Beckley Village Voice

It was opened in 1905 and stood on land exactly opposite the house named Dunedin on the site where the bungalow called Freshfields is now sited in Main Street.

24.04.1924- a general meeting was held in the parish hall at 8.15pm. Those present were the Rev RA Edgell in the chair. Messrs Crouch, Phillips, Budden, Corke, Smith, Stone, Sheather, Frennessy, Broomfield, Wickens & F Paine (hon sec).

The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. The Hon Sec submitted 5 estimates from different builders re cleaning off and painting the whole of the outside of the hall. Mr Aide of Beckley being the lowest estimator of £21 subject to an allowance if necessary for cutting special shaped panes of glass not to exceed 7/6.

Proposed by Mr Budden and seconded by Mr Crouch that Mr Aides tender be accepted, the work to be completed by the end of May. Carried. The Rev RA Edgell & Mr CE Bates & Mr W Sheather were appointed to supervise the work.

19.11.1924- A general committee meeting was held in the parish hall at 8.15pm. Those present were the Rev RA Edgell in the chair. Messrs Corke, Phillips, Stone, Smith, Wickens, Frennessy, Broomfield & F Paine (hon sec).

The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. The Hon Sec produced the accounts for the year ending Sept 30th 1924. Which was compared with vouchers & showed a very favourable balance of £21-17-10 a drop from the previous year by about £20 owing to the extra expenses of painting the hall etc. It was proposed by the chairman & seconded by Mr Corke that the account be adopted. – Carried.

It was proposed by the chairman & seconded by Mr Corke that a new dust cover be obtained for the billiard table, also repair markers to be done in white enamel. Mr L Gardener to be asked to do the work of repairing same, also a billiard rest. It was also decided to either obtain a new set of billiard balls or have the old ones repaired. The sec reported having ordered some new matting to go round the billiard table.

I know it’s only just November but I’m going to mention the C word-Christmas! Villages surrounding ours always have a village Christmas tree, all lit and decorated but we don’t….until now!

This year as a thank you for all your support at the Diamond Diva events the Divas are getting a tree erected outside the village hall. The lighting up ceremony will take place at approx. 6pm on Friday, December 6 and you are all invited!

The village school choir, the local Carol singers and Mrs Hams junior choir will be there and we can sing a few traditional carols before the tree is lit. The Divas would love it if villagers attend and maybe donate a tree decoration. There will be hot chocolate or mulled wine & mince pies available to all attendees.

This Sunday is our remembrance service . It takes place inside the church at 10.20am and then moves outside to the war memorial to observe the minutes silence. Various groups will be in attendance to lay their poppy wreaths and everyone is welcome. On Monday 11th at 11am Beckley school will be at the war memorial observing the minutes silence and reading their prayers

Growing Network Hope to see you at their coffee morning on November 10 in Beckley Village Hall from 11am-12.30pm. These get-togethers are always interesting as we never know who and what will turn up!

Everyone is welcome, you don't have to be a grower to come and get free fresh food and plants. Things for free sound a little new and strange, however, those of us lucky enough to grow food, hate throwing our excess food, plants and freshly grown produce in the compost because we have too much. Each meet up is different and of course we have changing seasons and the different foods to grow to suit them. Do try and call in.

Do you like cooking? The WI have been fortunate to have Sarah Hall coming to give a demonstration on Monday 11th at 7.30pm in the village hall. Sarah was trained by Prue Leith and has also herself taught at this prestigious cookery school. This event will be open to non-members as well as members at a cost of £5. Do try and come as there will be tips and timesavers shared to make Christmas easier!

The Beckley Lunch is held on the second Thursday of the month. Cost £10 for a two-course meal. The next one is November 14. We are a friendly group and everyone is welcome to enjoy the meal and chat. To book your place phone Keith Hedley on 01797 260720 or email [email protected] no later than the Monday before the Lunch.

November 21 - Messy Monsters, a new Mother and Toddler Group, meet every third Thursday of the month Beckley Village Hall 1-2pm £3 per family.

Beckley History Society - November on the 22nd (Note date change) Bernard Baverstock will talk about Beckley in 1875. For more details contact 01797 260213 or email [email protected]

The last event of the year for the BHS is the AGM & Quiz will be at 7.30pm on November 25. Subs for our wonderful Horticultural Society will be due at the agm. Details can be found on Beckley Horticultural Society website www.beckleyhorticulturalsociety.org. or email the membership secretary [email protected]. It’s just £5 for the year or £8 for a family.

Christmas fair - Beckley Preschool will be holding their ever popular Christmas fair on November 30 from 10am-2pm There will be something for everyone, amazing raffle, stalls, things to do for the little ones and of course refreshments. All proceeds go to the running of our village preschool.

Coffee morning @Beckley Village Hall on December 3 at 10.30am run by FOBC. There will be a charity stall, books and bric-a brac as always.

