Short trip suggestions for Cuckfield residents

By David Curtis-Brignell MBE

When restrictions are lifted we will all be looking for places to visit again, places we have missed and others we’re discovering for the first time.

Just over an hour by road from Mid Sussex or 1¼ by train is the home of the Meridian Line at the Royal Observatory, the Cutty Sark, the National Maritime Museum, the Old Royal Naval College including the fabulous Painted Hall, London’s cable car, Greenwich Market, Greenwich Park and The O2 Arena.

All packed on to Greenwich Peninsula it makes for a great day out or short break. If you need to keep children entertained you can download an activity trail in advance from the Visit Greenwich website and they will love the wide range of activities especially designed for them at the National Maritime Museum and the Royal Observatory.

It’s very much a walking destination. Take in the spectacular Painted Hall and then walk up the hill in Greenwich Park for breath-taking panoramic views of London. Take a look around Christopher Wren’s Royal Observatory and straddle the hemispheres on the Prime Meridian Line with one foot in the west and one in the east! Stroll through Greenwich Market and then head off to the famous clipper, Cutty Sark, one of only three of her kind surviving in the world.

Adventurers can become urban mountaineers by climbing to the top of The O2 via a walkway, suspended 52m above ground level. The 90 minute experience provides your climb suit, boots and harness. Less physical but also providing great views is the Emirates Air Line, the UK’s only urban cable car running between North Greenwich and the Royal Docks.

An alternative way of getting there is by river; cruises operate from central London or you can hop on a Uber Boat by Thames Clippers. TfL can get you there by Underground, DLR and bus and rail services are operated by Thameslink and South Eastern.

For an overnight stay there’s a wide choice, from pubs and B&Bs to budget hotels and the full-serviced De Vere Devonport. You can stay on the water too; nearby Royal Victoria Dock is home to the Sunborn London Yacht Hotel and the Good Hotel - a social business providing the long-term unemployed with the opportunity to build a career in hospitality.

All in all, Greenwich really is a good place to go. Always check opening times and Covid-19 restrictions before travelling.

Jimmy's Barbers encourages Cuckfield to support Autism Awareness Week

Cuckfield business, Jimmy’s Barbers has been showing support for one of his young customers by filling his salon with blue balloons in aid of World Awareness Autism Week.

Mother of three, Kelly Lynch whose middle son, Cameron is on the autistic spectrum and is a regular customer at Jimmy’s said: “All of my sons go to Jimmy’s to get their hair cut, but because Cameron is on the spectrum Jimmy always goes above and beyond to accommodate him. He knows Cameron has got serious sensory issues and that having is hair cut is actually quite a big deal for him, so he’ll always move things around to make sure he cuts Cam’s hair.”

Kelly, who lives in Staplefield, has garnered a large following on Instagram since posting a picture of Cameron wearing a hoodie, with the words #Austismclub across the front. Soon after she first published the photo, she received an amazing response from other mums and families whose children also suffer from autism. “The idea to create the hooded jumpers was to prevent people making the wrong assumptions. When I’m out and about with Cameron and he’s portraying some unusual behaviour I very often feel the need to explain why he’s behaving in a certain way. So, I just thought, rather than telling everyone my child is autistic I’ll create something myself that will tell people.”

It was Jimmy who approached Kelly with the idea for Autism Week. “He said, why don’t we put a display in the window of my shop. We can put a few of your hoodies in too, to help promote the cause. It was Jimmy who created the wonderful balloon display. I’ve had so much positive feedback from parents who now follow my Instagram account and people that want to buy the #Autismclub hoodie.”

To find out more about Kelly’s new enterprise follow @lynch_mob_mumma and shop here for a lovely hoodie.

The White Harte Inn sold

For many (many) months now, local residents have been waiting patiently to find out news of what the future holds for the White Harte pub in Cuckfield.

At the end of last month, Hall and Woodhouse brewery confirmed that the pub had been sold to an independent party, who intends to keep the establishment running as a public house, and for the Thai Restaurant to continue to operate as normal.

The historic pub, built in 1881, has been looked after by Jim Ayling and his partner, Jackie Young for almost 17 years now, but the time has finally come for them to move on from pulling pints and serving freshly cooked homemade meals.

Jackie said: “Jim and I would like to thank all our customers and friends for their support over the years. We will miss everyone very much. This has been a very difficult and challenging time for us all, so we’d like to send our best wishes to all of the other pubs in the village, and hope that they continue to flourish.”