Fairlight

Looking ahead, at present it is unclear whether there will be sufficient happening throughout the village for there to be a Voice next week so, don’t forget, Saturday next, December 24 will have the traditional Midnight Communion at St Andrew’s, commencing at 11.15 pm. Christmas Day sees two services of Holy Communion, the first at St Peter’s at 8 am, and the second at St Andrew’s at 10.30 am.

The church thanks all those within the church family who gave of their time and expertise providing refreshments at the Village Hall Christmas Fair last Saturday week. Their efforts contributed a few pence short of £180 to the hall funds!

And further thanks go to all who collected and/or donated money for The Children’s Society. A total of £174.46 was garnered in at the Christingle Service, which was a great and highly enjoyed occasion.

MOPPs today and to come: Today, Friday, December 16, it’ll be MOPP’s Christmas Party with the Rev Cllr Val Gibbs as a guest, and Village Voices, our local choir whose name you can’t, or daren’t, forget! It’s a full Christmas Lunch of Roast Turkey and all the trimmings, followed by Christmas pudding or Black Forest gateau. MOPPs will be closed next Friday, December 23, but will back in full swing again the following Friday, December 30. I’m afraid I can’t tell you yet what treats are in store for that last lunch of the year!

Red Riding Hood: Among the things that Christmas means to everybody, going to a panto is high on the list for many. And you can see a traditional show right here in the village at the end of January, when Red Riding Hood, politically correct now she’s no longer ‘Little’, which she found demeaning, will be treading the boards in the village hall. Luci Mantel directs the group for the first time, and she is fortunate in having her father, Ian, back in the fold with his Dame. Tickets for the production, which runs from Thursday to Saturday, January 26 to 28 next year, will be on sale at the Post Office, probably from Monday next December 19. They are priced between £3 and £7.

The Village Hall Christmas Fair: The village hall Fair was a very busy affair, and Frank James reports that the event totalled a little over £1,600 this time round – not actually a record, but very nearly so. Residents’ support for these village hall Fairs, which are held twice a year, do raise worthwhile contributions to a location well-liked and used by so many of us throughout the year.

The Christmas Fayre: In aid of the local, Cats and Dogs, branch of the RSPCA, their Winter Fayre (not to be confused with the Christmas Fair, above!) was well supported last Saturday, leading the event to accumulating a final total of £869, a sum which will go such a long way to help animals in our area that need assistance.

The Wine and Social Club’s Christmas Party: Last Saturday evening saw another hardy annual event come into the foreground. The Wine and Social Club’s Christmas Party had 60 plus members enjoying themselves with a full Christmas Dinner, all arranged in-house by Sue Norris and her various supporters, with music during and after the meal by Mick Rose, the extremely popular musical fixture at this ‘do’. A good time was had by all!

Happy Christmas?: Cllr Stephen Leadbetter has circulated on the residents’ email scheme the information that our Neighbourhood Planning Group received, on December 5, a representation on the proposed Neighbourhood Plan from a Planning Consultancy acting for the owners of Wakeham’s Farm. This consultancy has put forward three proposals for discussion.

The first is for a development of thirty 4 or 5 bedroom houses on the part of the site known locally as East Field. The second is for a development of fifty three houses on East Field, made up of forty 4 or 5 bedroom houses and thirteen 3 bedroom bungalows. And the third is for four hundred and ninety two properties over the whole of the farm to the south of Pett Level Road, with a range of sizes and types plus commercial, industrial and retail space, allotments, a village hall and play and leisure facilities.

Cllr Stephen Leadbetter would like all residents to be aware that these are not planning applications and there is no suggestion that anything is likely to happen quickly. Our Neighbourhood Planning Group has been advised by their own consultants not to express an opinion on the merits, or otherwise, of any of these proposals at this stage. This is because the Group has a duty to consider any representations made as part of the Neighbourhood Planning process, carry out a formal appraisal of all of them, and then consult residents about the options which exist.

The basic information is being circulated at this stage because it is considered important to inform residents of any significant developments, rather than risk information emerging unofficially, which can result in rumour and unnecessary speculation.

Residents can rest assured that they will continue to be consulted at all stages of the Neighbourhood Planning process, as has happened hitherto.

If the Neighbourhood Planning Group can hold its collective tongue while the propositions are appraised, then I suppose I must resist as well. For now, anyway.

There is, as you will be well aware, no Parish Council meeting this month, but you can be sure that this august body will not be sitting back doing nothing, waiting for five or six weeks to pass.

The Royal British Legion: After several years of evening meetings, once a month in Pett Level, our local branch of the Legion has announced a change of venue and times, with both changes possibly making it easier and more attractive to potential members. It is no secret that new members are sorely needed if the branch is to survive, and the new Chairman, John Pulfer, BEM, is determined that it will survive. From now on, meetings will be on the first Tuesday of each month, in the afternoon and at the Fairlight Lodge Hotel. John points out that it is not essential that members should have served in the armed forces, just that they should have an enthusiasm for doing a bit of good in support of those who have fought and suffered for all of us. Invaluable though it is, the annual Poppy Appeal is only one aspect of the Legion’s activities. The Royal British Legion has been doing so much good for damaged ex-servicemen and those of them in often dire need, quietly beavering away although fantastically popular new service charities have been formed. Wouldn’t you like to join in and help? Feel free to have a chat with John Pulfer on 814866, and it’s highly likely you’ll catch the enthusiasm he generates for every project with which he is associated!

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