A visit to the vet before a vacation? 2021's new pet passport procedures

By Jonathan Underwood

I am writing this article in early January as my wife, Annelise, ‘de-Christmases’ the house. When I was younger this was the time of the ‘thank you’ letter – I used to fill up my Parker vector with a new royal blue ink cartridge and set to work.

It was certainly tedious but a good way of making me consider all the presents that I had received. Even in the age of the email, it would be wrong not to enforce the same regime on our two children – mainly because if we had to do it, so should they! Watching them complete the thank you letter task reminds me of how bad my handwriting has become. Granted, it was never a perfect copperplate, but now nearly everything is written on a keyboard, there has certainly been some significant deterioration. I’m not sure you could tell the difference between my handwriting and my six-year-old Owen’s – except he can’t neccessarily, necesarily, necessarily spell as well…

This brings me on to form filling. In particular, the debacle that we are now faced with in terms of the paperwork required for pet travel into the EU post-Brexit. You can imagine the joy in my heart when I (and the rest of the veterinary profession) discovered - at very short notice - that the pet passport was to be replaced with a ten page ‘Animal Health Certificate’ (AHC) as of 1st January. I had a particularly warm feeling inside on learning that this was one of those forms where use of the wrong colour, an inadvertent lower case letter where a capital should be, or a tick in the wrong box could result in having to start the whole thing again! Furthermore, each certificate is unique to the country that the pet is entering from the UK, and has to be certified, stamped and printed copies taken of the certificate and all supporting documentation.

And the best bit of all? This has to be repeated every time a pet travels to the EU. Now, I am no bureaucrat, but it would seem to me that a far simpler system would be to have a single document with the pet’s identification in it, where you could record information such as rabies vaccination status and health checks. You could then use this document every time the pet travels without the need to fill out a new one for each journey. Maybe you could make the document blue and like a little booklet and give it a name. Perhaps ‘pet passport’, or similar?!

Apologies for the sarcastic rant! Here is some constructive advice with regards the changes to pet travel. From 1st January 2021, GB pet passports will no longer be valid for travel to the EU. Instead you will need an AHC. You will need to bring your pet for an appointment with an Official Veterinarian (OV) within ten days of your date of travel. You will need to bring evidence of date of microchipping and rabies vaccination with you. The AHC is valid for four months and will allow you to return to the UK within that time frame. There are obviously many other possible scenarios, such as where you are travelling, travel through other countries and how long you are travelling for. It is beyond the scope of this article to go into all these details, but I have written a comprehensive guide on our website (www.hawthornvets.co.uk/news). We have four OV’s at Hawthorn Vets, so while it may not be our favourite thing to do, we are well set up to complete AHCs and support you and your pet on their journey – whenever that is allowed!

Please feel free to contact us (01273 495227 or reception@hawthornvets.co.uk) if you have any queries about pet travel or anything veterinary.

Henfield Surgery
Hawthorn House
High Street
BN5 9DA

Villa Adastra received their Covid vaccines

Residents and staff at Villa Adastra were pleased to have received their Covid vaccinations, which were administered over the course of two days in January.

Head of Care, Sharon Bacon, said: “Mister Wilson and his team were brilliant, and it was a smooth operation.” Resident, Reg Bond was very excited, and said, ‘I am pleased to be doing my bit to hopefully help everyone get back to some kind of normal life in the future.’

The staff too were very excited about getting their vaccines. “I am so proud of all the staff at Villa Adastra for keeping all the residents safe during this pandemic,” says Sharon, “and I know Christine, our Administration Manager will join me in thanking everyone involved. We’ve remained Covid-free, and that has been down to the dedication and hard work of the whole team, who have followed the rules, and often sacrificed their own families, to help keep the residents safe.”

Sharon adds: “For the past ten months, we have not only been carers, but entertainment, friends, and family to the residents. We have hugged them when they have felt upset or scared and held their hands. We have also had lots of fun and laughter.”

