Catsfield village voice

It is run by a reputable company who guarantee that all the shoes etc donated will go straight to global community, wherever the need is greatest. When the bin is full, the company will give Sarah and Jim £5 to donate to a charity of their choice. So there are winners all round, just by giving away your unwanted footwear!

There was no cricket again last weekend due to waterlogged pitches at Catsfield and Ashburnham.  Let us hope that the fixtures on Saturday away at Southbourne, Eastbourne and home to Crowhurst on Sunday will be able to take place.  One of the disadvantages of not playing is of course, that the income for the cricket club is greatly reduced, mowers still have to be maintained and the rent for the field has to be paid with no match fees and tea money to help defray the costs.

One sport definitely unaffected by too much water is water polo and I hope we will all follow the progress of local boy Jack Waller who is a member of our Olympic water polo team.   Also, Gabi Pitman of Trout Stream is part of the East Sussex Pony Club, who will be competing in the Pony Club National Championship in Cheshire in August.  We wish them luck.

On the sporting theme, we were lucky to have Chalkfoot Theatre visiting our village hall in March where you could have seen ‘Running for Glory’ for as little as £8.  This was a marvellous play based on ‘Chariots of Fire’ and a re-written version is now playing in London’s West End.  The village hall hosts a performance by Chalkfoot every year, so next time you see they are coming, get your tickets early.  Older Catsfield residents will remember when Lord Burghley, the famous Olympian, lived at Tilton. So, there is lots of sporting talent in the village, we just need some good weather!

Thanks to Ann Davey for the above information and also for the following report on the WI annual day out.

The WI outing last Thursday was a great success, fortunately with good weather until the ride home.  We started out at 10 am and sat outside on the terrace at Merriments for coffee, with just a little time to go around the well stocked nursery.  Back on the coach to visit Scotney Castle, where our secretary, Beryl Bodey is a volunteer.  Beryl took us round the house in two groups, imparting her knowledge and love of the property. There was also time for lunch and then the walk down the hill to the castle, moat and gardens, all enjoyed in sunshine and scudding clouds.  There are some magnificent trees in the garden merging into the woodland beyond and although the garden is best enjoyed in the spring with the many rhododendrons, the National Trust are doing some tremendous work refurbishing the planting. 

On then to Matfield WI, where we enjoyed a convivial tea hosted by the group, whose second tea it was that week. With the prospect of providing the teas for the annual fete, it was a reminder to us of what we will be doing on August 4th!  Is it part of the WI constitution that we should be doing this for our villages I wonder? Home in the rain, but a great day out, planned by Thora, Ann Clegg and of course Beryl.

As part of Parish Council’s ongoing traffic calming measures, councillors together with Sussex Police will be conducting Speed Check sessions in July. Anyone interested in being trained to use a ‘Speed Indication Device’ to help reduce the speeding traffic through the village should contact The Clerk on 01424 893526.

There was unfortunately no movement on the outstanding issues with ESCC Highways regarding road maintenance requirements in Church Road, Potmans Lane and Catsfield Road and also with the damaged verge on the junction of Potmans Lane and Church Road.

A reminder that it’s only two weeks until the Catsfield Fete and Flower Show at the playing field on Saturday 4th August. Don’t forget to collect your schedules from the village shop now and get your entries planned. It’s great fun to compete – you don’t need to be an expert and it’s such a buzz if you win a prize. So come on, surprise yourself and others and have a go!

Last Sunday’s Treasure Hunt through the village raised £108 for St Laurence Church funds. Approximately twenty-five enthusiastic treasure seekers followed clues that took them all over the village to the church and churchyard, The Green and Skinners Lane, eventually ending up in the Playing Field, collecting various pieces of ‘treasure’ on the way as they followed the clues. There was a tie for first place between ‘The Putland Family’ and the ‘Old Police House Team’ (I’m sure there’s a connection there somewhere!) After a closely fought tie-break, the ‘Old Police House Team’ was declared the winner and was awarded a box of ‘gold’ treasure! Then everyone converged on the Rectory, where Father Michael hosted tea in the garden, as rain clouds, which had held off for the event, began to gather ominously overhead.

The church service at St Laurence on Sunday 22nd July will be Holy Communion at the usual time of 9.15am.

Don’t forget that the Mobile Library will be parked outside the Village Hall tomorrow, Saturday 21st from 4.15 – 4.45pm.

Jill Jarrett, Henley Down Cottage