Staplecross

The Ewhurst & Staplecross Bonfire Society are holding their annual Society Bike Ride with Bar-B-Q on Sunday June 8th. The venue is River Brede Farm, Winchelsea Beach with the Bar-B-Q or picnic afterwards. Bring along some food and cook it yourself on the ‘barbie’. Sponsorship forms can be downloaded from www.esbs.org.uk/events.php or you can contact either Pip or Fiona on 01797-224976 for further details on what is involved. Sounds great fun and for a very worthy cause.

Ticking the dates off on their fixture calender at a rapid rate of knots are those busy members of the Staplecross Bowls Club. Four more dates are booked this week alone and the first match is on Wednesday 11th when the teams play an away match against the Observer team. This will commence at 2pm. Their following match sees the club play against Winchelsea on their home ground, in Northiam Road, Staplecross. This will be the second of their evening fixtures and will begin at 6.15pm. Saturday June 14th finds them playing away to Beckley (No details given) and Sunday June 15th. finds them concluding the week with a match which includes the Derek Goodsell Trophy, ~ again no details available at this time. If you are interested in learning more about this club and their match fixtures for this season, please contact Eve on 01580~830107 or via email: [email protected] who would be pleased to hear from you.

Also making the most of this free, fresh air and helping and hoping to lead a healthy and active lifestyle are those members of the Rother Ramblers,who have arranged two more walks for our enjoyment. The first walk will take place on Thursday June 12th and is only a very short stroll of a 4 mile circular meander around Catsfield. This is one of the super evening walks, perfect for those who are either working during the day, or whose time is otherwise committed elsewhere. It could also be ideal for anyone who is considering joining such a group, and would like to ‘dip their toe in first’ and give it a try, before committing themselves. There is some lovely scenery to behold en route, and I imagine that camera’s are a must on all of these walks as you never know what’s around the next bend, or bush or boulder. If you fancy giving it a try, the members are meeting in the village car park, adjacent to the Village Hall. (SatNav TN339PD) at 6.30pm. Naturally, your doggy pals may accompany you as you stroll through this ‘green & pleasant land’ and a short refreshment stop, pub option, is proposed, after the walk.--- Luvverly Jubberly! For any further details on this walk, please contact the ‘walk leader’, who, on this occasion, will be John, on 01424~773998 who would love to hear from you and inform you of all that is entailed. Walk number two is a bit of a mystery, -actually more of a will it,~won’t it, take place, sort of thing !. The reason is that Jerry,(the organiser) has previously dislocated his shoulder, which may mean the cancellation of this walk, so please telephone before setting out to confirm that this stroll is still taking place. The walk I’m talking about is an mere 8 mile meander and is entitled “A Walk on the Wild side”. Planned to take place on Sunday June 15th ,those interested will be meeting in the Market Car Park, in Rye, (SatNav TN21 7AX) opposite the railway station, at 10.15am. Sadly, car parking charges will apply here. A picnic lunch is suggested for your enjoyment, but on this occasion, I’m informed, dogs are NOT PERMITTED. Please ring the ‘walk leader’ Jerry, on 01424~751184 to confirm that it will still be taking place and for any further information available.

Ewhurst Parish Council will again be holding their usual monthly meeting on Thursday June 12th. Starting at 7.30pm in St. Mark’s church room, Northiam Road, Staplecross, this meeting is open to the public and press alike and gives all residents of the parish the perfect opportunity to come along and have your say. Together with your own Parish Councillors, there is normally representatives from the Police -in the form of our very own PCSO- the Rother District Council, (Mr. Tony Ganly) and East Sussex County Council, (Mrs Angharad Davies.) You’ll be able to question, query, complain or just comment on any or all things going on within this parish community, of which you may be concerned with. We are here to listen to you, and take note, as we are all working on your behalf to make our community a better, safer and happier place in which to live, work and enjoy being in. Just look for the big banner outside, -there is usually adequate parking and one and all will be most welcome.

The Mobile Library will once more be wending it’s way through our parish providing our community with more than just books to read. Thursday June 12th will continue on it’s fortnightly visitations and the big white van will arrive at the car park of the White Hart Inn, Cripps Corner at approximately 10.15 am before leaving for Sedlescombe at around 10.40am and will then arrive at Cricketers Field, Staplecross for the period between 11.50am to 12.20pm. It will continue on it’s little jaunt throughout this area before it arrives at it’s last stop of the day at Ewhurst Green between 4.40pm and 4.10pm. This is an amazing little service which has an amazing list of facilities to offer. Climb up those steps to enter and be amazed !.

