Catsfield

Once again, a big thank you to Ann for writing last week’s column when I was away on holiday.

It was with great sadness that we all heard of the death of our dear friend Ted Farrington on 12th September after a long illness. Ted was a good friend to everyone and will be especially remembered by so many children in the village, whom he taught for many years at Sunday School and Catsfield School assemblies. He captivated all audiences, whether young or old, in school or in church, wherever he spoke with his remarkable gift of story telling, coupled with a delightful sense of humour, completely unscripted. He always managed to convey a message to his listeners and left one feeling better for having heard him. His great love of poetry and literature also crept into his stories as did the many tales he related of his boyhood and family.

Ted was a loving family man and we send condolences to June, Mary and Robin and all the family in their great sadness. The Service of Thanksgiving for Ted’s life will be held at St George’s Church, Crowhurst on Monday 30th September at 11.30am, following an earlier private cremation.

Don’t forget Gwen’s annual Coffee Morning in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support TODAY – 27th September from 9am – 12pm at Glebe Cottages. Come and sample the best meringues in the world and help raise money for this worthy cause.

This weekend is almost the last opportunity to submit your recipes to be included in the fund-raising recipe book, raising money for the parish church of St Laurence. Please hand them to Sandra or Linda before the 30th September.

Tomorrow is the Table Sale, which is being held as part of a Catsfield Primary School project at Catsfield Village Hall from 2.30 until 4.30pm. Tables are £5 and can be reserved by phoning 01424 892831. Set-up will be from 1pm. Entry is free and tea and refreshments will be available. Proceeds will be divided between a year 5/6 class trip and a chosen charity, so do please come along to support the children in their enterprise project to see how much money they can make from an initial £1 investment. Catsfield may yet produce its first budding mini-millionaire!

The Harvest Festival Service is at 9.15am this Sunday 29th September and your Harvest gifts will be gratefully received for donation to XTRAX, a charity which helps vulnerable young people. The church will be decorated on Saturday and gifts of flowers and foliage are always welcome. There will be a sung Evensong at 6pm and that will be followed by Harvest Supper, also held in the church.

Extremely disappointing football news this week, the second team’s match was cancelled because Sandhurst couldn’t get a team and our first team lost 6 - 0 against Hollington United seconds. I don’t know what happened, but Saturday’s match is away to Ninfield, the old enemy. Of course, we have to travel but hopefully the change in climate won’t affect the lads. The seconds are home to Orington.

Saturday is also the day of the Ploughing Match at Kitchenham Farm, which is always a lovely thing to do in the autumn. Gerry Winter is hoping to bring his pair of plough horses and there will be lots and lots of tractors, ancient and modern. Some of the crops have still to be harvested, but planting is in full swing and everyone is hoping for a better year.

The WI meeting at 2.30 on Thursday 3rd October at the Hall continues the farming theme with a talk by Ian Everest entitled “From the Sussex Ox to the Fordson Major”. Ian has been to us before and his slides are excellent. There is a photo of ox ploughing in the village archive and Beryl has managed to find a picture for our poster. Guests are always welcome.

I have received details of a fun musical evening to be held in the Village Hall on Friday 11th October at 7.30pm. The performers will be the ‘Hot Potato Syncopators’ who will entertain with a hilarious, hot, swinging evening of musical mayhem! Tickets are available from 01424 893498

or [email protected] costing £9 and £7 for concessions and refreshments will be available. The audience is promised a fast paced, action packed, high energy show with delightful comedy, surreal moments, comic clowning and sublime music, all from the days when there were real tunes, with real words and with music performed in a most unusual and eccentric fashion!

Tickets are also available from the Catsfield Village Store for (a probably quieter and more genteel) ‘Evening of Song’, performed by the Rother Community Choir and the St Laurence Church Choir on Friday 18th October in St Laurence Church at 7.30pm. The cost is £6 and includes refreshments.