Sussex weekly round-up: 17 August - 23 August 2024
Maisie Peters, from Steyning, became the youngest solo British female artist to top the album charts with The Good Witch in 2023
- Published
The story about Sussex-born singer Maisie Peters opening for Taylor Swift proved a popular read this week.
A variety of local issues featured on the BBC News website, BBC Radio Sussex and BBC South East Today.
We have picked five stories from the past week in case you missed them.
Gardener fills potholes with flowers to 'bring joy'
Harry Smith-Haggett has made TikTok videos to document filling up the potholes with flowers
A landscape gardener has been planting flowers in potholes in Horsham.
Harry Smith-Haggett said he was gardening on the town’s roads to draw attention to their "hideous" state.
The gardener's videos have been viewed more than two million times on TikTok.
West Sussex County Council (WSCC) urged people not to go on the roads for safety reasons, and said it had increased resources to tackle potholes.
Wheelchair skate club to embark on Paris challenge
The group is hoping to reach Paris for the opening ceremony
A wheelchair skating group is planning to tackle a 120-mile (193km) route from East Sussex to Paris to celebrate the Paralympic Games.
About 35 skaters and five wheelchair users from the London-based Wheels and Wheelchairs group will set off from Hove Lawns on 24 August.
They hope to reach the French capital for the opening ceremony on 28 August.
Group president Isaac Harvey said: "People with disabilities are able to have a very fulfilling life, and it doesn’t just stop if you have a disability."
Customers 'can't even buy knickers' as shops shut
One of the empty units in London Road, East Grinstead
Shoppers have expressed concerns over the future of a West Sussex high street, claiming they can no longer buy necessities like shoes and underwear.
NatWest bank is the latest business to have shut down in East Grinstead after it closed on 20 August.
"You can’t even get a pair of proper knickers,” said Shielah Harris, who has lived in the town for 72 years.
Mid Sussex District Council said it was supporting businesses in the town while NatWest said most of its customers were switching to online banking.
Another bank on the High Street closes and as many as 16 stores are lying empty
Sussex fisherman, 77, rows to Isle of Wight and back
So far, Mr Fisher has raised for than £4,000 - exceeding his target of £3,000
A 77-year-old fisherman has rowed from Sussex to the Isle of Wight and back to raise funds for a new stained glass window.
Ross Fisher, a lifelong sailor and former coastguard of 20 years, set off from Felpham, near Bognor Regis, on Saturday, reaching the Isle of Wight, later that day.
He slept among the sand dunes, but was unable to start the return journey until Monday due to the wind direction.
Mr Fisher, who is raising cash for a new window in memory of Queen Elizabeth II at his local church in Felpham, said: "It combines my love of the sea with an opportunity to contribute."
Chef raises £800 for homeless man after tent fire
The remains of the homeless man's belongings after the fire
A man who is raising money to replace a homeless person’s belongings after they went up in flames says he has been “overwhelmed” by the response.
Dylan Matten, a chef from Bognor Regis, was walking through the town on 18 August when he saw fire crews extinguishing the homeless man’s tent.
“It broke my heart, so I set up the fundraiser,” said Mr Matten, who has raised nearly £800 for a complete stranger in just two days.
West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service confirmed it responded to a fire in London Road and is investigating its cause.
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