Farewell party for popular councillor

A measure of the lady was that she arrived so promptly that guests had no time to hide to spring the surprise.

It is an open secret that Rother and East Sussex councillor Jean Hopkinson is planning to move to New Zealand to be near family members.

Only a delay in completing the sale of her home has prevented her giving formal notice to each authority of her resignation - she can't bear the thought of being idle even for a final few weeks.

Jean's host for at a garden party in her honour was Pebsham Action Group chairman Ken Paterson.

Fittingly for the departure of a planning committee member who has fought both, the view from the sun-lit garden was over the lush green of open fields scarred in the middle distance by Southern Water's new wastewater treatment works and the chimney of the Pebsham waste derived fuel plant.

Guests included fellow councillors, action group members and ward members - friends all.

Ken told them: "I would like to thank you all for coming and showing what support you have for all that Jean has done for us."

He told Jean: "We are grateful for all your tremendous hard work you have put in."

In addition to a bouquet from her friends, there was one from the BIFFA liaison committee which has overseen the work of Pebsham tip. Friends had subscribed to a leaving present, to be spent when she arrives at her new home.

Jean, who was born in Australia, told the company: "Thank you so much. It has been such a warm and friendly community to serve. I have never felt out of place."

When she moves to Auckland she will buy two air tickets. Also going is Mac-a-Titch. Her pet is the second rescued dachshund to have been her companion..

Recalling a cosmopolitan childhood, she said: "My family hear have passed away, apart from cousins who have gone to live in Cornwall.

"I have family in Auckland so I thought it was time to make the move.

"My father was a New Zealander. My mother was English and migrated to Australia in 1928, which was brave of her.

"She met my father in Sydney. They married and I was born there. Just as the war broke out she decided to bring me home to England - and the bombing!

"I was supposed to go to Canada but my mother changed her mind at the last minute.

"That was the ship that was torpedoed and 400 evacuee children lost their lives.

"So I reckon I was lucky."

Jean moved to Bexhill in 1990. She was elected to the county council for Bexhill East in 1993 and to St Michael's Ward of Rother in 1995.

A determined campaigner, she has championed the cause of her electors in both chambers ever since.