Catsfield

Catsfield Remembers: On Saturday 10th November in the Village Hall at 7pm there will be an event to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of WWl. This will include an Act of Commemoration, a ‘Trench-style Meal’ and a period entertainment. Tickets cost £12 each and are available now from Sandra on 0142477708, places are limited and are filling fast so book now if you would like to come.

This will be followed the next day by a special Remembrance Sunday Service, held in the evening this year at 6.15pm as part of the Nation’s Tribute entitled ‘Battle’s Over’. This will include the Last Post being played in the churchyard, the lighting of a memorial beacon at 7pm and followed by the joyful sound of the church bells ringing out for peace. The ceramic poppies recently made will be on display too, especially those named and dedicated to the fallen servicemen of Catsfield in both wars.

1st Ninfield Scouts: On Friday 16th November in Catsfield Village Hall the 1st Ninfield Scouts will be holding their AGM. This will be followed by the Grand Autumn Raffle and the 1st Ninfield Explorers will be having a Charity Race Night with all bets £1. No tickets are required, but it would be appreciated if you would notify Dick Creasey on 07970559226 or Carol Hodgson on 07967116972 if you are coming. Refreshments, snacks and hot dogs will be on sale and doors open at 6.15pm. Join them for a fun night out and support the local Scouts.

Christmas Market: The St Laurence Church Christmas Market will be held on Saturday 24th November, only a month away and further details will follow soon.

Ceramic Poppies: Last Saturday once again the Village Hall was filled with enthusiastic people who had returned to be shown by Burwash Potter, Mary Clarke how to glaze the 116 poppies that were made on her last visit. There was a lot of rummaging through the fired poppies as everyone tried to find the ones with their initials on and eventually we were seated with three or four poppies, ready to start painting. The glaze looked very pink but Mary assured us that the next firing would turn them a bright, glossy red. There were also some to be painted purple in memory of the animals that had been killed in the wars. Again, the time flew by and we were ready for tea and biscuits before the final clearing up. At a rough estimate, there should be over £400 left to donate to charity after all expenses have been deducted but this will be announced in next month’s Parish Magazine. As before, my thanks go to everyone who helped and participated in this enjoyable project and very special thanks to Julie and Ian Bretherick of F.E. Philcox, who generously donated the steel rods for all the poppies, which was a considerable financial saving. The poppies will be displayed at the two forthcoming village events that are being held to commemorate the 100th anniversary of WWl on 10th and 11th November. After that they will be ready to be collected by all those who have made and ordered them to keep (not the sponsored poppies, which will go directly to and remain in the church). This will be done on Monday 12th November at 4pm from the Village Hall, so make a note in your diary please to come and collect yours and bring a box or some means of safely transporting them home. It will also be appreciated if those who haven’t already paid would do so when they come to pick up their poppies on that day please.

Sport (or the Life of a Groundsman): What a beautiful weekend it has been for everyone, including the groundsman. Many brownie points received for walking around the beautiful grounds of Scotney Castle, shuffling through the leaves and not moaning too much whilst being bombarded by falling chestnut burrs. Then, being able to mark out the football pitch for our home game on Saturday without the line marker playing up, also discovering that the pavilion boiler now works perfectly. Friday, the whole day ploughing in the last of the beans in a field at Hooe high enough to see Beachy Head and the sea, whilst hundreds of glistening white gulls wheeled around the tractor. Three young buzzards kept him company, keeping within safety distance, but close enough to see their wonderful markings while they too hunted the worms. In the background, some bell ringers were practising in the ancient St Oswalds Church of Hooe, whilst his wife hitched a last ride in the tractor before winter sets in. (Poetic descriptions supplied by wife.) Saturday, Catsfield played Robertsbridge at home and won 6 - 0, and in the evening more brownie points earned watching the splendid fireworks at Ninfield Bonfire.

Autumn in Catsfield: The woods around the sub-station in Potmans Lane are glorious and most of the footpaths are now open after the monumental works at the site. It is worth a look, although some of the hedges have been decimated and there still seems to be a lot of groundwork to be done, with hopefully some planting. The hornbeams which ring the wood have not yet turned that wonderful shade of gold, but it just needs a change in the weather and they will be well worth seeing. It is good to be reminded that the history of that area has always been industrial, with charcoal making, forestry, iron works and now a huge electrical substation, enlarged to accommodate electricity coming from Belgium and France.