Viva Lewes Issue #148 January 2019

MY SPACE
Will Wheen
The Open Door
Photos by Will Wheen
I’ve worked in Lewes for almost
30 years as a structural
massage therapist, and was
based at Equilibrium in Station
Street until its lease came to
an end last March. When it
closed, most of us practitioners
needed to relocate, and we had
just three months to find somewhere.
It was a difficult period,
as it was touch and go whether
we’d find a place and have it
ready in time.
Then I discovered that the
Thebes Annexe was empty,
and Lewes District Council
was looking for a leaseholder.
It’s a beautiful, Grade II Listed
building which dates back to
the 1730s, and was originally
the stables for Lewes House –
where, of course, Viva’s offices
now are. Lewes House’s most
famous owner was the art
connoisseur Edward Warren
(see pg 106). He exhibited
his collection in the Thebes
Annexe, including Rodin’s The
Kiss. It’s a wonderful, historically
interesting building, but
had become a bit neglected.
Luckily our proposal for a
complementary health centre
was accepted.
I had to take a gamble and
say we’d sign the lease and
have the building refurbished,
without knowing
exactly how long it would take
to make it useable. In the end,
we had only ten days between
Equilibrium closing and the
new clinic opening, but during
that time we managed to get
all the ground floor done.
There was rather nasty yellow
paint – very institutional – with
pinboards and whiteboards,
and old carpets which had to
be ripped up. It wouldn’t have
been possible without the help
of all the other practitioners, as
well as my wife, elder son and
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