Diary of Past Events
in Burgess Hill |
Day |
Month |
Year |
Details |
|
|
1951 |
Festival of Britain celebrations ( the festival gardens
opened in May at Battersea) |
|
|
1953 |
Chanctonbury
Housing Estate began in the autumn (750 houses costing
about £1750 at start of sales in 1954) |
|
|
1954 |
The
Industrial Estate (on the former Victoria pleasure
garden site) began construction and
the first factory to be completed and occupied in 1956
was "Tylors of London" |
|
|
1955 |
A
new branch of "Woolworths" opened in Church Road
in September. It closed on 15th September 1984 |
|
|
1956 |
The
first "Goose Fair" was held at the Sidney West
Hall Leylands Road. It was last held in 1973. |
|
|
1956 |
The "Sidney
West Boxing Hall" opened
as a memorial and financed by him, on 25th February
1956 He
was the founder of the "Mid-Sussex Amateur Boxing Club" originally
held at the "Cricketers" pub. |
|
|
1957 |
Drusilla Duffill's School of Dance founded. |
|
|
1957 |
John Charles Bee- Mason,MBE, Polar explorer and cinematographer
with Shackelton, died 25th Aug.aged 82 |
|
|
1958 |
"Burgess Hill Farmhouse" was
demolished after some protesters thought it should
become a museum. |
|
|
1958 |
The
first block of flats "Park Court" were built at
the eastern end of St. John's Park |
|
|
1958 |
New
flats at "Keymer Court" were started and completed
in 1960 |
|
|
1959 |
"Oakmeeds School" A--Block
was completed. (T--Block was completed in 1954 followed
by C--Block) |
|
|
1962 |
The "Weald " inn
was opened in Royal George Road |
|
|
1964 |
The "Gattons" primary
school opened |
|
|
1967 |
"St. Wilfrid's" primary
school opened |
|
|
1967 |
Burgess Hill Laundry closed (established in 1864 by
the Chapman family) |
|
|
1968 |
"Southway" primary
school opened |
|
|
1968 |
New Police Station opened on the Brow in November |
|
|
1968 |
Southway School opened |
|
|
1968 |
A new Police Station was opened in November, followed
by the new ambulance and fire stations |
|
|
1970 |
"Wolstonbury Court" flats
west of the railway station completed. |
|
|
1972 |
"Birchwood Grove" school
opened |
|
|
1972 |
"Tower House" flats
on the corner of Junction Rd. and Silverdale Rd. built.
The original was demolished 1967 |
|
|
1972 |
The "Congregational Church" became
the U.R.C. (the exterior painted in1986, pews removed
in 2001) |
|
|
|
now
known since 2001 as "All Saints" |
|
|
1973 |
Church Road was pedestrianised on 13th May |
|
|
1974 |
"Norman & Burt" building
contractor ceased trading on 31st.May |
|
|
1974 |
Newick House school was opened in Birchwood Grove Road |
|
|
1974 |
New indoor swimming pool opened in October (the outdoor
pool was opened in 1935) |
|
|
1979 |
"Wynnstay" flats
completed in the autumn. |
|
|
1980 |
The footbridge and railway crossing gates were removed
and continental style gates installed |
17 |
March |
1980 |
Penelope
Bellas aged 23 of Haywards Heath appointed first lady
railway station manager of Burgess Hill & Hassocks.
(In the national newspapers and on TV). |
Mid |
July |
1980 |
Started demolition of Avonhurst, Inholmes Park Road.
Olive Gambles shop in Junction Road modernised and on
the market for sale |
28 |
March |
1981 |
Percy Adams died aged 70 (He started the first slide
collection of Burgess Hill) |
|
|
1982 |
Childrens Playground off Folders Lane was opened on
22nd May |
|
|
1982 |
Folders Lane housing estate now substantially completed
after six years |
|
|
1982 |
Sheddingdean Sheltered Housing scheme completed |
|
|
1982 |
On
3rd March, the Town Council announced the first Conservation
Area (Keymer Rd.Silverdale & Ferndale Rds.) |
|
|
1982 |
The "Burgess Hill Bomber's" B.M.X.
