Easter fun at Woodside

The second annual children’s Easter Extravangza hosted by the Creation Station took place at the Woodside last month. Activities on offer included an Easter Egg hunt, slime making, egg marbling, basket creating, egg decorating, colouring, drawing, Play-Doh, junk modelling and more. Thanks to the glorious weather, the children’s Wigglebums yoga class took place outside on the recreation ground. The event finished with Story-Time read by a representative from Usbourne Books.

The event was held to raise money for Tommy’s, a charity that funds research into miscarriage, stillbirth and premature birth.

Organiser Melanie Jeffries, celebrating her fourth year anniversary with Creation Station, commented: “It was so lovely to see everyone having fun and getting creative! Thank you to everyone who came along and donated. I am thrilled to say that we raised £557 for Tommy’s.”

Representatives from Haywards Heath charity Time 4 Children provided cakes, refreshments and a tombola raising £145 at the event.

Mid Sussex Marathon Weekend 2019

With spring bursting into life and the evenings getting lighter, it’s such a wonderful time of year to get back into running condition, especially with Mid Sussex Marathon Weekend around the corner.

Recently featured by Runner’s World in ‘21 amazing UK marathons that aren’t in London’, the event has proved successful each year, with over 1,400 people running in 2018. There are changes afoot this year with new routes for both the East Grinstead and Haywards Heath 10 Mile races. Event Director Simon Adby explains: “The East Grinstead route has been changed slightly to improve the runner experience. The Network Rail works taking place in Ashenground Woods have resulted in a revised Haywards Heath route for this year. Fortunately finding alternative paths was straightforward, so regular participants will not notice much of a difference.”

Appealing to elite, club and first time runners the three-day event hosts nine events over the weekend, including the feature two ten mile races in both East Grinstead and Haywards Heath and the ten kilometre in Burgess Hill. All three combine to cover a total of 26.2 miles – the distance of a marathon. There will also be a family Fun Run and timed junior mile race on each day of the weekend, making it ideal for people of all ages and abilities to take part in.

Residents of Haywards Heath and Bolnore Village should note that on Sunday 5th May there will be a 20-minute (10:25-10:45am) road closure on South Road.

The route will take runners from Victoria Park via Ashenground and Bolnore Woods through Beech Hurst Gardens and into Bolnore Village. Traffic maybe stopped by marshals to let runners across roads, particularly where the footpath crosses Trubwick Avenue and Renfields. Car users are encouraged to leave plenty of time to allow for slight delays, which marshals will aim to minimise.

Event organisers are still looking for more volunteers over the weekend to assist with marshalling of the routes. If you are able to help out between 9am and 1pm on any day then please contact organisers via: www.midsussexmarathon.co.uk

Cuckfield Music Festival 2019

Only two months to go until the first Cuckfield Music Festival!

The inaugural event will take place between 15th and 23rd June when there will be ten events, of which three are free entry, in five Cuckfield venues.

There will be classical and jazz performances; a cappella singing; virtuoso piano playing; Greek folk music in a beautiful garden; and folk songs, madrigals, pop and classical with the Magnificat Choir from Hungary joining forces with our very own Cuckoo Choir.

Who could ask for anything more? Well, there is more, as you’ll find out by going to the website at www.cuckfieldmusicfest.co.uk .