Villa Adastra | The Salvation Army

A Hassocks Excavation Part 2 - Roman structures and a seventeenth-century burial pit

Photos: Oxford Archaeology

In the second of a two-part series, Deirdre Huston talks to archaeologist, Edward Biddulph, about uncovering our local history. Following on from last month’s introduction, we discuss findings from later periods. We discuss possible implications of archaeological findings during a dig at Clayton Mills between 2005 and 2007.
If you missed Part 1 find it here.

Roman Period AD43-AD410

“This site was occupied in the early Roman period. The Romans invaded in AD43 and it probably wasn’t too long afterwards that this site was occupied,” declares Edward. “Activity tailed off in the 4th Century but, otherwise, it was occupied from mid-1st Century through the 2nd and into the 3rd. A number of ditches were found which formed rectangular enclosures, and, in one of those, there was evidence for a building. Edward comments: “these enclosures were perhaps smallholdings, maybe for animals kept close to a settlement and there would probably have been a field system nearby.

“We found a whole range of interesting pottery. Most was made fairly locally, but not necessarily on site.” There was plenty of grey ware cooking pots, a dark grey or black-surfaced pottery called East Sussex grog-tempered ware. Edward explains: “grog is crushed up bits of old ceramic. Roman recycling! Tiny fragments were put into the clay to reduce shrinkage while being fired.” This grog-tempered ware was made in various locations around East Sussex, where the practise continued into the third century, much longer than other southern areas such as Kent. During the Roman period, much pottery was sand-tempered and some of this was found at the site too.

More exotic pottery was also discovered, such as pieces of samian pottery: this glossy red-slipped pottery comes from Gaul or France, and you are likely to have seen it in museums. It is commonly associated with the Roman period and is of very high quality.

However, Edward is quick to point out that it was made on an industrial scale in France, where one firing might produce thousands of pots, so it is not necessarily an indicator of high status. He explains: “objects found at the site included cups, dishes, bowls and these are all found in fairly good numbers in ordinary dwellings such as farmsteads, not just villas. If there were decorated bowls, with patterns in relief, then these do indicate high status, something a bit more special like a villa, but there was none of that in Hassocks. However, the samian pottery does indicate that the site was locked into a wider trading network. It wasn’t an isolated settlement.

Interested in learning more about Hassocks own Roman structures? Pick up a copy of Hassocks Life Feb issue to read the whole article.

For further information, see:
A Bronze Age settlement, Roman structures and a field system at Hassocks, West Sussex (SUSSEX ARCHAEOLOGICAL COLLECTIONS 148 (2010), 17–46) by David Mullin, Edward Biddulph & Richard Brown.

A cattle burial from Hassocks, West Sussex (POST-MEDIEVAL ARCHAEOLOGY 45/2 (2011), 366–7) by David Mullin, Lena Strid & Edward Biddulph.

Hassocks Junior Football Club signs record number of players

By Nick Palmer, Club President of Hassocks Junior Football Club

2020 was understandably quite a year for Hassocks Junior Football Club. But the effects of the lockdown didn’t deter either the club or the local youth from getting back to footballing activities and, by September, Hassocks Junior FC had signed a record number of 352 players to the club representing 21 different teams across the U5 to U16 age groups and playing in four different local leagues.

And it’s not just the boy’s either that make up the majority of players as the club is extremely proud to now have three girl’s teams as well in its ranks representing the U10’s, U12’s & U13’s age groups.

“Having girl’s teams in the club has been a target of ours for a number of years”, says Jason Roberts, our current Club Chairman, “And I’m delighted to now be able to say that we have no less than three of them, two of which are currently representing us in the Sussex County Women & Girls Football League.”

But getting players to sign up to the club is only half the battle as nothing we do could happen if it wasn’t for the numerous people that work tirelessly by giving up their time to make the world of youth football a reality for so many of our local youngsters. An army of volunteers make Hassocks Junior FC the club it is today. And let’s not forget our sponsors and the local authorities who have also helped us to make it all possible.

Like other sporting clubs, everyone at Hassocks Juniors takes the threat of COVID-19 very seriously and we did a great deal of work in 2020 to ensure footballing activities could take place in a safe environment for coaches, players and their families. From COVID officers being present for matches to the issuing of full PPE for all team managers, the club worked incredibly hard to keep young players playing football. And 2021 will be no different, the safety of everyone involved with our activities remains of paramount importance and will continue to do so for as long as is necessary.

