‘It seemed like quite a do’: why East Grinstead hosts one of Scientology’s glitziest evenings

Original article by Sammy Gecsoyler

In the nearly 30 years that Diane Juchau has lived in East Grinstead, not many days live as long in the memory as the day she saw Tom Cruise on the high street. “I saw him a couple of years ago walking past Iceland,” she said.

It may seem like a once-in-a-lifetime anecdote but, this week, Cruise was back – and, when the purpose for his visit was revealed, the chance sighting of the Mission: Impossible star in a West Sussex town makes a lot more sense.

East Grinstead is home to the Church of Scientology – its Saint Hill Manor is the UK headquarters for the organisation. Last week, the church held its annual fundraising bash, the Patrons Ball, with Scientologists from the UK and beyond gathering under the same roof.

They were greeted with a night of glitz and glamour, according to the videos taken on the night, including live performances, flowing wine and a flashy stage setup that could have been lifted straight from a primetime Saturday night entertainment show.

According to the church, more than 7,000 people descended on the mansion – which was bought by L Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology, in 1959 – for the Patrons Ball. Not all of those in attendance were A-listers. The organisation said residents and “town and district councillors” were also on the guest list.

A gathering of such size in a town with a population of just 26,000 is unlikely to go unnoticed. One report in the Sun newspaper said Cruise’s helicopter “caused a right old racket”, and local people this week were similarly struck by the size of the event.

Paul Oliver, 53, and Vanessa Oliver, 54, were walking their dogs past the manor when they noticed a lot of traffic outside. “It seemed like quite a do. We went for a walk when they were setting up. We could hear them testing out the band,” said Paul. “They spent a few quid – their car park was massive.”

East Grinstead, which has been called the UK’s Twin Peaks by various outlets, has a complicated relationship with the organisation. In the town centre, lined with magnificent Tudor buildings and quaint shops, 59-year-old Juchau said she is not a fan of Scientology’s presence.

The Church of Scientology has faced controversy since its founding in 1954, including claims that it separates its members from their families and indoctrinates followers.

Hubbard was banned from entering the UK by the British government in 1968. Kenneth Robinson, the health minister at the time, called Scientology “a potential menace to the personality and wellbeing of those so deluded as to become its followers”. The organisation’s current leader, David Miscavige, has been served with lawsuits in the US.

Narconon UK, a Scientology-linked addiction charity, was accused last year of putting vulnerable people through psychological drills that left them “traumatised” and in “trance-like states”. The claims, revealed by the Observer, led to the charity being reprimanded by the Charity Commission.

These controversies have had an impact locally. Critics of Scientology have regularly protested outside the organisation’s stately headquarters and, this year, a sign erected opposite East Grinstead railway station, which listed “Saint Hill Manor. Home of L Ron Hubbard” among the town’s historic sights, was removed by Govia Thameslink Railway. The company said it moved the sign because it was in an unsafe location.

Juchau said Scientologists have been “putting their pamphlets in charity shops” since she moved to the town in 1998. A few months ago, she said she spotted them preaching on the bus to nearby Haywards Heath. “They get on … and give you their books,” she said. When this was put to the church, it said preaching on the bus “is just not something we do”.

She said she often spots followers of the organisation around town, including outside Sainsbury’s, “wearing their black suits with the red tie”.

Cruise, the most high-profile devotee of Scientology, has long been a regular in the town. He bought an 11,331sq ft mansion near Saint Hill Manor in 2006, before selling it to Peter Andre a decade later, though the Top Gun star is not the only celebrity with links to Scientology to have graced East Grinstead.

In 2011, John Travolta was reportedly left hungry after his team called a local KFC branch to book a table before being told he would have to queue like everybody else. The worker who picked up the call on behalf of “Mr Travolta” told the Mirror at the time: “Customers are customers, no matter who they are.”

On Thursday afternoon, the Guardian paid a brief visit to Saint Hill Manor, situated down a leafy, country road, but was informed that visits are appointment only.