Beckley

This year’s Parish Assembly Friday 23rd May at 8pm at the village centre. This is NOT a council meeting. Each year the village clubs are asked if they would like to make a contribution to the evening, but the requests tend to fall on deaf ears.

The “village” Parish assembly should have a ‘community spirit’. I’m trying to inject some interest and get as many people/clubs to come forward to talk about what they do and perhaps have a display table at no charge. Should you want to step forward please contact Valerie by 11th May [email protected]

Do you belong in Beckley? Do you know about Beckley families? If so, please can you help Bernard Baverstock with his request for family pictures of WW1 soldiers from Beckley? Locals have already provided photos of fourteen out of the twenty one “Beckley Boys” who are commemorated on the parish war memorial, which is just amazing! It really shows that an awful lot of us hang onto old photos and have keepsakes of “grandpa” in the loft. Do you have anything from WW1 yourself, or do you know someone else who has early memories they can talk about? Bernard still needs help from real locals, to get more details about the following war heroes:

Edward Playford. Edward was the second son of Thomas & Amelia Playford living at Oakhill Cottages Beckley.

Arthur Butler. Arthur was born in October 1895 the illegitimate son of Fanny Butler who was a housemaid. When young he lived with his uncle & aunt (Fredrick & Egness Butler) and became a grocer’s assistant before joining up.

Reginald Field. Reginald was born in Peasmarsh in 1890 at Shepherd’s Cottage, Kitchenour Lane, and was the last of three children to Edgar & Sarah Field. He was a gamekeeper.

Charles Carter. Charles was the younger brother to Jesse Carter, who was also killed in WW1. Charles was the sixth son of Jesse & Henrietta Carter; his nieces were May & Molly Carter.

Ernest Bryant. Ernest was born in Beckley in 1894. It seems he was a Gardener’s boy, living with his uncle & aunt (George & Orpah Bryant) at Woodgate Farm Beckley.

Edmund George Johnson. Edmund was born in Northiam in 1879 his parents being Hope & Catherine Johnson who in the 1880s ran a grocer’s shop near Northiam School. He may have been a nurse.

Fred Goldsmith. Almost no details are known of Fred Goldsmith. He probably had a sister Lily and a father William Goldsmith.

Even if you have the smallest detail on any of the above names please don’t hesitate to contact Bernard Baverstock on 01797 260 416 or email [email protected] A big thank you to everyone from round and about who has provided information and photographs so far. There will be a celebratory tea party for you all to share your memories with each other when the booklet is published!

Bit of a book worm? Don’t forget Northaim Library based in Northiam Village Club, Main Street, Northiam. A small village library run by volunteers its open on a Thursday and Saturday afternoon 2-4pm.

Don’t forget there is the mobile library van stopping at Beckley, Village centre. Fourth nightly on a Friday 1.15 – 1.35 Library enquiries 0345 60 80 196

Beckley Summer school fete this year will mark the 100th anniversary of the start of WW1. The fete will be held on Saturday 5th July it will be themed and visitors are encouraged to dress up in Edwardian style outfits or WW1 outfits if possible. All Beckley clubs and societies are invited to have a stall and enter into the spirit of the afternoon in costume with an “old fashioned” style stall/game, please contact [email protected] to find out more. In keeping with this theme there will be maypole dancing and lindy hop displays. If anyone has anything else appropriate to display or school photos from this era we would love to hear from you. Local businesses will be asked to sponsor ads in our fete programme and there may even be ration books to use!

The Better Beckley project, A village led project to upgrade the facilities in the Jubilee Field and improve the conservation and wildlife assets in the adjacent Frog Field, opening it up for the leisure and education.

There is a widespread support for a more ambitious approach to the quality of amenities in the jubilee field largely focussed around seeking ways to significantly improve play facilities so families don’t have to travel to nearby villagers to use the resources there. Coupled with this there is a less well known but still very important movement to make more of the frog field by enhancing it and opening it up for leisure and education. Both fields are the village assets owned by the parish council and therefore belong to all of us. The better Beckley project is an initiative started up by a group of ten villagers to come up with a plan that achieves both objectives under one umbrella.

If you want to be involved and find out more about this fabulous project. There will be a presentation at the parish assembly on the 23rd may at 8pm held in Beckley village centre.

There is a Facebook group “Better Beckley” it’s been set up as an open group so anybody can join. Keeps an eye out for the flyer coming through your door with all the contact details needed.

So that residents are aware they can contact our District Councillor Ian Jenkins via e mail. This will help the parish by giving you more immediate responses to questions or concerns. [email protected].

Why not check out Rother’s new updated website you can search information by entering your postcodes which then gives you news on your bin collections etc. www.rother.gov.uk

Beckley Village Centre is available to hire. By people hiring and supporting fund raising events put on by the hall committee it will keep the hiring costs down. Why not book a Children’s party, wedding reception or conference. For further information on charges and hall bookings call Margaret Lenton 01797260420

Beckley’s clubs, society’s, classes and groups held in the village hall. Why not join one today.

Regular monthly Council Meetings held in the Village Centre’s SMALL HALL DOWN STAIRS. Every 2nd Wednesday at 730. Visit the website for updates. www.beckleyparishcouncil.co.uk

Beckley computer club 07904 837 751

Beckley Park Cricket Club 01580 830245

Beckley Baby Club every Wednesday £2 (term time only)

9.15-11.15 free tea, coffee for parents. Free snacks for the children.

AEROBA-FUNK High/Lo Impact Aerobics with an Old Skool Style and Mix’d Sounds (70’s, 80’s, 90’s plus) Every Tuesday 6.30pm-7.30pm Beckley Village Hall Emma 07809 887471

Pilates every Wednesdays 1.30pm Sarah Lush 07769651899

Taekwondo every Wednesdays 4.30pm contact Petra Darvill 01233 330128

Beckley Trefoil Guild meets Third Monday of the month in the Small Hall at 7.30

Brownies Thursday 6.30pm

Table Tennis every Thursday mornings old & new members welcome Carol Cobby 01797 252382

Yoga every Friday mornings contact Evelyn Lamb 260569

Friends of Beckley Church Coffee Morning 1st Tuesday 10.30am

WI 2nd Monday 7.30pm contact Ann Jones 260527

Village Lunch 2nd Thursday 12.30pm bookings Tony Bryant 260518

History Society Friday evenings contact Dennis Ward 260313

Beckley horticultural society 01797 260232

Beckley players 01797 230572

Beckley bowls club 01797 252129

Beckley Rangers club chairman Phil Brain on 01797 260513 or secretary Peter Sands on 01424 882579.

If you want to put everything is this column, please email. [email protected]

Mrs Deborah Ongley

Beckley Main Street