Fairlight

Don’t forget that it’s the Village Hall Summer Fair a week tomorrow, from 12 noon to 3 pm and, once again, the church community has offered to provide the refreshments. If you’d like to assist by either making cakes or simply helping on the day please contact Linda Willard or Maureen Baines.

You are invited to ‘Exploring the Christian Faith’ on Wednesday, June 3 from 7.30 pm at

St Peter’s. This is the first in a series of eight meetings, when such topics as the Trinity, why we have a Church, understanding the Bible and much more will be discussed. For more information contact the Rector, Richard on 812799 or Marcia on 812427

MOPPs this week and next: Today, Friday May 29, singer and entertainer Stephen Page will be on hand, with a lunch of fish and chips, followed by peach cobbler. A busy morning in prospect for next Friday, June 5, with a talk by Ray Broomfield entitled ‘A Schoolboy in World War II’, while Sean Godley from ‘Eye Concern’ will also be along. Oh, and there’s a star prize for the raffle. Then it’ll be roast beef, and Pavlova for pudding. Spoilt or what? But then, you could say that every week…!

Village Hall Summer Fair: As mentioned within the church paragraph, the highly popular Summer Fair is now just over a week away. Do give it a look next Saturday, June 6 and try a lunch, a cake and a cuppa, and a few games of chance. You’ll feel much better for it – and so will be the village hall. 12 noon until 3 pm are the opening hours, and a pleasant couple of hours will mean improved facilities, or maintained low rental rates, in the hall we all patronise so much.

The Parish Council AGM: This took place on the Tuesday of last week, ten days ago, with the date having been brought forward to accommodate this week’s Parish Assembly. We had been promised an introduction to new PC Councillor Derek Greenup, which happened as expected, and with new District Councillor Chris Saint, which didn’t happen as this meeting coincided with Pett’s PC meeting, and Pett is Chris’s home parish. Chairman Andrew Mier and Vice-Chairman Rev Val Gibbs were both confirmed in post, as were all councillors.

Various year end matters were approved, but in the meeting proper a number of long running serials continued their long runs. These included the item concerning Southern Water and GemSelect, and what options might be available and appropriate in future discussions with Hastings BC about the new Country Park Visitor Centre.

There were only eight members of the public present, with residents no doubt saving themselves for last Tuesday’s Parish Assembly.

This year’s John Lutman Award: has gone, most deservedly, to George Hensher, who was previously Chairman of the Parish Council, the Preservation Trust and the Residents Association. George has also been busy working hard in support of charitable objects relative to the village over the years, and has been currently raising funds to go to the Cliff Preservation Stage 3 project, by hosting dinner parties with a strong Italian theme. George does all the cooking, catering, serving and clearing for six people at a time and, be warned, if you are participating, don’t even think of lunch before you trot along for your dinner! He has recently announced three new dates in June for further dinners on Fridays, 12, 19 and 26. All enquires direct to George, please, on 814915. And congratulations to him as he joins the list of those worthy individuals who have preceded him as recipients of the John Lutman Award.

A blooming good idea: Perhaps you will have noticed lots of activity this week at the bus stops around the village as members of the Fairlight Gardening Club have been busy bringing pots and planting them up to brighten up our village. This is the start of a project to bring some colour to different locations within the village whilst simultaneously promoting the name of the Gardening Club. Towards the end of the summer and dependent on permission from the Highways Department, the plan is to create new flower beds on the Circle. If you haven’t spotted them at work, you can surely see the fruits, and flowers, of their efforts. The Gardening Club organisers of this initiative have been very encouraged by the response to their venture and would like to thank the local businesses and many villagers who have supported them in so many ways. They say you will know who you are! Of course, on behalf of the village, Sue Clarke, and Karen and Paul Draper deserve our collective thanks, too.

Flicks in the Village: The village in question being Pett, of course, and the film coming up next Thursday, June 4, at 7 for 7.30 pm in Pett Village Hall, is to be The Theory of Everything. This stars the Oscar-winning Eddie Redmayne as Stephen Hawking, with Felicity Jones as his first wife. The film has attracted many major plaudits, so do go and see it.

This year’s Christian Aid: A fantastic response for this year’s Christian Aid Week, and its preceding Coffee Morning and Fair, for it amassed an impressive £4,500 from the house to house collections which, together with the £738 from the Fair, gave an excellent £5,238. Thanks from the organisers go to all those who collected - and donated.

When will they ever learn?: SpeedWatch was out last Friday morning from 7 to 8.30 am in Waites Lane. Disappointingly, they observed, recorded and reported no fewer than nine vehicles going at between 38 and 46 mph. Once more and it could really cost someone. A fine, perhaps, or maybe a personal injury? Don’t do it!

The Tuesday Ladies Club: At their May meeting, the club members plus visitors were entertained and informed with all sorts of gems about herbs and weeds (which are simply plants in the wrong place), by Heather Goodsell. Heather is a regular speaker at Fairlight clubs and is very knowledgeable about plants, among other things. Lovage, as you might have guessed from its name, is nature’s Viagra; the leaves of Sweet Cecily are an alternative for sugar; celery seeds are good for arthritis and to keep your hostas free of slugs spray them with boiled up garlic. The hostas, I assume, not the slugs. Heather had collected samples of leaves of all kinds of herbs and plants for the members to feel and smell. All in all, this was a very interesting afternoon.

The speaker planned for next month, Judith Kinnison Bourke, has had to cancel due to health problems and the club is grateful to Chris McCooey for stepping in with his talk entitled ‘Kent and Sussex Scandals – Sensational, Salacious and Sad’. This will be on June 16 in the village hall at 2.15 pm. Visitors will be made very welcome, and all for a fee of only £2.

A cat is missing: Hopefully, by the time you read this, the missing cat, which is white with pale ginger ears, tail and face, will have been found. He was last seen eleven days ago, on the Tuesday morning. Please check in your sheds and garages in case he has been inadvertently shut in, a fate that is easy for a cat to suffer. He’s gone from Heather Way, and if you have any news of him, please contact Pete or Sue Norris on 814328

In it to bin it: So, rubbish and recycling days are to change. Mine become Fridays, but this may not be the case all over the village. You will have received a new collection calendar, but if you haven’t, contact Rother District Council, and get on their excellent rubbish email alerts system. (It’s about rubbish, not a rubbish system!) Brown bins are not changing, and will continue to be emptied every other Wednesday. What is most disturbing about the change, which is being made to enhance Kier’s efficiency, (a bit of an oxymoron, that) is that many people I know always end up on collection day with a green bin that is more densely packed than the black one, yet we will not see this emptied for four weeks and four days during the changeover. Can we put out side orders of surplus appropriate recyclables in transparent bags when Kier do get round to the green bins again, which will be on June 19?