But everyone at the club remains optimistic for the future and if there is one thing that we all learned from 2020 it’s that the appetite for getting young people off their games consoles and outside participating in healthy sporting activities has never been stronger. That’s probably why we have a record number of players now signed to the club.

These are challenging times right now but we know full well the positive impact that team sport has on young people not just from a fitness perspective but teaching them invaluable life skills as well such as teamwork, fair play, hard work and pride. In addition, the need for positive mental wellness in our youth has never been more important and we’ll endeavour to keep Hassocks Junior Football Club providing this as well as remaining an integral part of our community.

For more information about the club please visit our website www.hassocksjuniorfc.co.uk or contact Nick Palmer at president@hassocksjuniorfc.co.uk

Community flood teams proposed for Hassocks

Following the surface flooding in November in Hassocks, local group, HKD Transition propose the formation of community flood teams. Each group will focus on key areas of the village which are prone to surface flooding, particularly during periods of leaf fall that may clog the drains as was the case in November.

The Drain Busters teams could help with leaf clearing in Autumn, to complement council efforts. They could also co-ordinate storage (and shared awareness) of brushes, rakes and sandbags, liaising with the fire brigade and West Sussex Council for any drain clearing or pumping issues. It is hoped that each ‘team’ will have its own WhatsApp group or a telephone tree (or whatever communication tool works for its volunteers) enabling the team to respond quickly if needed. HKD Transition will put the team members in touch with one another so each group can decide how best to operate.

In the meantime, the debris dams built by our volunteers in Lag Wood this year to slow the flow of flood water are holding up really well as the image demonstrates. If you would like to be involved in either project please email herring@hkdtransition.org.uk

Please visit www.hkdtransition.org.uk for more information about HKD Transition.

A Hassocks Excavation Part 1 - unearthing Clayton Mills

Photo: Oxford Archaeology

In the first of a two-part series, Deirdre Huston talks to archaeologist, Edward Biddulph, about uncovering our local history.

Many of you know Clayton Mills. Perhaps you live there, or maybe you’ve jogged along the footpath, walked your dog around the fields, played on the old bike tracks in the copse, or taken a shortcut along the banks of the stream. Some of you will remember the fields before the present housing estate was built, but did you know that, in 2005 and 2007, Oxford Archaeology carried out excavations at this site?

Like most archaeological work, this was a result of the housing development: it was a condition of planning permission being granted that some archaeological investigation took place in order to mitigate the development’s impact and was funded by Barratts. I spoke with Edward, a Senior Project Manager at Oxford Archaeology, to learn more about what was learned during the project and the processes involved.

First, there was an initial desk-based assessment of existing archaeological work in our area, using the local authority database of heritage records.
Next, during an on-site evaluation, trenches were sunk across the site and yielded evidence which suggested there would be a reasonable chance of finding evidence of past activity.
Finally, a larger excavation was undertaken, involving a team of ten or so archaeologists in the field and an office-based team behind the scenes who wash, process and mark finds, such as pottery, animal bones, tiles or marked flint. (Artefacts made of leather and wood tend not to survive unless in extraordinary circumstances.) The team also analyse environmental samples to find tiny bits of seed, charcoal or grain which give clues to environment use, for example, telling us what crops may have been grown. From this evidence, the archaeologists are able to put together a picture of what human activity may have occurred in this location in the past.

This dug up some interest? Well look out for the January copy of Hassocks Life to read more and find out what Hassocks was like during the Bronze age!

A Hassocks Excavation Part 2 now available here.

Hassocks' Robins vs Burgess Hill's Hillians for charity

Grassroots football returned from its lockdown hiatus on 5th December 2020 and for Hassocks it was an occasion to remember as the Robins raised a record breaking amount of money for St Peter & St James Hospice in the 2020 Ann John Trophy.

The annual charity match takes place each year between Hassocks and Burgess Hill Town in memory of Ann, wife of the Robins’ long-serving chairman, Dave John. In 2014, Ann sadly passed away from cancer, having been as familiar a face on the Sussex non-league circuit as her husband, thanks in part to her legendary cakes which were sold at the Beacon every match day.

