Village People: Otto-Paul Somodi

Things are buzzing in the centre of Cuckfield – in more ways than one! Just yards away from the bustling High Street, tucked away in a meadow behind Holy Trinity Church is a cluster of traditional bee hives, home to hundreds and thousands of honey bees. Keeping a watch over the hives is Cuckfield resident and bee-keeper Otto-Paul Somodi. I was delighted when Otto invited me to join him on an inspection of the hives and to share his passion for bee-keeping. 

Read the full story by Claire Cooper on page 18 of the Jun/Jul issue of Cuckfield Life magazine.

Staplefield Village Fete

By Maggie Chamberlain

Despite the dismal weather there was a good turnout for the Staplefield Village Fete  and Car Show held on the late May bank holiday Monday. In true British spirit people from near and far donned wellies  and wet weather gear determined to enjoy themselves, ensuring  that the afternoon was a triumph over adversity. 

The fete was declared open by the Rt Hon Nicholas Soames MP who with his family attend the event every year and counts it among his favourite village fetes. We were grateful to  local residents Susannah Constantine and Lesley Hextall for judging the dog show (sponsored by Cuckfield Pet and Country store) and actor/scriptwriter Clive Panto who gave a lively and  hilarious commentary throughout the afternoon lifting everyones spirits. The children enjoyed the ‘Do Stuff Bus’ too. 

At one point it seemed that a new competition was in progress ‘How many people can you fit in a Beer Tent’ as people cosied up to escape the elements!

The Car Show organised by John and Lindy Stevenson continues to draw superb entries every year and the stars of the show this year were undoubtedly the Jaguar SS100 and Bugatti Type 49.

Beneficiaries of the proceeds include St Marks Church, the village hall and other local worthy causes. 
If you are interested in participating in next years event please contact me on 01444 484825.

Rugby Club benefits from NatWest Fund

Haywards Heath Rugby Club has been awarded £1,500 by NatWest as part of the RFU Rugby Force Weekend initiative to implement much-needed facility projects at the Clubhouse. This gives the Club a fantastic opportunity to action immediate external projects that will complement the planned Clubhouse transformation next year. The plan over the weekend 21st-22nd June is to build a permanent pathway between Beeches Farm Field and the Club car park to improve the link between the minis training area and the Clubhouse and to install decking outside the Clubhouse creating an outside seating area for everyone to enjoy. Now the plans and the money for the building materials are in place, all that is needed is a team of willing volunteers to help make this happen.

This is a fantastic opportunity for everyone connected with the Club to stand up and make a difference over the weekend in June when the work must be completed.

Whether you have building experience or not, whether you can spare all day or just one hour, please sign up to help. The Club needs as many people as possible to get this work done and by way of encouragement there will be a BBQ and refreshments available and there will be organised touch rugby to keep the children (large and small) occupied. Each project will have experienced project leaders and there are also other important tasks that need to be done at the Clubhouse over the same weekend to make sure everything is ready for next season. Everyone can do something - male and female, young and old - and together the Club has the opportunity make a huge difference to the Clubhouse facilities.

Please email Sarah Fry on sf@hhrfc.co.uk ASAP with your name and contact details and an idea of the amount of time large or small that you can give the Club so project teams can be put together for the many tasks that need to be completed over the weekend.

HHRFC is determined to make this a fun and productive weekend for all – if you can spare the time and want to help, get involved!