Catsfield

This is the first Catsfield column of 2014 and I’d like to wish you all a very happy New Year. With all the festivities behind us and life returning to normal again, the wet and windy weather looks set to continue well into January so why not give yourself a treat? There’s still time to book your tickets for the Burn’s Night Dinner on Saturday 25th January in the Village Hall at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £10 per person for a three course dinner to include a ‘wee dram’ and will be on sale until 20th January. Call Sandra on 01424 774708 to reserve your tickets for this special fundraising event for the parish church of St Laurence. Watch this space for details of further events planned in February and March.

Tomorrow, Saturday 11th January from 10am – 12 noon, Valerie Mighall and friends will be hosting a coffee morning at her home ‘The Haven’, Station Road, Crowhurst (830246) on the occasion of her birthday to raise money for the disaster in the Phillipines. Donations of cakes, produce and unwanted Christmas gifts etc will be gratefully received. Do come along and help make this a memorable birthday by raising a huge amount of money for this needy cause.

Needless to say, there has been no football played at Catsfield for two weeks and there will have to be a pitch inspection today to see whether the second team can play their match v Parkfield. The first team are due to play Eastbourne Rangers away, so they may be lucky. Only one match was played in the whole East Sussex league last weekend. A walk around the Playing Field peering into the ditch and listening to the rush of water coming out of the drains tells its own story, although driving around Horns Corner should be enough to tell how much water is trying to get away. Perhaps the Government, who want villages to take more houses, should see the flooding of the field behind the pub and other flood plains before they allow any planning permissions.

Meanwhile, many thanks to our wonderful village shop who have kept going despite electronic problems. Allan Wilkinson has supervised the work done to the Hall floor, which is now open for a brand new year. Please remember to renew your 100 Club subscriptions, so essential to the Hall finances and in these dark days, a little flutter does you good!

The East Sussex County Council Mobile Library will be making its first visit of the year to the village and will be in the usual place, outside the Village Hall next week on Wednesday 15th January from 3.45pm – 4.14pm.