Fairlight

This weekend sees the end of the 2018 Christian Aid week. The organisers will be hoping you have all been able to return your filled contribution envelopes!

MOPPs today and next Friday: Today, Friday, May 18, Keith Osbourne’s visits are always popular, and here he is again with his Music for Health. Lunch is to be roast pork, with rhubarb fool for afters. Net Friday, May 25, it will be the All Aloud Choir, and will also be time for some hearing aid maintenance, courtesy of Robert. Net Friday’s lunch will be chicken and pasta bake, with gateaux to follow.

The Parish Assembly: This welcome annual fixture comes along in the village hall this evening, relatively early, as it has a start time of 6 pm. With a mere five days of his reign remaining, Parish Council Chairman Cllr Andrew Mier will give his assessment of the year just past, the latest recipient of the prestigious John Lutman Award will be announced, and the many clubs and societies in the village will have stalls demonstrating their particular attractions for potential new members. Almost always a good natured get together, the evening is under the management of the Parish Council, but is entirely for the residents of the village, and the Assembly deserves to have a significant attendance.

Wakehams Farm development: It is hoped many of you were able to make it to the village hall exhibition about the Wakehams Farm development a couple of days ago. There are many questions to be asked and answered on this subject before anything gets the go ahead, including, but not limited to, sewage, primary schools, roads, doctors and even, with known pockets of Japanese Knotweed throughout the village, what are the chances of there being similar on this large site that might have an impact on this major housing proposition? No doubt all will be revealed in the fullness of time.

I can’t see clearly now: Hazy reports reach me concerning the cabling that is being introduced on the Firehills, which will be operating the unobtrusive underground fencing to keep the visiting cattle in their place. It appears that persons unknown have taken it upon themselves to damage the installation. Why? Surely not because people wish to protect the cows from suffering at this means of restraint. It is a method that has been in use for several years around the country, and, whatever one thinks of the proposals for the Firehills, there is no doubt that everything is properly PC, and that the system being used will not prejudice the animals’ welfare. All the vandals have done is to waste public money – some of which may even be their own. Brainless.

Council Meeting: If you are going to the Parish Assembly, please be reminded that this month’s Parish Council meeting is not far behind. The next is, in fact, on Tuesday next, May 22 in the village hall at 7 pm, and this will be the Parish AGM. Get the habit, and go to this meeting as well as the Assembly. The Councillors undertake a great deal of work on our behalf.

The Playgroup’s renowned Jumble Sale: The sale enjoyed its traditional queue from early on and was, indeed, packed with people as well as goodies from the beginning. Though numbers reduced a little as time went on, there was still an amazing assortment of desirable items, which loaded down people were carrying back to their cars with difficulty. The money must have taken a long time to count, as no figure has been released announcing the outcome. Perhaps next week…

The Art Club’s annual exhibition: The Art Club’s very popular annual exhibition is coming up tomorrow, Saturday, May 19 from 6 to 9 pm. Tickets for the evening cheese and wine event are £4 each in advance from either the Post Office or from Carol on 814178, or £5 on the door. Those who are unable to make it on the Saturday can catch it on Sunday, from 10.30 am until 4 pm, with free admission and with refreshments served throughout the day.

Plant Sale for charity: The plant sale last Sunday at 65, Battery Hill, was an outstanding success, in support of the Cinnamon Trust, a national charity for the elderly, the terminally ill and their pets, and the Hastings and Rother Disability Forum, which promotes the right of disabled people to engage in and be consulted on matters which affect them. The very happy outcome saw the sale raise over £800, with many plants left over for purchasers to inspect and buy with last minute offerings in the honesty box on Monday and Tuesday as well. Many congratulations to the organisers, and thanks to those who supported them – all sides will be delighted.

There for the young folk for 20 years: We’re only a week away from Sunday, May 27, when it will be the 20th anniversary of The Club, as the much-loved Activate became known not so long ago. Celebrations next Sunday will be ongoing on Wood Field from 11 am until 9 pm, so do drop in during the day and help them in those special activities. Congratulations to all concerned, with many of the helpers being former young members themselves, and a very big thank-you to Wendy Hatch, the guiding and driving light from the start.

The Residents association AGM: The Association’s AGM, nine days ago, was short and to the point, reflecting the significant successes of the past year. There were no changes to the Officers or Committee, and the Chairman’s and Treasurer’s Reports were both bright affairs. Several fondly remembered events were recalled, and each had made a profit, as, indeed, had the highly successful Fairlight Calendar. The Fairlight News magazine continues to be an impressive and much appreciated feature of village life. Those principally responsible for the events, calendar and magazine were named and righty praised. The Association has ring-fenced £1,187 to be available for donations to such groups in the village as can demonstrate a need for it, while the FRA’s total assets are around the £11,000 mark, I believe. The presentation of the accounts by means of slide projection was not 100% successful, due to the light May evening in the village hall and the rapidly aging eyes of many of the 40 odd people present. One thinks of the cartoon of a man reading the bottom line of an eye chart, which has a smudge below it. ‘Z C J V R Q W’ he says, ‘Printed in Norwich by Eyre and Spottiswoode’. He should have been here…

Roads by any other name: The permanent black spot on the Fairlight Road continues to be an accident waiting to happen, which is probably just what East Sussex are waiting for, too. Meanwhile, the south or ascending carriageway on Battery Hill through the wooded section is unbelievably bad, and it is only the early vegetation that makes you see it all through strobe lighting which means you can’t altogether appreciate the ghastliness that exists there. It’s the time of the year once again when it really helps if you put your headlights on when traversing this unpleasant bit of highway.