West Sussex - Haywards Heath or Burgess Hill meet-up

I hope to be at Miss Mabel's.
Do we have a decision on a date yet gratefulgran ?

Hi yes can make Burgess Hill and prefer before 15tg. Where does one park?

Hi all, sorry been away for a bit, my latest grandchild (5th), a beautiful little girl, arrived on Monday so I've been a bit distracted.
I think Weds 16th seems to suit most people...are we looking for just a mid-morning coffee/cake, or a lunch? Maybe 10.30/11ish? Or midday if you would rather lunch?
Personally I would prefer coffee and cake, simply because an actual meal tends to get in the way of chatter
Not sure about parking, think they have a few bays out the front, or it would be somewhere on the side of the road on the industrial estate...don't think Wickes would appreciate it if we parked in there

Hi gratefulgran54 Congratulations on the arrival of your newest grandchild (in the absence of an emoticon for celebratory bubbly!)
I'm eagerly awaiting the imminent arrival of baby grand-daughter #3 - my youngest daughter's 1st - so I appreciate how you have been distracted
OK, well it looks like Wednesday 15th April it is! I agree with you that coffee and cake would be more social. If some of us fancy lunch afterwards, then that would be perfectly do-able too!
Thanks to yogagran for getting this thread up and running, and look forward to meeting up with you again
… … …
gratefulgran54 was baby GD born locally? Just taking a trip down memory lane: My first daughter was born at Cuckfield Hospital, which made way for the much bigger Princess Royal in Haywards Heath. My second daughter was one of the last babies born at the Horsham Cottage Hospital before maternity closed down there in 1983. We were in Berkshire when DD3 arrived, but my first grand-daughter was born at Worthing Hospital. Second made a peaceful entry into the world at home in Crawley, and the awaited one will hopefully make her entrance at the Crowborough Birthing Centre.
Lots of Sussex babies, even though as a family we have lived all over the place!

Hi NannaAnna,

Yes, she was born at PRH. Her 'big' brother (he's very proud of that moniker) was born at the Royal Sussex as PRH was full that night!

We are all Sussex babies bar No 1 DiL, who is from Scunthorpe.

My eldest was Cuckfield Hosp, middle one was Brighton (as was I and my brother), youngest boy, the new daddy, was born at home in Burgess Hill.

DiL's 2 &3 were both born at PRH, as were eldest 2 GC. Their little sister (like her uncle) was born at home in Haywards Heath.

Oh, and, if was really significant, which it isn't, my ex, the absent father/grandfather, was born at home in Burgess Hill. He's still about, but not for his family. Met his 4th grandchild (the new big brother) at his parents once, by accident, but other than that, he's shown no interest for the last 24 years in any of them, DS and DGC alike. His loss eh?

His parents and brother, however, are still very much a part of our family group, and are tickled pink with our newest member. Ma and Pa were round to see her like a shot the day after she was born...have a lovely photo of them with her! And BiL will be meeting her on Sunday.

Anyway, I digress, Weds 16th it is then! 10.30 sound good?

Looking forward to meeting whoever joins in

That's good to have that sorted - 10.30 on April 16th at Miss Mabel's

Look forward to it

I'll promote this on the West Sussex local site. Now that the date and venue are confirmed we may get some more interest!

gratefulgran when was your eldest born in Cuckfield hospital? Mine was September 1980.

Hi, where is Miss Mabel's?? I live in Horsham, so if the venue is Burgess Hill or Haywards Heath that would be difficult for me, I don't drive. Update please!

NannaAnna, he was born on the May Bank Holiday 1981,at 7:09am and I got the whole place to myself...was the only one in that night

sussexpoet Miss Mabels is in Burgess Hill at the top of Victoria Ind Est. If you can come by train, it's about a 10/15 min walk straight down past the town centre (or maybe one of us could pick you up from the station), or the 100 bus comes through hourly, stopping very close to it. Would be good if you could make it

yogagran looking forward to it too

Sussexpoet, I'm in Horsham too. Not sure about going because of the travelling, but I thought of catching the train and then bussing it. We could meet at Horsham Station and get lost together! Could be an adventure

Interesting reading this. DD2 was born at Horsham Hospital ( where I used to work) in 1978. I lived in .Horsham from 1962 until 1974 when we moved to Rudgwick and then to Scotland in 1981. Went to school in Billingshurst! I don't recognise the place now; it was a small market town (with a weekly cattle market by the station) which was totally ruined when they built a road right through the middle demolishing some amazing C15 houses in London Road. Ooh, I am getting all carried away......

