Fairlight

Pews News: This Sunday, January 20, there is Holy Communion at St Andrew’s at 10.45 am. This service will include ‘Origins of Mankind: 2’, based on Genesis chapter 1, verse 20 to chapter 2, verse 3, which covers the creation of animals and humans. At Pett Methodist Chapel, there is an all-age service, led by James Clephane-Cameron. This service starts at 10.45 am.
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Fairlight news

Churches Together in Rye and District: There is to be a Week of Prayer for Christian Unity from January 19 – 25, starting on Saturday 19 with a Prayer Breakfast at Rye Baptist at 8 am; Sunday 20 United Service (with Baptists & St. Mary’s), Rye Methodist, 10.30 am Covenant Service and Communion. From Monday to Friday, there will be prayers at 10 am at the following venues – Monday and Tuesday at Rye Methodist, Wednesday at Camber, Thursday at St. Mary’s (with Communion) and Friday at St. Anthony’s

Foodbank supplies: Every 6 weeks or so, St Andrew’s Church, Fairlight have a focus on Foodbank supplies. Members of the congregation are reminded to bring in non-perishable items which are then taken during the week to the local Foodbank, which is hosted at Kings Church, opposite the Conquest Hospital. All Fairlight Residents are invited to join this effort, either by bringing items during the focus week, and leaving them at the back of church in the designated box, or by taking them to Kings Church when they are passing, or perhaps when visiting the hospital. Compassion is universal – please make your contribution. Out of date items are, of course, unwelcome, and cannot be distributed. The next focus Sunday will be in two days time on January 20.

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MOPPs today and next Friday: Today, Friday, January 18, the visiting guest artist is Pete Prescott, the very well known local singer and guitarist. Lunch will be fish and chips followed by trifle. Next Friday, January 18, you will be able to enjoy Celia King’s chair-based exercises, and then roast beef with all the trimmings, and panna cotta to follow.

The Community Library: Don’t forget our Community Library, conveniently situated in the corner of the Post Office and General Stores, and open to all comers from 2 until 4 pm each Tuesday and Thursday. Some weather may soon be upon us that will make you glad you stocked up with a good supply of fireside reading.

The Pantomime Group: Only a week away now, and the run of Rumplestiltskin will be a reality! So, off to the Post Office pronto, and get your tickets for a fun night (or Saturday matinee) out. Tickets will cost you £6 for adults and £3 for children at each of the first three performances, and then, for the final Saturday show, all tickets are priced at £7.

The Parish Council: Remember that your Parish Council meets again next Tuesday, January 22, after a brief respite (well, they don’t meet in December), and the meeting starts at 7 pm. Perhaps two months will have led to a surfeit of business, though the Agenda for the evening had not been released at the time of writing.

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Exercise. Are you getting your share?: Don’t forget that the latest in the series of Healthy Walks will be taking place on Monday next, January 21, with the participants leaving the village hall at 10.30 am. Go on – join in the fun, and get your cuppa at the end.

Fairlight History Group: As promised, the new group held a second meeting last Wednesday week, when matters were formalised. They now have a committee, with Haydon Luke as Chairman, Paul Draper as Secretary, Pauline Collins as Treasurer and Julie Marshall as Membership Secretary. Though it’s early days, they are starting to plan, and have provisionally settled on the third Wednesday in each month for their meetings in the village hall. Forthcoming will be a series of talks and visits as well as displays and exhibitions. At the meeting last week, and after the formalities, Paul Draper gave a half-hour presentation of some newly discovered watercolours by previously unknown local artist, Edgar Venis. The attendance was good and the afternoon ended with tea, biscuits and a good general chat. The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, February 20 when they have fortunate enough to secure the services of a guest speaker, Ken Brooks. Ken, a well-known and highly regarded expert on local geology, dinosaurs and the Fairlight Cliffs, has agreed to update the group on the recently announced new finds in the Fairlight to Hastings cliffs.

The British Legion appeals: The Royal British Legion has had a presence in the five local villages, Fairlight, Pett, Three Oaks, Icklesham and Guestling for over 90 years, since 1928. The Branch now finds itself urgently needing to fill the position of Secretary. Failure to achieve this would put the local branch in jeopardy, which would be a great loss to the area as the branch is flourishing and has been raising large amounts of money for service personnel and their dependants for many years. The post requires just 4 – 5 hours per month, and needs someone with the ability to use a computer. The Branch meetings are on the first Tuesday of each month, for no longer than an hour, beginning at noon at the Fairlight Lodge Hotel, Fairlight Road, Fairlight. For more information please telephone Margaret Pulfer on 01424 814866 or email

Bling go the strings of your heart: Make a note now to get your tickets for the forthcoming evening entertainment at the village hall, from 7.30 pm on Saturday, February 23. There will be a full three course meal and entertainment by the Bling Crosbies, the fabulously renowned local duo. Should you need more information, please contact Keith Thompson-Smith on 250111. Tickets, strictly limited numerically, are available from the Post Office and General Stores (where else?), and will cost you £15 a head.

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Fairlight Open Gardens: Since last summer (glorious, as you will recall, apart from the Fairfest Sunday) the word has been abroad that the two major biennial events in the village – the Festival and Fairlight Open Gardens – might be better served by being held in alternate years, rather than within weeks of each other. The Open Gardens Committee is appealing for villagers who would be happy to open their gardens to the public in June 2019, thus lessening the load for helpers at both events. If this works out, then the next Garden event would be in 2021, while Fairfest will operate in the even years. You may think it is a daunting prospect to open your garden with lots of preparation, but it can be highly enjoyable fun! Visitors are notoriously nosy creatures and often like to get ideas from seeing other people’s gardens whether they are immaculate or not! Refreshments always provide a welcome stop so you may prefer to provide these rather than slave over your flowerbeds. Last year’s event was a great success and many visitors were really complimentary about the village. Anyone who is interested, or may be tempted to open their garden, should contact Kerry Gentleman on 07456 631322 and have a chat to find out more.

Road up: Be warned! If you find yourself proceeding in a westerly direction – i.e. up – Battery Hill, there is now a spot on the nearside not far from the top of the wooded section that is like driving at right angles at 40 mph on to a full-height kerb. This will shake your tyres, rims and spine. Suing the incompetents who allow this state of affairs to continue should come as a pleasant retaliatory revenge.