Rye & District Association in support of the National Trust have some fantastic events still to come this year. November 12 is a walk –meet at Queens Head Sedlescombe. November 21 - Talk on Scotney castle family; December 5 - Christmas party/talk with “The Headmaster”, December 12 walk- starts from Robin Hood Pub Icklesham. If you would like to join us, you would be most welcome.

Talks start at 2pm in Brede Village Hall.Walks start at 10am and are approximately 5-6 miles, followed by lunch. The annual fee is £10 per person or £15 per couple living at the same address. As a member you will receive full details of our programme through regular newsletters and emails. If you join now you will get the rest of this year and next included in your membership!

Co-op - Do you have a Co-op membership card? If you do please consider nominating 1st Rye Scouts as your chosen charity. If you do the group will be granted some money towards their summer camp 2026! This is a year long promotion so please tell your friends and get them to nominate 1st Rye too….they don’t even have to live in the area!

For anyone struggling with the cost of food there is a community supermarket at The Hub on Rye hill on Friday, December 6 between 10.30am-11.30am where you can get £20 worth of food for just £6 (cash only).

There is also the Rye food bank who offer more than just help with food. They have a direct link to Rother which locals can use to find out about services etc (in fact anything like the terminals in the library used to offer). They have a link to benefit support and debt counselling and they have someone who can give heating advice as well as a Family Support Worker – Gill (you do not need to be referred to seek Gills help.

The Food Bank is open every Wednesday between 12-3pm in the Baptist Church in Cinque Ports Street Rye or can be contacted 07526 349847. You can also email them at [email protected].

Church services this month are on Sunday 10th at 8am and then 10.30am for the remembrance service. Monday 11th at 11am Beckley school will be at the war memorial observing the minutes silence and reading their prayers. 17th Nov 8am, 24th Nov 8am & 10am and on Friday 29th at 3.30pm @ Vine cottage Advent Bible study begins.

For Baptisms, Weddings, funerals, Home Communion etc. please contact The Rev Owen Edwards. The Rectory, Brede Hill, 01424882201 or email [email protected]

Beckley Parish Council has a vacancy. If you would like to help make and keep Beckley a lovely place to live. Come join the council. Speak to the Chair Natasha (email natasha@ beckleyparishcouncil.org.uk) about what is entailed or the parish clerk Mary (email [email protected] or 01797 270 790). Also if you have any contributions for the quarterly magazine again contact the clerk.

Beckley Preschool accept the 3- hour voucher. If you are looking for a space for your young child for sept please contact them email [email protected] They are term time only and open Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays 9am - 3pm.

Neighbourhood Watch, Beckley has a new FB group for neighbourhood watch. Please join for tips and advice on how to keep our community safe. If you are not on FB please email [email protected] to receive updates.

Cinque Ports FM. We have a fantastic local radio station now. Tune in to 95.1 FM service for a service covering Rye and surrounding areas. You can hear us in East Sussex in crystal clear FM stereo.

Friends of Beckley Church are a friendly group and if you would like to join them in raising funds for a much needed new church roof please call Mike on 260525 for further details

The Flexi bus is a great service that allows you to pre book your local bus trips. FlexiBus is a flexible, on-demand rideshare service, for areas with limited or no bus service. Residents can book a FlexiBus journey to their nearest town, train station, hospital and other key destinations. FlexiBus links people to our improved conventional bus services. Further details are on ESCC website or ring 01273078203.

Trefoil - New members welcome @ Beckley village hall. 01797 260537 or [email protected]

Community Speedwatch. Can you spare an hour a month to help with speed watch? The team are in need of a couple of extra helpers due to some members moving away. The purpose is to educate drivers rather than to penalise them. Please contact me on the email at the start of this column.

Beckley preschool was founded in 1973 and has been educating and preparing village children for school ever since. If you are interested in a place for your child Beckley Preschool do have some vacancies for children from the age of two. For enquiries please email [email protected] They are term time only and open Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays 9am - 3pm.

WI - If you would like to find out more about the exciting activities they have lined up or become a member please contact [email protected]. They meet up on the second Monday of the month in the village hall @ 7.30pm.

The 1st Beckley Brownies & Guides need you help! Adult volunteers are needed to enable girl guiding to continue in Beckley. Could you lend a hand? Find out more from Carlyn (Jay) by emailing [email protected]

BECKLEY VILLAGE CENTRE is the community hub of the village. It is a run as the Beckley Village Hall charity by and for the people of Beckley. Rooms are available for private parties and meetings. Groups running regular weekly activities are Taekwondo, Table Tennis and Yoga.

Other activities include Church Coffee Morning, WI, Monthly Lunch, History Society, Horticultural Society, Self-Defence. Beckley Players as well as children’s activities.

No building runs itself. If you could help with admin, fund-raising, maintenance or generally keeping the place ready for use please let us know. Contact; [email protected] phone Mary Howse 01797 260213 for bookings & Lauren Dobson 01797 260364 for everything else! One way you can help support the village hall is via the local lottery.

