Four items in this month’s edition to mention are the Annual Parish Meeting on Tuesday 13 May, 7-9 pm in the Village Centre; Open Gardens on 8 June 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.
HURST RETHINK JUMBLE TRAIL: Sunday 4 May, 10 am to 2 pm. It’s a great way to de-clutter, though the temptation is, of course, to buy someone else’s clutter! Either way, it is a great day, lots of fun, sociable, and let’s hope the sun shines on all of us bargain hunters and de-clutterers!
HURST VILLAGE CINEMA: tickets for two new NT Live screenings are now on sale, both on the website and at Charlotte Grace on the High Street. Thursday 5th June - A Streetcar Named Desire, starring the Gillian Anderson and Ben Foster. Thursday 9 October Inter Alia, starring Rosamund Pike, in a new play by Suzie Miller. NT Live shows nearly always sell out, so do get your tickets nice and early.
FRIENDS OF WOLSTONBURY, 21 May, 7.30 pm, Village Centre: Talk by Chris Horn on the History of Devil’s Dyke, plus short Annual General Meeting.
HISTORICAL & GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY, Guide HQ, 7.30 pm, 30 May: Talk on the Museum of Gardening in Hassocks.
‘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 29th April 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. Singing is not only fun, but it’s also wonderful for our mental health and well-being, so whether you’re a seasoned singer or just looking to have fun, everyone is welcome – no experience required! 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, 17 May, the Blue Cafe Trio with Terry Seabrook & Shane Hill, and the spring season ends with Simon Anckorn and Michael Dolovich 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. margaret@112a.co.uk.
ANNUAL PARISH MEETING, Tuesday 17 May, from 7 pm at Court Bushes Community Centre: Come and meet local groups, find out what is going on and what you can get involved with. There is an amazing number of groups and activities in our village for you to support and enjoy. Do have a look at the Parish Council website which is full of information for us all. www.hurstpierpoint-pc.gov.uk.
HEBER OPERA, next production is Verdi’s King for a Day (Un Giorno di Regno, in Italian, though Heber always sings in English. 25 May 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
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