Icklesham village voice

It is with great sadness that we learnt that Mrs Eva Coleman of the Five Villages passed away on July 3. She would have been 100 on August 9. We express our deepest sympathy to her brother Bob,her children Eileen,John,Ronald, and Christopher,her 10 grandchildren,her 24 great grandchildren and to all her family, neighbours and friends.Eva was born in Stoneworks Cottages ,Rye Harbour which in 1912 was essentially a remote fishing community.Her father Charles Southerden had lived at the Royal William,Camber where his father William was a fisherman and an innkeeper. The family moved to Rye Harbour in about 1895 and concentrated on fishing eventually owning 2 ..boats . Eva’s parents Charles and Caroline married in Rye Harbour church in 1903. They had 12 children, Eva being their fifth child.Eva was baptised in the Church Sunday 8 September 1912. The family moved to Harbour View , a larger house next to where Rye Harbour Garage used to be. Eva grew up here and went to Rye Harbour’s School. This had two classes and about 45 pupils .and would close with the outbreak of war in 1939 and never reopen.

Eva left school at 14 and for 6 years was in service, first on Rye Hill and later in Udimore.

In 1928 the Rye Harbour lifeboat, the ‘’Mary Stamford’ ‘went to a Latvian ship in distress. Tragically in the heavy seas all the 17 man crew were lost including Eva’s elder brother Charles. Eva remembered the village flooding in the 1930s when the sea wall at Winchelsea Beach breached.

Eva met her future husband Alec Coleman from Castle Farm, Winchelsea in 1927 and they married in Rye Harbour Church in 1933. They first lived in Tanyard Cottages, Winchelsea as Eva was a parlourmaid in the Periteu Home there where her sister Caroline was a cook.In1936 they moved back to Rye Harbour where Alec was a boat builder with his father in law Charles Southerden until Charles died in 1939..Alec then went to work on Merricks farm in Icklesham until he retired in 1971.Alec died in 1988 . Eva continued to live in Rye Harbour until she moved to Five Villages House in 1997.

Eva’s ashes will be interred next to Alec in Rye Harbour Churchyard.

Today,Friday,Icklesham School has its Summer Fayre starting at 3pm. Lots to do including face painting,excellent cakes to buy,bouncy castle,pony rides,sangria and Pimms tent,football, a dance display and a parade of decorated umbrellas made by the children with music and drumming. Everybody is welcome to come and support our village school. The raffle tickets are available not just at the School but also at Icklesham Stores.

This weekend Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 two local art groups, Three Oaks and Icklesham, have a joint exhibition in Winchelsea Court House 10am - 6pm. All work will be for sale with 10% of the proceeds donated to Parkinson,s UK. Refreshments and a raffle.

Sunday 15 July Parish Eucharist in All Saints

Live Music The Queen’s Head 4-6 The Black Sheep do R&B

*Wednesday 18 July The Olympic Torch convoy will pass along Main Road on its way from Hastings to Rye. It is due to arrive in Rye at 9.45am and local schools will be parading through the town. Details are elsewhere but expect normal journeys to be affected.

Saturday 21 July 11am -2pm the monthly Church Market

The fixture lists of Icklesham Cricket and Stoolball Clubs are displayed now on the Icklesham Village Store notice board.

Thursday 19 July the 4 day Icklesham Village Beer Festival starts.

This fun event has the usual large range of beers many from smaller brewers plus wine,Pimms and soft drinks. Lots of local entertainers will perform and local charities Oliver Curd Trust and St. Michael,s Hospice are supported. Entry is a bit dearerr but this is the first increase in 5 years.

Thursday the festival is 7-11.30. Ad vanced ticket £7 on the door £8 18+ only. Music by Leadfoot T, 90% proof, and Wasted..

Friday 20 July 7 -12 £10 and £12. Music - 62 Stone,The Luvverleys,and 1066 Rockitmen. Saturday 21 7 -12 £10 and £12 Music The Flying Teapots, Highway and Bootleg Bee Gees’

Sunday 22 is a family day from 1pm to 6pm with adults £6 and £7,young people 13 -18 £3 and £3.50, and accompanied under 12 free.Lots of things for children including free sweets and a competition for the best pirate.Titus,The Rahmanis,Tempus Bravura,Sticks and Stones, Christophe Phillips, Rye Dance School and Robbie Williams tribute with Mike Andrew.