Fairlight

A reminder for all those lovers of flowers out there, that tomorrow, Saturday 16, and Sunday 17, September, it’s time for the Pett Flower Festival, all to the theme of ‘From Shore to Shore’. There’ll be refreshments, produce, cakes and much more besides. The Festival will be open from 10 am to 4 pm on Saturday, and from 11 am to 4 pm on Sunday.

What a lot they got!: We noted in last week’s column that the church’s Grand Auction had raised some £1,400, plus the proceeds of the raffle. Well, the actual total turned out to be in the region of £1,800. The winners of the Grand Draw were: first, Tina Hibell from Hastings, second, Jan Humber of St Leonards, and third, Juliette Vane of Fairlight.

MOPPs today and next Friday: Last Friday, September 8, was the group’s AGM day, the most important business day of the year. In a major organisational change, Jim Saphin stood down from the Chair, and indeed from the Committee, to take a well-earned rest. He was rightly much praised for all his hard work for the group as, too, were MOPP’s Founder, Sylvia Gutsell, the other officers and Committee members and the many helpers, all of whom work so hard for the good of the membership. Jim’s place in the Chair has been taken by Robert Pasterfield, until fairly recently the Project’s Co-ordinator, and Robert will undertake fundraising as well. Chef Robert and Mandy, his assistant, were also worthy recipients of high praise for the excellent meals they provide each and every week, and it is further to be noted that MOPPs has achieved maximum Five Star Rating, for the second successive year, for their Food Hygiene Standards. The inspection was by Rother District Council’s Environmental Health Department.

It was pointed out that income, largely as a result of the County grant reduction, was well down, while expenses, inevitably, were up. As many will be only too well aware, MOPPs has been very active, and most successfully, in fund-raising activities, and this will continue over the coming months. A prime target for 2018 will come from the Fairlight Open Gardens next summer, which has had two iterations on behalf of Fairlight First Responders, and one on behalf of the Cliff Preservation Scheme, but next summer will be dedicated to MOPPs. Please see the next article below.

Today, Friday, September 15, the entertainment will be by Keith Osbourne, here with his ever-popular Music for Health, and then it will be lunch, which will consist of bacon and leek pudding, with bananas and custard to follow. Next Friday, September 22, singer Tim Gibson will provide the entertainment, and lunch next week will be roast chicken, with tiramasu for pud.

Fairlight Open Gardens 2018: As mentioned above, this event, which will take place next June, will be in support of MOPPs. Perhaps you haven’t exhibited your pride and joy before, but do consider doing so next June. All sizes and types – formal, casual, meticulously planned, wild flower havens and all sorts – will be very welcome. Please register your interest with Kerry Gentleman on

07456 631322 or by email to [email protected]

A busy weekend: It will be busy at Fairlight Hall this weekend, on both Saturday 16 and Sunday 17, as there is a two day Plant Sale, offering visitors a chance to explore the gardens and to hear several talks over the two days. The gardens will be open from 10 am to 4 pm on each day, and admission is £8 per day, or £10 for both days. Children get in free! A wide range of plants will be on sale, from national nurseries and from gardening-related suppliers. Refreshments are available each day.

The Tuesday Ladies Club: The Club’s September meeting is on Tuesday next, September 19, in the village hall starting at 2.15 pm. The speaker will be Roger Hambrook of Friary Gardeners – you know, just off the Ridge on the bend by the church – and he will be speaking of the place ‘Where Plants Smile and People Grow. Non-members, including the menfolk, are welcome on payment of a small fee.

Open Day at the Ridge Fire Station: ‘Our’ local Fire Station, on the Ridge, will be open to all-comers this Sunday, September 17 from 12 noon until 4 pm. Very interesting and well worth a visit!

The Royal British Legion: Here comes that always-with-us extremely hardy annual, the Royal British Legion poppy. Leaving aside those who manage to find and display last year’s, or the year before’s, poppy, especially a big one on the car, most people find contributing each year no problem. After all, the ultimate recipients of our largesse are probably still paying, in terms of loss of a limb or one of the senses, for their sacrifice in serving us. That’s why the house-to-house collection is such an invaluable exercise, to which we all willingly contribute. When it comes to the five villages locally – Fairlight, Guestling, Icklesham, Pett and Three Oaks (in strictly alphabetical order!) – the collections are master-minded by local Chairman and Co-ordinator John Pulfer, and he is always in need of collectors. If you’d like to participate in this year’s collection, please contact John on 814866. He’ll be most grateful, and so will be the RBL. The collections will be undertaken between October 28 and November 11, and all necessary training will be given to volunteers.

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