Staplecross

STAPLECROSS PTFA: Fund-raising Quiz, due to be held at the Staplecross Social Club on Saturday last (11th) sadly had to be cancelled due to lack of sufficient tickets being sold. This is always such a sad thing to do, as many people have worked very hard to arrange events of this kind which in turn would have allowed our superb village school to benefit from. However, fear not, as other events are planned for the future and which will include invitations to all those who live within our community.

ROTHER RAMBLERS: Once again, those friendly group of walkers will be out and about all over our countryside, enjoying our beautiful countryside, the free fresh air, the exercise without effort and hopefully the peace and tranquillity that abounds. The group have two (2) more walks for us to enjoy if we so wish and Walk No:1 is planned for Sunday March 18th and will be an 8.5 circular stroll between Knole Park and Ightham Mote -which are always delightful at any time of the year. The meeting point is the car park at ‘One Tree Hill. OS.EXP147. TQ558532. (satnav TN15 0SN) at the usual time of 10.00am. The walk notes state “’One Tree Hill’ is just north of ‘Underriver’ at Carter’s Hill “ A picnic lunch is again the order of the day. Rita & Lionel are to be your ‘walk leaders’ for this walk and you may contact them on 01424~752452 for all further information. Walk No: 2 is arranged for Thursday March 18th and this will be an 8 circular mile meander from Biddenden to Frittenden. The meeting point will be the Biddenden Village car park (Millennium Field) OS.EXP137. TQ850382. (satnav TN27 8BB) again at 10.00am. The walk notes state “This will be an easy, low level walk”. A picnic lunch is also suggested. Martin is to be your ‘walk leader’ for this outing and you may contact him on 01424~752793 for more details.

STAPLECROSS LUNCHEON CLUB: Meeting at Staplecross Village Hall on Wednesday March 21st at 12.30pm, the merry band of diners will look forward to enjoying another 2 course lunch. This time on the menu will be “Chicken Chasseur & all accompaniments, followed by Sticky Toffee Pudding”. All this for still £6:00 per head. What also is a delightful bonus, is that there is NO work involved - in any way - for you !. All you have to do is come along, and be waited on throughout the meeting - how good is that ? If you’d like to come and join us or wish to learn more about this very sociable group then please contact Sallie on:01580~830000 or

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Pauline on: 01580~830570 for further details. We all look forward to meeting you.

PRAYER MEETING AT ST. JAMES: These simplistic, genuine and friendly meetings take place twice a month - on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday at St. James the Great church in Ewhurst Green beginning at 7.00pm. The next date for these meetings will be Wednesday March 21st at the usual time of 7.00pm. As well as prayer, many issues are reflected upon within the group. For those who would like to know more of these little prayer meetings and what they entail, please contact Sue on 01580~830251 for more information. Please be assured of a genuine warm welcome.

WINE TASTERS @ EWHURST: If like many of us within the parish, you enjoy a delectable glass of wine now & again, then why not consider joining in the monthly Wine Tasting at Ewhurst. This is a super little social group of like-minded people who enjoy a couple of hours per month tasting and commentating on a selection of wines - plus bread and a few nibbles -all wrapped up in good company in a cosy venue, that being the Herdman Pavilion in Ewhurst Green, (TN32 5TB) The March Wine Evening will be held on Friday March 23rd from 7.30pm to 9.30pm. No membership is involved, just a matter of advising the host if you are attending - this ensures there is sufficient wine for everyone to enjoy! £5:00 per person is all that is required upon arrival. If you think this is of interest to you, please contact Janis via her email - [email protected] to learn more about this friendly and welcoming group. We are very friendly group of people and will certainly make sure you have a very warm welcome upon arrival and a glass of superb wine in your hand, very shortly after !.

OUT & ABOUT: 1) MERRIMENTS GARDENS - Situated at Hurst Green on A21 northbound - On Sunday March 25th between 10.0am and 4.30pm this beautiful RHS Partner Garden will open for it’s 2018 season. Please pop in to see what has changed, what’s blooming and get a first look at ongoing projects, which will unfold over the season. Take time to enjoy the opening weekend offers, as well as ‘Special Bonus’ offers (including early access) for Merriments Members & Garden Season Ticket Holders. These gardens are child friendly and have easy access car parking facilities. This stunning 4 acre RHS Partner Garden site is open to the public and has a plant centre, a plant nursery, fantastic restaurant and a gift shop. Why not come and visit, lose yourself for an hour or two - or more - as you discover all that is available within this beautiful setting. Check out what’s on offer either by telephoning 01580~860666 by email merriments.co.uk - or via their website or on their facebook page.

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2) BODIAM CASTLE: GUIDED MOAT WALKS - Get out & about with one of their guides on these short but very informative walks around the castle grounds where you will discover some of the secrets of Bodiam’s past. These short walks of approximately 35 - 45 minutes around the castle grounds will give you a bit more insight into the location of the castle and the land that surrounds it. Discover the history of the Mill Pond and why there is a WW2 Pill Box in the grounds, plus some of the hidden secrets that are scattered about the grounds of this iconic castle. These walks will be on mainly gravelled pathways, but may also be over grassed areas, as a result the surfaces may be uneven and wet and muddy in adverse weather conditions. Please wear sensible, sturdy shoes or trainers and dress appropriately for the weather. It’s also a good idea to carry a bottle of water for hydration. The pace and areas covered on these walks will depend on group attendance. These events are free, but normal admission charges apply to the venue (- Castle & Car Park. - but N.T. members are free.). Children are welcome to participate, but must be accompanied by an adult. Dogs on leads are also welcome!. All ‘Moat Walks’ start from the Castle Courtyard and begin on Monday March 26th and continue throughout the Summer and into Autumn For all further information please contact the Castle on: 01580~830196 or email: [email protected]

CHURCH SERVICES: Church services for the parish of Ewhurst, will commence at St. James the Great, Ewhurst Green on Sunday March 18th. Lent 5. at 9.30am. This service will include Holy Communion. (CW) A service at St. Giles church, Bodiam will follow directly after at 11.15 am. This service will also include Holy Communion (BCP). There will be NO SERVICE today at St. Mark’s church, Northiam Road, Staplecross. If there is any church matter on which you feel you may need further assistance, especially Baptisms, Weddings and sadly, Funerals, then do please get in touch with the Priest - in - Charge, which is of course our new friend - Canon Christopher Irvine on 01580~830925. Help in some way is always at hand and always so generously given, so do please contact him.

ANY NEWS FOR THIS COLUMN: PLEASE CONTACT ME: The weather at present is rather dismal, but with the promise of Spring now arriving, better weather should soon be upon us surely - especially with Easter just around the corner ! - but life in and around our villages and community is far from being the dismal & dormant. Lots of events are being planned for our enjoyment so if you are arranging an event in the foreseeable future, --- whatever the nature of the event and however large or small, and you’d like some extra free coverage for it, -courtesy of the Observer Newspaper - then please get in touch. If it’s of interest to you, - it’s of interest to us. It’s never too early to send in any of the details and to tell us what you are arranging. So please do contact me, as I’d love to hear from you and to help ‘spread the word’ on your behalf. ..........Thank You.