Fairlight

Brookfield, Broadway

This Sunday - November 4 - will see an All-Age Service led by the new Rector, Richard Barron, at St Andrew’s Church starting 10.30am.

The Gardening Club’s monthly meeting… is next Monday, November 5, when either Kim or Jenny will be talking about ‘Maritime Treasure – the Fisherman’s Museum.’ As usual, it’s in the village hall, commencing at 2.30 pm.

Players’ tickets… for the forthcoming opener for their new season, ‘And This Was Odd,’ are on sale at the Post Office, and there are still a number remaining (though Friday and Saturday evenings are getting more full). This gently funny play, highly evocative of the early fifties in which it is set, promises to bring a healthy dose of charm and nostalgia to many of the group’s patrons. If you are unable to get along to the Post Office – for instance, if you live outside the village, please call group Secretary Carol Ardley on 814178, and she will be able to reserve seats for you for the performance of your preference.

The Literary Society… meets next Wednesday, November 7, with Roger McKenna telling of ‘Survivors in Soho’, in the 1850s. Membership is £7 for the full year, but only £2 for visitors to an individual meeting.

Bowling along as ever… just to mention that the Bowls Club’s Coffee Morning in the village hall last Saturday was well attended by members and friends, to such an invaluable extent that the Club raised over £500!

Christmas is a-coming, Hoe, hoe, hoe… There have been several reports recently of a man undertaking gardening work for elderly or vulnerable residents without their prior permission. The worker or workers are only doing a small amount of work before asking for payment. This has occurred across Wealden, including Hailsham and Wadhurst in fairly recent days. Please make your elderly neighbours aware of this activity, and remind them not to pay for any work they have not authorised. If they are at all concerned they should contact Sussex police immediately, by simply dialling 101. (I have used this facility, and the response, both over the phone and by the officers in person when they arrived, post haste, was absolutely superb) The Police also suggest you keep an eye out for a white transit van, with a registration number beginning Y 8** ***, and if you should see it, again please contact them on 101.

And another scam… this one involving Pension credits. This is not a new scam, and has been around for some time, but it has now come to light once more in our area. A recorded message, normally from a phone number similar to 01619 610013, calls you stating you are due £1,000 in pension credits from your private pension, then asks you to press 5 or 9 to claim your money. Once you have pressed one of these numbers you will either be asked a series of questions and your bank details taken or you will be connected to a premium rate number which will be charged to your phone bill. Do not fall for this scam. If you see the number on caller ID do not answer it, if you do answer do not press any of the numbers and report them to East Sussex County Council Trading Standards on 0345 60 80 197. There’s always someone out there keen to part you from your money, often by tricking you into disclosing bank account details which they can use to their advantage, and certainly not yours!

Pett Level Rescue Boat… proud owners of their new boat house, which they built in double-quick time, thanks to the generosity of local people, and the sterling efforts of fund-raiser John Pulfer, are beginning another appeal. This is to effect the refurbishment of their old boat house to provide the crew with better quarters, and also to equip their building with washing and, most particularly, with toilet facilities. Many, on reading accounts of their activities that appeared during the summer, were astonished and a bit shocked to read that, if the crew needed the toilet (and I’m sure I would, before going out to sea) they had to ‘borrow’ the one in a private dwelling next door. It is time now to bring them into the 21st century, so please keep your eyes peeled for whatever John Pulfer designs to persuade you to offer your financial support. John is on 814866 if you would like to make a direct contribution. The target is £10,000 overall, and they have got off to a fine start already.

Another hat… for John Pulfer, who also organises the British Legion Poppy Appeal locally. Collectors are already going round with this year’s poppies and, the first time I’ve seen them, enamelled lapel pins. Gone are the days when some, I believe, washed and ironed last year’s car poppies and re-used them – come on, cough up, for every little bit helps and this is a charity that has helped for so many years and continues to do so, with our valiant armed forces still fighting for us, and getting killed and wounded in on-going conflicts. Different from ‘Help for Heroes’, but an absolutely vital charity cog supporting our brave men and women.

A brand new facility… the Sussex Macmillan Cancer Support Centre, will be opening in Brighton in 2014. This new centre will provide access to specialist information and quality resources, welfare benefits advice, counselling services, complementary therapies and physical activity services, a hair and wig service, practical support, refreshments and dietary advice and space for self help and support groups. The first of three workshops to plan and develop and link up the provision of Cancer Information in East Sussex will be held in the Ashfield Room, Uckfield Civic Centre from 12.00 noon to 16.30 pm on Tuesday, November 27. Who should attend? People affected by Cancer who would like to take part in this discussion, plus organisations that are interested to explore the opportunities to develop the provision of Cancer Information in East Sussex, such as representatives from Health and Public Information providers, GP Practices, Libraries, community and voluntary sector groups, supermarkets and pharmacies in East Sussex. If you’d like to be part of this initial

discussion and planning, please contact Geoff Brown, Sussex Macmillan Cancer Support Centre, Project Implementation Manager, who can be reached at [email protected]

There’s an Energy Café… at the WI Hall, in Houghton Green Lane, Playden, on Thursday next, November 8 from 3 to 6 pm. There will be a short presentation about halfway through the event, for which the objective is to make sure you know how to keep your house cosy in the winter, not spend too much on your energy bills and to make sure your family is warm and healthy. There are all sorts of advice available – and offers and possibly grants, too. Children are welcome to attend, and it’s free.