After months of closure, shopkeepers and shoppers alike are delighted to have seen doors open again last month. Most retail businesses have been hit very hard by the pandemic with many having to shut for a second time after Christmas last year. In this special focus on the high street, we are delighted to give readers of Hassocks Life the opportunity for that sweet-tasting special offer – with 12 cut-out-and-use vouchers for businesses right here in the village. Pick up a May issue to get yours!

We also talk to those business owners as they get used to exercising that friendly smile again – although, admittedly, from behind a mask!
On Monday 12th April, a queue formed outside Humanity at Heart as eager shoppers waited to be allowed back in after lockdown. Manager Ann Heroys was delighted to see so much interest.

After three plus months, Dawn, at Indigo, is very much looking forward to welcoming you back through its doors. “We have missed you all,” says Dawn, “but while we have been closed, we have been busy sourcing lots of lovely new products that will be ready for you to come and see. We look forward to seeing you, if we haven’t already.”

There’s change up the road too, as The Purple Carrot now boasts a secluded but spacious terrace at the back with an open-sided gazebo. Plastic screens separate tables big enough for social distancing and a heater helps keep chilly evenings at bay. The café is now open Monday to Wednesday evenings as well as mornings and lunchtimes on Saturdays and Sundays. Chris and the team look forward to welcoming you back.

At Hassocks Eyecare Centre, optometrist Vicki Macken is delighted to see things easing and says: “We are so happy we are to see the smiley faces of our fellow traders back where they belong in their proper habitat, whichever shop or outlet that might be.”

Russell Thatcher comments: “It’s great to see Hassocks come alive again and be back serving our community. The support from both local businesses and customers has been absolutely amazing and we are extremely grateful. It’s been an awful year; but this community has been unwavering in its commitment to support each other, and because of that I know Hassocks will continue to thrive.”

Grab a copy of May’s Hassocks Life to find all the varied offers available.