Behind the Counter: Hart Country Stores

By Mary Collins 

Located at the centre of Haywards Heath, Hart Country Stores is far more than just a café – it’s a thoughtfully curated destination that blends artisanal retail, handcrafted food and drink, carefully chosen gifts and homewares, and a genuine sense of community spirit. 

Step inside and you’re greeted by the comforting aromas of coffee and freshly baked cake, the gentle hum of conversation, and shelves lined with beautifully packaged goods that invite further exploration.

Since opening its doors in 2021 on South Road, this independently-run company has established itself as a local staple, thanks to the vision and dedication of Sussex-born siblings Daryl and Casey Ruse, their mother Sue, and Daryl’s partner Christian Harris, all of whom play vital roles in the day-to-day running of the business. Their combined talents, shared values, experience, and easy banter have created a space that feels both personal and professional.

Part café, part food shop, part boutique gift store, Hart brings something unique to the town. It offers refined, modern-rustic charm – think the warmth of a countryside farm shop with the considered touches of a private members’ club. 

The 50-cover space serves freshly made breakfasts, brunches and lunches, alongside barista coffees, specialist loose-leaf teas, small-batch groceries, stylish homewares and carefully selected gifts. It’s a space designed to delight the senses while remaining accessible and down-to-earth – a balance that’s not easy to strike, but one this family team has managed with ease.

The genesis of Hart was formed during the pandemic – a time of reflection, rethinking, and for many, reinvention. For chef and co-founder Daryl it was a chance to channel his wide industry experience and long-held ambition into something tangible. “It was always a dream to create something special in catering retail. Lockdown gave us the time to really plan and research every aspect of the business. Later when we were allowed out and about, we spent hours on South Road watching people and how they moved around the town and what caught their attention. My love of coffee sparked the idea, but what we’ve built has become something much bigger.”

Excerpt from full article, published in November 2025 issue of Haywards Heath Life

Haywards Heath duo to drop their debut album: Sweet Loretta

Haywards Heath’s own Sweet Loretta are making waves beyond Mid Sussex - and now they’re gearing up for their biggest release yet. The local duo, made up of lifelong friends Quinn Humphreys and Fraser Blanchflower, will release their much-anticipated debut album at the end of November.

The two have been making music together for over ten years, mixing their love of 70s and 80s pop, soul and funk into a sound that’s all their own – a fresh twist on alternative pop.

They’ve already been turning heads. Their 2024 EP No Small Parts has picked up over 130,000 streams on Spotify, and last year they went international, supporting the acclaimed artist Kishi Bashi on tour across America and Europe.

Their latest single In The End dropped in late September and even got some airplay on BBC Radio Sussex – a great moment for the musicians making their mark.

With a hometown connection and an ever-growing fanbase, this debut album promises to be a milestone moment - not just for Sweet Loretta, but for the local music community too.

Lead vocalist Quinn said: “We’re thrilled to be releasing our debut album. It’s been a long and winding journey to get here. And no matter where we play - whether that’s London or New York - we always think back to our very first gig at the Albemarle Centre!”

If you haven’t heard them yet, now’s the time to tune in. Keep an eye (and an ear!) out for the release this November, and join us in cheering on two of Haywards Heath’s finest as they take their next big step.

Talk of the Town: Duncan Pascoe

Duncan Pascoe, mayor

By Rebecca Jabbar 

Every town has its rhythm, and in Haywards Heath it’s an easy one to recognise. The calm of Muster Green, the bustle of The Broadway, the balance between community life and quiet space, together they give the town its sense of belonging.

To explore that spirit, Mayor Duncan Pascoe takes us on a metaphorical walk through the place he calls home. Along the way, he shares the moments, people and places that tell the story of a town proud of where it’s been and confident about where it’s going.

Duncan’s connection with Haywards Heath began long before his time in office. “My dad lived here, so I’d visit, and we’d go for dinner on The Broadway,” he recalls. “I didn’t really get to know the town properly until later, when I moved back myself. During Covid, my dad and I were renting in the same area, so we’d meet for walks or runs. It was really special being in the same town.”

That time made him realise how much he wanted to invest in the place, not just personally, but as part of the community. “This is where I’ve planted roots. It’s home now. I just felt that if you care about the place you live, you should put something back in.”

Most mornings start with a run or a walk with his dog, often stopping for a coffee, a habit, he admits with a grin, that his Swedish wife has encouraged. “She’s a big coffee drinker,” he says. “It’s become our little routine here.” It’s the kind of small rhythm that reflects the town’s character too: active, sociable and proud of its places to eat and drink.