(bicycle moto cross) started near Leylands Park on
2nd.September |
18 |
June |
1983 |
Penelope Bellas left as station manager |
|
|
1983 |
The signal box in Junction Rd. was demolished on 25th
June (steps were demolished in autumn 1978) |
|
|
1983 |
Hoadleys Departmental Store closed on 22nd October
(established in 1857) |
|
|
1983 |
Wendovers (formerly Hoadleys) opened on 29th October,
but closed on 31st January 1985 |
7 |
July |
1984 |
"Reflections" held
at the Martlets Hall by the Burgess Hill Local History
Society |
13 |
October |
1984 |
The
Henry Burt "coat of arms" was removed from Parkside
-- now the logo for B/H Local History Society |
|
|
1984 |
The
Royal George pub was re-named "Georgies" from November
until July 1989 |
25 |
June |
1985 |
Valentine Dyall (the man in black) actor died aged
77 -- cremation at the Downs Crematorium Brighton |
w/e 30 |
September |
1985 |
Neil
Wates owner of the Keymer Tile Works died of cancer
aged 53. He left a £7 million pound estate |
29 |
November |
1985 |
Princess Diana visited and opened the Disabled Housing
Trust at Oakenfield |
|
|
1985 |
Courts Furnishers opened on 15th March, but closed
on 31st December 2004 |
|
|
1985 |
The "West End" housing
estate development commenced |
|
|
1985 |
The
Congregational Chapel in Leylands Road was sold to
the I.B.T.I. for £60,000 |
|
|
1985 |
Valentine
Dyall of "clermont" No. 34 Station Road (demolished
spring 1989) died on 25thJune aged 77 |
25 |
June |
1986 |
First Town Festival held over 3 days |
26 |
July |
1986 |
Jill windmill ground the first corn since 1906. It
was clearly visible from Burgess Hill |
4 |
December |
1986 |
Princess
Anne opened "Charles of the Ritz" on the industrial
estate, our second royal visitor. |
|
|
1986 |
The Signalman's house and nearby cottages were demolished
by British Rail in the Keymer Junction area. |
|
|
1986 |
The new Sheddingdean Industrial Estate was established
to the south of the waste disposal site |
|
|
1986 |
The
first "Town Festival" was held in June |
|
Autumn |
1987 |
"Pattenden" in
Gloucester Road re-named Hazeldene |
9 |
February |
1987 |
Burgess Hill Stage 2 town centre proposed new development
on display (five developers involved) |
16 |
July |
1987 |
Ev. Argus item on proposed road naming on the west
end farm development (cricketers names mainly) |
12 |
September |
1987 |
Mid - Sussex Camera Clubs 40th. Anniversary |
10 |
October |
1987 |
Michael Aspell (T.V. personality) opened Oakmeeds school
autumn fair (his niece is in her 4th.year there) |
16 |
October |
1987 |
The
Great Gale (overnight hurricane force winds) leaving
a trail of destruction in Burgess Hill & South-East |
|
|
1987 |
St.
Johns Parish Hall Cyprus Road was bought by the Town
Council for £92,000 for community use. |
|
|
1987 |
The
former "Red-Cross Hall" in Station Road was offered
for sale by tender by owners Y.M.C.A. |
|
|
1987 |
"London Meed" and "Sheddingdean" schools
opened |
|
|
1987 |
"The Cinema" was
bought by the Mid Sussex District Council |
|
|
1987 |
Sheddingdean School opened on 3rd March |
|
|
1987 |
London Meed school opened in April |
|
|
1987 |
Manor Field school major alterations began in May to
join both of the original buildings(completed Spring
1988) |
|
|
1987 |
Marten House on the brow commenced in the autumn (completed
in the summer of 1988) |
22 |
March |
1988 |
Cyprus Hall committee formed also a building sub -
committee |
22 |
May |
1988 |
New climbing frame and paths in St Johns Park (paddling/boating
pool filled in) |
15 |
June |
1988 |
The "Woolpack" public house opened (formerly "West
End" farmhouse) |
22 |
September |
1988 |
New Distributor Road and 1500 new houses on the western
side of Burgess Hill announced Mid.Sx.Times |
|
|
1988 |
The Cyprus Hall community association was founded in
February (Cyprus Hall is owned by the Town Council) |
|
|
1988 |
The "paddling pool" in
St. Johns Park was filled in to provide a climbing
frame |
|
|
1988 |
"Payless" D.I.Y. store opened on 28th January. In 1991
it became "Focus Do-It-All" |
|
|
1988 |
"Manor Field " school extensive alterations & additions
completed in the spring. |
|
|
1988 |
"Marten House" flats
for the elderly completed in the summer. |
|
|
1988 |
The "Woolpack" pub
(formerly West End Farm) was opened on 15th.June |
|
|
1988 |
Sheltered housing on the corner of West Street and
Fairfield Road was completed at the end of the year |
5 |
November |
1988 |
Town Twinning Association reception at the council
offices for guests from Schmallenburg |
12 |
March |
1989 |
Demolition of the properties in Clifton Road area commenced |
2 |
May |
1989 |
Contract commenced to extend Cyprus Hall at the rear |
6 |
July |
1989 |
"Burgess Hill" published
today by local historian and author Hugh Matthews |
29 |
October |
1989 |
"Reflections 2" held
at the Martlets Hall by the Burgess Hill Local History
Society |
26 |
November |
1989 |
Ray Pepper, past chairman of the Burgess Hill U.D.C.
