Malling

TRINITY SOUTH MALLING: (Parish Church). This coming Sunday, there is a Communion Service led by Revd Jeremy Bamber, the Associate Vicar. The service begins at 9.30am and all are welcome. Meanwhile, the church is preparing for its first ever Annual Parochial Church Meeting on April 25. Although the full review of the Electoral Roll takes place next year, Trinity is starting with this a year early, so it is important that everyone on the roll completes their Electoral Roll application this year with nominations for church officers, and gets them to the Rector, Revd Steve Daughtery, by noon on Friday April 20.

ANN HILTON: Among the recent loss of a number of long-standing and well-loved members of South Malling Church, older members of the congregation will have been sad to hear of the death of Ann Hilton, reported a couple of weeks ago, in the Sussex Express. After retiring as Express News Editor, Ann, a staunch member of the South Malling community, became the church secretary, and unable to put her journalistic skill away, began to write her Parish Pump column, depicting life in the parish church. Her first story caught the imagination of many Express readers, when the new vicar of the time asked parishioners to turn back and face the east window after ten years of facing west. This was because the main door was now close to the west end, meaning that anyone arriving late for the service found themselves up-front with the Vicar. After a few years, Anne moved away to live in care, closer to her family. At least she won her church a small claim to fame, and continuity for her column. Thanks Ann.

RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION: There will be a public meeting of Malling Tenants and Residents Association on Wednesday April 25 at 7pm in Malling Community Centre. All are welcome. The association reports that Leighton Rowe, the District Council’s Development Project Manager, will be attending to ‘share’ information to listen to residents and, where he can, to provide answers to their questions and proposals about future house building on the estate. The secretary invites other suggestions for the agenda to be sent to him at [email protected]. Also, John Lamb, with other members, is looking at improving the Compass Bus Services around Malling. Following regular complaints over recent years about late running and cancellations, they are asking for information on current satisfaction levels, to present to the council when service levels with the company are agreed, later this year. They are asking for regular travellers on Compass routes to keep a diary of how the company is currently performing. Contact Cllr Lamb for more details if you are willing to help.