That motivation led him to stand on the Town Council, and later to become Mayor. He still sounds slightly amused by how it started. “They told me, ‘We’ll put your name down as a candidate,’ and I thought, sure, why not? It was a real dip-your-toe moment. But then we had this huge turnover of councillors, which actually created a fresh start. None of us were tied to how things had always been done, so we could really think differently.”

Read the full article in the November 2025 issue of Haywards Heath Life

Recharge and connect at Hope Café

If you’re looking for a friendly place to meet people, or just somewhere to pause and reset in a busy week? Every Thursday morning, the doors of Hope Café are open for anyone who fancies a cuppa, a slice of homemade cake, and a warm welcome. It’s a relaxed, no-pressure space to take a break, meet others, or simply get out of the house for a bit.

Hope Café takes place every Thursday between 10am and 12noon at Haywards Heath Baptist Church on Sussex Road.

Some people bring along a craft or some knitting, while others join in with the friendly art group that meets at the café. There’s no charge - donations only - because Hope Café is a not-for-profit community space, served by volunteers who simply love seeing people connect.

Hope Café is also registered as a Place of Welcome, part of a growing national network of local spaces that create a sense of belonging for everyone. Each Place of Welcome shares the same simple values: everyone is welcome, people are respected, and conversations matter.

So, whether you’re new to Haywards Heath, working from home and in need of a change of scene, or just looking for a place where you can pause and feel part of the community, Hope Café is the perfect spot to start your Thursday.

Haywards Heath Town Day 2025

By David Tingley, editor

We used Haywards Heath Town Day to launch Haywards Heath Life on Saturday 13th September. After a morning of setup in what can only be described as horrendous weather - after 2pm, the sun came out consistently, and lots of people came out to see what was what - try the fun fair rides, speak to stallholders, buy gifts, connect with their community and listen to music and arts from the huge outdoor stage on Victoria Park.

Sophie, Ayesha and myself were delighted to be able to meet and greet many residents who were excited to learn of the a brand new ‘proper’ community magazine coming, just for Haywards Heath - Haywards Heath Life!

Myself and Toby also spent some time talking to stallholders and visitors to the day, for our social media channels - check out our Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/haywardsheathlife/

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Speaking after the event, Cllr Duncan Pascoe, the Mayor of Haywards Heath said:

“Town Day is always a special date in our calendar, but this year truly surpassed expectations. Seeing so many people come together to celebrate our wonderful community was incredible, and I’d like to thank everyone who contributed – from our performers and stallholders to our volunteers and visitors. Well done to the team at the Town Council for putting on such a brilliant day for all, despite the weather!”

Haywards Heath Town Council would like to say a huge thank you to our sponsors for the event, whom without the day would not have been possible without their generous support. Batchellor Monkhouse, Hayden Swan Opticians, The Orchards Shopping Centre and RBPM Direct brought the fun and festivities to life!

How many magazines are there in Haywards Heath? And which is the best one?

Well, at last count, we know about Haywards Heath Pages, RH Uncovered, and Haywards Heath Handbook.

There are other, A4 format magazines also, in the form of Sussex Living and Family Grapevine; a glossy lifestyle magazine and not about community interest stories, and a title geared specifically towards those with young families, respectively.

However, we know none of these are as good as our magazine (out 3rd November 2025) – Haywards Heath Life - which is a ALL ABOUT community.

Haywards Heath Life comes straight from the stable which produces truly beloved titles of Lindfield Life, Cuckfield Life, Hurst Life and Hassocks Life. We’ve been publishing community magazines for over 16 years! Our history working with community and parish councils is crucial to our magazines success. We DO NOT just put any old content on our pages and print it - we employ editors (from within the communities) to sniff out the best local news items and feature real people’s stories from the place. We work alongside councils to help them share its content to local residents. We feature stories from schools, charities, businesses and community action groups in all our magazines.

And that’s exactly what we are doing with Haywards Heath Life. We know how to produce a proper community magazine. The only thing which is different is that Haywards Heath Life will be a pick-up product - from 3rd November, there will be over 15 dispensers at high traffic areas of the town, where you can grab your free copy. This will get the magazines into the hands of a readership which truly wants to engage and find out more about the place where they live and work.

If you would like to advertise your business in Haywards Heath Life - find out more here.

Maybe you’d like to contribute content to Haywards Heath Life? Read more about that here.

Good Neighbours CARE looking for volunteers

Haywards Heath’s Mayor, Duncan Pascoe, recently spent a morning with volunteers from Good Neighbours CARE, meeting some of the charity’s Haywards Heath based clients.

