Hassocks community gathers to mark Remembrance Sunday 2026

Around 300 Hassocks residents came together to remember the village’s fallen, veterans, and all those affected by war and conflict.

The solemn but uplifting event on the cold bright afternoon of 8 November was attended by families, neighbours and community groups of all ages and backgrounds.

This was Hassocks Parish Council’s second year organising the Remembrance Sunday event, working with local partners and the community. The gathering brought together the many people and organisations who help make our village a caring community, united in paying their respects.

The Burgess Hill Marching Youth band led the procession from outside Adastra Park’s Garden of Remembrance along Keymer Road. A detour through the Villa Adastra car park enabled older residents who could not join the parade to watch from the balcony and pay their respects.

Local Rainbows, Brownies and Guides, Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Explorers all took part. In a particularly poignant part of the ceremony, young people laid crosses bearing the names of the Hassocks men who have fallen. Scouts and Guides also helped before the event, delivering leaflets to neighbours affected by the road closures.

Sussex Police, St John Ambulance’s Central Sussex and Ouse Valley Network, and Hassocks Twinning Association also joined the parade and laid wreaths. The latter served as a reminder of how the town twinning movement grew in the aftermath of the Second World War and the desire to create bonds of trade and friendship to arrest future European conflict.

Our Chair, Cllr Frances Gaudencio, laid a wreath on behalf of Hassocks Parish Council. Councillors Bunting, McBeth and Richardson also supported the parade in various roles. Cllr Angelaki-King carried the flag, while Cllr Hatton also represented Mid Sussex District Council. Coun County Councillor for Hassocks & Burgess Hill South, Erika Woodhurst-Trueman, also laid a wreath on behalf of West Sussex County Council and elsewhere in the village Parish Councillor Paul Shepherd laid a wreath at the Clayton War Memorial.

At Keymer Church, Reverend Alex Baxter and fellow clergy led an outdoor service, bringing the community together to pause, reflect and remember.

Thank you to our community

We thank everyone who helped make the event possible, including the volunteers who marshalled the parade and carried out other essential tasks. Special thanks go to Dragon Event Services for overseeing the road closures and to volunteer Ian Foxton for supporting them. Thanks to the Royal British Legion for their support in organising wreaths, crosses and poppies. We also thank the many local groups and businesses who made poppies, promoted and supported the event.

After the service, many attendees continued to the Greyhound Inn, where a special Remembrance Day gathering featured a performance of wartime songs by Millie Cook.

Thank you to everyone who took part and helped our village honour those we remember. You can view a gallery of photographs from the event on our Facebook page.

Read more about our village’s history of service and remembrance, and Adastra Park’s Garden of Remembrance, in our recent article: Hassocks prepares to mark Remembrance Sunday.

Official photo of Hassocks Guides, Brownies and Rainbows, shared with permission.