Mountfield

It’s going to be a short Village Voice this we, partly because the day jobs have been getting in the way but mostly because we’ve been preparing for the ESCC Planning Committee meeting on Wednesday (July 16th) at which Southern Water’s planning application for the sewerage and sewage plant will be discussed. Frustratingly, deadlines for the Observer mean that we cannot report on the outcome until next week. We will have a full report then. In the meantime, we do have a few items for you.

First, Sue Kennedy from the Mountfield Horticultural Society writes:

“Mountfield Flower Show will take place on Saturday, August 2nd. There are classes for Flowers, Vegetables, Flower Arranging, Crafts, Cookery, Photography and Juniors. Schedules are available from Celia Morris, 9 Hoath Hill and Sue Kennedy, 13 Eatenden Lane. Support your community and have a go at some of the classes. Come along on the day see what is being shown have tea and cake and play some of the games including a raffle.”

We shall report on the last Parish Council meeting in next week’s Voice but after the meeting, Caroline told us that she and her sidekick Sue have now raised nearly £2000 for the charity, Tommy’s. That’s a fantastic achievement.

We also have news of another achievement though of a very different sort about the latest exploits of Mountfield’s very own Penelope Pitstop:

“Sue O’Sullivan drove her 80 year-old Austin Seven to Bastogne in Belgium for the Circuit Des Ardennes, a triennial event celebrating the 1902 motor race. The weather over the weekend alternated between blazing sunshine and persistent rain – making driving an open-topped car over bumpy country roads an interesting experience – a fact the organizing committee acknowledged by presenting her the Maggie Deneef Cup for the lady driver of the oldest car.”

That report was from her husband — Muttley. We were intrigued to hear about the significance of the original 1902 event. Until then, motor races were run between different cities so spectators could only ever get a glimpse of the event at a single point on the route — a bit like the Tour de France. Then a certain Baron de Crawhez had the idea of running a race, in laps, over a closed racing circuit. The first race of this type was the Circuit des Ardennes — and Sunday afternoons have never been the same since. Well done to Sue.

Much more news next week. If you’ve anything for the Village Voice, we are on 880614 (evenings) or [email protected].

Peter and Valerie Miles

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