Tony and Doris Brooks came to Fulking to live at Hillbrook in 1970 and built the existing bungalow themselves in 1975.They then successfully ran Hillbrook Nursery until 1998 when they retired.
In the 47 years they lived in Fulking they have been stalwarts of all village activity and will be much missed. Tony has been a councillor and chairman of the parish council as well as one of the driving forces of the Social Committee. His authorship of the two volumes of The Changing Times of Fulking and Edburton which he published in 2007 & 2015 is an historical gem so far as the village is concerned and remains the important source of village information. Incidentally the proceeds of the sale of this work were, most generously, donated to the St Andrews church restoration fund.
Personally, I have been fortunate to come into contact with Tony over village matters many times and his honest and direct approach has been a great asset. I regret to say that their departure virtually brings to the end the era of a particularly dedicated type of villager, many of the recent arrivals to the village do not seem to me to be as interested or committed to Fulking.
Please join me in wishing Tony and Doris much happiness in their new home in Hassocks. We shall miss them.