Traditionally, the game takes place in the summer, but that was not possible this year. When the government announced that football could resume from the start of December, Hassocks spotted an opportunity to get the match played before the competitive business of the Southern Combination League Premier restarted.

Thanks to the willingness of the Hillians and their manager Jay Lovett, the match was organised in double quick time. Changes to the rules surrounding licensed bars and hospitality venues meant it took considerable planning: The Beacon clubhouse had to remain shut, but Hassocks could serve hot food providing it was passed out of a window without fans entering the building.

Despite the challenges of trying to organise a game of football in quick time with a host of restrictions to consider, the afternoon was a complete success. Fans of both clubs turned out in force, resulting in £1500 being raised for the Hospice. In a year in which charity donations have been severely hit by the pandemic, that is a huge amount of money for an organisation who need as much support as possible.

Things did not go quite so swimmingly on the pitch, from a Hassocks point of view at least. Lovett brought a full-strength Burgess Hill side on the short journey south and they showed why they are a division above the Robins in the football pyramid by running out 8-1 winners to retain the Ann John Trophy.

Sometimes, football is about much more than a result, and this is one of those occasions. Thank you to everyone who came along and supported the afternoon, and we hope to see you in 2021 to try and raise even more for St Peter & St James.

Find Hassocks Robins at www.hassocksfc.net

Pearl's commemorative tree in Adastra Park

Children and parents using the playground in Adastra Park may have noticed the arrival of a new tree recently.

The family of Pearl BartlettBundy - a Hassocks schoolgirl who tragically died just before her 10th birthday from an aggressive form of bone cancer in 2017 – took part in a special ceremony in the village when a tree was planted in her name.

A temporary plaque, which featured a photo of Pearl on one of the rides, said: ‘This tree, planted on 15th December, commemorates what should have been the 14th birthday of our daughter Pearl. She loved coming to this park. Happy birthday Pearl, with love from the BartlettBundy family.’

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The family have planted a tree around the village every year since Pearl’s death. “The play park was a really special place for Pearl and her brother Milo and they spent many happy hours there,” Pearl’s mother Rachel said. “This is a winter flowering cherry tree, which has a beautiful pink flower. We’re extremely grateful to the Parish Council for its help – especially Tracy Forte and Cllr Jane Baker and her husband Nick.”

Rachel is already thinking about places for next year’s tree – which she’s happy to take suggestions for!

Find the Elves competition is back on Hassocks High Street

In a year when we all need some festive fun more than ever before, Marchants estate agents have organised the ‘Find the Elves’ competition on the high street, and now in its third year.

Marchants’ Bennita Adair George explained: “Find the Elves is great to bring the Christmas cheer and local community spirit to our wonderful high street. We are running the event on a voluntary donation basis this year and all monies raised will go directly to the very deserving St Peter and St James Hospice.”

Each elf is hiding in the Hassocks shop windows and waiting to be found! Clues about the location of the elves can be found on its website - www.marchantsestateagents.co.uk – where you can also download the form.

You can also collect a form from outside of the office -
Marchants Estate Agents,
1 Keymer Road, Hassocks,
BN6 8AE.

The elves will be in Hassocks until the 24th December. Happy hunting!

Hassocks Festive Light Trail this Christmas!

Building on the Infant School Art Week theme, ‘Let there be light,’ FoHis are offering two ways to share some seasonal sparkle.

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This year 26 houses around Hassocks are getting their Christmas lights up and taking part in the Hassocks Infants Festive Light Trail. Each house will have a clue displayed, and if you get all the clues you can complete the sentence and win a prize. Answer sheets will be distributed to Hassocks Infant pupils at school and can be collected from QD Stationary too. Anyone can take part and enjoy the trail!

Three of the houses are from the Light Up Lockdown Hassocks Facebook group, who are also encouraging people to spread a little joy by illuminating their houses and sharing pictures of their Christmas lights online. They hope to spread some festive cheer in these very strange times. Take part in the Hassocks Infants Festive Light Trail between the 1st - 19th December (or as lockdown allows) and hand in your completed answer sheets for £2 and get a prize on the 19th at the Hassocks Shop Local Christmas Event (we’ll be here at the United Reform Church).

We are also asking people of Hassocks to draw a ‘light up’ picture and put it in their windows to take part from home! If you want to support Your local infant school you can do so here www.justgiving.com/fundraising/fohischristmas or follow us @fohis @hassocks_infants_school_pta or fohisgroup@gmail.com.

Shopping local in Hassocks this Christmas

By Erika Woodhurst-Trueman, HCO

A few months ago, Christina rocked up at my door to collect a steak and ale pie (as you do) and lamented from a 2m distance about what a miserable Christmas it was going to be and how we had to do something. I agreed, and within a few minutes we concocted a plan.

Christina Angus is co-founder of Street Diner, Brighton’s biggest street food market and co-founder of The Sussex Hive, a networking collective for women (both re-launching in 2021). She’s been organising street food at The Hassocks that we’ve delighted in when we’ve needed a break from cooking 200 meals a week, and would liaise with community-focused landlord Chris Lambe to curate a huge line up of traders for a night market. The pub would sort out mulled wine and Christina’s mum, Margaret, would organise a festive choir.

I (Trustee of Hassocks Community Organisation - HCO) would coordinate the late-night shopping, speak to organisers of the FoHIS Festive Trail of Light and recruit marshals to keep the event Covid-safe. We’d attempt to bring everything together on the same day with our brilliant Hassocks Village Market kicking everything off.

Frantic activity ensued. Emailing councils and traders, form filling, poster design and WhatsApp-ing. We even checked to see if we could help get the Elf and Christmas Window Display competitions up and running. Fantastically, they were already in hand. Eventually we obtained all the permissions and were set to make our big announcement when another lockdown was announced.

While 2020 has been hard, it’s been wonderful to see how residents have stepped up to support local businesses, and what our resourceful shop owners have been doing to reach customers. Just as in Lockdown#1, people have pulled together, buoying each other up mentally and financially. They’ve been shopping local, contributing to food banks and donating money for meals for children during school holidays. So, on the back of this mood of support, and as Lockdown#2 neared its end, we began to promote and look forward to our event.

We’re delighted to say it looks like everything on the 19th can go ahead with measures in place. There’s something for everyone and all budgets: local produce and crafts at the HCO village market. A fun FoHIS festive trail for young and old. A delicious line up of Street Diner traders, drinks and carols at The Hassocks. And the opportunity to shop late for gifts from our high street – supporting local businesses and of course our local economy, which is vital in keeping our high street independents alive!

It goes without saying we need everyone to be sensible and comply with government guidelines (hands – face – space) but we hope that this event will bring a smile to people’s faces and some much-needed festive cheer.

From all of us involved in bringing this event together: ‘MERRY CHRISTMAS!’
www.hassockscommunity.org.uk

Repair Café comes to Hassocks

By Juliet Merrifield, HKD Transition

What can you do with a dress with a broken zip? A lamp with a frayed lead? A stool with a wobbly leg? A toy truck whose wheel has come off? A teddy bear with stuffing coming out? Bring it to the Repair Café Hassocks! Our team of volunteer repairers have had a lifetime of fixing things and now are willing to help fix your things too.

Barring changes in Covid-19 guidelines, Repair Café Hassocks will start on 28th November, then every month on Market Day (fourth Saturday) except December and August. We’ll be at the URC church at 23 Keymer Rd from 10am-1pm, ready to have a go at fixing things.

It may be that you don’t have a sewing machine, or arthritic fingers make it hard to do sewing that once was easy. Or maybe your household items are waiting for a new part or someone to glue it together. We can’t promise to fix everything, but we’ll try our best.

You can book items for repair via the Facebook page: www.facebook.com/repaircafehassocks.

With current Covid-19 restrictions we won’t be operating the ‘café’ part but you can drop off items for repair and pick them up later that morning.

Questions? Email us at: repaircafe@hkdtransition.org.uk.

Brighton music to Hassocks Silver Rocket

By Deirdre Huston

Matt McGuire and Ben McCully have known each other for about 15 years. Around 2008 to 2010, they used to be in a band together when they lived in Brighton. “It was very non-serious. We were messing about. We only did three gigs and then we split up and went in different musical directions,” recalls Ben.