and Town Council died aged 71 |
|
|
1989 |
The
old "London Road" school was demolished in May
(the last summer fete was held in 1986) |
|
|
1989 |
Clifton Road was closed on 27th February for redevelopment
(a new Clifton Road was later established) |
|
|
1989 |
Clifton Road / Station Road houses were demolished
in the spring. |
|
|
1989 |
"Gravett Court " flats
were completed (building work began in spring 1988) |
|
|
1989 |
"Lawnswood" in
Upper St. Johns Avenue was demolished for redevelopment
in April |
|
|
1989 |
The "London Road " school
off Station Road was demolished in May |
22 |
March |
1990 |
Agreed by committee that the B/H Local History Society
could establish a new Heritage Centre (Cyprus Hall) |
19 |
May |
1990 |
Cyprus Hall grand opening and barn dance |
14 |
June |
1990 |
Ernest
Hole & Son moved to Paynes Place Cuckfield Road |
2 |
July |
1991 |
Waitrose super store opened today in the Market Place
shopping centre |
3 |
November |
1991 |
The Veteran Car Run came through London Road, Burgess
Hill for the first time |
4 |
November |
1991 |
The "Market Place" shopping centre officially opened
today (cost of centre around £12 /13 million) |
|
|
1991 |
The "Market Place" Shopping Precinct opened. (An extension
of the "Martlets" opened in 1972) |
|
|
1991 |
The
housing development at "Satchel's (formerly London
Road school site) was completed in December |
24 |
January |
1992 |
The new bandstand copper roof was completed today |
31 |
January |
1992 |
Chapel Land Farmhouse Fairplace Hill (the oldest house
in B/Hill) established as a Grade 2 listed building |
22 |
February |
1992 |
The Bandstand in Church Walk was officially opened |
29 |
August |
1992 |
Jane Murray (clerk of the B/Hill Town Council) died
of cancer aged 51(now remembered by Jane Murray Way) |
21 |
September |
1992 |
New "Western Distributor Road " (now
Jane Murray Way) opened |
19 |
October |
1992 |
Main Post Office opened in the Co-Op in Church Walk |
4 |
December |
1992 |
New indoor market opened in the Market Place |
5 |
December |
1992 |
Thora Hird (aged 81) and her daughter Janette Scott
came to the bandstand to raise charity funds |
23 |
December |
1992 |
St. John's Park pavilion being demolished after a fire
destroyed the premises last spring |
31 |
December |
1992 |
The "Gas Board showroom " closed
(later to become the Help Point and Town Council premises) |
|
March |
1993 |
Tesco New Superstore opened |
12 |
June |
1993 |
A
new "Heritage Centre" opened at the rear of Cyprus
Hall |
19 |
June |
1993 |
Tesco new petrol filling station opened |
|
|
1993 |
The "Heritage Centre" was
opened by Cllr. Heather Ross on 12th June (Curator
Frederic M. Avery) |
|
|
1993 |
Janes
Lane sports pavilion (costing £150,000) was opened
on 19th June |
|
|
1993 |
The
Womens Institute hall was bought by the Theatre Club
for £90,000 in October (renovation cost £20,000) |
21 |
July |
1993 |
Ernest
Hole & Son went into voluntary liquidation |
2 |
April |
1994 |
"Gloucester Motorcycles" business
closed |
25 |
May |
1994 |
John
Major, Prime Minister visited "Halo Printers" Burgess
Hill |
27 |
October |
1994 |
Y.M.C.A. hostel for young homeless people opened in
Fairfield Road |
7 |
November |
1994 |
Dr.
Barnardo came to Burgess Hill 100 years ago (St.Johns
Institute) and raised £30 for his homes |
13 |
November |
1994 |
Bungee Jumping held outside the Junction Inn |
29 |
November |
1994 |
Dr.De Lacey (founder of the Goose Fair held 1956--1973)
died in Hilgay nursing home aged 83 |
|
|
1994 |
The
first play by the Theatre Club at the newly renovated
hall was "Candida" held in March |
1 |
February |
1995 |
New car park being constructed after Oathall Switches
was demolished in Station Road |
14 |
February |
1995 |
"Archer Court" completed on the site of the former "Kaye
-Jones" building contractors |
13 |
April |
1995 |
Macdonalds restaurant opened after only 15 days of
rapid construction |
13 |
May |
1995 |
Lord Goodman died (he opened The Martlets Hall in 1972) |
31 |
May |
1995 |
Plaques set into the pavement at several locations
to indicate the route of the Roman road |
2 |
June |
1995 |
the cinema (formerly The Scala,The Orion,Robins,Robins
Take Two) was again re-named The Orion |
13 |
August |
1995 |
Two 1939-1945 Memorial Plaques were added each side
of the main memorial erected in 1923 |
23 |
April |
1996 |
Trevor Fox (head of Oakmeeds School) died aged 60 after
a short retirement |
28 |
April |
1996 |
The contract to replace the steps to both platforms
started, and lasted until 19th May |
16 |
May |
1996 |
Barclays
Bank (London Road branch) put on the market for £150,000 |
|
May |
1996 |
"Stone Garden" sculptures
and walls being built |
3 |
June |
1996 |
"Link Road" to
the A 23 started today (the A 2300) nine months of
construction to follow |
12 |
June |
1996 |
W.I.
