Bodiam

Parish Assembly: What a great parish assembly was had at the Bodiam Church of England primary school with a good number of the public present and great to see Tony Willard. Tony seems to come to every assembly good to see him and put a question. Children from the primary school gave a report along with St Giles Church, the cricket club, the parish council finance, parish news, Rother Valley Railway, Claremont School, the National Trust, Bodiam preschool, Senlack Rotary, the poppy appeal, Parker/Ashcombe Trust, and reports from Ancharad Davies, member for Bodiam on the county council, and Sue Prochak, with help from Graham Browne, who was not in the best of health at the assembly and a report from of footpath and tree warden. Sad to say no report from Kent and East Sussex Railway and we must not forget in particular Mrs Pam Marsh who provided the cups of tea and coffee and who helps the council throughout the year.

Sad news: yet one more member of the Weeks family has died. Michael Weeks, who was part of the big Weeks family and was a large part of St Giles Church for many years. He will be sadly missed by all who knew him.

The next service: at St Giles after Easter is holy Communion on April 15 at 11:15 AM.

History for rent: and historical farmhouse in Bodiam is up for rent. The New House farmhouse that was owned by the Guinness Hop farm from 1936 and was in commercial use by them until it was sold in the late 1970s.

Easter services: the Easter service at St Giles is Good Friday, March 30, a Good Friday meditation at 11:15 AM and on Easter Sunday family communion followed by an Easter egg hunt in the churchyard.

Parish council: the parish council is to erect a new plaque on the war memorial. The existing plaque would remain. The names on the memorial are for the 1914 to 1918 war Thomas Milton, Grenadier Guards Mons September 14, 1914, Albert Clout, Royal West Kent, Rockan Hospital September 30, 1914, Theophilus Austin, Royal Fusiliers, August 19, 1918, Jack Steiman, Mons. The 1939-45 war Ralph Hall, Royal Artillery, Anzio Italy 1944, Harold Edwin Long, Royal Air Force, Hunsel Holland, June 21/22 1944, Ronald Ernest Simmons, Coldstream Guards, Italy, September 4, 1944, William Foster Hudson, Jessore India, February 27, 1944.

Preschool: Bodiam preschool took part in a pyjama and fun day for the Crackerjack Children’s Trust. The children made small donations of around £2. For more information on the Crackerjack Children’s Trust phone 0300 1240122 and the preschool number is (01580) 830615.