Hurst’s oldest resident switches on Christmas lights for village
HURST’S 100-year-old resident Beryl Sims switched on the Christmas tree lights at the village’s St Nicholas Night celebrations.
Watching on Sunday were a large crowd of villagers who had sung carols, supported by the St Nicholas Singers and Waltham St Lawrence Silver Band.
They’d also enjoyed mulled wine and mince pies at the School Road recreation ground.
The band’s playing was strong and tuneful — the musicians ignoring the sign in the open sided shelter where they played. The sign urges users: “Please keep noise to a minimum. Please respect our neighbours.”
Tuba player Ben Midgley said: “I did see the sign, it was quite funny. I don’t want to blow our own trumpets, but I actually thought we did quite well.”
Villagers agreed that it was a beautiful sound and certainly not a noise.
Wayne Smith, chair of Hurst Parish Council, which organised the evening, said: “Many people said how good it was to have the celebration again. Last year covid meant it wasn’t possible.”
He thanked all who had helped, including staff from Haines Hill estate, Hurst, Hurst Cricket Club, Chocolates for Chocoholics, Hurst, the village halls, the band, the singers, Richard Hardy and The Vintage Hog Roast Company, the parish council, its clerk and councillors.
Mrs Sims, who celebrated her 100th birthday in November, was perhaps, unsurprisingly, the oldest person to have switched the lights on.
The village church is named after St Nicholas, whose saint’s day was on Monday.
After covid stopped many performances last year, Waltham St Lawrence Silver Band has launched a crowd funding appeal to help pay for music scores, instrument repairs, insurance and hall hire.
The band’s chairman,
Jane Lynn, who grew up in Wokingham, asked band fans to help the appeal.
President and actress Wendy Craig, is in a video on the appeal website: www.crowdfunder. co.uk/waltham-band