By Deirdre Huston
After having lived here for 58 years, Judy, aged 81, must be one of Hassocks longest residents. She was born in Framfield, near Uckfield. She remembers: “My father was the head gardener to Lord and Lady Fisher of Framfield Place, and it was phenomenal, reminiscent of Kew Gardens.” Judy hoped to get into grammar school, but she was ill on the day of her interview so instead, she stayed at the village school until she was 13, then progressed onto Uckfield County Secondary where she became Head Girl, and Head of the School Choir. She remembers singing live on Glyndebourne stage, in the finals of a Sussex singing competition. Sadly, Judy’s father was asthmatic, and he died young, leaving her mother with six children. Judy was sixteen, and along with her sister, she left school to work in a dry cleaner’s, shelving hopes of further education. At the dry cleaner’s, she learned how to hand press cocktail and evening dresses.
“My mum loved the sea, and we often went to Brighton or Eastbourne on the bus,” recalls Judy. “After my father’s death, she decided she wanted to move to Brighton.” The family moved to Hove, and Judy’s mother found work in a Jaeger factory, making coats and Judy helped while she waited to start a new job. Judy learned many sewing skills from her talented mum, who made absolutely all the family’s clothes, and her mother often recounted how, at age four, Judy asked to have a go, and her mum said: “You’ll prick your finger!” Judy took to it immediately, and sewing has become a lifelong endeavour. She began sewing for other people as a teenager in Framfield, making full circular skirts with can can petticoats to go dancing in. She used to make them for all her friends, and soon, someone asked her to make a dress, “It took off from there,” says Judy. “It was a great way to supplement our income.”
Judy still loves sewing today and makes personalised birth samplers, ring cushions and poems to order. She also makes samplers for the royal babies and is proud of letters of thanks she’s received. During lockdown, one of her swimming colleagues asked if she could make masks. The friend found a pattern and Judy made two. Then she made three for another friend. And it snowballed! “Sometimes, I was in the workroom at 5am.” All in all, Judy made 5000 masks, raising £8000 for Headway. The masks were a pound each, but many people donated extra.
If anybody would like to support her and make a donation, please go to www.justgiving.com and search for Headway Sussex
To read much more about Judy’s life and her connection with the village pick up a copy of January’s Hassocks Life magazine.