Gally we lived in Horsham between 1977 and 1983, so just missed you . The Horsham maternity unit was lovely, wasn't it? They used to make you go out for a drink with your husband on your second night in, before being discharged, as it would be the last chance you'd get for quite some time! When DD2 was born there in 1983, the midwives were almost fighting over who'd deliver the next baby because it might be the last one in Horsham. Sad.
gratefulgran - and I just missed you in the Cuckfield hospital by a few months!! Another lovely hospital that no longer exists. I looked around the redevelopment (townhouses and apartments if I remember correctly) several years later. Didn't buy, but several years later than that I did buy a townhouse on the old St. Francis Hospital site! (Now called Southdowns Park).

Gosh, what a small world eh? I also lived in Horsham for a while. Moved there in 1991 to re-group after the divorce.......fantastic 4 years in Blenheim Road with wonderful neighbours...best thing I did for the boys! We only came back to Burgess Hill because my Dad was terminally ill, and I didn't drive in those days, and we've sort of hung around ever since .
My eldest DS still maintains he'd like to live in Horsham again one day. Many happy memories from there, and it's where I fostered too...had 6 boys in the house for quite some time, amazing fun, but looking back I don't know how I did it on my own.
Looks like we'll have plenty to talk about in April if we all make it

Yes it does gratefulgran
I've lived in a number of Sussex towns, despite moving away for many years and living overseas too.
I was born in London but moved to Brighton aged 7.
In adulthood I've lived in Horsham, Hurstpierpoint, Burgess Hill, Haywards Heath and Worthing, with gaps away in Berkshire, Northamptonshire, back in Brighton (twice) and Dubai (twice)

Hi everyone,
I've lived in Burgess Hill for just over a year - lived in Turkey before that. Hope to meet everyone at Miss Mabel's on 16th April at 10.30am.

Good to hear NannyHeather look forward to meeting you

Hello NannyHeather - Look forward to meeting you on April 16th. Miss Mabel's didn't exist when I lived in B Hill, so I'm curious to visit (and to re-visit the town).

Not been on site for a week or so. Is the coffee morning meet up in Miss Mabel's Burgess Hill still on. If so, hope to be there.

I'm hoping to be there too!

I'm also hoping to be there, but it will now depend on circumstances, as my youngest daughter, who was expecting her first baby, ended up having an emergency caesarian last Sunday!
Mum and baby are well, and now at home, and my SIL is trying to take some additional annual leave on top of his statutory paternity leave. If he is still home, I'll be able to make the coffee morning, but if he's had to go back to work by then I may well be needed by my daughter.
NB: Lyla Grace weighed in at 7lb 4 oz, and is of course gorgeous

How lovely NannaAnna, Congratulations to all.

I hope to be there. Where is the best place to park the car!

It's on an industrial estate Brendawymms, and as far as I can remember, there is on-road parking, but I don't know if there's a car park. Think I read somewhere that you can't park in Wykes next door because their car park is monitored.
Is anyone else familiar with the Emporium?

There is a small car park in front so some of us may be lucky with that, wondering if it may be possible to use Halfords car park just across the road.....

Congratulations NannaAnna, how lovely, and best wishes to your daughter.
As far as parking goes, there are a few spots in front of the emporium, other than that it's 'find a gap' on the road, or possibly Victoria Gardens just along the way where the cafe and Setyres garage are, or, as Yogagran suggested, sneaking into Halfords carpark . It's the only downside to Miss Mabels location, but well worth the hassle I reckon.
Looking forward to meeting whoever comes, and having a good old 'natter'
See you on the 16th!