Icklesham

CHURCH NEWS: The Parish Eucharist at 9.30am on Sunday will be led by Rev. Barry Carter. This is the fourth Sunday of Easter. Tomorrow morning from 10.30 am until noon there will be a Coffee Morning in church. Obviously there will be coffee, but also tea, biscuits, cake, bring & buy, produce and books. Any donations of cakes on the day and items for the bring and buy will be gratefully received. At 12 noon, IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE COFFEE, THERE WILL BE THE ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING. This is actually important!! There will be elections for Church Wardens and members of the PCC, the Financial Report will be presented and reports from other groups within the church community. Everyone who lives in the parish and is on the civil Electoral Roll is entitled to attend and vote for Church Wardens. Only those on the CHURCH Electoral Roll may vote for PCC members. It would be very good to have many people there. This day is also our Queen’s birthday. Happy birthday Ma’am. Monday 23rd is St. George’s Day, Patron Saint of England. He was an officer in the service of the Roman Emperor Diocletian, charged to persecute Christians. As one himself he refused and was sentenced to death. How he became the patron of England is unclear. Wednesday 25th is St. Mark’s Day, he who wrote the first of the gospels, possibly dictated to him in Rome by St. Peter.

WEATHER: Well, what would you expect in April? It would be nice if the temperature could rise a bit and my garden is still too wet for proper mowing. A top trim took place at the front, but the back is still squelching. But it has been a good year for daffodils. The yellow ones are about finished and the white ones are lovely.

WINCHELSEA SINGERS: The Spring Concert is on Saturday 21st April at 7 pm. in St. Thomas’ Church. The music will include excerpts from Mendelssohn’s Elijah and well known opera choruses. A cash bar will be available. Everyone is most welcome.

ANOTHER CONCERT: If you like choral music, you should head for the White Rock Theatre in Hastings on Saturday, 5th May. There is to be a performance of Verdi’s Requiem sung by the Hastings Philharmonic Choir and Kosovan Philharmonie, all accompanied by the Hastings Philharmonic Orchestra. There will be over 100 singers and it promises to be the highlight of the season for this type of music. All will be conducted by Marcio da Silva, who is stupendously fantastic. If you were lucky enough to hear the concert at SMIC when the Elgar ‘Cello concerto was played by Richard Lester, followed by the most thrilling performance of Tchaicovsky’s 5th Symphony, you will know what I mean.

Booking is now open for the Peasmarsh Festival of chamber music, where Richard Lester is a co-director.

QUEEN’S HEAD: The live music on Sunday from 4 - 6pm will be played by John Crampton, playing foot stomping blues. There will be a Quiz Night on Wednesday 25th at 8.30 pm with all proceeds in aid of the Conquest MRI Scanner Appeal. Remember that food is served from 12 noon until 9.15pm on Sundays. Music while you eat?

CONTACT: Please do let me know if there is anything you wish to have included in V. V.

AND FINALLY: Spring may have officially sprung, but we are still getting cold winds, and the April showers are a bit torrential. Let’s see what happens to the “promised” heat wave .Have a good week.