Fairlight

Fairlight Players: Their Spring production of The Cat and the Canary opened last night, and there are but three shows to go – tonight, Friday at 7.30 pm, and then twice tomorrow, at 2.30 and 7.30 pm. As I write, the play looks in very good shape, and only needs an audience to respond to the comedy and thrills. Why not join them and have a great evening out, and give the cast the rewards they deserve? Tickets are a measly £6 each, and can be had at the Post Office, the village’s perpetual and invaluable box office. If you can’t get there in person, you could always give Carol Ardley a call on 814178, and she’ll fix it for you. Or simply turn up on the door – if you’re lucky, you should be able to get in - but not on Saturday evening, which is already totally sold out.

The Village Hall: They’ll be holding the Village Hall AGM on Monday next, April 27 in the, er, village hall. It starts at 7.30 pm, and representatives of all affiliated clubs and associations should be present. The Management Committee for the ensuing 12 months will be voted in. The hall is such an important part of our village life – it must be mentioned six or seven times each week in this column. Fairlight residents are warmly invited to attend, and have their say and a vote.

MOPPs this week and next: Today at MOPPs, Friday, April 24, it’s Mad Jack’s Morris Dancers and the free toe-nail cutting service, and lunch of roast lamb, and cheesecake. Then next Friday, May 1, they’ll be entertained by Keith Osbourne’s Music for Health, and will be able to enjoy their Chicken Chasseur, followed by Gateau

Don’t forget: There’s a super Saturday coming up for the church a fortnight tomorrow, on May 9, with the Christian Aid Spring Fair, in the village hall from 10 am to 12 noon, and a quick trip up Battery Hill for the Auction of Promises at the Fairlight Lodge Hotel, starting at 7 pm. You’ll be able to bid for a stay in holiday homes in Poland and France, days out, restaurant meals, vouchers and much more. And there are further details to come!

Christian Aid Week runs from May 10 to 16 this year, so please be sure to pop the odd pound or two, or more, in your envelope ready for collection.

An appealing prospect: Pett Level Rescue Boat, a much loved local institution, is at again. Having achieved a new boathouse and a comprehensive update on the old boat station, they are appealing to raise £28,000 for a replacement large boat, necessitated by ‘Elf and Safety’ rules which mean their existing vessel has but a short time left in service. They are 10% there already, with £2,800, and will receive some monies from the re-sale of the current boat. But the bulk of the work is still to be done, and it’s in the capable and prolific hands of fundraiser John Pulfer. If you’d like to add your support to this worthy cause, please give John a call on 814866.

Not-so-Strictly Come Dancing: That’s the Fairfest organised Dance on Friday, May 1 in the village hall from 7.30 to 11 pm. Tickets are still only £8.50 each, and the event is in support of Stage 3 of the Cliff Preservation scheme. Music is by the popular Kytes, plus buffet, bar and raffle. Leaflets are around in the village stating that the finance requested for the cliffs work has been secured, but this does not necessarily tell the whole story. In fact, money from the public is as necessary as ever it was, so you can do your bit by going to the dance and have a great time doing it. The Post Office has the tickets, and so does organiser Jennifer Annetts on 812476.

Bowls Club: The green was opened last Saturday, April 18, when there was a good turn out of club members who all enjoyed a welcome drink and nibbles to celebrate the start of the new season.

Although a chilly wind prevailed, the afternoon was bright and sunny, and they soon got their first friendly game underway. There is a full fixture list of games throughout the season, along with a host of social events. The fixture card is displayed in the club notice board with home games highlighted, should any prospective new members wish to watch a game.

Parish Council Meeting: All the fun of the Fairlight Council next Tuesday will see discussions on an update and course of action concerning the new Visitor Centre, and an update on the Village Shop and the Warren Estate valuation are expected, always providing there actually is progress to report. Speedwatch gets a mention, as does the poor state of finger posts. Planning and Neighbourhood Plan are on the agenda, and there are no fewer than nine items under the Land Management heading. The popular Open Forum will conclude the evening’s business.

A diary note for all says that next month’s meeting will be on Tuesday, May 19, a week earlier than you would have expected, while the Parish Assembly is the following Wednesday, May 26. The early PC meeting is to allow the formal take-up of the job by the new Council. With all the comings and goings of various candidates at various levels of democracy, it is pleasing and reassuring to note that our Parish Council will not be facing an election. There are nine places for which we have eight candidates. One of these will be new to you as a Councillor, Derek Greenup, who is replacing an existing Councillor, Charles Mendelson, who has retired. There remains one vacancy, of course, but the lists are well and truly closed.

Shopping on line: Progress is being made on the project to turn the Post Office and General Stores into a community run business. As I understand it, the second stage grant application saw Fairlight placed second, behind the much larger potential expense of Saltdean Lido. The new share application forms are available in the Post Office, and will be there until May 31. Do join in the uptake, as this demonstration of commitment from the community will weigh well with the grant granters. The alternative could be complete closure and total loss of this invaluable facility. And you’re risking nothing – if the project does not go ahead, all share monies will be returned

Activate activities: You don’t have to be named Harry to become a Potter. There’s a new Pottery Club starting in the Activate Workshop, which is next to the clubhouse on Wood Field. It will run on Tuesdays, starting on May 5, from 4 to 5.30 pm. Aimed at children aged 8 or over, it will be run by Ruth Ward, a local artist, on a course lasting about eight weeks. If that whets the adults appetites too, then two days later, on Thursday, May 7, there’ll be an adult course on Thursdays from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm.

To participate in either course, or bath, contact Ruth direct on 07895 039545 or 01424 319872.

The ‘On Yer Bike’ Castle Challenge: is being organised by the Rotary Club on Sunday, April 26 – just two days away. Ken and Wendy Hatch and Tracy Burbidge will be cycling with a group of six youngsters from Hastings Castle to Pevensey Castle and back! That’s all of 25 miles! They would be very grateful for any sponsorship, which is to be shared between St Michael’s Hospice and the R.N.L.I. If you would like to sponsor the team please contact Wendy on 812297 or [email protected]. Ring up and pledge your pounds!

Channel Way-hey! It’s certainly looking much better, thanks to the efforts of a team of residents, who took three and a half hours to spread the 20 tonnes of stuff. That’s just short of two hundredweight a minute! One resident has agreed to take on the maintenance work on a ‘bi-annual’ basis. This means twice a year, and I haven’t been able to confirm that. Perhaps it will be done biennially, or every other year. Never mind, the improvement is just what was needed, and congratulations are in order for the residents and organisers who have put so much effort into this ‘help yourself’ project.

Road up!: Or rather, down, as Martineau Lane will be re-surfaced on Tuesday next, April 28. The notice announcing this closure, at the A259 end, is angled so that those coming from the east can read it easily. Those coming from Hastings, probably the majority of those intending to go south on Martineau Lane, may not have noticed it at all. The road is expected to be closed all day. Hopefully, this will enable them to do the gutters and sides as well as the crown of the road.

It’s too much to hope, though, that they may continue until they’ve blitzed the extended rumble strip that is Battery Hill, and turn right into Waites Lane and get that sorted, too. Never mind, we must be thankful for small mercies (Bethune Way, near the entrance to Alexandra Park, is now in their sights). Our turn will come. If you look at the East Sussex Roadworks map, you’ll appreciate just how much trouble they’ll be smoothing over in the next few weeks over a vast area.

Keith Pollard

Brookfield, Broadway