And it wasn’t just music that was changing in their lives. Ben’s wife, Lucy, was teaching in Brighton and the couple were living in a two-bedroom flat at Seven Dials. “We had an eighteen-month-old daughter. We needed more space. On a whim, we came out to see Hassocks: the schools are good, there’s a train station, Brighton’s only ten minutes away. We didn’t know anybody, but we moved in and we’re still here! One by one, our mates followed.” Ben has seen some changes in the village: “the demographic has definitely changed. There are quite a few young people around in Hassocks which is great because it has injected an energy into the place.” After one of their gigs, Matt had met his wife, Sarah, and they also moved to Hassocks where they appreciated the peace and quiet and being able to hear the birds in the morning. Today, Ben’s daughter, Orla, has just started at Downlands while Matt has two children, Bob, at the Infants and Olive, at Windmills.

Ben works in Shoreham as an engineer for Ricardo, an engineering consultancy. He explains, “it’s predominantly been about engines of all sizes, from the small 2-stroke scooter engines to a huge power generation engine, but now some are moving electric which is interesting. The brewery is a nice diversion from my day job because it’s very different. It’s nice to do something creative. My job is quite high-pressure so it’s nice to step outside of that.”
“And I’m a freelance copywriter and full-time Dad,” adds Matt. “My wife’s a GP so I do a lot of our day-to-day childcare.”

Read more inside November’s Hassocks Life magazine to find out how the pair got into brewing and where the name Silver Rocket came from.

Flash flooding in Hassocks high street

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On Saturday 26th October, Hassocks was affected by flooding. In Keymer Road, water flooded shops near Spitalford Bridge. Kelly Harding of Bella June comments, “the entire community came together on that wet and cold evening - how incredible! There were people clearing the drains, the fire brigade pumping, people helping to clear the shops... just such a wonderful community. We are endlessly grateful for the support and help we received and continue to receive. Totally overwhelmed by the love of the Hassocks community. I wouldn’t want my shop anywhere else despite the flood risk!” Kelly is looking for nearby temporary premises which Bella June might use for about a week while the ruined floor is replaced.

Hayley Elphick of Reflex@42 recalls, “it was a terrible Saturday night to be honest, coming after everything that’s already happened this year. Thankfully, we now have sandbags, some angel of a man turned up at midnight with them and I cried all over the poor man!”

Juliet Merrifield, of HKD Transition, explains how the flooding happened: “surface water poured downhill to the lowest point. The drains were blocked with leaves blown off by the strong winds.” To help slow the flow of rainwater, Juliet suggests, “we can reduce the runoff from hard surfaces by planting trees, harvesting water from roofs into water butts and making sure driveways are permeable.” HKD Transition have been working to reduce pressure on local flooding pinpoints such as Spitalford Bridge. Margaret Ford of HKD Transition commented, “the flooding in the Parklands Road area might have been a great deal worse.” The Floods and SuDS group is a partnership between HKD Transition and Hassocks Community Organisation, with a lot of support from the Ouse and Adur Rivers Trust. The group have initiated various local flood interventions, such as the Rain Garden in Adastra Park. A couple of weeks ago, a group of twenty-five volunteers, working in bubbles of six and following social-distancing rules, were out mending dams in Lag Wood.

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The owner of Lag Wood, Paul Roberts, provided chestnut stakes for the group and helped conduct a recent survey to monitor the condition of each dam. Alistair Whitby, of HKD Transition, explains: “these dams are essentially a couple of stakes in the riverbed with debris behind it. They’re designed to be leaky and are beneficial for biodiversity.” The water that forms behind the debris dams is beneficial for wildlife like macro-invertebrates, damselflies, dragonflies, coots and kingfishers. During high rainfall events, these dams can hold back a significant amount of water. Alistair adds, “it’s a natural way of making sure the water’s not running down into the village all at once. The key thing is to slow up the speed with which water hits a barrier. Spitalford Bridge can only hold so much water so as soon as the water is reaching it at a greater speed, the water starts backing up.”

