Nigel Parsons
Tell us a little about what you do
I’ve worked as a builder since I left school. My Dad was a carpenter and his Dad before him so it’s a real family trade. I used to go to work with with my Dad so it was a trade I was always interested in. Now I run my own building company – Nigel Parsons Builders. We do all sorts of building work: extensions, alterations, refurbishments and also smaller building jobs. I even built the BN5 office! Which aspect of your job do you like best?
I get a lot of satisfaction from seeing what I’ve built in the village. The best part of the job is when we help people out, for example helping older people to stay in their own homes through conversions and alterations. I also really enjoyed working on the Henfield Haven - it’s such a good thing for Henfield and the wider rural community. We really need the facility – if you are caring for someone with dementia then it’s invaluable. What do you like most about Henfield?
I was born and grew up in Henfield – I lived on King James’s Terrace until I was five or six which was a great place to grow up. I like the friendly community – it’s still a village and I really hope it doesn’t loose that feeling. What’s your favourite event in the local calendar?
I really like the Summer Show – it’s the village event and it still has a nice old fashioned feel about it. It is a shame they don’t have the village pram race though any more – I used to love watching it go round all the pubs in the village when I was young.
What’s your favourite local walk?
I love walking along the River Adur - it’s beautiful, especially early in the morning when it can be quite atmospheric. I do the walk every
month in the winter, when I help with the Wetland Bird Survey. I also really like the view down
towards Dunstalls from South View Terrace and across to Steyning, probably because I spent my early years there. What do you do for a hobby?
When I was younger I was into motorbike trial riding, but I stopped when falling off started to hurt too much! I’ve been involved with Henfield Birdwatch for 15 years now and I carry out surveys for them and I’m starting to get into bird photography now too. I’ve noticed a big change in local bird populations over the time I’ve been involved – we’ve lost a few species, probably because we don’t have as many rough habitats as we used to. Can you give us a top tip?
If people could set aside a bit of their garden for wildlife – just let it run wild with nettles and weeds - it would be hugely beneficial for birds and all wildlife.
Contact Nigel on
Tel: 01273 492290 Mob: 07843 967858 Web: www.nigelparsonsbuilders.co.uk