The Mayor said: “I recently had the pleasure of joining volunteers of Good Neighbours CARE to understand what a normal day of volunteering looks like. For those who don’t know, Good Neighbours CARE is a local charity that offers a range of support for vulnerable people in our community that need it; this could be helping them with their shopping, giving them a lift to hospital appointments, or simply spending time with them to reduce loneliness. It’s the sort of support that is often unseen but makes an enormous difference to people’s lives. 

“During my day with the volunteers, I was humbled to witness their compassion and commitment to helping others. Some of the volunteers I spoke to have been supporting people in our community for several years and their impact has greatly improved the lives of the people supported. The best part is the volunteers are just like you and me, neighbours that want to look out for their neighbours.

“I’m grateful to the volunteers for allowing me to join them for the day and I learned that the volunteering opportunities at Good Neighbours CARE are highly flexible. For example, you could give just an hour a week to help a vulnerable person with their shopping and making a huge difference to their lives. Volunteering is an incredibly rewarding thing to do, so if you have any spare time, consider joining Good Neighbours CARE to start making a difference to your community.”

For over 40 years, Good Neighbours CARE has helped isolated and vulnerable residents in Haywards Heath and nearby villages. The charity shops with clients or shops for them, drives them to medical appointments and visits them for a cuppa at home.

If you want to know more, visit the charity’s website: www.careinhaywardsheath.co.uk

What and who is twinned with Haywards Heath?

By Liz Price, Haywards Heath Twinning Association

The keen-eyed residents may have noticed a recent addition to the Haywards Heath skyline in the form of a signpost which sits in the little garden opposite the Star pub and outside Zizzi Restaurant – showing the distances to Bondues and Traunstein. But why? You may well ask…

Behind all of this is the thriving Haywards Heath Twinning Association, membership of which is open and welcome to all residents of Haywards Heath and surrounding villages. The Twinning Association organises trips to and from Bondues and Traunstein and encourages links between clubs and societies in Haywards Heath and our twin towns of Bondues and Traunstein.

Only an hour’s drive from Calais and close to Lille, Bondues is a lively friendly community with a beautiful old town centre. Established in 1998 the twinning friendship with Bondues is very active and much cherished.

Traunstein and Haywards Heath have been proudly twinned since 1993. Traunstein is in the south-eastern part of Bavaria and is beautifully situated close to the Lake Chiemsee between Munich and Salzburg.

Anyone with children who’ve studied German at Oathall Community College will be aware of the town of Traunstein since Oathall has a regular school exchange with a school in Traunstein in Bavaria. This link has been in existence for many years and it’s from this link that the formal twinning between the towns of Haywards Heath and Traunstein came about 30 years ago. 

There are opportunities to visit for all members and this is a great way to improve language skills in French and German and meet new friends in France and Germany.  During the year The Twinning Association offers many language opportunities  including  Language Classes and groups and our very popular informal chats in local cafés in French and German, wordle groups, scrabble in French and a French Book Club. All these groups meet to progress language skills and share a common interest with friendly folk!

Since the demise of Adult Education in our area it’s difficult to find opportunities for language learning and practice and this is one of the many reasons the Association has become so popular.

With the approach of Christmas, it will  soon be time for our annual Christmas party with carols in French and German around the piano with Glühwein and seasonal food!

 If you’re someone who might be interested in joining us, we would love you to get in touch. Membership is just £10 per annum. You might also be someone involved in a local club or society interested in having links and possibly exchanges with a similar club or society in France or Germany.  Please do contact us at hhtwinners@gmail.com, or find us on Facebook.

Haywards Heath Town Mayor welcomes Haywards Heath Life

Duncan Pascoe

By Duncan Pascoe, Town Mayor of Haywards Heath

I’m thrilled to be featuring in, and pleased to endorse, the first issue of Haywards Heath Life! This new community magazine for our town will be packed with community news and events, as well as providing space to showcase our local businesses. For several years, residents of neighbouring villages Cuckfield and Lindfield have had the benefit of receiving a monthly community magazine like this one. So, it’s nice that finally Haywards Heath will get a magazine that’s all about us!

This new publication looks to celebrate everything that makes our town unique: from local heroes, hidden gems, community events, businesses, history, and the everyday stories of the people that make our town great. My hope is that this magazine will foster a greater sense of connection between residents and offer ways for people to feel more involved in our community. Whether you’ve lived here your whole life or just moved in, I’m sure Haywards Heath Life will be a fantastic source for what’s going on in and around our community.

I’m grateful to David and his team for pulling this together and I am excited to see how it grows!