Netherfield

Sussex Historic Churches: Sussex Historic Churches Trust are holding their annual sponsored Ride and Stride Event in this area, on Saturday 9th. September 9am-5pm. Any rider or walker can ride or walk where they choose, and may start and finish at any church, visiting as many or few as they like. Other than by bicycle the only accepted alternative is on foot, wheelchair or horse!

Sponsor forms will be put in St Johns Church, also the village stores in Netherfield.

You can create sponsor forms on www.sussexhistoricchurchestrust.org.uk.

Netherfield Village Hall & Recreation Ground: Changes are well on their way to being finalised by the new team at the Village Hall. One of the first tasks was to cut back the growth of vegetation which had been allowed to run riot over the edges of the grounds for a considerable amount of time. Volunteers took their mowing and strimming equipment along to the Hall last Saturday morning and cut a swathe through the brambles, long grass and nettles which were making the Hall look untidy. It will take quite a while to arrive at the manicured lawns you see at Wimbledon but there are high hopes that with patience all the volunteers can bring it back from the brink and not allow it to get back to the jungle stage in the future. There are lots of things that need doing, but if we can get a membership from the community, which is willing to pitch-in from time to time, we will have the support we need to make this the envy of the world. Well at least of Sussex. So Netherfield, it is your Village Hall. Use it or lose it.

Netherfield Village Residents Association Annual Fete: The time is here!. This Saturday is Fete day. The Village Hall will be set for the best and biggest extravaganza seen in Netherfield since, well at least this year. All those would-be tuggers, those budding Cristiano Ronaldos who think they can “Beat the Goalie” will all be on view on the plains of Netherfield, well the recreation ground anyway. There will be face painting for those who want to look like Felix or Tonto. Who you ask are Felix and Tonto? Your grandparents will know so bring them along to enjoy the fun and they can tell you the answer to that question. All proceeds will be going to improve the facilities at the Netherfield Village Hall, so the cause is worthwhile. We look forward to seeing you at 2.30pm on 19 August 2017. See ya!!

Reflections on a garden: I always find it difficult to understand why our drive, which I weed weekly as it is gravel and therefore eco-friendly, never stops producing grass, weeds and other detritus throughout the year. I assiduously dig, pinch and pull the little monsters from what was once covering a beach somewhere in England, or maybe Scotland and Wales, but can never seem to get a week free from this habit. Armed with my bucket and chisel, lump of worn beige carpet, or sometimes when the knees are playing up, a knee-rest, I can be seen bending over in some part of the drive looking like a man who is searching for a golden nugget.

It is amazing what you find when you get this close to nature. Ring-pulls, bits of plastic and decaying string are just some of the treasures that have arrived in my vision as I move slowly around the patch that is grabbing my attention at the time. Now the mind boggles as to how they got there, when a week before there was nothing. Does it mean we have had a rave in the garden while we have been asleep, or maybe the refuse truck is using us now as land-fill. It could be that a passing car has wound down the window and whooshed their rubbish out of their sight, an increasing habit it seems these days. Oh well, such is life..

More next week............

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