News from around the clubs - February 26

Little Common Horticultural Society

ON a cold and icy evening we had a good turn-out of members who wanted to pay their subs to guarantee membership of the society and to hear Hilary Newman's talk Gambling, Gardening and Exotica. As Mr Newman said, anyone looking for erotica had best look elsewhere!

All gardening is gambling - choosing the right mix of plants and colours and hoping they will thrive in the position chosen.

We saw professional herbaceous borders at Wisley, Nymans and Great Dixter but were reminded that Christopher Lloyd was one for trying out new combinations, unfortunately offending a few people by grubbing out established roses and substituting exotic plants which will now grow in this country but need protection against the extremes of weather as we have been experiencing recently.

The plant list we have taken away will help our garden gambling in the next season.

Various notices were given out. A reminder of the annual luncheon at the Cooden Beach Hotel on March 17 - which is quite special as we are celebrating our 65th anniversary this year.

Also particular reference was given to the celebration show, Decade of Gardening, at Stone Cross Nursery on June 19 and 20.

We are trying to get children interested in the RHS project Plant a Seed, Grow a Tree, which will be included in the children's section of the show, where prizes will be given to the best entries.

Thirty-six hardy members travelled to Pembury House in Clayton, West Sussex last Tuesday, braving the cold, wind and rain to see a good display of snowdrops and hellebores, especially bearing in mind the bad winter we have been experiencing.

It was especially pleasing to receive a warm welcome from the owners, who had arranged for the local sports pavilion to be opened where cups of hot soup and freshly baked rolls and bread were on offer.

Our next meeting will be on March 12 when Jackie Aviolet from Rosie's Garden Plants will talk on Hardy Geraniums.

Bexhill Photographic Club

OUR clubs last meeting was a full night's competition comprising of prints and slides.

The judge for the evening was John Boots ARPS from the Seaford Club.

The first part of the evening started with the print section,(incidentally all were computer-printed this week, as we only have two darkroom workers left in the club).

General class - John found this class consisting of 23 prints very difficult to evaluate. He did however eventually award two top scores of 20 points to Autumn View by Vanessa Parker LRPS and Russian Great Grey Owl by Paul Hutchings.

The winning print was taken by Nicky Plumb entitled Scruffy the Town Dog, which scored 20*.

Small print class - John found this equally as difficult to determine a winner, with eight images to evaluate. This time only one print received 20 points, and that was Norman King's Colonnade in a Dream.

Record class - this class attracted six images and was a very close-run class.

Paul Carrington's photograph of an Iron Age Bear exhumed from a field near Lewes scored 19 points but the class winner was Norman King with his print of Pisa Baptistry Door in Bronze by Pisano 1336 scoring 20.

Portrait Class - John had nine to appraise in this section and Ken Plumb was awarded 20* for Wearing a Tea Cosy, just ahead of Mike Foster's Chinese Wedding, scoring 20 points.

All the winning prints can be viewed on our website www.bexhillphotoclub.co.uk and some of the winning prints will be displayed in the Bexhill Observer window.

After the tea break the slides took precedence and we opened with the general class, where Dorothy Reeve was awarded the only 20 for Marks on Wood.

Landscape class - Ray Noble scored 20 with his slide of Cumbrian Fell.

Nature Class - in this section, honours were shared by Dorothy Reeve and Ray Noble who both scored 20 points. Ray for his slide of a Yellow billed Hornbill and Dorothy for Fescue Grass. Very well done Dorothy, who gained two winners during the evening.

John Bryant our chairman thanked the judge who responded: "What a privilege it had been to judge such excellent work."

Our next meeting is an illustrated lecture by Liz and Roger Scott on March 4, both photographers from Eastbourne Photographic Society, entitled Seeing the Difference.

Hastings and District Association of Wrens

ON February 1 the chairman welcomed us to our first meeting in 2010 and wished us all a very happy New Year.

We had all enjoyed our Christmas lunch at the Wheatsheaf and are already booked there again for Christmas this year.

We also enjoyed our Christmas tea party at St Michael's Church hall, with a splendid raffle and presents for all from the bran tub. As always there was a lavish array of sandwiches and cakes brought by the members.

In January a party of us went to the ice show at Brighton and all enjoyed it greatly.

Next June we shall hold our usual tea party at the Church hall, where we may be able to have it outside in the garden if the weather is fine.

Guests from other ex-service women's organisations will be invited and also members' friends.

Our president is arranging speakers for the year and we are looking forward to having Derek Smith from the Bexhill branch of the Naval Association at our next meeting, which will be on March 2.

If any other ex-Wrens would like to come they will be most welcome.

For further details please ring our chairman on 01424 222721 or the secretary on 01424 447958.

