Seamstress retires

She began selling fabric from home and after a successful year got the opportunity to buy the shop in Cuckfield High Street. “For many years it was the butchers shop run by Mr Tidy who lived with his family in the flat above,” said Jane.
     The shop gave Jane the opportunity to expand the business to include a curtain-making service.
     Jane was soon joined by Karen Sedgwick-Smith who took on most of the curtain-making, leaving Jane free to work on smaller blinds and cushions. The pair have now worked together for 23 years.
     Over the years Jane has seen huge changes in the way windows are dressed. “We have gone from very fussy Austrian blinds, which I always thought looked rather like frilly knickers, to today’s simpler styles which use far less material,” said Jane.
     “Blinds have also become very popular, but I don’t think you can beat a nice pair of long curtains.”

Full article available on page 27.

By Claire Cooper
     The curtain came down on one of the village’s most popular and long-standing businesses last month when Jane Henderson retired from Windowscene.
     For a quarter of a century Jane has been enhancing Cuckfield homes with handmade curtains, cushions and blinds.
     But Jane’s career as a curtain maker has now come to a close and she is already making the most of her new found freedom!
     Jane was taught to sew by her mother, who worked as a domestic science teacher. She made her first curtains shortly after leaving home. “When I got my first flat I couldn’t afford to buy ready-made curtains, so I made them myself,” said Jane. “I used to make my own clothes too, but often by the time I’d finished I wasn’t sure I liked them any more! And it’s so much more fun to go into a shop and try things on!”
     Jane came to Sussex 29 years ago after marrying a local whose parents lived in Cuckfield.
     After having two children, Jane decided to
leave her job in the city and look for work that would fit in with family life.

Staplefield Village Fête

There’s no doubt that Staplefield was the place to be on Bank Holiday Monday when the village staged one of the most successful fêtes in its history. 
     Hundreds of families descended on the village green to enjoy an afternoon of traditional events and activities, from a Punch and Judy Show to classic cars.
     “It was quite extraordinary, and definitely one of the most successful yet,” said committee member Elspeth Montgomery. “It was a lovely busy, buzzy day and we were all delighted with the turnout!
     “People have described it as a ‘Downton Abbey’ type of Fête, with lots of bunting and a very traditional feel.”
     The event, which raised more than £10,000 for St Mark’s Church, the Village Hall and other Staplefield charities, was opened by local MP Nicholas Soames. Local celebrity Susannah Constantine also made a welcome return to judge the popular dog show.
     Families were kept entertained with fairground rides, a chance to meet rare owls, stalls and sideshows, and food and drink including a popular Pimms and strawberries tent and hog roast.
     Others enjoyed stepping back in time and exploring the dozens of vehicles in the classic car show, from police cars and buses, Rolls Royces and an impressive range of Morris Minors. 
     “The classic car show gets bigger every year, with the first Morris Minors arriving on the green at 8am in the morning!” said Elspeth.
     New this year was the Arts Inclusive Festival run by the Circles Network, which provided opportunities for all members the community to enjoy creative activities, from designing lettering to transforming old books into works of art.

See all pictures from the day on pages 16/17.

Remembering Horsgate House

Among them was Rosemary, who started working at Horsgate House in 1955, and colleagues Bobbie Taylor (now Freeland), Ann Reeves (now Small) and Jenny Harper (now Hartfield), who were all delighted to attend the reunion and share their stories.
     The nurses have fond memories of life in the grand house, particularly the sweeping, highly polished staircase which dominated the hall and the beautiful gardens. “The building had so much character,” said Rosemary. “Our toddler room was the former billiard room.”
     All the nurses remember being on their hands and Remembering Horsgate House knees polishing the wooden floors and having to the make perfect beds, complete with ‘hospital corners’! “Which I still do today,“ said Rosemary!
     Staff were on duty 24 hours a day, and the morning shifts starting with the first feeds at 4.45am.
     Older babies were fed sitting at a semi-circular table, designed so the nursery staff could feed several at one time. “It was a great design as we were able to sit as a family group but it was also easy to feed the children,” said Ann.

Read full article on pages 12/13.

By Claire Cooper
Memories came flooding back to a group of visitors to Cuckfield last month when the Museum played host to a very special reunion.
     Twin sisters Anna and Mary Kelly were reunited with some of the nursery nurses who cared for them at Horsgate House when they were just two years old. The museum is currently running an exhibition on the history of Horsgate House and invited the group for a private visit.
     The twins spent a year living in care at Horsgate House after their mother became unable to look after them. Although very young, the sisters made a lasting impression on the young nursery nurses, particularly Rosemary Bird (Birdy) who followed their progress after they were fostered and has kept in touch over the last 60 years.
     Horsgate House was built in 1865 by the banker Robert Bevan. In 1947 the house was bought by East Sussex County Council and became a temporary home for 12 babies, 24 children and a team of six students and four staff nurses.