Iden

A VERY SPECIAL YEAR: This year we will be sorry to see 2014 come to an end, because we have focused, not only on commemorating the centenary of the First World War, but the 75th anniversary of the Second World War. We have always remembered those brave men and women who laid down their lives for us. Thousands visit their graves, every year and we celebrate remembranceday, and we do not forget them. This year however, because every man woman and child in the land has been involved in some specific way in celebrating their bravery, it seems that we have each in our small way, helped to afford them the longevity they so sadly missed out on .We have remembered them on behalf of their families and friends. We have all cried for them as though they died only yesterday.
By The Newsroom
Published 13th Nov 2014, 23:00 BST

IDEN PARISH CHURCH REMEMBERED THE SOLDIERS: The church on Sunday morning looked beautiful. There were poppies on the window sills, poppies on the doors, and clustered around the church’s artefacts. People wore grey, and dark blue and black out of respect, and everyone wore a poppy for the Service of Remembrance. After the church service, the congregation walked to Iden’s war memorial, and wreaths were laid, and the names of the Iden dead were read out. Such ordinary sounding names for extraordinarily brave people. The service spilled over into the road around the memorial, a circle of Iden folk, with Teresa, our vicar in the middle leading the service. There were, 888,246 ceramic poppies at the tower of London, one for each soldier. 888,246 people, who this year in particular have lived on in our thoughts..

THE PARISH COUNCIL MEETING: The Iden Parish Council meeting was held on Tuesday 4th November in the village hall. The minutes of the meeting will be posted on the village notice board, and there will be a report of it’s content on our village web site [idenvillage.wordpress.com].. The meeting was chaired by Michael Miller, and was reasonably well attended. Cathy Wootton, and councillor Richard Jones, both members of I.C.E. [Iden Community Emergency Forum] , spoke to us about purchasing a second village defibrillator .It has not yet been decided where the second defibrillator should be positioned, but the money is available for it’s purchase., and details will follow. Mary Philo, our Parish Clerk discussed the expenditure of the war memorial fund. Much thought has gone into the most fitting way to utilise it. . Councillor Nick Ramus from Rother District Council, discussed garden waste bins [we will be notified if there are any changes in collection day], and spoke of the difficulties and necessary cut-backs faced by the council in these cash-strapped times.

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MOSEY ALONG TO THE VILLAGE HALL TONIGHT: The Iden and District Natural History Society is having a talk tonight at 7.30 pm in Iden village hall, entitled ‘Wild Life In The Wild WEST’. The talk, given by Brian Nobbs is open to visitors, who pay £3..

THANK YOU I.C.E: A while ago we didn’t have I.C.E .[Iden Community Emergency Forum]., and now we do, and I.C.E. are trying to cover aspects of our safety and well-being. We are somewhat blessed at the prospect of having two village defibrillators [specifications regarding the second defibrillator are to be advised] . They have also sorted out [as far as possible] our pavement- salt distribution for the winter. There are at present 16x20 kg bags of salt in Iden, distributed between the village hall, ‘The Bell’ public house, and the Old Hall Michael [Les] Lane, has seven shovels available in Grove Lane for our winter use.. I.C.E.. have records of who has chain saws and four wheel drive vehicles and calor gas stoves, and the willingness to put together some hot food if needs be in the case of an emergency. We hope we never have an emergency situation, but never say never, so it is comforting to know that this group of people have planned for the event of an emergency., so thank you Richard Jones and the I.C.E. team.

A VERY SUCCESSFUL COFFEE MORNING: A big thank you to Carol Bourne, and her helpers for organising a special coffee morning in the village hall , held on Saturday 8th November . They made £363, and proceeds go to Iden village hall .The coffee morning was well attended, and included a raffle, bric-a-brac, and a book stall .Carol put a lot of work into what was a really enjoyable morning. I bought four mugs and a plant pot holder, [I love them]

THE POP-IN: The next Pop- In, will be on Monday 24th November at 11am in the village hall. All are welcome for coffee and a nice cosy village get-together.

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BINGO: Bingo will be held in the village hall on Thursday, 27th November. Doors open at 2pm, eyes down at 2.30pm.Everyone in Iden and surrounding villages is welcome. We have a flier, and a jackpot, a raffle, and a nice tea at half-time. Tea only costs a pound for sandwiches, cakes, and tea/coffee. [can’t be bad!]

IT’S BEEN COLD, BUT BEAUTIFUL: Although it’s rained, hailed and been colder, the days when the sun has filtered through the trees, showing up yellow/gold tints have been lovely haven’t they?. Oh! and the sky, with those fluffy clouds has been a picture at times. If I were Len Goodman on ‘Strictly’, I’d give our recent skies a ‘ SEVEN!’.

THE SERVICE OF HOLY COMMUNION: There will be a service of Holy Communion in Iden Parish Church on Sunday 16th November at 9.30 am .

A CLEAR PATH WAY TO CHRISTMAS: Okay, so much as we’ve enjoyed Halloween and Bonfire Night, we now start the countdown to Christmas. Personally, I can’t wait to ‘hit the shops’. The spare room bed is already full of stocking fillers .Some people are easy to buy for aren’t they, but some folk are much more difficult to please .Now why is that? My mother used to say that we are all the way we are because of the way our bonnet strings were tied. I love to receive serving dishes, perfume and D V D’S, something with Kevin Costner, Matt Damon, or Richard Gere in them [I may be old, but I’m not dead yet!]. I used to go into a blind panic while presents were given out, thinking that someone might have inadvertently dipped out, and not had as many gifts as someone else [ it gave me palpitations], but now I’m not allowed near the present pile “Sit down Mum”, I’m told [actually it’s quite nice to be told to sit down. To be honest, it makes a change] while my daughter dishes presents out willy nilly, instead of my overly-structured format., and no one gives a hoot if they are an after shave down on anyone else. All I can say is thank God I’m not Santa!.

CONTACT ME: If you wish to add anything to the village voice, contact me, Gill Griffin [telephone 01797 280311.], and I’ll be glad to include it.

Gill Griffin

Belfield, Main Street

Related topics:Soldiers