Happy New Year and hello 2026! I don’t know about you, but I always think that the light changes in January, and although at the time of writing, snow is forecast, you can feel the first stirrings of growth and revitalisation that will come in the months ahead.
All that aside, I’ve been busy. Crawley is our Town of the Month, and I set off on a mission to find all that is beautiful and historic in what has been described as the engine room of the county. Crawley often gets bad press, but I found plenty of nature, beauty and history!
And as it’s the beginning of January, I have 10 things to do this month to help keep the January Blues at bay with everything from wassailing to horse racing.
Late last year, I caught up with Michelin-trained chef, Steve Toward, to talk about vegetables. As by now, most of us are groaning with too much cheese, it feels like a good time to share his winter vegetable suggestions – they are rather sumptuous and a great kick start to any healthy living promise you’ve made to yourself!
I won’t often recommend that you leave Sussex, but this month is an exception. In 2026, Sussex Exclusive has an overarching theme of History, Heritage and Folklore. It also happens to be 960 years since the Battle of Hastings. So what better way to spend the year than by going on a deep dive into the places that feature in the 1066 year! I’m going to be going all over the county (and hopping over to Normandy too), but I had to start with two places that play a major role in this drama but aren’t in Sussex: Westminster and Winchester. They are, after all, where the story starts and ends.
Finally, January sees the launch of our new Sussex Exclusive Business and Health pages. These will be showcasing many of our fabulous businesses and health service providers for those that live in Sussex, but they will also be providing lots of valuable advice for business owners, start-ups, and entrepreneurs. Commissioning Editor, Dee Blick, is in charge, and they are already packed with great advice, interviews, book reviews and features.
Wow! That all feels like a cracking start to the new year. Keep warm as the cold snap heads our way and have a good one. Hope to see you out and about somewhere in Sussex!
Lucy
Sussex Exclusive