Bexhill Club of Past Rotarians

FOR the first time in its 50-year history, the club's January meeting was cancelled due to bad weather. We then had a sad start to the February meeting as we stood in remembrance of Margaret Remmers (Ladies President in 1997 '“98) and Tim Yearwood, who joined us from Bexhill Rotary in 2006. However, Julian Porter, curator of the Bexhill Museum, lifted the mood with an interesting illustrated talk about the museum, from its original opening in 1914 up to the present day. In its early days the museum had some particularly interesting - and probably unique displays. These included a quite famous giant Japanese crab and a vivarium containing live bird'“eating spiders. As there were also stuffed birds it must have been a place to relish for small boys and many small girls of that era. How I wish that I could take my seven and nine year old grandchildren nowadays to a museum with exciting exhibits of that kind! The newly-refurbished and extended museum is housed in a modern building that is simple but elegant. It contains a wide range of exhibits, ranging from classic and novel cars to an attractively housed historic costume exhibition. We hope that it will get lots of visitors.

There has also been much to enjoy on the social side: a visit to the Brighton Ice Show, a well attended Christmas lunch and a Christmas social arranged by The Past Rotarian Ladies. Perhaps the most prestigious event was President Derek's social evening at St Martha's Hall, Little Common. Rodney of TwoTrees, Little Common, provided an excellent dinner. Our established favourites, the two lasses known as Gin and Tonic, kept our feet tapping. They sang songs from the shows that we love to hear and sent us home happy.

Little Common WI

THE February meeting was opened by Lisa Bates with the singing of Jerusalem.

After the usual notices, our guest speaker was Mr Allen Roffey talking about the Birds in your Garden.

His interesting talk was filled with anecdotes accompanied by wonderful slides.

He also explained why we should be feeding garden birds especially when we have a cold winter.

The next meeting will be held on Wednesday March 17 and will be our birthday party. There will be an Irish theme and members are requested to wear something green.

Democracy Movement

At 7.30pm on Thursday February 11 the East Sussex Branch of the Democracy Movement held its 12th annual general meeting at St Mark's Church hall in Little Common.

A number of hardy souls struggled through the snow and freezing conditions to attend and following a welcome from chairman Tony Leeding, watched a DVD entitled Out of Control! This outlined the extent to which Great Britain has handed over the control of our energy policy to the EU and warned of the increased reliance on expensive wind power in the future along with the production of biofuels grown at the expense of foodstuff.

There followed a report on the year's activities by the chairman, and the treasurer's report.

After a break for refreshments there was a short question and answer session from the audience. Tony Leeding then detailed the aims and objectives of a new group opposed to the EU, the British Constitution Group, which he has recently joined, and the meeting concluded at 9.20pm.

For further information about the Democracy Movement, ring 01424 848964.

Bexhill Townswomen's Guild

AFTER the Christmas break, all our members were looking forward to getting together again.

Unfortunately the snow changed our plans for the January meeting which had to be cancelled. However the reading group was able to meet and also the social studies group.

This latter was held at St Andrews Church all most successfully with a good attendance.

On January 29. a very pleasant lunch was held at the home of one of our Committee members and on January 15 the delayed Christmas lunch was held at the Highwoods Golf Club with a very enjoyable entertainer in the afternoon.

The next guild meeting will be on March 10 and is the AGM. All ladies are very welcome. Contact Bexhill 218756 for more information.

Bexhill and Battle Labour Pary Women's Section

AT our recent AGM the following were elected:

Chairman - Margaret Attree

Vice- Chairs - Sally Piper and Ada Jones

Secretary - Philipa Coughlan

Treasurer - Margaret Tippin

Campaigning is increasing towards the General Election both for our PC James Royston and also support for neighbouring Michael Foster in Hastings. We have chosen again this year to support both the local Guide Dogs for the Blind Association and St Jude's Women's Refuge.

Issues discuused included domestic violence, animal welfare (particularly opposition to Tory plans to repeal the hunting ban), responses to our support for supermarket regulation and Fairtrade tea from other suppliers.

We would also be supporting a fundraising/awareness walk on Bexhill seafront on Sunday March 27 - meet 11.30am for work by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

During this Fairtrade Fortnight we have already had a Fairtrade swap and would be supporting local events and later helping with the Fairtrade fashion show on March 19 at Bexhill College.

Our meetings are held monthly - 12.30pm for lunch and political discussion.

If you would like to join us, call the secretary on 01424 220337.

Battle and Bexhill UKIP

THE AGM of the Battle/Bexhill and Hastings/Rye UK Independence Party was held recently at Claverham Community College.

All the committee was re-elected unanimously, with Mike Pursglove remaining chairman.

Tom Foy from Battle said a few words rallying those present to focus on the forthcoming elections.

Tony Smith then gave a PowerPoint presentation principally outlining UKIP's main policies.

Tony then announced that he was standing down as the parliamentary candidate for Bexhill and Battle and instead wanted to stand in the Hastings and Rye constituency.

After a short discussion this was accepted in a unanimous vote.

The next informal meeting will be at 11am at the Glacier Restaurant in Pevensey Bay on March 6 followed by a committee meeting at Claverham on the evening of the March 10.

Information from Tony on 01424 893922 or from the chairman Mike on 01323 743514.