Fairlight

Pews News: There are two services in the parish this week, the first being Family Worship at St Andrews at 10.30 am. The guest speaker is Roger Murphy, whose topic for the day will be '˜The Seasons of Life', which also happens to be the theme of this weekend's Flower Festival. The tower will be open from 12 noon '“ 5 pm, provided there are sufficient volunteers. Sunday's second service is one of Informal Communion at St Peter's at 6 pm.
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Fairlight news

The ‘Seasons of Life’ Flower Festival at St Andrew’s, starts today, Friday, June 30, and runs through the weekend, on Saturday and Sunday, July 1 and 2. The church and the tower will be open on each of the three days, from 10 am to 5 pm today and tomorrow, and from 12 noon to 5 pm on Sunday. There is a Family Fun Day tomorrow, Saturday, with a barbeque and refreshments and stalls and, in the morning, a Teddy Bear zip wire from the top of the tower!

Next Sunday, July 9, is Sea Sunday, and there is a change to the announced services in Fairlight and Pett Level. There’s Holy Communion at St Peter’s at 8am, and then a short Morning Service in the choir stalls at St Andrews at 10.30 am, with the service being led by Rev Kay Burnett. The main service of the day is the Benefice Sea Sunday celebration, starting at 10.30 am. The meeting point is by Pett Level Rescue Boat new Boat House, so take a chair if you can. And do pray for good weather!

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MOPPs today and next Friday: Today, Friday, June 30, Deborah Derber will be along to give a talk on the avoidance of scams, a subject of increasing relevance, it seems. It is also the two-monthly free hearing aid maintenance day. Lunch is roast turkey and all the trimmings, followed by fruit jelly and cream. Next Friday, July 7, there’s Country Dancing with Janice Bolton and friends, plus Nicola’s Age UK toe-nail cutting service. Next Friday’s lunch will be baked salmon with hollandaise sauce, and afters of fruit cheesecake and cream.

The Gardening Club: The Club’s meeting on Monday next, July 3, will commence in the village hall at 7 pm. Yes, 7 pm, taking advantage of the glorious evening, just as they did last summer. Stephen Harmer will be the speaker and the subject of his talk this year is ‘The History of the Plant Hunters’. Stephen, of Garden Histories, was last here a day short of a year ago. As usual, refreshments will be available afterwards and any non-members will be welcome at a cost of £2.

For their summer outing, the Gardening Club will be going to Herstmonceux on Monday, August 7, visiting the grounds and gardens and, the clincher, consuming a cream tea. The total cost will be £8.00 and people should make their own way there to meet in the car park at 2.30 pm. Car shares can be arranged for those who need a lift. This trip is available to Gardening Club members only (£6 per year to join per household!) so if you would like to go along, please contact Karen on 814154 for further details. The closing date for applications for places is Monday, July 24.

The Wine and Social Club Murder Mystery evening: It’s a week next Monday to the Wine Club’s Murder Mystery on July 10, coupled with a fish and chip supper. The price is set at £12 per head, for non-members as well as members, and the doors open at 7 for a 7.30 pm curtain up. The play has been written by Keith Pollard, and features the on-stage talents of Tom Edie, Amy Godfrey, Andy Godfrey, Steve Hill, Stephen Leadbetter, Tom Miller, Jim Saphin, Alice Tigwell and Vicky Veness. The company is delighted to welcome Steve Hill to its ranks, after Keith Jellicoe had been less well than he, or they, would wish. The play is entitled ‘A Good Deal of Murder’, about the discovery and offer for sale of a piece of Roman pottery in Hastings. Skulduggery and greed abound! There are some, but not many, seats left, and if you fancy going along, please call either Jill Lewing, on 812340, or Peter Norris, on 814328.

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The Tuesday Ladies Club: The Club’s June meeting featured the entertaining Chris McCooey who opened the proceedings with two really good jokes and then proceeded to tell how he goes about researching his books – he travels around looking for quirky, unusual and moving stories which he finds in quite ordinary places. He spoke of the beginnings of rescues at sea which did not start with the RNLI; how the Coast Blockade was formed to counter smuggling and the men were housed in the unused Martello Towers, being ideal for communication as in those days they could all be seen for signalling; the man who received two 100th birthday telegrams from the Monarch. The first had a spelling mistake so he complained – and was sent a replacement! He also told of the lady from Orpington who was the last casualty of the last V2 rocket!

The Club’s sponsorship of Zara the Hearing Dog will soon have to move to a replacement animal as she is completing her training. The next regular meeting, on Tuesday, July 18, will feature Chris Rudd talking about Beatrix Potter. The meeting starts at 2.15 pm and guests are very welcome for a mere £2. The Club’s Summer Lunch, which is for members only, will be held on August 15 at 12.30 pm. Both events are in the village hall.

Calling all actors…!: Auditions for the Fairlight Players November production, which is to be ‘Yes, Prime Minister’, written by Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn, are coming up on Thursday next, July 6 at 7.30 pm in the village hall. The play will be directed by Aisling Edie, making her directorial debut in the village, and the show will run from Thursday to Saturday, 9 to 11 November. Carol Ardley has the scripts, and if you fancy finding out what it’s all about and who’s who in the Dramatis Personae, give her a ring on 814178. She knows the audition pieces, too.

Guestling Church – Songs for a Summer Evening: Don’t forget this year’s Summer Concert takes place at St. Laurence Church on the July 15 at 7 pm. The concert includes Kate Rogers and Fiona Osborne, sopranos, Richard Eldridge, accompanist, and the Guestling Church Choir, and is presented by Molly Townson. Tickets, including refreshments, are £12. They can be obtained from Gill Perry, on 814578, or Molly Townson, on 812520. All concert proceeds will go to the St. Laurence Church Restoration Fund.

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A most fitting celebratory occasion: Some forty village people gathered in the village hall last Wednesday week to say a big thank-you to Dot James, who was about to take a break after her seven years at the forefront of First Responding in the village. Not only has Dot been there when people have been most in need, but she has also led or participated in umpteen training sessions – so much so that she is often billed as a double act with Chokin’ Charlie! The nibbles were masterminded by Liz Brooker, similarly a responder who has given much to Fairlight, and those present were introduced to Colin Chantler, a current responder, plus two under training – Michael Georgiou and Issy Horsley. Although Issy was a GP prior to her retirement, she, and anyone else similarly situated, is still obliged to follow a particular and specific route to become a fully trained responder. Within a projected showing of some of Dot’s history, one picture featured Dot, smart in her neat nurse’s uniform, receiving a top prize from the then Lady Mayoress of London. Wild horses could not persuade me to disclose when that picture was taken!

Top Road – Top Hole: The pothole on Fairlight Road, on the south side of the road not far from being opposite Hysted, is A TOTAL DISGRACE. I sincerely hope that motorists who thump shatteringly into it in their dozens are suing the Council Highways Dept for every penny they haven’t got. This danger to life, limb and various parts of countless motorcars must amount to criminal negligence. FILL IT IN!

It’s appears that they attend to two or three holes in a stretch of road, lulling the motorist into a false sense of all-repaired security, so the holes they haven’t dealt with have an even greater effect. Nasty.

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