Fairlight

MOPPs today: Today, Friday, February 8, Richard Ostle, from Solicitors Gaby Hardwicke, will be the guest speaker. Richard will be followed by Sausages and then Apple crumble for afters.

Next Friday, February 15, it will be Keith Osbourne with his Music for Health. The lunch that follows will be fish with herb crumb topping, and then cheesecake.

Do you read the MOPPs note each week and wish you could participate? Well, you very probably could, when there are vacancies. Why not have a word with the Group Co-ordinator, Carolyn Smyth, on 07786 835181. She can tell you all you need to know.

St Andrew’s Summer Festival 2019, over the weekend of June 28 – 30: A Summer Festival is being planned to raise the profile of St Andrew’s within Fairlight and the surrounding area as an exciting place to be, and to celebrate the beautiful world around us and the creativity of our community through the five senses: sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste. The organisers want to raise morale and promote a feeling of togetherness, inclusivity and spirituality within the church and also, to raise funds for St Andrew’s.

The festivities will include flower displays, music, an art exhibition, a number of creative crafts, and a variety of culinary delights throughout the three days. There will also be activities for children. A concert is planned for Saturday evening, with a BBQ beforehand, and the Festival will end with a special Songs of Praise at 4pm on Sunday. Local artists and others are being asked to contribute to the displays and it is hoped that many people will want to sponsor flowers and other aspects of the celebration. There will not be an entrance fee but visitors will be encouraged to donate generously. The Tower will be open throughout the Festival.

The Summer Festival is being coordinated by a small group of church members who are taking the lead on the different components and inviting others to assist them. Also needed is a band of willing volunteers from the church and the local community to help with publicity, sponsorship, and during the event itself. Anyone who is willing to help with any of the activities is asked to contact Janet Walker. Janet can be reached by email to [email protected] or by ringing 01424 815008.

Healthy Walk on Monday: On a wet and incredibly blustery morning, it appeared that this week’s walk was likely to be going along Bronchitis Boulevard, by way of Pneumonia Parade and with a quick look in at Coughing Close. No doubt those brave enough to go along found most of their cobwebs blown away. And possibly much more besides.

Speakers Corner: Ken Brooks gave a fascinating talk at Speakers Corner about the pre-Inca civilisations in South America. The first of these were Moche who made the most of their drought ridden country by living in adobe brick houses. They used basalt to make axes and grew potatoes as well as other crops. The most interesting thing though was their pottery, examples of which are in Bexhill Museum. Their skill was amazing and nearly everything featured “stirrup” handles (a handle incorporating a spout). Wool and meat was obtained from Llamas and Alpacas and they made beautiful tapestries from birds’ feathers. In AD 1000 the civilisation disappeared probably caused by severe drought and the Chinu took over the land. This civilisation lived in compounds made again from adobe clay which were decorated and they continued with the stirrup handles. Excavations have discovered that their “medics” were skilled in trepanning and the skulls showed signs of healing. The Incas arrived in about AD 700 with their armies who build roads and extended their empire. At 25, the numbers attending were not over generous, but maybe those who didn’t make it knew the hall was freezing cold!

The next meeting on February 13 at 2.30 pm features another excellent local speaker, Clive Richardson, whose subject will be Medieval Rye and Georgian Tunbridge Wells. Visitors, as usual, are very welcome for £2 admission.

The Parish Council: The Parish Clerk, on-the-ball Pauline Collins, has set forth details of the Council’s Grant Scheme for 2019/20. Application forms and conditions are available on the Fairlight website as a news item. All applications will be considered at the Parish Council meeting on Tuesday, March 26, with payments being made in April. Full details of the Parish Council’s Grant Policy please check on the relevant section of the Fairlight website.

A Great Night Out in prospect: Almost the last call for the forthcoming evening of a full three course meal with entertainment by the Bling Crosbies, a local duo with an excellent reputation. This event, in the village hall on Saturday, February 23, starting at 7.30 pm, is being organised by Keith Thompson-Smith for the FRA. If you would like more details, please call Keith on 250111. Some tables, albeit only a few, may remain unsold and if they are, tickets will be at the Post Office and General Stores, priced at £15 each.

The Pantomime Group: The panto may be over for the year, but their AGM is just around the corner on Friday, February 22 at 7.30 pm in the village hall.

Fairlight History Group: The group will be meeting on Wednesday, February 20, in the village hall at 2.30 pm when respected local speaker Ken Brooks will give the meeting an update on Fairlight dinosaurs and fossils, and recent developments.

Fairlight Wine and Social Club: The club meets on Monday next, February 11, at 7.30 pm in the village hall, when the guest speaker will be Tony Harris, telling of the Zulu Wars. Non-members are welcome on payment of £3.

FRA Outings: Trevor Lewing, the enterprising organizer of FRA Outings, is considering a trip to Leonardslee House & Gardens on Thursday, May 16. This venue is near Lower Beeding and, indeed, Horsham. Leonardslee House and Gardens was built in 1801, with breathtaking views of the Sussex Downs, and is famous for its landscaped woodland gardens and blooming displays of azaleas, rhododendrons, camellias, magnolias, and bluebells. The venue has undergone a lot of changes in recent times and only re-opened in 2018. Have a look at www.leonardsleegardens.co.uk

The coach is provisionally booked, and a considerable number of people have already shown an interest. The cost, including entrance, will be approximately £20 per person based on a good uptake. Please contact Trevor on 812340 before Sunday, February 17.

There are also a few spare seats available on the coach trip to London this coming Wednesday, February 13, where you will be free to do as you please. Contact Trevor, as above, as soon as possible for more details if you are interested.

Jumble Sale in aid of the Fairlight Playgroup and Nursery: Last, but by no means least, is this announcement declaring that this year’s edition of the always immensely popular Playgroup Jumble Sale will be upon us next Saturday, February 16 in the village hall from 10 am to 12.30 pm. Admission tickets are £1 each, but as they also get you a go on the raffle, as well as the chance to sort through some excellent, quality bargains, you can’t go wrong. Prior to the selling side of the event, all next week from Monday to Friday, during the mornings, you will be able to leave your donations to help stock up the main hall in readiness for the massed bands of purchasers. This is while the playgroup is in operation, so be patient if you have to wait for the staff to find a suitable time to let you leave your goodies. Don’t forget that this is the annual event that always opens its doors to those couple of dozen, or more, hardy souls who have been queuing faithfully and optimistically since the small hours. Just, almost, like Selfridges after Christmas.