Hailsham Town News

HAILSHAM BONFIRE SOCIETY CELEBRATIONS brought spectators from far and wide. For some it has become an annual tradition to come all the way from London to share the occasion with friends and family. Another memorable evening with fire, big bangs and sparkles galore. The torch-lit procession was enjoyed by many people new to the town amazed at the spectacle for the first time. With many visiting societies, marching bands followed by the ceremonial bonfire and grand firework display and this year’s effigy of Prime Minister Andy Burnham, read into that what you will, attracted crowds to the town centre and Western Road Recreation Ground.

This was Hailsham Bonfire Society’s 21st anniversary since reforming in 2005 and is one of the town’s most cherished and most popular traditions.

Street collections during the evening supported this year’s nominated charities, Out of the Blue and Parkinson’s UK Hailsham Branch.

The preparations for this event and the support from wider services to make it the success it is are hugely important and the HCB clean up and reinstatement squads that put the town back together again afterwards such that the following morning no one would be aware of the events of the night before, are owed our enormous thanks.

 THE BLACK CAT FAYRE in aid of the Friends of East Sussex Cat Centre is on Sunday 25 October from 12 to 3pm at The Charles Hunt Centre, Vicarage Field, Hailsham BN27 1BG. There will be all the usual stalls including bric-a-brac, merchandise, cakes and treats, raffle and tombola, refreshments, meat and veggie hotdogs and much more. Entry is 50p or a tin of cat food. Free parking on site. The adoption centre will be closed today.

 HAILSHAM HERITAGE CENTRE MUSEUM closes at the end of October so you only have 2 more weekends to visit this lovely exhibition from 10am to 12.30pm every Friday and Saturday morning until then. It is free and in Blackman's Yard off Market Street behind the Town Council offices in the passage next to Kemer Kebab.

 YOUR LUNCH HALF PRICE if you bring your age 55+ friend along to the Charles Hunt Centre in Vicarage Field car park throughout October. You will need to book in advance on 01323 844398. The Charles Hunt Centre, situated right in the middle of town, is a thriving social club for over 55s. It is a purpose-built community hall and can hold over 100 people.

 HAPPINESS IN MOTION is offering a taster session in Kurling and Boccia at the Charles Hunt Centre on Monday 26 October from 11.15am to 12.15pm. This is a New Age Kurling activities and an indoor adaptation of ice curling. Boccia is a ball game you roll or throw the balls to get closest to the Jack. Alli will be leading these sessions. Members of the Charles Hunt Centre pay just £4, non-members £6. Book your spot on 01323 844398 or pop into the Charles Hunt Centre, in the Waitrose car park, Vicarage Field, Hailsham BN27 1BG. You could book in and stay for lunch too.

 THE HAILSHAM PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY hosted an inspiring tutorial evening led by club member and Kent County Photographic Association Gold Medal winner Jack Taylor. The interactive session focused on image editing techniques using Adobe Lightroom, demonstrating skills applicable across various software programs.

Taylor presented a series of ordinary starting images, including simple wood textures, quiet beach scenes, blurred mistakes and unposed flowers. Members then revealed how they transformed these basic photographs into artistic interpretations. Individual editors explained their creative choices, which ranged from striking black and white conversions to vibrant silhouettes and inventive artificial intelligence concepts. Ordinary snapshots became captivating artwork through creative post-processing. Certain members expanded the challenge by blending multiple images. One technique involved overlaying original photographs onto a plain wall to create realistic gratuity-style digital art. Another creative transformation turned cheerful holiday scenes into dramatic, moody landscapes.

The session concluded with an engaging project centred on a simple brief to photograph a bottle in any style. This task generated remarkable variety among the entries. A debut submission featured fairy lights arranged in the shape of a bottle against a dark background, demonstrating impressive imagination. Another entry captured a unique perspective from inside a glass bottle featuring humorous text. Submissions ranged from minimalist compositions to detailed abstract studies exploring light reflection and refraction.

The evening highlighted the remarkable creative talent within the society and demonstrated how post-processing tools can unlock artistic potential in everyday photographs.

Follow the Hailsham Photographic Society Announcements Facebook page to find out more about its upcoming events or visit the website www.hailshamphotographicsociety.co.uk

 FRIDAY MARKET AND BOOT FAIR runs every Friday and whilst the local field-based boot fairs have finished for the season, this Friday event is attracting more sellers each week as we go into autumn. This boot fair runs all year round on hardstanding and only closes for Christmas week. Buyers can enter from 7am to 1pm at the Cattle Market site, Market Street, along with the Market Café serving traditional breakfasts and light lunches. 

THE ANNUAL FILM POSTER AUCTION at Hailsham Pavilion cinema and live events venue is on Saturday 24 October from 10am. Come and have some fun, bidding for your favourite film posters. They make ideal presents for anybody (and you) who has a favourite film. Catalogues will be available nearer the time, via Hailsham Pavilion website and from the Pavilion Box Office. This is a very popular event, some posters with great artwork can go for pennies and some for a considerable amount, so you could pick up a bargain or indulge. There is always a fun vibe with plenty of extras to pick up on the sales table.

