Chailey

CHAILEY FREE CHURCH: has services every Sunday. A Morning Service takes place at 10.30am and an Evening Service at 6.30pm. All welcome to the services, visit www.chaileyfreechurch.com for more details.

HARPIST Margaret Watson will be entertaining members of the Women’s Institute, with her beautiful music, at their meeting on Tuesday December 6 at 7.45pm. Visitors and prospective new members are always welcome, for a small charge of £3, to include homemade refreshments. For more details call Margaret Smith on 01825 723519.

CHAILEY @ CHRISTMAS: Everyone at St. Peter’s Church is looking forward to Christmas this year with a free event to reflect the Magic of Christmas. From Friday December 9 to Sunday December 11 they are holding their first ‘Chailey @ Christmas’ event which features a Christmas Tree Festival in St Peter’s. There will be many decorated Christmas trees from local groups and businesses. There will be hand bell presentations, choirs, harp music and a brilliant Saturday evening concert by the superb Sussex choir Coro Nuovo to include seasonal music, readings and verse, in the church lit by Christmas Trees. This concert will be a ticketed event for details of which see below. From 2pm until 6pm on the Friday afternoon the church will be open to visitors who can view the trees, whilst enjoying a hand bell presentation, seasonal music and a cup of tea and cake.

From 10am until 5pm on Saturday there will be special peel of Bells at 10am and a chance to meet bell ringers afterwards. Again, tea and cake will be available. At 7pm on the Saturday the special Christmas Concert ‘Coro Nuovo at Christmas’ On the Sunday the normal services will be held around the festival. This is a ticketed event, at £10 per ticket (accompanied children under 16 free) to include light refreshments. Tickets will be available on the door or from Janet Barnes on 01825 722574 or [email protected].

VOLUNTEERS: would be much appreciated to help with Chailey Heritage Foundation’s bucket collection on Thursday December 8 and Wednesday December 21 at Tesco Superstore, Burgess Hill. If you are able to assist please email [email protected].

HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY NEWS: The Society’s Schedule for 2017 is now available. It is hoped that there will be some copies in the pubs and South Chailey Surgery for anyone who would like either to look through it or take it home. Maybe this will encourage you to see the shows and/or enter. December and January can be quite quiet times in the garden. However it is wise to keep on top of the fallen leaves and not let them rot on the ground but rot them down in a compost heap. Reflecting on past seasons one of the most obvious changes is the dramatic decline in bees and other pollinating insects. There is little the amateur gardener can do except not to use insecticides. Good plant hygiene and the use of a biological control should help reduce the need for chemicals. Always be careful using any spray and strictly follow the instructions and avoid spraying during daylight when pollinators are active. There are many varieties of bees and flies which act as pollinators. Leave patches of wild growth with nettles and wild flowers as a natural habitat; alternatively garden centres have many bee friendly homes which can be deployed throughout the garden. It is the responsibility of all gardeners to protect their best friends - bees and worms. December and January are the months to look through the catalogues and plan. Think of plug plants and if you have not done so why not try some grafted tomatoes, peppers and chillies. For those with a frost free conservatory or heated greenhouse growing potatoes in a sac is well worth it for a very early crop of lovely new potatoes. Foremost or Rocket make good choices. Get them as soon as possible and get them chitted in a light and frost free place. As soon as they start to sprout get them into the bag. Place about 6 inches of compost in the bottom of the sac and then place 4 or 5 potatoes, sprout upward on top and just cover with a layer of compost. As the potatoes grow through add more compost until just below the top of the bag. Remember to keep moist and look forward to early May when they will be ready. For more information and/or a Show Schedule contact Peter Estcourt on 01273 400791 or via [email protected].

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