Alistair comments, “climate change is exacerbating these high rainfall events and any way of holding the water back and releasing it more slowly is what we’re trying to do.” HKD is looking for more volunteers. To get involved, see www.hkdtransition.org.uk/flooding

New ways Hassocks can remember our fallen heroes

By Michelle Binks

There will be an Act of Remembrance at Keymer Church on Wednesday 11th November at 10.50am. Father Alex explains, “this short act of remembrance takes place around the memorial, with some wreath laying and some prayers before we observe the two-minute silence at 11.00am. People don’t need to book because it’s an act of worship and outside.”

Here are other activities that we can do this year to remember our fallen heroes:

• Take a walk to The Chattri, the Hindu monument to their fallen soldiers, located on the South
Downs. Access is from Patcham or Jack & Jill Windmills along the South Downs Way.

• Paint a poppy and display it in your window.

• Bake 11 cupcakes, ice in red and share with your neighbours.

• Paint pebbles with poppies and hide them around Hassocks for others to discover.

• Remember the minute silence at 11am on 11 November.

• Remember to wear your poppy; you can still get them from the many outlets in Hassocks.

Visit: www.BritishLegion.org.uk

Donations can always be made direct to the British Legion website or you can take your donation to our local British Legion Club on Woodland Road, Hassocks. Maybe even pop in for a cuppa or a pint.

Community building at The Corner Café

By Deirdre Huston

This has been quite a year for H (Helen) and Damon. They took over The Corner Café in February. “Within two weeks, we had lockdown,” recalls H, “and cafés and gyms closed. We shut completely but then, after four weeks, we did takeaways: breakfasts, burgers and sandwich-type light lunches.”

From May The Corner Café reopened, but initially with only three tables. They installed a perspex screen and placed hand sanitiser on every table. They added more tables outside and you only have to walk past to see how popular it’s become. “Some customers may be vulnerable,” explains H, “so I help them maintain social distancing.”

Tegan and Megan who work at the café are their daughters, and H’s son helps Damon in the kitchen so it’s a family concern, but H is keen to help other young people gain experience if she can. “I like to give people a chance who haven’t got qualifications or experience. I might not be able to offer much, but I can give them a couple of hours so they can learn the ropes.”

Damon moved here from Essex. He has previously run two very different cafés, a sandwich shop and one at Southend Airport. H has lived in Brighton and Hove all her life, came to know Hassocks about eight years ago. “It’s a lovely village,” she comments, “I moved my mum here so she could be a part of the community.”

To read more about the café, H and Damon you can read the full article in October’s Hassocks Life magazine.

Baby Loss Awareness Week

Baby Loss Awareness week is an international initiative which runs from 9th -15th October. The aim of the week is to raise awareness of an unspoken tragedy which affects many families. Babies die, even in the 21st century. In our culture many people find it very difficult to talk about death, and the death of a baby (before or after birth) is an experience which is rarely spoken of.

The circumstances of loss vary widely and include miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, compassionate induction (ending a pregnancy due to very complex medical issues), stillbirth or death after birth (expected or unexpected). Each of these little lives, sometimes described as a “missed beginning”, impacts the life of the family in many ways. Professionals involved can also be deeply affected. The aim of Baby Loss Week is to provide an opportunity for those affected to gain support, to provide (if they wish) an opportunity to speak of their child/children and their experience of loss, and to increase awareness in the community.

As part of this week, a global event takes place at 7pm on 15th October, known as the Wave of Light. Taking place at 7pm local time everywhere, to create a wave of light around the globe, the idea is that you light a candle and leave it burning for at least one hour to remember all babies who have died too soon.

Last year for the first time a public Wave of Light event was held in Keymer. The feedback was that those who attended found it moving and supportive and so it is hoped that this can become an annual event.

The event will be jointly organised by Angie Bowles, a local independent midwife who has a special interest in supporting parents dealing with loss and Father Alex Baxter, Rector for our parish. It will be held at Keymer Church (St Cosmas and St Damian). The event is free of charge and open to those of all faiths and none. Individuals and families will be welcomed who have been directly affected as well as their friends and those involved professionally in various capacities. The Wave of Light event will be an informal event at which those who wish to will have an opportunity to speak their child’s name, but if you prefer you will be able to simply attend and sit quietly and privately. Candles will be provided and will be lit as part of the event.