RAILWAY CLUB TABLE SALE is on Saturday 24 October at the Union Corner Hall, Hawks Road, (next to the school) from 2 to 4pm. Come and pick up some bargains, Christmas gifts, pre-loved clothing, household items, plants and lots more.

The Railway Club is an over 55s Social Club held every Wednesday from 10am to 1pm at the old Free Church on Western Road. Tables are £10 bookable by email to [email protected].

HAILSHAM CHRISTMAS LIGHTS SWITCH-ON will be on Friday 27 November. The event will run from 1pm to 7pm, with activities centred around Vicarage Field and Hailsham High Street. The Christmas lights will be switched on at 6pm, marking the official start of the town’s Christmas celebrations.

Residents and visitors can look forward to an afternoon of live entertainment, Christmas market stalls, family activities, festive food and drink, and opportunities to support local businesses and independent traders.

HAILSHAM CEMETERY REFURBISHMENT continues with a focus on enhancing the cemetery chapel and creating additional spaces for remembrance. The next stage will address the building’s interior. The existing pews, which have become unstable over time, will be removed and replaced with modern chairs, providing a more flexible seating arrangement for funeral services and other commemorative occasions.

The interior will also be redecorated and repainted, with new carpeting installed throughout to improve the overall appearance and comfort of the building.

Plans also include the creation of a dedicated remembrance area featuring a Book of Remembrance housed in a bespoke glass cabinet. This will provide a special place for visitors to read and reflect on tributes to loved ones. The chapel’s original historic bell will also be preserved and displayed in a purpose-made glass case, helping safeguard an important part of the cemetery’s history.

The latest chapel works will continue the Council’s commitment to maintaining a respectful, accessible and welcoming place for remembrance.

CUCKMERE BUSES 50TH ANNIVERSARY is being celebrated this Friday 23 October at the Alfriston Hotel. The Mayor of Hailsham, Chris Bryant, will be there among invited guests to celebrate five decades of community transport, recognising the organisation’s vital contribution to connecting rural communities across the Cuckmere Valley and surrounding areas.

Cuckmere Community Bus first began operating in October 1976, following the withdrawal of commercial bus services to several rural villages in 1971. With support from East Sussex County Council and Southdown Motor Services Ltd, a new volunteer-run service was established to help residents maintain access to reliable and affordable public transport.

Initially operating two services between villages in the Cuckmere Valley and Hailsham or Seaford, the organisation ran services four days a week, from Tuesday to Friday. This original pattern continued until 1997, when expansion began to build on the foundations of those pioneering routes.

Today, Cuckmere Buses is a company limited by guarantee and a registered charity, operating a fleet of nine 16-seat, low-floor minibuses across 20 different routes each week. Its service is supported by just under 50 trained volunteer drivers, alongside other volunteers who contribute their time and skills to keep the organisation running.

In 2025, Cuckmere Buses carried more than 88,000 passengers and recorded a surplus of nearly £10,000, which will be reinvested in its fleet and services. These figures demonstrate the continuing demand for community-led transport and the importance of maintaining accessible connections for people.

This anniversary is an opportunity to celebrate everything the organisation has achieved, recognise the people behind its success and look ahead to the next chapter.

Hailsham Town Council congratulates Cuckmere Buses on its 50th anniversary and recognises the contribution it continues to make to rural communities, helping residents and visitors travel with greater independence while preserving valuable connections between local towns and villages.

THE PEOPLE’S EMERGENCY BRIEFING is a national briefing on the risks facing Britain from climate change and nature loss. The film is coming to Hailsham Pavilion on Saturday 14 November at 2.30 (with community discussion) and 7.30pm (screening only). Tickets are £5 plus booking fee from the box office on 01321 841414, in person or via the website at www.hailshampavilion.co.uk.

Local residents and decision-makers are invited to watch the evidence and discuss what it could mean for East Sussex.

The People’s Emergency Briefing is a 50-minute film adapted from the landmark National Emergency Briefing, held at Westminster Central Hall in last year, attended by over 1200 MPs, peers and leaders from business, culture, faith, sport and the media.

Introduced by wildlife broadcaster Chris Packham CBE, the original briefing brought together leading experts to examine the implications of climate change and nature loss for food security, public health, infrastructure, the economy and national security, as well as evidence-based actions that could reduce those risks.

Now a public film, it has been screened in over 5000 communities across Britain. For the organisers of the Hailsham screening, the subject has acquired a particularly local resonance.

East Sussex has just experienced an extraordinary summer of drought and heat. Arlington Reservoir, near Hailsham, has fallen to just 43% full and farmers have faced difficult growing conditions, poor grass growth and pressure on yields.

Serena Schellenberg, one of the Hailsham organisers, said: “One minute we are talking about drought and watching Arlington Reservoir fall to worrying levels, the next we are looking out of the window at pouring rain. That is precisely why we wanted to bring this film to Hailsham. Climate change is not simply about everywhere becoming hotter and drier. It is about understanding how our weather, food, water, nature and economy are connected, and what the evidence tells us about the risks ahead.”

Wendy Taylor from the Quakers Herstmonceux, one of the other organisers said “This isn't about

telling people what to think. We would really like people to come, see the evidence for themselves and talk about it.”