Fairlight

Two services in our churches this Sunday, February 17… At 10.30 in the morning, there will be Parish Communion at St Andrews, and then, at St Peters at 4 pm, there is (Early) Evening Prayer.

The key to it all… Did you lose a key at the weekend? One was found at the Country Park last Monday morning. Could it be yours? Call either 812914 or 0778 522 7399 to find out.

Don’t forget… today is the second, and hopefully the last, Friday on which there will be no fish and chips van at the village hall. There’s always Ore, Rye or Hastings until normal service is resumed next week.

The Tuesday Ladies Club meets next week on February 19 and will be welcoming back Andy Dinsdale, whose Flotsam, Jetsam and Lagan talk in January was highly enjoyable. Now he returns, very kindly stepping in at the last minute to replace the billed speaker who is unable to attend, to talk about the History of Juggling. The meeting starts at 2.15pm in the village hall. Visitors are very welcome for a mere £2 admission, which includes tea and cake.

At MOPP today… at the village hall Keith Osborne, a firm favourite with the members, will be providing the entertainment. Lunch will be gammon in parsley sauce plus sticky toffee pudding. Phone Sheila on 01304 219767 if you would like to learn more about MOPP.

Potential customers will be reminded later… but for now it is sufficient to announce that there will be a Trestle Sale at the village hall in the morning of Saturday, April 27, and to say that if you would like to book a space, at only £6, please phone either Brenda on 813113 or Val on 814753.

The Literary Society… meets this coming Wednesday, February 20 in the village hall at 2.30 pm. The speaker will be the popular Laton Frewin on the subject of two heroines - Laura Secord and Grace Darling. You may have hazy recollections of Grace, but are possibly unaware of the famously heroic action of Canadian Laura. Just go along and be fascinated by the stories of the two of them!

It’s curtain up… on the Pantomime Group AGM at 7.30 pm next Friday, February 22. All current members and newcomers are welcome to attend. Make a note now, and you won’t miss it next week.

The Evening with the Players… scheduled for Friday, March 8, promises to be a theatrical treat. Entitled ‘Edy was a Lady’, it will tell of the life of Edith Craig, renowned actress Ellen Terry’s daughter. Edy, who lived from 1869 to 1947, was illegitimate, lesbian, a suffragette, and the most extraordinary contributor to British Theatre of her time as an actress (on stage and on silent film), producer, director, costume designer and maker. For too long she has been overshadowed by her charismatic mother and brother, Edward Gordon Craig. Presenting the evening will be

Ann Rachlin, an author, brilliant speaker and EMI recording artist as a musical storyteller. Internationally acclaimed, she has performed with orchestras at festivals in the UK, USA and Australia. Her eleven published books and twenty-three CDs sell worldwide. Ann lives in East Sussex and is a Fellow of Grey College, University of Durham. Those who attend this especial function in the village hall are in for a real treat as it will contain some exceptionally rare visuals in what already is a spectacular display of theatrical images. Tickets for the audio-visual presentation and supper are £7.50, and are available from Carol Ardley on 814178, or from Fairlight Post Office.

Mine host at The Cove… is pleased to see a very special Quiz on the premises next Thursday, February 21 at 7.30pm in aid of St. Michael’s Hospice. The quiz will be taking place simultaneously in pubs, clubs and homes in all sorts of venues throughout Hastings and Rother. You have a week to make sure you have you team ready (ideally four, up to a maximum of six in each team), and the entrance fee is a minimum of £2.50 a head. Any questions, from you rather than from the quiz masters, can be answered by Becky on 456380, or Marcia on 456381, or by Linda Hanson at the Cove on 812110. The whole event is being sponsored by Specsavers, and in our village the questions will be posed by Linda Eades, highly experienced at this sort of thing. The winning team in each pub will receive a small prize and there are trophies for the overall winning team in the entire event.

Salty talk… tonight at the Hastings History House, where Steve Peak will be recounting tales of the Last Days of Sail. His talk starts at 7 pm, and will only cost you £2 if you are not a member of the Friends of Hastings Country Park, for whose members entry is free. The venue is in Courthouse Street in the Old Town.

The Playgroup Jumble Sale… up for the second year running, and now a firmly established annual event, was held last Saturday and, just like last year’s inaugural event, a queue started forming at 9 am for the 10 am opening. While the weather was far more kind this year than last, they did not match the 2012 total of £870 – this year they totalled £869! However, they will probably get that figure up to £900 with a few extras still to come in! The organisers would like to thank all the donors, helpers and those who attended and purchased. And don’t forget, if you missed this one, there’ll be another along next year. Watch this space. The Playgroup and Nursery are a credit to our village, and are fully deserving of everyone’s support.

What do they want…? Well, blood. There’s a campaign to get 100,000 new donors to register in 100 days, and they’re nearly at the end of their push, still needing a few more to sign up. A very little trouble for you could make all the difference to some poorly soul in desperate need. Please ring 0300 123 23 23 to find out the details

The Independent Living Service…whose freephone number is 0800 917 4569, is a registered charity which aims to help support people to remain independently in their home and active in their community. The range of help they offer, through In Touch, is impressive, and if you think you would benefit from their assessment and advice, please give them a call. They really are there to help.

Potholes in the news… The major hole in Waites Lane, up towards the Cove is now an out-of-control problem. I have a private theory that, if they leave it for much longer (and wider and deeper) magma will seep up, turning to lava which will solidify and plug the hole without human intervention. Not that we can claim that potholes are unique to Fairlight. If you drive up Chick Hill from Pett Level to Pett, there is a massive hole that, when you hit it, will make you stop and check for broken bones or ruined tyres, suspension and chassis. It must be cheaper for the Council to repair these hazards than to face loads of residents suing for recompense.