Of course, this event may be impacted by any change in national guidance about socially distanced gatherings. Currently we can welcome 30 people, and you will be asked to wear a mask. Subject to changing guidance, we hope to be able to invite you to stay for light refreshments and a time to talk.

If you would like to attend or have any questions, please feel welcome to contact Angie on 07974 729566 or via the event information on Facebook https://bit.ly/2G0ae25

Have you spent more time on the Sussex Downs since lockdown?

As part of a project called ‘Changing Chalk’, the National Trust and partners have received funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to support activities and events that will help people to spend more time on the Sussex Downs. They are particularly interested in how greater engagement with nature since Covid-19 brings new opportunities to bring people and nature together.

Sam-Culture are working with the National Trust and Sussex Downs to find out whether people are visiting the Downs more since Lockdown began.

They are keen that local people let them know their thoughts and help to shape future project activities. You can help by filling out the short survey: https://s.surveyplanet.com/k3YoOydJ3z

Watch Hassocks Football Club

By Scott McCarthy

The turnstiles at the Beacon have been open for a month now and one of the unexpected consequences of Covid-19 and the ban on spectators at professional football is that crowd numbers have gone through the roof.

Football fans looking for the live action they cannot get at the Amex or elsewhere are instead flocking to non-league grounds. What they are finding is entertaining football, value-for-money, good food and the option of having a pint of beer while they watch.

It is a different world to the mega-rich Premier League, where you will pay £4 for a bag of Minstrels and £3 for a bottle of water. £7 will get you a hotdog, a burger and a large plate of cheesy chips at the Beacon in comparison!
And Hassocks are selling a lot of those. The Robins have seen more than a 100 percent increase in attendances at their home fixtures so far, a massive boost for the club’s finances after going from March to September without a single penny of income.

Visitors old and new are not just being treated to unorthodox three course meals for less than a tenner; Hassocks has rebuilt its squad over the summer with a youthful, new-look team who have shown plenty of promise so far.

If you are a football supporter who is missing watching in the flesh, then come and spend a Saturday at the Beacon. Hassocks have three home games in October, all detailed on the club’s website and tickets are available on the gate for £6 adults and £3 concessions. Under 16s go free.

Of course, nobody knows how long the turnstiles will be open for – this information is correct at the time of going to press. Should further restrictions be placed on grassroots football, then the Beacon may have to shut again.

For now though, Hassocks and all their new-found supporters are determined to enjoy football while they can!

Hassocks Adastra Park Play Areas - Covid-19 Guidance

By Parish Clerk
Hassocks Parish Council has worked hard to complete the play area improvements within Adastra Park and to put in place Government guidance measures to open its play areas. The new play areas have been safety inspected ahead of their opening, but we cannot guarantee that their hard surfaces will be coronavirusfree. To allow everyone to enjoy the new play areas as safely as possible, the Council strongly advises that all reasonable precautions are taken to ensure the safety of yourself, your family and other users by following the guidelines on this page. These rules are in addition to the normal rules of the play area.

Important Covid-19 guidance for using the Adastra Park play areas:
Please ensure you maintain social distancing in line with current government guidance

• If the play area is busy, please come back another time
• Parents/adults should wipe down equipment before and after use
• Please ensure only one adult enters the play area with their child/children
• Please be considerate in the amount of time spent on equipment so others can use it
• If a piece of equipment is taped off, please do not use
• If a piece of play equipment is being used that you wish to use, please queue whilst maintaining social distancing
• Please ensure you and your child/children do not touch faces, put mouths on equipment or hands in mouths
• If you have to sneeze, please sneeze into a tissue or arm when a tissue is not available
• Please use hand sanitiser before and after using each separate piece of play equipment
• No food or drink should be consumed within the play area
• Please wash your hands after using the play equipment
• Please place litter in the bins provided. If a bin is full please take your litter home. Thank you for your co-operation in helping towards making the play areas safe for everyone to enjoy.

Adastra Park Play Area

New play equipment in Adastra Park