Lottery! Rother runs a lottery and Beckley Village Hall is a beneficiary. Tickets cost just £1 and there is a weekly draw. Please consider signing up to support our village hall keep going in this time of great financial difficulty. The village has already had a couple of residents win and the top prize is £25K! for details go to www.rothercommunitylottery.gov.uk and search for Beckley Village Hall.

THE BECKLEY FUND is a charitable Trust set up to help local groups generally supporting heritage, the arts and their venues. Grant applications are welcome from local groups as the fund is keen to support our community.

The fund is small at present and donations are always welcome no matter how small. As the fund grows it could help when a quick response is needed. Contact: Mary Howse 01797 260213 [email protected]

Defibrillators - Beckley now has three defibrillators one is on the wall outside the Ebofrost factory . There are also defib units outside the village hall and in the repurposed phone box opp the Rose and Crown Pub.

The monthly Parish magazine. This month’s issue is available as a physical copy …if you would like to sign up to receive a copy go to the Beckley and Peasmarsh Church FB page or email Alex on alexboatwrightsmith@icloud

Parish Council Meetings are at the village hall and are held on the second Tuesday of the month at 7.30pm . Minutes, Agendas etc are available to view on the PC website or the two noticeboards- one at Four oaks end of the village and one opp Rose & Crown pub. www.beckleyparishcouncil.org.uk

The PC are happy to advertise village events on this page – please contact clerk (details below. The Parish Council works hard to support village activities and amenities and if you are part of a village group that needs support please get in touch. Facebook info page: Beckley Parish Council Information is a new page where residents can read notices from PC or important events for village.

www.beckleyparishcouncil.org.uk and they are happy to advertise village events on this page.

Please find below a list of useful numbers for local clubs and village amenities etc.

Defibs x3 - Opp Rose & Crown, outside village hall, Ebofrost factory

Library-Phone box opp school houses books etc for residents to swap & read.

Neighbourhood watch – [email protected]

Beckley Preschool- Village Hall- term time Mon 9-3 Tues 9-3 Wed 9-1 Fri 9-3- 01797 260 582- www.bpnn.co.uk FB = Beckley Preschool

Village Primary School- 01797 260 342- www.beckley.e-sussex.sch.uk FB=Beckley School Association Events

All Saints Church – services 8am Sundays and some 10am services.

Parish magazine available as a hard copy or online. Details from [email protected]

www.beckleyandpeasmarshchurch.co.uk FB page = Beckley and Peasmarsh Church

Friends of Beckley Church- village coffee morning with charity stall.- 1st Tuesday- 10.30-12.30-Village Hall- 01797 260775

Farmers Market – held every 4th Sunday of the month - Village Hall- 10-12pm FB page = Beckley farmers and craft market

WI – 2nd Monday 7.30pm –Village Hall-01797260450

Trefoil 3rd Monday –Village Hall- 01797 260537

Taekwondo every Wednesday-430pm Village Hall- Start from age 5. Petra 01233 642357

Brownies & Guides- Thursdays vill hall 6.30pm [email protected]

Table Tennis- Every Thursday- 9.30-11.30am– Village Hall- 01797 252382

Tennis Court/MUGA- (tennis,basketball,netball or football) Located at top of the Playing fields free to play if vacant. Bookings can be made via FB; Beckley Multi Use Games Area or https://beckleymuga.setmore.com/

Hatha Yoga fridayss 9.30-11am [email protected] 07913615984

Lunch Club- All ages- 2nd Thursday-Village Hall- 12.30pm [email protected] 01797 260720

History Society- 01797 260213 [email protected]

Horticultural Society- [email protected] or 01797 260775 https://beckleyhorticulturalsociety.org

The Growing Network-food/seed sharing 1st sat of month Beckley Village Hall 11-12.30

FB=The growing network (Beckley E.Sussex)

Beckley Players (Am/Dram)- )- 07974928665

Beckley Bowls- 01797 260537

Beckley Cricket Club- 07599175491

Beckley Rangers-football- [email protected]

Village Hall Hire- 01797260213 Rother Lottery supports the village hall for more info Rothercommunitylottery.co.uk

Rose & Crown Pub- Alice 01797252161 takeaways available

Beckley Community Speed watch Group- www.communityspeedwatch.co.uk

Beckley has some other Facebook pages not mentioned above: Search for the groups:

FB= Beckley (sussex) Neighbourhood watch,Beckley Bulletin Board, Beckley (east sussex)Village Society, Beckley (e sussex) village hall, Bargains in Beckley(e sussex), Businesses in Beckley( sussex) and nearby!, Beckley Baby & Children’s Bargains, Beckley Horticultural Society. Beckley and Peasmarsh Church.

The village hall website is www.beckleyvillage.info

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