This year, Sunday June 15th is the day that’s been set aside to celebrate “Father’s Day”. This is the day to say “Thank You” and this is the time when children - of all ages - show their Dads - of all ages -their appreciation for all the things these chaps do, on behalf of their treasured offspring. Some Dads are often taken for granted, and some are often unsung hero’s ,whether it’s as an unpaid taxi service, at all times of the day and/or night;~ whether it’s coming to their rescue when they run out of petrol,~ or giving their beloved family pet the burial ceremony fit for a monarch.or helping with their homework, ( and sometimes getting it wrong!) or mending a puncture, a fuse or a broken heart ! This day is their day, ~ so be kind, be loving and be thankful, ~ after all, you don’t know when you’ll next need a hero !

I have been given an update in regard to the Staplecross Methodist Primary School/Community M.U.G.A. (multi-use-games-area, to the uninitiated !) This little village school, has recently been awarded a £12,000:00 grant from Rother District Council towards the installation of this outdoor gym equipment. This amount takes them almost halfway to reaching their required funds. There is one other grant pending a result from Sports England, which the committee hope will come back with a positive result. Vicky Monk is still running the “Sponsor-a-Square” scheme and has so far, received a good response, however, the committee is still urging local companies, and/or individuals to come forward and invest a modest amount, as they would like as many local businesses to be involved in supporting this active school and community venture as well as receiving some ‘cheap’ advertising in return!. The scheme is very flexible, giving the sponsor the option to purchase just one square, - or two, -or three.....there is no limit ! The biggest interest, to date, is 10 squares-- How good is that ? Those who have already supported this scheme by purchasing a square ( or more) are as listed: Chalk Down Lime; Ashdene Garage; The White Dog Inn,Ewhurst; 1st Choice Inflatables; Blackbrooks Garden Centre; Giant Scaffolding; Brown’s Garden & Property Maintenance; Rose & Crown,Beckley; MB Tree Surgeons; Sussex Wild Food Co; Akita Fencing; Wattle Hill Oast; Nortrade Foods;Ripley Forge & Fireplaces; Cripps Corner Garage; Lordine Court Camping & Caravan Park; Hawkhurst Fish Farm; Phoenix Electrical; Robin Hardes, and John Lederer Electrical Services. Can we entice you to add your name to this list ? The school and the M.U.G.A. Committee are extremely grateful for their contribution and continued support. Several families from the school, both past and present have also purchased squares, including one from a kind lady who bought one in memory of her late husband. There are also some people in the committees’ pipeline, who have expressed an interest in contributing and these are still being processed. Once the M.U.G.A. is complete, a board will be erected listing all those kind sponsors who have supported the school and who have participated in this scheme. This they hope to achieve during the summer. Letters continue to be distributed, inviting sponsors, but if there is anyone who has not received a letter, as yet, and would like to participate in this scheme, please contact either the Staplecross School at: [email protected] or Vicky via her email: [email protected] .

Most residents of Ewhurst parish are now aware of an exciting new gardening concept, - home grown- naturally,- that is currently nearing the completion stage just in time for you to plant your fruit, vegetables and flowers. This development, now known as Knowle Corner Wood Allotments has come about by the generosity of two of our local residents, Mr. & Mrs N.Hedges. The Ewhurst Parish Allotments Association (E.P.A.A.) and supported by Ewhurst Parish Council has been formed to manage this brand new allotment garden, situated in Lordine Lane, Ewhurst. The field has now been ploughed, harrowed, and newly ring fenced and has now been turned into seventeen (17) manageable plots which are firstly being offered for a reasonable rent to Ewhurst Parish residents. It also has water connected as well as parking. All it now needs is YOU. It is becoming more difficult for those interested in growing their own fruit and vegetables to find a suitable allotment site nowadays,especially within their own parish, without having to join a waiting list and Ewhurst Parish searched for a number of years before this scheme finally became a reality. Several allotment plots are now available at this site, so to take advantage of this unique opportunity ~ and to become a member of this friendly and helpful allotment gardening group, ~ please telephone, in the first instance, Jacqui Hyett on 01580~830576 or via this email contact: [email protected]

The church services for the parish of Ewhurst will begin at St. James the Great, Ewhurst Green on Sunday June 15th. Trinity Sunday. commencing at 9.30am this service will include Holy Communion.

This will be followed on by a service also to include Holy Communion at 11.15am at St. Giles, Bodiam. There will be NO SERVICE at St. Marks, Northiam Road, Staplecross on this day. As Reverend Gordon Winchester will be busy doing other things, the services for today will be conducted by Reverend Graham Attfield who will be also be taking over some of his other duties. For further details and information on other church matters, please ring the Rectory: 01580~830268.

Don’t forget to contact me if you have any events you want to promote. This column encourages all local clubs, societies, associations, sports groups, and any projects to make announcements and tell the rest of the area all about your events. This may encourage new members, or more spectators or maybe just more support, financial or otherwise.

Whatever you’re planning, TELL ME and I’ll tell every-one else and we’ll see what happens.........Thank you.

Anne Reed

[email protected]