever they perform. The spring season ends with ever popular Simon Anckorn and Michael Dolovich, on two pianos, on 21 June. You can book ahead, which is helpful to the organisers in order to stock the bar, but please just turn up if you feel like coming out on an early Summer evening. £8 per head, doors open 5.30 pm. [email protected].

HEBER OPERA, next production is Verdi’s King for a Day (Un Giorno di Regno, in Italian, though Heber always sings in English. May 25 in the Village Centre. It’s a comedy that takes place in a single day in baronial castle and is lots of fun. Unusually in opera, no one dies! Tickets from www.ticketsource.co.uk/heberopera or by phone on 07867 975967.

Thank you for reading this column.I am so glad when people take the trouble to tell me that it is useful to them. If there is anything that you would like included, just let me know. It is also available online on www.yourworldnet/sussex/west-sussex/mid-sussex.

Please keep the information coming so that I can keep people in touch with what is happening. It’s particularly useful for people who don’t use social media or the internet.