All change and peace in East Preston

IT WAS out with the old and in with the new on Tuesday, as villagers agreed to let bygones be bygones.

IT WAS out with the old and in with the new, as villagers agreed to let bygones be bygones.

At a meeting of the East Preston Village Hall management committee on Tuesday (September 21), eight members of the executive sub-committee resigned, and a wave of new faces were elected, in the wake of the result of a parish poll which saw villagers vote overwhelmingly to stop the redevelopment of the hall.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The queue to get into the meeting stretched back to Sea Road and the atmosphere was tense and tempers were frayed by the time everyone was seated, but the evening ended on a positive note.

Brenda Whiting, who had been a leading figure in the East Preston Action Group which had led the “no” campaign, was elected as chairman.

“Hopefully, we will go forward from here and continue the good work of the outgoing committee, in making this wonderful hall and a wonderful place to be, and making it, as it has always been, at the heart of our village.”

She added that she was happy to see so many people packed into the barn.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“It is so good to see so many of you here, and it shows that people obviously love the hall, and the village.”

Resident Judith Akhurst, said: “Let’s put all the kerfuffle behind us, and make the community go forward.”

To the outgoing committee, which included chairman Valerie Sharp, interim chairman Michael Hodge, treasurer Alastair Sharp, Jennifer Wallace and Paul Amoo, she added: “Thank you for all your efforts. When you are on call 24/7 it is an absolute pain, I know.

“I was totally against the building, but I was never against the committee. I know many, many people in the village want to thank you all.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mr Amoo paid tribute to all those who had resigned, and the service they had given the village.

“What have the Romans ever done for us? It seems that this question can be applied to the people who have been members of the executive committee since I came on board in late 2003.” He added: “Between Alistair, Valerie, Mike and myself, tonight more than 40 years of service to the village hall ends.”

Also at the meeting was Louise Beaton, of Action in Rural Sussex, who said that it was the best-attended village hall committee meeting she had been to in her 30 years’ experience. She urged villagers to continue to show their support.

“One lesson from this is how very important it is to take an interest in what is happening to your village hall, and what is being done for the village by the village hall committee.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It was not the only first of the night, though, she added, “It is also the first time I have come across a parish poll being held to turn down borrowing by the parish council for a village hall.

People usually come to us asking how they can convince their parish council to borrow money to improve the village hall!”

Robert Wood was elected as chairman, Judy Melser, secretary, Shelia Young, treasurer and Joy Kent, letting secretary. Other new members are Bernie Longley, Barry Lilley and Linda Coote.

Mrs Whiting confirmed that all hall bookings would continue as planned.

Related topics: