For many (many) months now, local residents have been waiting patiently to find out news of what the future holds for the White Harte pub in Cuckfield.

At the end of last month, Hall and Woodhouse brewery confirmed that the pub had been sold to an independent party, who intends to keep the establishment running as a public house, and for the Thai Restaurant to continue to operate as normal.

The historic pub, built in 1881, has been looked after by Jim Ayling and his partner, Jackie Young for almost 17 years now, but the time has finally come for them to move on from pulling pints and serving freshly cooked homemade meals.

Jackie said: “Jim and I would like to thank all our customers and friends for their support over the years. We will miss everyone very much. This has been a very difficult and challenging time for us all, so we’d like to send our best wishes to all of the other pubs in the village, and hope that they continue to flourish.”