Cuckfield's own port for adventure

By David Curtis-Brignell MBE

What does Portsmouth and Southsea mean to us here in Mid-Sussex? Perhaps you have memories of Portsmouth Harbour Station and ferry trips to the Isle of Wight? Or even the fast, but possibly bumpier hovercraft off Southsea beach. Naval history perhaps? Some may remember the Pier which has had three fires during its lifetime, one in 1974 during the filming of “Tommy.”

Whatever your recollections, you can be sure that if you haven’t visited recently you are in for a pleasant surprise. The city’s strategic location has provided the reason for its rich maritime history which dates back to 1194.

Today you can see some of the landmark events brought to life with all of the advantages of 21st century heritage attractions. At Portsmouth Historic Dockyard you can see warships and submarines; Nelson’s flagship HMS Victory and visit the Mary Rose Museum, home to Henry VIII’s favourite ship which sank offshore in 1545. You’ll discover thousands of Tudor objects and learn about the lives of the officers, ordinary sailors and even the ship’s dog.

A year before the Mary Rose went down, Southsea Castle was built. Admission is free and you can go into the tunnel built in the 19th century and see how the castle was defended. 400 years later, the city was part of another great naval event; at the D-Day Story you will be able to experience just how little space there was on one of the landing crafts which has a Sherman and Churchill tank on board – just 20% of what would have been accompanying troops on the ‘day.’ If you don’t want to miss any of the history you can join a “Stories of WW2” walking tour which includes this attraction, Portsmouth Cathedral and the Royal Naval Submarine Museum.

The 170m high Spinnaker Tower will give you a bird’s eye view and the Blue Reef Aquarium has forty displays from a coral reef to an otter’s holt; but if you want to get on the water, there are boat trips, fishing charters and even the Gosport Ferry to enable you to sample life on the Solent wave.

As with many of our days out, there’s a lot to see and do and so an overnight stay might be the answer. From B&Bs to the luxurious ‘No Mans Fort’ there’s plenty of choice.

Always check opening times and Covid-19 restrictions before travelling.

Remembering the extraordinary life of Cuckfield's own Bill Harkin

By Jacqueline Elmore

For three days every June, hundreds of thousands of people gather to attend one of the biggest festivals in the world; the Glastonbury Festival. For many, it’s a chance to escape the trappings of everyday life. To recharge. To reconnect. To stand at the base of the iconic Pyramid stage, waiting for the lights to shine bright, ready to dance like no one is watching.

For music lovers, the Pyramid stage is more than an engineered, steel structure. It inhabits the same sacred ground as Stonehenge and Glastonbury Abbey and is said to lie on a ‘ley line’ (ley lines refer to straight alignments drawn between various historic structures and prominent landmarks). Most ancient cultures have used the pyramid structure as a platform for worship, so it would only seem fitting for the disciples of great music to do the same.

This most popular stage has been hosting artists for forty-nine years, and some of the world’s greatest performers have powered through sets within its belly; from Bowie to Beyonce, from The Rolling Stones to Radiohead, from The Smiths to Stormzy: the Pyramid Stage has seen it all.

2020 (and 2021) would have seen the Glastonbury Festival return to celebrate its 50th year had a global pandemic not interfered with the world order. As we slowly struggle to return to normality, music journalists have been paying tribute to the late Bill Harkin, the designer and architect of Glastonbury’s great Pyramid stage who died in March at the age 83. There are many pages of condolences, acknowledgements, praise, and love for Bill on the internet and the almost mystical work that he produced in the Vale of Avalon all those years ago.

Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis, said that Bill had lived an “inspirational life”, was “simply loved by us all” and that “his enthusiasm and dedication led to what we have now – thank you so much Bill.” There is no doubt. Bill Harkin was a legend. He was also a Cuckfield resident for forty years. There simply isn’t enough space to tell all of Bill’s story and the adventures he had in full, but with the help of his wife, Dee, son Will, daughter Kira, and close friend (and photographer), Paul Misso, the family share some of their most treasured memories that shaped his extraordinary life.

To read their stories, pick up a copy of May’s Cuckfield Life magazine and turn to pages 34 & 35.

How Bolnore and Cuckfield businesses bounced back

By Bradbury Williams

More than a year of massive uncertainty and draconian lockdowns have taken a huge toll on local businesses, but many are already bouncing back.

When life as we knew it ground to halt last March, Bolnore Village beautician Jade Lewis was faced with some pretty hard choices. The business she had started just seven months earlier was forced to shut for an indefinite period, and she was left with no income and no chance of any government support, as she’d been trading for less than a year. “I knew I had to do something quickly because I had to earn a living, but I also knew there were lots of people worse off than me,” said Jade. She rapidly found a new job as an internet shopper for Sainsbury’s, despite the regular 4am starts, she was grateful to find work.

As the first lockdown was coming to an end, the Honeycomb Hair Lounge in Bolnore Village, where Jade also runs her business, was quickly back to normal despite a huge new range of health and safety challenges to negotiate. “It was a very worrying time but we had kept in touch with all of our clients,” said Manager Steph Carden, “but it was very sad for Jade as she was not able to open for much longer.”

The new normal radically changed the way the salon operated. “It was not a great atmosphere, there were lots of rules, we couldn’t offer drinks and people were not allowed to wait,” added Steph. It was similar for Jade when she was finally allowed to open the beauticians but she was able to hit the ground running, mainly because she had also kept in very close contact with her clients. Business boomed for the rest of the summer but as the virus took hold again prompting the autumn lockdown Jade decided to take her destiny into her own hands. She qualified to work to as an NHS vaccinator and for much of the last six months has worked alongside a huge team at the Brighton Centre. “I wanted to be part of the solution and I learnt a lot but it is really exciting to get back to my business and see how I can build it up in the future,” added Jade.

This article continues inside May’s Cuckfield Life magazine on pages 16 & 17, where you can read more about your local high street and those within it like: Chris Preston, owner of Cuckfield Garden Machinery at Whiteman’s Green, Anne and Robin Upton and their 2.5 acre caravan site, Jo Jo’s boutique, Pepperbox Interiors, and a few more!