News from around the clubs - April 9

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Bexhill and District CSMA Club

OUR March lunch club meeting on March 2 was held at The Green Man in Ringmer, where 14 members enjoyed the meal and good company.

At our club night on April 20, CSMA member Dave Picton will be giving a talk on the Stone Cross Mill. Dave is the chairman of the Stone Cross Mill Trust and we plan to visit the mill on May 14.

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On March 16 the Group held the AGM. Following the death of our Chairman, Des Hall, it was hoped tha we would be able appoint someone to fill his shoes. However, no names were put forward, and although we are currently without a chairman, we have three new committee members. No doubt the problem will be resolved.

Long-serving committee member Peter Andrews has resigned. Our thanks go to him for his good advice and steadying hand over the years.

At the meeting a cheque for 450 was presented to Sue Pellow, the South East's fundraiser for Hearing Dogs for the Deaf. This was money raised from raffles held at last year's monthly meetings. This year our charity will be the Brownbread Horse Rescue.

Following the AGM, Tony Smith, from the Brownbread Horse Rescue centre at Ashburnam, gave a talk about the work of the centre. Brownbread Horse Rescue exists to prevent abuse of horses, ponies, and donkeys, to help in their welfare and, in emergency cases, to rescue and rehabilitate them. Tony talked of cases where rescues had been to late to save a horse and many where they were successful.

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Examples of recent rescues involved 12 horses from Brighton and eight from a Norwegian circus, the behaviour of the latter causing a deal of amusement.

Rehabilitated horses are often loaned out to responsible keepers and ponies are trained to help disabled people. The activities at the centre have also involved film making, where, for instance, cavalry are involved or in re-creations of the Battle of Hastings .

Club members plan to visit the centre on May 21. The centre also has an open day on Sunday May 16.

Another date for the diary is a visit to the Kent and East Sussex Railway on July 7.

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For further information about events and membership, please contact our secretary, Tony Calton, on 01424 434496.

Bexhill and District Aircrew Association

We have been greatly saddened by the passing of Jessica Fagg, an actively loyal and highly popular supporter of the branch.

We offer our deepest sympathy to Peter and all of their family.

The next meeting on Monday April 12 will feature a talk by Brian Gadd which will be followed by lunch at Di Paulo's.

Bookings for the latter may be made through Bill Low.

Society of Bexhill Museums

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On Tuesday March 9 a party of Bexhill Museum members travelled by coach to the Blacksmiths Inn at Ninfield for lunch.

The landlord, Peter, greeted us in a very friendly manner. He supervised the serving of a superbly presented choice of food, for which personally I would recommend the salmon fillet in a wine and prawn sauce, followed by the double chocolate cheesecake, which were out of this world.

After we had finished the meal, a member of our group praised the whole affair, and it was declared by many that it was the best luncheon outing ever.

Little Common Ladies' Club

MEMBERS enjoyed a slide-illustrated talk by Colin Page, chairman of the Rye District Camera Club for 20 years and a member of the Rye Natural History Society, entitled Wildlife on the Seashore.

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The area covered was Rye Bay, embracing Dungeness, Rye Harbour and Fairlight.

The shingle is formed into ridges by the sea, where birds such as oyster catchers, redshanks and ringed plovers lay their eggs.

Vegetation of various types has colonised the shingle, giving shelter to the young birds, which nevertheless face the threat of predators such as herons, gulls, foxes, owls and weasels.

Nesting birds include 600 to 700 pairs of black-headed gulls.

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The sand dunes at Camber attract small wading birds. Many plants survive on the sand, inluding sea kale, wild orchids and the rare sea spurge.

Erosion at Fairlight has exposed many interesting fossils, such as the footprints of dinosaurs and sharks' teeth.

Mr Page ended his talk by showing some superb photographs of Rye Bay.

The club's next meeting, on April 28, will be its annual general meeting. The following month, on May 28, guest speaker Geoff Hutchinson will talk about Grey Owl, the Hastings Indian.

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Please come along and join us at the Little Common Community Centre, starting at 7.45pm.

Royal Naval Association

IT was announced that we have now sent the sum of 200 to the Hastings who has been selected to accompany Prince Harry on his mission to support his charitable work in Lesotho later this year.

Our anniversary dinner this month was recorded as a very pleasant occasion.

April 11 is the date of HMS Cossack reunion, commemorating particularly the freeing of British prisoners from the Altmark.

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After Stand-Easy, Secretary Fred Canton gave an interesting talk entitled Chariots and Charioteers. These were not of the Ben Hur variety, but two-man ride-on torpedoes designed to attack capital ships. Volunteers were sought for a hazardous and dangerous mission. Amazingly, more than 100 men applied. Those selected embarked upon very arduous training in the use of underwater suits and apparatus. Many were rejected. They had to contend with inflamed gums, oxygen poisoning, and burst eardrums. Amongst those who were accepted was a Bexhill man, Geoffrey Larkin.

In September 1943 a successful attack was made. The mighty Tirpitz was lifted clear of the water by the explosion, suffered very serious damage, and never again played any part in the war.

The prize for this month's Name the Ship quiz was won by Jill Davies.

Information about joining the RNA, and dates of meetings and events can be obtained by telephoning 01424 219035.

Hastings Wrens

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Our chairman welcomed us to the March meeting and reminded us of forthcoming events including the WRNS 90th birthday celebrations in London. Members wishing to attend should put in their applications as soon as possible.

Ideas for outings were discussed at some length until the tea break and after that we enjoyed a most entertaining talk by Derek Smith from the Bexhill branch of the Royal Naval Association and we listened enthralled to his account of the many amusing incidents that had happened during his naval career.

Time passed all too quickly before the raffle had to be drawn and the meeting closed.

For further details please ring the secretary on 01424 447958.

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