Fairlight

Brookfield, Broadway

• In our churches this Sunday, and further afield… there’s an All Age Service at St Andrew’s at 10.30 am, with an Informal Communion service at St Peter’s at 6 pm. And in between these two services, to mark Rogationtide, there will be a walk with the folk from Pett, leaving St Peter’s Church on Broadway, at 3 pm to walk to Pett, across the fields to Pett Village Hall. Pets as well as people are welcome! On the way, there will be a stop at the Parish Boundary Stone to ‘beat the bounds’, then at the Village Hall, a break for a very short time of prayer before walking onto Pett Methodist Chapel where refreshment will be provided. For those wanting a shorter walk, there will be a group leaving from Pett Church, also a third group leaving from St Nicholas, Pett Level, the organisers hope everyone will all meet at the same place at the right time! (Though a brisk stroll up Chick Hill from Pett Level would certainly sort me out!) All will be homeward bound at 5 pm.

• A genuine, full-blooded treat… is in store at the village hall on Saturday, May 11, when the Fairlight Art Exhibition takes to the display boards from 6 to 9 pm. Tickets are £4 if purchased in advance, or £5 on the door on the night. They are available from the Post Office, or Mistral, on the Circle in Shepherds Way, or by calling 812587, 813104 or 813833. Your ticket also gets you a light cheese supper and a glass of wine, with the opportunity to purchase a variety of original artwork at very reasonable prices. The quality of the art on display will astound you, such is both the standard and the range. If you’ve never been, you’ve been missing a treat of an evening, and you are advised to repair the omission as soon as you can. Secure your ticket a.s.a.p! This event is, as it is traditionally, sponsored by Just Property. See you there!

• First past the post… the Fairlight Community First Responders will be fund-raising on Saturday, May 18 at the village hall with a Race Night, starting at 7.30 pm. Tickets are available now, priced £6.50 each for the evening, which includes supper. They are available at the Post Office, or by calling Liz on 813149, or Dot on 813756. When you think of the invaluable service our responders provide, they fully deserve our support - and you’ll be getting a great night out into the bargain!

• The Trefoil Group meeting… was held in church last Wednesday week, and it is possible that, as we have two churches in the village, it would be only too easy to assume that one should meet in the larger of the two, St Andrews, rather than in St Peters, which is more accessible for this sort of event. Just to make sure, arresting posters will be displayed in future emphasizing the fact that St Peters is the correct venue! Make a note now, and don’t go trekking up Battery Hill in vain…

Those who were at the meeting met Judy, a member of the 1st Hastings and St. Leonards Trefoil Guild, who was there to demonstrate the making of some exquisite greetings cards. Everyone enjoyed the meeting and was able to produce some good ‘designer’ cards. It’s amazing what one can produce when shown how! Next month the meeting will be entitled ‘Where are you now?’ Members will be given a compass point to get the direction correct to start off and then there will be a list of cryptic clues about various things they will see as they go round a short circuit in the village. For those members unable to do the walk, there will be a fairly easy quiz with perhaps just the one or two more difficult questions included to keep the grey matter working!

All Guild meetings are held at St. Peters Church (next door to the village hall) on the fourth Wednesday of each month, unless otherwise advertised. The meetings always start with refreshments and the time to come along is from10 am to 12 noon. Everyone is welcome - men as well as women. For further information please contact the Chairman, Betty Snow on 812694

• The Players’ Poetry Group… which meets quarterly, was rather thinly attended at their April meeting, although the few who made it had a very pleasant evening. To those who were prevented from attending, whether by illness or by other commitments, the organisers wish them well and hope they will enter the date of the next meeting, which will be on Wednesday, July 10. The suggested theme for any creative contributions people may wish to make is families.

• The Village Choir… next meets on Monday, May 13. It would be much appreciated if old members who are not intending to come again, would return their music copies; please return to Wendy, to Pauline or to any other member. On the other hand - it would be good to see you back in action again! Time for a fresh start – go on, you know you enjoy it!

• Missing cat again… This one is Raffles, a neutered ginger tom cat missing since Monday, April 22? This is totally out of character for this particular pet, so please check sheds, garages and outbuildings in case he has been locked in accidentally. Any sightings of him, please call Val Gibbs on 814278. Let’s hope for another happy outcome.

• The Village Hall AGM… was held on Monday, April 29, and the usual smooth operation ensued. The hall has enjoyed a good year, with lettings up on the previous year. Treasurer Frank James gave a presentation after the meeting showing many of the improvements that have been effected inn the past twelve months, and the officers and Committee were re-elected en bloc. As is also usual, plans for the forthcoming Summer Fair were laid in readiness for Saturday, June 1. Reminders and more details will follow in due course.

At MOPPs today… there’s a visit from the Bon Marc Travelling Shop, which I trust is spelled correctly, because that’s what it says on their website, and the lunch is Chicken Chasseur followed by fruit flan. All sounds good, as it does every week. This thriving group does have some vacancies, and if you’re interested, please contact organiser Sheila Thomas on the village hall number, which is 814726. As this is the hall’s own landline, please make contact only between the hours of 9 am and 2 pm on Fridays.

On Monday next, May 6… the Gardening Club talk, which is by Heather Goodsell, is to be ‘Medieval spinning, weaving and dancing’. Maybe Henry V’s special spin doctor, one of Alastair Campbell’s ancestors, will get a mention, or for the dancing, possibly a very young Bruce Forsyth. Go along and find out for yourself!

• Pot Hole of the Week… has got to be on the south side of Fairlight Road, some fifty yards, or possibly metres, prior to Martineau Lane, where a series of holes just like the ones they filled so well last summer, is threatening to encroach onto the north side of the road. Further afield, should you turn left at Scotney Castle roundabout to cut through to Tunbridge Wells via Bells Yew Green, you could seriously regret it. Gigantic potholes will catch you going and coming back. There are several county changes on this road, so perhaps the authorities are uncertain as to whether the holes belong to Kent or East Sussex. Just make sure for yourself before you put your claim in…