Staplecross

Following the resignation of Dor Catt – and there being no valid demand for a bye-election – in accordance with Rule 5(4) of the Local Election (Parishes and Communities) Rules 2006 Ewhurst Council is seeking to fill the vacancy by co-opting an eligible individual.

Interested persons should firstly contact the Parish Clerk, Richard Farhall to confirm that they are eligible (in law) to be considered for the vacancy. At the same time you are encouraged to ask any questions you may have about the role.

The Clerk may be contacted on 07775 333096.

Expressions of interest must then be submitted in writing as follows:

Email: [email protected]

Post: Ewhurst Parish Council, 2 Banks Cottages TN32 5JZ

no later than WEDNESDAY 15 MARCH 2017

The Council will consider expressions of interest at a Special meeting to be held at 7.30pm on Thursday 13 April 2017, when candidates will be given the opportunity to speak in support of their application for up to 3 minutes – and answer up to 3 questions.

EAST SUSSEX COUNTY COUNCIL: Information has been passed to me regarding an ‘Older People’s Housing Needs Survey’ and ESCC want to know what people want in the way of housing as they get older. We know that people will make different decisions about where they live as they get older. Some will want to stay living in the same place; others will look to move to more manageable homes; and some will feel that older people’s specialist accommodation will best suit their needs. - So they’d like to know: What are your plans ? If you live in East Sussex and are starting to think about where you want to live as you get older, they’d really like to hear from you. They want to hear from both home owners and renters, and from people living in ALL types of accommodation and in all areas. If you have recently moved, they would also like to hear about your reason for doing so. This is your chance to influence: *supported housing services for older people: *the sort of housing accommodation on offer to older people: *the amount of accommodation that is built: *and where it is built. Although this questionnaire is aimed at people aged 55 and over, the views about older people’s housing from East Sussex residents of ANY AGE will also be welcomed. As a “Thank You” for taking part in this survey you can opt-in to a prize draw to win a £250:00 Love to shop voucher. This prize draw is sponsored by Wellbeing. If you have any questions about the survey - or need it in another format or language, then please contact them. This survey can be found at: consultation.eastsussex.gov.uk/adult-social-care/op-housing-needs/consultation/) You may also contact them on: 01273-481565 and at [email protected] This survey closes on Sunday March 19th. So do please take part in this very important survey-it will help East Sussex County Council shape and plan proper and suitable housing needs for our future generation.

The Ewhurst & Staplecross Bonfire Society: Here is the report of a fantastic family evening event known as “WASSAILING NIGHT” which was held on Saturday last (4th)

As part of the social aspect of The Ewhurst & Staplecross Bonfire Society, members held a Traditional Wassailing Evening at Quarry Farm Bodiam.

This is becoming more and more popular so this is looking like it will be an annual event.

Wassailing is an ancient ceremony intended to begin the process of waking fruit trees from their winter slumber. The word wassail derives from the Old English words wæs (þu) hæl which means variously ‘be healthy’ or ‘be whole’. This is a traditional ceremony, which seeks to start off the first stirrings of life in the land. To help it emerge from winter and to ensure that the next seasons crop of apples will be bountiful. Like the village bonfire night celebrations, the Ewhurst & Staplecross Bonfire Society aim to make this, an entertaining and sociable community event suitable for the entire family, based on this age-old tradition. Free parking was available at ‘The Hub’, accessed from the business park entrance just above Bodiam station. The bonfire was situated here and the large procession of members and supporters followed a torch-lit track to the orchards. A good selection of food and drinks were available, including – but by no means limited to – CIDER! Everyone was encouraged to join in with the ceremony, which included music plus drumming by Stix Drummers generally making a lot of noise! (To ward off evil spirits?) and the children loved it !!!. The event is suitable for all ages; parents must be responsible for their children at all times. The celebrations will be held in a working orchard and will include a few loud bangs.’ If anyone would like to join the society, we normally meet at 8pm on the first Monday of each month at The Cross Inn. A warm welcome awaits.

For all further information and more details of what this great social group gets up to, - please check out the website on: - www.esbs.org.uk

ROTHER RAMBLERS: Still enjoying our beautiful countryside, whatever the weather it seems, the members of the Rother Ramblers have two more walks lined up for us this week. Walk No:1 is an 8 mile stroll around Wadhurst Deer Park. Arranged to take place on Sunday March 12th the meeting place will be the central car park, which is adjacent to The Greyhound Pub in Wadhurst. OS EXP136. TQ640317. (SatNav TN5 6AP) at the usual time of 10.00am. The walking notes state there will be some hills, (-to explore, discover and conquer-) which only add to the enjoyment of the walk. A picnic lunch as usual, is suggested. David is to be your ‘walk leader’ for this outing and you may contact him on 01580-852432 for all further details. Walk No:2 is planned for Wednesday March 15th and is a delightful 8.5 mile circular meander of Ashdown Forest. The meeting point will be at Gills Lap car park, which is at the junction of Kidd’s Hill with the B2026. OS EXP135. TQ467315. (SatNav TN7 4EU) again at 10.00am. The walk notes state - a walk in the high forest, descending through 500 Acre Wood, towards Forest Row, returning via Chuck Hatch. This is delightful at any time of the year. Again a picnic lunch is suggested. Your ‘walk leader’ for this excursion will be Adrian and you may contact him on 01273-514336 or mobile: 07729-861854 for all further information.

