Fairlight village voice

April 17… sees the Tuesday Ladies Club in afternoon action with the Edinburgh Woollen Mills, with a Sussex Place Names quiz after the tea interval. Start time is 2.15 pm in the inevitable village hall, and visitors are welcome on payment of a small fee.

Desperately seeking doggie homes… is the local branch of the RSPCA, whose Ann Craske particularly makes mention of Brandy and Woolfie. Why not visit Bluebell Ridge (RSPCA) Cat Rehoming Centre for pictures and details. Ann’s number is 813434.

While it’s raining… you might like to remember that there is a Hosepipe Ban. There are exceptions, but do not rely on hearsay to find the wrinkles in the system, call Southern Water to make absolutely sure you’re not breaking the rules. While infringements can lead to penalties, the sheer embarrassment factor would be a massive blow. Don’t do it! The fact that the ban may have to be in place for 12 months is neither here nor there. And no matter that the capital expenditure required to bring surplus water from the north is exceeded some ten-fold by the cost of getting us all from London to Birmingham some four minutes quicker is not of any concern to us, whose money it all is.

The Fairlight Residents’ Association committee… has expressed concern about inconsiderate and dangerous parking at the junction of Broadway and Waites Lane. This usually happens when there are events at either the village hall or St Peter’s church, and so if you are involved in the organisation of a function at the village hall please remember to put out the No Parking Cones, which are stored in the cloakroom between the two Halls.

At the suggestion of the Residents’ Association, the Parish Council will write to County Council Highways proposing that yellow lines are placed at the junction. Meanwhile there is a current Police Warning, which urges us not to park at bus stops, on corners or on the pavement. They explain that, if you park inconsiderately or illegally, you could be fined and/or have your vehicle removed for unnecessary obstruction of a road or footpath, or for parking where prohibited.

Don’t forget… that Fairlight Road will be closed for gas main repairs for 4 weeks from week commencing last Monday, April 9. If you do forget, the signage will warn you anyway, but be prepared for some slight delays due to lights – and buses – in Martineau Lane. If you experience real difficulties with the temporary system, you could call either Southern Gas Networks on 0845 070 1431, or May Gurney Traffic Management on 0792 015 2491.

Out with the Gardening Club… on their proposed trip to the Ardingly Show at Haywards Heath on Thursday, June 7. All comers are invited to join this planned day out, for which the cost will be £20 per person, which will include the coach fare, entry to the show and a tip for the driver. The coach will leave the Circle at 9.30 am and return at 4.30 pm from Ardingly. To secure your place, contact Betty Snow on 812694. The club would appreciate it if you could pay before Bank Holiday Monday May 7, or on that day at the club meeting. Payments should be in cash or by cheque payable to Fairlight Gardening Club, and Club Chair Sue Clarke would like you to know that, should there not be sufficient numbers to sustain the reasonable asking price, the trip will be cancelled and all monies returned.

There’s a Trestle Sale… coming up at and in aid of the village hall. Well, it’s not until Saturday, May 5, but this note is intended to remind likely participants to book their trestles as soon as possible. And to do this, you should call either Brenda on 813113 or Val on 814753. Your booking will cost you only £6, which is it hoped you find easy to cover on the day! Get on the phone, as several have done already.

Tickets for the Players’ April production are on sale now at the Post Office. Last April saw the group’s highest turnout ever, and the extremely funny melodrama, The Murder of Maria Marten or, The Red Barn, by Brian J Burton, promises to be equally popular. Recognising that not everybody who would like to attend finds it easy to get to our Post Office to make their booking, the Players are offering phone bookings this time. Simply give Carol Ardley a call on 814178 and she will do the rest. You must speak to Carol when you book, so if she is not in please leave a message for her to call you back when she is available.

The production features Andy Godfrey as the wicked William Corder, and the delicious voiced young newcomer Sarah Coleman as Maria. Also new to the company are Pauline Lucas and Vicky Veness, along with Libby Annetts, Ben Burford and Wendy Hatch, with these three already well-known panto stalwarts. Also new to the group for this ‘play with music’ is Iain Kerr at the pianoforte, and he has made a massive contribution to the hilarity. For the fifth April production running, the piece has been directed by Keith Pollard.

Do not think that, with tickets at only £5, the offering is cheap rubbish. The price is low only because the Players have so far been able to keep them low. One wonders for how much longer, but if they can attract very good houses, who knows?!

Keith Pollard, Brookfield, Broadway