Hurstpierpoint

Saturday 8 December, Hurst Traders Christmas: 3 to 7 pm in the High Street. Come and support our wonderful traders and stock up for Christmas! All sorts of enjoyable events including Santa’s Grotto, carol singing, a Live Nativity in the Bus Shelter (if you feel like dressing up as a shepherd, an angel, or a king, do please come along and join in at 4 pm.

Saturday, 15 December, 6 pm to 7.30 pm, West Gallery, Holy Trinity Church: ‘The Bunch of Daphs’ is a wonderful singing group directed by Daphne Elston, who will entertain us with a wide range of music, some of it Christmassy! £5 per head, pay on the door, but if you can let me know that you’d like to come, we can put out the right number of chairs and stock the bar! [email protected], or 01273 835113. Licensed bar.

‘Winning the Peace’: Kevin Carey’s play for this year’s Hurst Festival played to full houses during the Festival. The play received a grant from the EU Europe for Citizens Programme. This encourages participation from schools, youth groups and community organisations, to discuss the play and the issues raised in it. The play records the meeting of the War Cabinet at Danny House in Hurstpierpoint in October 1918. Please contact Kevin if you would like him to talk to your group. 01273 835113 or [email protected].

Reverse Advent Calendar Scheme: Christmas is coming, but for some families it is a struggle to manage the additional demands on income. The churches and other groups in the village are organising a ‘Reverse Advent Calendar’ scheme again this year. Just find a box, and put an item into it every day during Advent (December 1st to December 24th). Non-perishable food (tins and packets) plus other items including toiletries, will be very welcome. See a longer article in Hurst Life for more details. The contents of the boxes will be given to two charities - Family Support Work and Off the Fence – which support people in need. Gifts will be distributed very soon after Christmas when budgets have often been stretched to the limit. Please phone me on 01273 835113 or email [email protected].

November 30 to December 9: Hurst Players Pantomime, Beauty and the Beast. Earlier this year with various start times and dates. Tickets available online at www.hurstplayers.org.uk or in person on Saturdays from the Players Theatre Box Office from 10 am. to 1 pm. Adults £10, under-12s £6, family £28. Always very popular, so get your tickets now!

Wednesday January 2nd and Wed January 9th. 8 pm., Players Theatre: Reading and Auditions for ‘Rope’ by Patrick Hamilton (one-time resident of Hassocks). This play, written in 1929, is fundamentally a murder mystery, encompassing elements of class and psychological distinctions. Noel Coward it is not! Two Oxford undergraduates plot and carry out the murder of a third student. The audience know very early on what has happened but the mystery lies in the behaviour and reaction of the murderers and their party guests – one of whom smells the proverbial rat!

Players – 6 men, 2 women ages 20-50+. The ages are merely a guide, don’t be deterred if you don’t quite match. We are always keen to hear from people who prefer the backstage side of things – do come along if you would like to know more about how you can get involved. Any queries – please call Jo Kearns 01273 834200. Performances 2 – 6 April 2019.