Parish Pump - Rodmell & Southease

Saturday was all planned out for me, I was going to the garden centre to get more plants, come back and plant some pots up, have lunch early, go to the car boot sale, get home in time to welcome visitors at 2pm, then wait for my B&B clients to come. It was not to be, as Rob who helps with the garden found one of the blackbirds that live in my garden injured - probably by the pub cat, we named ‘The Exterminator’, because he kills no end of our wildlife, but is a lovely cat just doing what cats do. We put her in a box with grass, seed and water and hoped for the best. I phone WRAS and left a message at 10.30am knowing they would be very busy, and carried my phone around with me hoping for a reply, so no Boot Sale, but my visitors did come at 2pm, and the afternoon carried on, but, sadly the blackbird died, and I didn’t hear from WRAS. I get very fond of my birds and felt sad but that’s nature for you! Hopefully the Boot Sale was very successful, and I didn’t miss too many bargains.

The visitors I had were David and his wife. David had stayed with me with his friend John, when they were walking the South Downs Way recently and love it here, and Rodmell, so came to collect a T-shirt he had left her and to visit Monks House and show his wife where he had stayed. They plan to come again evidently to stay with me. It’s nice when clients return again and again.

Another client Lynn came for 2 nights to go to Glyndebourne. She was charming and we hit it off straight away. She brought many outfits with her, so I had a fashion show, and she took my advice on an outfit and was evidently told by several people she was the best turned out lady that night, which pleased her no end.

Guy Smart wrote this piece about his dad’s funeral and said he would like it put in Parish Pump for his mum and family – David John Smart, a beloved husband, father and brother, passed away on 14th June surrounded by his family. Following a private family cremation, we’d like to invite anyone and everyone who knew him to join us for a celebration of his life on Saturday 26th July at 11am at St. Peter’s church Rodmell. It would mean a lot to have friends, neighbours and anyone who knew him to come together to remember and honour him. After the service we’ll be gathering for drinks and nibbles at Rodmell Village Hall.

We seem to have lost a lot of Rodmell people who have lived in the village for some years this year. So sad but that’s life. When I went to my mum’s place where her ashes are recently, it hit me how many people I have memories of, are now in the long line of gravestones against the wall adjoining Monk’s House allotment area, since my mum died. At least I have memories and can think of most of them by certain characteristics which is a good way of thinking of them. As the saying goes ‘Memories are made of this’.

Have any of you been watching Glastonbury? I’ve put it on once or twice and it made me think how personal music must be to all of us in our choices and how our brains tune in. I’ve never been and haven’t wanted to go, as I hate being hemmed in, but I find it quite interesting watching all the people with the sound turned down on the TV. These days I hardly know who the entertainers are and certainly can’t tune in to a lot of the music, which at times all sounds the same. I love opera, jazz and folk and some rock, and I love the feeling I get when a piece of music stirs me so much that it sends shivers up and down my spine or in another case keeps your feet twitching and your body moving. If you love dancing, as I used to, all the people at Glastonbury looked very happy which is lovely to see. I just love to people watch, and on this occasion there’s a lot of people to watch.

Ali tells me the sunset light on the downs is beautiful at this time of year and the light evenings are lovely so enjoy them whilst you can as they will steadily be drawing in.