Fairlight

At Pett Methodist Chapel, the 10.45 am service will be led by the Rev Ian Pruden of the Circuit Staff. It’s café time, too.

MOPPs today and next Friday: Today, Friday, August 17, you will be hearing a talk from the highly experienced Delia Taylor from Kent. Lunch today will consist of Coronation chicken with baked potatoes, and trifle to follow. Next Friday, August 24, the entertainment will be by the accomplished popular local guitarist and singer Pete Prescott. Lunch that day will be poached salmon (cold if the weather should turn really warm again!), with blackberry brûlée for afters.

Friday night at the movies: Pett Methodist Church is hosting a film night, and it’s tonight, at 7.15 pm. Admission is free, but they are not allowed to name the film being shown. Suffice to say that it contains a whole lot of circus fun, and possibly the most famous circus name ever, bar-none. You might be able to guess what a treat this promises to be or not, but just get yourselves along and enjoy it. Donations to church funds will not be declined, so make sure your purse is overflowing…

A Charity Art Show this Sunday at Pett Level: On Sunday, August 19, Fairlight Artists are having a charity art exhibition and sale of work in aid of the Pett Level Independent Rescue Boat. The event will take place in the Rescue Boat House, behind the Smugglers pub at Pett Level, from 11 am to 4 pm. This function is one that is always a popular afternoon for visitors and residents alike and is organised annually. As usual, there will be a wide variety of work on offer plus cards and gifts. As well as enjoying the art, you can also watch what is going on in the boat launch area.

Gala Day at Pett Level: If you’ve had a good look round the excellent work on offer at Pett Level on Sunday, and duly made your purchases, then you’ll be able to enjoy many different offerings the following Sunday, August 26, at the Independent Rescue Boat Gala Day, which runs from 12 noon until 4 pm. There’ll be stalls galore, refreshments and all the usual fun-o’-the-fair stuff you’ve come to expect. Do go – you’ll have a most enjoyable afternoon, and you’ll be supporting a highly valued and regarded local charity facility that is dear to the hearts of all residents within miles!

Health Walk: Well established now on the first and third Mondays of each month is the Fairlight Health Walk. There are many such walks taking place on various days of the week all over East Sussex, but our latest walk starts at the village hall at 10.30 am next Monday. It will take an hour plus, and should not be as exhausting as those that took place in the heatwave! On a recent walk, it was extraordinary that there was not a single participant from Fairlight apart, of course, from the organisers.

The Tuesday Ladies Club: Usually the ladies get a mention here for an event or talk that is forthcoming, or a review of what has just taken place. This month’s meeting, next Tuesday, is the club’s Summer Lunch, commencing in the village hall at 12.30 pm. Yes, it’s for members only, but a note here, along with those others each month, may serve to remind you that it might be a good idea to enquire about membership, and then you could have as rewarding a time as the ladies currently enjoy.

Guestling Flower Festival is this weekend: Your final reminder that the annual Guestling Flower Festival will be taking place at St. Laurence Church, Guestling today Friday 17, Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 August, from 10 am until 5 pm each day. The theme for this year’s event is ‘Observer’s Books’, those beloved pocket-sized (substantial pockets!) volumes that were first published in 1937. You can have your lunch there, including a ploughman’s, and tea, coffee and cakes will all be available, and you’ll find produce and book stalls, and a tombola. The event is free to enter and all proceeds will go to the St. Laurence Church Restoration Fund. The Festival will end with a Songs of Praise service on the Sunday at 6pm. Rosemary Gainsbury, the current organiser, will be running the Festival for the final time, as she is retiring after 30 years. It is earnestly hoped that there will be a record turnout to say ‘thank you’ to Rosemary and to show her just how appreciated have been the hard work and organisation she has put in over such a long period of time! If you would like any extra details, please call 812254. There is a signpost to Guestling Church at the junction of the A259 and Church Lane. Plenty of parking is available – and it’s all free!

A Fairlight celebration to mark the Centenary of the end of the Great War:

Later this year the media will be focussing on the centenary of the end of the Great War. All round the country there will be many events taking place to mark the occasion. And it seems eminently appropriate and sensible that Fairlight should join in these celebrations. The Royal British Legion suggest that towns and villages organise events that acknowledge the legacy of the poets, the writers, the women, the music, the medics and the countless others who played their part and made their sacrifice. St Andrew’s church has the facilities to host such an event, which is proposed for Saturday, November 10. However, it will certainly necessitate the speedy formation of a small organising team. If there is anyone who would be willing to help devise a suitable programme, please contact our Rector, Richard Barron, as soon as possible, on 812799. Or you could email him at [email protected]

The Hearing Bus: Coming shortly now, the popular Hearing Resource Centre bus will be in Fairlight in the village hall car park on Thursday, August 30 from 10.30 am until 3.30 pm. This note appears yet again to ensure that everybody who could benefit from a visit to the facilities on the bus doesn’t miss this month’s opportunity.