THE Martlets Hall in Burgess Hill has been part of the town’s live arts scene since the 1970s but is to close in June to make way for a town centre revamp.

Despite this, the hall has launched a programme of live shows dedicated to traditional music.

Robert Eggleston, pictured, has been a supporter of traditional or traditional inspired music since his teens and has promoted live shows for a number of years.

His vision is to make Burgess Hill a thriving centre for this form of music and other music genres.

He said: “This is a great time for folk music.

“There is a new crop of highly talented artists emerging alongside the established names, exciting and original song writing, and a willingness to fuse folk with other genres.

“It is a vibrant scene which we should be nurturing locally – not just in Burgess Hill but across Mid Sussex.”

Saying farewell to the Martlets Hall was always going to be a difficult pill for Robert to swallow.

However, the promise of a new venue in the town in the not too distant future is a cause for hope and cautious optimism.

He said: “I have seen the design of the proposed new building and as a show promoter have been consulted on the scale and facilities it should offer.

“I am certainly encouraged enough to keep my passion and vision for the arts alive.”

But there will be a gap of maybe three years between the loss of the Martlets Hall and the opening of a new venue.

Of course, as an arts promoter Robert would like to see a seamless transfer from one building to another but you never get everything you want in life apparently.

So Robert is staging three farewell shows at the Martlets Hall to wish his old friend goodbye.

The first of these is on Sunday March 18 with Lady Maisery, a closely knit vocal trio with immense multi-instrumental talents.

They are part of the new breed of folk artists destined for high honours.

A further two shows are booked for Saturday May 5 (Show of Hands) and Saturday June 9 (Home Service).

Go to www.live-arts.co.uk for details