Mountfield

THE SECOND FRONT: We have made the point before that a successful outcome to the residents’ campaign also benefits everyone in the village and the parish — basically anyone with “Mountfield” in their address, not just those in the front line. The committee steering the residents’ campaign have kept the local frontliners up to date with two Newsletters, an information sheet and a last minute Update. Any other Mountfield people who would like to see these communications can contact [email protected] for copies.

ON YER BIKE: Caroline Hollamby is no stranger to charity bike rides having done 100k in 2014, 68k (over 40 miles) in 2016 and 100 miles in 2017. This year, she has signed up to cycle 70 miles around the Sussex countryside on June 10th in aid of Action Medical Research. The big difference this time is that she is going to have 14-year old daughter Martha for company. Martha’s furthest distance so far is not much more than 40 miles on a sunny day on the flat, so this is pushing boundaries, this is daunting, and this is brave. Martha is hoping to raise as much as possible for Action Medical Research. And if that sounds like just another charity, go to https://www.action.org.uk/sponsor/Onmybike64. If you don’t have internet access, ask a grandchild to print off the page for you. The story there is just one many extraordinary stories so why not sponsor Martha… (And her Mum)

VILLAGE HALL: The AGM of the Mountfield Village Hall Committee will be held on Monday June 4th at 7.30 pm. The meeting is open to everyone in the village and all are very welcome. So do go along and share ideas about this important village facility, arguably the most important building in the parish. You could even volunteer to join the Committee — or not.

PARISH COUNCIL: Last week saw the Annual Parish Meeting when the Parish Council elects its officers for the next twelve months. Steve Rickman-Smith was elected Chairman and Jim Ray agreed to the nomination to stay on as Vice-Chairman and was duly elected.

MPC VACANCY: Due to the resignation of Peter Miles from the Council, Mountfield Parish Council has a vacancy for a Councillor. There is a link on the mountfield.org.uk website to the formal notice sent to the Electoral Officer at Rother District Council. If you are interested in becoming a Mountfield Parish Councillor, please contact the Clerk, Irene Marchant, on [email protected] or talk to any of our Councillors.

DACS WALKS: Peter writes: Last week, I wrote about the twenty-one walks I have led over the last five years under the title “Through Trees & Time”. I have now done the sums for this year. The precedent over the last few years has been that the first three walks were in aid of the upkeep of All Saints, Mountfield, one of the most remarkable gems of early Norman church architecture in the county, and the final week’s takings were to help the Darwell Area Conservation Society to fight for and promote this extraordinary historic landscape, one of the most important landscapes in Europe. This year, the walks raised £400 for Mountfield Church and DACS decided to donate the remaining £140 to the upkeep of St Thomas à Becket, Brightling. A glance through the records shows that the walks from 2014 to 2018 raised nearly £1500 for All Saints, Mountfield.

HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY: A reminder that the plant sale and coffee morning is a week on Sunday, 27 May, from 10.30 am at 4, Eatenden Lane. All welcome.

A BAD WINTER: Talking of things botanical, this spring’s wonder must be the extraordinary density of the blossom on all the hawthorns, bowing the branches with the sheer weight of the bright white flowers. We so often hear that a big display of berries presages a hard winter. It doesn’t. It is the direct result of all those flowers in the spring. This autumn, look for hawthorns sagging under the weight of their own fruit.

CONTACT: If you have anything for the Village Voice, we can be contacted on 880614 or via [email protected]. We always welcome contributions and feedback.