Hurst Green Village Voice

The police are happy for this to be reported here as it is possible that the conmen are being active again.

What happens is, first comes an email offering services to protect your card ‘from violation’ if you download the attachment.

Then a day or two later comes the coup de grace purporting to having been sent from Barclays Bank.

The layout of this is perfect in every way, enough to fool unsuspecting people complete with Barclays logo and type setting.

It seeks to inform you that your card ‘has been violated’ and with the alarming news that it cannot be used for financial transactions unless you download.

Police and bank advise you delete this and on no account download or open attachment. Inform the police and the bank at once for their intelligence gathering.

As this goes to press, I have received a telephone call from a foreign call centre asking to mend my computer which, they say, is receiving unwanted emails and downloading what I do not want.

This is understood to be a follow-up to gain access to the computer. Ring off or say you do not have a computer. Police wish to be kept informed by anyone experiencing similar con tricks.

n The monthly meeting of the Historical Society met on Wednesday expecting to hear Peter Gillman speak on Music in Great Houses.

However, due to a technical hitch the music could not be provided but the bonus is that there will be a future visit when the music will be heard. The talk he gave, instead, was on The Knowle and after a few minutes we had forgotten about the lost chord as his knowledge of that greatest of houses was comprehensive and delivered without notes.

Slides of chairs used at Charles II’s Coronation, embroidery, second largest collection of portraits in the one of the longest gallery in the country, china, together with many other items of furniture and art were shown in all their glory.

The house was founded in 1283 and now boasts, as many people like to quote, a room for every day of the year, a staircase for every week and an entrance for every month. During the war a doodle bug caused some damage but this was sensitively repaired.

There was special fascination for a painting of a former owner who was a diplomat in France. His ambition was to teach the French to play cricket.

It is said that had the French played cricket the Revolution would not have happened, as such a catastrophe was avoided in England where the game brought all classes together in equality and fair play. So keen was he on achieving his mission that he collected a team to take to France only to run into the beginning of the Revolution and the team had to return at once to peaceful England where presumably they played with the ploughman, the Duke and the squire at one on the green fields of England. For further information on the Historical Society phone 01580 879 431 or come along to the next meeting on March 14.

n The unique Meet of the Tongue which gathers on the first Friday of the month at Mistletoe Barn, off Silver Hill at 8pm (01580 860 528) is proud to welcome to the next meeting on March 2 singer song-writer Saffron Sumerfield whose latest CD of guitar and vocals received rave reviews in Folk Roots magazine.

A recording artist well-known in the 70s, she is still able to command such expressions in national reviews as “excellent singer, excellent smog writer words like “cool” and “mature “ spring to mind”.

n Two springer spaniels have been reported missing from Burgh Hill. Please check out buildings and pools as they love water. If found please ring Sarah Jones 01580 860886.

n Reminders: The gifts for troops can be left at Hair Technique, Station Road.

March 25 at 5pm there is a meeting about the new shop complex.

Comedy Capers can be contacted, if you would like to help at the March pantomime, on 01483 865 680.

The vicar to be contacted should you wish to use the church is the Revd Jack Lusted 01580 880 408.

Services are held in Salehurst Church at 11am and 9am in the Church Room, Fair lane, Robertsbridge. Also the well-loved Etchingham church services are advertised in the Etchingham Village Voice column.

n Even in the snow Etchingham church had good congregations including many children.

There are plans to hold a public meeting soon to discuss the future of Holy Trinity Church, Hurst Green. If our sister village, so close to Hurst Green, can supply such good support for its national gem of a church, Hurst Green can do likewise as Holy Trinity has its Pre-Raphaelite interior mentioned in books and has a welcoming atmosphere - indeed it was about a year ago that the last concert was held there which attracted a large audience thanks to Mrs Greenfield and others who love the church, Wendy and Graham Browne and former churchwarden Helen Cox, who is now in Battle.

Please give this important matter some thought and even if you cannot come to the meeting when it is arranged please make your views known so that these may be taken into consideration.

n The mobile library calls today (Friday) at 2.25-3.15pm at the village hall.

n Shopping bus to Jemspon’s Peasmarsh superstore picks-up at the George at 1.25pm every Tuesday.

n Chiropodist clinic is held Wednesday and Thursday afternoons in the surgery at the village hall. For appointments please ring Mr Harris on 01797 230 251 or 0799997948.

n Trefoil Guild meets regularly. Details from Barbara 01580 819 330.

n Brownies waiting list may be contacted on 01580 860 742.

n For all items to be published in this column, ring 01580 860 340 or email (if unavoidable) [email protected]

Flora Jenner

Max Gate

Burgh Hill