Former Midhurst county councillor Nola Hendon dies after fall

This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement.

Former West Sussex county councillor for Midhurst Nola Hendon has died at the age of 51 after a fall in Minorca where she had lived with her husband Peter Bleach, for the past five years.

Nola was county councillor for Midhurst from 2005-2012 through a turbulent period which saw the setting up of the Midhurst Rother College academy, the fight to save Rogate Primary School and the controversial loss of the county council funded day care facilities at the former Grange in Midhurst.

In 2007 Nola chaired a group set up to look at how dementia services could be developed and improved.

She was the natural choice because both of her parents, George and Eileen, had been affected by the disease.

George had been tournament director of the Eastbourne International Tennis Tournament from 1980 to 2000 seeing Tracey Austin win in his first year at the helm and Martina Navratilova taking 11 singles titles. Nola was always a great supporter of his work.

A by election was called when she announced her decision to resign in July 2012 and move to Minorca with Peter. Town councillors thanked her for her work particularly in ensuring Midhurst became part of the new South Downs National Park and also for working to keeping the new school building in Midhurst.

Nola was also former chairman of the Chichester Conservative Association. Current chairman Robert Searle said: “Nola will be remembered for the notable and dedicated service she provided in public life and to the Conservatives in these roles.”

Don’t miss out on all the latest breaking news where you live.

Here are four ways you can be sure you’ll be amongst the first to know what’s going on.

1) Make our website your homepage at www.midhurstandpetworth.co.uk/

2) Like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/MidhurstandPetworthObserver

3) Follow us on Twitter @mid_pet_obs

4) Register with us by clicking on ‘sign in’ (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here.

And do share with your family and friends - so they don’t miss out!

The Midhurst and Petworth Observer - always the first with your local news.

Be part of it.