Etchingham village voice

The Big Party, back by popular request is a great informal night for family and friends, raising money for the village. Live music, a well stocked bar and wonderful food available , all for £10.

This year, the Playgroup, Friends of Etchingham School, Etchingham Club and ETSR all have great items to Auction. The Friends of the School have the following items for auction, A fine art portrait valued at £250 - half a lamb, freezer ready, valued at approx. £80 - one nights accommodation at the Bell Ticehurst valued at approx. £100 - The Bistro Package, including an hours pilates lesson with Kirsty Mascall, a deluxe facial by Cali Westwood and lunch for two at the Bistro.

The Playgroup have on offer 4 nights for up to 12 people staying at the self catering coach house at Ashlands, Burwash - half hour for two people being driven in one of Mick Goulds trucks - a choice of paintings by local artist Ali Trask - Paint ball tickets for 25.

Etchingham Club has put up a case of assorted white wines with two annual subscriptions to the Club, and a case of assorted red wines with two annual subscriptions to the Club.

ETSR are offering four signed and mounted photos, Wayne Rooney, in England strip - David Beckham, in Manchester United strip - Patrick Viera, in Arsenal strip - Thierry Henry, in arsenal strip. The photos are 19 inches by 24 inches in mounts 25 inches by 30 inches.

More details of the items on offer can be obtained from the organisations offering them for auction. If you are unable to attend the event, but would like to place a bid on any of the items, sealed bids are being accepted, on the outside of the envelope write which item you are bidding for, on the inside place your bid amount and your name and contact details. Sealed bids can be left at the Bistro, Post Office, with any member of the Friends of Etchingham School, or any of the following people Nicky Menzies, David driver, Sue Westbrook, Caroline Evertsz or Mary barnes.

Playgroup is also doing a raffle on the evening, if you have any items that you would like to donate to the raffle contact Lorraine Tasker [email protected] or drop items at Playgroup when they are in session.

For over 21 years Etchingham Church has been the venue for a Music Festival during the first week of July. This year will run from Saturday July 7 to Sunday July 15.

Saturday July 7 will be an evening of music and song with Elizabeth Burgess on piano, John Slack on clarinet, Matt Lowe playing cello and soprano Aoife Miskelly. Sunday July 8 the Church hosts a piano recital from gifted young pianist and graduate of the Royal academy of Music, Bing Bing Li. A welcome return of the Mitrea Piano Quartet playing as a Trio, Quartet and Quintet on Wednesday July 11, and Festival Patron, Dr. Peter Katinwill perform a piano concert on Thursday July 12, including Chopin. Schubert, Beethoven and Debussy. A Supper Concert with Cuban Jazz Salsa band ‘Heads South’ will be on Saturday july 14. The Festival is rounded off with a free concert in the afternoon on Sunday July 15, a celebration of English music to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee with the Ashdown Singers.

Booking forms are available in the village shops, and the full programme details prices and ticket information can be found on the Festival website www.etchinghammusicfestival.co.uk the postal address is Etchingham Music festival, PO Box 100, Etchingham, East Sussex, TN19 7US 01580 860199

Advance notice of road closure. Essential road resurfacing will take place on Etchingham High Street, from Borders Lane to the railway line, starting from Monday July 23, the work will take three days to complete, during the work the High Street will be closed to through traffic during the working day, access to businesses and for residents will be maintained but will be limited at certain times due to the nature of the work. A number of people have asked when the experimental traffic order with the yellow lines will arrive, because of the resurfacing work the implementation of the scheme was delayed, the new lines will be put in place after the road works are complete, when all the existing lines are put back in place.

Details of the road works and diversions are on the Parish Council notice board outside the Post Office.

Your new Shop and Deli has now been open for a few weeks and doing well, the shop now has a Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/etchinghamshopanddeli the page will be used to update users on new events and offers at the shop, and a place for you to add your comments, ideas and suggestions.

The Flower and Dog Show will be held on Saturday September 8, so you might want to start thinking about what you will enter this year and start to nurture all your prize fruit and veg ready for the show.

Does your group or organisation need more members or help in some way. If you are looking for new members, send me details of your organisation, what you do when you meet etc. and I will put the details in this column. If you are looking for help in any way, tell me what you need and I will publicise it here for you.

Get information for this column to me as soon as possible, if you have a diary of events planned for the year let me have the dates and I will put in a list of village events for the year so that people can put the dates in their diaries. There are several ways to get your info to me, but email is preferred because there is less chance of errors during copying. I need information by 10pm on Monday to be sure it will be in time for inclusion, I can sometimes add extra items on Tuesday morning, but this cannot be guaranteed. Just a little reminder, I get plenty of information about events that are taking place, but I get very little follow up information, after your event try and remember to send me brief account of how successful your event was, it can be as simple as a thank you to those that attended and how much money was raised etc. You can deliver to 2 Park Farm Close, telephone 01580 819532 or 07941 786244 or email [email protected]

Colin Boylett, 2 Park Farm Cottages