Winchelsea Village Voice

‘IN HIS OWN WRITE: ‘Fortuna and After’is the talk given by Lord Gawain Douglas at the Literary Society’s meeting this Friday March 27th at 7.30pm. Please note that this event will be held in the New Hall. Gawain returns to Winchelsea to reveal his five poetry collections including his recently published ‘Polaris’. He tells the story of his life in poetry as a boy in Portmeirion, North Wales, through to his adult experiences as a lecturer, performing poet and musician, and teacher of piano and voice. As a senior citizen with increased vigour he feels that a silver thread of poetic meaning has run through his life, drawing the past and present together in a constant sense of the now. This promises to be a fascinating endeavour which is free for members and non-members pay £5 admission.

TIME FOR A CHANGE as the clocks go forward one hour at 2am for British Summer Time on Sunday March 29th. The days are already getting longer and brighter and will reach their zenith at the Summer Solstice on Sunday June 21st. Nevertheless the daylight hours will soon decrease with the change in seasons but the hour that is lost will be regained when the clocks go back an hour on Sunday October 25th.

HOLY WEEK for the Benefice of Winchelsea, Icklesham and Pett begins on Palm Sunday March 29th. This will be a Holy Communion service with Palm and Passion Gospel at 11am in St Thomas’s Church. Palm Sunday celebrates Jesus’s entrance into Jerusalem when he rode on a donkey as a peace-making, humble leader rather than a warrior king. The palm branches were placed in his path to represent victory and praise to the Messiah. “Say to Daughter Zion (city of Jerusalem) ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ (Matthew 21:5) This significant event which leads to Jesus’s crucifixion is recorded in all four Gospels which includes Mark 11, Luke 19 and John 12. In the Gospels this command to Jerusalem fulfils the Old Testament prophecy found in Zechariah 9:9 which tells of the Messiah going into Jerusalem riding on a donkey.

EASTER SERVICES2026 continue on Wednesday April 1st when there is a Service of Prayer in Holy Week followed by afternoon tea which will take place at 3pm in St Mary and St Peter, Pett. On Maundy Thursday April 2nd a Holy Communion service will be held at 6pm in St Thomas’s Church which will be followed by an Open Prayer Vigil including the Ministry of Anointing from 7 till 8pm. On Good Friday April 3rd Prayer, Reflection, Refreshments & Fellowship will take place at 10.30am in the Community Hall on Winchelsea Beach. Holy Saturday April 4th is the Easter Vigil Service of Light and Renewal of Baptismal Vows at 8pm in St Thomas’s Church.On Easter Sunday April 5th there will be a Sunrise Service at Pett Level Beach with Outdoor Holy Communion starting at 6am. This will be followed by breakfast at the nearby St Nicholas Church. The Easter Sunday services will continue with Family Holy Communion at 9am in Icklesham Church. After which there will be a Festal Eucharist in St Thomas’s Church at 11am.Then at 4pm an Easter Celebration Service will take place at St Mary and St Peter, Pett.

WINCHELSEA CHURCHYARD is under the care of the Parochial Church Council which includes cutting the grass and maintaining the trees and hedges.Icklesham Parish Council has helped towards the costs which are in the region of £5,000 per year. The PCC also requests support from residents since the churchyard as a de facto village green is much used by friends andvisitors and its appearance is important. Please let the Rector, the Treasurer or one of the Churchwardens know if you would like any additional information. If you are able to help, cash donations can be placed in the Black Box in the Church in an envelope marked ‘Churchyard’ or a BACS transfer would be equally welcomed to Winchelsea PCC.

WINCHELSEA BEACH COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION invites all to its Craft Fayre on Sunday April 12th at 10.30am to 3pm in the Community Hall. Entry is free and there will be a variety of refreshments including homemade cakes.Please email [email protected] if you would like a table to sell your arts and craft items.

Cindi Cogswell [email protected]