Hall being enlarged / converted by the Theatre Club
(cost about £90,000 ) |
15 |
June |
1996 |
"Last night of the proms" staged
outside the Market Place late evening with laser beams |
24 |
June |
1996 |
The Jaeger Factory in London Road closed today after
51 years having started in 1945 |
1 |
July |
1996 |
Malthouse Lane access altered to allow emerging traffic
to turn left into Jane Murray Way |
7 |
July |
1996 |
MacDonald's
restaurant caught fire after rubbish bin started the
blaze (It was rebuilt on 14/15 July-£250,000) |
12 |
August |
1996 |
Ronald
Leslie Rowland died aged 93 years ( greengrocer & florist
in Church Road for over 60 years) |
13 |
September |
1996 |
The Job Centre in Church Road closed after much protest |
1 |
November |
1996 |
The "Help Point" unofficially
opened by Burgess Hill Town Council |
3 |
November |
1996 |
The 100th. Veteran Car Rally came through London Road
Burgess Hill for the first time |
11 |
November |
1996 |
The "Help Point" was
officially opened by the Liberal - Democrat Leader
-- Paddy Ashdown |
|
November |
1996 |
A cctv camera was mounted on a tall pole outside Barclays
Bank during the last week of November |
|
|
1996 |
The "Stone Garden" was completed in August at a cost
of about £12,000 |
24 |
February |
1997 |
"Link
Road to the A 23 was officially opened (known as the
A2300) |
23 |
March |
1997 |
Hubert
(Hugh) Matthews died age 82. He was a local historian
who wrote the book "Burgess Hill" |
1 |
April |
1997 |
Gatehouse Lane was closed to traffic to become a Cul
de sac, later to be renamed Gatehouse Lane West |
15 |
April |
1997 |
The
Western Distributor Road (later to be known as Jane
Murray Way) opened. Cost £4,500,000. |
17 |
April |
1997 |
Five
cctv cameras now in use around the town costing £119,000 |
1 |
May |
1997 |
Permission granted to convert Hampton's Furnishings
shop (closed 19/7/97) into Hogshead Cask Ale House |
9 |
May |
1997 |
The "Triangle Leisure Centre" (costing £13,400,000)
opened today unofficially (see 26/3/1999) |
22 |
July |
1997 |
The Jaeger Factory in London Road has now been demolished |
30 |
October |
1997 |
Tesco Home and Wear in the Martlets closed (later to
become Lidl's) |
31 |
October |
1997 |
Wilkinson's general stores opened in the Market Place |
12 |
November |
1997 |
The "Hogshead" ale
house opened |
7 |
March |
1998 |
Halfords new store ( on the former Jaeger site) opened
today in London Road |
22 |
October |
1998 |
"Prescott" home
for the elderly closed in Upper St. Johns Road |
2 |
December |
1998 |
K.F.C. (Kentucky Fried Chicken) opened in the Market
Place (113 seat restaurant) |
31 |
December |
1998 |
"Damons Garage" closed
(was opened in 1946 and situated behind the old B.H.U.D.C
offices in Church Rd). |
19 |
January |
1999 |
The toilets in St. Johns Park at the south eastern
corner were demolished |
21 |
March |
1999 |
The "Sidney West Hall" in
Leylands Road was closed |
|
|
2000 |
The
only remaining "Pugmill" was demolished in April/May
by Burgess Appliances having bought it for £3,000. |
|
|
2006 |
"Fabric Warehouse" (formerly
Courts, Wendovers and Hoadleys) opened 23rd March,
closed on 4th May 2008 |
|
|
2010 |
Flats above the Fabric Warehouse were being converted
in 2009/2010 |
|
|
2011 |
Planning permission being sought to develop five new
flats to replace the derelict shop front(Hoadleys Corner) |
|
|
2011 |
Demolition of the empty Schering Health Care (formerly
Schering Chemicals) commenced on 31st January |
