Hayley opens Green Day

This was a community event featuring many local groups and organisations as well as entertainment, music and refreshment which gave the day a party feel.

Egerton Park was the perfect venue, bathed as it was in gentle sunshine, with families and visitors of all ages enjoying the many attractions and points of interest on offer. Tracy Docksey had a stall selling bedding plants and perennials and said: "It has been good. this is the first time I have been here and it has been a really good day - the weather is ideal."

Alongside her were the World Development Movement local branch, Ann Marie Selvadurai selling her original hot date chutney, Rotherview Nursery, and aromatherapist Susan Butchers.

Students from the Pestalozzi Village were demonstrating solar power on their stand and discussing their campaign to recycle and reduce waste; they were Kanchan Chauhan, from Nepal, and Shiva Krishna Lingala, Abhisheck Rr.,Dhanashree Patril, all from India.

Other groups involved in the event were Low Impact Living Initiative, Rother Ramblers Association, RSPB and Raystede for Animals in Need.

John Willis and Frank Driver from Sidley Community Allotment took the chance to show the public how the scheme has flourished during the last two years, from the first early days of preparing ground and digging, through to the success of providing produce for the Harvest Supper at Sidley Community Association.

Friends' chairman Christine Govier said: "We are in existence to support Rother District Council"s bid for lottery money to regenerate Egerton Park. What we are trying to do is to encourage friends and family into the park to enjoy the amenities.

"As far as the bid is concerned it has gone to the lottery fund and it will be September when we hear the results, but we are up against stiff competition from the whole of the South East of England. We will have to wait to see what the outcome is."

Of the Green Day she commented: "It is going very well. This is our third Green Day and we have built year on year. This year we have 40 different stalls, from environmental groups to people selling local produce such as game, pork and beer. This is in conjunction for the second year with Rother Children's Centre, formerly Surestart, which has provided family activities for children, Tumbletots, the Smoothie Bike - so thanks to Karen Martin and her team for organising all those activities.

"This has meant a tremendous amount of organisation. Once we have finished one event we start thinking about the next year. Our committee has given absolute support - Marcia Linden has taken the brunt of most of it, while Sarah Errington has done a lot, Alvin Culzac has organised the music, while Elise Liversedge and Julian Bowne have done the refreshments.

"I would like to say thanks to all the people who have made cakes, and also to Fairtrade which donated teas and coffees and sugar...Rother District Council pumped out the grass and has been marvellous - very supportive - and inspected the grass every day. And we also need to thank McPherson and Partners and Bexhill Roundtable for their kind sponsorship of this event."

The Friends of Egerton Park AGM will be held at St Andrews church hall in Wickham Avenue on Wednesday July 9 at 7.30pm and anyone interested in finding out more about the group and its plans is welcome.