Legendary TV personality Penelope Keith was filming in the village earlier in the year, following the decision to include Cuckfield in the More4 series Penelope Keith’s Secret Villages. The show in which Cuckfield is featured is rumoured to be airing in September.
Secret Villages takes Penelope on a journey through a part of the country during each show. Cuckfield is part of the second episode of the series, which covers Kent and Sussex. A small team researches different stories for each area and comes together to share what it found with the production company and Penelope herself.
Series producer and director Owen Rodd explained: “Once we heard about Cuckfield it was certain we would use it for the programme! The primary story we followed was that of the donkey races on Whitemans Green in the 1950s & 60s and then the subsequent formation of the Independent State of Cuckfield.”
Penelope, who went to school in Seaford, met up with Cuckfield Mayor Rob Helliwell at his pub The Wheatsheaf, along with Martin Ingebretson, to learn more about the village.
The series will start on More4 at 9pm on 1st September. Cuckfield features in episode two.
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