STAPLECROSS & EWHURST VILLAGE HALL COMMITTEE: Just a last gentle reminder that the Staplecross Village Hall Committee will be holding their Annual General Meeting on Tuesday March 14th, at 7.30pm. - naturally to be held in the Village Hall, Northiam Road, Staplecross. TN32 5QG. This meeting is open to ALL Ewhurst parishioners and all residents will be warmly welcomed. There are always rumours, whispers and general chit-chat about just what is happening in, around and to, this popular meeting venue and NOW perhaps, is the time to come along and find out for yourself. If you have an interest in the Village Hall and all that it encompasses, then why not come along and see what is involved in the running, caring, maintaining and funding of this much loved asset of our parish. One and all, will be most welcome.

STAPLECROSS LUNCHEON CLUB: Once again, the members of this happy and friendly little Dining Group will be meeting on Wednesday February 15th at 12.30pm. in the Village Hall, Northiam Road, Staplecross. As stated before, new members (of 50 years young and over!) are always warmly welcomed, to help keep this very friendly and happy social group from becoming just another sad village reminder of yet another lost activity. On the menu this month and back by popular demand is that firm family favourite of a roast dinner. The selection for this week is Roast Pork with all the usual trimmings and of course, fresh seasonal vegetables. The dessert to follow, again another firm favourite will be Woodland Berry Crumble and Custard. Yummy ! -followed by tea or coffee. All this, for the miserly sum of £6:00 per person. If this is not to your taste - or dietary needs - then please let the organisers know, and an alternative meal can be provided for you, so please reserve your place as soon as possible. The monthly menu’s are always very varied, delicious, plentiful, reasonable and freshly cooked and with no clearing up or washing up involved, there’s really no reason for you not to come & be a part of it. -- so no excuses. ‘Rules’ are few & far between, - you have to be ‘of a certain age’,- and promise, whenever possible to attend each month - this avoids unnecessary wastage in food, time, money and energy - so important in this day and age, when economy matters. You don’t even have to live within the parish as many of our valued diners come from outside our villages. Also, you don’t have to have lived in the community for a generation or more, before you are ‘entitled’ to join. This means that if you have recently moved into the parish, in any of our three villages, then this could be just the opportunity you need to make new contacts, colleagues and of course, new friends. So please, just give the two organisers a ring - Sally on 01580~830000 or Dennis on 01580~830816 for all further details and to make your reservation. Please come along and support us, and you’ll very soon be a highly regarded and much valued member of this lovely, sociable dining group.

EAST SUSSEX MOBILE LIBRARY SERVICE: That brilliant little Mobile Library van will be back trundling along our country lanes once more, as it continues with it’s full and busy schedule. This time the little white van will be visiting Ewhurst Green on Thursday March 16th. The van is due to arrive at 10.40am and will be departing at 11.10am. - so please ensure that you don’t miss it. Sadly, there is to be only one visit to this village, this month. There are so many things of interest within the portals of this wonderful and so far still free, Mobile Library Service vehicle,- so please come along and find out for yourself. With the vast array of services at your fingertips, Libraries are now certainly, more than just books.

EVENT NO: 3. E.S.& B. GARDEN SOCIETY: will be holding their next monthly meeting on Thursday March 16th. at 7.30pm - also in the Village Hall, in Staplecross,-which is their usual venue. The Guest Speaker for this month will be Mr Colin Moat from ‘Pineview Plants Nursery’ and he will be taking us through the sometimes baffling topic of what plants will grow in shade,. This is so often a forgotten or boring part of the garden, with many of us not knowing just what will grow here. His talk is entitled “50 Greys of Shade” and will be sure to throw some light on this vexing subject - excuse the pun- and set us all on the path of bringing some colour and delight to a drab area. Come along and find out for yourself, how to do just that, -enjoy a lovely cuppa amongst congenial company and go home full of plans to dispel the dark and dingy into a thing of beauty, albeit still in the shade !

SERVICES: Church services for the parish of Ewhurst, will commence at St. James the Great, Ewhurst Green on Sunday March 12th. Lent 2. at 9.30am. This service will include Holy Communion.(BCP) There will be NO SERVICES TODAY at St. Giles church, Bodiam, but a Morning Praise service - which will include Holy Communion (BCP) - will follow directly afterwards at 11.15am. at St. Mark’s church, Northiam Road, STAPLECROSS. If there is any church matter on which you feel you may need further assistance, especially Baptisms, Weddings and sadly, Funerals, then for the time being, do please get in touch with the appropriate Churchwardens: ~ For all Bodiam matters, please contact Graham Peters - email at [email protected] or telephone number 01580~830203. For all Ewhurst Parish matters please contact Jo Goodwin - email [email protected] or telephone number 01580~830601. Help in some way is always at hand and always so generously given, so do please contact them.

PLEASE CONTACT ME: If you are arranging an event in the foreseeable future, --- whatever the nature of the event and however large or small, if you’d like some extra coverage for it,- courtesy of the ‘Observer Newspaper’ then do please get in touch. If it’s of interest to you, - it’s of interest to us. It’s never too early to send in any of the details and to tell us what you are planning. Many of you will be turning your thoughts to other events in the near future - remember - Spring is just around the corner, and with the clocks soon to be ‘going forward’ - we’ll once again be on summer-time, which in turn, with the extra hour of daylight lends itself to lots of new and exciting things to look forward to, and perhaps taking part in. So please do contact me, as I’d love to hear from you and to help ‘spread the word’ on your behalf. ................Thank You.

Don’t miss out on all the latest breaking news where you live.

Here are four ways you can be sure you’ll be amongst the first to know what’s going on.

1) Make our website your homepage at www.ryeandbattleobserver.co.uk/

2) Like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/RyeandBattleObserver

3) Follow us on Twitter @BattleObs

4) Register with us by clicking on ‘sign in’ (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here.

And do share with your family and friends - so they don’t miss out!

The Rye and Battle Observer - always the first with your local news.

Be part of it.