Mountfield

We took the dogs out for a walk and when we got back, Kent Lane had gone. At the time of writing, large tracts of the lane have been scalped which makes for some ticklish driving but it has to be said that in some places, such as outside the church, the road without its surface is better than it used to be with its surface. And the stretch by the pond at Park Pale is unrecognisable: the horizon no longer tilts.

If the contractors keep to schedule — and they have certainly cracked on with it so far — the road should be finished by the time you read this and we’ll be able to get an ambulance from one end of the village to the other safely.

After a succession of meetings, the Village Hall Committee reluctantly decided that there was insufficient support for the idea of a village fête to go ahead this year. There simply weren’t enough people to share the organisation and running of such an event so…

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Instead, there will be a community event, held in and around the village hall, on Sunday June 1st, from 1.00 to 4.00 pm. There will be refreshments, entertainment and a community theme, and will include art, portraits, a history exhibition, games and competitions — in fact, something for everyone, they hope. More information as and when.

The next date for your diaries is Saturday, May 17, when the Mountfield Club are putting on a Village Disco in the village hall from 7.30 till late. Tickets will be £5.00 per adult and under sixteens £2.00 each.

The Snooker Summer League started on Monday, April 28 and Mountfield had a difficult home match against division side Staplecross. Pete Last, making his debut for Mountfield, Sean Spillett and Steve Smith all lost their singles frames to trail 3-0 — Alan Kingshot from Staplecross got a 45 break in the 3rd frame. Pete Last and Sean Spillet then won the next frame 55-30 to give Mountfield 2 points and finish the night Mountfield 2, Staplecross 3.

The minutes of the Parish Assembly, with the reports from the various clubs and associations have now been posted on the parish website (mountfield.org.uk) and the Annual Parish Council will take place at 7.30 pm on Tuesday, May 13. In addition to the annual election of a chairman and vice chairman for the year and the usual business, the idea of purchasing a defibrillator for the village will be discussed. It will be quite early in the proceedings if anyone is interested in coming along just for that bit. The full agenda should be posted on the parish website beforehand.

We have this report on church matters:

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“The Annual Parochial Church Meeting of Mountfield Parochial Church Council was held recently, chaired for the first time by our new Priest-in-Charge, Rev’d Ann-Marie Crosse. Jackie Spriggs resigned as Churchwarden after eleven years, which included a three year interregnum. She also decided to take a break from the Church Council for a year after forty-six years on the PCC but to stay active within the Church in an independent capacity. Jackie was thanked for covering this difficult time and was presented with a beautiful crystal glass etched with a cross and the initial J in appreciation.

“Julie Hawkins also resigned as Churchwarden after two years and was thanked for her contribution during this time. Lucinda Fraser and Gussie Bidwell were elected as Churchwardens. Whilst Lucinda has acted as Minute Secretary for some time there is an urgent need to find a Secretary as soon as possible. There are now only four members on the PCC. John Snuggs, Hon. Treasurer, reported that the new structure of services within the Benefice has resulted in fewer services in our church and therefore less income. Discussion then followed on fundraising to cover the shortfall.

“So, a big push is needed now to revive interest in our parish treasure, All Saints, Mountfield. Having our own priest is a great help, knowing there is the captain of the ship again. Please watch out for activities in our parish and if anyone has any bright ideas we would be delighted to hear.”

Your Village Voices would like to add that nearly half a century en poste is a remarkable record and we are sure that we speak for many in adding our congratulations. It should also be said that Jackie’s “cover” was also important before the interregnum too, particularly towards Mountfield and Whatlington School. We shall also soon have news of the first fundraising efforts in June. Watch this space.

As ever, if you have anything for the Village Voice, you can contact us on 880614 (evenings) or [email protected].

Peter and Valerie Miles

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